Harry Potter Characters X Reader

bill weasley

The Hogwarts dormitories were quite safer than many other areas of the castle. No, they weren't necessarily guarded by more than a magical painting (who could often be swayed into submission, in the case of the Fat Lady). They weren't even especially private, seeing as some of them had up to five students sharing one cramped space. But it tended to be an unspoken rule that these spaces were sacred, existing outside the lines of house rivalries and end-of-term seventh year pranks. There were exceptions, of course, but the student body could generally agree that their own beds were often the safest place to be within the castle walls.

You were safe in bed, yes, but not within the confines of your own body. You'd been prone to nightmares for ages, been to Madam Pomphrey and even Professor Snape on numerous occasions to request medicinal potions that would allow you to sleep through the night. And for the most part, you'd been doing better lately, going several nights at a time without your subconscious mind interfering with your slumber.

Tonight was different. You awoke with a start, like suddenly being dropped on your feet in a different world all together. This wasn't the case, of course; you were snug in bed, wrapped in a scarlet and gold quilt with the stove burning hot just a few feet away. bill was sprawled out on his back beside you, open-mouthed and snoring at the ceiling. You couldn't recall if you'd even made a sound when your eyes flashed open, and the memory of the dream was slipping further away with each moment until you weren't quite sure what it was even about; all you knew was the unsettling feeling like a rock in your gut, making your hands shake as you white-knuckled the blanket to keep it tight around you. Your eyes felt close to tears for what seemed to be no reason at all. Though you'd usually just roll over and drift back to sleep, the dark cloud this particular dream casted over you wasn't something to just be shaken off. You needed company.

He's such a heavy sleeper.

Braving the open air, you shifted to tuck part of the quilt over bill's body. It had become your sole possession at some point in the night. You used the opportunity to snuggle closer, one trembling hand coming to rest upon his arm. "bill?" you whispered, voice low enough so his roommates wouldn't be disturbed at such an hour. But his snores were loud enough that they filled the room anyways, too loud for you to be heard over. You swallowed and tried again, moving your lips closer to his ear: "bill, please wake up."

The snoring ceased, dissolving into an abrupt snort. His lashes fluttered, brow wrinkling as your voice reached his own dream world, hopefully a nicer one than you'd been dealing with. Your fingers wrapped around his forearm, grabbing his attention enough for a sliver of blue to crack from beneath his eyelids. You watched his eyes adjust to the darkness, and then they were finally upon you.

"Y/N..." He rolled over on his side, deep voice rasped with the residue of sleep. He blinked heavily, barely keeping his eyes open even as he brought a palm to rest against your cheek. You let him cradle your face, relief thinning the air in your lungs that had felt more like a heavy sludge since you'd woken up. Your eyes even closed, letting his attention wash over you, rinsing the anxious energy from your skin with every drowsy word or gentle touch. "Whats'a matter, baby?"

The words caught in your throat. It felt silly, now that you were being prompted to reveal the cause of your affliction. It was just a little dream, and you couldn't even remember it now. There was no reason for you to have woken bill up as well. But his thumb stroked the curve of your cheek, patient and attentive even through sleep-heavy eyes as he waited for your response. You felt safer even just with his one hand on your face, keeping you tied to reality.

"Just a bad dream," you whispered finally, casting your eyes away from his face in case annoyance flashed across it. Nothing of the sort met you in response; bill shifted his position, and you accepted the invitation into an embrace without a moment to spare. His strength grounded you, too, his arms finding a cross-section in the middle of your back so you could tuck your head beneath his chin, let yourself be taken in from the chill of your own restlessness, your own mind's discontent.

"Go back to sleep, love, 'm right here," bill sighed into your hair, punctuating it with a kiss that lingered an extra moment or two. Time felt like jelly, moving thickly to bring you closer to the edge of drifting off again. Whether for the benefit of his fatigue or yours, bill had you. You were safe in his proximity, taken care of in the best of ways. You were his and he was yours, and it was enough to lull you back into much more pleasant dreams.