Ron knew that he must be dreaming. He thought he heard Hermione’s voice, very close by.
“I love you, Ronald Weasley,” was what the dream had said. He knew the voice couldn’t be real. Hermione was missing, and it was just his over-tired brain creating some kind of wonderful fantasy that she was here, with him. But, then why could he feel her breath against his ear? Her warm hand against his face? The sound of her feet, shuffling on the kitchen’s wooden floor? His eyes sprung open, and he lifted his head up.
There she was. One of his best friends, the girl he loved. Her jeans were covered in unidentifiable greenish muck, her t-shirt was torn at the collar. Her lovely, wild hair was matted and gnarled with what appeared to be blood, and Ron’s heart leapt in concern. Tears cut two clean tracks down her sooty, dirty face. He wasn’t sure how someone who looked so entirely spent could also look so wonderful. But she did. This dream, this apparition. He was almost afraid she’d disappear if he moved or spoke, but he couldn’t stop himself.
“Hermione?” His voice was a froggy whisper. He gazed up at her, and her tears dripped onto his jeans. He groped for her hand, felt its warmth. “Are you a dream? Or are you real?”
“Real,” she was shaking, he could see. “Really real.” For once, his darling know-it-all seemed incapable of saying anything more. He stood up, unable to speak himself, feeling hot tears overspill his own eyes, but any embarrassment he felt was washed away when he put his arms around her. He pressed her close, trying to sooth the shivers that vibrated her body.
Ron didn’t trust himself to speak yet. All that mattered was her arms around his middle, her dirty, matted hair underneath his cheek, the feeling of her breath moving her ribcage up and down. He took her face into his hands, brushed the tears away with his thumbs. He opened his mouth, shut it. He didn’t know what to say to make things better. How can we all do this, from now on? He thought, staring at her. She, too, seemed at a loss for words. How can we stand to let each other out of the other’s sight, knowing that it may be the last time we see each other, ever? Voldemort must be stopped.
Never had this seemed more true, or more necessary. Ron finally understood the stories his parents had told about the Dark Mark appearing years ago, about some unsuspecting witch or wizard coming home and finding it hovering overhead. Families, friends, lovers “ how they all must have dreaded separation, even for work or school or a quick shopping trip. It was like that again now. Everyone was fair game. Including the people Ron loved the most.
Hermione reached up and put her hand on his cheek. Ron couldn't remember her being so silent for such a long stretch of time. She said she loved me a few minutes ago, I heard her. Didn’t I? I don’t think it was a dream… He wanted to say it back, had been dying to say it to her for the past week, but his tongue simply wouldn’t follow his brain’s command to speak. He started to feel antsy, nervous, uncomfortable. Then she finally spoke.
“I missed your freckles.” The minute it was out of her mouth, she blushed deep scarlet. “God, that sounded “ I mean, I don’t know what I am saying “ it’s just that we’ve “ me and Fiora, that is “ oh, that’s right, you haven’t actually met Fiora “” she paused, gesturing towards the porch, where Ron just now spotted a tiny blond woman standing next to Hagrid’s towering form. “-we were stuck “ caught “ I mean, he came to the shop and stunned us, trapped us for days, but it was just a trick “ not a trick on us, well, I don’t think it was on us, in fact I think his behavior over the past few years is finally falling into place…” she drifted off, her hand still on his cheek, but instead of the unfamiliar vulnerability he’d seen on her face a moment before, he saw something he could recognize any time, anywhere “ Hermione, brain at full throttle, trying to puzzle something out.
“Hermione? Earth to Hermione? We humans still need you here,” Ron prompted her. He felt a very familiar mixture of exasperation and deep affection as she dragged her eyes back to his. He opened his mouth to say what he’d been dying to say for so long, but she spoke first.
“Right,” her eyes gleamed, and Ron felt the moment passing him by. “We really ought to wake everyone that’s here. What time is it? Fiora and I really must speak to everyone in the Order “ especially your dad. Actually, I really need to prepare Harry too “ he’s never liked Snape, I mean, for good reason, of course, but he’s quite prejudiced against him, and I don’t know how he’s going to react to “”
“HERMIONE!”
