The Nearness of You

It was happening again.

Hermione Granger moved her wrist a little until her watch caught the right angle from the moon outside. Twelve thirty, and she still wasn't asleep.

Taking care not to wake Ginny, (Who, of course, had been asleep since nine) Hermione got up from her bed, pulled on her dressing gown and opened the door.

She tiptoed down the stairs of The Burrow, careful not to make a sound, as the steps often creaked. She padded quickly across the cold kitchen floor before her toes found warmth with the warn carpet of the den. She eased into the sofa in front of the fireplace.

It had been happening a lot lately, this not being able to get to sleep. Ever since that whole Triwizard fiasco, and Cedric's dead body...

Hermione shivered inwardly

Hermione was relieved that Ron had invited her to the Burrow for the Christmas holidays. She felt more comfortable in the Weasley's den than in the Gryffindor Common room. Usually Harry or Ron-mostly Ron, because Harry had too much to worry about-came down to keep her company those times.

Hermione was also glad that she didn't have to face her parents. It wasn't that she didn't want to see her parents; she would have loved to spend some time home for Christmas. It was just that there was too much to explain, and she didn't know how much she could tell without frightening them too much. Hermione stared into the fire, just not sure, not sure how, not sure why, why everything had to happen so quickly. Why You-Know-Who had to come back, why Hagrid had to leave school to find his mother, why Snape was so jumpy in Potions recently...

"Couldn't sleep?"

Hermione's head whipped to the door. Ron was standing there in maroon paisley pajamas up to his knees, grasping two blankets.

Hermione shook her head earnestly. Ron seated himself next to her on the couch and threw her an orange Chudley Cannons blanket. Hermione felt a little jump in her stomach.

"I could hear someone down here. I figured it might be you," said Ron as Hermione pulled the blanket around her.

"What are you doing down here?" She asked Ron, though she was ninety percent sure of the reason.

"Harry's having nightmares again," answered Ron. "Not yelling in his sleep or anything, but they don't sound too pleasant."

"That's horrible," Hermione replied. Even though Hermione could never get to sleep anymore, and neither could Ron, it was nothing in comparison to what Harry must feel...

"You wonder what he's dreaming about, though."

Hermione did. She had never had any real nightmares. She had ones about failing tests, and monsters under the bed. None of them ever made her wake up sweaty and... so grim like Harry's did.

"I don't think I want to know what he's dreaming," Hermione answered. Ron nodded. There was silence for a while, until Hermione heard Ron hum faintly, a Muggle song...

"Where did you learn that song?" asked Hermione suspiciously.

"Muggle radio."

"You didn't really bewitch a radio to work here did you?" she asked.

"Nope. Dad did." Hermione groaned.

"You know that's illegal? I thought your dad would learn from that whole car mess."

"He likes Muggles a lot. The songs aren't really bad."

Deciding that having an argument at about one in the morning wasn't a very good idea, Hermione asked, "So you like Nirvana then?"

"I guess," Ron said. "They're pretty good. Good enough for times like these."

"That's really a matter of opinion." Ron shrugged.

Even though it wrenched her heart slightly, Hermione had to tell Ron, if he didn't know already.

"He died, Ron. Last year." Ron stared up at the ceiling.

"Really?" he said.

"Yes."

"So there's no more Nirvana?" Ron smiled weakly, looking at Hermione.

"Well there are more people in the band. They can go out and make more bands." Hermione said, attempting to make Ron feel a bit better.

"But no Nirvana."

"Well, no."

Ron nodded. "So how did he die, exactly?" he inquired.

Hermione sighed. "He killed himself, I think. I'm not really sure, I'm not very interested in that stuff. He wasn't very happy, though."

"He wasn't happy, so he killed himself?"

"Well from what I know, he did a lot of drugs-billywigs, only...worse," she added at the blank look on Ron's face. "And he was depressed. He had a lot happening in his life."

"And I though we were better off."

"Muggles have there own problems, Ron. They don't have a Dark Lord returning to bring them together."

"Not everyone's together," Ron said bitterly. Hermione understood what he meant.

"Mum had to practically wrestle Percy to come home for Christmas. He would have just stayed in his office. All holiday." Even though his tone was nonchalant, Hermione could see lines of hurt on Ron's face.

"I'm sorry, Ron," Hermione said dejectedly.

"It's fine," said Ron, but Hermione could hear a slight bitter edge to his voice.

For a while there was only quiet breathing, and faint crackling from the fire. With Ron beside her, Hermione felt more at peace then she had all year.

"Do you want anything at all?" Ron asked, breaking the silence. "Hot chocolate? I think I can do it with magic, I've seen Mum do it loads of times."

"Sure," Hermione responded as Ron bustled over to the kitchen. He was so odd. There was the Ron who procrastinated with Charms homework, and there was the Ron who was willing to try a new charm during holidays. It made Hermione smile.

Ron came back into the family room with two mugs and his wand. He set the mugs on the small table beside the sofa. Overcome with curiousity at how this would turn out, Hermione crawled tentatively across the couch to get a good look. In doing so she inadvertently bumped into Ron's arm.

"Sorry," Ron said softly. Hermione could feel herself redden.

Ron turned back to the mugs on the stand. Hermione watched curiously over his shoulder. Ron muttered a few Latin words under his breath.

"Are you sure that's the right-"

"Shh," Ron interrupted. They both watched as some brown liquid came out of Ron's wand. It's sputtered at first, but soon turned into a steady stream. When the cup was reasonably full, Ron flicked his wrist and the flow stopped. He grinned.

"There!" he said triumphantly. "And I didn't even need a book!"

Hermione tutted under her breath as she took the hot chocolate Ron offered her. She gave a small, undersized sip.

"Well...?"

"It's good," she offered brusquely. That seemed good enough for Ron, for he went about filling up his own mug.

They sat about drinking Ron's creation for a good while, Breaking the silence every once in a while to talk about small things that didn't mean much.

"Thank you for inviting me, Ron," Hermione said when she'd drained her mug.

"It's nothing," replied Ron, his ears turning faintly red. "I wouldn't leave you alone at Hogwarts, would I?" Ron turned to her and grinned. Hermione felt a little jump in her belly at the simple action. Before she could stifle it, Hermione let out a yawn.

"Tired?" Ron asked her. Hermione nodded silently. "I'll be... er... heading up then... You coming?"

"No, I'll just stay here,"Hermione replied, not wanting to risk waking up Ginny. She stayed on the old sofa, the blanket Ron had brought her wrapped around her tightly.

"Goodnight, Ron," she said through a yawn. Ron replied with a grumbled "Goodnight," and Hermione could feel him get up from the couch and walk in front of her in order to get to the stairs. He hesitated a bit, and in one quick blur, Hermione half-felt his lips fall part on her hair, part on her ear, part on her cheek.

Before she could work out what exactly had happened, Hermione had drifted off to sleep, and Ron was halfway up the stairs.

It's not the pale moon,

That excites me.

That thrills and delights me.

Oh no,

It's just the nearness of you.

-"The Nearness of You"