A/N: slowly places this here and hides from all the yelling

Original A/N: So, this came to me one night and I realised that it would be a really intimate thing to have happen between Ron and Hermione, even though it's not exactly uncommon. So, yes, I know that this wouldn't happen. But really, who takes me seriously, anyway (that's a joke. OR IS IT?)?

Set during the Horcrux Hunt in Deathly Hallows.

Summary: Ron helps Hermione through something neither of them thought he would have to help her through, let alone notice.

Suggested Soundtrack: There's really nothing suggested about it. I listened to the most relaxing, beautiful piece of classical music I know of (and love to complete bits): Claire De Lune by Claude Debussy. Enjoy!

A Red Water Bottle

At first, Ron didn't notice it. Well, that's not completely true; he noticed, but he didn't realise what it was about. Every now and then, Hermione would head into the miniscule bathroom in the tent, have a long shower, and come out with a hot water bottle. She would then curl up in bed in her pyjamas with her back to her boys and not move for approximately four hours, at which time, she would get up and head for the loo again. When it was her turn to go on watch, Ron did notice that she took the hot water bottle with her from time to time. He finally figured it out when the water bottle appeared for the seventh time.

'Harry.'

Harry looked over at Ron, who was watching as Hermione moved carefully towards the mouth of the tent, water bottle and blanket in hand.

'Yeah, mate?'

'D'you think Hermione's okay?' Ron asked, now watching the shadow of Hermione's sitting figure.

'As good as us,' Harry replied. 'Why?'

Ron tore his eyes from the mouth of the tent to look at his best mate.

'Just wondering. She doesn't look very healthy, does she?'

Harry glanced over at the mouth of the tent before looking back at Ron and shrugging.

'I haven't noticed,' he mumbled, going back to his notes.


The day after Ron left, Hermione was hit with her period. She curled up in the armchair she was in when she came back from chasing Ron, placed the hot water bottle over her abdomen and tucked the blanket around herself as best she could, sobbing as quietly as possible so Harry couldn't hear her.


About a month after Ron left, Hermione prepared for her period. A week after that, it still hadn't come. Hermione panicked. She was never late. In fact, if anything, she was a couple days early. But late? Never. Not once since her uterus decided she was ready to bear the responsibilty of bleeding from her most private parts. That no one had seen. So why was she late?

Stress, she thought to herself as she cast her multipying spell on her remaining tampons. Stress can throw the body out of a routine. And Merlin knows I've been stressed lately. He's gone, and Harry and I are completely lost on what to do next. Of course I'm stressed.

It came the next day.


She had just gotten into bed after magically drying her hair from her shower.

'Hermione! Hermione!'

Hermione tossed her hot water bottle to the side and moved as quickly as possible out of her bed just in time to watch Harry walk into the tent.

'What's wrong?' she demanded.

'Nothing,' he replied, grinning widely. 'Look who's here.'

Hermione let her eyes move to the mouth of the tent, only to have them land on Ronald Weasley, who was soaked from head to toe, his hair sticking to his forehead. He gave her a tentitive smile and she walked towards him slowly. The closer she got, the harder it was to breathe, and the moment he started to lift his arms as if asking for a hug, it hit her; he was back, the bloody bastard. She started punching him.

'You - complete - arse - Ronald - Weasley!' she yelled, hitting him as hard as she could.

'Ow - ouch - Hermione!'

Hermione couldn't stop; he hurt her by leaving and she wanted him to hurt just as much now that he was back.

But he's back.

Hermione looked up at him; he was covering his face with his hands and looking at her through his fingers. She was about to back off, but Harry cast a Shield Charm between them and she bounced backwards.

He's back!

It was an hour before she went back to bed, cast a Warming Charm on her water bottle, and went to sleep.


