A/N:Dedicated to all the Good Shippers and Sarah my beta!
The green light that illuminated the house was blinding. When the light died, Hermione could see her parents in the same spot on the couch where she had left them. The only difference was the horrific expression they now wore on their faces and the utter stillness of their bodies. Their chests no longer rose and fell with the steadiness of breathing. Their unblinking eyes were transfixed on something in the distance.
She opened her mouth to call out to them but found she had no voice. She tried to scream, but still, no sound came out. She tried to run to them, but couldn't move from her spot. She tried to look around, but found that she couldn't move at all. She then realized that she, too, was hit by the killing curse and she, like her parents, was dead. Hermione began to cry.
The crying was what awoke her. Hermione sat up and pulled open the draperies around her bed. She couldn't stay here. She needed someone. She wasn't sure whom. She didn't care whom. She just needed someone to comfort her.
Her feet hit the cold ground softly as she swung herself out of bed. She stood up, hastily put on her slippers and dressing gown, and headed out of the room. Tears welled in her eyes and trickled down her cheeks with each blink of her eyes. Hermione needed to go to one of her friends. Sure, Lavender and Parvati were her friends, but she would just feel silly going to them about a bad dream. She opened the door and headed towards the sixth year girl's dormitory. She opened the door slowly and tiptoed up to the bed she knew was Ginny's. She pulled the curtains open slightly to see Ginny tossing, turning, and mumbling.
"No, Tom. I don't want to hurt anyone. Don't, Tom, you'll get Harry into trouble."
Seeing Ginny in the throes of her own nightmare, she decided against waking her. She slowly and silently closed Ginny's bed curtains, turned back towards the door and headed out.
She stood outside Ginny's door for a good three minutes debating whether or not she should go to the boys’ dormitory. Hermione shivered, partly from the cold, partly from her dream. That made up her mind. She headed to the seventh year boys’ dorm.
When she reached their door, she hesitated. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and cautiously turned the doorknob. Then she tiptoed into the room. She looked to Harry's bed, but seeing him struggle violently with his blankets, decided against going to him. She softly padded her way to Ron's bed. Peeking through the curtain, she watched him sleeping.
He looks so peaceful, Hermione thought as she looked down at him. He was lying on his back, one arm covering his eyes, and the other curled up hugging his blankets. A barely-there smile lingered on his lips. The moonlight trickling in bathed him in a silver light that made his ginger hair seem to glow.
"Ron," she murmured as she pulled the bed hangings to one side.
A very sleepy "mmm" was Ron’s only response. She knelt down next to the bed.
"Ron, please wake up," she whispered as she began to cry again.
Ron rolled onto his side, his arm falling off his eyes, as they fluttered open.
"Hermione? Are you okay? What are you doing here?" he asked in surprise at seeing his female best friend kneeling next to his bed.
She looked at him silently with a tearful expression.
"It's okay," he said softly as he sat up, his legs hanging over the side of his bed. "Sit down."
Ron rung his hands in his lap nervously as Hermione sat down next to him on the bed.
"What's wrong?" he asked tenderly, only half looking at her.
"Bad dream," she sniffed. She sounded so much like a child.
Ron knew Hermione worried about her parents back at home. She wasn't as excited about coming back to school this year as she had been in the past. With Voldemort back, Hermione worried that something might happen to them if she wasn't around all the time to protect them.
"D…do y …you want to stay h. . .here?" Ron stumbled over his words. He didn't want her to get the wrong idea. He had feelings for her. As a matter of fact, he loved her, but he would never let her know that. He was sure she didn't feel the same. Why should she?
Hermione said nothing, but looked up into his icy blue eyes.
She saw the sincerity with which he had asked her the question. He was her best friend. He cared for her. She knew he did. She supposed that was why she hadn't thought twice about going to his bed when she saw Ginny and Harry fighting their own nightmares. The fact that she was in love with Ron played no part in her decision tonight.
She nodded in agreement with his suggestion.
