Luckily trees don't fight back, or Ron Weasley would be in trouble. He had just bounded in the forest outside of the Burrow, and kept running until he didn't even know where he was at; and then he let go. Kicking and snapping large branches, screaming at the top of his lungs, and cursing some unknown force became his coping mechanism. Ron had never been much for words, so he took all of his hurt, anger, and confusion through this primal path of destruction. His knuckles were completely covered in blood before he could stop.

When he finished his rampage, all of the thoughts he was fighting began to fill his mind and spill out over his eyes. "How could someone do that to her? Even on as twisted as Malfoy?" he thought. This spurred more hurt and confusion. Then his mind turned toward revenge. "I'm going to murder him! Chop his fucking little prick off and make him chock on it!" Finally, he was overcome with sadness. "She's hurt, and scared. What if she can never be touched again?" Just then Ron heard a rustling in the trees and drew his wand.

Harry was sleeping soundly, dreaming of all of the things he still wanted to do to Ginny when he heard footsteps, a choked sob, and then a gasp. He quickly grabbed for his wand when he noticed Ginny was already in position and casting 'Lumos' toward the direction of the noise. The soft light revealed a very distraught Hermione.

"I…I'm sorry. I didn't know you guys were still out here. I'll just head up to bed." She stuttered through sobs.

"Don't be silly. Are you all right? What happed?" Ginny asked as she placed a comforting arm around Hermione's shaking shoulders.

"I would rather not…" She started.

"It's my brother." Ginny stated without the hint of question in her voice.

"Sort of…I was trying to explain to him." She stopped and looked over to Harry. "You guys don't know everything that happened to me in that basement." She explained.

"Oh my, Hermione! You told him! Blimey, this had to have gone bad." Ginny answered. Hermione looked at her quizzically." I caught on. I'm your best girlfriend. I just didn't want to push you to relive it. That must have taken some nerve to say to Ron. What happened?" Ginny asked.

"He got this awful look on his face then just ran off." She was flat out crying now.

Harry had no idea what was going on, but despite the fact that he was still shirtless, he offered a comforting hand on the back of Hermione's neck, and before he knew it, his chest was being soaked with her tears. Harry wasn't going to ask her about what happened, but she gave it up willingly, in the most Hermione-like voice she could muster.

"They almost raped me. He did everything but rape me. Sometimes I can still feel his slimy hands and see his cold eyes when I close mine. THIS IS WHAT FILHTY MUDBLOODS DESERVE!" She screamed the last part and started shaking with fear.

" I'm afraid Draco Malfoy will never get out of my head. Or worse that he'll come back to finish the job." She stated, too defeated to cry anymore. "Now Ron will never love me. How can he?"

Harry 's hands were involuntarily clenching as Hermione was speaking. Ginny began to cry too, which made Harry even angrier. When Hermione looked up and saw him, she looked panic stricken.

"You're looking at me just like he did!" She cried. This brought Harry back to the ground. HE brought his hands up to Hermione's face used him thumbs to brush the tears from her cheeks, and then kissed her softly on the forehead. He could still see the brightness in her eyes that he loved, even after all of this. He began to admire her even more.

"I'm going to go find Ron." Hermione shook her head vigorously, but Harry ignored it.

"I'll take care of her." Ginny answered. Harry walked toward the woods as Ginny walked Hermione up to the house.

Ron raised his bloodied wand hand toward the source of the noise.

"It's just me, mate." Harry said raising his hands in mock surrender.

"What do you want? Have you come to tell me I'm a bloody fucking prick…because I know that already." Ron said quietly.

"Just wanted to check up on you man. It's not safe to go off at night on your own, not these days." Harry stated calmly.

"Maybe I should have to face death eaters. Blimey Harry! She needed me and all I did was run. I just had all of these thoughts that I couldn't get out of my head." Ron exclaimed.

"I know what you mean. I thought my fists were going to be permanently clenched." Harry paused. "She doesn't think you will love her again."

"How can she say that? I love her more, because she kept that look in her eyes even after all of this. She's strong and I am weak. I'm going to ruin her. I love her too much to ruin her. I hope she knows I love her." Ron was barely above a low mumble now. "So she told you?" Ron asked, Harry nodded.

