Disclaimer: Oh how I wish it was mine…

A/N: Thank you for all the lovely reviews! Hope you like this chapter.

Chapter 4 – Such Great Heights

It seemed like forever ago that Rhiann was worried about friends. She could still remember the horrible ending with her old friends, and feeling uncertain about the future, but all of that was in the past, for Rhiann was having a blast with Ginny and Hermione. She divided her time between studying with Hermione and Ginny, sketching, relaxing with the group and watching Ron and Harry practice Qudditch. Ron and Rhiann were spending more time together since their little meeting near the Black Lake. They discovered they had a few things in common except that Rhiann loved to read and was afraid to get on a broom. She and Hermione would sit and watch Ron, Harry and Ginny fly around the quidditch pitch.

Harry, Ginny, and Ron were tossing the Quaffle about in the Quidditch Pitch while Rhiann watched. Hermione was sick, and they couldn't convince Rhiann to get on a broom to save them, so they couldn't play a game.

"It's really not that bad, you know," Harry said, trying to sound convincing. In Quidditch, you either had the blood for it or you didn't, Harry knew, his father was a Seeker once.

"No, absolutely not, I won't do it! I'll just sit and read," she argued.

"Your loss," said Ron bluntly.

Rhiann sat in the tall stands, with a sketchbook, novel, and all of her "artists' materials" about her. She poised her paper, pencil in hand, and began to make a sketch of her friends on brooms. It was hard, but she knew to wait until one of them was in a similar position each time she sketched a new part of her picture. She blushed when Ron caught her looking at him, when in truth, she was waiting for him to extend his arm to catch the Quaffle, it may have looked awkward from his perspective. Ginny was easiest, she had a few signature dives and leans that she imitated often. Harry got the ball most, so he was always throwing it back. Eventually, she finished the sketch and decided to put remaining touches on it later. She grabbed her novel and lit a lantern, built into the stands--as it was near sunset. Harry and Ginny decided to call it quits, but Ron decided to stick around and practice his dives. He frequently glanced over to see the light illuminating Rhiann's face. Her eyes were her best feature, a deep olive-green, setting off her auburn hair quite nicely, framed below by a straight nose, and even, rosy lips, her face dotted with freckles to finish off her appearance. Rhiann started to pack up her things, the sky was a deep pinkish orange now.

"Do you want to see the sunset?" Ron asked, startling her.

"I'm not blind," she smartly retorted.

"I mean, do you want to see it from a different perspective?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you trust me?" Ron asked

"I-I suppose, why?" she was puzzled.

"Just meet me by the locker rooms in a few minutes, please?" he said 'please' as a last resort, not wanting to sound too---eager.

Rhiann waited patiently by the boys' locker rooms, until Ron came out, gleaming from a quick shower, and change of clothes. He was holding his broom, a new Nimbus 2000, not the current best model, but it was a gift.

"You don't want me to fly, do you?" Rhiann asked, eyeing the Nimbus 2000.

"Of course I do, you said you trust me, and I won't let you fall, I promise."

"But are you----"

"It's okay, trust me, please," he looked pleadingly at her now, and he could tell by her expression she was giving in.

She sighed, and then said "Just don't get me killed." It made him smile. He helped her on the broom, and sat behind her, feeling she would be more comfortable if she could lean back on some support, instead of thin air. He leaned forward, his head looking over her shoulder as he placed his hands as far up the broom as he could go. She leaned back a little, toward him, and rested her arms on his, her elbows bent inward, and her hands resting on the inside of his forearms. He kicked off suddenly, and she winced in a sudden jolt of nausea.

"You'll be safe, I promise," he whispered in her ear.

They flew for a few minutes, until he finally whispered for her to open her eyes. She gasped in admiration. They were a thousand miles above everything, at least, and the sunset was pale pinks and purples, oranges and yellows. She was astounded.

"It's beautiful." She said, almost at a whisper.

"Yes, you are," he said, looking at her from behind.

She looked at him, as surprise crossed her face, and he smiled. He looked deep into her eyes, and leaned in, but settled on kissing her cheek, as they were at an odd angle. She leaned her head back on his shoulder as the sunset faded into night, and they flew back to Hogwarts.

When he helped her off the broom and put it down, he wrapped his arms around her waist. Her gaze drifted toward his eyes, then down to his lips, as she snaked one arm around his neck, sweeping her hand through the hair at the base of his neck, and the other hand rested lightly on his shoulder. He brought a hand back to tilt her chin up, and looked into her eyes. He tilted his head to the side, and moved towards her, as he simultaneously pulled her chin toward him with his light grasp. He kissed her. It was very slow at first, as Ron waited until he felt her kissing him back, when he slowly turned the kiss into a deeper one, filled with all the knowing that both people had wanted to do this for quite some time now. As she smiled into the kiss, and slowly pulled away, she silently brought her head to rest on his shoulder again. He wrapped both his arms around her again, and she felt like nothing would harm her as long as she was in his arms.

The warm, blazing fire was the only company Rhiann had in the Hufflepuff common room. Except for the rather large, old, brown book that was lying on her lap, she was quite alone. It was late, midnight, and she knew she should be in bed. But she couldn't sleep, and the way she had tossed and turned trying desperately to fall asleep, she wasn't the least bit tired. The fact that all she could think about was Ron was not helping her sleeping problem either. The day's events replayed in her head as she felt herself smile. She had had the most amazing time, even if she had to get on a broom.

"If my heart had a face, I bet it would be smiling" Rhiann whispered, as she picked up the old book and opened it.

"Oh? And why is that?" a voice said

Rhiann's eyes snapped up from the book and searched for where the voice had come from. It had sounded familiar, and like a boy's. She looked towards the stairs that lead to the boy's dormitories. But it was too dark to tell if anyone was there.

"Who's there?" Rhiann asked, eyes still searching the common room.

A figure moved in the dark shadows and stepped into the light. Rhiann felt herself smile as she saw who it was. Jumping up from the chair, her book falling on the floor, she ran over to the tall boy standing near the staircase and threw her arms around him.

"Well, it's good to see you too!" the boy smiled as he hugged Rhiann tightly

"When did you get here? I thought you had transferred to a different magic school! Oh, I've missed you so much, Greg" Rhiann whispered, almost unable to believe that her very best friend was with her.

Rhiann had met Greg in her first year. She hadn't seen him since 3rd year, when his parents transferred him to another magic school, somewhere in America. She has missed him for so long, sending him letters since he left. They had talked a little after he left through the letters but, they stopped a year after he left. Rhiann had no one when she started her 4th year, the year she met the witches. It felt really good to finally have him in her arms again. Rhiann stepped back from Greg and really looked at him. He was taller now, and his light brown hair was long. But his eyes, his beautiful green-brown eyes had stayed the same.

"What?" Greg asked her, seeing something in her eyes.

"Oh, nothing. I've just missed you so much" Rhiann said, hugging him again.

"I'm sorry I didn't write. I got so busy with….things" Greg told her, as he stopped hugging her, and led her to the chair Rhiann had been sitting in earlier. It was a large chair, so they both fit.

"No, its okay. I didn't really notice. Things got busy over here too." Rhiann lied. She wanted to tell him that when he stopped writing it broke her heart. But she couldn't say it, not right now, so she blocked the thought out of her mind.

"Oh…,"he said and looked at the floor "Well, let's not talk about that. I think I should explain my rather abrupt arrival. Let me fill you in on everything" Greg told her.

A/N: so did you like it? Then how about dropping me a little review? You know you want to.