We escaped the Death Eaters' attack on the wedding and my brain was on fire. Kingsley's words echoed over and over in my mind. "The Ministry has fallen…they are coming." As we sat in the café on Tottenham Court Road, none of us knew who had escaped the beautiful piece of heaven that was the Burrow. With all of its structural flaws, its creaky floorboards, leaky roof, and the ghoul that liked to pop into the shower stall and perv on every female in the household – my heart broke thinking that it might be destroyed. I then felt incredibly guilt-stricken and selfish. I'd thought of the house before Ron's family. In retrospect, I think I did that because the idea of any of the Weasleys being captured or harmed in any way was enough to make me sick. It was unthinkable. Bill and Fleur's wedding should have been a joyous day; a day untouched by the war – it should not have been a flash point.

I had barely been able to suppress my racing worries about Ron's family when we were attacked by the Death Eaters in the café. The look in Ron's eye as he approached Dolohov made my blood run cold. I understood why Ron was willing to kill him, but I didn't think I could watch that happen. In the heat of battle was one thing, up close and personal in a Muggle café was another.

We settled into Grimmauld Place and Ron was understandably agitated. He, above any of us, needed reassurance that his family was safe. He'd already nearly lost his father and Bill; Harry and I both thought he'd fall to pieces if we learned bad news. We were relieved when Remus arrived to tell us all was well with the Weasleys, everyone was safe and accounted for. Harry breathed a giant sigh of relief and I felt like grabbing Ron around the neck and kissing him right there in celebration. But then, before I knew what was happening, Harry was yelling at Remus, calling him a coward and essentially a deserter for being willing to leave Tonks and their son. I don't think I'll ever forget the look on Remus' face as he left us.

We resolved to turn in for the night, all of us too tired to think of doing anything else. I lay down on a sofa and to my complete surprise, Ron chose to lay near me on some cushions. I had to bite my tongue to avoid suggesting he lay on the sofa with me, especially since in order for both of us to fit, one of us would essentially have to lay on top of the other. The lights were out and we went quiet. I heard Ron start to softly snore first. I shifted on the sofa, trying to find the most comfortable position but to be honest, there really wasn't one.

I sighed and let my hand drop over the edge of the cushion only to feel warm fingers interlace with mine. I jumped but then realized it was Ron, he hadn't fallen asleep yet after all. I turned and saw Harry's chest rising and falling steadily issuing soft snores each time he exhaled.

"I'm so relieved they're all safe." I whispered.

"Me too." He sighed. "And you, Hermione."

I felt tingly all over hearing him whisper my name. I shifted a bit on the sofa and he let go of my hand.

"Sorry." He said quietly.

"Sorry for what?"

"Your hand, it can't be comfortable like that, sorry. I just…felt better holding your hand." His voice trailed off and nearly disappeared altogether before he finished speaking.

"N-no, it was j-just fine, Ron." I stuttered. My brain screamed at me to find a reason for Ron to hold my hand again. "There was…a spring sticking into my back. I just needed to shift."

"Oh, well…can I?" I couldn't see his face but his fingers were suddenly mingling with mine again and I gasped quietly.

"Yes, of course. It…makes me feel better, too." I whispered.

Just then Harry's snoring grew louder. We both jumped at the sudden noise but after a few minutes of nothing but boisterous snoring echoing in our heads, Harry grew quiet again and we both relaxed.

"Thank you, Ron." I said, my eyelids growing heavy.

"What for?" He nervously cleared his throat.

"For coming with us. You have so much more to lose than Harry and I…your family…at least we know they're safe." I closed my eyes and chastised myself; as if he needed a reminder of the peril that faced his family.

"Don't thank me, Mione." He replied. "You and Harry are my family, too. I don't know how much help I'm going to be. I'm not brave like him, or nearly as clever as you are, but I'm here."

A tear formed in the corner of my eye. It took everything I possessed to keep myself from rolling off the sofa on top of him. I wanted to kiss him so badly. I wanted to tell him he was even braver than Harry and every bit as clever as me when it really mattered. We couldn't have gotten out of the jams we found ourselves in since First Year without him.

I wanted to tell him one of the scariest moments of my life was when word got to me that he had been poisoned and was in the hospital wing. I vividly remembered sitting in the Common Room when the news came bubbling through the other Gryffindors that someone had been poisoned. Ginny rushed to my side with wide watery eyes and I instantly knew it was Ron. My voice caught in my throat and I leapt from my chair leaving all of my books and parchment scattered where I had been sitting. I cursed the Founders for ensuring Apparation was impossible within the walls of the castle, my feet couldn't take me down to the hospital wing fast enough.

I shook my head and tried desperately repress the awful memory of walking up to his bed and seeing him lay there unconscious. I tried to forget yelling back and forth at Lavender when she came down. There was nothing she could have said or done that was going to move me from his side, girlfriend or no girlfriend; I was going to stay right where I was, holding his hand.

"You are very brave, Ron. And very clever. Stop putting yourself down all the time." I said finally.

I heard him exhale deeply. "Thanks, Mione."

We didn't speak again after that. I stared that the ceiling and for whatever reason, a conversation I'd had with Ginny months before popped into my head. I was on my bed studying (and avoiding watching Lavender suck Ron's lips off his face in the Common Room) when Ginny stormed into the room and plopped down next to me. She kicked her shoes off and made an exasperated grunting noise as she let her head fall back onto my pillow.

"Another fight with Dean?" I asked.

"How'd you guess?"

"I've started studying Divination again." I said sarcastically.

"Actually, I've just been rowing with my stupid brother." She said simply.

