Like Honey (Draco x Hermione x Theo)

Chapter 5

"Move over," a voice whispered from behind her.

She already knew he was coming. His footsteps were always heavy and obvious in a house with such thin walls and creaking floorboards. She grunted, pulling the blanket closer to allow an empty space. A silent invitation.

"Thanks," the voice whispered again and a large, warm presence was pressed up behind her.

"What was it tonight?" she whispered back, her voice too crisp to be just woken up. A sign that she had also been having trouble sleeping.

"Department of Mysteries. You?"

Hermione sighed, rolling over carefully to face him. Ron's face looked almost sunken in, desperate for a night of peaceful sleep.

"Cedric."

Ron nodded. Their nightmares were on a rotation between the various tragedies they endured.

"D'you have any dreamless sleep?"

Hermione tucked her hand under her cheek and shook her head, her face pulling into a guilty smile. "No. I haven't had the ingredients. But I think they're going into town tomorrow. I'll make sure to have some for tomorrow night though, I'll start brewing as soon as they get back."

Ron's mouth pulled to one side. "I guess we'll just have to stick it out for tonight. Do you mind if I stay?"

Hermione nodded, scooting her body closer to the wall to give his bigger frame more room.

"If you kick me even once, I'm sending you straight back to your own room."

He hummed, but the sound was sleepy and unhearing as he was lulled to the sleep by the presence of another person. Hermione gently tucked a stray hair behind his ear. He had refused to let his mother cut it in the months that they had been stuck at the Burrow and it was starting to curl at the ends.

She wondered about Malfoy and Nott just a few doors down. If they were awake right now, plagued with dreams of their own. If they found comfort in each other as Ron found comfort next to her.

She didn't mind him coming to her bed, it only happened every so often. His warmth was welcome as well as the distraction of his presence. Hermione counted the freckles across his nose and snorted softly. If Molly knew they were sharing a bed, she'd be overjoyed. It was no secret she hoped for the pair to find their way to each other.
But Ron Lavender. Sweet, patient Lavender who had been moved to a safehouse in Dublin, using her quote-unquote talents in divination to aid the Order as she could. And Hermione had no interest.

Ron's lips parted on a soft snore and Hermione let her heavy eyes close, pushing away the gorey memory of Cedric's body and replacing it with comforting things.

Blood. So much blood-- no, a warm bed. A worn duvet that smells of apple pie filling.

Mr. Diggory's cries-- Hermione's eyes squeezed closed tighter, pressing herself more against the wall. Someone behind me. Someone holding me. A strong, musky scent like the edge of a forest.

She felt her shoulders relax, letting the fantasy of the imaginary figure wrap his arms over her toros, grounding her to the bed. Ron's breath puffed against her cheek and she leaned into it, the dizziness of sleep settling in.

Someone in front of her. The smell of mint and clean linen. Two bodies pressing her in the middle, shielding her from all sides. Protecting her until she could finally rest.

————

Someone was shaking her.

"Mmph'off." she tried to grumble, shaking the hands away, but they were persistent.