Chapter Two
I ran straight into the Forbidden Forest. But today, however, the Forbidden Forest was the most welcoming site I'd ever seen; I wanted to sit there, among the trees, forever. Until, of course, I heard someone coming to me.
"Miss Granger?"
My heart pounding, I turned around-oh, not today-and there it, or should I say, she. It was of course, seeing how my luck today was going, Professor Trelawney.
"Oh-professor," I said, taking a relieving sigh. "What are you doing in the forest on a day like this?"
"I just need some rosemary herbs," she answered. "You see, today I saw in the crystal ball, a stack of rosemary herbs as my luck of today. So here I am."
I sighed. My momentary haven had been broken, and by one of the least I would've enjoyed it to be by.
"Dear," said the professor, who seemed to not notice me in my apprehensiveness, "well, I don't know how to say this, but…your skirt is unzipped and your blouse is unbuttoned."
My eyes grew wide, as my fingers fumbled quickly. "Oh, I…I just took a dip in the lake…must've forgotten…"
Professor Trelawney turned away, pretending to not notice, as I quickly and properly put on my clothes.
"Oh, you have a bug on you dear," the professor said when I had finished. She pulled it from behind my ear, and held a small, red bug in her hand. Her eyes widened.
"What is it Professor?" I asked, gratefully for a distraction from the current mess I've gotten myself into.
"Oh my, oh my…I thought so, but I wasn't sure…yes, yes…"
I turned sharply against Trelawney's back, and examined the little red bug in her hand. It had an odd appearance, with small wings and four little feet…and…
"What's in its eyes?" I asked the professor.
She turned at me and grinned. "Those, my dear…are hearts in its eyes. Because this," she lifted it up to the sunlight like she was holding a trophy, and said, "is a love bug."
I gasped and backed away; I knew what those were, I had read about them before. Only wizards and witches got them whenever they were, they were…
The professor seemed to know my thoughts as she turned to me and said, with a smiling face, "In love."
My palms became sweaty and my heart raced. Everything around me faded. The trees became fuzzy and the sky became dark. I dropped to my knees…
"The bugs always go where you need help," Trelawney continued, though I barely heard her. "And-to no accident, at all-your bug was found on your ear."
She came up beside me and leaned over, looking at me straight in the eyes. I gave her the worst look I could muster, but I immediately dropped it.
"You need to listen to him."
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I miserably walked back into the castle, not sure if I wanted to avoid Hermione or not. "Bloody hell," I whispered to myself, "I love her-why can't she just see that?"
A small first year looked up at me with large eyes as I pasted his way to the Great Hall. I looked back down from my towering height and wet body, and barked, "What are you looking at? Haven't you ever been in love?"
I moved slowly yet deliberately, not excited at all the return to the Common Room to find my sister and best mate snuggling…or Neville and Luna for that matter. I began to walk around aimlessly, going up stairs…click, click, click…going down stairs, clunk, clunk, clunk. I became so engrossed in the rhythm that I almost forget were I was and what I was trying to forget…I had almost accomplished it whenever I ran right into Professor Trelawney.
Her large eyes grew miraculously larger as she nearly flew right on her bum. I caught her from her shoulder and steadied her. She looked surprised enough by the almost-fall, and here I was helping her? Yes, Hermione was definitely rubbing off on me.
Hermione.
Damn.
I had almost, almost forgotten.
"Thank you dear," Trelawney said, breaking my thoughts. "I never get used to these staircases I'm afraid."
I smiled politely and turned to continue my rhyme, up, down, up, down…
"Oh, hold on one moment Mr. Weasley."
Trelawney came to level with me, and looked at me peculiarly. "Oh, my stars…this can't be possible!"
"W-what?" I asked, frightful that she never something I did. (And of course, she did).
"Put your hand on the lower part of the right side of your mouth."
I'll admit, it took me several minutes to register what she'd said. But when I finally found what she was speaking of, I felt a bug.
"Ah!" I yelped, a bit more high-pitched then I would claim to. "Bloody hell professor, what was that?"
"Look at it…it's still in your hand."
No possible way, sure I had lost it when I had found it…I dropped it…wait…
"What's that in its eyes?"
She smiled at me, and quickly began to laugh. I had never heard her laugh like that-straight from her stomach-and it worried me that maybe this was an omen of death, and she was feeling particularly cruel today.
"Professor, professor-" I said, hoping to calm her, "Please tell me…what is this?"
"A love bug," she said shortly. "It goes to the place at which you need the most aid…"
"My-my lips?" I asked, my heart beating. "Does that mean I'm a bad kisser?"
I suddenly got visions of Hermione, kissing me in the lake…and my heart dropped. There was so much I wanted to say to her, to tell her…but how could I find the words?
"No, dear," she said briskly, 'it means you need to tell her how you feel."
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My problem was, of course, I had no idea how to do that-listen, I mean. I can listen to teachers, listen to parents and adults-but listen to the person that meant the most to me? Of course I couldn't do that.
