"...for some stupid, noble reason, isn't it?" Ginny said softly on his left. Ron felt, rather than saw, Harry lean toward her to answer; most of his attention was focused--unsuccessfully--on keeping the flood of tears behind his eyes.

Dumbledore...gone...

Hermione was rocking back and forth in her seat and the sound coming from her was horrible, a wretched, gasping sort of sob. He wrapped a tentative arm around her shoulders and she collapsed against him like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

Harry and Ginny were conferring in hushed, intense tones next to him and people were starting to get up with a muffled clatter of chairs, but Ron barely noticed. He hadn't cried in public since before he came to Hogwarts and it made him feel oddly exposed, but he couldn't very well move with Hermione clinging to him the way she was. Somehow, his hand found its way into her thick hair, which was springy and softer than it looked, and her sobs seemed to abate a little.

He didn't know how long they sat like that; it couldn't have been very long, but it felt like forever. And then all of a sudden there were no more tears to cry, and the seats around them were nearly empty. He glanced over to his left again. Harry had left, but Ginny was still sitting there with a numb expression on her face. When he tried to catch her eye, she shook her head abruptly and stood up.

Hermione's arms had crept around his chest, and she was no longer crying.

"Are you okay?" Ron murmured. His voice sounded scratchy and unfamiliar.

She made a muffled affirmative noise against his dress robes. He placed two fingers under her chin and lifted her face. After only a tiny moment of resistance, she looked up at him.

She didn't look okay. Her face was red and blotchy and her eyes were still leaking tears, but she nodded. "I'm okay."

"Good." Ron cleared his throat uncertainly. There was a long, awkward moment as they stared at each other and then, as though he'd intended it all along, he leaned down and kissed her.

Her lips were soft and slightly chapped and it was nothing, nothing at all like kissing Lavender had been. He slid his arms around her, pulling her closer and then, almost before it had started, it was over.

Ron lifted his head. Hermione's face was still tilted toward him, her eyes closed. As her watched nervously, her eyes fluttered open and she smiled, just a little.