Strands of Hope

by squishy fluff

A/N: This one-shot is poor of fluff, I'm warning you. Also, if you don't dig drama, stay away from it. Sorry if there are any grammatical or technical errors that you will find. I will be glad to accept corrections from you. The story might not be that good, but there's always a room for improvement anyway. Enjoy reading, and please leave a review after you've finished. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

I miss him, she thought.

She was all alone at the moment, sitting at her favorite spot by the lake. She frequented this place ever since Ron and Harry had left her to accomplish a noble mission.

The cool air blew at her, causing some of her hair strands to obscure her view of the deep and pitch-black water. The coldness was biting; it was slowly penetrating her soul and her heart. She sighed.

She wanted to cry until she couldn't cry anymore. Ron's departure had caused her so much heartache. She hated him for not letting her come with them. She believed that it was an unwise idea because she knew that they would need her to get past obstacles wherein her intellect would be of help. Finding the horcruxes would not be a breeze. She knew that by doing so, they were putting their lives in mortal peril.

She felt an urge to jump to the water and let it slowly take her life away. However, she knew that this was a stupid thing to do. This would not do anyone or anything good. Would this keep her friends away from danger? Besides, she needed to be strong for Ginny. The poor girl drowned herself in misery, getting drunk every night and ignoring her already failing health. The two of them were asked to guard the school together with some members of the Order. However, Hermione was also doing Ginny's job since she wasn't in the right condition to do it. It was a heavy burden she was carrying. But she was trying to hold on.

She took out something from the pocket of her coat and delicately opened it. It was an envelope, and inside were three red hair strands. She fingered each lovingly, and soon painful memories flooded her thoughts.

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"I'm breaking up with you."

It took some moment before Ron's words sunk in. Hermione could not decipher what she felt at the moment. She didn't want to believe what she heard, but Ron's words were as clear as pure water. And he did not look like he was in the mood for a joke.

But why? she thought.

"No, I'm not accepting that," she answered, her tone grave.

Ron sighed. "I won't change my decision even if you don't agree with it. You have to understand," Ron sighed. Hermione's face turned red.

"How will I understand if you're not explaining to me why you came up with such a silly idea? No, I'm not accepting it even if you give me a thousand reasons!" she said shakily.

Ron's expression mellowed as he saw Hermione crying softly. He hated seeing her cry.

"Look here, honey. You don't deserve me. I'm not good enough for you. I'm certainly not good-looking, and definitely not clever. You see, sometimes-"

"I don't care, Ron! I don't give a damn! What I care about is that I love you, and I know you love me too! I don't care what they say, it isn't them who'll be putting up with you anyway!" she said angrily. Her crying became more evident.

Ron felt pity. He didn't want him to be the reason of her suffering. It was the last thing he'd desire, but he had to do it.

"Honey, it's just not right," he whispered to her softly. "A man needs to be superior to his woman because he'll be taking care of her. He'll also be leading her in making decisions for their future. Look at me. I cannot even give you the things you really want. I don't have money, and-"

"Money isn't important. Ability is more-"

"I don't have the ability either, 'Mione," Ron said, cutting her speech short. Hermione didn't want to take this.

"But it is with you that I'm happy! I've never felt this happy before! Isn't happiness also important?" she said, wiping the tears that slowly fall on her cheeks which were now pink.

"It is, dear, but I know you'll still find happiness in someone else," he replied. "And there is a very slim chance that Harry and I will be able to come back whole and alive," he added. Hermione stared at Ron in astonishment. Why didn't he mention me?

"Harry and I? I'm going with you two, am I not?" she asked suspiciously. Her heart beat faster and faster. She feared her suspicion, and yet Ron's words seemed to jive with it.

"No, honey. You're not coming with us."

Silence.

Hermione's knees weakened. She didn't want to believe her ears. This is all a dream, she thought. A bad dream…

But it sure wasn't.

"You're not coming," Ron repeated, "because I don't want you to get hurt."

Hermione's face contorted with rage. The breakup already tore her heart, but she felt even more hurt with this decision Ron came up with.

"Damn you, Ron! Damn you! I'll be more hurt if you leave me here anxiously waiting for someone who might not even return! I'll go, even if you prevent me from doing so!" Hermione insisted as tears burned her eyes. Ron hugged her and stroked her hair.

"Honey, Harry agrees with me. He feels that you'll be a big help to us, but you'll be needed more here. They need your brains for protection. If things go wrong, you'd be needed in rebuilding the damage that would be the aftermath of the war. Only a well-rounded person will be able to lead them. There's no question that it is you. You have intellect, bravery, the qualities of leadership, and above all, a pure heart."

And then there was a moment of silence.

Hermione knew Ron had a point, but this wasn't enough reason to keep her from going with them. She still looked unconvinced.

"Okay, let's settle this now. You'll stay, and that's final. Before we leave, though, I want you to know that I love you still even if I broke up with you. I'll send a letter by owl to let you know if we failed or succeeded. I'm also leaving you this so you won't lose hope while you wait for our return," Ron said as he forced a white envelope into Hermione's hand.

"I love you, Hermione." And with these words, he gave her one last kiss on the forehead.

Their moment was ended by Harry as he came out of the Burrow, looking dejected.

"How was it?" Ron asked.

"Ginny didn't want to be left, of course, but I explained it all to her," Harry answered, sadness etched in every inch of his face.

"Let's go now," Ron said. Harry nodded.

And together they walked until they were out of Hermione's sight.

---------

Hermione's tears fell down on the three red streaks that she was fingering lovingly. She carefully dried them using her coat and returned them to the white envelope. Finally, she put the envelope back to the pocket of her coat.

It had almost been a year since Ron gave her this gift. She treasured this a lot, and every time she saw it she would feel better. It brought her hope, just like what Ron told her.

Her thoughts finally drifted back to the present. She remembered that she still needed to look on Ginny. She took one last heavy breath, and then stood up. Then, she walked back to the castle.

Hermione was almost inside when a tiny owl came swooping down on her. She almost lost her balance. Fortunately she was able to hold on to a post nearby.

She felt a letter drop on her feet and bent down to pick it up. However, the owl who carried the letter kept on clapping its beak. She was annoyed by the owl, but this was quickly replaced by delight as she recognized the handwriting on the back of the envelope. It was Ron's.

She couldn't be mistaken. The untidy scrawls were enough proof.

The letter simply read: We're going home.

Hermione was weak with gladness. Tears fell from her eyes once more, but this time they were tears of happiness.

Fin

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading. Leave a review if you may. :)