CH 47: Salem: Part 1
The portkey landed them in a magical tourism office in Salem, Massachusetts. Despite leaving after lunch from home, it was only 9 am when they landed in America. After a brief welcome and overview of the magical areas of town and suggested tourism locations, they went to the muggle car rental office to pick up a car for the weekend. While they could floo between many of the magical areas and their inn, they hoped to travel up to see some of the fall foliage across New England, and a car would make that much easier. By lunch time they were ready for supper, and found themselves at a lovely café on the muggle tourist side of town. The whole area was clearly used to fall tourists, so there were quaint shops that promoted the history of Salem along with maple syrups, pie tins, apple butter and pumpkins, scarecrows and colored leaves painted on just about anything. As they read over the menu, Ron unconsciously shook his head a few times trying to adjust to the accent and the prices in muggle dollars.
Hermione noticed and giggled at him. Patting his leg she quietly said, "I'm not really sure shaking your head like that will clear you of the culture shock, Ron."
He blushed and laughed at himself. "Sorry. Didn't realize I was doing that. I am not nearly the adept international traveler that you are. So, do their American accents not sound funny to you?"
Hermione smiled, "Well, it's not so much that they are American accents as they are Boston accents that I notice. I grew up in New York, and that accent is different from here just like someone from Devon sound different than someone from Newcastle."
"I'll take your word on it. So, since you are the most experienced here, is there anything on the menu you think I should try?"
Soon they had ordered sandwiches and settled into comfortable conversation. They pulled out the tourist books that Ron had arranged and decided to visit the official Magical Museum of Salem to get an overview of everything as a starting point. Then they could go from there. In the back of his mind, Ron was debating when to give her the bracelet that was burning a hole in his pocket. He laughed at himself musing that it if it was this difficult to carry jewelry around that wasn't for an engagement then how in the hell would he ever manage to carry an engagement ring around?
Hermione was engrossed in each part of the museum. Ron found it interesting, but thought he could have gone through the whole place in an hour and have been perfectly happy. But Hermione wanted to read each word on each display, and then kept a list of questions to ask the docent at the end of the tour to be sure she understood everything.
While Ron may have reached his fill of colonial history, he was coming to realize he could watch Hermione all day and never get bored. He was sure she didn't realize it, but her eyes actually lit up and sparkled when she was reading something new or had figured out a complicated concept. And when she reading something she was trying to understand, she chewed on her bottom left lip and squinted a tiny bit. Ron loved that. And he loved that he was probably one of the only people to have figured that out about her.
When Hermione had managed to ask the docent too many questions, the flustered witch went and fetched a magical historian to talk to her instead. Hermione was clearly just getting started with her discussion, so Ron decided it was an appropriate time to wander over and explore the not necessarily magical couch in the lobby. From there he could sit while still enjoying the sight of Hermione in great thought and discussion. It was also just outside the gift shop, where he knew she would want to buy books as well. So, he thought it was a clever move and one he could see himself repeating in museums around the world for years to come. It was strange, he thought. A year ago if someone had told him he would be thrilled to be sitting in a museum lobby waiting on a woman chasing obscure facts, he would have laughed at them. But now that his heart was completely gone, he really couldn't imagine wanting to be anywhere else at that moment. Eventually the historian had to leave for the evening and Hermione said she wanted to "pop in" to the shop to pick up a few books. An hour later the gift shop lady had to go home, so they left with two bags of books as well as a magical coloring book for Hugo.
"You have been incredibly patient today," she said kissing his cheek.
"Oh I knew what I was getting into bringing you here," he laughed. "But it is your birthday present. So, I fully expected to be more immersed in history than I have ever been before."
"Are you exhausted? I know with the time change it feels like the middle of the night."
"Actually, I don't feel too bad. That pepper up potion we took at lunch helped a lot. I think I'm ok for a few more hours. How about you?"
"The same actually. That potion is fabulous. Let's go check into the inn and then we can have an early dinner and turn in."
Ron and Hermione walked up on the large front porch of the old colonial home. The leaves were blowing across the porch, and the wind was making the white painted porch swing sway back and forth, creaking ever so slightly. The porch was decorated with pumpkins, corn stalks and bushels of apples and had a quaint sign that read "Sarah's House." Ron held the door open for Hermione, and she walked into the cozy front hall of the house.
