Mama, Tell Me the Story

THE STORY

"Mama, tell me about the first time daddy kissed you." Minnie leaned eagerly toward her mother, with her elbows on the countertop. "I bet it was terribly romantic." She got a dreamy far-away look in her eyes. She was only just eleven and a couple months. In September she'd be off to Hogwarts. At this stage in her life, she was still under the terribly misguided notion that all men were terribly romantic fairytale princes.

"You don't want to hear that story," Hermione said, laughing a little as she remembered it all too well.

"I don't want to hear that story," said eight-year-old Herman, stubbornly. He was still under the misguided impression that all girls had cooties. He carried a mock-sword of wood with him to fend off any girls that dared come his way and an orange cap that clashed horribly with his hair, but he would not be discouraged from wearing it.

"Then shut your ears, twerp. I want to hear it," Minnie said. "Tell me please, Mama."

At that moment, Ron came charging through the kitchen like an elephant and scooped up a child in each arm and swung them around. When he set Herman back down, he took Minnie's stool and set her on his knee as though she were five years old again. "Now, what's this you want your mother to tell you?"

"About the first time you and her kissed."

"You're not thinking about boys already, are you?" His face fell. "Merlin, I was sure we still had a couple more years on you." He scratched the red stubble that was his attempt at growing a beard. His wife wasn't thrilled with it and said it made him much to scratchy to kiss. He'd probably shave it off in a day or two, maybe tonight.

"Daddy, the story. I want to hear it. I bet you were really romantic. Brought Mama a bouquet of fresh flowers and scooped her up in your arms."

"No more movies for you, Minerva," Ron said. "As a matter of fact, I was very romantic."

"That's not how I remember it," Hermione said in her best know-it-all voice, wiping a smudge of dirt or chocolate or something from the corner of Herman's mouth.

"What are you talking about? I showed up at your window and--"

"That was our second kiss, dear. Now are you remembering the first one?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at him.

Ron blinked. "What, no, I was sure...Oh! Your mother's right. You don't want to hear about that at all. Why don't you go play while I help your mama with dinner?"

"What? Is it not rated for my ears?" giggled Minnie.

"Of course it is," Hermione scolded. "I was just trying to save your father some embarrassment. Go wash up, dinner is almost ready and we're having company tonight."

"Who is it?"

"Uncle Harry and Uncle Neville," Hermione said fondly. It didn't really matter who was related to whom, as far as they were concerned they were all family.

"What about Auntie Luna and Aunt Gin?" asked Herman. He liked Aunt Gin; she always brought fun things from the twins' joke-shop for him.

"They're coming too. But your cousins aren't."

"Why not?"

"Because your grandparents wanted to see them," Hermione's lips twitched. Molly Weasley hadn't changed in all the years that Hermione had known her. She even still insisted her children and (and son-in-law and daughters-in-law) all call her Mum.

"They didn't want to see us?"

"You just saw them yesterday."

"I suppose..." Minnie said. She liked her grandparents. On the other hand, she couldn't wait for Auntie Luna. She was always so much fun.

"Go wash up," Hermione scooted her children out of the kitchen. She stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips, quite unaware of her husband.

Ron had slipped quietly off his stool. "I remember our first kiss," he whispered playfully into her ear and put his arms around her waist.

Hermione couldn't help smiling. She turned around with his arms still around her. "And so you understand why I was saving you the embarrassment of telling her?"

"You're so kind," he murmured. He kissed her and was uninterrupted until there was a laugh and a cough behind him. A little red faced, he turned around and saw his best friends and their wives. "Did you have to interrupt me?" he asked, glaring at Harry and Neville.

Harry snickered at his friend. "Did we come at a bad time?"

"No, not at all," Hermione said, smoothing her dress.

"I can see that," said Luna.

"Oh, hush, Luna," Harry said, swatting her gently on the arm.

"Dinner's almost ready," Hermione told them. "I figured we could eat in the dining room. I still have to clear off the table, but that should only take a few minutes."

