As Long As Your There
Author's notes: Just to say that I own nothing and Harry Potter belongs J.k Rowling!
Chapter 1: I love you
Hermione's bruised and scratched arms enclosed Ron in a tight embrace, their breath mingled in the cool evening air. His head rested wearily on her chest and slowly soaked her clothing with his tears. Hermione was doing her best to comfort him. After finding him alone, staring out over the grounds of Hogwarts she had sat with him and soothed him, now she began stroking his hair as he cried silently into her chest. Hermione hadn't realising that she too was crying but watched as a solitary tear dropped from the end off her nose onto, one of Ron's ginger hairs, and sank in.
Sniffing, she planted a delicate kiss on his forehead, then cupped his face in her hands and lifted him up so they were face to face; brown eyes to blue. Ron gave her a small weak smile, as Hermione brushed her thumbs under his eyes and wiped away his tears.
"It'll be ok Ron, I promise," she reassured, though how she could feel that everything was going to be alright was something Ron could not comprehend.
She smiled, the dried blood on her cut lip cracking from the new form she was putting her mouth under.
After releasing him they both turned and gazed out over the Hogwarts grounds. It didn't resemble the grand area with its sloping lawn that they use to lie on in the afternoons of lazy summer days. The lake was murky and debris of wood from broken trees lay on top, the Quidditch pitch had been reduced to ash, all that still stood were the six golden hoops, but even they had been contoured by the heat of the blaze that the Death Eaters had set upon it. Great gashes now littered the ground from where giants clubs had dragged along the earth's surface, defacing and scaring the lawns. The only part of the grounds that resembled any of the Hogwarts from the past was the Whomping Willow, which looked no worse than it had done five years ago when Harry and Ron had flown Mr. Weasley's flying car into it.
Ron, not able to bare looking at his destroyed second home any longer hung his head and looked into his hands. Even though his life had been torn apart by the death of his brother he felt incredibly lucky to have Hermione, who he loved with all his heart. Even though she was with him, and had been for the last two hours as they just sat together he couldn't quiet understand why she would want to be with him after all the of the pain he had caused her.
"I'll understand if you want to leave me Hermione, I've been a git," he hastily added when Hermione began to shake her head, "I know I have, I left you and Harry and I'm sorry." He looked up into her eyes to make sure she knew how much he meant it. He didn't think that he'd truly survive if she left him and with that the pleading words tumbled out like a waterfall from his mouth onto her awaiting ears, "But I'll do what ever it takes to make it up to you, I just I can't…I can't loose you Hermione," he looked away ashamed, how could he have hurt her so many times? Tears now streamed freely down her face, ones she had been trying to hide from Ron in an effort to reassure him.
Hermione let out a deep breath and made eye contact with Ron
"The only way I'm leaving Ron is if you tell me to go," her voice was strangled through her tears "I never want to leave, I'm not leaving now, not ever. I…I lo-"
"I love you Hermione."
Hermione's heart skipped a beat. He loved her, after all they'd been through she couldn't believe that love still existed, but he did and she him.
"I love you too Ron."
Ron stood up and bent and kissed Hermione lightly on the lips before wiping away the tears from her eyes. "I'll never ask you to leave." he said smiling and pulling her up from the floor to stand with him. Hermione held onto his hand tightly as they walked together up the lawn to Hogwarts, to breathe back in the aftermath of war.