She woke up on a strangled gasp with Ron shaking her shoulder, and a shaft of light crossed the foot of the bed from the hallway.
Pushing tangled hair out of her eyes she tried to slow her frantically beating heart while Ron sat on the side of the bed, still blinking his eyes against the brightness.
"Want to talk about it?" he asked, voice rough with sleep as he scrubbed two hands over his face in an effort to wake up.
Before she could respond there was a rap on the door. Bill stood there, hair askew and his wand in his hand. "Everything alright?" he asked evenly.
"Fine, Bill. Sorry for waking you," she managed to say, sounding much calmer than she felt.
"No worries," he replied, and she waited until she heard his footsteps fade before looking at Ron.
"Sorry. I had a permanent silencing charm on my flat. I forgot to put one up tonight." She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, feeling the chill in the room and the remnants of her dream.
"Don't apologize about having nightmares. I don't think a single one of us went a night without a Dreamless sleep potion for a month. I still have a bad one every now and then."
She knew he was trying to be helpful, but she had to bite her lip and turn her head away. A month. "I haven't had an uninterrupted night of sleep since the war," she admitted and heard him suck in a breath through his teeth.
"What did Harry say?" he asked.
"Harry doesn't know."
Ron got a puzzled look on his face. "But if you've been with him for days..."
Her face got hot as she realized what he was implying. "I was unconscious for most of it, Ronald, not a lot of time for dreaming," she retorted, but he just smirked.
"Whatever the kids are calling it these days," he replied and was already leaning out of the way, anticipating her oncoming slap.
She laid her head on top of her knees and stared at him. "I'm glad you're ok, Ron."
"Glad you're ok too," he said softly. "Gonna be alright? Since I'm up I think I'm going to see if Mum left anything in the kitchen."
She just rolled her eyes at his unsurprising plans. "Give me a minute and I'll join you. I don't think I'm getting much more sleep tonight." Ron got off the bed and started towards the door. "Don't eat all the biscuits," she called out to his retreating back and he turned around and lifted his hands in a mock shrug, as if he couldn't be held responsible for his actions.
There wasn't much left in the duffel bag. Harry's pack was gone, she realized with a pang. She didn't even know if he had a flat somewhere.
She shook herself from that train of thought and kept searching but all she could come up with was another pair of jeans and a jumper. She was either going to have to get creative or figure out some way to get more clothes.
There was a large chest of drawers on the wall across from the bed and she stood before it for the longest time, debating on whether she should open it. Finally, with her wand drawn in case of any surprises she opened the top drawer and found it empty. The next two drawers were in a similar state. It wasn't until she got to the bottom one that her search paid off. She could tell there were clothes, but it wasn't until she cast a lumos that she could tell they belonged to Harry and not Sirius.
It wasn't much: some mismatched socks, a couple of horribly ragged t-shirts that had to have belonged to his cousin, and an old Christmas jumper from Mrs. Weasley. She was about to slam the drawer in disgust when the light caught a scrap of red and gold shoved all the way in the back. It took a few tugs and then she had it in her hands.
It was an old quidditch jersey of Harry's from Fifth or Sixth year, she wasn't sure. Her hand ran gently over the familiar colors and she smiled fondly. After a freshening charm it smelled presentable and she slipped into the bathroom to change.
It hung down to mid thigh, further than her fingertips. Although it did make her a little self conscious, but it was better than anything else she had. She threw her hair up in a haphazard pony tail, sending a silent thanks for the wonders of magical healing as she recalled how just the day before it took two people to do something as simple as pull her hair back.
The rest of the house was sleeping, and as she crept down the stairs she was again grateful that Harry had managed to get rid of Mrs. Black's portrait. A light shown under the door to the kitchen and she wasn't shocked to see Ron already at the table, plate of biscuits before him along with a large glass of milk.
Ron's eyebrows shot to the ceiling when he saw her, but his mouth was thankfully stuffed full. "Not a word," she warned, making her way over to the kettle. "It was the only thing I could find."
"Merlin, Hermione. Why didn't you just borrow something from Ginny. I'm sure she wouldn't mind," Ron said after swallowing hastily.
Hermione squinted at the clock across the room. "At 3 in the morning? You think your sister wants me to wake her up to ask for some jimjams?" She saw him squirm at the thought of interrupting Ginny's sleep.
