Disclaimer: Everything except the plot is JK Rowling's....because she's
cool so I have to give her credit...
I'm excited about this one, everybody...I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter posted...My computer is a....well let's just say it's a jerk...the typing program wasn't working and I was going crazy with no being able to write!!!!!
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Snow had frosted the Hogwarts grounds over night. It was the first snow that the castle had seen all year. The students remaining at Hogwarts were all overjoyed to wake up Christmas morning seeing this out their windows.
Ron lunged at his pile of presents and dug in. Harry followed his friend's example, but a little less enthusiastically.
Christmas morning in the girls' dormitory was slightly different. Ginny and Hermione were staying in the same room, seeing as how they were the only two girls in the tower. They remained calm (even when seeing their presents), unlike the boys, and greeted each other sweetly.
"Open mine first," Ginny said to Hermione, who was practically her sister. "I want to see your reaction." Hermione obeyed and found a lovely pair of gloves. The gloves were spun from pixy-dust thread and the fabric glowed like moonlight.
"Oh, Ginny they're gorgeous! Thank you so much!" Hermione put on the gloves and threw her arms around her 'sister.'
After a few moments of cheerful morning chatter and opening gifts, Ginny could no longer control the urge to ask a question.
"Er...what...er...what did Ron get you?" She said the words quickly and rapidly became very intrigued with some wrapping paper. Hermione's neck nearly cracked when she whipped her head around to stare at Ginny.
"What?" Then, upon realizing that this might not be a normal reaction for any girl who didn't like Ron, she calmed herself down and answered. "Oh, erm..." She searched through her pile for a present with Ron's name on it, but she didn't find one. "It looks like I didn't get one from him." Hermione found it difficult to control her hurt and disappointment. "It's no big deal." She waved her hand in the air to dismiss the importance of receiving a Christmas present from the boy she was in love with...why was Hermione acting this way? In love with Ron? Pshaa! No way. "I don't care."
Was it just Hermione, or was Ginny smiling? How could she find this remotely funny?
"Let's go see what the boys are up to. Shall we?" Hermione nodded. _________________
"Happy Christmas, boys!" Hermione yelled into the dormitory when she and Ginny arrived upstairs.
"Hermione, how come you're allowed in our room when we aren't allowed in yours?" Ron protested. It was completely like him to find something wrong with any perfectly happy situation.
"Why are you asking me, Ron? I didn't make the rule!" she said defensively. "Anyway, why do you care? You wouldn't want to come up anyway." Whatever unseen force had compelled Hermione to say that, she didn't know. She had definitely NOT intended for that to slip out of her mouth. Was it possible that Ron and Ginny had just exchanged a tiny glance? No, why would they?
"Hermione, thanks so much for the present. I've been wanting this Quidditch book for a while!" Harry thanked her excitedly.
"You're welcome, Harry. And thanks for the book. Professor McGonagall told me that The Study of Magical Evolution is very informative and..." Harry cut her off before she could get started on a long-winded speech.
"Well, you told me once that you might like it." Everyone in the room was smiling and considering a snowball fight later that day. ____________________________________________________________________________ _
"I can't believe she didn't even mention it to you," Ginny said to Ron during their afternoon snowball fight. "She looked pretty upset when she saw you didn't give her a present.
"I was surprised too. I hope I didn't make her feel too bad." He looked forlorn as he chucked a clump of snow at an unsuspecting Harry. Having Seeker reflexes, Harry dodged it expertly and retaliated with his own snowball. Ron was hit square in the face.
"You'll have to get up earlier than that to catch me off guard, Ron!" It was a pleasant atmosphere. Ron and Ginny abandoned their chatter about Ron's plan. They went to join the others jubilantly.
Hermione threw some snow at Ron and it caught him in the stomach. She giggled, girlishly and ran away as he aimed a throw at her. Was she flirting? Oh Merlin, Hermione! Why was she even thinking of that? Ron was practically her brother. How could she be flirting?
While in the middle of her thought process, she lost focus of the fact that she was being pursued by a crazy chap with a snowball. Ron hit her in the back with the snow, sparkling in the sunlight. Hermione let out a tiny yelp and stopped running. Ron, who had been sprinting at top-speed behind her, ran into Hermione. The force of this collision sent both of them flying through the air and into a snow bank.
Ron could hear Hermione's laughter, but it was muffled from her face being in the snow. He laughed himself and shoved her to roll over. The two of them lay in the snow bank, chuckling. They could barely hear Harry's and Ginny's voices from their position in the Hogwarts yard. They were a good hundred yards away from the other two.
