MAJOR SPOILERS: IF YOU HAVEN'T READ HALF BLOOD PRINCE PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS BECAUSE I WOULD HATE TO SPOIL IT FOR YOU.
Disclaimer: alas, I am not the wonderful Jo. She deserves every bit of credit for inventing the wonderful world that is Harry Potter.
After the Funeral.
Hermione was sitting beside him, her tears falling thick and fast into her lap. The funeral was ending, people were starting to get up, and Ron felt his eyes fill with tears, threatening to overflow. He had never really cried before, could never remember feeling this sad. Hermione let out a sob, and he turned to her, their eyes meeting, and he wondered how they could have fought so much this year, could have wasted so much time together.
It was tragic that someone had to die before he realised how precious life was.
And suddenly Hermione was in his arms, sobbing into his shoulder, and he felt his tears dripping off the end of his nose.
"Shh," he whispered, stroking her hair, "it's going to be alright."
He realised he was probably lying. Could anything be alright, with Dumbledore gone?
She shuddered in his embrace, her sobs wracking her shoulders. He gently planted a kiss on the side of her head, and felt her freeze slightly, but he had never felt quite so sure of anything in his life.
She pulled back, looking at him through the most beautiful set of watery eyes he had ever laid his own on.
"I'm sorry, Ron. I so sorry that - " she took a shuddering breath in, " - that I attacked you with the canaries and I - "
He stopped her words with a finger, "no, Hermione. It's entirely my fault. Ginny said something that really made me feel immature and unworthy of you and I took it out on you. I …I hooked up with Lavender to hurt you and I just kept fuelling my anger towards you when it had nothing to do with you and … I was so stupid! I wanted nothing more than to…to…"
He was having trouble saying the words. After all, Ginny was sitting behind her, although Harry had wandered off.
But she saw what he was trying to say, and smiled (a very watery smile), and he reached up and wiped her tears away tenderly, also smiling.
Ginny interrupted the moment.
"Um…guys? I think perhaps Harry needs you."
They both looked over to where Harry was speaking to an angry looking Scrimgeour. They hurried over to him, the moment stowed away, but not forgotten.
They had one last night at Hogwarts, before the train headed back to London.
They were sitting in the otherwise empty common room, all three of them, Harry staring into the fire, lost in his own thoughts. Hermione was reading a book, her face concentrating, and Ron knew she was escaping having to think about Dumbledore's death. He was watching her, because that was what made him calm, what gave him peace and relaxed him. He could stare at her face forever.
Harry stood, abruptly, "I'm going to bed," he said, the trace of a smile threatening but not managing to cross his face. He turned and walked to the staircase, but turned back suddenly, and Ron and Hermione's faces were suddenly identical, questioning.
"Thanks," was all he said, and he left. Hermione looked at Ron, her face sad. He knew she was worried about him, they both were. But it was there last night. He also stood, and he fancied a look of disappointment crossed her face. It could have just been his imagination, though.
Most likely, it was just wishful thinking.
But he wasn't going anywhere. He sat on the couch beside her, and drew away her book. Her face was curious, now, wondering what he was doing. Without saying a word, without giving himself time to chicken out, he gently clasped his hands around her face and carefully pressed his lips to hers…
It started softly, then she parted her lips slightly and it became so much more. It was different to kissing Lavender, because his heart was suddenly fluttering and his stomach was tied in knots, as though he was nervous and elated at the same time. His mind was singing and his lips were tingling and his tongue… well, perhaps that should be left to your imagination.
He pulled back suddenly, a grin breaking out on his face, "Hermione, I - "
But goodness knows, she wasn't going to let him stop there. She pulled him back to her (and suddenly it was a little bit more like kissing Lavender) and kissed him with a passion that he could feel himself… but again he pulled away, because he wanted to get this right.
He pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed it gently, "Hermione… I think … I mean…"
She smiled, "I love you too, Ron."
And his heart began to flutter once more, with nervousness, with excitement, but most of all with a supreme happiness.
Because they were meant to be. And he knew it.
PLEASE LEAVE A REVEIW! Ta - Lawwwren