PROTECTION ♞ h.p.

19. Here Comes the Sun

When Hermione awoke, the hospital room was dark. The steady beeps coming from the three heart-monitoring orbs were the only audible sounds as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Pushing her hair away from her face, she looked for her in-laws, but found their chairs surprisingly empty.

Rolling onto her side, she watched Ron sleeping in his bed for a minute before she moved. She wanted to touch him - wanted to feel him breathing and know without question he was alive.

Lifting her covers, she slipped gingerly out of her bed. The floor was cool beneath her bare feet, causing a shiver to run up the back of her legs. For a moment, the room swayed around her and she rested her hand on the mattress.

When she felt steady enough, she walked carefully across the room.

Feeling something hovering behind her, she whipped around. Her cry of alarm died in her throat though, when she saw it was simply her two monitoring bubbles floating along in her wake. Pressing a hand against her stomach, she turned back and continued on.

When she reached Ron's bed, she pulled back his blankets. The white scar on his chest was vivid and she shut her eyes for a second against the memories that surfaced. Reaching out, she trailed her fingers over the symbol. Ron didn't stir, his chest continuing to rise steadily under her hand.

Climbing onto the bed, she slid under the covers with him and leaned her body against the warmth of his. Laying her hand over his heart, she pressed her face into his skin, breathing in his familiar scent. Her hand moved to his arm, her fingers running up and down the scar Malfoy had given him.

"Ron," she breathed. "Wake up."

He didn't move as she brushed her lips against his collarbone. Before she knew it, she was crying, wetting his skin with her tears.

"Wake up," she pleaded again softly.

Her breath caught a moment later when he shifted beneath her. Looking up, she watched as his head rolled to the side and his fingers twitched under her touch.

"H'mionnn," he sighed, his eyes remaining closed.

"I'm here," she told him, pressing a kiss to his ear. "I'm here."

"Sstayy," he breathed, before he seemed to fade back to sleep.

"Yes," she nodded, tucking her face into his neck as she caught his hand and squeezed. "I'll stay."

Holding onto him, she listened to him breathe until she eventually fell back to sleep.

~..~..~..~..~..~

Harry stirred only once during the night, drifting awake just enough to register he was cold. Groggily, he conjured a thick blanket, pulling it over Ginny who was shivering where she slept against him.

His eyes closed almost immediately as he murmured out a warming charm and wrapped his arms around her. In response, Ginny shifted in her sleep, rubbing her cheek against his chest as her legs tangled with his.

It was midmorning by the time Harry woke again, this time feeling the weight of Ginny's body on his.

Being with her seemed so normal that at first, he didn't think anything of it. Warm and comfortable beneath the covers, he lingered in the haze of waking as he ran his hands up and down her back.

Her skin was smooth beneath his palms, her hair thick and tangled when he dragged his fingers through it. Murmuring her name, Harry waited for her to stir, but she remained still.

"Ginny," he repeated, stroking her hair. "Ginny, wake up, love."

When she still didn't respond, he finally rolled with her until she was on her back as he leaned over her.