"Don't trouble yourself, Herms," said Ginny. "We're old friends. Who votes for saving Hermione the trouble and eating on the sofas in the living room?"

"Aye!" exclaimed her brother, Luna, Neville, and Harry.

"It settled then," Ginny said, clearly satisfied.

"You're a bully, Gin. You always were," grumbled Hermione.

"I know," Ginny said cheerfully. "You want to help us, Lun?"

"Alright. I'm still no good with cooking, but I can carry plates."

Harry muttered to Ron and Neville, "She isn't kidding about the cooking thing."

Luna overhead and said playfully, "Why should I worry about it? If I learned to cook, my wonderful husband might stop making me breakfast and dinner everyday."

The men headed off to the living room while the woman caught up and chatted.

"How are the kids?"

"Oh, they're fine. Washing up just now--" Just as the words left her lips, Hermione saw Herman and Minnie racing through to the kitchen.

Herman raced to Ginny and hugged her around her middle and Minnie ran to Luna.

"I guess a mother gets no appreciation these days," Hermione said.

"What's this?" Ginny said, looking at two soapy wet spots on her dress. "Somebody didn't dry his hands." She put a hand on her hip and looked reproachfully at him.

"Sorry, Aunt Gin." Herman gave her his best sad-puppy-dog face.

"I can't stay mad at you, Manny," she grinned.

"Didya bring me anything from your brothers' shop?" he asked brightly, all traces of sadness gone.

"I hope you didn't, Ginny. You're spoiling him rotten, you know. And you and those two are a bad influence on him. Honestly, Ron's a bad enough influence. Maybe I should just separate him from all you Weasleys," Hermione scolded, though she knew she didn't really mean it, well, most of it.

"Mum would throw a fit. She'd come storming in here, screaming about never getting to see her ickle-Ronniekins's children again and missing out on the lives of 2 of her grandchildren." She leaned down and whispered to Manny, "See me later when your mum isn't around."

He grinned mischievously and went into the living room to find the men.

"She's got more grandchildren...and more on the way I see," Hermione said with a slight chuckle.

"Am I really starting to show?" Ginny asked nervously. "We didn't tell anybody yet."

"Just barely. You've already got 3. You're not trying to beat your mum are you?" Hermione asked.

"No. Are you kidding? Imagine seven of them running around. Seven like me, or Ron, or the twins, or Percy, or even Bill or Charlie. Or seven like my hubby even. Ack, I couldn't take that."

"Yeah, she and Neville just can't keep their hands off each other," Luna grinned.

"Shut-up, Lun," Ginny told her, without really looking angry (just maybe a little embarrassed). "As though you're any better, yourself, Hermione."

"Me? I've only got 2. Luna's got three."

"I have an excuse. I had twins."

Minnie stayed, fascinated. She didn't quite understand all of the conversation, but she got the general gist of it. Then Hermione noticed that she was still there.

"Minnie, why don't you go to the living room with your uncles and your father?" Hermione asked, feeling the conversation was not appropriate for her eleven-year-old daughter.

"It's not my fault you didn't bring me anyone to play with," she said, crossing her arms across her still undeveloped chest. "Tell me the story, Mama. I still want to hear it."

Luna picked Minnie up and set her on the edge of the counter. "Which story, Herms?"

"The first time her and daddy kissed," Minnie said.

Ginny grinned, "I know that story. I was there."

"I wasn't. I haven't heard it," Luna said, her voice clearly indicating that it sounded like a story worth hearing.

"Oh, alright. I'll tell, but don't anybody tell Ron. I usually try to refrain from embarrassing him," Hermione said. She laughed and Ginny and Luna laughed back at her; torturing Ron (or Neville, or Harry) was always fun. She went and closed the doors at both ends of the kitchen so the men couldn't hear.

Luna took a spot next to Minnie on the counter while Ginny and Hermione pulled up stools to sit on.

"Okay, Minnie. Your daddy and I were in our sixth year of Hogwarts. I'd liked him for sometime. I was already pretty sure I loved him. But he didn't know that."

"Why didn't you tell him?"

