(A/N: Also written pre-HBP, but still fits in. The next chapter will be after the HBP school year.)

She wished that Ron hadn't said those words.

The night before she had left Ron's room with new tears and her feeling of hopelessness had intensified painfully. Those stupid six words had cut her more deeply than even Michael Corner had.

Because that's what older brothers do.

What was that supposed to mean? That he was going to stupidly get himself killed in this mess? She hated him just for thinking such a thing. How dare he play with her feelings like that.

But still, a part of her was confused. Ron had always been the average older brother – he always picked on her, or ignored her. Then the next moment he wanted to protect her? And now he was going on about getting killed. Just the thought made her stomach clench.

Around ten the next morning she peeked out of her room. Last night's attempt at sleep had been fruitless.

She went downstairs cautiously. She was going to avoid Ron as much as possible this summer, she decided.

Luckily, he was not in the kitchen. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were not present either. Ginny had struck gold. She sat down at the table, sighing deeply. She already knew that this summer was going to be dull. Mrs. Weasley had not barked orders to them early this morning. Actually, Mrs. Weasley hadn't even woken them up. That seemed rather peculiar.

Ginny's thoughts returned to what had occupied her mind the night before. All those haunting nightmares about the war were what kept her up. They did not only appear in her sleeping hours though. They were constantly playing in her mind. It tortured her to see the ones she loved die. There was a lot more to why Ginny was in this slump. But she wasn't ready to tell Ron about everything else. She was going to keep it a secret. She didn't want to worry him more.

There's no way to get away from this! she thought to herself. A huge lump formed in her throat as she shook her head against more tears.

She buried her face in her hands.

His eyes scanned the pond dazedly. This place held so many memories. Even the mud, bugs, and murky water made him remember better times. Tidbits of his childhood were tucked under the rocks and lily pads, peeking out and begging to be remembered. Every now and then pictures would flick through his clouded mind. The laughing moments would dapple sunshine on his stormy thoughts. It gave him a few seconds of reassurance; take him to a time and place he would never be in again. Then he would remember this fact and come crashing back down to reality. This process was repeated all afternoon.

Since when had he been so moody? Ron had always hated to reveal his feelings to anyone, let alone Ginny. He was supposed to be an average bloke, overshadowed by his best friend, the hero. He would never do anything impressive in his life. He would always just blend in with the crowd. Only few would remember his name and face. Just Ron.

Yet something stirred this mutual understanding. He had expressed his thoughts to Ginny last night. The words that had come out of his mouth had been far from normal. He had told her he would sacrifice his meaningless life for hers.

He had told her the truth. He would die for her without a second thought. Her life was far more important. Ginny was turning into a beautiful young lady. She had such great potential. She was smart enough, with a unique personality that guys marveled at. She was a fiery girl, just waiting to explore the world.

Then there was Ron. Gawky teenager who didn't fit his hands and feet. The guy who was average in wits and average in everything he did. He was overshadowed by five brothers who all had success in life. He would probably never explore the world. No girls were amazed at his personality. He wasn't a hero of any sort. He was a failure at Quidditch. He ate a lot and possessed no manners. His ears went red when he was humiliated or angry. He had the Weasley stubbornness. His only notable skill was playing chess. Well, that did a great deal of good for him.

Something landed in the pond with a loud kerplunk!

He gave a start, his cheek ripping away from his hand.

A giggle came from behind him.

He whipped around, expecting the worst.

It was Hermione.

He gaped.

"Well, I thought you'd be more happy to see me?" she commented coolly. She lost her air within a second and smiled. She ran up and hugged him just as he stood.

"Why are you here so soon?"

"Yes, my parents were rather distraught about it… but they understood that a friend needed me."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not stupid, you know," she said, sitting on the small boulder where he had perched the entire morning. "You mean to tell me the normal Ron sits still on a rock and stares at the water for who knows how long?"

"I was just messing around," Ron said, turning red.

"Oh, right," Hermione said. "Well when you're ready to talk, Ron… I'm here to listen."

Her tone had changed from sarcastic to sincere in one sentence. Ron stared at the water, turning a deeper shade of red.

"I don't know what you're going on about," he grumbled.

"Okay," she shrugged, standing. She started to walk back towards the Burrow.

"Hermione, wait…" he called after her.

"Yes?" she asked, turning back towards him.

Ron paused. He shook his head and turned away. He didn't know what he wanted to say to her. All he knew was that a feeling of appreciation was suddenly welling in his chest. He didn't plan on telling her that.

Hermione smiled sadly. She looked at the Burrow for a moment, then made up her mind. She sat back down next to him. She hid her face in her hair and didn't look at him. She sniffled. She was crying.

"Hey…" he said gruffly.

"Oh, Ron," she croaked. "This is just awful…just look at you and Ginny… we're all a wreck…"

He watched her in horror. Now he knew how Harry felt. A crying girl was a very touchy situation. He had never been so unsure of what to do. He ached to put an arm around her, but he just couldn't.

"It'll be okay," he said tentatively. She turned and looked at him, her eyebrows slowly knitting together. The pain in his eyes was obvious. She knew he was holding a lot in for her sake. He was trying to keep control. They say you can see a person's soul through their eyes. As she discovered his pain, her eyes bearing into his, she realised something. This had all finally impacted them. They all had finally realised the reality of the war. They weren't naïve children anymore. They were becoming adults.

She wished he would tell her how he felt. She wanted to be there for him. Knowing Ron, he wouldn't utter a word about how he was feeling. That would show a sign of weakness. He always felt obligated to be brave. She didn't blame him. She wished she were as brave as he. Then again, she was a Gryffindor. She decided to put her bravery to the test.

She scooted closer to him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. She buried her face in his chest. He was so tall. She felt small there, against his chest. But there was a feeling of comfort here, one she had never experienced. It was almost addicting.

"It'll be okay…" he repeated, patting her back. It seemed like a nice thing to do. His hand slowly and awkwardly stroked her back. He looked over her shoulder at the retreating sun. The sky was darkening and the sounds of the pond had shifted. Just like with everyone in the war. The dark was taking over, and things were changing. But inside, Ron knew that the sun would rise. Morning would come. Morning always came. He wracked his brain for more words of comfort, for some wisdom. He wanted to tell her there would be morning. But he couldn't. Instead, he thought of the two most comforting words he possessed. He cleared his throat, but the words still came out in a croak.

"Don't worry."