"Welcome to Sarah's House," called an elderly woman from behind a counter. "You must be Mr. Weasley from England then."
"That I am," smiled Ron. "We are here for the weekend and need to check in."
"Yes, you are the last of the guests to check in today, so I knew it had to be you. We have you up in our Apple Orchard Suite. I was just up there about half an hour ago getting the fireplace going so it would be nice and cozy for you. I'm Annie, Annie Wenstrup, and this is my inn."
"Hello, Annie. I'm Hermione. I've been so looking forward to visiting here. Your inn is just lovely."
"Well, come on in. Let me take your things and I'll send them on up if that's alright with you."
They nodded and the woman flicked her wand at the bags which then floated up the stairs and out of sight.
"So if you're Annie, who was Sarah of Sarah's House?" asked Ron, laughing to himself knowing he'd beaten Hermione to asking the question she was thinking.
"That's a great question. Actually, Sarah's House is named after two of the women initially accused of being witches during the hysteria of the 1690s. They were both muggles, of course, but they were put to death for simply being accused of being like me. The least I could do is name my inn in their honor."
"That's lovely," said Hermione quietly.
"Thank you. I just like that it allows us to honor them daily."
"We're only in town from England for the weekend. We had the chance to visit the museum this afternoon. But, what would you suggest we be sure to see while we are here?"
"Tomorrow's weather is supposed to be lovely, so if you want to do any outdoor hiking or heading out to see the fall foliage tomorrow is the day for it. Then you could do the indoor, in-town stuff on Saturday."
"Are the fall colors good now?"
"Oh yes, you are definitely in luck. It is almost at peak color now, and it should be a gorgeous day."
"We rented a car so we could drive out and see it."
"That is the best way. But, if you like flying, there is a place that will rent brooms so you can meander through the valleys and see some of it from above."
"That sounds amazing," gushed Ron. Hermione looked at him with a smile, knowing full well they would be on a broom the next day.
"I think we'd definitely enjoy that. Could you help us arrange that? And could we get a picnic or something that we could take with us for tomorrow?"
"Oh of course, honey. That is what we are here for. We have breakfast down here from 7 to 10, and we can pack lunches if you let us know ahead of time. We don't serve dinner, but my friend Beth next door runs a lovely restaurant and can usually send me over something if you are too tired to head out."
Ron and Hermione exchanged looks and a smile.
"We're adapting to the jet lag tonight and had a large lunch, so if we could get something from next door that would be brilliant."
"Sure – here's a menu. Let me know what you want and I'll send it up as soon as it's ready. This is their regular menu, but I know she mentioned she was making pork chops with fried apples as the special tonight. And whenever she makes that, I always get it. It's incredible."
Hermione looked at Ron's face and smiled, saying knowingly, "We'll take two orders of that and whatever wine they recommend with it."
"Perfect. I'll have it up shortly. There's towels and such up in your room, but just let me know if you need anything."
"Thanks, Annie," Ron said.
By the time they got settled in their room, the delicious dinners had arrived. Annie placed their suppers on the coffee table in front of the small sofa by the fireplace and bade them goodnight.
The quickly tucked into their food, grateful for the recommendation of such delicious food as well as the ability to eat it in their room. Finishing their meals, they each sipped at their wine as Hermione curled up into Ron's side, tucking her feet under her. Feeling the sleepiness of the jet lag, the warmth of the fireplace and the effects of the wine come over her, she closed her eyes contentedly breathing him in.
"Thank you for all of this, Ron. It is just perfect. I really think it's the most thoughtful present anyone has ever given me."
Ron smiled and kissed her forehead. "Actually, I was sort of hoping you might say that about something else."
"Hmm?" Hermione asked sleepily with her eyes still shut.
Ron slipped the bracelet out of his pocket and slipped it around her wrist. "Happy birthday, love."
Her eyes popped open as she watched him clasp the bracelet around her wrist. "What is this?"
"This is a charmed charm bracelet. And before you ask, no, I had never heard of such a thing before either. It has five charms on it now. But, as you have important and special experiences in your life, the bracelet will automatically generate a new charm to remind you of it. As I am assuming you will have a long and amazing life full of experiences, the charms will shrink proportionately each time a new one is added. And, I am selfishly hoping that I will get to be part of whatever those incredible future experiences will be."
