Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Harry Potter books,
movies, merchandise, etc. If I did, I'd either be writing in my house
in England or sunning myself in Acapulco.
A/N: Thank you, everyone, for the very nice reviews. I appreciate each and every one of them.
Ron lay back in his bed, his arms folded behind his head. He hadn't told Harry everything that had happened in the infirmary. Some things were just private, not to be shared with others, not even your best friend. He smiled, remembering how he and Hermione had finally admitted their feelings for each other...
It was very late and all was quiet in the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey, after assuring her three patients that she would be nearby if they needed anything (Delores Umbridge had only stared at her), had gone to bed nearly three hours earlier. Ron lay awake, thinking of the day's events: the escape from Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad, the mad rush to the Department of Mysteries, the battle with the Death Eaters. There were great gaps in his memory, gaps that had been partially filled in by his sister, Ginny. He had not seen Harry since they had all returned to Hogwarts, though he had been assured that Harry was safe and with Dumbledore.
He looked over at Hermione, asleep in a bed not far from him, her chestnut hair spilling across her pillow. She had been so lifeless when he had helped Lupin bring her in and lay her on the bed, the slow rise and fall of her chest barely showing that she was still alive. Ron had sat on her bed watching her breathe, scarcely noticing that Madame Pomfrey was trying to treat his wounds. He was angry...angry at himself for not being there to protect her, angry at Antonin Dolohov for hurting her so badly. He would have gladly taken Dolohov's curse, over and over again, if it meant he would never have to see Hermione so pale and still.
She had finally stirred and opened her eyes. Seeing him sitting on her bed, she had smiled weakly and squeezed his hand, and he had known she was going to be okay. Madame Pomfrey had bustled him away so she could tend to Hermione, and he had collapsed, exhausted, on his own bed. Now he watched her sleeping, marveling at how much he loved her (and wondering when he had finally admitted that to himself), and realizing how close he had come to losing her forever.
As he watched, Hermione moaned. She opened her eyes and tried to sit up, then moaned again and clutched at her chest. Ron was at her side almost instantly.
"Hermione? Are you all right? Are you in pain? Do you want me to get Madame Pomfrey?" he asked, looking at her anxiously.
"No..no...I'm all right," she breathed, lying back on her pillow. "I just shouldn't try to move so suddenly." She rubbed her ribs dolefully. "Really...I'm fine," she insisted, seeing his worried face. "I had a bad dream and woke up too quickly." She rested for a few moments, then sat up experimentally, grimacing at the pain. With Ron's help, she propped herself up with pillows, and she was finally able to reach a sitting position.
"There...that's better," she sighed, settling against the pillows and smiling at Ron. Then she caught sight of the deep welts on his forearms and her eyes widened in shock and concern. "Ron! What happened to you? Are you okay? Madame Pomfrey told me everyone was all right. What...?"
"I'm fine," Ron interrupted. "I was apparently attacked by a brain, though I don't remember it. I...well, apparently, I was hit with some curse which made me act completely barmy. Ginny told me I actually called the brain to me...using 'accio'." He looked down at her bed, picking at a loose thread in the sheet, embarrassed at having to admit this to Hermione.
"Oh, Ron. I'm so sorry. That must have been terrible." She hesitantly touched his arm, running her fingers gently over the welts. He looked up at her, surprised. "Does that hurt?" she asked quietly.
He was distracted by her look of concern for him and by the pleasant tingling sensations she was causing with her touch. "No...that feels nice," he murmured. She eyed him questioningly, making him realize what he had said. He blushed, clearing his throat. "I mean...no, they don't hurt...too much."
She smiled slightly, still looking worried. She quit fingering the welts, but left her hand on his arm. "Is everyone else really all right?"
"Ginny, Neville, and Luna are fine; Madam Pomfrey took care of them in no time. Harry's here at Hogwarts, but I haven't seen him." He paused. "Hermione, Ginny told me that Sirius...that Sirius..." He took a deep breath and forced himself to continue. "Sirius...died," he finished quietly.