"Never mind, that's worse than fighting Voldemort, that is," he said, taking a large drink of his milk and shoving another biscuit in his mouth as if the action could clear his mind of the suggestion.
She turned back to the kettle and waited for it to boil, when another set of footsteps entered the room.
"Well well, the Missus of the house is up and about already I see," George said and she whirled around to give him an incredulous look.
"Why on earth would you say that?" she asked as she turned to the shrill yell of the kettle.
But it was Ron who answered, not his brother. "Gee Hermione, maybe it's because you've got `Potter' in giant letters across your back."
"I do not!" she shouted in indignation, while simultaneously trying to turn her head so that she could see for herself. After several failed attempts, she finally caught the edge of the `R' and flushed crimson while the two boys attempted to muffle the laughs at her expense.
She focused on making her tea and resolutely ignored the brothers. It was just a shirt. She could have just as easily put on one of Dudley's old ratty tees, but that thought made her shiver in revulsion. It was just a shirt. They were being ridiculous about it.
When her tea was finished, she turned around and leveled them with one of her most famous looks. George had the good sense to look away, but Ron had never learned, it seemed.
She walked purposefully to the table and stared Ron down before she picked up the plate with the remaining biscuits and glided out the door. "Cheers," she called before the door swung shut behind her and drowned out Ron's protests.
The library was blessedly dark and quiet. She turned on one small table lamp and then sat in the large wing chair that faced the fireplace. Its broad sides and high back gave her an effective place to hide for the moment.
As she sipped her tea and ate Mrs. Weasley's biscuits for the first time in what seemed like forever, she tried to not let her mind wander to Harry.
That seemed like an impossible task, however. In reality they had been back together for a very short period of time, and most of that was either running for their lives or injured. They'd had one real conversation, but beyond that...she didn't know where they stood.
This business with whoever was attacking them was also disconcerting. She rubbed a hand across her temple, a very faint headache teasing her at the fringes, but she was certain it was more from lack of food and sleep than anything residual from her concussion.
A sound to her right made her jump and she had her wand pointed at a sheepish looking Ron before she knew what was happening.
He was frozen, half bent over setting a mug of tea on the table, another plate of biscuits in his other hand.
She dropped her wand immediately. "I'm so sorry, Ron!" she exclaimed, covering her mouth in horror.
He merely waved her off and finished settling himself with a slight grimace, she noted. "If you wanted to be alone, you just had to lock the door."
She raised an eyebrow at him and put her wand back in its holster and then sat back in the chair and forced herself to calm down. She had seen his eyes cut to the scarred word on her forearm but he didn't say anything.
"Where did you find those?" she asked, indicating the baked good he was currently inhaling. He actually finished chewing before he replied. "Mum had another plate hidden. She didn't think I knew where it was," he said with a grin.
She couldn't help but smile back and gave a small shake of her head.
"George not sleeping well?" she observed.
Ron took a sharp breath. "No, not really, not since...well, you know." She didn't know how to respond.
"How've you been?" he asked, clearly trying to change the subject.
She gave a small shrug. "The same really. School work. Research. Tutoring."
"Sorry I didn't write."
"Me too. It just...it got too hard," she said by way of explanation, knowing it was wholly inadequate.
"I know," he replied, and they sat in silence for a while.
"How about you? What have you been up to?" she asked, wrapping her fingers more securely around her mug, trying to leach any bit of warmth she could get out of it.
"Same. Working at the shop," he shrugged noncommittally.
They were both stuck. Both stagnant. And they knew it.
She sat her now empty mug on the table and grabbed another biscuit off of Ron's plate, giving him a small smile as she did.
"Any special lady in your life?" she asked in a teasing tone and was shocked when he flushed red to match his hair. "There is! Who is she?"
She turned towards him and leaned her head on the wing of the chair and slid her knees up under the loose jersey, giving him her full attention. Talking about Ron's love life would help distract her from brooding over Harry's absence.
It took Ron a few attempts to start. "You can't say anything, Hermione. No one else knows I've been seeing her," he began, and she swore her silence.
He ran a hand through his perpetually messy mop and took a long swig of tea before beginning. "It's Luna," he said finally, not meeting her eyes.
"Luna Lovegood!" she exclaimed, at first shocked, but then as the image settled with her she realized it was perfect. "Oh Ron, that's lovely! It's perfect really."
