Ron/Hermione log
Characters: Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger
Setting: Common room, corridors, then Astronomy Tower
Rating: PG or PG-13
Summary: Ron and Hermione take a walk and talk about the end of the year. Later, in the Astronomy Tower, the conversation turns to Parvati and goes bittersweet.
Notes: It's actually not sappy. And I love it. Yes. I think both of them have matured.
Hermione tiredly closed her enchanted laptop, feeling rather stretched. She glanced over at Lavender's bed. The curtains were closed, so she slid off the edge of her mattress quietly and tiptoed toward the door. Oh, I really hope we don't end up fighting, she thought as the door closed behind her. I expect I shouldn't bring up Katie Bell, even if I am a bit curious.
Rubbing his eyes, Ron got up from his desk and closed the battered old laptop Percy had given him, then made his way toward the door. Stifling a yawn, he nearly made it to the stairs before he realised that the castle was likely cold; he rushed back to his room to get his cloak and a small blanket. Returning, he walked (quietly, for once) down the stairs to the Common Room to wait for Herm.
Hermione waved, about halfway down the stairs when she caught sight of Ron. She hurried the rest of the way down, managing a small smile. "Shall we go, then? Just a bit around the halls?"
Ron bit back another yawn and nodded, silently unfolding the blanket and wrapping it around her shoulders as they moved toward the door. "You all right?" he murmured when they were just outside, trying to ignore the sly wink the Fat Lady had just given him.
"I'm fine." She reached up a hand to keep the blanket edges together, mildly surprised at the courtesy. "Thanks," she added gratefully, glancing up and down the halls. They were prefects, but curfew was about to end. Still, there was no harm in patrolling and talking, was there? "How are you? You never answered, you know." Not noticing the wink (perhaps for her own dignity), she started them off down the halls, trying to keep the echo of her footsteps to a minimum.
"'M fine," Ron shrugged, his gaze roaming around the dim candlelit hallways. The light flickered, bouncing weirdly off of the stones and Herm's hair and the red of the blanket. "Mind telling me why you're wanting to go for a walk at odd hours of the night?" he asked, giving her a sidelong glance.
"I..." Hermione hesitated, then decided to tell him the truth. "Well, we were both sort of ignoring each other, weren't we? And we're both stubborn, and I decided to put a stop to it. I didn't think we should let it go on." Wondering if he was going to tell her anything, she added, "Really, though, what's up?"
Ron looked a bit surprised for a moment, then shrugged. "Dunno. Whole end-of-year thing, I guess. I mean, I'd expect YOU to go a bit mental," he gave her a small grin, "but EVERYBODY's getting a bit mad about things." His grin faded slightly. "...And, y'know, worried what's going to happen THIS year."
Hermione wasn't quite sure she believed him, but she knew he was at least partially telling the truth, so she didn't press further. "Of course they're going a bit mad, we're sitting our OWLs and NEWTs in two weeks. And I've found three cheating devices already - one of them even had doxy droppings in it, can you imagine?" She wrinkled her nose, then sobered visibly when he mentioned something that had been troubling her for months. "I've been worrying over the end for ages; usually we've got some kind of hint or warning, but it's been amazingly quiet. It's only logical to assume they're all up to something, and we don't even have a way of knowing."
Ron shivered once, and folded his arms tightly around his chest, giving her a worried glance. "Yeah. I guess it's good that we've got the Order now and all. They'd tell us if anything was going to happen, right?" he looked over at her, a little pleading.
Hermione gave a cautionary glance around them, just in case anyone (or anything) was listening, then answered in a low tone. "You saw how adamant your mother was about preventing us from hearing anything last summer. D'you really think they'd give us any news? They already think Harry's got this saving-people thing, and he does, so if anything was going on, they wouldn't be very likely to tell us, would they? He'd be absolutely furious if we knew something he didn't."
Ron thought about this for a moment, then nodded his head slowly, his mouth dropping open. "You know, I think you're right," he murmured. Then he scowled. "Stupid of them, though. I mean, obviously Harry's got something to do with it, they should tell him. ...And us," he added as an afterthought.
Hermione sighed. "They should, but they won't. You've got to consider their motives - I think your mother's a bit worried about exposing us to things. You heard her - she thinks we're too young, and I expect she'd rather keep you and Harry under her wing while she can. She has got three sons and a husband in the Order already," she reminded him softly. "And I expect they all think we're inexperienced. I think they're right - I'm not saying we're inept, but we aren't ready for an attack; you know that, Ron. If Harry got involved, he'd be likely to try something rash, and they know we'd follow." She voiced a timid bit of optimism. "Maybe...maybe there won't be an attack this time round."
