word count 536
Rating PG for later chapters.
Title: Ron Weasley and the Memory of the Locket Summery: Ron doesn't think Hermione needs him. The battle inside him brings them together.
The battle was over, Harry was upstairs, fed and fast asleep, Ginny not far from him on Ron's bed. "You'll sleep on my bed tonight, Ginny," Ron told Ginny when she fell into Harry's arms, almost knocking him over. "I'll kip in the common room," which is where he'd been for hours. He knew she wasn't going to leave Harry's side anytime soon. He also knew that he didn't want to witness their reunion.
Sleep wouldn't come to him, so he started walking. He walked around the common room in a huge circle, only stopping when he reached the stairs to the girls' dormitory. He lost count how many rounds he made, how many times he stopped to look up the stairs. Hermione was up those stairs in the girls' dormitory; he hoped she was sleeping. He knew she would leave soon, maybe tomorrow, for Australia, to bring back her parents.
He looked up again longingly and suddenly she appeared at the top of the stairs. Her hair was in the plait that she was fond of wearing at night time, her feet bare. The pyjamas she wore were the only ones she had in her beaded bag. He was surprised to see her walk down the stairs and hug him. It was almost as if she was reading his mind and appeared magically in his arms.
"I couldn't sleep," she said, cuddling deeper into his neck. "I decided to leave tomorrow morning. I shouldn't be gone long."
He breathed her in, inhaling her smell. She was clean now, gone was the smell of ash and death, replaced with the standard Hogwarts soap. The scent so familiar, he used it himself hours ago. Yet, mixed with her unique smell, caused him to feel a contentment he hadn't felt in such a long time. "I'm going with you," he stated, knowing he was going to be denied.
"You're needed here, Ron. Your mother and George need you. You need to make sure Harry is okay, and that he doesn't push Ginny away. I'll be back soon, two days at the most. I need to be back for the funerals," she whispered and wiped her tears from his cheek, "I need my parents here with me. I need to make things right with them. We're not going to fight about this, Ron."
She removed herself from his arms. Afraid that she was going to walk away, he grabbed her hand. She did not pull away, but led him to a chair by the common room's still burning fire. Willingly, he followed, knowing he would go anywhere she told him. He was done fighting, done arguing. All he wanted to do was to hold her and sleep.
"Ron," she started, but he stopped her with a finger on her lips. The soft light of the fire echoed his movement.
"Not now, Hermione. I know we need to talk," the last word a swallowed yawn, "but we need sleep now. I can finally sleep," He flopped down on the chair, pulling her on top of him.
They fell asleep that night entwined on the chair. She left a kiss in his hair before he woke. She didn't need him.