Hermione sat on a wicker chair facing the window. Ron didn't know exactly what to say to her, he knew she must be in pain. Bellatrix had used the cruciatus curse on her, while he and Harry were locked in the dungeon. They had rescued her, before Bellatrix could kill her.

"Hermione, can I come in?" Ron said nervously at the door.

Hermione cleared her throat and nodded. Ron grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

They sat in silence for a couple of moments before Hermione asked, "Where's Harry?" They had just left the beach were they all buried Dobby, the amazing elf, and close friend. They had already lost so many friends; it hurt them to lose another, especially one so pure and innocent. She was scared that Harry would leave, and try and face Voldermort alone…without them.

Hermione knew when it came down to it, it would just be Harry and Voldermort, but until then she wanted to help in every possible way. Harry was known for blaming himself when other people would end up getting hurt. For some reason, Harry could not see that he was the only one who did not choose to be in this fight.

Voldermort chose to kill all in his path, and Harry's mother chose to love him with such intensity that it saved him that night when Voldermort attacked. All of Harry's friends, including Hermione and Ron, chose to stand by his side and fight against Voldermort. Harry was the only one who never asked for any of this. It was chosen for him, and he had nothing to apologize for.

"He is...he is saying good-bye to Dobby." Ron said. Hermione let a tear fall from her eyes.

"How are you doing?" Ron said moving a chair next to her and sat down. She pulled her knees closer to her chest and let a few more tears fall from her eyes. Ron was at a lost; he had no idea what to do. "Hermione, what do you need? Do you want me to go?"

Hermione turned to him without any hesitation, "Please, Ron, don't leave. Never leave!" She said pulling him into her arms and hugging him hard.

"Talk to me, 'Mione. Tell me what happened." Ron whispered into her ear. Ron had never seen Hermione so fragile and broken.

They both sat back down and Hermione went on to tell him how Bellatrix wanted to know how they had come across the sword. Supposedly, it was in Gringotts, and she wanted to know how they had gotten it out of the vault. She then went on to describe how excruciatingly painful the curse was. It was like her skull was splitting from the inside. She then said she felt a part of her dying, not physically but mentally rotting away slowly.

"I will kill that evil wretched…bitch!" Ron said standing up and pacing around the room. He then noticed the bandage on her arm. "Hermione, what's that?"

Hermione pulled her shirt down to cover the bandage. "Nothing, I just cut myself on some glass on the way out."

"Granger, you are a terrible liar." He said sitting back down next to her and then lightly unwrapped the bandage on her arm. His eyes grew wider and now it was his turn for tears to escape his eyes.

"I tried every spell I could find. Nothing works; I'll have this for the rest of my life." Hermione had felt ugly before, every girl has at least once in their life. She hated her hair, thought her teeth were too big for her mouth, and her boobs could've grown a bit more; but this was too much for her to deal with. She couldn't stand to look at it, she was disgusted, it was like her own person reminder that she was different.

Ron let his fingers trace the word. "Being a muggle born is nothing to be ashamed of. This word is used by cowards who are afraid that magic is now everywhere; you have nothing to be ashamed of." Ron then kissed her arm.

Hermione closed her eyes and let his words seep in. She raised her head, and leaned in closer to his face. She gently kissed him. A kiss she had been waiting since second year to give him. "I'm scared Ron."

Ron pulled her hair behind her ears and kissed her forehead. "Were gonna make it through this. Harry will defeat HIM; we will make it through this." Ron said with his hands holding her face.

Hermione stood up and walked across the room. "I don't mean that. I'm scared I'm going to lose you. I'm scared that you will leave again, or worse." Hermione was unable to look at him, the words were pouring out of her mouth, and with every other word she choked on as it came out. "If anything happens to you, I won't be able to survive."

Ron ran to her, "I can't promise you that I will make it through this. I want to believe that I will, but I just can't promise you that, 'Mione. If anything does happen to me, you will survive, you will go on and live a happy life…or I will haunt you." Hermione let out a tiny giggle but then let that fade very quickly. Tears started to fill in her eyes again.

"What I can promise you is this. I will never leave you! I hate myself for leaving the first time, even though the necklace had a hold on me and forced me out, I still hate myself for leaving. I'm in this for the long haul Granger, I'll be right by your side the entire time." Hermione hugged him more gently this time and let him held her in his arms longer. She had never heard him speak like that. With such intensity and force, she knew right there she never wanted to be apart from him, ever.

"I love you, Ron."

"Hermione Jean Granger, I am so in love with you. I've loved you since the first moment I saw you all those years ago, I didn't know it then, but you've had a hold on me. "I love you, and I will never leave you."