Author's Note: Hello! This was written for the Globetrotter Drabble Competition on the Harry Potter Challenge Forum posted by why the caged bird sings for the prompt #14 Montreal. This takes place in Deathly Hallows after Ron has returned, but before they go to Lovegood's. It is also about one of my favorite things, which is Harry and Ron bromance. The temptation to write them out of character and just tell eachother they love eachother and hug, but I tried to resist.
I did use some of my 10% leeway, but not all of it. Thanks to NiftyGirl and TheHaloFreak for their help. I do not own Harry Potter.

The tent flap stirred and Ron turned, wand in hand ready to face a throng of Death Eaters or Hermione's coldness. Instead he was greeted by his best friend dropping into the space beside him.

"You can go inside if you like," Harry said, fingering the Snatcher's wand. "I can take watch."

Ron merely slipped his hands into the warmth of his jacket pockets.

"'M alright," he mumbled. Harry smirked at him in a way that said he clearly knew that his friend wasn't eager to be alone with Hermione just yet. Ron smirked back at him, ready to exchange a laugh when suddenly the memory of what had happened and why Hermione was angry and how Harry had forgiven him dropped into his stomach, cold and acidic.

"When you destroyed Riddle's Diary," he began, finally voicing what they had silently agreed not to speak of. "Was it hard?"

"Yes," Harry agreed. "He tried to kill me. He almost killed your sister."

"I know," Ron hesitated, unsure of what to say. "But did he make it hard?"

"Ron," Harry started, the look on his face making it clear he had understood his meaning and didn't like it one bit. "That piece of him didn't know me; he'd met me twice. The part of Riddle in the locket spent ages with you-"

He was grateful to Harry, grateful that he still had a best friend who would defend him. It had been too much to ask Harry to forgive him for what he'd done, but the fact that he had resumed his relationship with him as it had never happened was more valuable than anything else in the world. But that didn't mean he was an idiot.

"It got to me." Sitting out in the air between them like that it seemed the most pitiful excuse for an explanation that had ever been offered for any crime. He hadn't meant to say it; he'd meant to drop the topic, to slip back into the tent and face the condemnation he deserved. After all those months of feeling so far removed from Harry the opportunity to sit here in these woods and be connected to him again was more alluring than hiding from his shame.

"This is powerful dark magic we're dealing with."

Ron snorted darkly. "Powerful dark magic that I let into my head."

"You destroyed it." Harry reminded, his tone making it clear that that was what mattered.

He was surprised to feel the lump rise in his throat. He wanted to tell Harry how much that meant, but he supposed Harry knew so he swallowed it back.

"I'll never be able to stand against him like you have." He said, turning to face him for the first time in the conversation.

"I never had a choice Ron, I had to face him. You didn't. You chose to fight him," as if he knew the protest that was boiling up, he went on. "You chose to come back."

Ron smirked in an attempt to force the lump down again, "Well someone had to save your life mate."

They laughed together for what felt like the first time ever, and for a moment the world seemed almost right again.