Types of Warmth
A Little Bit of Christmas
Title: Types of Warmth: December 1st
Author: Bizarity
Pairing: Ron/Hermione
Rating: PG, possibly 12A
Word Count: 1,060
Summary: Hermione is determined to get all her christmas wrapping done.
Warnings: None
Notes: Part of my own self-imposed "A little bit of Christmas" challenge.
Hermione's thumb was steady on the scissors as she pulled the golden ribbon away from her. The reflective side caught the light of the fire from across the room and glittered. Hermione had always wanted a fireplace in her home; a radiator could never quite capture the same charm. Radiators were so safe, so solid. Fire flickered and moved and could burn you if you sat too close. She pulled the curl of the ribbon, loosening it slightly to sit upon the scarlet paper. A suitably Gryffindor present for Benjamin, she hoped as she attached a lion-shaped tag. Perhaps a little too cliché but she was sure he would love it. She pushed the nearly wrapped rectangle to her left where it met two other presents. The room might look like chaos but it was really very highly organised.
Next, she picked up some blue wrapping paper for Celeste's present and cut it down to the right size without even needing to measure. She opened the box to check the badge was sitting straight on its cushion. A 'C' surrounded by winking stars. Practical Hermione had already charmed it so that the little girl couldn't accidentally misplace it. In between cutting and sticking she looked around the room at all the presents, wrapped and otherwise, filling over half the available floor space. She could never get over her delight that all of Ron's siblings had survived the war. They showed their own wonder and gratitude, apparently, by settling down and producing a Burrowful of red-headed Weasley grandchildren. Percy, much to everyone's surprise, had married a muggle and was now the father of twin girls. Their birth had done much to heal the family's only really deep wound. Ron was the last of his parent's children to get married but, just this once, Hermione didn't think he minded following in his brother's footsteps.
At that moment she heard Ron's familiar footsteps in the hallway, noting that he was pawing the mat to get rid of any dirt. Perhaps it should not have been a surprise that Molly's son would turn out to be house proud but it always make Hermione smile a little.
"You're up late," he said as he walked to the door of their living room. She heard him stop short and guessed he was standing there, leaning against the doorframe, mouth hanging open and staring at the 'mess'. "I see you got started, then."
"I've only got 25 more days to get this done, Ron," she answered, wondering if he was as reminded of their school days as she was. "24, really, since today is practically over."
"Of course, love." She knew he was laughing at her but found she didn't mind it as much as she once would have. "That fire's a bit big, you need to control it a bit more." He was rooting through his pockets for his wand.
"No, I like it that way." Hermione turned her face to the blaze, feeling it warm her skin and hair. The tip of her nose was just getting too hot when she turned her face away to look at her husband. "I'll settle it down when I come up to bed."
"And when will that be?" His eyes met hers, holding her gaze steady.
"When I'm finished. You have too many nephews and nieces." She pushed Celeste's present straight forward and reached behind her to pick up the soft toy she had bought Rachel.
"Tell that to my brothers. You love them all, though." He tried to pick his way through the scattered shreds of coloured paper and ribbon but found no where to stand. Eventually, he sat down on their coffee table and looked straight at her.
"Of course I do. That's why I have to get this finished." She started to cut a line down the sheet of yellow wrapping paper she had chosen. The scissors trembled a little in her hands, Ron being near still managed to have this effect on her. She could feel her hands being drawn towards him, longing to just press against him.
"Can't you finish it in the morning?" The look he was giving her seemed to just sit in the air, solid and comforting.
"If I finish it now I won't have to finish it in the morning. Then I'll be able to get more done." Her voice wavered slightly, but she used a tab of sellotape to neatly hold the edges of wrapping paper together.
"But think about it, Hermione. There are things you can do now that you won't be able to do in the morning. You can do this anytime." He leant down, reaching out a hand and pulling the half-wrapped present away from her. When he saw that she wasn't resisting him he stood up, found his wand and muttered a charm. The scraps of wrapping paper gathered together, melting back into usefully sized sheets and piling themselves neatly into a drawer. The presents arranged themselves in a perfect neat pyramid while the scissors, sellotape and ribbon marched themselves back into Hermione's materials box.
"It's just like Mary Poppins! What was that charm, Ron?" She stood up, able to do so now without crushing anything. Her husband just stood there, radiating smugness and desire. She moved towards him, giving in to his magnetism, but he aimed his wand at the fire which gave out one final flare before dying into ashes. Then, finally, he held out his hand to Hermione and they walked up the stairs together. He waited until they were in the bedroom with the door firmly closed behind them before wrapping both arms around her waist and leaning down to kiss her. She felt herself spark in his arm, love consuming her and making her restless. She slid her tongue along his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck as he let her take control.
Several minutes later they paused, both flushed, both warm. They moved to the bed almost simultaneously, lying next to one another. As they resumed their kiss Hermione slid her fingers under Ron's shirt, her fingers feeling the warmth of his broad chest against the chill of the night air. As his shirt came off she found herself thinking that perhaps she had underestimated the safe, steady warmth that only a radiator could offer.
