When he pulled her into that kiss, the whole world around them seemed to dissolve. There was no war, no death, and no destruction. It was all ok, and it would be. Harry's voice seemed distant; seemed to echo. It didn't matter. When they eventually pulled away from one another, his eyes smiled at her, they were warm, and deep, and such a bright loving blue that she couldn't help but fall even more in love with. The way he brushed his hand across the side of her face, stroking her hair back, reassuring. "There's a war going on here!" Harry yelled, for the first time making her focus. And there was. The sound of explosions broke through the barrier she'd set up in her mind. It was like she'd surfaced from under water and what had been muffled was loud and strong and ringing in her ears. There were screams and yells and the sounds of crumbling walls. Even when Ron replied to Harry, trying to sound light and jovial even in this time of terror, she couldn't so much as crack a smile. Fear gripped her heart, and she wanted to curl up and cry. Knowledge wasn't about to save her now. She was very skilled, and quite adept at spellwork, but there were people out there on the opposite side that knew more powerful spells and were stronger, and there was no way she was going to be able to do this. She could be dead within the next hour, and she was only a eightteen year old girl. There was so much that had happened in the past few months that just ripped her from her comfort zone, ripped her away from everything she once knew. Away from everything normal and good. Then she felt a hand take hers, and she looked up again into Ron's eyes. "Come on Hermione, we can do this" he whispered, forcing a smile. She knew he was about as scared as she was, and probably wanted to turn tail and run just like everybody else here. But if he could be brave for her, then she could be brave for him. No, there was no way she was going to be able to do this, at least not alone. So she was damned lucky to have him.