Ron turned off the hot shower and just stood there. He couldn't sleep. He tried to find a comfortable position, a magical position that would take the image of his dead brother out of his head, but as it turns out, no position exists.
In the corner of the bathroom, beside the towel that he grabbed, was a set of pajamas- a forest green t-shirt with maroon pants with matching green polka dots. He had no idea who they belonged to or how they got there. He just put them on.
He should be exhausted. He was exhausted. They hadn't had any sleep. There were so many people that had to talk to them. Hogwarts professors, Aurors, Ministry people, journalists. And then there were the families. Families of the dead, who they cried with. Families of the living, who clapped them on their backs. So many decisions. What to do with Hogwarts now that its protective shields were down. What to do with Voldemort. What to do with the dead.
He had cried over Fred with George. He had cried over Fred with Ginny, and his mum, and his dad, and the rest of his brothers. They had cried and cried until he was sure there was nothing left. That was until Harry cried on him about Fred, and of course he shed more tears then. Hermione would wipe away tears that had escaped from his eyes, tears he didn't even know about. It had left him with a pounding headache and a desire to never cry again.
He was so tired, right down to his bones, but sleep wouldn't come. Instead, visions of his dead brother danced before his eyes. He counted all the ways his life would never be the same. So he got up to take a shower.
He had looked over at Harry who has snoring slightly. Good for Harry, he thought as he slipped out.
All morning he had had a sick feeling in his stomach. He remembered being in the tent and fantasizing about the food at Hogwarts, and now he had that food in front of him, and he thought he was going to puke. He knew Hermione and his mother were both watching him, so he forced down two more bites. But he was afraid of embarrassing himself by getting sick all over the table, so he had pushed the food away.
As he walked back from the shower he thought about Hermione. She hadn't left his side all day, but they had been in crowds of people the entire time. But she had supported him silently. He smiled remembering.
He opened the door to his and Harry's room and stopped short. His bed had been scooted next to Harry's to make one big bed, and his sister was sleeping silently on her side facing Harry. Ron could see that they had fallen asleep holding hands.
Ron backed silently out of the room. The monster that lived in his chest, that reared its ugly head around such situations, was strangely absent. Maybe he could go down and start a fire. Yeah, he knew it was May, but the fires here always relaxed him.
Halfway down, he passed the stairs to the girls' dormitory, and he paused. He wondered if all of Hogwarts protective magic was down. He went up one stair. Nothing. Two stairs. Nothing. Three, four, five... he kept going refusing to even thinking about where his finial destination was.
He opened her door slowly, letting his eyes get used to moonlight in the room. Ginny's bed had been slept in; the covers were thrown back, and he recognized her clothes on the floor. He padded over the Hermione's bed.
Hermione was sleeping on her right side, curled up tight. Without thinking of any consequences, he raised the blanket, and slipped in behind her. His left hand fit easily over her body and tugged her back into him. His right hand slipped under her pillow and he laid his head down next to hers on it. He took a deep breath and held it, afraid that she would wake and demand that he leave. But she didn't. So instead of counting all of the ways he would miss his brother, he counting how many times she breathed out in a minute. He counted the freckles on her left arm. He tried to count her eyelashes. And then he counted nothing at all.
Hermione awoke. Something woke her up; something was wrong. She strained her ears, and heard Mrs. Weasley's voice on the stairs. "How could he disappear? After everything going on with Fred? Oh Merlin, Arthur do you think a Death Eater got him? I hope Ron told Hermione…" Ron was missing!? She started to roll over but was stopped. Stopped? She looked down at her stomach and recognized the hand immediately. The door creaked open, and Hermione shut her eyes tight.
"Here he is," Mrs. Weasely whispered.
Arthur Weasley looked down at his son. His son who was now a man. His son who had helped start a war. His son who helped destroy the Dark Lord. His son who was sleeping peacefully with his arms wrapped around the girl, the woman he had loved since … forever. His holy grail. Arthur recognized the looks, the arguments, the fights for what they really were. He knew one day they would figure it out. "Looks like he was finally able to get to sleep."
Hermione kept her eyes shut tight. There was a silence, and Hermione could feel their eyes on the couple. Mrs. Weasley whispered, "I've never seen Ron so skinny. And did you see him at dinner. I've never seen him turn down food either. And look at Hermione," Hermione tensed 'Oh God what is she going to say about me?' Mrs. Weasley continued, "Her cheeks are so hollow. My God Arthur, it's like they've been starved. Harry's the same way. I'm taking all of my kids home," Hermione smiled knowing that she was referring to Hermione and Harry as well, "and I am going to cook all day. I will force feed them if I have too. You know what? I think I'm going to make mushroom soup. Should we wake them up now?"
Hermione heard the hesitation in Mr. Weasley's voice. "No, Molly. Let's let them sleep a little longer," he whispered.
"Well, okay," Mrs. Weasley agreed. "But for only an hour, then we are all going home. We need to get Fred home." Hermione heard them shut the door behind them.
"Apparently your cheeks are just way too hollow," Hermione felt the words in the back of her hair, and she felt the rumbling in his chest against her back. His words were thick from sleep and made Hermione smile.
"Yeah, well you are just too skinny. And I think she is going to fatten you up with mushroom soup, which I know how much you love," she returned grinning while scooting her butt firmly against the front of his crotch.
"Mmmff" she heard escape from his lips. He tightened his arm around her neck and brought her closer to his body. "Shut it woman," but his lips placed a sweet soft kiss at her temple.
Hermione remembered what his parents said about him finally getting to sleep. "And apparently we only have an hour before they come back, so go back to sleep," she ordered while relaxing into his embrace.
"Okay," he mumbled, and he fell right to sleep.