The Morning After

Hermione slept on her side, her head resting on one hand. The sheets had slid down to her waist, exposing the upper part of her nightgown. As of yet, she was too unconscious to realize that she had slept that night in Ron's bed. Otherwise, she'd be up and out of there in a blink of an eye! In a moment, though, she'd have ample opportunity to react to this fact. She stirred, letting out a contented sigh. She opened her eyes a crack. Then she saw Ron's face gazing at her. "Good morning," he said with a smile. She gulped, blinked and looked again.

"Still here," said Ron with a smile, amused at the look of disbelief on her face.

Hermione fought to maintain the color on her face as realization came to her. She smiled sheepishly. She looked around Ron's room to distract herself. Her eyes grazed to the bed where the sheets had come down to her waist. Hastily, she tried to cover herself.

Ron let out a mild laugh. "Too late for that, hon. I've been feasting my eyes for the better part of a minute."

Hermione blushed profusely and tried focusing her eyes in front of her.

"I'm kidding! Honestly, Hermione, I wouldn't take advantage of you like that."

She turned to look at him and studied him for a moment. At Hermione's gaze, it was Ron's turn to turn away self-consciously. Convinced that he wasn't at all kidding--the color of his face said it all really--she murmured almost to herself, "I can't believe I spent the night in your bed."

"You and me both. But it's ok. It's not like we did anything." Then Ron smiled mischievously, "Well, that is, unless you did something to me while I was sleeping!"

"Ron Weasley, how dare you!" declared Hermione, feigning anger. "And you should talk! You were the one studying me while I was sleeping."

"I was not studying. Really, you just use that word for everything! I was just glancing."

"Glancing! Ha!"

Ron let his tongue out at the same time Hermione did. They both erupted into a fit of giggles.

"This is certainly a nice change of mood," said Ron.

"Yeah..." Hermione said slowly, her expression softening. "I really am sorry for waking you up last night." Ron started to shake his head dismissively, but she cut him off saying, "No, Ron, just let me finish. I woke you in the middle of the night because of a silly dream."

"If it was so silly, why were you crying?"

She continued, ignoring him, "So, I'm sorry. You were really great last night. I mean...oh, you know what I mean! Don't snicker like that, this is embarrassing enough."

"Sorry..."

"Thank you. That's all I wanted to say. I didn't expect to come here and make a scene. I was supposed to be making sure you were ok. But you ended up comforting me instead. So, thank you..." She wasn't looking at him when she started that small speech. After finishing, she risked a peak at him. He was looking at her tenderly.

"Your welcome," he said beaming. "What are friends for? It was my pleasure. You do know that I'm always here if you need me? I mean I know we used to fight a lot when we were younger. Honestly, it was getting a bit stressful for me. It's not like I enjoyed arguing with you."

Hermione looked at him doubtfully.

"No, really," he insisted. "It's just that you persistently reminded me of homework and-- Sorry, I'm starting again..."

"Yes, you are," Hermione interjected.

"I guess you just bring it out of me."

"Hey!"

The two smiled at each other remembering how they used to bicker incessantly.

"It was for your own good, you know," Hermione maintained.

Ron raised an eyebrow. Hermione raised her hands defensively and dropped the subject.

"Shouldn't you go home yet?"

"You want me to go home already?"

"It's not that. Won't your parents be worried? They will find your bed empty when they go and check on you, you know."

"Oh geez. I forgot."

Ron chortled. "You forgot?" Ron fought to tone his laughter down in case his siblings were already up. He definitely didn't need them to come in and find him in bed with Hermione. And his mom would not agree with that kind of behavior. Absolutely not. It didn't matter that they didn't do anything. Honestly?! Who could believe that?

"I was a bit distracted, wasn't I?" she of course meant that the sight of Ron's smile after she woke up drew all thought from her mind. But she couldn't very well have said that. So when Ron asked what distracted her, she simply said, "The sheets..." and left it at that. Ron, for his part, couldn't argue. The sheets did distract him too after all. Or to be accurate, the lack of sheets on a certain person's body...He did just get a glance. He wasn't lying about that, although he had to practice monumental willpower to manage just a glance. He had been looking at Hermione's face when she woke up.

Hermione got off the bed, and fixed the side she'd lain on. Then she looked at Ron, "I guess it's time to go then before the whole household wakes up. Please don't tell anyone I came apparating here in the middle of the night. It's so embarrassing."

"Don't worry about it. It's our little secret." He gave her a little wink.

"Okay, then--"

"Wait! Are you coming back soon?" Ron tried to keep the hopeful look from his face.

"Sure thing. I'll come visit in a week. I'll just check with mum and dad."

"Great! This time you'll have to sleep at Ginny's though," he said chuckling.

Hermione laughed too. "Don't flatter yourself, Ron!"

Ron sniggered while he got himself off the bed. "Okay, wait here and I'll check the hallway. Mum's already up."

"How do you know that?"

"Oh, I went down for a snack earlier..." The conversation he had with his mum that morning suddenly came rushing to his head. A smile formed in his face involuntarily.

Hermione frowned. "Ron?" She poked Ron in the arm curiously. When Ron looked at her she asked, "What are you smiling about?"

"Huh?" The smile left his face, but not his eyes.

"You were smiling. What were you thinking about?"

"Uh..." Ron stammered. "It's nothing important."

Hermione was still looking at him suspiciously, but she let it go with a shrug. She definitely knew it was not "nothing important" though. She could read him like a book! Well, most of the time anyway...

"Okay, let's go." Ron took Hermione's hand and led her out the door. They walked through the hallway and Ron strained his ear for the slightest sound. They didn't meet with anybody until they got to the end of the stairs. Ron peered out to look at where his mother had gone. He didn't see her anywhere. He left Hermione by the stairs and went to check in the living room; she wasn't there. He finally saw her through the window outside where she seemed to be working on the garden. He wondered why his mother could be bothering with the garden at such an early hour. "All clear," he whispered to Hermione.

"Good," Hermione answered. She wasn't really keen on leaving Ron so soon. She wanted to stay. But her parents would be calling for her through her bedroom door anytime now. It was time to go.

They both made their way to the fireplace. Ron reached out for the pouch of Floo powder. He gave this to Hermione. "Here you go. Take care of yourself, Hermione," he said smiling at her.

"Yeah...Thanks again, Ron, for everything." she smiled back.

They both stood there transfixed by each other's eyes. A sound from outside broke the spell.

Hermione rushed to the fireplace, a handful of Floo powder at hand. "Bye, Ron," she said one last time and then disappeared in a burst of flames.

Ron just stood there looking at the place where Hermione had disappeared. He wanted so much to follow her. A week was far too long until he would see her again.