Chapter 6 – A Breezy Saturday Morning

It was a breezy and cool Saturday morning, two weeks into December, when Hermione woke up. As she blinked open her eyes, a thought quickly shot in her head, filling her with tingling excitement. Ron and her were friends again, and he was going to go to Slughorn's party with her in less than a week. Hermione grinned to herself. This thought jolted her out of bed. She looked at her alarm clock as she stood next to her bed and realized that it was very early.

Far too early for Ron to be up yet, so there's no point in going to breakfast. But what if Ron was already up? What if he is just as excited of going with me as I am of going with him? After all, he had said yes. And wasn't nervousness and a bit of stuttering on Ron's side a good sign? A sign that Ron was excited about going? That maybe…no…probably not…well regardless we're going together. Was his nervousness just that…that he felt awkward about going with her of all people? To be seen with her at such a function?

Hermione saw no point in trying to go back to sleep, so instead she got dressed and slid downstairs into the common room with a book. The room was deserted and far colder than the dormitory. She lit the cold fire place with a wave of her wand, and sat down on the couch, pulling her legs up onto it as well, and propping her book up against her knees. Hermione couldn't help but flinch at every noise, hoping it would mean Ron was awake. For she didn't know, Ron Weasley was already awake.

Ron lay in his four-poster bed, his quilt pulled over his head. He had had a dream about Hermione, and tried to desperately go back to sleep to continue the story line that had unfolded. And he'd also heard that if one woke up around six hours after falling asleep, one could then enter a lucid dream more easily. But Ron's body was full of adrenaline. The prospect of going on a date with Hermione would have sufficed, but there was also the sheer fact that she had asked him.

With such thoughts and revelations, even Ron's usual self deprecating behavior had taken a back seat. Although that nasty little troll was still saying things. "She's just going with you to make you shut up about the Slug Club," said the nasty troll. "She doesn't like you, mate. I bet she just couldn't find anyone else to go with. Or maybe she thought you'd throw another fit had it been someone else. Remember your tantrum after the Yule Ball? That was a laugh, wasn't it!"

"Shut up, you arse-faced buffoon," said Ron inwardly to the troll. "She wants to go with me because.… ." He really didn't know why anymore. Yesterday night he'd thought it to be a friendly invitation, but then Harry had suggested…

There was no point in trying to go back to bed. Therefore, he got out of bed, and got dressed. Ron was extremely hungry but was convinced no one would be down to breakfast yet. And it was too dark to take out his broomstick and go flying. Why not learn a new spell? Ron grabbed his notebook, which contained detailed descriptions on many spells, some of which he'd already learned and some of which were on his "to-do list".

Hermione's head jerked around to the spiral staircases behind her. A door had just opened and closed, however silently. Steps were coming closer and closer. They were coming from the boys staircase. Could it be…?

Hermione's heart leapt at the sight of Ron as he'd reached the bottom of the staircase. Ron had expected the room to be empty, but he looked up and saw Hermione smiling at him.

"Good morning, Ron," she said cheerfully.

"Good morning, Hermione," said Ron, beaming at Hermione.

"You're up early," said Hermione inquiringly. Her heart leapt. She hoped he was up because of his nerves…because he liked the idea of going with her and was excited.

"So are you," said Ron, trying to sound casual. "Trouble sleeping?"

"No. Not really. I woke up, but…couldn't fall back asleep. What about you?" she said. Ron had made his way over to the couch and sat down next to Hermione.

"Same thing," replied Ron, staring into the fire absentmindedly. He blinked several times and opened his notebook and took out his wand.

Hermione tried her best to stay focused on her book. But Ron sitting next to her, seemingly studying on his own time, made it difficult for her to hold back the urge to snog him this instant.

Little did she know, that he had extreme difficulties focusing himself. Her scent of roses and vanilla intoxicated his brain. Ron fondly remembered the time Hermione had borrowed one of his jumpers at the Burrow. It was during a relatively chilly evening in the summer, and Hermione had fallen asleep wearing that very jumper. When she'd handed it back to Ron in the morning, it it had still smelled just like Hermione.

Hermione stirring next to him caused Ron to become aware of his surroundings again, ending his pleasant daydream, placing his mind back into the tense environment, that was now Ron and Hermione's friendship.

Hermione cleared her throat, causing Ron to look over to her. He looked right into her brown eyes. His heart skipped a beat when they met his own.

"So…uhm…what exactly are you…doing with that notebook?" asked Hermione nervously. After she'd finished talking she looked back into her book, trying to seem casual.

"Oh, it's just got a bunch of defensive spells in them…might come in handy some day, you never know,"

Hermione quickly looked at Ron and nodded.

"True," she said simply. She was about to open her mouth when Ron beat her to the punch.

"And what is it you're reading?" he asked. "Is—is that the Standard Book of Spells Grade Six?"

"Well, yes, it is," said Hermione, a blush faintly creeping up on her cheeks. "Just catching up on some things…" said Hermione, now trying to hide her blush with the book.

"Why'd you need to catch up? Aren't you always ahead?" said Ron incredulously.

"I'll have to catch up if I want to stay a head, so yes, I do need to catch up.

I lost some time the last few weeks because I've spent a lot of time—," said Hermione, whose eyes went wide as she realized her mistake. Ron spoke before he thought.

