Previously:
"'Mione, I want to show you something." Ron said as he gently shifted her and stood up, offering his hand to help her up. She took it and he then led her behind the tree.
"Oh Ron, you know I can't…"
"Hermione, please?" It's amazing up there and I wanna share this beautiful experience with you!"
"Ron, you know I'm terrified of heights! This is like me asking you to pet a giant spider!"
"Hermione, if you do this for me, I'll kiss a giant spider! I know you want to, you said so yourself that night at the slumber party!"
Hermione bit her lip and eyed the broom cautiously. "What if I fall?"
"We've been through this before Hermione, you know I'll never let you fall. I swear on my life."
Hermione continued to gnaw on her lip, face in a worried deep thought.
"'Mione please? You know I wouldn't do this if you could get hurt."
Oh Merlin! Why did he have to use the pet name and the puppy eyes? Hermione thought to herself. She ran her hand across the mahogany handle of the hovering broom. It vibrated under her touch. She took a deep shaky breath and closed her eyes.
"Ok." She said releasing her breath.
"Really?" asked Ron incredulously. Hermione nodded. "Are you sure? I don't wanna make you feel pressu-"
"Ron?"
"Yeah?"
"Let's just do this before I change my mind."
"Er…right…" and with that, Ron straddled the broom which rose a couple of feet higher. "Ok, com'ere" Ron said. Hermione took a couple hesitant steps until she reached Ron. He placed his hands under her arms and lifted her petite (yet intimidating at times) frame off the ground and set her in front of him.
"Ok…put your hands here, and grip it tightly." Ron told Hermione over her shoulder and placing her hands in the right position. "Not that tight!" Ron laughed. Hermione tried to glare but couldn't help but smile a little. "Look at you, you're all…rigid! Re-lax!" Ron said putting emphasis the syllables. "One more thing before we take off." Ron said moving his thumb to Hermione's mouth. "Stop," he pulled her lip down with his thumb, "biting your lip!"
"It's a habit!" Hermione whined.
"Your going to make it bleed!"
"Hmph!"
"Alright…" Ron whispered. He scotched up a bit and stretched his arms in front of her, and gripped the broom in front of her hands, creating a cage like security around Hermione. "Ready?" Ron asked. Hermione pushed herself as close as she could to Ron and made a noise that sounded like half whine, half grunt, which Ron took as a yes. He kicked off and steadily rose upwards. Hermione closed her eyes tight.
After what seemed like hours to Hermione, Ron began to slow down until he came to a stop in the air once they reached his destination.
"'Mione, open your eyes."
"I-I can't!"
"'Mione, I won't ever let you fall." He promised again moving one of his arms to wrap securely around her waist.
Hermione took a deep breath, tightened her grip on the broom handle and slowly opened her eyes.
The sight was even more breath taking than the dome of green. The sun was just setting and the sky was a brilliant combination of shades of pinks, blues, reds, oranges. yellows and purples. The sun was slowly sinking into the deep lake.
"It's gorgeous!" she breathed.
"I know." Ron said, not taking his eyes off her. Hermione noticed this and blushed scarlet. A soft breeze ruffled their hair and the red and gold ribbon slipped out of Hermione's hair. She reached for it but missed. She watched as it spiraled and spiraled…downward…down…down!
Hermione screamed loudly and spun around so quickly that Ron almost slipped off the broom. Hermione was now sitting sideways on the broom, face buried in Ron's chest while her hands clutched to the sides of his Quidditch robes.
"What? What's wrong?" Ron asked alarmed.
"I-I looked...down!" Hermione cried into his robes.
"Shh, shh, it's alright. I got you."
Hermione relaxed slightly as Ron stroked her back gently.
"I shouldn't have made you come up here. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were this afraid of heights."
"No, don't be sorry. You didn't make me, I wanted to, really, I did." There was a brief silence as they hovered in the air.
