Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, brilliantly created by J.K.
Rowling. Most situations are based on those created by J.K. Rowling.
Author's Note (8/15/03): I will be away for a couple of days but I will update as soon as I can when I get back.
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Happy Anniversary
After the Halloween Ball, school was in full swing again, and the term began to fly by. Before they knew it, they were heading home for Christmas. This year, they were trying something different. Mr. and Mrs. Granger had invited the group to spend the holiday with them. At first Mrs. Weasley had been upset that her children would be away, since she expected the rest of the family, but Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny promised they would spend the New Year at the Burrow.
On the train ride to London, Ron kept thinking about the day AFTER Christmas. December twenty-sixth would mark the one year anniversary of the day he told Hermione he loved her. It was the day they became an official couple. He didn't know what to do, as he would be in a strange house and not aware of the surrounding neighborhood. "Hermione?" he asked, all of a sudden.
"Yes, Ron?" she asked.
"What do you want to do for our anniversary?" Ron asked casually. "It's soon, you know."
"Of course I know," said Hermione. "I'm looking forward to it. It's funny to think that it's going to be at my house. None of you have ever seen it."
"Yeah," said Ron. "I can't wait."
Hermione seemed to sense what Ron's fears were. "Why don't you let me come up with something for our anniversary?" she asked. "You've surprised me so much this past year, why don't I surprise you?"
Ron smiled, liking the idea. "Okay!" he said.
* * *
Ron was not as patient as Hermione when it came to surprises. Everyday he asked her what they were going to do, even harassing her all Christmas Day. "Ron, can't you just enjoy your dinner?" Hermione asked him at one point.
"Tell me what we're doing tomorrow and I'll be able to eat," Ron commented. Hermione gave him a look that told him in no uncertain terms was she going to tell him what they were doing on their anniversary, and Ron quieted down and turned back to the pot roast Mrs. Granger had made, with the help of a fascinated Ginny, who was eager to see how things were done in a muggle kitchen.
* * *
December twenty-sixth rolled around, and Ron woke up happy. He could hardly believe that he and Hermione had been together a year. To him, it seemed only yesterday that he had met her for the first time on the Hogwarts Express. He thought it funny that he used to be so mean to her, though he was slightly embarrassed by it. However, he thought that maybe the reason he had been so mean was because he had liked her, even way back then, and he recalled that there was always something about Hermione Granger that had intrigued and mystified him.
Ron's solitude was disturbed by a loud snore from Harry, in the next bed. Ron decided he was awake enough now, and he moved to get out of bed. Just as he was about to get undressed, there was a knock at the door, "Ron?" came the voice of Hermione.
"Come in," he said. Hermione entered, already dressed and ready for the day.
"Good morning," she said when she saw him. "I see you're not quite ready."
"Well," he said. "You never told me what time we were leaving."
"Can you be ready in a half hour?" Hermione asked. "It's time for your surprise."
"Sure," said Ron, and he walked over to her. "Happy Anniversary."
Hermione smiled. "Happy Anniversary," she said, and she kissed him quickly. "Now get dressed so we can go."
* * *
Hermione walked Ron through a small park near her home. "Hermione, where are going?" Ron asked. "It's freezing out here."
"You'll warm up soon," she told him, and she squeezed his hand and pulled him along to a pond, frozen over. When she sat on a bench next to it, Ron was really confused.
"Hermione?" Ron asked. "What are we doing?"
"Ice skating," Hermione said with a smile.
"Ice skating?" Ron asked again.
"Yeah," said Hermione, and she produced two pairs of skates from her back. "You put these on, and you just kind of glide over the ice."
"I don't know Hermione," said Ron. "That sounds kinda dangerous."
"It's not," she assured him. "I used to go with my dad all the time. I'll hold your hand if you're scared."
"I am not scared!" Ron exclaimed in defense.
Hermione smiled. "Well, it can be slippery at first, so if you want to hold my hand, I won't mind," she said. "And I won't think you're scared."
"Okay," said Ron. "I suppose that would be okay."
"So, put your skates on and let's go!" Hermione exclaimed, excited. Ron didn't look too excited, but he pulled the ice skates on and stood. Hermione took his hand and they got on the ice. Almost immediately, Ron lost his footing and fell backwards, landing on his behind. Hermione fought to keep from laughing.
"Safe, huh?" Ron asked. "Hermione, what have you gotten me into?!"
"Come on," said Hermione, and she held out her hand to him. "Hold on tight, and just relax."
Ron stood, with difficulty and tried again. He managed to go a few feet, and then slipped again. "This is insane," he said to Hermione, but she urged him to keep trying.
"This is what I thought flying was like," Hermione explained to Ron, "before I got my Hogwarts letter and knew that people really do fly on broomsticks."
Ron couldn't quite see what she meant, but he nodded and smiled. He was still having trouble staying on his feet and wasn't so sure he liked ice skating at all. Still, Hermione's enthusiasm made him want to keep trying, and soon he was able to at least stand on two feet, if not glide along gracefully. He would smile when Hermione did circles around him, laughing and encouraging him as she went along. At one point, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, almost knocking them both over, but managed to catch himself. He held onto her and kissed her, and thought about how lucky he was to have her.
* * *
After they finished skating, Hermione took Ron to a small coffee shop and ordered them both hot chocolate. Ron smiled at Hermione from over the table. "Y'know," he said. "This is only the beginning."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"For us," said Ron. "I mean, we're going to have a lot more anniversaries, and do so many things."
Hermione nodded in agreement. "Like leaving Hogwarts," she ventured. "It seems like ended school is the end of something, but really, with you by my side, it's only the beginning."
Ron smiled, "Exactly what I was thinking," he said. They looked at each other for a while, trying to memorize what the other looked like at that moment, rosy cheeked from the cold.
