Chapter 4: In the Room Requirement.
The kiss was as wonderful as Hermione had imagined it would be. The absence of hiccups was definitely a reassuring thing, and neither of them was making any attempt to end the kiss. It seemed that this plan had not only achieved the initial result of ending the hicups, but it had also opened up a whole new plethera of other possiblities.
Finally, the kiss ceased and Ron and Hermione stood looking at each other, completely breathless, without a lone hiccup to ruin the moment. Harry, however, sat in wide-eyed shock at the events that had just unfolded in front of him. Others in the common room who had been watching Ron and Hermione's argument, Ginny among them, displayed the same sort of expression as Harry. For a moment, no one dared to speak. No one did, in fact, until Hermione took off through the portrait hole, Ron following her without any hesitation. Once they were gone, the entire common room burst into speech, trying to fully understand what had happened. Harry and Ginny just looked at each other with a mixture of surprise and shock, unable to even put into words what they had just witnessed.
Outside the common room, Hermione had taken off through the hallways, searching for a place where she could be alone with her thoughts. For as soon as she had looked into Ron's eyes, reality had struck her, realizing what she had just done right in the middle of the common room! Not that Ron's eyes had sent a message saying he didn't like it or anything, just that she suddenly understood the weight of the action she had taken.
Hermione ended up at the Room of Requirement, the reason why was beyond her. She had run so fast through the hallways, she thought she must have lost Ron. After pacing back and forth past the door to the room several times, the handle appeared and she walked in. Inside was a big, comfortable bed with lots of fluffy pillows and shelves of books lined the walls. This cheered Hermione up a bit and she sat down on the bed, thinking intently.
However, she didn't get much time to think about anything before the door opened and Ron walked in. Hermione gasped and at first neither of them could look each other in the eye. Then they both started in at once.
"-I'm really sorry."
"-So what was that about?"
This was followed by a silence, both with puzzled expressions on their faces.
"Wait," Ron stumbled, "what do you mean you're sorry?"
"No, no, 'what was that about?' Hermione fired back, "What kind of a question is that? I was just getting rid of you hiccups for your information."
"Oh," said Ron, looking down at his shoes, "so that was it and that's why you're sorry?"
"Y- no, I mean I- er- yes, yes, definitely," Hermione finished, incredibly uncertainly.
"Really?" Ron questioned, looking back up at her, "You don't seem too sure about that, you know.
"Well, I am- not, I mean- oh will you stop it and just leave me alone now? I just kissed one of my best friends in front of the entire common room, and I'd prefer not to go back there just yet."
Yeah, well, I was just kissed by one of my best friends in front of the entire common room, so I'd rather not go back at the moment either. But you know that you can tell everyone what you were doing, and it'll be fine." Ron seized this opportunity to sit down next to her on the bed.
"But what I don't know is if everyone will believe me," Hermione replied.
"Why wouldn't they belive you? They've all seen and heard me with the hiccups this weekend. As a matter of fact, I bet everyone would be thrilled to realize that because of what you did, those bloody hiccups are finally gone."
"You're right, but- Ron?"
"Yeah?"
"I can't believe you!" said Hermione, after a big breath that carried out some frustration with it. It was at times like this that she didn't know what else to do but stike up an argument.
Ron withdrew from her a bit, looking completely baffled by her sudden mood swing.
"What are you talking about now? What can't you believe about me?"
"Oh, nevermind, Ron, you're too thick to understand anyway," Hermione answered sourly.
At this, Ron stood up quickly, looking draggers at Hermione. "I'm too thick to understand? Understand what, exactly? Anyway, you're the one who seems to be having so many problems all of a sudden!"
"Well, if you had done what I just did, you would be having these problems, too!" Hermione shot, standing up to face Ron.
"Okay, well, maybe I can't understand that, but you got yourself into it!"
"This from the one who was just praising me for ridding him of hiccups?!"
"I never praised you for it!" By now, Ron and Hermione were just inches from each other as Hermione plunged on.
"Oh sure you didn't. Are you telling me you're sorry I kissed you?!"
"Of course I'm not sorry!"
"Well, then why don't you kiss me again, already?!"
"FINE!"
And with that, Ron practically dived down to put his lips on Hermione's, not letting them leave for several minutes. Hermione's initial reaction was shock; she didn't think he'd really do it, and she had been caught up in the moment telling him to. But after that split second of surprise, she settled into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Ron as he did likewise to her; it was clear that neither of them had the desire to pull away, and Hermione, for one, was thoroughly enjoying snogging her best friend.
Unfortunately, though, the kiss eventually came to an end, as many good things do. But after this kiss, there was no sudden burst of reality setting in. Hermione had been completely aware of her actions, and she and Ron were the only people on Earth at the moment. Just as she started to think that she would have to write a letter of thanks to Teen Witch Weekly, Ron's voice flooded her mind.
"Well, I'm not sorry for that at all," he said, grinning at her.
"And neither am I," Hermione replied, also smiling. "Well, I'd hate to ruin this moment Ron, but what are we going to do now?"
"Well," considered Ron, "I guess all we can do is just let it play out. Whatever happens will happen."
Smiling even wider, Hermione said, "I know that, but I was talking about going back to the common room right now."
"Oh, well, as to that, I'm sure they'll have to get used to it sometime anyway."
"You're right, Ron," Hermione agreed, now positively beaming at him.
"Well, then I reckon we should head back," Ron said, somewhat sadly.
"I suppose so, but- Ron?"
"Yeah?"
"Before we go, will you kiss me again?" Hermione asked with a sweet smile.
Ron grinned and obliged, pulling her close to him for yet another time.