"Why'd you lose time?" said Ron. Hermione's eyes shot him a quick glance and she began to stutter, trying to formulate a response other than "because I thought we were no longer friends and that I'd lost you forever, which has caused me to cry for hours on end, pretty much every day for several weeks. I love you, please be mine forever."

But Ron interrupted Hermione.

"Oh…right…" he said, looking at his shoes guiltily. "I'm sorry, 'Mione." Ron's voice had cracked when saying Hermione's name, causing the "Her" to cut off. Hermione looked over at Ron with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. Why was it that she found Ron calling her "Mione" the most adorable thing she had ever witnessed? He took a quick look at her, and looked away again, now swimming in his guilt.

Ron cleared his throat. "Her-mione…sorry, something in my—" He nervously coughed.

Hermione shut her book and gently placed her hand on Ron's forearm.

"I already forgave you, Ronald…there's no need to apologize again," she said, giving him a soft smile, forgetting to let go of his forearm. Ron looked at her delicate, soft-looking hands. Oh, how much he wanted to just hold her hand…

"No, I was a prat, Hermione, I really was," said Ron. "Still am, in fact…"

"No, you're not a prat," said Hermione, holding Ron's forearm more firmly now. "You may have been one in the past... at times, but…you definitely aren't a prat." Ron instinctively put his hand on top of hers. He noticed that her hands were cold. She felt Ron's warm hand cup the backside of her own, causing her heart rate to speed up immensely. The tips of Ron's ears went dangerously red as he'd realized what he was doing.

"I—I…uhm…it—it feels good to hear you say that," said Ron, smiling at Hermione, causing her heart rate to speed up even more.

How adorable can a person get? God I just want to…tell you how I feel, Hermione…

"I really do mean it."

The two held each other's gaze for a very long time. Hermione's instincts took over and her head began to move slowly towards Ron's. The silence of the common room was broken by wind brushing up against a nearby window loudly, causing both Ron and Hermione to jerk away their hands, and look at what had made the noise.

Bloody stupid wind…ruined the moment…

Ron cleared his throat.

"Do you…wanna go to the kitchens and get breakfast? I reckon it's too early to get anything from the house table's yet." Hermione opened her mouth to speak.

"I know how you feel about the house-elves, yes. I'll make sure they don't call us "Masters" or bow or anything…" said Ron. He looked at her with puppy eyes, and Hermione knew the legendary hunger of Ronald Weasley.

She rolled her eyes.

"Well…the food from the house tables is no different, is it? It's also elf made…" she said. Ron beamed at her, pocketed his notebook and got up. Hermione put her book next to her on the couch and got up.

As they made their way through corridors, two first year girls awkwardly smiled at Ron and Hermione as they told them "good morning".

"I don't remember us being that shy," said Ron as they turned the corner.

"Me neither…you were anything but shy, to be honest," said Hermione, fondly remembering the wreckage that was the girl's bathroom after the troll attack.

They walked in silence for a few seconds, the awkwardness building up. Ron managed to break the tension once again, by telling Hermione about how he'd made up with Harry, carefully leaving out any bits of their conversation concerning Hermione.

As they entered the kitchens, delegations of house elves made their way over them, bowing, and offering their services. Ron spoke.

"Please, don't bow, it's fine, please, can we…" Ron looked over at Hermione. "Can we just have a bit of breakfast, please?"

The house elves shuffled off, bringing back several trays of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, oatmeal, cereal, and chugs of pumpkin juice, coffee, tea and milk.

"How are we gonna get this to the common room?" said Ron to Hermione.

"Dobby will take care of that, Mr. Weasley, sir!" spoke a squeaky voice, nearby.

"Dobby!" said Ron. "Good to see you!" said Ron and Hermione in unison.

Dobby's eyes watered. He patted them dry with one of his dozen knitted hats made by Hermione, and looked up at Ron and Hermione.

"The sweet friends of Harry Potter think it's good to see Dobby!" said Dobby, now his nose with a loud trumpet noise.

"Such kindness…" said Dobby, looking at Ron and Hermione admiringly, making both of them uncomfortable.

"Dobby will take your meal to the Gryffindor common room!"

Thus, Ron and Hermione went back to the common room, returning to a table set with breakfast.

Hermione had emptied her plate, but Ron had filled his for the fourth time.

Hermione smiled at the sight of Ron spreading bits of cut up sausage onto his toast. She often nagged him about his eating habits, but had to confess it was one of the many things she loved about him. This time, it was Hermione's turn to speak before thinking.

"I'm really looking forward to the Christmas Party," (With you. That's the only reason I'm looking forward to it. It's you Ron. You're the reason.) said Hermione, a blush creeping up her cheeks as realization dawned on her.

Ron choked slightly on his toast, causing several pieces of sausage to crumble onto the floor. He took a big gulp of pumpkin juice, cleared his throat and said, "Yeah…me too."

He smiled at her, causing Hermione to look down into her lap, unable to suppress the grin that had formed on her face. Her face was shades of crimson.

Even though Hermione had spoken without thinking, she had thought herself smart to show Ron, in her very own way, that she was interested. If Hermione wanted Ron to be hers…she would need to at least show that she wanted him…subtly…