Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter books, nor any of the
characters, situations, or settings therein. Pity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry Potter sat up suddenly in his bed, coming out of the grips of his nightmare. He fumbled on the nightstand for his glasses, then slipped them on. A quick look around the moonlit room reminded him that he was at the Burrow. After spending several weeks at Grimmauld Place, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley had returned to the Burrow only that afternoon, in order to enjoy the final week of their summer holiday. "Enjoy it...right," Harry thought sarcastically, thinking of his recurring nightmare. Again and again, he kept seeing his godfather, Sirius, fall through the veil in the Department of Mysteries while his own subconscious whispered, "my fault...my fault". Harry was convinced he would never enjoy anything ever again.
Taking a deep breath, he put his feet on the floor, then sat there, wiping sweat from his face, his jet black hair wet with it. After a few minutes, he stood up, groaning, knowing that sleep would not return to him that night. He looked at the clock: only 12:15. It was going to be a long night.
Shuffling toward the door, he noticed that Ron's bed was empty. Well, it was still fairly early. Probably Ron's notorious appetite had awakened him, and he had gone down to find something to eat. Harry wished Ron had woken him, too; maybe the nightmare would have been avoided.
He trudged down the stairs, expecting to find his red-headed friend stuffing his face at the table, but the kitchen was empty. He poured himself a glass of milk, then headed through the living room, thinking that maybe Ron had taken a snack out onto the front porch. He opened the door soundlessly, so as not to startle Ron, then stopped, surprised by what he saw.
Ron and Hermione were standing together in the front yard.
Ordinarily, Harry would have joined them, but there was something about the way they were standing that made him hesitate. The moon was very bright, and he could see them quite plainly. They were very close together, looking into each other's faces and talking quietly. Harry couldn't hear what they were saying, only the soft murmur of their voices. There was just something...cozy...about the way they were acting.
As Harry watched, Ron said something that made Hermione smile. Then, putting her hands on Ron's shoulders, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him softly on the lips. Harry was stunned; he assumed Ron was blushing madly (it was hard to judge color by moonlight), and he expected him to step back from Hermione, embarrassed. But Ron smiled back at Hermione and put his hands on her waist, stepping closer to her. Hermione said something that made Ron laugh, then he leaned down and kissed her. After a moment, he slid his arms the rest of the way around her waist, pulling her against him as she put her arms around his neck.
Harry was suddenly embarrassed, realizing that he was intruding upon something that he really shouldn't be witnessing. He shut the door silently, then hurried back to Ron's room.
"What is going on?" he wondered, sitting down on his bed. "And how long has it been going on?" Ron and Hermione had certainly seemed comfortable with each other. It was obvious that had not been their first kiss. Harry felt the familiar stirrings of anger. "They could have told me! I'm supposed to be their friend. I could be happy for them, if they had only confided in me."
After about ten minutes, the bedroom door opened slowly and Ron tiptoed in. He closed the door quietly behind him, then turned. He stopped, shocked to see Harry awake and sitting on his bed, his arms crossed.
"Er...hiya, Harry. Couldn't you sleep, either? I...er...went downstairs...wanted a snack, you know." He noticed Harry's glass of milk and laughed nervously. "Oh, did you come downstairs, too?" he asked, pointing at the milk. "I was out on the front porch. Sorry I missed you...er...did you...come looking for me?"
"Yeah. So, tell me, Ron...when did you and Hermione take up snogging? How long have you two been together?"
Ron laughed harder. "What? Me and...what?"
"You heard me."
Ron stopped laughing. He sat down on his own bed, clasped his hands between his knees and looked down at his feet. Harry waited. After a few moments, Ron looked up at Harry, sighing deeply. "We were going to tell you, mate," he said, running a hand through his red hair. "But so much has been happening, and there never seemed to be a good..."
"How long?" Harry interrupted.
Ron stared at him for another few moments, then looked away, unable to meet Harry's eyes. He sighed deeply again. He lowered his voice almost to a whisper.
