Friends...I Guess
Disclaimer: The plot is mine. Nothing else. Have a nice day! * grumble grumble *
Author's Note: See?!?!?! I got it up sooner this time!!! I think you should all reward me with a review.
Chapter 6
~Ron's Point Of View~
"Come on, Ron!" Fred shouted angrily at me.
"That was the easiest shot to block..." George started.
"...And you missed it!" Fred finished.
They glared daggers at me, then continued to hit the Bludger back and forth while flying circles around the pitch.
I sighed heavily and tried unsuccessfully to focus all of my attention on my surroundings and the large hoops behind me. Who knew that having Hermione sit down in the stands could be so distracting?
Harry flew up beside me for a moment, pausing from his Seeker duties. "Mate, you need to calm down. Hermione's seen you practice loads of times at the Burrow. Why is this any different? You don't need to impress her. You already do."
Embarassment and anger at being so transparent made my skin flush and my voice rise. "Who said I was trying to do anything of the sort?!" I shouted.
Harry rolled his eyes and shot off in search of the snitch. I sighed again and looked up at the sky. Lately I was being so... easily annoyed? I then turned my attention back to the game, and accidently got another glance of Hermione down in the stands, wrapped tightly in an old Weasley-made jumper and a Gryffindor scarf. Her cheeks were pink from the cold, and all I wanted to do was be down there with her. She caught my gaze and waved cheerfully, and I felt my irritation with everyone else melt away as I waved back.
With that, I turned back to our practice before Harry had the chance to kick me off the team...on our first training.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
An hour and a half later, I towel dried my hair quickly before tossing it into the laundry bag, which burped appreciatively. The rest of the team had changed and left quickly after practice had ended, but I felt extremely drained, and I let myself enjoy a long hot shower. Therefore, everyone was long gone as I made my way out of the locker rooms with my broom thrown over my shoulder.
As the cold air hit my face, I only just noticed that the sun was in mid-set, and vibrant colors streaked across the sky. However, my full attention was on the girl in front of me who's bushy head was turned toward the sky and was completely unaware that I was even in existence.
She seemed to be entirely caught up in the rapidly changing sky, and not wanting to interrupt her, I casually leaned against an old tree that stood next to the looker room door. Of course, the sky was beautiful, but I couldn't take my eyes off of Hermione who seemed...more beautiful.
Finally, she seemed to come out of her trance, and she glanced down at her watch. She sighed heavily, then began to gather her things and stand up to leave. I was about to call out to her, but she took what seemed to be one last...almost longing...glance at the locker room door.
"Hey," I said quietly.
She visibly jumped before her eyes darted over to where I was standing. Her arms that were clutching her books tightly to her chest loosened in relief. "Ron," she said calmly. "If you EVER scare me like that again, I'll hex you into the next century."
I grinned and began to walk over to her. "Is that a threat, Ms. Granger?"
She cocked an eyebrow. "You don't believe me?"
I raised my eyebrows as well. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to answer a question with a question?" I asked jokingly.
She seemed to splutter around for an answer. "I...well...that's not the point. What took you so long anyway?"
I plopped down on the rock that she had been sitting on and sighed. "In case you didn't notice, practice was...well, it didn't go too well. And, I needed a hot shower. Why did you wait?"
"I wanted to tell you that I think you did brilliantly. Everyone else there had been on the team for years, and you joined them with as much confidence as anyone. I-"
She blushed, sat down next to me, and twisted her hands in her lap.
"You what?"
"I...well, I was really proud of you. I mean, I'm scared to death of flying, and you go up there like it's no big deal."
Suddenly, the weight of the broom on my shoulder triggered an idea. "You know, it's not nearly as frightening as it seems." I took the broom off of my shoulder and fingered the bristles with a grin on my face. "In fact, I could prove it to you right now."
She stared at the broom, then turned to me with wide-eyed horror and shook her head briskly. "No way, Ron. You know me. I would probably end up in a frantic tantrum and make us crash and die. Besides," she added teasingly. "If that happened, you'd lose your broom."