“Well, really, Ron, you don’t need to shout,” she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I was just trying to tell you that “”
“Hey, I know it’s very, very important, and that you have to save the world with your brilliance and all, but how about a few more minutes about you missing my freckles?” He unfolded her arms and put them back around his waist.
“Well, now you’re just being ridiculous,” but the corner of her mouth twitched a bit and she held him tighter. “Who misses someone else’s freckles? Besides,” she continued, “You really look terrible, no one in her right mind would miss the way you look just now.” She seemed to be trying very hard not to laugh, and he chuckled a little himself.
“That’s funny,” he answered, taking in her matted hair and filthy clothes. “I was just thinking you’ve never looked better.” He brushed a few stray curls from her cheek, and he could feel her breathing quicken.
“See, you really are being ridiculous…” but there wasn’t much conviction behind her chastisement.
“Oh? I was wondering, before all that nonsense about freckles, and being real, and all that “ what was it you said to me? When you thought I was asleep?” Ron knew he was being a bit mean, but his heart was racing crazily. He knew he was going to say it to her, and he was terrified. He just needed a little reassurance.
“What did I “ oh! Right, oh,” she ended feebly, her cheeks blooming roses again. “I didn’t realize that you’d heard me.” She wouldn’t look at him.
“Hermione,” it must have been something about the way he said her name made her look up so quickly. “I “ I “ erm. Don’t be “ uh “ embarrassed, or whatever. I wanted to tell you “ I was going to tell you, the same thing. Right before Harry and Ginny came into your room at Grimmauld Place? With Fiora’s letter? I was about to tell you “ to tell you,” he paused again. Why was this so hard? He took a deep breath.
“You’re smarter than me, and Harry. You probably figured this all out ages ago, but I really can’t say exactly when I “ when I started caring about you so much. But I do remember when I “ when I realized that I loved you.” He could feel his face heating up, but he held her gaze and kept pushing on. “It was right after that row we had the night of the Yule Ball in fourth year,” Ron saw the tiniest of smirks cross her face and touched a warning but gentle finger to her lips.
“I thought “ I thought it was just one of our usual rows, you know, we got into fights so much, all the time really, it just seemed like, like part of our friendship.” He stopped again, sighed, remembering the agitated fourteen-year-old he had been. “And I went upstairs to the dormitories that night, just completely put out with you, truth be told, and thinking how ridiculous you had been, and how much I truly hated Victor Krum…” he trailed off. Even now he felt a slight twinge of jealousy for the Quidditch champion, though he knew how just plain silly that was. Hermione was full-out grinning at him now, though tears were once again streaming down her face.
“But I just stayed up all night, and I just kept thinking, ‘I hate Victor Krum’. And, it didn’t make any sense to me, at all. Honestly, for awhile I couldn’t understand why I despised him so much,” he was almost done, he just had to push on with it. “Then, well, it took me a few more days, and suddenly, in Herbology class or something, it came to me “ I hated him because I thought you might love him, or that he might try to get you to love him, and I knew I couldn’t compete with a famous Quidditch player, and then suddenly, what I kept thinking…what I kept thinking….was ‘I love Hermione Granger.’ And I do. I love you,” he stopped, smiled back at her. It wasn’t so bad now that it was out there, out in the open. “Only taken me two years and then some to let you know. Not bad for a git like me, right? Missable freckles, and all?”
She stomped her foot and more tears splashed down her cheeks, and before Ron knew it, her lips were on his, the tears from her cheeks mingling with his own. Ron kissed her and kissed her, not really ever wanting to stop. But they broke apart, and she grinned wickedly at him. “You were right “ I did say that I love you. Now come on “ we have to wake the others. We have to save the world “ together.”
The Time is Now by Hermione816
Chapter Notes: Okay, guys, we're taking a TINY break from all of the action to have a few sweet moments with one of our favorite couples...this is, after all, a romance fic, right?