"Since last summer..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry Potter sat up suddenly in his bed, coming out of the grips of his nightmare. He fumbled on the nightstand for his glasses, then slipped them on. A quick look around the moonlit room reminded him that he was at the Burrow. After spending several weeks at Grimmauld Place, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley had returned to the Burrow only that afternoon, in order to enjoy the final week of their summer holiday. "Enjoy it...right," Harry thought sarcastically, thinking of his recurring nightmare. Again and again, he kept seeing his godfather, Sirius, fall through the veil in the Department of Mysteries while his own subconscious whispered, "my fault...my fault". Harry was convinced he would never enjoy anything ever again.
Taking a deep breath, he put his feet on the floor, then sat there, wiping sweat from his face, his jet black hair wet with it. After a few minutes, he stood up, groaning, knowing that sleep would not return to him that night. He looked at the clock: only 12:15. It was going to be a long night.
Shuffling toward the door, he noticed that Ron's bed was empty. Well, it was still fairly early. Probably Ron's notorious appetite had awakened him, and he had gone down to find something to eat. Harry wished Ron had woken him, too; maybe the nightmare would have been avoided.
He trudged down the stairs, expecting to find his red-headed friend stuffing his face at the table, but the kitchen was empty. He poured himself a glass of milk, then headed through the living room, thinking that maybe Ron had taken a snack out onto the front porch. He opened the door soundlessly, so as not to startle Ron, then stopped, surprised by what he saw.
Ron and Hermione were standing together in the front yard.
Ordinarily, Harry would have joined them, but there was something about the way they were standing that made him hesitate. The moon was very bright, and he could see them quite plainly. They were very close together, looking into each other's faces and talking quietly. Harry couldn't hear what they were saying, only the soft murmur of their voices. There was just something...cozy...about the way they were acting.
As Harry watched, Ron said something that made Hermione smile. Then, putting her hands on Ron's shoulders, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him softly on the lips. Harry was stunned; he assumed Ron was blushing madly (it was hard to judge color by moonlight), and he expected him to step back from Hermione, embarrassed. But Ron smiled back at Hermione and put his hands on her waist, stepping closer to her. Hermione said something that made Ron laugh, then he leaned down and kissed her. After a moment, he slid his arms the rest of the way around her waist, pulling her against him as she put her arms around his neck.
Harry was suddenly embarrassed, realizing that he was intruding upon something that he really shouldn't be witnessing. He shut the door silently, then hurried back to Ron's room.
"What is going on?" he wondered, sitting down on his bed. "And how long has it been going on?" Ron and Hermione had certainly seemed comfortable with each other. It was obvious that had not been their first kiss. Harry felt the familiar stirrings of anger. "They could have told me! I'm supposed to be their friend. I could be happy for them, if they had only confided in me."
After about ten minutes, the bedroom door opened slowly and Ron tiptoed in. He closed the door quietly behind him, then turned. He stopped, shocked to see Harry awake and sitting on his bed, his arms crossed.
"Er...hiya, Harry. Couldn't you sleep, either? I...er...went downstairs...wanted a snack, you know." He noticed Harry's glass of milk and laughed nervously. "Oh, did you come downstairs, too?" he asked, pointing at the milk. "I was out on the front porch. Sorry I missed you...er...did you...come looking for me?"
"Yeah. So, tell me, Ron...when did you and Hermione take up snogging? How long have you two been together?"
Ron laughed harder. "What? Me and...what?"
"You heard me."
Ron stopped laughing. He sat down on his own bed, clasped his hands between his knees and looked down at his feet. Harry waited. After a few moments, Ron looked up at Harry, sighing deeply. "We were going to tell you, mate," he said, running a hand through his red hair. "But so much has been happening, and there never seemed to be a good..."
"How long?" Harry interrupted.
Ron stared at him for another few moments, then looked away, unable to meet Harry's eyes. He sighed deeply again. He lowered his voice almost to a whisper.
"Since last summer..."