"I think there's other things I'd miss more," I said, looking at her straight on. When she blushed, I changed the topic quickly. "Now, what do you say? You could get a closer look at that sunset..." I said temptingly.
She bit her bottom lip, obviously fighting an inner battle.
I glanced down at her hands, which she was still twisting at a...well, what looked to be...a painful rate. I reached over and softly disentangled them. I took the hand closest to me and held it between mine. "Hmm?"
"What if...what if something...happens?" she asked nervously.
"It won't. I know what I'm doing, 'Mione. Don't you trust me?"
She smiled at the sound of her nickname. "Of course I trust you. Let's..." she let out a shaky breath. "Let's go."
I sat on my broomstick and waited for her to get on behind me. She cautiously did so and loosely wrapped her arms around my waist. I'll admit now that I cherished every minute of it, but I would never tell her that. The moment we pushed off, her arms tightened painfully, but I didn't complain. As we got higher, the view got more picturesque, and I could sense that she was absorbing it all.
"Ron," she whispered.
"Yes?"
"This is amazing."
I smiled at the double meaning. "I know."
After circling the glistening lake, mysterious forest, and radiant castle, we came to a stop at the Astronomy Tower. We both settled ourselves onto the edge of one of the large open windows after we landed, and surveyed the view around us in silence.
"You know," Hermione started quietly, seeming almost afraid to break the feeling around us. "It's weird to think that I've been going to Hogwarts for about five years, and I've never seen it...like this. It's a totally different perspective the entire property." She took a quick sideways glance at me that I don't think I was supposed to notice. "A totally different perspective on life."
I nodded silently. "I know. It's strangely envigorating to be able to fly like that. Away from you problems, away from the boring commmoness. It's like that whenever I come here."
She turned to me looking confused. "You've been here more than once?"
My mind raced to what I'd just said and winced. "Uh, yeah. I actually..." I closed my eyes, mad at myself for finally revealing my secret place to someone. But this was Hermione...which made it better. "I actually come here whenever I'm stressed about school...or something." The fact that I sometimes came here to think about HER was utterly beside the point.
"You never mentioned that before."
"Yeah, well...it's almost like a sanctuary. Someplace no one ever is. Someplace I can be alone with my thoughts and the view. Kind of to come to terms with whatever it is I'm upset about, I guess. Don't you have a place like that? The library maybe?"
She scowled and looked away. "Ron, the library isn't everything to me. I know it might not seem like it, but I have my secrets too. Everyone does."
"Hermione, that's not what I meant. I'm simply saying, I've been in the library with you a million and a half times, and I see the look on your face. The excitement over all that information waiting to be found. I know you love it, just like you know I love flying. That's all I was saying."
To my surprise, she inched closer to me, closing the space between us on the window sill. After a long period of silence, she broke it. "You're right. I do love it."
I grinned at her and draped my arm around her shoulders in what was meant to be a half hug, but I couldn't bring myself to pull it away. So, we just sat there for a while longer, staring out into nothing.
~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Sorry it was so short! But if it makes you feel any better, there's still quite a bit more to this fic, so stick with me! Now, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed!!! I really appreciate every one.
Phoenix72389: Yay! The first reviewer. Thank you so much for waiting so long for that last chapter. You're so sweet! I'm glad you liked it.
brandi: Thanks!!! : )
dayveen: I'm glad you like it!
Hpgirl3: I WILL speed it up with these updates...and thanks!
Ron Weasley: WOOHOO!!! I whoppin' 5 reviews! You make this writing fanfics totally worth it. Every single one flattered me to no end. And...I'm SORRY some of them so short! Really I am! But they'll get longer. I promise? * sniff *
Agrolass: I hope you liked this chapter just as much. Thanks!
dudet: grand ol' story?! YAY! One of my favorite sayings aimed to ME!! Thanks a ton!
HPnLOTRrox: here's your update! Keep those reviews comin'!
Crazy4RonW: lol, I'm glad my updates mean SO MUCH to you!!! However, I have one thing to say to you. Stop obsessing over Ron...he's MINE. : )
REVIEW EVERYONE!!! Thanks...
