The end is nigh, and its time for another interlude, probably the last one of the series. I actually wasnt going to post this chapter until later, but I got so much hate mail directed at Ron from the last one, that I decided I need to humanize him a bit before moving on. This chapter was actually inspired by something that I mention in the next one. The story takes place a week into Ron and Dracos marriage, and gives a little more background into their history together.

Interlude - Hush

Draco was running through the dark forest, his heart was pounding in his chest. Thorns and bare tree branches caught his robes, and tore at his skin, but it didnt matter. He just had to get away. {You cant hide from me, Draco!} Voldemorts shrill voice seemed to echo from everywhere. {I will find you boy!} Draco ran faster, but tripped over an exposed root. He couldnt regain his footing, so he crawled, he crawled away as fast as he could. His knees felt as though were scraped raw. His robes hung torn and ragged around him. He could see the dark lords shadow looming over him, but dared not look back to face him. {Draco} Voldemort called, his voice as cold an menacing as ever. Draco could literally feel the other wizards presence, and it terrified him. He tried and failed to pick himself up, stumbling back to the ground in a heap. {Draco.} Voldemort called again. Draco curled into a fetal position, shielding himself as best he could from his masters coming wrath. {Draco!} Voldemort seized Dracos shoulder, and the boy started to scream.

{Draco! Draco, stop! Its me!} Draco woke to find Ron sitting there on his bed. {Relax, you were just having a bad dream.} Draco settled down, his body was covered in a cold sweat. He pulled his knees up to his chest leaning over them. After few calming breaths, Draco noticed Ron had been rubbing his back. The contact surprised him, but was not at all unpleasant. He looked up at the red head and asked {What are you doing in here?} He and Ron had been married for a little over a week, yet they had not shared a bed, or even a room since their wedding night. Draco had left Ron with the master bedroom, while he opted for one of the nearby smaller bedrooms. The reason for their sleeping arrangements, though he had not informed Ron of this, was his recurring nightmares, like the one hed had tonight. {I was thirsty, and was going to get some water, when I heard a noise coming from your room.} Draco groaned to himself, hed forgotten to both place a silencing charm on the room, and to lock the door. {When I came in here, you were thrashing around like someone was trying to kill you. You almost knocked me out when I tried to wake you.} Ron informed him. Had it really been that bad?

Draco threw his covers aside, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. {Im fine.} {Are you sure?} Ron asked, sounding mildly concerned. Draco got up and walked over to one his dressers, and opened the top drawer. {Get one of the house elves to get you your water.} Ron did not move, or say anything else, as Draco stripped out of his soaking wet pajamas, into a fresh pair. When Draco turned to face his wife again, he was stunned by the look of genuine concern in Rons eyes. {Is there something else?} Draco asked. Ron shook his head, looking away. {No, I guess not.} Ron got up from the bed. And walked over to the door. He turned back, just as Draco was climbing back in the bed. {If you need anything} {Ill be fine.} Draco said, cutting him off. {Okay.} With that Ron left the room, turning out the light.

The following night, Draco was buried balls deep into Rons tight arse, Their bodies covered in sweat. Draco had Ron on his back, the gingers muscular legs thrown over his shoulders. Ron was so beautiful, Draco still had a hard time believing the former Gryffendor was his. He climaxed inside Ron, making him cry out. Draco kissed his handsome wifes face, before rolling off him. They laid beside each other a moment, catching their breaths. {Is it just me, Weasley, or are you starting to enjoy being my cock slave.} Draco asked, playfully. {Its clearly just you, ferret.} Draco laughed. Regardless what Ron said, Draco knew Ron enjoyed their sexual episodes as much as he did. But heaven forbid a Weasley to ever admit to that. He got up from their bed, dawning a pair of bronze colored pajama pants. He walked to the door, where Ron stopped him. {Where are you going?} {To the other room.} Draco answered simply. {Why?} Draco had expected the question to come up eventually, but hadnt known how he would deal with it once it did. {Im a private man.} The answer sounded lame even to Dracos ears. He opened the door to leave, but Ron stopped him again. {But Im your wife.} Draco instantly thought of his parents. Narcissa never had any right to question Lucius on anything. If his father wanted distance he got it. Draco was half tempted to respond to Ron as Lucius would, but he was not Lucius. {I just want to give you some time to adjust. To get use to the new house.} Ron still would not relent. {Its not the house I need to get use to, its time alone with my husband.} Draco was becoming a little annoyed. {I dont want to have this conversation with you, Ron. Sharing a room was never part of our arrangement. Theres only one reason we even need to be in the same bed together, and youve already served your purpose for the night.}

