Mistakes Happen

Chapter 9

Hermione's Point Of View

RING!

I woke with a start, looking around me blindly, my eyes only half open. When I saw that it was the phone that was emitting the shrill rings, I groaned and pulled my blankets over my head, trying to sink back into the comfortable sleep I had been in just moments before.

Wait a minute.

The memories from last night came flooding back in full force: Ron comforting me, Viktor dumping me, and…back to Ron. My hand went up to my neck, remembering how he had begun to massage my shoulders, and suddenly his lips replaced his hands. I grinned as my fingers grazed my collarbone, images of Ron flashing through my mind. But then…how did I get into bed? My last thought of the night was sobbing on Ron's chest.

I immediately lifted my blankets to make sure that I was dressed, and when I found positive results, I blushed. Of course Ron wouldn't have taken advantage of me.

Ron. I swung my hand in the direction of the space next to me, almost expecting him to be there. Not only was he not there, but there were no signs of him sleeping there at all, and it was then that I realized that the phone had stopped ringing and the soft murmur of Ron's voice could be heard through my closed bedroom door. I smiled shyly to myself, half embarrassed for my undeniable desire to see Ron.

Obviously not wanting to wake me, I heard the phone softly click back into place, and a few moments later, there was a knock at the front door. I frowned as I heard Ron's hurried footsteps, and then the silent opening of the door. There was a quick, murmured conversation, and then the person was gone, and it was just Ron again. What was going on?

I peeked out from under the thick, feather quilt that I was growing to love, debating whether I should leave my cocoon of contentment to investigate. Finally, I settled on getting up in a couple minutes.

Right now, I needed to be here, in this room, comfortable. Forgetting about my suspicion, I glanced around my brightly lit room. The dazzling sunlight was bouncing off of the walls and playing against the sparkling mirror, lighting the room as if hundreds of lit wands were floating about. I looked out the window at the flawless blue sky and the vivid outline of the Eiffel Tower, and I felt something within me swell. I heard Ron quietly moving about in the living quarters, and felt different somehow. I knew it was not solely because I was now entirely free from Viktor, but also for…something I couldn't put my finger on.

I was snatched from my daydream by a quiet knock at the door. I smiled again, forgetting my suspicion, and stretched lazily. Without hearing a response, Ron inaudibly cracked open the door and stuck his head inside. He caught a glimpse of my grinning face and returned the favor.

"Morning," he whispered, not wanting to break the comfort of morning-silence.

"Hey," I said, speaking quietly. I scooted over a bit in my oversized bed. "Come in, come in."

He smiled secretively and disappeared again. A moment later, my door swung fully open, and I heard the squeaky wheels of the tray before I saw them.

I felt my jaw drop as the pristine platter of room service cuisine was directed into my room. When Ron appeared behind the cart, he still had the boyish grin on his lips. "I wanted to surprise you."

"Oh," I said, unable to comprehend the thoughtfulness behind the gesture. "Ron…thank you." I began to crawl out of bed, eager to help Ron set up and eat the delicious smelling food.

"No, stay there." He said, his eyes glued to the task of organizing the food in front of him. "This is breakfast in bed, Mione."

I bit my lip, stopping mid crawl. Returning back to the warm space in which I had slept, I shifted into a sitting position, stuffing a couple pillows behind my back, and I took a minute to watch the man in front of me. It was amazing how much a person could change in just five years. He was wearing a crisp pair of khakis with a loose-fitting button down white and blue striped shirt. The cuffs of the sleeves were rolled up a bit, so as not to get any of the food smeared on them, and a small amount of freckled skin could be seen from his elbows down. His bright red hair was adorably, yet fashionably messy, and it curled up around his ears.

He didn't react to my gaze, so I didn't avert it as I tried to find some kind of resemblance to the boy who I'd spent all of my school years with. Finally, with a dramatic flick of a napkin, his eyes came up to meet mine, and I found what I was looking for. Crystal blue eyes like his could belong to one person and one person only.

"Breakfast is served, Madame," he said, imitating a French accent perfectly. His eyes sparkled as he spread the napkin across my lap, then turning back to retrieve the tray.

"And what may I ask am I about to eat?" I asked teasingly.

"Patience is a virtue, did you know that?"

I laughed, crossing my arms jokingly. "Hmm. I think I've heard that somewhere."

Turning back to me with the tray in his hands, he nodded. "I believe you've heard it from yourself. You always used to say things like that in Hogwarts." His laughter joined mine as he gently placed the tray on top of the napkin, making sure that nothing would spill.

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "Was I really that annoying while we were in school?" I watched for a reaction as he sat down beside me.

For a moment he seemed lost in thought. At length, he looked up at me. "No, Hermione. I definitely wouldn't call it annoying."

I watched him for a moment, a bit unsettled by his intense stare. What did he mean? I tried to analyze his response, deciding if I was worse or better than annoying.

His gaze eventually flickered down to the food. "Well? Aren't you going to eat?"

"Oh, right!" I'd almost forgotten that I had a platter of food basically on top of me. Reaching for the silverware, I got my first glance of the picture perfect meal, and I smiled broadly. "Ron!"

Displayed in front of me was a sampling of every single breakfast food that I loved. There was a small bowl of ripe raspberries, which was strange since they weren't even in season. There was also toast with marmalade, half a grapefruit, and a large plate of chocolate chip pancakes.

"How…?" I was at a loss for words. No one in the world knew of my secret obsession of chocolate chip pancakes (my parents would kill me: "Chocolate in the morning?! Think of your teeth, dear!") except for Ron and Harry, who had witnessed it many mornings at Hogwarts. But…it had been five years since Hogwarts. How in the world did he remember?

