A/N- Hello lovely people (and non-people in case aliens are reading this) I hope all is well, and I thank you for taking time out of your day to read this fic!
I am loving writing this story even if I'm (kinda) slow!
Thanks again to BlueGreenAndPurple (even though she's insane) Chhhheeeesssy, and the lovely ArrayofColours for their beta help! (go show them love)
Without further ado (I really just wanted to use the word ado) so yeah, just read. ;)
oOo
Day 2-
Ron was exhausted when he woke up early the following day, his body stiff as he sat up in the too-small bed. He had hardly slept at all last night, instead tossing and turning until the early morning hours worrying about Hermione.
Hermione.
He still couldn't believe that he'd actually talked to her, that she had talked to him. He closed his eyes and pictured her face— pictured the way she'd looked at him like he was her last hope. He wasn't even sure if she was aware that she had been doing it, but he'd felt it in his bones.
She needed his help.
And he knew, without a doubt, that he was going to do whatever she needed him to.
Ron had never, ever experienced anything like what he had experienced last night. Being so close to her... it was the best feeling in the world. The air around them had been charged, and if he could choose any moment to re-live for the rest of his life, that would be it. He had known from the second that he had seen her on the deck that he was drawn to her, but it was more than that— so much more. Intentional or not, Hermione had a hold on him, and as far as he was concerned, he wouldn't have it any other way. It was completely barmy how he felt no fear about risking everything to help somebody he had just met, but that was the truth.
He closed his eyes and recalled the way her skin had felt under his hand. He could hardly believe that he'd been so bold as to touch her the way he had, and just the memory caused shivers to run down his spine. It had felt so instinctual to touch her, so right, and he had very nearly kissed her when they had been standing there together. With the way that he'd felt— and the way that she seemed to feel— it had all been too much, and he longed for another chance.
Ron's fists clenched in anger when he thought of Malfoy showing up and ruining everything. While Ron was glad that he had gotten a punch in, he would have loved to pound the arsehole into the concrete for the way he had treated Hermione. Unfortunately though, the cops had drawn their guns on him, and Ron had been unable to do much else other than mentally murder the slimy sack of shit.
After Malfoy dragged Hermione away from him, Ron had expressed his concerns about her safety to the cops, begging them to do something. They hadn't taken him seriously of course, and had dismissed his fears, assuring him that Draco was a good man who would never hurt his fiance. When Ron became enraged and started demanding them to do their fucking jobs and protect Hermione, they had threatened to put him in the small holding cell that was on the very bottom level of the ship, and not let him out until they arrived in New York. They explained that on this ship, Draco Malfoy was God, and that Ron better learn his place.
Feeling angrier than he ever had in his entire life, Ron had walked back to his room trying to think of another way to help. When he made it there, he'd told Harry everything, and although understanding, Harry had been more concerned about Ron's safety before unsuccessfully urging him to forget about Hermione. After that, Ron had fitfully drifted in and out of sleep, Hermione consuming his mind.
When morning came, Ron climbed out of bed, still unsure of what he could do, but he knew that he wasn't giving up. Not where Hermione was concerned.
Ron hurriedly dressed into his only other outfit, putting the morning's plan into action in his mind. He was being quiet, but when he looked up, he saw Harry's green eyes staring down at him from the top bunk.
"Where are you going?" Harry asked, his voice groggy from sleep.
"To find Hermione."
Harry let out a sigh as if that was what he'd expected to hear. He sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. "S'not a good idea mate. She's engaged to a Malfoy. You're just asking for trouble."
Ron shook his head. "I know, and I don't care. I need to see her. I need to see her soon, or I'll go insane."
Harry threw himself back in bed, exasperated. "Alright. I can tell that I'm not going to talk you out of it. Just please be careful okay?"
Ron was pulling on his trousers as he nodded his head. "I will be. I have a plan. Last night, I got lost on the way back to the room and I stumbled upon a first class coat closet. I'm going to nick a coat and a hat from there, and hopefully I will blend in enough not to be noticed."
Harry gave him a disapproving look. "What?" Ron admonished. "I'm gonna return them later!"
Harry chuckled. "Not that. It's just that if you do get caught, it's going to look even worse for you. They'll think you're nothing more than a common thief."
Ron smirked as he shot Harry a wink. "Yeah, but at least I'll look stylish when I get caught." Harry rolled his eyes but said nothing.