Hermione was once again speechless. She felt a tear coming down one cheek as she stared at the incredible piece adorning her wrist.
Ron beamed at her reaction, both relieved and thrilled that he had chosen well. He had been so excited when he had picked up the bracelet from Mr. Walsingham. It simply looked so Hermione: classy, timeless and stunning; deceivingly simple at first glance and incredibly intricate upon closer examination; and it could adapt to any style or outfit no matter how formal, dressy, professional or casual. Just like his witch.
Hermione was fingering the intricate charms. There was a tiny rose, a painter's easel, tiny scales of justice that were balanced with the globe on one end and books on the other, a tiny wand across an old book and a heart that was engraved on each side with an intersecting R and H. It was a stunning mixture of gold and silver, but she had never seen such workmanship. And while she never would have described herself as a big jewelry fan, it was a style she immediately loved.
"How on earth?" was all she could say.
"Well, Ginny helped me out by introducing me to an old wizard who designs jewelry. It was amazing actually. He asked me about you, about how we met and such and then he was able to design this. Now, it also has a muggle disillusionment charm so that someone like Nicola will see it and think the charms haven't changed sizes if new ones get added, and she'll think the one of the wand is a pen. And, since part of me will always worry like an auror, I have a tracing charm on it that will help us find it if it gets lost, or more importantly, find you if you are for some reason missing and happen to have it on. I thought the gold and platinum-"
"It's platinum and gold?"
"Uh yeah, I hope that is ok. I told him I thought you wore a watch every day that had the silver and gold metal on it."
"Yes – I do actually. Ron, platinum and gold? This must have cost a fortune. It is simply exquisite! It is the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen."
"I hope you like it."
"Like it? I love it. Ron, it is so thoughtful and so gorgeous! But you can't get in the habit of spoiling me so much."
"Look, I know it's a bit over the top. And no, I won't do something like that every year. But, I just love you so much. And while everyone keeps pestering me to get you an engagement ring, I know that for us we need to wait until next year so we can get Hugo, and all of us really, through the first holidays without Fi and Dennis and his parents. So, I wanted you to have something, well, something really special from me that let you know I am in this for the rest of our lives. And I can't wait to see what moments this bracelet helps you, and me, remember of adventures and experiences we will have together."
Hermione was overcome with emotion and wasn't quite sure what to do.
Finally, she said, "It is perfect, Ron. But more importantly, you are perfect for me. I love you so much. And I hope I am perfect for you. And I am just rather overwhelmed by how amazing this all is. But I know it is so right and so even if life feels more unpredictable than I am used to, it also feels more amazing, more exciting, more fulfilling and more alive than I could have ever imagined. And some days it feels too perfect - like I am afraid that I am about to wake up and find it was some dream. But it isn't, which really is hard to get my mind around. And, you know I am so glad you are trusting your heart and your instinct about us, as I think you're exactly right. We need to wait get engaged a bit longer for everyone's sake, but we will get there."
She leaned up and slowly kissed him. Ron kissed her sweetly and slowly, tracing his fingers across her cheek.
"I still can't believe I got this lucky," he whispered.
"Me either," she said.
While a part of her wondered if she should go get the "present" she brought for him, she just felt like it was so small and silly compared to what he'd just given her. So, she decided to wait. On top of that, the jet lag and wine had them exhausted and she could feel herself dozing off next to him. Ron was feeling the same thing. And while part of him wanted to make love to this amazing woman who seemed to adore him, he was happy to simply pick her up and carry her back to the bed where he could spoon up behind her.
"Come on, let's crawl into bed. We'll probably wake up early from the time change anyway," he said. And soon the two were fast asleep in each other's arms.
It was still the middle of the night in Salem when they both woke up, their body clocks telling them it was late morning in London. Ron got up to use the loo, and Hermione decided that maybe now was the right time for his present. He groaned as she got up just as he was laying back down to reach for her.
"Actually – let me run to the loo too," she said. "And then maybe I'll bring you your present."
"Present?" he said confusedly.
"I just need to wrap it real quick. I'll be right back."
"Hermione, it's like three in the morning, you don't need to wrap anything."
