"Can you tell?"

"No. Can you?"

"Haven't got a clue mate."

A pause.

"We could ask Hermione?"

"Let her sleep; we don't need them yet anyway."

Ron lay on his side, facing Harry, Hermione curled into his chest. Harry sat propped up in his bed, one arm behind his head, eyeing Ron and Hermione's wands with apprehension.

"We did save his life." He began uneasily. Ron let out a harsh chuckle.

"He owes us," He agreed, "But it's Malfoy."

"We're well aware of your hatred for Draco, Ron" A muffled voice said sleepily, and Ron looked down to see Hermione attempting to cuddle and stretch at the same time. He grinned. Widely.

"Morning, you," He said in a low voice, wrapping an arm around her waist and looking at Harry with a roguish smile. Harry began to grin, slowly, until his whole face had lit up.

"Are you two always going to be kissing in front of me then?" He asked, causing all three to chuckle. Ron clearly heard him mutter, "of all the times they could've picked, they had to choose then…" as he left the room, no doubt in search of Ginny or someone.

"Now that we're alone…." He began, trailing off and tickling her sides. She laughed and placed an arm on his shoulder, pulling him close until they were nose to nose.

"About time…" Another voice interrupted loudly, and both of them froze, turning to look at the newcomer- newcomers- as they sniggered and stared. Seamus, Dean, Parvati, Lavender, Neville and Luna all stood near the entrance of the room, a little worse for the wear but looking quite glad to be alive, and well fed at that.

"We only came to see if you wanted breakfast…" Luna began in her dreamy voice, smiling at them both. "I'm sure you're quite hungry. I know I was."

"Did you an' Dean spend the night together too then, Luna?" Seamus asked with a roguish grin and a saucy wink for Hermione. Ron, seeing his…well, whatever she was….flustered and embarrassed expression, promptly flung his pillow across the room at his dorm mate of six years. Seamus, Parvati, Dean and Neville all roared with laughter; as Ron had missed by several feet- his throwing arm was nestled under Hermione's neck. Luna smiled serenely, and Lavender managed a neutral expression.

"I thought there was a 'no girls allowed' rule," Neville added, picking up the pillow and tossing it from hand to hand.

"Sod off," Ron growled, pulling Hermione closer. The boys laughed again.

"Careful mate- you never know what Neville'll pull out of the pillowcase. A dragon this time, maybe."

"One magical object is enough." Neville's eyes were wide and he shook his head. "I'll be glad to go back to Herbology."

"we'll leave you to it, then." Hermione sat up slightly, pulling away from Ron. "I've had enough mushrooms to last me a lifetime."

"Me-" Ron began, only to receive an elbow to the ribcage. "Too…" He finished with a cough; spluttering. "You just said-"

"I'm allowed to. You're not."

"Tell us where you've been Ron," Lavender piped up, whether to end the awkward silence or to break up the moment of tension between the two, nobody knew. She gingerly sat on Seamus' bed, wincing slightly and clutching her side. "We've heard rumors but none of us knew…"

"That's because we were on the run now, isn't it? If you've known how to find us we'd have had a right harder time beating…well…"

"We were in a tent, mostly." Hermione supplied. "Moving around the country. We went to the Ministry for a day-"

"And Gringotts," Ron interjected.

"And Gringotts. And we met up with Dean and Luna at Malfoy Manor and stayed at Ron's brother Bill's for a bit."

"Where was Harry?" Parvati Patil asked, looking from one face to another in confusion. Ron made a spluttering noise- what exactly did they think him and Hermione had been doing for the past year?

"He was with them too, of course," Luna turned to Lavender. "They went to my father's."

"And Godric's Hollow." Ron added lowly.

"Ron was brilliant," Hermione piped up. "He led us…for…part of the time."

"I wasn't as good as Harry, Hermione." Ron's voice had turned serious, and she could hear the self-blame, though she wasn't sure the others could.

"You were better." She whispered loyally, hoping for a smile. But it was more of a grimace- not a real Ron smile at all.

"It's alright, Hermione." He said wearily. "over now, innit?"

"What happens next?" Dean asked.

And no one had an answer.

Well, Hermione did, but Ron suspected it was of the long and quoted from a textbook type, and they'd all been through enough already. So he kissed her, ignoring the catcalls from Seamus and Dean, until they were along and even she'd lost interest in whatever she was about to say.

And then he kissed her again.