Ron thought Hermione looked especially gorgeous with her cheeks as red a cherries and her eyes twinkling from the reflection of the shining, white snow. Oh, Merlin! What was Ron thinking? Although, he really didn't know if he could deny it from himself any longer. Yes, he would be completely honest...he was one hundred and twenty percent in love with Hermione Granger. How could he not be?
As he made this internal confession, he ceased his laughter. Ron simply stared at Hermione. She stared back at him.
Breathe, Hermione, breathe! She told herself this, as if it was a necessary reminder when in Ron's presence. This was the final straw. No more holding it inside. She was totally in love with Ron Weasley. Hermione could no longer deny it from herself anymore.
As she made this internal confession, she felt the cold in her cheeks and nose replaced with a warming glow. She caught Ron's eyes and didn't look away.
They could almost feel each other moving closer, thought neither had even budged an inch in the snow. Perhaps Ron wouldn't have to wait for his plan to take place. This seemed like the perfect moment. He could do it now. He wanted to. She wanted him to.
"'Mione?" he asked with a timid confidence because no matter how nervous he was, he knew he could take the next step.
"Yes, Ron?" Her voice made the tips of his fingers and toes tingle.
"I want to tell you something." Maybe he had imagined it, but Ron thought he noticed Hermione's pupils dilate slightly after he spoke those words.
But whatever Ron wanted to tell Hermione, she didn't find out...(yet)...because Ginny had let out a loud cry of laughter. Despite the distance, her noise carried over to Hermione and Ron in the snow bank. Due to the distraction, their eye contact was broken and the moment faded before either of them could grasp it again.
Hermione sighed deeply and tried to hide her disappointment.
"Let's make some snowballs then sneak up on them," she suggested,
"Good idea," Ron agreed, trying to hide his disappointment. He sighed deeply and followed her across the white grounds. ____________________________________________________________________________ _
A/N: Everyone, I am soooooo sorry (once again) that I didn't put Ron's plan in this chapter. (eek...I really am truly sorry) Writing this part took longer than expected and I am trying to keep all the chapters about the same length. I want to devote a whole great big long chapter to the next part (which is gonna be cool...I hope you all think so) Don't worry! The next chapter is going up ASAP! I PROMISE. I swear on my copy of Order of the Phoenix! And if you know me at all...you'll realize that's a huge deal. Love you all! Keep readin' and reviewin' and rockin' and rollin' and whatnot. (Yeah, that's from Grease...quality movie)
I'm excited about this one, everybody...I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter posted...My computer is a....well let's just say it's a jerk...the typing program wasn't working and I was going crazy with no being able to write!!!!!
_________________________________________________________________________
Snow had frosted the Hogwarts grounds over night. It was the first snow that the castle had seen all year. The students remaining at Hogwarts were all overjoyed to wake up Christmas morning seeing this out their windows.
Ron lunged at his pile of presents and dug in. Harry followed his friend's example, but a little less enthusiastically.
Christmas morning in the girls' dormitory was slightly different. Ginny and Hermione were staying in the same room, seeing as how they were the only two girls in the tower. They remained calm (even when seeing their presents), unlike the boys, and greeted each other sweetly.
"Open mine first," Ginny said to Hermione, who was practically her sister. "I want to see your reaction." Hermione obeyed and found a lovely pair of gloves. The gloves were spun from pixy-dust thread and the fabric glowed like moonlight.
"Oh, Ginny they're gorgeous! Thank you so much!" Hermione put on the gloves and threw her arms around her 'sister.'
After a few moments of cheerful morning chatter and opening gifts, Ginny could no longer control the urge to ask a question.
"Er...what...er...what did Ron get you?" She said the words quickly and rapidly became very intrigued with some wrapping paper. Hermione's neck nearly cracked when she whipped her head around to stare at Ginny.
"What?" Then, upon realizing that this might not be a normal reaction for any girl who didn't like Ron, she calmed herself down and answered. "Oh, erm..." She searched through her pile for a present with Ron's name on it, but she didn't find one. "It looks like I didn't get one from him." Hermione found it difficult to control her hurt and disappointment. "It's no big deal." She waved her hand in the air to dismiss the importance of receiving a Christmas present from the boy she was in love with...why was Hermione acting this way? In love with Ron? Pshaa! No way. "I don't care."
Was it just Hermione, or was Ginny smiling? How could she find this remotely funny?
"Let's go see what the boys are up to. Shall we?" Hermione nodded. _________________
"Happy Christmas, boys!" Hermione yelled into the dormitory when she and Ginny arrived upstairs.
"Hermione, how come you're allowed in our room when we aren't allowed in yours?" Ron protested. It was completely like him to find something wrong with any perfectly happy situation.
