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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, this is one looong chapter. So, I'm sorry for those of you that prefer them to be less lengthy. However, I think that it's worth it to read all the way through this one…
CHAPTER 18
The living area was a flurry of Christmas cheer. Only Percy and Charlie had retired for the night. Everyone else was gathered around the den, as the fire cast a warm glow on their happy faces. Hermione thought that holidays at the Burrow must always be incredible. It touched something in her heart when she looked around at the purely contented Weasley family enjoying one another's company.
As soon as they had come in from the snow, Lupin had asked to speak to Harry alone in the kitchen to give him the package he had brought. Quietly, Mrs. Weasley asked the others to give Harry and Lupin some privacy. Apparently, the contents of the box were the remains of Sirius' belongings. Hermione had had to swallow a lump in her throat at the mention of Sirius' name. She knew that Harry must be so depressed. He never talked about Sirius, which only proved to Hermione how much he missed him.
However, the living area was anything but depressing. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were listening to Fred and George talk enthusiastically about new ideas for candy and joke items. Mr. Weasley seemed impressed and offered a few suggestions himself. Although Mrs. Weasley kept glancing nervously toward the kitchen, she was smiling contentedly at her twin boys. She must finally be accepting their chosen profession, Hermione thought. As well she should. It sounded to Hermione like the twins were really doing well at their shop.
Hermione, Ginny, and Tonks were watching an intense chess match between Ron and his eldest brother, Bill, from a nearby sofa. Ron's talent at Wizard's Chess never ceased to amaze her. And when he was concentrating on his next move, he would always get a stern look on his face, which Hermione found to be very attractive. After Ron successfully cornered Bill into checkmate, Bill decided it was time for him to turn in. Ginny groaned in disappointment, but Bill claimed that he was "getting old" and would still be at the Burrow for the remainder of the week.
Before long, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny had also gone off to bed, leaving Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, and Tonks alone in the living room. As soon as Mrs. Weasley had left the room, Fred and George went off to a corner, where they began whispering. Ron then joined Hermione and Tonks on the couch. It wasn't a large couch, and Hermione knew that he had sat closer to her than was actually necessary. It gave Hermione butterflies deep in her stomach as she remembered Ron's angry exclamation at their third interrupted attempt at kissing.
"I hope Harry's alright." Hermione said worriedly, as she broke out of her reverie. She truly hoped that Lupin's well-intentioned gift wouldn't put a damper on Harry's Christmas.
"Yeah, me too." Ron agreed glumly.
"I think he'll be fine." Tonks said with a yawn. Hermione noticed her hair turn a bit lighter as she stretched, but then it was back to being that vibrant, cherry red.
"So, do you know what Sirius left him?" Ron asked Tonks curiously. Tonks shrugged before standing from the couch.
"Not really, but my guess is everything he owned." Tonks yawned once more. "Well, I guess I'll hit the hay. Happy Christmas." Hermione and Ron returned her holiday greeting as she left the room.
Hermione could now feel Ron looking at her, but she continued to stare into the fire because she could also feel the gazes of Fred and George, who suddenly broke their huddle in the corner and meandered their way over to squeeze in on either side of Ron and Hermione on the couch. Hermione thought that George, who was seated beside her, seemed to be pushing her closer and closer to Ron as he settled into the cushions. Fred appeared to be copying this act on Ron, which resulted in her and Ron being pressed almost painfully close together.
"Oh, Hermione, and our dear, dear Ronaldo…" Fred began playfully. "You may have seen George and I talking in our conference-corner."
"What are you going to do to me?" Ron asked in a slightly bored voice. Hermione bit into her cheeks to prevent a giggle.
George clutched at his chest and gasped in mock exasperation. "Fred! I think our young brother has begun to lack trust in us!"
"No. It's not that. I've never trusted you." Ron stated plainly. Hermione couldn't contain a small chuckle.
"And Hermione simply laughs at this travesty!" Fred exclaimed. "Tut, tut. And all we wanted was some help testing our latest development."
"Throw and Glow Taffy!" George exclaimed proudly, taking two small red taffies from his shirt pocket. Fred and George stood up from the couch.
"Let us illustrate!" Fred said happily. He and George then stood up and went to either ends of the den. George stood near the fireplace with his feet shoulder-width apart and his mouth wide open. Fred moved to stand behind the couch and began unwrapping a piece of the taffy.
As soon as the wrapper was off, Fred pulled his arm back and threw the candy toward George; the taffy immediately began to glow in different shades of red, green, and gold, before George caught it in his mouth. As George began chewing, the ends of his red hair began to glow an even brighter shade of red, then green, and then gold, before finally turning back to its original shade.
"That must have taken a fairly complicated enchantment." Said Hermione, genuinely impressed.
"Well, thank you for noticing. We are quite proud of it ourselves." Fred said delightedly. "Ron, won't you try one? We just want to make sure it has the same effect on everyone."
Ron raised one eyebrow in suspicion. "Uh…I dunno."
"Oh, go on Ron. What's the worst that could happen?" Hermione encouraged. Ron turned to her and grinned hesitantly.
"Fine. Hand it over." Ron said, reaching out his hand.
