"I don't want you to go," Hermione said, wrapping her arms around her husband's chest from behind. She rested her head on his back, taking in the scent of him. Ron stopped fiddling with his tie and covered Hermione's hands with his own.

"I know, 'Mione," he said. "But I can't turn down an undercover mission like this. People could get hurt." He turned so he was facing Hermione. She looked up at his small, sad smile and furrowed her brow. She pulled him close to her and he enveloped her into his chest. The two stood there silently.

"You said you wouldn't leave again," Hermione mumbled into him. Tears formed in her eyes as she thought back all those years to their Horcrux hunt. Being apart from him back then was like being without sunshine. But now, four years later, they were so much closer. He was the light in Hermione's life.

It wasn't as though Hermione couldn't get along by herself. After the war she had gone back to Hogwarts and lived without Ron for the first year of their relationship. But now he was in danger. A small sect of Purebloods were on the search for some object (it was all very mysterious to Hermione, who was not allowed to know the details of Ron's mission). Whatever it was, this object was powerful and dangerous.

Too dangerous for her husband to risk his life for it.

"That's not fair," Ron said, stiffening at her jibe. "You can't throw that in my face because you don't want me to go." He dropped his arms from her and turned to put his robes on. He made his way into the kitchen, followed closely by Hermione.

"Well it's true, isn't it?" she said. "You're leaving me for months to some place you can't tell me about, doing Merlin knows what. You can't even tell me when you're coming back!"

"That's because I don't know!" Ron snapped, slamming a cabinet door. Hermione didn't flinch. Instead she glared at him through blurry eyes. Her hands balled into fists and her nails dug into her palms.

"I'll be back when the job is done," Ron said after a deep breath. He put a few pieces of toast on a plate and leaned against the counter to eat. Hermione stood in front of him, scowling. "I don't want to row with you before I leave."

"And I don't want you to leave," Hermione said. "You've already put your life on the line for the Ministry, yet they still demand you do more!"

"Yeah, well it's my job," Ron said. Hermione saw his ears flush and knew he was close to exploding again. He was trying to keep his temper, but Hermione knew this was her last chance to convince him that he was wrong.

"And what d'you expect to happen?" Hermione said. "You expect me to wait around alone and pining after not hearing from you for months?"

Ron's eyes darkened. "Don't threaten me, Hermione," he growled. "Don't say things you're going to regret because you think it's going to make me stay."

"Well it's obvious that whatever I say won't make you stay," Hermione responded. She threw her arms in the air. As she brought them down, she wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. "You're going to go anyway like an irresponsible git. You're putting yourself in harm's way again and you expect me to play the part of the grieving wife."

Ron slammed his plate against the counter before grabbing Hermione's shoulders. "Stop it!" he shouted. "I don't want to row with you right now." He held her again, pulling her entire body against him. His voice softened. "Please, 'Mione. Not right now." His voice was thick and hearing it made Hermione hiccup involuntarily.

She wrapped her arms around him and began to cry in earnest. "I feel so foolish," she said through sobs. "I'm s- sorry." She pulled away from his hug to look at him. His eyes were puffy and his forehead was flushed. She ran her thumb across his cheek, feeling the wetness of his tears. Lifting up on her toes, she pecked his lips.

"I'm terrified," Ron confessed.

"Don't be," she reassured him. "This is what you've always trained for. Merlin knows you've had more than your fair share of training." She gave a mirthless laugh.

He shook his head. "'S'not that," he said quietly, looking into her eyes. "I'm terrified you won't be here when I get back. I'll be gone for too long a-and you won't've wanted to stick around."

Hermione felt the air leave her lungs. Her thumb stopped moving across his cheek. Ron turned his head away and moved to clean his breakfast plate. Hermione was frozen in place until a chuckle forced its way out of her. Ron's head snapped around to look at her.

She closed the space between them and threw her arms around his neck. She kissed him again, this time slower and heavier. She grabbed his bottom lip between hers, giving it a small nibble.

"I've waited this long for you," she said. "I'm not giving up on you so easily, Ronald Weasley." She gave him a smile which he returned with a lopsided grin. He picked her up and placed her on top of the counter before ramming his lips into her, hard.

Hermione ran her fingers through Ron's red hair as his hands squeezed her hips. Her legs parted so he could press his whole body against her. He ran his tongue across her lips and her tongue met his. One of his hands travelled down to her upper thigh, where he squeezed again. She whimpered into his mouth.

He separated his lips from her and trailed kisses across her jaw and her neck. He pulled her shirt away from her shoulder (an old Chudley Canons tee, he noticed with glee) and attached his mouth to the skin between her neck and shoulder. She hissed as he left a mark there.

"What are we, teenagers?" she joked, running her hand down his back, feeling his shoulder blades jut out from underneath his robes.

Ron met her eyes with a grin. "Just giving you something to remember me by," he said, then pulled back. He gave her a quick peck on the lips before helping her down off the counter.

"Done already?" Hermione pouted, her hands on his chest.

Ron snaked an arm around her waist with one hand and attempted to flatten his hair with the other. "I have to go, love," he said somberly.

Hermione tried to smile up at him. Their little snog had made her momentarily forget that he was leaving. Her heart began to beat fast and she tightened her grip around him.

Ron bent to pick up his duffel bag, Hermione still attached to him. "'Mione, love, I'll owl you if I can." But the look in his eyes told Hermione that wouldn't be possible. He disentangled himself from her grip before bending down to give her another kiss.

"Please be safe," she said, her voice wavering. Ron walked slowly to the fireplace and grabbed a fistful of Floo Powder.

"I love you so much," he said, looking back at her.

The corners of Hermione's lips tugged downwards. "I love you," she responded. With that, he Floo-ed to the Ministry and Hermione fell backwards onto the counter.

"Please be safe."