"Hermione?" Ron whispered as he slowly eased open the door of the room Hermione shared with Ginny at the Burrow. Ginny was currently with Harry in Ron's room, and that was just not where Ron wanted to be. He tried to push the horrible imagery from his head. Ron could make out the outline of her soft form underneath her heavy quilt.
She wasn't expecting him. But he couldn't think of anywhere to go. He missed her. It had been a month since the last battle at Hogwarts, and no one had really accomplished anything. Everyone simply mourned the loss of Fred, Tonks, and Lupin. What truly startled Rn was how nothing had changed. He would find himself forgetting that they were gone, for hours at a time. He felt guilty, yet, relieved. He knew they would have wanted the survivors to carry on without them. They would expect it. He would expect it, if it were him.
But one thing had changed, a very large, important thing. His and Hermione's relationship. She had kissed him that day, when they didn't know if they were going to live or die. She regretted it, obviously. She never talked to him anymore, never looked his way. She ought to have kissed Harry, but she loved Ginny, and despite what feelings she had for him, she would never do that. And so Ron had tried to convince himself that it was fine, that he could carry on admiring her from a distance as he had always done. But it was different than before, something had changed. And he found he couldn't keep away.
And so here he was, at God knows when in the morning, sneaking into her bedroom. He strode to the bed clumsily, his large feet making it hard to be stealthy. He prayed she wouldn't wake up as he slid onto the bed next to her. As the bed creaked and moaned to adjust to his added weight, she stirred beside him. He tried to freeze but she drew her body against his in her sleep, and his breathed hitched. She was very, very close to him. She laid her head on his chest, and slung her arm over his stomach, simultaneously hitching one of her legs over both of his. He stayed still, trying his hardest not to move. This was not what he had imagined happening. He had thought he would watch her sleep for a while, and slip back to his room before she knew that he was there. He desperately tried to think of a way to eradicate himself without waking her.
"Stay," she murmured against his chest. Was she awake? It didn't matter. He would. He put his arm around her, pulling her closer.
"Always."