Ron was sitting at the edge of the driveway, arms around his knees, staring at nothing in particular. Across the way was a well-to-do two-story house with a neatly manicured lawn and little blue shutters. The elderly couple who resided there had just retired for the evening after walking their small Pekinese.
Ron noticed none of the neat neighbourhood Mr and Mrs Granger lived in, at the end of a cul-de-sac. He had been sitting at the edge of the driveway since conclusion of an emotional homecoming with the Grangers after their year-long stay in Australia. Ron had remained outside out of respect, though he was fairly sure that only Hermione had noticed. At least, he hoped she knew he was out here.
A streetlight flicked above his head, startling him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see the sun setting behind the hills in the distance, visible beyond the houses. How long had he been outside? Turning back towards the Grangers' residence, he could see Hermione in her childhood bedroom on the second floor, window open, staring down at him. It seemed that she had been there for sometime, watching him. His heart gave a little jump at the expression on her face.
When the streetlights come on
the pooling night is levied aside
and pressed in twilight 'gainst ourtwo rooms.
I'll see you tonight.
He kept his body turned at an awkward angle as she moved away from the window and, a few moments later, he saw her open the front door to join him sitting at the end of the driveway.
They sat in silence for a time, watching the streetlights flicker on down the street as the sun made it way across the sky and twilight descended.
"They went to bed already," Hermione said finally. "After the flight, and coming back home after so long…"
Ron nodded, scooting over closer to her. She leaned into him gratefully and silence fell upon them once again.
Her breathing evened and he looked down at her, wondering if she had fallen asleep. They had been up for over forty hours since leaving Australia, and the flight included two layovers. She had dealt with the aftermath of the battle, the memorial services, the Ministry appearances, before then worrying herself nearly sick the entire way to Australia about her parents. Not once did she seem concerned for herself, and she hadn't relaxed at all the entire time, even in sleep. Even after they had found her parents, Hermione had been worried that they wouldn't want to leave Australia, that the flight would be late, that coming home would be stressful and too emotional… There was always another worry. Here, now, in her twilight neighbourhood with her parents sleeping in their own home and their memories restored, it seemed she had finally relaxed.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked, not opening her eyes. He smiled slightly.
"I'm fine; I'm just worried about you," he said. "You can relax now, you know."
She laughed, opening her eyes and looking up at him. "I know. But that's why I have you to watch out for me, Ron. Make sure I don't study too hard, or stay up too late, or…"
He couldn't resist; he leaned down and kissed her, interrupting her mid-sentence. Though she let out a muffled, "Oh!" of surprise, she quickly melted into the kiss.
As they separated from what was exactly their fourth kiss (Ron desperately wished he didn't know just how many kisses they had shared, for knowing the number meant far too few in his opinion), neither said anything. But, unlike the previous two kisses, this silence was not awkward in the least, and Ron knew the moment had finally come. There were no more excuses. No more funerals. No more ceremonies. No more parents to rescue. There was nothing he could hide behind anymore.
Although Hermione was looking like she wanted to kiss him some more, which he would not normally object to in the least, he knew this night had to be different. She deserved to hear how he felt after all this time and after everything they had gone through.
He took a deep breath. "Hermione," he began, and something in his tone of voice must have alerted her to what he was about to say. Her face softened, and she leaned back slightly, taking his hands in hers and smiling up at him expectantly.
"Yes, Ron?"
Come on, Ron. he thought. You can do this. You know how she feels. She kissed you during the battle…
And now the secrets carefully kept inside, run the streets red
our chemicals spread, washing us through, making you mine...
During their kiss, Ron hadn't noticed the sun's progress below the hills, and it had now developed into a full, beautiful twilight. Hermione was framed by purples and oranges and pinks; her hair seemed to be on fire as she watched him expectantly. He was struck by a beauty that he knew not everyone would see, but that he would appreciate for what he hoped would be the rest of his life.
"Do you know you're beautiful?" he blurted, and was delighted to see her flush and become shy, looking down at their joined hands.
"I know I've been a prat," he started, but she interrupted, looking back up at him, slightly surprised.