"Throw and Glow, Ron…they only glow if they're thrown. Honestly! Stand over by the hearth." Fred said, as George joined him behind the couch. Ron reluctantly left his seat to go stand by the hearth. Once he'd left, Hermione thought she heard George mutter, 'careful.' She began to wonder if she had just gotten Ron into trouble.
"If this is some sort of prank, I'll strangle both of you." Ron said harshly.
"Oh, come now, Ron. We never prank on Christmas Eve," replied Fred absently; Ron rolled his eyes doubtfully. Hermione turned around to see Fred putting on a thick leather glove. As she turned back around to look at Ron, contemplating whether or not to advise him to bail on the experiment, something came flying over the back of her head and she heard Fred and George quickly duck behind the couch.
Ron's Keeper instincts reacted swiftly to the bundle flying his way, and he caught it in both hands. He had a look of embarrassment and shock on his face as he held, what looked to Hermione like a small green plant. Hermione didn't understand Ron's expression…it was just a plant…but suddenly and without warning, Hermione felt herself being lifted from the couch. She let out a scream as she slowly began ascending into the air, along with Ron.
"FRED! GEORGE! You're BOTH dead!" Ron shouted, as he and Hermione began floating toward one another. Hermione was completely mystified. Ron looked at her apologetically.
"What is that thing?" Hermione said pointing frantically to the plant still held in Ron's hand. One large silver bubble had just appeared around her and Ron in mid-air, and they were only a few feet apart, floating gracefully. This was one of the strangest feelings Hermione had ever felt. It reminded her of the previous year when she had ridden on the back of a thestral, which she hadn't been able to see. Except this time, there was nothing underneath her…just air.
"I KNEW I shouldn't have trusted you WEASELS!" Ron yelled down at his brothers.
Fred and George had come out from behind the sofa, clutching their sides as they laughed uncontrollably. The commotion must have reached Harry and Lupin, as they had both emerged from the kitchen, looking puzzled. Tonks entered as well, dressed in bright magenta pajamas. Hermione guessed her Auror instincts had detected the loud racket from upstairs.
"Mistletoe!" Lupin cried, as his face broke into a wide smile. Harry's mouth fell open. Tonks grinned. Now Hermione understood why Fred needed the glove. Hermione hid her face in her hands. Of course! She remembered reading about Wizard's Mistletoe in Holiday High-Jinx. Hermione uncovered her face and looked at Ron. As they drew closer, she noticed that his face, ears, and neck were a deep shade of red.
"Kiss her, you idiot!" George yelled from down below.
"Yeah, the longer you wait the smaller the bubble gets!" Fred shouted.
The bubble was, in fact, shrinking quickly. Hermione glanced down at the spectators below. They were all smiling, except for Harry, who looked as if he weren't sure whether he should look at them or not. The bubble was now just big enough for the two of them, and Hermione had to turn her head to prevent her nose from being smashed on Ron's chest.
"I'm sorry my brothers are complete morons." Ron murmured low in Hermione's ear. It sent shivers down her body. "But if we don't…you know…this bubble might…"
"On the mouth! It has to be on the mouth or it doesn't count!" Fred shouted, interrupting Ron. Hermione stifled a giggle and looked up at Ron, who was merely smiling and shaking his head. There was now loud jeering and whooping coming from the crowd below.
"Or of course you could let it burst and you'll only fall twelve feet to the ground!" George hollered threateningly.
Ron rolled his eyes at his brothers before looking back down at Hermione. "This thing really will burst, but I can just kiss you on the cheek." he whispered down at her before adding huskily. "I don't really fancy an audience, do you?"
Hermione blushed scarlet and shook her head no, smiling up at his shining blue eyes. "I don't suppose we could coax them into leaving?" Hermione whispered. She immediately bit her bottom lip. That was a little bold of her, but she couldn't stop herself. Ron's mouth fell open slightly before he grinned and shook his head. He was too adorable.
Lupin had now gotten everyone below to chant, 'kiss, kiss, kiss…' Hermione noticed that Harry still looked as though he didn't know whether or not to look at them. Ron quickly lowered his head down until his lips were so close to her cheek she could feel his warm breath traveling down her face and neck. Hermione closed her eyes. She felt his chest constrict beneath her fingers as he took a deep breath, before turning his face to softly brush his lips across her cheek.
It was just a small kiss, but Ron's lips had never even been near her until that day in the hospital. And, now that they had made contact with her skin, it seemed to make everything that had happened recently concrete. The hospital, the Gryffindor party, the snow fight…and now this…Ron Weasley truly did want to kiss her! It had just better be soon, Hermione thought desperately, as she and Ron began floating back down to their small audience.
Christmas Day arrived a little too soon for Ron. He had absolutely never felt that way before, but seeing as how he had only gotten two hours of sleep the night before; he wished he could have had a lie-in. He had spent almost the entire night staring up at his ceiling. Hermione's beautiful blushing face would not leave his mind long enough for him to concentrate on falling to sleep. Concentrate on falling to sleep? What was the matter with him?
After he and Hermione had descended from the bubble, Ron had immediately felt overwhelmingly awkward. Fred and George kept calling him chicken for not kissing her on the mouth, which made he and Hermione both blush. Tonks had simply smiled and gone back up to Ginny's room. Lupin patted him on the back a few times, and Harry had gone on and on about how 'weird' it was to see his two best friends being forced to kiss. And, of course, Ron and Hermione had had to act as if it were really weird for them too. However, Harry's comment had led Ron to wondering something.
