Disclaimer: Don't own the characters…get over it

Authors Note: Sorry this chapters soooooo short. I'll try to get a longer one next time.

suckr4romance: it'll get a little less depressing after Ron and Hermione have had time to cope with Harry's death. I hope this chapter does not disappoint you!

violet snicket thanks for the encouragement! And, yes, I agree that Hermione and Ron are the perfect couple! I hope they eventually get together in the books!

The Calm Before a Storm

Hermione spent much of the next day pouring through three or four dusty volumes that Mad-Eye Moody had obtained. She had set Ron, Lupin and some others to work translating the prophecy while she tried to figure out the riddle behind it. She furrowed her brows at the odd wording of one of the lines.

"But that Love hath left only to come," she murmured over and over again under her breath. Why was "Love" capitalized? Harry had left them…so did that mean he was Love? But then again, how could he "come"? Yet, at the same time, he had the mark of love on him…

Hermione sighed and decided to come back to that line later.

"Lupin, Allabaster!" Mad-eye growled from across the cave. "Come here!"

Lupin and Allabaster wearily rose from the table, leaving Ron and Hermione momentarily alone.

Ron slammed a book shut and sighed exasperatedly. "What sort of a genius decided to write a book that periodically transforms into mirror-writing? It's like he wants you to get a stigmatism!"

Hermione smiled slightly, "How dare Ronald Weasley ever have to research in his lifetime. I hope he can bare the pain of what he has tried to avoid for seven years."

Ron ignored her and looked over at Lupin, Allabaster, and Mad-eye. "They look like they're talking about something pretty important." Allabaster kept nodding his head fervently, and Lupin would periodically dig through his robe pocket as if looking for something.

Ron suddenly jumped up as the three of them left the entrance of the cave.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

Mad-eye turned around, his eye acutely focusing on Ron's eyes, "Order business. Stay hidden and use your best judgement."

Ron nodded, slightly confused.

"Oh, and Ron," Mad-eye added.

"Yeah?"

"Constant vigilance over yourself and Hermione."

"Okay," he murmured as they abruptly left.

He sat down next to Hermione and looked around at the empty cave. The other three people were out staking traps and he and Hermione were well aware of how silent and ominous a large cave could seem.

"That was sudden," Hermione noted, flipping through a book entitled How to Decipher Something You Probably Should have Given up On Already. Ron agreed and picked up another book to look through.

Ron's eyes began to blur from reading Have Fun Deciphering This Book so he took to staring at Hermione instead. She looked tired. Of course she looks tired, Ron thought to himself, quickly trying to choke the images of the war that began to fill his brain.

"Get what, Har-?" Ron could not finish Harry's name as images of Harry yelling "if Voldemort gets you and Hermione then he can get it" ran through his head.

"Ron?" Hermione broke into his thoughts. "Are you crying?" she asked softly.

Ron blinked his watering eyes but shook his head. "I'm fine," he croaked.

Hermione quietly got up and sat down next to him on his side of the table. She stared at him through sad eyes but not without concern.

"Hermione?" Ron asked quietly.

"Hm?"

"Where do you think Harry is? I mean, is he really and truly gone or is he a ghost or something or…?"

"…I don't know," Hermione replied slowly, unaccustomed to saying those words.

She shyly and slowly began to put her arms around Ron to hug him. Before she could get arms completely around him, he pulled her against him into a hug.

"We're going to do this together, Hermione," Ron murmured into her ear.

Hermione nodded her head, listening to the steady beating of his heart.

Author's Note: The next chapter shall be longer and finally get to the action/adventure part of the genre. Tell me if you like it and I am one of those people who easily accepts criticisms with grace so feel free to tell me whatever about my writing and I won't flame you back or anything like that: )