It was happening again. Night after night, she was there. She couldn't stop it. She traveled there in her dreams. But it never felt like a dream. Each time she felt the pain running through her veins, the scream fresh on her lips. It was more than a memory. It felt like reality.

"Hermione!" Ginny had her arms on her shoulders now, shaking her, trying to wake her up. Trying to pull Hermione out of her dream, her reality, her nightmare. "Hermione!" Ginny said again, desperate not to wake the whole house up.

Hermione's brown eyes flashed open. "Ginny?" she mumbled. She was drenched in sweat, terrified. Now she was awake she knew she had been dreaming, but her arm still ached like a fresh wound. After all these years, she finally knew how Harry had felt.

"Did you have it again?" Ginny's face was white with concern, her eyes widening as Hermione slowly nodded. "Hermione." She said softly, pulling her up into a hug. Hermione's limp arms stayed beside her, she was too exhausted to do anything. Letting go Ginny watched Hermione for a second, thinking, she bit down on her lip and looked around the room.

Hermione lay back down on the bed, needing to sleep but fearing where it would bring her, the Malfoy Manor. Cringing at the thought of returning there, she closed her eyes and placed her head back on the pillow.

"No. Come with me." Ginny wrapped her arm around Hermione's and pulled her up.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked as Ginny opened the bedroom door in front of them and headed out into the corridor. Ginny remained silent as she slowly guided Hermione across the wooden floor and up the staircase, people were snoring behind closed doors, but the rest of the house was quiet.

"Oh." Hermione breathed. She had taken this route hundreds of times, she knew exactly where they were going.

Ginny still said nothing. Silently walking side by side with Hermione, her arm steading her, the nightmare always stole so much energy. They continued walking for a few more seconds, until Ginny stopped outside his bedroom door. Wrapping her hand around the handle, she twisted it and pushed open the door. Even in the darkness Hermione could still make out the orange posters covering the walls and as she scanned the room she noticed that only one bed in there was occupied, the other left empty, still made.

Letting go of Ginny, Hermione staggered forward a few steps, looking back behind her as Ginny smiled and shut the door. Folding her arms across her chest, she breathed slowly, considering what she should say.

"Ron?" She whispered taking another step towards the bed. The figure stirred, but did not wake. He shuffled slightly in the bed but his snoring continued.

"Ron?" She repeated, a little louder this time.

"I'll be down in a minute." He murmured into his pillow, turning away from the door.

Taking another step closer, she repeated herself once more, "Ron!"

This time his eyes opened, at first just a slit but then fully. Sitting up quickly he managed to hit his head against the wall behind him. "Shit" he muttered rubbing his head. He looked across at her, then down at himself for a minute, quickly pulling the blankets up to his neck.

She laughed, which seemed impossible just minutes ago. A tired smile flickered across her face for a second, before disappearing again.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked as brought his hand down from his head, his face almost as white as hers now, he had seen that look before, and didn't like what usually followed it.

"I, uh, I had it again." Hermione looked down at the floor as she spoke, feeling foolish. She hated that she couldn't control it, it came every night, slipping into her dreams, spreading fear all of her body, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"Uh, Ginny brought me here." She added, not knowing what else to say. He frowned slightly, as he thought, trying to figure out what Ginny had intended for him to do.

Dropping the blankets to reveal his bare chest again, he pulled the corner of the blankets away, and whispered, "Get in."

Hermione nodded and took a slow step forward. She lay down beside him underneath the blankets, pulling them up to cover her as she faced the dark bedroom, her back to him. Ron wrapped his arm around her, pulling her towards him and Hermione shuffled backwards. When she comfortable she shivered again but not because of the cold.

"Whats wrong?" Ron whispered in her ear.

"I don't want to go back." Hermione's heart was beating fast, her breath was rapid, she didn't want to go there, or to wake up drenched in sweat with her sheets twisted around her after she thrashed around in her sleep.

"You won't" He pulled her tightly into him, kissing her on the cheek.

"I will. Every single night I go there." Hermione was still shaking, Ron lessened her fear but didn't eradicate it.

"But it's different now." Ron whispered. He knew what Ginny had intended. Ginny had told him each morning what happened the night before, about how scared Hermione was when she woke, about the muttering in her sleep. Hermione told Harry and Ron parts of it, but only in passing, never emphasizing on the fear he knew she felt.

"How?" Hermione was doubtful that anything would change. Why had Ginny brought her up here, did she no longer want to wake two or three times a night to rescue Hermione from Bellatrix. Or was there another reason, had she figured something out that had never occurred to Hermione?

"You have me." Ron said in a matter of fact tone. Hermione brought her hand up and wrapped it around his, holding on for dear life. He squeezed her and she felt a rush through her body, she knew she was safe. Even if she did have the nightmare again he would be here when she woke up.

"If I do though you need to.." She started, still slightly concerned.

"I know." He cut her off.

"Ok." She murmured as she was already drifting off to sleep. She felt safe. Safer than she had felt in the past week, the nightmares only came after You Know Who was dead, she figured that they were too busy before, always rushing, planning, panicking, with little sleep so the nightmares stayed at bay. But as soon as she was safe, happy; they came back, plaguing her dreams. But in Ron's arms she didn't feel scared, she didn't feel the usual dread that washed over her as she lay still in bed, her eyes shut, her head resting on the pillow. His familiar scent wrapped around her, almost ensuring her safety, and she knew that she wouldn't return to Malfoy Manor that night.

"I'm not going anywhere." Ron breathed as he too drifted off to sleep.