"Ginny is upstairs calming her down right now. I would scold you for hurting her, but I would have done the same thing." Harry said.

"How could someone just do that to my 'Mione. I feel like I have no way to fix it. I wasn't to take it all away from her." Ron cried, turning red and getting angry again.

"I know, but you have to understand that Hermione can take care of herself. We just have to be there for her. You can't let the mindset overtake you. You saw the way I reacted to Sirius. Revenge almost kept me from a really important person." Harry was pacing now and became dumbfounded.

A tear was falling from Ron's eye as he put his head in his hands. " I can't get the images of him on her, of the way I found her…" Ron stood up without another word and walked in the apparent direction of the house.

Hermione walked slowly up the stairs from Ginny's to Percy's room. Ginny had fallen asleep rather quickly after they had gotten in the house. Hermione chuckled silently to herself at the thought that it was obvious why Gin was so tired. The state of her and Harry when she came across them was rather funny in hindsight.

She took a seat at the window and began to look at the sky. She was contemplating their journey ahead. Godric's Hollow, Ron at her parents, and fragments of a soul…it was all so overwhelming. And to top that all off, she had this mist hanging over her head that she must overcome. She was willing the tears back into her eyes when she heard the door creak open.

She looked up to find Ron, red-eyed, leaf covered, and completely defeated. Her wide eyes made their way to his face, and the blue of them may have well been an ocean of tears now falling from her face. She took a deep breath and turned to face him He walked tentatively toward her, grabbed both of her hands and whispered 'Sorry' very simply to her. Then he looked at her, pleadingly. She said in a small voice "I'll be o.k."

"I'll always love you." He groaned, and dropped his knees and putting his head her lap, began to cry. "I'm scared." She nodded and ran her fingers over his knuckles.

"Accio wash basin." She whispered. She began to gingerly wash away the blood and bark on his hands.

The water was soothing to Ron. Her warm hands moving over his forearms were calming him. He raised his head and moved so the hand that had moved to his cheek was enjoying light kisses on the palm. He stood up and sat next to her on the bed.

"Oh 'Mione! I just can't imagine that anyone could hurt you like that. It's tearing me up inside." He said, not really looking at her.

"Imagine what it's doing to me, Ron. I cringe at intimate touches, even from you, and I love you! When Harry first went to hug me, I jumped back nearly a mile. I haven't even got much of a change to feel those feelings and now I'm scared of them." She began to cry for the millionth time that day.

"But this is me. I won't hurt you. I love you." Ron said quietly. He ran a single finger down the side of her face, down her neck, and over to her shoulder. She closed her eyes and felt goose bumps run up her. "That is how it's supposed to feel." She whispered, then became shocked that she actually said that out loud. He chuckled slightly at her reaction and chanced a full hand along her neck. His fingers traced the now faint white scars that lined her arms, and as he heard her sight he captured her in a very deep kiss. When Ron slid a strap of her camisole off of her shoulder and he felt her tense up considerably. He leaned back and looked at her apprehensively.

"Hermione look at me. I'm Ron. I've been your friend for years. I would never ask you or make you do anything you didn't want to do. I could care less if we never had sex…Okay, that's a lie. But I won't hold anything against you."

He brought a hand to her check and turned face toward he. He kept eye contact with her as he began to touch the exposed buts of skin at her waist. Her lip shook and her body tensed up, but she didn't move back, she just kept her eyes on his. Ron whispered "This is me, 'Mione, " before leaning back against the bed and kissing her very lightly. He let his hands run over her stomach and up her shirt. As he rolled up the lacy top, he gazed at her bruised ribs in the dimly caste light and tried very hard to suppress the anger inside of his chest. He bend down and kissed them and watched them protrude as her stomach caved in from a tensed gasp. He decided she'd had enough today and crawled up to lie next to her.

"When did you grow up so much, Ron?" she asked with a smile.

"These last few months have been shit. I guess shit makes you grow up fast." He chuckled.

"I spoke to soon." She said.

