Author's Notes: This was inspired by a discussion I had lately, fitting into the time of my story "The Early '98".
Rating: K
Disclaimer: Mine, all mine. Nah. Just kidding. Myself.
Conflicted
"For Heaven's sake, Ron! Do I look like I'm not able to look after myself?"
"N-no, of course not! I'd just feel better if you weren't by yourself is all."
"But you can't come. Someone's gotta stay with Harry since he's got no wand."
"Then why not wait until he's awake? Then he can come with you. Or better yet, he can have my wand and I'll come."
"Because we need food now and not God knows when Harry wakes up."
"Then let me go and you stay with Harry!"
"Oh, goddammit, Ron! If all this fuss is just because I'm the girl, at least speak it out directly, will you? And just for the record: I don't need any special treatment just because of my gender! I want to go and I will go and you won't stop me. You wouldn't if I was Harry, would you?"
"I didn't say... I mean..."
"Then stop fussing and let me go!"
"Well, all right. But please take care of yourself, okay?"
"Of course I will. Honestly, sometimes I wonder what you take me for."
Rolling her eyes, Hermione turned around and marched into the woods to Apparate into the nearby village. Ron sighed out in frustration. Of course, he knew that she was more than capable and belittling her was the last thing he wanted to do. And still, he could not help but worry. The world around them was not safe; sick things were out there: Death Eaters, Snatchers, Dementors and Ron did not want to know what else, and in the light of this, he sometimes felt that Hermione was just too confident for her own good. If he could have his way, he would join her anywhere just to be sure that she was all right. But he knew that things did not work that way with her and so he sat in front of the tent, his insides clenched with concern, anxiously waiting for Hermione to return.