Disclaimer: All of the characters depicted within are the property of J.K Rowling
Until Last Tuesday
Chapter 5
Damn Quidditch
The next few days were fun but hectic. Harry's arival had thrown the Burrow into slightly more than usual chaos. Hermione sat crosslegged under a tree one morning, trying to study but finding herself distracted by the game of Quidditch going on above her.
Damn Quidditch. She KNEW how important Quidditch was to Ron, to Harry, and well, even to Ginny, since she had made the team the last year, but honestly, wasn't ANYONE interested in anything else?
Hermione sighed, nibbling on the edge of her quill. Anyone at this point really only meant Ron, as much as she loved Harry and Ginny, she did not have the same urges about them that she had with Ron. Which was a good thing, she supposed, as having to deal with this was severely throwing her into a loop. She hadn't done more than three feet of parchment on ANYTHING, even Arithmancy, since....last Tuesday.
She scowled. Was it so much to ask that she had some time alone with Ron? Wouldn't he at least TRY to get away from the rest of the family, especially since she had all but thrown herself at him?
Hermione sighed again and turned back to her studies, which, at that moment, was partially to do with Contraceptive potions and the like. She scowled. Not that I'll ever need them at this rate, she thought, a little bitterly.
After the improvised Quidditch game (they had to rearrange some rules and plays to make up for the fact they only had five players) they tromped in the house and did justice to Mrs. Weasleys wonderful dinner, eating until their stomachs fairly groaned. After dinner, Ron made a move as if to go upstairs, but Hermione stopped him with a hand on his arm.
"Maybe we should do the dishes for your Mum tonight, Ron," she said, with a significant look. "Maybe give her a bit of a break?"
Ron looked puzzled at aforementioned look. "Mum doesn't mind, Hermione, she's been doing them for years on her own...." he began, but a kick in the shin from Hermione cut him off.
"Stop arguing!" she hissed. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe I want some time ALONE with you, and this is the first oppurtunity I've seen in ages? Now get a move on into the kitchen, everyone is staring at us!"
And indeed they were. Ron flushed as he met the eyes of Ginny, who looked amused, to Fred and George, who could barely contain their glee, to Harry, whose eyes were unreadable. Mr. and Mrs Weasley seemed oblivious as they spoke together in low tones that Ron could not quite decipher. He cleared his throat. "Right then," he said loudly. "We should start those dishes," and he followed Hermione's swiftly retreating back into the kitchen.
All was quiet in the kitchen. Too quiet. Ron stared at Hemione, trying desperately to come up with something meaningful to say but failing miserably. Hermione stared at him like she expected something and finally Ron lost his patience.
"What then?" he bust out, unable to contain himself any longer. "Have I got a spot on my nose? Are you mad at me for something? What IS it, Hermione, bloody well tell me, I'm not a mind reader!" As soon as the words were out he regretted them, Hermione's face changed from expectant to derisive.
"I guess it was ridiculous of me to expect anything from you," she said bitingly. "I would have thought we had known each other long enough now that we could talk without fighting, but apparently I was wrong. You may as well leave. I'll do the dishes myself." And then she turned her back to him and muttered a spell, at which point the dishes began to wash themselves.
Ron was at a loss. He hadn't meant to fight with her. He KNEW he was clueless about some things, but he had never meant for this to happen. He moved to her and put his hand on her shoulder. She flinched slightly but did not remove his hand, nor did she look his way.
"I'm not sure what you're angry about," he began, "but I think it might be because I haven't been spending any time with you. I'm sorry about that, it's just that Harry looks so depressed, and Ginny and I were fighting, and Fred and George will be moving out of the house soon...." his voice trailed off. Hermione turned around. To his surprise, there were tears in her eyes. She swiped at them angrily. "I KNOW that, Ron," she muttered. "I just thought, after what happened, that maybe you would want to spend time with me, that MAYBE I wouldn't be your last resort. I just....I love you so much, and I feel like you don't feel the same way, and I'm so confused, Ron, I just don't know what to do," and then her face crumpled and Ron felt like a first class heel.
"Hermione," he said, and he was close to tears himself, "I love you. I've never loved anyone but you. Before I even knew what love was, there was you. I'm sorry I'm such a prat, I'm sorry I don't pay enough attention, I'm sorry for anything I ever did to put tears in your eyes. You're NOT a last resort. You're my only resort, and I could never want another one."
Hermione met his eyes and gave a watery smile. "I love you, you great prat," she said and then she kissed him.
He could taste the salt of her tears, as well as the food she had eaten for dinner. He found that it didn't detract from the greatness of the kiss, it in fact established it, it made it REAL. He put his hands in her hair and marvelled at the softness of it, it felt like kittens fur. He felt himself growing breathless and with reluctance, broke away and looked at her.
She still had her eyes closed, her lips parted. Suddenly she seemed to realise what was going on and opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly.
"I think its about time to take that walk you mentioned," he said, and was proud because his voice did not shake.
She smiled, and her smile was blinding in its brilliance. "I think you're right," she said, "but we have to take care of those dishes first."
