Chapter 16 – Feels like Home

'Bloody Harry,' Hermione cursed to herself.

"Harry, what in Merlin's name were you were thinking?" Remus questioned catching his breath, "Running out of the school like that, do you know how dangerous that was."

"Yes Harry, tell us all what you were thinking," Ron said standing up and offering his hand to Hermione to take.

She smiled shyly and placed her hand in his as she stood up also. She saw Ginny looking at her with a knowing look and she felt her face heat up.

"You sent me a message that you were chasing a suspect and then don't reply back? How exactly did you expect me to respond?" Harry replied glaring at Ron.

Hermione looked uncomfortably between Harry and Ron. She knew that look on both boys and if the dispute wasn't diffused now it would remain unresolved tension for weeks.

"It was my fault," Hermione finally spoke up moving to stand beside Ron, "I got a bit lost and Ron was just – keeping me company."

Hermione avoided looking at Ginny when her friend smirked at her.

"And you are?" Harry questioned pointing his lit wand into her face.

Hermione raised her eyebrows at Harry.

"Oi!" Ron said taking a step towards Harry.

"Ron don't" Hermione whispered placing a calming hand on his shoulder, "I'm Hermione Granger."

Hermione began to shuffle uncomfortably when Harry simply stared at her.

"The Hermione Granger?" Harry smiled as he looked at Ron before looking back at her and letting his wand drop to his side, "Well it's a good thing you finally showed up I was beginning to think you were just a figment of Ron's fevered imagination."

Hermione bit her lip to stop herself from laughing when she saw Ron's face turn red as a beetroot.

"Well not that this isn't nice but it's not wise to remain outdoors in these conditions," Tonks interjected taking a step forwards, "So why don't you kiddies get back to your dorm rooms."

"What do you mean?" Harry questioned in confusion.

"I'm sure Remus and I can handle the patrol for the rest of the evening why don't you four go spend some time together in the common room."

"Excellent idea Nymphadora," Remus said before leading the way.

"Don't call me that!" Tonks retorted and Hermione thought she heard Remus chuckle.

As they made their way back up towards the Gryffindor Common Room Ron seemed oblivious to the looks that they were getting from the others. Hermione however did notice and she avoided their glances. Hermione felt her affection for Ron increase as he continued talking and walking with her all the while without realizing that he was holding her hand.

'Oh Ron, you are so adorable. You big idiot.'

"They're so cute," Ginny whispered to Harry beside her, "I may just puke."

"Quite a romantic streak you have their Gin," Harry chuckled.

Ginny started at this. Harry had never called her 'Gin' before. Despite herself Ginny felt herself blush.

"By the way, you never told me what you're doing here?" Harry said as they headed up the stairs towards the common room.

"Oh," Ginny paused and looked back towards Hermione and Ron before replying, "I was helping Tonks."

Harry looked at her curiously.

"But surely, it would have been safer for you to stay in your dorm room?"

Ginny resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Oh, yes and why don't I just grow my hair long and throw it down the tower to await the day that prince charming comes along on his white horse to saves me," she said in a sarcastic voice not able to bring herself to look at Harry, "I'm tougher than you think you know."

"Sorry," Harry said in shock, "Forgive me for worrying about you."

"In case you haven't noticed, I have six older brothers, I really don't need another."

After an awkward silence he finally spoke.

"Have I done something to offend you?"

"No," Ginny replied shortly.

"I just thought that after last year you would feel comfortable opening up to me more, we are friends right?"

Ginny felt something hot and prickly spread through her at Harry's words.

"Yes, we are friends," she consented finally before quickly changing the topic, "Why did you suddenly run off like that before?"

"I told you I was worried about Ron."

"There's more to it than that," Ginny said thoughtfully looking up at him, "You're still worried about Hermione's cousin."

"John? I suppose so," Harry sighed and raked a hand through his messy black hair, "It drives me mad that no one else is at all concerned or suspicious that a stranger suddenly appears before us and makes it a point to get close to Ron."

Ginny considered Harry's words carefully.

"But you don't seem to suspect Hermione at all," she said finally looking at the couple.

"Well why would I? Unless you think I should?" Harry looked at her in concern.

"Would it kill you to just trust people once in a while," Ginny replied.

"Ron's my best friend, and even if he can't see it I can, I know that there's something suspicious about John."

Ginny wanted to remind him that he had also been suspicious of a stray dog but thought better not to bring up the incident incase this caused him to go into another rant, instead they remained silent the rest of the way.

They all waved goodbye to Tonks and Remus and watched the portrait swing close again.

"See you later Ginny," Ron said before heading up to his room.

"Ron! Merlin, don't you think you're being a bit presumptuous," he heard his sister say in reply.

Ron turned round and stared at her in confusion.

"What do you mean? I want to go to bed."

Harry and Ginny burst into laughter at this and he blinked blankly back at them.

"Um," Hermione said softly from beside them, "I think she means…"

Hermione trailed off and instead held up their linked hands.

Ron's eyes widened in shock and he instantly dropped her hand, feeling slightly cold without her small hand in his. He could hear Harry and Ginny still laughing in the background but Hermione only smiled up at him warmly.

