Granger Beloved

The Hog's Head

   I could feel myself waking, resisting the urge to open my eyes. Instead, I rolled over in bed to avoid the sun's view from outside the window. My previous thoughts came back to me as my mind became functional again. Then, I felt an arm slide over my waist and pull me into a hug. I smiled to myself, and my mind automatically went to the brunette laying next to me.

   The week that followed the return from holiday was uneventful, to say the least. Hermione and I had taken to sneaking off in broom closets between classes to be alone together when no one was around. I enjoyed these moments, even though I was paranoid we would be caught each time. We wouldn't spend too much time doing this, as the closet was cramped and dirty. We would kiss for a moment, then I would tell her how pretty she looked during our previous class, and she would tell me how she couldn't wait to sneak off to the Astronomy tower again.

   "How'd you sleep, (y/n)?" I heard her ask. "Could've been better, if it wasn't for your snoring," I said, groggily. She laughed, and said, "Hilarious. I don't snore." I turned over to face her and planted a small kiss on her lips. "I wouldn't bet on it, Granger," I said, smiling at her. She smiled back, sat up in bed, then proceeded to stand up. "Aren't you glad it's Saturday?" She said, stretching. "Oh no. It's Hogsmeade day," I said, shooting up in bed. "Yes! I almost forgot. I have to get ready for that interview-" I cut her off, "Hermione! Ron and I have our 'date' today."

   She clapped a hand over her mouth, then started to laugh. "Well, what are you going to wear? You have to dress nice for a place like the Hog's Head," she said. I rolled my eyes, and playfully replied, "Shove off." I didn't really know what to wear. Was Ron even expecting anything nice? Disregarding these thoughts, I got out of bed to get ready for the day. I ended up settling for a casual outfit that wasn't too much.

  Hermione and I met up with Harry and Ron in the common room, and when Ron saw me, he turned red and looked to his feet. I felt a pang of anxiety in my stomach as I realized how awkward it would be to sit alone with him this afternoon. We made our way to the Great Hall as we did every morning to eat breakfast.

   We sat in our usual spots, me next to Hermione, and Ron and Harry opposite us. "Harry, you need to meet me in the Three Broomsticks around 11 today. It's extremely important," Hermione said in a hushed tone. "Alright, fine. I just don't know what I'm going to tell Cho," He said, looking down as if he were thinking it over. 

   Breakfast consisted of a lot of accidental eye contact with Ron, and Harry talking to Hermione about what he would be doing in the Three Broomsticks, even though she refused to tell him. We all lined up to go to Hogsmeade, and Ron leaned over my shoulder and whispered, "You remembered, right?" "Yea," I said, "I can't wait," I added this to be polite.

   Once we'd arrived, Hermione said goodbye to us and headed for the Three Broomsticks. Harry had already gone off to some cheesy tea shop with Cho, leaving Ron and me alone. We began to walk in silence to the Hog's Head. "So... Did you just want to get a butterbeer?" He asked, obviously trying to break the tension. "Yea. I figured we could go into Honeydukes after if that's alright with you," I replied. He laughed, and said, "You know I love Honeydukes."

   We walked into the Hog's Head, the usual atmosphere of dust and dirt meeting my eyes. Ron lead me over to a table, and we sat across from each other, the tension seeming to come back tenfold. A short, stocky man came over to take our order, and we both got butterbeer. We sat in silence for what seemed like forever. Ron's face was red the whole time. Our drinks came quickly, and Ron was still avoiding eye contact with me.

   I was getting quite tired of sitting in silence, so I said, "Ron... If your hair was green you would look exactly like a beet right now." This caused him to look up at me and smile. He laughed, and I could feel the pressure of the situation lift immediately. Soon we were laughing and joking, just like normal. I wondered why he'd been so apprehensive at first, I've known him 5 years after all. We'd been talking and joking around for some time, then I looked at my watch. 

   "Blimey, it's getting late. We should get to Honeydukes now," I said, looking for the same man who took our order. I spotted him and waved him over. "Four sickles, please." He said, sounding monotone. I went to grab my half of the payment out of my pockets, but Ron had handed the man the 4 sickles, and he'd walked off. "No worries, you just owe me now," he said, smiling up at me.

   We made our way to Honeydukes, and as we walked, I couldn't help but feel bad. Although I'd clarified that we'd be hanging out as friends, a part of me felt that Ron was beginning to think it was more than that. I couldn't possibly go further than this with him, as I was faithful to Hermione, even if he didn't know it. I felt guilty as if I were leading him on, which I'd not intended to do.

   We walked in, and he instantly walked over to a section of the store, and I followed. "You know, I actually got that quill for you from the store right across from here," He said, his eyes occupied by a nearby display. I looked across the busy street to the shop directly facing us. The sign read, "Scrivenshafts Quill Shop."

   We browsed through the sections in the shop, Ron handpicking many small items. I figured I'd grab a few small things to share with Hermione later, seeing as she was cooped up in the pub with Harry all day. We made our purchases and walked back outside into the winter atmosphere. We stood in silence outside for a moment. "We'll probably have to get back soon," He said. I could've sworn I saw his eyes dart down to my lips for a moment. I could feel the awkwardness in the air as I spoke, "Yea seems like everyone's heading back." "Well, I had a really nice time with you today, (y/n)," He said, leaning closer to me. I nodded, looking for a way out of this.

   I could tell what was about to happen, but I refused to accept it. He took his free hand and put it to my cheek. I froze on the spot. My instinct left me, and I partially zoned out into my thoughts, as they were screaming at me to move away. I only snapped out of this when I felt Ron's cold lips press against mine. I pulled away fast, and I felt the air shift. "Ron- I'm sorry... I don't know what to say," Is all I could muster. I looked up at him, and there was a prominent disappointment in his eyes.

   "But- I thought you... The way you acted..." He trailed off. "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. I didn't mean to make you feel-" he cut me off, "It's alright, really. Forget it." He started to walk away, leaving me standing alone in the snow, my feet growing colder. Part of me wanted to chase after him, to clarify that I hadn't meant any harm. Even the thought of telling him I was in a relationship crossed my mind. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that it was best to leave him alone. 

   Then, up the street, I saw Hermione and Harry leaving the Three Broomsticks. Relief flooded my chest, and I ran up to greet them. I was itching to tell Hermione what'd just happened. She always knew what to say when it came to essentially everything. We began walking back to the school, and Harry would not stop talking about what'd happened during his interview. I wasn't paying much attention, as my heart was racing. 

   I didn't know what would happen next, but being in Hermione's presence made me feel a lot better.

(a/n): AHHH I HIT 1K VIEWS. Thank you all so very much. I don't know what to say at this point lol. I will try my very best to get more parts out over my winter break, and I really do appreciate it if you've followed the story all the way until now. I hope you're enjoying it :)