"Trust me on this, Ron. And don't get too excited, it's nothing as incredible as you've given me. Just, well. Just wait here. And promise not to laugh."
She popped into the loo and suddenly felt ridiculous putting on the black lacey knickers and top. But, she reminded herself that this was for Ron and not for her. After brushing her teeth and applying some lip gloss, she looked herself over in the mirror. She had to admit, she looked a lot sexier than she felt. So she took a deep breath and stuck her head out of the bathroom door.
"OK, close your eyes for a moment."
"Hermione, really?"
"Really, just close your eyes, and I will bring it out for you to – well, uh - unwrap."
He sat up on the bed with his eyes closed. She smiled at what she saw – the messy ginger hair, the pale skin dotted with freckles spread across his toned chest, interrupted by scars from past moments of bravery. His nervous, confused and yet trusting expression on the face she adored. When she was standing just in front of him, she told him he could open his eyes. She tried to look serious and sexy, but immediately found herself laughing at the flabbergasted look on his face.
"Holy shit, Hermione. Wha?"
Hermione laughed as she turned around slowly. "I feel a little ridiculous, but Nicola convinced me I needed to get you something as well. I believe she said something like you needed this for your own sight-seeing fun if I was dragging you to museums. And I thought she was nuts, but from the look on your face I think maybe she was dead right on this one."
He was still rendered speechless staring at the woman in front of him. She finally said, "is it ok? It feels silly, but I thought…" He quickly cut her off, crushing her with a passionate kiss, running his hands over the barely-there black lace stretched over her breasts.
"You look fucking amazing, Hermione. Remind me to thank Nicola when we get home," he stammered as he moved his lips down to her neck and collarbone as his hands ran under the sheer fabric over her stomach.
She smiled and whispered, "She said to tell you that you owe her one."
"I owe her more than one I would say, but I want to stop talking about Nicola now if it is quite alright with you. I have the fucking sexiest witch I have ever seen in my entire life in my bed in a hotel room right now, and I would very much like to enjoy ravishing her before I wake up and realize this was just one amazing dream."
"Not a dream," she said with a gasp as his mouth moved over her breasts and she raked her hands through his hair.
Soon she had pushed him to his back on the bed, and pulled his pants down off of him, leaving him bare and aroused in front of her. While she usually wanted him to take her bra off before they made love, she thought she would leave her risqué outfit on as she crawled over him on the bed. He groaned in exquisite agony as she moved her mouth across him. He reached up, running his hands all over her lacey knickers, finally hooking them in his fingers and sliding them off her legs. He reached up and felt how wet she was anticipating him, prying another groan from his lips.
Soon she had lowered herself on him, and Ron thought he would die of desire watching her straddle him. She was eliciting such pleasure from him while running her hands over her own breasts as she rode him, which was incredibly erotic to watch. As she moved up and down, the sheer fabric would pillow and flow, dragging the satin edge across his skin which was already electrified. Ron tried hard to keep his eyes open to take in the incredible scene unfolding around him, but soon the sensations she brought him too overtook him, and he felt himself joining her in exhausted release.
They soon dozed in each other's arms recovering from their love making. Ron awoke first, and still couldn't believe it was Hermione clad in such a sexy nightie in his arms. He chuckled to himself as he drifted back to sleep for a bit as he decided if this was his reward for educational trips, he was going to find a lot more museums all over the world for them to visit.
They had awoken several hours later and headed down for an early breakfast. After they got their picnic lunch for the day and instructions on where to go, they piled in the car and headed off to enjoy the fall foliage New England was so famous for. After meandering along roads through orchards and forests, they finally arrived at the broom rental place in the country Annie had recommended. They decided to shrink their picnic down and take it with them out for a fly. As Hermione was still not able to command a broom on her own, she sat behind him and was currently holding on for dear life as he dodged and wove through the glowing yellow, orange and red trees of the wood below. She was trying to remind herself that he was probably going painfully slow for his pace, but it was still at the very edge of what she was comfortable with. Finally, he found a clearing on a small bluff that overlooked a valley of fall colors and brought them down to a gentle landing. He looked at her briefly and immediately felt bad for going too fast.
"Are you alright, Hermione? You look a bit green. I was trying to go slowly but apparently didn't succeed."