Hermione gasped softly, raising one hand to her mouth. "Oh, Ron...oh, poor Harry," she whispered, tears in her eyes. "His parents...now Sirius...oh, how terrible."
"Yeah. I don't know what to say to him when I see him."
Hermione shook her head as though she didn't know either. "How...?" she couldn't finish the question.
"Ginny didn't know any details yet. She just knew he had...you know. I'm sure we'll find out."
Hermione nodded. They sat quietly for a bit, thinking of the day, the fear they had faced, the loss of a friend.
Ron took a deep breath, blowing it out forcefully. He started plucking uncomfortably at the loose thread again. "Hermione...I'm sorry I got separated from you and Harry. I should have been there. Everything was just so confusing. I was with you one minute, then you were gone. I was trying to find you when I was hit with that curse. I'm sorry. I let you down."
"You didn't let us down, Ron. It's all right."
"No, it's not. I should have been there...for Harry...and to protect you," he said sadly.
"Ron...I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
"I know you are, Hermione. But...a guy should be there for the girl he...for the girl he..." he looked away, unable to finish. Why can't I just say it? he asked himself angrily. I almost lost her today...I need to tell her. Just what am I afraid of?
Tears came to Hermione's eyes as she realized what he was trying to say. Putting her hand under his chin, she turned his face back to hers, meeting his eyes. "Please...just say it," she whispered, trailing her fingers across his cheek. "We've been dancing around this for so long...please...just finally say it."
Ron swallowed hard past the lump in his throat and licked his lips. He moved closer to Hermione, taking a deep breath and summoning all his Gryffindor courage. "A guy should be there...for the girl he loves. I...I...love you, Hermione," he said quietly as a small sob came from Hermione and tears rolled down her cheeks. She grabbed him in a tight hug, not seeming to notice the pain this must be causing her, and buried her face against his neck. As he gently slid his arms around her waist, Ron could feel her tears against his skin. He was uncomfortably reminded of Cho crying when she had kissed Harry.
"Hermione? I'm sorry. Shouldn't I have said that? Did I say something wr..." He broke off and closed his eyes, his breath catching as Hermione raised her head and kissed him gently just below his ear, then several times along his jaw line. Sitting up straight, she looked at him tenderly as he opened his eyes.
"No, you didn't say anything wrong. You said everything right." She wiped her eyes and sighed happily. "I've been hoping...and waiting..."
Ron drew a deep breath. "You have? So...er...you maybe...feel the same?" he asked anxiously.
"Oh, Ron...yes...you know I do. Surely you know that." She brushed his hair back from his forehead lovingly. "You know I love you," she whispered.
Ron felt his heart nearly stop at these words from her, and for a moment he was incapable of forming a coherent sentence. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Can I...er...can I...kiss you?" he finished almost inaudibly.
Hermione nodded. Ron licked his lips again and leaned slowly closer to her, still gazing into her face. As he watched her close her eyes and raise her face to his, he thought, I'm finally going to kiss her. This is real, and I'm finally going to kiss her...really kiss her. He studied her, the faint freckles across her cheeks, her dark eyelashes, her lips. I love her so much. Then Ron, unable to contain himself any longer, pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. He felt Hermione tremble as she made a sound that was like a whimper. For a moment he was afraid that he was hurting her, but Hermione ran one hand up into his hair and held him close, responding to his kiss with fervor.
They finally separated, breathless. Ron looked at Hermione questioningly, feeling relief when she smiled at him. With a sigh, Hermione snuggled close to him, her arms around his neck, her head on his shoulder. He held her, sitting with his head lying against hers, stroking her hair, still unable to believe that she loved him...Hermione loved him. After several quiet moments, Hermione made a sudden movement and exclaimed, "Harry!"
Ron, still stunned by the turn of events and lost in his own thoughts, murmured, "who?" Then, realizing what she had said, he looked around the infirmary. "Where?"
