I Go Walking
Character: Ron Summary: A little side trip
He set the broomstick into the corner of the entryway and shrugged out of his jacket. He was careful to set it in the exact place it had been before he left, even going so far as to turn one half of the collar back up. Satisfied, he nodded once and continued down towards the lounge.
All was quite here. Good. Hermione was, no doubt, still asleep in their bed and Leila was, by the soft sounds issuing from her room, asleep as well. Even better. The reason for his late night flight could be recycled for use another time.
Scratching idly at his arm, he walked through to the first bedroom down the hall and pushed the door open, checking on her. Sure enough, she was fast asleep, lying on her stomach with her bum straight up in the air. He’d never been able to figure out just how she got restful sleep that way, but her buoyancy the next day made it clear that she was sleeping just fine.
He stumbled over his own feet on the way in to her room, meaning only to draw the blanket back up and over her. The sound of his muffled epithet didn’t wake her, but she did shift in her sleep and roll over onto her back.
Once at her bedside he stood and frowned a little. Her face, always so peaceful and angelic in sleep, was twisted in a slight scowl now. It was the face she wore when denied seconds on pudding when she was already overtired from a long day. He didn’t like it.
With a solid shake of his head, Ron reached out and smoothed a finger across her puckered brow.
“It’s all right, peanut. Da’s here,” he whispered into the dark. His own frown eased just as hers did beneath his fingers. He stood and stared over her for several minutes, watching the easy intake of breath into her lungs while she slept.
A sudden headache had cropped up while he watched her and, with a sigh, he turned and headed towards bed. There was no time, or inclination, for a headache potion now. He’d see to that in the morning if it persisted. For now he just needed sleep, a few hours with his eyes closed and his mind clear.
The clock on the mantle was just chiming 3 a.m. when he settled the blankets over him and pulled Hermione into his arms.