Chapter Three: Sweet Words

Harry laughed heartily, his face filling with patches of deep color.

"Now there's a question I've been meaning to ask for ages." He said, eyeing Ron and Hermione. "Though I strongly doubt we're going to get an answer and I desperately need a shower." Chuckling as he arose from the bed.

"I'll join you" said Ginny with a broad smile.

"Right, so that after seventeen years of fighting dark magic and killing Lord Voldemort himself, I can be done in, mind you" he turned sharply to face her with one finger extended "for the second time this week, by your mum."

"Right" she replied happily.

"Seeing as I'd have about a billion other Weasleys coming after me, including my best mate" he smiled sheepishly at Ron who was currently acting as though he'd been rendered deaf "I'd say it's not going to happen"

"Fine" said Ginny gruffly, grumbling something unintelligible and throwing her hands against the mattress in a fruitless attempt at getting up. "I'd better tell mum you lot are alright anyway"

Harry held out his hand for her and she took it gratefully. Just before the two left Harry grabbed the small stack of worn but nonetheless clean clothes Hermione had left out for him. And with a soft "Thanks Hermione" they were gone.

The two sat there for a moment, both staring out the dingy windows that stood in perfect distances around the room. Hermione's mind shifted in and out of half completed thoughts, her head was still spinning from the past few months. She just couldn't forget the way Lavender Brown had looked the night of the battle. The way she had stared up at her, with such desperation, had shook Hermione deeper than she would have liked to admit. She had spent so much time hating Lavender for having something she wanted when in all honesty Lavender wanted it too. Lavender didn't deserve Greyback's cruelty, no body deserved that.

Hermione was suddenly pulled from her thought by an odd sensation creeping down her neck. She looked over to see Ron's arm extended and his fingers tracing the trail of dried blood protruding Bellatrix's knife mark. His eyes ravaged the cut, taking in each detail. They gazed on, such sadness reflected in them.

"It still bleeds?" he asked devastated

"Oh, yeah" she said with a breathy waver "I doubt if it will ever heal" She looked into his fixated eyes. "I think Bellatrix channeled dark magic through that knife"

"Oh" he almost whispered "… does it hurt?"

"Umm, well I-I don't really know"

"What do you mean?"

"Well it-it only ever happens when… when I'm having a nightmare." She said breathless

Ron's head snapped up.

"I think all the adrenaline last night must have caused it to reopen."

He starred at her for a moment, his mouth slightly open, before words began pouring out of

him.

"Hermione-I'm-so-sorry-I-shouldn't-have-let-her-take-you-I'm-so-sorry-I'll-never-forgive-myself-for-what-that-that-that-Bitch-did-to-you-I-promise-I'll-never-let-anyone-hurt-you-again-I-promise-If-only-I'd-I'd-"

"Ron…" she said grasping his hands in front of her. "I would have died. She would have killed me, Ron. You, you saved me. It's because of you that I am still alive."

"You shouldn't have had to go through that, Hermione. You shouldn't have that scar on your neck, you shouldn't have nightmares. It's all because of-"

"Don't you dare say it, Ronald Weasley, don't you dare." Said Hermione, her breathe on the very edge of a tremor.

Ron looked up only to be met with an expression of engulfing desperation and rage. "None of this was your fault. Do you hear me Ron? None of it." Hermione said placing her palm gently on one of Ron's freckled cheeks.

"I love you, Ron, and whatever you did and whatever you've convinced yourself into thinking you didn't do is in the past."

"But it's not in the past, Hermione. You're still having nightmares." He said pulling away from her touch and walking towards one of the windows allowing the mornings light to stream in, leaving only his back to her.

"Yes, I still have nightmares" she whispered as she walk over to place a hand on Ron's shoulder "But no matter how scary they are or how realistic they seem I'll always wake up, I'll always wake up here where I know you're close."

Without a word, Ron effortlessly slipped his hands around Hermione's waist and pulled her into his chest.

"I promise," he whispered. "I promise to always be there to help the nightmares vanish."

Hermione gave a soft sigh of laughter and smiled into the torn fabric of his favor old shirt. Ron leaned down slowly and placed his lips to her tangled mess of hair.