"You think so?" he said, worriedly.
"I do," she answered emphatically. "I think you two will be brilliant together."
He smiled at this. "Thanks. It's pretty new, but..."
"So, how'd this come to be?" she asked, genuinely curious.
"She just came into the shop one day and told me it was time. It was the most barmy thing I've ever seen, but the next thing I know she's there waiting for me after work and we went to dinner and that's just how it's been ever since." He still looked slightly gobsmacked by the whole experience.
Hermione laughed. It was exactly the sort of thing she could see Luna doing, and she could see Ron just going along with it as well.
"That's wonderful, really, wonderful," she said genuinely, glad to see a bit of life in his eyes finally.
"What about you and Harry..." he left the question open ended.
She sighed heavily and shifted in the chair, drawing her legs closer in. "I'm not sure," she said honestly and saw him give her an incredulous look. "I'm telling the truth. We haven't had a chance to talk about it."
"It looked pretty serious when he left. It looks pretty serious with you sitting there in his shirt," he pointed out and she narrowed her eyes at him.
"I suppose it is, but we haven't discussed it yet. There truly hasn't been an opportunity. We're something. It's not defined. Maybe it doesn't need to be defined, but it's been a long time since we've been together and we're different people now," she trailed off, not meeting his eyes.
He scoffed "You're not different at all. You're Harry and Hermione and anything that happens between you two can be defined, as you put it, quite easily by saying just that. You're Harry and Hermione. It seems pretty straightforward to me. I think you're just making it difficult for no reason."
She sat stunned, contemplating what he had said. Merlin help her, it made sense.
She sank back further into the chair. "Careful Ron, or that tablespoon may become a soup ladle."
He chuckled but didn't say anything else. Eventually she saw him shifting positions from the corner of her eye. He stretched his long legs out in front of him and clasped his hands over his middle before shutting his eyes.
She was getting sleepy herself and it seemed easier to stay where she was than make her way back upstairs again. And before too long, she was drifting off to the soft tones of Ron's snores.
The next thing she knew, faint morning light was filling the room and she could hear noise in the rest of the house. The chair Ron had occupied was empty, although she noticed he had left his dirty dishes behind. Someone had put a throw over her at some point and she was touched by the gesture.
She folded the blanket and laid it on the back of the chair, collected their plates and mugs, and headed towards the kitchen. She could hear footsteps upstairs and the soft cry of baby Dominique.
Just as she was about to push open the door, she heard voices and her name. She stopped.
"...don't want to think what would have happened if George and I hadn't gone back to get Mum's knitting. It was awful, Dad," she heard Bill say as he addressed his father. "Harry wouldn't let go of her and the sound she was making..." She heard Bill trail off to compose himself before continuing. "I touched her, to see if I could get her to focus on me and she was burning up. Then I took a good look at them and saw the shape they were in."
"What do you mean?" Arthur asked "Harry said last night there had been an accident with the car but I didn't think it had been that serious."
"They looked like they had just been through a battle. Hermione had a bruise on her head and her knee was mangled, not to mention she's got a wicked long scar on her arm now." Arthur must have given his son a look because the next thing Bill said was "No, the other arm." She heard a soft curse.
"Harry's back was bleeding, and it looked like his head was about in the same shape as hers." She put a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. She didn't know Harry's shoulder wound had opened back up again.
"The healer's weren't too happy with the condition they were in and said if they hadn't come in when they did it could have been a lot worse, especially for Hermione."
"Do you think all this business is connected?" Arthur said, and she could almost see him rubbing the thinning spot on his head.
"I think it has to be. Nothing else makes sense," Bill began but she missed what else he was going to say when Fleur came up behind her suddenly.
"Good morning, Hermione," Fleur said softly, Dominique in her arms. The baby looked as happy as she did the day before, her plump arms waving enthusiastically.
"Good morning, Fleur." Hermione had developed a new found respect for her when they had stayed at Shell Cottage during the war. It was Fleur that had tried to heal her arm.
Fleur pushed the door open and Hermione had no choice but to follow. She nodded hello to Arthur and Bill and went to place her dishes in the sink.
"That's what happened to the biscuits," Bill said lightly
"You'd need to talk to your brothers about that," she replied, wiping her hands on a dish towel, glad he didn't bring up her nightmares.
