"YOU STOLE THIS SWORD FROM MY GRINGOTTS VAULT! ADMIT IT, FILTHY MUDBLOOD! CRUCIO!"

Bloodcurdling screams…

"NOOOO! HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" I roared, pounding on the wall of the cellar.

And then it was quiet.

"I am sure the Dark Lord will not begrudge you the girl, Greyback. But just to be certain, go put her in the cellar with the other prisoners, Draco."

Footsteps on the stairwell…

The door clanged open. Draco appeared, dragging Hermione. She was on her feet, but only because he was holding her up. A disgusted look on his face, he shoved her into the dungeon. "Filthy Mudblood," he muttered as he closed the door.

I was too quick for him, and I darted forward to catch her before she hit the concrete floor.

"No, let me go, let me go!" she wailed, struggling weakly. Her side was bleeding badly.

"Hermione, it's okay, it's me, it's Ron, you're going to be okay. Hold on, please, just hold on!"

"Ron," she whispered. I was on my knees, supporting her head with my right arm and trying to stop the bleeding with the other arm.

"I'm here, Hermione, it's all right, it's going to be okay."

"Ron," she whispered again. She looked into my eyes, and then went limp. Her eyes continued to bore into mine, but she wasn't there. She was gone.

I shook her gently, trying to revive her, but there was no use. She was dead.

I felt tears trickling down my face. I pulled her into my lap and sobbed over her cold, broken body.

I awoke with a jolt, sitting straight up in my bed, disoriented by the sudden silence. I rose to go check on Hermione, like I always did after these nightmares. Harry, Hermione, and I were staying at Bill and Fleur's, as Fleur's baby shower was this week. I was almost to the door, when I realized it wasn't silent, it had just seemed like it in sudden contrast to the three voices screaming in my head during the nightmare. I heard soft cries coming from outside my open window.

Rubbing my eyes, I stood up and shuffled to the window. Peering out, I saw a figure silhouetted in front of the reflection of the moon on the ocean. I could tell it was Hermione, so rather than to risk waking up everyone in the house with the creaky floorboards, I climbed out my window, hitting my head on the top of the frame, and lowering myself onto the sand.

My feet made no noise as I walked out towards her, rubbing the blossoming lump on my head. "Hermione?"

She turned quickly. "Ron! Why are you up at this hour?" she asked, hastily trying to wipe away the tears that were pouring down her cheeks as I reached her. She was wearing what she had been the previous day, clearly having been, like me, too exhausted to change into pajamas, only having taken time to remove her shoes.

"Because I woke up and heard you crying. What's wrong?" I asked, putting my arms around her.

"Nothing, nothing. It's silly, don't worry, you can go back to sleep," she said, trying to move away.

I moved with her. "I can't, though. If something's bothering you, it bothers me. Why are you crying?"

She stopped and was silent for a moment. "It's embarrassing," she finally said.

"Hermione, you know you can tell me anything," I said. "I want to help, if I can."

"You can't."

"Maybe I can. Just tell me, I'm not going to judge you."

She was quiet again. She moved again, and this time I dropped my arms. Instead of going back to the house, she walked about two hundred feet down the beach, away from the house, and plopped down onto the sand. I noticed she had a dark, shapeless object clutched tightly in her fist.

Sensing that she needed a moment, I simply stood there, my hands in the pockets of my jeans, and watched her as she gazed at the moon.

Eventually, she looked at me, and even from this distance, I could tell that she was crying again. I began walking towards her, quickening my speed as I got closer. By the time I reached her, I was running.

I dropped down onto my knees beside her and pulled her into my arms. She buried her face in my chest and wrapped her arms around my torso. I stroked her hair and waited for her to stop crying.

"Hermione, please tell me what's wrong," I pleaded as the sobs turned into shudders, then to hiccups.

"I'm just scared," she whispered.

"Scared of what? Tell me, I'll get rid of it."

"It's not something I can just get rid of," she mumbled. "It's a thought scaring me."

"What thought?" I asked.

"Well, it's been exactly a year since we escaped from Malfoy Manor," she began.

"Yeah," I said. "I've been thinking about that all day."

"And I was thinking about what Bellatrix did to me." Her voice quavered and broke.

I held her close and kissed her forehead. "It's all right. She's dead, she can't hurt you again."

"I know, it's just… I've been reliving that day for the past hour, and there's something I can't get out of my head."

"What?" I asked.

"When Bellatrix said, 'Wait—all except… except for the Mudblood', you yelled and said 'No, you can have me, keep me!'."

"Yeah, I did."