How would Harry react if I were ever in a true romantic relationship with Hermione? Would he be jealous? Would he think it was neat? And why, Ron thought, am I already worrying about things like that? All he knew was that for some reason Hermione wanted to kiss him. That didn't necessarily mean that she felt about him as he felt about her. It didn't mean that every time Hermione pictured him with someone else she felt like she could truly be sick to her stomach.
After Ron and Harry had gone up to bed, Harry had immediately fallen asleep. Ron was glad of this because after about fifteen minutes of lying awake, he heard a shrill scream and giggles coming from Ginny's room, that were surely Ginny's. She better keep her mouth shut, thought Ron. He knew that Ginny had this picture in her head of he and Hermione in a loving relationship. Well, so did he! But he couldn't tell Hermione that he loved her! Not this soon! He and Hermione and Harry…the trio…that's what it had been since their first year at Hogwarts. And Ron couldn't just burst out with, 'I LOVE YOU' just because Hermione showed some attraction toward him. Had he not thought, himself, that every guy would at one point crush on his female best friend? Well, what if it worked the other way? What if Hermione was just crushing on him? Or, even worse, what if he were just crushing on her? What if these feelings that he had toward her were not love, but infatuation?
So, no 'I love you' yet. He didn't want to botch anything up. He was going to take this one day at a time and savor the knowledge that Hermione at least wanted to kiss him. Ron still couldn't believe it. He didn't understand it. Hermione was so beautiful and smart; she could have anyone she wanted. Why would she even want to waste her time snogging someone like him? Which brought him back to the problem of his sleepless night. How could he sleep with thoughts of snogging Hermione?
Nevertheless, the next morning Ron had joined his family and friends downstairs for the opening of Christmas presents. He had received another sweater from his mum along with tons of candy. Harry had given him a broom servicing kit like the one Hermione had given Harry one year, and Hermione had gotten Ron a silk quill writing set from France, along with some French chocolates. Ron knew that the quill must have been expensive, so he made sure he gave her an extra long hug for it. She had given Harry a book on the history of Occlumency, and Harry actually seemed to really like it.
Ron had given Harry lots of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and a book on Quidditch entitled, Secret Strategies of the Seeker. It was easy to give Harry gifts. He handed the package to Harry, Harry opened it, and said 'thanks.' However, Ron had felt a bit nervous when he gave Hermione her present. He had to consciously pretend as if he were just giving another gift to Harry. The smile he couldn't contain when he saw that she liked her gift, however, did not resemble the smiles he gave Harry. But, oh well, Hermione loved the book he'd gotten her; A Simple Guide to Apparition: Don't Splinch, It's a Cinch!. She had immediately become engrossed in its pages whilst the rest of his family finished unwrapping their own loads of presents.
Ron and Hermione had exchanged mildly surprised looks when Harry and Ginny swapped gifts. They'd never gotten gifts for each other before. Of course, they had never really carried on a true conversation before this term, either. Harry had gotten Ginny a nice gold barrette for her hair in the shape of a butterfly, and she had given him a Practice Snitch. It was just like the real thing from the games, but Harry could call it to him with a whistle whenever needed. For instance, in case he lost sight of it or wanted to abruptly stop his practicing.
But, just as a snowflake melts on your palm, Christmas was gone in a blink. And the days following that happy morning…were pure torture. Ron had dreamed of kissing Hermione every day for the last two or three years, and now that he knew she wanted to kiss him, there had not been one opportunity! Everyday he had to look at her beautiful face from a 'friendly' distance. The only way he was keeping his sanity was by the gazes that they were able to share at the dinner table or from across the room. He had actually considered sneaking into Ginny's room after everyone had gone to bed and asking Hermione to 'take a walk' with him. But, he'd talked himself out of this idea when he'd considered the fact that he might actually scare her half to death. Or worse, wake Tonks and get struck with some Auror-worthy curse.
"Ron?"
Ron's thoughts were broken into as his mother knocked raptly on the door to his room. He and Harry had just been hanging out while Hermione and Ginny were downstairs helping his mum prepare dinner. Ron knew that Harry could tell that he had been distracted the last few days, but Ron simply told him that he was still adjusting to not having classes. Which, of course, wasn't a bit true, but Harry seemed to buy it for the most part.
Tonight they were going to have a fireworks display outside over the snow to celebrate the New Year. Fred and George were contributing the fireworks from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, and Ron had already decided that he wasn't going to go near any of them. He would watch the display from a safe distance.
"Come in, Mum." Ron called from his bed where he was flipping through the pages of a Quidditch magazine. Harry was looking through some of the photo albums that he had inherited from Sirius. He'd been doing that a lot since Lupin had given Harry that package for Christmas. Ron didn't know what else was in it because Harry hadn't offered to show him, which Ron had taken as a sign that Harry didn't want to share the secrets of the box with anyone yet.
"Ron…Harry, dear, could you two help Arthur clear a spot out in the yard for the twins? They need a place to set up for their show."
Ron would have normally asked why the twins couldn't clear their own spot, but Ron was feeling so antsy lately that he quickly obliged. Harry carefully closed the photo album he was looking through and placed it in his trunk. But not before Ron caught a glimpse of Mr. and Mrs. Potter smiling alongside Sirius and Lupin. Ron could definitely see why Lupin had become so shaken Christmas Eve night after glimpsing Harry and Ginny in the moonlight. The resemblance was eerie.