Ron snorted, and gave her an ironic look. "You really think so?" He turned his gaze back to the darkened corridor, concentrating on making his footsteps quieter. Wouldn't do to have Mrs. Norris or Filch show up just now. "Dunno. Personally, I think things are just starting." He paused. "How are you and Harry doing with the defence lessons?"
"Well, there isn't any harm in hoping, is there?" Hermione sounded vaguely defensive, but even she knew the chances of nothing happening were quite slim. "And he's said he wouldn't give me any more of them until I've rested properly. I'm going to ask him again, though - this is ridiculous. He thinks I'm skipping meals, and you've both seen me take food parcels up to the dormitory."
Ron gave her a sharp look. "Siding with Harry on this one, Herm. You're going to do yourself harm if you don't take breaks and everything, you know. Have you even been outside or anything in the past week?"
Hermione looked vaguely annoyed at the turn the conversation had taken. She didn't have to explain herself, did she? "Are you insane? I don't have time, Ron! I expect we're sitting our final examinations quite soon, and I don't want my marks to drop!"
Ron raised both his eyebrows, and his hands in a pacifying gesture. "Right, but it's not going to help you if you keel over from nervous exhaustion and have to spend OWLs in the hospital wing, is what I'm saying. Just don't overdo it."
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not going to keel over from nervous exhaustion," she snapped. The torches on the walls cast eerie flickering shadows here and there. They had just passed the corner when a window came into view, and Hermione allowed herself a peek outside at the clear sky and brilliant stars.
Ron sighed and ran a hand through his hair as they turned the corner, and nearly ran into the back of her. "Here, what's--" he paused as he saw her looking up at the sky. "Oh." He shrugged. "You want to stay here for a moment?"
Hermione watched, wide-eyed, as what she thought was a shooting star streaked across the darkness. Not one to be superstitious, she didn't consciously make a wish, but found herself hoping all of them would be safe into the next year nonetheless. A moment later, she turned around, looking calm, if not a bit exhausted. "No, but...I don't suppose you'd want to go to the Astronomy Tower?" She tried to keep the pleading note out of her voice. Whenever she'd been plagued by gloomy thoughts throughout the year, she'd brought a book up to the Astronomy Tower to read.
Ron's eyebrows shot up to the ceiling before he could help it. He knew she didn't mean...that, but it was still funny hearing Hermione asking him to go to the Astronomy Tower with her. He gave her a small, slightly crooked smile. "Yeah, sure," he said, and gave her a friendly nudge, suddenly a bit less sleepy.
Hermione took hold of Ron's arm and led the way toward the stairs. "You know, it's really very pacifying there. There's this window I sit by and read, and it's quite relaxing, honestly," she chattered. "No one's ever even come in, except Padma Patil."
Ron quirked an eyebrow, but decided not to ask if Herm had taken a really close look at any of the darkened corners. "Sounds nice," he murmured, willingly being dragged along. "I never go unless there's an Astronomy assignment due. Tonight's a good night for it, though."
Hermione reached out her wand and tapped the door once they'd reached the bottom of the stairs. It swung open silently, and she began tugging Ron up the winding stone steps, quietly appreciating the sense of peace the place seemed to have. Here and there, stars winked from windows in the tower wall. Her hand slipped from his arm once, and clasped Ron's own, but she didn't seem to notice.
Ron glanced down at their hands and blushed slightly, then almost tripped on the stairs, but managed to right himself quickly enough to give Herm a small smile. He squeezed her hand gently, and his eyes widened appreciatively as they finally reached the top of the stairs. "Merlin," he breathed.
"It is gorgeous, isn't it?" Hermione glanced around and let go of his hand, raising her wand and lighting it. Narrowing her eyes, she aimed the beam twice around the place, lest any giggling idiots should think themselves clever enough to be out afterhours. She did blush slightly, however, reminding herself that she was no better, as she didn't even have a patrol that evening.
Ron nodded and smirked as she shone the light around, then shoved his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders, glancing around a bit nervously. He cleared his throat. "So, where's this place you sit?"
"Over there," Hermione replied off-handedly, motioning toward a large window with a wide ledge. "Oh, I just thought..." Hermione trailed off, biting her lip nervously. "You don't think we'll get in trouble, do you?"
