When he returns to the tent it is to find her still sitting in the same place. Her cheeks are dry, but by the redness of her eyes he can tell she's been crying again.

She looks up briefly, then turns her head away from him again. She does not greet him, so he sits down and observes her. She is still looking away from him, staring blankly at the floor.

And he can't stand to see her like this.

Before he is even aware of what he is doing, he has crossed the room. He extends his hand, prompting her to look at him properly. For a moment, he watches the emotions battling in her eyes.

Then she takes his hand and he pulls her up.

His hands slide over her shoulders and he unclasps the necklace as though he has done it a hundred times before – and maybe he has. Her eyes never leave his face. He drops the precious locket onto a table; carelessly, almost as if it was an afterthought. Then he takes her hands and leads her to the middle of the room.

She eyes him somewhat suspiciously, but her hands are still in his and they're warm and soft, so it's all right. His eyes glide over her face. She looks miserable, and he knows he'll have to fix it somehow because that's what he always does.

He begins to move, and she does not resist. The dance is clumsy and awkward at first and it doesn't surprise him because he's always been a bad dancer. But a small smile has begun to tug at the corners of her mouth and that is all he needs to keep going.

As he grows bolder and the dance more elaborate, the smile turns into a full-fledged laugh, and then he's smiling too and they're both laughing. And for a moment, there is no locket and no Voldemort and no Ron, and it's just the two of them.

Feeling giddy with excitement and daring, he puts his head on her shoulder. She does not reproach him. After a while, he finds that she has mirrored his action and that her chin is resting on his shoulder. And somehow, it feels right.

When she pulls away, he is still smiling. But the sadness has returned to her face, and the moment is already passing. The smile dies on his lips. She stands there for a few moments more, looking away. Then she leaves.

And he hasn't fixed anything.