Just Shoosh A Moment Will You?

JUST SHOOSH A MOMENT WILL YOU?

It was one of those nights. Nothing seemed to be going right. You know the moments when it is as if the whole world is purposely annoying you, for no apparent reason.

First of all it was cold, and not just your average Hogwarts-in-winter cold, but absolutely bone-tingling freezing. I've always liked the cold, rugged up in warm jumpers, fireplaces and the snow, but tonight the cold was just...unnerving. It was raining too- which added to the overall glumness of it all.

Then, a first year was sitting in my seat, in the common room. My lovely, comfortable, slightly squishy armchair, in the corner away from the noise and frivolities of the common room, but still not so far away that I can't hear what is going on. It is also rather close to the fire-place too and considering the state of the weather I was looking forward to settling down in it and getting stuck into some Ancient Runes translations.

However being a prefect, I couldn't exactly go and tell her move. After all it is my duty to set an example to other students and I'd surely be labeled a bit of a boffin if I was to get all upset about a silly armchair...but it is mine.

I was also slightly stressed too. Exams were coming up. I had been revising for a number of weeks already, however I still had three different subjects to write notes for. Not to mention they still had to be colour-coded and placed in their individual folders. I know everyone else was still at least a fortnight from even beginning to think about studying, but I've always liked to be organized. I have these expectations to live up to. It's just difficult.

Everyone expects me to do brilliantly in every exam. They seem to think I'm the "cleverest witch", but I'm not. Yes, I do well, but that is because I spend so much time studying, checking and double checking facts and practicing quietly under the sheets at night all the charms and spells I need to know. There must be some natural ability there I guess, as I seem to be able to grasp most things before anyone else, but I wouldn't do as well as I do if it wasn't for all the hard work. I'm not whinging, I do enjoy it all. It's ever so fascinating. Being a muggle for eleven years and then suddenly being thrust into a magical world certainly is very interesting. But it is this fact too, that makes me work even harder. People like Ron and Ginny, and Draco Malfoy have been brought up with this all their lives. They just know all the rights and wrongs of a magical society. I had to learn it all. I know Harry is in much the same predicament as me, but well he is Harry Potter, so it's different.

So on top of all of that was the fact Ron and I had yet another fight. I admit the past few months have been very stressful for all of us- Harry loosing Sirius like he did. It was a rather trying time, and I think by the time the school year had ended we were all glad to just get away from it all. Of course we spent the fortnight prior to beginning this year at The Burrow and that was lovely. Its funny, even though I spend most of the year away from my parents I always feel this sense of comfort with the Weasley's. I think it's because they are a wizarding family. Of course I will always love and cherish my mother and father. However because I am a witch and they aren't magical, it makes it hard. They simply don't really know what to talk to me about anymore. This is why I appreciate Ron and Harry so much.

Ron and I bicker about the silliest of things. It's all rather immature I guess, but he just winds me up so much and I can never just seem to bite my tongue. Tonight it was yet again Viktor Krum. All I said was that Viktor had mentioned in his last letter that the next Quidditch World Cup was going to be held in Bulgaria.

"Oh, so you're still writing to HIM then," accused Ron.

"Yes, and HIS name is Viktor," I testily replied.

"Why do you even bother Hermione?" he continued. I could feel yet another lecture about my so-called romantic dalliance coming on.

"He is too old for you and a professional Quidditch player, so he's always away on training camps in places where he could easily...easily...well where he may not be faithful to you!!"

"Ron, why does it matter to you?"

"Because you're my friend."

"But you don't interfere with Harry and his lov...with his life."

And with that Harry left, creeping up to the boys dormitories. He seems to just stay out of our bickering now.

"Yeah, but Harry's a boy."

"So are you saying that because I am a female, that I need to have a big, strong man with me all the time, just to look after me?"

"Well, no... I err...."

"Am I allowed to have other male friends?"

"Yes of course you can but...."

"So what exactly are you trying to say Ronald? Or am I too weak and naïve to get it? For Merlin's sake just spit it out!"

"Calm down Hermione!"

"Calm down! Calm down! I don't need to calm down. You do!"

"Well then stop taking out your bad mood on me."

"I'm not in a bad mood!"

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes"

"No."

"YES!"

"NO!"

And with that we both let off a rather disgruntled huff and stomped up towards our respected dormitories. By this stage I think the whole of the Gryffindor common room was looking on, but they've seen us argue before....and we weren't that loud...I don't think...

I tried to sleep but it was impossible, with all that was on my mind. So I'm now sitting here back in my chair, in front of the fire place, just thinking, about tonight, about life, about everything, about Ron...

Ron just knows how to annoy me. And that bothers me, how he can read my, almost like a book. How can he do that? Should he be able to do that? Or is it something that only pureblood wizards can do, read other people's minds. Perhaps I should see if there is a book about it...or ask Professor Dumbledore.

My train of thought was interrupted by a rather loud thump. Like a hippogriff was walking down stairs doing a tap-dance. I spun around.

"Oh, Ron...."