"I was afraid he didn't feel the same way about me. It took him a little bit longer to realize how he felt. I'm not sure just what changed his mind. But he did. Of course he didn't tell me. He had to work up the courage first."

"I thought Daddy was brave," Minnie said, somewhat less than impressed.

"Your daddy is a very brave man," Hermione said.

"Brave when it comes to fighting bad men? Yes. Brave when it comes to standing up for what's right? Yes. Brave when it comes to expressing his feelings and talking to a woman? Er, no," said Ginny.

"Here, Minnie, just let me tell the story," Hermione said.

In the Living Room

"Hey, Manny, what you doing out here?" asked Neville, picking him up and putting him in his lap.

"The girls are being girly," he said disgustedly.

"Girly?" asked Harry

"They're laughing and talking. Sent me away."

They heard a laugh from the kitchen.

"She must be telling the story," Ron said, shaking his head.

"What story?" asked Neville.

"Herms and my first kiss," he said miserably.

"That doesn't sound so bad," Neville said.

Harry grinned, "You weren't there, Nev."

"You're not gonna tell it, are you daddy? That's why I left!" Manny folded his arms across his chest and glared as all three men laughed at him.

"Well, it was sixth year..."

FIRST KISS

It was March and Ron was in the common room doing some Transfiguration homework. He was doing his very best to do it well and do it without Hermione's help. He really wanted to prove to her that he could do something right. He wanted to prove that he was special. While happy for him when he made the Quiditch team last year (and true she had given him a kiss on the cheek he'd never forget as long as he lived), she wasn't the kind of girl to be impressed with sports. She wanted something more. He knew he couldn't dazzle her with gifts, but he suspected that she wasn't the sort to be taken in by presents either. She was smart, therefore she'd want a guy who was smart too.

Hermione sat on the other side of the common room, working on her homework with Harry while she talked to Ginny. Passersby and other people in the common room probably figured that Ron and Hermione had gotten in a fight again and that's why they were separated. But the truth was, Hermione was worried. "Harry, he hasn't asked me for help all week. Not even potions. I'm worried."

"I thought you'd be relieved. Aren't you always going on about how he never does his own work and how we won't learn if we don't do it ourselves?"

"But don't I always give him the notes anyway?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm going to go see if he needs any help," she said, shutting her book.

"Herms, you've been over there 3 times tonight. And you keep glancing up at him. Why don't you let him work in peace?" suggested Harry. "Don't fault Ron for trying to improve his study habits."

"Speaking of which, you could improve on your own study habits, Harry," Hermione said disapprovingly over her shoulder as she approached Ron.

Ron was chewing on the end of his quill and thumbing through his transfiguration book and his notes. The problem was he couldn't read his own handwriting in some places. He heard footsteps and glanced up and saw Hermione. Had she noticed that he kept looking at her every ten minutes? He hoped not.

"Hi, Ron," she said, trying to sound casual.

"Hey, Herms."

"Do you need some help?" she asked.

"Oh, no, I'm fine."

"Oh." She sounded disappointed.

"Look," he said brightly, "Remember that Transfiguration quiz we got back today?"

"Yeah."

"I passed. And with good marks too, not just average."

"That's wonderful!" she said, trying to sound happy. But her heart wasn't in it. "So I guess you don't need me." She started to turn away.

He grabbed her wrist. "Herms, you're my best friend. I'm always gonna need you. You don't know how many hours I spent studying for that quiz. You taught me how to do that. I still need you. I was just...I thought..."

"You thought what?"

"You'd like me better if I were smarter," mumbled Ron.

"What? Smarter? Like you better? You're my best friend, Ron." Friend, the word stung.

"Yeah. Friend." Friend, it stung like a bee.

"And I don't like you because you're smart. I get sick of smartness. You're my friend because you make me laugh and you're there for me." Again, that word stung. She turned away again. "I guess I'll go back over there and finish my work then."

He wouldn't let go of her wrist. "Do you even care that I tried to get these good grades for you? Do you care at all?"

