Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related characters.

A/N: A drabble written for the lovely Edie K with the prompt "Hiding from bad guys kiss" - takes place during 7th year on the Horcrux Hunt.

I'm Not Sorry

The Forest of Dean was a beautiful and calm place. In the middle of a crisp winter, the forest was desolate, creating an eerie atmosphere around them.

The crunch of the frozen grass beneath their feet sounded like shattered glass as they moved, careful not to make too much noise and disturb the peace of the land.

The frosty air was comparable to the frost Ron received from Hermione upon his arrival back to the hunt. He didn't expect anything less, but he was still discouraged by the lack of progress he'd made thus far on getting her to forgive him.

The forest itself was known to be so isolated that Ron's ears turned up at the sound of a distant snap that reverberated off the trees. The sound reminded him of a twig breaking beneath a shoe, alerting him to the possibility that there was someone close by.

He froze in place, catching Hermione's wrist to stop her movements. On his other side, Harry also paused and drew his wand. Hermione peered over at Ron with initial annoyance, but she frowned once she saw the hardened expression on his face. He craned his neck, listening close for any additional movement.

Crunch crunch crunch.

"I feel like we're close to somethin'," a muffled voice rang out, sending a chill down Ron's spine. There was more than one person out there. Realization dawned on him.

Snatchers.

They were close, likely sniffing the woods for any signs of life. With the target on all three of their heads, Ron knew the bounty hunters wouldn't hesitate to turn them in for rewards. For a moment, Ron was afraid that one of them had inadvertently spoken Voldemort's name aloud. The last thing they needed was to be subjected to the bloody Taboo Curse on his name.

His blood boiled as he recalled his recent encounter with a snatcher, and how they spoke so cruelly of muggleborns. He glanced over at Hermione, who was already looking over at him with wide eyes, having heard the same movement as he did.

There was no way in hell that he would let the bastards get anywhere near Hermione.

He had to come up with a plan. Fast.

Without a second thought, Ron waved his wand towards Harry, casting a disillusionment charm that made Harry disappear from sight.

"Don't move or speak, mate," Ron whispered harshly. The sound of crunching footsteps grew closer.

Ron turned to Hermione, keeping a firm grip on her hand. They were coming. Quick. Too quick to hide them both, so Ron did the first thing that came to his mind.

He grabbed Hermione's hips and pressed her into the bark of the tree behind her, a sharp gasp escaping her lips from the force.

"Just go with it," he murmured only seconds before he lowered his lips to hers.

Bloody hell.

This was not exactly how he imagined his first kiss with Hermione — in the middle of a cold forest, hiding from dark wizards, with so much tension still between them — but it was happening, and he was even more surprised to find her kissing him back.

Before long, their lips tangled together in a heated embrace. Hermione bunched up his coat between her fists, clutching to him as she let out a soft whimper. Ron felt the blood rushing through his body, enveloping him in a welcomed warmth.

Snogging Hermione was bloody perfection. As his giant hands wove through her bushy curls, he decided that he didn't ever want to stop.

"Hey! You there!" A gruff voice pulled their lips apart, and Ron pushed Hermione's head into his chest in an effort to keep her face concealed.

"Oi! Do you mind?" Ron snapped back. "I'm just wanting some alone time with my girl."

My girl. If they somehow managed to make it out of this dire situation alive, he reckoned Hermione was going to kill him.

Ron panted heavily, trying to avoid meeting the stranger's eyes, for fear that his red hair and blue eyes would give him away.

"Find anything?" Another man shouted out.

There was a slight pause, just long enough to make Ron's heart beat wildly within his chest before the closest snatcher scoffed. "Nah, just a couple of horny teenagers."

Ron remained perfectly still, the voices and footsteps retreating. He waited until he heard the familiar cracking sound that indicated they had disapparated before lifting Hermione's head and searching her flushed face.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice laced with panic. He rubbed her shoulders after noticing that her body was trembling.

She gazed back at him, with her rosy cheeks and dilated pupils, in wonderment. "That was brilliant, Ron."

"Yeah?" Ron felt his cheeks redden. "I'm sorry, I — I just didn't know what else to do."

"I'm not sorry." Hermione's reply was quick and unapologetic. All Ron could do was stare at her, dumbfounded. Was it really truly possible that she just very well maybe…

She bit her lip in the way she always did when she was nervous, and the corners of her mouth twitched. Ron reached over and brushed one of his knuckles down her cheek, watching her eyelids flutter closed.

Harry cleared his throat behind them, disrupting their intimate moment. "I'm a little bit sorry that I had to witness that."

Both Ron and Hermione exchanged shy smiles, breaking out into nervous laughter that filled the quiet air. Maybe, just maybe, the frozen ice around their relationship was starting to thaw.