"And you," said Ron, turning unexpectedly to Hermione. "Are you coming, are you staying?"

"Ron, I –" she said, taken aback and turning helplessly to Harry, who was silenced and by the tent. She turned back to Ron, who had a look of utter fury etched on his face. "I –"

"Fine," he said, taking about two steps back. He cleared his throat and, to Hermione's horror, said, "I saw you two the other night."

Hermione took a step towards him, but he backed away once more. "Ron – that was nothing!" she protested, but Ron, who had his rucksack around him already, shook his head and disappeared behind the tent. Hermione looked to Harry, who was still silenced and avoiding her eyes. She felt her face heat up and threatening tears; in an attempt to convince him to return, she ran out of the tent as well. "Ron!"

He turned around, about ten feet away from her. "What?"

"Ron, please don't go, please –"

"Oh, I thought you wanted me to leave, 'Mione," he sneered, resembling Draco Malfoy. "Thought you couldn't spend another moment without your precious Potter -"

"Ron, that's not true! Last night was nothing, I swear, I was just –"

"You know what else is nothing?" he bellowed, and in fear, she backed away and felt tears run long down her face and dripping to the dead leaves beneath her feet. "I am! D'you honestly expect me to believe I'm worthwhile, I'm the person to turn to, when I'm living in the same damn tent as Harry Potter?"

"Ron – that's not fair," she said, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"You're right. It isn't."

"Ron," she said, as he started to turn away. "Harry's a friend, and nothing more –"

"You honestly expect me to believe that?" he demanded. "I'm not stupid, 'Mione!"

"I never said you where!" Hermione protested. "You know Harry's not enjoying every single bit of attention he's getting –"

"He does from you –"

"RON!" she grabbed his sweater and pulled him back. "It's been years, Ron, years. You haven' seen the hints I've been giving out…Harry's my brother. He's my brother. I'm proud to say that, but…what we have…it's something that I treasure in a different kind of way. What we have is special, it's not something every other bickering pair of prats have. It's something that I never want to die down, and never want to let go of. It's something that I love, something I feel just the same way I feel about you. if you've never known that, then…I'm standing my ground, and I'm saying it now, Ron. So please. Don't do this."

Ron wiped his nose and turned back to her. "Come with me?" he said thickly, and she put two shaking hands on either side of his face.

Hermione looked back at the tent. "I can't Ron. You know that."

Ron shook his head, and pulled her hands off of him. "Then what we have – it's over."

Hermione accepted her fate. Ron backed away, a look of regret on his face, and turned on the spot. She screamed his name one more time, before dead silence overtook her and she knew she would never see him again.