Chapter Ten: Home for Christmas
"I don't think i've ever gone home for Christmas" said harry as the hogwarts express flew through the snow covered countryside. Ron looked up from where he was teasing pig with owl treats. He looked coldly at harry and returned to his owl. Hermione noticed the look and looked across at Harry. It was going to be an interesting Christmas as far as she could tell. Ron was being very distant to Harry and Ginny and he even avoided her fairly often too. Harry and ginny were so wrapped up in each other that Hermione was beginning to feel very alone. Her refuge as always was the book in her lap.
"We're here" said Ginny eventually as they all felt the train slowing down. She got up excitedly and ran from the compartment followed closely by harry. Ron went to move and was stopped by hermione putting a hand on his.
"Ron... Uh please don't be mad at me. Its christmas and uh.. I feel kind of lonely without you" she said almost pleadingly. Ron looked up and noticed the deep hurt in her eyes "I'm sorry Mione. It was all just a surprise thats all.. and you defended it... i just couldn't understand" he paused to brush a hair from her face.
"I think i'm beginning to understand though" he said absently noticing Hermione holding her breath. She was so close, he could just lean forward a couple of inches and kiss her. His brain was shouting at him to acknowledge the fact she was holding her breath, he wondered whether she wanted him to do exactly that? He stared into her warm eyes hoping that he could find the answers there, waiting for some signal from her that what he wanted to do, coincided with what she wanted him to do, re-create the beauty and fulfillment of their last kiss.
"Everybody Out" said the conductor from the doorway of their compartment. Hermione jumped slightly and broke her eye contact with Ron and moved to gather her things. As they moved down the train to the exit, Ron felt the need to reassure her somehow so he grabbed hermione's hand and squeezed it, making his skin tingle wherever he touched her hand.
~~~
"Hermione!" called Mrs Weasley as they exited the barrier to platform 9 and three quarters "Come here dear, give me a hug, how was the ball! Did you have fun?". Hermione blushed deep scarlet and nodded as she was dragged into the older women's arms for a hug. Thoughts of the ball automatically returned Ron's mind to his kiss with Hermione, causing him to clear his throat and blush to the roots of his hair, causing a suspiscious look to come his way from his mother. Hermione drew back from the older woman's embrace and threw Ron a guilty look. Mrs Weasley noticed this and pursed her lips. "Lets go shall we?" she said abruptly and began to herd everyone towards a car parked out the front of the station, obviously she was not in the right mood to discover that not one but two of her children where growing up. .
As Mr. Weasley pulled the car into the driveway of the burrow, hermione gasped. She looked out the window on a beautiful scene. The snow in the front yard of the burrow was thick and a large tree had been decorated with different colour fairies. The windows of the house were lit from within by fires in fireplaces and the family room had a large christmas tree in it. Ron smiled at Hermione's rapt expression "Looks alright doesn't it?" he asked as he climbed out of the back seat. Hermione nodded silently as she followed him through a scene which would have been appropriate on the front of a christmas card.
Once inside the warm kitchen, all armed with mugs of hot chocolate everyone caught up on what had been happening for the last half of the school year. The talk was excited and fun and hermione felt herself feeling more like herself again. At some point in the night they moved to the lounge room and sat around the brightly lit Christmas tree.
"It feels almost like I'm a little girl again" said Hermione as she looked around at the smiling faces of the Weasley family "I haven't been this excited about christmas for years" she said. Everyone laughed at her statement and began to tell stories of their favourite Christmases. It was late when they went to bed that night. Everyone was excited and happy and didn't want to leave the comfort of so many happy faces. As Ginny and Hermione got into their beds, a knock was heard on the door. Ginny got up and answered it, to find Harry on the otherside. A whispered consultation took place and was concluded by Harry leaning in to kiss Ginny before departing. Ginny climbed into her bed with a smile on her face and hermione rolled on to her side, for the first time realising what she had been missing out on with Viktor. Hermione sighed quietly to herself feeling that it was definitely for the best that her and Viktor had broken up. Ginny said softly in response to her sigh "Don't worry, he'll come to his senses" and Hermione laid there for a couple of minutes trying to work out what she meant.