Hermione stood up. Ron moved over in his bed and lifted the blankets so she could get under them. She removed her dressing gown and slippers and slid into the bed. Ron pulled the bed curtains closed again and laid down, cautiously staring straight up. Hermione lay herself next to him doing the same thing.
"Y... you have enough blanket?" Ron asked nervously.
"Yes, but Ron... " She stopped and looked at him.
"Something wrong?" he asked turning his head to look at her. The cinnamon brown eyes he always loved to look at were a sad sort of pink color, no doubt from her crying.
"Would you...I mean, I... hold me?" She choked back the tears that were threatening to fall again.
Ron didn't answer. He simply wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. She lay her head down on his chest. The sound of his heartbeat soothed her somewhat. He unconsciously ran his hand up and down her arm, trying to comfort her. He listened to her breathing, hoping she would stop crying. Ron hated to see Hermione so upset. He wanted nothing more than to make it all better. To make all her worries go away, and all her fears subside. Soon her crying stopped and her breathing evened out. He knew she had fallen asleep. Ron looked down at her sleeping form, held tightly in his arms. He brushed a lock of hair from her face, sighed, and kissed her softly on the forehead.
"I'll protect you, Hermione," he whispered faintly as he closed his eyes. "From your nightmares or anything else that hurts you." He closed his eyes. "I love you."
He soon joined her in slumber.
Hermione ran frantically through the castle. Her footfalls were
silent against the stone floors. She was running away from something, that much she knew, but what it was she had no idea. When she looked around, she only saw darkness. She turned another corner and saw, at the end of a long hallway, something shining, like a coppery shimmer. She turned to glance behind her. The darkness was getting closer. She ran towards the copper glitter. The closer she got to it, the farther away the darkness seemed. She ran faster and faster toward whatever was at the end of the corridor. She took another step forward and suddenly stopped. She saw what was shinning. The light from a small, high window was spilling down on a person, a person with ginger hair. It was Ron. He ran to her.
"I'll protect you, Hermione," he said as he held out his hands. "From nightmares or anything else that hurts you. I love you."
She took his hands and he pulled her into his embrace.
Hermione awoke once again from her dreams. She was still in Ron's grasp, as she had been in her dream. She looked up at his sleeping face, so complacent, so calm, and so handsome. If only he felt for her how he did in her dream. She leaned up and kissed him delicately on the cheek.
"I love you, Ron," she murmured quietly as she snuggled back into his arms.
Ron was the first to wake up the next morning. He lifted his head slightly and looked down. He saw that Hermione was still in his bed. Her arm was lying across him as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Ron smiled and laid his head back down.
Hermione shifted slightly and nuzzled her head into his chest before awakening fully.
"G'morning," Ron said to her as Hermione blinked.
"'Morning," she replied, stifling a yawn.
"Did you sleep okay? I mean, no more bad dreams?" he asked, genuinely concerned.
Neither of them moved from their current positions. Neither really wanted to.
"I did have another bad dream," she said, not looking at him. "But y... I mean... being here made it not so bad."
She had almost slipped and said, "You made it better." She didn't want to tell him that he had made it a better dream, that he had saved her in the end, and that he had told her he loved her. Even though it had only been in her dream, as far as she knew.
"Thank you for letting me sleep here." She leaned up to kiss him on the cheek but at that same moment he had turned his head to look at her. His lips accidentally brushed across hers.
She was shocked, as was he.
"I...I'm s... sorry, Hermione." Ron stuttered as his ears flushed with embarrassment. "I...I..."
"It's okay, Ron," she said as she quickly removed herself from his grip and his bed. "We're friends, right? It was a friendly little kiss." She said it very logically, trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince him.
"I better get back. Lavender and Parvati will wonder where I am. Bye, Ron," she said as she grabbed her dressing gown and slippers and ran out of the room.
Ron covered his face with both hands and rolled over.
Hermione stopped just outside the boy's dormitory. She couldn't believe it.