"I love you," they both said at the same time.
Author's Note (8/15/03): I will be away for a couple of days but I will update as soon as I can when I get back.
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Happy Anniversary
After the Halloween Ball, school was in full swing again, and the term began to fly by. Before they knew it, they were heading home for Christmas. This year, they were trying something different. Mr. and Mrs. Granger had invited the group to spend the holiday with them. At first Mrs. Weasley had been upset that her children would be away, since she expected the rest of the family, but Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny promised they would spend the New Year at the Burrow.
On the train ride to London, Ron kept thinking about the day AFTER Christmas. December twenty-sixth would mark the one year anniversary of the day he told Hermione he loved her. It was the day they became an official couple. He didn't know what to do, as he would be in a strange house and not aware of the surrounding neighborhood. "Hermione?" he asked, all of a sudden.
"Yes, Ron?" she asked.
"What do you want to do for our anniversary?" Ron asked casually. "It's soon, you know."
"Of course I know," said Hermione. "I'm looking forward to it. It's funny to think that it's going to be at my house. None of you have ever seen it."
"Yeah," said Ron. "I can't wait."
Hermione seemed to sense what Ron's fears were. "Why don't you let me come up with something for our anniversary?" she asked. "You've surprised me so much this past year, why don't I surprise you?"
Ron smiled, liking the idea. "Okay!" he said.
* * *
Ron was not as patient as Hermione when it came to surprises. Everyday he asked her what they were going to do, even harassing her all Christmas Day. "Ron, can't you just enjoy your dinner?" Hermione asked him at one point.
"Tell me what we're doing tomorrow and I'll be able to eat," Ron commented. Hermione gave him a look that told him in no uncertain terms was she going to tell him what they were doing on their anniversary, and Ron quieted down and turned back to the pot roast Mrs. Granger had made, with the help of a fascinated Ginny, who was eager to see how things were done in a muggle kitchen.
* * *
December twenty-sixth rolled around, and Ron woke up happy. He could hardly believe that he and Hermione had been together a year. To him, it seemed only yesterday that he had met her for the first time on the Hogwarts Express. He thought it funny that he used to be so mean to her, though he was slightly embarrassed by it. However, he thought that maybe the reason he had been so mean was because he had liked her, even way back then, and he recalled that there was always something about Hermione Granger that had intrigued and mystified him.
Ron's solitude was disturbed by a loud snore from Harry, in the next bed. Ron decided he was awake enough now, and he moved to get out of bed. Just as he was about to get undressed, there was a knock at the door, "Ron?" came the voice of Hermione.
"Come in," he said. Hermione entered, already dressed and ready for the day.
"Good morning," she said when she saw him. "I see you're not quite ready."
"Well," he said. "You never told me what time we were leaving."
"Can you be ready in a half hour?" Hermione asked. "It's time for your surprise."
"Sure," said Ron, and he walked over to her. "Happy Anniversary."
Hermione smiled. "Happy Anniversary," she said, and she kissed him quickly. "Now get dressed so we can go."
* * *
Hermione walked Ron through a small park near her home. "Hermione, where are going?" Ron asked. "It's freezing out here."
"You'll warm up soon," she told him, and she squeezed his hand and pulled him along to a pond, frozen over. When she sat on a bench next to it, Ron was really confused.
"Hermione?" Ron asked. "What are we doing?"
"Ice skating," Hermione said with a smile.
"Ice skating?" Ron asked again.
"Yeah," said Hermione, and she produced two pairs of skates from her back. "You put these on, and you just kind of glide over the ice."
"I don't know Hermione," said Ron. "That sounds kinda dangerous."
"It's not," she assured him. "I used to go with my dad all the time. I'll hold your hand if you're scared."
"I am not scared!" Ron exclaimed in defense.
Hermione smiled. "Well, it can be slippery at first, so if you want to hold my hand, I won't mind," she said. "And I won't think you're scared."
"Okay," said Ron. "I suppose that would be okay."
"So, put your skates on and let's go!" Hermione exclaimed, excited. Ron didn't look too excited, but he pulled the ice skates on and stood. Hermione took his hand and they got on the ice. Almost immediately, Ron lost his footing and fell backwards, landing on his behind. Hermione fought to keep from laughing.
"Safe, huh?" Ron asked. "Hermione, what have you gotten me into?!"
"Come on," said Hermione, and she held out her hand to him. "Hold on tight, and just relax."
Ron stood, with difficulty and tried again. He managed to go a few feet, and then slipped again. "This is insane," he said to Hermione, but she urged him to keep trying.
"This is what I thought flying was like," Hermione explained to Ron, "before I got my Hogwarts letter and knew that people really do fly on broomsticks."
Ron couldn't quite see what she meant, but he nodded and smiled. He was still having trouble staying on his feet and wasn't so sure he liked ice skating at all. Still, Hermione's enthusiasm made him want to keep trying, and soon he was able to at least stand on two feet, if not glide along gracefully. He would smile when Hermione did circles around him, laughing and encouraging him as she went along. At one point, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, almost knocking them both over, but managed to catch himself. He held onto her and kissed her, and thought about how lucky he was to have her.
* * *
After they finished skating, Hermione took Ron to a small coffee shop and ordered them both hot chocolate. Ron smiled at Hermione from over the table. "Y'know," he said. "This is only the beginning."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"For us," said Ron. "I mean, we're going to have a lot more anniversaries, and do so many things."
Hermione nodded in agreement. "Like leaving Hogwarts," she ventured. "It seems like ended school is the end of something, but really, with you by my side, it's only the beginning."
Ron smiled, "Exactly what I was thinking," he said. They looked at each other for a while, trying to memorize what the other looked like at that moment, rosy cheeked from the cold.
"I love you," they both said at the same time.