I do not own Harry Potter anything.

But yay to the start of my own summer! Not at Grimmauld Place. I'm a muggle.

Summer at Grimmauld Place

Waiting for Sleep


They lay still in the dark.

Huddled near the cold fireplace in a corner of the sitting room in the House of Black.

Harry had just endured a particularly dreadful attack of his connection with Voldemort.

He tried to pass it off but the pain in his head and the horror of his visions were nothing neither Ron nor Hermione could ignore.

He had practically collapsed onto the nearest couch in exhaustion and succumbed to deep, hopefully dreamless, sleep.

Leaving the other two inhabitants of the house quite alone together.

"Well, I suppose we should try to rest as well," Hermione suggested. "There's no telling how long we'll have peace."

Seeming to rise to the challenge, Siruis' mother's portrait suddenly gave a few cries of 'mudblood, filth, traitors' before calling it a night.

Ron and Hermione barely flinched, so used to her rantings they'd become.

Ron even smiled slightly when she stopped.

"Old bird gave up quick tonight then."

And Hermione returned the smile.

Then Ron offered her the couch.

She started to suggest they bring another couch from another room but Ron stopped her.

"Ah, come on, woman. Let a man live rough, eh?"

Causing her to smile again.

So she'd settled on the couch and Ron arranged his pillow pallet to his his liking.

Very near to her.

And diminished the lights with his Deluminator.

Sleep would not make friends so easily. Unsurprising with all that was going on.

"He's getting worse."

She didn't realize she had spoken aloud until she heard her own whisper.

And hoped she hadn't woken Ron.

"Yeah," he replied, so clearly that she knew he'd never been asleep.

"We're not any closer to figuring out the Horcruxes."

"Nope," answered the man-boy on the floor.

"I don't know what we're going to do."

She didn't mean to say it. Something so despondent and unhelpful.

But she had.

He seemed to ruminate on that for a moment or two.

"Well, whatever it is, we'll do it together, Hermione."

She reached out then, stretching out her hand in the darkness.

And his found it. Held it. Squeezed it reassuringly.

And she didn't feel quite so alone and small.

"Thanks, Ron."

She could feel him smile at her in the dark.

"Don't mention it."

And when she slowly fell asleep and her hand relaxed by increments and finally went limp, he held on to it awhile longer.

Alternatively squeezing and rubbing her fingers with his own.

Until he too succumbed to sleep.

And they were at peace.

For a little while.


Well, that's all for this lil fic! :)

Thanks to brigid1318, DinahRay, WeasleyismyKing540, and JeanandBilius for your reviews!

Thanks also to malfoysmarie for adding your support to this tale.

See you guys some other time for another story. Of something!