Her mind began to race. My 'first' kiss with Ron and he did it accidentally. Well, I mean, I kissed him while he was sleeping first but that wasn't really our first kiss since it was only me kissing him. This was our 'first' kiss. I have no idea what to do. I always know what to do. Yeah, always, except when it comes to Ron, she thought to herself.
She returned her slippers to her feet and hastily threw on her dressing gown before heading back to her dormitory.
Harry waited in the common room for Ron and Hermione so they could all go to breakfast together.
"Good morning, Harry," Hermione said as she stepped off the bottom step of the staircase. "Where's Ron?"
Hermione had decided to treat this day like any other day. Any other day where she hadn't gone to Ron's bed in the middle of the night because of a nightmare. Any other day where she hadn't slept in Ron's arms. Any other day where she and Ron hadn't kissed, even if it was an accident.
"He'll be right down," Harry answered. "Hermione, may I ask you a question?"
"Sure, Harry."
"Did you spend the night in our room last night?" Harry asked with an all-together befuddled look on his face.
"Erm, why do you ask, Harry?" Hermione asked nervously.
"Well, Hermione," Harry said slowly. "To tell you the truth, it's because Dean asked me this morning."
Hermione's jaw dropped.
"He said he had gotten up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water and saw your dressing gown and slippers on the floor next to Ron's bed."
Hermione squeaked and snapped her mouth shut.
Just then Ron walked down the steps. He saw Hermione standing next to Harry looking shocked.
"What's wrong?" he asked when he reached them.
"Nothing," Harry said.
Hermione looked up at Ron. By the look in her eyes, he could tell it was not 'nothing.'
"I was just asking Hermione if she had spent the night in our room. In your bed, actually," Harry said, giving Ron a wink.
Uh oh. Ron thought. He gave a crooked, nervous smile.
"Well, Harry, she did spend the night. She'd had a nightmare and she needed someone. I let her sleep in my bed. Ginny used to do it all the time at home. She'd have a nightmare and want to sleep with someone. Usually it was me, but sometimes it was one of the twins." Ron told the truth, he just didn't share the part about how he had told her he loved her as she slept or the accidental kiss that morning.
Harry looked over at Hermione who had bowed her head. Her cheeks were flushed. He knew Ron was telling the truth but he also knew that he had left some stuff out. He made a mental note to ask him about it later.
"Okay," Harry said, showing he accepted the explanation. "Ladies first." He held out his arm, motioning for Hermione to go in front of them.
Ron went to walk out behind her but Harry held his arm out and blocked him.
"Not so fast, mate." He paused to make sure that Hermione was out. "She spent the night in your bed? Don't you think that is a bit dangerous, considering your feelings for her?"
"Nothing happened, Harry. I wouldn't overstep my boundaries. I know she doesn't have the same feelings for me. She needed someone to comfort her and since I am one of her best friends, she came to me."
"Ginny and I are her friends, too. Why didn't she go to one of us?" Harry asked.
"I don't know. Maybe you both were having nightmares, too. I know Ginny still has nightmares about Riddle and I see you fight with your blankets and imaginary dark wizards every night. Maybe she saw that, too, and came to me instead." Ron let out a little sigh and ran his hand through his hair. "She doesn't know that I love her, Harry. She doesn't love me, not like I love her, at least. And she won't find out about my love for her unless you tell her, which you are not going to do. So, yes, she slept in my bed last night, in my arms, as a matter of fact, but it was nothing. It was her best friend comforting her from her nightmares, nothing more." Ron said, a note of agitation in his voice.
"Calm down, Ron. I was just asking. We better go before she wonders where we've been."
Hermione didn't have time to wonder why the boys hadn't followed her out of the portrait hole because in the hall she ran into Ginny, who was returning from breakfast.
"Hermione?" Ginny asked as she walked up to her. "I heard Dean and Seamus talking at breakfast. They said you spent the night in my brother's bed. They’re joking, weren’t they? Ginny asked, slightly worried.
"Nothing happened Ginny, don’t panic!"
