Er... hello again! This is an idea that I had one day, and I had to get it out on paper. I don't usually write Ron/Hermione(I'm actually an avid Ron hater, no offence to those who like him), but it seemed fitting. Well, here's another lame attempt at angst!

"Sectumsempra!"

Time seemed to come to a standstill as Hermione watched the curse stream towards Ron, who was totally unaware. She screamed piercingly to warn him, which could have been the fatal mistake.

Ron turned around at the sound of her voice, wand raised, ready to attack. That was when it hit. She watched, struck to a standstill, as he fell backwards slowly, towards the ground.

She raced towards him, only seeing his unmoving body, now lying awkwardly on the ground, slick with blood. It spread, featherlight, out from the ugly sword cuts across Ron's chest. She fell beside him, tears already threatening to fall, but tried to hold herself together, for his sake.

"Do-don't worry, Ron. We-we'll save you," she reassured him shakily, while attempting to cast a healing spell, but it was no use. She didn't have enough power left.

"Run, Hermione... run," Ron whispered, crimson blood staining their intertwined fingers.

Hermione sobbed. "No! I won't leave you!"

His voice got quieter, and more urgent. "Go... save yourself..."

Tears fell directly onto his chest as Hermione cried her heart out. All that mattered in those moments was herself, and the man she loved. She could feel him weakening, but didn't want to admit anything.

There finally came the moment, in the span of a few minutes since the curse struck, that Ron closed his eyes.

Hermione grasped at his hand once more, one more time, in vain. "No, Ron... Don't go," she whispered. "I... I love you, Ron Weasley! You can't leave now!"

His mouth twitched slightly. Blood spurted out of the wound inflicted by Lucius Malfoy, and his last words were only a breath, but Hermione heard them like he had shouted.

"I love you... go."

And Ronald Weasley took his last breath. The light faded from his eyes.

Hermione sobbed even more now, for a long two minutes, until she was out of tears. He was gone. Her beloved Ron was gone, by the hand of the scum Malfoy. That was when she made up her mind.

I have to honor those words, she thought determinedly. He would want that. He wouldn't want me to die; he would want me to live and be happy.

So she ran. But she didn't run for her life. She didn't run for the world, either.

She ran for him.