AN: I am not going to make this an insanely long story like my others. It is meant to be short, it is meant to be fluffy and romantic, and it is meant to just be fun! So enjoy.
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Ron wasn't sure where he was going, but his legs were leading him in a direction he presumed would be correct. The halls were dark as he traced his fingers along the walls to lead him, hoping to brush up against a doorknob soon. Instead, they fell into nothing, what he believed would be an empty room, and he turned inside allowing his hand to skim the wall for a light switch. A pearly glow filled the room, casting an eerie glow across a small bed. Furnished in shiny silver silks and sitting majestically against a navy carpet, the bed beckoned him and he threw himself upon it, sighing as he sunk into the squishy mattress. He just needed to think. It hadn't helped that Draco had pestered him about Hermione, who hadn't exactly been in the persona he expected her to be when he arrived. But what irked him the most was that Draco and Ginny were to be married, one thing that he couldn't possibly believe in a million years. Draco was going to become his brother-in-law and he would have to be able to deal with that.
"In a million years." He scoffed to himself.
"Let me guess…you will stop being a big brother in a million years? Sorry Ron, I think that is never going to change." A voice loomed from the doorway. He looked sideways and let out a slightly audible moan as she moved towards him and sat at the foot of the bed, her finger tracing lazy patterns on the silks.
"I hate him." He groaned to the air again.
"Yes you always have. Sometimes we need to grow up and move on Ron." She whispered.
"Like you have?" He blurted, still staring at the ceiling. He could hear her gasp and then silence, maybe she had been thinking but he didn't care.
"You could say I've grown up…I think I'm the same. But naturally, we aren't talking about me." She said in what sounded like a half caring voice. He sat up abruptly, almost cutting off her speech.
"Oh come off it Hermione! I haven't seen you in 5 years and when I walk in I get a hug? You were the most stubborn girl in Gryffindor and you never ONCE let me win an argument." He countered.
"Yes well…
"Well what? I know I was a right prat years ago but you don't have to act like we are still best mates." He spat angrily, turning his gaze from her. He could feel the silk moving slightly beneath his body, quite sure she was still tracing things on it, and not quite sure what she was going to say.
"We…We aren't best mates anymore?" She choked out finally.
"Hermione we haven't been best mates for a long time…
"Why haven't we been?" She shouted, now obviously flustered with anger. She was standing now, both her hands on the tops of her hips, a mean stare in her russet eyes as she looked at him, "Honestly I was upset at the time but you can't hold that against me Ronald Arthur Weasley! If your girlfriend had just died and…someone you considered your best MATE…said something like that would you have forgiven them on the spot! No you wouldn't have. But I never thought of you as anything less than my best mate."
"Really Hermione ELIZABETH Granger(he could see her wince, he knew she hated when he used her full name) I think we stopped being best mates when I fell in love with you and you rejected me!" He screamed before he realized what had left his mouth, letting his gaze drop to the floor as she let out a low gasp. He could feel her sink next to him on the bed again, a hand resting on his shoulder, but he refused to look up.
"You were in love with me?" She asked tentatively.
"Does it matter now?" He asked rudely.
"I think it does. I mean…well if you were in love with me then…I…
"Stop babbling Hermione. It really doesn't matter anymore alright? If you want to just forget everything that happened between us because you 'grew up' or something, fine with me, but just don't expect everything to be the same right away." He pushed her hand off his shoulder and moved toward the door, "Let's just go back to the party alright? I'm sick of arguing." He could see the beginnings of tears in her eyes but he couldn't bear to stare at her anymore. She nodded her head and ran a hand over her eyes.
"We used to argue all the time." She muttered before he turned out, walking briskly back to the party.
~
The music was still booming, slow melodies playing over its speakers as the couches were charmed away and couples began to dance. Harry was twirling Luna around lavishly, laughing heartily as she wriggled in his grasp. Neville was tentatively moving Lavender Brown around the room, stepping lightly as to not squash her toes with his slightly large feet. Ginny and Draco were in the corner, twirling in tight circles, her head resting on his chest(the only place it could reach) and his face smothered in her hair. Ron scoffed at the sight of them and turned back to the table where a few people he didn't know were seated, along with Dean and Hermione. Hermione refused to make eye contact with him, or at least he thought, but every few moments he could feel her gaze lingering over him. It was irritating after their argument in the bedroom, and he refused to look her back in the eye, but instead found himself staring intently at a quite uninteresting chip in the wooden table.
"Hermione would you like to dance?" Dean asked quietly and she stood with him and walked towards the floor, barely brushing against Ron as she moved past. He turned and watched them dance together, her hand in his and her arm resting awkwardly against his shoulder. His was cupping her waist; his fingers could be seen moving towards her bum. Something deep stirred in Ron's stomach and he growled at it, attempting to catch his attention in the chip again. But it was no use; he was drawn to her, a rage of jealousy running through his body like the common rain of London. He could hear the song drawing to a close and he saw them begin to pull apart as it ended, but soon another had started. Dean was mumbling something to her and she was shaking her head, walking briskly back towards Ron's seat. She smiled lightly at him and drew out her hand.
"Let's do this." She whispered, extending her palm towards his face, "for old time sakes. Besides, you never did get that dance during the Yule Ball." He smirked and her face broke into a grin as he took her hand and walked out onto the dance floor, unaware of the many glances coming from the other couples around him.
