Close your eyes and imagine

One-shot, Ron/Hermione

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"Hey, you okay?"

Hermione looked up from her book. She was once again reading Beetle the Bard. Truth be told, she was sick of it by now, but she felt like there was something she was missing.

"Yeah, you?"

Ron nodded. "Sure," he said quietly and sat down in the sofa next to her. She was curled up in the sofa, her back to the armrest and her feet up in the sofa.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Ron asked her carefully. He could see Hermione wasn't up for a shouting match right now.

"I just need to figure this out, I dunno what it is, but I have to."

"You're right, but you need to rest too Hermione. Me and Harry doesn't want you to tire yourself out." Ron briefly looked to the tent opening. Harry was on guard duty, with the horcrux on.

"What about you Ron, you should be sleeping too." Truth be told, she had another reason for not sleeping. Every time she closed her eyes, she was back at Malfoy Manor.

"I was, but I woke… Nightmare," Ron told her.

Hermione looked down in her book for a second.

"'Mione," Ron said quietly. He put his hand on her leg as he did, making her look at him. Right into his blue eyes. "That's the reason you're not sleeping?"

She nodded, but it was such a little movement it was almost impossible if she answered at all.

"You should have told us."

"What difference would that have made?" she asked him.

"I would have..." "See, it wouldn't," she told him firmly.

"Come 'ere," he said.

Hermione did as he asked and moved so that her feet were now on the ground and she was sitting right next to Ron.

Ron suddenly took her arm and pushed her sleeve up and over her elbow.

"See this Hermione." Ron traced the word 'Mudblood' on her arm with one gentle fingertip.

"This isn't going to happen to anyone else, or you again for that matter. That's why we're doing this."

A lump formed in Hermione's throat and she couldn't say anything.

"Just imagine, imagine your life in 10-15 years from now."

"Ron, this is ridicules, I want to keep reading."

"Do it 'Mione." His voice was right next to her ear now.

"Close your eyes and imagine."

"Oh... okay." She closed her eyes gently.

She was out on a green field. In front of her a couple of redheaded children were running around, laughing. She turned her head to the right, and there he was. He was smiling, his red hair in front of his amazing blue eyes.

"You see why were doing this? It's not for nothing. We're doing this to make a better life. For ourselves and for everyone else," Ron said quietly while looking into her eyes again.

Hermione nodded slowly.

They didn't say anything else, nor did they break their eye contact.

"Ron, you're up next."

Harry came walking into the tent, looking tired. When he noticed Ron and Hermione he stopped.

Ron was still holding her arm in one hand and he could see Hermione's flush.

"Something's going on?" Harry asked.

"Nothing mate," Ron said briefly before he headed outside to take his turn at guard duty.