When he finished dressing, Ron ran his fingers through his hair, trying to straighten it out. "Okay," he sighed. "Wish me luck, I'm going to need it."
"Good luck. Don't get caught."
Ron assured him he wouldn't before slipping out the door and shutting it behind him. It was still early enough that most people were in their rooms, so he headed across the ship to the coat closet, passing only a few people on the way. Once inside the large room, which was bigger than his and Harry's sleeping area, it was easy for Ron to find a simple black coat that fit him. He also grabbed a short tophat that he pulled down low on his head, hoping that it would hide the color of his hair.
It was Sunday, and as he made his way to the first class chapel, he hoped that Hermione would be heading there as well. As he walked, his stomach growled, but he ignored it, finding Hermione was more important than breakfast. Once he was standing outside of the large, extravagant temple, he looked around for a place to stay and wait. His gaze landed on tall, thick blue curtains, and he slipped behind them, pleased that so far his plan was running smoothly and that he hadn't come into any trouble.
This part of the ship was deserted, but he didn't have to wait long before people started showing up. From his hiding spot, he could easily see everyone, and his heart jumped into his throat when he caught sight of Hermione in a beautiful deep blue dress with long sleeves. Although he felt sickened at the fact that she was currently on Malfoy's arm, he was also relieved to see that she seemed to be okay. He watched as she greeted and spoke to others around her, a warm smile on her beautiful face as she did so. He lost sight of her again when everyone headed into the chapel, and Ron leaned back against the wall to wait until the service was finished.
Almost an hour later, Ron heard people start to exit, and he again leaned forward to peek through the curtains, hoping he would be able to distract Hermione somehow. He was glad to see that she was no longer on Malfoy's arm, and he watched her stop to talk to a group of women while Malfoy spoke to his mother. Unfortunately, Ron was still too far away from her to catch her attention, so he could do nothing except continue to stand there and watch her.
Luck was again on his side, though, as he watched her excuse herself and head towards the loo, and his heart leapt with excitement over this opportunity.
"Pssst! Hermione!" he hissed as she walked past him, and was delighted when she turned her head, her face bewildered with recognition as she stared at him through the crack in the curtains.
She turned her head to look behind her to see if she was being watched before making her way towards him. When she was close enough, Ron reached out and took her hand in his to lead her behind the curtain, doing it gently so as to let her know that he wasn't forcing her. He stepped back to allow room for her in the small space, and once she was completely behind the curtain with him, he didn't let go of her hand.
Her eyes were round as she stared up at him, and he felt lightheaded at her close proximity. He had forgotten just how intense her presence had been last night, and was momentarily stumped for words.
"Ron, what are you doing here?" she whispered, her face panicked.
"I'm sorry," he said in earnest. "I just had to check up on you, to make sure that you were okay."
He watched as her eyes softened before she nodded. "I'm okay," she said in a soft voice.
Ron was unable to stop himself from reaching his hand up and running it over her cheek. She took in a sharp breath, and when he went to pull his hand away, she lifted her own and placed it on top of his, stopping him.
"No, it's okay."
He could feel her trembling, and he realized that he was trembling as well. "Did he hurt you?" he choked out, needing first to make sure she was okay. "I mean, after?"
"He—he pushed me," she admitted, and Ron felt his jaw clench but he pushed his anger aside, knowing that he had to focus on her.
"What can I do?" he asked in a pleading voice, his hand going down further to caress her jaw, his heart leaping when she shut her eyes at the action like she had done last night. He put his free hand on her lower back and pulled her closer, bending his head down to rest his forehead against hers. He knew that he was again crossing a line, but fuck, he needed her close like he needed oxygen.
She shook her head. "There's nothing you can do. You saw how it was last night, Ron, he has too much power on this ship. He's untouchable."
Dejected at her words, Ron didn't say anything. He turned his head and his eyes landed on her wrist that was still resting on his hand. Her sleeve had fallen down a few inches, revealing a bruise from where Malfoy had grabbed her last night. He froze, and when Hermione noticed what he was looking at, she immediately dropped her hand and stepped back.
"It's just a little bruise Ron, I'm okay, really I—"
"What's it going to be next time Hermione?" he hissed. "This time, it's pushing and grabbing! Next, it's slapping, punching, kicking — you fucking name it! He will do whatever he wants to do to you because he can. You're not even his wife yet, and he's treating you like a piece of his goddamn property!"
