Disclaimer
If I owned Harry Potter, I wouldn't be writing FAN fiction, would I? Nope.

Three Notes From The Author
First: Warning! This story contains spoilers for HBP. If you haven't read HBP, and don't want to spoil the ending, don't read any further! You've been warned.
Second: I know that at the end of HBP, Hermione and Ron tell Harry that they're going with him to Privet Drive, and then onwards on their Horcrux hunt. I took the liberty of sending Hermione home for a little bit first, so please don't flame me for it.
Third: If you're looking for cutesy wutesy fluffy wuffy Ron/Hermione, you've found it. If fluff, or Ron/Hermione pairings bother you in any way, please feel free to turn back now. Otherwise, enjoy! On with the story!

Because I Love You
Part I
Hermione Granger's bags were packed and piled at the foot of the stairs. She had packed them the night before, unpacked them that morning, and was considering having another go at cramming all her belongings into a trunk and two suitcases when she noticed the time.

She had returned home from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to very surprised – but pleased – parents. Term had ended early after the death of Professor Dumbledore, and Hermione had gone home for two weeks of quiet rest with her family. Her visit was still punctuated with sudden disappearances and deaths, reported not only by the Daily Prophet but the Muggle papers, too. The Muggle newspapers and news stations were still inventing situations and disasters upon which they could blame each wave of violence and tragedy. It wasn't just a wizards' war anymore; nobody was safe.

Hermione remembered her parents' expressions when, upon returning from school, she had sat them down at the kitchen table and explained what was really going on. They had been shocked and indignant at first, outraged that the press, the people whom they felt were responsible for spreading truth and integrity, would lie to them about the tragedies across the country.

'But how dare they?' her father had remarked, 'Lying to the public! They're supposed to inform the people, not mislead them!'

She had sighed and told him that there was really no way around lying. They couldn't very well tell everyone that Dark wizards were rising up against them all, it would break the Statute of Secrecy.

'But dear,' her mother had said, 'why aren't the wizards trying to protect the public? Regular people are being killed too. Why aren't they doing anything?'

So Hermione had explained about Aurors, as well as other people working to fight Voldemort's forces, though she didn't mention the Order. She told them everything she knew about wizards working to protect Muggles, until her father interjected:

'But why not just go after the people responsible?' Her mother nodded in agreement, watching her daughter think it over.

Hermione thought, and chewed her lip. There was really no way to avoid it... 'Well, they are. But it's not that simple. Voldemort's supporters, they can be arrested, or, if necessary, killed. But Voldemort himself, well...' she thought for another minute, trying to think of the gentlest way the could tell her parents. 'There's only one person who can get rid of Him – Harry Potter.'

Her parents were surprised. 'Not your friend, Harry? Surely not. Harry from school?' They had seen the scrawny, bespectacled boy before in Diagon Alley, but never really thought anything of him. He had seemed like a nice boy, but he seemed so unimportant.

Hermione nodded. 'Yeah. I can't really explain, it's really complicated,' she took a deep breath, 'but I'm going with him, to fight Voldemort. I'm going to help him win this war.'

At this, her mother looked shocked, and her father looked dubious. 'Hermione –' he began, but she cut him off gently.

'Dad, please. This isn't a rash decision, or reckless – it's something I need to do. Harry's my friend, I have to help him.'

'But what about school?' her mother cut in sharply.

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, and then responded, 'I don't know if Hogwarts is going to even be open. The wizarding world's at war, too many people won't even be allowed to go back to school. Families want to stick together –'

'But you're going to leave, to go and fight in a war?' her mother's voice was rising not in anger, but in sadness. Her tone clearly expressed her dislike of violence.

'You don't understand, it's not like in a Muggle war. There's no battlefield, no guns –' No, Hermione thought, wizards have wands instead.

'But you're going to run off and fight, and leave your family?' Hermione's mother was on the verge of tears. Her father patted his wife on the arm.

'I have to!' Hermione's voice was rising now, too. She wasn't far from tears, either. 'It's my world, it's my life! It's my friends, the people I care about! They're in danger, I can't just hide here with you, safe and sound!' She knew that wasn't completely true, nowhere was completely safe anymore. 'I'm an adult now. And this is my choice. I can't just run off and let my friends... die.' Her voice trembled on the last word. A tear slipped down her face. 'I...' she began again, but she couldn't say anything else. She just couldn't tell her parents what it meant to her, that there were things worth fighting for.

And like that, her parents were holding her, her father whispering words of comfort, as Hermione and her mother sobbed. Hermione hadn't thought it would be this hard, to tell them what she was going to do.

But it was.

And now she stood in the hall of her parents' house, the grandfather clock chiming ten o'clock, and it was time to say goodbye. She had a three minute window to Apparate to The Burrow, when the Apparition Barrier that had been put in place was lifted for her, and it was her only chance to get there. She had less than three minutes to say goodbye to her parents.

She stepped into the den. It was Saturday. Her father was reading the paper, and her mother was doing the crossword puzzle. They both looked up when she entered.

'Well, I'm off,' she told them. 'I've got a three minute window, and I've got to go.'

'Come here then,' said her father gruffly, standing and pulling her into a crushing hug. Hermione hugged him back, and then turned to her mother.

Her mother's eyes were bright with tears, but she smiled. 'I can't control you, but I can love you. Stay safe, Hermione.'

'Oh, Mum,' she managed, choking back tears. Not now, she thought, I don't want to cry now.

They released each other, and walked out into the hall to Hermione's waiting luggage. Her parents were holding each other, watching her with a combination of tenderness, love and concern on their faces.

'I'll come back as soon as I can and visit. I might even be able to write to you...' she trailed off, not sure what to say.

'Be safe, sweetheart,' her father rumbled. He sounded like he had a bad head cold.

'I will,' Hermione responded. She could feel the tears coming. 'I love you,' she told them.

And before she broke down completely, Hermione Granger picked up her two suitcases and trunk, took a deep breath, and thought: Destination, determination, deliberation. She turned on her heel and vanished.

Her feet hit the ground outside the Burrow before her tears began to fall.