As Ron and Harry walked through the kitchen to the back door, Ron stole a glance at Hermione, who was adding pepper to some sort of stew. She smiled back and accidentally dropped the peppershaker into the pot, but quickly whipped out her wand and retrieved it with a Levitation Charm. Ron couldn't believe that he could affect her that way. Always cool, always collected Hermione Granger could become all thumbs by simply looking at him. It made him smile even bigger at her before he walked out into the snow.
"Boys! Over here!" Mr. Weasley called from across the yard. He was about fifty yards back from the house, shoveling through the snow. There were two more shovels beside him waiting on Ron and Harry.
"So," Ron said as he approached his father, "how big of an area do Fred and George need exactly?"
"Yes, just shovel out some snow for Fred and George…for the show. Yes, Bill…I mean, Charlie…sorry…Ron." Mr. Weasley stammered absently. His brow was furrowed and he looked as if he were concentrating very hard…too hard for shoveling snow.
"Uh, Dad? Are you alright?" Ron asked tentatively, taking a shovel for himself and handing one to Harry.
"What? Oh…oh yes. Just a little stressed from work."
"More raids…or…is it something else?" Harry asked, sounding a bit anxious as he began shoveling.
"No." Mr. Weasley said looking up from his shoveling to shake his head sadly at Harry. He looked at him for a moment longer before resuming his shoveling. "No, not a raid. Listen, do you two think you can finish up here? I've got to…uh…got to check in at the office real quick."
"Sure." Ron said, looking worriedly at his father. He was acting rather peculiar. He had been in high spirits all week. Something had happened. "Hey, Dad? Are you flooing over or what?"
"Well, I'm just going to use the Floo Network to talk to Kingsley through the fireplace. Molly doesn't want me going in to the office today so…just…keep shoveling." Mr. Weasley said quickly before turning and jogging to the house.
Ron and Harry exchanged worried looks. "Is your dad really alright?" Harry asked.
"Dunno. He's sure acting funny though." Ron said suspiciously. Harry had a stony expression on his face, and Ron knew that his friend was wondering the same thing as him. "Harry, you don't think it has anything to do with…You-Know-Who…do you?" Even as the words left his mouth, Ron knew the answer.
Harry looked at Ron for a moment before saying, "If I tell you something, will you keep it from Hermione?" Ron's stomach clinched a little at this question. Why? He and Harry had always had some secrets here and there that were kept from Hermione. But for some reason Ron felt a small feeling of guilt at the thought of agreeing to Harry's request. However, Ron couldn't say no.
"Sure."
Harry let out a small sigh. "Look, these Occlumency lessons with Dumbledore have been great, but there's a part of me that almost…well, wants to have those dreams and pains from my scar again." Now Ron understood why this was an important conversation to keep Hermione out of. He could almost hear her scolding voice now.
"It's just that," Harry continued, "I can't shake the feeling that by blocking out Voldemort's mind, I might miss something important. You know? Like…well, that vision I had of your dad being attacked last term. What if I miss something like that?"
Ron knew exactly what Harry meant. He had never voiced his opinion of Occlumency to Harry or Hermione, but Ron also thought that Harry's visions could be useful at times. "I know, mate. But, I guess you can't take the risk of You-Know-Who…you know…possessing you." Harry simply nodded sadly before resuming his shoveling.
Ron had a rush of sympathy for his best friend. He wished Harry could have a more normal life and not be connected to Voldemort by that stupid scar. It was sometimes difficult to always be in the shadow of The Boy Who Lived, but Ron knew that Harry's hero status came at a huge price. No family and a tie to their murderer. Ron would never trade his life in poverty for Harry's wealth and fame.
When Ron and Harry had finally finished shoveling off a large area, the sun was setting and the New Year dinner was prepared. Everyone gathered round the kitchen table to enjoy the meal. It was Bill, Charlie, and Percy's last night at the Burrow. Bill and Percy had their own places in London, and Charlie would be returning to Romania. Ron noticed his mum paying extra close attention to those three at the table. She offered them seconds of everything at five-minute intervals. Although Fred and George had their own flat above their shop, their mum wasn't paying extra attention to them. Of course, they came back and forth so much using Apparition, it was as if they still lived upstairs.
Harry seemed to be in better spirits now that he was in out of the cold. Although, Ron thought it probably had more to do with the fact that he was sitting across the table from Ginny. They kept sneaking glances at one another, but they weren't sneaky enough. Ron wondered if anyone noticed a difference in the way he and Hermione looked at one another. He actually doubted it because even he noticed the subtlety in it. It was something deep in Hermione's eyes that had changed; something Ron couldn't place.
After the dinner was over, everyone dressed in their warmest attire. Coats, scarves, toboggans, and gloves adorned every person. They then made their way outside for the upcoming fireworks display. Fred and George had two large cardboard boxes full of fireworks that they were lugging out to the cleared area that Ron and Harry had shoveled.