"Please, Ron, you don't have to do this…"
"Yes," he said fiercely, "I do. Listen, Hermione, you deserve so much more than somebody like me. I didn't understand for so long what I felt, and then when I did, I pretended it wasn't there because I was scared, and I was so sure you didn't feel the same way. I mean, how could you with Harry there? And then you and Krum…"
She groaned. "Please, not Krum! After all this time--"
"Ginny told me you kissed him," Ron said abruptly, and she gasped, pulling out one of her hands instinctively to cover her mouth. She lowered it as she said, "Oh, Ron, I'm so sorry. It was nothing, just a peck, really--I was never interested in Viktor like that, no matter what you might think." She looked up at him very seriously, wringing her hands now, exasperated. "Do you want me to take Veritaserum? I mean, I don't know what else to do…"
Ron sighed. "I do believe you, Hermione--I'm trying to explain. Just--hear me out, okay?"
Her eyes widened, and she quickly stopped talking, then slowly nodded and placed her hand back in his.
"In sixth year, Harry and I caught Dean and Ginny snogging in a corridor, and I got upset. Ginny and I started yelling, and somewhere in the middle of it, it came up that you had snogged Krum. It was right after you invited me to Slughorn's Christmas party." He winced inwardly, really not wanting to bring her up, but needing Hermione to know. "And it was right before the first Quidditch match of that year."
Hermione raised an eyebrow at that reference, but then he saw the connections being made, and the wince became external. Her reaction was not what he expected.
"Ron, that's very disappointing, you know. She really did like you, and you used her. That's despicable."
Ron's face fell, but Hermione continued on, "Moreover, I had just invited you to Slughorn's party. Really, boys can be so thick. If you were really in the mood for a snog, why on earth did you not just grab me and have it out? Even Harry could tell what was going on. Were you that jealous of Krum so many years later that you were determined that someone else be your first kiss? Was this some sort of competition? We have to have kissed the same amount of people? I mean, honestly, Ron!"
Hermione finished this by removing her hands from his and crossing her arms, hair still afire from the almost set sun.
Ron's mouth dropped open. She felt sorry for Lavender?
He knew this was going to be painful before he started, so he might as well face it and keep trudging on. Ron cleared his throat.
"Well, see, the thing is, Lavender kissed me, and, umm…well, to be perfectly honest, it was nice. You know, the kiss," he said, sighing. "It was easy. I wasn't risking a friendship, and I didn't realise the consequences of even the next day. All I saw was a mental picture of you and Krum, and Ginny taunting me, and it was eating me alive. I didn't say it was right; I think I was a right lousy person, actually. But I want you to know, Hermione; I need you to know, do you understand?" He gripped her hands more tightly. "I mean, everything's been pent up for so long, you deserve to know. And, I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry."
She smiled sweetly up at him and kissed his cheek. "I think deep down inside I knew that, but to hear you say that means more than I can tell you."
The sun was below the horizon now; light purples and vivid blues of dark and deep shades laced lightly with golds and reds were colouring the sky. A slight breeze had picked up, cooling off the night. He breathed in deeply before continuing.
The pavement is aching, cicadas are crying,
the wine-colored air breathing thoughts through your hair
breezing to me, leading me there...
"Did Harry ever tell you about the locket Horcrux?"
"No," Hermione said slowly, "but whatever happened that night was enough to make him welcome you back with open arms. I know it was something…powerful."
He nodded, and looked down the rows of cars lining the street, watching the flickering lights of the fireflies that were now out dancing between them.
"You don't have to tell me," she said. "Not now, not ever, if you don't want to."
Nodding, Ron acknowledged her compassion and her trust, but started speaking again, her voice acting as a catalyst to his emotions and memories.
"It tried to protect itself by appealing to my fears, to… paralyse me, you know? It used my insecurities against me… not being noticed by my family, always being second to Harry…" He looked away from her., "Not being good enough for you."
"Ron, you know that's not true," she whispered. "It's always been you."
"And not Harry--I know that now. But watching you come out of that locket and taunt me, and then kiss Harry…"
She was visibly upset now, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Ron, why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have been so angry with you when you came back--"
"Harry told me you cried every night I was gone, and that hurt more than seeing you and Harry together. You know why, don't you, Hermione?" He was whispering now.
Hermione had not let her tears fall, but was staring at him intently, almost hopefully, barely breathing, and he knew without a doubt that the moment had finally come. He was no longer afraid.
It was not silent in the neighbourhood anymore; their conversation was accompanied by a symphony of cicadas and frogs. Fireflies were out in full, lighting up sporadically around them. Their intimate moment was lit by the romantic glow of the streetlight now above their head. But Ron didn't notice any of this.
