Author's Notes: And now the cliffy gets resolved :-) Thanks for R&R!
Hermione was standing with her back leant against the wall, her eyes closed, and slowly slid down until she was sitting on the floor, her arms wrapped around her legs and her face on her knees, and Ron understood. She had tried to keep it together for Harry, for Dobby, for Griphook, for Ollivander, for the sake of their mission, but now that this was no longer needed, all self-protection was falling off her.
"Hermione!" Ron called again, louder this time and with two large strides, he was by her side. He sat down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. Her body was now shaking uncontrollably with sobs.
Hermione shifted her body and, burying her face into his shoulder, clung to him as if he was the only thing that kept her from drowning.
"Shh, it's okay, Hermione, it's okay, it's all over now," Ron whispered to her, gently stroking her head. Silent tears were running down his own cheeks, too, and they were tears of sympathy, relief and fear altogether. He hoped that Hermione would not notice; he wanted to be strong for both of them. But at the same time, he knew that it was okay to cry, he did not have to be ashamed in front of her. Shame was now an entity of no relevance. He tightened his embrace and buried his face deep into Hermione's hair, closing his eyes and taking in her scent. He was so glad that she was here in his arms now, to know that she was safe, and he swore to himself that he would never again allow anything to happen to her.
They stayed like this for a long time; even long after Hermione had calmed down, neither let go of the other. As he was sitting there, embracing Hermione, Ron felt complete like never before, amazed by the way she was giving him warmth and hope and comfort just by being there and holding him and he hoped with all his heart that he was making her feel the same.
After what felt like an eternity and yet too short, Hermione sniffled. She turned her head to the side and dried her eyes with her sleeve. "Sorry," she mumbled.
"Don't be," Ron said warmly. "You have every right to feel that way."
"It's just..." Hermione said in an uncharacteristically small voice, putting her arm around Ron again. "I'm scared."
"Me, too," Ron admitted. "I guess most people are, given all the mad things that are happening now. It's the normal thing to feel unless you're a complete nutcase, Hermione. You have no reason to feel bad about that."
"It's not that I don't have faith in Harry's abilities or Dumbledore's judgment," Hermione mused. "I know you see it differently but I'm certain that in the end, it'll all make sense somehow, though at present I can't see how."
"Are you sure?" Ron voiced his doubts again. "Couldn't it be that Dumbledore simply had an off moment there?"
"That'd be a long moment for sure. Ron, Dumbledore had known about the Hallows almost his whole life and Merlin knows how long he'd suspected You-Know-Who to use the Horcruxes. And he was the most brilliant wizard of all times as well. I can't imagine that he'd mess up so badly. And remember, Dumbledore's always been able to fix anything. No matter how strange his plans seemed at first, in the end it always worked out fine."
Ron looked at her, somewhat calmed but yet not fully convinced. But before he could say anything, Hermione had buried her face into his shoulder again.
"It's just the thought that we'll have to face him in the end that's so scary," she mumbled. "And who knows how long we still have to be on the run like this till we get there. Ron, I want nothing more than this war to be over and us getting through it safe and sound."
"Me, too," Ron said and sighed. "But we're the only ones who can end it, so... we have to pull this through now, otherwise none of us will ever be safe. Pull this through, take You-Know-Who down, and kick as many Death Eater asses as we can on our way there, and then we can have our happily ever after!"
Hermione chuckled dryly and Ron was glad that his little bit of humor had this effect on her. "Sounds like a plan," she said. "But let's face it. People are dying. And for all we know, we could be next, we're so far in the thick of it." She swallowed and looked up at Ron. "Ron, when... when they d-dragged me to the salon, I thought that was it. I thought I'd never see you again."
"I know," Ron said darkly, a large lump forming in his throat. "I felt the same."
"You told her to take you in my stead."
"Yes, I did."
Hermione settled back against his shoulder and shook her head. One hand firmly pressing his shoulder to her cheek, she started to rub the entire length of his back with the other. There was nothing gentle about it; Ron sensed that she did it to assure herself, to feel, that he was there and whole, and he ran his hand through her hair to let her know that he was.