~~~
"Merry Christmas!" came a voice as the body attached to it bounded into the room.
"Ron! Its only 6 o'clock" said Ginny as she tried to shield her eyes from the light.
"Yeah but its christmas" said Ron as he bounded out of the room again, obviously to go and perform the same ritual in another room of the house.
"Honestly! He never changes" said Ginny as she found her bathrobe and pulled it over her pyjamas. Hermione smiled and also found her bathrobe, pulling it on. Within 10 minutes all the members of the Weasley family were gathered in the lounge room. Mr. Weasley appeared dressed as Santa Clause. Mr. Weasley smiled and for the benefit of the Muggle raised Wizards said "Santa did exist, he was a great wizard who used his magic to make children happy. We remember him every year at christmas and perform the same service as he did". With that he reached into his sack and began to pull out presents. Hermione and Ron sat comfortably on one of the couches opening their presents and teasing each other about what they'd got.
The morning passed quickly with everyone spending time eating too much candy and playing with their presents. Hermione lay on the floor of the lounge room reading a book that Percy had given her and Ron lay near by watching a small picture which contained a quidditch game.
"You know Mione?" began Ron as he stared into the picture frame "I'm not that upset about Ginny and Harry.. I guess i was just jealous" he said. Hermione opened her mouth to respond but Ron cut her off "More than anything I want someone to want me" he said still staring into his puzzle.
"Oh Ron! Of course someone wants you" said Hermione quietly closing her book.
"I was angry at them, for being able to do something I can't" he said dismally wanting more than anything for Hermione to come over to him and sit beside him so he could hold her hand or put his arms around her or. anything.
"What can't you do?" asked hermione shifting sideways just as he hoped she would. Taking her hand in his he looked up toward her "I can't walk up to the girl I like and kiss her and hold her and everything, like they can do" he said quietly. He held his breath trying to see if she knew that he was talking about her and hoping that he would get some response from her which would allow him to proceed, Hermione opened her mouth fo talk but was cut off by Mrs. Weasley calling them all to lunch.
"MMM that was delicious" said Fred as he put his napkin on his plate after his 4th serving of pudding.
"Hmm. we could tell. You ate enough of it" said Ginny poking her brother in the ribs.
"You can all leave the table, Go have some fun" said Mrs Weasley as she began to clear the plates. Ron and his brothers grinned at being let out of chores and stood to leave befoe their mother could change her mind. Ron pulled Hermione from her seat and they walked side by side towards the lounge room. As they stepped through the doorway a gasp went up from the people in the room. Ron and Hermione turned in surprise and Ron asked "What?". Fred pointed above Ron's head and him and hermione both looked up to see a bough of mistletoe hanging over the door.
"Again?!?" said Ron quietly under his breath before yelling "FRED!" at his brother.
"Honestly it wasn't me this time" said Fred innocently.
"This time?" asked Molly and Arthur Weasley of each other. The mistletoe magic was beginning to take effect and Hermione and Ron found that they could only move about a metre in any direction from where they were. Mrs. Weasley smiled gently at the two of them and said "you know you have to kiss to get out of it". Harry and ginny grinned and Fred and George nudged each other.
Ron heaved an exagerated sigh and turned towards hermione. He didn't need to instruct her about what to do this time and her arms slipped easily around his neck. Ron's awkwardness had gone with all their dancing and his arms circled familiarly behind her back. They stood for a second, Ron looking deeply into Hermione's eyes once again, waiting for an answer to the previously unanswered question. A small smile spread across Hermione's face and Ron felt his heart skip a beat, his brain was yelling at him that the smile was the sign he had been waiting for.
Their lips joined in what might have been a light kiss if only ron had bent his head, however Hermione had raised her face to meet his kiss. The kiss was desperate and passionate. Ron's stomach felt full of butterflies and he felt sure his knees were going to give way this time. Ron battled within himself to draw way from the kiss. He knew he was kissing his best friend but the feeling of rightness was beginning to overpower him.
Before he knew what he was doing he drew Hermione closer to him and let his instincts take over. He deepened the kiss and felt electricity shoot through every part of his body. The kiss was an expression of the need Ron felt for Hermione and somewhere in a small rational part of his brain, he realised that the emotion he was pouring into the kiss was being reflected exactly by hermione.
