Hi! Welcome to my new angsty romione fic! (really, if you were expecting anything other than angst from me, idk what to say)

I have been working on this for a while, and I'm so excited to finally start posting! No promises on updates because even though I have about half of it already written, it's not really in order and is a MESS.

Anyway, this starts off as a 6th year AU, but the majority of it will take place when Ron and Hermione are a few years older. In the beginning it is mostly canon, but there are still a few significant differences that you'll find as you read that drastically stray from canon.

POV is going to be jumping around from Ron and Hermione, and a lot of scenes are going to be told from both of their perspectives in order to better understand what they are thinking. Hopefully, this doesn't get too confusing!

A huge shoutout to CHEESY who is a freaking beta-queen as well as a stupendous writer!

oOo

"Okay."

Hermione contemplated the information she had just been given. It was Thursday night, and she, Harry, and Ron were sitting at the very back table in the deserted library as Harry relayed to them everything he'd learnt that night. She held up her fingers and started to list the number of objects, wanting to make sure she had all the information correct.

"There's the diary, which you destroyed at the end of second year, and the ring, which Dumbledore has already destroyed." Harry nodded his affirmation as she went on. "Then there's Helga Hufflepuff's cup, the lost Diadem of Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin's locket- all of which Dumbledore has already collected, but hasn't yet destroyed."

Harry nodded again, a grave look on his face. "So once those pieces of him are taken care of, all there is left to do is kill Voldemort's snake, and then...him?"

"Yes. That's all," Harry confirmed.

Although he said nothing else, Hermione had a sneaking suspicion that there was something important that Harry still wasn't telling them. Part of her wanted to press him further and ask more questions, but knew that wasn't a smart idea at the moment. Harry had been under a lot of pressure lately, and spent most of his free time with Dumbledore as the two concocted plans to take down Voldemort. Harry wholly believed that the entire wizarding world was on his shoulders, and no reassurance from his two closest friends could persuade him otherwise. Wanting to be a means of comfort, Hermione reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, but Harry didn't even seem to notice the gesture, his body stiff and his jaw clenched.

Worried, she looked across the table at Ron, who had been silent throughout the entirety of the conversation, without a doubt deep in thought as Harry had explained the Horcruxes to them in detail. Up until that night, she and Ron hadn't even known what a Horcrux was, nor had they known that Dumbledore had been secretly collecting them since their third year.

As if sensing her eyes on him, Ron looked up and met her gaze, causing Hermione's stomach to do a small flip. Although appearing deeply troubled, the corner of his mouth lifted, and Hermione returned the gesture as she pushed a tendril of her hair behind her ear, hoping he hadn't noticed how much the smile had affected her. Ever since his poisoning and subsequent breakup with Lavender Brown, she and Ron had only grown closer, and Ron seemed genuinely as happy as Hermione was to have their friendship restored.

As Hermione tried to focus on something other than the butterflies in her chest, Ron turned his blue eyes to Harry, his smile dropping as he spoke for the first time in what seemed like hours. "And Dumbledore wants you to come with him? When he goes for Voldemort, I mean?"

"Yes. I have to be there," Harry said resolutely, as if there was no room for argument about this particular step in the plan. "I don't know when Dumbledore wants to face him, but I know it'll be soon. Real soon."

"Harry, you're sixteen!" Hermione admonished. "Dumbledore can't possibly think that bringing you along is-"

"I already told you, Hermione," Harry interrupted in a sharp tone. "I'm the bait. Dumbledore's plan won't work unless I'm there."

Hermione resisted the urge to let out a frustrated sigh. It was taking effort on her part not to snap right back at him and tell him how ridiculous he was being, but she managed to refrain. "But he-"

"Not only that," Harry continued. "But Dumbledore hasn't been feeling his best, and I need to be ready to step in if I'm needed."

The determined look in her black-haired best friend's eyes scared Hermione, and she shot another look at Ron, who appeared to be just as disturbed as she felt.

"I'll come too, mate," he cut in, his expression also taking on a look of determination.

Hermione rapidly shook her head. "Ron- no."