"Oh, I'm ok. And I knew you were going as gently as possible. I just need to lay here on the blanket for a few minutes with my eyes closed until the world stops spinning I think. Why don't you go for a short fly at your own speed you can really enjoy it. I'll be fine here for a bit, as I think I'm a bit too woosy to eat anything or keep my eyes open right now."
"I don't want to just leave you feeling poorly here in the woods, Hermione."
"I'll be fine, and you can fly back and forth above me if it makes you feel better. Or cast some special animal and person repelling charm or something. I'm going to lay right here on the picnic blanket."
With that, she was almost immediately out. Ron thought about staying there, but decided he really did want to weave through the gorgeous trees for a wee bit without making her ill. So he took her advice and cast several charms over her. Soon he was dodging and starting between the trees and hills as he enjoyed the forest from above. But after 30 minutes or so, he came back and found her still asleep, but decidedly less green. He thought she would probably wake soon, so he pulled out the picnic and was setting out the lunch when she awoke.
"Hi," she said sleepily.
"Hi yourself," he said. "You look better."
"I feel better. I wish you would have gone for a fly. I hate that you were stuck here watching me sleep."
"I did go for a brief fly, and it was brilliant. But I like watching you sleep too. Do you want some pumpkin juice? Or maybe this is apple actually?"
"Probably local apples this time of year," Hermione said. Soon they were enjoying their food and the gorgeous surroundings.
Ron had leaned up against a tree, and Hermione was laying on the ground with her head in his lap. As he ran his fingers through her hair he said, "This seems like the perfect place for one of those conversations we keep saying we need to have."
"Hmm," she agreed lazily. "Which one?"
"You want to pick or should we just randomly select one off the list?"
"Random," she said as she pulled out her phone and clicked open the notes page that listed the topics they'd come up with so far.
Ron closed his eyes and dropped his finger onto the phone and then looked to see what it pointed at. "Money," he said with a laugh.
"How did you randomly select the first one on the list?" she chuckled.
"Who knows," he said. "But, it's as good as place as any to start I suppose."
"Ok then," said Hermione as she lay her head back on his lap while turning to face him. "How do you want to do this?"
"Well, ok, I guess we've touched on this a bit before," Ron said. "You know there is a lot of money. And you know I don't want to live lavishly, but I do want good things to come of it. And, in my mind, that money is already yours as much as mine. But, we got in trouble when I made some incorrect assumptions about that as well as paid bills without telling you. So, we need to talk about that money that is in the investment accounts. And then there is the money we each earn from our work. And then there is the money that is Hugo's from Fi and Dennis and his grandparents. I would like to keep that separate somehow for him. The way they structured it was that he inherits some when he is a certain age, and the rest a few years later. The house is in his name, and all the money from his grandparents went into the account that Dennis and Fi had built. I put the bills for the house on autopay, so the small expenses for running that home are being taken care of automatically out of my accounts."
"Well, I am glad Dennis and Fi had everything set up so nicely. I guess we should do something similar too, huh?"
"Yeah, you're right. We do need to do that."
"Well, I have the money I make. And I don't fully own my house yet, but the mortgage is still being paid each month out of my accounts. I had saved a good amount for retirement and for Rose's college, but I guess we can figure out how to adjust those accounts now."
"Let's back up a minute," Ron said. "What do you want our money to do?"
She thought for a moment. "That's a great question. I want several things I suppose. I want to be sure the family is taken care of – that we have a nice, but not obscenely large home, we can travel and learn, and that the kids would be taken care of if anything were to happen. And, I would hope we could help them get started with their lives as they get older – maybe helping get a home or something. And, if they want to go to university I would want to be able to pay for that, but I still haven't figured out how all of that works yet in the magical world. And then I want to be sure our parents are ok. I don't know that I want either set moving in with us if we don't have to, but maybe if need be we could have them nearby so we can care for them better as they get older."
Ron nodded. "I agree with all of that. See how easy this is" he laughed with a cheeky grin.
"Right. When I am not screaming and jumping to conclusions life is much better," she laughed.
"Or I am not assuming things but never mentioning them. Anyway - what else?"
"What do you mean what else?"
"Well, there is a lot of money."
"Ok. Here is the part where it is hard for me. I am really fine with joining our accounts and pooling the resources we earn from work and such. I mean, I have been financially independent for a long time. So, even that idea is a bit of a stretch for me though I think I can do it. But, I just have a difficult time even imagining being comfortable spending the money you were awarded for your service in the war and spending it."