Someone clearing their throat bought them both back to reality. His mum and dad stood staring open mouthed at him and Hermione while Fred and George gave him the thumbs up. The other weasleys all looked on in mild amusement. Ron didn't pay much attention to any of his family members, his eyes drifted straight back to Hermione who was still held tightly in his arms.
Hermione smiled another small smile at him and said "wow" quietly so she didn't think anyone else could hear. Ron removed one of his arms and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. He felt Hermione catch her breath and looked down to see her biting her lip, just like she had in the train. His eyes were drawn to hers and then there was nothing he could do. He lowered his lips to hers once again and repeated the kiss of a few seconds ago, although this one was longer and more intense than the first.
"Ron!" shouted Mr. Weasley interrupting them again. Ron broke of the kiss slightly breathlessly and looked towards his father, unsure of what to expect. Mr. Weasley clapped his son on the back and said "Let the poor girl breathe!" which caused most of the family to burst out laughing.
~~~
"Well i guess this means...." said Ron as they sat staring at the fire after everyone else had gone to bed. "Well i guess it does..." said hermione from where she was leaning comfortably against him. "Was it a surprise to you?" asked Ron quietly. "Me? Sort of. Not really. I knew a couple of days ago. YOu?" she asked just as quietly. "No Mione. I've known since last year that you are beautiful and lovable and absolutely totally not right for Viktor" Ron said with a smile. Hermione wriggled in his embrace so that she was facing him. "I never felt anything for Viktor, Ron. Nothing like what I Feel for you" she said truthfully. Ron nodded and tightened his arms around her "And No one ever came close to you Mione.. you corrupted me" he said. Smiling slightly Hermione said "I corrupted you?" she asked laughingly "What would my parents think to find me sitting on my boyfriend's lap alone with him in his house, contemplating how long its going to take him to kiss me again?". Ron laughed and pulled her close to him again. "If I had my way, I'd never stop kissing you Mione" he said as he bent his head to press his lips against hers again.
[The End]
A/N: I hope you all liked it!
"I don't think i've ever gone home for Christmas" said harry as the hogwarts express flew through the snow covered countryside. Ron looked up from where he was teasing pig with owl treats. He looked coldly at harry and returned to his owl. Hermione noticed the look and looked across at Harry. It was going to be an interesting Christmas as far as she could tell. Ron was being very distant to Harry and Ginny and he even avoided her fairly often too. Harry and ginny were so wrapped up in each other that Hermione was beginning to feel very alone. Her refuge as always was the book in her lap.
"We're here" said Ginny eventually as they all felt the train slowing down. She got up excitedly and ran from the compartment followed closely by harry. Ron went to move and was stopped by hermione putting a hand on his.
"Ron... Uh please don't be mad at me. Its christmas and uh.. I feel kind of lonely without you" she said almost pleadingly. Ron looked up and noticed the deep hurt in her eyes "I'm sorry Mione. It was all just a surprise thats all.. and you defended it... i just couldn't understand" he paused to brush a hair from her face.
"I think i'm beginning to understand though" he said absently noticing Hermione holding her breath. She was so close, he could just lean forward a couple of inches and kiss her. His brain was shouting at him to acknowledge the fact she was holding her breath, he wondered whether she wanted him to do exactly that? He stared into her warm eyes hoping that he could find the answers there, waiting for some signal from her that what he wanted to do, coincided with what she wanted him to do, re-create the beauty and fulfillment of their last kiss.
"Everybody Out" said the conductor from the doorway of their compartment. Hermione jumped slightly and broke her eye contact with Ron and moved to gather her things. As they moved down the train to the exit, Ron felt the need to reassure her somehow so he grabbed hermione's hand and squeezed it, making his skin tingle wherever he touched her hand.
