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Ron, Harry and Hermione were hunting horcruxes. Ron was on lookout duty while Harry and Hermione slept. He didn't feel tired - his thoughts alone were enough to keep him awake. Despite the circumstances, he grinned into the darkness. Thinking about Hermione did that to him.

He thought about her, and all of his problems melted away. He thought about the way she stuck out her tongue slightly when she was concentrating. He thought about how she would laugh when he made a lame joke. Gosh, he would do anything to make her laugh again. It had been so long since he had heard her laugh. Not that he had forgotten what it sounded like - indeed, what it felt like. It felt like hot chocolate running down your throat on an icy winter day. He loved hearing her laugh.

He looked into the tent. She was fast asleep. She looked beautiful. Ron smiled to himself. He was in love with her. It had taken him years to realise it, but after his relationship with Lavender, he had accepted that Hermione was the one for him.

But, of course, she could never feel the same way.

"Ron."

Hermione's half-asleep whisper may as well have been a shout.

"Blimey, Hermione!"

"My turn to keep watch. Get some rest."

She stared after him as he shuffled to his bed, climbed in and promptly started to snore. She smiled to herself. Even when he was snoring, he was adorable.

For the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to get lost in her thoughts. She thought about the way that he would tilter his head slightly to the side when he was trying to understand something complicated. She thought about the way his smile was always slightly crooked. Gosh, she would do anything to make him smile again. She hadn't seen him smile since before Dumbledore was killed. She could distinctly remember his smile - indeed, how could she forget something that made her feel so warm inside? It was like sitting by a roaring fire after a long walk in the snow. She loved seeing him smile.

She loved everything about him. She was in love with him. She had known since fourth year, when she saw him in those hideous dress robes, that he was the one for her. That's why she had been so upset when he started snogging Lavender Brown. Honestly, he could do so much better than her. And yet, at the same time, it had confirmed her own feelings for him.

But, of course, he could never feel the same way.