My Patronus.

"Expecto Patronum!" Ron grasped his wand tightly and uttered the words through gritted teeth.

A thin wisp of silvery vapour emerged from his wands tip, but quickly faded. Exasperated, he shook his wand violently.

"Damn it!" Ron muttered. He just couldn't grasp the spell. Harry could do it, so could Hermione – Well that was expected, she was good at everything. However, even Neville was beginning to progress further than him in the recent DA meetings.

Sighing a deep sigh, he threw himself backwards onto his bed, staring up at the blank ceiling. Light shone through the window, casting comforting warmth on his face. He was alone in the dormitory; everyone else had just come back from the Christmas holidays and they were all in the common room. Most likely discussing the antics of their skiing holidays, or discussing whom the best Chaser was. Ron however, had stayed, resigned to the antics below and had spent many an hour dwelling on his thoughts in the boys dormitory.

He had changed since his trip to the Department of Mystery's at the Ministry. He smiled to himself at the unity he had shared with his friends when they had fought, only for the smile to be quickly replaced by a frown at the thought of his failure to protect them.

That's why he needed to do well this year. A war was coming. Soon. It was no longer a game of chance from the long gone days of being first years. This was serious, and no matter how hard Ron tried, he could never seem to advance above average.

"Who are you kidding?" He asked himself. "You'll never be able to shine above the others. You'll always be plain Ronald Weasley."

Angry, he snatched his pillow from the top of his bed and put it over his head, before sighing heavily into it.

A knock came from the door, followed by the creak of its opening. "Ron?" came a familiar voice.

Pulling the pillow from his face he answered, "what do you want Ginny?"

Closing the door silently behind her, Ginny made her way across the room and sat next to Ron on his bed.

"What's up Ron? You seem rather down recently."

"It's nothing," he continued to stare blankly at the ceiling.

"It's not nothing. You haven't been the same since…" she trailed off, uncertain of what to say.

"Honestly," he said, pulling himself up from his back. "I'm fine."

"Yeah right!" she snorted, looking at him. "You lost to me at chess. To ME!"

"Well, you've obviously improved." He fixed his gaze onto his lap.

"Ron," she suppressed a grin. "You know that's not the reason. Come on. You can tell me."

"Well," he tilted his head back, unsure of what to say. He hadn't discussed his feelings to anyone. Not even his closest friends, Harry and Hermione. "Its just that," he paused. "No, it's nothing."

Ginny narrowed her eyes at him. She opened her mouth slightly as if to say something, but instead sighed. She turned her head away from him. "Well, if anything's bothering you, let me know." She slowly got up and left without looking at him, closing the door behind her.

Ron watched her leave, and continued to look at the door once it was closed. Should he have told her? Had it really come to this? Locking his feelings inside him?

Gradually he rose from the bed and placed the pillow back in its place. He looked at his wand thoughtfully before putting it into his back pocket. He tossed with the idea of going to sleep, but his stomachs protesting growls quickly diminished that thought.

Smiling, he left the dormitory in the direction of the Great Hall.

Ron entered the hall among the babble of his fellow schoolmates. Height in this case was definitely a blessing for him as it didn't take him long to locate Harry and Hermione. He quickly made his way towards them.

"Hi Ron," Harry said as Ron took a seat opposite him.

"Hi," Ron said gruffly as he reached for the potatoes next to him.

"Did you read the Daily Prophet this morning?" Hermione chirped at them.

"No," Harry and Ron simultaneously replied.

"It seems that more and more Dark Marks are appearing." She pulled out the newspaper and pointed to the now all too familiar picture of the Dark Mark, this time over a small village. This one was seen yesterday over Ellington. The Ministry must be having a hard time concealing it from the muggles too." She paused looking thoughtfully at the picture, before taking a bite of her apple pie.

"I'm surprised they bother," Harry said grimly, taking a drink from his goblet.

"Yeah," Ron muttered.

Hermione looked up at him. For a moment their eyes met and it looked as if she wanted to say something, but instead she bit her lip and stared at her plate. He wanted to say something, to take her hand and tell her it was all right, but he couldn't.