Ron frowned as he considered the question. "Well, we could say we were patrolling for others or something if someone walks up," he shrugged. He gave her a speculative look for a moment, then began walking over toward the window.
"Well, all right." She still looked uncertain, and even a bit nervous, as she followed him to the window and sat down at one end. "I suppose, but we mustn't be here for very long." There was no light here, unless one counted the moonlight, and the darkness made her feel slightly exhausted. She pointed her wand at a seemingly blank area of the wall, and a pair of black curtains spread to reveal yet another window.
Ron perched on the ledge as well, and looked suitably surprised at the hidden window as it was revealed. "Yeah, we won't stay long, it'll be all right," he said placidly, a little thrown off by her nervousness. It was beginning to make HIM nervous, and really there was no reason to be nervous... He glanced over at her and gave her a hesitant smile.
Perhaps there was something pacifying about sitting with your best friend, with whom you had an undeniably strange relationship, or perhaps it was the utter silence of the Tower, but Hermione's shoulders slowly began to lower as the moments passed. She managed a small smile, then leaned back to stare. "It's a bit difficult to tell from here which stars belong to which constellations, isn't it?"
Ron turned, bringing a leg underneath him and resting his back against the windowframe as he stared out at the sky as well. "Never was very good at that anyway," he admitted, shooting her a grin, feeling some of the tension dissipate.
It took a bit of pride, but Hermione admitted softly, "Neither was I, until I my Hogwarts letter; then I had to learn. The trick is to know the positions, and you've really got to study the sky before you can make them out." Almost unconsciously, she found herself moving closer to him on the ledge to better see a star near the top of the window. "You know, I'm almost positive I saw a shooting star."
"Yeah?" Ron shifted, making room for her. "I think I saw one once. Though Fred and George told me it was one of...y'know, those Muggle things. The cars with wings."
Hermione gave him an odd look. "I suppose they meant an aeroplane, and you can always tell if something's an aeroplane because it blinks, or it has another coloured light with it." She lowered her eyelids slightly, feeling tired again. "Anyway, I don't really believe in the wish rubbish, but I did hope for something. It just seemed appropriate."
"Ah," Ron nodded sagely. "Bathtub full of Chocolate Frogs?" he asked, as if he already knew the answer. He gave her a secretive smile that slowly faded into just being a genuine one. "Here, you look like you're about to fall off," he said, and motioned for her to come closer to him.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She moved closer, feeling a bit silly for asking.
"What you hoped for," Ron shrugged, fidgeting again in an attempt to make them both comfortable. "Seems to me that a bathtub full of Chocolate Frogs is always appro--oh, dammit, hang on, here - you lean up against me and put your legs up and that way we can both see out, yeah?" Ron said, looking a bit perturbed at the situation.
Hermione's head swam momentarily, as it always did when she needed sleep. Covering a small yawn with her hand, she swung her legs up and shifted so she was sitting cross-legged, then tugged her skirt across her knees, just in case. Instead of leaning on him, however, she practically fell against him, and straightened, blushing violently. "Oh! Ron, I'm sorry, I didn't - I'm just - well, sorry," she stammered.
Ron gave her a surprised look, and blushed a bit as well, then swallowed and shrugged. "Don't worry about it," he murmured, pulling her back down to where she was. To take both their minds off things, he quickly gestured out at one of the stars. "Which one's that one?" he asked.
Hermione mentally gathered her wits and studied the star. "I don't know," she replied cautiously. "There's a chance it's the end of the Big Dipper, I suppose...or...well, Virgo's in the sky again now, and it's rather large..." she squinted, then closed her eyes, defeated. "Oh, I don't know; I can't tell from here. We'd have to be at the top." She gingerly touched the glass behind them with a fingertip, suddenly reminded of something. "Parvati Patil loved astrology," she recalled softly. "She cared more for what the star signs supposedly meant than where they were aligned, but...I expect she would really fancy herself at the top of the Tower."
Ron sighed and leaned his head back against the frame. "Yeah, I remember. Likely she'd be able to tell us what that star meant for our complexions, yeah?" he smiled a bit at the thought.
Hermione smiled, but her face crumpled slightly. "She died so young, Ron. I never listened to her ridiculous predictions - and I half-expected she made them up herself, but-" She trailed off, then added, a bit desperately, "She's never going to see another star, if you know what I mean."
