I still remember the first day I realized it. It was the middle of
November, and snow had just begun to fall as the school headed out to the
Quidditch fields. It was the big game of the season, Gryffindor vs.
Slytherin. I had no real desire to sit around and watch Quidditch, except
that it was Harry's first game as captain. For weeks, he had talked of
little else, spending all his free time drawing diagrams and discussing
plays.
Ron's hand was warm on mine as we walked down together. We'd been together for nearly two months now. I pictured that September night, smiling as I remembered the way we had shouted at each other across the common room. It had been something silly and meaningless, as it always was and I remembered telling him he knew nothing about me or my feelings.
In three steps, he had crossed the full of the common room and suddenly, his hands were on my shoulders, his eyes staring down on mine.
"I know I'm in love with you." He whispered it frantically, as if he had been dying to say it for ages. And then his lips were on mine. His arms tightened around my waist and mine slipped behind his head, pulling him closer to me.
A million thoughts ran through my mind at that time, none of which I can remember now. I merely remember lying on my bed that night and thinking how nice it had been. Nice. That should have been my first clue. I swear, for being the top student in the school, I can be such an idiot sometimes.
But back to Ron and I. After that night, we were suddenly an "item". He carried my books for me and kissed me occasionally. And each time it was nice. It wasn't ground-breaking or earth-shattering, but I enjoyed it all the same. When we told people, we were together, they all seemed to say the same thing..."Finally!"
Except for Harry. When we told him, he smiled softly, a quick pang of sadness flitting across his features. "Congratulations, guys." He spoke it in a whisper, his voice husky and his eyes unnaturally shiny. "That's great, really great."
After that, Harry had slipped away from us a bit. We all still hung out together, but many times, in the middle of stories, his eyes would go unfocused and he would stop listening. His grades began to drop a bit as well. At the time, I credited it all to what had happened with Sirius. So days passed in that way, with Harry growing more and more distant each day.
But not today. Today, Harry's green eyes shone as we all walked to the pitch together. His face was animated and we all saw him smile in what seemed like the first time in days.
When we reached the locker room, Ron dropped my hand and turned to face me. He reached up and tucked an unruly curl behind my ear.
"Wish me luck, Herm?"
"Good luck, Ron." I whispered softly. He tilted his head down for a kiss and I obliged.
When he pulled away, his ears were red but he looked happy. The smile had disappeared off of Harry's face, however. I noticed it immediately when I turned to wish him good luck.
"Good luck, Harry."
"Thanks, Hermione." His voice was strained and stiff. Impulsively, I reached up and kissed him on the cheek. He seemed shocked for a moment, then shot me a sad smile and brushed his hand across my cold cheek.
They turned and headed into the locker room, leaving me to deal with my thoughts. Why had that brief encounter shook me up more than any kiss with Ron ever had? My face burned where he had touched me and my lips were tingling from kissing his cheek.
You would think I would have noticed it then. But as I said before, I may be bright, but sometimes, I miss those things right in front of my face.
Ron's hand was warm on mine as we walked down together. We'd been together for nearly two months now. I pictured that September night, smiling as I remembered the way we had shouted at each other across the common room. It had been something silly and meaningless, as it always was and I remembered telling him he knew nothing about me or my feelings.
In three steps, he had crossed the full of the common room and suddenly, his hands were on my shoulders, his eyes staring down on mine.
"I know I'm in love with you." He whispered it frantically, as if he had been dying to say it for ages. And then his lips were on mine. His arms tightened around my waist and mine slipped behind his head, pulling him closer to me.
A million thoughts ran through my mind at that time, none of which I can remember now. I merely remember lying on my bed that night and thinking how nice it had been. Nice. That should have been my first clue. I swear, for being the top student in the school, I can be such an idiot sometimes.
But back to Ron and I. After that night, we were suddenly an "item". He carried my books for me and kissed me occasionally. And each time it was nice. It wasn't ground-breaking or earth-shattering, but I enjoyed it all the same. When we told people, we were together, they all seemed to say the same thing..."Finally!"
Except for Harry. When we told him, he smiled softly, a quick pang of sadness flitting across his features. "Congratulations, guys." He spoke it in a whisper, his voice husky and his eyes unnaturally shiny. "That's great, really great."
After that, Harry had slipped away from us a bit. We all still hung out together, but many times, in the middle of stories, his eyes would go unfocused and he would stop listening. His grades began to drop a bit as well. At the time, I credited it all to what had happened with Sirius. So days passed in that way, with Harry growing more and more distant each day.
But not today. Today, Harry's green eyes shone as we all walked to the pitch together. His face was animated and we all saw him smile in what seemed like the first time in days.
When we reached the locker room, Ron dropped my hand and turned to face me. He reached up and tucked an unruly curl behind my ear.
"Wish me luck, Herm?"
"Good luck, Ron." I whispered softly. He tilted his head down for a kiss and I obliged.
When he pulled away, his ears were red but he looked happy. The smile had disappeared off of Harry's face, however. I noticed it immediately when I turned to wish him good luck.
"Good luck, Harry."
"Thanks, Hermione." His voice was strained and stiff. Impulsively, I reached up and kissed him on the cheek. He seemed shocked for a moment, then shot me a sad smile and brushed his hand across my cold cheek.
They turned and headed into the locker room, leaving me to deal with my thoughts. Why had that brief encounter shook me up more than any kiss with Ron ever had? My face burned where he had touched me and my lips were tingling from kissing his cheek.
You would think I would have noticed it then. But as I said before, I may be bright, but sometimes, I miss those things right in front of my face.
