Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, brilliantly created by J.K.
Rowling. Most situations are based on those created by J.K. Rowling.
Chapter Fifteen: Meeting Again
Hermione left her parents' house with a light heart, but also a nervous stomach. Her Christmas had been wonderful, full of great family, great gifts and great food, but now it was time to go back to Hogwarts and confront Ron. She was glad it would happen before all the students returned to the building. She knew that at this time of year it was unlikely that she see anybody. She headed to the fireplace where she traveled by Floo Powder to the Three Broomsticks, in the village of Hogsmeade.
"Why 'Ermione, I didn't expect to see you back so soon," came the familiar voice of Rubeus Hagrid, who was standing in front of the fireplace.
"Well," said Hermione, "I have some things I need to take care of, so I came back a bit early."
"Well, it's good ter see ya!" Hagrid exclaimed cheerfully. "Why don't you let me take care of your trunk for ye? You don't want ter be carryin' it up to the castle on a day like this!"
Hermione looked out the window and could see that snow was falling again. From the looks of it, it was going to turn into quite a blizzard. "Better get yerself up there before it gets any worse," Hagrid suggested and Hermione nodded.
"Thank you for taking care of my things," said Hermione. "I'm so glad I ran into you." Hagrid nodded her way and she headed out the door and made her way up to the castle.
* * *
Harry, Ron and Ginny were outside on the Hogwarts grounds, once again enjoying the snow. Ron decided to give making snowmen a try, so Ginny showed him how to do it. Then he and Harry got the bright idea that they should make a HUGE snowman and they were in the process of rolling the largest snowball any of them had ever seen. "Hey!" Ginny all of a sudden exclaimed, seeing a small figure enter the castle gates. "There's someone coming." She pointed and Ron and Harry looked.
They watched as the figure got larger and became clearer. Suddenly Ron noticed the hair, and he knew immediately, "It's Hermione!" he exclaimed, and he felt his heart swell.
"What's she doing back so soon?" Ginny asked Harry.
"I guess she has some unfinished business to take care of," Harry said. He and Ginny smiled at each other. They looked towards Ron, but he was already heading towards Hermione. When he reached her, they almost hugged, but then backed away.
"Wait till you see what we made!" Ron said, excited to show off his new snowman-making skills. He practically dragged Hermione to the spot where Harry and Ginny were waiting with the large snowball. "See!" Ron pointed out, proudly.
"Well," Hermione said. "I am impressed. Just one question. How did you intend to get the other parts of the snowman on top of that?"
Ron was stumped. "I guess we never thought that far." He looked at Hermione. "How come you're back so soon?"
"Oh," said Hermione, and she blushed, but it was unnoticeable since her cheeks were already quite red from the cold weather. "I had some things to take care of."
"Well, I'm getting cold!" Ginny suddenly announced. "I want to go sit by the fire. Harry, why don't you come with me?"
"Why do I have to -? Oh!" Harry exclaimed. "Sure, now that I think of it, I am kind of cold myself." He and Ginny turned and went into the castle, leaving Ron and Hermione alone.
"Is there something going on between those two?" Hermione asked, confused.
"I don't think so," said Ron. "I think they were just trying to get out of our way."
"Why?"
"Well, Hermione, there's something we have to talk about," said Ron. "In private."
"Ron, before you start, let me just say that I don't know what happened the night before I left. I mean, we were just standing under the mistletoe, and it IS a tradition - a silly one, really, as if a plant could force two people to kiss. And Ron, I just wanted you to know that if you thought the kiss was a bad idea, then nothing else ever has to come of it, and I wanted you to know that just cause I left the morning after doesn't mean that I didn't like it but if you're the one with the problem then-"
"Bloody hell, Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, cutting off her ramblings. "Can't you see it? Can't you feel it?" He placed a hand on the side of her face.
"Ron-"
"Don't you know that I am absolutely, positively head over heels in love with you?"
Hermione's breath caught. After a pause to regain her composure, she spoke, softly, saying, "I'm in love with you too."
"What?"
"I said, I'm in love with you too!" Hermione exclaimed, looking up at Ron and smiling. "I love you, Ron Weasley. It's always been you."