Hermione straightened up and looked at him. "No. Harry. We can't tell Harry about us yet."
"Why not?"
She sighed. "Because Harry has just gone through a life-altering event. He's lost Sirius. We need to keep everything else as normal as possible for him. He'll need us to be there for him...as friends."
Ron looked at her doubtfully for a moment. "Hermione...are you maybe...embarrassed by me?" he asked sadly.
"Oh, Ron, no...never," she rushed to assure him. "I'd stand on top of Gryffindor Tower and shout 'I love Ron Weasley' to the world. But right now, we need to be there for Harry. We can tell him later this summer, after the shock of all that has happened to him wears off." She smiled as Ron still looked doubtful. "We can still carry on with our new relationship. We'll just be discreet. But let's be there for our best friend. There will be plenty of time, too, just for us."
Ron sighed. "I supposed you're right. Hermione...you really do...love me?" he asked, studying her face.
She smiled and gave him a gentle, lingering kiss, sending chills down his spine. "Yes, Ron," she whispered. "I really do love you. I have for ages."
He smiled then, reassured, and leaned toward her for another kiss...
Ron was drawn from his memories by a squeak from a floorboard just outside his room. He hurried to his door and opened it, only to see Hermione in her dressing gown walking quietly down the hall toward the stairs. "Hermione?" he called softly, and she turned.
"Hi," she whispered, coming back to him.
"Hi. What are you doing up?"
"I woke up. I had a nightmare."
"Are you OK?"
"I'm fine," she assured him. They were all getting very accustomed to nightmares. "I thought I'd go down and get some warm milk, then go back to bed. I came to your door and listened to see if you were awake, but I didn't hear anything. I didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't. Hermione...Harry knows about us."
"He does? I thought we agreed we would tell him together, Ron. Why did you..."
"He saw us...out in the front yard earlier."
"Oh." She blushed slightly at the thought of Harry seeing her and Ron kissing. "Is he all right?"
"He was mad at first, but only because we hadn't told him. We talked, and he's all right now. He fell asleep a little while ago."
Hermione sighed, relieved. "Good. Poor Harry. I wish he would find somebody...somebody right for him. Not Cho," she said, making a face. "Somebody who will treat him like he deserves to be treated." She grinned mischievously at Ron. "Maybe I should have a talk with Ginny." Ron scowled. "Oh, really, Ron...can you honestly say you wouldn't want Harry and Ginny together?"
Ron sighed and rolled his eyes. "No..." he admitted grudgingly.
"That's what I thought." She smiled again and stepped closer to Ron, running her hands up his arms, making him shiver. "Since you're awake, could I maybe have another good night kiss?"
"I think that can be arranged..."
He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist as she put her arms around his neck and ran her hands up into his hair. As their lips met, he felt her almost sag against him, amazed that he had the power to make her weak in the knees. He felt the now-familiar stirrings that he always experienced when they kissed, though he had no intention of acting on them. He knew that if he did, Hermione would not be happy with him, and he wasn't about to mess things up now. He loved her deeply, and that was enough to make him respect her and wait patiently.
Besides, he was getting used to cold showers.
"Bloody hell, Hermione...you drive me crazy," Ron whispered as they parted, looking at her lovingly.
She laughed softly. "I know." She stroked his face gently. "You'd better get some sleep. You look tired."
"You think I can sleep now, do you?" he joked. She laughed again, and he smiled. He loved to make her laugh. "You're right...I am pretty tired," he admitted.
"Then I'll see you in the morning." She stood on tiptoe and brushed her lips against his. As she pulled away, she murmured, "I love you." Then she was gone.
Ron stood for a moment, looking after her, then he went back into his room, closing the door behind him. Harry was still sound-asleep, a good thing, as Ron knew he was often plagued with terrible nightmares that kept him awake all night. Ron settled back into his bed, thinking of Hermione and Harry, their friendship, and their future.
As he drifted off to sleep, the feel of Hermione still in his arms, he knew that the future for the three of them was uncertain and sure to have terrible moments. But for now...well, the present was pretty good.
