Sleepless Nights
Hermione couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned and just could not seem to find a position that was comfortable. That, and she was freezing cold. The trio were on the hunt for the Horcruxes, and were currently sleeping in a cave. Since it was summer, one would think that a cave might not be all that cold, but it was raining out and the cave, being a cave, was made of stone. She finally gave up and wrapped her thin blanket around her shoulders and walked over to the fire that they had made and poked at it with a stick. She reached for her wand and muttered a spell under her breath. The fire blazed up again and she grabbed the other blanket she had been using to sleep on top of and set it up a little bit away from the small fire. A gust of wind came rushing through the mouth of the cave and blew the fire out. Hermione sighed in frustration and curled up on the cold blanket, tucking the other blanket around her, trying to stay warm. She closed her eyes and attempted to sleep again.
'Hermione?' came a voice. She sighed.
'Yes?' she called out softly. Movement, and then she saw a head of red hair emerge from a pile of blankets a few feet away from her. Ron turned and looked at her.
'Can't you sleep?' he asked, crawling out of his makeshift bed and heading towards her on his hands and knees. He sat beside her and she sighed.
'No, I can't. I'm freezing cold, and it's preventing me from actually drifting off,' she whispered, trying to be quiet so that Harry wouldn't wake up. It was rare to see Harry actually sleep these days, so they let him be when he finally did drift off. Ron wrapped a long arm around her.
'How many blankets do you have?' he asked. She lifted her one, thin blanket and he raised an eyebrow.
'What?' she asked. He sighed.
'We brought extras, you know. Mum forced us too. Good on her, actually, 'cause I dunno if I would've lived through tonight. Take some of my blankets. They're already warm 'cause I was asleep under them. They should warm you up and you should be able to get to sleep,' he stated, walking over to his blankets and picking two of them up. Hermione opened her mouth to object, but he had already made his way over with the blankets. He wrapped them around her, and she struggled out of them and handed them back.
'I'll be fine, Ronald,' she stated sharply. He rolled his eyes and sighed.
'Alright. Your body,' he replied.
'Yes, it is. And I'll choose when I want it to be freezing cold and when I want it hot and bothered,' she replied. She blushed instantly at her words and Ron raised an eyebrow and started snickering.
'Hot and bothered?' he asked, still snickering. Hermione swatted him.
'Shut up. You know what I mean. And if you don't quiet down, you'll wake Harry,' she snapped. Ron smirked and pointed his wand in Harry's direction.
'Muffliato,' he muttered. 'There. Now he can't hear us.' Hermione blushed.
'Hear us?' she asked. Ron's ears turned a brilliant shade of pink.
'Hear us talking,' he replied, the blush creeping up his neck. Hermione smiled; she loved it when he blushed, and loved it even more when she was the one who caused it.
'Oh,' she replied. Ron glanced at her shyly.
'Why? Was there something else you wanted to do that involved you not wanting Harry to hear us?' he asked. Hermione cleared her throat and her eyes widened.
'No! Why...why would I think something like that about you?' she mumbled. Ron's face fell slightly and he swallowed.
'I dunno, that's why I was asking,' he replied, his tone laced with something that sounded like hurt. Hermione looked over at him and saw that he still had the blankets in his hands. She sighed.
'Do you think we'll win this?' she whispered, drawing her legs up to her chin. Ron cleared his throat.
'I...I don't know. I know that there are people that I want to talk to after the war if they're still alive. I have...well...there's a special someone that I really like. I like her so much that...well...I think I'm in love with her, and I hope that she makes it through this war. 'Cause I really just...just want to scoop her up in my arms and kiss her. Not snog her; actually kiss her. She's the type that...well...she's not one to take for granted, and she deserves the best. Not snogging. That's for...Lavender,' he replied. Hermione felt tears start to gather at her eyes and thanked Merlin it was dark in the cave. A tear slipped down her cheek and she swallowed, collecting herself.
'Well,' she said, 'whoever you're talking about is a very lucky girl. You're a one of a kind guy, Ron. You have your own style, and that's what a lot of girls look for in a guy.' Another tear ran down her face and she buried her face in her knees. She heard Ron moving around and felt an arm slide around her shoulders.