"Ok. That's understandable. I was uncomfortable being given it to begin with, so I really do get it. And, well, the money that I was given is only a small part of that. Remember I lived for free above the shop, and clearly didn't spend much on clothes or anything, so I was able to save almost all of my income for nearly twenty years. And then the rest was really generated through good investing and such thanks to the advice of the right people."
"Fair. But it still feels uncomfortable to me."
"Ok. I don't want either of us to feel uncomfortable about it. So – what if we agree to leave the initial award money as the principal of the account and don't touch it. We just leave it there to keep generating earnings? Then we agree only to spend the money earned from it? That way neither of us has to spend it since neither of us feel good about having it to begin with. But, we still let good things come from it, which was the intent of those who gave it in the first place."
Hermione considered this. "Maybe that would work," she mumbled.
"You still don't seem terribly convinced. Here's the thing, Hermione, I want us to work - more than anything I have ever wanted in my entire life. And don't want his money to be a burden on us. And I definitely don't want it to be an obstacle for us. You mean more to us than every sickle in that vault. So, if it is a barrier to us being alright, I will give it all away the day we get back to England as we make enough for us to live on anyway. But, I would very much like for that to be our money. I know neither of us want to spend it on clothes, or cars or fancy houses and such. Maybe we meet with the investment folks and they help us structure some of it to ensure our parents as well as Rose and Hugo will always be taken care of for education and health and anything else that may come up. And then we move some aside for things that we want to enjoy like trips – and maybe even some books and brooms thrown in for good measure." She laughed at this, but let him continue. "But then we set up the biggest chunk, including the initial principal we won't touch but we can figure out all of the amounts later – but what if we get help setting that up in a way that it is all for charity in some fund or something. And then we work together to make sure it goes to the right places. We can figure out if that is all at once or over time or whatever. But, I would love to see it do more good. And I think you would be the best person to figure out how to do that."
Hermione sat up excitedly. "You mean we could run some sort of foundation and determine how to best invest it funds around the world?"
"Yeah. That sounds about right to me."
"Yes, I mean, well, are you sure Ron? We're talking millions of pounds, right? Are you sure you want to give it away?"
He sat up straighter as well and looked her in the eye. "Hermione, I am serious about that being our money, so if there is something you want to do with it, then tell me. But, if you don't have some specific idea, then, well, yeah. I would like to give it away in a responsible manner. I was given that money for my work in a war. It feels like blood money more than anything I could have earned. I was only alive at the end of it because people like Fred and Collin and Dumbledore and Tonks and Lupin and magical creatures like Dobby died instead of me. I was just ridiculously lucky or blessed or whatever word you want to use. I didn't deserve that reward more than McGonagall or Dennis or my parents did. And I felt really, really guilty about that for a very long time. But, if I can make good things come from it – magical or muggle – then I could feel ok about that again. And I don't feel like I have been able to do that very well on my own. I mean there is always an organization asking for money, but I have no idea which ones are good or not. Or which ones will use it wisely and which ones will simply use it to throw a more lavish fundraiser the next year. Or who is just stealing it to line their own pockets. And by yet another lucky miracle, the amazing witch I happen to fall in love with happens to be pretty fucking brilliant at this type of thing. You understand these type of organizations. You understand better than I do what is a good way to leverage the money and what isn't, and you know the types of questions to ask to make sure it's being used as we want it to. So, yeah, I would love it if you and I did that together. And at some point we can bring the kids in too if it seems to be something they would enjoy, but I just am not ready for them to know about the money yet. I don't want them growing up thinking they don't have to earn their way or contribute to the world, you know?"
Hermione looked at his face, which was flush with earnestness and hope. "Yes, Ron. I do know. And, I love that idea. It will take me a bit to get used to the idea of it, but I feel much more comfortable with this idea. I love the concept of starting a foundation and getting to drive how those investments are made for the betterment of the world. And it does feel like a way to honor all of those who were killed in the war that you knew – or that both of us knew really. And I agree with keeping this from the kids until we think they are old enough and mature enough to not let it sway their work ethic. And, we can work through those details later with a finance person so some will be as a safety net for our parents and the kids. But, I absolutely love the idea of figuring out how to make the money do the most good. Actually – it's thrilling, really. Just imagining all the amazing things that could be done with it all. And, I love that you want to do that together."
