There All Along

Hermione fit her snow hat over her silken curls and wrapped her scarf around her. She smiled with excitement. This was the first trip to Hogsmeade of the year. The student body had been waiting impatiently for an extra two weeks while they tried to round up a group of loose Blast-Ended Skrewts. (Hagrid insisted over and over that he had nothing to do with it).

She ventured to the crowded common room to meet up with Harry and Ron. While she tried to keep a normal persona, she felt awkward after what had happened the night before. She prayed that everything would be fine, but she prepared herself for Ron to act a little strange or uncomfortable. She wouldn't be surprised if he was downright angry with her. Scanning the courtyard, she located Ron's red hair towering over the group of Gryffindors. She made her way to them which proved to be a difficult task. She finally reached them and smiled. They each were bundled up, ready for a day in the snowy town of Hogsmeade. Harry beamed at her, and to her surprise, so did Ron. She was also relieved to see that the silent torture in his eyes had been replaced with a twinkle and a smile. This fully convinced her that it definitely had been a "guy thing." Harry and Ron held out their arms.

"Shall we go?" Harry asked with a laugh.

She took hold of his arm and linked hers in. She turned to Ron.

"Milady." Ron bowed, and she entwined her arm in his as they made their way out to the carriages and into Hogsmeade.
---------------------------------------------
"I cannot believe you ate that!" Hermione squeaked with a nauseating look on her face. Ron had just swallowed a Cockroach Cluster, something the trio always thought to be quite disgusting. "That's so gross, Ron!"

He chuckled. "A deal is a deal, Hermione," Ron said with a toothy grin. "Drinks are on you."

Hermione sighed but nodded. "Alright, let's go to the Three Broomsticks."

The trio paid for their sweets and left the shop contented, having consumed their sugar intake for a year or two. At the Three Broomsticks, Hermione ordered and paid for three butterbeers, and they made their way to a cozy booth in the corner. Harry and Ron sat on one side while Hermione took the other. Cho Chang walked by and glanced quickly at Harry.

Ron and Hermione gave him a look, but Harry was completely oblivious to the stare Cho had given him.

"So, Harry," Hermione said, "how are things with you and Cho?"

"Fine," he replied.

"Nothing's going on? No renewal of affections?" she prodded.

"No," he told her truthfully, looking surprised. "Why?"

"Just wondered," she shrugged.

They continued to talk about this and that when, to Hermione's joy, Viktor Krum came over. She scooted over for him to sit down and drape an arm around her, making her feel protected. She caught something in Ron's eyes flash, but when she turned to look at him properly, it was gone.

"So..." Harry said, glancing nervously at Ron. The atmosphere became uncomfortable, none of them knowing what to say. No matter how young Krum was, he was now the professor...a famous professor besides. "How is our class doing?"

"Very vell," Krum slowly smiled and nodded. "It is the best yet! Actually, Harry, you are thee top student, followed close by Hermione."

Hermione laughed and declared, "Well, I have to let Harry beat me at something!"

"Let me?" Harry challenged. "Yeah, in your dreams, Granger!"

They laughed, and she caught her breath when Krum kissed the top of her head. She giggled but noticed one person not joining in the fun.

"What's up, Ron?" she asked as worry crept back into her chest.

He shook his head and said, "I'm just hot. Suppose we go outside for a walk?"

So they got up and went outside to the snow-covered village and walked to a lonely spot away from everyone and talked and laughed and carried on. When the talk died down, everyone wondered what to do next. They stared in the snow, mute. As if reading their minds, Hermione took some wet snow into her mitten and formed a perfectly round ball. She aimed it in Harry's direction and threw, the fat snowball hitting him in the back. He turned around, his emerald eyes shining.

"You'll get it, Granger!"

She squealed as she dodged Harry's snowball and stuck out her tongue at him, only to get hit by Ron's perfectly thrown snowball. It was war!

They all took battle stations and waged a cold and rather wet war; every man for himself. Even though she could dodge almost all of Harry's and Viktor's snow bombs, she was losing terribly to Ron, who had a perfect aim, but she never caught where he had made his fort. She ran from the pine tree that was protecting her and ran to a nearby bush to take cover, taking Viktor's snowball in the neck, and freezing cold snow slipped down her back. She was almost safely to the bush when she collided with an unsuspecting Ron who had occupied the spot. She lost her balance and fell backwards. Frantically, she reached out to break her fall, grabbing Ron around the waist and dragging him down with her.

Limbs and snow flew about everywhere, and she the mass of curls that had fallen in her face blinded her. She landed hard on the cold ground, and Ron landed with his elbow in her stomach. She let out a small cry of pain. She couldn't see anything and was in considerable pain when two gentle hands lightly brushed the mass of curls from her face, and she found herself gazing into two stunningly beautiful blue eyes. She caught her breath as she caught sight of the emotion behind them.

She became aware of her hands wrapped around a waist. She went over what had happened in her mind and realized that the waist and the two exquisite blue eyes lovingly, longingly boring into hers were Ron's! Her stomach fluttered uncomfortably and her breathing became deep. His breath was gently caressing her face, and her cheeks blushed pink. She moved her hands onto his chest to push him off but stopped. His chest was surprisingly strong and firm. She became aware of his body heat as it protruded into her, warming her. He still looked at her, and she couldn't help but stare back, getting lost in those two amazing eyes. She melted and drowned in them until a sound brought her back to reality.

"Ron! Hermione! Where are you?" Harry's voice shouted.

Ron slowly got off of her and held out his hand for her to pull herself up. She placed her hand in his as he heaved her up off of the ground. For a moment, they just looked at each other, and she noticed how snug her hand was in his. It was as if electricity flowed from his hand to hers, and shivers went through her, devouring her like flames.

Coming to her senses, she broke the bizarre connection and shouted, "We're over here!"

Harry and Krum came into view with puzzled looks on their faces.

"It's time to go back to thee castle," Krum said.

Harry cast a questioning look at the pair of them and asked, "What were you two doing?"

Hermione blushed again and looked up at Ron, the uncomfortable fluttering coming back.

"We joined forces and were planning a surprise attack, but then she had to give our position away," he grinned, giving her a playful shove. She stuck her tongue out at him childishly. He mimicked her, and she stifled a giggle.

He's so adorable.

The thought flashed through her mind naturally, unasked. Her mind's sudden declaration brought a creeping flush to her cheeks again. Ron? Adorable? She couldn't think of a proper excuse as to why her thoughts would choose that word. She quickly turned and grabbed Viktor's hand. No fluttering came to her stomach, no shiver, no sigh. She decided she was exhausted after the busy day as she firmly dragged him to the awaiting carriages, snow falling from the grey sky.