Rp: Staying in can be nice

[pb_ron]

Characters: Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger
Location: Grimmauld Place, London
Date: September 12, 1999, Friday night,
Status/Warning: Pg-13 maybe R (he's not sure he can press his luck)
Summary: Staying in can be just as nice as going out
Completion: complete

Comments

[pb_hermione]

"Oh, I know he's seeing Cho. Did he happen to say if she had auditioned for the orchestra yet?" Hermione didn't want to think about Percy and Cho being intimate, it felt a bit like violating their privacy. She wasn't sure how she felt about Percy knowing about her and Ron either. She'd been so sure that if Mr. Weasley hadn't already gone over everything with his sons that Ron would go to Bill. Why hadn't she considered it might be one of his other brothers. And why did it bother her to think Percy knew when she wasn't concerned about Bill? She wasn't sure. She set it aside in her mind to worry over later. "It's nice that the two of you had a good talk," she was very pleased about that.

"I can go with you if I'm free, Ron. I'm not sure I could participate if it's a religious ceremony but I can at least be there for you." She wasn't sure how she felt about it in all honesty but she'd like to support Ron. "You should ask Harry, too."

She'd only had two bites of pie but she pushed her plate away, "Ron, you do understand that just because we're both on a potion and know the charms, doesn't mean we're going to start having sex right away, don't you?" Hermione had wanted to be ready for when they were ready instead of missing something in the heat of the moment. That didn't mean she felt they were ready now.

[pb_ron]

Ron shook his head, "You knew? And you didn't tell me? I never would have guessed those two would end up together. He wasn't bragging about it or anything. In fact, he wasn't even going to tell me who she was. It sort of slipped out as we were talking. Percy would have been the last one I would have thought to ask. Only he mentioned having some experience, and I took the chance to ask him about the spells and potions," and Ron noted a strange look pass her face and pressed on, "I was going to go track down Bill, but it doesn't matter now. Besides, Percy is pretty good at keeping things to himself. You should have heard him," and Ron's lips curled into a small smirk, "He doesn't think there is anything wrong with being responsible, or me learning my part. It was Percy, but he was giving me some good advice, for a change."

"I am not sure about the ceremony at all, but I think anything we can do to help us won't hurt. I hate feeling bad about him all the time. I want to ask Harry to come as well."

At this point, Ron ate some more pie, and then sat up, a small smile tickling the corners of his mouth, "Hermione, we are going slow, aren't we? Wasn't that the plan? Take things nice and easy, step by step. I am only try to do my part so we can progress at our comfortable pace. There's nothing hasty about me wanting to see you naked, is there? And I expect we'll be unclothed together many, many times before we move on to other, more intimate activities. But for now," and his grin became slightly wolfish as he looked at her and took another bite of pie, "I want to see what I've been dreaming about."

[pb_hermione]

"I thought you knew. Ginny did," Hermione told him honestly. "I ran into them the day I found Fleck at Eeyclops. Then a couple weeks ago, I talked to Cho for a bit. She wasn't shy about mentioning Percy, then again, we weren't really talking about our love lives." Hermione smiled, "Percy wouldn't give you a book unless it was a good one. I'm quite sure of that." Ron's next words caused her to frown. "Of course there's nothing wrong with being responsible! Anyone who would think or say otherwise is an idiot."

Hermione sighed, "Ron, you should know I have a problem with religious ceremonies. This doesn't sound like something I'd have an objection to, but I can't say I'll participate in something I know nothing about, even if you think it won't hurt. I'm sorry, but I wasn't raised that way. I can go to support you, but beyond that, I can't promise."

"I just wanted to make sure we were still on the slow down plan. No, I'd be surprised if my 19 year-old boyfriend didn't want to see what I looked like nude," she chuckled a bit and pulled her pie closer for another bite. "Boys are rather predictable that way, I hear. I don't know that I'm ready to be bare yet either. I'm still working up to it. I'm not angry that you're curious, though." She ate another bite of pie. Maybe she'd be ready soon.

[pb_ron]

Ron ate more of his pie, quiet for the moment as his thoughts dwelled on his younger sister. He hadn't seen her for a few days, and had been forced to miss her try-outs for the Harpie team because of the Auror program. He realized he should send her a message via Pig. He thought then of Percy and Cho, and saw him bringing her to the Weasley table for one of their infamous family gatherings. And then he looked over at Hermione.

It was ideal, them sitting at the large table, eating pie and talking about being naked together. He never would have thought this could have happened, at any point in his time with her at school. She had eaten a bite of pie, and a small piece was caught by the corner of her mouth. She was talking, and hadn't noticed it, so he stood up, and leaned across the table, and used his thumb to whip it from her face. He should have know that religious things bothered her slightly; he wasn't as worried about them as he had put less faith into their effectiveness. But Percy seemed to need it, as a symbol of perhaps letting go, and Ron wanted to help him out.

He sat back down, and licked his thumb, "I think we're on the same page. I sure as hell hope we are on the same page." and he looked down to see his plate was empty. He rose, and took up his dish and extended an arm for her's, "Ready to get back to reading? I wouldn't mind reading in bed with you, if you'd be interested, naked or not."

He moved to place the dishes in the sink, and then looked at the pie, wishes to have more but knowing he was satisfied. He turned to her, and moved across the kitchen floor to where she sat, "I hope I'm not that predictable to you, Hermione. It might take the fun out of everything," and he bent down to her, acting like he was going to kiss her, his face close to her with his eyes on her. Instead he winked and stood up, and backed away from her, ready to move to the stairs, to head back up to the Library.