"In that moment, I was terrified—"

"We all were."

"—that she would keep you. Now, after the fact, I'm glad she took me and not you. The thought of having you go through what I did…" A shudder ran through her slender frame. "I can't stand it. And I can't get it out of my head." She began to cry again.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, it's okay, it's all over, you're okay," I said, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead.

"I know!" she sobbed. "But what if it had been you?"

"I wish it had been me," I murmured, rubbing her back soothingly. "I wish they had hurt me instead of you. It was killing me. Hearing you screaming, and not being able to protect you…"

"Harry told me what happened down in the basement. He told me that you were just pounding the walls, screaming out my name over and over, trying to get to me so you could save me."

"He was right. That's exactly what I did. And all that was going through my mind was, Why her? Why not me? I have to stop this; I can't let her go through this. I have to protect her; I have to make them stop hurting her. I can't lose her.

"And all that was scattered. I couldn't even think properly. I saw your face, and when I thought of them hurting you, it made me go utterly insane. Although I'm ashamed to admit it now, I was willing to even give up Harry to make them stop hurting you. I was willing to do anything to protect you."

She looked up at me, and the moonlight shone on her tear-streaked cheeks. "Really?"

I nodded. "If they had come down and said that they would spare your life if I offered mine instead, I would be dead. Because that's how much you mean to me. I didn't just wake up because I heard you crying. Hell, even if I were awake, I probably wouldn't have even noticed you crying. The only reason I did was because I had a nightmare. It was from when we were at Malfoy Manor. I was locked in the cellar, and you were upstairs with Bellatrix and the Malfoys and Greyback."

Her face went white. "I was screaming, wasn't I?"

I nodded, feeling tears welling in my eyes. "Then Malfoy dragged you down and threw you in the cellar. I caught you, and you…" I couldn't go on.

"I what?" she asked. "What happened?"

"You died in my arms," I said, my voice breaking. "The last word you said was my name." I broke down then and started crying, holding her close. "I can't stand it, Hermione. The thought of you dead…. That's why I heard you, because I was thinking about you and your voice, and your face, and I just… heard you."

She cried too, snuggling closer. "That's like what my nightmare was, except when you said, 'No, you can have me, keep me!', they did keep you, and they did kill you! It's been torturing me all night!"

"Wait, you had a nightmare?" I asked, looking at her.

She nodded. "In it, you gave yourself up to save me, and they killed you. I know it didn't happen, but I can't stop thinking, 'What if'. What if it had been you? What if you hadn't been able to hold out? What if you had died, and I never got to tell you how much I loved you? I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if you had died! Because it would have been all my fault! It was my picture in the paper, and it was me who gave us away! I'm the reason we got caught! If I hadn't given us away, Harry could have talked our way out of it!"

"Shh, Hermione. It's all right. We're alive, and we're together. That's all that matters."

"But I do love you, Ron! That's just it! The thing that was bothering me was that we could have died before I could tell you I loved you!"

"I know you love me, you talk in your sleep sometimes."

She pulled back. "What, you spy on me in my sleep?"

"No, not like that! Well, kind of like that, but not to spy on you. It's because I have these nightmares a lot, and after I wake up, I just need to make sure you're safe. Two nights ago, I had one, and after I woke up, I went to your room to make sure you were all right. Just watching you sleep… You looked so peaceful, so beautiful, I just couldn't leave. I sat there for most of the night, just watching you."

Even though it was dark, I could tell she was blushing. "If I'd known that, I would have taken care to lock my door."

"I am a wizard, mind you," I said, smiling at her.

"And I am a witch, mind you," she replied. "Quit watching me sleep, or I might have to hex you. But since we're both telling secrets…" She held up the dark object. It was the blue shirt I had wrapped around her a year ago. "I keep this with me, wherever I go. I washed it to get the blood out, then put a spell on it so it would always smell like you. It's like I have a piece of you with me, wherever I go. I can't sleep without it anymore. When I have it, I feel… safe, like you're there with me, holding my hand."

"Really?" I asked.

"Mmm-hmm. Because I'm in love with you. And you're the only one I'll ever want. You're the love of my life, and I can't live without you."

"Hang on," I muttered, pulling my wand and pointing it at the house. "Accio."

A small, navy blue box zoomed from my open window. I caught it, and turned back to Hermione.

She didn't know what I'd gotten from my room, so I kept it hidden behind my back. "Do Legilimency on me."

"What?"

"Do Legilimency on me. Trust me."

"Er, okay. Legilimens," she said, pointing her wand at me.

