Summary: - Harry wondered whether they had fallen asleep holding hands...
They Had Fallen Asleep Holding Hands...
It was a dark night in No. 12, Grimmauld Place. Two of its new residents were asleep while the third was wide awake, looking rather pale.
Ron Weasley was having nightmares – nightmares of the Death Eaters torturing and killing people mercilessly. First, they started killing his family, then, they were torturing his best friend (Not Harry, because that bloody bald git wanted him alive) and crush, Hermione Granger and finally, throwing her in a lake filled with Inferi...
Ron shuddered hard as he recollected the horrible scene in his mind. He looked up at Hermione, who was asleep. Her eyes were closed and her bushy hair was half over her face. To any other boy (*cough* Draco Malfoy *cough*), this was a scene that would scare them out of their wits, but to Ron, this was perfect. He loved the way those bushy curls were placed on her face, he loved those brown eyes, he loved that bossy voice. In short, he loved everything about Hermione Granger.
The scene of Inferi came in his mind again, which made Ron feel more scared. More than anything else in this world, today, he wanted to hold someone's hand. The war was scary. He was scared, scared for his best friends, scared for his family, scared for the Order (Who had become like a second family) and scared for himself. He felt unsure whether he and the rest of his family and his best friends and the Order would be able to make it. He felt that his time was getting limited. He felt scared. He wanted to outlive the war for one minute and experience the freedom that he used to have when he was a child!
"Hermione?" Ron finally croaked, after having a horde of emotions hitting him.
Hermione's eyelids fluttered. When they stopped fluttering, they revealed those brown eyes in which Ron was hopelessly in love with. These eyes looked down at Ron and Hermione's voice whispered, "What is it, Ron?"
"Hold my hand." Ron whispered (Harry needed some sleep. That poor bloke had never experienced peace in his sleep since ages).
"Why?" Hermione whispered in an annoyed voice. "Why exactly do you want me to hold your hand, Ronald?"
Ron loved it a lot when she called him Ronald. "Because... because I am scared, 'Mione."
"Do not call me THAT!" She yelled in a whisper. "Anyway, tell me why you are scared."
"I'm scared of losing of a lot of things, Hermione. Scared of losing my parents, Bill, Charlie, - I can't believe I'm saying this, but – Percy, Fred and George, Ginny, Harry, the Order and you..." Ron whispered and looked straight into Hermione's eyes.
"Me?" Hermione asked softly.
"No, Bellatrix Lestrange. Of course you, silly!" Ron grinned. Hermione softly laughed.
"Oh, Ronald!" Hermione smiled. Her smile changed into an expression of utmost seriousness. "Why are you not sleeping, Ron?"
"Nightmares," Ron whispered.
"I shouldn't ask, should I?" She whispered back. Ron shook his head.
"Hold my hand." He said, again.
"Ron, but..." Hermione said.
"Then I am going to keep you awake." He said and gave a smile that Fred and George would've been proud of.
"Ron –" Hermione said his name with utmost softness, as if she loved him too, and stopped speaking whatever she intended to speak. She stretched out her hand towards Ron, who gladly held it.
"Happy?" She asked.
"Very." Ron replied and closed his eyes. Hermione shot a loving beam at him the same way as Mrs. Weasley did (to her husband) and drifted of to sleep too.
Author's Note: - LOL, this is the shortest story I've ever done. Anyway, hope you liked it. Read it and press the review button!