The Secret Spot

It was the sparkle in his eyes

The flame of his hair

The malice in his voice when he laughed in her face

Hermione had been up here before; the view wasn't anything new. Professor McGonogall had given her permission to use the southwest tower above her office whenever she wanted a place to study- somewhere more quiet than the common room, somewhere more solitary than the library. She used this to her advantage for this exact purpose, but she also began to find it quite a nice spot for simply being alone, a feeling she rarely got when down in the hustle and bustle of the school. So here she sat alone in the tower, her legs folded neatly under her growing goosebumps on the cold wood floor. She breathed in the somewhat musty air that lingered despite the breezes of fresh air that leaked in through the wall-length windows. She pulled a leaf from her hair as she glanced about the abandoned room, then diverted her attention back to the open windows out of which revealed a whole other world. Above the Quidditch pitch down below was a vast blanket of stars that dotted the night sky. Hermione liked to look out over the grounds from this angle, seeing it the way no one else did. No one ever saw things the way she did, so this wasn't really much different to her. But still, the view was spectacular.

It was a quality atmosphere for concentration, but she often found that her thoughts tended to wander from schoolwork when she was here. When she was here, she was free. Free to think about anything. Free to think about him.

The jubilance in his grin

The blush of his cheeks

The nervous tremble of his laughter as she blinked back tears

They had been friends for five years now. Things had never been perfect, but she treasured what they had all the same. Even if it wasn't in the same way he did.

She told herself all year it wasn't true. She didn't even know herself when it began, but she knew enough now not to deny its existance anymore. Everyone seemed to think she belonged with Harry. No one ever thought of Ron. No one ever seemed to think of Ron. And no one knew this more than he did, except maybe Hermione. She noticed him. From the first day on the Hogwarts Express, she noticed every last detail about him, down to the smudge of dirt he had on his nose. But she never wanted to believe she was falling for him. Hermione Granger didn't do such things. Her life was schoolwork; reading, writing, knowing answers to everything. She knew nothing of love, but she couldn't admit that. It was safer to pretend she knew, but just had no interest in pursuing anything of the sort. But still...Ron was never an easy person to ignore.

The way his freckles seemed to darken in certain situations

The way his face fell when he was afraid

The way his words came out in sputters when she walked away, speechless

She felt a drop of something warm hit her hand. When she got in deep thought, she was oblivious to everything. She didn't even notice she had started crying. She wiped her face and began to stand, brushing some dust off her skirt as she smoothed it down. This was ridiculous. She always thought things through, always thought before she acted. But not this time. The words just seemed to tumble out of her mouth, her lips disobeying her brain. She couldn't for the life of her imagine what had pushed her to say that to him. She wasn't even sure if it was true. Now she didn't even know if he would ever speak to her again. But a part of her was insisting it was worth it.

Hermione snapped back into reality, realizing again that tears were running down her face. She had no idea how long she had been standing in that spot lost in thought. She shrugged and she made her way over to her books, deciding it was time to return to civilization. As she began to retrieve her belongings, a series of frustrated mutters came creeping through the stairway entrance to the loft. She spun around quickly.

That familiar blush in his cheeks.

That familiar drop of his jaw

That familiar sputtering of words, this time speaking her name- "H-Hermione?"

Detention, he managed to tell her. McGonogall had given him detention for one reason or another, and his punishment was to clean the tower. This tower. Hermione's tower. She stood there speechless. Under normal circumstances his awkward explanation would amuse her, but these weren't normal circumstances. Finally, Ron dropped his hands to his sides in defeat. He took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before releasing it into the night air. For a few moments, they stood silent.

"Hermione? Look- I...I wanted to tell you I was sorry. About...before."

She held up a hand. "No Ron, stop. You don't have to. Really, it's okay. I understand."

Nervous as he was, he managed to force himself a few steps towards her as he ran a hand through his hair. "No, Hermione, it's not okay. And it hasn't been for way too long."

He advanced the rest of the way to her, the girl standing there shivering, partially from the cold and partially from apprehension. She watched his face as his hand found its way to hers, their fingers lightly brushing before he clasped her hand in his. She glanced down at their grasp then back up to meet his eyes. Before she could speak, Ron leaned forward and placed his lips delicately against hers. Eyes closed, Hermione kissed him back. Now was not a time for logic. Not for questioning. Not for doubts. Standing stationary together in the tower, connected for the first time, nothing else mattered.

After several blissful moments, the two pulled away to look at each other's smiling faces, their blushes hidden by the darkness ungulfing them. Breaking the silence, he spoke.

"There was something else I wanted to say, Hermione." She raised her eyebrows slightly, wordlessly urging him to continue. "I-I...I love you too."

The relief of her smile

The relief in the feeling of their embrace

The relief in his voice when he finally told her the truth

Looking back out over the grounds, the stars still twinkled and the breeze still blew. Hermione had been here before, but the view had never looked this great.