I hope that you see right through my walls
I hope that you catch me, 'cause I'm already falling
I'll never let a love get so close
You put your arms around me and I'm home

- "You put your arms around me" - Christina Perri

oOo oOo oOo

Hermione's heart was hammering in her chest. How could she be so naive? Voldemort was dead and Death Eaters were still out there, lingering, without a leader. Harry had defeated him. They had defeated him. The Ministry had been the weak ones. Obviously, being sidelined by school children would be embarrassing.

Hermione sat on the edge of the sofa, grasping Ron's hand. He was clammy and nervous too. How silly of them to have let their guard down after everything they'd been through...

"The three of you are heroes," began Kingsley, who sat on the coffee table opposite them. "Everybody in the wizarding world is grateful for what you have done. Everybody knows that if it hadn't been for you three, most of us would be dead. Or worse."

"But?" asked Harry, who sat on the other side of Ron.

Kingsley leaned closer. There was no doubt in Hermione's mind that Molly was listening at the living room door.

"The Ministry are humiliated. Voldemort showed them out to be weak, and then a gang of children finished the job that they failed to complete."

"How's that our problem?" demanded Ron. "We saved the wizarding world, we should be left alone! And why was I not going to hear about any of this?"

Hermione squeezed his hand. He pulled her hand onto his lap.

Kingsley remained patient, but hushed Ron with a raised hand. "You three need to listen carefully because I am here to help you. Nobody else will be as kind."

He glanced briefly at the door, and then leaned even closer to them.

"They're willing to forgive you for breaking into The Ministry. You disturbed the workforce occupying the Ministry when Death Eaters had infiltrated it. That's a good story, and they want people to know that you were against the Death Eaters' regime..." Kingsley cleared his throat. "But... you broke into Gringotts. Harry, you used the Imperious curse. As necessary as it was at the time, that is a serious crime."

Hermione's head was spinning. This wasn't happening. A year on the run, half a lifetime of fighting dark wizards... and Harry was facing Azkaban.

"No..." she whispered out loud. Ron looked at her in concern.

"Hermione, you stole Bellatrix Lestrange's identity. Polyjuice Potion is legal but to use it in that way, when you had her wand and stole from her vault... it doesn't look good."

"But..." Hermione whimpered. "We only did it because-"

"We know," said Kingsley firmly. "At least, I know. But for the rest of the Ministry, the events of the past year haven't entirely woven together yet. They don't know everything. They're scared."

The words hung around them like a thick cloud of smoke. For Hermione, reality hit home that they'd spent too much time away from the wizarding world. They'd been so wrapped up in their quest, their duty, that they'd ignored the social practicalities. When had there ever been a war in history that was followed by rainbows and sunshine? The war was won. Now they had to clear up the rubble.

"They'll call you in and ask you some questions," said Kingsley, standing up. "Then the newspapers will print their articles about how you're both back under the thumb of the Ministry and

"Hang on a bloody minute!" Ron dropped Hermione's hand and stood up. "What about me? I broke into Gringotts too!"

Hermione grabbed his hand. "Ron, what are you doing?!" she hissed.

Kingsley turned back to them. "What are you saying, Ron?"

"I'm saying that you haven't explained why I'm not in trouble here!"

Kingsley shot him a pitying look. Hermione braced herself.

"Ron, don't take this the wrong way. Harry and Hermione could have broken into Gringotts without you. In the Ministry's eyes, you were irrelevant."

... that was a punch in the chest.

Silence fell, and he left. Ron simply stood, watching the door that had closed behind their visitor. Hermione watched him for signs of life. In the corner of her eye, she saw Harry cast an anxious look in her direction.

"Ron?" probed Harry. As soon as he spoke, Ron moved. He swerved round the coffee table and out the door. They heard him running up the stairs.

"I'll go," said Hermione as they both stood up. She hurried after Ron, praying that Harry didn't have a fit of loyalty and insist on coming too.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Hermione heard Molly asking nobody in particular as the trio poured out of the lounge. Hermione didn't answer her and instead continued up the creaking stairs.

"Ron?" she called quietly when she reached his door.

"Yeah..." he grunted. She pushed his door open.

He was there on the edge of his bed, elbows on knees, head in hands.

