Chapter Text
“You’re back early,” Ron said. It sounded more like a question rather than a statement.
Hermione made a quick pan around the room. No girlfriend in sight. She must have gotten tired and gone to bed.
So why is he here? Was he waiting for me?
Ron sat up in his chair and looked behind her, perhaps waiting for her date to follow behind.
I hope not. She thought as she glanced behind her as well.
Hermione doesn’t answer. She was tired. Her feet hurt and she just wanted sleep. She fully intended to ignore him. She continued on her path to the staircase to her dormitory.
“Oí! I’m talking to you! You can’t just pretend I don’t exist!” Ron said. He got up from the chair and walked halfway across the room.
Hermione kept walking.
“Hermione! Wait- you have to talk to me sometime!” Ron said. He took more steps forward.
“Actually I don’t! I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to!” Hermione said as she stoped and turned back to face him.
“Oh! Right, and going on a date with McLaggen is what you wanted to do?” Ron said in an annoyed voice.
“No! It’s not what I wanted to do, it’s what I had to do! I didn’t get to go with who I wanted, so I had to figure it out!” Hermione retorted.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ron asked, with a confused look on his face.
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” Hermione said in a quieter voice. “Why do you care anyway?”
“I don’t know what your problem is! First you send those birds on me and then you ignore me all term-“
“My problem? My problem? I didn’t have a problem until you decided to blow me off for Lavender Brown!”
“What are you talking about? What does Lavender have to do with anything?” Ron asked.
“It has everything to do with it! I asked you to tonight’s party! And the next thing I knew you iced me out and started dating my roommate!”
“That wasn’t a date! You didn’t say-“
“It was implied! You didn’t give me the opportunity to formally invite you!”
“You should have been more clear!”
“And why were you treating me so terribly? Right before the first quidditch game of the year!”
“Wait, did you invite McLaggen just to piss me off?”
“And don’t change the subject!”
“Answer my question! Did you invite McLaggen just to spike me?”
“Why do you care if I go out with Cormac?”
“I just do.”
“Yes! Okay? I invited him because I knew you hated him!”
“I can’t believe you would stoop so low, Hermione honestly.”
“Ronald! Don’t change the subject. Answer me right now why did you blow me off?”
“I- I wasn’t blowing you off, I was just mad…”
“Mad about what?”
“Something Ginny said. When Harry and I found her and Dean snogging in a corridor”
“And what did Ginny say?”
“I was getting on her for all the public snogging-
Hermione burst out a laugh.
Ron rolls his eyes. “I was getting on her for all the public snogging and in our fight she said I was only mad because I never snogged anyone.”
“Okay… and what does that have to do with-“
“And she mentioned that you and Krum had snogged and that really bummed me out”
“What?”
“So I don’t want to hear it. I know okay? I know all about you and Vicky-“
“Wait, you're telling me that you started dating Lavender because you were mad I kissed someone two years ago?” Hermione said. “ I cannot believe- oh my - I don’t even know what to say to that…”
“I know that it was more than that-“ Ron responded.
“It was nothing! It lasted… it didn’t mean… That is the most childish and immature and stupid-“ Hermione said. She put her hands up in disbelief.
“Alright … stop it. Okay! Yeah, I started dating Lavender because I was upset.. but she was nice to me and she liked me.. “
“I like you”
“You do?”
“Well I did. It comes and goes these days.” Hermione said, “Wait… was?”
“Yeah we sorta broke up.. “ Ron said. Hermione was too stunned to speak.
“Well, more like she dumped me”
Hermione stepped closer, “Oh, I’m sorry.”
Hermione stepped closer to Ron and tried to comfort him by touching his arm but changed her mind.
“Don’t be, I'm not. I sorta stopped enjoying that relationship a while ago. It’s all worked out for the best”. Ron was not about to tell Hermione the real reason. How he couldn’t stop staring at her, and how Lavender called him out.
“Well we’ve been stupid haven’t we?”
“Yeah we’re pretty thick headed” Ron said.
They stepped closer, until they were face to face. Inches apart, they could look into each other's eyes. The light for the fireplace slowly died. Candles around the room quickly became their only source of light. It was still lit enough to look at Ron’s face. He’s beautiful face. Hermione felt like she could swim and drown in his beautiful blue eyes.
“I care about you, Hermione.” Ron said. He looked at her with a softness. His eyes darted around her face like he wanted to memorize it.
“I care you you too, Ron”
“No … I care about you differently… “ Ron reached down and grabbed her hand, desperate to make her understand.
“I know what you mean,” Hermione said. She held his hand too and leaned into him.
“I feel it too.”
Ron leaned in and hovered his lips over hers… “I really want to kiss you”
Hermione closed the space between them.
Their lips press against each other’s. Hermione loses herself for a moment. All her feelings since last year explode inside of her. The kiss deepened and Ron took Hermione's frame into his arms and rested his hands on her hips. Hermione placed her hands on his shoulders and held on for dear life. And they stand there for what feels like forever. Hermione pulled away first.
“This is too complicated” she said.
“No it’s not, we can just..” Ron replied and kissed her again.
Ron's hands began to explore her body as they are just full blown snogging in the common room. Before fully giving in to her temptation Hermione pulled away again, “I want to, I really do” she says with her mouth pressed against his. “I think I had too much to drink at the party”
“Are you drunk?”
“No”
“So what is it?”
“You just broke up with your girlfriend… and we have a lot of issues”
Ron closed his eyes. This isn’t what he wants to hear.
“I think we should take some time. Learn to be friends again before we try to…”
“Right” Ron pulled away completely. He rubbed his neck. He put distance between them and turned away from her. “Sorry I feel like an idiot ...we shouldn’t have-“
“Ron, wait- please” Hermione said. She followed him and grabbed at his shirt sleeve.
Ron turned around and Hermione kissed him again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in tight. He returned the kiss and hug.
“I’m not rejecting you.” She said.
Ron looked down, unsure of the situation.
“Ron, look at me. I fancy you a lot. So much that I don’t want to ruin it.”
“We’re not gonna ruin it-“
“Not if we take our time. Please.” Hermione kissed him again. “Please.”
Ron sighed, he couldn’t say no.
“What does it mean?”
“It means we will be friends again.”
“I don’t want to be friends”
“It means we’ll learn to trust each other again and communicate” Hermione clarified.
“For how long?”
“I don’t know”
“Hermione-“
“We need to go home for the holiday. And when we get back we can talk about it”
“Right after?”
“Yea, I just need some time to clear my head, and get over my still hurt feelings”.
“We‘ll write to each other?”
“Yes”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
They shared another kiss. “I need sleep, we have an early morning tomorrow”
“I know, I don’t want to let you go”
“You like sleep too”
“Yeah…”
“You might miss breakfast”
“Right” Ron said as he finally let go.
“Goodnight, I’ll see after break”
“Goodnight, I’ll see you after break”