Author’s Note: First off, I am SO sorry it took me so long to update! First, the Tuscarawas River flooded, and we had to evacuate to my grandma’s house, and I was computer-less for a week. And then my mom to our computer tower to work to have it upgraded, and that to at least a week. So I’m sorry. Okay, here we go…final chapter *tears*…drum roll, please…lol!
CHAPTER FIVE
MISTLETOE AND A DIRTY NOSE
THE FINAL CHAPTER
***HERMIONE***
First Person POV
I looked from the black box, to Ron, and then back at the box before taking it from him. Slowly, I opened it. I had to remember to breathe when I saw what was inside.
It was a flat, disk-shaped, glass, Christmas tree ornament. It was probably about four or five inches in diameter. The glass was frosted around the edges, but in the center, it was completely clear, as if there wasn’t anything there. In that clear area was embedded an enchanted photograph. It was of Ron and me on Graduation Day at Hogwarts three years ago. I smiled at the memory.
Mrs. Weasley had taken the photo. I was standing posed next to him, and his arm was around me. You know how you put your arm around the person you’re next to for a picture. Unfortunately, it doesn’t mean you FEEL any affection or anything for the person. You just do that.
We both wore our long, black Hogwarts robes and a black, pointed hat with the year we graduated embroidered on it. My gold and scarlet Head Girl badge gleamed in the bright sunlight, and his Head Boy badge did the same.
Since the picture was moving, I could see our robes and hair getting blown around by the wind. Then my hat blew off. I watched myself jump into the air to try and catch it, but Ron got to it first. The me in the picture scolded him soundlessly, but he held it up out of my reach just the same. I jumped for it. He held it higher. I slapped his chest. He laughed and put it back on me crooked. I set it right then smiled and hugged him. He did the same. Then the scene started all over again.
Suddenly, I noticed a droplet of water on the ornament. I wiped it away, but I realized that it wasn’t just any water. It was a tear. From my eyes.
I was crying.
I sniffled quietly and wiped my face as quickly as I could. I didn’t want Ron to see me like this.
Too late.
“‘Mione?” Ron asked tenderly. “You all right?” He reached over and touched my hand with his. His sizable hand was callused and rough. I could tell that Auror training was a lot more difficult than it sounded.
I looked up at him and smiled wetly. “Ron, this is beautiful. Really…” I breathed a shuddering sigh. “Really beautiful,” I finished. “You know, I…I lost the copy of this picture your mum gave me. Now I don’t need it.” I leaned over, and, without even thinking, I planted a soft kiss on his cheek. “Thank you,” I whispered, my face reddening.
“You’re welcome,” he said, giving my hand a squeeze and then letting go.
I grinned. Time for MY present.
***RON***
First Person POV
Hermione was crying. Oh, no. Oh, God, no. What…what had I done? I thought she would love the ornament.
With every tear that fell from her glistening eyes and rolled down her delicate cheeks, it felt as though a piece of my heart was being torn away.
Without even thinking before I acted, I reached out and held her hand. It was soft and smooth and much smaller than I had always thought it would be. “‘Mione? You all right?” I asked gently, afraid to say anything.
She looked up at me and smiled softly. “Ron, this is beautiful. Really…” She breathed a pitiful sigh that shook her shoulders. “Really beautiful.” She paused for a moment as she collected herself. “You know, I…I lost the copy of this picture your mum gave me. Now I don’t need it.”
Suddenly, without warning, Hermione leaned over and kissed my cheek softly. It felt amazing. It was as if the entire world was spinning around and around and then suddenly melted away. We were the only people who existed. We were the only people who were real. She only stayed there for a fraction of a second, but it felt like an eternity.
“Thank you,” she whispered in my ear.
I was breathless for a moment, but somehow, I managed to utter the words, “You’re welcome.” I felt my ears get hot. They were going to turn red if I didn’t let go of her hand. So I squeezed it once more then let go. I thought I could detect her face fall, but surely it was just my imagination.
Then, Hermione suddenly grinned brilliantly. “All right. My turn,” she said, her cheeks flushed from the wine and the excitement of gift-giving. Pulling out her wand, she pointed it at the gift on the table by the door, and said, “Accio Present!” The large box that was wrapped in red paper and decorated with a green bow zoomed from the entranceway to the living room and into Hermione’s waiting hands.
“Here. Happy Christmas, Ron. Hope you like it,” she said excitedly, handing me the present. I smiled and took it from her.
Slowly, I ripped the wrapping paper. My tears were neat and straight. I was hoping to save the paper so that maybe, one day, I could use it to re-wrap a present for her. It would be such a sweet thing to do, and she would love it. Girls love all that sentimental rubbish, you know.
“Oh, come on, Ron! We’re not going to save the bloody paper, you know!” Hermione cried suddenly, startling me. “Come on! The suspense is killing me!”