~~~
"Hermione!" called Mrs Weasley as they exited the barrier to platform 9 and three quarters "Come here dear, give me a hug, how was the ball! Did you have fun?". Hermione blushed deep scarlet and nodded as she was dragged into the older women's arms for a hug. Thoughts of the ball automatically returned Ron's mind to his kiss with Hermione, causing him to clear his throat and blush to the roots of his hair, causing a suspiscious look to come his way from his mother. Hermione drew back from the older woman's embrace and threw Ron a guilty look. Mrs Weasley noticed this and pursed her lips. "Lets go shall we?" she said abruptly and began to herd everyone towards a car parked out the front of the station, obviously she was not in the right mood to discover that not one but two of her children where growing up. .
As Mr. Weasley pulled the car into the driveway of the burrow, hermione gasped. She looked out the window on a beautiful scene. The snow in the front yard of the burrow was thick and a large tree had been decorated with different colour fairies. The windows of the house were lit from within by fires in fireplaces and the family room had a large christmas tree in it. Ron smiled at Hermione's rapt expression "Looks alright doesn't it?" he asked as he climbed out of the back seat. Hermione nodded silently as she followed him through a scene which would have been appropriate on the front of a christmas card.
Once inside the warm kitchen, all armed with mugs of hot chocolate everyone caught up on what had been happening for the last half of the school year. The talk was excited and fun and hermione felt herself feeling more like herself again. At some point in the night they moved to the lounge room and sat around the brightly lit Christmas tree.
"It feels almost like I'm a little girl again" said Hermione as she looked around at the smiling faces of the Weasley family "I haven't been this excited about christmas for years" she said. Everyone laughed at her statement and began to tell stories of their favourite Christmases. It was late when they went to bed that night. Everyone was excited and happy and didn't want to leave the comfort of so many happy faces. As Ginny and Hermione got into their beds, a knock was heard on the door. Ginny got up and answered it, to find Harry on the otherside. A whispered consultation took place and was concluded by Harry leaning in to kiss Ginny before departing. Ginny climbed into her bed with a smile on her face and hermione rolled on to her side, for the first time realising what she had been missing out on with Viktor. Hermione sighed quietly to herself feeling that it was definitely for the best that her and Viktor had broken up. Ginny said softly in response to her sigh "Don't worry, he'll come to his senses" and Hermione laid there for a couple of minutes trying to work out what she meant.
~~~
"Merry Christmas!" came a voice as the body attached to it bounded into the room.
"Ron! Its only 6 o'clock" said Ginny as she tried to shield her eyes from the light.
"Yeah but its christmas" said Ron as he bounded out of the room again, obviously to go and perform the same ritual in another room of the house.
"Honestly! He never changes" said Ginny as she found her bathrobe and pulled it over her pyjamas. Hermione smiled and also found her bathrobe, pulling it on. Within 10 minutes all the members of the Weasley family were gathered in the lounge room. Mr. Weasley appeared dressed as Santa Clause. Mr. Weasley smiled and for the benefit of the Muggle raised Wizards said "Santa did exist, he was a great wizard who used his magic to make children happy. We remember him every year at christmas and perform the same service as he did". With that he reached into his sack and began to pull out presents. Hermione and Ron sat comfortably on one of the couches opening their presents and teasing each other about what they'd got.
The morning passed quickly with everyone spending time eating too much candy and playing with their presents. Hermione lay on the floor of the lounge room reading a book that Percy had given her and Ron lay near by watching a small picture which contained a quidditch game.
"You know Mione?" began Ron as he stared into the picture frame "I'm not that upset about Ginny and Harry.. I guess i was just jealous" he said. Hermione opened her mouth to respond but Ron cut her off "More than anything I want someone to want me" he said still staring into his puzzle.
"Oh Ron! Of course someone wants you" said Hermione quietly closing her book.
"I was angry at them, for being able to do something I can't" he said dismally wanting more than anything for Hermione to come over to him and sit beside him so he could hold her hand or put his arms around her or. anything.
"What can't you do?" asked hermione shifting sideways just as he hoped she would. Taking her hand in his he looked up toward her "I can't walk up to the girl I like and kiss her and hold her and everything, like they can do" he said quietly. He held his breath trying to see if she knew that he was talking about her and hoping that he would get some response from her which would allow him to proceed, Hermione opened her mouth fo talk but was cut off by Mrs. Weasley calling them all to lunch.
"MMM that was delicious" said Fred as he put his napkin on his plate after his 4th serving of pudding.
