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“You left!” Hermione cries beating Ron’s chest with her fists. There are no canaries this time swooping from the sky to take chunks from his skin but the tears in her eyes hurt worse than anything she could magically conjure. If he’s being honest, he can’t even feel her fists, the tightness in his chest is so great. Given the choice, he would prefer the canaries.
“I know,” he repeats over and over again while attempting to capture her in his arms, soothe her in some way, let her know he’s here and he’s real and he isn't leaving again; ever.
When her pounding subsides, Hermione collapses against his chest, the tears finally breaking free having been locked up tight since Ron had left, since Godric Hollow, since they began wearing the godsforsaken locket, since they escaped the Burrow, since they fought off Death Eaters at Hogwarts, since they fought them at the Ministry, since Voldemort returned, since they found out the truth about Scabbers, since the chamber was opened, since the bloody chess board... They’re tears she couldn’t cry in front of Harry who would be eaten alive with guilt. They’re tears she could only cry with Ron. Ron is safe. Ron is home.
“I promise, I’ll never leave again,” he murmurs into the top of her head. “I promise you I’ll be here every step of the way.”
“And don’t pull another stunt like jumping into a frozen lake for a cursed object,” she says, pulling away and wiping her eyes.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you missed me,” he says with a lopsided smile in an attempt to lighten the mood.
He wars with himself whether or not to reveal the things the locket had told him. The things that poured out of it when he pierced it with the sword.
He studies her face for a moment and like with the sword, he dives right in. He tells her things that he’s never told anyone before, things that he’s kept in for years about his family, about how they make him feel, about how he feels like everyone’s second choice and when she cast that shield charm with her and Harry on one side and him on the other it felt like the one person who he thought would choose him had realized what he’d thought all along.
Hermione is horrified by his revelation.
“Ron,” her voice is soft as she caresses his cheek. His soul laid bare, he can’t meet her eye.
“Look at me, please,” she pleads.
Blue meets amber though both are watery and distort their view.
“It was only meant to be to cool off because I was so angry and hurt and…”
Hermione nods repeatedly and kisses him fiercely. Shocked at first it takes a moment for his brain to register that Hermione’s lips are warm and soft against his own and he returns the kiss with fervor, their tongues warring for dominance.
She pushes him backwards against a tree and Ron easily lifts her into his arms. Her ankles clasp around his waist and she can feel his hard length. She wishes they were in the tent, that they had somewhere private, that they could continue this further and not against a tree, in the snow, on the run.
They hear Harry somewhere in the distance and Ron quickly sets Hermione back on her feet but is reluctant to pull away entirely so he places his forehead against hers.
“You come first with me, Ronald. No one else.” She kisses the end of his nose. “And if a voice, whether it’s yours or some madman’s tells you otherwise, I want you to come to me and I will make sure you understand that it’s you and then everyone else.”
“Ron? Hermione?” Harry’s voice is growing closer.
“Harry is on watch tonight,” she tells him and the words sound like a promise of more in his head that has been full of internal strife.
“Hermione,” he says before Harry can fully interrupt as he’s wont to do.
She looks up at him and it takes the fear of the words he’s about to tell her away.
“I love you,” he says before calling out to Harry to alert him of their location. Hermione blushes to the tips of her ears and for the first time in months can’t stop smiling.
“I love you too,” she says hurriedly before Harry is within earshot and Ron beams.
They could have worried about explaining everything to Harry but both of them knew his tunnel vision meant that this brand new fragile thing was safe for the time being.