Ron frowned and rested his cheek on her head. "Well, I dunno, Herm. Guess I've never thought about death or what happens after it very much, but...I dunno, I think maybe she'll see stars again." He had a sudden thought and smiled faintly. "Maybe she IS one, yeah? Didn't some Muggles believe that?"
Hermione relaxed against him, opening her eyes. Silence fell, and she stared out at the starry setting. Her rational mind was arguing against this concept, but for some reason, the thought of snapping Of course she isn't, don't be ridiculous! never entered her mind. There were some things, she decided, that one simply believed in. A star winked, and a slow smile spread across Hermione's lips. "D'you know?" She murmured. "Maybe she is."
Ron's smile widened, and he hugged her a bit tighter. "Guess she's got her own constellation by now, you know she'd whine until she did," he joked, immensely relieved to have made that sad note in Herm's voice disappear. "What d'you suppose hers would be?" he mused, surveying the stars outside.
Hermione laughed, even as her vision blurred slightly. "A perfume bottle, I expect," she decided. "I don't think there was a single morning when I woke up and the air wasn't choked with perfume."
Ron chuckled softly. "Yeah. Maybe a bottle of hair potion or one of Trelawney's tea cups, eh?"
"Yes, that might be it as well." She closed her eyes, still smiling a little at the bitterly amusing thought of Parvati demanding a constellation for herself. "And if she had her way, I suppose at least one of the stars would look a bit pink." Sleep was threatening to claim her again, but this time, she found she didn't want to move. Conversations like these somehow reminded her that someday, the world would indeed be put to rights.
"Good thing they're already sparkly," Ron murmured, smoothing her hair absently with one hand. He sighed and closed his eyes, pulling her a bit closer, feeling his chest tighten. "Love you, Herm," he said evenly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Hermione's eyes opened wide at this. She stared at his shirt, which was what her cheek was currently resting on. He'd only told her once before. She hadn't forgotten it, but she hadn't dwelled on it either. It seemed almost natural, which was frightening in itself. She slid a hand up to grasp his shoulder. "Yes, I know. Love you," she returned quietly, closing her eyes again as she drifted off into sleep at last. How unfortunate for evil that sparks of good still prevailed in the the web of things.
Setting: Common room, corridors, then Astronomy Tower
Rating: PG or PG-13
Summary: Ron and Hermione take a walk and talk about the end of the year. Later, in the Astronomy Tower, the conversation turns to Parvati and goes bittersweet.
Notes: It's actually not sappy. And I love it. Yes. I think both of them have matured.
Hermione tiredly closed her enchanted laptop, feeling rather stretched. She glanced over at Lavender's bed. The curtains were closed, so she slid off the edge of her mattress quietly and tiptoed toward the door. Oh, I really hope we don't end up fighting, she thought as the door closed behind her. I expect I shouldn't bring up Katie Bell, even if I am a bit curious.
Rubbing his eyes, Ron got up from his desk and closed the battered old laptop Percy had given him, then made his way toward the door. Stifling a yawn, he nearly made it to the stairs before he realised that the castle was likely cold; he rushed back to his room to get his cloak and a small blanket. Returning, he walked (quietly, for once) down the stairs to the Common Room to wait for Herm.
Hermione waved, about halfway down the stairs when she caught sight of Ron. She hurried the rest of the way down, managing a small smile. "Shall we go, then? Just a bit around the halls?"
Ron bit back another yawn and nodded, silently unfolding the blanket and wrapping it around her shoulders as they moved toward the door. "You all right?" he murmured when they were just outside, trying to ignore the sly wink the Fat Lady had just given him.
"I'm fine." She reached up a hand to keep the blanket edges together, mildly surprised at the courtesy. "Thanks," she added gratefully, glancing up and down the halls. They were prefects, but curfew was about to end. Still, there was no harm in patrolling and talking, was there? "How are you? You never answered, you know." Not noticing the wink (perhaps for her own dignity), she started them off down the halls, trying to keep the echo of her footsteps to a minimum.
"'M fine," Ron shrugged, his gaze roaming around the dim candlelit hallways. The light flickered, bouncing weirdly off of the stones and Herm's hair and the red of the blanket. "Mind telling me why you're wanting to go for a walk at odd hours of the night?" he asked, giving her a sidelong glance.
