Ok so here goes my second story. I had wanted to write something like this for a very long time and I decided to give it a go. It comes from reading many fics involving this particular couple and this particular moment of the last book. I realize that it could had become a defining moment for both of them but we know Rowling decided to go for the standard. I hope I manage to write something decent but don't expect much, I'm not a pro so I'm mainly trying.

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights of any book of the Harry Potter series or characters.

Chapter 1 - A Matter of Choices

"Yes – yes, I'm staying. Ron, we said we'd go with Harry, we said we'd help"

"I get it. You choose him"

Deathly Hallows, Ch. 15 "The Goblin's Revenge"

You choose him. It was a quiet night. Yet, so much had happened that night. He had left. Hermione stared at the spot where she had last seen him, hoping that maybe he would change his mind and went back to her. To them. That was all she could think of while she silently sobbed, crawled up on that uncomfortable chair.

She felt the rage inside her boiling. He had no right, no right to ask her to choose. How could she pick among them? Harry needed her, she couldn't stand knowing that he was fighting on his own. No, she had to help him, to be with him, because it was what she did best. Help. From simple homework to defeating the darkest wizard of all time, there she was, helping her friends. It made her feel useful and that meant something for her. It was a reason to keep going, a reason to be alive.

Ron didn't understand that it wasn't a matter of choosing, it was a matter of staying loyal through it all. This wasn't Harry's journey alone, it was theirs, the trio's final adventure. Why did he think it meant that she loved Harry above him? She did love Harry, it was impossible not to, but she also loved Ron, she was in love with him.

At first, Hermione had tried to deny it, the weird feelings she got whenever she spotted him with Lavender. She felt jealous, she wanted to kick him for not realizing what he was doing to her. She was clueless as to why she had fallen for him or when had it happened, she had overthought it for a considerable time, but there seemed to be no reasonable explanation. But then again, when had love made sense?

Since he had broken up with Lavender, he started to act nicer and polite. She had done her part trying to lower the bickering. She thought that now it was going to work for both of them. That they could finally be together. But tonight, he had ruined it again and he didn't even care how it was tearing her heart apart. She acknowledged that he had insecurities, they always took the worst out of Ron. But Hermione had insecurities too, hers had taken control most of the time last year. Still, she was willing to take them away and be better for him. Wasn't it worth the try?

And Harry, the kindest and bravest person she had ever known, had to pay for both of their insecurities. He didn't deserve it, he had never disappointed either of them. Hermione had to recognize that she had her doubts sometimes, but it had nothing to do with Harry, or Ron for that matter. It had to do with the time they were living: the war, the fear and the longing of those years in which all she had to worry about was final exams. Oh how she missed those years, it seemed a life time ago.

She didn't want to think of Ron anymore, least talk about him. It was way too painful to take. Only for tonight would she let her emotions rise to surface, only tonight she was willing to cry her eyes out.

She told herself that over and over again, yet she couldn't keep her promise because when you less want to think about something, the more you do. So she spent the next few days drowning in her pain, almost indifferent to the boy beside her.

Harry's POV

The next days were cold and uneasy, Harry and Hermione had barely talked to each other. Harry didn't know what to do, he knew she was hurt but he was way too angry at Ron and he had never been good at comforting girls, specially Hermione. One would think that after seven years of being best friends, Harry would know exactly what to do. But the truth was that he had never seen her this way, she always kept her feelings to herself. Not even once had she asked for his help, she was too independent for that.

It seemed like she was trying to avoid talking about Ron but he was sure he had caught her crying in the middle of the night, right when he couldn't sleep either. It had started to be disturbing and all Harry could do was blame himself for that. Maybe it was true, he didn't have what it took to defeat Voldemort, maybe he was just fooling around trying to get answers out of nowhere; attempting to do something that he couldn't do. Maybe he was meant to fail. The thought scared him, he didn't care about dying but he wanted to save them. He wanted to give a meaning to the deaths of the people he had loved, he owed it to them. So, even if the possibilities were minimal, he was going to try. Even if the quest would take his life, he would do it.

Nevertheless, the self encouragement didn't ease the lonely feeling he had. While he'd never intended to put at risk his friend's lives, he didn't want to do this journey alone. He needed them to remain sane. So he told Hermione that he wanted to go to Godric's Hollow, to the place where it all had started. Harry needed to be assured that he had a chance, that this was not in vain, that Dumbledore had cared for him and hadn't left him alone. He longed for that.

So, first chapter is done. I hope you enjoyed it but just as a reference I would like to know if you would like me to continue. If so, please be patient for I've been having loads of homework lately (last year of high school D:) . Also I would appreciate if you could let me know if I have mistakes in the writing, not being a native english speaker makes it more difficult and I don't have a beta reader.

You know what to do, R&R! And thanks for taking your time :)