The look in Rons eyes made Draco want to smack himself. Biting remarks were his typical reaction when he felt he was backed into a corner. The fact was, he had originally wanted Ron as a toy, like most husbands, but that interest quickly faded, when he saw how deeply Azkaban had effected him. He was telling the truth when he told Ron he wanted him to feel at home in the manor, but Draco was not ready yet to expose his own weakness. He expected Ron to respond to his remarks with his own signature temper, but instead the Weasley walked over to him calmly, never taking his eyes off Draco. {Our arrangement is that I would be your wife, and you would be my husband, and a husband and wife are suppose to sleep in the same room, in the same bed.} And with that, Ron close the door, took Dracos hand and walked him back over to their bed. Ron got in the bed first, leaving no room for argument, so Draco followed him. Once they were both under the covers, Ron turned out the lights, bidding Draco goodnight.

It was not long before Draco found himself back on Hogwarts grounds, staring up at the burning castle. People were running screaming everywhere. The dark mark burned in the sky. Draco stared up at it in horror. {Draco Malfoy!} Voledmorts disembodied voice called. The sound of it alone froze Draco to his bones. He was fixed to the stop, unable to move. {Come here, boy!} The wind picked up, rushing over Draco, and in an instant, he was running. He ran into the dark forest, unable to see, barely able to breath. {You cant hide from me, boy!} Dracos body was quaking with terror. He had already suffered so much at Voldemorts hands, he could not endure it again. Not again. He ran as fast and as far as his legs would carry him. {Come back here, Draco!} Draco recognized the tone in Voldemorts voice, he new pain was soon to follow. Draco fell, landing face first in the dirt. Voldemorts shadow swallowed him. {Face me!} Draco could not, could not bring himself to look into those cold eyes. A hand grabbed him, pulling back. {Draco!}

Draco screamed, thrashing madly out of Voldemorts grip. {Stop it, Draco! Its just me! Youre having another bad dream!} He opened his eyes to darkness, strong arms had him in their grip. He fought against them, but they held him tight. {Relax! Youre fine.} It was Ron who spoke. Not Voldemort, Ron. The lights came on, and Draco turned to see his wife sitting beside him. The other man was holding him close rubbing his shoulders. {Youre fine now. Youre fine.} Draco took a deep breath, his entire body melting into Ron. He closed his eyes and felt the other mans hand in his hair. {Youre fine.} Ron said again.

For a long while, they sat there silently. Rons grip on Draco never slacked, his fingers never leaving Dracos hair. Draco laid his head against Rons chest. It rose and fell with his steady breath. This combined with his beating heart, relaxed Draco immediately. {Ssshhhh.} Ron whispered to him. {Its okay, now.} Draco had never felt so safe in is life, as he did in Rons arms. It felt as though nothing could hurt him, as though Ron would protect him from all the worlds evils. Voldemort included. {Do you want to talk about it?} Rons concern embarrassed Draco. He felt like some scared child, running to his parents after a bad dream. He pushed off Ron, sitting up. {No, Im fine.} Ron shook his head. {Youre as bad as Harry. Thick headed, the both of you.} Draco gave Ron a stern look at that, which only made the other man laugh. {He use to have terrible nightmares to, and always acted like he had to deal with them alone.} Draco wanted to tell Ron he was nothing like Saint Potter, but didnt. Ron straightened himself up, sitting beside Draco. {So, are you going to tell me about the dream of what?} Draco scoffed. {Why do you even care?} He asked looking away. This time it was Ron who sounded annoyed. {How many times do I have to say it before it gets into that thick skull of yours? I. Am. Your. Wife. Im suppose to look after you.} Draco rolled his eyes. Clearly the two had very different ideas of what it meant to be a wife. Ron probably still thought it was about, love and fairytale endings. Hell, even that didnt fit their situation, it wasnt as if Ron loved him, or actually wanted to be married to him.

Before Draco could protest though, Ron pulled him into his lap. {Its okay, you dont have to talk, just try and get some rest.} Ron turned the light out, leaning back against the headboard. Rons hand rubbing Dracos back, felt so good. Firm, but gentle, like Ron himself. It lulled Draco into comforting state of peace. He almost drifted off, but woke himself, still somewhat afraid of the dreams. {You dont have to do this, you know. Im not a child.} Not that Draco wanted him to stop, he could lay there with Ron forever and be content. {Shut up, and go to sleep.} Ron said. Draco did just that. He allowed the warmth of Rons body to envelope him, and faded into a deep sleep. The dreams did not return that night, are any night he spent in Rons arms.

Dracos actually more fragile than he likes to let on, and the next chapter goes into that more. Which makes what Ron did all the more difficult for him to face. Hope you enjoyed, reviews welcome.