Chapter 2:
Thanks to their watch rotation, every three nights, Ron and Hermione spent the evening together alone in the tent. Mostly they did their own thing. Hermione always had her nose in a book, and Ron would fiddle with the radio or play solitaire with a deck of cards she'd brought. Their flirting had increased though in just the past few days. Ron's massage and his comment at the end about wanting to touch her had Hermione's mind reeling, and she found herself daydreaming often and losing focus on the page she was on.
They had a small worn-out couch in the tent, and tonight Hermione had taken refuge on it. She was curled up in several layers of sweaters on one end reading the book Dumbledore had left her in his will. Ron came out from the back of the tent with two cups of tea. "Here," he said handing her the cup and sitting down beside her closer than he needed too. "To warm you up." "Thanks," she responded taking the cup. Their fingers brushed, and it felt like sparks. "Whatcha reading?" he asked. "This children's book," she said turning it over to show him the cover. "I just can't help but think there's something Dumbledore wanted me to figure out. I just don't know what that is."
"You'll figure it out," Ron said reassuringly patting her leg. She put the book down on the arm and clasped the tea cup with both hands. The warmth felt good. She and Ron chatted for the next few minutes as they both gulped down their hot liquid. Ron took her empty cup and sat them both on the floor. "Back to it," she said picking up her book once more. "What story are you on?" Ron asked. "Babbity Rabbity," Hermione said smiling. She remembered Ron saying that was his favorite. "That's the best one," he exclaimed. "Read it to me?"
She laughed. "Sure."
Ron had gotten a lot more confident around Hermione lately. He noticed that she was nervous around him and hoped that meant she shared his feelings for her. She blushed when he complimented her, and he always heard her catch her breath when they touched. He used his newfound self-esteem and stretched out on the couch laying his head in her lap. Though a bit surprised by his boldness, Hermione didn't mind one bit. "Comfy," she amused. "Very," he said grinning up at her. He crossed his hands on his chest and closed his eyes. Using Hermione's lap as a pillow was a fun position to be in. She rested her left arm gently on top of his, propping up the book in her hand so she could read it. She started, "This is the tale of Babbity Rabbity and the Cackaling Stump." Hermione's voice was so soothing. Ron could listen to her all day. When Hermione had been reading for a few minutes, she worked up the nerve to play with Ron's hair with her right hand. She just reached down and gently started running her fingers through it. She took in how surprisingly silky his red locks were. Ron's heart nearly stopped. Though he suspected Hermione had a crush on him, she had never initiated any of what little physical contact they'd had. Not wanting her to stop, he looked up at her, caught her eye and smiled widely. He wanted her to know that he was very happy about what was happening.
The combination of Hermione's voice and her fingers in his hair were so comforting and relaxing that Ron drifted off to sleep. Hermione was still reading when she heard him breathing heavily and looked down. He was asleep in her lap. The moment struck her as magical. She smiled feeling sleep herself. She put down her book on the table beside the couch. Then, not wanting to wake Ron up, she softly inched down so that she could rest her head on the back of the couch. She still had one hand in Ron's hair and now placed the other on top of his crossed hands. Without waking up, Ron subconsciously caught her hand in his, interlacing their fingers. Hermione fell asleep easier than she had in a long time.
When Harry came in a few hours later, he saw Ron fast asleep on Hermione's lap. She was asleep too, slumped down on the couch. He smiled to himself. Though their love for each other often made him feel lonely, he would be truly happy if they got together. Harry attempted to tiptoe through the tent but tripped over the tea mugs Ron had left on the floor the night before. "Blimey," he said quietly.
Hermione didn't rouse, but the noise was enough to stir Ron who opened his eyes and wiped the sleep from them. He looked up to see beautiful Hermione sound asleep. He then darted his eyes to Harry and grinned. "Morning, mate," he whispered sitting up. "Slept well I take it," Harry said back in quiet teasing tone. Ron looked over now at Hermione who had curled herself into a ball when he had relieved her from the weight of his head. "Yep," Ron said stretching. "Like a baby."
"You two are hopeless, you know that?" Harry said laughing and shaking his head.
"I know," Ron said smiling and standing. He fetched a blanket off the bed and used it to cover Hermione up.
Hermione woke up about an hour later. She could hear the boys talking outside. She felt well-rested despite having slept sitting up.
*Not the most exciting moment I know, but I think it would be little things like this that would help Hermione and Ron fall more and more in love. Hope you liked it.