Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, places, situations, etc. Do I look like I belong on Forbes' list of billionaires?
Their laughter about Ginny's hair had relieved some of the tension between Ron and Hermione, and they felt more normal around each other. They left Ginny in her room fussing at her mirror (which had intoned, "My dear, I don't think that's the most flattering shade of hair color for you") and came downstairs to find Mrs. Weasley giving the twins a severe dressing-down.
"...but, Mum, you'd think she'd know by now not to take any sweets from us!"
"And we told her it will wear off...eventually."
Mrs. Weasley shook her finger warningly at the twins. "I don't care! I've told you both I don't want you trying out your concoctions on the family!" She threw up her hands and looked heavenward. "Oh, what am I going to do with these two?!" She turned and hurried outside, still muttering.
Fred and George looked at each other and broke into laughter. Then they noticed Hermione.
George bowed low before her. "Well hello, Hermione, simply smashing to see you again!"
Fred shook her hand regally. "Yes, it has simply been too, too long. How wonderful you look!"
Hermione cocked an eyebrow and looked at them warily.
George continued, "You will forgive us if we didn't fancy ourselves up for your arrival like our dear brother here, but as usual, we..."
Fred finished, "...were up to mischief. And besides, our little brother hogged the bathroom all morning, so really, we didn't get the chance."
Hermione looked at Ron questioningly. He was turning a dangerous shade of red, but Fred and George were saved from being hexed into next week by their mother's voice. "Fred! George! Get out here and help me set up these tables!"
"Ta ta, dear friends, 'til we meet again!" Fred said, waving dramatically, then hurrying out the door behind George as Ron made a grab at him.
Hermione put her hand on Ron's arm, trying to calm him. "Don't mind them, Ron. It's okay. I know how they are."
Ron was still glaring after the twins. "They drive me bloody bonkers sometimes, Hermione." He took a deep breath and blew it out forcefully. "Well, at least they're better than Percy. C'mon, I'm sure Mum will be yelling at us next, we may as well get out there and help."
They spent the next hour or so helping Mrs. Weasley get the garden ready for the family picnic they would have that night. Bill and Charlie welcomed Hermione warmly and filled her in on what had been happening in their lives. Around noon, Ginny showed up, wearing a large hat, prompting teasing from all five of her brothers until Mrs. Weasley ordered them to leave her alone. They had a quick lunch of sandwiches, then Ron and Ginny played Quidditch with the twins and Charlie as Bill and Hermione watched and cheered. After a wash-up, they all helped Mrs. Weasley prepare a huge meal and then sat down together to a wonderful picnic dinner by candlelight. Though no one mentioned him, it seemed to Hermione that they all noticed Percy's absence, Mrs. Weasley especially.
During the picnic, Ron watched Hermione as she talked intelligently and knowledgably with first Bill and then Charlie about their careers, noticing that they truly seemed to enjoy talking to this much younger girl. He watched as she helped his mother, Molly beaming at her and thanking her with a hug, then laughed and chatted with Ginny about school. Fred and George even treated her with a certain amount of respect, though this didn't prevent them from teasing her mercilessly.
She's so beautiful and kind and intelligent and beautiful, (OK, so I said that twice). She's so wonderful with my family and a loyal friend to me and Harry, Ron thought. It's no wonder I love her. Whoa...did I just say "love"? Ron looked at Hermione as she patiently answered his father's questions about Muggle life, Arthur listening to her intently. Yeah, he thought, love is exactly what I meant. I love Hermione.
Almost as though she were hearing his thoughts, Hermione turned and looked at him, then flashed him a smile that just about made his heart stop. She turned back to Mr. Weasley as he patted her hand and thanked her for explaining Muggles so well. She excused herself with a smile, then came over to Ron. "Jupiter is supposed to be in conjunction with Venus and the moon right now. I can't see the night sky very well at home...could we maybe walk to where it's darker, away from the candles, so we can see better?"
"Sure." Ron got up, ignoring Fred, whose catcall was cut short by a slap on the leg from Mrs. Weasley.
