Foolish...or not?

Hermione woke in a cold sweat, the visions of the nightmare that had been haunting her for weeks still vivid in her mind. The callous laugh, the evil sneer, the pain coursing through her body, the feel of the cold blade against her skin...the sound of him trying to get to her, the fear and agony in his voice echoing in her ear. She sat up in bed and shivered, trying to shake the effects of the dream away. How long would she have these dreams? How had Harry handled them? And she suddenly felt sorry for all the times she accused him of not trying hard enough to stop his own dreams. She certainly had no power to stop hers, even if she was the most powerful witch of their time.



She sighed and looked around the small room she had been staying in. She loved it here at Shell Cottage. The small home Bill and Fleur had made for themselves was perfect in her eyes. She thought about what her own home with the love of her life would be like...if she were ever allowed to have it, that is. Knowing what lay ahead of her that day, and that sleep would not come again she decided to go downstairs and make some tea.



She quietly lit the lamps with her wand, setting them as dim as she could. She waved her wand again and lit the fire under the kettle for some tea and sat down at the table. She was lost in her thoughts and did not hear the footsteps behind her. She jumped when his hand touched her shoulder.



“Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he said.



Clutching her hand over her heart and trying to calm her shaky nerves, she gave him a nervous smile, “It’s okay, Ron. I’m just a little jumpy, I suppose.”



“You had another nightmare?” he asked, with concern in his eyes. Hermione just nodded. There was no need to tell him what the nightmare was about. He sat down next to her and took her hand in his.



“I’m so sorry I couldn’t stop it. I tried, I really tried.”



"I heard you calling my name. You did stop it though, you stopped her and got me out.” She looked up into his blue eyes and found comfort in them. The sound of the kettle broke her reverie. She conjured up two cups and brought the kettle to the table with a wave of her wand. She poured them both a cup of tea and sighed again. She felt him stir beside her and looked up at him. He was watching her intently and when he spoke his voice was quiet and soft.



“Are you ready for today?”



She shrugged her shoulders, “We have to be, don’t we?” She looked up into those eyes again and said what they were both thinking, “It’s almost over, isn’t it?” Her brow was furrowed and there was no trace of relief in her voice.



He looked down into her brown eyes and once again took her hand in his, savoring the softness of it.



“I think so.” He felt the same nervousness she did. Still gazing into her eyes he asked, “Do you think we’ll all make it?”



Tears welled up in her eyes and she blinked them back.



“I...I don’t know. I hope so. I’m not ready to die. There are too many things I want to do with my life yet. I want to have a job that means something, that makes a difference in the world. I want to get married to the man of my dreams and have children and grow old together,” she looked up at him again, “but I can’t have that while You-Know-Who is in power and I’m willing to fight for it. Even if it means that I die so that somebody else has that right. What about you? Are you ready?”



He looked down at her and his heart skipped another beat, as it always did when she was around.



“I want the same things as you, but I can’t have them with the person I want as long as You-Know-Who is around, so yes, I’m ready to fight for it...for her, too.”



Hermione’s heart was beating so loudly she was sure he could hear it. She felt as if he was gazing into her soul. She needed to know for sure.



“And just who is this person you want that life with?” she whispered.



Ron leaned forward and looked her straight in the eyes, “Don’t you know?” he whispered back.



“There have been times I thought I knew...and others where I decided I must be the most foolish witch in the world to have ever thought it.” She looked down at their entwined hands. Ron let go of one of them and put his hand under her chin, raising her face to his.



“Oh, good, you’re both up already. Are you ready to go?” Harry said, walking into the room with Griphook, oblivious to the scene in front of him. Ron dropped his hand and turned toward his friend.



“Ready as we’ll ever be, mate.” he said, and looked back at Hermione, who just nodded her head.



Harry walked out the back door, followed by Griphook. Just as Hermione was walking out the door behind them, Ron grabbed her hand, leaned in from behind and whispered in her ear so that only she could hear, “You are anything but foolish.”



Her heart leapt as he gave her hand a squeeze then let go and followed her out the door, where he allowed her to transfigure him and he watched as she transformed into the woman who had been the source of both their nightmares. As the four walked to where they would apparate to Diagon Alley, the two silently wished for both of their dreams to come true.





***A/N ~ This is just something that came to me one night and wouldn’t go away until I wrote it down. I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review.