"Ron," she said again, walking quickly towards him. He did not look up. She fell to her knees in front of him and craned her head under his bowed head. "Ron, look at me,"

He dropped his hands, but didn't meet her eyes. She sighed, and internally curses Kingsley for being so insensitive... she couldn't let Ron think badly of himself. She would not let him believe that he was anything less than fiercely appreciated.

"Kingsley doesn't know what he's talking about," she said softly. "He wasn't there. I was."

He finally looked up. His red, wet eyes startled Hermione. She'd never seen him so bare.

"He was right though, wasn't he? Last year all I ever did was slow you down or piss you off."

"He wasn't talking about last year, Ron, he was talking about Gringotts. And he was wrong."

"Even the Ministry knows how bloody useless I am..."

Hermione unthinkingly reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. "I don't think you're useless."

"Don't..." he croaked, shaking his head.

"...don't do what?"

"I dunno, just don't..."

"don't do what?!"

"That!" he wiped his face with his hand. "You're gunna try and make me feel better. I don't want to feel better."

Hermione's eyes narrowed as she stood up. "So you want sit here and be miserable? You want to mope around in your room all afternoon?"

He looked up at her helplessly. Hermione ignored his resemblance to a starving beggar.

"Please just let me feel guilty for a bit."

Fresh tears welled in his eyes. He quickly bowed his head again. "I was a complete arse to you and Harry, then I walked out, then I did bugger all for weeks, now you and Harry are facing an inquiry. Where's the justice in that?"

Surely, surely, he was out of his mind. Hermione could understand the guilt from walking out. But the sick, manipulative influence of the horcrux and his weeks selfless courage when he returned... they reminded her just how deeply in love with him she was.

She swallowed thickly and sat down on the bed beside him.

"What about Malfoy Manor?" she asked. As his shoulders began to shake, she rubbed his back. "You saved my life. You risked everything... you were so brave..."

"I wasn't brave," he whimpered, his voice thick with tears and his nose red. "I was desperate."

He dropped his forehead onto her shoulder and cried, his arms wrapping tightly around her waist. She held him, rocked him and blinked back the tears forming in her own eyes.

"You looked after me at Shell Cottage, remember?" she spoke softly, then kissed his head. "You held my hand. You stayed with me."

"Course I bloody did," he mumbled into her shoulder. He lifted his head and looked at her, examining her whole face before meeting her gaze. He opened his mouth to speak, then decided against it.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ugh, just say it, Ron!"

"Say what?"

"Whatever you want to."

He looked confused. She sighed. "What were you about to say just then?"

"Nothing!"

"Say it."

"No."

"Say. It."

"No."

"Fine!"

Hermione stood up. Immediately, his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. She plopped back down on the bed, startled. When she turned to glare at him, his face was very sincere.

"You mean a lot to me, 'Mione. I really care about you."

His words washed away any negative thoughts she'd previously had. In fact, she fought to suppress a delighted squeal as her entire body started tingling. Rather than face the embarrassment of having to explain a girlish wriggle of happiness, she looked down at his lips, ready for what she hoped to be a long, glorious kiss. As soon as her gaze dropped down to his mouth, Ron propelled himself forward and pressed his lips firmly to hers.

She would never get used to this. Ever. The tenderness of his kisses that made her heart soar and the intimacy that made her forget about the war, the loss, her parents, her scars... of course, this was an awkward kiss at first. His hands on the bed, her hands in her lap. Only their lips made contact. Then, when she parted her lips ever so slightly, she felt him shift. His arms wrapped around her waist, forcing her into his chest. Her arms went around his neck and the sweet kissing continued. This moment, in which she was encased in Ron's warmth, might've been perfect had she not been fraught with insecurities about her kissing technique. However, as he applied a tiny bit more pressure to deepen the kiss, she brushed those thoughts aside. All that she was conscious of now was the fact that they were kissing on his bed. He seemed the acknowledge this too. She felt his lips slow their movements on hers as he realised. If they didn't go somewhere with this kiss, things would get very awkward indeed, and Hermione knew that if she did not act, he would be far too gallant to try anything. She broke away from his lips.

"Was that OK?" he breathed, blushing pink. She nodded. How could he not know? He'd gotten plenty of practice with Lavender...

"Was I OK?" she asked, blushing just as red as him. He stared at her for a long moment, raised his eyebrows and blinked.

