Love/Hate

(Harry Potter and the Knights of Slytherin)

Fan-fiction by Bizmarck

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter etc. It's just a fan-fiction, read and enjoy.

(Chapter 9)

Back out in the overgrown field next to the cottage two figures continued to laze under the shade of a massive oak-tree, the midday sun piercing the canopy to warm their dozing forms and cast a relaxing contrast to the shadows.

Hermione was woken from her slumber by a tug on her hair, one of the disadvantages of having such thick long hair was that it quite often got caught in various situations, the sleeping Ron's arm having pinned a small section of it to the ground. Hermione carefully moved Ron's arm and lifted her head. The murmuring form of Ron did not wake during this movement and then used Hermione's sudden absence to turn onto his side, continuing to sleep peacefully. Hermione calmly observed her sleeping boyfriend for a second then raised herself slightly in the grass to look over at the cottage, where she could see Harry and Ginny sitting at the breakfast table, in very close proximity to each other. She smiled to herself as she observed the two young adults.

"Come on Harry, live a little" she said to herself quietly. Hermione and Ginny had remained relatively close, and she knew that the redheaded girl had not really gotten over Harry yet, and though stubborn on the matter, she knew that Harry missed her company as well. Hermione thought about the two's relationship, their romantic attachment had been so short, logically, it actually seemed rather odd that neither of them had not been able to move on quickly, or at least forget the other in that way. It must have been a combination of circumstances and history between the two that amplified their short time together, she concluded. Looking down at Ron again she shook her head, their romantic relationship had not been going that long either, though given their history she doubted whether she would be able to so easily forget their few months as a couple, if for some reason it were to end soon. Moving closer she lay down behind him, using one arm as a pillow and wrapping the other around Ron, snuggling up to him. Breathing deeply she enjoyed the contact with her man, drifting off again she happily began to remember back to how the two of them had finally gotten together, something that had taken almost 6 years…

It was a miserable cold and stormy night, the rhythmic sounds of the rain beating against the roof echoed around the cluttered old apartment. It was a standard old magic families house, seemingly always over cluttered with the oddest variety of strange well padded furniture and paraphernalia, this Order of the Phoenix safe house had not been used in years. Dust still covering a larger section of the visible surface, though there were disturbances in the dust, parts of the house had been used quite recently, notably the couches and table in the single living-room. The relative calm of this interior was broken however when the main door, leading straight into the living room, was suddenly opened, two cloaked figures quickly coming through and closing the door behind them. Staying on the slated flooring near the door the two figures quickly removed their coats, revealing Hermione and Ron, their hair and much of their other clothes also wet.

"Stupid security charm." mumbled Ron. "You would think they would have come up with a way to distinguish friend from foe when blocking apparation."

Hermione took out her wand and began to dry her clothes.

"It's probably better this way, you would have broken something if we apparated straight into here anyway" said Hermione in her classic tone.

"Hey" replied Ron, "I'm getting better you know" he said defensively, taking out his own wand and drying his own clothes. Hermione had already dried off her clothes but had grabbed a towel for her hair. The drying spell did not react well with her thick locks, indeed now that Ron's hair was also longer, he too used a towel, Hermione sniggered slightly as she watched Ron dry his own hair, remembering back to how he had dried it for the first time with magic after it had gotten long, he had not been able to get it back under control for the next few days.

"What's so funny?" asked Ron noticing her smile.

"Nothing" replied Hermione innocently. "Just remembering the only time you tried to dry your longer hair with magic."

Ron chuckled slightly, though at the time he had not found the incident anywhere near amusing.

"You should be careful" warned Ron "I now know the most effective spell to use against girls that annoy me" he replied, moving over to the couch and sitting down. Hermione let the comment slide, grinning only slightly, putting her towel down she turned to Ron.

"Can you get the fire going and set the table, I'll get us something to eat." she said, her normal tone carrying the hint of an instruction. Ron was slightly irritated, not being in the mood after the events of the evening, but complied, it was not worth the fight he knew would come if he argued.

Soon the two were seated, eating the simple meal in silence, the sound of the rain mixing with the crackle of the fire; normally this would have been a very relaxing scene, filled with conversation and speculation, though both young adults were caught in their respective darker thoughts concerning the evening. They had not talked much since leaving the hospital, the light banter just after their arrival being a welcome distraction.

Harry, Luna and Neville would all have to remain in hospital for a few days, the amazingly powerful curse that had hit all three was proving to be difficult to counter, poor Luna appeared to be in a lot of pain, she had probably saved Harry's and Neville's life with her actions but had received the worst of it in return. The local healers appeared to be on top of things, though it would be a few days before they were released. Ron played back the fight in his head, it had all happened so quickly, one minute they were talking and laughing, then suddenly there they where, Hermione and him still standing, the last conscious Death Eater running away, and five people around them incapacitated. It had been completely unexpected, Ron and Hermione had immediately gone to check that their unmoving friends were still alive, the possibility that they had been killed shacking both young adults to the core.