They walked slowly toward the pond, out of the circle of candlelight. "I love your family, Ron. They're wonderful...well, maybe not Fred and George," she said with a laugh while Ron snorted. "I'm glad I can be a part of it sometimes." Ron thought but didn't say that he wished she could be a part of it all the time. They reached a tree, and Hermione sat down on the ground, leaning against its trunk. Ron plopped down beside her. She pointed at the sky. "See? There's Jupiter...there's Venus...and you recognize the moon, of course. If we had binoculars, we could see Jupiter's visible moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto." She laughed. "I hope Harry doesn't still think Europa's covered in mice!"
Ron shook his head, amazed. "Is there anything you don't know?" he asked.
She turned serious. "Actually, there are a lot of things I don't know," she said quietly. She didn't elaborate.
They sat in companionable silence for a while. A gentle breeze was blowing, and Ron caught the faint scent of Hermione's perfume.
"You're wearing the perfume I got you for Christmas," he said.
She nodded. "I wear it every day." She paused. "I was really surprised when you gave it to me."
Ron shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, well...I saw it in Hogsmeade and I thought of you...I mean...I thought you might like it."
She smiled. "I do. Thank you." He returned the smile, and they lapsed into silence again.
Ron noticed that their hands were resting on the ground, just inches apart. He moved his hand a little closer to hers until his fingertips were touching the side of her hand. She looked down, surprised, and he drew away. "Sorry," he muttered, blushing.
"It's okay." Both went back to studying the sky, intent on looking anywhere but at each other.
"Just do it," a little voice inside Ron said. "The worst that can happen is she pulls her hand away." Yeah, the worst, Ron thought. I would be mortified. He sat for a few minutes, summoning his courage. "You're a Gryffindor, for pity's sake!" that annoying little voice spat. "Do it!" He was sure his heart was going to beat out of his chest, but he casually (he hoped) laid his hand on top of Hermione's. She glanced at their hands, but he pretended not to notice. After a moment, she gently turned her hand over so that their palms were touching. As they intertwined their fingers, they looked at each other, both a little surprised. Then she smiled at him, and he smiled back, relieved. She scooted a little closer and rested her head against his shoulder.
They sat there like that for a long time, listening to the night sounds and to the distant conversation of the others. Ron looked at their hands, marveling at how small Hermione's was against his own. After a while, he noticed that her hand had relaxed and her breathing had become regular. He looked over at her and saw that she was asleep. Her head was still on his shoulder, but it was tilted back against the tree, too, so that he could see her face clearly. He had never been able to look at her so closely, and he couldn't stop watching her. Her skin was smooth with a few freckles scattered here and there. Her lips were slightly parted and moist. His longing to kiss her was almost overwhelming. He watched her, wondering if he dared. Would she wake up? What if he kissed her and she woke up mad? But what if she wasn't mad? He thought about kissing her and having her wake up, her lips responding to his, her hand going to the back of his neck, running her fingers through his hair as she pulled him closer. The mere thought made his breath catch in his throat, his heart beating like crazy. He sat there for a very long time, looking at her face, her lips, and thinking about that kiss. He leaned closer; now he could feel her breath on his face. He closed his eyes, just about to touch her lips...
"Ron! Hermione! We're going in now, it's getting late." His mother's voice made Hermione stir and open her eyes. Ron quickly sat up straight, sighing deeply. He had been so close.
"Oh, Ron, I'm sorry. Did I fall asleep?" Hermione asked as she too sat up straight, taking her head off his shoulder.
"Yeah, but that's OK. It was...nice," he said, blushing slightly. He was both disappointed and relieved about the missed chance of a kiss. He stood up, still holding Hermione's hand, and helped her to her feet.
"I guess I'd better get to bed, I was more tired than I thought," Hermione said, stifling a yawn. Ron noticed Ginny coming toward them, and he released Hermione's hand regretfully.
Hermione leaned toward him. "I had fun," she whispered. "Good night." She turned to Ginny and the two girls walked toward the house, Hermione looking back at Ron and smiling.
"Good night, Hermione," he said quietly, then smiled to himself. He started back to the house, too, looking forward to the next day.
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Next Chapter: Lies and Accusations