Life after War

A few weeks later

When Ron wakes up Hermione is already awake. She's sitting in the window in a knitted sweater with her knees against her chest, has Crookshanks on her stomach and is leaning her head against the wall behind her. She doesn't look happy.

Ron knows that look. She got period cramps.

Ron walks over to the window.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"I guess," Hermione says quietly.

"Wanna sit down on the sofa instead?" He asks.

She nods a little.

Ron lifts her up and starts to walk to the living room.

"You don't have to carry me," She says, but she hopes he doesn't put her down because she likes it when he carries her.

"I know," He says. Hermione rests her head against his shoulder.

When they arrive in the living room Ron puts her down on the sofa and goes to get her a blanket.

"You want some tea?" He asks.

She nods and Ron goes to get some tea.

When he comes back he sits down next to her and puts the blanket over them both. Hermione curls up with her knees against her chest next to him, resting her head against his shoulder. She takes a sip of the tea.

"Careful," Ron says quickly, "It's hot"

Hermione smiles and puts the cup down.

"Thanks," she whispers and curls up closer to him.

When Ron looks around the room most of the stuff he notices is books, bookshelves, and blankets, which all of them, Hermione loves. She loves sitting on a blanket reading books. And he loves watching her read, she looks so peaceful. Like nothing in the world is wrong. But something else he likes is that when she curls up next to him. It's just so peaceful. They can just sit there, there's no need to talk. They just sit there and think.

When he looks at the coffee table he notices a book:

'The Book Theif' it says on the front.

"What's this?" He asks and picks up the book.

Hermione looks at the book and puts her head back on his shoulder.

"My parents gave it to me," She says, "It's a muggle book"

"Oh," Ron says, "It looks kind of good" He examines the cover of the book. "Want me to read it to you?" He asks after a while.

"Okay," Hermione says while taking a sip of the tea again.

Ron opens the book and starts from the beginning.

They just sit there, for hours. Hermione with her head on Ron's shoulder and Ron leaning his head against hers while reading to her.

Eventually, the clock on the church a stone's throw away starts to strike twelve and Ron gets up to make some food.

Hermione comes after him to the kitchen.

"Do we have any painkillers?" she asks and looks through a shelf.

"I don't know," Ron says and continues with making pasta.

"Accio Painkillers," she says and waves her wand.

She waits a second then she sighs.

"Nope" She sits down by the kitchen table, "What are you making?" She asks.

"Pasta" Ron answers without taking his eyes of the boiling bowl of water.

"Again?" She asks.

"Hermione," Ron says, "We haven't had pasta in like three weeks"

"Oh" She sighs, "I'm a little confused today"'

"It's okay," Ron says, "Do you mind getting two plates?"

"Not at all," Hermione says and goes over to the fridge and grabs the cheese.

She gives it to Ron.

He stares at the cheese, then at Hermione, and then at the cheese again.

"Uhm," He says, "Hermione? This is cheese"

"Yep," She raises her eyebrows.

"I wanted you to get plates," Ron says superficially.

"Oh," Hermione sighs.

"It's okay," Ron says and hands her the cheese, "Accio plates," He says and waves his wand.

Three plates fly in his direction. He manages to catch two but the last one crashes on the floor and breaks.

He puts the other two plates on the counter and tries to help Hermione clean it up.

After dinner, Hermione tries to do the dishes but Ron stops her.

"You're in pain," He says, "Go rest"

"I'm not a little baby" Hermione protests, "I can handle a little pain"

Ron kisses her.

"I want to do the dishes" He lies.

"I know when you're lying, Ron," Hermione says and crosses her arms.

"How?" Ron asks.

"You get this face," She says and touches his cheek.

"Oh really?" He asks, "What face?"

"Well it's like a mix of happy and..." She says. She doesn't quite know how to explain the face.

"Yeah?" He takes a step closer to Hermione.

"Yeah" Hermione looks at Ron from his feet to his head.

"When else do I get this 'Face'?" He asks, taking yet another step closer to Hermione.

"Just when you're lying," She says.

Ron leans in and kisses Hermione. She kisses him back.

Ron picks her up and walks to the bedroom. He puts her down on the bed and lays down on her. They keep making out for a while.

"Ron," Hermione says and pulls away.

"Hermione," Ron says and looks at her.

"Ron," Hermione says.

"Hermione" Ron laughs.

"Ron" Hermione laughs.

"Okay!" Ron shouts, "What's wrong?" He grabs her hand.

"I'm on my period," she says.

"I know" Ron nods.

"I don't feel like... you know... do It, when I'm on my period," She says, looking Ron in the eye.

"Okay," He says, "What can we do then?" He smiles scarily at her.

"Make out" she whispers and pulls Ron closer again.

"What else?" Ron whispers.

Hermione has to think.

"Do the dishes" she whispers.

"Okay," Ron says, "I think I will go for making out" He lays down on the bed on top of Hermione again.

Hermione starts kissing him and he kisses her back.

"I love you, Ron" Hermione whispers.

"Mhm" Ron whispers back, "And I love you"

('The Book Theif' is a book by Markus Zusak that came out in 2005)