"I..." Hermione hesitated, then decided to tell him the truth. "Well, we were both sort of ignoring each other, weren't we? And we're both stubborn, and I decided to put a stop to it. I didn't think we should let it go on." Wondering if he was going to tell her anything, she added, "Really, though, what's up?"
Ron looked a bit surprised for a moment, then shrugged. "Dunno. Whole end-of-year thing, I guess. I mean, I'd expect YOU to go a bit mental," he gave her a small grin, "but EVERYBODY's getting a bit mad about things." His grin faded slightly. "...And, y'know, worried what's going to happen THIS year."
Hermione wasn't quite sure she believed him, but she knew he was at least partially telling the truth, so she didn't press further. "Of course they're going a bit mad, we're sitting our OWLs and NEWTs in two weeks. And I've found three cheating devices already - one of them even had doxy droppings in it, can you imagine?" She wrinkled her nose, then sobered visibly when he mentioned something that had been troubling her for months. "I've been worrying over the end for ages; usually we've got some kind of hint or warning, but it's been amazingly quiet. It's only logical to assume they're all up to something, and we don't even have a way of knowing."
Ron shivered once, and folded his arms tightly around his chest, giving her a worried glance. "Yeah. I guess it's good that we've got the Order now and all. They'd tell us if anything was going to happen, right?" he looked over at her, a little pleading.
Hermione gave a cautionary glance around them, just in case anyone (or anything) was listening, then answered in a low tone. "You saw how adamant your mother was about preventing us from hearing anything last summer. D'you really think they'd give us any news? They already think Harry's got this saving-people thing, and he does, so if anything was going on, they wouldn't be very likely to tell us, would they? He'd be absolutely furious if we knew something he didn't."
Ron thought about this for a moment, then nodded his head slowly, his mouth dropping open. "You know, I think you're right," he murmured. Then he scowled. "Stupid of them, though. I mean, obviously Harry's got something to do with it, they should tell him. ...And us," he added as an afterthought.
Hermione sighed. "They should, but they won't. You've got to consider their motives - I think your mother's a bit worried about exposing us to things. You heard her - she thinks we're too young, and I expect she'd rather keep you and Harry under her wing while she can. She has got three sons and a husband in the Order already," she reminded him softly. "And I expect they all think we're inexperienced. I think they're right - I'm not saying we're inept, but we aren't ready for an attack; you know that, Ron. If Harry got involved, he'd be likely to try something rash, and they know we'd follow." She voiced a timid bit of optimism. "Maybe...maybe there won't be an attack this time round."
Ron snorted, and gave her an ironic look. "You really think so?" He turned his gaze back to the darkened corridor, concentrating on making his footsteps quieter. Wouldn't do to have Mrs. Norris or Filch show up just now. "Dunno. Personally, I think things are just starting." He paused. "How are you and Harry doing with the defence lessons?"
"Well, there isn't any harm in hoping, is there?" Hermione sounded vaguely defensive, but even she knew the chances of nothing happening were quite slim. "And he's said he wouldn't give me any more of them until I've rested properly. I'm going to ask him again, though - this is ridiculous. He thinks I'm skipping meals, and you've both seen me take food parcels up to the dormitory."
Ron gave her a sharp look. "Siding with Harry on this one, Herm. You're going to do yourself harm if you don't take breaks and everything, you know. Have you even been outside or anything in the past week?"
Hermione looked vaguely annoyed at the turn the conversation had taken. She didn't have to explain herself, did she? "Are you insane? I don't have time, Ron! I expect we're sitting our final examinations quite soon, and I don't want my marks to drop!"
Ron raised both his eyebrows, and his hands in a pacifying gesture. "Right, but it's not going to help you if you keel over from nervous exhaustion and have to spend OWLs in the hospital wing, is what I'm saying. Just don't overdo it."
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not going to keel over from nervous exhaustion," she snapped. The torches on the walls cast eerie flickering shadows here and there. They had just passed the corner when a window came into view, and Hermione allowed herself a peek outside at the clear sky and brilliant stars.
Ron sighed and ran a hand through his hair as they turned the corner, and nearly ran into the back of her. "Here, what's--" he paused as he saw her looking up at the sky. "Oh." He shrugged. "You want to stay here for a moment?"
Hermione watched, wide-eyed, as what she thought was a shooting star streaked across the darkness. Not one to be superstitious, she didn't consciously make a wish, but found herself hoping all of them would be safe into the next year nonetheless. A moment later, she turned around, looking calm, if not a bit exhausted. "No, but...I don't suppose you'd want to go to the Astronomy Tower?" She tried to keep the pleading note out of her voice. Whenever she'd been plagued by gloomy thoughts throughout the year, she'd brought a book up to the Astronomy Tower to read.