Naturally, my ears perked up. "Why? What did Ron do?"

"Don't you mean 'What did Won-Won do?" She scrunched up her face in a disgusted expression. "It's gross."

I chuckled, "Oh, you don't have to tell me that, Ginny. Remember I share a dorm room with her."

"That's right! Ugh, you poor thing! Feel free to come up and stay in my room if she ever becomes that unbearable." Ginny said, leaning up on her elbows.

"I've gotten pretty good at tuning her out." I said returning my attention to my books.

"Is that why you're hiding in here?"

"I'm not hiding." I said defensively.

Ginny cocked her head to the side, "Really Hermione! Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself?"

"Gin, I'm not hiding. It's quieter here."

"And it doesn't reek of Lavender." She teased me.

"Yes, another great benefit." I replied.

"I just hope he doesn't shag her. Then we'll never be rid of her." Ginny said off-handedly. I dropped my quill and the ink spattered on the essay I was trying to finish.

"D-do you really think they're ready for th-that?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"Oh please, she's dying for it. Her cousin Annabeth was one of Fred's conquests. I'm sure she's heard all about the Weasley – ahem – endowment." Ginny rolled her eyes. I bit my lip and forced myself into silence.

"Well, if R-Ron is happy, if he loves her, then…I'm happy for him." I said quietly.

Ginny sat up next to me and put her arm around my shoulder. She rested her head against mine and exhaled heavily.

"Hermione, you're the smartest girl in school and one of my best friends. I adore you. But, you're a terrible liar."

I'm not sure which of us fell asleep first but I know I woke up before Ron did. We weren't holding hands anymore, I leaned up on my elbow and looked at him. It wasn't very often that I was able to just look at Ron. His full lips were slightly parted. At the sight of them my tongue reflexively traced across my lower lip. His eyelashes, which I'd truly never noticed before, were a very light shade of strawberry blonde and despite being nearly transparent, they were surprisingly long. I perused his jaw line and the stubble which told me he'd most likely shave when he woke up. He groaned a little and rocked his head to the other side and I flattened myself on my back in case his eyes opened, I couldn't let him catch me watching him sleep.

When he didn't pop his head up, I peeked over the edge of the sofa at him again. My eyes trailed from his collarbone down his chest. His shirt had ridden up slightly in his sleep and I saw the strawberry blonde hairs below his navel disappear into his pyjamas. My cheeks blushed furiously. He shifted his hips slightly and my eyes nearly popped out of my head.

I was a very inexperienced teenager compared to the other girls my age. I'd only had one kiss from a boy, and that was the extent of my sexual life outside of my self-exploration. Seeing the bulge of Ron's morning erection in his pyjamas lit a fire in me. I felt very pervy watching him like that but I couldn't look away. The devilish voice in my head started telling me to touch his chest but I ignored that instruction. I couldn't touch Ron, but I could certainly touch myself.

I looked up to where Harry had fallen asleep and he was no longer laying there. That would be a complication. I couldn't have Harry walk in on me, that wouldn't do at all. In my sleep I had kicked the crocheted blanket off of me. I carefully sat up and pulled it back over myself. If I heard Ron wake up or Harry walk in the room I could just pretend to be asleep and if they couldn't see my hand thrust down the front of my shorts, neither of them would be the wiser.

After I pulled the blanket over me I laid still a moment to make sure I hadn't disturbed Ron. I could still hear him breathing steadily indicating he was asleep, so throwing all caution to the wind, I lowered my hand into my pyjama shorts.

I closed my eyes as my fingers caressed. Little jolts of electricity went shooting down my legs as I applied speed and pressure. My skin felt like warm, wet silk. I started panting softly and felt my nipples harden when I dared to push my middle finger inside myself a bit. The noises of the old house were distracting me, I needed an image to take me away from there.

It certainly wasn't the first (or last) time I'd fantasized about Ron. It was, however, the first time I'd done it with him so close to me. He was so close I didn't have to pretend I could smell his natural scent. Not his perspiration, just the way his skin naturally smells (although truth be told, sweaty Ron threw my hormone-addled brain into a tizzy). I tried to be as quiet as I was in my dormitory but I was having a very tough time not moaning as the fantasy played in my head.

We were naked (clearly), in the Forbidden Forest and Ron had me pinned up against a tree. I felt the rough bark against my bare back every time he thrust into me. One of his hands was gripping my bum, holding me up and I had locked my ankles behind his back. Ron's other hand was in my hair. His fingers didn't catch in tangles and curls, he tugged on it gently. We were kissing feverishly, our tongues swirling around each other. I dropped my head back and he sucked on my neck. It was one of my favorite fantasies, although I can't say what brought it to mind at that moment. It had become very vivid over time, I could practically hear the clomping hooves of the unicorns and centaurs that lived in there. I could feel the chilly wind blowing across my body. As usual, I heard his voice gruffly telling me he loved me but this time he also repeated the same words over and over again:

"I want you to cum, Hermione. Cum for me."

I obeyed.

Every muscle in my body seemed to clench at once. I clapped my free hand over my mouth to muffle the sound, then I reached up under my shirt and dug my nails into my right breast. I shook all over as I had three glorious orgasms. I was breathing heavy as my rushing pulse returned to normal. I exhaled deeply and arched my back as the last of the shivers faded away. I hoped against hope I'd been stealthy and quiet enough that neither Ron nor Harry had any idea what I'd been up to. I looked around the room and found it empty. I looked down at where Ron was laying and he was still sleeping like a baby.

A secret smile spread across my face, I'd gotten away with it.