Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter…must you rub it in?
IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTES!!: Just a warning to all, I haven't read book 5 since the day it came out so I'm really unsure if Dumbledore's army learned the Patronus in this case, they either haven't yet, or never did, take your pick ;) Also, I just assumed that patronus charm could be performed without a dementor around since obviously a dementor wouldn't just be lying around and a boggart wouldn't turn into a dementor for Ron or Hermione. Hope it isn't a big inconvenience to anyone, I just thought this might be a cute idea and I threw logic to the wind! ;)
Making Memories
"Ron," the young brunette sighed in exasperation. "Could you please at least try and concentrate?"
"Bloody hell, Hermione! You don't think I'm trying to concentrate?!" Ronald Weasley, sidekick extraordinaire, argued weakly, sitting down tiredly in his chair in the abandoned classroom. "We've been at this for hours now; can't we please give it a rest?"
"Fine!" Hermione responded haughtily, indigent that the redhead was so unappreciative of all her help. She began picking up her books and quills with angry, exaggerated motions. "But don't expect the dementors to give you a break just because you feel like being lazy!"
"Hermione!" Ron whined. He was now up, trailing behind his friend as she continued to gather up her things. "I'm not being lazy! I just can't do it! I'm not as powerful as you and Harry are." With the last bit, his voice dripped with self pity. He had always realized he was the weakest link in the trio, but it felt strange to admit it out loud.
"Nonsense, Ronald. You're every bit as powerful as Harry and I," Hermione scolded gently. She turned around to face him, her eyes looking soft, as she tried to show the sincerity in her comment. Ron blushed, her sincerity actually making him feel quite nauseous. He looked towards the ground.
"Am not," he said, scoffing his feet on the dusty floor. "I can't even get this stupid spell right. You and Harry've been able to do it for ages now."
Hermione let out a little sigh. "Ron, really, just because you're having a little trouble with the patronus charm doesn't make you a weaker wizard. After all, you know how long it took for Harry and I to get it. You just need a little more practice."
Ron grimaced. Hermione's voice had that obvious irritated tone she got whenever she thought Ron was being a real idiot. Her hand on her hip was his tell-tale sign that she was through with the argument. "Maybe you're right," he said, though he didn't actually believe it.
"Alright then," Hermione smiled, always pleased to hear Ron admit she was right. "We might as well head back to the commons now."
She smiled once more at Ron, but he stayed put. Suddenly feeling very brave and equally determined, Ron shot out the question. "Hermione, would you mind staying just a bit longer? I'd like to keep trying."
Hermione looked surprised. "Well…I…" she stuttered. Yes, the truth was, she would mind. She still had an essay for Charms, a potion for Snape, and a paper for Professor McGonagall. But Ronald Weasley was asking for help with learning a spell. Ronald Weasley asking for help? She couldn't refuse. "Alright then."
"Thanks 'Mione," he smiled, "You're a real pal."
"Yes, well, let's remember that the next time we're accusing someone of being a pushy know-it-all, shall we?" she said, sitting back down in her chair. Ron grinned moved to the other side of the room, leaning against the wall
"Alright then, first things first. Your pronunciation is correct, for once…" Ron opened his mouth to protest. Hermione ignored him and continued on. "Your wand positioning is right, as well. You've certainly had a good amount of practice. So the only things I can think of is that the memory you're using isn't strong enough, or that it's not working because we don't have a real dementor around. Let's start with the memory first, since that's a problem we can actually solve. What memory have you been using?"
"Well, so far I've tried when I first got keeper on the Gryffindor team and well," he blushed…he wasn't quite sure he wanted to admit this to Hermione…but he supposed he had to if he ever wanted to get his charm right. "Well, when I saw myself in Dumbledore's mirror…Head Boy and Quidditch star and all…"
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, causing the boy to jump, "You silly git! That's what's been wrong all along! You were more nervous then happy when you got keeper, and the other memory wasn't really a memory at all! You've got to choose a time when you were truly, blissfully happy, even if it was only for a moment."
Ron pondered this for second. "I'm not sure if I have any memories like that."
"Of course you do," Hermione scolded. "Just think of …Christmas at the Burrow…or when you first found out your family had found the lottery. Harry just used the memory he had of his Mum and Dad."
"Well, what memory did you use?" Ron asked.
"What?" Hermione said, surprised that he would ask such a thing. Remembering what memory she had used, she blushed. "I…I don't see how that that's any of your business…"
"Aw, come on! I told you what I used! It's only fair," he argued, now very interested in what memory Hermione considered her happiest.
"Ron, do you want my help or not?" she threatened.
"Yes! Yes! That's why I need you to tell me! Come on Hermione! It's for the sake of learning!" Ron whined. "Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with a cherry on to? Hermy! Pleeeaasse!"
