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Battle Intermission

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Hermione had never been this scared before in her life. She had not been this scared when she was attacked by a troll, or stuck in Devil's Snare, or left alone with her unconscious best friend on a giant chessboard, or any other time she could recall. This was probably because Hogwarts, her home, was being desecrated by those filthy Death Eaters and her friends – no, her family – was spread out all over the castle, fighting for their lives and probably being just as scared as herself.

She recognized the woman that she and Ginny were simultaneously battling as being Bellatrix Lestrange, the woman who murdered Sirius. Knowing that she did not object to murder, Hermione gripped her wand tighter and tried to concentrate on the fight. She could, thankfully, see Ron in the corner of her eye. He was fighting a Death Eater she did not recognize, and her stomach hurt when she saw the grim look on his face.

A lethal curse swooshed past her left ear and she almost shrieked out loud.

"Hermione!" Ginny shouted furiously. "Wake up, for Merlin's sake!"

Hermione glanced at the other girl in remorse and continued the battle with Lestrange, who was laughing and cooing while firing off curses so advanced that Hermione had not even heard of some of them. She did not know if she and Ginny were capable of finishing Lestrange off, or even how long they could put her off attacking anyone else.

The echoes of pained screams reverberated around the Great Hall and Hermione could hear the same one over and over. It was a shrill cry of help and it hurt her that the person who had let it escape them probably had done it many minutes earlier. There was nothing she could do to help them. Ducking another green curse that had been shot out of the end of Lestrange's wand, Hermione looked over at Ginny. Brave, brave Ginny who could have been in safety in the Room of Requirement right now, but could not let her friends and family fight alone. Hermione knew what she was fighting for without even asking her; she was fighting for a future with Harry Potter. Hermione would be willing to bet anything on the fact that Ginny was right now picturing their family and house and daily life, just so she would not give in to the great fatigue that was threatening to overtake her.

At least that was what Hermione was doing to keep herself upright. A life with Ron Weasley; loads of red-haired children, a beautiful house, daily rows about simple things like what to have for breakfast. That was what she was fighting for.

Hermione could suddenly tell that Lestrange was getting a bit tired. Her curses were almost no threat to Ginny or Hermione anymore, and Hermione suddenly got optimistic. When she and Ginny's eyes met, they grasped each other's hands and pointed their wands at Lestrange.

"Stupefy!" they shouted simultaneously, and both were stunned when Lestrange's body fell to the ground with a dull thud and she moved no more.

They looked at each other in wonder and briefly embraced before parting ways, both thinking very affectionately of the other.

Hermione had spotted Luna and Neville fighting another faceless Death Eater and was just about to assist them, when she felt a hand hook around her elbow. She quickly spun around and pointed her wand in the other person's face, ready to curse instantly.

"Hermione, it's me!"

Hermione let out a breath and let her wand rest at her side. "Ron."

He reached out and touched her cheek, and she suddenly felt it sting horribly. She flinched and he caressed her neck lightly.

"You're hurt," he said, his voice cracking a bit.

She could feel tears welling behind her eyes and willed them not to surface. "I'm okay," she whispered.

Ron gave her a watery smile which did not reach her eyes, and it scared Hermione to see him like this. He seemed so defeated. She did the only thing she could think to do.

She put her hand on the back of his head and pushed it down to her. Their lips met and there was no fight around them. People were not dying and lying in heaps all around the room she had had almost all of her courses in since she was eleven years old. His breathing soothed her and his tongue excited her in ways she did not think possible. When his hands sneaked under her Muggle shirt to splay across her bare back, she did not think anymore. All that existed was her and Ron and kissing and touching.

After what felt like both a lifetime and less than a second, he released her, seemingly reluctant to let her go. But she had found knew strength. Finally she had had a taste of what she was fighting for. Looking up at him, she saw his broad grin and responded with one of her own. Then she could hear a yelp from Luna, so she hastily pecked Ron on the lips, making him grin again and almost blush.

Their hands were kept connected for as long as they could, then they parted at last and it felt like losing a limb to Hermione. But their eyes met again, and Ron grinned in that way he had, and she knew that everything was going to be okay. They were going to be okay.

But first, she had some Death Eater bum to hex.

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