"Yes, I care. You're developing good study habits. Unlike Harry, who's just sitting there and letting his mind go to rot. You don't need me. I should go help him."

"Hermione, I..."

"What?" she asked.

"I care about you." Something about the way he said "care" made it sound like so much more.

Hermione just stood there. She understood what he was saying, the magnitude of what he was saying. Ron had never been very good with words or expressing his feelings.

Ron still clutched her wrist as she stood in front him and he was still sitting in the chair. He yanked her arm and pulled her down next to him so she fell kind of half on him and half on the chair and he immediately put his other arm tightly around her to keep her from falling as she started to slip. Their faces were less than 6 inches apart and he froze.

He didn't know what to do.

Neither did she.

So they sat for a minute like that. The way Hermione had fallen she wasn't sitting very comfortably and Ron's grip on her wrist and her back were way too tight.

Ron looks like a deer caught in somebody's headlights the way he's frozen, thought Hermione, though she imagined she probably didn't look much better.

Ron stared at Hermione. Even with her eyes wide like she's terrified of me or something, she still looks beautiful, he thought. Ron leaned over to give her a kiss. Well, he shut his eyes (out of nervousness) and he missed. He ended up getting the side of her nose with a wet smack and she got his chin. Realizing his mistake he backed off. One more try...they both aimed for each other's mouth this time but there wasn't even any lip contact; they bumped noses instead.

By now it was just awkward, they disentangled themselves, both blushing.

Several people in the common room (including Ginny and Harry) witnessed what happened. There were some laughs, some looks of pity, and even a couple looks that clearly said I-can't-believe-those-idiots-couldn't-figure-out-how-to-kiss-each-other.

"Er, I...er, got...transfiguration," stuttered Ron, burying his head in his book (which was upside-down).

Hermione nodded and said something about studying for potions and rushed back to the other side of the common room, wiping her nose.

This wasn't exactly what either of them had imagined their first kiss to be.

Hermione knew it was naïve, but she'd imagined Ron saying something utterly romantic, taking her in his arms, and kissing her soundly on the mouth for at least a minute or so.

Ron had imagined himself saying some romantic, sweeping her off her feet, and kissing her like there was no tomorrow.

Neither of them had been warned that you were supposed to tilt your head so you didn't bump noses. There was no divine force to guide their heads so that their mouths met dead-on rather than missing. Things had gone miserably. Absolutely miserably.

Ron gathered his things and went up to his dormitory as quickly as he could and Harry, giving Hermione a look that said I've got to go followed him.

Hermione sat with Ginny downstairs trying to figure out where things had gone so wrong while she pretended to work on her homework again.

"Come on, Herms. You aren't going to be able to concentrate on that stuff now. Pack it up and we'll go to your dormitory and talk. Parvati and Lavender shouldn't be there; I think Neville's helping them with Herbology in the library."

Hermione just nodded and followed her upstairs.

They plopped down on Hermione's bed. "Okay, now explain what happened."

"I'm not sure. One minute we were talking about McGonagall's Transfiguration homework, then into him not needing me, then he said cared about me. I kinda froze. He pulled me down into his chair and put his arm around me."

"Okay, I saw that. It wasn't well done. Ron has no dating experience, if you can't tell."

"He doesn't want to date me," Hermione said, blushing, realizing that if things had gone differently tonight him might have wanted to.

"Are you kidding? Do you know how many times I've caught him doodling your name all over the place and shooting looks at you from across the room when he thinks nobody's watching him?" She snorted. "He's crazy about you. He's just rather lacking as far as kissing experience."

"Well, so am I," admitted Hermione.

"I could tell. First off, he just yanked you down into the seat. Not smooth. Besides that, you weren't arranged very well, half on his lap and half on the chair."

"I was sliding off."

"Which is why he put his arm around you. He could feel you slipping and wanted to keep you up there tight."

"Too tight."

"So things started off already awkward and my guess is, realizing how close to you he was, he panicked."

"Seemed like it. So did I."

"I noticed the pause. He closed his eyes didn't he?"