"Thanks for tonight, it was – " Hermione paused to find an appropriate word and looked up at him, "lovely."

"Yeah it was," Ron agreed rubbing his neck and trying to ignore the heat creeping up his neck to his face.

They remained looking at each other for a moment longer when a cough from behind them brought them back to reality.

"So – " Hermione said taking a step back.

"I'll –"

Hermione halted when Ron had spoken and she looked at him encouragingly.

"I'll write to you," Ron said quickly, "I mean if that's okay with you."

"I'd like that," Hermione replied before she and Ginny walked across the common room.

"We need to get to the Girls dormitories," Ginny said waving to Harry and Ron as the wall disappeared and a staircase appeared.

Hermione looked back at Ron once more before they headed up the stairs, he heard a door close and the next moment the stairs disappeared completely and he and Harry were left staring at a blank wall.

"So?"

"So what?" Hermione said taking off her shoes and rubbing her toes.

Ginny continued to watch her with a superior smirk. Ginny's dorm room was vacant as her room mates were either invited to the Ball or were gossiping with each other down in the common room. They were both seated on Ginny's bed and Ginny had an eager look on her face.

Hermione finally rolled her eyes at her before speaking.

"Okay, yes. The guy I like is Ron, who happens to be your brother."

"I never told you he was my brother," Ginny said in confusion.

"Yeah you did," Hermione said quickly, "You asked me if I had any sibling at Hogwarts and then you told me you had an overprotective brother."

Hermione saw that Ginny had believed the lie and she moved over to the vanity to wipe away her make up.

"So Ron was keeping you company, huh? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?"

"Ginny Weasley!"

Ginny simply fell back on her bed and laughed.

"By the way, I thought you said you weren't going to the ball?" Hermione asked Ginny as she carefully removed her earrings.

When Ginny didn't reply, Hermione turned around to look at her in concern.

After a few moments of scrutiny Ginny finally cracked.

"Promise you won't tell Ron or Harry 'cause they'll freak out."

"Ginny," Hermione said slowly walking towards her, "What's wrong?"

"Tonks has been teaching me in defensive magic," Ginny blurted out suddenly.

Hermione didn't think that this was such a big deal, after all she had been having DADA classes for months now.

"And why would Ron and Harry freak out if they knew?"

"Because, they're annoyingly overprotective of me and it doesn't help that…" Ginny trailed off and looked at Hermione.

Hermione sat down beside Ginny on the bed.

"Ginny you know you can trust me right? But I won't force you to tell me anything, everyone has secrets."

Ginny took a deep breath before looking back at Hermione. Ginny opened her mouth to speak but the approaching footsteps of Ginny's room mates stopped her.

"Maybe some other time," Ginny said regrettably.

"So?"

"So what?" Ron replied stretching his legs out on the coffee table in the Gryffindor common room.

"What did you two discuss?"

"Discuss?" Ron laughed at Harry's choice in words as though Ron had just met a delegate of the Wizengamot, "Well first we discussed the state of wizarding economic conditions then discussed the life expectancy gap between segregated squibs in our society."

"You know what I mean."

"No I don't," Ron said shortly still irked that Harry had interrupted him and Hermione, "But I'll tell you this, she'll never discuss anything with me now that you made it out as though I've been obsessing over her."

"Sorry to burst your bubble but you are obsessing over her," Harry replied laughing as he avoided the cushion Ron threw at him.

"So, did you - ?"

Ron rolled his eyes at Harry.

"We were about to but this annoying bloke with black hair and green eyes butted in."

"He sounds like a pretty good looking guy."

"Oh the modesty," Ron said sarcastically before heading upstairs to his room.

Hermione was already asleep when he had entered the room.

He quickly prepared for bed but ended up sitting on his bed instead. He simply sat on the edge of his bed and gazed at Hermione. The slow rising and falling of the bed sheets combined with the smell that lingered in the air relaxed him.

His thoughts returned to Hermione's confession by the lake. He never knew that she had been teased and actually physically beaten while she was at Hogwarts Girls. He felt relief spread through him, now that she was here he could protect her. He looked down at his clenched fists and slowly unclenched them.

Walking over to her bed, he looked down into her sleeping face. He ached to reach down and touch her soft brown hair but knew better than to risk her waking up to see him staring down at her. Considering her past experiences she would probably think he was Sirius Black and either scream or attack him.

He slowly returned to his side of the room and pulled the curtains around her bed.

As Ron lay in his bed he was beginning to realize that without Hermione's presence he felt unbalanced. He still wasn't sure why this was and thought it best to push the thought to side of his mind for now, Hermione wasn't going anywhere and he would have plenty of time to reflect on their new relationship. When he had closed his eyes he could have sworn that he was back in his room at the Burrow, safe and warm.

'She smells like home.'

That thought lulled Ron to sleep, a deep and peaceful sleep that he had not experienced for many months, years even. A contented smile spread across his face as the embers of the candle disappeared.

A/N: I'm sorry for the delay, I have been very ill and am still feeling sick so have not been up to writing and editing lately. Thanks for the kinds words and I hope you enjoyed this short chapter. More comedy and romance next chapter I promise :)