"But you did sleep in his bed, didn't you?"
"Well yes, but it was totally innocent. I had a bad dream. I had gone to your room but you were having your own bad dream. I heard you mumbling about Tom."
Ginny looked down, slightly embarrassed.
"Don't worry about it, Ginny. Harry was having a nightmare, too. So I went to Ron. I almost didn't but then I realized that he doesn't know that I'm in love with him, so it would have been nothing to him."
"So you slept all night in the bed of my brother, the boy you are in love with, and it was completely innocent?" Ginny asked in disbelief.
"Yes. That is, until this morning." Hermione looked around to make sure that the boys weren't around. "I went to kiss his cheek, to thank him for being so nice."
"Only to thank him?" Ginny asked, interrupting.
"Yes, Ginny," Hermione said firmly. "Anyway, he turned his head when I did. And I kissed him on the lips, Ginny. I. Kissed. Ron. On. The lips." She sighed slightly. "He apologized, but I think I was more embarrassed than he was. I told him that it was just a friendly kiss, so he wouldn't think I wanted it to be anything more. But I did, Ginny, I did want it to be more. Why does he have to be so blind? I drop hints all the time. I'm in love with one of my best friends and he can't even see it."
"Speaking of your best friends, where are they?"
"Oh, we were supposed to go to breakfast. They were right behind me," she said as she turned back towards the portrait of the Fat Lady to see Ron and Harry stepping out.
"Ready to go to breakfast, Hermione?" Harry asked. "Oh, hullo, Ginny," he said, seeing Ginny standing there. "You coming with us?"
"Uh, no. I already ate," Ginny answered as her cheeks flushed.
She quickly ran into the common room.
Ron shook his head. "I don't know why she just doesn't tell you, Harry. We all know she has a crush on you."
"I don't know. Maybe she thinks that if she tells me that she likes me that I won't like her back, which is absurd. How is she going to know how I feel about her unless she tells me how she feels about me first?" Harry responded cryptically.
Ron glared at Harry with a look that said clearly, "I'd shut up if I were you." Hermione on the other hand, noticing that they were talking about Ginny and Harry, feared that Ron, was subconsiously talking about her telling her feelings to him.
Hermione walked into her house. It was eerily quiet. She knew it was strange for her to be home. She should be at school. It was only November; Christmas holidays were still a month away.
"Mum, Dad," she called out.
No answer.
Hermione headed back into the kitchen. No sign of her parents. She headed into the sitting room and saw the back of her father's head in his usual chair. He stared straight ahead.
"Daddy?" she asked.
He did not turn.
"Dad?" she repeated.
Only silence. She walked around the front of the chair and saw the reason. Her dad's stiff body and unblinking gaze sat in that chair. She knew what it had been. Her heart began to race. She looked around for signs of her mother. She ran into the hall and up the stairs.
"Mum!" Hermione shrieked.
She ran into her parent's bedroom. There she found her mum in the same state that she had found her father in.
She screamed, spun around, and started running. She ran down the stairs and out the front door. Except the front door did not lead to the front lawn, it led her into Hogwarts castle. She turned to go back to the house but it was gone; only Hogwarts lay behind her and ahead of her. Hermione began to search frantically for her friends. She ran to Gryffindor Tower. The portrait of the Fat Lady was open already, as if she had been broken off the wall. Hermione cautiously stepped into the common room.
"Ginny? Harry? Ron?" she called out.
She saw someone with red hair sitting facing the fireplace and walked over to them. It could have been either Ron or Ginny. She was hoping for Ron. That's when she saw it. Two people huddled together. Dead.
"No! Harry! Ginny!"
It looked as though Harry had tried to save Ginny from the killing curse by using his own body as a shield.
Hermione backed away slowly, unable to take her eyes off her two friends. She then turned and ran for the boy's dormitory. She needed to find Ron. She entered his room. The door was off the hinges. She moved carefully to his bed. There she saw him lying peacefully, as though he was asleep. She tried to wake him, with no luck.
