Ron couldn't sleep. He was hot and bothered and couldn't stop thinking about his best mate, of the female variety. Hermione had been there when he woke up in the infirmary four weeks ago, after being poisoned. They hadn't spoken a nice word to each other in months prior but when he'd been in need, in danger she'd been there. She'd sat all night watching him and holding his hand according to Harry. He'd been so happy to see her when he finally came round, she'd forgiven him for being such a prat and promised to be friends again. She said she'd missed him. Didn't that all mean something? Ron hoped it meant she wanted to be more than friends.
It mattered to Ron, that night. He'd woken up scared, sore throat but absolutely elated to see her asleep on a chair next to his hospital bed. He knew he had to sort his shit out. Get rid of Lavender and make his feelings known to Hermione.
There were so many thoughts wracking through his head. He was finding it hard to sleep any night and when he did he dreamed of her. He had at least broken up with Lavender but the second part of his plan wasn't so simple. He was terrified he'd misjudged her feelings and lose her from his life forever. Just get her alone and tell her he thought angrily to himself. Easier said than done as his head and heart continued the internal battle.
Ron threw back the covers and sat at the edge of the bed. He looked around the dormitory and saw curtains drawn around the 4 other four poster beds. Light snores coming from all directions, he was alone. He checked his watch, 1am, he was exasperated, running his hand through his messy ginger hair. Ron stood up, pulled on a Weasley handmade knitted jumper and left the dormitory, needing to escape the insomnia.
He was relieved to see the common room empty although what had he expected at this hour. Thank god tomorrow is Saturday he thought, otherwise he'd be falling asleep in class.
The fire was burning as always and he headed to sit. As he walked around the back of the red velvet sofa he jumped. "Bloody hell, what are doing down here".
"I could ask you the same question" she said not looking up from Hogwarts: A History. Hermione was lying along the length of the sofa on her back, head on a pillow, large volume propped on her chest, ankles crossed. She was wearing soft purple pyjamas which consisted of a v neck t-shirt and calf length bottoms. "I wasn't feeling well and didn't want to wake the others".
"I can't sleep either. Can I sit? Are you ok?"
"I'll live" she said immediately lifting her head and shoulders off the sofa.
Ron froze, did she mean for him to sit there? He was just meaning to ask if she minded him joining her in the common room. He was going to take an armchair by the fire but if this was an invitation to sit closer to her he'd damn well taken it. He lifted the pillow she'd had her head on and sat on its place.
He positioned the pillow on his lap and Hermione immediately lay back and continued to read her book, ever so casually. Her hair covering the pillow, it's strawberry scent reaching him.
Bloody fuck he thought. What was he supposed to do with his hands? Why were his arms so bloody long and awkward? He opted to leave one on the right armrest and run his left along the back of the sofa.
She obviously wasn't much in the mood for talking but that suited him fine. He hadn't worked out what or how to say what he wanted just yet. Isn't that what had driven him out of bed in the first instance. Just sitting here so close to her was perfect.
He looked down at her, this was a great angle for staring. Her eyelids were low as she read and he noticed how long her eyelashes were. He spent ages looking over every inch of her beautiful face counting pale freckles on her nose. Even her ears were cute. The skin on her neck flickered gold by the fire light. She must have known he was watching her. What else could he have been doing in that moment. She had her book, but come to think of it she hadn't turned a page since he'd sat down.
Minutes passed, his gaze moved to her chest, he could see down her top towards the swell of her breasts. He realised then that she wasn't wearing a bra. The thin cotton was showing off hardened nipples. Fuck fuck fuck. He instantly felt growth in his own cotton pyjama bottoms. Was she cold... or... maybe...turned on? No that couldn't possibly be the case. Either way he thanked Merlin he'd placed the pillow on his lap.
He looked past the book to her stomach and noticed for the first time a large flat thing laying on it. Likely some muggle contraption. Her top and bottoms were parted to allowing it to make contact with her soft creamy skin. He'd never seen one before but he could see her belly button and swallowed hard.
"What's this" he asked innocently dropping a hand to touch the thing.
"Err...just a hot water bottle. You fill it with boiling water and use it to keep warm or put it on pains" she sighed.
He suddenly remembered she'd said she wasn't feeling well. So she had stomach pain? That sounded serious.
"Are you in pain right now?"
"Yes but don't worry, it'll pass. It's a girl thing"
Oh shit. He'd wandered blindly into unknown territory. Obviously he'd known Hermione was a woman. But they had never once spoken about female bodily functions. He had very limited knowledge on this stuff. His mum had awkwardly mentioned menstruation to him and his brothers when Ginny had entered her teenage years. But it was more to get them to stop asking questions and messing about with the pads and tampons that had suddenly shown up in the bathroom at the Burrow.
He felt bad that Hermione had 2 blokes as best friends. He assumed most other girls had female friends to discuss such matters with. Neither he nor Harry had never considered what she went through monthly and she did look pale here in the fire light.
"Oh right. Do you come down here often in the middle of the night then?"
"Only if it's particularly bad" she closed the book and laid it on the floor beside her.
"And this bottle water thing is it helping tonight? It doesn't feel particularly warm" he said prodding it gently again.
"It was when I filled it but that was about 3 hours ago so it's cooled down. I forgot my wand by my bed so can't reheat it. You don't have your wand handy by any chance?" She tilted her head up to look over her left shoulder at him.
"No sorry, I wasn't expecting to need it. I've an idea". He lifted the hot water bottle that was nestled on the lower abdomen beneath her clothes and threw it to the end of the sofa. He rubbed his two hands together to generate as much heat as possible and in a moment of bravery he placed his left hand where the bottle had been.
Hermione sucked in a breath shocked by his boldness but she didn't reject the contact. He felt much more confident initiating this type of touch. He rationalised in his mind that this type of touch was meerly a friend offering comfort to another friend. Not him being a horny git desperate to touch her beautiful skin in any way shape or form.
"How's that feel?"
"Lovely" she murmured "but can I just..." she grabbed his hand and pushed it an inch lower so it was under her waistband. He was sure his pinkie was grazing the tops of her knickers but he didn't move. "Thank you, that's really kind of you".
"What are best friends for" he smiled with his lopsided grin. She must have heard it in his voice because she turned to look at him again and gave the most beautiful shy smile.
"Best friends...I've never done this with Harry" she gave a questioning look.
"I should think not. We're a different type of best friends, you and me."
"I agree"
She rolled onto her right side, curling her knees up to her chest. Trapping his left hand to her abdomen. He leaned over her, suddenly and surprisingly thankful for long arms, and allowed his thumb to tentatively stroke her tummy.
"Is this ok?"
"Lovely" she said again.
They gazed into the fire. He imagined they were cuddling in front of their own fire place, maybe in their own cottage, maybe it was a Friday night after a long week at work, whatever that might be and they'd curled up on the sofa cuddling. Maybe he was rubbing her pregnant belly...bloody hell.
Where did that thought come from. Usually his fantasies consisted of snogging and naked skin and exploring bodies and left him with a very messy finish.
This grown up fantasy of a happy home and making babies was a whole other level of love and devotion he didn't know was lying within. Shit he was in trouble. He was in deep deep shit, totally besotted with this girl and he'd no bloody idea what to do about it.