It had been a month since their failed attempt to search for and destroy Voldemort. Harry had secretly left them to go out on his own and was still missing. Ginny, now back at Hogwarts, couldn't do anything but cry herself to sleep every night. She was not the only one whose nerve was wavering; Hermione, Luna and Neville were at wits end trying to think of a way to find him and anything that could comfort Ginny. Fred and George had gotten over the incident at the Inn and had closed down the shop to accompany the search. Ron was maybe the worst of all of them, more distraught than both Ginny and Hermione. Though he did his best to conceal his worry, Ron could be found most nights sitting in the Gryffindor common room staring blankly at that note the Harry left whispering to himself and sniffling.

Hermione sat down next to him. "Ron," she said softly. He didn't even look at her. "Please, Ron. Talk to me—talk to someone."

"It's all my fault, Hermione." He dropped the paper in his lap and covered his face.

"No, no it's not. You know he always has to do the 'noble' thing" She grabbed his other hand but he pulled it away quickly.

"Don't start with that--Yes it is my fault. If I hadn't—hadn't... oh I just lost it. Damn it." He looked at her; his eyes were full of pain. "I was supposed to help him—do anything to help him! He can't do it alone-- I was supposed to be his best friend. What if he's--I can't believe…" He was crying now, her tears soon followed. She pulled him into a strong embrace; it was the first time she'd seen him cry and she knew these tears had been held in since Dumbledore died—since the war started. Then she kissed him on the forehead and it meant something, so much more than when she had kissed Harry just the same way, and more than the kiss the had shared a month earlier. With out a single word the kiss conveyed the message 'I will always be there for you'; they both felt it and knew it.

"It's okay, Ron. Everything will be okay. This is Harry we're talking about, remember, he's just fine. And we're going to find him, don't worry—he won't have to do it alone." Hermione was trying to convince herself as well.

Ron wiped his eyes and grinned at her, his same old sideways smile that just seemed to make everything better. "Okay," he said. There was so much trust in this single word.

Ginny walked through the portrait hole just then and burst into tears upon seeing them. "Oh you two," she walked over and grabbed on to both of them, "I just love you both so much." They couldn't help but laugh at her as they pulled her into their hug. She had been balling and telling everyone this over and over for the past few weeks; it was almost becoming amusing now.

Ron sighed. "You've really got to stop this Gin. It's depressing you'd think we were all dying tomorrow." He joked, his mood was lightening slightly. She started to cry harder and retreated to her room. "Moody, lately." He was referring to Ginny. Hermione shook her head.

"I'm going to bed. You should get some sleep too." Neville had told her he hadn't been sleeping much. He got up in reply and headed for his dormitory. "Goodnight, Ron."

He did indeed have a goodnight, he sleep well for the first time since he'd returned to Hogwarts. He woke up refreshed and with a plan. He passed Hermione a note at breakfast.

Meet me at the room of requirements at 9:30 tonight.

-Ron

She raised an eyebrow at him. 'I have an idea,' he mouthed across the table. At this she looked even more surprised but nodded at him before getting up to head to her first class. She bumped into Ginny and Luna as she left the Great Hall, they were just coming in.

"Where were you?" she asked as they tried to sneak by her. Ginny was very pale and her eyes red from crying again she was starting to look quite ill which Hermione took note of. "You alright Gin?" she said grabbing her arm.

"Yeah, fine," Ginny pulled herself away and went to sit down.

"She's not been feeling well this morning. I think it's probably the Higgilou flu, my father says it's going around again," she said airily and walked away before Hermione could argue with her over the nonexistence of any such flu. Hermione was put out by Ginny's obvious attempt to avoid her but she decided it was just because she wasn't feeling well. In any case, she'd have to talk to her later on.

The day went by slowly and normally with no excitement to take anyone's mind off of the current events. Hermione- though she wasn't sure why- had been thinking about Ron all day, well his 'plan' anyway. She couldn't help being excited at prospect of being alone in the room of requirements with him; she tried her best to stifle these thoughts as there were more pressing matters at hand.

