Hermione heard a sudden crack ahead of her and Ron whipped out of sight without a second glance. She stood stunned for a moment, letting the rain pour down on her, until reality hit. “Ron? Are you there?” she called, but she knew it was too late. Only the wind responded. Her eyes began to water, and soon tears mingled with the raindrops running down her face. She ran through the thick wood until she got back to the tent she had taken such painstaking care to conceal from passers-by. As she stumbled in, Harry looked up hopefully.
“He’s g-g-gone! Disapparated!” She crawled into the comfortable grandfather armchair and burst into tears yet again. She couldn’t bear to look Harry in the face as sadness crept upon him. He threw a heavy blanket over her shivering form, and her clothes soaked it with rain instantly. She cried for hours, remembering Ron’s angry words.
Around two hours after Harry went to bed, Hermione finally felt that her eyes had no more tears to cry. She crawled out of the cozy chair and washed her face, which felt rough to the touch and was still bright red. She wiped the water off her face and crawled into her own bed, which felt snug and warm. She decided against going to sleep; she knew Ron would flutter in and out of her nightmares. She instead listened to the raindrops pattering against the roof of their shelter, and she began to rethink the night.
It was true that she was disappointed about the lack of progress on the Horcrux hunt, but she didn’t want to run off like Ron did. The thought of his raging expression made Hermione expell a dry sob. She regretted not going with him, but she had promised Harry that she would help him. Of course, Ron wasn’t an ‘undesirable’ as she and Harry were, so he could simply walk back into his normal life and continue as if nothing had changed. She glanced at Harry, sleeping soundlessly in his bed as though he had no worries in the world. She wondered if he would take Ron’s words to heart, and if he did, whether or not it would make him more determined to find the Horcruxes and end the war.
Determined to keep herself awake, Hermione climbed out of bed and walked outside for a moment. A glimpse of sunlight peeked through the overgrown trees. She sat down on the ground, not caring that the thick mud would ruin her one change of clothing, and remembered the glorious feelings she had experienced the night before, when she had seen a ray of hope through the mess and chaos of their lives.
Ron had awoken her after sleeping for only a quarter hour and led her silently into the other room. He planted his soft lips on her and slipped his arms around her waist. After breaking away reluctantly from the kiss, he took her hands and looked deep into her eyes, and Hermione gave him a small nod. They both smiled and he lifted his shirt over his head. He wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed her again, making her weak in the knees. Hermione took off her shirt as Ron unhooked her bra and flung it away. Her lips moved to his neck and he emitted a low groan. She made a trail of kisses down his chest and abdomen, noticing his tightening pants. She grinned at him and started to take off his jeans.
Hermione knew now that she would never be able to express her love and passion for him again, and the thought broke her heart. Reminiscing about the night made her tearful again, so she stood up and brushed some of the mud off her ruined robe, then staggered back into the tent. She took out some cooking pots and started making breakfast. She heard Harry come in, but she didn’t think she could face him just yet. When they did sit down to eat, she only took one glance at him, making Harry break his gaze from her. At least he got a good night’s sleep, she thought miserably, noticing the absence of worry lines and redness under his eyes.
After filling her stomach at last, she packed everything reluctantly and slowly, sneaking glances into the woods when she thought Harry wasn’t looking. However, he seemed to be thinking along the same lines; Hermione saw him look through the trees searching for his friend every few moments. After putting everything away, taking down the spells, and obliterating every mark of their presence, she realized defeat and beckoned for Harry to come over to her. Glancing around one last time, Hermione knew that Ron wouldn’t try to come back. She grasped Harry’s warm, soft hand--
They got to their destination, which was more open and felt more cheerful than the last place they had been. Hermione, now filled with a new emotion-- guilt-- scrambled over to a moss-covered rock and hid her face. She knew she shouldn’t have felt all that in Harry’s hand. She felt mortified and angry at herself. Her boyfriend had just fled, and she had already felt heat with-- She couldn’t think of it. She heard Harry begin to set up the tent as she put the spells in place once again, allowing the comfort that Harry had somehow passed to her to fill her up. Her head spun with painful thoughts and feelings. She didn‘t understand how she could be sulking one moment, then feeling so wonderful only because a good friend had held her hand. Yes, my friend, she reassured herself. We’ve been friends for six years, and we will always be just friends. Ron is my boyfriend, and Harry will never be my boyfriend. She took a deep breath and put the growing remorse from her mind. She decided to ignore it for the time being, due to the pain she was feeling in her heart and head. She knew that she would have to discover her true feelings, but she did not know that she would one day have to choose: Ron or Harry.