action; p.s. well dang.the_wheezyFebruary 25 2009, 04:30:47 UTC
Hermione reading something wasn't all that weird, so yes, the first clue was lost on him. The second big clue, though, getting very suddenly attached to via an usually close embrace without reason? Yeah. Sound the alarms, something's going wrong here.
So his mind reeled when she actually said something, because he wasn't all that sure he'd heard her. He'd only gotten out, "Um... Her--" before she was at his neck, and at that he froze for what might have been, or at least seemed, like a horribly long moment. "Hermione," he finally managed to squeak out, jerking almost violently now that he could move and setting his hands on her shoulders, pushing away. "You really are... Don't do that." He was, of course, blushing furiously.
action; p.s. :>honestlyrubbishFebruary 25 2009, 04:35:55 UTC
She blinked suddenly as cold air swept between them, quickly pushed away by arms that were, unfortunately, longer than hers. Her gaze was still slightly unfocused, cheeks perhaps a great deal more flushed than they normally would have been, as she tried to shake his hands off, not even thinking to use her wand in that moment because-- well, the denial had been rather sudden.
"I'm what?" she asked, incredulously. "Ron, come on, don't you want to? You can't honestly tell me that you'd snog Lavender and you wouldn't me, that just wouldn't be fair-- I've wanted to for ever so long."
Perhaps, ironically, it would be a little reminiscent of Lanvender herself for him, given the pout on Hermione's face. Wheedling, as it were.
This was so completely wrong and bizarre. Hermione just... Shouldn't be making little pouty faces like that and asking to snog. It was disturbing on a few levels. The tiniest, stupidest part in the back of Ron's mind might have found it amusing or intriguing for a moment, but that was it. This was horrid. This was a horrible situation for a bloke to be in.
"It's not like that," he started, eyes sliding away to look at the kitchen cabinets. "It's just that you're acting really weird because of whatever it is that's going on today." And, of course, he had to wonder on the truth of the last of what she'd said, that she'd wanted to... "If you'd like to make an appointment, though-" He stopped a little short of finishing the joke. Yeah, that was probably in bad taste, too.
"It's not what's going on today, Ron, I'm certain-- I'm not angry, or inexplicably tired, or gorging myself-- I haven't done anything wrong," she sighed emphatically, more than a little frustrated at the predicament, because as much as she was trying to convince everything that all was fine and that she just wanted a little fun, it wasn't in Hermione's nature to force someone to do something against their will.
She would just... try to be very persuasive, if she could.
"If you're offering me a raincheck," she said, more quietly, trying to recall the way that she generally acted before she came to the revelations that she had in the last twenty-four hours, "I want to cash in on it now. Really."
His gaze averted, Hermione tried to lean in again, testing his limits.
Ron wasn't all that familiar with the ideas surrounding the seven deadly sins, and so he didn't fully grasp how the states of people today were linked together. It was easy enough to pinpoint Hermione's particular problem, though, because, well... She wasn't normally like this in the least. "It's... You're being a little forward, don't you think? You don't think that's unusual? Weird?"
He stepped back a little as she leaned in, but he let go of her shoulders. "I'll have to insist on another time, if your even still keen. I don't figure this is normal."
It had been a good idea on Ron's part to stall, both in getting out to the kitchen and in conversation, because even as Hermione's foot tapped impatiently, the seconds slid by as well, and after minutes of building frustration came to a peak, suddenly, the clocked turned and with it, the day as well.
Which left Hermione snapping to her senses, mood like a rubber band that swung her in the opposite direction, eyes in wide shock for a few moments.
"I... oh, Merlin," she whispered, one hand rising to cup her mouth as her face turned beet red. "Ron, I'm so-- you should have Stunned me or something, I can't even--"
It was difficult fighting the urge to Disapparate.
Oh. Ron hadn't even realized the time had been that close. Well, that was good; the situation had been getting a little scary. He looked at his watch habitually, and because he couldn't really bring himself to look at Hermione, anyway. "It's... Um. It's fine." He mumbled out after a moment, still looking down. He reached up to rub absently at the back of his neck. "We'll just not mention it, shall we?" And he was still blushing. He could feel it.
"No, it's not fine," Hermione insisted, feeling all of the shame pile on suddenly, the fact that she had been so flippant for the past twenty-four hours-- curse or not, it was inexcusable, and now that she had her bearings around her, Hermione couldn't help remembering the things she'd meant to focus on. The fact that Remus had passed away. The fact that Harry still hadn't told her anything about his point in time. And even had she made it to Ron on her list of priorities, this wasn't how she would have handled that situation at all, in her right mind.
Her lip quirked bitterly, and no amount of reassurance that it was just the City would erase the heavy guilt which hung on her shoulders.
"I'm really sorry," she murmured, cheeks still red as she looked down as well, eyes bright with humiliation. "That wasn't how I would've--"
No. No excuses. She took a deep, shaky breath, before slowly exhaling.
"Hey." And now that Hermione was back to normal, Ron was again compelled easily enough to reach forward to her. "Don't do that, alright? It's really not..." But he'd already said that. He'd just have to prove it wasn't a big deal to him, like the rest of them had done when he and Ginny went on a pureblood superiority rampage.
"Not really how I'd like to go about it, either. No harm done though, right? 'M not mugged or murdered."
Hermione almost managed a laugh. "Dear god, Ron, I'd hope that you'd put up some kind of defense if that's what I was after. And I suppose I should be glad that the both of us weren't cursed, otherwise..."
