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Harry had volunteered to take the first watch.

Ron and Hermione were lying side by side on their beds inside the tent.

She couldn't fall asleep that night despite the incredible exhaustion that she felt. She could tell that Ron, too was not sleeping, though his eyes were shut.

Hermione was furious with Ron.

She couldn't believe that he would leave them stranded, not even knowing whether they were still alive, then casually waltz back in and expect them to forgive him as if everything would be okay.

Everything was not okay.

"Hermione?" Ron whispered, snapping her out of her thoughts. Ron's eyes were now open and he lay facing the roof of the tent.

Hermione didn't answer.

"Hermione, I know you can hear me, so I'm just gonna keep talking, even if you're too mad to answer me.

"It only takes a second to lose yourself, but it can take a lifetime to find yourself again. Hermione, that night, when I left you and Harry, I lost myself. It only took a second, but in that one second when I lost myself, it changed so much. And now I'm finding myself again. Little by little. I'm trying to get back to where I used to be. I'm trying to find that person again.

"So Hermione, you have every right in the world to be mad at me. To hate me even. I hated myself when I first realized what I had done. I think that's the first step in finding myself again. So even if you're mad, and even if you're furious, just remember that I'm finding myself again. I really am.

"I know there's no real excuse for what I did. And I know 'sorry' won't ever be enough. But I really am sorry. I don't think there'll ever be anything I'll ever regret more. But I hope that maybe, somehow, someway, you can forgive me. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I need it.

"Sorry," he repeated. But this time he said that one simple word it was different than when he had said it earlier, upon just returning with Harry. This time it warmed her heart instead of provoking her anger.

"I love you Hermione," he concluded, "always know that. Even if you don't love me anymore. Even if you never did. I love you."

Hermione waited until she could hear the sound of him snoring from the bed next to hers before whispering in a barely audible tone, "I love you too Ron."

And she couldn't help but smile at the proclamation as she drifted off into the tranquility of sleep.

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