"Why are you asking me, Ron? I didn't make the rule!" she said defensively. "Anyway, why do you care? You wouldn't want to come up anyway." Whatever unseen force had compelled Hermione to say that, she didn't know. She had definitely NOT intended for that to slip out of her mouth. Was it possible that Ron and Ginny had just exchanged a tiny glance? No, why would they?
"Hermione, thanks so much for the present. I've been wanting this Quidditch book for a while!" Harry thanked her excitedly.
"You're welcome, Harry. And thanks for the book. Professor McGonagall told me that The Study of Magical Evolution is very informative and..." Harry cut her off before she could get started on a long-winded speech.
"Well, you told me once that you might like it." Everyone in the room was smiling and considering a snowball fight later that day. ____________________________________________________________________________ _
"I can't believe she didn't even mention it to you," Ginny said to Ron during their afternoon snowball fight. "She looked pretty upset when she saw you didn't give her a present.
"I was surprised too. I hope I didn't make her feel too bad." He looked forlorn as he chucked a clump of snow at an unsuspecting Harry. Having Seeker reflexes, Harry dodged it expertly and retaliated with his own snowball. Ron was hit square in the face.
"You'll have to get up earlier than that to catch me off guard, Ron!" It was a pleasant atmosphere. Ron and Ginny abandoned their chatter about Ron's plan. They went to join the others jubilantly.
Hermione threw some snow at Ron and it caught him in the stomach. She giggled, girlishly and ran away as he aimed a throw at her. Was she flirting? Oh Merlin, Hermione! Why was she even thinking of that? Ron was practically her brother. How could she be flirting?
While in the middle of her thought process, she lost focus of the fact that she was being pursued by a crazy chap with a snowball. Ron hit her in the back with the snow, sparkling in the sunlight. Hermione let out a tiny yelp and stopped running. Ron, who had been sprinting at top-speed behind her, ran into Hermione. The force of this collision sent both of them flying through the air and into a snow bank.
Ron could hear Hermione's laughter, but it was muffled from her face being in the snow. He laughed himself and shoved her to roll over. The two of them lay in the snow bank, chuckling. They could barely hear Harry's and Ginny's voices from their position in the Hogwarts yard. They were a good hundred yards away from the other two.
Ron thought Hermione looked especially gorgeous with her cheeks as red a cherries and her eyes twinkling from the reflection of the shining, white snow. Oh, Merlin! What was Ron thinking? Although, he really didn't know if he could deny it from himself any longer. Yes, he would be completely honest...he was one hundred and twenty percent in love with Hermione Granger. How could he not be?
As he made this internal confession, he ceased his laughter. Ron simply stared at Hermione. She stared back at him.
Breathe, Hermione, breathe! She told herself this, as if it was a necessary reminder when in Ron's presence. This was the final straw. No more holding it inside. She was totally in love with Ron Weasley. Hermione could no longer deny it from herself anymore.
As she made this internal confession, she felt the cold in her cheeks and nose replaced with a warming glow. She caught Ron's eyes and didn't look away.
They could almost feel each other moving closer, thought neither had even budged an inch in the snow. Perhaps Ron wouldn't have to wait for his plan to take place. This seemed like the perfect moment. He could do it now. He wanted to. She wanted him to.
"'Mione?" he asked with a timid confidence because no matter how nervous he was, he knew he could take the next step.
"Yes, Ron?" Her voice made the tips of his fingers and toes tingle.
"I want to tell you something." Maybe he had imagined it, but Ron thought he noticed Hermione's pupils dilate slightly after he spoke those words.
But whatever Ron wanted to tell Hermione, she didn't find out...(yet)...because Ginny had let out a loud cry of laughter. Despite the distance, her noise carried over to Hermione and Ron in the snow bank. Due to the distraction, their eye contact was broken and the moment faded before either of them could grasp it again.
Hermione sighed deeply and tried to hide her disappointment.
"Let's make some snowballs then sneak up on them," she suggested,
"Good idea," Ron agreed, trying to hide his disappointment. He sighed deeply and followed her across the white grounds. ____________________________________________________________________________ _
A/N: Everyone, I am soooooo sorry (once again) that I didn't put Ron's plan in this chapter. (eek...I really am truly sorry) Writing this part took longer than expected and I am trying to keep all the chapters about the same length. I want to devote a whole great big long chapter to the next part (which is gonna be cool...I hope you all think so) Don't worry! The next chapter is going up ASAP! I PROMISE. I swear on my copy of Order of the Phoenix! And if you know me at all...you'll realize that's a huge deal. Love you all! Keep readin' and reviewin' and rockin' and rollin' and whatnot. (Yeah, that's from Grease...quality movie)
