Hermione was in her room, lying on her soft bed. She wept bitterly at Ron's comment about no one ever liking her. All of her crying had made her hair even bushier than usual. She thought about the night of the Yule Ball, the only time that she had seen Ron jealous. But after the Won Won/ Lavender fiasco, she had been so sure of him understanding that she had her own bout of jealously would finally asking her to be his. She was so sure at Dumbledore's funeral that he holding her had meant something. Now Hermione wasn't so sure. A soft knock awakened Hermione from her thoughts of Ron's red hair. "Come in" she said, her voice muffled from her pillow. Ron hesitated a moment before entering, slowly closing the door behind him. Hermione turned around and quickly wiped her tears away, looking up at him in defiance. "What do you want?" she asked angrily.

"I want to talk about what happened this morning." Ron paused "about us." His blunt honesty surprised Hermione, who had spared with Ron verbally for years. But she pretended that it didn't happen to bother her.

"Really? Because last time I checked there wasn't an us." She propped herself up with her pillows and Ron cautiously stood in front of the bed.

"Hermione, that's because you scare the bloody hell out of me! I'm scared of losing you!" Ron said exasperated. Hermione's face turned pale and as Ron's ears turned an unattractive shade of scarlet as he gripped the bed frame. "In third year, I realized it. But I couldn't tell you! If I had, you probably would've thought that I was just being a git and not take me seriously. So I waited. I watched as Vicky…I mean Viktor" Ron corrected hastily at Hermione's glare (he was in love he wasn't stupid!). "I watched as he took interest in you and took you to the Yule Ball. You looked even more beautiful than ever" he admitted, his ears' color deepening if that was possible. "Then in fifth, we got closer after Harry's "rebellion…"

"Then you got over it by having Lavender suck your face" Hermione said disgustedly.

"Because you snogged Krum!" Ron shot back.

"No I didn't" Hermione said in a small voice. Ron looked up at her in surprise.

"WHAT?" He asked dumbly.

"I never snogged Viktor. He wanted to but I always made an excuse." Her eyes filled with tears. "I wanted to save myself for you." Ron's eyes widened even more. Hermione sighed loudly. "Oh Ron, why can't you see? It's you that I want." She blushed as she said want. Ron did too as he caught her meaning.

"I'm sorry for everything, Hermione." Ron said looking out the window. She loved the way that her name sounded when he said it.

"I am too."

"I'm scared" Ron admitted "of not only losing you but messing it all up."

"You couldn't" Hermione said simply, putting her legs under her. "I know that we can get through this." Ron sighed and but he gripped the frame even tighter than before.

"Ron?" Hermione asked confused "why are you clutching that so tightly? Why don't you come sit on the bed?" Ron's face started to turn as red as his ears.

"I can't" he muttered softly.

"Why?" Hermione asked, frowning.

"Because if I do then I'll end up doing something that might make you get mad at me." Ron said, gripping the metal bar as tight as he could.

"Come on, Ron" Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "We made up you don't have to look so tense."

"Fine but you asked for it" Ron said and he lifted his hands from the metal frame. As soon as they were off, Ron went over to the bed, pulled Hermione up and kissed her passionately on the mouth. Hermione was stunned at first but then slowly relaxed into Ron's arms. She had been waiting for this moment for almost five years. Ron slowly lowered them onto the bed and they kissed a bit longer until they both stopped, gasping for breath. Hermione lay on Ron's chest with his arm around her securely.

"You're right" Hermione said softly. Ron looked at her, his foolish smile fading. Hermione smiled softly.

"I am mad. You should've done that weeks ago." And with that, she pressed her lips against his again, loving him more than ever before.

Ginny had slipped Harry a piece of parchment as she passed him in the staircase that had told him where to meet her. After lying to her mother, Ginny grabbed her broom and flew to the center of the woods. There were many spells that her father had placed around their home to help warn them of wizards coming. Some were placed by Dumbledore himself. She landed and pulled her cloak closer to herself to ward off the cold wind. Ten minutes later, Harry landed beside her broom and he ran to Ginny, putting his arms around her. She put her hands on his chest and he put his own on the small of her back. "I'm sorry I took so long," he murmured into her hair "your mother didn't believe that I was going to go fly around for a bit."

Ginny looked up at Harry and he bent down and kissed her tenderly. He loved Ginny so much. Ginny clung to him, knowing that if she didn't then she would fall. Whenever she was around Harry, she didn't know what it magic it took to have her not tremble. Harry broke the kiss, his breathing ragged. "I love you, Ginny"

"I love you too, Harry" Ginny said, tears slowly running down her cheeks. "You're the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"Ginny?" Harry asked looking at her concerned. He put both of his hands on her cheeks, lightly stroking her cheeks with his thumbs.

"I'm scared for you, Harry." She said, holding onto his robes. "I feel like such a prat. I'm being selfish."

"You aren't" Harry assured her hastily. He knew that Ginny would beat herself up if she felt that she was selfish.

"No matter what happens with Voldemort," Ginny said looking at him intensely "no matter what, promise me that it won't change what we have."

"I don't have to promise," Harry said gently "because I know that it's going to happen. Things are going to change for the better, Ginny. I love you and I can swear that's never going to change." With that he kissed her again.

Ginny melted into him until she remembered that they had to go home. She pushed him off playfully. "We've gotta get home" she said, trying to sound cheerful. Harry caught her arm and pulled her against him. His emerald green eyes looked into hers as he ran his fingers through her hair. He kissed her again, softly and then their lips inches away, he whispered:

"I'll go first"