So as I walked back into Hogwarts, I resolved myself to avoid Ron at all costs. No way would I let myself act like an idiot, again. Once was enough for one day, thank you.
When I quietly returned to the Common Room, I found Harry and Ginny in a rather suggestive position on the couch. Ron would've hated to see that.
Ron.
Damn.
I had almost, almost forgotten.
I was about to sit down whenever the portrait hole opened.
"Bloody hell Harry, will you stop that with my sister-" he stopped dead in his tracks whenever he saw me. He looked so frightened that I wanted to cry.
"Her-Hermione…"
Oh God, don't cry…don't be an idiot, remember?
"I'm such an idiot."
…did I just say that aloud?
"Hermione, no you're not," Ron said, coming as close to be as he dared. And how can I blame him? He had kissed me, I kissed him back, he kissed me again…and then I acted like I never wanted it at all. "Listen, can we go somewhere? There's some things I want to say-"
I couldn't hear anymore, though. Well actually, I couldn't listen. I just couldn't.
"Hermione…"
I ran out of the portrait hall, and into the cold, stone corridor. Ron, however, followed.
"We can't let things end like this," he was saying, "please, just-just let me say some things…"
I looked to the closest exit, and I found it in a small door marked, "Private." I didn't care, however, about breaking rules. Not now, not with what I had to face.
I threw back the door and tried my best to close it in front of Ron, but he was easily stronger then me and followed me inside.
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Hermione was being so stubborn, so infuriating…but I had to say everything that she meant to me, I couldn't live without letting her know.
We found ourselves in a tiny room covered in towels. For a moment I forgot Hermione and I were potential lovers arguing, because she asked me, questions in her voice, "Where are we?"
"Looks like a…a laundry room," I answered. White walls, large baskets of white and blue towels, and a large laundry shoot. The room suddenly felt smaller as I came closer to the lovely girl who was avoiding me without victory.
"Hermione, listen…"
"Ron! I can't listen!" she shouted, taking me completely by surprise. "Don't you realize that I'm scared? That I don't know what this means? That I could possibly-lo-lov-ve-"
"Love?"
She looked at me with an infuriated glare. "You're not helping," she snapped, and many things happened at once. She outstretched her right arm closest to the laundry shoot, and missed. Her arm went straight down, into the large hole meant only for dropping dirty towels. A small scream erupted from her lips as the top of her body fell into the large shoot. I watched, feeling as though I was watching a train wreck, as she went down.
My body instantly jumped onto the scene. I grabbed her foot and felt something I didn't expect…her body pressuring me down. I had no idea the force the shoot had until was inside of it, holding Hermione by her ankles.
"Ron," Hermione said, barely audible.
"Yes?"
"Don't let me go."
And I didn't.
We began to slip, little by little, but I never let her go. Finally, both of our bodies were stuck inside the shoot, and a finally surge of force moved us down.
I didn't even realize we were screaming until I heard it echo in the metal tube we were sliding down. I was now wrapped tightly on Hermione's knees, keeping her steady. I closed my eyes, and remembered to breathe…
Then I heard an, "Ouch!" and I opened my eyes again. Hermione was falling into the very, very hefty white basket full of towels. She reached the end of the shoot with one last gust of strength, and I followed suit.
Inside the basket were several layers of filthy, old towels that I was sure Filch had never gotten around to washing. There was nothing else inside the room but towels, and I had no idea how to get out. But that wasn't my concern.
Hermione was cutely situated onto of a small pile of towels, keeping her head low and her partially bare legs (she was wearing a skirt) very highly.
"Hermione," I mumbled. "Are you okay?"
"Yes-"
Just as the word escaped from her mouth, the towels began to rain on us. I found her hand and pulled her close to me. I laid her down and put my body over her, protecting her from whatever impacting the falling towels might have.
So many layers came on top of me, but still I stayed with her. I couldn't even see the light anymore, but I heard Hermione's breathing. She smelled sweet, like sugar. Before I knew it, I was kissing her neck.
I heard her moan softly at the feeling, and suddenly I was pushed off again. I stumbled, lifting several layers of towels over my head as I breathed the fresh air.
I waited for Hermione to catch her breathe before I dared to speak.
"Hermione, I-"
"Let me handle this, please?"
I nodded, fearing she might get up, or even worse, hit me. But what she did took me completely by surprise: she slowly came closer to me, pulled herself into my lap, placed her hands on the back of my neck, and finally, kissed me.
It was the sweetest kiss I had ever experience; I felt her, and I wanted everything she had. I rubbed her back as she deepened our sweet, sweet kiss.
She finally released me, and I knew she loved me back; there was nothing left to tell her that I hadn't already explained. She went in to kiss me again, but I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let me say something else-"
"I think you've said everything that I need to hear," she answered me, caressing my cheek. "And you know what Ron Weasley? I-I…love you."
I smiled, and placed a hand on her neck. "Come, and listen to me some more," I said, and I kissed her even sweeter then before.
The End.
A/N-Short and sweet. I apologize for the probably million dumb grammar mistakes. I'm tired. haha. Review please!