A/N: This chapter was… an amazing experience to write. Don't skip this. Read and review, please!

Quote Preview: "Thinking about Ron in that state of mind scared me."

The Fear Game

We were at the muggle train station, about to run into the same stone wall we've been running through the past four years. This was the only way to get to platform nine and three quarters, which was where the Hogwarts Express was located.

This morning was not very eventful seeing as the family was rushing about, packing last minute book and clothing. Ron, Ginny, Harry and I ate breakfast and then Ron went upstairs to take a hot shower (Don't think of Ron wet, don't think of Ron naked! This is totally causing me to think of Ron wet and naked!). The car ride here was also fairly quiet, except for the twin's occasional jokes about being at the top of the school, or how they will set off Weasleys' Wildfire Wiz-Bangs in Snape's office, giving Harry a good chuckle.

"You know what to do now, right?" Ron's mum asked, looking for reassurance in us after we arrived on platform nine and three quarters, about to board the train. She always went above and beyond, which is what I loved so much about her; she cares.

"Mum," I turned around to see Ron calmly speaking to his worried parent, "seriously, we'll be fine." He smiled, making her sniffle and hug her comforting son.

"The train is boarding," a man in a uniform came about, saying, "If you don't want to miss the Hogwarts Express you must be getting a move on."

We picked up our bags and started climbing aboard. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Ginny struggling with her bags. Harry got all the bags out of her arms and carried them in, her protesting against it. I snickered and gave Ron's mum a hug.

"Don't worry; I'll keep Ron in line." I laughed, making her giggle as well.

"Thank you."

When everyone was done their good-byes and their bags were on the train, we boarded too. We found an empty compartment and settled there.

"Ugh," Ron expressed the way he felt as he dropped his bags and sat down, "Blimey. I'm so-" his sentence was broken off by the sound of his own yawn. I sat down beside him and a yawn left my lips, as well.

The train left the station, on its way to Hogwarts.

"I'm gonna go change now," Ginny said, bouncing up.

"Yeah, same." Harry leaped at the sign of her leaving, causing her to giggle. They left the room together, closing the door behind them.

"Want to play something?" I started a few minutes after the two left the room, "I mean, we have nothing better to do." He smiled at me and nodded in agreement.

"How about we play fear in a hat?" He asked, smile upon his face.

The door opened, to Harry, Luna Lovegood, Ginny and Neville Longbottom. "May I ask what fear in a hat is?" Harry looked at us, curiosity written across his face. Yeah, what is 'fear in a hat' anyways?

"It's where you put down two personal fears on a sheet of paper and place it in a hat." Luna explained in her light, charming voice, sitting down on the ground inside the compartment, "someone picks it out of the hat, reads it out loud and explains how the person who wrote it down might feel."

Neville took a seat beside her, while Harry and Ginny sat beside one another.

"So?" Ron looked to me, "Wanna play guys?"

"Sure." I replied in unison to everyone else. I reached into my bag, pulling out quills and some paper. "We need ink." I looked to everyone else. We all sat in a circle on the floor.

Luna reached into her bag. "I always have a cup full, just in case." She smiled brightly, but then it fell, her deep in thought, "but then again, I always carry gnome food with me too…" She pulled out a closed cup, opened it and placed it on the ground. We all dipped our quills into the cup and started writing. When we were finished, Ginny pulled out a large empty makeup bag, unable to find any hats. We placed our in.

She shook the bag around, and each of us, one by one, pulled out a sheet of paper. I closed my eyes, scrunching my face as I dunk my hand into the bag and pulled out a paper. While reading the somewhat neat handwriting, I felt my heart squeeze. I looked up into Ron's eyes.

My Fears.

1. Spiders.

I knew it was him from the moment I read "Spiders" across the page, grinning; but as soon as I hit the second one, my stomach dropped and I felt as if I needed air.

2. I fear of losing her, never being able to look into her eyes. I fear of never being able to tell her, it being too late.

… But the order I put these fears in isn't the reality.

I felt my eyes water as I looked down into the paper. Holding it in, people started to read sheets out – but that didn't matter to me.

Then I heard mine being read out. I looked up to see Ron reading my paper.

"I fear of that horrible, typical happily ever after." He read, eyes misty, "And two, I am afraid of that stupid, typical happily ever after never happening to me." The room was filled with tension, and but I wasn't paying any attention to it- only to Ron. "I know what you mean. You hate it, so much. You never wanted to be the typical kind of person, but you refuse to have anything less than that horribly amazing someone; who'll stay with you forever." His eyes looked away from my glaze, his cheeks burning red. "You want nothing more then everything that everyone else seems to have."

Love.

He understands me, completely. I thought towards myself, somewhat inwardly smiling, everyone else has love; why can't I?