"Ron," I said, looking up at him once more, searching his face for some answers. "How did you remember my favorite foods? In case you've forgotten, it's been five years."

He blushed lightly, dropping his gaze away from mine. "Come on, Mione. We were best friends for seven years of my life. You expect me to forget all about that in a measly five? I mean…I'm sure that Harry would remember too."

I laughed out loud at this. "Are you kidding me? This is Harry we're talking about. He remembers Ginny's favorite things, but he has no need to remember mine."

"Oh. Well…maybe I just have a good memory then?"

"I suppose. Except…" This time it was my turn to blush.

"Yes?"

I bit my lip again before speaking. "Strawberry waffle, cheese omelet, and pumpkin juice." I wasn't sure if he heard me.

But he did. Damn.

There was that Intense Stare again. "Those are my favorites." He sounded in awe.

"Well," I said, trying desperately to shrug it off. "Y'know…"

Silence filled the room, but it was teeming with electricity, with wonder, with attraction.

The silence was unbearable. What was he thinking? I cautiously drew my eyes up to meet his, and his gaze bore into mine. I felt my breath quicken for no apparent reason. His eyes flickered down to my lips, and I parted them instinctively. It was then that he began to lean forward.

This was okay, wasn't it? I mean, after our first kiss up on the roof, I had doubted it. He hadn't spoken of it again, and I thought that he regretted it. But after last night…he obviously wanted me, and there was no denying that the feeling was mutual. But…what was that word? Rebound? That's not what this was turning out to be, was it? I had no experience in that type of situation, and I didn't know what was right or what was wrong. I knew for a fact that I had never loved Viktor, so that couldn't play a part in it, but…still.

He was getting painfully close, and I could feel his moist breath on my face. But…no. I leaned back a bit, turning my face away. The movement was enough for Ron, and he stopped immediately. I could almost feel his hurt.

When I looked up at him again, his eyes were questioning me and his feeling of rejection was very apparent.

"Ron," I whispered, as if my voice had the potential of breaking him altogether. "It's not you."

"Then what is it?" his voice cracked mid-question.

"I…I love…this. I just don't want you to be my transition. Anything but that."

He nodded, a bit more understanding. "Right. Did you want me to…leave?"

I shook my head urgently. "No…please don't. Do you want to help me eat this?"

He looked up at me, the usual twinkle back in his eye. "Ah, using my love of food against me, now? And I was about to go and feel sorry for myself…"

I shook my head, happy he was back to normal. "No need for that! Now…what would suit your fancy…a pancake?" I shifted the tray so that it was between us, and he made himself comfortable on my bed.

"Well, since you asked…"

For the next two hours, we ate the delicious food and talked about nothing in particular. I knew I probably looked disheveled from sleep, but, strangely, I didn't care. There was nowhere else that I'd rather have been than in that sunlit room with Ron and chocolate chip pancakes.

Another hour later, it was coming up on noon. After Ron and I had finished eating, he left into the living quarters so as to let me get ready. I took a long, steamy shower, allowing all of the grime and memories of Viktor to wash down the drain, never to be seen again. I took my time getting dressed; I searched through my belongings for something rather new in order to feel refreshed. This was the first day of my relationship with freedom, and I wanted to feel revived.

I chose a beautiful white, low cut sundress that Ginny had talked me into buying last summer. "Hermione, you're thin and tan. You have to have this. Take my word for it: if you don't buy it, I will buy it for you." She had said, thrusting the dress and the hanger into my arms.

I stepped into it, marveling at how wonderful it felt, and I slid my feet into flat, white flip-flops that I rarely wore. I glanced at myself in the mirror, deciding that I would allow my hair to be free today. Although at one point people may have considered my hair bushy, it was now rather stylish with random curls and waves here and there. I applied a small amount of sheer lip-gloss and smiled at my reflection.

"Mione?"

My pulse quickened as I turned toward my closed door. Ron was on the other side, but I wasn't sure if I wanted him to see me quite yet. For some reason, nervousness was coursing through my veins.

"Mmhmm?"

He cleared his throat somewhat uncertainly. "Well… I was wondering. We've been working rather hard, and…well…why don't we take the day off? I mean, you know, tour Paris. I don't know about you, but I've never been here before this. And, it wouldn't really be fun alone. So…would you come?"

Even though I couldn't see him, I knew he was blushing furiously. No matter how hard I tried, I failed at wiping the ecstatic smile from my face. Walking over to the door, I opened it to find him staring at the ground, his hands stuffed in his pockets. When he realized that it had opened, his head snapped up.

"Of course, Ron."

"Mione, you look…amazing." His eyes traveled up and down my body, and I was fully aware of the strategic places in which his gaze paused. I laughed inwardly at the power that I seemed to have over him at that moment; he was nearly drooling.

Eager to experiment with this 'power', I stepped through the threshold and walked toward Ron, exagerating the sway of my hips. His eyes met mine once more, and he raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"You know," I said quietly, stepping in front of him. Completely forgetting my fear of 'rebounding', I slid my hands up his torso, and behind his shoulders. "I have a really," One hand went into his hair, and the other stayed on his upper back. "Really," Inching closer, I dropped butterfly kisses along his jaw and down his neck. I found a rather tasty spot on his lower neck and sucked gently, biting delicately on the tender skin now and then. I felt him sigh heavily and begin to snake his arm around my waist. This was my cue; I stopped as quickly as I had begun. "Really good feeling about today." I smiled innocently at him and wriggled out from his arm. Taking his hand instead, I grabbed my purse and I dragged him toward the front door.

With a quick glance behind me on the way out, I saw his happy smirk. "Oh, God," he groaned, obviously unable to believe what I had just done. I laughed quietly. This was going to be fun.

AN: Chapter 10 coming soon.