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Hermione figured it was never easy being Ron Weasley.

There was always someone he felt he needed to protect and put first than himself. And that list had recently been added when they had kissed and professed their feelings.

Now Ron had a girlfriend to worry about.

It really doesn’t matter if she was capable enough to look after herself. That was just in Ron’s nature, to look out for everyone he holds dear in his heart, and she knew this.

Perhaps what Harry did was wise after all. Sure it’d hurt Ginny and himself, but it’d at least mean he had one less person to worry about. That the thought of her being far away and safe, a consolation comfort in these dark times.

The invisible tent, courtesy of the Weasley Twins, were now their makeshift home as they continued their journey in searching that final horcrux. It also comes with a self-activated heater to warm them in the night. This helped a lot as well, since they were usually careful not to start a fire and exposed their position to the dangers out there.

Harry was sitting near the entrance of the closed tent; still fuming.

Hermione was too tired to be angry for a long period of time. She had given up on anger and was now just clinging on to hope that they’d make it through this hunt alive. Their paths seemed to meet with more danger as the search went further. There was a time when she really thought that was IT, she’d die right there and both Ron and Harry had to continue and save the world without her.

“He can’t keep doing this.”

She almost didn’t catch what Harry just said, too lost in her own troubled thoughts. Harry was glaring at her now, as if this was all her fault to begin with.

“That’s just Ron I suppose.” She said, resigned. She looked down at the sleeping form of her boyfriend next to her.

“One of these days, he wouldn’t be so lucky and-”

“Shut up Harry! I don’t want you to even say those thoughts out loud!” Hermione whispered loudly. She was sure she would have started crying at that point if it hadn’t been for the fact that she was just too tired to do just that.

“Well it’s a possibility isn’t it? And if we don’t do anything about it anytime soon, it might just happen and then what would we do? It’d be too late! I can’t face the Weasleys and tell them their youngest son died because he came out here to help me with my problem! I can’t face Ginny and said her brother died because of me.”

“Oh Harry, this really isn’t just about you.” She sighed.

Harry had moved closer, almost right at the end of Ron’s feet, his eyes boring into hers. “Did he tell you something? Did he tell you his plans about sacrificing himself just so I can go on and kill Voldemort and save the wizarding world? Did he go all noble on you?”

“Well it doesn’t take a lot to understand why he did what he did, does it?” Hermione huffed. “I honestly don’t get you boys. What is it with you and dying? Why can’t it be all three of us surviving it all?”

“Because people actually die in wars Hermione.” Harry replied curtly.

“I’m not stupid Harry.”

“Didn’t say you are.”

“Look, when it comes to you and the final battle with Voldemort, Ron doesn’t take anything less than you coming out of it alive. He wouldn’t even take you dying along with Voldemort just so the entire world is safe as an option. No way. Voldemort’s going to die, you’re going to live and become the greatest Auror in our generation, married to the only woman who could love you unconditionally and give his parents lots of grandchildren and make his sister the happiest woman in this world that she’d be smiling when she dies in her sleep at a very old age with you by her side. Now he’s willing to sacrifice himself if it means you get to live and experience all those things he envisioned for you. See Harry, he’s not just thinking about you, there’s Ginny and his parents.”

She looked up to find Harry wiping his angry tears away with the back of his hand. “What about you then Hermione? Doesn’t he think what would happen if he dies and leave you behind?”

She nodded. “ And then there’s me. He figured, here we have one of Harry Potter’s bestfriend, she helped him in the final battle so technically, she’s a hero too isn’t she? She’s also smart, probably the smartest witch in a long while and her intelligence would be needed to restore the damage that was done from the war. And in his eyes, she’s beautiful…he’d imagine she would work her way through the ranks and make a name for herself. She’d go to many functions, meet a lot of important people and then one day Harry, he saw her going to one of those, only this time, she was introduced to a successful, good looking young man with a good heart and he’d sweep her off her feet and they’d marry and have a good life.”

“That’s just stupid.” Harry choked.

“Oh, you haven’t heard the rest Harry, there are more stupid things sitting in that head of his.”

“I suppose you know what they are.”

