Hermione had returned to the Burrow late that night, and had refused to tell anyone where she had been - which only served to annoy Ron even more.

The frostiness between them lasted for a week, and was awful for everyone living at the Burrow. Ron spent his days storming around the house, slamming every cupboard and door he could get his hands on and mostly looking like someone had stolen his Pygmy Puff. Hermione, on the other hand, stayed quiet and after a quick solo trip to Diagon Alley at the start of the week, spent her time studying her books for the new school year and furiously writing notes.

On the 7th day, fed up of their moods, Harry forced Ron out of the Burrow with the lure of finding somewhere for them to live in September. Both had them had agreed to sign on to the Auror course and had planned to spend the months before starting helping George get the shop up and running.

While they were out of the house, Ginny had coaxed Hermione out of her quiet sulk to help her do some of her chores. Although she was very suspicious of the obvious plotting Ginny and Harry had done to try and cheer their friends up, Hermione had visibly relaxed and had remained in the kitchen when Molly had joined them to start preparing dinner.

The quiet didn't last long, however, as Harry and Ron barged through the kitchen door and excitedly announced to the room that they'd put a deposit down on a new flat. They plonked themselves down at the kitchen table as they started going through all the details, not noticing Hermione quietly peeling potatoes over the kitchen sink until she let out a small sob. She abandoned her peeler in the sink and hurried upstairs.

Harry turned to Ginny, a guilty look plastered over his face. She raised an eyebrow back at him as Ron declared loudly that he didn't know why Hermione was being so unhappy about their good news. Harry sighed as he watched Ron turn back to show Molly pictures of the flat the estate agent had given them then quietly left the room.

Harry knocked on Ginny's bedroom gingerly and was surprised as it opened without a word. He headed in, frowning as he saw Hermione curled up on the small camp bed. "I'm sorry you weren't able to come with us..." He sat down next to her, being careful not to tip the small bed over.

Hermione wiped her eyes and shrugged. "I just always thought the three of us would do these things together..." She sat up, and moved so her head rested on his shoulder.

"There's a spare room..." Harry offered. "For when you come to stay..." He almost kicked himself as Hermione started crying again. "But you want need it because you and Ron are going to patch things up - you always do!"

"He's being awful to me Harry, just because I want to go back to school. He didn't even say anything about me getting Head Girl, apart from that I was getting everything I ever wanted..." She let out a shaky sigh and closed her eyes, her hand drifting down to take hold of Harry's.

"I know... I'm so proud of you Hermione!" Harry rested his head on top of hers for a moment.

Eventually, let go of his hand. "You'll look after each other while I'm not there, right?"

Harry laughed softly and kissed the top of her head. "You know I can't promise that, although I reckon our cooking might be a bit better than yours. You're not to spend your time worrying about us either, you'll have far more important things to do like studying and bossing around first years..." He grinned as she let out a shaky laugh. "You know if you want things fixed you're going to have to break the ice... He's in that place where he's so worked up, he doesn't know what to do to get himself out of it..."

Hermione lifted her head and wiped her eyes. "I shouldn't have to; I've not done anything wrong!"

"I know!" He smiled at her. "I only got Ron's side of the argument and I know he was in the wrong. But you leave in a week, do you really want to go all the way to Scotland with this hanging over your heads?" He stood up, and held his hand out to pull her up. "Come on, mull it over while we have dinner..." Keeping hold of her hand, he slowly led her back downstairs.

Hermione woke early the next morning, showering and dressing quietly without waking Ginny or Harry, who must have crept into their room in the middle of the night. She grabbed a sheet of parchment from her school bag and scribbled a quick note on it. Folding it into an aeroplane shape, she charmed it to fly upstairs to the attic room before quietly heading out of the Burrow.

Ron scowled as he was woken by something poking repeatedly in his face. He swatted it away, but it kept on until he grasped it out of the air. Unfolding it grumpily, he read it before flopping back on the back with a sigh.

"Meet me outside at our spot by the lake. I'll be there in half an hour x"

When Ron joined Hermione half an hour later, the sun was only starting to rise. She smiled slightly as she watched him make his way down to the lake. It was clear that he had showered, but he still showed signs of sleep as he let out a loud yawn. He flopped back down next to her and yawned again. "What's this about Hermione?"

"Breakfast..." She smiled although she felt strangely nervous as she signalled to the food she'd spread out across the picnic blanket.

"But the sun is barely up... I could have stayed in bed a couple of more hours and had breakfast with everyone else..."

"Because Ron..." Hermione snapped. "You only have a few more days with me before I get on the Hogwarts Express. I thought I'd try and talk to you, since I'm not keen on leaving for Scotland while we're still in a grump with each other. I was hoping we could have a nice day together, and I packed enough food to last us for lunch too. But if you want to go back to the Burrow and wait for your mum to wake up to cook for you, then you go ahead... I'm staying out here..." She reached for a croissant and tore it in half angrily.

