I'm glad people seem to be liking this story, and I hope it isn't moving too slowly. Don't worry - I'm planning to hopefully write some action soon!

Dear Hermione,

It's been a very quiet day. We've just been getting settled and trying to figure out a plan of attack. We're going to take it slow – tomorrow we're going to stake out the area where we believe the Death Eaters are hiding and try to find out what they're up to (thank goodness Fred and George invented Extendable Ears. Who would've thought their joke shop products would be useful to a bunch of professional Aurors?) Then I guess we'll see where we go from there.

I really wish you were here. Sometimes I think I should've just given in and let you come along with me. Then I remember that you're out of danger and I feel better. This is the best way to do things. I hope you see that now.

How are things at home? I bet you've read Hogwarts, A History twenty times already. Maybe thirty, knowing you. Honestly, you should try to have more variety in the books you choose.

That was a joke, Hermione.

Well, it's getting late, so I guess I should go. I need my strength for tomorrow – it's going to be a very demanding day!

That was also a joke. Lighten up a bit, will you? You could at least pretend to laugh.

Love,

Ron

Ron sighed and slowly folded the letter. They could stop him from sending letters to Hermione, but they couldn't keep him from writing them. And he intended to write one every day until he got home, whether Hermione saw them or not.

He tucked the letter away with the other he'd written previously. He hoped that Hermione wouldn't be too upset when she realized she wouldn't be receiving any letters from him. She was a logical person, wasn't she? She'd be able to figure it out.

Ron pulled down the blankets on his cot and settled himself on top of it. How long had it been since he'd gone to bed without Hermione beside him? Through everything he'd experienced in his life, all the changes that had occurred over the years, she had been one of the few things that was constant. And now even she had been taken away from him.

No, she wasn't taken away, Ron reminded himself miserably. You chose for this to happen. You have no one to blame but yourself.

Ron stared up at the roof of the tent. He was beginning to understand how Hermione must be feeling. She had trusted him when he probably didn't even deserve it in the first place, and once again he had broken her trust. He wouldn't be surprised if he got home to find that Hermione was gone.

Early the next morning, Hermione stirred in her sleep and slowly began to wake up. "Morning, Ron," she murmured automatically, expecting to hear a response. When she received none, she opened her eyes and looked at the empty space beside her.

That's odd, she thought to herself. Ron's never awake this early on weekends, and when he is, he always waits for me to get up. Then she smiled. Ron must be making breakfast to surprise her. He wasn't always this thoughtful, but Hermione loved it when he was.

She slid out of bed and walked to the kitchen. "Ron?" she called softly as she entered the room. She was greeted with silence.

That was when it hit her. Ron wasn't home. He was off fighting Death Eaters. And he still hadn't written to her.

Hermione slumped into a chair at the kitchen table. I need help, she thought unhappily. She considered going to talk to Neville, but soon dismissed the idea. She had to talk to someone who understood what she was going through. Someone like Ginny Weasley-Potter.

Once she had eaten something and gotten dressed, Hermione Apparated to the Potters' house. She knocked on the door and waited. A few seconds later, Ginny opened the door.

"Merlin's beard, Hermione!" she exclaimed. "I'm glad to see you, of course, but it's only nine o'clock in the morning!"

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry. I just really need to talk to someone and I thought you'd be the best person," Hermione said.

Ginny looked concerned. "Come inside," she said, opening the door wider to let Hermione in. "Please be quiet, though, James is still sleeping," she added.

Hermione nodded and stepped lightly into the house. She followed Ginny over to the sofa and sat down beside her.

"All right, what's wrong?" Ginny said.

"It's Ron," Hermione began.

"What? Did he hurt you? Did he hurt himself? What happened?" Ginny cried.

"No, he's fine," Hermione said hastily. "At least, I think he is. I wouldn't know. He hasn't written me a single letter since he's been gone."

"So? I haven't heard anything from Harry either," Ginny said.

"But Ron promised me he would write to me," Hermione said. "I'm worried about him. I hate being separated from him."

"Well, that's no big deal," Ginny said. "I know you're usually together, but you spend a lot of time apart, too. What's the difference?"

"The difference is that he's potentially in danger and I'm not there to be with him and protect him!" Hermione burst out. "How do you do it, Ginny? How do you stay calm while Harry is gone?"

Ginny put a finger to her lips and listened for a moment to make sure James hadn't woken up. Then she placed her hands gently on Hermione's shoulders. "I remind myself that Harry has a lot of training and experience. He knows how to handle almost any situation. He has plenty of other Aurors who are just as skilled as he is with him. And he defeated Lord Voldemort, for crying out loud! All of that is true for Ron also – well, except maybe the Voldemort part, but Ron has faced his fair share of danger before."

Hermione stared at her friend. Ginny had made some good points, but there was still something bothering her. "What about the lack of communication, though?" Hermione asked. "It would be nice to get even a short little note from Ron telling me that everything is fine and I shouldn't worry."

"I'm sure they're really busy doing whatever it is they're doing, and Ron will write you a letter as soon as he gets the chance," Ginny said reassuringly. "It's nothing to be alarmed about."

Hermione thought over what Ginny had told her. Looking back, it did seem a little silly to be so upset. "Ginny, you're a life saver. What would I do without you?"

"Oh, you'd manage somehow," Ginny said with a grin. "Now, I think you need something to do besides sitting at home by yourself. When James wakes up, we'll feed him breakfast and then go shopping. I could use some new dress robes. Sound like a plan?"

"Definitely," Hermione said, returning the smile. A distraction was exactly what she needed at the moment.