"Yeah."

"Which is why he missed your mouth. If he were experienced at kissing, he would have found it with his eyes shut the first time. Your noses bumped because you both kept your heads straight. You've got to tilt them toward opposite directions so there's no bumping."

"I see. And the actual kissing part?" If we ever get there, she added silently.

"That's easy. It's just...natural," Ginny tried to explain.

"Natural?"

"If you start kissing, your mouth'll figure out what to do. I promise. The only problem is that you need a more relaxed environment and better positioning. Less awkward than sitting like that in the common room."

Ron and Harry were in the sixth year boys' dormitory and Ron paced up and down. "How could I have been so stupid? Now I've got no chance with her. I tried to rush things and I messed up, like I always mess up!"

"You didn't blow it. We can still recover the situation. Let's go over what went wrong. You caught her completely unawares for one thing."

"Cho caught you too," he shot back. "Let's face it, my first kiss was even worse than yours and your girl cried on you." He threw his shoe at the wall angrily. "I probably ruined things with Hermione forever. She won't want to date me, let alone be my friend ever again. I've ruined things forever. Now I've got nobody. Hermione was perfect. Hermione is perfect. I don't know what I'm going to do. She hates me. She definitely hates me. What am I going to do? I--"

"Hey, Ron?"

"What?" Ron asked angrily.

Harry punched his friend in the jaw and Ron went sprawling backwards onto his bed.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"To knock some sense into you and get you to stop feeling sorry for yourself."

"Well, it worked. You're right. I can't give up because of one bad kiss. I've got to do something to show her I care. Something really romantic." He was staring out the window. "I've got an idea. Will you help me?" he asked, a gleam in his eye.

"Sure, mate. As long as you're not giving up on Hermione."

"Trust me, I'm not." He told him his plan. "Think it will work?"

"Yeah."

"But what does she wear?"

"Hermione? I can't imagine anything less than flannel armor."

"Good. I don't want things to be awkward and to mess this up twice in a row." It was time to put their plan in gear. When everything was finally ready, Ron asked awkwardly, "You got anymore advice? For...the kiss itself?"

"You mean like on how to actually kiss her?"

"Yeah," he said even more awkwardly.

Harry thought about it for a minute. "Find her mouth this time and it'll be okay."

"That's it?"

"That's it. I mean, what else did you want? How to move your mouth or how hard to press down on her lips?"

"I don't know." He was feeling decidedly embarrassed. That's pretty much what he had in mind when he asked the question, but now it sounded so much more stupid than it had in his head.

"Just be comfortable. Find her lips and how your mouths are supposed to move will be as natural as anything. Kissing is kind of a trial and error process."

"Where'd you learn so much like this? Who you've been kissing?" He eyed him suspiciously. "If you say my baby sister's name, I swear--"

Harry laughed.

"It's not funny. You were sitting rather close tonight in the common room."

"I'm like the seventh Weasley boy, Ron."

"Yeah...?"

"And that would make Ginny my sister too. Think about that. Trust me, nothing going on between Ginny and me. I was thinking of somebody else."

"Cho?"

He hesitated, "Well, yeah. That wasn't a bad kiss except that her face was all wet."

"Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"Remember when me and Ginny 'accidentally' got separated from you and Hermione on the last Hogsmeade weekend?"

Ron's eyes narrowed.

"Give me a break, we were trying to give you two some time alone, but you didn't take the hint. We ran into Luna. Spent the day with her. She's really something, you know that?" He laughed silently to himself, shaking his head before continuing, "Anyway, Ginny was spying on you and Luna and I decided to wait outside to make it harder for you guys to realize Gin was spying on you, anyway...Luna kissed me. We'd been having a great time talking and laughing, and then it just kinda happened."

"Women just fall all over you, don't they?" he asked sourly.

"What can I say? It must be the glasses. You've got to get going if this plan is ever going to get off the ground."

"Right."

SECOND KISS

It was about two hours later and Hermione was in her dorm, trying to sleep. Lavender and Parvati were already in their beds. Hermione had only just started to drift off when she heard a tapping on the window. Parvati slept through it, but Lavender woke up enough to say, "Get the window, Hermione. Probably an owl for you."