Suddenly, I was back on the Hogwarts Express, eleven years old. A girl with bushy hair and large front teeth was looking at me. "I'm Hermione Granger. And you are?"

"Ron Weasley," I said. As she departed, I thought, I hope she's in Gryffindor…

Then I was twelve, standing on the Quidditch pitch, when Malfoy said "Mudblood", and I hexed him…

Then I was thirteen, and Hermione was sobbing on my shoulder after Buckbeak was executed (or so we thought). As I held her, I thought, This feels natural. I wonder if she's the one…

I was fourteen, and glaring at Krum with jealous hatred as he danced with Hermione at the ball. Stupid git. That should be me dancing with her.

Suddenly, I was fifteen. Hermione had just repaired my essay. "Hermione, you are honestly the most wonderful person I have ever met. If I'm ever rude to you again—"

"I'll know you've gone back to normal," she cut me off. I finished my sentence in my head. If I'm ever rude to you again, I'm going to hex myself, because I like you.

Then I was sixteen, and I was with Hermione at Dumbledore's funeral. She cried onto my shoulder, and my heart broke at the sight of her tears. I'd give anything to make her smile…

Then, I was seventeen, and I was disembarking from Tonks's broom. Hermione ran towards me, and grew weak with relief as soon I saw that she was all right. "You're all right," I said hoarsely.

She threw her arms around my neck, and I inhaled the scent of her flowery perfume, thinking that I could never get enough of this.

Then I was watching her come towards me, looking amazing in a lavender gown, and I thought, I've never seen anything so beautiful…

Then we were walking away from Krum, towards the dance floor. I felt smug for a few seconds, feeling Krum staring at us. Then, as she turned and took my hand, I looked into her eyes. The smugness evaporated as I gazed into her warm brown eyes, replaced with true love.

Then we were in the sitting room of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Harry was snoring in his sleeping bag, and Hermione was asleep, one hand near my face. I reached out and took it, marveling at how soft and delicate it was…

I was in the guest room at Bill and Fleur's (the one I was currently staying in, in fact), and I heard the voice I'd been hearing in my head for days come out of my pocket. I took out the Deluminator and clicked it, and a ball of blue light appeared outside my window. I packed my rucksack and wrote a note to Bill and Fleur, and climbed out the window (once again hitting my head on the top of the frame). The ball of light floated into my heart, and all I saw was Hermione's face. The face I'd thought about every second since I'd left it.

Then, I saw Horcrux-Harry kissing Horcrux-Hermione, and I felt such intense rage that I picked up the sword and slammed it down on Horcrux-Harry, and destroyed it.

Then I was at Hogwarts with Harry and Hermione, suggesting that we get the house-elves evacuated from the castle. Running at me, she flung her arms around my neck and kissed me full on the mouth. I threw away the fangs and broomstick I was holding and responded with such enthusiasm that I lifted Hermione off her feet.

I had been dreaming of kissing her for months, and this was better than all of the dreams combined. I let my eyes drift shut as Harry gaped at us.

Then I opened my eyes, and I was back on the beach with Hermione. She had tears in her eyes again, this time of joy. "Oh, Ron," she said, hugging me.

"Anyway, I would like to be able to spend the rest of my life watching you sleep. Will you marry me?" I asked, bringing the box out.

She smiled. "Oh, yes." She presented her left hand, and I slid the diamond ring (which had cost me a decent chunk of Muggle money) onto her third finger. She kissed me with such fervor that I fell over backwards and landed on the sand. She pulled back and looked at me. "Still, don't sneak around in my room and watch me sleep until after we're married."

"And when will that be, may I ask?" I inquired.

"I'd say… July 17. That gives us about four months," she said.

"So soon?" I asked, surprised.

Hermione smiled. "I'm the brightest witch of my age, remember? I can get it done, especially with the help of your mum. And Ginny and Luna. And maybe Fleur, too."

I smiled back. "I'm guessing you want Ginny and Luna and Fleur as bridesmaids?"

"Yeah."

"I'll have Harry, Neville, and Charlie. Or should I have Bill?"

"Well, I think we should make it two, that way you don't need to have any of your brothers. Because if you use one, the others will get offended, and if you use them all, there will be two to a bridesmaid, and that's just ridiculous."

I smiled. "We can do whatever you want. I just request that the cake be chocolate."

She sighed. "Oh, Ronald, when will you grow out of this?"

I grinned. "Never."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's go. I'm very tired, I've been out here for hours."

I helped her to her feet, then held her hand as we walked back to the house. "Can we use the back door? I don't fancy hitting my head again." I got no answer, just a kiss.

And it was good enough for me.