IM SORRY!

I know it's been forever since I've updated. And I am truly sorry for that.

I have excuses though lol.

One is writer's block. Even with this being a rewrite and me using a lot of the text, I still get stumped.

Two is I have a five year old and that's a major responsibility that takes me away from my writing. Especially my little rambunctious Hufflepuff (she sorted herself lol).

Third, I havent really had the mk motivation to keep this going. But I am going to keep it going. I do want to complete this, and since we are in Deathly Hallows, I would be foolish to dead the story now.

Fourth, I had been having trouble trying to find the text online to use. And my books are stored away for now. But how I have all the chapters, so I can't really use that excuse anymore.

Please be patient with me. I'm going to try my best to update this more. This as well as others.

Just a heads up, this chapter is a bit short as it's more of a missing moment than anything else. I will be trying to have a couple more missing moment chapters in Grimmauld Place before things really hit the fan, so we will be in the house for awhile.

On with the fic!

Chapter 196: A Comforting Night

We made our way to the old drawing room. None of us was in the mood to fully roam around the house, and with the scares we had, we werent ready to be apart for too long.

"Let's kip here for the night," said Harry, slumping down on one of the sofas.

The room was dreary looking, even more than usual. The greenish black chair that Sirius had liked to sit in glistened eerily as a bit of moonlight peeked through a curtain and shined on it. You could hear what my mum would say the house settling, as small creaks and groans sounded with each step we took on the old wooden floor.

Hermione sat down on the chair, digging around in her bag. She pulled out three sets of clothes, three toothbrushes, a bar of soap, and some toothpaste.

"In case you feel up to showering some before bed," she said, handing the green toothbrush to Harry, and the gray one to me. Then, she handed both Harry and I our pajamas. She really had thought of everything.

Harry took his toothbrush and pajamas and left the room without a word. Hermione and I exchanged looks.

"So this is how it's going to be, eh?" I said, unfolding my PJs.

"Ron, be a bit more understanding," said Hermione. "This is, after all, Sirius's home. He hasn't been in it since Christmas of fifth year. That was before Sirius-"

"I know, Hermione, I know," I said, not really wanting to think about Sirius's death. "I just hope he'll do alright, you know? Don't want him to lose his head."

For a second, things felt a bit awkward. Hermione gently swayed a bit with her clothes in her hand as she looked at the ground.

"If you'd like, I can step out of the room while you change." I suggested.

"No!" said Hermione quickly. "I mean...that is to say you have just as much right to be in here as I do. Perhaps if we just turn around and get dressed?"

I nodded. I didn't press the situation further. She didn't want to be by herself in the room. Which was understandable. I was still in shock that Harry had went off on his own like that.

We turned and I began the struggle of taking my jeans off. I reminded myself to try the stretching charm Mum had taught me on them later. I slipped on my pajama bottoms which were a lot looser and more comfortable.

The room was eerily quiet. So quiet, that I could hear Hermione unzip her pants. My mind went into overdrive. Thoughts of her coming out of her jeans slowly, as if she was teasing, invaded my brain. Maybe if I turned around and offered she would let me help her take them off.

I shook my head. Now was not the time for me to be thinking about undressing my best female mate.

"You can turn around now," I heard Hermione say.

I turned and had to scold myself once again. Hermione had not turned around yet so I had full access to seeing her delightfully looking bum, which were covered in short pajama bottoms. I started thinking of what Crabbe and Goyle would look like shirtless and dancing with each other on a hot day in the Quidditch pitch to stop the blood from rushing.

"You can t-t-turn too, I'm done " I stuttered.

Her turning to face me didn't make the situation any better. Her pj tank clung tightly to her breasts, and they seemed to be begging for me to touch them.

I cleared my throat and went over to the couch. I heard Hermione rummaging through her bag again, the sound of the clanking of Merlin knew what was in there made a happy distraction from my randy thoughts.

"I've got sleeping bags here," said Hermione, handing me bulky gray material. "Would you mind straightening them out while I go and check on Harry?"