Ron, who Hermione was positive had heard her plea, continued speaking without missing a beat. "I reckon Dumbledore should have all the help he can get, and if I-"

Harry's hand came down hard as he smacked the table, the loud sound causing Hermione to let out a small squeal of surprise. "No!" Harry bellowed, now unable to reign in his frustration. "I told you before, Ron. It has to be me and Dumbledore! Dumbledore knows what he's doing, and I trust him. End of the goddamn story."

Hermione could tell by the heated look on Ron's face that he was more than ready to argue this point. She knew she needed to intervene- and fast. Without thinking, she slipped her shoe off and stuck her leg out underneath the table, running her foot up Ron's leg from his ankle to his knee in a way that she hoped would be calming. The effect, though, was seemingly anything but, as Ron jumped about a foot in his seat, his eyes snapping to Hermione in bewilderment as his face and ears reddened. It only then occurred to Hermione that Ron must have taken the touch as a sensual thing, and she felt her own face flush as she realized what she'd done. She immediately pulled her leg back and avoided his gaze, internally chastising herself for the move. Although not in the way she'd originally planned, at least she had seemed to stop a row from happening, as Ron was once again silent.

Luckily, it appeared Harry was too deep in thought to notice any of this, his green eyes glazed over as he stared hard at the table. "Gonna go to bed," he mumbled after a few long seconds of silence. "I'll talk to you both tomorrow."

Without waiting for a response, he stood up and left, leaving Ron and Hermione to watch after his retreating form.

Ron broke the silence with a sigh, and when Hermione looked at him, he was running both of his large hands down his face. "It always comes down to this, doesn't it?" he asked, sounding exhausted. "Bloody Harry telling us he doesn't need our help."

Hermione nodded. "Yes. But as much as I hate it, Ron, you know neither of us are going to be able to talk him out of it this time. Especially if Dumbledore wants it that way."

"Yeah. I know," he replied in a dejected voice, his eyes on the open book in front of him even though it was apparent he wasn't reading it.

Hermione couldn't help but take a moment to stare at him. She'd missed him so much the whole time they hadn't been speaking. Since making up, they hadn't rowed once, and Ron had been so incredibly kind and caring towards her, it almost took her breath away. No longer did he complain about schoolwork- and instead was eager to join her in the library every day to study, oftentimes without Harry. He paid her compliments when he hadn't before, and he was always quick to offer to carry her books or ask her if she needed anything. Even if Ron had yet to say anything definitive, she was almost certain that they were on the cusp of something more.

"What?" Ron asked, and Hermione realized she had been so deep in thought that he had caught her staring at him. When her eyes met his, he had a small smile on his face, although his ears were once again red.

"I- oh, nothing," she stammered.

"Is it about earlier?" he pressed. "Under the table, I mean. What was that about, by the way?" Hermione could tell that he was trying to sound indifferent, but by the shade of his face and the way he was avoiding direct eye contact with her, she knew he was anything but.

Embarrassed, she shook her head, letting out a small, nervous laugh. "It was silly, really. I just sensed that you were going to try and argue with Harry so I thought I could, I don't know, calm you down or something."

"And you thought that caressing my leg with your foot would do that?" He chuckled, lifting his head and arching an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, honestly!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "It wasn't a caress, it was a…rub."

Ron chuckled again. "Yeah, you're right. Rub sounds much better, Hermione."

Hermione tried to glare at him but couldn't help but let out a small laugh as she took in the amused expression on his face. "Okay, fine!" she admitted. "Not my most clever idea, alright?"

Ron shrugged. "It's not that I didn't like it," he clarified, his ears growing even more red. "Just wasn't expecting it is all."

Hermione again felt the butterflies erupting in her stomach. She added the words to the myriad he'd said to her lately, knowing she would think of them as she lay in her bed, picking them apart and trying to figure out the extent of his feelings for her.

"Let's go as well, yeah?" Ron suggested, closing his book and standing up. "It is pretty late."