Mrs. Weasley turned out all the house lights so that only the moon and stars illuminated the backyard. Bill was conjuring big red lawn chairs for everyone under a large tree, but Ron saw Tonks, Hermione, and Ginny twenty yards in the opposite direction, near the shed. It appeared as though they had gotten Tonks to conjure four chairs for the youngest of the group. So, Ron quickly motioned for Harry to follow him over to the girls, as Tonks left to sit next to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.
Harry took his seat next to Ginny, much to Ron's satisfaction since the fourth chair was on the other side of Hermione. Harry and Ginny immediately struck up a conversation between themselves. Those two sure could find a lot to talk about whenever they were together, thought Ron. Ron walked slowly over to the fourth chair, and looked down at Hermione. She was looking up at him shyly, and she somehow looked completely gorgeous and cute at the same time.
"You're not saving this seat for anyone, are you?" Ron asked teasingly. Hermione pursed her lips to keep from smiling and shook her head. "Alright then." Ron said as he sat down.
Suddenly Harry and Ginny stood up from their seats. "Hey you two, get up!" Ginny said smiling. "It's freezing out here! We fancy a bench instead, do you?"
"Yes." Ron and Hermione said in unison while standing up. Hermione blushed and looked down at her feet and Ginny gave Ron a knowing smile. Luckily Harry hadn't seemed to notice anything.
"Hermione, you have to do it. None of us are of age." Ginny said. Hermione nodded proudly and retrieved her wand from her back pocket; she mumbled something under her breath and with a flick of her wand the four chairs molded into one perfectly formed bench. Ron shook his head at her amazing talent, and was happy to see that she hadn't made the bench too big.
The four of them quickly sat down. Oh yeah, Ron thought, this is exactly the right size. The side of his body was flush against Hermione's. Ron leaned down slightly and stretched his legs out in front of him, crossing his feet at the ankles. He glanced over at Harry and Ginny who were now back to their constant chatter. Good. He could finally talk to Hermione without anyone overhearing.
Ron didn't really know what to say to Hermione, though, now that he was basically alone with her. As a nervous feeling began to wash over him, he realized that it was much easier to be cocky and flirtatious with Hermione from a distance or while doing something active…like dancing or playing with snow.
POP! A beautiful red and green firework had just shot into the air and exploded, breaking into Ron's train of thought. Hermione had gasped when she saw it, and Ron found himself smiling at her. She was sitting up perfectly straight and staring up into the sky. He elbowed her softly in the side; she turned to him.
"Hey, lean down and stretch out a bit." Ron said quietly. POP! Another firework; this one was blue and gold.
"Why?" She asked curiously, glancing back up at the sky.
"You'll have a crick in your neck later if you don't." Ron said plainly. Hermione kept her eyes on the sky.
"But I like watching them like this." She said. POP! Red and silver.
"Fine." Ron said sitting back up. He was now level with her and if he turned his face toward hers he could whisper straight in her ear. So he did. "I really just wanted to be able to talk to you better anyway." He whispered truthfully.
Hermione shivered. Not because she was sitting outside on a hard bench in the snow, but because Ron had just whispered low in her ear. He wanted to be able to talk to her better? What was he going to say? They had been eyeing each other all week, but without any opportunity to talk about their newfound common interest. Would Ron just outright say, 'I want to kiss you,' or 'do you want to kiss me,' or … 'kiss me.' Hermione shivered again.
"Are you cold?" Ron whispered again in that same husky tone. With him sending fiery waves throughout her body every time he looked at her or talked to her, how could she be cold? She could only manage to shake her head. POP! Orange, green, and yellow.
Hermione turned to look at him; he was staring at her. "What's happening?" She asked before she could stop herself. He smiled in a way that caused her heart to quake.
"Well, it's New Year's Eve…and we're watching Fred and George blow things up…one of their favorite things to do actually." He said jokingly. Hermione didn't laugh, but she swallowed hard.
"No. I mean…what's happening…to us?" She asked in a whisper, looking into Ron's bright blue eyes. His joking smile turned into a serious, yet timid, look. POP! Green, silver, and purple.
"I don't know, Hermione." He said bluntly, holding her gaze. "Um…does it frighten you?"
Hermione cracked a small smile. "A bit." She said truthfully. She'd never really thought about it until just now, but frightened was a perfect word to describe her. She was frightened that Ron didn't feel the same way, frightened that he only wanted to kiss her, frightened that they could be jeopardizing their friendship…
"Me too...a bit." He said with a timid smile. He then reached his hand up to tug gently at one of the bushy curls sticking out from underneath her toboggan. "But…I also like it. Really." Her heart seemed to be melting.
She smiled a tad bigger. "Me too." POP! Red, gold, and orange.
"Hey guys? Harry and I were wondering if you two wanted to play some hide 'n' seek? We're a smidgeon bored to be honest." Ginny said suddenly. Hermione turned to look at her and then back at Ron, who was giving her a suspicious look. "You know, Ron…you and Hermione against me and Harry? Harry and I can hide first. Indoors or outdoors…count to one hundred?"
Ron stood up then. "Alright." He was still looking at Ginny suspiciously, but now he was smiling as well. Ginny beamed at him and she and Harry took off toward the house.
Ron held down a hand for Hermione. She put her gloved hand in his for him to pull her up. "Come on." He said smiling. Hermione then proceeded to follow him toward the house…well, more like be dragged. She thought he would go inside; Harry and Ginny had, but now he was dragging her around the side of the house. This game had just started out of nowhere. Hermione had hoped to talk more with Ron.