Ron looked up as Hermione rooted around in bed before getting up and walking into the loo. He still couldn't believe he had made it back to them; back to her. It had only been a couple hours since Hermione had gone to bed after attacking him, but she was up and Ron was kind of worried. She hadn't looked her best when he left her and she wasn't looking any better now. Hermione walked out of the loo and Ron noticed the red water bottle in her hands. She avoided eye contact with him, but he didn't take his eyes off of her, noting the shiver that hit her right before she sat on the edge of her bed.

'I'm happy you're back, but that doesn't mean I'm not still angry at you for leaving,' she mumbled, staring at the floor, the water bottle on the bed beside her.

Ron slowly rose from his spot in the armchair she was sitting in hours earlier and walked over to her, kneeling in front of her. Her eyes were watery and he tilted her chin up so she would look at him directly.

'I'm sorry,' he breathed, pressing his forehead against hers and closing his eyes.

Ron felt her hands cup his face and she pressed her forehead against his harder, her hands shaking. He opened his eyes and saw tears falling from her closed eyes.

'Why did you leave?' she whispered.

'Later,' he murmured, pushing the question off. 'Here, get into bed.'

Hermione pulled her head from his and looked at him as he tugged her socks off. She slipped her legs under the covers and Ron lifted the water bottle from its spot on the bed and gently laid it over her abdoment.

'There, right?' he asked softly.

Hermione looked at him in surprise before nodding.

'Yes,' she replied just as softly. 'Thank you.'

Ron smiled at her and tugged the covers over her completely.

'How did you know?' she whispered just before he turned to leave.

Ron sat on the edge of the bed, braced his hand on the other side of Hermione and leaned over her slightly, smirking.

'I have my ways,' he replied.

Hermione shifted onto her back and looked up at him.

'You noticed? I thought I was being casual about it,' she murmured.

Ron brushed back some her hair.

'You were. I just ... notice a lot when it comes to you.'

Hermione's eyes fluttered closed and she sighed slightly.

'I was trying not to make it noticeable. To anyone.'

'You were pretty subtle,' he replied. 'Took me a while to realise what the deal was. Then I started counting down the days and that, combined with the water bottle, kind of made it impossible to not know.'

Hermione opened her eyes and sighed again.

'Did Harry notice?'

'Nah; Harry's a bit caught up in everything else,' Ron said, shifting slightly to regain a little bit of feeling in his arm.

Hermione moved over and turned on her left side, lifting the covers of the bed up.

'C'mon,' she said. 'Get in.'

Ron's eyes widened and he shook his head.

'Nah, I can't. I ... I should ... um ...'

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him and Ron swallowed slightly before kicking off his trainers and slipping onto her bunk. Hermione had one hand on her abdomen to hold the water bottle in place and Ron shifted closer to wrap his arms around her, pulling her close and using his side to hold the bottle in place. Hermione snuggled into him and Ron ran a hand up and down her back, peering down at her. Her hand was on his chest and her nose was buried against his neck.

'I missed you,' she murmured.

Ron pressed a kiss to her hair.

'I missed you, too.'


Ron gently knocked on the door to Hermione and Luna's room. Luna was in the living room talking to Dean, meaning that Hermione was alone in the room that he had stayed in when he was living with Bill and Fleur for that brief time. There was no response from his knock, so he opened the door a crack and peered in, hoping to see Hermione asleep; after all she had been through at Malfoy Manor hours earlier, it was only fair that she finally rest.

'Ron? That you?'

Knowing he had been found out, Ron opened the door a bit wider, slipped in and closed the door behind him before facing her.

'Hey,' he whispered, walking over and kneeling on the floor beside her bed. 'How're you feeling?'

Hermione screwed up her face a bit before producing her red water bottle. Ron took it from her and, before she could even say a word, kissed her forehead and walked across the hallway into the loo, dumping the old, cold water and running the tap for the fresh, hot water. He dried it off and returned to Hermione's room as quickly as he could, smoothing back her hair, lifting the covers and slipping in beside her, resting the bottle against her abdomen like she needed and letting her snuggle up against him.

