A/N Here my story takes a little detour. This is what is happening in the Great Hall while Ginny and Harry are outside.
Darn it. I always have to give credit to JKR for without her, none of us would have these wonderful characters to play with.
Ron sat tapping his foot impatiently. He was the only person left sitting by now. It seemed like everyone else who was dancing was staring at him. You’re alone, they seemed to say. All alone. He stared down at his dress robes with a sigh. At least they weren’t vintage from a hundred years ago. He sighed again. Feeling his stomach growl, Ron walked over to the refreshment table and after selecting a pumpkin pasty and a butterbeer, he turned and surveyed the crowd. Seeing Krum bend and kiss Hermione’s hand as the song ended, he set the butterbeer down and jealousy pushed him out to the dance floor. His feet seemed to move on their own until he was standing right behind her. Hermione turned around.
“Hey,” she said with smile.
Ron swallowed hard. “You want to dance?” he asked hoarsely as the invisible band started to play a slow, soft song.
“Sure,” she replied.
As they moved among the other dancers, Ron felt very self-conscious. His hands were clammy at her waist, his feet felt too big and awkward. Sweat formed along his forehead and he coughed nervously. Hermione didn’t seem to notice. She just moved in time to the music with her arms wrapped around Ron’s neck.
Ron cleared his throat. “Er-Hermione?”
“Hmm?” she said softly.
Ron took a deep breath. “Hermythinkilovoo.”
“What?” she asked, her eyebrows narrowed.
“Uh, er-are you having fun?” Silently he cursed himself.
“Yeah, tonight’s been great.” Hermione looked concernedly at him. “Are you alright?” she asked after a moment. You are acting very peculiar.”
“I-er-I’m not feeling very well,” he said shakily.
“Do you want to go outside?” she asked. “Some fresh air might do you good.”
“S-sure.” As they left the Great Hall, the song ended and all the students applauded. Once out on the grounds, Ron loosened his collar so he would feel a little less uncomfortable. Unfortunately, it didn’t work.
“Let’s go down to the lake,” Hermione suggested, her breath coming out in short puffs.
“Don’t you think you should get a cloak or something?” Ron said, eyeing the soft folds of her blue dress robes. Hermione shook her head and pulled out her wand. “Inflamarae,” she said. The tip of her wand lit with blue fire, then disappeared.
“What does that do?” Ron asked with interest.
“It’s a warming spell,” Hermione explained patiently. “It’ll keep me warm for at least an hour.” Suddenly slipping on the newly fallen snow, she clutched Ron’s arm, then both of them ended up on the ground. Hermione burst out laughing at the look on Ron’s face as the icy snow touched his skin.
“I’m sorry!” she said between laughing spasms. “You just look so funny!”
Ron got up, red-faced, and embarrassed. Extending a hand to Hermione to help her up, she took it in her own. Electricity seemed to course through their fingertips and as Hermione stood, their eyes met.
Ron broke eye contact first. “Let’s go down to the lake.” Hermione nodded but kept her hand on Ron’s elbow all the way down. For balance, Ron kept telling himself. She just doesn’t want to fall.
When they arrived at the shores of the lake, Hermione gasped. “It’s so beautiful,” she said breathlessly. The moon’s rays reflected off the snow, making the night sky a purple color. The lake itself had frozen solid. Snowflakes so large that you could see their patterns in great detail were still falling. Hermione stepped onto the ice carefully, then beckoned for Ron to follow.
“Is this safe?” Ron asked, gingerly testing it with his foot.
“Perfectly,” Hermione said, skating around.
Ron backed up. “Are you sure?” he yelled out to her. She came back in and grabbed his arm. Dragging him out, she assured him.
“Have I ever been wrong?”
“No.”
“Then trust me.”
Ron took a little step, and then another. Eventually, he was sliding along the ice as effortlessly as Hermione.
“When I was a little girl,” she said, “My dad used to take me ice skating. One time, I fell through and almost drowned. The current sucked me under and I was trapped beneath the ice.”
“How’d you get out?” Ron asked, looking with alarm at the ice under his feet.
“This was before I knew I was a witch. Basically, I melted the ice above me and my dad pulled me out. My mum never wanted me to ice skate again but I loved it so much that she couldn’t stop me.”
“Weren’t you afraid?” Ron asked. “How can you come back on ice after something like that?”
“I had to learn that fear makes us stronger if we overcome it. And my dad told me something. ‘Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the knowledge that something else is more important than fear.’ Besides, if you’re afraid of something and you put it off, it only gets harder to do.”
How right she was. He wanted to tell her how he felt and now, the task was impossible.
“Hermione-” he started.
“Yes, Ron?”
Curse it all! he thought. Why does she have to look at me like that?
Hermione sighed in exasperation. “Ron, when are you going to stop this game and ask me out?”
“I-what?!” He was taken aback.
“For years you’ve been dying to ask me out Ron. Please, you are not that inconspicuous. I thought tonight, you would finally get it right, but once more you’ve failed.”
“How-how long have you known?”
“Let me think. It was fourth year, at the Yule Ball. You were so jealous of Viktor.”
“Was not!”
“Was too!”
“Was not!”
“Was-” For once in her life, Hermione was silenced. Ron had grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her, hard.
Pulling back, he straightened up. “Was too,” he admitted. “Merlin, I’ve been waiting years to do that.”
“Well, don’t stop now,” Hermione said, her eyes shining.
Ron bent over and slowly, their lips met once more.
There. A cute little fluffy chapter for you Ron/Hermione fans. I had lots of fun writing this chapter and I hope you enjoy it. I borrowed the line about Courage and the Absence of Fear from the Princess Diaries. I must give credit where credit is due. Unfortunately. Here’s the lovely spoiler that I desire to give to you.
“Ron will be up in a few minutes, and Harry, he might very well personally obliterate you.”
Until next I post, adieu.