A/N Sorry this story is taking so long. It should go slightly faster now.
Until Last Tuesday
Chapter 5
Damn Quidditch
The next few days were fun but hectic. Harry's arival had thrown the Burrow into slightly more than usual chaos. Hermione sat crosslegged under a tree one morning, trying to study but finding herself distracted by the game of Quidditch going on above her.
Damn Quidditch. She KNEW how important Quidditch was to Ron, to Harry, and well, even to Ginny, since she had made the team the last year, but honestly, wasn't ANYONE interested in anything else?
Hermione sighed, nibbling on the edge of her quill. Anyone at this point really only meant Ron, as much as she loved Harry and Ginny, she did not have the same urges about them that she had with Ron. Which was a good thing, she supposed, as having to deal with this was severely throwing her into a loop. She hadn't done more than three feet of parchment on ANYTHING, even Arithmancy, since....last Tuesday.
She scowled. Was it so much to ask that she had some time alone with Ron? Wouldn't he at least TRY to get away from the rest of the family, especially since she had all but thrown herself at him?
Hermione sighed again and turned back to her studies, which, at that moment, was partially to do with Contraceptive potions and the like. She scowled. Not that I'll ever need them at this rate, she thought, a little bitterly.
After the improvised Quidditch game (they had to rearrange some rules and plays to make up for the fact they only had five players) they tromped in the house and did justice to Mrs. Weasleys wonderful dinner, eating until their stomachs fairly groaned. After dinner, Ron made a move as if to go upstairs, but Hermione stopped him with a hand on his arm.
"Maybe we should do the dishes for your Mum tonight, Ron," she said, with a significant look. "Maybe give her a bit of a break?"
Ron looked puzzled at aforementioned look. "Mum doesn't mind, Hermione, she's been doing them for years on her own...." he began, but a kick in the shin from Hermione cut him off.
"Stop arguing!" she hissed. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe I want some time ALONE with you, and this is the first oppurtunity I've seen in ages? Now get a move on into the kitchen, everyone is staring at us!"
And indeed they were. Ron flushed as he met the eyes of Ginny, who looked amused, to Fred and George, who could barely contain their glee, to Harry, whose eyes were unreadable. Mr. and Mrs Weasley seemed oblivious as they spoke together in low tones that Ron could not quite decipher. He cleared his throat. "Right then," he said loudly. "We should start those dishes," and he followed Hermione's swiftly retreating back into the kitchen.
All was quiet in the kitchen. Too quiet. Ron stared at Hemione, trying desperately to come up with something meaningful to say but failing miserably. Hermione stared at him like she expected something and finally Ron lost his patience.
"What then?" he bust out, unable to contain himself any longer. "Have I got a spot on my nose? Are you mad at me for something? What IS it, Hermione, bloody well tell me, I'm not a mind reader!" As soon as the words were out he regretted them, Hermione's face changed from expectant to derisive.
"I guess it was ridiculous of me to expect anything from you," she said bitingly. "I would have thought we had known each other long enough now that we could talk without fighting, but apparently I was wrong. You may as well leave. I'll do the dishes myself." And then she turned her back to him and muttered a spell, at which point the dishes began to wash themselves.
Ron was at a loss. He hadn't meant to fight with her. He KNEW he was clueless about some things, but he had never meant for this to happen. He moved to her and put his hand on her shoulder. She flinched slightly but did not remove his hand, nor did she look his way.
"I'm not sure what you're angry about," he began, "but I think it might be because I haven't been spending any time with you. I'm sorry about that, it's just that Harry looks so depressed, and Ginny and I were fighting, and Fred and George will be moving out of the house soon...." his voice trailed off. Hermione turned around. To his surprise, there were tears in her eyes. She swiped at them angrily. "I KNOW that, Ron," she muttered. "I just thought, after what happened, that maybe you would want to spend time with me, that MAYBE I wouldn't be your last resort. I just....I love you so much, and I feel like you don't feel the same way, and I'm so confused, Ron, I just don't know what to do," and then her face crumpled and Ron felt like a first class heel.
"Hermione," he said, and he was close to tears himself, "I love you. I've never loved anyone but you. Before I even knew what love was, there was you. I'm sorry I'm such a prat, I'm sorry I don't pay enough attention, I'm sorry for anything I ever did to put tears in your eyes. You're NOT a last resort. You're my only resort, and I could never want another one."
Hermione met his eyes and gave a watery smile. "I love you, you great prat," she said and then she kissed him.
He could taste the salt of her tears, as well as the food she had eaten for dinner. He found that it didn't detract from the greatness of the kiss, it in fact established it, it made it REAL. He put his hands in her hair and marvelled at the softness of it, it felt like kittens fur. He felt himself growing breathless and with reluctance, broke away and looked at her.
She still had her eyes closed, her lips parted. Suddenly she seemed to realise what was going on and opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly.
"I think its about time to take that walk you mentioned," he said, and was proud because his voice did not shake.
She smiled, and her smile was blinding in its brilliance. "I think you're right," she said, "but we have to take care of those dishes first."
A/N Sorry this story is taking so long. It should go slightly faster now.