Hermione really didn't want to get up. Why couldn't the bloody owl wait for breakfast? Maybe Ron had sent Pig or Hedwig over with a note. She sighed ruefully and slipped out from under the warm covers, shivering.

She went to open the window and did not find Pig sitting on the windowsill. She did not find Hedwig sitting on the window. Instead, perched there was Ron Weasley himself.

"Ron, what are you doing here?" she whispered.

Ron grinned at her, trying not to be nervous. "Can I come in?"

Hermione unlocked and opened the window carefully, not wanting to dislodge Ron. It was only then that she realize he wasn't on the ledge after all, he was on a broom.

He came inside and looked around. Owing to the bewitched stairs, he'd never been in there before.

"What are you doing here?" repeated Hermione, in a fearful whisper. "It's in the middle of the night!" she giggled. Giggling? Very out of character, but she was tired.

"That's why I knew you'd be here. Come on."

"Now?"

"Yes. Come on."

"But..." This was insane. She was standing here in her nightgown and Ron Weasley had just flown in through her window.

"Come on. What are you afraid of? Fly away with me."

"Like Peter Pan," she whispered to herself. It was crazy. She was standing in her dormitory, in her nightgown, and Ron was asking her to fly away with him. But if it was so crazy and irrational, then why was she taking Ron's outstretched hand and walking toward the window?

Ron pushed the window open and stood on the ledge, straddling the broom. He looked back and motioned for her to follow.

Hermione didn't know where they were going and for some reason, she realized, she didn't care. She climbed onto the broom behind Ron.

"Hold on tight," he warned, with a smile.

Not knowing what else to hold onto, Hermione put her arms around his waist. She tightened her arms in surprise as they took of f and did a somewhat steep dive before pulling back up into the air.

"Having fun yet?" he called to her over his shoulder.

"No!" Now she remembered why she hated flying. Flying on a plane was fine. No problem there, a plane was safe; it had walls and a roof and a floor. Flying by broom was like riding a motorcycle, only about a 100 times worse. There wasn't a 60-foot drop when you were on a motorcycle. She buried her face into the back of Ron's robes.

Ron was startled by this, but didn't mind it at all. Up in the night sky there was a feel of freedom and power. "Herm, look at the stars. Just look. There are so many of them."

She lifted her face up out of his back and looked up. "They're so bright," said Hermione. "Back home all the stars are drowned out by the street lights."

Ron continued to fly at a slower pace. The descended toward the lake; flying over it just high enough for Hermione's bare toes to skim the water. She laughed at her recklessness. It was one in the morning on a March nigh after all, and the water was freezing.

Ron continued to fly her around at a slow pace and landed her near a tree. "Sit," he said, smiling.

"What are we doing here?" she asked, looking around.

"I'll show you." By touch he found Harry's invisibility cloak and yanked it off the ground. Underneath was an assortment of a few of Hermione's favorite foods on a picnic blanket.

"Oh!" She said, smiling at him. She sat down next to him.

They ate in the comfortable silence of close friends.

"This was really nice of you, Ron," she said after a while. They sat side by side, both leaning against the tree. Hermione yawned. "Do you know the story of Peter Pan?"

"No. I don't think I do."

"There was a boy...sometimes he reminds me of you. This boy never wanted to grow up. So he went away to live with the fairies in Neverland. In Neverland, you never have to grow up. Other boys joined him over the years, the Lost Boys. Some of the Lost Boys left to grow up. Not Peter. He never wanted to grow up. He spent all his days playing, making music, fighting pirates, and talking to mermaids. He never wanted to grow up. And he never did."

"Where is Neverland?"

"Peter used to always say it was, Second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning."

"Hmm...To never grow up."

"You remind me of him sometimes."

"I do?"

"More than Harry does. He didn't get his childhood. You've hung on to yours, I think."

He wondered if this was a compliment. "What about you?"

"Me?"