"Hmphh, what are you doing down here? It's late and bloody cold."

"Yeah I know, but I couldn't sleep. I had a lot on my mind...about tonight."

"Uhh, me too."

"Listen Ron, I..."

"Yeah, I wanted to say..."

"I'm sorry."

He chuckled and I gave a bit of giggle.

"We're beginning to sound like those brothers of yours."

"Fred and George? Yeah I guess they do finish each others sentences a fair bit."

There was a bit of an awkward silence, but not really wanting him to go I said the first thing that popped into my head.

"Its freezing tonight isn't it?"

"Yes, thought it might be warmer down here."

Ron went and got another armchair and dragged it over next to mine, in front of the slowly dying fire.

"You've got a nice position here."

"Yes, I sometimes come here if I can't sleep, just to sit and look at the fire and to think."

"Hermione..."

Ron turned and faced me, looking like he just swallowed a squid flavoured Bertie Botts jelly bean. He couldn't seem to look at me directly in the eyes, so they flickered from his clenched fists in his lap to the fireplace and then to my own eyes. I'd never really noticed his eyes before. His head of red hair was what really set him out from a crowd, except of course when he was with one of the other Weasleys. He had nice eyes, deep blue, rather like a blanket I have on my bed at home....it was a nice blanket too, warm and cozy...

He took an unusually large breath.

"Areyougoinoutwithviktorkrum?"

"What!"

"Are you dating Viktor Krum? You know like boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"Ron, if you really must know, we are not seeing one another. Honestly, you don't think I would keep something like that from you and Harry do you. Because I wouldn't...I would probably tell Ginny first, but that's because she's a girl, and well you know... But we still write...It was never really going to work out...I mean, yes, he is quite a bit older than me, and he lives in Bulgaria for Merlin's sake...And statistics point out that long distance relationships never work. We just get along really well, we're just friends, it was never a romantic matter..."

I stopped, drawing a breath. So many times I wanted to tell Ron that I wasn't seeing Viktor, but the he always got me upset or annoyed me about it that it was just easier to defend Viktor and get it over and done with. It was as if someone had lifted a large weight off my chest. It was like it was all written out beforehand. But it wasn't.

"Oh okay then. Good," he sound satisfied.

"Good?"

"Well, Hermione, you and Harry are my best friends. You mean a lot to me. And well...you're a girl...so I feel like I have to look out for you. You're my Hermione."

"Oh well thanks Ron, that's really sweet, but I'm big and ugly enough to look after myself."

"You know what I...hey you're not ugly..."

He turned and faced me and then got a funny look on his face, and his bottom lip twitched a little and his ears turned a brilliant shade of crimson.

I gave a little smile and felt the heat rising in my cheeks. I knew it wasn't from the fire.

Oh golly, I think Ron Weasley has just admitted- not meaning too of course- that he likes me! Oh no- what do I do now? Maybe I was just reading into it too much...Do I look at him? No...no yes...Oh bugger! Okay Hermione, be a Gryffindor, you're meant to be brave.

I slowly turned my head.

We looked at each other for a moment, and then hastily spun around to face the fire again. I needed a distraction, I wasn't familiar with this feeling. To my dismay it had gone completely out.

"The...the...it's gone out."

"I didn't notice."

"Me either."

Ron quickly got up and put a few more logs in, and relit the fire.

"You still want to sit here, till you get sleepy?"

"Yes, just a little bit longer," I yawned as I looked down at my watch; it was getting close to 3 am.

"This is nice...and...." I was looking for something to say, my breathing was getting all out of time.

"Yeah, hey Hermione, just shush a moment will you?"

I quickly stopped. There was something about the way Ron had spoken. Usually that would have sent me into a frenzy of abuse. But the room was warming up, we'd apologised to one another and it was just nice, to be sitting here with him, it was as if all of the things that had been buzzing round in my head didn't seem so troublesome.

I snuck another look at Ron. He was nice looking. Tall, lean, strong. A head of the most beautifully coloured reddy-auburn hair that was all messy from sleeping, those lovely blanket blue eyes, all those cute freckles dusted on his face...for a moment I wished he was just more than my over-protective best friend.

I suddenly realised he had been looking back at me. He blinked and gave a bit of a gasp, his mouth was now slightly agape.

We both turned quickly and looked at the fire again, searching for something else to look at. It was starting to blaze now. I wasn't cold now, I felt warm, too warm for this time of night. My hand, which had been curled underneath my leg had gone to sleep and was tingling all over with pins and needles. I moved it and stretched it out and rested it on the arm of the chair, playing with a loose thread in the material. I was awfully close to Ron. My heart skipped a beat and I got a funny feeling in my stomach. I could hear him breathing and see his chest rising and falling, and smell him. A pleasant odour of clean sheets, soap and cinnamon.

Slowly but deliberately, Ron's large hand moved from on his lap, to cover my smaller one. He took my hand in his and just held it. For once we didn't make a noise and just stared at the flickering flames. Suddenly the previous night didn't seem so bad at all.