Hermione loved the smell of cut grass for one very simple reason.

The summer before her fourth year at Hogwarts, with her growing attraction to Ron, Hermione was visiting the Burrow. Arthur Weasley had just got hold of a muggle lawn mower, and had sent Ron to work out how it worked.

She could still remember him asking her for help, which she'd willingly given. She'd feigned disinterest, but the blush in her cheeks spoke a thousand words.

She placed her hands lightly on the handle and pushed it slowly. She tried to focus on the mechanics of the lawn mower, remembering the time her dad dismantled theirs in a bid to repair it. But nothing, not even the mechanics she could barely understand, could distract her from Ron watching her closely.

After a few minutes watching her, Ron stood behind her and put his hands over hers.

"Like this?" he asked slowly, his breath hot on her ear.

Hermione nodded, not able to find the single word in her head.

They walked around the small patch Mr. Weasley had set aside as an 'experimentation ground' for his muggle acquisitions. When they'd finished, Hermione showed Ron how to turn off the engine.

"That's how to use a lawn mower." Hermione turned to smile at Ron, and walk back to the house, but Ron held his arms firm either side of her, still holding the lawn mowers handle.

Ron looked at her intently, seeming to follow the line of her face. Hermione felt her cheeks burn hotter as Ron leant towards her, his eyes closing slightly. Hermione felt herself doing the same.

"Ronald Weasley your room is a disgrace! I told you to tidy it, and I don't care if your father said you could go and try the new muggle thing, come in here and tidy your room this instant!"

Ron grinned apologetically at Hermione, before stalking back to the house ranting.

Hermione slowly pushed the lawn mower back to Mr. Weasley's workshop.

That summer was the first time Hermione had thought that Ron might feel any form of attraction towards her. The very first time Ron's face was close enough to hers that she could feel his breath on her face.

And every time she smelt fresh cut grass, she was whisked back to that summer, and her almost first kiss with Ron.