The kiss was as wonderful as Hermione had imagined it would be. The absence of hiccups was definitely a reassuring thing, and neither of them was making any attempt to end the kiss. It seemed that this plan had not only achieved the initial result of ending the hicups, but it had also opened up a whole new plethera of other possiblities.
Finally, the kiss ceased and Ron and Hermione stood looking at each other, completely breathless, without a lone hiccup to ruin the moment. Harry, however, sat in wide-eyed shock at the events that had just unfolded in front of him. Others in the common room who had been watching Ron and Hermione's argument, Ginny among them, displayed the same sort of expression as Harry. For a moment, no one dared to speak. No one did, in fact, until Hermione took off through the portrait hole, Ron following her without any hesitation. Once they were gone, the entire common room burst into speech, trying to fully understand what had happened. Harry and Ginny just looked at each other with a mixture of surprise and shock, unable to even put into words what they had just witnessed.
Outside the common room, Hermione had taken off through the hallways, searching for a place where she could be alone with her thoughts. For as soon as she had looked into Ron's eyes, reality had struck her, realizing what she had just done right in the middle of the common room! Not that Ron's eyes had sent a message saying he didn't like it or anything, just that she suddenly understood the weight of the action she had taken.
Hermione ended up at the Room of Requirement, the reason why was beyond her. She had run so fast through the hallways, she thought she must have lost Ron. After pacing back and forth past the door to the room several times, the handle appeared and she walked in. Inside was a big, comfortable bed with lots of fluffy pillows and shelves of books lined the walls. This cheered Hermione up a bit and she sat down on the bed, thinking intently.
However, she didn't get much time to think about anything before the door opened and Ron walked in. Hermione gasped and at first neither of them could look each other in the eye. Then they both started in at once.
"-I'm really sorry."
"-So what was that about?"
This was followed by a silence, both with puzzled expressions on their faces.
"Wait," Ron stumbled, "what do you mean you're sorry?"
"No, no, 'what was that about?' Hermione fired back, "What kind of a question is that? I was just getting rid of you hiccups for your information."
"Oh," said Ron, looking down at his shoes, "so that was it and that's why you're sorry?"
"Y- no, I mean I- er- yes, yes, definitely," Hermione finished, incredibly uncertainly.
"Really?" Ron questioned, looking back up at her, "You don't seem too sure about that, you know.
"Well, I am- not, I mean- oh will you stop it and just leave me alone now? I just kissed one of my best friends in front of the entire common room, and I'd prefer not to go back there just yet."
Yeah, well, I was just kissed by one of my best friends in front of the entire common room, so I'd rather not go back at the moment either. But you know that you can tell everyone what you were doing, and it'll be fine." Ron seized this opportunity to sit down next to her on the bed.
"But what I don't know is if everyone will believe me," Hermione replied.
"Why wouldn't they belive you? They've all seen and heard me with the hiccups this weekend. As a matter of fact, I bet everyone would be thrilled to realize that because of what you did, those bloody hiccups are finally gone."
"You're right, but- Ron?"
"Yeah?"
"I can't believe you!" said Hermione, after a big breath that carried out some frustration with it. It was at times like this that she didn't know what else to do but stike up an argument.
Ron withdrew from her a bit, looking completely baffled by her sudden mood swing.
"What are you talking about now? What can't you believe about me?"
"Oh, nevermind, Ron, you're too thick to understand anyway," Hermione answered sourly.
At this, Ron stood up quickly, looking draggers at Hermione. "I'm too thick to understand? Understand what, exactly? Anyway, you're the one who seems to be having so many problems all of a sudden!"
"Well, if you had done what I just did, you would be having these problems, too!" Hermione shot, standing up to face Ron.
"Okay, well, maybe I can't understand that, but you got yourself into it!"
"This from the one who was just praising me for ridding him of hiccups?!"
"I never praised you for it!" By now, Ron and Hermione were just inches from each other as Hermione plunged on.
"Oh sure you didn't. Are you telling me you're sorry I kissed you?!"
"Of course I'm not sorry!"
"Well, then why don't you kiss me again, already?!"
"FINE!"
And with that, Ron practically dived down to put his lips on Hermione's, not letting them leave for several minutes. Hermione's initial reaction was shock; she didn't think he'd really do it, and she had been caught up in the moment telling him to. But after that split second of surprise, she settled into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Ron as he did likewise to her; it was clear that neither of them had the desire to pull away, and Hermione, for one, was thoroughly enjoying snogging her best friend.
Unfortunately, though, the kiss eventually came to an end, as many good things do. But after this kiss, there was no sudden burst of reality setting in. Hermione had been completely aware of her actions, and she and Ron were the only people on Earth at the moment. Just as she started to think that she would have to write a letter of thanks to Teen Witch Weekly, Ron's voice flooded her mind.
"Well, I'm not sorry for that at all," he said, grinning at her.
"And neither am I," Hermione replied, also smiling. "Well, I'd hate to ruin this moment Ron, but what are we going to do now?"
"Well," considered Ron, "I guess all we can do is just let it play out. Whatever happens will happen."
Smiling even wider, Hermione said, "I know that, but I was talking about going back to the common room right now."
"Oh, well, as to that, I'm sure they'll have to get used to it sometime anyway."
"You're right, Ron," Hermione agreed, now positively beaming at him.
"Well, then I reckon we should head back," Ron said, somewhat sadly.
"I suppose so, but- Ron?"
"Yeah?"
"Before we go, will you kiss me again?" Hermione asked with a sweet smile.
Ron grinned and obliged, pulling her close to him for yet another time.