Winter was approaching fast around Hogwarts. The beautiful bursts of browns, yellows, and reds of which autumn was so famous for were now blanketed in fluffy white snow. Hermione woke up on a bright Saturday morning and quickly ran to shut her window and she gasped as she saw the beauty of the grounds. The snow had crept in during the night and had silenced the land surrounding Hogwarts. The trees were sprinkled with white powder and the lake had frozen over making the little sun catch it just so, making the whole world sparkle.
Hermione loved winter for it's uncharacteristic beauty, but she also loved it because then she could fulfill her passion of skating. Maybe, finally, this yea the lake would be frozen over just enough so that the students would be allowed to skate. She tore into her trunk searching franticly for her tiny skates which she had brought ever year just in case.
She had skated ever since she was a child and had stopped upon coming o Hogwarts. She tucked the skates into her bag and headed down to some breakfast.
"Great snow this year, eh?" said Ron. She knew Ron loved snow, too. One of the few things they agreed upon.
"Yes, it's gorgeous." Hermione responded back sighing a bit.
Harry smiled widely, "You know what this means?"
Hermione looked up to see Ron match his friend's grin, "Snowball fight!"
Hermione rolled her eyes, every year they had a giant snow war with all the students in Gryffindor. She found it barbaric and inhumane. "I think I'm going to skate," she stated simply.
Ron looked up from his steaming porridge, "Skate?"
"Yes Ronald," she said slightly condescendingly, "on the ice."
Ron looked at her as if she were mad for even considering missing the snowball fight. But then suddenly his expression changed, 'Can I skate too?"
Hermione was completely taken aback by this question. She never saw Ron as the kind of person who would give up an uncivilized snow war for something as peaceful as skating. "Er...sure," she said finally. "Harry do you want to join us?"
She turned to see Harry laughing, "Er...I'll think I'll pass Hermione. I wouldn't give up the snowball fight for the world, and besides I wouldn't want to impose."
She could feel herself blushing at this. A whole day just her and Ron, how very crude yet it was slightly thrilling. It wasn't as if Hermione had never spent a day with Ron, she had spent days at the Burrow just with him. But, something as intimate to her a s ice-skating just seemed to change the situation a bit.
She could feel Ron staring at her expectantly. She looked up, "Well I just need to get ready and then we'll get you some skates from the broom shed, I'm sure I saw some stored in there."
He smiled his goofy grin, "Okay, how about I'll meet you there at..."-he checked his watch-"...half past eleven."
"Sounds great."
One scarf, hat a pair of gloves, and a huge winter cloak later, Hermione began heading down towards the shed. She could see Ron in the distance, wearing the blue hat she had bought him last Christmas. She had bought him that because his old hat was tattered, ragged, and bright orange. She had stealthily given it to him anonymously when they were fighting, and he had acknowledged that he had ever received it but with the owl that she had sent to him she unexplainably had received back one sugar quill.
"Hello, sorry I'm a bit late," she apologized.
He was going through the shed when she walked up he looked frustrated. "There's only one pair here," he huffed holding up two skates that looked like they were made for a baby doll.
Hermione bit back a laugh; "Well I know those won't fit." Ron slumped. But Hermione pointed her wand at them and uttered a spell, "Engorgio."
The tiny skates grew in Ron's hands until they looked about right. Ron tried them on, "A little bit tight but," he smiled at her, "I would have never thought of doing that."
"After living in the Wizarding World all your life?" Hermione sighed exasperatedly.
He shrugged and a silence fell between them as they head for the lake. It wasn't an awkward silence but I pressed hard on Hermione's ears. In the distance she could see people creating igloos and snowmen. Once they reached the lake she put on her skates and started to head out when Ron said a little queasily, "Are you sure it's safe?"
Hermione was again surprised, "Of course it is! Here let me help you." She took Ron's hands and led him to the edge.
Ron looked at the frozen ice and slowly brought his head up towards Hermione "Hermione, I...er.canskat," he said the last part very fast so Hermione could not decipher the words.
"Pardon?"
Ron took a deep breath, "I can't skate."
She felt her mouth go into an "o" of surprise. "You mean you never skated when you lived at the Burrow?"
"No," he said simply.
Hermione smiled, "Then I'll teach you!"
Ron gave her a weak grin as she took both of his hand in hers and began to slowly inch along the ice. His hands felt so warm in hers, and as they went along she watched his face screwed up in determination. Hermione instructed him, "One, two, three. One, two, three...See your getting it!"
Ron smiled as she let go to watch him conquer the ice himself, but just then he slipped and came crashing down on poor Hermione. "Umph!" she said as her bum hit the frigid ice.
She looked up to see Ron's face extremely close to hers. He smiled and then said sadly, "I'm rubbish."
Hermione tried to push him off very slightly; she did not feel like giving words of comfort when stuck in this very compromising condition. Ron rolled over and sat down next to her on the ice. He was staring out at the many students running around the grounds, their muffled yells breaking the silence of the snow.
"I can't believe this is our last year here," he said quietly.
Hermione leaned over to take his arm genially, "We had some good times here."
Ron looked at her, "I just realize that this could all end. The happiness the peace with just one curse. Our whole world could be changed."
"It already has been," Hermione agreed thinking of those had died in he past few years.
Ron was looking determinedly in the distance; Hermione ignored the fact that her bum was going numb.
"So, nothing should be left for later because what if I'm not here tomorrow and things are left...unanswered."
Hermione did not have an inkling to where this was going but Ron was obviously telling his most intimate fears to her and it brought a hardness to her throat and tears to her eyes.
Ron turned to her seeming to come out of a revere, "Hermione I just need to tell you..."
Hermione suddenly realized what was coming. After all the years and all the fights, all the times she had wished yearned to hear what was about to come out of his mouth. And suddenly she didn't need to hear it, she already knew. Because she loved him too.
"Ron your such a bugger," she said smiling widely.
He looked hurt, "I'm sorry?"
"You don't think I already know?" she said smiling even more widely now.
Ron seemed to wilt with disappointment, "Oh well then... I guess...I'll just go." He attempted to stand up but then seemed to realize he could not reach the side of the lake from such a great distance.
"I know, and I feel that too," Hermione said feeling all the blood rushing so quickly to her face she could feel the heat radiating off it.
"Oh...well...er." Ron was stuttering, unsure it seemed of what to do next.
Hermione stood up and wrapped Ron's scarf around his neck, "I love you too."
The wind swept up around them as the snow began to fall again, creating a cyclone of petite snowflakes around the kissing couple.
As if the snow knew that a little bit more love had just been added to the world.
A/n: Thanks for reading! This is my first story posted on Checkmated and I'm very excited.