"Do you ever wonder about not growing up?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes I wish I could turn back the clock. Sometimes there are just certain moments I wish I could freeze forever and never let go of. But then I think of all the wonderful things in life I'd be missing. Life's about moving on, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is."

She shivered in the cold night air and he put his arm around her shoulders. He looked at her, silently asking if it was okay. She nodded and smiled slightly. She scooted closer to him and leaned on him.

Ron was going to say something, but choked. He tried again, "H-Hermione?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember earlier? In the common room?"

She bit her lip. "I'm sorry I ran off."

"No. I'm sorry. Could...could we try that again?"

"You mean now?"

"If you wanted...if you didn't mind...if you're willing to kiss me after what happened last time."

"I care about you too, Ron. I'm willing to give it another try if you will."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Her face was blushing beet red, and she hoped he couldn't tell in the moonlight.

"Are you ready?"

"I guess. They say there's nothing to it. Right?"

"Right." He didn't sound very sure of himself.

Neither of them moved.

Hermione bit her lip as Ginny's words echoed back to her. She moved away from the tree so she was facing Ron a little more. Then she put a hand on his shoulder so that she would have a way to steady herself. "I'll tilt my head this way, and if you tilt yours the other way, I don't think our noses will bump."

He nodded. "On three?" he asked with a shaking voice.

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three."

Hermione and Ron leaned forward at the same time, slowly. Ron kept his eyes open this time so that he would be able to see where her mouth was. Their mouths met dead on (with no nose interference).

They kind of froze for a second with their lips just pressed together, but that didn't last long. Kissing now seemed like it was a natural process. They kissed for a few seconds and the hand on Ron's shoulder slipped somewhat to his neck. Ron's arm, which had originally been around her shoulders had stayed there, but ended up with his fingers caught in her hair. When it came to kissing, apparently mouths just knew things that brains didn't.

When the kiss had ended it had probably only been ten or twenty seconds, but somehow it seemed infinitely longer (though at the same time, all too short).

Hermione looked at Ron shyly and, realizing her arm was around his neck, quickly removed it and set her hand in her lap.

Ron didn't move, but just chewed his lip as though wondering if that had just really happened. "Well?"

"Well?" she asked back, wondering if maybe she was an awful kisser or something.

Realizing Hermione wasn't gong to say anything else, Ron looked at grass, wondering if he'd kissed her wrong or something. Maybe he was a horrible kisser. Maybe Hermione had already had a lot of experience kissing that he didn't know about. After all, she didn't spend all summer with him. Maybe she'd already had dozens of boyfriends that she never told him about. Not to mention that Krum. "W-w-what did you think?" he mumbled, still looking at the grass. "I liked that."

"Me too," she said with a small smile. "I think that went better than earlier tonight. I liked it more."

"Yeah." He grinned; maybe he wasn't exactly a terrible kisser after all.

Hermione inched closer to him and put her head on his shoulder. His arm around her shoulders relaxed and he absently twirled a strand of her hair.

They sat very comfortably like this for a few minutes, trying to decide which star was "second to the right" and whether or not it mattered.

"It's late, Herms. We've got class in the morning. I guess we'd better go back inside, then."

She nodded sleepily; she wasn't even really tired. She was just so relaxed and comfortable that she had no desire to ever move again. Ron rather agreed with this, but didn't want to be blamed in the morning when she would most likely scream at him for keeping her up too late like this and accuse him of making her grades all go down.

"Let's go." He vanished the remains of their snacks and picked up the blanket and cloak. He wrapped the blanket around Hermione's shoulders.

"Thanks," she smiled at him.

"Anytime."

"Maybe we can do this again sometime?" she asked.

"Flying or...?"

She grinned at him. "I don't really like flying."

"Maybe with practice we can fix that. Come on, you're going to be cranky in the morning for not getting enough sleep and you're gonna blame me for it."

"So romantic, aren't you?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Just get on the broom," he said, straddling it himself.

She moved in behind him.

"Hold on tight," he reminded her.