Ron's shoulders dropped, and he was silently for a while. Finally her turned to face her. "I'm an arse..."

"Yes you are..." Hermione watched him with a steely glare. "I've had a miserable week and it's all because you got your boxers in a twist because I decided to do something for myself for once..."

"I was already feeling like shit for making you lie for me." Ron felt his shoulders tense up, getting on the defensive again. "You came out here and made me feel 10 times worse and now you're leaving me..."

"It's not like I'm going far Ron..." Hermione felt exasperated. "I'll be able to see you for Quidditch games, in Hogsmeade and I promise to come home for every holiday..."

"There's a spare room in the flat," Ron grumbled. "Harry and I have already talked about decorating it nicely for you and Ginny..."

"That's not what I want!"

"I know..." Ron started down at his hands. "I don't want that either..."

"Good!" She rubbed her forehead. "So can we please move past this, and can you please be happy that I'm pursuing something for me? You didn't even congratulate me for getting Head Girl. I thought you'd be proud..."

"I am proud of you Hermione!" He pulled the destroyed croissant out of her hand and linked his fingers with hers. "So bloody proud of you!" He pressed a soft kiss to her hand. "I'm sorry for being a twat 'Mione. I guess I just don't like change..." He shrugged but looked up at her.

"I know, I get it! The three of us have spent so much time together that being apart was bound to be difficult. I've been so anxious about how different it will feel being at Hogwarts without you and Harry. I'd always imagined what it would be like being back there with you, you know... together!"

"What's this?" Ron softened and pulled her towards him and onto his lap. "My Head Girl insinuating she'd like to snog me in the school corridors?" He wrapped his arms around her tightly. "That's got to be breaking at least 100 rules..."

She let out a small laugh and nestled in close to him, letting out a small but happy sigh at the safe feeling she got from being wrapped in his arms. "I just think, given everything we've been through the past few years, breaking a few school rules with you might have been fun..."

Ron laughed. "You're a rebel..." He leaned his head down for a soft and slow kiss, trying to put all the things into it that he struggled to say out loud. He eventually pulled away when his stomach growled, smirking at Hermione's breathlessness. "I guess I'm going to have to start writing to you..." He mock sighed as he started to pile breakfast items onto a plate. He immediately started shovelling them into his mouth. "I bloody hate owl post!"

Hermione frowned, but decided that this wasn't the moment to tell him off for talking with his mouth full. "So I've spent a lot of time reading this past week..." She gave him a warning look as he started to interrupt her. "But I think I've worked out a way for us to stay in touch without having to wait for Owl Post..." Hermione pulled out two muggle mobile phones and passed one to him.

Ron wiped his hands on his jeans before taking it, turning it over in his hands. "What's this?"

Hermione leant over him and pressed her finger to the screen. It lit up, displaying the time and a non-moving picture of the two of them together. "This is a mobile phone..."

"Like the Fellytone?"

Hermione laughed. "Yes, kind of like that, only this one you can take everywhere with us." She watched him, smiling as the wonder on his face made him look just like his dad. "We've never been able to use muggle technology in places like Hogwarts, or even here because the magic is so strong it messes with the signals. But I picked up some extra books, and Percy helped me to work out a charm that will stop the interference. The charm should also mean we can use it to call each other from anywhere in the world. I've programmed my number into this one for you. Watch this..." She took it from him and showed him how to use the call function, laughing at his surprise as the phone she had kept for herself started ringing in her hand.

"Bloody hell!" Ron grinned. "So I can use this to get hold of you..."

"Yes, you can ring me or text - I'll show you how to do that later..." She added before he could ask. "We can also send pictures, and you can even listen to muggle music on it. I hope you don't mind, but I started a playlist of songs that remind me of you. I downloaded it onto both of our phones so if you start to miss me, you can just listen and..." Hermione blushed as she realised how cringey she was being. "Here, I'll show you..." She passed him back to the phone and showed him how to access the music app. She carefully placed the earphones into his ears and pressed play on the first track.

Ron frowned briefly before his eyes lit up in amazement. Hermione leant back against her elbows and watched him adoringly as he started to hum along to the song.

"You're bloody brilliant!" Ron shouted, frowning as Hermione laughed. "What?!"

"You're being loud..." She laughed as she pulled one of the earbuds from his ear and placed it in her own before leaning back against him.

He pulled her down carefully and wrapped his arms around her. Hermione lifted her head to smile at him before giving him a slow kiss, desperate to savour this moment.

Ron smiled against her lips. It was new, this kissing along to music lark, but he kind of liked it.