Just another one-shot to keep you entertained…The effect that an argument between Lavender and Parvati has on Ron and Hermione. Enjoy!
"PARVATI YOU STUPID BINT! GIVE IT BACK NOW!" Lavender's yells were audible through the door of the bathroom in the girl's dorms of Gryffindor Tower. Hermione, who was currently finishing up a shower, shook her head. Those two were always fighting over something or other, despite being best friends. This time it was because Parvati has 'borrowed' Lavender's favorite pink skirt, and refused to return it.
"OW! LAVENDER STOP IT!" Hermione chuckled a bit as she finished combing out her thick hair and tied it into a messy knot on top of her head. It was so much easier to manage when wet. Once finished with all her hygiene routines (brushing her teeth, etc.) she opened the door and stared in horror at what she saw.
The room was littered with all assortments of broken bits, ranging from pillow feathers to splintered bits of wood from a stool that had been thrown. In the midst of it all were Lavender and Parvati, wrestling over a piece of pink material, and looking ready to kill.
"Will you two knock it OFF!?" Hermione yelled above the din, pointing her wand at them and lifting each one away from the other. Once they were safely located on opposite sides of the dorm, Hermione muttered 'Accio skirt,' and the pink article flew into her hands. She walked over and gave it to Lavender before continuing.
"Honestly, you two are unbelievable! Arguing like little children! Parvati, it's Lavender's skirt, so if she wants the cursed thing, just give it to her next time. Just look at the mess you've made!" Parvati and Lavender had the grace to look abashed as they began cleaning up the dorm. However, a moment later they were interrupted by a scream coming from Hermione.
"LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" She bellowed. They rushed over, and stared in horror at Hermione's trunk. All of her clothes were soaked, a result of the bottles of butterbeer they'd hurled at each other.
"Well, Hermione," Lavender said quietly. "You could always have them laundered tonight.."
"Tonight!?" Hermione glared at the shamefaced duo. "And what am I to do the rest of the day? The only clothes I've got now are what I have on!" She gestured to the black, green and blue plaid pajama pants and white, thin strapped tank top she was wearing. She had intended on getting a sweater out of her trunk, but, obviously, could no longer do so. Sighing, she stormed out of the dorm, leaving Lavender and Parvati to their cleaning.
As Hermione came stomping down the stairs, Ron and Harry both looked up at her curiously. She flopped down on the couch across from them and crossed her arms.
"What's up, 'Mione?" Harry asked carefully. She looked to be in quite a temper.
"Lavender and Parvati just had a raging row, which ended in every article of clothing I own except what I'm wearing being soaked in butterbeer." She replied heatedly.
Ron was barely paying attention to what she was saying. He was busy pondering how pretty she looked with her hair up and wet like that. He was also studying with great interest her shoulders, now exposed in the spaghetti strap tank top. Finally, he snapped back to reality when Harry asked, "ALL of your clothes?"
"Yes," she sighed. "And to make it worse, now I'm cold." She ran her hands up and down her bare arms, which were covered in goose bumps. After all, it was December.
Without thinking, Ron pulled the Weasley sweater he'd been wearing over his Chudly Cannons shirt off and tossed it across to her. She looked quizzically at him for a moment. He shrugged.
"You said you were cold," he explained. Smiling, she muttered a quick, "Thanks," and pulled the sweater over her head. She marveled at its softness, and reveled in the smell of Ron. She loved that smell, like autumn and cinnamon and..and Ron. Sighing contentedly, she laid back against the arm of the couch, picked up the book she'd been reading before she'd left to shower, and continued to read.
Over the next few days, though her clothes were laundered, Hermione never offered the sweater back to Ron. And, to tell the truth, he really didn't mind. He loved seeing her in it, it made him feel as though she belonged to him. It helped him believe that deep down she loved him like he loved her, as she wore it quite often. Whenever the three of them were spending quiet nights in the common room she could be seen with it on, curled up on one of the couches. It never struck Harry as odd, really. He knew Ron liked Hermione, and he had sneaking suspicions that she returned his feelings. But, he kept out of it. If they were going to be blind forever, that was their decision. As of right now, both of them seemed contented with the sweater. However, Ron was up to much, much more.
Christmas arrived in the midst of a terrible blizzard, and Christmas eve found the trio sitting in the common room with Ginny, the only other Gryffindor remaining at Hogwarts over break. Ginny and Harry were engaged in a game of Wizard's chess, and Hermione was helping Ron with his Potions essay.