"I think 'OK' is a bit of an understatement."

"Oh shut up," she smirked, rolling her eyes.

"I'm serious!" he chuckled. "You're the best kisser ever."

Hermione should've been flattered, but the exciting mood sunk a little at the suggestion of Ron's past kissing partners. Not only was Hermione still burning with jealousy that his first kiss had not been her, and had in fact been with a girl who'd gained enough kissing experienced to be crowned World Snogging Champion, but there was also the withering stab of guilt that between his relationship with Lavender and this current snog in his room, Lavender had been attacked by a werewolf. And they hadn't bothered to find out whether she was okay.

"Are you alright?" Ron asked, bringing her mind back into focus. She nodded, looking down at her lap.

"I'm not lying, Hermione. You're a really great kisser."

She smiled half-heartedly at him. "Thank you, Ronald. You're quite the expert yourself."

She hadn't meant it to sound accusatory. Heck, she was sure she'd sounded complimentary. Clearly, Ron had picked up on the subtext.

"Is that what's up, then? You're all glum about my... kissing expertise?"

Hermione shrugged and looked away.

Ron sighed quietly. "Yeah, I kissed Lavender. But you kissed Krum though, right? And McLaggen. They're all in the past, Hermione. We're not with them anymore. This is our relationship now."

Even though Hermione's stomach flipped at that last part, she felt a little bit irritated.

"I didn't kiss either of them actually," she told him firmly. His face was so close to hers, she could read every emotion on his face at twice the normal precision. Surprise, guilt, relief. It was that quick. Since Voldemort's defeat, he'd clearly developed an attraction to living in the present.

"Thanks for coming to find me," he said suddenly. "I... I feel better. You make me feel better." He met her gaze again, making Hermione feel very warm. He gulped. "Can I kiss you again?"

Hermione smiled and went to lean in, but the probing concept of kissing in his bedroom got to her again. She swallowed her nerves and grabbed his wand from where he'd dropped it on the bed earlier. She aimed it at the door.

"Colloportus,"

She dropped the wand on the rug under their feet and scooted away from him, twisted her body round and watching his eyes widen and breath quicken as she lowered her torso down to a lying position on his bed, with just enough room for him to join her.

"Of course you can," she said softly. He seemed frozen in fright.

Hermione blushed and felt a little bit sick. "Unless you don't want to..." she said, beginning to push herself up onto her elbows.

"No!" Ron exclaimed suddenly, throwing himself down onto the space beside her and flinging an arm over her waist. The action stunned her. When his eagerness sunk in, she burst out laughing.

"Hey, I didn't laugh at you when you lied about gnomes to snog me behind my house!"

"I'm sorry!" she squeaked through her laughter. "I just..."

There wasn't really much point to continuing. They were both lying beside each other with one intention. At the same time, they decided to fulfil that intention.

Hermione's skin tingled as he pressed his lips gently to hers once again. They quickly threw nerves and caution to the wind and deepened the kiss, parting their lips and meeting each other's tongues. The feel of his wet tongue sent a flood of warmth into the pit of Hermione's stomach. For so many years, she'd dreamed of doing this to him in this exact bed. It was far too early to think about progressing any further than snogging at the moment, but Hermione was perfectly happy with this. His strong arm over her waist, hugging her close, the light pressure of his body pushing her gently into the mattress, his soft lips moving gently yet passionately over hers... he made her feel wonderful.

"This okay?" he asked, his lips hovering over hers.

She kept her eyes closed, savouring the feeling of his breath and warmth and softness all over her. "This is perfect."

She felt him smile against her mouth before he resumed kissing her. She didn't think she could be any happier than in this moment. She was sure she'd burst. She was snogging Ronald Weasley in his bed. It only made her mind crackle with excitement at the prospect of their relationship going further. But before that happened, there were things she needed to know, questions she needed to ask him and words she needed to hear.

oOo

A/N- God love 'em.

Feel free to review. Also, on my profile page, there's a link to my Tumblr.

Nel X

P.S. I read every single review and thank you to everyone who's been really nice and supportive so far. Your reviews make me do a fangirl dance, they really do. It's embarrassing. A quick thanks to Heronlove, Cocorocks and for their regular niceness in reviews. Also to Diva Gonzo for being so intelligent and fun to converse with.