She nodded. “Ron’s a strategist, isn’t he? We all know that well enough by now. I bet you Harry, that he’d spent some time on his own, just picturing what the future would be where Harry, Ron and Hermione exist. He’d seen you being a successful Auror of course, sometimes he sees you as the miracle that would eventually happen to the Chudley Cannons but most of the time, he sees you as the most feared Auror to walk this earth after the second war. Then he takes you out of the picture and he started seeing a horrible future for his sister. He decided you can’t be replaced, not The Boy Who Lived. So he decided to take me out of the picture and that just won’t do. Not only would he not make another day without me, he decided that the Ministry would be so lost unless guided by her intelligence.” Hermione paused and rolled her eyes at this. “ So he figured no, she can’t be substituted to someone else, and he decided to take himself out of the picture.”

Harry snorted. “Let me guess, Ron Weasley can be substituted?”

Hermione smirked and nodded. “But of course Harry! They still have five other boys don’t they? Losing one would only mean one less mouth to feed and a spare bedroom. Bill and Charlie already have lives of their own. Lets not even talk about Percy. The Twins will start many more WWW franchise and his little sister will be happily married to you and Hermione will go on to greater things, he was confident of that. At the end of the day, he figured Ron is the best to be sent out and sacrificed and everyone will still live happily ever after.”

Harry shook his head. “That’s messed up.”

“That’s Ron’s head.”

“Did he tell you all these?”

Hermione frowned. “Are you kidding me? Since when do Ron tells anyone what he REALLY thinks? He usually says stuff without thinking first, probably just to make me mad. ”

“Then how do you know all these?”

“How can I not, Harry? I love him too much.”

Harry seemed to blush at this sudden declaration of feelings that his gaze fell to his own hands in front of him.

“There will be no happily ever after if he dies. There’s just-”

“He doesn’t see it that way Harry, and that’s stupid, you’re right.”

“I don’t think I can live if he dies.” Harry whispered. “I don’t think I can live if you die, Hermione.”

“I know. I feel the same way too Harry. We all do. I’d sacrifice myself in a heartbeat if it means you both live. I know you’d do the same thing too. We’re putting everyone else first, that’s because we love them. But there’s a difference between Ron and the two of us.”

Harry ran his fingers through his messy hair and sighed. “Yeah?”

“We sacrifice ourselves in hope that they’d live to see the future and even though we’re gone, we hope that our spirits will live on in their hearts. We want them to miss us and not forget us and always think of us. Am I right here Harry?”

Harry was smiling at her and she knew she had been right. She doubts there was anything left that the boys would do that would surprise her. Hermione loves her ‘boys’ and even though they sometimes stop talking to her because of something she said or did, they always make their way back.

“I don’t think I can ever keep a secret from you Hermione. You read me like an open book.”

“Are you making fun of me and books again?” Hermione asked.

Harry laughed. “No, for once, I’m being honest. That’s exactly what I hope will happen should I die. So Ron’s different than us.”

Hermione nodded again as she stole another glance at her boyfriend. She thought she heard him groaned in his sleep. “Ron sacrifice himself thinking that everyone he loves will see the future and move on without him, without really losing anything much and be happy. Which is wrong! He doesn’t see it! He thinks so little of himself and that’s what frustrates me! He needs to know that any amount of success or books in this world could never substitute living a life without him.”

Harry’s gaze shifted to the sleeping form of Ron. The deep gash on his forehead still looked rather fresh to him. “We have a stubborn one in our hands Hermione. You can tell him as many times as you want, I don’t think he’d back down.”

“So what do we do Harry?”

“We stay alive. All three of us.”

Hermione smiled. The conversation would have gone longer than that if it hadn’t been for Ron’s soft groan. He was suddenly thirsty and finding it hard to get up so Harry helped him up while Hermione reached for their bottle of water.

They stayed up the entire night, making sure Ron was comfortable while the fever ran its course. They had survived another day and that was all that mattered then.

-

It was almost eight and there were still no signs of the Weasley twins or Neville and Luna. While Hermione fret over the last minute touches with Ginny helping out in whatever ways she could, Ron and Harry had retreated to the living room to watch whatever program that was on television.

Harry soon found out that Ron’s favorite channel was the Cartoon Network.

“Hey, remember when we were young and stupid?”

Ron turned to Harry and nodded. “What did we do yesterday?”

Harry rolled his eyes and smacked Ron upside the head playfully. “I don’t know about you Ron, but my young and stupid days are gone for more than two years now.”