"Ron?" Hermione asked a little breathlessly; he was still dragging her behind him quickly; now they were walking through the garden. "I think Ginny and Harry went inside."
Suddenly Ron stopped. They were now at a small lean-to off the side of the house. He pulled her inside out of the cold wind. "Exactly." He said, also breathless, looking down at her. Hermione could still hear the popping of fireworks, but they couldn't see them from here. The lean-to smelled of potting soil and onions and cedar. It was very dark, but Hermione could see the outline of boxes piled everywhere.
A bit confused, Hermione asked. "So, are we going to count from in here?"
"No."
"Well, then…"
"We're not going to look for them, either."
"But Ron, they'll be hiding somewhere by now, and…"
"Hermione, have you seen my sister and Harry lately? I don't think they'll mind hiding somewhere alone for awhile."
Hermione laughed a little. But suddenly Ron began approaching her; she couldn't see his face in the darkness, but she could hear his breathing. She took a few steps back and bumped into the back wall of the building. He approached her still until his warm breath was blowing down on her cold nose. She reached out one gloved hand to feel for him, and he was even closer than she had thought. Her hand immediately came in contact with the hard muscles of his stomach.
"Ron?" She breathed. Her heart was beating so hard that her entire torso seemed to be jerking slightly with each beat.
"Yeah?" He breathed back. Hermione could feel how heavily he was breathing by the movement of his abdomen. One of his hands came to rest on the side of her waist.
"What if…I mean, should we…well…" What was she trying to say?
"I won't kiss you if you don't want me to, Hermione." He whispered while bringing his free hand up to brush the back of it gently across her cheek and then rest on the other side of her waist. He had said it so sweetly, so sincerely. Hermione suddenly lost all inhibition to kissing him…who cares what happened later? They were here…now…
She slid her hand up his stomach, all the way up his chest, to grip the back of his neck. It felt tense under her gloved hand. She then slid her other hand up the other side of his chest to the back of his neck. There seemed to be some sort of fluid rushing around wildly in her skull. Ron gripped her waist harder as he leaned down toward her face. He rested his forehead on hers. "So…it's okay then?" He whispered. She nodded slowly, holding her breath.
Hermione tilted her head tentatively to one side, closing her eyes. Ron's forehead lifted from her own and his lips brushed across her cheek close to her ear. Shivers went down the entire length of her; she gripped his neck tighter. His lips then glided smoothly down her cheek to her mouth. They stood there for a few seconds with their mouths parted and touching, each of them breathing against the other's lips, before Ron locked his over hers.
As soon as their lips touched, Hermione felt as if fireworks had begun exploding inside her chest. Ron's hands squeezed her waist even tighter and then slid slowly around to the small of her back, pulling her tightly against him. His lips had locked onto hers slowly and then held tentatively. It was soft and warm. This wasn't a dream! This was really happening!
Hermione suddenly pulled her mouth away, which created a slight smacking sound. "Ron, wait!" She exclaimed. Ron stood straight up causing her hands to leave his neck and rest on his chest.
"What's wrong?" He asked quickly, souding startled.
"Nothing!" She exclaimed. "It's just that…that was my first kiss." Ron let out a sigh and chuckled low in his throat.
"Yeah. Mine too…but, wait."
"What?" Hermione asked; Ron suddenly sounded apprehensive.
"Well…what about…I mean, didn't you and Krum-…"
Hermione laughed quietly. "No." Hermione heard Ron let out a long breath and felt some of the tension in his body ebb away.
Hermione suddenly had to embrace him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest; his heart was beating as quickly as hers. Ron leaned over and encircled her with his arms, laying his cheek on the top of her head. After a moment, he pulled away slightly and looked down at her; she still couldn't see him in the darkness.
"You're okay…right?" He asked anxiously. Hermione smiled up at him, but she then remembered that he couldn't see her. She removed her gloves and tucked them in her coat pocket before reaching up her hands to cup his perfectly lined face. Rising up on her tiptoes she placed a kiss directly to the right of his mouth. He took a sharp intake of breath. Hermione then glided her lips across his to the left of his mouth and kissed him again.
Suddenly Ron leaned down, grabbing her around the waist, and locked his lips over hers again. This time, however, it was longer and more confident; it took Hermione's breath away and she felt weak. Hermione wasn't sure that she would've remained standing if it weren't for his arms around her and the wall behind her.
"Ron?" As she formed his name her lips moved across his. "Can we sit down?" She felt him smile against her mouth. Without answering he released her and slid down the wall to sit on the wooden floor. He then raised his hand up and clasped hers to pull her down beside him.
Ron sat down on the hard floor and crossed his legs; he quickly removed his gloves and placed them in his coat's pocket. He reached up for Hermione and found her small hand. Was this even happening? He had just kissed Hermione…twice! He still felt lightheaded. It was as if all the emotions he'd been feeling toward her, that he had been hiding just beneath the surface, had finally been able to break free. His mind was a blur.
He tugged gently on her hand and she began lowering down to him, but to Ron's surprise she turned and sat down sideways in his lap. He sat motionless for a second, his heart ready to burst, before wrapping his arms around her small waist. She laid her head down on his shoulder. Without warning he felt her tiny body give a little shake and felt a small sob breathe onto his neck as she buried her head there.
