Descaimer: All the characters are the sole property of J.K. Rowling.

The noise outside woke her up. She had been asleep for only two hours at the most. Sleep was a rare blessing these days. The laughter outside pulled her from her grogginess.

That laugh.

She was on her feet at once. Grabbing her wand, Hermione strode out the tent. She did a quick scan of the body froze as her eyes met his. A gasp escaped through her lips. She couldn't believe her eyes.

There he was standing beside Harry with his belongings on his left shoulder and the Sword of Gryffindor clutched with both hands.

Wait, the Sword of Gryffindor? What was it doing with him? And why is he all wet and damp?

And his eyes. Oh god his eyes. How they were sparkling at her. And his famous Ron Weasley smile was flashing across his face.

He looked so happy being back with . He was happiness surging inside her turned into raging anger as she remembered he had left them.

'What are you doing here?' She finally forced herself to speak.

'I decided to come back' Ron replied, the smile on his face replaced with regret.

Hermione was dying to ask him what made him come back but she resisted. 'And the Sword of Gryffindor just happens to be with you?'

'We found it at the lake', Harry answered with pride evident in his voice and added, 'We destroyed the horcrux Hermione. Ron did it.'

Hermione glanced back at Ron. She expected a smug reply or a proud look on his face but he kept gazing at her lost in his own musings.

'How did you find us?' She couldn't stop herself from asking.

Ron was startled to hear Hermione's question directed towards him.

'I..uh..after leaving... from here I..went to Shell Cottage. At Bill and Fleur's...it was the only place i could think of.' He lowered his eyes, face red with shame. 'They let me stay there. As soon as I calmed myself down, i knew i had made the wrong decision. I wanted to come back but Bill wouldn't let me leave without having eaten. So I cleaned up , ate a bit and Bill got me talking. He wanted me to think clearly before setting out to join you. I told him you know...that I belonged with you and I didnt want to be anywhere else but with you.' He looked up at Hermione. 'I know you might not believe me but I did. Fleur packed some stuff for me to take and when I arrived there...I couldn't find you. I know your charms are pretty strong but I knew the place and I called out for you. I couldn't find you anywhere. And it hit me then...that...maybe you had really left..without me. Of course it was my own fault. I knew that.' He stopped and forced himself to look at Hermione.

'I did come back, you know. But you were gone. I...I didn't know where you'd gone. I had no choice but to leave again.' He sighed.

He was fiddling with the sword as if to not let the pain show on his face.

'I kept searching in places where you could've gone but I failed Everytime. And one day, as I was fiddling with the deluminator, I heard a voice. Your voice Hermione.'

Ron looked straight into her eyes. An unknown look in his was completely silent, intrigued by his story.

Hermione forced herself to speak, a little too harshly.

'And what did I say may I ask?'

'My name.' Ron's gaze was now fixed at her. 'Just my name. Like a whisper. And suddenly a small ball of light appeared from the deluminator. And I knew. That it would take me where I needed to go. And surely it flew towards me and went straight through my chest. Right through here.'

He pointed at the spot just above his heart.

'When i opened my eyes, I found myself in the middle of the forest beside the lake.I was hoping for either of you to show up and you did.' He looked gratefully at Harry. Harry gave a slight nod. 'I guess, Dumbledore left me this deluminator because he knew, somehow, I would need to find my way back to you two and that you would lead me.'

As Ron finished speaking, Hermione felt tears stinging at the back of her she wouldn't let them flow. She couldn't. He was here didnt mean he hadn't left. He ad hurt her and she wouldn't fall weak in front of she directed her question at Harry.

'How did you destroy the horcrux?' Harry was about to speak up when Ron interrupted, 'Are we going to stand here and talk all day? We can talk inside too, don't you think?'

Hermione barely stopped herself from snapping before remembering that he was soaking wet and was probably feeling cold.

She let out a sigh and motioned for them to move inside.

Harry and Hermione sat on chairs while Ron went to a corner.

'My mother's patronus led me to the lake.' Harry explained in the meantime. 'I saw the sword lying at the bottom. I jumped in and grabbed it but the locket won't let me come back up. I would have drowned if Ron hadn't jumped in. I...' Harry glanced at Ron and stopped abruptly. Hermione noticed him frown and followed his gaze to Ron. Her heart sank when she noticed what he was doing.

He was in his wet shirt and was staring intensely at his hands. At the scars that he got from the Battle at the Department of Mysteries.

'Ron' Hermione whispered.

Ron came out of his trance like state and stared at them, 'Huh?'

'You didn't tell us how you found me at the lake.'Harry offered him an opening in the conversation.

'Oh, yeah' Ron quickly changed into a dry shirt and his Weasley jumper. He sat across Hermione.

'I saw the patronus moving towards the lake. I thought it was yours so I followed it and saw you jump into the lake. When you didnt come back up, i knew something was wrong. So i jumped in.'

'I told him we could destroy the horcrux with the sword and asked him to do it, as you know, it affected him the most.'

'So you destroyed the locket just like that? It didnt do something to stop you?' Hermione inquired, raising a brow.

Before Harry could answer her, Ron spoke up.

'It did. It did' He glanced nervously at Harry. 'It started shaking and black smoke lifted up from it. But before it could take any shape, I...uh..I struck it and it blew into pieces.' Ron gulped.

Harry looked at Ron confused and wanted to say something.

'Is that all?' Hermione questioned Harry,noticing his confused expressions.

Harry glanced at Ron briefly before turning to Hermione..

'Yes, that is all.' Silence filled the tent.

'Here' Ron handed Harry the sword. As Harry took the sword, his fingers touched Ron's skin. He jerked his hand back.

'Your hands seems to be made of ice. They're freezing.' Harry cried.

'Well I did jump in a frozen lake.' Ron answered with a tilt of his head.

'So did I' Harry argued.

'You didnt have your clothes soaked wet, did you?' Ron countered.

'Yeah, youre right.' Harry answered sheepishly.

'I'll make some tea.' Hermione stated, standing up to leave.

'There's no need' Ron spoke, a little too fast.

Hermione glared at him. Ron shrunk back in his chair a little and added, 'But a little tea won't hurt.'

Hermione left with one last pointed look. Ron watched her go, when he noticed Harry had gotten up. He rushed to his side.

'Harry, listen mate.'

Harry turned to him. 'Yeah?'

'About...what really happened back there...with the locket...'

'Dont worry. I won't tell her.'

Ron smiled and nodded, expressing gratitude. They stared at each other silently for a couple of seconds before Harry engulfed him in a brotherly hug.

'Im glad you came back.'

'Yeah, me too'. Ron glanced at Hermione from over Harry's shoulder, 'Me too'.