Just as friends

Written by cleojan5

“Hermione,” he yelled from the entrance of Greenhouse 4, “would you hurry up?”

“Wait!” she said, turning around and accidentally knocking over a pot in the process, “One second!” she quickly repaired the broken pot and hurried out the door after him.

The chilly March air greeted her and she shivered slightly, automatically moving closer to Ron.

“What took you so long?” he asked her.

“I was just asking Professor Sprout if she thinks we’ll need to know the uses of the Valper Radish in our NEWT exam next year.”

Ron, trying to suppress laughter, coughed loudly.

She ignored him. “Where’s Harry gone?” she asked, blowing on her hands for warmth.

“No idea, probably to check for Malfoy on the map.” Both of them looked up ahead up through the fog, it was impossible to tell if he was there.

Hermione sighed and caught Ron’s eye, but then looked quickly away, feeling herself go pink.

Their arms were swinging oddly close to one another, much closer than normally, she thought distractedly. And then, slowly, she felt his hand clasp around hers. Startled, she looked up at him again. “Wha….”

“It’s, it’s cold.” He stammered. He was turning redder than she was, if that was possible.

She looked curiously at him, and he paused, as though waiting for her to say something. But she didn’t, and he continued.

“It’s just cold,” he said again, “It’s nothing. Just as friends.”

“Okay,” she said, looking up at him, “Just as friends.”

She smiled at him, and he smiled in return, that shy smile of him that always made her want to laugh and hug him at the same time.

And so they walked, hand in hand. And although neither of them voiced it, they both knew it was more than ‘just friends’.