"Don't ever do that again," she finally said, sniffling. "I'm not worth it."
Ron snorted. "You can't seriously expect me to just sit back and watch or something," he said, trying to maintain a soft voice. He only wanted to bring his point across, not to initiate a row. "I don't think I could ever live with myself if something happened to you and I hadn't tried all I could to prevent it. And of course you're worth it," he replied emphatically.
"You're worth everything," he added in his thoughts.
Hermione shook her head again.
"No, Ron, please, I don't know what I'd do if I... lost you..." She closed her eyes, her chest heaving, and then continued. "I... I was thinking... What if either of us died and the last thing I did with you was being nasty and shutting you out? What if I died and we never fully made up and you'd forever think I hated you?"
"Well, I can't say I didn't deserve you hating me-" Ron began but Hermione cut him off by jerking up her head and grabbing him by the shoulders.
"No, please don't say that!" she squeaked.
"I left you last year," he said with emphasis. "And I can't say how much I regret that. I know I let you down and hurt you two a lot when I did."
"You wouldn't have left if it hadn't been for the Horcrux. I knew that. You even said yourself that you would've come back when I called for you but just couldn't because of the Snatchers. I knew all that and I still shut you out. I'm a terrible person."
"No, you're not. I'm certainly not better at any rate. I've hurt you a bloody lot of other times during all those past years, I guess abandoning you just capped it all off nicely." He sighed again and looked down at her. "I'm really sorry for being such an arse. If I could take it all back, I would. I really would."
"It's not like I've been nothing but nice to you myself, Ron," Hermione admitted. "I've sometimes treated you downright awfully. But, Ron... Please don't ever think I'd hate you because I... don't. I don't hate you. I couldn't. I... I..." she stammered, blushing heavily. "I... really... I... really don't hate you."
For a brief moment, something that seemed to Ron like deep embarrassment flashed up in her eyes but before he could even start to make any sense out of it, she had lowered her head, resting it on his shoulder again and hugged him more tightly to herself.
"I heard you call for me," she said quietly, her face buried into his shoulder. "When B-Bellatrix tortured me. I heard you call my name. That was what kept me sane. That was the thing that I was holding on to, that kept me fighting."
For a moment, he was lost for words. Back in the cellar, he had felt desperate and terrified like never before in his whole life. The thought that he could give comfort to somebody while he was in such a state was downright ridiculous. And yet it had happened, and not only that, no, that somebody had been the strongest and most amazing person he knew. He wished she knew how much that meant to him, how much she meant to him.
"I'll always be with you, Hermione," he said with vigor when he regained his composure. "I've told you that before, I'm never going to leave you again. As long as you want me there, I'll be there for you. I promise."
"You can't promise that, Ron," Hermione replied sadly. He knew what she was hinting at and, much to his chagrin, he had to admit that she had a point. Today's events were a perfect proof for that.
"But I'll try," Ron said stubbornly. "I'm never going to let you down again. I'll do everything in my power to keep you save... Both you and Harry," he added as a precaution. "This I can promise you."
She looked up at him with red puffy eyes, her expression clearly betraying that she could not quite believe him but desperately wanted to. At this moment, she looked so small, so vulnerable, and yet so very beautiful. An intense surge of affection swept through Ron; he wanted to lean in and kiss her so badly, to let her know how much he loved her, how amazing she was, but he held it back. It broke his heart but he knew that this was not the right moment. He did not want her to think that he was taking advantage of her current state. If it happened, if it ever happened, he wanted it to be right, because they both wanted it, and with no fear, guilt or grief hanging over them.
He gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and, putting his arm around her shoulder, hugged her tightly back to himself and rested his head against the side of hers.
"I'm just so glad that you're alive," he whispered.
"I'm glad you're alive, too."
They silently stayed in each other's embrace for some more time, relishing each other's presence, giving to and drawing from each other strength and comfort. As he closed his eyes, scenes of the past events replayed in Ron's mind once again - Hermione screaming, Bellatrix raging, Bellatrix prodding her dagger into Hermione's throat, Hermione covered in blood - but this time, it all seemed very far away, as though he was perceiving everything through a thick wall of rippled glass, and then it faded away completely.