Ron's Nightmare
Ron cast the soundproofing charms around his bed before sliding under the covers. Recently he'd been having nightmares that always made him awake screaming and he didn't want to worry his friends. He'd been so wrong to leave them. Being away from both of them, especially Hermione, had nearly killed him. And all the while he'd been filled with fearful jealousy, wondering constantly what Hermione and Harry would get up to alone in a cramped tent week after week. Helping Harry destroy the locket had only made these nightmares worse. They were so vivid too, he'd often truly believe he was awake and it was real. He closed his eyes and tried not to dream.
He had found them at last. He stumbled towards the lit-up tent, wincing as his many cuts and bruises ached as he tripped over bumps and cracks on the forest floor. He let his heavy rucksack drop from his shoulders, sighing in relief as the straps stopped cutting into his shoulders and the great weight simply slithered silently to the snowy ground. He opened the flap and stepped inside, shuddering as the blast of warmth hit him after a week in the freezing cold.
He looked around the candle-lit room, sniffing appreciatively. He caught the scent of flowers, perfume and a well-cooked meal. His mouth watering, he wandered into the kitchen and found the remains of a fish supper. He picked it up and ate it in three bites, washing it down with a glass of milk. Wiping his mouth and thinking how good it was to have his stomach full of good food, he suddenly felt sleepy. He walked slowly into the bedroom, dragging his feet along the thick carpets, yawning, barely able to keep his eyes open. It was then he saw them.
Harry and Hermione. Together. Intertwined. Writhing like snakes on the bed, coming together, then briefly apart, then together once more. Ron stood in the doorway, frozen with shock, unable to even look away. No pain could be equal to what he felt. The girl he loved and his best friend. The locket had been right. He watched as Harry dragged off Hermione's T-shirt before pressing a kiss to her lips. Ron recognised the feeling. It was desperation, a desire to convey all they felt for each other. He watched them press ever closer together and took a deep breath.
"NOOOOOOOO!" Ron shouted, shooting upright. His heart was racing and sweat dripped down his face. He heard voices and the crackle of the radio. Harry and Hermione must still be awake. He got out of the bed and walked into the main area of the tent before having to stifle a horrified scream.
Harry and Hermione were sitting close together on the sofa, both naked to the waist, their knees banging against each other as they drummed their feet against the floor in time to the love song playing through the wireless. Hermione was pink in the face and Harry had a satisfied smirk distorting his features. Ron shook his head frantically. It couldn't be true. Ron watched as Harry got up and whispered something inaudible to Hermione. She smiled and kissed his cheek, winding an arm around his neck. Ron closed his eyes, wishing beyond anything that his assumption was wrong, willing something, anything to make him wake up, to make this dream disappear.
"Night, Ron," Harry said, pushing past him into the bathroom. Even his voice sounded satisfied and Ron saw him stretch luxuriously and ostentatiously wipe a hand across his mouth.
Ron went and sat beside Hermione on the sofa, pressed against the arm, cringing away from her, desperate not to touch her lest he betrayed his feelings and desperate longing for her. There was an awkward silence.
"So, we listened to the radio," Hermione said, her tone betraying her desperation to start some sort of civilized conversation.
"Hmm," Ron responded half-heartedly, suddenly becoming very interested in his fingernails.
"No one we know is dead or missing," Hermione said lightly. "And we heard that Dolohov has been caught. Harry was very pleased."
"I suppose that's why he's sitting so close to you without a shirt on!" Ron said, the words coming out harsher than he'd meant them to. "Why have you got your top off, huh?"
"I was cleaning this," Hermione explained, her voice quiet, nervous. She pointed and Ron saw the shallow cut running from under her left arm down to the waistband of her jeans.
"Ouch," he observed. "How'd you do that?"
"A tree branch scratched me on a scouting mission," Hermione said. "It doesn't hurt, honest."
"Let me clean it," Ron said softly. He tore a strip off Harry's discarded shirt and soaked it in water before pressing it to the cut, feeling revolted as crimson blood bloomed into grotesque patterns on the soaking wet white cotton. He carefully mopped up the trickle of blood before extracting the bottle of dittany from Hermione's bag and dripping that onto the wound. Hermione gasped through clenched teeth and clutched his shoulder, her nails digging painfully into his skin. He let her hold on until the stinging faded and she slumped back into her seat. She picked up her crumpled top and yanked it over her head.
"Hermione, I'm sorry I left," Ron said suddenly.
"I know, Ron," Hermione said wearily.