The three remained quiet for a while, pondering on their own individual thoughts.

"This is miserable," thought Ron. "We shouldn't have to live our lives like this; always in fear. We're all too young for this kind of responsibility"

Not that they could help it. Harry was in the middle of it all. Indeed, he had told Ron and Hermione about the Prophecy but was vague on the details. Hermione just remained quiet, while Ron tried to come up with all different kinds of reasons to twist the prophecy into something else, refusing to believe the facts. Eventually, they all resigned to the fact that Harry would either be murdered or become a murderer. Yet, as Harry's closest friends they stood by him and told him that they would always be there.

Ron twisted his fork on his plate. He continued to think to himself. "There must be something that we could do to get away from this. Even for a couple of hours. Quidditch!" His face fell. "No, not another match until late next month."

He pondered, looking at the Daily Prophet, which Hermione had left on the table. Then, something caught his eye. Quickly, he picked up the paper and looked at the article that was staring him in the face.

"Hey guys!" He said excitedly. "There's a new shop opening in Hogsmead. Looks like a mix between magical artefacts and a joke shop. Looks really good!" He passed the newspaper to Harry.

"Looks cool," said Harry as he read the article.

"Yeah, lets go there on our next trip. Come on. It'll give us something to do!"

"I don't know Ron," Hermione said, her eyes connecting with his. "Do you really think that it's safe for Harry to go out at this time?"

Ron shook his head. Hermione – being her usual over-precautious self. "Liven up Hermione. Harry doesn't want to be trapped inside the school for the rest of the school year. Hogsmead is safe, other wise we wouldn't be allowed to go there."

He looked into her eyes. Was that a flash of worry? Concern maybe? She quickly averted her gaze once she realised Ron was staring at her.

"I don't have a problem with it. It'll be fun. Something to take our minds off recent events." Harry said, rolling up the paper and handing it back to Hermione.

"Great!" Ron smiled. "It's settled then. Next week we go to Hogsmead!"

It was a cold February day, the frost still held the ground from the night before. Ron shivered as he walked through the gates of Hogsmead with Harry and Hermione, pulling the rim of his coat up to his ears.

The town of Hogsmead was as busy as ever. The sun shone through the gaps in the housetops, illuminating the street below. A sea of familiar and unfamiliar faces littered the pathways. Smoke drifted from the chimneys, the laughter and talk of people filled the air and for once Ron was able to relax. Now was the time to have some fun.

"Is that the new shop over there?" Harry pointed down a near by alleyway. A shop stood at its end, though it was difficult to see through the crowd of youngsters trying to get in it. The yellow and green sign that softly swung above its doorway read, 'Chimney Sweep'.

"Chimney Sweep?" Harry read. "That's a bit of a weird name. Wonder what it sells?"

"Well we're not going to find out by standing here! Come on, let's have a look before my nose freezes off!" cheered Ron before heading towards the shops open doorway.

Together, the three entered the shop, and what met their eyes astounded them. The shop was small, yet seemed to have endless rows of weird and wacky items that hung and stood around them. Beautiful vases and strange yet beautiful objects lined the walls in a cluttered but organised fashion. It had the aura that you could spend hours in the shop and never grow tired of its wonders inside.

"Welcome to Chimney Sweep," greeted an old man by the door. He wore a plain grey suit, with a vibrant red bow tie. He was quite a thin man, yet he beamed at the three with a toothy grin and enthusiasm. He arranged his glasses as he spoke to them. "My name is Henry, and I am the owner of this Chimney Sweep. Please, feel free to look around, and don't be afraid to ask for help!"

Smiling back at the man, the three ventured further inside. Ron lifted and read the label description of the item nearest to him. The item in question was a plain shoulder book bag and what Ron discovered was that its fabric changed colour according to your mood. 'I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing,' thought Ron to himself.

"Look at this!" Hermione called from across the room. She was standing by a tall antique Victorian wardrobe. She lifted the iron ring handle and pulled one of its large doors open. Ron hurried over to see what she was looking at. Staring over her shoulder, he expected to just see the inside of a wardrobe, but instead he saw an open wood with pine trees and a sweeping river.

