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Rolling over in her bed, Hermione was not fully awake but not fully asleep either. She was groggy as she opened her eyes and saw the bed across from hers was empty and immediately sat up, looking around the room for Harry. It was stupid, she knew he wasn't a baby but she also knew he was going through a lot at the moment. Hermione placed her feet on the floor and left the room, going down the steps and just when she reached the last one she stopped and backed up a little she heard his voice come from the living room.

"Ron?" Harry asked. "How are you holding up?"

Ron was there too. He must have come downstairs at some point during the night and Harry probably saw him as their door was open and followed him down. He was concerned for his friend, they both were.

"Ron." Harry began again after getting no answer. "Could you at least look at me?"

His voice was almost pleading. Slowly, Ron turned his head and fixed his friend with a pointed, bug-eyed gaze.

"There. Satisfied?"

Hermione shook her head. She had once said that Ron had the emotional range of a teaspoon but she had come to see that she was very wrong. Ron did feel things, very deeply, but had a hard time showing it. He often covered up with sarcasm, humor, or anger. She felt at the moment that the two were going to have at it in a spat but Ron had never sounded so tired and defeated.

He started out the school year by finding out that Harry and Hermione were a couple, than that followed with Ginny snogging Malfoy, his childhood nemesis in the middle of the great hall, now to finding out his own brother was a death eater. He was probably feeling so much that he didn't know how to function correctly.

"I know you're upset about-"

"Upset?"

Ron gave out a short, bitter laugh.

"I use to get upset, when Snape took points from our house for no reason. I use to get upset when Malfoy made a joke about my family. I use to get upset when Chudley Cannons lost at Quidditch. So if that's what being upset means, how do I feel now? If you know the word, tell me. Because I don't."

Harry did know, but it wasn't a word it was a feeling…a rather horrible one that was caused by loss. But Ron didn't need to hear about his sorrows at the moment. He was going through enough and he had been there for Harry when he need him the past, at the moment Harry was trying to be there for Ron.

"If it's about Percy-"

"It's about everything." Ron snapped.

"We're worried about you." He continued. "I thought that maybe because…you started talking to me again back at school, but you still have been avoiding her. She's still your friend, Ron. She misses-"

Ron gave out another short laugh and Hermione, still frozen on the staircase flinched.

"You speak for her now? That's cute…a nice couples thing, huh? You guys are better off with just each other, what do you guys need me for?"

"I can't believe you even have to ask me that. After everything…" Harry's voice was very quiet, and fairly vibrating with intense emotion.

"Everything's changed." Ron interrupted. His voice was heavy, and Hermione knew he was talking about more than just their current relationship.

"You think I don't know that? Everything that's happened in the last few days has been because of me! And all the people that have been dying-"

"You didn't start the war, Harry. It's not your fault that he chose you. I just wish she hadn't."

The last sentence was said so low that Hermione nearly didn't catch it. She found herself backing up a few steps , pressing her hand to her mouth, so that no sound would escape. Her relationship with Harry had affected him badly, much deeper than she realized. It was then did she know that Ron really was in love with her, and seeing her with his best friend…it must be unbearable for him. But in the end she had fallen in love with Harry, she wasn't in love with Ron.

"She didn't chose me over you." Harry began. "It's not something that...we didn't plan on this happening."

"But it did happen."

"Yes, it did."

"Are you in love with her?"

"I am."

Hermione's eyes slid shut. Ron said something under his breath that she didn't catch.

"I love her. There is nothing more important to me than her well-being and I know that's important to you too. I'm sorry that this hurt you. It's the last thing in the world either of us wanted, you have to believe me. But I'm not sorry for loving her. And I never will be."

"I'm not asking you to." Ron responded. "It's just not easy for me seeing the two of you, it hurts mate, I'm not going to lie and especially now that Ginny brought that git here. But I'll live, and I'll still be just as good of a friend to you both, like I was before. You just got to give me some more time."

He nodded, if more time was what Ron needed he would give it to him and Hermione would too.

"I do need to ask you something." Harry then reluctantly continued. "The fight against Voldemort…I'm not coming out of it alive."

"Harry-"

"I'm not. I'm under-trained and unprepared. I'm gonna try has hard as I can to weaken him but someone needs to finish him off in the end. We've been through so much over the years…I know you can do it."

"You want me to kill…Voldemort if you can't?"

"I know it's asking a lot but someone has to. And after everything is over…just look after her for me. Please?"

"You know I will."

Slowly, tears came to Hermione's eyes as she couldn't listen to anyone and turned back upstairs heading to her room as quietly as she could. She sat down on the bed and brought her knees up to her chin as she could only wait for Harry to come up. She didn't have to wait for long as Harry was by the door just a few minutes later, looking a little surprised to see that she was awake.

"Hermione?"

"You're already writing yourself off." She spoke.

"You heard me and Ron?" Harry questioned.

She nodded as her eyes became misty once more. He closed the door behind him before walking over and taking a seat in front of her.

"I'm sorry, but we know what's going to happen when this starts. People are going to die, I'm going to die…"

He then shook his head as Hermione looked up at him.

"I'd rather it be me than you guys. I want you guys to make it."

Hermione then straightened up as she placed her hands on his shoulders and kissed him deeply. After a few seconds, she broke the kiss and looked into his eyes.

"Don't give up on me just yet, okay?"

Harry then started to kiss Hermione again as she leaned backwards so she was laying down, Harry leaned on top of her. They began going at it more heavily as Harry took off his shirt and Hermione started to unbutton hers. She began kissing his neck while Harry wrapped his arms around her waist, keeping her as close to him as possible as he kissed her again before trailing more kisses down her chest.

The two of them both groaned as they continued. Harry pressing more kissed around her waistline before trailing back up and kissing her lips again as Hermione arched her back and her fingers became entwined in his hair.

They were in a state of complete bliss completely wrapped much in each other when suddenly a flash appeared before Harry's eyes, causing him to gasp. Then the next thing he saw, he was watching from someone else's eyes.

"Harry Potter…you have fought valiantly. But instead of facing me yourself you've allowed others to die for you."

Voldemort took the elder wand into his hands as he smirked upon looking on to his many Death Eaters that stood before him. They were in some kind of forest and he saw the faces of Snape, Lucius, Bellatrix, Percy, and others. Nagini was there was well, slithering but her masters feet as he began to speak.

"Nothing can stop us as tomorrow we will wipe Hogwarts off the face of the earth. And soon the savior of the world of wizardry will be dead at my feet."

They all began to cheer in return as Bellatrix laughed manically. Voldemort then raised his wand into the air and fired a curse into the sky…

That was the last thing Harry saw as the window in his mind's eye closed and he was brought back to where he currently was now. He then yelled out in pain as he grabbed his forehead, Hermione jumped up and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as Harry continued to groan and hold his head.

"Harry, what happened?"

He didn't respond as he took a few gasps for air as things began to become clear again. Harry was no longer in pain and looked around him, looking up at Hermione in terror.

"It was him, wasn't it?"

"He's going to attack Hogwarts. Tomorrow."