A/N:

Ok I will say this before you start reading. This IS a Harry/Hermione story. I needed this chapter to help set things up that will happen later. I promise that it will be good, so bear with me. Thanks!

Sitting in the middle of the darkened room, Ron held his head between his hands, tears wetting his palms. He hated to do this. It's not that he wanted to do it, but that he felt that he needed to do it. The way he was at the moment was not good for her, hell it wasn't good for himself. He needed her to understand. As he raised his head, Ron saw the silhouette of Hermione on the window seat. She was staring out the window, holding her knees to her chest.

"Please Hermione, I need you to understand."

Hermione turned to look at him, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Well you'll have to excuse me Ron if I don't. This morning I thought that things were ok between us and now you're telling me that you're leaving me. That you're going away to who knows where and that you're not sure when you'll be back."

"I have to Hermione. I'm a mess! I don't know who I am anymore."

Hermione knew that Ron still had issues after the war. Hell, they all did. It had been a year since the final defeat of Voldemort. Harry had ended Voldemort's life, but not without the help of Ron and Hermione. It was their love and support that finally gave Harry the last ounce of power he needed to bring the Dark Lord down. It had taken them the better part of a year to hunt down the last of the Horcruxes. During that time, the trio had faced many dangers, dangers that required them at times to be as ruthless and cruel as the Death Eaters themselves. None of them were proud of the things that they had done, but it seemed that Harry and Hermione had come to terms with their actions better than Ron had. At first, he retreated into himself, at times not talking to anyone for days. Then Ron would turn into his old self, only to lash out at everyone and everything in his path at the next moment. Harry and Hermione had been going to see a counselor at St. Mungo's to help them with their emotions. Initially, Ron refused any help. He could do it on his own he would say. Eventually, it was his parents that convinced him he needed some help to cope. It seemed like it was helping. Ron's attitude improved and he was his old self the majority of the time. During all of this however, Ron and Hermione were together. Together as more than just best friends. They had finally admitted their love for one another shortly after their quest with Harry had begun. Things weren't always great for them, they had their fair share of rows along the way, but since the end of the battle and since Ron had started seeing the counselor, they had become less frequent. In Hermione's opinion, the past three months had been great. She was reminded everyday of why she had fallen in love with him in the first place. Now, here he was telling her he was leaving.

Getting help to deal with what he was feeling had been the best thing that he could have done in Ron's opinion. He was feeling lost and confused. He did things, bad things. He had never killed anyone in his life, never thought he would have to, but in the end, he had ended up killing his fair share. It was always as a last resort, only happening if his own life or that of Harry or Hermione was threatened. Somehow though, it still made it hard to accept. But he was getting better, his mind clearer. He had realized that he had spent the better part of the last 9 years fighting evil or helping out someone else. Somewhere along the way, he stopped being just Ron Weasley. He had done his part and helped to save the world. Now he felt that he needed to find out who he was without the evil. There was one problem though, Hermione.

He loved her, that much he knew. It was her love that had kept him going and had kept him sane. But now, he realized that it wasn't enough anymore. He had leaned on her and her love, depended on it even. Not to be a total arse, but he had been using that love as a crutch to fall back on. As good as Hermione thought things were going, Ron knew better. He wanted to love her as much as she loved him, he really did, but Ron was never going to be able to do that until he knew how to love himself. This is what he had come here tonight to explain to her. Ron knew that this was going to hard, but he also knew that this was something important that he had to do.

Hermione got up and walked slowly to him, kneeling in front of him.

"I know that you're going through a rough time right now Ron, but is leaving really the answer? Let me help you."

"That's the problem though Hermione. You're always helping me. I have to help myself. I need to find out who I am without the war, without Harry, without.."

"Me" Hermione whispered.

Ron leaned forward and cupped her face with his hands.

"Yes, Hermione, who I am without you."

She understood, she honestly did. It didn't make it any easier for her though. She loved him and didn't want to see him go.

Ron leaned his head forward resting it on hers.

"I love you Hermione." He whispered. "But that's not enough anymore."

"So where does this leave us?" she asked.

"I don't know." He answered honestly.

"So that's it then? We just go our separate ways?"

"I need to do this. I know that I'm risking losing you, and I pray that I'm not going to but, it's a risk I'm gonna have to take."

Ron leaned forward and pressed his lips softly to hers.

"Goodbye Hermione."

With a soft pop, Ron was gone. Tears flowing freely down her face, Hermione sobbed into her hands. A few moments later, she felt a pair of arms encircle her and hold her close.

"It'll be ok Hermione." She heard a familiar voice soothe her.

Hermione whirled around and flung her arms around Harry's neck.

"I'm here for you."

Please Review and let me know what you think!