---

She reached the hall that the room of requirements was in at precisely nine thirty. The hall was dark and quiet but a light shone under the door of the room. She turned the handle slowly hoping to find Ron inside and walked in. The room was filled with books and rolled scrolls of parchment and some maps hung on the walls. Ron didn't hear her come in; he was intently studying a large piece of parchment on a desk at one side of the room.

"Funny that you would want a room with so many books." Hermione said.

Ron jump, startled that he didn't here her walk in. "Gods, Mione, you scared me." His ears were turning red. "Yeah, there's a lot I know."

"What exactly are they all for?" She picked up a rather large leather bound book from the top of one of the piles and examined the cover.

"Well, I had an idea last night. It seemed too simple to actually work but..."

"What was it? How'd you get the room like this?"

"All I did was think: 'I need a place we can use to find and help Harry'. And it worked."

"That's so simple. I can't believe it took that long to think of it." Hermione was genuinely astounded.

"Look," He said pointing to the papers he had strewn across the desk. "It's a map." It was indeed. Their whole course from their journey with Harry was charted. Hermione was a dotted blue line, Ron green, Ginny purple and Harry a solid, bright red. The lines wove through the shaded area representing the dark forest, then Malumeed, then they stopped at Fresburrow—except for the bright red line that continued onward. 'Thank gods, he's still alive,' She thought- she had secretly begun to worry in the past week.

"Ron this—this is bloody brilliant," she said sounding quite like him. She followed the red line as it continued to move. "But what if, other people can get maps like this too." She chose her words carefully not wanting to alarm him.

"I don't think they can," He tapped the parchment as he said it, and the map disappeared and folded, looking a bit like that Marauders Map. Scrolled across the front in thick black ink, words were beginning to appear.

---

The course you desire

Can be found within.

But only those

Who are true at heart

And with intentions pure

May peer upon the page to find

That which they entrust their loyalty.

For friendship is the greatest force.

Without which these secrets will

Naught be found.

This map is sealed to strangers,

Thus with not but sincerity may

Your path be revealed.

---

"It only shows its self to true friends with pure intentions…This is perfect!"

"I know!" Ron was looking very proud of himself.

"But what are all of these books?"

"I don't know. I didn't get to look at those yet."

Hermione picked up another one. "Hmm—they seem to be books on the dark arts. To help us help Harry, I suppose."

"Okay, when are we leaving?" Ron was getting anxious.

Hermione smiled. "We can't just yet."

"Why, what if he's in trouble?" Ron protested.

"Halloween," was all she said. "We'll leave on Halloween." The grin on her face told him that she had a plan, as she usually did. He smiled at her knowingly. He rolled up a few other papers and she grabbed a few interesting looking books and they left the room. It sealed behind them as they began to walk back to their dorms. "Shall we tell anyone."

"Not Ginny."

"Ron, she'll be devastated if she can't come."

"No."

"Ronald," she was stern.

"I just don't want her to get hurt," he looked down at the floor as he walked. She decided to drop the subject for the time being she didn't want to destroy his good mood.

"Neville and Luna?"

"Well, Neville tends to be—um—slightly bad luck," Ron replied.

"I think it may be worse not to have more help--their help."

"You're right. As usual," he smiled sincerely. Then taking a bold move he grabbed her hand and laced his fingers with hers, he turned the famous Weasley red. Hermione went slightly pink as well and stopped talking but didn't pull her hand away. They walked in silence until they reached the portrait of the fat lady.

"Fibbleworm," They said at the same time waking the fat lady, they laughed awkwardly.

Ron helped Hermione through the portrait hole, it was nearly eleven o'clock and the common room was empty. They parted each heading up their own staircases.

" 'Night, Mione."

"Goodnight, Ron."

Ron lay down in his bed and pulled the blankets up to his chin. 'Gods, I love that girl,' he thought before falling into a warm, dreamless sleep.