As though I need encouraging? she thought. She put her arms tightly around his waist.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

Ron kicked off from the ground hard, sending them up into the night sky. He guided the broom expertly back around the castle to Gryffindor Tower and peered in the windows until he found Hermione's room. They hovered outside her window.

"I've got to hold the broomstick steady. Do you have your wand on you?" Ron asked.

"Ron, where would I put it?" she asked. It wasn't as though her nightgown had any pockets.

"Ah, good point," he said. "Mine is sticking out of my back pocket. If you wouldn't mind...?"

Since there were a good 6 or 7 inches sticking out, it wasn't really awkward. Hermione let go of his waist with one hand and carefully pulled out the thin wooden rod. She said the opening charm and the window slid open soundlessly.

Ron skillfully guided the broom through the window, but the landing was a little less smooth. The front of the broom was too low and he hit the floor with a thud, Hermione sliding after him. "Oof!" She landed on top of him. She got up, accidentally kneeing him in the back as she did so.

"Watch it, that hurt," he said, rubbing the sore spot.

"Ssh," she said.

"What?" he whispered.

"You'll wake them up," she whispered, pointing at the other beds.

A great snore came from the one on the right and Ron jumped a little. "Who is that? She's worse than Neville!" he whispered.

"That's Parvati," Hermione whispered back.

"Never knew she could make a sound like that." He winced as she snored again.

"You'd better go," she said. She turned and went back to her bed and laid down with the blanket still around her shoulders. Her other blankets had been kicked to the end of her bed when she initially got up. She assumed Ron would go to the window and leave.

He didn't.

Ron went back over by her bed and picked up the blankets down by her feet and pulled them up and tucked her in. "Goodnight, Herms."

"G'night, Ron." She smiled up at him.

He leaned down and kissed her gently on her forehead, with one hand on her hair. "Goodbye." He turned away and picked up the broom and invisibility cloak from the ground.

"Ron?" Hermione asked sleepily.

He paused, "Yes?"

"This summer we have to go to Kensington Garden. There's a statue of Peter Pan."

"You, me, and Harry?"

"No, just you and me."

Ron smiled and took off silently on the broom, shutting the window behind him with a spell.

* * * * * *

"I remember waking up the next morning, wondering if it was a dream, but when I woke up, that extra blanket was still around me with the initials R.W. sewn into the corner," Hermione said dreamily. "When Lander woke up, she said 'I had the funniest dream last night. Ron Weasley was here.' And I just smiled and looked at the initials on the blanket again."

"How romantic," Luna said.

Minnie nodded in agreement. "I knew Daddy was special. That was a great story, Mama."

Ginny looked at Luna without apparently hearing her niece, "This from the woman whose husband makes her breakfast and dinner everyday? And whose husband proposed to her in front of 1000 people? I feel gypped." She got up and went to the door. She stuck her head out, "Neville, you don't really love me!" She came back and sat down. "I feel better."

"You've got to remember, Gin, that was years ago that Ron did that," said Hermione.

"Yeah, but remember Valentines Day?"

Hermione smiled. Even after almost 13 years married he was still romantic. "We dropped Minnie and Manny at his mum's. Then he took me to where we went to dinner our first Valentines Day together. Then we came back here for chocolates and champagne."

"When will I be old enough for champagne?" asked Minnie.

"Not for a long while yet, Min," Ginny told her.

Luna asked, "Ginny, didn't Neville, on your last anniversary, surprise you with a 2 week getaway? A second honeymoon?"

Ginny grinned and patted her little bit of a stomach, "And you can see the results of that."

"Gin! Not in front of Minnie," Hermione said, a little angry.

"I'm not a baby, Mama."

"Maybe not, but you aren't that old either," grumbled Hermione.

"You'll have to talk to her sometime about all the facts of life," reminded Luna.

"But not today. The men are still waiting for their dinner," Hermione said, as a way to change the subject.

When they carried the plates into the next room, Ron saw Hermione and stood up, pretending to take a plate from her. He whispered in her ear, "You're still beautiful after all these years."

THE END