* Just a little idea of what may've happened the first night at Grimmauld Place in the Deathly Hallows.

"Ron had had a fit of gallantry and insisted that Hermione sleep on the cushions from the sofa, so that her silhouette was raised above his. Her arm curved towards the floor, her fingers inches from Ron's. Harry wondered whether they'd fallen asleep holding hands." - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (J.K. Rowling).

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Harry had long since fallen asleep, and Ron was nearly there but Hermione still lay awake, terrified by the possibilities that danced around her head. Previous to the deatheater raid on the wedding last night, Hermione hadn't realized the gravity of the situation she, Ron, and Harry were getting themselves into. Searching for horcruxes. Sounded so simple. But the dangers were now coming into play.

She knew she wouldn't sleep until she shared her fears with someone.

"Ron? Are you still awake?"

Ron grunted and rolled over onto his back, looking up at Hermione blearily.

"Now I am. What's the problem?"

Hermione rolled onto her side, resting her head on her hand.

"I just... I'm... scared."

Ron chuckled nervously, "Scared of what?"

Hermione realized how silly she'd just sounded and a little smile lit up her face.

"No, I'm serious!" She said, trying to fight away her smile and express to him the horror she'd felt as the deatheaters apparated onto the dancefloor, "I'm scared... of... this plan. This... Finding horcruxes. We knew it'd be dangerous but... I didn't think about... We could die, Ron."

He bit his lip, thinking hard on this. He looked up at her, meeting her eyes.

"Yeah. We could."

He stretched out his hand, inviting her to take it. She did.

"But we won't." He continued with a tiny smile, "We've survived this long, haven't we? Seven years we've been fighting You-Know-Who, we can do this!"

Hermione smiled and Ron continued, rubbing Hermione's knuckles with his thumb, "I won't let anything happen to you, Hermione. You know that. And we've been keeping Harry alive all these years, we can handle this."

Hermione laughed softly and laid her head down on the couch, smiling down at Ron.

"Maybe." She replied.

Ron laid his head back on his pillow, not letting go of her hand, he whispered, "It'll be alright, Hermione. It always is in the end."

Hermione drifted off to sleep, hand held comfortably in Ron's, and for once in her life, she felt completely safe.