Disclaimer: The plot is mine. Nothing else. Have a nice day! * grumble grumble *
Author's Note: See?!?!?! I got it up sooner this time!!! I think you should all reward me with a review.
Chapter 6
~Ron's Point Of View~
"Come on, Ron!" Fred shouted angrily at me.
"That was the easiest shot to block..." George started.
"...And you missed it!" Fred finished.
They glared daggers at me, then continued to hit the Bludger back and forth while flying circles around the pitch.
I sighed heavily and tried unsuccessfully to focus all of my attention on my surroundings and the large hoops behind me. Who knew that having Hermione sit down in the stands could be so distracting?
Harry flew up beside me for a moment, pausing from his Seeker duties. "Mate, you need to calm down. Hermione's seen you practice loads of times at the Burrow. Why is this any different? You don't need to impress her. You already do."
Embarassment and anger at being so transparent made my skin flush and my voice rise. "Who said I was trying to do anything of the sort?!" I shouted.
Harry rolled his eyes and shot off in search of the snitch. I sighed again and looked up at the sky. Lately I was being so... easily annoyed? I then turned my attention back to the game, and accidently got another glance of Hermione down in the stands, wrapped tightly in an old Weasley-made jumper and a Gryffindor scarf. Her cheeks were pink from the cold, and all I wanted to do was be down there with her. She caught my gaze and waved cheerfully, and I felt my irritation with everyone else melt away as I waved back.
With that, I turned back to our practice before Harry had the chance to kick me off the team...on our first training.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
An hour and a half later, I towel dried my hair quickly before tossing it into the laundry bag, which burped appreciatively. The rest of the team had changed and left quickly after practice had ended, but I felt extremely drained, and I let myself enjoy a long hot shower. Therefore, everyone was long gone as I made my way out of the locker rooms with my broom thrown over my shoulder.
As the cold air hit my face, I only just noticed that the sun was in mid-set, and vibrant colors streaked across the sky. However, my full attention was on the girl in front of me who's bushy head was turned toward the sky and was completely unaware that I was even in existence.
She seemed to be entirely caught up in the rapidly changing sky, and not wanting to interrupt her, I casually leaned against an old tree that stood next to the looker room door. Of course, the sky was beautiful, but I couldn't take my eyes off of Hermione who seemed...more beautiful.
Finally, she seemed to come out of her trance, and she glanced down at her watch. She sighed heavily, then began to gather her things and stand up to leave. I was about to call out to her, but she took what seemed to be one last...almost longing...glance at the locker room door.
"Hey," I said quietly.
She visibly jumped before her eyes darted over to where I was standing. Her arms that were clutching her books tightly to her chest loosened in relief. "Ron," she said calmly. "If you EVER scare me like that again, I'll hex you into the next century."
I grinned and began to walk over to her. "Is that a threat, Ms. Granger?"
She cocked an eyebrow. "You don't believe me?"
I raised my eyebrows as well. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to answer a question with a question?" I asked jokingly.
She seemed to splutter around for an answer. "I...well...that's not the point. What took you so long anyway?"
I plopped down on the rock that she had been sitting on and sighed. "In case you didn't notice, practice was...well, it didn't go too well. And, I needed a hot shower. Why did you wait?"
"I wanted to tell you that I think you did brilliantly. Everyone else there had been on the team for years, and you joined them with as much confidence as anyone. I-"
She blushed, sat down next to me, and twisted her hands in her lap.
"You what?"
"I...well, I was really proud of you. I mean, I'm scared to death of flying, and you go up there like it's no big deal."
Suddenly, the weight of the broom on my shoulder triggered an idea. "You know, it's not nearly as frightening as it seems." I took the broom off of my shoulder and fingered the bristles with a grin on my face. "In fact, I could prove it to you right now."
She stared at the broom, then turned to me with wide-eyed horror and shook her head briskly. "No way, Ron. You know me. I would probably end up in a frantic tantrum and make us crash and die. Besides," she added teasingly. "If that happened, you'd lose your broom."