“Aww come on mate, you still look young and stupid to me.”

Harry huffed and this amused Ron greatly. Since when do Aurors huff? “Do you guys still have the ford Anglia?”

Ron raised his eyebrow in question. “You know that one was history Harry. Even the forest is hardly even there anymore, I’d be surprised if it survived the war.”

Harry’s face fell. “That was fun.”

“Chased by spiders?” Ron gasped.

“Don’t be so thick. I meant the flying car.”

“Oh yeah. That seems ancient now.”

“Funny though, we’re not even twenty for one more year.” Harry said and then giggled at Tazmanian Devil swallowing a grand piano.

“Yet that didn’t cross your mind when you married my sister.” Ron pointed out.

“I thought you can’t wait to have me as your brother in law!”

“I was just trying to get rid of Ginny.”

“We feel the love Ron.”

“Good to know.” Ron grinned. “So what have you both been doing other than getting my sister fight Voldemort’s leftovers and constantly putting herself in danger and make me worry?”

“Well I’d tell you but the image would scarred you for life.”

“Okay you both need to get out and have a life.”

Harry winced. “Sorry brother in law, but I don’t think you have a place to talk about that. You don’t even want to join us on weekends.”

“Too much hassle Harry.” Ron said, almost in a whisper. “Things could get messy and besides, I can’t live my dad alone, you know how it is.”

“You know there’s a way to solve that. And the twins could drop by and take care of your dad for a while, couldn’t they? You know Ron, Dad does have four other sons who are willing enough to drop by and take care of him. I could do it too when I’m off duty.”

Ron smiled. It always made him warm inside when Harry referred to his dad as Dad. They really were tied by marriage now.

“If you’re here looking after Dad, what would I do with myself out there Harry?”

“Well, I thought you and…Hermionecoulddosomethingtogether.”

Ron smirked. “Please Harry, she’s just being nice and cooking us all dinner.”

“She’s your girlfriend Ron, war shouldn’t change that.”

Ron stole a glance towards the kitchen, and satisfied that both ladies were preoccupied, turned to look back at Harry. “It changed a lot of things Harry. I can’t hold her back.”

“And yet she remains single for the last two years, waiting for you. She seems to do that all on her own Ron.”

“Can we not talk about this now?”

“When are we going to talk about it then? You’re never out with the rest of us. I hardly ever see you because of work. We’re bestfriends, or did that change as well? Because if it does, I didn’t get the memo.”

Seeing that Ron chose to keep quiet and not answer, Harry went on. “I don’t think I could go through a day after the war if it hadn’t been for your sister. She keeps me sane and I guess I keep her sane too. Did you know that Hermione still look over her shoulder every five minutes when she’s out there?”

Ron frowned. “What’s wrong with her?”

“Afraid I guess. You just never know if you’re being followed now would you? I wonder if she still has those nightmares though, she never talks about that anymore.”

“Nightmares?”

Harry nodded. “I guess we’re all not right up there after the war eh? Some screws loose I bet.”

“I don’t want her burdened with my problems.” Ron replied.

“Yet you’d kill anyone in a heartbeat if they try to harm her just so she’d stop looking over her shoulders.”

Ron sighed. He combed his fingers through his hair and couldn’t find it in him to laugh at Slyvester’s yet another failed attempt to capture that yellow bird. “That’s the problem isn’t it Harry? I can’t jump in front of her and make sure she’s safe anymore. I mean, have you look at me lately?”

Harry frowned. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Oh nice try Harry.” Ron rolled his eyes. “What’s wrong is that I’m constantly sick. I can’t keep up with anything anymore, I’m barely surviving on my own Harry. I don’t want to hold anyone back, my brothers have so much to look forward to and I don’t want Ginny to get stuck in this place and play mom to both me and dad when we all know she’s so much better than that. Hermione’s so much better than that. I know she’d drop everything and be with me if I let her and I don’t want that for her!”

There were tears in Ron’s eyes, something that surprised Harry tremendously. Ron had always been good at hiding his emotions. Harry wondered if this was the first time Ron had actually said what had been in his mind all those time. He also realized getting Ron all worked up probably wasn’t the best thing to do considering how much paler he suddenly looked.

“But Ron…don’t you think that’s Hermione’s choice to make?”

Harry never did get a reply because the twins had apparated right on top of the coffee table and broke it into half.