Title: Types of Warmth: December 1st
Author: Bizarity
Pairing: Ron/Hermione
Rating: PG, possibly 12A
Word Count: 1,060
Summary: Hermione is determined to get all her christmas wrapping done.
Warnings: None
Notes: Part of my own self-imposed "A little bit of Christmas" challenge.
Hermione's thumb was steady on the scissors as she pulled the golden ribbon away from her. The reflective side caught the light of the fire from across the room and glittered. Hermione had always wanted a fireplace in her home; a radiator could never quite capture the same charm. Radiators were so safe, so solid. Fire flickered and moved and could burn you if you sat too close. She pulled the curl of the ribbon, loosening it slightly to sit upon the scarlet paper. A suitably Gryffindor present for Benjamin, she hoped as she attached a lion-shaped tag. Perhaps a little too cliché but she was sure he would love it. She pushed the nearly wrapped rectangle to her left where it met two other presents. The room might look like chaos but it was really very highly organised.
Next, she picked up some blue wrapping paper for Celeste's present and cut it down to the right size without even needing to measure. She opened the box to check the badge was sitting straight on its cushion. A 'C' surrounded by winking stars. Practical Hermione had already charmed it so that the little girl couldn't accidentally misplace it. In between cutting and sticking she looked around the room at all the presents, wrapped and otherwise, filling over half the available floor space. She could never get over her delight that all of Ron's siblings had survived the war. They showed their own wonder and gratitude, apparently, by settling down and producing a Burrowful of red-headed Weasley grandchildren. Percy, much to everyone's surprise, had married a muggle and was now the father of twin girls. Their birth had done much to heal the family's only really deep wound. Ron was the last of his parent's children to get married but, just this once, Hermione didn't think he minded following in his brother's footsteps.
At that moment she heard Ron's familiar footsteps in the hallway, noting that he was pawing the mat to get rid of any dirt. Perhaps it should not have been a surprise that Molly's son would turn out to be house proud but it always make Hermione smile a little.
"You're up late," he said as he walked to the door of their living room. She heard him stop short and guessed he was standing there, leaning against the doorframe, mouth hanging open and staring at the 'mess'. "I see you got started, then."
"I've only got 25 more days to get this done, Ron," she answered, wondering if he was as reminded of their school days as she was. "24, really, since today is practically over."
"Of course, love." She knew he was laughing at her but found she didn't mind it as much as she once would have. "That fire's a bit big, you need to control it a bit more." He was rooting through his pockets for his wand.
"No, I like it that way." Hermione turned her face to the blaze, feeling it warm her skin and hair. The tip of her nose was just getting too hot when she turned her face away to look at her husband. "I'll settle it down when I come up to bed."
"And when will that be?" His eyes met hers, holding her gaze steady.
"When I'm finished. You have too many nephews and nieces." She pushed Celeste's present straight forward and reached behind her to pick up the soft toy she had bought Rachel.
"Tell that to my brothers. You love them all, though." He tried to pick his way through the scattered shreds of coloured paper and ribbon but found no where to stand. Eventually, he sat down on their coffee table and looked straight at her.
"Of course I do. That's why I have to get this finished." She started to cut a line down the sheet of yellow wrapping paper she had chosen. The scissors trembled a little in her hands, Ron being near still managed to have this effect on her. She could feel her hands being drawn towards him, longing to just press against him.
"Can't you finish it in the morning?" The look he was giving her seemed to just sit in the air, solid and comforting.
"If I finish it now I won't have to finish it in the morning. Then I'll be able to get more done." Her voice wavered slightly, but she used a tab of sellotape to neatly hold the edges of wrapping paper together.
"But think about it, Hermione. There are things you can do now that you won't be able to do in the morning. You can do this anytime." He leant down, reaching out a hand and pulling the half-wrapped present away from her. When he saw that she wasn't resisting him he stood up, found his wand and muttered a charm. The scraps of wrapping paper gathered together, melting back into usefully sized sheets and piling themselves neatly into a drawer. The presents arranged themselves in a perfect neat pyramid while the scissors, sellotape and ribbon marched themselves back into Hermione's materials box.
"It's just like Mary Poppins! What was that charm, Ron?" She stood up, able to do so now without crushing anything. Her husband just stood there, radiating smugness and desire. She moved towards him, giving in to his magnetism, but he aimed his wand at the fire which gave out one final flare before dying into ashes. Then, finally, he held out his hand to Hermione and they walked up the stairs together. He waited until they were in the bedroom with the door firmly closed behind them before wrapping both arms around her waist and leaning down to kiss her. She felt herself spark in his arm, love consuming her and making her restless. She slid her tongue along his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck as he let her take control.
Several minutes later they paused, both flushed, both warm. They moved to the bed almost simultaneously, lying next to one another. As they resumed their kiss Hermione slid her fingers under Ron's shirt, her fingers feeling the warmth of his broad chest against the chill of the night air. As his shirt came off she found herself thinking that perhaps she had underestimated the safe, steady warmth that only a radiator could offer.