Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. :(

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This is a horrible idea. I should talk myself out of it before it's too late. But somehow, I can't manage to make my brain and feet connect. I continue up the stairs to the boys' dormitory, careful to avoid the fifth step that always creaks. If there's anything in the world that could make me feel better, it's one of his hugs. Being in his arms makes the world melt away. And even if I'm given a few seconds of freedom from my mind, it's worth the risk of being caught. After being careful to step directly in the center of the 14th step, I'm at the door.

Someone left it slightly ajar tonight, and I take that as I sign that I'm meant to see him. Careful to avoid the moonlight spilling into the room through the window, I slip over to the left side of the bed. He always sleeps toward the right on his left side. I peel the curtain back a few inches, and there he is. It's easy to see that he's been asleep for a while. In his normal sleeping position, his right arm is tucked under his pillow and his left leg is extended slightly more forward that his right. The covers have been kicked down to his waist, and I see with a slight feeling of regret that he chose to wear a shirt tonight. My eyes, following their trail upward, land on his face. His beautiful, perfect face. His lips are slightly apart and I can hear little breaths escape them. That fiery hair is disheveled in a way that I've learned means he had trouble falling asleep and kept running his fingers through it, as if pushing his hair back is the key to being taken under into a dream-filled world.

I can't wait any longer. I need him to know that I'm here and work his wonders at making me feel better with the lopsided grin of his. I lean over so that he can hear me when I whisper, "Ron?"

The incredible blue eyes slowly open, containing a look of confusion before landing on my face. "Mione? What's wrong? What time is it?" He sits up and rubs his left eye with the heel of his palm. I have to restrain myself leaping into his arms.

"I um…. I just needed to see you. I've had… a pretty rough day and um…" I know that I sound like an idiot, but I didn't think my plan through. What's my excuse for being up here? I look at him, knowing that my eyes are full of apprehension. He just looks back at me and holds up the covers next to him.

"C'mere. Tell me what happened." I gratefully crawl in next to him and close the curtain behind me as he lays back down with his arm out beckoning me to lay my head on it. I oblige and curl into his side, careful to keep my arms as a boundary built between my chest and his side.

I take a shaky breath and say, "I'd prefer not to talk about it right now. I just couldn't sleep and thought seeing you would help."

"M'okay." He rolls up onto his side, wrapping his other arm around my shoulders, and I finally feel the hurt inside start to fade. I'm in my favorite place in the world. My face is buried in his chest and I catch a faint smell of grass that didn't get washed away after Quidditch practice. Tilting my head up slightly, I can small that lovely spearmint toothpaste of his. I wonder what it would taste like on his lips.

I stop myself quickly from these thoughts. I know I'm not allowed to think about kissing Ron, but I can't remember why for brief second. Then it dawns on me. It's because of her. The same person who humiliated me tonight in front of all the girls in the Gryffindor tower and caused me to cry. Why is he dating such a horrible girl?

And then I can't hold it back anymore. That floodgate of tears reopens and all I can think about is what happened today. I feel Ron shift and try to look at my face, but I won't let him. I keep it buried in his shirt and continue to cry. He gives up and starts rubbing my back with one hand and trying to pull my hair out of my face with the other. I know I'm a horrible person to be doing this. He's my best friend and sees nothing more than a girl who could be his sister needing comfort. Meanwhile, all I can think about is how badly I never want to let go of him. Lavender be damned.

After a few minutes, I feel him reach for something behind him. Out of curiosity, I lift my head a look at what he's doing. He reached past the curtain and into his night stand, his arm returning with a small vial of a liquid that looks light blue in the moonlight. "Here. Drink this. It'll help."

"What is it?" I say, tentatively grabbing the bottle from his hand.

"I started having some pretty bad dreams over the summer that kept me from sleeping. Mom got me some of these. It's a sleeping draught. You can take one, but just know you can't have any more than one a week. The stuff can be pretty addictive."

I nod my head in understanding and pull the cap off the bottle. It has a sweet smell, like candy. I down the liquid quickly and hand the empty bottle back to Ron. Before my head is even back on the pillow, my eyelids begin to feel heavier. "Thank you. For everything. You're incredible."

I hear him chuckle as he brushes my hair back behind my head. He leans forward and whispers in my ear, "I'll remind you that you feel that way next time we have a row." That's the last thing that I hear before I'm pulled into a comforting sleep.

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Thank you guys for reading! Please let me know what you think. There will be two more chapters to follow this.