"Alright," she finally snapped. "If you must know, I used the memory of when Victor asked me to the Yule Ball." She hoped that would be enough to subdue her pesky friend, less she be forced to tell him that the memory she really used was when she first found out he would be just fine after being impaled by a giant chess piece their first year.
"Krum?!" Ron spat angrily. "Krum was your happiest memory?! Honestly Hermione, what do you see in that guy?"
She looked at the annoying, lanky redhead with the large, protruding noise, giant freckled ears, and the kind of soft blue eyes that always looked confused. She sighed, "Yes, well, I guess some would argue that I have strange taste in men. But I don't see how any of this is relevant to the matter at hand."
"Whatever," Ron said grumpily, crossing his arms across his waist. He hated Krum. He hated Krum with every fiber of his being. He hated him like he had never hated anything before…and the weirdest thing was, he wasn't even sure why. "So what should I think about?"
"That's really up to you, isn't it?" Hermione said, glad they had moved past talking about her memories. "Just think of a moment in your life when you were truly, completely happy."
Ron nodded and slowly began to scan through his memory, searching for the right one. All the while, one memory in particular pounded through his head, but no…that couldn't be right. That couldn't be right at all. He kept searching, but the one thought remained. Don't worry about what it means, he told himself, you might as well just try it.
"Okay," he announced. "I've got one."
"Good," Hermione smiled. Ron felt a shiver up his spine. "Now focus on that memory and recite the spell."
Ron nodded and closed his eyes, focusing intensely on his memory.
"Good luck Ron," she had said. And then, without any prior warning or notice, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Ron yelled and a small white light came flying out of his wand.
"Excellent Ron!! Excellent!" Hermione laughed, jumping up to submerge him in a large hug.
He blushed, feeling both the least comfortable and the most comfortable he had ever been.
"That's the best you've done all day!" she said excitedly. "What memory did you use?"
"I don't see how that's any of your business," Ron mocked, placing his hands on his waist, making the best Hermione impression he could muster.
"Fine," Hermione said, in a very mature fashion. "If you don't want to tell me, then you don't have to. I won't keep bugging you about it incessantly like some people. Let's try again."
And so it went for another half hour or so, with not the slightest bit difference, the thought of the Charms essay ever growing in Hermione's mind.
"Well," she finally said, "At least you've made a little progress…we can always try again tomorrow."
"Can't, got Quidditch tomorrow," Ron said. "Come on, Hermione just a little longer. I know I'll get it soon."
She let out a large sigh. "I have homework," she told him. Need she say anything else?
Ron was getting desperate. He wanted to get this spell down today and Hermione's patience was wearing thin. "Maybe if I can find a happier memory…." He said, and wracked his brain for something better. He couldn't find anything.
"Uh…." He started, feeling his heart racing in his chest. He had to think of something or Hermione would leave and he would never learn the spell. Then quite suddenly, like a lightning strike, he had an idea. "Maybe we could, you know,…make a happier memory."
Hermione looked absolutely appalled. "Ron, that is the most horrible pickup line I've ever heard."
"Pickup line?" Ron yelled defensively. "It wasn't a pickup line!"
"Oh," Hermione said, a slight blush crossing her cheeks, "Sorry then… But it did sound like one."
"Oh yeah?" Ron asked curiously. "And how would you know? Victor use them on you a lot?"
"Shut up," Hermione huffed, crossing her arms in front of her as the tall boy smirked. She quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, what did you have in mind?"
"Well…uh…"
When he had thought it up, it seemed brilliant but now, after that, he felt rather foolish saying it. Out with it Ron, he told himself. "I want you to kiss me."
"Ron!" Hermione yelled, throwing her arms into the air. "It was a pickup line!"
"It was not!" he yelled back furiously. "For goodness sake Hermione, I'm not trying to 'pick you up!' I just want you to kiss me!"
"Have you gone mad?" she huffed, still utterly appalled.
"No! Look 'Mione, I need a happy memory and Harry and the lot are always going on about how great kissing is! It might help me out with the patronus charm. It's nothing personal!" He said in an attempt to calm her down. Her open mouth and repulsed expression made it clear he was having the opposite effect.
"Nothing personal?!" she gasped. "You insensitive-UGH! I wouldn't kiss you in a thousand years, Ronald Weasley!"
"Oh come on! Why not? It's just one kiss!" Ron begged as he closed in on her. Hermione shoved him harshly aside.
"I refuse to be thought of some sort of…'scarlet woman' who goes around kissing boys just because they ask her too!" she yelled, struggling hard not to smack Ron in the face for the mere suggestion of such a thing.
"No one has to know about it! Hermione, it's no big deal!" he continued to stress.