"Cheeky little witch." He mumbled. She rolled over on top of him and dug her knees into his side. "Do you want to say that again, Ronald?" He put his hands on her hips and tried to pull her off of him, but her giggling quickly subsided. He was about to wonder aloud if he hurt her when she bent down and forcefully kissed him. When she finally pulled away, she removed her shirt to reveal a simple white bra. He tucked a hair behind her ear and looked at her questioningly.

"I want him out of my head. I want it to go away." She explained before kissing him again.

Ron would have protested to this kind of justification, but her skin felt so soft against his that he was blind to all reason.

She sat up and began to tug at his shirt, so he pulled it off. She ran her slender fingers over the ridges on his chest and stomach, and he closed his eyes and let out a soft moan. She leaned forward and touched her head into the crook of his neck, catching her breath.

His arousal was starting to strain in his pants as he unclasped her bra. She slowly sat back up and took it off, feeling a chill of insecurity. Ron moved her next to him on the bed and threw one arm over her stomach.

He needed to catch his breath. Seeing her lying there staring up at him so exposed made him want to explode right there, and he couldn't do that. He wanted this to be perfect for her. So much was riding on it.

"Is something wrong, Ron?" she asked as she began to cover herself up.

"No, there's nothing wrong. You are just so beautiful, and I want this to be so perfect… It's just…"

"It doesn't need to be perfect, it just needs to be you." She smiled." When I was in that place… All I could think about was you. I kept you in my head when he…he…"

"Shh. You don't need to think about that right now." He intertwined his free hand with hers and kissed her again softly. She kissed back with a force that caused Ron to let out a groan in her mouth. She let out a soft gasp when his hands finally found her breast. The electricity running thought her was almost frightening to the prim and proper Hermione. Ron was creating an ache inside of her that made her want to pull him impossibly close and let him take her. These feelings made her feel alive. It was a release from all of the pain over the past few months. This is where she belonged. At the Burrow, with her friends, and in Ron's arms.

The feeling of his need for her made her feel powerful and wonderful, and with a burst of confidence, she unbuttoned his trousers and moved her hands inside his hideous orange boxers. She wasn't sure what exactly to do, so she just ran her hands over his shaft slowly.

"FUCK 'MIONE!"

Ron gasped and moaned, his face above her head. She kissed his exposed neck and began to move her hands faster. She took in the glorious sight of him there. She started where her hands were, staring at Ron's most secret part. She was surprised by the size and amused by the color, which was a shade of pink that seemed to match his ears when he was embarrassed. Her eyes traveled to his lean waist, and up to the lines of his ribs. She was surprised at how this he was considering all he ate. Despite his thinness, he had a good showing of muscle and broad shoulders. His long arms and big hands were still gently kneading her breast. His hands were soft and warm, and a little sweaty. The cold hard hands of Draco were shoved aside as Ron's sweet and shaky hands had moved to her stomach.

Her reverie reached his face, which sent a shudder through her. His hair (which reached his jaw line now) had fallen in front of his face. His cheeks were red, his eyes were closed, and his lips were slightly parted. He was breathing heavily, and moaning lightly.

The feeling of Hermione's long delicate fingers wrapped around his cock was enough to make him come right there. He had to concentrate very hard. He ran his hands along the top of her jeans, too afraid to go too quickly. When she began to remove his bottoms, he was encouraged. He sat up to remove his clothing.

He began to toy with the top of her jeans as he rested his nose in the nape of her neck. She took a shard intake of breath as she felt his hands creeping lower. Her mind was screaming a million things at once. Logic was telling her this was going too fast, but her heart was bursting at the new sensation of someone lovingly touching her. What was shocking to her was his hesitation was actually frustrating her. She couldn't fight the heat pooling between her legs. She felt like she was psychically trying to will his fingers further. But she was also plagued by fear and uncertainty in the back of her mind. " What if this hurts? What if I'm not doing it right? What if he thinks I'm ugly?" she thought. Fear, panic, love and desire swirled in her mind. She moaned almost uncontrollably from the back of her throat.

Ron heard her moan and was almost sent over the edge right there. When his long fingers did reach the edge of her knickers, he closed his eyes and groaned. "Merlin, Hermione!" and he stopped there and she opened her eyes.