"Hmm. we could tell. You ate enough of it" said Ginny poking her brother in the ribs.
"You can all leave the table, Go have some fun" said Mrs Weasley as she began to clear the plates. Ron and his brothers grinned at being let out of chores and stood to leave befoe their mother could change her mind. Ron pulled Hermione from her seat and they walked side by side towards the lounge room. As they stepped through the doorway a gasp went up from the people in the room. Ron and Hermione turned in surprise and Ron asked "What?". Fred pointed above Ron's head and him and hermione both looked up to see a bough of mistletoe hanging over the door.
"Again?!?" said Ron quietly under his breath before yelling "FRED!" at his brother.
"Honestly it wasn't me this time" said Fred innocently.
"This time?" asked Molly and Arthur Weasley of each other. The mistletoe magic was beginning to take effect and Hermione and Ron found that they could only move about a metre in any direction from where they were. Mrs. Weasley smiled gently at the two of them and said "you know you have to kiss to get out of it". Harry and ginny grinned and Fred and George nudged each other.
Ron heaved an exagerated sigh and turned towards hermione. He didn't need to instruct her about what to do this time and her arms slipped easily around his neck. Ron's awkwardness had gone with all their dancing and his arms circled familiarly behind her back. They stood for a second, Ron looking deeply into Hermione's eyes once again, waiting for an answer to the previously unanswered question. A small smile spread across Hermione's face and Ron felt his heart skip a beat, his brain was yelling at him that the smile was the sign he had been waiting for.
Their lips joined in what might have been a light kiss if only ron had bent his head, however Hermione had raised her face to meet his kiss. The kiss was desperate and passionate. Ron's stomach felt full of butterflies and he felt sure his knees were going to give way this time. Ron battled within himself to draw way from the kiss. He knew he was kissing his best friend but the feeling of rightness was beginning to overpower him.
Before he knew what he was doing he drew Hermione closer to him and let his instincts take over. He deepened the kiss and felt electricity shoot through every part of his body. The kiss was an expression of the need Ron felt for Hermione and somewhere in a small rational part of his brain, he realised that the emotion he was pouring into the kiss was being reflected exactly by hermione.
Someone clearing their throat bought them both back to reality. His mum and dad stood staring open mouthed at him and Hermione while Fred and George gave him the thumbs up. The other weasleys all looked on in mild amusement. Ron didn't pay much attention to any of his family members, his eyes drifted straight back to Hermione who was still held tightly in his arms.
Hermione smiled another small smile at him and said "wow" quietly so she didn't think anyone else could hear. Ron removed one of his arms and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. He felt Hermione catch her breath and looked down to see her biting her lip, just like she had in the train. His eyes were drawn to hers and then there was nothing he could do. He lowered his lips to hers once again and repeated the kiss of a few seconds ago, although this one was longer and more intense than the first.
"Ron!" shouted Mr. Weasley interrupting them again. Ron broke of the kiss slightly breathlessly and looked towards his father, unsure of what to expect. Mr. Weasley clapped his son on the back and said "Let the poor girl breathe!" which caused most of the family to burst out laughing.
~~~
"Well i guess this means...." said Ron as they sat staring at the fire after everyone else had gone to bed. "Well i guess it does..." said hermione from where she was leaning comfortably against him. "Was it a surprise to you?" asked Ron quietly. "Me? Sort of. Not really. I knew a couple of days ago. YOu?" she asked just as quietly. "No Mione. I've known since last year that you are beautiful and lovable and absolutely totally not right for Viktor" Ron said with a smile. Hermione wriggled in his embrace so that she was facing him. "I never felt anything for Viktor, Ron. Nothing like what I Feel for you" she said truthfully. Ron nodded and tightened his arms around her "And No one ever came close to you Mione.. you corrupted me" he said. Smiling slightly Hermione said "I corrupted you?" she asked laughingly "What would my parents think to find me sitting on my boyfriend's lap alone with him in his house, contemplating how long its going to take him to kiss me again?". Ron laughed and pulled her close to him again. "If I had my way, I'd never stop kissing you Mione" he said as he bent his head to press his lips against hers again.
[The End]
A/N: I hope you all liked it!