"SNAKES AND LIONS" HAS BEEN MOVED UNDER THE PENNAME MistresOfMalfoy4ever AS "FROM GOLD TO SILVER" (A/N) ok, this is a song-fic. about Hermione's thoughts on Ron after the last battle and Ron is reported as missing in action.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or the song. The song is "Come Clean" by Hilary Duff.

It was the end of the Last Battle. Harry (just ending his last year of Hogwarts) had defeated Voldemort, but not without the loss of many wizard's life's. Harry and the Weasleys had all survived with only minor injuries. All the Weasleys, that is, except Ron. He had been reported as missing in action. The last time anyone had seen him was when he was in an intense battle with Lucius Malfoy.

Harry and the Weasley family were all waiting in the living room of the Burrow for any word of Ron's whereabouts. Hermione sat at the Weasley's kitchen table as tears silently sailed down her cheekbone. The thought of never seeing Ron again was eating her alive.

'Let's go back

Back to the beginning

Back to when the earth, the sun, the stars all aligned'

"I am such an idiot. Why hadn't I just told him? Why did I always hide my feelings for him?" she thought miserably. Hermione felt as if she would never be happy again. Sadness and depression was enveloping her entire body and soul. She had lost her only true love. "I wish I could go back to when we were in school... I wish I could tell him how I feel... But it's too late now..." It was past 11:00 pm. The Weasley's kitchen was cold as the rain was coming down hard outside. Thunder was roaring and lightening was slashing across the sky.

''Cause perfect didn't feel so perfect

Trying to fit a square into a circle

Was no lie

I defy'

All Hermione's thoughts flew through her head and she shivered slightly. Hermione leaned her elbows onto the hard wooden table and buried her face into her hands as more tears came pouring out of her eyes. "This is driving me crazy. I can't take it... I love him... I truly and completely love him... What am I going to do?... He's gone forever... I'm never going to see him again..." She was sick of sitting in the kitchen so she lazily stood from her chair and stepped out into the wet patio. The sky was dark except for the occasional lightening and the bright crescent moon was shinning through a clearing in the rain clouds. Raindrops slowly dampened her brown hair.

'Let the rain fall down

And wake my dreams

Let it wash away

My sanity

'cause I wanna feel the thunder

I wanna scream

Let the rain fall down

I'm coming clean, I'm coming clean'

Memories of Hogwarts zoomed through her head. Hermione remembered when she and Ron would bicker about anything and everything, but also how they shared their rare, deep heart-to-hearts on the soft couch in the Gryffindor common room. She remember how Ron would affectionately hold her whenever she got upset about something they were talking about; Her and Viktor breaking up, her parents getting a divorce, and the death of their beloved Sirius. She remembered how he would gently whisper words of comfort into her ear... how he would soothingly stroke her hair. She remembered how perfect she felt against him. "You're so thick," she scolded to herself. "I knew I was developing feelings for him, but I always denied it." There were soft pitter-pattering noises from the raindrops hitting the roof.

'I'm shedding

Shedding every color

Trying to find a pigment of truth

Beneath my skin

'cause different

Doesn't feel so different

And going out is better

Then always staying in

Feel the wind'

"How am I supposed to go on without Ron in my life? Ron was my best friend. I still have Harry, but it's not the same. Ron and I connected... I loved Ron... He may not have loved me back, but we were still on a deeper level of friendship than what me and Harry are on." Hermione's whole body was going cold as the wetness of the storm hit her skin. She felt no more happiness inside her. Hermione felt as if her heart had been broken and her soul had been taken away from her. She felt like her soul had died along with Ron. She knew she would never be able to see Ron's vivid blue eyes again, she knew she'd never be able to hold him in an embrace again, she knew she'd never be able to tell him how she felt... "I would give anything to see him again," she prayed silently. The thunder roared more loudly and the wind whipped her hair across her face.

'Let the rain fall down

And wake my dreams

Let it wash away

My sanity

'cause I wanna feel the thunder

I wanna scream

Let the rain fall down

I'm coming clean'

Hermione stared blankly across the wet yard, sorrow over taking her entirely. There was a bright bolt of lightening, which momentarily lit up the dark surroundings. She could've sworn that she saw a dark figure moving across the grass towards the house. Hermione couldn't help but feel a sot of hope seer through her body. "No," she thought, "I'm just imagining things."

There was another huge flash of lightening and she saw it again, but this time it was closer. There was a dark figure limping across the yard. Hermione's heart leapt and her throat tightened. Without a second thought, she took off at a dead run towards the figure. The rain thrashed at her sharply and the wind sent her hair flying and made her cloak billow behind her as she sprinted. Her heart was now beating painfully inside her chest and tears were now falling faster from her eyes.

She was just yards away from the approaching form. "Ron!" she cried out exasperatedly as she ran faster. The man looked up. There, painfully limping, wearing torn robes with cuts and bloodstains all over his body was Ron. He didn't speak. He just opened his arms. Hermione burst into a dead run, finally reaching him, she threw her arms around his neck, burying her face into his chest as she sobbed. Ron tightened his weak and tired arms around her waist, leaning his head against hers.

It was as if their bodies fit perfectly... as if they were meant for each other. Hermione pulled back and looked at his face. Ron was dripping wet and had a deep gash across his brow, a black eye, and a cut lip; but he managed to put a small smirk on his face. His magnificent blue eyes were soft and filled with happiness, but at the same time, weariness.

Ron gazed back at Hermione. Her hair was plastered down to her scalp, her eyes were red from crying and shinning with warmth, and her face was covered into raindrops mixed with tears. There was a moment of silence as the two of them stood, staring at each other, in the middle of the field as the rain poured down around them, thunder howled, and lightening shot across the sky.

'Let the rain fall down

And wake my dreams

Let it wash away

My sanity

'cause I wanna feel the thunder

I wanna scream

Let the rain fall down

I'm coming clean'

'This is it,' Hermione thought with anticipation and nervousness. 'Now or never.' "Ron," she began in a whisper, but Ron stopped her by holding up a finger to her smooth lips.

"Hermione," he said softly, his voice was horse and hushed. "I almost died. And the whole time as I kept weakening and weakening as I was fighting Malfoy, all I could think was, 'I'm never going to see Hermione again.' You're the only thing that kept me from giving up. Seeing you again was the only thing that kept me going. I realized, Hermione, that I am totally, completely, and absolutely in love with you."

Hermione was overcome with joy and bliss. "I love you too Ron," she said weakly staring deep into his eyes. "With all my heart."

Ron smiled and Hermione tightened her arms around his neck and pulled him into a deep and passionate kiss. Both of their bodies seared with ecstasy and love. There they stood, in the dark grass, rain falling down around them, thunder roaring above them, and lightening flashing across the sky, in their own blissful world... Together.

'I'm coming clean

Let the rain fall

Let the rain fall

I'm coming clean

Let's go back

Back to the beginning'

(A/N) I hope you guys liked that! I hate Ron and Hermione, but I heard this song and I couldn't help but write it down. So, please, if you liked it, review and tell me what you think!