Thank you to everyone who has been reading this story. That last chapter may have turned some of you off (ha!) but I think that character flaws are parallel with life. Sometimes we make mistakes but the journey will eventually lead us where we need to go, with who we are meant to be with. I hope you enjoy and please review!

Chapter 4

Hermione chased Ron as he stormed through the woods.

"We can't leave Harry, Ron, you know that!" she grabbed his arm but he spun away from her.

"Hermione, how could you choose him over me?" he yelled over his shoulder. Hermione stopped dead in her tracks, furious at his words but determined to remain calm.

"We have to help him defeat Riddle. This isn't about choosing sides. We're all fighting for our lives, Ron," she said. She was gritting her teeth to keep herself from yelling at him. "How dare you make this about yourself? We are at war. The fate of our world rests on us finding and destroying these Horcruxes!" He finally stopped walking and turned around. His face was so white that his freckles looked ready to jump off his face.

"Hermione," he said and looked away. "You don't know?" But at that moment, she did know. Ron was in love with her and was taking her loyalty to Harry as a personal affront. Her feelings for Ron were complicated but her relationship with Harry was easy. He was on a path to save everyone and Ron was worried about love.

"Ron, Harry can save us all," she said. He looked up at her and, tired of playing second fiddle to his best friend, apparated on the spot. Hermione leaned against a giant redwood and began to take stock of the situation. Ron clearly was in love with her and while she had feelings for him too, she knew that Harry needed her and he was more important. His jealousy was astounding and his temper was amplified by the Horcrux. That didn't excuse his behavior but it did explain some of it. On the off chance that Ron was angry enough to give away their location, they needed to move, and fast.

Hermione ran back to the campsite and began to pack up everything. Her frenzied movements startled Harry who looked at her with a slight frown.

"Hermione are you-"

"Don't, Harry. We have to move. Now!" she said, bundling up the tent and easily fitting it into her small bag with a flick of her wand.

"OK," he said and followed her lead. She appreciated that about him; he knew when she was not playing around. In less than 5 minutes, their campsite was completely packed away. He walked up to Hermione and she stood still for the first time since Ron had left. Harry gently took her hand and apparated to a new campsite.

They landed in a wooded clearing towards sunset. Hermione immediately started to place protective wards around the campsite and Harry collected firewood like they had dozens of times before. But this time was different. Ron was gone and Hermione just realized how very alone her and Harry were in the clearing. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, bending down to pick up the firewood, working hard so they would stay warm throughout the night. She pretended to look busy when he looked over at her. She felt guilty, knowing what she knew about Ron's feelings. It was just so hard to stop thinking about Harry, his mission, his courage, his arms…

She looked over at him again and was surprised to see him standing still, looking at her in a funny way.

"All right, Harry?" she asked teasingly. She felt a piece of hair fall in front of her face and Harry made a move as if to brush it away. Hermione was so surprised that she took a step back and felt as though a bolt of lightning had hit her. Harry's face registered pain and Hermione heart skipped a beat.

"Hermione, I just think you should know," Harry started to say. She could see hope and fear coursing through his eyes and she hated what she had to say.

"Harry, this isn't a good idea," she said. "There is so much at stake. And Ron, I mean…" How could she tell him that Ron had just confessed his feelings to her as well? There was so much that they needed to do together. She felt like running into Harry's arms and leaving the country. Bali, maybe, or Australia? But they had to stay focused.

"It's him you fancy, not me." Harry turned away from her. "I'm sorry Hermione. I will never make this mistake again." He didn't notice the tears streaming down her face when he walked away. Her arms ached to wrap around him. She wanted to tell him to come back and that she wanted to be with him, Harry, and not Ron. But as he walked away, she knew that he would never truly leave her, the way Ron had left. They were connected, somehow and they would get through this, together. Those thoughts comforted her as she sunk to the ground and silently cried with the setting of the sun.