"Hermione, your turn." Neville smiled at me.

"Okay," I said, taking a deep breath in. So, what? He has mine and I have his? "One… spiders." Everyone bursted into laughter, looking directly at Ron. His blush grew into a deeper read, looking at me. "Two… I fear of losing her." The whole room fell quiet instantly, looking directly at Ron, then at myself. "I fear of never being able to look into her eyes. Of never being able to tell her, it being too late." I said, choking out the last sentence, tears in my eyes. "But the order I put these fears in isn't the reality."

Everyone was either silently gasping, or looking at Ron in sorrow, trying to hide that they knew it was him.

"Ron," I drew attention to myself by saying his name out loud, everyone turning to me, and then turning to him for some sort of reaction. He looked up, "I understand." His hands were shaking, and his chest was rising up and down more noticeably.

His eyes were watering, "So much is going to happen soon. I can feel it; Voldemort's still alive, and if I don't tell her now…"

"Ron, we all understand." Everyone's eyes shifted towards Harry, his face solemn, "everything's going to change, yes..."

"Does that mean for the better or the worse, no one knows, really." Ginny added in, supporting her brother, "But that doesn't mean we should give up hope." It was quiet, everyone distressed. Ron got up and left. They all looked at me, and I knew what I had to do.

I got up and started searching for Ron.

Walking from compartment to compartment, table area to kitchen; got yelled at three times for going into 'employee only' zones, but I didn't care.
Thinking about Ron in that state of mind scared me.

I had searched about everywhere when I thought of something.

The men's washroom.

I quickly turned around and raced towards the washrooms. I opened the door to see Ron, the only guy in the washroom.

"I don't want to lose any of you," I could hear his heart pounding, his voice only a whisper. I rushed over to him and sat beside him on the counter.

Ron stared into my eyes again, and I felt my heart shatter. Tears started falling from his eyes, and I instantly wrapped my arms around him.

Sitting on the men's bathroom counter, I was holding Ron, rocking him back and forth, his head on my chest, crying in desperation.

Ron's Point of View

I awoke to the thought of Hermione.

It all came flooding back to me, the memories of what happened. I was lying down, what happened?

I opened my eyes to see Hermione, asleep in a sitting position, head towards me. We were alone, in a separate compartment then the others, seeing as the bags weren't here. I sat up and stretched, feeling hungry. My eyes were hurting from the crying this morning, and I knew I wasn't the only one. Hermione had bags under her eyes, looking tired as ever.

When I say she looks tired, it doesn't mean she looks any less beautiful then she always is, it just means that she looked stressed. She's the most gorgeous girl I've ever seen.
I don't think I've ever told her that before. I'll make note to tell her soon.

I stood up and walked out of the compartment to see a lunch cart going around where we could buy food. I walked over and got some subs.

What? Just cause we're wizards and witches doesn't mean that we don't eat real food.

I walked back over to Hermione and my room, seeing she was awake; I set the food down beside her, and she looked up at me with distress.

"I'm fine, don't worry. Just eat, you look hungry." I explained, and she nodded slowly, taking a sip from her water. I bit into my sub and watched her eat. "Hermione, you're beautiful."

Unexpectedly, she started to choke on the water.

"You've got to be joking me." She said, making me extremely confused.

"You don't think you're beautiful?" I asked, astounded. She shook her head, eyebrows raised. "Not even pretty?"

"No, not at all."

"How? You're bloody gorgeous, 'Mione!" I explained. She blushed a deep scarlet, and continued.

"I just am not. My hair, my face…" she drifted off. I took her face in my hands, her eyes sparkling up at me.

"Hermione," I breathed, my heart pounding, "you might be the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen." I felt my face burning up, and I felt the need to look away, but I didn't. I had to do this. "No, you are the most gorgeous woman I've ever set my eyes on." My hands fell from her face. We looked away from one another.

A minute had passed until I felt her head on my shoulder.

"And you are the most gorgeous man I have ever set my eyes on." She breathed.

I think fireworks just exploded inside me.

Aw, -sniffle-

This chapter was so hard to work on. I was choked up through out the whole thing. I never knew this chapter would be so deep.
I was at school today, but I wasn't paying attention to work what so ever. Instead I was working on a rough copy of this. MUAHAHAHAHA, don't tell my teachers. What they don't know can't hurt them. ;)

What do you think of Ron and Hermione's relationship blooming?

Do you think it's too early to get into even thinking about a relationship, soon?
I was trying to work my way into it, and not get too carried away with this story.

OHHHH, and before you leave, one more question; did I hit it good?
Like, did you become choked up through out that part?
I really want to know if I got the feelings through! If not, I'll have to work on that. :)

Thanks guys!

- Elle

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Rupert Grint: I'll take out my sword of Gryffindor if you review! (;

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