The four of them made their way to the Gryffindor common room. Without hesitation Ginny took Harry by the hand and led thin up the stairs to the boys dormitory. Hermione watched them ascend the stairs quietly. She looked over at Ron hesitantly, ready to defend Harry, he loved Ginny for merlin's sake! When her eyes slid over she wasn't greeted by anger or annoyance. He was looking at her. The intensity in his eyes made butterflies in her stomach curl around one another and heat up. Without a word he put his finger tips on the small of her back and began too walk forward. She felt as if she were in a trance. She followed her blindly up the stairs letting the light touch of his hand be her guide. They reached a room at the very top of the stairs. Hermione felt herself walk through the door. The curtains had already been drawn around the bed she presumed to be Harry's. She could hear light whispers of reassurance coming from the four poster bed. She knew it was Ginny trying to calm Harry.

"I need a shower. Do you have anything clean it that bag of yours?" Ron asked looking at her.

She jumped. Hermione bad not heard him speak since the battle. His voice was horse and low from trying to keep from crying. She nodded and reached her hand into the bag, pulling out stacks of neatly folded clothes and toiletries. She handed ron his. He let his fingers graze hers as he look the clothes. It was so different now. Her fingers felt like they had caught fire just because they had touched his. When she looked up, he was walking quickly to the door to the toilets for a shower. She stood rooted to the spot as she watched him go. She pulled her eyes away from the door and walked over to Harry's bed. The whispers had stopped and she could hear light snoring coming from both harry and ginny behind the curtain. Hermione smiled, they needed each other. She neatly stacked Harry's items on the table beside his bed for him. She then slowly turned to face the door to the loo. She walked over and quietly opened the door. The large tile room was filled on either side with large doors. To the left were the doors that led to each shower stall, to the right toilet stalls, and the back wall was lined with sinks. In the very last shower stall steam was rolling out from the bottom of the door. She could hear sobs over the sound of the water hitting the tile walls and floor of the small shower. Her heart clenched. Ron was heart broken over Fred she knew, but hearing his pain was crushing her. The got into the first shower stall and slowly started to peel off her singed clothing. It stuck to her where blood had soaked through and dried. She wasn't sure if the blood was even hers or not. She turned on the hot water and let it slide down her bruised and raw back. She could feel it seeping into all of the cuts and slashes that were scattered around her back. She let the tears that began to fall mix with the steady steam of blazing hot water. The shower was hotter than she would normally take, but she felt like the high temperature was the only way to fully cleanse herself of all the grime of the past year. She cried quietly, not wanting ron to hear her.

A long time after the water had finally run clear at the bottom of the stall she turned the water off. She reach for two of the always present towels on the outside of the shower door. She wrapped her hair in one of them and gingerly patted herself dry with the other. Each area of her body she touched, she uncovered a new injury. Bruises, burns, gashes, and scars littered her body. She pulled on a pair of shorts and one of Ron's chudley cannons shirts she had knicked from him in 5th year when it was too small for him. It was very large on her small frame, and came down to her thighs. She gathered her belongings and stepped out of the stall. Ron was no longer in the last shower. He must have gone to bed she thought. Hermione walked over to the sinks. She brushed her teeth and pulled her hair up in a large bun on top of her head. She then deposited her dirty clothing into a waste bin and walked out of the toilet, and back into the dorm leaving the filth of the past behind her.

Her eyes scanned the dark room. It felt odd the be back here. The red and gold walls seemed welcoming, and haunting at the same time to her now. Her eyes landed on Ron who was sitting on his bed. She smiled at him and looked away not knowing what to do. She began walking to one of the empty beds across the room from her. A strong hand wrapped around her arm in the middle of the room. She looked at the hand, then up at ron. She turned to face him. His fave was splotchy and his eyes were rimmed with red from his crying. Hermiones heart folded in on itself. He was in so much pain.

"Where are you going?" He asked. His voice was stronger than she had anticipated.

"To bed." She stated.

"You're going to the wrong one."

Hermione stammered "... I- I didn't want to bother you." She finally managed to whisper.

"I need you" he said. His words were simple but his voice was determined. She looked away from him, her face was turning red. He put his fingers under her chin and met her eyes. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Then let his hand slip to her neck and his other into her hair. Before she realized what had happened her hair began to fall out of the bun. His hand wrapped itself in it. Her hands were around his neck and in his hair also. He pulled back and she looked away turning red. He had kissed her! Did that mean they were together? A million thoughts ran through her head at the same time, crashing into one another and making her head spin.

"No. Look at me" he said pulling her eyes quickly back to his face.

"We can't tiptoe around our feelings anymore Hermione." He stated.

She watched him, he looked like he was desperate for her to speak. She was stunned by his words. When had he matured? When had he turned into the man she was looking at, the man she desperately loved.

"Okay" she whispered.

"Okay" he said and lurched towards her. He kissed her again. One hand on her cheek while the other wrapped around her waist and pulled her in. She wrapped both arms around his neck and let herself go. She sank into the kiss with desperation. She needed him too. She needed to forget the horrors and terror from the past year. She needed to feel l Iike something good could come of this whole bloody war. Ron was her good, her happy, her life line to a reality that wasn't terrying.

Ron felt the wave of pleasure wash over all of his anguish. He needed her, and she was happy to oblige her in that. Her lips parted slightly and he forced himself to pull away slowly. As much and he wanted to deepen the kiss, not here, not now. She deserved perfect moments and fond memories to look back on when it came to next steps between them. The end of a war wasn't that. She deserved more.

She didn't look away this time. He bent down and kissed her forehead, took her hand and led her to bed. She climbed under the covers and he followed. He wrapped his long body around her tucking her head under his chin. He clicked his diluminator and the room went dark. He placed it beside then on a night stand. She flicked her wand and the curtains closed. She snuggled deeper into his arms and he tightened his hold.

"Goodnight Ron" she whispered into the dark.

"G'night Mione" he responded kissing her on top of her head.

They fell asleep like that. Wrapped together finally able to sleep through the night.