The two solemn figures finished dinner, and cleaned up in silence, Ron returning to the living room to find Hermione curled up under a blanket on the couch closer to the fire, she was staring at it blankly. His first impulse was to go over to her and wrap his arms around her; he frowned slightly at the realisation that it was not his place to do such a thing, instead taking a seat on the ornate chair nearby. Hermione heard him take a seat, somehow disappointed that he had not come over to comfort her, as if it was the natural thing to have expected, frowning to herself as she remembered that it was not. She looked at the fire for a while, the sound of rain still on the roof.

"Should we inform the others of what happened tonight?" she asked quietly.

"No" replied Ron after a while. "We should wait until they're better" he continued, while staring into the fire "Otherwise they will worry for no reason… we have the time."

Attempting to take her mind off Ron, Hermione thought about the others, and their probable reaction to the news, Ron was right, the news of the near miss would be much better received from the three after they were healed, particularly, as far as Ginny was concerned. Hermione thought of Ginny's reaction to the news, subconsciously still thinking of Ron she suddenly asked;

"Do you think Harry was right in ending his relationship with Ginny?" she asked quietly. Ron blinked and looked at his friend for a second, his mind not helping but notice how beautiful she looked in the firelight, now that it was the only light in the room. Though Ron and Hermione were by all accounts the closest of friends, they never really hit on the topic of more personal matters in conversation, there always appearing to be an invisible hindrance to talking about feelings in general between the two.

"I think he did what he thought was right… I could sort of see why" replied Ron, returning his gaze to the fire, trying to push the thoughts of Hermione out of his mind.

"But I can't help but feel that she would have been in danger in any case." he continued thoughtfully.

"And after tonight…" he continued. "It seems a bit of a waste…" he trailed off, looking back over at Hermione, who had turned to watch him, he gazed into her eyes, unable to look away. She looked back, her slightly sad and tired expression seeming beautiful to him, he suddenly noticed a single tear role down her otherwise neutral face.

"They almost died, just like that, we almost lost them forever…" she said softly, her voice was still even, if a little sad, seemingly unaffected by her tear "we could have died…" she added, barely audible, her face and eyes betraying emotions that they both new the other had, but kept hidden from each other, before turning away slightly.

The evening had been too confronting to allow them to continue with their normal facades, their emotions had been striped bare, as they were forced to contemplate their friends mortality, and subsequently their own. Nothing brought life into starker relief, then almost losing it.

Ron suddenly didn't care about what it was his place to do or not, frowning slightly he got up and moved over to the two seater couch Hermione was curled up on, she moved over a bit as he positioned himself so as to sit up against the opposite large armrest, one leg up against the back of the sofa, the young man leaning back into one of the large cushions. Hermione didn't even think, accepting the unspoken invitation she simply moved so as to position herself to lean back onto Ron's chest. Snuggling up to him so that her head was nestled into his neck. Settling in she pulled the large blanket over to cover the two of them. Relative quite soon returned, both young adults watching the fire and listening to the rain, completely at ease as an unimaginable feeling of relief and acceptance washed over the both of them. Overcome with a deeply contented feeling that reached throughout every fibre of his body Ron was able to continue with the sudden natural reaction to impulses, casually beginning to run his hands through her hair absentmindedly. Hermione closed her eyes, thoroughly enjoying the sensation, all her senses attuned to her close and highly unusual proximity to one of her best friends, loving every second of it. Also taken away with the current natural honesty Hermione suddenly said;

"Why have we never gotten together Ron?" she asked off hand, turning her head to place her cheek just below the nap of Ron's neck. Hermione's combination of tiredness and euphoria completely dispelling any doubt or unease at a comment she would normally never have dreamt to make. Ron's hands stoped running through her hair for only a split second, then they continued, playing with her wild fringe a bit.

"Because we are both idiots" stated Ron kindly, tilting his head so as to be able to kiss the top of hers. Hermione shifted slightly, pushing off Ron a bit and twisting so as to be able to look up at his face, without hesitation he moved fluently, bringing his face down to gently press his lips to her expectant ones. The two straining ever so slightly from their awkward positions so as to be able to share a tender moment. Breaking apart for a second they shared a few more soft kisses before they parted slowly, Hermione settling back down. Ron also made himself more comfortable, the two not saying or doing anything else before both eventually fell asleep, somehow completely at ease with the world, despite the turbulent times. Both finding more strength and comfort in each others close embrace, then either could have imagined.

Authors note:

Not a lot of talking there, but I always thought when these two did get together it would be due to a natural feeling, and not words. I mean it's simply so obvious, all they have to do is give over to there natural impulses to care for each other.

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