Everytime We Touch by Cascada

It was now nightfall at the Shell Cottage, and there was a sense of bitter-sweetness in the air. They had survived the awful events that had occurred during that horrible day. Yes, they were hurt and battered, but they were alive. Yet, the feeling of death still lingered; Hermione had been tortured, and for a moment she was touch-and-go. Though the girl had been healed she was still very frail.

"I'm fine; you can stop looking at me. I'm feeling quite well, Fleur did an excellent job. Eat, eat!" was heard across the table where Hermione sat, feeling like an exhibition at a fair, because every second she had a different set of eyes studying her every movement. Ron and Harry sent her a questioning look.

"Really, I'm fine!" With that Harry looked away slightly convinced that she was indeed fine. As Harry, Bill and everyone else spoke Ron's eyes lingered on Hermione. "I'm fine." She mouthed at him and with that he too looked away towards his brother, yet from the corners of his eyes he still kept watching her.

One by one all of occupants of the Shell Cottage slowly departed for bed, all except Ronald and Hermione. He had seen that she was hesitant of going off alone and had decided to distract her until she was tired enough that it didn't bother her anymore. By midnight they were playing yet another game of chess, it turned out that Bill had a complete set laying around and Ron knew Hermione needed to keep her mind occupied; otherwise it would jump back to the events that took place earlier in the day.

As Hermione yawned yet again Ron said in a soft whisper "Think it's time to go to bed?"

Her eyes sprang open. "Um, yes," she said tentatively. As he noticed her slight pause he added "or would you like another go?" pointing at the chess board.

"No, it's fine, we sh-should rest. Don't worry Ron, I-I'll be fine." A small and false smile adorned her face.

"Are you sure? I have no problem playing another game" he said trying to stifle a yawn.

"I'm sure."

"Okay then." He walked behind her until they reached the room. "I'll only be a couple of paces away. If you need anything, you know where to find me." he said giving her a hug.

As she hugged him back he whispered at her ear "I meant it Hermione, if you need anything…"

"Thanks" she said giving him a peck on the cheek. A blush broke on both their faces.

"Right, um, goodnight then" he said in a crazy red hue.

"Goodnight."

A few hours before dawn a piercing scream shook the house; Ron's eyes popped open and before he was standing he found himself running to its source, Hermione.

"Hermione! It'smeI'mcomingin!" he managed to blurt out before opening the door. He ran in to a heart-shattering scene: the dark figure of Hermione's body was in a fetal position, clutching the bed sheets to her chest, covered in a cold sweat and trembling with tears running down her face. Instinctively he sat on the bed and began comforting her, his heart beating a thousand miles per hour.

In less than a second Harry, Bill and Fleur were at the door; Ron had seemed to have apparated on the bed. Harry walked in and sat next to Ron who had a sobbing Hermione in his arms. He wanted, more than anything, to apologize to her, after all if it wasn't for him none of this would've happened, not only it was his fault they were running from Death Eaters, but he had been the idiot that had said the name that got them to Malfoy Manor; but his words failed him. So instead he just sat there next to his best friends, whishing more than ever the ability to change the past.

Hemione kept trembling for what it felt like an eternity. Ron was trying to stay strong for her, but he too was in the verge of tears. In a barely audible tone he was repeating the same words over and over while stroking her hair, "It's okay, you're safe; 'Mione, you're safe."

The rest of the day was rather uneventful. Ron had stayed with Hermione until she calmed down. Harry was muttering to himself "Stupid! How could I be so stupid!" while pacing up and down the corridor until he finally broke away from the trance and heading outside. Bill and Fleur checked in on them every half an hour, brought them food and urged them to it eat, practically forcing it down their throats.

As the sky started losing its brightness Ron and Hermione emerged from the room, fingers intertwined.

"Ze food will be ready zoon. 'Arry iz at ze shore, you should get zome air zu." Fleur said her eyes moving from their hands to their eyes, the corners of her lips slightly twitching upwards.

After dinner they sat once again playing chess, talking, doing anything; this time it was evident that Hermione was frightened to go back to sleep. It was almost midnight once again.

"Hermione," Ron said softly caressing her hand, "you look exhausted, go on, and go to sleep."

"I-I-" she looked like a dear in headlights "I don't think I can… What if it happens again? What if-" She started trembling. "Ron, I'm not st-strong enough to go through that again. I-I- I-" Ron practically ran to hug her.

"Shhhh, it's okay, 'Mione, you won't be alone, everyone is here for you. I'm here for you. You are and will continue to be safe; I'll make sure of that. Okay?" Ron felt her nod. "Now, come on, it's late; let's get some sleep"

They made it to the door of the room and Hermione took a step back. "I can't" she said in a small whisper, her head down.

"Hermione, look at me," Ron said lifting her head so they were looking at each other eye to eye. "Everything will be okay..." He wanted more than anything to tell her that nothing was going to happen, that it had all been a bad dream, that she would never experience anything like that once again, but looking into her eyes words failed him, his mind went blank. He lowered his head slightly and placed a kiss on her forehead. He didn't know why, but he let his lips linger a bit.

She felt her heart melt. "If I wasn't mush before, I am definitely mush now" she thought to herself. She took his hands in hers and they stood there for what if felt like ages.

At some point her head had found his chest and his arms had found her back. "You need to rest" he whispered and regretted it instantly, because this meant that Hermione was going to leave his arms empty. When he felt her whimper slightly he added softly "Remember, anything Hermione" he kissed her forehead once more "Anything"

Hermione nodded, her voice had seemed to disappear. Ron took one last look at her, gave her a reassuring smile and turned to the stairs. "R-Ron, wait" she said hastily, "I, um, was wondering, if, well, if it wasn't too much to ask, and you didn't mind of course, if, you'd, um..."

