After the Storm

Title: After the Storm
Summary: There has been the war, a battle, dozens of deaths, chaos, despair. There will be pain, sorrow, grief, a whole new world to build. But for now, all there is for Ron is a night of sleep with Hermione.
Words count: 900
Pairing: Ron/Hermione
Rating: K+

Harry, Ron, and Hermione left Dumbledore's office soon after Harry had repaired his old wand. They were all exhausted and really needed to go to bed. They would have time to cry for the dead, and repair the castle later. For now, they had to sleep.

They got to the Gryffindor Tower, and Hermione didn't seem to hesitate – she went with them in the boys dormitory. After so many months spent in the same tent as them, Ron reckoned she probably wasn't ready to sleep on her own. 'Not that I mind,' he thought to himself as Harry lay down on a bed and he took another one. Hermione eyed him with a hesitant look, so Ron smiled and took her hand in his, silently inviting her to sleep beside him.

He couldn't believe it – but they actually were a couple now. She had kissed him and those few seconds in the middle of a chaotic battle had been the best ones of his life. After Voldemort's death, they had sat together, apart from most people, and she had helped him dealing with the pain he felt when thinking about Fred. Ron sighed. No doubt he would need her more than ever after that day.

But for now, they would be sleeping. He would have time to say the words he wanted to say later. He had felt them for years anyway, and he knew she knew it. So they fell asleep quickly, and he was sure what would happen after that would be beautiful.

What he wasn't prepared for was being awoken by Hermione's soft cries only two hours after having fallen asleep. He could tell she was holding back; her hand was over her mouth and she tried to keep her body still as much as she could but she was crying, there was no doubt about it.

"Hermione? Hermione, what's going on?"

As soon as the words had left his mouth, Ron realized they were silly. She was sad and broken, and she had all the right to be so. He surely felt that way.

"Hermione… I know it's hard to believe but… It's going to get better. Not now, not tomorrow, not even next week but… eventually…"

Hermione tried to steady her breaths a few time before succeeding and she said:

"It's not… It's not that."

Ron frowned.

"Well, what it is then?"

"I know I'm being selfish. I mean, of course I'm sad we lost so many people. Fred and Tonks and Lupin and everyone, I'm going to miss them all so much. I am missing them all already. My heart actually aches when I think about them but…"

She breathed deeply and said:

"But I can't bring myself to be desperately sad, because you're here, you're alive, and you're with me, and… Oh my God Ron, I thought it would never happen. I had lost faith because really, we can't say our path was an easy one, can we? But the thing is… We finally found each other and I'm just so happy and relieved and I never want to let you go because I love you so much, I've loved you even before I knew what love was and I'm just so grateful that I can tell you these words and…"

Ron kissed her. That was all he could think of doing. Kissing her, kissing her to show her how relieved he was that she was alive, how he was happy to be with her, how he was grateful that they finally found their way to each other, how much he loved her.

He finally broke the kiss and whispered in her ear:

"Don't worry, Hermione. I'm not going anywhere. I love you too much for that."

She smiled, and he knew that even if the way to being okay and happy again would be long, he had at least one night of pure relief in her arms, and that she would help him getting through everything.