"Well for your information Ronald," she sneered. "It is a big deal for me." She looked down, blushing slightly. "I'd rather like my first kiss to be with someone who cared about me and not just someone who wants to improve some silly charm!"
He ignored, at least for a moment, the fact that Hermione had just called a patronus a "silly charm" and instead, focused on something else she had said. "Your first kiss?" he snorted. "Yeah, like you and Vicky haven't snogged before."
"No!" Hermione shouted. "Honestly Ron! I barely know him!"
"Well, you good as said you loved him!" Ron retorted, crossing his arms and wiggling his body in rather feminine protest. Hermione opened her mouth to argue. "No, no…don't worry about it Hermione. If you don't want to help out one of your best friends with his education because you want to save your first kiss for Victor Krum…a boy you barely know…then I understand. I'll just go kiss some random girl…no problem…"
"Ron," Hermione started in an irate tone.
"No no…its okay Hermione…it's not like I really need to know the patronus charm. I mean-"
"Ron," she tried again.
"It's not like it's important or anything! I'm sure I can just cower behind someone else while-"
"RON!" she yelled once more but this time, grabbed him by the arms, and planted a rough kiss on his lips.
"There," she said, taking a deep breath as they withdrew, "Are you happy now?"
Ron considered this for a second. Really, really considered it. "Yeah," he said honestly, his voice cracking a bit, "I am."
Hermione scowled, trying hard to move her hair in front of her face to cover the growing blush. "Well, good, now that you've guilted me into wasting my first kiss."
The words hit him hard. Wasting? He had made her waste her first kiss? "Well, I'm sorry
if Victor Krum is the only one worthy of your lips, your majesty! I'm sorry I don't live up to your royal standards! I'm so sorry that you had to waste your first kiss on that pathetic old bloke, that waste of space, Ronald Weasley!" Ron growled, stuffing his hands in his pocket to keep from waving them around like a madman.
"Ron…" Hermione said softly, regretting her previous choice of words. "I didn't mean it like that."
"Sure you did Hermione," Ron exclaimed, unwillingly freeing his hands from his pockets and thrusting them in the air. "I mean, why would you want poor, scrummy old Ron Weasley when you could have yourself a prize like Victor Krum or the famous Harry Potter? I should have known better, right? But that's me for you, isn't it? Never been the finest broom in the lot, have I?"
"What on earth are you talking about Ron?" Hermione asked, eyes and jaw wide open as she gaped at her insane friend.
"What am I talking about!? What do you think I'm talking about 'Mione!? I'm crazy about you, for Quidditch sake! All the brains in the world and you can't you see that!? Bloody, sodding, hell Hermione! I love you!"Ron stopped abruptly. No, no, no…he had not just used the l-word…not… "love". Surely he couldn't have, he must have been dreaming. He must not have heard correctly. Hermione looked just about as stunned as he.
"What did you just say?" she gasped.
"Uh…I..uh…" Ron stumbled. He couldn't give an answer. He wasn't even really sure himself.
"Oh Ron," Hermione breathed happily, eyes glistening with tears, "It was you all along. You were my happy memory, you were my poor taste in men, you were the one I was saving my first kiss for. It was you all along, Ron. It was always you."
Ron grinned wildly, surprised and delighted, as Hermione hugged him tightly and kissed him again, softly. There first real kiss left them both breathless.
When Ron finally caught his breath, he gave a goofy smile. "That's very good to hear."
It was late when the two finally returned to their dormitories. If those still awake in the common room noticed the two friends kiss gently before parting, their hands clasped tightly together till the last second, than they said nothing. Perhaps, to them, it really wasn't so much of a surprise.
Ron rushed up stairs and fell blissfully into his bed releasing a large sigh. He closed his eyes and happily reviewed the day's events. While reviewing, a curious thought occurred to him and he pulled out his long forgotten wand. Looking around once, he pulled close the curtains around his bed, shifted his way under his sheets, focused, and quietly whispered. "Expecto patronum!"
"WHAT WAS THAT!?" Seamus Finnigan yelled, sitting straight up from his bed, shielding his eyes from the blinding light that had just awoken him from his sleep.
Lights magically switched on throughout the room as the boys began to search furiously for what had woken them up. It wasn't long before they all gave up, deathly tired and resigning the blasting light as some freak accident that they would never know the cause of. As they all settled down, Harry looked over at Ron, who had joined half-heartedly in the search as well and remained uncharacteristically quiet, and gave a knowing smile.
"So Hermione help you get the patronus charm down then?" Harry grinned.
Ron, feeling rather tired but undeniably pleased, grinned widely as well. "Yeah," he smirked. "I guess you could say that."
Fin.
AN: Hope you liked it! Please review!
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