'Better?' he asked.

Hermione nodded against his chest.

'Much,' she murmured. 'Thank you.'

'How far along are you?'

'Second day.'

'Oh, fuck,' Ron said, looking down at her. 'And you went through all that from Lestrange and -'

'I don't want to talk about it,' she said firmly, cutting across him.

'Hermione -'

'I said I don't want to talk about it,' Hermione replied, looking up at him pleadingly. 'Please.'

Ron blinked and nodded.

'Right. Right,' he said, snuggling down and closer to her, rubbing her back. 'Okay.'

Hermione took a deep, even breath and closed her eyes, obviously trying to sleep.


They had been at Shell Cottage for nearly a month. Ron had been keeping an eye on Hermione, mainly to see if she showed any signs of further injury after all the abuse she had taken from Bellatrix Lestrange, but she seemed fine for the three and a half weeks afterwards. It was only when she started moving a touch slower than normal did Ron worry. Waiting until everyone else was in bed and asleep, Ron quietly crept up to Hermione's bedroom and pressed an ear against the door, listening for any sound of movement. Not hearing anything, he slowly and quietly turned the handle of the door, pushed the door open enough to slip in, and then closed it just as quietly.

Ron resisted the urge to cast Lumos on the room so he could see, instead letting his eyes adjust to the slightly darker room before finding Hermione's bed, padding over to it, lifting the covers and sliding into the bed behind her, his hand slipping over her waist and onto her red water bottle.

I knew it, he thought, tugging her closer and burying his nose in her hair.

'I suppose I should have known you'd be here,' came Hermione's hushed voice. She raised her wand and pointed it towards Luna's sleeping figure. 'Muffliato.'

Ron chuckled quietly before pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

'Did I wake you?'

'No; I couldn't sleep.'

'The bottle seems a bit too hot; need me change the water for you?'

Hermione shook her head before shifting enough to look at him.

'You don't have to stay,' she whispered. 'I've done this alone for about five years, you know.'

Ron laughed again.

'Do you want me to go?'

'It's not about what I want. I doubt you'd leave if you didn't want to go,' she replied, shifting again until she was on her left side, facing him.

Ron could see the amused look on her face and pressed his forehead to hers.

'I like knowing that you're okay,' he whispered.

Hermione's fingers found his on the sheet between them and they threaded through his, her eyes downcast slightly.

'I like knowing that you care enough to know if I'm okay,' she replied, finally dragging her gaze up to meet his.

Ron smirked a bit, his forehead still against hers. His fingers twitched slightly and he covered the movement by twisting his hand against hers until they were palm to palm, fingers still entwined snugly.

'I'm sorry I ever left you,' he murmured after a few moments of silence.

Hermione shook her head.

'We're far past that, Ron,' she replied.

'I just ... I felt left out.'

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

'How?'

'You and Harry were being all brilliant and what was I doing? Besides being mildly ignored, I felt like I was just getting in the way. You two were figuring things out together, making plans together, acting like the bloody Blessed Couple: The Boy Who Lived and The Cleverest Witch of Her Age. Perfect match,' Ron said.

Hermione shook her head.

'He's not you,' she said softly. 'He can never be you. And I'm happy about that. Because if he was you, then you'd be him and I don't want him. I want you, Ron. I want you because you make me laugh when no one else can. You make me feel important when I feel insignificant. You know just what I need and when I need it, and in what form; physically, emotionally, mentally. You challenge me, Ronald. You know when to pick a fight and you know exactly how to get me riled up. And then you know how to cool me down.'

'But we're complete opposites, Hermione,' Ron whispered.

'But because of that, we work,' she said.

'Explain that one, then,' he replied, resisting the urge to snort.

'I'm so uptight about so many things, but you remind me to relax when I need it. You're completely immature most of the time, but I let you know when you need to grow up and act like an adult. We balance each other out, Ron. Honestly, you want to keep denying this ... this ever growing friction between us? Because it will, eventually, get out of control,' she whispered.