"He won't wake," came a voice from behind her.
She turned to see who had spoken. Just the blackness that had been chasing her was there, nothingness.
Hermione turned back to Ron. She shook him violently, attempting to rouse him.
"He won't wake," the voice repeated. "He's dead like the others. Everyone is dead."
She turned to the darkness.
"As are you… " It said as a green light hit her.
Hermione was awoken yet again from her nightmare by her own tears. She sat up abruptly.
Again the overwhelming feeling that she needed someone overtook her. This time she knew exactly whom she needed. She needed Ron. She needed to be in his arms.
Hermione got out of bed, put on her dressing gown and slippers, and headed towards the seventh year boys' dormitory. She didn't hesitate to open the door and tiptoed over to Ron's bed. She silently opened the curtains around his bed and knelt down next to it as she had done the night before.
"Ron," she whispered, her voice thick with tears.
"Mmmm," came his semiconscious reply.
"Ron, you have to wake up."
Ron woke up at her request. His eyes fluttered open.
"Hermione?"
She nodded wiping her cheek free of tears.
"Bad dream?"
Again, a nod.
He silently lifted the edge of the blankets and moved over in his bed, giving her room to get in beside him. She stripped herself of her dressing gown and slippers and crawled into bed with him. This time she didn't have to ask him to hold her. He automatically pulled her close to him once she was in the bed. She laid her head on his chest.
"Don't worry, Hermione. I'm here. I'll protect you," he said reassuringly, soothing her while she cried.
Once Hermione had calmed down she thought about her current position. Here she was, wrapped up in the arms of the boy she loved, and he didn't even know how she felt. She wanted him to know that it was a conscious decision to come to him tonight. Sure she needed someone to comfort her after her nightmares, but it was more than that; she needed Ron. She needed to tell him how she felt. She needed him to know and if he kicked her out of his bed, so be it.
"Ron?"
"Mmm?" he answered her sleepily.
"I need to tell you something."
"Can it wait till morning, Love?"
That woke him up, right quick. He had just called her ‘Love.’ He hadn't meant to. He was tired and his defenses were not what they should be. He waited for her to shy away from him, but it never happened. Maybe she hadn't caught it.
Oh, but she had. He called her ‘Love.’ Maybe what she was about to tell him was not going to be such a shock, but she supposed it could wait until morning. Or maybe she just wanted to make sure she had another night in his arms.
She answered quietly. "I guess it can. Good night, Ron," she said as she snuggled into his grip.
"Goodnight, Hermione," he said quietly as he kissed the top of her head.
Both Ron and Hermione slept later than they had wanted to. They felt content to lie in each other's arms.
"Wake up," said a voice rousing them from slumber. It was Harry.
"Uhmmm," Hermione whined, nuzzling her face into Ron 's chest.
"Come on, wake up."
"Go away, Harry. I'm sleeping," Ron grumbled.
"I see that. And I also see that Hermione is sleeping, but since you are both doing it in your bed, Ron, I suggest that you get up so that everyone else doesn't see that."
That statement woke them both up immediately.
"Oh, no. I overslept," Hermione said, sitting up swiftly and fighting with the blankets. "I've got to get back to my room."
"Yeah, you better. I'm going to take a shower. You better be gone when I get back, young lady," Harry said with a laugh as he left the room.
She hopped out of the bed.
"Thank you for letting me stay in with you again last night, Ron," Hermione said as she slipped her slippers and dressing gown back on.
"That's what I'm here for," he said as he looked up at her.
"I know," she said. "I'll see you at breakfast."
Then Hermione did something that she knew at the time was probably not the best thing to do. But she just needed to. After two nights of sleeping in his bed, in his arms, and after what he had called her last night, she just had to do something. So she did. She leaned over and kissed him softly and gently on the lips, but before he could protest, or deepen the kiss, she pulled away and ran out of the room.
She made it as far as the top of the stairs that led down from the boy's dorm before she heard her name.
"Hermione?" he said.