"I think there's other things I'd miss more," I said, looking at her straight on. When she blushed, I changed the topic quickly. "Now, what do you say? You could get a closer look at that sunset..." I said temptingly.
She bit her bottom lip, obviously fighting an inner battle.
I glanced down at her hands, which she was still twisting at a...well, what looked to be...a painful rate. I reached over and softly disentangled them. I took the hand closest to me and held it between mine. "Hmm?"
"What if...what if something...happens?" she asked nervously.
"It won't. I know what I'm doing, 'Mione. Don't you trust me?"
She smiled at the sound of her nickname. "Of course I trust you. Let's..." she let out a shaky breath. "Let's go."
I sat on my broomstick and waited for her to get on behind me. She cautiously did so and loosely wrapped her arms around my waist. I'll admit now that I cherished every minute of it, but I would never tell her that. The moment we pushed off, her arms tightened painfully, but I didn't complain. As we got higher, the view got more picturesque, and I could sense that she was absorbing it all.
"Ron," she whispered.
"Yes?"
"This is amazing."
I smiled at the double meaning. "I know."
After circling the glistening lake, mysterious forest, and radiant castle, we came to a stop at the Astronomy Tower. We both settled ourselves onto the edge of one of the large open windows after we landed, and surveyed the view around us in silence.
"You know," Hermione started quietly, seeming almost afraid to break the feeling around us. "It's weird to think that I've been going to Hogwarts for about five years, and I've never seen it...like this. It's a totally different perspective the entire property." She took a quick sideways glance at me that I don't think I was supposed to notice. "A totally different perspective on life."
I nodded silently. "I know. It's strangely envigorating to be able to fly like that. Away from you problems, away from the boring commmoness. It's like that whenever I come here."
She turned to me looking confused. "You've been here more than once?"
My mind raced to what I'd just said and winced. "Uh, yeah. I actually..." I closed my eyes, mad at myself for finally revealing my secret place to someone. But this was Hermione...which made it better. "I actually come here whenever I'm stressed about school...or something." The fact that I sometimes came here to think about HER was utterly beside the point.
"You never mentioned that before."
"Yeah, well...it's almost like a sanctuary. Someplace no one ever is. Someplace I can be alone with my thoughts and the view. Kind of to come to terms with whatever it is I'm upset about, I guess. Don't you have a place like that? The library maybe?"
She scowled and looked away. "Ron, the library isn't everything to me. I know it might not seem like it, but I have my secrets too. Everyone does."
"Hermione, that's not what I meant. I'm simply saying, I've been in the library with you a million and a half times, and I see the look on your face. The excitement over all that information waiting to be found. I know you love it, just like you know I love flying. That's all I was saying."
To my surprise, she inched closer to me, closing the space between us on the window sill. After a long period of silence, she broke it. "You're right. I do love it."
I grinned at her and draped my arm around her shoulders in what was meant to be a half hug, but I couldn't bring myself to pull it away. So, we just sat there for a while longer, staring out into nothing.
~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Sorry it was so short! But if it makes you feel any better, there's still quite a bit more to this fic, so stick with me! Now, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed!!! I really appreciate every one.
Phoenix72389: Yay! The first reviewer. Thank you so much for waiting so long for that last chapter. You're so sweet! I'm glad you liked it.
brandi: Thanks!!! : )
dayveen: I'm glad you like it!
Hpgirl3: I WILL speed it up with these updates...and thanks!
Ron Weasley: WOOHOO!!! I whoppin' 5 reviews! You make this writing fanfics totally worth it. Every single one flattered me to no end. And...I'm SORRY some of them so short! Really I am! But they'll get longer. I promise? * sniff *
Agrolass: I hope you liked this chapter just as much. Thanks!
dudet: grand ol' story?! YAY! One of my favorite sayings aimed to ME!! Thanks a ton!
HPnLOTRrox: here's your update! Keep those reviews comin'!
Crazy4RonW: lol, I'm glad my updates mean SO MUCH to you!!! However, I have one thing to say to you. Stop obsessing over Ron...he's MINE. : )
REVIEW EVERYONE!!! Thanks...