Harry, Ron and Hermione were heading to The Burrow in a ministry car. Harry was in the front seat, Ron and Hermione alone in the back. The others were in two cars, one right in front of them and the other, behind. Hermione thought she never felt so sad in her life. She just couldn´t believe that they were not coming back to Hogwarts. The castle was the place where she had been happier. Not that she wasn´t happy with her parents, but it was always so lonely! After all, the first real friends she ever had were the ginger boy sitting next to her, and the dark-haired one in the front seat. She owed them so much! They´ve taught her something more important then anything she ever learned from any teacher: the meaning of true friendship. If only they knew how much she cared for them! She wouldn´t stand it if something happened to them. She´d rather die then living without one of them. She already tried to comfort herself, thinking that going to Hogwarts wasn´t so important, as long as her friends were still with her. But she always thought that Hogwarts, with Dumbledore there to protect the students, was the safest place in the world! What would they do now, without that protection? And Harry, having to defeat Voldemort! She feared for her friends life so much that she didn´t care about her own. Her fear must have been shown in her features, for she felt a warm hand in her shoulder, and when she turned to look, she saw Ron´s worried face glancing at her. Before he could ask if she was alright though, Hermione lost the self-control she had left, hugged Ron and buried her face in his shoulders to cry again. Like in the funeral, he wasn´t embarrassed, on the contrary, he held her in a comforting way, and very tightly, as though hoping to make her sadness go away. She cried desperately, until there were no tears left, and she was just sobbing. After a while she whispered , "I´m sorry". Ron replied, softly, "What for? You don´t have to be sorry for anything!". "I don´t want you to think I´m a coward." Ron actually laughed at this. It was a "gentle" laugh, but he laughed and said, "You, a coward? That´s the very last thing I´d think of you." He pulled apart, stroke Hermione´s cheek with the back of his hand, and said, staring her right in the eyes, "We´re all scared. Being in Griffindor doesn´t mean not to be scared. To be brave is to face our fears with courage." She looked at him questioningly, and he said hastly, "Father told me this when I got in Griffindor."
She laughed a bit, and said, "I just…don´t think I´m brave enough to face it"
"Then let me help you". When he said it, she remembered their third year, when he offered his help in Buckbeak´s case. Smiling, her eyes glistening with tears, she leaned in and gave him a sweet, gentle kiss in the cheek. Then, her cheek touching his, she said in his ear, closing her eyes and enjoying the moment: "Thanks. You´re being really nice to me." He replied, "for a change, uh?". "Yeah, Ron. For a change." When he looked down, ashamed, Hermione rested her head in his shoulder again and whispered, so that only him could hear it, "isn´t it much better this way?".
They went all the way to The Burrow holding each other close, without saying anything else. They arrived and Mrs. Weasley announced that she would make lunch, and call everybody when it´s ready. Harry, who had peered at them all the time, said, hoping to give them a chance to be alone, "Ginny and I are going to play chess. You know, to have something to think about. You two coming?", "No, thanks.", Hermione said. "I´ll stay with her then", Ron said to Harry. "Ok", said Harry, and he left with Ginny to his room, which was the one that used to belong to Fred and George. Ron took Hermione to his room. They sat in a corner of the bed, and hugged again. "You´re really not ok, isn´t it?"
"No", Hermione sighed, "I´m not".
After a moment, Ron called, tentatively "Hermione?"
"Huh?"
"I´m sorry. I´m so sorry… for everything. Do you forgive me?"
"I have to understand something first. Once, last year, you started to be rude around me, but I really don´t remember what I did to deserve all that! Before that, our fights had a reason, often a stupid one, but hey had a reason. Why did you start to hurt me out of nowhere?
Ron´s ears went red, and he mumbled, "I´m sorry, I was a prat."
"Why, Ron?"
He was embarrassed for a while, because of the question, and suddenly, finally, kissed her lips. Hermione made a noise of surprise, but soon began to enjoy the feeling of Ron´s lips in hers. Sweeter, and softer then she´d ever imagined, his tongue parted her lips, sending chills up and down her spine. She´d have thought that she couldn´t believe this was happening at last, but all though vanished from her head, along with her worries. The whole world faded away, and the only thing she felt was that kiss she´d been longing to get. Ron deepened the kiss, and as they kissed, they moved till they were laying in the bed, Ron on top of Hermione. The kiss, which was sweet, became a heated one. They pulled apart when they needed air. When they recovered a bit, they smiled at each other. Ron said, his forehead against hers, "This is what I´ve always dreamed of".
"And…is it better then your dreams?" Hermione asked, beaming.
He kissed her quickly and said "It´s much better". And they kissed again, as if nothing else mattered.