"Hermione, when I was gone, did you and Harry…do anything?" Ron said. He motioned with his hands, trying to get across his meaning. It must've worked, because Hermione gasped.
"Me and Harry?" she exclaimed. "You thought…we…oh, Ron!" She started laughing and Ron felt hurt.
"This isn't some kind of joke, you know," Ron said, hurt. "I really like you and I was worrying all the time about you and Harry." Hermione abruptly stopped laughing.
"You really like me?" she asked. Ron detected a faint note of hope in her voice. Her hand brushed his and it seemed that she was trying to take hold of it.
"Yes, Hermione, you're my best friend," he said, his words a little sharp. Hermione's face fell, thought Ron didn't know why.
"Best friend," she said, her voice disappointed. "Of course." Ron saw a single tear slide down her cheek.
"Why are you crying?" he asked. Hermione shot him an angry look.
"Boys!" she exclaimed. "They're so clueless!"
"But, Hermione, I don't understand!" Ron shouted.
"I feel like Harry is my best friend, and that's the way I've always felt about him," Hermione explained with the patience of someone explaining to a toddler that two plus two is four. "The way I feel about you, on the other hand, Ronald Weasley, is totally different."
"How?" Ron said, now intrigued. Hermione was simply going round in circles, not really answering his questions at all.
"Honestly Ron, if you haven't got it by now, you never will!" Hermione said, throwing up her hands in exasperation. "Not unless I show you."
"Show me what?" Ron asked, still not comprehending what Hermione meant. He saw her take a deep breath and lean towards him, closing her eyes. His eyes were wide open with shock as she gently touched her lips to his. She drew away a second later, frowning at him.
"Well, that was such a wonderful kiss," she said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "That was like kissing a rock, Ron!"
"What do you expect me to do about it?" Ron asked, feeling defensive. "I'm not exactly a great kisser!"
"Lavender didn't seem to have any complaints when you were sucking each others' faces off last year!" Hermione shouted.
"Look, I'm sorry I ever kissed her, you happy!" Ron shouted. Hermione looked humbled, suddenly becoming very interested in her shoes.
"I'm sorry," she said, softly. "That was below the belt." Ron looked at her. It was as if he was seeing her - really seeing her - for the first time. No longer was she the annoying, buck-teethed, frizzy-haired know-it-all he'd saved from the mountain troll. She was a beautiful young woman.
"Kiss me again," he heard himself saying. "I'll make it better this time, I promise." Hermione smiled faintly and leaned as close as was physically possible without touching him. Ron closed the distance between them in half a nanosecond and their lips were touching.
Ron felt Hermione's tears against his skin and was reminded of Harry recounting his first kiss with Cho: 'It was sort of wet.' But, if wetness could be nice, that was what the wetness of Hermione's tears was. Her lips were moving with his in a way that was pleasant, not like Lavender's sucking kisses, like she was a Dementor sucking out his soul. Tentatively, he took her hand, wondering if she'd want to come closer. It seemed she did, because she pressed against him. The kiss was growing slowly more intense. As Hermione tried to deepen the kiss to passionate waters, Ron felt frightened and pulled away.
"That was lovely, it really was, but are you sure you want to?" he asked, hoping that Hermione, with all her female wisdom, would understand what he was getting at.
"Of course I do," Hermione said. "Ron I…I love you." Ron couldn't quite decide how he felt upon hearing that. He felt pleased that a girl would tell him that. Lavender never had. On the other hand, he felt angry that Hermione was throwing away her heart after one kiss. What if he hadn't felt the same way? He felt sad too. The girl sitting in front of him loved him and he had taken too long to let her say it. But then he realised that the way he felt in his heart was the way he'd always felt and always would feel.
"Hermione, I love you too," he replied. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace.
Harry peered into the main room, drying his hair, and smiled when he saw Ron and Hermione wrapped around each other. They were meant for each other, he'd seen it from the start. It was about time they got their act together. Harry got out the Marauders' Map, thinking that perhaps it was best if Ron was distracted. If he knew that Harry was staring at Ginny's dot every night like some kind of stalker he'd hex him into oblivion.
A/N: I really enjoyed writing this story. I always thought there should've been a scene like this with Ron's paranoia about Hermione and Harry and the vision the locket showed him. If a teenage girl takes off to live with two men in a tent you'd expect her to have more than friendly feelings for one and I think through all the books there was the undercurrent of Ron's jealousy about the bond between Harry and Hermione. So thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it too!