"Hermione?" Oh, crap! What had he done? She was regretting it already. His heart seemed to stop after a fierce throb of panic. More sobs were coming now, and he could feel hot tears on his neck. "I'm sorry, Hermione…oh, blimey…what is it?" He whispered, taking one hand and placing it onto the back of her neck, gently holding her head to his shoulder.
"I don't know why I'm crying." She said softly into his neck.
"Do you…" Ron began apprehensively as he stroked the back of her neck and hair, "…do you regret…
"Oh no!" She raised her head suddenly and rested her forehead on his. "It's not that at all! It's just…I have all these different emotions right now, and…I don't know what to do with them." Ron's heart seemed to resume its rapid beating with a vengeance. He knew how Hermione felt, except, he knew what he wanted to do with his emotions.
He should probably say something to her…something reassuring. But his mind was still a blur and all he could think about was her wonderful mouth right in front of him. He brought his hands up to cup her delicate face. Tears were still falling from her eyes and washing over his thumbs. He wished he could see her, but it was so dark they were both in shadows.
Before he really even knew what he was doing he had brought his lips to her face and kissed her gently on each eyelid. He must have done something right because Hermione suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and kissed him hard on the mouth.
Closing his eyes, Ron somehow lost all voluntary control over his body. Both of his hands became tangled in the back of her mass of brown hair, causing her toboggan to fall to the floor. His mouth was moving over hers slowly and passionately with a skill he would have never guessed he had. How could two people that had just shared their first kiss somehow become experts in a matter of minutes?
Hermione's hands were now raking down his chest to his waist, causing his entire body to shudder. She then raised both hands up to pull off his toboggan and toss it on the floor before plunging her fingers into his hair. His hands were moving through her hair and caressing her back in an undecided pattern. When Hermione finally pulled her mouth away from his, they were both breathing hard and Ron had begun sweating. For a second Hermione pulled away from leaning into his body and Ron felt that awful heart clenching panic…but then Hermione did something amazing.
She bent one leg to her and then placed it on the other side of his waist. He instinctively raised his back off of the wall behind him and Hermione wrapped both legs around him. Okay. That's it! This was a dream. There was no way that he was on the floor of a small dark building with Hermione Granger's legs wrapped around him. He quickly reached around her and grabbed her wand out of her back jeans pocket.
Placing her wand in her hand he said, through pants, "Light it."
"Wha-…" She began breathlessly, but then she muttered, "Lumos."
The light was blinding so he reached his hand into Hermione's coat pocket and retrieved her glove, quickly covering her wand with it to dim the light. Perfect. He could see her now.
"Ron?" She asked curiously. Crikey, she was more beautiful than ever. She was flushed and a bit sweaty around her hairline. Her brown eyes were huge as she looked into his face.
"I just had to see you…Hermione…you're beautiful." His voice caught slightly as he said it. The most endearing smile spread across her face. "Could you pinch me?" He asked, "Just so that I know this isn't a…ow!" She'd pinched him hard on the back of his arm.
Grabbing the wand from her hand, he said, "Nox," before placing her wand down beside him. They were in total darkness again and he placed his hands on her waist, his elbows resting on her thighs. His breathing was quickening again. He leaned forward and met her in another kiss. She had been ready for it and she placed her hands on either side of his face as their lips resumed a pristine rhythm. He shuffled her weight slightly while bringing her as close to him as he could with his hands still gripping her waist. Once she was as close as possible, his hands immediately encircled her back, crushing her to him.
As Hermione felt Ron's arms tighten around her, their kisses got steadily hungrier. Hermione felt as if she couldn't get close enough to him, but that was crazy because they were as close as humanly possible. Their embrace was so tight and their kisses so passionate, it was almost impossible to get an appropriate breath of air.
But Hermione didn't care about air right now. She felt as though she had just found something important that had been missing for a long time. She couldn't let go. Her hands left the soft folds of Ron's hair, and as she attempted to deepen their kiss, she encircled her arms around his neck as tightly as she could. Then Hermione felt a small vibration in Ron's chest and heard a barely audible moan come from deep in his throat. Hermione suddenly felt a strong and foreign sensation run through her.
He took his mouth from hers and began kissing her fervently along her jaw starting at her chin and making a wet trail to her ear where he stopped long enough to retrace his kisses back to her chin. Hermione instinctively tilted her head back, which Ron took as an invitation to kiss her on her neck. Whether it was caused by the lack of sufficient air in her lungs, Ron's mouth on her neck, or something else, Hermione's whole body began to tremble.
Ron stopped his torrent of kisses immediately and he slightly pulled away. He rested his warm cheek against her own and whispered urgently, "Hermione … you … are you alright?"
"Yes…fine…just don't stop…" She whispered back just as urgently as she crushed her trembling body back against him. Ron let out a long sigh and buried his head in her neck with a long, warm kiss that he was tracing up to her ear when Hermione suddenly heard footsteps and voices outside. She pulled back and clutched his shoulders.
"Ron!" She whispered fearfully. He quickly pulled her back to him and held her head down on his shoulder with one hand while the other stayed firmly around her back. They were both out of breath.
"I still say we should stock more of the Detonating Daisies, George."