I looked up at her to see her hands clasped together tightly. She was grinning and holding them up in front of her mouth as if she were silently praying that I would love what she got me as much as she loved what I got her.
I sped up my tearing, dismissing the idea of saving the paper. It was a plain box. I opened the box. A grin broke out wide on my face when I saw what it was.
It was loads of Chocolate Frogs!
“‘Mione?! Chocolate Frogs!” I exclaimed, removing one and turning it over in my palm.
“You still like them? Oh, I was hoping they were still your favorite! Just like Hogwarts days?” Hermione said excitedly. My grin grew wider.
“Still like them? Hermione, I LOVE CHOCOLATE FROGS! Always have!” I was about ready to thank her when she said:
“Take those out! There’s something underneath there!” I did as she said. Underneath the pile of candy was another box. This one was heavy. Very heavy.
“Let’s not wait for the bloody grass to grow! Come on!”
I stared at her for a second before I opened the box with shaking hands. Soft, squishy, packing peanuts exploded in my face.
“Sorry. I think I overdid it a bit on the peanuts,” Hermione mumbled apologetically. I laughed and brushed them away.
Not caring that peanuts were getting all over my clean floor, I proceeded to dig through the peanuts in the box to get at my present.
Something inside caught the light of the fire. I reached in and pulled it out.
It was an enormous crystal snow globe. The base was brass and molded into amazingly complex and detailed scenes of snow-covered landscapes, and the globe itself was of the clearest crystal. Inside was a miniature Quidditch pitch only it was covered in a thick blanket of fake snow that floated in the liquid of the globe. I turned it over with my hands, and when I put it right side up again, the snow was falling and swirling from every direction, once again coating the Quidditch pitch.
Then, suddenly, I saw three tiny figures walk out onto the pitch. Two teenage boys and a girl about the same age. Both boys had brooms. The boy with the untidy black hair mounted his sleek, expensive broom and took off, casing a Snitch that couldn’t be any larger than the head of a pin. The other boy, the one with bright red hair, snatched a minuscule red ball from the girl, threw it up in the air, and then quickly mounted his broom, soared up into the air, and caught the ball before it came back down. The girl, who had curly brown hair, just stood and watched the two boys play.
Soon, however, the boy with the black hair landed, waved good-bye to the other boy and the girl, and walked out of the picture. I watched as the redhead landed and began a snowball fight with the girl. Little miniature squeals and high-pitched laughter could be heard from inside the globe.
As this heart-warming scene played out before me, I realized something. This was familiar…where had I seen this scene before?
Then it hit me. I was the redheaded boy! Hermione was the girl with curly brown hair! And Harry was the boy with black hair! No wonder this scene was familiar! I had taken part in it!
“Hermione! Is that…” I stammered, grinning broadly.
“Uh huh! Do you recognize it? That was Christmas Day, our seventh year at Hogwarts! Remember? We stayed out there for hours, throwing snow at each other. And Harry got all worried…” I cut her off.
“So he came out onto the Quidditch Pitch with half the staff of Hogwarts…”
“Including Professor Dumbledore!” we said together. We laughed for a full three minutes.
“Yeah. I remember,” I said, recalling everything like it was yesterday and not three years ago.
“Do you remember that I kicked your ass in that snowball fight?” Hermione said, punching my arm playfully and grinning wickedly. I laughed.
“Did you, now? See, the fact that I knocked you over and shoved snow in your face kind of gave me the impression that I kicked YOUR ass that day,” I said, returning her wicked smile.
She scooted closer to me on the couch. Her leg was now pressed up against mine. The contact caused little electrical shocks to be sent through my body and brought heat to my face. Her presence was far more intoxicating than any drink could ever be.
“You want some eggnog?” I caught myself asking.
“Sure.” She picked up a cup, and I got the pitcher and poured her some. She took a sip of hers as I poured myself some. “Ron, this is probably the best eggnog I’ve ever had. Store-bought or homemade?” she asked, taking a larger gulp. Her face flushed as she did so. She’s getting drunk, I realized. I took a drink of mine. It was creamy with a dull warmth to it that I was sure was the mulled mead. And so am I, I thought.
“Homemade, of course,” I said with a cocky flare. I took another drink, larger than the first.
I looked over at her out of the corner of my eye. This would be the perfect time to tell her how I felt. I NEEDED to get my emotions out in the open. She NEEDED to know how I felt. If she rejected me, then I would get over her. If she didn’t, I’d be happier than I ever had been before.
***HERMIONE***
First Person POV
Twenty minutes later, each of us were nursing our third cup of eggnog and completely drunk.
I looked Ron over, allowing myself to think whatever it was I felt like thinking. I watched as he tossed his head to the side, flipping his longish red hair out of his eyes. His handsome face was flushed, and his brilliant blue eyes sparkled merrily. Quickly, his tongue darted out of his mouth to wet his lips, which were beginning to crack from smiling so much. This simple action was mesmerizing to me, and I don’t think that was the just the mulled mead and the wine talking.