"Sure, you go on," I said as I shook open a bag. I laid it to one side for Harry, and began to spread out the others.

I looked over at the cushions of the couch. Having them under my bag would definitely make sleeping on the floor a bit more comfortable. I took the cushions from the couch and laid them onto the floor, preparing to put my sleeping bag over them.

Then my mind went to Hermione, and how uncomfortable she had been ever since we had stepped into this house. Surely she needed more comfort than I did. I took her blue sleeping bag and laid it across the cushions. Then I placed mine beside hers, with her bag a bit higher than mine.

A few seconds later, Harry with Hermione in tow. He looked dismal and completely exhausted. From the looks on their faces, it seemed as if he and Hermione had gotten into a bit of a row. He gave me a slight nod and looked down at the sleeping bag I had laid out. He gave a groan, climbed in, and in seconds, was breathing as if he were in a deep sleep.

Hermione sighed as she finished putting things in her bag and walked over to her sleeping bag. She noticed the cushions immediately.

"What's all this then?"

"Just felt you would be a bit more comfortable, that's all." I whispered.

"Are you sure? We could share, there are two of them here." said Hermione as she began to lift the sleeping bag off the cushions.

"I'm sure, Hermione." I insisted, putting a hand on her arm. "I don't need it."

"Okay," said Hermione, climbing into her sleeping bag. I climbed into mine next to her. I could definitely feel the hard floor under my back, but it wasn't too uncomfortable to where I would have trouble sleeping.

"So what was wrong with Harry?" I asked, turning to face her. "He seemed upset."

Hermione made a sound like one would when sucking air through their teeth "Oh he's just cross with me because I told him that we should all sleep together, at least for tonight," she said. "He said I was treating him like a child, but as you can see, he came in anyways."

I couldn't help but laugh. "I guess he figured that there were all these rooms with beds so we should pick one, yeah?"

"I know that, but...its just..."

"You're scared."

"I am not scared." huffed Hermione.

"It's fine Mione, I am too." I reassured her. "This house is creepy as hell, always have been."

Hermione sighed. She began to put a band around her hair. She seemed to struggle in the darkness.

"Let me help," I said, sitting up. Hermione nodded and moved to my sleeping bag, sitting in between my legs. I took the band from her hand and gathered her beautiful mass of hair up in my hands. The scent of spells and her shampoo rushed into my nose, causing a strange but not unpleasant smell.

When I was done, Hermione leaned into me, her back against my chest and her head laying near my shoulder. I could feel her body slightly trembling.

"This house is so cold," said Hermione, "but you're not. You're like your own space heater."

"Space heater?"

"It's a muggle object that heats up a small room," explained Hermione. "We probably could use one in here right about now."

"Well since you say I'm like one, you can always use me," I said, instantly regretting it. I didn't want her to think I was implying anything.

"I don't think Harry would find it nice for him to wake up to us in a compromising position," said Hermione, chuckling a bit. Good, she wasn't offended.

"Yeah, he would probably be grossed out or something," I said, wrapping my arms around her. I couldn't help it. She felt so comfortable and at the moment, my family was entering my mind again.

Hermione must have sensed my thoughts because a moment later she said " I'm sure they are alright Ron, your family."

I let out a sigh. "I guess. I mean Bill and the others are great with spells. Pretty sure Ginny wouldn't have cared about the underage rule, and had some Death Eaters running around with bats flying out of their noses. Wonder if Malfoy was there. Would have been brilliant to see him scream like a git again."

I laughed, but Hermione didn't. Her body was feeling tense against mine, as if something had frightened her.

"I wonder if my parents are okay," she whispered. "I wonder if I did the right thing."

"Hey," I said, turning her head towards mine with her chin. "You did alright. I'm sure they are fine in land of big ass spiders."

"Language, Ron."

"Seriously Mione, Australia? That place has spiders as big as I am down there."

"And Hogwarts didn't?"

