~*Lean On Me*~
A Ron and Hermione story
(A/N) I was actually hoping to post this chapter on Christmas day but I realized that I had started typing too late in the year and I saw that it wasn't gunna happen at the pace in which I was moving. All the same it's still sweet and stuff even if Christmas was like 10 days ago. By the way I'm not going to be posting the last chapter for a while. Maybe in about a week and a half or maybe two weeks. I have a lot to do this upcoming week. Please forgive me. But I will be putting up this other fic I had typed up before I even started with Lean on Me. It's a short sweet J/L and H/G. Anywho read on and enjoy.
(Disclaimer) Do I really look like JK Rowling to you?
Chapter 11: Christmas Morning
Hermione had woken to a wonderful surprise the morning they left for the holidays when she noticed Ron's arm wrapped around her just as she opened her eyes for the first time that morning. She, Parvati, and Lavender all shooed him from the room, but Hermione couldn't help but feel all tingly inside at the thought of his hand on her waist. (A/N Well wouldn't you if you were Hermione? DUH!)
She had been greeted by her father with hugs and kisses and 'I'm-so-sorrys'' when she got off the train that afternoon. After that he had brought her to the grave sight. Hermione had shed a few tears all greeted by a squeeze on the hand from Ron, who stood beside her as she said a small prayer.
Ron hadn't told anyone about the night before the holidays and Hermione felt very thankful for it. They had formed a strong bond after that night now that they had a secret of their own. He made her feel better and more like she was actually cared for by someone other than her family. Every time Ron would notice her with a glum and sad face he would give her a simple smile, or and encouraging wink, or it he was close enough he would hold her hand or give her a hug. It always seemed to make her feel better. (A/N Hmmm I wonder why?)
Hermione woke on Christmas morning with a happy grin on her face. She could feel it in her heart that it was going to be a good day. Even though this would be her first Christmas without her mom, something Ron had told her in the cemetery made her less sad. "Don't concentrate on the one day that she left. Instead thank God for all the years he gave you to spend with her." They had hit her heart as soon as they left his lips. All throughout the day she repeated them inside her head over and over again and she began to think about what they really meant. Ron was actually right. She lived for he mum for seventeen years and God didn't have to give her that. She was luck to have even gotten to spend that time with her. She would look at Harry and even feel ashamed of herself. He didn't ever have a mum or a dad and yet he would sit there and laugh along with everyone else. If he could live without his parents his entire life, she could get through Christmas and be joyful and thankful that she did have a mum that had loved her like she did. And she would never forget that.
She jumped out of bed before the sun had even come up and threw on her robe. She grabbed two packages wrapped in sparkling paper and ran out into the hall, tiptoeing to the boy's room. She lay the packages neatly at the end of their beds next to the pile left by Mrs. Weasley.
As she reentered the room a small pile of presents were sitting at the end of her own bed where they definitely weren't when she left. She took a quick glance at the tags on the presents, but couldn't seem to find any from Ron. Hmmm, maybe he'll give it to me later. she thought to herself. She didn't make a big deal out of it, after all he wasn't a very wealthy person.
She slid off her slippers and was going to wait for Ginny to wake before opening her gifts, but just as her head hit her pillow once more, Ginny's blue eyes fluttered open in the bed beside her.
Ginny sat up straight and crawled over to her larger pile at the end of her bed. "Happy Christmas, Hermione." she mumbled as she shuffled through her pile as though looking for a specific one.
"Happy Christmas, Ginny." Hermione smiled and crawled over to her own pile.
Ginny had already opened a big brown box on her bed and gave a sigh. "Aw. Look what Harry got for me." she whispered. Looking over Hermione could see Ginny hugging a giant black teddy bear that was wearing glasses and a bottle of sweet smelling perfume. "This bear reminds me of someone." Ginny said with a curious look about her face.
"Hmm. Let's think for a moment. Black hair and glasses, I wonder who that could be?" Hermione laughed sarcastically.
"Oh, yeah!" Ginny laughed finally getting it.
"Sometimes you sound alot like your brother." Hermione teased and Ginny tossed her pillow at her playfully.
"Oh this perfume smells heavenly. Here smell it!" Ginny tossed the perfume onto Hermione's bed carelessly. The scent triggered a memory in the back of her mind. It smelled very familiar, but what was it another whiff of the lovely fragrance gave her chills. This was exactly the same brand Ron had given her two Christmas's ago.
