The first night that Ron, Hermione and Harry go into hiding. Ron and Hermione fall asleep last…and in each other's company.

XX

(In book: I own nothing)

Hermione shrieked: Harry drew his wand again and spun around to see a silver Patronus soar through the drawing room window and land upon the floor in front of them, where it solidified into the weasel that spoke with the voice of Ron's father.

"Family safe, do not reply, we are being watched."

The Patronus dissolved into nothingness. Ron let out a noise between a whimper and a groan and dropped onto the sofa: Hermione joined him, gripping his arm.

"They're all right, they're all right!" she whispered, and Ron half laughed and hugged her.

"Harry," he said over Hermione's shoulder, "I—"

"It's not a problem," said Harry, sickened by the pain in his head. "It's your family, 'course you're worried. I'd feel the same way." He thought of Ginny. "I do feel the same way."

The pain in his scar was reaching a peak, burning as it had done in the garden of the Burrow. Faintly he heard Hermione say, "I don't want to be on my own. Could we use the sleeping bags I've brought and camp in here tonight?"

He heard Ron agree. "Bathroom," he muttered, and Harry left the room as fast as he could.

(My writing.)

"Wonder what's up with him?" said Ron. Hermione didn't notice; she was currently searching through her bag to get the sleeping bags.

She began to pull out random things: books, clothes, towels, soaps, cans, toiletries…. Ron only watched. Finally, grabbing three big bundles of cloth, she pulled out the sleeping bags.

"Here Ron," she said, handing the sleeping bags over to Ron. "Set these up. I'm going to go see if Harry needs his toothbrush."

She grabbed a blue toothbrush and walked up to the bathroom where Harry was. She rapped on the door, and heard a loud bang behind the door. "Harry? Are you alright?" she asked, but got no response. "Do you want your toothbrush? I've got it here."

"Yeah, great, thanks," he said in a strained voice. Opening the door, he took the toothbrush. "I'll be down in a bit."

Hermione smiled, trying to reassure him. Surely he was under much more stress than any of them. He smiled back fleetingly, and then closed the door again. Turning around, she went back downstairs to Ron.

"Hermione!" yelled Ron, his voice muffled under the covers of the sleeping bags. "I need help! These are too confusing!"

"Oh, Ron!" said Hermione, exasperated. "These are muggle sleeping bags! Surely you know how to set them up?"

"No! Of course I don't!"

Sighing, she pulled them off Ron. She showed him, step by step, just how to unravel them, then un-zip them, then lay them flat. He looked slightly confused, but said he understood.

"We best get to sleep," said Hermione. "Harry should be down soon…."

"Give him some space, Hermione," said Ron. "He needs some time alone."

She nodded, still concerned, and slid into her bag with Ron beside her. Lying there, not feeling the least bit tired, she let her mind wander over the day's events…. She was suddenly very grateful she was even alive. It didn't seem real to her…a beautiful day turned into a life-threatening thing. She wanted to cry, but laugh at the same time.

It was at least another hour before Harry came down. He got into his sleeping bag, not making much noise, and soon his shallow breaths turned into deep ones. He was, at least, having a peaceful sleep.

She turned over in her bag, now facing Ron, to find his eyes open too. She thought he had fallen asleep long ago. "Ron?" she asked, "are you awake?"

"Yeah," said Ron in a raspy voice. "Wide awake."

She sighed, "Me too."

They were silent for a while, content just in the other's company. She hoped, if nothing else, that she would at least fall asleep with him. She didn't want to be left alone.

"Ron?" she whispered. His eyes looked into hers, and she looked back. "I'm scared."

He was still for a moment, but then in the next he was searching out with his hand, in search of something. At first, she thought he had made a mistake when he grabbed her hand, but he kept it there even when she flinched. "It's ok," he said. "We'll get through this, Hermione."

She smiled at him, and squeezed his hand. Her heart was pounding, but she didn't notice, and she moved even closer to him. He smiled brilliantly.

She sometimes wondered when it was that Ron was a thick prat, and when he changed into a sensitive best friend. She loved him for both, of course, but she would have liked to know how he knew when it was time to change. He was her best friend; he meant the world to her. Harry was like her brother; she loved him just like one. But Ron…. Ron was something different. He could make her feel things that no one else could, and she could never begin to explain it.

"I know," she said in her smallest voice yet. "I know we'll get through this."

And she believed every word of it. Here, so close to Ron that she could hear his heart beat, she knew it was going to be alright.

"We'll get through this together."

She was asleep before she could feel his kiss, and no one besides Ron would ever know. No one would ever know that he could no longer feel alone; and Hermione could never say that, either.