Reluctantly, Hermione agreed, and Ron silently helped her put all of her books back into her bag. Finished, they walked side by side as they made their way to the library doors. Lately, they had been walking closer to each other than they'd ever done before, and anytime they walked together, be it prefect duty or just going to and from the library or the great hall for meals, the back of her hand would brush against Ron's, causing her skin to tingle. As innocent as this was, Hermione looked forward to it every day and hoped that soon it would lead to them actually holding hands. She was certain that the hand brushing was intentional on both their parts, but neither of them had yet to acknowledge out loud that it was happening.

They leisurely headed towards the Gryffindor common room, and Hermione could only hope that Ron was walking slow for the same reason that she was- to delay their eventual parting from each other.

"How's, uh, things with your parents going?" Ron asked in a hesitant voice. "Are they still trying to make you leave Hogwarts?"

Hermione nodded. "They are." She took in the worried expression on his face and hurried to reassure him. "But it doesn't matter, Ron, because no matter what they say, I am not leaving. Hogwarts is my home."

Ron gave her a small, relieved smile. "Good. It would be miserable here without you. I don't know what I'd do if you left. Nothing would be the same."

Hermione bit her lip, his words making her giddy. "I won't. I promise."

"Promise, huh?" he asked, shooting her a sideways grin.

"Yes, Ron. I promise."

"I'll hold you to it, then." He paused. "Hey, uh- Hermione?" Ron was now staring straight ahead, and Hermione could sense he was nervous.

"Hm?" she hummed, gently encouraging him to go on.

"Hogsmeade is this weekend."

"Yes, it is," Hermione said in a slow voice, her heart now racing. If she was reading things correctly, Ron was finally making a move and asking her out on a proper date. Her palms grew sweaty as she waited on bated breath for his next words.

He cleared his throat. "Want to go? Just the two of us, I mean?"

Hermione nodded. "Absolutely. I'd love to, Ron."

Ron let out a breath. "Well, great! Since Harry will be spending the day with Dumbledore, I figured we could have some decent fun without Broody McBrooderson around."

Laughing, Hermione nudged his shoulder with hers, Ron grinning widely at the gesture. "Sure. I'd love to," she repeated, trying not to sound too excited. "But then we go right back to worrying about Harry," she added.

He grinned. "Of course. We can't take too much time off worrying about the git. Someone has to do the job."

"You're awful, Ronald Weasley," Hermione scolded. "Harry's not that bad!"

When Ron gave her a pointed look, she laughed again. "Okay, he is that bad. But we care for him, Ron. And when you care about someone..."

Ron nodded, his expression now serious. "Yeah. I know. I really am worried about him. I know he trusts Dumbledore, but I don't think this plan is a good one. What's the old man thinking? Making Harry be right there in the thick of it all?"

Hermione bit her lip, her eyes filling with tears. "Harry's been through so much already."

Ron turned to look at her, coming to a halt when he saw how visibly upset she was. "Hey," he said in a soft voice. "It's going to be alright, Hermione." He hesitated only a moment before stepping up in front of her and pulling her body to his in a tight hug. Hermione let out a shaky sigh as she relaxed against him, allowing herself to take comfort in the feeling of his arms around her.

"I hope you're right," she whispered. "But you can't know that for sure."

"I know," Ron soothed as he lifted his hand and stroked her hair. "But he's Harry Potter, isn't he? He's managed not to get killed by Voldemort a few times already, so I'm sure he can do it again."

Hermione sniffed against his chest. "That's not funny, Ron!"

Ron sighed. "No. It really isn't. I just don't know what else to say to make everything better, Hermione. You saw how he was tonight- there's not going to be any changing his mind. Whenever it comes time to, you know, take Voldemort down, Harry's going to be there. As reckless as they come, he is."

Knowing she had to be brave and trust in the fact that everything would turn out okay despite how scared she was, Hermione reluctantly stepped back from Ron, wiping her nose and eyes on her sleeve. "You're right," she agreed. "And since there's no stopping him, we need to be strong. As his friends, we need to support him, no matter how much we disagree."

Ron, who looked as if he were resisting the urge to pull her back to him, nodded. "Yeah."