Ron's eyebrows shot up to the ceiling before he could help it. He knew she didn't mean...that, but it was still funny hearing Hermione asking him to go to the Astronomy Tower with her. He gave her a small, slightly crooked smile. "Yeah, sure," he said, and gave her a friendly nudge, suddenly a bit less sleepy.
Hermione took hold of Ron's arm and led the way toward the stairs. "You know, it's really very pacifying there. There's this window I sit by and read, and it's quite relaxing, honestly," she chattered. "No one's ever even come in, except Padma Patil."
Ron quirked an eyebrow, but decided not to ask if Herm had taken a really close look at any of the darkened corners. "Sounds nice," he murmured, willingly being dragged along. "I never go unless there's an Astronomy assignment due. Tonight's a good night for it, though."
Hermione reached out her wand and tapped the door once they'd reached the bottom of the stairs. It swung open silently, and she began tugging Ron up the winding stone steps, quietly appreciating the sense of peace the place seemed to have. Here and there, stars winked from windows in the tower wall. Her hand slipped from his arm once, and clasped Ron's own, but she didn't seem to notice.
Ron glanced down at their hands and blushed slightly, then almost tripped on the stairs, but managed to right himself quickly enough to give Herm a small smile. He squeezed her hand gently, and his eyes widened appreciatively as they finally reached the top of the stairs. "Merlin," he breathed.
"It is gorgeous, isn't it?" Hermione glanced around and let go of his hand, raising her wand and lighting it. Narrowing her eyes, she aimed the beam twice around the place, lest any giggling idiots should think themselves clever enough to be out afterhours. She did blush slightly, however, reminding herself that she was no better, as she didn't even have a patrol that evening.
Ron nodded and smirked as she shone the light around, then shoved his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders, glancing around a bit nervously. He cleared his throat. "So, where's this place you sit?"
"Over there," Hermione replied off-handedly, motioning toward a large window with a wide ledge. "Oh, I just thought..." Hermione trailed off, biting her lip nervously. "You don't think we'll get in trouble, do you?"
Ron frowned as he considered the question. "Well, we could say we were patrolling for others or something if someone walks up," he shrugged. He gave her a speculative look for a moment, then began walking over toward the window.
"Well, all right." She still looked uncertain, and even a bit nervous, as she followed him to the window and sat down at one end. "I suppose, but we mustn't be here for very long." There was no light here, unless one counted the moonlight, and the darkness made her feel slightly exhausted. She pointed her wand at a seemingly blank area of the wall, and a pair of black curtains spread to reveal yet another window.
Ron perched on the ledge as well, and looked suitably surprised at the hidden window as it was revealed. "Yeah, we won't stay long, it'll be all right," he said placidly, a little thrown off by her nervousness. It was beginning to make HIM nervous, and really there was no reason to be nervous... He glanced over at her and gave her a hesitant smile.
Perhaps there was something pacifying about sitting with your best friend, with whom you had an undeniably strange relationship, or perhaps it was the utter silence of the Tower, but Hermione's shoulders slowly began to lower as the moments passed. She managed a small smile, then leaned back to stare. "It's a bit difficult to tell from here which stars belong to which constellations, isn't it?"
Ron turned, bringing a leg underneath him and resting his back against the windowframe as he stared out at the sky as well. "Never was very good at that anyway," he admitted, shooting her a grin, feeling some of the tension dissipate.
It took a bit of pride, but Hermione admitted softly, "Neither was I, until I my Hogwarts letter; then I had to learn. The trick is to know the positions, and you've really got to study the sky before you can make them out." Almost unconsciously, she found herself moving closer to him on the ledge to better see a star near the top of the window. "You know, I'm almost positive I saw a shooting star."
"Yeah?" Ron shifted, making room for her. "I think I saw one once. Though Fred and George told me it was one of...y'know, those Muggle things. The cars with wings."
Hermione gave him an odd look. "I suppose they meant an aeroplane, and you can always tell if something's an aeroplane because it blinks, or it has another coloured light with it." She lowered her eyelids slightly, feeling tired again. "Anyway, I don't really believe in the wish rubbish, but I did hope for something. It just seemed appropriate."