He lifted a hand to caress Hermione's cheek, and kept it there, cupping her face to angle it to stare into her eyes.
"I love you," he whispered, and then he kissed her again. Her lips were slightly salty, and as they attempted to lean into the kiss, their knees blocking an embrace. Hermione placed a hand on the back of his neck to compensate, and the kiss lasted for quite sometime, in which Ron was sure he had never felt happier in his entire life.
Now there are no words, only the glow in our wires.
And so we will be, you turn slow to me
Our lips set the sun (I'll never leave you...)
the hills are on fire... oh...
"I--I'm so sorry for leaving you," he whispered a while later. Tears filled her eyes again and she shook her head and placed a finger over his lips.
"Shh, I know--you don't have to apologise for that," Hermione said softly.
Ron helped Hermione to her feet when they realised that it was well into the night, and that their streetlight was permanently out. They started walking into the house, the path lit only by the occasional firefly, which provided no helpful light, but served to make the night more surreal.
On the front steps, he stopped and kissed her one more time, and then once more again outside her room. Seven times…at least I can't count it on one hand anymore…
"So, I'll, um, see you in the morning?" Ron asked, suddenly feeling slightly awkward again.
Giggling at his stiffness, Hermione leaned up to kiss him on the cheek while rolling her eyes. "Yes, Ron, and my parents are cooking breakfast. Don't worry, you won't go hungry here."
As he started to protest, she kept talking, a slight smile on her face. "I don't know if you want to rethink this whole relationship. After all, there isn't anyone else in the world who knows you as well as I do. And even though you were a perfect gentleman for my parents in Australia, table manners notwithstanding, you are worried about breakfast."
She walked over to him and ran a finger down his chest. Ron shivered, and she ruined the moment by giggling again. "But don't worry, Ron. Bad table manners or not…" She pulled him down with his shirt and whispered into this ear, "I love you."
Ron looked down at her. Hearing her say that made his heart swell. Finally, after all these years, he had confirmation that she really did love him. No matter how much he thought he knew, nothing would compare to hearing it come from her.
It must have shown in his eyes, for she was looking up at him with an unfathomable expression. It was slightly…smug? And slightly similar to the look Lavender would get every time she saw him, except it was much sexier on Hermione…
Ron leaned down and kissed her tenderly, attempting to subtly back her up against the door. Either he was actually achieving subtlety or Hermione was all for it, because within moments, they were pressed against the door jam kissing as they had never kissed before, all tenderness forgotten. His hands were tangled in her hair and Hermione's hands were simultaneously in his hair and running up and down his back. Ron was pressed up against her body, feeling things he had previously only dreamt of feeling, and his head was spinning.
When she moaned into his mouth, he nearly groaned in return, and reluctantly pulled away. There was still much to discuss…
He placed his hands on either side of her to keep her pressed against the frame, and forced himself to look at her face as her breathing slowly evened.
"Hermione," Ron breathed, leaning in as close as he dared, "I never officially asked you… would you be my girl?"
Her smile was brilliant, and she flung her arms around his neck before kissing him on the cheek again. He stayed in place, and she looked up at him after a few moments.
"Oh, Ron, I'm sorry. Of course I will!" Hermione continued to smile up at him; she had one hand on his chest, the other supported her against the door frame.
"Hermione," he whispered, "I hope you sleep well tonight. I'll see you in the morning."
She nodded, and went to move underneath his arm into her bedroom. He blocked her path.
"Hermione," Ron said softly one more time, looking hard at her, "I'll never leave you again."
I come alive as the shadows parade
My hot summer blood comes in floods and in waves
Curbside confessions, no longer afraid of what you'll say.
Twilit Confessions by ahattab33
Story Notes:
The song lyrics belong to Ludo. Nothing you recognize is mine, as I'm obviously not JK Rowling. A huge thank you to my Beta, Azhure, for helping me develop my first ever song fic, and for being lovely and wonderful, and fixing all of my Americanisms. :)
The title for the story and the chapter come from the "Streetlights", of which I highly recommend a listen.
Chapter Endnotes: Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed this at all, please go check out "Moments", the first story in the "Moments" series. For more information, visit my profile! As always, reviews are very very very much appreciated.