Hermione took a step forward, but Ron didn't move to follow. When she turned back to him, she realized he was eyeing her with concern, as if making sure she really was okay.

"I'm okay, Ron," she assured him. "Come on."

Ron seemed to believe her, and again they fell into step together. Neither of them said much the rest of the walk back to the common room, both of them deep in thought, and both worried about Harry. When they approached the portrait of The Fat Lady, Ron muttered the password and stepped back, allowing Hermione to enter first as the painting swung open. The common room was empty, the fire still crackling in the fireplace. Hermione thought about asking Ron to sit down with her, but then decided against it due to the late hour.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?" Ron asked when they made it to the bottom of the stairs where they would be going their separate ways.

"Yeah. First thing."

They stood there, smiling stupidly at each other, before Ron broke the silence by clearing his throat. "Right. See you tomorrow, then," he said before reaching out and gently squeezing her shoulder. Even through her layers of clothing, Ron's hand was warm, and his touch caused a pleasant shiver to run down Hermione's spine.

"Goodnight, Ron," she said, giving him a warm smile.

"G'night, Hermione." he replied before giving her one last lopsided grin and turning to practically run up the steps.

Still smiling, Hermione turned and headed up to her dorm room. She hoped that the other girls would already be asleep, but when she opened the door and stepped into the room, she was not in luck. Parvati and Lavender were sitting on Lavender's bed, both girls going silent and turning their heads to give Hermione a cool stare. Ignoring them, Hermione made her way over to her bed where she grabbed her toiletries and pyjamas. Without saying a word, she headed into the bathroom, trying to ignore the whispers that she now heard coming from her roommates.

oOo

Ron ran up the steps to his dorm room, unable to stop smiling like a fool.

He'd done it.

He'd finally fucking done it.

Not only had he worked up the courage to ask Hermione out on a date, she'd actually told him yes. He felt as if he were floating on air, his mind spinning with all the possibilities that Saturday could offer. A feeling like he'd been knocked over the head by a bludger fell over him when he realized that in only a few days' time, Hermione could very well be his girlfriend. When he opened the door, Dean, Seamus, and Harry were already asleep in their beds, but Neville was still up tending to his several plants that sat on the windowsill.

"Hello, Ron," the soft-spoken boy greeted as Ron shut the door behind him.

"Hey, Nev," he responded, still feeling dazed.

Neville must've noticed that Ron was acting abnormal, because he paused, a puzzled expression on his face as he studied his friend. "You okay?" he asked.

Ron snorted. "Okay? I'm bloody amazing."

Neville smiled. "So you and Hermione finally had a pleasant talk, then?"

Ron's eyes widened, surprised at how easily Neville had figured him out. "Uh, yeah, we did."

Neville beamed. "I'm happy the two of you are working it out. I always knew you would."

Feeling pleased, but a bit embarrassed, Ron rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. Thanks, Nev."

"It was awful when you two weren't speaking," Neville continued. "Made it hard to be around either of you when you were both so miserable."

"Yeah," Ron admitted. "It was rough." He paused. "Hey, Nev?"

Neville stopped in the middle of turning a potted plant and lifted his head to look at him. "Yeah?"

"You really think I have a chance? With Hermione?"

The other boy smiled again. "Definitely. No question in my mind." Ron let out a breath, a grin stretching across his face. "It really surprised all of us when you got with Lavender instead of Hermione," Neville continued. "But we knew that it wasn't going to last."

Ron nodded. "That was definitely a mistake I wholeheartedly regret. No offense to Lav or anything- she's just not for me."

"I know. Hermione is, though."

Ron resisted the urge to jump with delight at the mention of her name, delighted by Neville's encouragement. "To be honest, I never thought we would get to this point, but now I know we will. I can feel it."

Neville yawned. "Took you long enough," he teased.

Ron chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. Don't rub it in." He stripped down to his pants before crawling into his four poster and closing the curtains with a flick of his wand. "Night."

"Goodnight," Neville replied, Ron hearing as the other boy climbed into his own bed.

The smile still on his face, Ron closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep as images of Hermione's beautiful face swam through his mind.