She leaned forward and kissed him sweetly and then leaned against his chest. He held her close as he touched her face lightly and tucked a curl behind her ear. As she listened to his heart beat she finally asked, "What are you thinking about?"
He sighed and admitted, "How lucky we are. I used to just think of Fred and feel so guilty that he was dead and I wasn't - that I got to have experiences he would never have. And now I think of Fi and Dennis too. Fi and Dennis had the chance to fall in love and be married and have Hugo, and Fred never did any of that. But, then they lost more too. And yet somehow, with all the bizarre twists of fate, I am here. I never thought I would live to see twenty. But they are dead and I am here. And I am in this amazing place where the hills seem to glow in such bright colors that for once my hair is like camouflage! And not only that, but I found you and fell madly in love. And you, for reasons I will never fully understand, love me back. And you are brilliant and gorgeous and kind and fiery and an amazing mum. And you are hot as hell and surprise me with sexy nighties that blow my mind. And we get to watch two amazing children grow up and become whoever it is they will become. I am just constantly blown away by it. And I want to not feel guilty for enjoying it just like I tell Hugo. I want to live it to the absolute fullest as a way to appreciate it, you know? And sometimes it feels so perfect I worry I will wake up and find it was all a dream."
She tightened her arms that were wrapped around his torso and hugged him tighter. "I love you, Ron Weasley. And I feel the same way. For so long I knew something was missing in my life. And now I have you and I discovered magic, and it all feels like an incredible dream some days. But the incredible thing is that it isn't a dream. And we will bicker about silly things along the way, and we will probably hurt both screw up in ways we have yet to imagine. But I really hope we can always find our way back to this type of moment where it is just us and we can really appreciate what a gift we both have."
With that she tilted her head up to kiss him, slowly moving her hand under his jumper to his chest. She heard him sigh and groan slightly in pleasure as she moved her mouth down his neck. Soon he had cast a warming and privacy charm over them, and they had stripped off jumpers and trousers and were entwined in each other on the picnic blanket. Between the crisp fall air, the vibrant colors and the fact that she was naked outside for the first time in her life, Hermione felt her senses were heightened all the more. While they had made love only that morning with her being quite dominant in her sexy outfit, out here, Ron took the lead. Something about being so vulnerable in such an open setting made it ever so more intimate. She watched him lower his mouth to her core and threw her head back in pleasure. Once she had orgasmed, he pulled her legs up to his shoulders and entered her swiftly. She could feel him so deep within her, and yet surrounded by him that she was almost in tears at how safe and protected and loved she felt. And at the same time, the sheer jolts of ecstasy that ran through her with each of his thrusts had her teetering on a second orgasm. She just let her body become putty in his hands, and it all felt somewhat surreal as she plummeted off the cliff of a second climax in such an emotional state while naked in the woods of New England.
As they lay together cocooned in the blanket, Ron continued to cover her with gentle kisses and loving caresses, and soon she felt the tears come to her eyes. Soon he glanced at her concerned, "Did I hurt you?"
"No, no. Definitely no, Ron. It's just so perfect that it can be a bit overwhelming. I don't know why I'm crying, really. Such a silly girl thing I guess. I am so, so happy in this very moment. I never want to lose this. Ever. I love you so much."
"I love you, Hermione. No matter how much I may screw up in the future, please always remember that, ok? I never want to lose this either." With that he simple kissed her again, holding her against him in the glowing woods.
Eventually they peeled themselves off of the blanket, packed up their picnic, put their clothes back and on headed back. Ron went much slower this time, and he found that he enjoyed the view more at the slower pace. By the time they had returned the broom and gotten back to the inn, it was almost sunset. They decided to get cleaned up for dinner and walk to the restaurant next door. While she had brought a rather simple dress and shawl to wear to dinner, Hermione decided she could plan a second surprise for Ron and wear some of the other sexy lingerie underneath it on the off chance they were up for a third round of love making in 24 hours. She chuckled to herself thinking of how only a few months ago she wondered if she would die a virgin. Yes, she laughed to herself, she had definitely come a long way in the past year.