He took her waist in his hands and felt her lean her elbows on his neck, cupping her hands behind his head. The song began to play lightly behind his ears.
I could stay awake, just to hear you breathing
Watch you smile while you are sleeping
While you're far away and dreaming
I could spend my life, in this sweet surrender
I could stay lost in this moment forever
Well, every moment that I spend with you is a moment I treasure
I don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you baby, and I don't wanna miss a thing
Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
'Cause I'd miss you baby, and I don't wanna miss a thing.
Ron could hear the lyrics running still, but had stiffened as Hermione's grip around his neck had tightened, her head was now resting on his shoulder and her fingers were playing with the tufts of copper hair on the back of his neck. His own hands were now moving up and down her back in a full embrace, his entire body pressed into hers. He could feel her breasts against him, the beating of her heart, and the sounds of her muffled sighs. He sighed too, finally catching a few words of the second verse.
Then I kiss your eyes, and thank god we're together
And I just wanna stay with you
In this moment forever, and ever and ever
I don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you baby, and I don't wanna miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
'Cause I'd miss you baby, and I don't wanna miss a thing
Ron felt silent tears brimming at the back of his eyes as Hermione sighed again and fell more into him, if that was evenly possible, and latched her hands around his neck. The rest of the world had melted around him, she was all that mattered at that moment and that moment alone was the world to him. He knew deep in the cavities of his heart that he loved her; he loved every part of her. His knees were weak from standing and his cheeks were stained with tears but he didn't care, he couldn't care, not when the greatest thing in the world was resting in his arms, sighing uncontrollably and doing those insanely intoxicating things to the nape of his neck. He could hear the song end and her start to move against him but he didn't let go, he couldn't let go, he wouldn't let the moment end.
"Ron? The song's over." She whispered, leaning back so they were barely a centimeter apart. Her eyes were not on his, but on his cheeks, his cheeks that were red and glistening from moisture. His fingers were running up her back and around her stomach, up her arms and to the base of her chin. He pushed it up lightly so her russet eyes were staring into his. They were glittering with light, love, passion, and maybe sadness as he ran a solemn finger up her jaw bone.
He ran his finger across her lips, and almost jumped out of his skin as she pressed her lips to it just slightly, barely considered anything more than chaste and friendly. He brought his finger to his own and placed it there, remembering the first time he had kissed her. How perfect it had felt to feel her eyelashes brush against his cheeks and to feel her fingers in his hair, to feel his stomach gurgle crazily. He blinked for a moment and noticed she was still staring at him, their noses practically touching.
He leaned in and kissed her lightly, almost thrown back by the amount of emotion that was running through his body. Her lips were slick and tasted of mulberries as he tentatively tasted them, running his hands into her hair and moaning softly as her tongue ran against his lips. He pulled away from her for just a moment, a flash of sadness flashing in her brilliant eyes.
"Wait…wait…"
"Get on with it already Ronald." Luna Lovegood's voice boomed from behind him and he turned abruptly to see the entire party staring at the two of them, their eyes burning holes in his body. He gulped again and turned back to Hermione, who now had her arms crossed across his body. He pulled at her hands and made them drop into his, fitting perfectly against his calloused and tattered ones.
"Hermione…I've been lying to you. I know it sounds horrible, but its true. I never meant for it to happen you know…
"Nice speech Ron but…"
"Let me finish Hermione. I never meant," He gulped a huge bit of air, "To fall in love with you. You have to believe me, I never truly meant for it to happen. I kept it silent for so long, I just couldn't risk rejection. The one moment we had seventh year, well I was so happy. You never would know. When you said a mistake…I was angry. Not at you, but at myself. For putting that kind of pressure on you. I should apologize for snapping at you, I really should, but I just can't you see. I never could a long time ago and I can't now. No matter what I said before Hermione, understand something. I love you. Moreover, I'm in love with you, and only you, the best girl I've ever come to know my entire life. I couldn't ask for better, but you don't deserve you."
"Ron." She started, her eyes close to what seemed like tears.
"No Hermione let me finish. I don't deserve you. I can't offer you the sun, the moon, and the universe like you deserve…I just can't. I can't give you a lovely home to live in or anything else like that. All I can give you is my heart, but even if you turn me away it will be yours anyway. I love you with all of it, and it could never be anyone else's." He sighed, looking back at her. Tears were freely streaming from her eyes now and he sulked slightly at the sight of her crying like that. Everyone was staring at them, staring at her, staring at her mouth and waiting for the words to come out of her mouth.
"Oh come here you stupid git!" She exclaimed, pulling him again into a heart stopping kiss. The entire room erupted into applause as they pulled apart, embracing into a loving hug. He could barely hear her above the screams and cheers in the room, but her eyes told it without having to hear it.
"I love you with all my heart Ron."
THE END
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AN: First off, major props to Aerosmith for the lovely song that was used in this. It is my, by far, favorite love song and I just had to use it.
Yes, this story is complete. I REALLY changed it from the original, I don't even know if you can call it R anymore, but it briefly details sex (very briefly) and you know what, it contains a lot of self themes. And you know what? I just felt like it hehe!
Thanks if you liked the original, I know its MUCH different but I think it is A LOT better! And I think I finally figured out some of my editing problems to make it easier to read! Tell me if this chapter looks better and easier to read (paragraph formatting) wise. THANKS
Cheers