Making Up Is Hard To Do ... But So Worth It (PG)
Title: Making Up Is Hard To Do ... But So Worth It
Rating: PG
Prompt: Ron and Hermione making up after an epic row
Word Count: 744
A/N: So sorry, wordsmithsonian , I think you may have had a more 'adult' situation in mind. Hey, at least I'm writing something!
Ron was on his way down to the kitchen to help with the preparations for tea. With so many people now filling Shell Cottage, it was the least he could do. Besides, keeping busy helped keep his mind off other things - namely what they had just been through at Malfoy Manor.
He had just passed the hall bath when he heard the unmistakable sound of someone moaning in pain, accompanied by the sound of splashing water; he knew instantly who it was.
"Hermione?" he called tentatively as he approached the door. "You all right? Need me to get Fleur or-"
"I'm fine Ron," she reassured him. "Really."
"Hermione," he tried again, disbelief in her assurances evident in his voice.
"I'm just a little sore, the water -ooohhh- it helps. Honestly."
"If you say so." Ron was reluctant to leave Hermione alone, knowing she was downplaying her injuries. He pressed his palm against the door lightly, wishing there was something he could do to ease her discomfort. Finally he thought of something.
"Um, Hermione?"
"Yes?"
"Uh, Fleur has some special shampoo stuff, supposed to help you relax or something. She tried to get me to use it, um, when I was here before."
"Did it work?"
"Nah, not really. Way too flowery for me ... but you should give it a try, never know, yeah? It's smells kinda nice I guess, not as good as the stuff you used to use, you know back at school. That stuff was great."
"My shampoo, you mean?"
"Yeah, always smelled like food or something. Not like Lavender-" Ron inwardly groaned as he stepped his foot in it "-she always smelled like, uh lavender."
"Mm," Hermione grunted from the bath, making a sloshing sound.
Ron leaned against the door and, resisting the urge to smack his head into the wood, he said softly, "I never really cared for lavender."
When Hermione didn't respond, he felt the need to clarify. "The scent ... or the girl."
Ron hung his head defeatedly, and was just about to give up, when he heard Hermione's faint voice.
"Vanilla."
"Wh-what was that?" Ron croaked.
"Vanilla," she said louder, her voice more confident. "I always used the Vanilla shampoo."
"See? That's why I was always so hungry - it was your hair's fault."
Hermione laughed at his lame attempt at humour, causing Ron to grin with pride.
"I've missed your laugh," he confessed before he could stop himself.
"I've missed laughing," Hermione replied.
They were silent for a moment before curiosity got the best of him and Ron asked, "Are we going to all right, Hermione?"
"What do you mean?"
"We had a pretty epic row, what with me leavin' an' all... Merlin, Hermione, I'm so so sorry." His voice cracked as he begged once again for her forgiveness, "Do you think that maybe, someday, you could forgive me, we could be friends again - like we were?"
"Oh, Ron," Hermione sighed. "I forgive you. Honestly I forgave a while ago. I just-" Ron could hear Hermione sniffle as she held back tears "-I just was so afraid. Afraid of letting you in, getting close to you again."
"Oh God, Hermione," he almost sobbed. Ron pressed his forehead and palms flat against the door and willed her to feel the strength of his regret. "I never meant to hurt you ... never. Don't you know? I lo-"
"Ron!" Bill's booming voice resounded in the hall. "Where the hell have you been? Fleur says you were to help her in the kitchen."
"I ... uh," Ron stammered, trying to think of an explanation that didn't make him seem like a right perv for hanging around while Hermione was in the bath ... naked.
"I'm sorry, Bill," Hermione called out. "He was just keeping me company."
"Yeah well, he can keep me company in the kitchen, shelling beans. Come on." Bill jerked his head toward the stairs, indicating that Ron should follow.
"I-I'll see you later then Hermione," Ron called out. "I'll have some tea waiting for you."
"That would be lovely, thank you."
As Ron started down the stairs behind his brother, he heard Hermione call out to him and he ran back to the bathroom door to see what she needed.
"I hope..." She sighed and started again, "I hope we don't go back to what we were, before. Not just friends, but..." Even though her voice trailed off, Ron understood what she meant.
