Watching the Grate
-ß-
A/N: Written for Ron's birthday.
-ß-
Another day, another Galleon, I reminded myself, throwing Floo powder in the grate.
I deserved a few more Galleons than one. What with a tour for next year's Trainees, my regular Stealth and Disguise class, and a pile of Senior Auror's reports to finish, an impromptu raid was the last thing I needed to top off my fantastic day.
"Cache!" I exclaimed from the grate, thinking only of the woman who sleeps in my bed.
When I reached the other end, however, I found her asleep on the sofa, her head forced into an awkward position against an arm of the couch.
I walked slowly to her side and knelt carefully in an attempt not to wake her.
She made a small noise of confusion and turned her head in my direction, signaling my failure.
"You're home," she said, plainly struggling to keep her eyes open.
I kissed her forehead softly. "Yes." Pausing slightly, I looked up and down her small frame. "Why are you on the couch, love? We have a perfectly good bed in the next room."
She yawned, a cat in full stretch. "I was waiting for you to get home," she murmured, "watching the grate."
Need to Apparate more, I thought, using the back of my hand to push her hair out of her face.
"Well, as you pointed out, I'm home now, so why don't I just—" I said, leaving the sentence hanging while I picked her up as a bride.
She wrapped an arm around my neck and released a sigh of contentment, pressed her face against my chest. "Love you," she whispered. My heart tightened in my chest at the words no longer a moment's response, but an established fact.
"I love you, too," I replied quietly.
It wasn't a long walk to our bedroom, but when I laid her down on her side of the bed, she was almost asleep. I got in behind her and wrapped my arm around her waist, spooning her against me. Her voice was no more than an exhale in the black.
"Happy birthday, Ron."