A/N: Thank you, everyone, for the very nice reviews. I appreciate each and every one of them.
Ron lay back in his bed, his arms folded behind his head. He hadn't told Harry everything that had happened in the infirmary. Some things were just private, not to be shared with others, not even your best friend. He smiled, remembering how he and Hermione had finally admitted their feelings for each other...
It was very late and all was quiet in the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey, after assuring her three patients that she would be nearby if they needed anything (Delores Umbridge had only stared at her), had gone to bed nearly three hours earlier. Ron lay awake, thinking of the day's events: the escape from Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad, the mad rush to the Department of Mysteries, the battle with the Death Eaters. There were great gaps in his memory, gaps that had been partially filled in by his sister, Ginny. He had not seen Harry since they had all returned to Hogwarts, though he had been assured that Harry was safe and with Dumbledore.
He looked over at Hermione, asleep in a bed not far from him, her chestnut hair spilling across her pillow. She had been so lifeless when he had helped Lupin bring her in and lay her on the bed, the slow rise and fall of her chest barely showing that she was still alive. Ron had sat on her bed watching her breathe, scarcely noticing that Madame Pomfrey was trying to treat his wounds. He was angry...angry at himself for not being there to protect her, angry at Antonin Dolohov for hurting her so badly. He would have gladly taken Dolohov's curse, over and over again, if it meant he would never have to see Hermione so pale and still.
She had finally stirred and opened her eyes. Seeing him sitting on her bed, she had smiled weakly and squeezed his hand, and he had known she was going to be okay. Madame Pomfrey had bustled him away so she could tend to Hermione, and he had collapsed, exhausted, on his own bed. Now he watched her sleeping, marveling at how much he loved her (and wondering when he had finally admitted that to himself), and realizing how close he had come to losing her forever.
As he watched, Hermione moaned. She opened her eyes and tried to sit up, then moaned again and clutched at her chest. Ron was at her side almost instantly.
"Hermione? Are you all right? Are you in pain? Do you want me to get Madame Pomfrey?" he asked, looking at her anxiously.
"No..no...I'm all right," she breathed, lying back on her pillow. "I just shouldn't try to move so suddenly." She rubbed her ribs dolefully. "Really...I'm fine," she insisted, seeing his worried face. "I had a bad dream and woke up too quickly." She rested for a few moments, then sat up experimentally, grimacing at the pain. With Ron's help, she propped herself up with pillows, and she was finally able to reach a sitting position.
"There...that's better," she sighed, settling against the pillows and smiling at Ron. Then she caught sight of the deep welts on his forearms and her eyes widened in shock and concern. "Ron! What happened to you? Are you okay? Madame Pomfrey told me everyone was all right. What...?"
"I'm fine," Ron interrupted. "I was apparently attacked by a brain, though I don't remember it. I...well, apparently, I was hit with some curse which made me act completely barmy. Ginny told me I actually called the brain to me...using 'accio'." He looked down at her bed, picking at a loose thread in the sheet, embarrassed at having to admit this to Hermione.
"Oh, Ron. I'm so sorry. That must have been terrible." She hesitantly touched his arm, running her fingers gently over the welts. He looked up at her, surprised. "Does that hurt?" she asked quietly.
He was distracted by her look of concern for him and by the pleasant tingling sensations she was causing with her touch. "No...that feels nice," he murmured. She eyed him questioningly, making him realize what he had said. He blushed, clearing his throat. "I mean...no, they don't hurt...too much."
She smiled slightly, still looking worried. She quit fingering the welts, but left her hand on his arm. "Is everyone else really all right?"
"Ginny, Neville, and Luna are fine; Madam Pomfrey took care of them in no time. Harry's here at Hogwarts, but I haven't seen him." He paused. "Hermione, Ginny told me that Sirius...that Sirius..." He took a deep breath and forced himself to continue. "Sirius...died," he finished quietly.