"This feels so good 'Mione! If we keep going I don't know if I can stop." He said gently she rolled over so that he was facing her, causing he hands to readjust to her waist, one on each side. She looked up at his eyes and begins kissing various spots on his face, running her hands along his chest. She never lost eye contact with him, even as his eyes got wide. His breath began to quicken as her hands began to follow the trail of hair dipping below his belling button. Her trembling hands began to search and finally grasp his hardness. "Oh fuck!" he gasped as the closed his eyes and gripped her waist hard. Her desire was getting overwhelming at the knowledge that she could elicit these reactions from him.

His hips bucked toward her as her hand began to move and a steady whimper was coming from his slightly parted lips. She ran her thumb over those lips and he licked them softly. She moaned so loud she was surprised. He pulled her hands off of him and wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her so close and so tight that you couldn't fit a piece of parchment between them. He sighed impossibly long like someone was taking a large amount of brick off of his chest. He had his nose planted in her messy hair.

" 'Mine, I never want to be anywhere but here. I'm so glad to have you back. I never want you away from me again." Ron said to her hair.

"It may make it rather taxing to use the restroom, Ronald." Hermione replied, the bricks leaving her lungs as well. They both giggled lightly and became more relaxed.

Their kisses started out soft again, but quickly became hungry. Hermione was baffled at how quickly those inhibitions left her body. When Ron's hand moved to her center and began to search, she gasped and her gripped tightened.

"You O.K.?" Ron asked as he stopped his hand. She nodded and arched her hips toward his fingers, bringing a long moan from Ron's lips. As his fingers entered her for the first time, she moaned louder than she had control over. He took that as his cue, and his ministrations soon got her shuddering and clinging to him, whimpering his name. He moved his hand to her stomach and put his head in her neck.

"Bloody Hell!" He gasped between breaths. "That was fucking amazing!"

Hermione still had her eyes closed and after she caught her breath, she whispered, "I love you. We leave tomorrow and things will never be the same. I don't even know if we'll make it."

"We have to…after this there's too much to fight for." Ron replied.

He moved on top of her and kissed along her jaw line. "Tell me to stop if I hurt you, please." Ron said, and worried look on his face. "It's going to hurt no matter what, but I'll stop you if I need to." She answered. At this, Ron looked really reluctant, so she opened her legs so he nestled more snugly between her.

He ran the tip of his penis over he clitoris and she moaned loudly. His words became intelligible as he searched for her entry. When he found it, he eased himself in slowly and froze as he reached a barrier.

"Go, Ron." Hermione said gently.

"I don't want to hurt you." He said looking panicked.

"This will be better with a few more tries, but I need you to move right now." She said

He pushed into her and groaned loudly as he entered. She gasped and clenched her fists, a tear coming from her eyes. He stopped again, but she pushed her hips into him, pushing through the pain. He wadded up the sheets in his hands and began to move faster. After only a few minutes, he was calling out her name in between whimpers and she felt a twitch as he came inside of her. Though she didn't have the orgasm she had as he was fingering her, it was a wonderful feeling to give her wholly to Ron.

"Oh god you're bleeding! I don't want to be like everyone else. I don't want to be like Malfoy and hurt you for my fucking pleasure!" Ron said and jerked Hermione from her trance. She cast a quick cleaning charm, as he buried his head into his hands. This was going to take a while to get over for both of them, but she's glad he was feeling for her so deeply.

"It was lovely, and it won't hurt the next time, I promise. I love you, and I know you love me. I am not upset with you for hurting me. This may sound woolly, but it was the best hurt I've ever felt."

Ron looked up at her and seemed appeased. So she lay down on her side and invited him to lay behind her. He quickly fell asleep with a soft breathing on her neck. She felt warm and safe in this moment, though she knew it wouldn't last long.

Soon they would leave for the biggest fight of their lives. But now they could fight with filled hearts and steady minds.

A/N: Thanks for reading! This is the end. I'll have another fic coming out soon in the Ron and Hermione category, so watch out for it. Sorry this took so long, I just don't have a lot of time and this is a long chapter.