'What's wrong?' he whispered. She shook her head.
'No, it's nothing,' she choked out.
'Rubbish. What is it?' he asked. She swallowed and inhaled deeply.
'I...I just...I have the same hope you do. There's a guy that I think I love, and I hope that I gather the courage to tell him before the war. He's amazing at Quidditch, and he's so tall and lean, and I just...I hope I get to kiss him at least once before we get too deep into this war,' she replied, tears streaming down her face. Ron cleared his throat again.
'Is it Viktor?' he asked quietly. Hermione looked at him.
'What?'
'Krum. Is it Viktor Krum? Is that who you're talking about?' he asked. Hermione shook her head.
'No. We're just pen pals now.'
'Then it's Harry. He's tall, lean, amazing at Quidditch,' Ron listed. Hermione shook her head.
'I...I can't tell you who it is. I'm sorry, Ron,' she replied. 'I just don't think that you'd agree with the choice.' Ron gave a forced laugh.
'Hermione, I'm not the boyfriend police, you know. I'm just...curious. You know me. Actually, I think you know me better than anyone,' he reflected. Hermione gave a watery chuckle.
'I highly doubt that, Ron,' she whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder. Ron ran his hand up and down her chilled arm and pushed back the hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear.
'I don't doubt it,' he replied quietly. Hermione moved her head so she could look at Ron and they locked in a gaze. Hermione felt her breath hitch slightly as she was absorbed in Ron's beautifully deep blue eyes.
'Ron,' she breathed.
'Yeah?' he asked, not breaking eye contact. Hermione inhaled with slight difficulty.
'It's you,' she whispered. Ron smiled slightly.
'It's you, too,' he replied. She sat up properly and Ron lent in close. Hermione felt her eyes slide closed and felt Ron's lips press gently against her own. Her hands slid up his chest and tangled in his beautifully red hair and she felt his lips open slightly, then close on her bottom lip. She moaned and felt as his hands travelled from her waist to the small of her back, and in to her hair, anchoring her head. She pulled back slightly.
'Should we do this?' she asked him breathlessly. He gasped for breath and shrugged.
'I want to. If you don't, we don't have to, but this is a war-'
'That's what I mean. Ron, I don't want to die knowing that I was in a relationship. But...I don't want to live knowing that the only man I've ever loved didn't make it,' she whispered, cupping his left cheek with her right hand. Ron sighed.
'I suppose you're right...but, Hermione, I don't want this to end,' he admitted quietly. Hermione dropped her hand to his shoulder.
'I don't either,' she replied. Ron looked at her and she blushed. He moved her hand from his shoulder and held it in his two large ones.
'Then let's not let it end. We'll keep this up. This is probably the only thing that'll keep me sane. Knowing that you know and feel the same way that I do. Hermione, I love-'
'No, don't say that. Not yet,' Hermione cut across him. Ron looked slightly hurt.
'Why not? It's true!'
'I have no doubt about that, Ron. But this is serious. We're in a war. I know you do, and you know I do. Ron, as long as we're together, and we know what we know, we'll stay sane,' Hermione said, running her fingers across the fringe on his forehead. Ron sighed.
'Okay. You're right. As always,' he added cheekily. Hermione smiled.
'Shut it, you prat,' she whispered. Ron lent close again.
'And if I don't?' he asked playfully. Hermione opened her mouth to tell him off, but he kissed her again, pulling her closer than before. She moaned and pulled away again.
'Not fair,' she breathed, leaning her forehead against his. He kissed her nose and she giggled, then yawned.
'Ah. The fair maiden is finally tired,' Ron whispered. Hermione snickered and laid down on her blanket.
'Good night, Ron,' she whispered. He kissed her cheek.
'Good night, Hermione.'
Hermione opened her eyes and felt a warm figure laying beside her, and extra weight on top of her. She shifted slightly and saw that Ron was curled up behind her, his arm slung over her stomach protectively and his mouth open. She smiled and looked at what else was causing the extra weight and saw that Ron had covered her with some of his blankets. She smiled, feeling more confident that they would win this war.