A.N.:
Not much to say. Hope you enjoy. :)
Tea time
It wasn't really that much of a big thing,- her tea cup standing there in the greyish afternoon light. It shouldn't matter all that much. But then again...
It should.
It would hit him in waves, this feeling of endless gratitude, of endless relief, whenever he saw the tidily arranged pillows move under her messy, amazing hair as she slumbered. Or when he saw her tiny pile of books in the living room,- not about dark magic, this time, since they were still at Bill and Fleur's,- and despite his older brother's temporary acceptance of the three of them keeping secrets, they surely couldn't risk anyone getting too curious about their mission.
No, the sort of books Hermione was currently reading were entirely not dark magic-related, and instead breathtakingly Hermione-ish.
Old school books; Potions, Herbology,- Divination, even! And of course "Hogwarts, a history". Had there ever been a time where she hadn't read this book for more than a few weeks? He'd seen her open it so often, throughout the years. She had always adored this book. Perhaps, he should finally give it a real try, too...
"What are you thinking about?", she murmured, not removing her eyes from the ruffling yellowish pages in her lap.
He'd been staring again, hadn't he?
"Oh, nothing, really.", Ron said, clearing his throat in what would probably seem to be a suspicious way. But it wasn't like he really knew what he had been thinking about, exactly, either. "Would you like me to get you another tea?", he asked, then, noticing her empty mug on the bedside table once again.
She lifted her gaze and met his eyes, a warm expression tugging the corners of her mouth up. "No, thanks."
He shot her a soft smile in return, long fingers playing with the hem of her bed sheets from his position on the chair out. In a few seconds, she would go back to reading her book, and while the idea of shamelessly staring at her then was not nearly as intimidating as it would have been mere months ago, he still wanted her attention, all of the sudden. Wanted her to share his thoughts in a small way, look back at him, talk to him.
"Can you tell me about "Hogwarts, a history", Hermione?", he blurted out, her eyes flashing back up to his face in surprise. Shit.
"Just.. just if you want to.", he added, which somehow didn't really add to the logic of his request.
"What do you have in mind?", she wondered, curiously moving a little closer. "I mean, what do you want me to tell you about it?"
"Doesn't matter, really.", he shrugged, a lopsided grin quickly passing over his features as he got a little closer to the bed with his chair, too. "I just like it when you talk about that."
She almost snorted, raising her eye-brows at him funnily. "Since when?"
"Since.. Always!", he reassured her, confused about how little she seemed to believe him. "It's just something that would really be cool, right now, you know? Reminds me on old times and stuff.."
She eyed him thoughtfully for two or three seconds longer than what was absolutely necessary, and then he could see her ponder this. "Well", she began, "you should know by now that it's impossible to apparate into Hogwarts, and the concern behind this also led to a few other, less commonly known security measures..."
Half an hour later she was completely zealous and her voice had lost any bit of the raspy quality from before. She was telling him all these surprisingly interesting facts about the school that had been their home for so long, and if a bit of rather lame historical information was in the mix, too, he didn't really notice it all that much. Ron was grinning like an idiot, urging her on to keep talking with his questions and constant nodding, and seeing her so focused on explaining, so happy about their topic...- It made him feel lightheaded.
"And then there's the whole bit about the Chamber of Secrets, obviously, which you already heard Professor Binns...-"
But Hermione suddenly seemed to have moved too quickly, because she flinched and held a hand to her lower rips with a painful gasp.
"What happened? Hermione, are you okay, do you need Fleur? Or more medicine, maybe?"
In his hurry to see if she was fine, he'd stood up, now weirdly hovering over her as he gently helped her lay down and flatten her body to the mattress. "Are you okay?", Ron repeated, and his crazy drivel or his face might have given a whole lot of his concern away, because despite her pale, tired look, she took his hand and gently pulled him down to sit on the bed sheets this time.
"It's nothing, really.", she tried to assure him, smiling and running her fingers over his palm.
He wasn't fully convinced yet, but couldn't help to feel the comfort her new proximity offered. His thumb grazed tiny patterns around her knuckles. For the millionth time, he wished it hadn't been her, locked up there with that evil maniac. It made all the unfair truths that he'd already known to be real a whole lot more fucked up.
But then there were moments like the one they'd just shared... Him and her and no war or whatever else blocking the way. Not even Bellatrix Lestrange could hinder Hermione from being happily obsessed with the books she adored, and nothing in the entire world would stop him from being obsessed with her.
"It's going to be fine.", Ron concluded, lightly, watching their joined hands rest in his lap like a reminder of his sanity. And when he raised them and touched her small wrist with his lips, her gasp held nothing but wonder and joy this time.