Hermione put a small dab on her wrist and then turned back to her presents. She opened a box of sweets from Harry, a small wooden jewelry box from Ginny, a sweater from Mrs. Weasley, a pack of 'Sour Sore Throat Pops' and some candy roses from Fred and George, and a box of rock cakes from Hagrid.
She looked over at the huge pile of presents on Ginny's bed wondering if Ron had given her anything. "Who are your presents from?"
"Oh well you gave me the bracelet, thanks by the way. I got a couple of boxes of candy from my friends, a Weasley sweater, some Skiving Snackboxes and a couple candy roses from Fred and George, and a broom polish kit from Ron."
"Oh." Hermione whispered sadly. Why hadn't he gotten anything for her?
~*~
A short time later, smells began to drift from the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley had undoubtedly gotten up early for a head start on breakfast.
"Mmm, it smells so good down there." Ginny said taking a whiff of the delicious scent. "Let's hurry and get dressed."
Hermione threw on a pair of tight blue jeans and her new red and green stripped Weasley sweater. Then she pulled her hair up into pigtails decked out with red and green bows. She looked like a little girl again but she felt like being spontaneous for some reason.
"You look like a candy cane." Ginny snickered as Hermione stepped back to look at herself in the long mirror.
"Thanks, Gin. You're so sweet!" Hermione said sarcastically, rolling her eyes and joining in with the laughter. It felt so good to be laughing again at silly pointless things.
~*~
They made their way into the heavenly warm kitchen. Mrs. Weasley had made waffles, biscuits, eggs, grits, bacon, and pancakes in the shape of trees. Hermione noticed her dad sitting at the end of the table, smiling meekly as Mr. Weasley rattled up a storm about his collections of useless Muggle things. He looked up at Hermione and gave her a quick wink and patted a chair beside himself. Hermione skipped over and sat down softly beside him before all the delicious food.
Ginny sat opposite Hermione next to her dad and mimicked him behind his back as he talked about the electric devices Dumbledore had installed for Mr. Granger's comfort. Mr. Weasley soon realized what she was doing and gave her a pull on her ear. She rubbed it angrily and stifled back her laughter. Mr. Granger and Hermione were beginning to grin at him themselves.
A short time later, as the two men and the girls began pilling food onto their plates, Ron and Harry came groggily into the room in their boxer shorts and robes. Their hair was sticking up messily and Hermione and Ginny could easily see the muscles they had built up during Quidditch practice. Hermione and Ginny gave each other sly smiles as they checked out their usually invisible body tones.
"Good morning, beautiful." Ginny giggled at Ron as he sat down beside her. Ron hit her playfully on the back of her head and helped himself to some pancakes.
"Now violence is not the answer, Ronald Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley smiled putting a large plate of waffles on the table before them.
Hermione snorted into her glass of milk remembering the last time she had heard that.(A/N If you don't remember see Ch.1)
~*~
Hermione sat down on Ron's bed as he piled his presents up in front of himself. On the other bed across from them Harry was doing the same. Ginny walked over and sat next to him as he started opening his present from Mrs. Weasley.
Ron had already opened Hagrid's rock cakes and his own sweater. Now he was moving on to Fred and George's gift, which included A small candy model of a broomstick and a realistic chocolate spider. Ron dropped the box immediately as soon as he opened it. Ginny bawled over laughing at the look on his face. "Here, Harry you can have these." Ron groaned turning deathly pale and tossed the box of spiders onto Harry's bed.
Harry had gotten candy from Fred and George, broom polish from Ron and more rock cakes from Hagrid. Then he opened his very own copy of Hogwart, a History from Hermione and a bottle of cologne from Ginny. "We do think alike." Ginny cooed as she wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and gave him a little peck on the lips. Harry grabbed her up in his arms and deepened it.
"Could you at least close the bed hanging when you do that?" Ron said as he unwrapped Ginny's gift.(A new set of Quidditch gear. The stuffing had begun to show on his last pair.) Harry fumbled at grabbing the hangings but somehow managed to pull the almost all the way shut with his free arm. "Thank you." Ron sighed. He opened Hermione's present and looked slightly disappointed that it was the same as Harry's, A large copy of Hogwarts, a History. He was expecting something a little more special.
Hermione bit her bottom lip and pulled out a smaller present from behind her back. "Don't let Harry see that." she whispered looking over at Harry's bed hoping he couldn't hear. "I didn't get him one."