Ron's smile grew wide, and he was overcome with happiness. He grabbed Hermione around the waist and spun her around. She started laughing uncontrollably until Ron stumbled in the snow and they both fell to the ground. Their laughs subsided slowly as they looked at each other, this time with new eyes.
"You okay?" Ron asked. When they landed, Hermione had landed on her back and he had landed somewhat on top of her.
"Never better," Hermione said. "There's just one thing."
"What?"
"Aren't you going to kiss me?"
It was all Ron needed to hear. He leaned down and kissed her, and felt her response immediately. Hermione lifted her arms and ran them through Ron's hair, feeling the flakes of snow that had landed there. Once again, it seemed that they were the only two people in the world, and that everything else had fallen away. They didn't know how long they stayed there, but Ron pulled away when he felt Hermione shiver, and he remembered that they were lying in the snow.
"Come on, let's go inside," he said. "You must be freezing."
"I'm all right," said Hermione.
"But you're shivering."
"Am I?" Hermione said. "I hadn't noticed." She pulled Ron to her and kissed him again, and they both knew that the connection they had made would never be broken. There was something between the two of them, a strange force, perhaps the intertwining of souls, and it happened between the two of them. This time it was Ron who shivered.
"Maybe we should go in," said Hermione.
"Maybe," said Ron, and he stood and then helped her up. He brushed the snow off of her coat and out of her hair, and then brushed the snow off his own legs. "Come on," he said, and he held a gloved hand out to her. She took it, relishing in the warmth (having forgotten her own gloves, her hands were quite cold at this point).
They walked back to the castle together. Before they went in the doors, Ron turned to Hermione. "I loved my Christmas present."
Hermione smiled, "I knew you would!"
"And I love you."
"I love you too."
They kissed again, and then entered the castle.
* * *
Ron and Hermione kept to themselves for the rest of that first afternoon. The emptiness of the castle came in handy, as everywhere they went, they wanted to hold hands or steal a kiss. Harry and Ginny didn't see them until dinner, when they entered the Great Hall hand in hand. Ginny beamed and them and then smiled at Harry. "Told you they would get together."
Chapter Fifteen: Meeting Again
Hermione left her parents' house with a light heart, but also a nervous stomach. Her Christmas had been wonderful, full of great family, great gifts and great food, but now it was time to go back to Hogwarts and confront Ron. She was glad it would happen before all the students returned to the building. She knew that at this time of year it was unlikely that she see anybody. She headed to the fireplace where she traveled by Floo Powder to the Three Broomsticks, in the village of Hogsmeade.
"Why 'Ermione, I didn't expect to see you back so soon," came the familiar voice of Rubeus Hagrid, who was standing in front of the fireplace.
"Well," said Hermione, "I have some things I need to take care of, so I came back a bit early."
"Well, it's good ter see ya!" Hagrid exclaimed cheerfully. "Why don't you let me take care of your trunk for ye? You don't want ter be carryin' it up to the castle on a day like this!"
Hermione looked out the window and could see that snow was falling again. From the looks of it, it was going to turn into quite a blizzard. "Better get yerself up there before it gets any worse," Hagrid suggested and Hermione nodded.
"Thank you for taking care of my things," said Hermione. "I'm so glad I ran into you." Hagrid nodded her way and she headed out the door and made her way up to the castle.
* * *
Harry, Ron and Ginny were outside on the Hogwarts grounds, once again enjoying the snow. Ron decided to give making snowmen a try, so Ginny showed him how to do it. Then he and Harry got the bright idea that they should make a HUGE snowman and they were in the process of rolling the largest snowball any of them had ever seen. "Hey!" Ginny all of a sudden exclaimed, seeing a small figure enter the castle gates. "There's someone coming." She pointed and Ron and Harry looked.
They watched as the figure got larger and became clearer. Suddenly Ron noticed the hair, and he knew immediately, "It's Hermione!" he exclaimed, and he felt his heart swell.
"What's she doing back so soon?" Ginny asked Harry.
"I guess she has some unfinished business to take care of," Harry said. He and Ginny smiled at each other. They looked towards Ron, but he was already heading towards Hermione. When he reached her, they almost hugged, but then backed away.