"You have a point. Hopefully your dad can swing a bat and treat them like bludgers."

"My mum actually," laughed Hermione. "Dad hates spiders as much as you do."

We laughed and then fell into a comfortable silence, each lost in our own thoughts. I couldn't help but still worry over my family. And what about the three of us? In this dreary house with no idea what to do or where to go next. Would we be successful? Would we even survive?

"What should we do tomorrow?" I heard Hermione whisper sleepily.

"I don't know," I said truthfully. "Maybe Harry knows. I'm sure Dumbledore gave him an idea of sorts, you reckon?"

"Possibly," said Hermione, her voice unsure.

"I mean he wouldn't just send us on the chasing wild gooses, would he?"

"Wild goose chase you mean," Hermione corrected me. "And I wouldn't think so. Dumbledore may have been a bit mysterious, but he was a very smart man. He would have put Harry on the right path. I just know it."

I said nothing as Hermione moved from against me and laid down on the cushioned sleeping bag. I laid down next to her, my mind cursing the hard floor. Moments later, I felt Hermione's hand touch mine, and I parted my fingers so they would intertwine with hers. I felt compelled to pull her over to me and simply hold her until we fell asleep. However, I knew that tonight wasn't the night for it.

I closed my eyes and listened to her concentrated breaths. She was thinking about something. Her breathing always slowed to somewhat of a crawl when she was in deep thought. Then, I felt her other fingers tracing the skin on my hand. It was soothing.

"I did this to you, didnt I?" I heard her whisper.

"No, the brain tentacles reached down there too slightly."

No, i mean these small ones here." The more sporadic ones.'

I opened one eyes and peeked over at our hands. A small amount of moonlight was shining on the top of my hand, shining down on those scratches made by...

"Oh those. Well, I guess you did cause these, didn't you?" I said, opening my other eye and focusing on the scratches made by those bloody canaries she had unleashed on me.

"I was so foolish," I heard her whisper, as if it wasn't meant for me to hear.

"Foolish? You? No, never. It was me. I shouldn't have done you like I did." I sighed.

"No, you can't blame yourself for this," Hermione said in a firm voice. "Who was I to stop you from snogging whoever you wanted? Who was I to get mad because you had gotten a girlfriend, which was well in your right to do?"

"Hermione, I-"

"Let me finish before I lose my nerve," said Hermione. "I really shouldn't have done that to you. Yes, I was furious with you, but that was no reason to attack you like I did. It was childish, it was undignified, and I really could have gotten you hurt. What if you didn't cover your face in time and they clawed your face and pecked your eyes out? Oh Ron!"

I wanted to laugh at Hermione's dramatics, but I could see she was really hung up about what she did.

"Hermione, fine," I said, my thumb grazing the skin of her hand. "It's in the past and these scars are just a reminder of how silly we both were. And how we shall never be like that again hopefully. fine."

"Ron, it isn't." said Hermione firmly. "And I really and truly am sorry. And I promise never to attack you with birds, or anything else really ever again."

Although I felt like she didn't need to, I also felt great about her apology. Hermione was never really one to apologize for much (the only other real time besides when I was as poisoned was third year) and it felt great to know that she was sincere in her feelings and truly sorry for doing something that hurt me. She really did care.

"Apology accepted," I said, raising her hard to my lips, kissing it. "Now enough of this. Let's get some sleep. Tomorrow starts our week long horcrux hunt, remember? Got your quill ready?"

Hermione laughed sleepily as we made ourselves comfortable, neither one letting go of the other's hand. A few minutes later, I heard Hermione's breaths soften, indicating she was fast asleep.

I looked over at her. She looked so peaceful in the pale moonlight, sleeping away seemingly without a care. However, we all knew otherwise. Both Hermione and Harry were high on the danger list. If we were to be found, it would mean sudden death for them. And I couldn't let that happen. Not to two of the most important people in my life.

I vowed right then and there that I would do everything in me to protect them. Even if something happened to me. I would fight until my very last breath.