She turned to hang up the towel and heard the door open again and then there was a strangled gasp. Hermione whipped around and saw the door swinging, much like the ginger pony tail of one Ginny Weasley as she made her way back down the hall.
"What on earth!" Hermione exclaimed and saw Bill and Fleur exchange a look.
"I just think Ginny was a little surprised to see you Hermione," Bill said, sending an obviously desperate look at his wife to help him.
"Why would she be surprised to see me? I saw her last night when we arrived," she said, confused by what was going on.
"I believe Bill means she was surprised by your appearance," Fleur said gently and gave a nod to what Hermione was wearing.
Her cheeks flushed hot and she covered her face for a moment. "It's not...I just...I didn't have anything with me and it was all I could find...I'm sorry, I'll talk to her," Hermione said, vowing to never step foot outside the bedroom again without being fully dressed. "Excuse me," she said softly and nearly ran from the room.
She sighed heavily when she entered Sirius's old bedroom. Harry had never told her what happened with Ginny. She knew they hadn't resumed their relationship after the war, Harry had told her as much. But she didn't know how Ginny had taken it.
Hermione resolved to sort this out, even though she didn't really want to. She decided that changing her clothes was the first order of business. The jeans and jumper she had found the night before were her last clean clothes. She needed to ask Mrs. Weasley what the best laundry spells were.
Soon she was dressed and had plaited her hair. Looking in the mirror she took a deep breath and tried to steel herself for what she was about to do.
Before she could change her mind she crossed the hall and knocked on the door Ginny was occupying. "Ginny, it's Hermione, may I come in?"
There was a long pause and then she heard, "It's open."
Ginny stood leaning against the window frame with her back to the door.
"Ginny..." she began, but quickly realized she had no idea what to say.
"Hermione, it's ok. Really," the red head said, but didn't turn around.
"Ginny, I didn't mean to hurt you...it just..." but Ginny cut her off.
"Don't say it just happened. You and Harry didn't `just happen'. It's been you and Harry since the beginning. You two were just too daft to see what everyone else already had." Ginny tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice, but failed.
Ginny continued, "It's ok. Truly. I knew after the war he and I were through, and then he left and then you did too and...I got over it. I know it might seem like I haven't but I have. I've even been dating someone for over a year. But seeing you both back, seeing Ron come alive again and then walking into his kitchen and seeing you with his name across your back and a ring on your finger...It just took me by surprise." Ginny finally turned around to face her.
Hermione stared at her in shock, and then the words resonated with her. "Wait. What? Ring?" And she looked down to see that she had been spinning the band absently again. "No, you don't understand, Harry didn't...it's not...it's just a ring." She let out a small growl of frustration. "I'm sorry, I'm not explaining myself very well." She didn't know if she could. She was certainly not going to tell Ginny about what had happened between her and Harry while they were on the run, and she wasn't going to tell her about the ring either; it was too personal.
"You don't need to explain. I'm sorry if I assumed about the ring. My reaction was...stupid. I was more upset about that than about seeing you in the jersey. That's why I left. I was embarrassed." Hermione knew it took a lot for Ginny to admit that.
"Thanks, Gin." And then there was an awkward silence where neither of them knew what to say. "Well, I guess I'll let you get back to what you were doing." Hermione said, and began to leave the room.
"Hermione," Ginny called before she could exit. "I'm glad for you guys, really. And I'm glad you're back. It hasn't been the same."
Hermione smiled her thanks and then headed back downstairs.
The kitchen was full of Weasleys and for a moment she felt very much out of place. Arthur had already left and Mrs. Weasley was manning the stove while Bill, Percy, and George were around the table eating from overflowing plates.
Ron was nowhere to be seen, but Ginny came in a few minutes later, grabbed a plate, and seemed none the worse for their conversation.
Fleur was attempting to get Victoire to eat and juggle the baby at the same time. Hermione took pity on her and asked if she could help. Fleur gave her a grateful look and the next thing Hermione knew she had Dominique and a bottle.
She froze for a second and then assessed the situation. She had fought Death Eaters, she could certainly feed a baby.
Completely focused on her task she didn't see Molly keeping a watchful eye on her, or the soft look on Ron's face as he finally made an appearance and saw her. A few adjustments and she was holding Dominique in such a way she was sure she wouldn't drop her and had successfully gotten the bottle in her mouth. She felt like she had just aced an exam.