"Yeah. Me too, Hermione, me too."
Rating: PG
Prompt: Ron and Hermione making up after an epic row
Word Count: 744
A/N: So sorry, wordsmithsonian , I think you may have had a more 'adult' situation in mind. Hey, at least I'm writing something!
Ron was on his way down to the kitchen to help with the preparations for tea. With so many people now filling Shell Cottage, it was the least he could do. Besides, keeping busy helped keep his mind off other things - namely what they had just been through at Malfoy Manor.
He had just passed the hall bath when he heard the unmistakable sound of someone moaning in pain, accompanied by the sound of splashing water; he knew instantly who it was.
"Hermione?" he called tentatively as he approached the door. "You all right? Need me to get Fleur or-"
"I'm fine Ron," she reassured him. "Really."
"Hermione," he tried again, disbelief in her assurances evident in his voice.
"I'm just a little sore, the water -ooohhh- it helps. Honestly."
"If you say so." Ron was reluctant to leave Hermione alone, knowing she was downplaying her injuries. He pressed his palm against the door lightly, wishing there was something he could do to ease her discomfort. Finally he thought of something.
"Um, Hermione?"
"Yes?"
"Uh, Fleur has some special shampoo stuff, supposed to help you relax or something. She tried to get me to use it, um, when I was here before."
"Did it work?"
"Nah, not really. Way too flowery for me ... but you should give it a try, never know, yeah? It's smells kinda nice I guess, not as good as the stuff you used to use, you know back at school. That stuff was great."
"My shampoo, you mean?"
"Yeah, always smelled like food or something. Not like Lavender-" Ron inwardly groaned as he stepped his foot in it "-she always smelled like, uh lavender."
"Mm," Hermione grunted from the bath, making a sloshing sound.
Ron leaned against the door and, resisting the urge to smack his head into the wood, he said softly, "I never really cared for lavender."
When Hermione didn't respond, he felt the need to clarify. "The scent ... or the girl."
Ron hung his head defeatedly, and was just about to give up, when he heard Hermione's faint voice.
"Vanilla."
"Wh-what was that?" Ron croaked.
"Vanilla," she said louder, her voice more confident. "I always used the Vanilla shampoo."
"See? That's why I was always so hungry - it was your hair's fault."
Hermione laughed at his lame attempt at humour, causing Ron to grin with pride.
"I've missed your laugh," he confessed before he could stop himself.
"I've missed laughing," Hermione replied.
They were silent for a moment before curiosity got the best of him and Ron asked, "Are we going to all right, Hermione?"
"What do you mean?"
"We had a pretty epic row, what with me leavin' an' all... Merlin, Hermione, I'm so so sorry." His voice cracked as he begged once again for her forgiveness, "Do you think that maybe, someday, you could forgive me, we could be friends again - like we were?"
"Oh, Ron," Hermione sighed. "I forgive you. Honestly I forgave a while ago. I just-" Ron could hear Hermione sniffle as she held back tears "-I just was so afraid. Afraid of letting you in, getting close to you again."
"Oh God, Hermione," he almost sobbed. Ron pressed his forehead and palms flat against the door and willed her to feel the strength of his regret. "I never meant to hurt you ... never. Don't you know? I lo-"
"Ron!" Bill's booming voice resounded in the hall. "Where the hell have you been? Fleur says you were to help her in the kitchen."
"I ... uh," Ron stammered, trying to think of an explanation that didn't make him seem like a right perv for hanging around while Hermione was in the bath ... naked.
"I'm sorry, Bill," Hermione called out. "He was just keeping me company."
"Yeah well, he can keep me company in the kitchen, shelling beans. Come on." Bill jerked his head toward the stairs, indicating that Ron should follow.
"I-I'll see you later then Hermione," Ron called out. "I'll have some tea waiting for you."
"That would be lovely, thank you."
As Ron started down the stairs behind his brother, he heard Hermione call out to him and he ran back to the bathroom door to see what she needed.
"I hope..." She sighed and started again, "I hope we don't go back to what we were, before. Not just friends, but..." Even though her voice trailed off, Ron understood what she meant.
"Yeah. Me too, Hermione, me too."