"If I?"

She moved her lips, but he heard nothing. "If I what?" he said slowly.

"Stay." She said it so softly he almost missed it again.

"You want me to stay, here, with you?" he had to ask and make sure he wasn't imagining this.

"Um, y-yes. Is that, is that all right?" she blushed furiously "I mean, you don't have to, if you don't want to."

"Of course."

"Of course?"

"Yes, of course I'll stay with you." He smirked slightly his ears unnaturally red.

They walked into the room, and Hermione felt suddenly stupid, where was Ron going to sleep? How could she ask him to stay in the room with her? he too needed sleep. She was about to tell him he could go, that she was going to be fine, that it had been a lapse in judgement; when Ron took her hand and gave her a knowing look, a look that said "It's fine." Before she could muster up the courage to tell him anything he walked over to the rocking chair where he sat the night before, pulled it closer to the bed and sat down. She didn't move. He patted the bed, "Get to sleep, Hermione"

"Ron, you can-" he broke her of; he knew she was going to say he could leave if he wanted to.

"Too late, I'm already here." He smiled again. "Sleep, Hermione, sleep."

She found her way to the bed, where –at his request– she laid down and fell asleep almost immediately.

Ron staying with Hermione seemed to work, she hadn't woken up. It was now 10 am and Ron, who had been up since 8 was starting to feel his stomach acids burn and decided to go down for breakfast. At 10:05, Hermione woke up startled. She felt incredibly alone, then she heard him, Ron, Ronald, the insufferable redhead she called her best friend, the boy she –who couldn't deny it any longer- loved, talk and everything seemed to be okay again.

I still hear your voice, when you sleep next to me.
I still feel your touch in my dreams.
Forgive me my weakness, but I don't know why
Without you it's hard to survive.

The following nights Ron stayed with her. When Fleur and Bill noticed what was going on, they were reluctant, but when they noticed that every time Ron stepped out of the room Hermione would wake up, sometimes just anxious and sometimes screaming, they decided that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea.

'Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling.
And everytime we kiss I swear I could fly.
Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last.
Need you by my side.
'Cause everytime we touch, I feel the static.
And everytime we kiss, I reach for the sky.
Can't you hear my heart beat so...
I can't let you go.
Want you in my life.

As the nights pushed further on, the chair moved ever so closer to the bed, until it couldn't be budged any closer. Sometime during the week, Hermione told Ron that he didn't have to stay with her anymore.

"It must be uncomfortable to sleep on a chair. You deserve a good night sleep too!"

To which he answered "I am fine! That chair is far more comfortable than it looks, and besides..." but he broke off, ears crimson.

After much consideration Bill finally had enough of his brother sleeping in a chair. This declaration made both, Hermione's and Ron's, hearts plunge several cliffs; they were going to separate them. Ron had his arguments at the ready, but to their surprise Bill conjured up a camping cot to the room.

"There you are, this should be more comfortable" Bill said smiling. Ron and Hermione stood frozen. They were going to sleep in the same room, alone; now that they both had beds, the fact sank in.

Your arms are my castle, your heart is my sky.
They wipe away tears that I cry.
The good and the bad times, we've been through them all.
You make me rise when I fall.

Even though the beds where apart their hands always seemed to find each other's, just as well as they had when he slept on the chair. Ron would never admit it to her, but he missed the feel of a bed under him. Sleeping like a normal person was delightful, but holding her hand was amazing, now, doing both was bliss.

Hermione didn't know how she could ever repay Bill and Fleur for not only being understanding, but for making them, him, comfortable. She was forever indebted.

Just like the chair, the cot, moved slowly but surely nearer and nearer to the bed, until they were practically sleeping on a queen sized bed.

'Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling.
And everytime we kiss I swear I could fly.
Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last.
Need you by my side.
'Cause everytime we touch, I feel the static.
And everytime we kiss, I reach for the sky.
Can't you hear my heart beat so...
I can't let you go.
Want you in my life.

They never did anything other than talk and hold hands, but it was the most amazing thing either of them ever did. Every night they would fall asleep hands intertwined foreheads touching, mouths smiling. One morning though, Hermione woke up, with Ron's arm across her waist. An inevitable smile was etched on her face, and she shifted a little closer to him, closing her eyes again and enjoying the warm feeling coursing through her body.

'Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling.
And everytime we kiss I swear I could fly.
Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last.
Need you by my side.

AN: Hello! Long time, no read... I am not completely happy how this chapter turned out, but I felt I owed you guys an update, so here it is. I am so deeply sorry for the ultra delay in update, I had originally planned on posting a week after the last chapter, but I had several tests, which sadly interrupted my creative process. I had half the chapter written already, but since this is a song fic I couldn't update a chapter with no song, so finding the best song to go with the chapter also took some time, and then I had writer's block and some more tests!

I would like to say that I'm going to update soon, but I can't, seeing as next week are my finals. So please be patient, the update will happen! ...someday. Ich werde eine stressig Woche.

I would like to thank everyone who read, favourited, reviewed, and even put me in their alerts! I know I say this far too often, but it truly is an amazingly humbling experience.

Ps. I apologize if they are out of character; I just wanted to end the chapter on a happy note, plus I had to make the story go along with the song.

Pps. Dobby is alive, I couldn't bear to write him off.

Triple P, s. Please review. And thanks for reading.