Harry couldn't believe what had just happened. Hermione had gone and slapped Ron. Not that he didn't deserve it for what he had just done and said; but still, their fighting had never gone this far.

Ron cradled the side of his face. The sting he felt was accompanied by a rather nice red handprint. Hermione was walking out of the room and slammed the bathroom door shut when Ron turned and started to yell again. He was cut off by Harry.

"Don't Ron. Just leave her alone. You have done enough damage today. The best thing for you to do is to just shut up."

"Merlin Harry! She just hit me! After all of the crap that she has caused me today, she ends it off by smacking me!"

"The crap that she caused you? You really are something you know that Ron? This is no one's fault but your own."

"I can't believe you!" Ron's anger was well beyond the boiling point with Hermione, but now Harry was becoming his new target. "You think what she did was right? You always take her side in things. I can't believe that bitch!"

Harry knew that Ron was so angry now that he really didn't know what he was saying. However, no one was going to say that about Hermione. Ron was way over the line.

"Get out Ron."

"What?"

"You heard me. Get out!"

"You can't throw me out Harry! This is my flat too you know!"

"It may very well be, but right now, you have lost your right to be here. Take some stuff and go to your parent's house. I'll let you know when you can come back."

Ron was about to argue his point further when he saw Harry's eyes. He had seen that look before, all consuming anger. Harry didn't get this way often and Ron certainly never thought that it would be directed at him. He had just had a major row with one of his best friends and was not ready to have another one with Harry.

"Fine." Ron growled.

Harry watched Ron sweep past him into his own room. After throwing some things in a suitcase, Ron apparted out of his flat and back to the burrow.

As soon as Harry heard the "pop" from Ron leaving, his attention turned back to Hermione. Harry knocked lightly on the door to the bathroom.

"Hermione? He's gone. Please come out. I want to talk about this."

The door slowly opened. Hermione's eyes were swollen and tears were running down her face. Harry held out his arms to her. She wrapped her arms around him and began sobbing once again.

Molly Weasley was in the kitchen starting to prepare dinner when she heard a pop from the living room.

"Who is it?" she called.

"It's just me mum."

Molly smiled as she saw her youngest son Ron walk into the kitchen.

"This is a pleasant surprise."

"Yeah"

Molly saw the suitcase that Ron was carrying and then looked at the furrowed look on his face. This was not good.

"Ron what happened?"

"You don't want to know mum."

Molly went and sat herself across from her son.

"Ron, you are obviously upset. You look horrible and by the presence of that suitcase, it seems that you mean to stay a while. Not that I mind having my children home every now and then, you do have your own flat. So once again, what happened?"

Ron looked at his mother. He sat there silently for a moment, then dropped his shoulders.

"I really messed up this time mum."

"Come now Ron, it can't be that bad."

"Yeah it is. I have never been such a big arse as I have been today. I think that I may have lost one of the most important people in my life."

"You think?"

"No mum, actually I'm pretty sure I did."

Hermione's sobs had quieted a bit now, but Harry could still see the tears in her eyes.

"Why Harry? I mean I never said a word to Kara. I wouldn't do that to him, he should now that. How could he have said such mean things to me?"

"I don't know Hermione. Ron was not himself. It's like he just snapped. I'm sure that it was all said in anger and that he really didn't mean what he said."

"There is no excuse for what he did Harry!"

"I know that, but just let things go for a day or so, and things will be back to normal. He'll realize what an arse he was and he'll apologize and…"

"Things will go back to normal huh?' Hermione said finishing the sentence for him.

"Well…yeah. Isn't that how your rows always end?"

"This was not one of our usual rows Harry and you know it. Ron insulted me on a personal level, a very personal level, and I hit him Harry. This is not going to be solved the usual way." Hermione's voice dropped to a whisper. "In fact, I don't know if it ever will be."

Harry looked hard at her.

"Hermione wait. You don't mean that."

"I don't know Harry. Ron has hurt me so bad tonight. The way I'm feeling right now, well…I really don't care if I ever see Ron Weasley again."

Hermione's face had a serious, but also very sad look on it. Harry knew that she meant what she said. He gave her another hug as she made her way back to her bedroom and shut the door slowly behind her.

Molly was back preparing dinner. She had tried to get Ron to talk to her about what had happened, but he refused saying he just needed to be alone. He picked up his suitcase and went upstairs. Arthur had come home by now. She told him about Ron, but even his father could not get him to talk.

"Ron" she yelled up the stairs, "Dinner is ready."

Just then she heard another pop from the living room and Harry walked into the kitchen.

"How nice to see you Harry! What hap…"

Harry held up his hand.

"Sorry to stop you Molly, but where is he?"

"I'm right here." Ron said as he stepped into the kitchen from the stairs.

"You know that if she hadn't of hit you when she did, I would have."

Ron sighed.

"I deserved it."

"Who hit you dear?" Molly asked, her motherly instinct of protection kicking in.

"Don't worry about it mum, Hermione is a strong witch, but I'm glad it came from her and not Harry."

Molly gasped.

"Hermione hit you?" Her sympathy turned to anger. Molly knew that if Hermione had done it, then Ron had most certainly done something to deserve it. "What did you do to her? Tell me right now!"

"Yeah tell your mum Ron." Harry yelled. "Tell her how you yelled and cursed at your best friend. Tell her how you had the audacity to think that she purposefully messed with one of your stupid relationships and how you had bloody nerve to put her down about men. Tell her Ron!"

"You didn't son?" Arthur Weasley pleaded.

Ron slumped onto a seat at the table. He ran his hands thru his hair.

"Can't deny it huh Ron?" Harry smirked.

He looked up at Harry.

"How is she?"

"How do you think she is? She's a mess! My shirt is soaked with her tears!"

"She must hate me. Not that I blame her."

Harry sat down in front of him.

"It's bad Ron. Really bad. You might have finally lost her."

"What did she say?"

"She said… she never wants to see you again."

Now it was Ron's turn to cry.