The small of her back pressed against the side of the counter, Hermione's brows furrowed slightly. It wasn't something that had come much to her mind before, the likelihood that at some point, a great majority of their numbers might be cursed, and thus coerced into doing things which they wouldn't otherwise. So far, they'd had the luck of the draw, enough people maintaining sanity and able to hold the others back. But what if Ron had been cursed?
Hermione finally looked up, staring rather intently at him, and considering her options.
That was something that he hadn't actually widely thought about, either, considering how long he'd been a resident of the City. There usually were people around to help the cursed maintain some part of their normal selves, but... Yeah. The possibility was there for an accident like that even if he'd consider it slim.
He glanced up only to find her staring at him, which caused him to immediately look away again. After a moment, though, he recovered, coming to slowly look over. "Well, that didn't happen." It was probably too short and matter-or-fact to serve as a proper thing to say, but it was the best way to get away from the thought.
"No, it..." Hermione's voice trailed off thoughtfully, gaze wandering down for a moment before turning back to his eyes, and she sighed, ruffling her own hair slightly just to keep her fingers and mind from worrying too much. This shouldn't have been as much of a deal as it was to her, and yet.
Hermione was back to normal, if not a little flustered, but Ron, still a little shell-shocked, was taken aback by the request. "Ah... Alright." He'd almost questioned why, but that probably wasn't worth it. He did as he was told and hoped that this was going somewhere that wasn't terribly awkward or unpleasant.
She frowned a little as she approached Ron--when had he gotten so tall?--but nonetheless, Hermione allowed her hand to curl around the back of his neck, fingers tickled by the soft locks at the nape as she pushed onto her toes and pressed her lips firmly against his. Not moving too much, because she imagined that doing this much was probably nerve-wracking enough for Ron as it was.
Ron flinched a little at that first touch. Standing there with his eyes closed, the sudden nearness of her was evident, but her intent was still foggy to him. Of course, it soon became very obvious, and even when he knew what she was doing it surprised him. He'd just finished warding her off while she was cursed, so... Hopefully this was actually a more suitable moment and not a trick.
Still, it was like a natural motion, and he reacted the way you might expect someone in the situation to act. He got his arms around her and kissed back, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth even then.
You fixed it?
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So his mind reeled when she actually said something, because he wasn't all that sure he'd heard her. He'd only gotten out, "Um... Her--" before she was at his neck, and at that he froze for what might have been, or at least seemed, like a horribly long moment. "Hermione," he finally managed to squeak out, jerking almost violently now that he could move and setting his hands on her shoulders, pushing away. "You really are... Don't do that." He was, of course, blushing furiously.
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"I'm what?" she asked, incredulously. "Ron, come on, don't you want to? You can't honestly tell me that you'd snog Lavender and you wouldn't me, that just wouldn't be fair-- I've wanted to for ever so long."
Perhaps, ironically, it would be a little reminiscent of Lanvender herself for him, given the pout on Hermione's face. Wheedling, as it were.
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"It's not like that," he started, eyes sliding away to look at the kitchen cabinets. "It's just that you're acting really weird because of whatever it is that's going on today." And, of course, he had to wonder on the truth of the last of what she'd said, that she'd wanted to... "If you'd like to make an appointment, though-" He stopped a little short of finishing the joke. Yeah, that was probably in bad taste, too.
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She would just... try to be very persuasive, if she could.
"If you're offering me a raincheck," she said, more quietly, trying to recall the way that she generally acted before she came to the revelations that she had in the last twenty-four hours, "I want to cash in on it now. Really."
His gaze averted, Hermione tried to lean in again, testing his limits.
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He stepped back a little as she leaned in, but he let go of her shoulders. "I'll have to insist on another time, if your even still keen. I don't figure this is normal."
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Which left Hermione snapping to her senses, mood like a rubber band that swung her in the opposite direction, eyes in wide shock for a few moments.
"I... oh, Merlin," she whispered, one hand rising to cup her mouth as her face turned beet red. "Ron, I'm so-- you should have Stunned me or something, I can't even--"
It was difficult fighting the urge to Disapparate.
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Her lip quirked bitterly, and no amount of reassurance that it was just the City would erase the heavy guilt which hung on her shoulders.
"I'm really sorry," she murmured, cheeks still red as she looked down as well, eyes bright with humiliation. "That wasn't how I would've--"
No. No excuses. She took a deep, shaky breath, before slowly exhaling.
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"Not really how I'd like to go about it, either. No harm done though, right? 'M not mugged or murdered."
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The small of her back pressed against the side of the counter, Hermione's brows furrowed slightly. It wasn't something that had come much to her mind before, the likelihood that at some point, a great majority of their numbers might be cursed, and thus coerced into doing things which they wouldn't otherwise. So far, they'd had the luck of the draw, enough people maintaining sanity and able to hold the others back. But what if Ron had been cursed?
Hermione finally looked up, staring rather intently at him, and considering her options.
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He glanced up only to find her staring at him, which caused him to immediately look away again. After a moment, though, he recovered, coming to slowly look over. "Well, that didn't happen." It was probably too short and matter-or-fact to serve as a proper thing to say, but it was the best way to get away from the thought.
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"Close your eyes for a moment, will you, Ron?"
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Still, it was like a natural motion, and he reacted the way you might expect someone in the situation to act. He got his arms around her and kissed back, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth even then.
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