Hermione gasped softly, raising one hand to her mouth. "Oh, Ron...oh, poor Harry," she whispered, tears in her eyes. "His parents...now Sirius...oh, how terrible."
"Yeah. I don't know what to say to him when I see him."
Hermione shook her head as though she didn't know either. "How...?" she couldn't finish the question.
"Ginny didn't know any details yet. She just knew he had...you know. I'm sure we'll find out."
Hermione nodded. They sat quietly for a bit, thinking of the day, the fear they had faced, the loss of a friend.
Ron took a deep breath, blowing it out forcefully. He started plucking uncomfortably at the loose thread again. "Hermione...I'm sorry I got separated from you and Harry. I should have been there. Everything was just so confusing. I was with you one minute, then you were gone. I was trying to find you when I was hit with that curse. I'm sorry. I let you down."
"You didn't let us down, Ron. It's all right."
"No, it's not. I should have been there...for Harry...and to protect you," he said sadly.
"Ron...I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
"I know you are, Hermione. But...a guy should be there for the girl he...for the girl he..." he looked away, unable to finish. Why can't I just say it? he asked himself angrily. I almost lost her today...I need to tell her. Just what am I afraid of?
Tears came to Hermione's eyes as she realized what he was trying to say. Putting her hand under his chin, she turned his face back to hers, meeting his eyes. "Please...just say it," she whispered, trailing her fingers across his cheek. "We've been dancing around this for so long...please...just finally say it."
Ron swallowed hard past the lump in his throat and licked his lips. He moved closer to Hermione, taking a deep breath and summoning all his Gryffindor courage. "A guy should be there...for the girl he loves. I...I...love you, Hermione," he said quietly as a small sob came from Hermione and tears rolled down her cheeks. She grabbed him in a tight hug, not seeming to notice the pain this must be causing her, and buried her face against his neck. As he gently slid his arms around her waist, Ron could feel her tears against his skin. He was uncomfortably reminded of Cho crying when she had kissed Harry.
"Hermione? I'm sorry. Shouldn't I have said that? Did I say something wr..." He broke off and closed his eyes, his breath catching as Hermione raised her head and kissed him gently just below his ear, then several times along his jaw line. Sitting up straight, she looked at him tenderly as he opened his eyes.
"No, you didn't say anything wrong. You said everything right." She wiped her eyes and sighed happily. "I've been hoping...and waiting..."
Ron drew a deep breath. "You have? So...er...you maybe...feel the same?" he asked anxiously.
"Oh, Ron...yes...you know I do. Surely you know that." She brushed his hair back from his forehead lovingly. "You know I love you," she whispered.
Ron felt his heart nearly stop at these words from her, and for a moment he was incapable of forming a coherent sentence. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Can I...er...can I...kiss you?" he finished almost inaudibly.
Hermione nodded. Ron licked his lips again and leaned slowly closer to her, still gazing into her face. As he watched her close her eyes and raise her face to his, he thought, I'm finally going to kiss her. This is real, and I'm finally going to kiss her...really kiss her. He studied her, the faint freckles across her cheeks, her dark eyelashes, her lips. I love her so much. Then Ron, unable to contain himself any longer, pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. He felt Hermione tremble as she made a sound that was like a whimper. For a moment he was afraid that he was hurting her, but Hermione ran one hand up into his hair and held him close, responding to his kiss with fervor.
They finally separated, breathless. Ron looked at Hermione questioningly, feeling relief when she smiled at him. With a sigh, Hermione snuggled close to him, her arms around his neck, her head on his shoulder. He held her, sitting with his head lying against hers, stroking her hair, still unable to believe that she loved him...Hermione loved him. After several quiet moments, Hermione made a sudden movement and exclaimed, "Harry!"
Ron, still stunned by the turn of events and lost in his own thoughts, murmured, "who?" Then, realizing what she had said, he looked around the infirmary. "Where?"
Hermione straightened up and looked at him. "No. Harry. We can't tell Harry about us yet."