Ron chucked his niece under the chin as he passed by and dropped a brotherly kiss on Hermione's hair before heading straight for his breakfast.
She caught his eye as he was impatiently waiting for Molly to fill the plate and mouthed `Thank you'. He just nodded until his attention was caught by Molly only giving him three sausages. "Oi, Mum! That's not enough. I'm still a growing boy!"
Molly ignored him and his request and sent him grumbling to the table.
Feeling confident, Hermione made her way over to the closest chair and sat down gingerly. "Don't drop her, Auntie `Mione," Ron said jokingly, and she glared at him.
Molly slapped the back of his head for her. "Stop it, you. She's doing just fine," and Fleur gave her an understanding smile, letting Hermione know the French girl had gotten used to the Weasley antics after all these years.
Dominique somehow managed to fall asleep despite the din and Hermione pulled the bottle away and watched a dribble of milk spill from her bow lips. She spied a napkin on the table but couldn't quite reach it. "Here dear," Molly said and handed her a soft flannel from her apron pocket. Hermione dabbed the spot and froze when the baby moved at the contact. Hermione's breathing resumed when she settled back down and Molly smiled at the look of panic on her face. "They do that. Not much can wake this little one," she said and stroked her granddaughter's fair hair.
"I've never really been around babies before," Hermione explained
"No worries. It'll be as natural as breathing when you and Harry have your own," and then she slipped back to the stove leaving Hermione in a state of shock.
Her mind was blank. She couldn't have...There was no possible way Mrs. Weasley had just said...No possible way.
"I think you broke her, Mum," she heard George say and she was startled from her reverie when Fleur lifted the baby from her arms.
Fleur gave her a sympathetic look and thanked her for her help. Bill came up and kissed his wife and the baby goodbye and said he would see them at home. George wasn't far behind, and he also tried to kiss Fleur but she swatted him away with a laugh. Yes, Hermione thought, some things had changed very much.
Percy followed his brothers, and then it was Ginny's turn. She had a brief row with her mother who insisted she not spend the night at her flat alone. It was quickly ended when Ginny stated she didn't intend to be alone and then fled before her mother could retort.
Molly set the dishes to washing and then helped Fleur with the girls, leaving Ron and Hermione at the table.
"Mum didn't mean anything by it, Hermione. You know how she is. She wants everyone married and babies crawling all over the place," Ron explained.
"I know, it just surprised me is all. I mean, I haven't thought about that. At all," she said, voice still a little breathless.
Ron got up to get seconds and came back with an additional plate and mug of tea for her. "You've lost too much weight. Eat," he ordered.
She smiled at him gratefully and realized she was quite hungry.
It was more food than she had eaten in a week and she quickly grew full. Ron's eyes lit up when she slid her last sausage onto his sad empty plate.
"Cheers!" he said before devouring it with gusto.
"Harry said if things calmed down you could go back to the Burrow in a few days." Ron nodded that he heard her.
Ron replied, "Good. Family wards are stronger there than at my flat. You going to stay here?"
She averted her gaze. "I don't really have anywhere else to go. All my things are in France. My parents are in Australia. Besides, Harry made me promise I'd stay here so..."
"Makes sense. Safest house in Britain," he said, unknowingly echoing Harry's comment from the day before.
"I think Mum's heading back today. Fleur's going to Switzerland or somewhere to visit her sister and Mum's watching the girls," Ron explained.
"So you're telling me we'll have a quiet house tonight then? Well, as long as I remember to put up the silencing charm," she said in a self deprecating tone.
Hermione grabbed their plates and added them to the sink. Ron was standing and stretching and winced when something hurt him. "That reminds me, I've got potions to take," he said as he pulled a face at the thought of the taste. "Think I'll take a kip while I'm up there. Rest and recovery you know," he said and grinned naughtily, clearly taking advantage of his hospital discharge orders.
Molly, Fleur, and the girls departed not long after. Molly hesitated, clearly not quite ready to leave her youngest son, but Hermione assured her they'd be alright and Harry would be back soon.
And then all was quiet. Ron was upstairs sleeping and as she finished tidying up the kitchen she realized she was alone, with nothing to do, nothing to work on, and only her thoughts to keep her company.