As he spoke, Ron watched tears fall from the corner of her eyes, and he was met with instant guilt.
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely, wrapping her in his arms and trying to soothe her as she cried. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean—" he let out a sigh. "Help me help you," he whispered, resting his head on the top of hers, his lips on her hair.
She shook her head. "No, Ron. I'll be fine. I'm not going to risk you getting hurt. You need to stay out of it."
He pulled her closer, his hand stroking her hair. "It's way too late for that, Hermione. I'm already all the way in, and I'm not going anywhere." Hermione made a small whimpering noise and leaned further into him as he continued. "There is something about you Hermione, something that draws me to you, and I can't hold myself back. I know that it doesn't make sense, and I know that we barely know each other, but I need to know you, Hermione — I need to."
She took a deep breath and leaned back from him, her expression hesitant. "I can't promise you anything—"
"I know," he said quickly, trying to assure her. "I just — please. I won't expect anything to come out of it," he lied. If he had his way, he would be sneaking her off the ship at the end of the week and taking her far, far away; somewhere that Draco bloody Malfoy could never lay his hands on her again.
"I want to see you too, Ron. Even though I know I shouldn't," she finally relented.
He gave her a grin. "Then it's settled."
She sighed, but he could see her relief as her shoulders dropped. Her expression turned into one of deep thought. "I'll be busy all day today, but I can try to make up an excuse to leave dinner early and meet you somewhere."
Ron thought about it. He hated that he had to wait to see her again, no matter how short that time was, but at this point he was thankful that she had agreed to spend any amount of time with him.
"Could you meet me in my room?" he asked. "Nobody will look for you there."
She nodded. "Okay. I'll try to get away as fast as I can."
"Then I'll wait for you all day," he told her as he brought the back of her hand to his lips.
She smiled and rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly. Go eat, Ron. Have fun. Don't waste your day waiting for me."
He chuckled and told her his room number. Just as she was about to slip out to the other side of the curtains, she turned back around, stood up on her tiptoes, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Stay here until Draco and his parents are gone," she whispered before slipping away, leaving him feeling as if he were dreaming.
He waited until most everyone was gone before moving back out unnoticed. He went to return the hat and the coat before heading to the third class dining area for breakfast. When he was done eating, he made it back to his and Harry's room to find Harry folding clothes.
"You're welcome," he told Ron as he threw the clean, and barely damp clothes his way. "I did your laundry."
"Thanks," Ron said, tossing them carelessly on his bed. "Harry, I'm going to need you to leave around dinnertime. I'm expecting company."
Harry's eyes widened. "You're serious? You got her to agree to see you again?"
Ron nodded, still in disbelief. "Yeah, and it wasn't hard either. Barmy as it sounds, I really think that she wants to see me just as much as I want to see her."
Harry stepped back, his eyes raking over Ron as he made a slow circle around him. Ron crossed his arms and stood still, and when Harry was again standing in front of him, Ron raised his eyebrow in question.
Harry shrugged. "I was just trying to figure out what makes you so compelling. Sorry mate, but I just don't see it."
Ron laughed before giving Harry a playful shove. "You're such a prat."
"Okay loverboy," Harry answered with a smirk. "When she comes to visit, just don't shag on my bed, okay?"
Ron's ears turned red at the mental image. "We aren't shagging Harry! We're talking. I'm going to try to talk her into letting me help her. She can't marry that bastard, Harry, she can't."
Harry stared at him, his face sympathetic. "I agree with you Ron, I do. But you need to stay realistic here. Malfoy may be an arsehole, but he's loaded— and someone like her— someone who's had money her entire life? Well, she's probably not going to settle for living life as we do, Ron. Just because she's agreed to see you again doesn't mean she'll allow you to whisk her away like her knight in shining armor."
Ron shook his head, refusing to accept Harry's words. "I have to try, Harry. I'll do anything— anything to help her."
"I'm sure you will. But this would be a lot for her. I mean, just think about it. You'd be asking her to leave her entire life behind. Everything and everyone that she's ever known. That's not a decision she's going to make lightly."
Ron ran his hands down his face. "I know," he groaned.
Harry clapped him on the back. "I'm going to go down to the pool, see if I can find any interesting people to chat with." He paused. "Good luck. I mean it."