"Fred! That's what we were using when the 'quirky quartet' decided to bail on our show! I stick with what I said about the Bursting Blazes."
"Yeah? Well, all you said was that they reminded you of whirling dervishes. Now, how exactly is that evidence for their power to sell over Detonating Daisies?"
Hermione kept her head buried in Ron's shoulder, but she heard the shuffle of footsteps come right inside the lean-to. This isn't happening! Please, please, please don't come back here! She was screaming on the inside. She felt Ron squeeze her a little tighter.
"Let's just put the box here. I can't see a thing."
Good! Hermione thought. Now leave! She heard the thud of a cardboard box being set down roughly on the wooden floor before two sets of footsteps exited the lean-to and faded away in the snow.
"Blimey, that was close." Ron said releasing his hold on her head.
"We should get back inside." Hermione said worriedly. If the fireworks show was over then everyone was probably already inside the house. "How long have we been out here?"
Ron chuckled softly. "I wasn't counting the minutes." Hermione laughed quietly.
"Hermione," Ron began in a suddenly serious tone, "I…I didn't mean to…go so fast. I've just been dieing to kiss you for..." he paused, "for a long time, and it seemed like…well, like you were enjoying it."
"No, I know. I did enjoy it, very much." She said reassuringly. "I've been dieing to kiss you, too."
They sat there for a minute without saying anything. Ron was rubbing her back gently and she was twirling a piece of his hair between her fingers as she rested her head on his chest. Hermione wanted to know so badly what he was thinking, but she was afraid to say what she was thinking. 'I love you,' is what she wanted to say, but she was frightened. Unlike what she'd told Ron earlier, she was more than a bit frightened. What if he didn't love her back? What if he did?
"Ron?" Hermione asked quietly, lifting her head from his chest, "What happens now? I mean…we've only ever been best friends, and now that this has happened…what if we can never go back? What is Harry going to think of us? What if he doesn't want us to be more than friends? What if…what if this falls apart and you and I can't even be friends anymore?"
Hermione couldn't stop herself; all of a sudden she was panicking. Her mind had been a blur when they were kissing and now that her mind was clearing, she was going into hysterics. She started taking deep steadying breaths but tears were already stinging her eyes.
"Shh…Hermione, calm down." Ron said worriedly putting his hands firmly on her arms. "Listen…I think that for now…we should keep this from Harry…from everybody. Okay? Until we both figure out what's going on between us. And as for me and you not being friends…are you mental?"
"Yes!" Hermione whined, tears now pouring down her face. For some reason Ron's comforting words only made her tears come stronger. She really was losing her mind!
"Hermione!" Ron said laughing. Hermione didn't see anything funny! Ron hugged her tight to his chest and rested his forehead on hers. "You aren't mental…well, a bit…but I'm never going to stop being your friend! How could you think that? That week I was an idiot and didn't talk to you was one of the worst weeks in my life! Honest, Hermione! I need you in my life. Okay?"
As he finished, he kissed her on her forehead. He needed her in his life? "Could you say that last thing again?" She said softly, wiping her tears away.
She heard him take a deep breath before responding. "I need you, Hermione." He said gently and with the utmost sincerity. Hermione felt like her heart was about to explode. Ron then kissed her on each eyelid as he had earlier after she'd cried. As soon as the hysterics had hit her, they were gone. She now just felt tired and content. She wished that they could stay there all night, embracing one another. But, alas…
Hermione pulled out of Ron's hold and unwrapped her legs from around his waist. She stood up slowly and Ron was right behind her. He hugged her then as they stood there.
"Are you ready to go inside and find Ginny and Harry?" Hermione asked as she pulled out of his hug.
"Not really…come on." He took her by the hand and reluctantly led her out of the lean-to. The cold air whipped Hermione in the face and her eyes adjusted to the light of the moon reflecting off of the snow as they left the darkness of their haven. They walked slowly back around the house to the now empty yard. The lawn chairs were gone, and the lights inside were off as well. Everyone must've gone to bed. Good, Hermione thought. She wasn't sure how well she could cover up her rattled emotions from her recent incident with Ron.
"Ron?" Hermione asked stopping before they crossed in front of the window. He turned to her. "Um…what will we tell Harry and Ginny we've been doing?"
A smile broke across Ron's face. "Well, I think we'll have to tell Ginny the truth." Hermione nodded. Yes, she thought, after that chat she had with Ginny that first night at the Burrow, there was no way she would believe otherwise.
"As for Harry," Ron said, his smile fading, "We'll just tell him that we've been 'seeking' the whole time and that we thought indoors was off limits."
Hermione nodded as she looked up into his beautiful face. His crystal blue eyes had suddenly begun staring at her with desire. Is that what his eyes had looked like in the lean-to? He reached one hand to cup her face.
"Hermione, can I kiss you goodnight?" He asked almost timidly. After all they'd done in that small dark room, he was timid about a goodnight kiss? It made Hermione's heart flutter. He must have seen a 'yes' in her eyes because he entwined their fingers together, bent down, and squeezing her hands gently, took her mouth in the most tender and meaningful kiss yet.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Thanks to those of you still sending in reviews; please continue. They are very much appreciated. The next few chapters may take me a little longer than usual...hopefully I can still post one chapter / day...but if not, then I will still get one chapter / two days. Thanks again!