MIDNIGHT SNACK

She couldn't sleep. She never could now after the recent disturbing events took place including the tragic demise of Dumbledore and the betrayal of Snape. But all amongst this disarray, she could leave to the Weasley's to cheer everybody up by a happy moment such as the matrimony of their oldest son.

Hermione, with Harry were in the Burrow invited graciously by Mrs. Weasley to join in this ceremony.

Hermione sat up in her bed, feeling rather tingly around the shoulders as they were bare. Fleur had brought silk night dresses for both Ginny and her from Paris after a sizzling argument over their Pajamas.

"No, we girls do not go ze' bed wearing outrageous pajamas, we wear lacy night dresses," Hermione could picture Ginny's red fuming face as Fleur modeled her thin strapped silver glowing night dress. Hermione giggled as Ginny imitated her future sister in law, exaggeratedly throwing her hair off her shoulders and walking here and there behind Fleur.

Hermione smiled at the memory and glanced upon the girl next to her, sleeping soundly. The girl who had managed to capture the heart of his best friend, giving him beautiful moments he was not sure he would have during his sorrowful life.

Hermione presumed a midnight snack would make her go to sleep. Hermione crept out of bed and tip toed across the room not to wake her roommate up. Her long white dress flowed beneath her feet and she had to lift it to give her feet some room to walk. She came to the second floor landing and proceeded downstairs silently. As she came to the dark living room she could hear funny noises coming from the couch but ignored them as Crookshanks had made it a habit of his to invite gnomes inside to play with. She crept into the kitchen which she expected to be empty but found the exact opposite. A tall figure silhouetted against the window gave her a fright and she yelped causing the figure to turn around immediately.

"Ron!"

"Hermione!"

"You surprised me!" they both exclaimed simultaneously and a smile flickered on both their faces but Hermione could see Ron's eyes shining like crystals.

"What's the matter?" Hermione advanced towards him, worry plastered all over her face.

"Nothing... I just couldn't sleep. That's all" he assured her but she knew he was lying.

"Having bad dreams?" Ron looked at her as she piped in a small voice.

"Yes…sort of" he said uncomfortably, running his hand through his hair and looking out of the window into the dark horizon.

"I know…I have been having some too….It's the same though," Hermione sighed as she stood behind him. This brought Ron back.

"What about?"

Hermione was dreading this question. Her dreams loomed around the same subject and the same scenario: Voldemort and Death. Death of all her loved ones. She just couldn't recount it all. It was a torture to even imagine the painful faces and cries of agonies. Families torn apart, friends separated, it seemed as never ending labyrinth of destruction and devastation. She was picturing again and again the Hogwarts castle burning as it was last month. Falling to pieces and crumbling. It was dreaded and haunting her in her sleep and so she just couldn't go to slumber as she knew they would come back.

Hermione didn't realize tears escaping her eyes and she hurriedly shrugged them away.

"Are they this horrible?" Ron inquired seeing the fear written on her face, his blue eyes narrowing.

Hermione couldn't make words come out of her mouth, so she silently nodded, crying softly as she remembered her last one where she saw Harry fall to the ground lifeless. Ron couldn't resist and so he took her in his arms, absorbing all her worries and fear in himself by pressing her close to him. Hermione too broke down and without making a noise let her tears fall to the ground. Ron kept standing there, resting his head on hers, when a small tear escaped his eyes. He didn't want to cry, not when Hermione needed him. So he shrugged it away, hastily bringing Hermione back to realization that she was making it awkward for him as she had in third year.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled pulling away, and wiping her face, suddenly feeling chilly.

"It's alright Hermione, you can cry and let it out," Ron said sincerely holding her around the shoulders but felt a shock as he found them bare.

"What are you wearing?" Ron said out of blue. Hermione blushed as she had totally forgotten to take on her dress cloak as she was not expecting seeing somebody at this time of the night. Ron lighted the room and found himself staring at the most beautiful sight. Hermione was draped in a long white dress leaving a trail of cloth on the floor behind her whereas her shoulders were completely bare except for the thinnest strap of thread keeping the entire thing up. On the whole her hair thrown all over her face and her brown eyes shyly looking anywhere but him was the real beauty he admired.