Ron only nodded, and with that, Harry was gone. Once alone, Ron lay on his bed for several hours in thought. He finally got stir crazy and walked out of the room, deciding to head out onto the deck. The sunlight lifted his mood and took away some of the anxiety he felt about not knowing what he could do to get Hermione away from Malfoy. Hermione hadn't outright told him that she would go along with any of his plans though, and as far as he knew, she had only agreed to see him again— nothing more.
Pushing this thought aside, he stood up and went and had an early dinner since he had skipped lunch. When he made it back to his room, he pulled out his portfolio and started sketching to pass the rest of the time. There wasn't much in the room, so he sketched the small circular window, and was just about finished when he heard a small knock at the door.
Throwing the portfolio onto his bed, he scrambled up and stumbled the few steps over to the door and threw it open to find Hermione standing there wringing her hands, her eyes wide. He couldn't help the large grin that spread across his face at the sight of her. He stepped aside and gestured into the room as she walked in. He shut the door behind her before turning around to see her studying the room.
"Welcome to third class," he said with a chuckle.
She turned to look at him, the expression on her face incredulous. "This is smaller than my bathroom."
He laughed. "Sorry to disappoint."
Her cheeks darkened. "No! I didn't mean to imply that you— oh Ron, I'm sorry! I'm just surprised by the differences between the rooms, and—"
He put his finger over his lips, silencing her. He sat down on his bed and patted the space next to him. Hermione hesitated only a moment before sitting down as well. She stared down at her hands in her lap as he stared at her. They sat in silence for several long seconds, and when she finally lifted her head and met his gaze, he gave her a reassuring smile.
She let out a sigh, returning his smile. "I'm sorry. I'm just really nervous."
"It's okay. I am too," he said in a soft voice.
"Really?" she asked. "Why?"
"Well," he started as he sat back and rubbed the back of his neck. "First off, I feel that you being here is too good to be true, and that at any moment you're going to change your mind and decide that you don't want to have anything to do with me."
She pursed her lips. "To tell you the truth Ron, I should have nothing to do with you. Me being here right now is a huge risk, and I'm terrified of what might happen if Draco finds out about this."
"I'm not scared of that pompous arsehole," he said fervently.
"You should be though," she said as she put her face in her hands. "I don't know what he's capable of, Ron, but I don't want to find out."
"I can take care of myself, Hermione. It's you I'm worried about."
She looked to the floor, her lower lip between her teeth, and Ron could sense that she was getting overwhelmed by the subject. He took her hand and wrapped it in his, giving it a light squeeze. "I'm sorry. We'll talk about something different."
She shot him a grateful smile. "Okay. What are we going to talk about?"
He put his hand to his chin and made an exaggerated thinking face, causing her to laugh. "Hmmm. Let's talk about Hermione Granger."
She smiled. "What do you want to know, Ronald Weasley?"
He threw his arms up. "Well, I don't know! Just everything."
She laughed. "There's not much to say honestly. I'm pretty boring."
He shook his head and shot her a mock glare. "No way. I think you are probably many things Hermione, but boring is not one of them."
The look that she gave him caused his insides to melt, and they stared at each other until she looked away, her face pink. She then started to speak, and she told him all about her life: the way she grew up, the passion she had for her books, and the stories and poems she wrote in her free time. He even made her promise to let him read some things she'd written, and she reluctantly agreed.
He didn't know how long she talked, but Ron couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was in the middle of a sentence when he took her hand and pulled it up to his lips. She stopped speaking as he pulled her sleeve down and slowly trailed his lips along the bruise there. Hermione watched him with her mouth open, her breaths coming out in small short bursts. When her eyes started to water, he stopped and moved her hand down to the bed between them.
He said nothing as she took a few calming breaths, her eyes darting around before falling on his portfolio that was on the bed behind him.
"Are those your sketches?" she asked, her eyes lighting up.
He nodded.
"Can I see them?"
"Of course. But fair warning, there are some, um, nude sketches in there."
He held back a smile at the shocked look on her face. "You—you draw people naked?" she whispered, her eyes darting around as if she had just said a scandalous word.
"Sometimes. Like I told you yesterday, I mostly do face portraits, but when I get somebody willing to pose nude, I jump at the opportunity. The human body really is amazing, and in my opinion, some of those sketches are my best work. They're just so real, you know?"
He watched her as she started to open the portfolio. "People are real, whether they have clothes on or not," she muttered, causing Ron to chuckle.