"See," Hermione giggled. "Narnia does exist!"

Laughing together, they closed the door. Ron looked at Hermione. He liked to see her this way. No doubt, just laughter. That was the way it should be. For always…

Suddenly a large boom came from outside of the shop. Then as quickly as the noise was heard, darkness fell on the village. Everyone in Chimney Sweep went silent, all alert and listening.

"Ron?" Came Hermione's quavering voice. Ron felt her hand on his shoulder. He tried to make out where she was but the light that had once danced through the shops windows was now practically none.

Crack. Everyone looked up. A thin crack appeared in the roof. At first it was small, before it began to spread. Plaster fell from the roof onto the on lookers below.

"Run!"

There was a scrabble as everyone tried to exit the shop at once. Everyone was screaming and the noise was only intensified by the sound of firing spells from out side.

"Ron," yelled Hermione in Ron's ear. "We've got to find Harry." Quickly she turned her head and ran off into the back of the shop.

"Hermione!" Ron yelled after her. He squinted his eyes to make out her silhouette but lost sight of her by a man running past him, almost bowling him over.

Suddenly there was a mighty crack, and the roof opened, as if the shop was being torn in two. Plaster continued to fall from the ceiling, only more so now as it was in bigger chunks. Without warning, the roof fell in. Using the reflexes he had from Quidditch training, Ron lunged and dived to avoid the debris.

He felt something crack and Ron felt a surge of pain through his left arm. Coughing and blinking through the fallen dust, he found that he had landed awkwardly on his arm. He was lying on the fallen rafters of the roof and screams could be heard echoing though the streets. Squinting through the darkness, he held his arm in his chest. Clumsily, he clambered to his feet.

"Hermione! Harry!" He called desperately through the darkness. He clutched for his wand in his back pocket and quickly pointed it defensively in front of him.

"Lumos," he choked. Light illuminated from the tip of his wand. The scene came into view. As far as he could see, he was the only one left. An eerie dusky light filtered in from the outside village but the area was still gloomy making it hard to see. Most of the shop's roof had fallen in as well as one of its far walls, leaving streams of brick and rubble. Not much was left of its contents either; most of it lay in ruins on the floor. Ron tilted his head back to get a view of the sky. Darkness. It was the middle of the day, what was going on?

"Ron!" came Harry's voice from behind him.

Clambering over the pile of fallen goods, Ron came face to face with Harry.

"Harry!" Ron called gratefully to him. "What's going on?" he dodged his head as more dust fell from the rooftop.

"It's a Death eater attack! We've got to get out of here."

"No! Not with out Hermione." Ron shook his head and turned to look at the fallen debris.

"You've lost her?" Harry stared at him wide eyed.

"She went looking for you." Ron muttered defensively, his eyes scanning over the mounds of rubble.

"We've got to look for her." Harry turned and began to pull up bits of fallen objects in search of Hermione.

"No Harry," Ron said, thinking fast. Reality set in. For once in his life, things were beginning to dawn on him. "They've come for you."

"It's just a coincidence. They've been attacking everywhere." He waved his hands in exasperation.

"The prophecy Harry."

"Screw the prophecy. You're my friends and I'm not leaving you two here to die."

"We won't. But we could never forgive ourselves if we were the reason that you got caught. If they get their hands on you, it's game over. Go get help. I'll look for Hermione."

"I'm not leaving!" Harry practically yelled over another load bang from down the street.

"No one knows where she is. Get Dumbledore, McGonagall. Anyone who can help. Just go Harry before they find us."

Harry's eyes bored into him. He looked very much like he wanted to hit Ron for telling him what to do. He clenched his fists in anger and stared angrily away from Ron. It looked as if he was thinking it over.

"I'm not a coward Ron."

"I know you're not."

"As soon as I get help, I'll be back."

Ron just nodded. They were wasting precious time. Harry slowly turned and ran through the gaping wall of the once beautiful new shop. Ron watched him go, still wondering if he had done the right thing. Once he was out of sight, Ron turned and began calling again.

"Hermione? Hermione! Where are you?"