"He won't see. He's a bit preoccupied at the moment." Ron grinned rolling his blue eyes. He opened the box and pulled out a shining silver watch. "Hermione, it's great, but it must have cost you a fortune. It's a really expensive brand."
"It's worth it though." Hermione smiled adjusting her feet on the bed nervously.
"What did I do, that was so special?" Ron asked skeptically.
"You made me smile." She whispered. "Thanks."
Ron began to shove the present back into her arms. "Hermione I wanted to. I can't..."
"No really, Ron. It's yours," she said pushing it back. She smiled at him and he seemed to stop and stare. He smiled in return and took it from her.
"Thanks." he whispered. They looked at each other a few minutes then were caught by awkwardness. "I've got you something too," he said rubbing the back of his neck his ear tips turning red. "It's okay if I give it to you later on tonight, right?"
"Sure, but Ron, really, you didn't have to give me anything." Hermione blushed.
"Sure I did, it's Christmas." Ron winked flashing one of his amazing smiles. "Besides, I had to get you something if I wanted a Birthday present right?" he joked.
"Honestly, Ron." Hermione laughed throwing a pillow at him as Christmas carolers sung from outside.
(A/N) I know this Chapter really had no point. It had to be written though in order for the next Chapter. By the way its definitely going to be very fluffy and sad in some parts. It the big finale so to say. I thought about what hp/charmed obsesed had said, and I really though about ending my story with Chapter 10. It would have been a really good ending like she had said. But Ron and Hermione weren't together yet they had only kissed and that was it. Ron still doesn't know that Hermione likes him. He still very self-conscious about himself, well maybe a little less now but he's still not al the way to the point were he's completely positive about himself. He still doubts that she'd ever like him and I couldn't end it like that. So I'm going to finish it differently. Don't worry it will definitely be sweet and fluff. Until next timeā¦
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(Summary) Well you have to guess on this one. I'm not saying a thing not a single word! Hey I don't want to see a frown now smile for me! I know I'm evil. HA HA HA HA!
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(My thankies!!)
~Duckymander- Hey thanks for reviewing. I hope you liked this chapter too. Actually I am thinking about doing a sequel like you said. But actually the one I'm thinking of doing is an action/adventure/romance type of story and its actually more H/G than R/H. But it stll has aot of R/H in it I promise. It's going to be really good too though. I will post it as soon as I can which might not be for a while. Sorry. R&R
~cristen- Actually Hermione didn't worry about anything except for loosing her mom and feeling as if everything else is getting screwed up. She didn't even think of what anyone else thought. Sad huh? Oh yeah and I love this song too that's where I got the inspiration for this fic.
~VoiCeS WiThiN: Hey thanks for reviewing again. Yay I know. Ron and Hermione actually kissed. The bad thing is that Ron pretended it was just a kiss to make her feel better. Good going stupid! Anywho I really liked the fact that I put Hermione through something tragic too. I really wanted it to be Ron at first but then I decided that I loved Mr. And Mrs. Weasley too much to kill them. That would just be too evil. So instead I took it out on Hermione's parents. Not to be mean or anything but they're more insignificant than the Weasleys. Read on!
~hp/charmed obsesed- Hey! I really really though about what you had told me about it being a perfect ending and I really thought so too. The thing is that Ron and Hermione weren't actually togther at the end of that chapter and I couldn't end it like that. Instead I wrote two more brilliant chapters in which Ron will tell Hermione or Hermione will tell Ron exactly how they feel. Sweet huh? Ofcourse if you really want to all you have to do is pretend this chapter never existed and read no more. The End just like that, but if I were you I'd keep reading. Bye Bye for now.
~RusselGrl 15: I love red heads!! I am SO going to marry a red head just like you. They are all so sexy and precious and stuff! Hermione's so lucky to have Ron. He is like the perfect redhead. RED HEADS RULE!!
~Zoey: Thanks for reviewing and Keep reading!
~Line-from Denmark: Awww! I feel so special. Thank you so much!!!
~Maelle: Merci pour la review. Tu aime la chapitre? Pardon ma francais, sil te plait. Je ne suis pas tres fort en francais. Merci encore pour la review. Continue ta lire.
~SarcasmSage: Yay! Your back! I was wondering what happened to all my old reviewers. Thanks for coming back. I'll be looking for more of your reviews really soo. YOU BETTER REVIW AGAIN! That's a warning.
Hehehe. I'm only kidding reviewing if you wanna. Bye.