Ron let his eyes wander over her face before returning his gaze to hers.

'I just felt so out of place.'

Hermione removed her fingers from his and cupped his face instead, making their noses press together.

'I've never wanted Harry. And even if I did, I wouldn't have done anything about it. I wouldn't be able to do something like that to Ginny.'

'You never once wanted Harry? Not once?'

'Not once.'

Ron's free fingers wandered up her water bottle and over her waist to the small of her back, pulling her body closer to his, their legs winding together and chests pressing against the other.

'Did you ever want anyone else?'

'No one.'

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him.

'Lavender Brown -'

'-was a girl who threw herself at me, wanted to snog me and hit me at the perfect time. I was upset with you and wanted to make you jealous,' he admitted. 'But I didn't want her. I mean, sure, the snogging was okay, but -'

'Upset with me? Why?'

Ron gulped slightly before answering.

'I ... it's stupid, really.'

'Tell me, Ronald.'

'I ... I caught Ginny with Dean in the corridor and we had an argument and she brought up that I'd been the only one who'd never been kissed; Harry had Cho and you snogged Krum and I just -'

'Wait wait wait,' Hermione said, raising herself up on her left arm. 'She told you I snogged Viktor?'

'Yeah.'

Hermione smirked slightly, watching him from her raised position.

'What?'

'I never snogged Viktor,' she said.

'You ... you didn't?'

'No. He snogged me.'

Ron's hopeful face fell completely.

'Oh.'

'That's why you were upset with me? Because Viktor and I had kissed?'

Ron avoided her gaze and Hermione eventually sighed and lowered herself back to the bed.

'How did it happen?' he asked, his voice rough.

'You don't want to know.'

'Yes, I do,' he said.

Hermione looked at him and sighed again.

'It started at the Yule Ball. He went to kiss my cheek and I was going to kiss his and we sort of ... met in the middle. It was quick, polite, and chaste.'

'Then he never snogged you.'

Hermione gave Ron a look before continuing.

'When we got into the castle after the Second Task for the Triwizard Tournament - the task where I'd be the thing he'd miss most - I only really remember being alone with him for a split second before my back was against a wall and he was kissing me. To be quite honest, it was surprisingly pleasant. He kept it slow, waited for my cues before taking it further.'

Ron had tensed by this point.

'And ... and how far was further, exactly?' he asked, swallowing as best he could.

Hermione looked at him and smiled.

'I told you that you didn't want to know,' she bragged.

'Just ... how far?'

Hermione slipped her hand over his cheek and pulled his head up a bit before pressing her mouth against his, her tongue instantly parting his lips and sweeping over his own. She pulled away and whispered, 'about that far.'

Ron looked at her and blinked.

'You were upset with me because I didn't wait for you, weren't you?' she asked, bracing herself over him with her right hand, her left brushing back his fringe. 'You were upset because you were waiting until we both pulled ourselves together and managed to finally just admit it. Yet here we are, and we've not said a word about it, but we both know.'

Ron kept his gaze on her eyes, which were twinkling slightly. He smirked before reaching up with his left hand and pulling her down to kiss her, running his fingers through her hair. She pulled away and shook her head.

'Did Lavender not teach you anything?' she teased, rubbing her nose against his.

'She honestly was probably happy that I even bothered,' he replied, moving his head to try and capture her mouth again.

Hermione placed a finger on his lips and laughed softly.

'Honestly? Let me teach you the proper way,' she murmured.

Ron caught the look in her eye and grinned slightly as she dropped her head to begin her lesson.


A/N: Okay yes hello I am kind of back I'm sorry I'm the worst person life sucks and all that jazz but I'm also on tumblr if people miss me! I know, that's no excuse. Long story short, a whole whack load of junk happened but I'm sort of back and slowly getting into the swing of things again so hopefully you'll be seeing more of me!