For A Candy Cane A Day on the Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry Forum.
Padma and Ron
The first time it happens, she brushes it off.
She knows that that Ron, Harry and Hermione—the Daily Prophet's precious Golden Trio—have always been closer than close. She'd seen them in school, after all. The three misfits knitted together by sheer luck. She'd watched their spectacular blow ups from a distance. She'd seen it up close, standing between them during the Yule Ball. She'd seen how time after time, they fell back into each other.
She also knows that now, more than ever, they're protective of each other. The war may have ended, but it never seems to leave them. Ron's fingers are quick to wrap around his wand when she closes a door too loudly. Harry's fingers intertwine with Hermione's when the press' cameras flash. Their eyes search for each other in every room.
And so, it's no surprise when Ron murmurs Hermione's name in his sleep. Padma assumes he's dreaming about Malfoy Manor. Or the Forest of Dean. Or the Department of Mysteries. Or the Battle of the Seven Potters. Really, the options are endless. She wakes him with a gentle shake and presses a kiss to his clammy cheek. He thanks her when she pads into the kitchen and comes back with a Sleeping Draught.
But then it happens again. And again. And again.
"You keep calling out her name," Padma says, trying not to sound accusatory. "Hermione's, I mean."
"Yeah." Ron rubs his face with his hands. "It's—uh—well... You know we went through a lot together. "
"It's just that you never seem to call out Harry's name." So much for not sounding accusatory. She winces inwardly. "I didn't mean that."
Ron frowns. "You didn't?"
"No." She forces the draught into his hand. "Come on. Let's go back to sleep."
"Padma—"
She turns around before he has the chance to continue. Now that she's said the words aloud, she gets the feeling that they'll never stop echoing in her mind. She wishes she could take them back—just snatch them right out of the air.
"I'm tired, Ron," Padma says quietly. "Just take the potion. Please."
There's a part of her that wants him to argue. She wants him to wrap his arms around her and assure her that all her instincts are wrong. Instead, he falls asleep without another word. And although he's right beside her—although they're literally back to back—Padma is sure that she's never felt more alone.