"You know what your problem is Hermione? You don't enjoy flying. You have to learn to enjoy it to not be afraid of it."
"How am I supposed to enjoy it when I'm scared out of my wits?"
"I'll show you. Turn back around." Hermione lifted her head of Ron's chest and slowly turned back around to the correct position. Again, she looked down and her breath hitched in her throat. She grabbed Ron's arm and replaced it around her waist.
"Now, I need you to keep your eyes open this time ok?" Ron asked. Hermione nodded.
"Don't go fast."
"I won't." Ron flew slowly to Quidditch pitch. "Think you can go a bit faster?"
"Yeah…ok." Hermione said, easing up even more. Ron picked up a speed, just a bit, and flew around the Quidditch pitch a few times.
Some of the few lingering people on the ground pointed at them and waved. Ron waved back, but Hermione just smiled, fear of removing her hands from the broom handle. Then Ron flew over the grounds. Hermione was feeling much more confident now.
"Go faster." She said. Ron smiled and obeyed. The lasting rays of the sun had now disappeared and night had fallen upon them. It seemed like every single star was out and the crescent moon looked closer than ever.
"Look!" Hermione said. "There's Jupiter!" she pointed. Ron slowed to a stop and gazed at the sky. Hermione turned to sit sideways on the broom again, and gazed too up at the sky. "Their so close I could kiss them." Hermione said.
"Kiss the stars?" Ron asked, turning to Hermione with an eyebrow raised.
"Yes. Look at them! It really looks like you could!"
Ron turned back to the sky and laughed slightly. She was right. "Kiss the stars." He said. "So, are you still afraid of flying?" he asked.
"That depends."
"On what?"
"Well," Hermione said, "To overcome it, I have to enjoy it right?"
"Yeah…"
"Well, I don't think I'd enjoy it with anyone but you."
"Really?" he asked moving closer. She smiled.
"This is my Utopia." She said right before his lips met hers. They stayed like that for a few moments before breaking apart. Ron smiled one of his goofy smiles and Hermione laughed and swung her leg back over the broom.
They landed in front of the castle doors and talked the whole way back to picture of The Fat Lady. Hermione stopped when they reached the portrait hole.
"You know, I thought it was gonna be a little hard moving from best friends to a relationship…but it' the easiest thing I've ever done."
"Good." Ron said taking her hand and leading her through the portrait hole. The common room was fairly empty except for a few first and third years who were playing chess and reading in the corner. Hermione yawned.
"I think I'm gonna go to bed." She said to Ron.
"Aw, already?" Ron complained.
"I'm tired!"
"I don't want you to go yettt!" He kissed her softly and then looked to see her reaction. "Stay for a little longer pleeease?" He asked and then kissed her deeper. Hermione fell into his kissed him just as deeply back. Ron wrapped his hands around her waist gently pushing her against the wall. It wasn't until Hermione heard a small cough that she realized where they were doing this and pulled back.
"Ron, not here! We're prefects and there are first years in here!" She said motioning to the corner where the first years were.
"So, they're not paying any attention." He said as he kissed her again.
"Ro-on…" Hermione said smiling. "I'm tired. I wanna go to bed!"
"Ok, ok…" Ron said disappointedly.
"Tomorrow night, I promise." Hermione said.
"Can I get that in writing?" Ron asked. Hermione laughed.
"You don't need it in writing. Trust me." And she kissed him once last time and walked up the girls dormitory staircase, planning on writing out her entire day in her diary before she went to sleep.
A/N: Well, that's chapter 19! And I don't know if some of you may be confused about the whole "Tomorrow night, I promise" thing, so for those of you who are, they're not going to anything more than what they did in the 'green dome' except possibly a little bit more…but were not going to touch anywhere near that…certain…point…haha, I plan on keeping this a PG rated story. It's more like a PG and a half because it's not quite PG13 but it's a little more than PG…but ok, just so I cleared that up. Please Review!