"Why not?"
She sighed. "Because Harry has just gone through a life-altering event. He's lost Sirius. We need to keep everything else as normal as possible for him. He'll need us to be there for him...as friends."
Ron looked at her doubtfully for a moment. "Hermione...are you maybe...embarrassed by me?" he asked sadly.
"Oh, Ron, no...never," she rushed to assure him. "I'd stand on top of Gryffindor Tower and shout 'I love Ron Weasley' to the world. But right now, we need to be there for Harry. We can tell him later this summer, after the shock of all that has happened to him wears off." She smiled as Ron still looked doubtful. "We can still carry on with our new relationship. We'll just be discreet. But let's be there for our best friend. There will be plenty of time, too, just for us."
Ron sighed. "I supposed you're right. Hermione...you really do...love me?" he asked, studying her face.
She smiled and gave him a gentle, lingering kiss, sending chills down his spine. "Yes, Ron," she whispered. "I really do love you. I have for ages."
He smiled then, reassured, and leaned toward her for another kiss...
Ron was drawn from his memories by a squeak from a floorboard just outside his room. He hurried to his door and opened it, only to see Hermione in her dressing gown walking quietly down the hall toward the stairs. "Hermione?" he called softly, and she turned.
"Hi," she whispered, coming back to him.
"Hi. What are you doing up?"
"I woke up. I had a nightmare."
"Are you OK?"
"I'm fine," she assured him. They were all getting very accustomed to nightmares. "I thought I'd go down and get some warm milk, then go back to bed. I came to your door and listened to see if you were awake, but I didn't hear anything. I didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't. Hermione...Harry knows about us."
"He does? I thought we agreed we would tell him together, Ron. Why did you..."
"He saw us...out in the front yard earlier."
"Oh." She blushed slightly at the thought of Harry seeing her and Ron kissing. "Is he all right?"
"He was mad at first, but only because we hadn't told him. We talked, and he's all right now. He fell asleep a little while ago."
Hermione sighed, relieved. "Good. Poor Harry. I wish he would find somebody...somebody right for him. Not Cho," she said, making a face. "Somebody who will treat him like he deserves to be treated." She grinned mischievously at Ron. "Maybe I should have a talk with Ginny." Ron scowled. "Oh, really, Ron...can you honestly say you wouldn't want Harry and Ginny together?"
Ron sighed and rolled his eyes. "No..." he admitted grudgingly.
"That's what I thought." She smiled again and stepped closer to Ron, running her hands up his arms, making him shiver. "Since you're awake, could I maybe have another good night kiss?"
"I think that can be arranged..."
He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist as she put her arms around his neck and ran her hands up into his hair. As their lips met, he felt her almost sag against him, amazed that he had the power to make her weak in the knees. He felt the now-familiar stirrings that he always experienced when they kissed, though he had no intention of acting on them. He knew that if he did, Hermione would not be happy with him, and he wasn't about to mess things up now. He loved her deeply, and that was enough to make him respect her and wait patiently.
Besides, he was getting used to cold showers.
"Bloody hell, Hermione...you drive me crazy," Ron whispered as they parted, looking at her lovingly.
She laughed softly. "I know." She stroked his face gently. "You'd better get some sleep. You look tired."
"You think I can sleep now, do you?" he joked. She laughed again, and he smiled. He loved to make her laugh. "You're right...I am pretty tired," he admitted.
"Then I'll see you in the morning." She stood on tiptoe and brushed her lips against his. As she pulled away, she murmured, "I love you." Then she was gone.
Ron stood for a moment, looking after her, then he went back into his room, closing the door behind him. Harry was still sound-asleep, a good thing, as Ron knew he was often plagued with terrible nightmares that kept him awake all night. Ron settled back into his bed, thinking of Hermione and Harry, their friendship, and their future.
As he drifted off to sleep, the feel of Hermione still in his arms, he knew that the future for the three of them was uncertain and sure to have terrible moments. But for now...well, the present was pretty good.