"Trust Snape to give homework over break," Ron muttered irritably. "Who cares about the properties of lacewings, anyway?" Hermione chuckled and continued showing him in the book exactly what he should write. However, he was, as usual, paying very little attention. He kept looking up at her, admiring her. Her hair was once again in a very messy, very wet bun at the top of her head, and a few stray tendrils were hanging down in the back, brushing the collar of his sweater. He loved that she still wore it. His sweater. If only she was his girl.
'Well,' he thought to himself, 'If all goes right, after tomorrow morning she could be.'
Meanwhile, Ginny and Harry were watching the two of them with quite a bit of interest.
"How long d'ya reckon until those two get together, then?" He asked in a hushed tone.
"Not very, I hope," Ginny muttered back. "I mean how blind can two people be?" Harry chuckled.
"Quite, if following their example. I mean they've been mad about each other since what, second year?"
"Yeah, about," she replied. With that they turned back to their game, forgetting all about Ron and Hermione.
Christmas morning dawned cloudy and snowing, but that didn't discourage Hermione. She woke with a squeal, bright and early, and preceded to toss a pillow at Ginny, who had moved into Hermione's dorm for the holiday. This woke Ginny, who groaned, before realizing that it was Christmas Morning.
"PRESENTS!" Ginny squealed, and both girls dove onto their piles.
Hermione unwrapped present after present. She received Some new jeans and shirts from her parents, a book on DADA Theory from Harry, some of her favorite perfume along with a novel from Ginny, and a box of sweets and such from Mrs. Weasley. Finally, there was only one present left. A tiny box, wrapped in gold paper with a red bow on top, sat on her trunk. Slowly, she reached out and picked it up, trying to imagine who it was from. Carefully lifting the lid, she gasped, causing Ginny to look over. Inside the box was a fine gold necklace, on which hung a tiny ruby in the shape of a heart. It had to be the most beautiful thing Hermione had ever seen. Lifting it out of the box, she called Ginny over to help her put it on. It hung perfectly around her neck, the heart laying about an inch below where her collarbone ended.
"Who's it from?" Ginny asked eagerly, though she had a vague idea.
"Dunno," Hermione replied breathlessly. She too the wrapping out of the box and found a note, which she picked up and began to read silently.
Dear Hermione-
I really hope you like your necklace. It took me months to save up enough for it, but I know it'll be worth it in the end. I just want you to know, once and for all, that I love you. I've loved ever since I first saw you, standing in the doorway of the Hogwarts Express, asking if any of us had seen Neville's toad. I know you probably don't feel the same, but I wanted you to have this anyway, and I wanted you to know. I love you, Hermione Granger.
Love Always,
Ron
Hermione's breath caught in her throat, and tears welled in her eyes. Ron loved her! Tossing the note down on her bed, she leapt up and dashed for the door. As she hurtled down the stairs, she saw Ron waiting in the common room. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Harry begin coming down the stairs from his dorm, but he flew backwards at the sight of her. She smiled. When she finally reached Ron, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. After a moment she lifted her head, and whispered in his ear, "I love you, too."
Ron wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him, savoring the moment.
"Thank you," she whispered after a few minutes. "It's beautiful."
"No," Ron replied, gently tilting her chin up with his finger. "You're beautiful." And, with these words, his lips found hers in a kiss that made her head spin, a kiss that both of them had been longing for for so long. It was short, but sweet, and, when they broke apart, both of them were smiling.
"You're cold," he whispered, feeling the goose bumps on her uncovered arms. She was wearing the white tank top again, and had forgotten his sweater. Just then, Ron's sweater came hurtling down the girl's staircase, apparently thrown by an eavesdropping Ginny. Hermione laughed and pulled it over her head, carefully moving the ruby pendant on top of it.
"You know," she said thoughtfully, "I never wanted to give this sweater back because it made me feel connected to you."
"That's why I never took it back as well," he replied.
"I suppose I should really give it back to you now, considering I have this…" She fingered the pendant at her neck.
"Keep it," he replied quietly. "I like it on you." She smiled up at him.
"Yeah, I like it on me too." He put his arms around her again, and they stayed like that for a while.
Wrapped up in each other.
Alright...Review! Hope you enjoyed!
XoXo Sadie