He watched her study the drawings one by one, her fingers holding the papers carefully. When she reached one of the nude ones, she stopped to study it.
"She's beautiful," she breathed, and Ron nodded.
"She was. I actually drew two sketches of her and let her choose which one she wanted to keep. It was a gift for her husband you see, and since she was so beautiful, I asked her if I could draw an extra to keep."
"So you fancied her?"
Ron shook his head. "Only from an artistic standpoint. She was happily married, and the whole thing was very professional."
"Hmm," Hermione hummed, and if Ron didn't know any better, he would say that she was acting jealous. The thought made his heart soar, but he tried not to outwardly show the giddiness he felt.
Hermione kept going through the drawings, when all of a sudden she let out a gasp, her hand going to cover up whatever it was that she had seen. Confused, Ron leaned over to see a sketch of an ex-boyfriend of Harry's. They had dated briefly, and when he had asked Ron to draw him, Ron had of course leapt at the opportunity as he had never drawn a naked man before.
"Oh," he laughed."That's Rudolpho."
"I've never—I've never seen a naked man before," she whispered, her cheeks flushing pink.
Ron thought she looked absolutely adorable, and he leaned over to bump her shoulder with his. "Well, here's your opportunity." He raised his eyebrows. "Don't worry. I'm sure he wouldn't mind you checking him out. He was quite proud of his body, that one."
Hermione stared at Ron, her lips pursed. Finally, her curiosity must have won, because she turned her eyes back to the drawing, and Ron watched as she studied it.
"Do they all look like that?" she finally asked, causing Ron to laugh out loud.
"More or less," he answered, still laughing.
She didn't say anything, but she let out a small giggle as she went on to the next sketch. As she continued, Ron gave her the little backstories as to who the people were and how he had ended up drawing them. He noticed that she didn't ask any questions about the nude ones, and she didn't study those for very long either. When she was done, she carefully put them back in the portfolio and handed it to him.
"You're very talented, Ron," she said, and he could tell that she meant it.
"Thank you," he responded, resisting the urge to lean closer to her. He had never before felt the pull of someone so strongly, and the longer he sat next to her, the harder it was to resist.
"Do you—" she started, but stopped abruptly, her face morphing into one of mortification.
"Do I what?" he pressed.
"Nothing," she said quickly.
He wasn't going to drop it though. "Just ask me, Hermione. I promise I won't judge you for your question."
She looked at him, her face unsure. "Sleep with them?" she said quietly.
He frowned. "What?"
She looked even more embarrassed. "Those women, the ones that you draw with no clothes on, do you sleep with some of them?"
Ron opened his mouth to answer, when Hermione shook her head forcefully. "Oh god! Ron, I'm so sorry I—I don't know what came over me, asking you that! That was completely inappropriate of me, and I apolo—"
"Hermione, it's fine," he interrupted, taking her hand and rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. "I'm an open book to you, you can ask me anything."
He cleared his throat. "To answer your question, I've only been with two women, and I only sketched one of them. I don't draw women to sleep with them, Hermione. I'm kind of— well, as Harry puts it— a romantic sap when it comes to intimacy." He laughed.
She tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
"It means that I think...that I think doing that with someone should mean something."
"So these two women?" she asked. "They meant something to you?"
He shook his head. "No. I thought that maybe they would, eventually— but they didn't."
She didn't say anything, but he could see her body relax at his words. They sat there in a comfortable silence before she broke it.
"I think I should head back now, Ron. I've probably been gone too long already."
She stood up, and he stood up as well.
"When can I see you again?" he asked, needing to know.
She paused, her voice trembling as she spoke. "Should we see each other again, Ron? I want to, I really do, but I'm so scared."
"I want— no— I need to see you again Hermione."
She sighed, turning away from him. "We shouldn't though."
"Sometimes what we should do, and what we want to do, are two different things," he said as he stepped up close behind her, trailing his fingers up and down her arms. "Please don't let this be our last time together, Hermione," he whispered into her ear, feeling her shiver. "I couldn't deal with that."
She turned around and stared up at him. "This is an awful idea, you know."
He grinned. "But you'll do it?"
"I will."
"Same time tomorrow, then?"
She nodded, and he lifted his hand to push a tendril of her hair out of her face. "You're bloody brilliant, you know," he said. "Thank you for not pushing me away."
"I should, but I can't," she admitted.
With that, she turned and was gone, leaving Ron feeling empty but hopeful for the next day.
