Hermione had learned many things in her relatively short life, more than most learn by 18. When she first discovered books and began devouring knowledge, she assumed that she could trust books. If she could learn enough, then she could be prepared for any challenge or danger. Unfortunately, fighting a war had broken her faith that knowledge alone would protect her.
As Hermione lay on the soft twin mattress conjured in Ginny Weasley's floor trying to fall asleep, she tried to list the ingredients of wolfsbane in order of when they were mixed into the potion. It was no use. Sure she could remember the names of the ingredients, but listing the information she memorized didn't lull her into sleep as it had during her time at Hogwarts. She was far too comfortable on the soft mattress after so many nights cramped into the camp cot with Harry to try to stay warm.
Finally Hermione huffed and pushed the soft, lavender quilt she lay under off of her. She felt lonely and exposed without Harry curled around her. She looked over to see the slow rise and fall of Ginny's chest as she slept deeply. Hermione was comforted by the sight of her friend sleeping soundly, but it did nothing to assuage the restlessness left in Hermione's bones.
She finally decided to get up. She took her wand from under her pillow and silently crept towards the door. She quickly moved down the stair, trying her best to make as little noise as possible in the middle of the night. Her goal was to make it to the kitchen for a cup of hot tea, hoping the hot liquid would calm her enough to find sleep for a few hours.
Hermione turned the corner into the kitchen and nearly jumped when she saw the outline of someone hunched in a kitchen chair. She automatically lifted her wand, not even considering how odd it would be for someone to go to the trouble of breaking through the newly enforced wards around the property just to sulk at the kitchen table in the dark. Before Hermione could cast a hex on the intruder, the kitchen table sulker turned their head, causing the moonlight streaming through the windows to illuminate their features.
It was Harry Potter.
Relief flooded Hermione and she pulled her want hand in to cover her still rapidly beating heart.
Hermione whispered, "Harry, you gave me an awful fright just now. I would have hexed you if you hadn't turned to face me."
Harry focused his tired eyes on Hermione and said bashfully, "Sorry Mione, I should have lit a candle. I can't imagine I would react any different if I found a stranger sitting in the dark."
Harry reached up to scratch the back of his head and Hermione noticed he was only hearing a pair of pajama pants with little snitches flitting across the fabric.
No, no, no. Hermione thought. You are not thinking about Harry's lack of shirt. You are simply still full of adrenaline.
"Do you want a cup of tea?" Harry said, interrupting Hermione's not-ogling.
She pulled her eyes away from Harry's bare chest up to his eyes. "Yes, I came down here hoping hot tea would help me sleep."
Harry smirked, "I figured as much. Don't get your hopes up though, it hasn't done much for me"
Hermione moved toward the stove where the hot kettle still rested and poured her cup while replying, "Well at least I can get out of that bed, I felt like I was suffocating in the mattress Molly conjured. It is so fluffy I feel l may be slowly sinking into it all night."
Harry chuckled softly, "I feel the same way in Bill and Charlie's old room. I never remember a mattress feeling so large and stifling."
"Who would have thought we would sleep better cramped together on that cot than we do alone in real beds." Harry added with sarcasm in his tone.
Their eyes met and she saw the loneliness she felt reflected back at her in Harry's gaze.
Hermione sighed and sat in the chair next to Harry with her hot cup wrapped between her hands. She paused to savor the warmth of the cup moving up her arms before she spoke. "The war took so much from us. I didn't realize it took comfortable bedding from us as well." Hermione observed.
Harry shook his head at that and said with bitterness. "It feels like the list gets longer everyday. I thought winning the war meant the losses would finally stop."
We gained each other. Hermione thought. She didn't voice that thought aloud. For all the long glances and hand-holding that happened during their long nights alone after Ron left them on the horcrux hunt, they had never voiced what might be between them.
Instead, Hermione leaned her head on Harry's shoulder in silent support.
Harry put his arm around Hermione and moved to rest his cheek on the top of her head. The warmth radiating from where Harry's thumb softly brushed back and forth on her arms radiated through her body better than even the best cup of hot tea could.
They stayed like that for a long time lost in their own mixture of grief and exhaustion and shared comfort.
Harry's head suddenly popping up caused Hermione to look up at his face. He was suddenly grinning in a way that looked suspiciously like Sirius's mischievous grin. Hermione raised an eyebrow in question, too tired to ask aloud.
Harry only looked at her and said, "Wait here." Before rushing off in what appeared to be a late night burst of manic energy.
Hermione shook her head, but was too tired to question Harry or get up and investigate as she usually would have. Instead, she sipped her now tepid tea while she waited. Her mind wandered to thoughts about the way Harry's hand felt against her arm. She could feel the outline of where his hand had been even now. Her heartbeat picked up thinking about what it would feel like to be wrapped fully in his embrace. She wondered what night the comfort of friendship evolved into the energized sort of gravitational pull she now felt every time they were in the same room.
Harry padded back into the room on bare feet and broke her from her thoughts. She met his eyes and a light blush spread across her cheeks. She hoped the moon wasn't bright enough for Harry to see.
Harry smiled at her and raised his hand to beckon her to follow.
She levitated her cup and his to the sink, then moved to follow Harry up the stairs towards Bill and Charlie's old room. Hermione's eyes widened as she stood in the doorway and looked over the mess of pillows and blankets that had been pulled off of the beds and layered across the floor.
Hermione gave Harry a worried look and said, "Harry, I know Mrs. Weasley has relaxed some of her rules since we came back, but I don't know if she will approve of us sharing a bed in her house."
Harry gave her the Sirius smirk again, "Well my dear Mione, we aren't sharing a bed. Don't you see? We are sharing a floor."
She watched Harry puff up in pride at the loophole he had made in the Weasley house rules. She looked back at the floor full of bedding and quietly giggled. If she had been looking at Harry's she would have seen how his face softened and body relaxed at the sound of her joy.
"I will set my wand to wake us before daylight so you can sneak back to Ginny's room." Harry bargained.
Hermione looked up at Harry and thought, not for the first time; I would break every rule for you. Harry James Potter.
She decided it was late enough and she was feeling bold enough to say that out loud.
She looked in Harry's eyes and said softly, "There is not a rule I wouldn't break for you, Harry James Potter."
The expression on Harry's face was a mixture of guilt and gratitude and something else that made Hermione's heart beat a little faster.
"Come on, spend one more night cramped up on the floor with me." Harry said as he reached out to take Hermione's hand.
Hermione immediately reached to take his offered hand. They laid their head on the same pillow facing each other. They tangled their limbs together and both breathed a sigh of contentment. She wrapped her hand around Harry's wrist where it rested next to his head and felt the steady pulse there.
Hermione's eyes were already drooping shut when she heard Harry echo her earlier thought, "Maybe we gained each other."
Hermione squeezed his wrist three times before saying "I will be back tomorrow."
Harry grinned at Hermione, though she didn't see it through her closed eyes.