"Well Fleur brought it for Ginny and me," Hermione said quietly. " I know, they are not just me."

"No no…you look…beau…different," Ron's cheeks were glowing red just like Hermione's but he composed himself by sparing her from his ogling.

"So you want to have something?" Ron said running his hand through his hair for the umpteenth time.

"Oh yes," Hermione was glad the environment had turned back to normal. Ron rummaged through the fridge while Hermione went to get plates. "You know Ron you can do magic now."

"Oh yeah I forgot. It's going to get some while getting used to it," Ron said sheepishly as he returned to the table. "Two peanut better sandwiches coming right up!" He swished his wand and two sandwiches appeared on the plates with no peanut butter.

"Ron, you have to flick as well. That was our first lesson!" Hermione exclaimed highly irritated.

"Why don't you do it then, smarty pants," Ron handed her the wand and Hermione gracefully swished and flicked making two juicy sandwiches appear. Ron eyed them hungrily and attacked.

"You wid do gread," he said spluttering peanut butter everywhere.

"Ron, don't eat ..."

"…with your mouthful. I know, I know," Ron finished for her as he swallowed with a loud gulp.

"You do listen to me," Hermione said indignantly. "Then why don't you implement it."

Ron gave her a mock smile and resumed back to his earlier profession: eating.

"So it is true then that a man's heart is through his stomach," she said quietly as she observed the gourmand sitting in front of him, who gave her a sly smile.

"Well…it depends…Lavender didn't have any trouble getting through me." A burn flared up inside of Hermione at the mention of her name.

"Obviously, it was no trouble as she was a scarlet woman showing off her curves which ticks you off like the mention of food," Hermione's burrow furrowed as she hissed dangerously, standing up. Ron too looked red at her comment.

"That's not true," Ron replied hotly as he stood up, leaning against the table as he drew level with Hermione. "You don't have any substance to ground your statement."

"Oh no… Lavender, Fleur, Madame Rosmerta, Romilda Vane, what do all of these have in common then?" Hermione counted the names off her fingers, staring at him with narrow eyes as his ears turned scarlet.

"Oh come on," Ron shrugged it off, hiding his embarrassment. "Fleur's my sister in law now and Romilda, I was under the love potion."

"But you still can't keep your eyes to yourself whenever Phlegm comes in,"Hermione said with disgust reflecting in her eyes.

"Well, she is a veela…"Ron replied quietly to which Hermione gave a sarcastic chortle.

"I'm going to bed."

"You read my mind." And after a haughty Ron, Hermione left the kitchen. But Hermione walked right into Ron who became entirely statue in his place, staring right in front of him with popping eyes and mouth hung open. Hermione looked around him and saw two familiar people lying on the crouch struggling to grope each other's mouth.

"What the…"

Lupin was lying over Tonks glued at the mouth, with his arms around her pressing her closer to his body and they both were moving rhythmically. Tonks had her fingers lost in his hair, directing his face towards hers. As Lupin's hands worked underneath Tonks shirts, Hermione placed her hands over her eyes and dropping on her knees.

"We shouldn't be watching this," she whispered panicking. Ron however stood rooted at his place.

"I didn't know Lupin had moves like this," Ron smirked but was interrupted by Hermione who had pinched him hard on his knee (grunting something like 'men') and he too came down.

"Hermione!" he breathed but Hermione had already taken hold of his collar and was pulling him behind her as she made way towards the stairs where she heard the recognized the funny voices she heard earlier as Tonks moans.

At last they reached their rooms and stood up.

" I can't believe you walked away when things were getting interesting," Ron snarled at her who couldn't believe her ears.

"Ron, if you don't mind public displays of affections it doesn't mean every one doesn't," Hermione sneered back at him.

"Hey don't start on that again," Ron warned her dangerously where as she merely grunted and swung around to the door, her hair crashing onto Ron's face and disappearing behind it leaving Ron there where he recognized the fragrance of Hermione's hair from the Potion's class when he had taken a whiff of the love potion.

Shrugging he went back to his room.