Awakened Hearts

Ron watched Hermione in silent awe as she feverishly moved the quill across the parchment in front of her. She looked absolutely dazzling as the fire danced devilishly across her face, and glinted brilliantly off of her cinnamon colored eyes. Hermione's cheeks, pink from the warmth of the fire gave her a more matured and stunning look.

"What was that Ron?" inquired Hermione without once lifting her eyes off of the parchment. His ears turned a pale scarlet, as did his cheeks as he realized he had just spoken out loud. "Er --Nothing," Ron replied hoping that his attempt to sound unembarrassed was convincing. Hermione stole a look at Ron and bit her lip when she smiled, watching him slap himself in the forehead. Ron didn't know this, but Hermione heard quite clearly what he had said.

"Ron, what on earth are you doing?" asked Hermione, slightly confused as she grabbed his hand. Taking a big swallow, he then said, "Something I should have done a long time ago." Hermione stood up and looked him squarely in the eyes, His blue eyes gazing right back into her cinnamon colored eyes. "Hermione," Ron said as he gently kissed her hand, "I love you, in a more than friendly way. I know that my admission of this might queer our friendship, but that is a risk I have to take because I can not live for a moment longer without you knowing how I truly feel for you inside."

"I was just always so afraid to tell you, always afraid that you would think me to be a raving maniac. You are truly amazing to me Hermione and perfect to me in every way; you're it for me; and if you turn me down, believe me when I say that I will never feel for any girl nearly half as much as what I feel for you." Ron's eyes glistened as tears pulled at his eyes, but him being afraid that if he stopped that he would lose his nerve continued talking, "You're perfection, and nothing in this life will ever get any better than you. When I blurted out that I thought you were beautiful I meant it; I thought you had heard me and I was waiting for you to tell me that I was mad, and that I should be studying and not thinking such rubbish. But when I realized you hadn't heard me I felt relieved yet at the same time angry. I had let a perfect moment to tell you exactly what I thought of you slip by, and after that I could not just sit there idly watching more and more perfect moments to go by and not tell my best friend in the whole world that I am deeply in love with her." Ron let out a big sigh as he finished his speech. A single tear slid down his cheek, and Hermione gently wiped it away.

Hermione took a step toward Ron and gently pressed her lips against his. Her bottom lip quivered as it connected to his soft, warm lips for the first time. Tears streamed down her face as she pulled away from him, Ron looking completely bewildered asked, "Hermione what's with all the waterworks?" She couldn't help but let out a smile at Ron's words. He wiped away her tears and gently caressed her face. "I love you too Ron," she said as she looked up into his eyes. He then grinned like a child who had just been given the toy of his dreams. Ron then pulled Hermione in for a more passionate kiss, his left hand cupping her face ever so gently as his right hand gave hers a gentle squeeze.

When the kiss had ended, Ron with his forehead against Hermione's wore the biggest grin she had ever seen. His fingers gently traced over the side of Hermione's face; relishing his touch she leaned into Ron's hand and kissed it tenderly. Hermione's cinnamon brown eyes looked up into Ron's dazzling blue ones, "I never planned on falling in love with you," she confessed in a gently hushed tone, "And I surely never planned on you loving me back also." she then sighed, "Ron, please tell me that I didn't fall asleep by the fire and that this isn't all just a dream." Ron smirked then wrapped his arms around Hermione and dipped her as he placed a hard kiss upon her lips. When finished, Hermione let a giggle escape her lips while Ron let go of her and said, "I saw that in a movie once; I figured it's romantic, and dramatic enough to convince you that this all isn't some silly little daydream, because I really do love you Hermione. And I wouldn't want you for one moment to believe that what I feel for you isn't real, because it is." Hermione smiled and wrapped her arms around Ron as she buried her face in his chest. "I love you Ron," she gently whispered as she listened to the soothing sound of his heartbeat.

Ron felt like the luckiest boy in the world, here he was in love with the girl of his dreams, and she actually loved him back. She loved me back. He smiled at the thought. He had never in his life felt this amazing. Never before had he felt so alive. I've never held her so close before; I hope we will be like this forever. Ron leaned down and put a tender kiss on her forehead. Hermione smiled softly, and then let out a big yawn; glancing up at the clock on the wall she saw that it was nearly 2 am. "Ron, I think it's time for us to go to bed," she said as she nodded towards the clock. Ron starting to feel exhaustion, gave Hermione one last kiss goodnight and then whispered into her ear, "I love you." Hermione drunk in his words then looked him in the eyes and repeated the same eloquent phrase. As they both climbed the stairs to their dormitories, they both felt this serene calmness in their hearts. That night both Ron and Hermione both fell asleep thinking about each other knowing that it felt grand to be loved.

-Georgia Boyce

July 8^th 2003-