He bent down and frantically began his search. His arm throbbed painfully with every movement, but he didn't care. He had to find her. He just had to.

Pulling over a particularly heavy cupboard, a shiny object caught his eye. Bending down he picked it up. He'd recognise that watch anywhere. It was Hermione's; the one she always wore so that she would never be late to class. He grasped it tentatively in his hand and rubbed its face with his thumb.

"Hermione," he muttered. She couldn't be far. He turned, and sure enough there she was, propped up against the case of a Grandfather clock.

His heart missed a beat. She couldn't be dead. Panic fell like a heavy weight upon his heart. Ron ran to her and instantly bent down beside her.

"Hermione?" He whispered, as he reached down for her hand that was lying by her side. It was warm. Ron breathed a sigh of relief. She was alive. He looked tenderly at her face. She looked so calm. At peace – as if she was only asleep, which seemed to bring joy to his heart.

He felt it first. Cold iciness swept over him and fear gripped his heart. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement. He feared to look but impulse ensured that he did. What he saw only sent fear to his core of his soul. His eyes widened in horror and he grasped Hermione's hand a little more tightly.

There at the fallen wall, stood a dozen Dementors. The room had turned ice-cold in their presence and Ron felt as if he was falling very fast. Panicking he turned back to Hermione and gulped hard. He looked at her face. That kind face that had always been there to smile and laugh with him at his jokes.

It was as if a door was opening and he was being drawn back through time in his memories. He remembered how proud he felt when Hermione had helped him when they defeated the Troll. The way she often caught his eye and smiled when seated in lessons. He recalled the Quidditch match when she had kissed him on the cheek and the happiness the he had felt. The warmth, he was pleased to feel when she put her hand on his shoulder.

'I love her,' he thought. Passion flowed through his veins. There was no way that he was giving up now. No one would hurt her while he was around. No one. He had to get through this. He had to fight, for his Hermione.

He stood up straight. He no longer felt any fear. He had something at last to fight for. He wouldn't let her down again. He was strong and he would fight. He stared at the Dementor's as they eerily glided toward him.

"I will not let you harm her!" he yelled at them. He raised his wand; mind set, he thought of the happiness and passion that now burned inside him. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

A blinding light blasted from his wand. It was as if time stood still, and Ron watched as the light took its fully-fledged form and charged at the Dementor's. It snapped with its teeth and hunted them down as the Dementor's quickly withdrew, back into the street. The light bounded around the now empty room before coming at a stop in front of Ron.

For a moment, Ron and his Patronus looked at each other. It was as if they were regarding the other. He, Ron, no longer uncertain of himself, was no longer worthless. He was strong and the passion inside him burned like a hungry flame. His Patronus stood sure and powerful, and Ron felt a sense of his own power as he looked at it. His Patronus; the wolf.

He felt the urge to touch it, to see if it was real, but before he could the light faded and was gone. He smiled to himself.

"Ron?" came Hermione's faint voice from behind him.

As quick as a flash he turned and ran to her side. He crouched in the dirt beside her, ignoring the twinge in his arm, and looked into her eyes.

"Hermione?" he asked. He took her hand and stroked it with his thumb reassuringly. Hermione smiled.

"Was that your Patronus?" She smiled up at him. Her eyes twinkled and Ron felt butterflies in his stomach.

"Yes," he replied.

"What was your happy thought?" She looked deeper into his eyes as if she already knew.

"I thought," He said leaning closer, "I thought of who I was fighting for. The thing that gave me strength…" He paused. "Hermione, it was you."

"Me?"

"Yes. Since the day we met, I have always loved you. I didn't realise how much I did until you were lying there, defenceless and only I could do something about it. Hermione… I love you." Tears were in his eyes.

"Ron," she took a hand and cupped his face. She searched his face and brought it closer so that their foreheads were touching. "I love you too." She moved her lips forwards and together their lips met.

The passion that Ron had kept inside was finally unleashed. The kiss was strong and sweet, he tasted her and she him. He wanted this moment to last forever. This perfect moment; the moment when they shared their first 'true' kiss.

AN: That is the end of this story. A sequel could be in the works if you want it….