If I hadn’t been in love with him before, I certainly was now.
He saw me staring at him. I quickly looked away, allowing my eyes to travel around the room, until they rested on the mantel. It’s so empty, I thought. His snow globe would look great up there.
“Hey, Ron, wanna put your snow globe up there?” I inclined my head toward the mantel. He nodded, picked up the snow globe, and stood. I stood with him.
He crossed over to the fireplace in two easy strides. I swayed a bit when I first stood up, and my legs aren’t nearly as long as his, so by the time I got there, he had already placed it in the very center of the mantelpiece.
“It’s brilliant, Ron. Absolutely brilliant,” I said, my voice much firmer and clearer than I thought it was going to be. I had to admit; I WAS beginning to feel a little thickheaded.
***RON***
‘Now or never,’ I thought to myself. ‘Just tell her. Flat out.’ I took a deep, steadying breath and looked at her.
***HERMIONE***
Ron turned and looked at me. I could see that look in his eyes again, and this time, he wasn’t even trying to hide it.
“YOU’RE brilliant, ‘Mione,” he said, his voice quiet and husky. I blinked a few times, not sure if what he had just said was real or just a result of the mead.
“What?” I said. Then something caught my eye. I looked up at the ceiling to see what it was. My heart jumped into my throat. We were standing exactly under a blossoming sprig of mistletoe.
I looked back at him. “I said you’re amazing,” he repeated. In an action that caught me off guard, he reached out with a rough and callused hand and caressed my cheek. It scared me how much tenderness was in that simple touch. It felt amazing to have him so near to me. He shifted even closer, and I didn’t back away.
“Do you mean that…Ronald Weasley?” I stammered, my voice coming out as barely a whisper. He leaned his face down closer to mine, his hand never leaving my face.
“I do…Hermione Granger,” he whispered in reply. With that, he wrapped his strong, muscular arms around me, drew me closer, and grazed my lips with his. He stayed there for only a second, each of us savoring the feel of the other, and then he pulled back.
My gaze locked with his, my chest rising and falling very quickly. The kiss may not have been very exerting, but the amount of love and tenderness that filled that kiss certainly did take my breath away.
“That was bloody brilliant,” Ron breathed, grinning widely. I smiled.
“Ron, don’t swear when you kiss me. It shatters the mood,” I scolded, and with that, I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him again. After about a full minute, I pulled away and examined him for a moment.
His soft lips were red and puffy from the kiss, and his face was flushed from the lack of oxygen and the alcohol. He was looking down at me, words apparently failing him.
I decided to help him. “Ron,” I managed. If hadn’t been a mere three inches away from me, he wouldn’t have heard me; I was so quiet. “I love you. I’ve loved you since the day I told you that you had dirt on your nose.” Several emotions flashed across his face in an instant. First, relief. Then, excitement. Then, happiness. And last, amusement. I gave him a strange look. Why would my confession of love amuse him?
“‘Mione…” he laughed. “I think it’s time I returned the favor.”
“Oh? And what does that mean?” I asked incredulously, raising my eyebrows in question. Without saying anything at first, Ron reached for my face and began to rub the side of my nose with his thumb.
“YOU have dirt on your nose, ‘Mione!” he said, laughing.
“What?” I exclaimed, beginning to rub the spot, too. “Where the hell from?”
“I dunno. Maybe from the mantel. I might have knocked some down when I put the snow globe up there,” he guessed. “There. Got it.” He dropped his hand.
Realizing something, I looked up him. “You never answered me, Ron.”
“Huh?”
“When I said I loved you, you never answered me.” He smiled gently at me then and took my hand in both of his.
“Hermione, I have loved you since the first time I saw you,” he said. He brought my hand up to his face and kissed it. I blushed, but he didn’t. He HAD grown up.
Still smiling, he leaned down and kissed me slowly. It was gentle and warm, and it told me that he would always protect me, would always be there for me, and would always love me the way he did now. His love for me was stronger than life itself; this I could tell from that kiss.
The clock above the mantel struck midnight as we kissed.
He pulled away, and then he whispered, “Happy Christmas, Hermione Granger.”
“Happy Christmas, Ronald Weasley,” I replied. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, and when he wrapped his arms around me, I felt exactly how I had always imagined I would feel in the arms of the man I love: completely and utterly safe.
The End
Author’s Note: AH, THE POWER OF FLUFF! Anyhow, like the ending? Tell me. REVIEW! Also, I’m concentrating everything I’ve got on this new fic that one of my friends (I named the owl in the story after her as a thank-you) gave me the idea for. It’s called “Nursing Tonks”, and it’s a Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks pairing. I’m not very far with it yet, but I do know that it’s definitely going to be more professional and less fluffy than this one was. It’s got a bit of angst, a bit of darkness, and, of course, quite a lot of romance. So if you liked this fic, check it out!
Good-bye for now!
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