A couple of hours later; Ron, Harry and Hermione stood at a podium in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic. The crowd of Ministry officials, journalists and invited guests that had swamped the room would have terrified most people, but Hermione had spoken confidently; relaying the story without pause. She had ignored any attempts to interrupt her story telling. It had helped that the Weasley family, including Fleur and Andromeda, had been given front row seats; although Hermione could have done without Molly flinching at every mention of any sort of action, curse or apparition. Hermione didn't even stutter when she came to the part about Godric's Hollow, though she noticed Harry placing a firm hand on Ron's shoulder out of the corner of her eye.

Once she had finished speaking, there was time for questions. Kingsley facilitated the session, most of them focusing on the Horcrux element of the story. Once that had finished, the trio had been ushered off the podium and into a side room where they had their photos taken, and Luna had been allowed to ask some further questions.

Harry, Hermione and Ron finally returned to the Burrow to the sound of the family dissecting what they'd just heard.

"If it's okay with you all..." Harry had spoken up immediately. "I'm going to take a nap. Today was exhausting..." He held his hand out to Ginny and quietly headed upstairs with her.

Hermione turned to Ron to suggest the same thing, but frowned as she watched the door to the garden slam shut. "I'm just going to go change, and then I'll go find Ron." She hurried upstairs, changing out of her stuffy blouse and skirt and into something cooler before heading out of the Burrow, a blanket in her arms.

Hermione headed straight out to the spot her and Ron had discovered earlier in the summer. The grass was long, ad it was far enough from the lake to be quiet, but not too far that they'd miss out on anything too exciting without the amount of noise Ron's siblings made. He was lying on his back, looking trouble. His arms were folded behind his head.

"Knut for your thoughts?" She flopped down beside him after laying out the blanket, smiling as he shifted on to it. She plucked a long piece of grass from the ground and twisted it around her fingers as she watched for his reply.

"We should have given them the whole truth." Ron finally sighed, wiping the back of his hand across his cheek to wipe away a tear of frustration. "You shouldn't have had to lie to cover my back..."

Hermione smiled sadly. "I don't think you should be punished any more than you've already punished yourself. I know what your family are like. Anyway, that's what the three of us do isn't it? Cover each others backs..." She reached out and wiped a rogue tear off his cheek. "Harry and I forgave you months ago. Okay so Harry was a bit quicker to forgive than me but still... We agreed to keep what happened between the three of us because we're the only ones that matter. Anyway, you came back..."

"Bill knows..." Ron muttered.

Hermione interrupted him before he could dig himself further into his self loathing. "Bill and Fleur won't tell anyone. We trust them... they know why it happened!" She sighed. "It's done Ron. Please stop dwelling on it..."

Carefully Hermione lay down next to him, pulling one of his arms around her body as she rested her head on his chest.

They lay there in silence together for a bit longer. When she thought she'd given him enough time to brood, Hermione lifted her head slightly so she could look up at him. "While he was escorting us from the Ministry, Kingsley suggested we should start thinking about what comes next..." She played with the buttons on his shirt absentmindedly. "The next Auror training course starts in January; apparently the three of us have guaranteed spots without needing our NEWTs, should we want it..."

"Yeah?" Ron smiled slightly. "That's pretty good. I always thought I could be an Auror." He paused to think for a bit. "But not you... you always said you didn't want to work for the Ministry. In fact, I distinctly remember you saying you 'wanted to do some good in the world!'"

Hermione laughed slightly. "Yeah that's right. I guess I'd like to finish my NEWTs..."

Ron chewed his bottom lip, evidently considering what he was going to say next. "So I suppose you're going to go back to school?" His heart pounded as he watched her closely, waiting for her answer.

She nodded slowly, sitting up but keeping eye contact with him. "Yeah... McGonagall wrote to me the other day. She wants to make me Head Girl, but wasn't sure if I'd be going back..."

"Head Girl..." Ron let out a shaky breath but nodded slowly as if something was making sense in his head. Hermione's news had stirred up old feelings of his insignificance, but wasn't surprised she was choosing a high-profile role over him. "Well then, I guess you'll be getting everything you ever wanted!" He sat up suddenly, his jaw clenched.

"What do you mean, Ron?" Hermione tried to take his hand, but he pulled it away from her quickly and stood up, as if trying to put some space between them.

"I guess now I'll know what it feels like to be abandoned. You're paying me back for leaving you right?!" You say you're okay about it, and that you've forgiven me but you can't wait to bloody leave me..."

Hermione stood up quickly, hurt flashing across her face though it was quickly replaced by a scowl. Even though Ron was at least a head taller than her, her anger made her look at least 7 feet tall. "I'm not abandoning you Ronald and I would never be so petty to try and get 'payback'!"

"No?!" Ron scowled back. "Funny that, the words McLaggen and Slug Party come to mind..."

Hermione pulled a hand through her hair in exasperation. She always felt like she was going around in circles with their arguments; and they usually started with Ron feeling insecure about something and taking it out on her. "Ron... I just want to finish my education; I want to get my NEWTs so I can find myself a job where I can make a real difference..."

Ron scoffed. "Well why don't you just fuck off now so I don't have to get my heartbroken when you abandon me in two weeks..."

Hermione watched him for a moment, anguish filling her eyes and threatening to spill over as tears. "If that's what you want..." She spoke calmly, though her hands were shaking as she picked up her wand from the blanket. She gave him one last pained look before apparating away quickly; leaving Ron staring at the spot she'd just left, already regretting what he'd said.

"Bloody hell!" He scuffed his toe against a stone in the grass before sullenly heading down to the lake to sulk.