Nightmares
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Ron/Hermione
Words: 265
Warnings/Spoiler: Pretty dark, mention of depression

It was one of those nights. Hermione knew it hours before Ron knew it. It was a feeling in the air, that was familiar. It was the way he was talking to her. It was the look in his eyes. She knew it. She always does.

She woke up in the middle of the night. Alone. Ron was gone. She picked up a Cardigan and some shoes to look after him. He was sitting in their living room, staring in the dark.

Although her steps were almost quiet, he knew that she was standing behind him: "I hope I didn't wake you."

"You never did", she answered.

It started a year after the war. Ron could not sleep: Nightmares. He never told her what he was seeing and feeling in his sleep, but she knew it was something so bad that he can't find words for it. She knew from Harry that way more people has problems with nightmares, with everything that they've seen during the war.

"Please, Hermione". His voice was quiet and weak. All his demons were in the room with him and took his breath away.

"Come back to bed", she begged.

"I can't."

He once tried it. Going back to bed, feeling Hermione's warm body, trying to find new sleep. And the nightmares became more and more, worse and worse. And so he stayed awake. Every night when it happens.

"Go back to sleep. I'm fine."

Hermione muttered an "Ok". They both knew that he was not okay. Maybe that was the price. The price they payed for winning the war.