"Ah," Ron nodded sagely. "Bathtub full of Chocolate Frogs?" he asked, as if he already knew the answer. He gave her a secretive smile that slowly faded into just being a genuine one. "Here, you look like you're about to fall off," he said, and motioned for her to come closer to him.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She moved closer, feeling a bit silly for asking.
"What you hoped for," Ron shrugged, fidgeting again in an attempt to make them both comfortable. "Seems to me that a bathtub full of Chocolate Frogs is always appro--oh, dammit, hang on, here - you lean up against me and put your legs up and that way we can both see out, yeah?" Ron said, looking a bit perturbed at the situation.
Hermione's head swam momentarily, as it always did when she needed sleep. Covering a small yawn with her hand, she swung her legs up and shifted so she was sitting cross-legged, then tugged her skirt across her knees, just in case. Instead of leaning on him, however, she practically fell against him, and straightened, blushing violently. "Oh! Ron, I'm sorry, I didn't - I'm just - well, sorry," she stammered.
Ron gave her a surprised look, and blushed a bit as well, then swallowed and shrugged. "Don't worry about it," he murmured, pulling her back down to where she was. To take both their minds off things, he quickly gestured out at one of the stars. "Which one's that one?" he asked.
Hermione mentally gathered her wits and studied the star. "I don't know," she replied cautiously. "There's a chance it's the end of the Big Dipper, I suppose...or...well, Virgo's in the sky again now, and it's rather large..." she squinted, then closed her eyes, defeated. "Oh, I don't know; I can't tell from here. We'd have to be at the top." She gingerly touched the glass behind them with a fingertip, suddenly reminded of something. "Parvati Patil loved astrology," she recalled softly. "She cared more for what the star signs supposedly meant than where they were aligned, but...I expect she would really fancy herself at the top of the Tower."
Ron sighed and leaned his head back against the frame. "Yeah, I remember. Likely she'd be able to tell us what that star meant for our complexions, yeah?" he smiled a bit at the thought.
Hermione smiled, but her face crumpled slightly. "She died so young, Ron. I never listened to her ridiculous predictions - and I half-expected she made them up herself, but-" She trailed off, then added, a bit desperately, "She's never going to see another star, if you know what I mean."
Ron frowned and rested his cheek on her head. "Well, I dunno, Herm. Guess I've never thought about death or what happens after it very much, but...I dunno, I think maybe she'll see stars again." He had a sudden thought and smiled faintly. "Maybe she IS one, yeah? Didn't some Muggles believe that?"
Hermione relaxed against him, opening her eyes. Silence fell, and she stared out at the starry setting. Her rational mind was arguing against this concept, but for some reason, the thought of snapping Of course she isn't, don't be ridiculous! never entered her mind. There were some things, she decided, that one simply believed in. A star winked, and a slow smile spread across Hermione's lips. "D'you know?" She murmured. "Maybe she is."
Ron's smile widened, and he hugged her a bit tighter. "Guess she's got her own constellation by now, you know she'd whine until she did," he joked, immensely relieved to have made that sad note in Herm's voice disappear. "What d'you suppose hers would be?" he mused, surveying the stars outside.
Hermione laughed, even as her vision blurred slightly. "A perfume bottle, I expect," she decided. "I don't think there was a single morning when I woke up and the air wasn't choked with perfume."
Ron chuckled softly. "Yeah. Maybe a bottle of hair potion or one of Trelawney's tea cups, eh?"
"Yes, that might be it as well." She closed her eyes, still smiling a little at the bitterly amusing thought of Parvati demanding a constellation for herself. "And if she had her way, I suppose at least one of the stars would look a bit pink." Sleep was threatening to claim her again, but this time, she found she didn't want to move. Conversations like these somehow reminded her that someday, the world would indeed be put to rights.
"Good thing they're already sparkly," Ron murmured, smoothing her hair absently with one hand. He sighed and closed his eyes, pulling her a bit closer, feeling his chest tighten. "Love you, Herm," he said evenly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Hermione's eyes opened wide at this. She stared at his shirt, which was what her cheek was currently resting on. He'd only told her once before. She hadn't forgotten it, but she hadn't dwelled on it either. It seemed almost natural, which was frightening in itself. She slid a hand up to grasp his shoulder. "Yes, I know. Love you," she returned quietly, closing her eyes again as she drifted off into sleep at last. How unfortunate for evil that sparks of good still prevailed in the the web of things.