[pb_hermione]

Hermione wasn't sure if she wanted company for sleeping or not. Her book was good but a little disturbing. She thought it likely to give her bad dreams and she didn't want to disturb Ron's rest. "The library. I don't like to read too long in bed and I still have a way to go before I finish my book."

She smiled, "You're not always predictable, Ron." He teased her and left for the library. Hermione stayed behind long enough to set the dishes to washing up. She'd leave them for Kreacher to put away so he wouldn't feel slighted.

[pb_ron]

He was already on the couch when she entered the room, and he looked up at her, "The pie was great. I'll have to tell Kreacher," and he set his book to the side, "It makes me think that I should really start learning how to cook for myself. You and Harry are great, letting me come over and feeding me, but I am crap at doing anything at my own place. Those pies would be amazing to know how to make, or anything, other than tea and a bit of a sandwich."

He paused, watching her cross the room, and hoped she'd resume her spot with him, "I was going to speak to my mum, and then maybe start trying. If I make something, will you taste it? Come over and maybe eat at my place for a nice change?"

There was a normalcy to this conversation and their evening together. It had a twinge of the school days to it, when they'd all three sit together in the Gryffindor Common room and read or play Knight's chess in front of the fire. The settled comfort was relaxing and peaceful, a strange thing for a young man to want but with the adventures the three of them had experienced, an evening of being sedate and quiet was refreshing.

[pb_hermione]

"Learning to cook is a good idea, Ron. I'm really surprised Mrs. Weasley didn't teach you all, but then she does seem to like doing it herself. It would be an excellent way to spend time with your mother. I think she'd like that very much." Hermione could cook -- her mum and dad had both started teaching her when she very young as family time and to work on her maths by having her measure things -- but she wasn't particularly inspired by it or interested in doing it herself.

"I'd be happy to come over and eat with you. It's very nice of you to want to do that," she smiled as she slipped off her shoes so she could curl up in her favorite chair. It gave her a good view of Ron while he was reading. She liked to look at him when he didn't know she was watching.

[pb_ron]

When she chose the chair, he sighed slightly and turned to put his own legs up on the couch, after using his toes to slip his shoes off. He used the pillow to make himself a head rest and he wiggled to find a nice spot. He held his book up and read a bit, but put it down to look across at her, watching her read.

He could stay in this spot all night, he realized, watching her and loving her from across the room. He put his book back in front of him, and sighed again, and concentrated on hair changing spells, for length and color. Some of these spells, he realized would be useful for the Academy.

He had been reading there for some unnamed amount of time, absorbed in his book. Without realizing it, his eyes slid closed and his book shifted down to his chest. His breathing began to deepen and his limbs grew heavy as he plunged into sleep. In his mind, he was in the dream almost immediately. He was by the lake, and the locket sat on the stump. He glanced to his right and there was Harry and Hermione, their arms entwined around each other, sneering and taunting him with words of shame and devalue as always. Ron frowned slightly in his sleep and moved his arm, trying to brush their image away, "Go," he said quietly as he tried to make the image of the fake lovers leave. He tensed in arms in his dream and in his sleep to sweep the sword down and smash the horcrux.

[pb_hermione]

"Ron," she said softly. "Ron. Ron, you should go home and get some sleep," she'd crossed over to the sofa to wake him up.

"Come on, sleepy head," she offered her hands to help him up after he opened his eyes. "Time for you go home. It's been a long week. You're usually sound asleep by now on Fridays."

[pb_ron]

Ron stirred awake with his eyes opening sharply to look into the brown of hers. The panic that was there for a moment relaxed and he sat up, taking her hands and pulling her towards him. He didn't rise, but not pull her down on him either. He circled her waist and held her, and he closed his eyes, letting her smell and the feel of her chase the horrible dream away. It was a familiar dream, but he'd only had it a few times when he'd been around someone else. He took a couple deep breaths and opened his eyes, and looked up at her concerned face, "Thanks. That's loads better."

He rose, and slipped one hand around her waist as he moved down the hall, towards the door with her, "Yeah. Sorry about that. I'm beat," and he paused, chewing on his lip for a moment, "No naked Ron in your bed tonight, I'm guessing? Sure I couldn't change your mind?"

He turned to face her and cupped her chin, lowering himself to look into her eyes with a searching look before he allowed himself to kiss her gently.

[pb_hermione]

"Glad I could help," she said.

"I'll be up until I finish this. You should sleep. Don't you have to work in the shop tomorrow?" she asked.

She kissed him back, leaning into him. Ron was a lovely kisser. "You taste like pie," she said with a grin when he pulled away. "Don't forget Percy's book."

[pb_ron]

He held up the small book in his right hand, and this time bent down to give her a more proper kiss, wrapping his arms around her and taking his time. After what seemed only seconds but was more like minutes, he pulled back from her, breathless, and turned towards the door, "I'm going, I'm going or I'm never going to leave. Yes, the shop on Saturday, and I think I've got some plans with Harry on Sunday. Oh, and I'm going to swing by the Burrow as well."

He stopped in the door way, "When am I gonna see you again? I have a wizarding trip planned for you. It's best to go at dawn or twilight, so you decide, okay."

[pb_hermione]

"How about next Friday then? It seems to be becoming our night." She liked having a special night to themselves. Ron agreed and she kissed him once more before he left for the night.

Hermione returned to her book but she could still taste him on her lips.