She froze at the top of the stairs.
"Hermione," he repeated.
She turned around to see Ron standing in his pajamas, barefoot, in the doorway.
"Look, Ron, before you say anything, I have to tell you this. I wanted to tell you last night but you were too tired. I am sorry I kissed you, but it was just something that I had to do. I'll understand if you feel weird about me sleeping in your bed again. I just had to let you know I... I love you." She blushed and turned her gaze downward to the floor. "I mean I am in love with you. I've been in love with you for a long time now and you...you just never seem to notice. " She turned to start back down the stairs.
Hermione didn't want Ron to see the tears that were beginning to form. It was hard for her to tell him that she loved him. She feared that telling him, even after he had called her ‘Love’ last night and kissed her goodnight, that she would lose him forever.
"Hermione, wait," Ron called to her.
She turned around to see Ron right in front of her. She looked up at him with tears still in her eyes. She blinked, and a tear spilled down her cheek. Before Hermione could say another word he lifted his hand to her face and gently wiped the tear away with his thumb. He didn't remove his hand from her face once the tear was gone. He gave Hermione a smile and moved in slowly bringing his lips to hers, kissing her delicately.
Before Hermione realized what was happening she was kissing Ron back. His hands slid down to her waist and he drew her closer. Her hands snaked around his neck as they deepened the kiss. Neither knew how long they had been standing there locked in each other's embrace. Neither really cared, and they wouldn't have stopped either, except that from both directions behind them came two loud "Ahems."
They quickly separated to see Ginny standing behind Hermione on her way up the stairs and Harry behind Ron on his way down.
"So," Harry began, breaking the awkward silence. "I see you finally told Hermione that you are in love with her, Ron. Glad to see it."
"I . . .I didn't actually tell her, yet Harry," Ron said, turning his attention to Harry. His ears flushed red with embarrassment. "I sorta just showed her." He gave a sideways smile.
"You did tell Ron you are in love with him, didn't you, Hermione?"
"Yes, Ginny, I did."
"I think that is what started their little snogfest," Harry said with a laugh.
Hermione's cheeks glowed the same color as Ron's ears.
"Come on, Ginny. Let's go to breakfast and leave these two alone with their new found love," Harry said slipping past Ron and Hermione, taking Ginny's hand, and pulling her down the stairs.
Ginny looked back at Hermione, who just shrugged. Hermione turned her attention back to Ron as soon as Harry pulled Ginny out of view.
Ron looked at her and grinned. She grinned back.
"So, Ron, I'm in love with you and I guess you're in love with me. So… what do we do now?"
"Snog some more?" Ron asked optimistically.
"As much as I would love to do that," she said, taking his hand. "We have class today and we are still in our pajamas," she continued, pointing to their clothing. "What I actually meant by 'what do we do now?' is what happens to us?"
"Nothing happens to us, Hermione," he said pulling her close by the hand he held. He wrapped his arms around her waist again.
Hermione automatically put her arms up around his neck. She gazed into his blue eyes and smiled.
"We are still us; still Ron and Hermione, just now we know for sure how the other feels. To tell you the truth, I'm glad. You don't know how hard it has been for me being in love with you and thinking you saw me as just a friend."
"You're wrong, Ron. I do know how hard it was, because I went through it too," she said with a smile and a quick peck on the lips.
"When you came to my bed the other night, I was so happy. I just wanted to protect you. As a matter of fact, I told you that while you were sleeping. I said I would protect you from your nightmares or anything else that hurts you, and… "
"And that you love me?" Hermione interrupted.
Ron looked at her, puzzled. "Yeah, how do you know that? You were asleep."
Hermione grinned widely. "Because, Ron, you said it in my dream. I had a dream you saved me from what ever was chasing me and then told me that you would protect me and that you loved me. That is why when I had nightmares last night I immediately came to your bed."
"Well, it's true. Nothing will ever hurt you as long as I am around to protect you, and I do love you.
"I love you, too, Ron. I love you, too."