"Wait till you see what we made!" Ron said, excited to show off his new snowman-making skills. He practically dragged Hermione to the spot where Harry and Ginny were waiting with the large snowball. "See!" Ron pointed out, proudly.
"Well," Hermione said. "I am impressed. Just one question. How did you intend to get the other parts of the snowman on top of that?"
Ron was stumped. "I guess we never thought that far." He looked at Hermione. "How come you're back so soon?"
"Oh," said Hermione, and she blushed, but it was unnoticeable since her cheeks were already quite red from the cold weather. "I had some things to take care of."
"Well, I'm getting cold!" Ginny suddenly announced. "I want to go sit by the fire. Harry, why don't you come with me?"
"Why do I have to -? Oh!" Harry exclaimed. "Sure, now that I think of it, I am kind of cold myself." He and Ginny turned and went into the castle, leaving Ron and Hermione alone.
"Is there something going on between those two?" Hermione asked, confused.
"I don't think so," said Ron. "I think they were just trying to get out of our way."
"Why?"
"Well, Hermione, there's something we have to talk about," said Ron. "In private."
"Ron, before you start, let me just say that I don't know what happened the night before I left. I mean, we were just standing under the mistletoe, and it IS a tradition - a silly one, really, as if a plant could force two people to kiss. And Ron, I just wanted you to know that if you thought the kiss was a bad idea, then nothing else ever has to come of it, and I wanted you to know that just cause I left the morning after doesn't mean that I didn't like it but if you're the one with the problem then-"
"Bloody hell, Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, cutting off her ramblings. "Can't you see it? Can't you feel it?" He placed a hand on the side of her face.
"Ron-"
"Don't you know that I am absolutely, positively head over heels in love with you?"
Hermione's breath caught. After a pause to regain her composure, she spoke, softly, saying, "I'm in love with you too."
"What?"
"I said, I'm in love with you too!" Hermione exclaimed, looking up at Ron and smiling. "I love you, Ron Weasley. It's always been you."
Ron's smile grew wide, and he was overcome with happiness. He grabbed Hermione around the waist and spun her around. She started laughing uncontrollably until Ron stumbled in the snow and they both fell to the ground. Their laughs subsided slowly as they looked at each other, this time with new eyes.
"You okay?" Ron asked. When they landed, Hermione had landed on her back and he had landed somewhat on top of her.
"Never better," Hermione said. "There's just one thing."
"What?"
"Aren't you going to kiss me?"
It was all Ron needed to hear. He leaned down and kissed her, and felt her response immediately. Hermione lifted her arms and ran them through Ron's hair, feeling the flakes of snow that had landed there. Once again, it seemed that they were the only two people in the world, and that everything else had fallen away. They didn't know how long they stayed there, but Ron pulled away when he felt Hermione shiver, and he remembered that they were lying in the snow.
"Come on, let's go inside," he said. "You must be freezing."
"I'm all right," said Hermione.
"But you're shivering."
"Am I?" Hermione said. "I hadn't noticed." She pulled Ron to her and kissed him again, and they both knew that the connection they had made would never be broken. There was something between the two of them, a strange force, perhaps the intertwining of souls, and it happened between the two of them. This time it was Ron who shivered.
"Maybe we should go in," said Hermione.
"Maybe," said Ron, and he stood and then helped her up. He brushed the snow off of her coat and out of her hair, and then brushed the snow off his own legs. "Come on," he said, and he held a gloved hand out to her. She took it, relishing in the warmth (having forgotten her own gloves, her hands were quite cold at this point).
They walked back to the castle together. Before they went in the doors, Ron turned to Hermione. "I loved my Christmas present."
Hermione smiled, "I knew you would!"
"And I love you."
"I love you too."
They kissed again, and then entered the castle.
* * *
Ron and Hermione kept to themselves for the rest of that first afternoon. The emptiness of the castle came in handy, as everywhere they went, they wanted to hold hands or steal a kiss. Harry and Ginny didn't see them until dinner, when they entered the Great Hall hand in hand. Ginny beamed and them and then smiled at Harry. "Told you they would get together."