Blazing Sands

[A/N: This is my first attempt at an HP angst fic. I am mainly a smut and fluff writer, but hey experimentation brings out the best results as is seen in quite a few HP smut fics!

Feedback is not only a welcome phenomenon but also fuel to write more ]

Blazing Sands

~If our love is strong, dearest heart of mine,

We shall stand the tests

Of the blazing sands of time~

Prologue:

Rain lilted on the granite stone that they all stared at. They all heard the gentle drumming but no one noticed it. How long had it been since they knew? Yet they were still frozen in disbelief had been three days before she herself could accept it. And when she did, it became even more unacceptable. Her eyes scanned the many people that were around her. His mourning family. His poor mother unable to control herself any more as Minerva McGonagall continued to eulogize him.

Him. Her best friend. The only man she could ever love.

Ronald Weasley.

Ronald Weasley who was dead.

Ronald Weasley who died saving 'The Boy who Lived'. She looked at the boy who continued to live, while Ron was dead. She felt it rather unfair to call him a man. Particularly a man with the burden of the world and the burden of insufferable guilt and loss, of a true friend.

Blimey Hermione! Nineteen is a man!

His voice entered her ears as a tear threatened to break the resolve with which she chose to come. Come and see 'Ronald 'Ron' Weasley, Beloved son, brother and friend. In life we shall remember your smile, in death, we remember your bravery'

She felt emptier than ever. A part of her soul died with him.

Why did she live to see them all die? Rubeus Hagrid, Mad-Eye Moody, Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore and now...Ron Weasley.

She knew Harry must have asked the same question to himself at least a hundred times. Perhaps every waking moment that he thought of Ron. How can one not think of the tall freckled boy, afraid of spiders but full of loyalty and love for his friends? How can one not hear his screaming voice in their heads accusing one to be...fraternizing with the enemy!

She stopped the sob before it came. This was the end. End of it all. Ron had died. His strong and long-tortured body had exploded into magical dust and no part of him could be found. How could it? The Avada Kedavra curse combined with a Detonus curse could only dissipate you into energy. Which is what happened...and she was guiltily grateful because she wouldn't have to see the body of a boy who was so full of life that it was contagious. But Ron died with valour, and loyalty to Harry. Taking Voldemort with him and Harry was safe. The world was safe.

Then why did she feel so scared? So numb?

"...I wonder if I can ever wake up hoping to see the mischief in his eyes again, as I did every morning when he was at Hogwarts." McGonagall finished with a sob and a tear as she turned away, leaving the makeshift podium in the cemetery in Hogwarts.

A strangled cry erupted from Ginny as she clung fiercely to George; and for the first time in her knowing him, she saw his once-happy face crumble into tears. Fred was not present; he couldn't bear to come, as Bill had waveringly put it. She looked at Harry who seemed ashen and expressionless. She should have had a similar face on her too, she thought. Harry refused to eulogize Ron, and she herself was uncertain if she could come. She watched his parents hold each other desperately as his entire family tried to cope with losing one of their own.

She was too tired to feel anything now. When the shock left her body and the tears took over, the guilt of never telling him ever of how she felt about him even if he rejected her (which he probably would) struck her painfully. Yet the only thing that occurred to her was that she had lost the one person who loved her for whom she really was, friend or not. The one person who could infuriate her and make her laugh at the same instance; the boy who caused her tears and dried her tears; the boy who stood up for her and chided her.

And then she could take no more.

She turned away before anyone saw that damn tear and she ran, aware that even if they hadn't noticed her presence before, they definitely would see her now, thanks to the emotional outburst of running. She ran towards the school she had grown up in. Towards the library where she sought solace. Away from his grieving mother, away from her stone-like Harry, away from the people who could never love him the way she loved him.

Away from 'Ronald 'Ron' Weasley, Beloved son, brother and friend. In life we shall remember your smile, in death, we remember your bravery'

As she reached the wide door that opened to a corridor, which would lead directly to the library, she almost collided with it. It was only as she reached the door it occurred that it was indeed raining, and that she was all wet. She couldn't go inside. So she sat at the threshold and screamed his name and wept, her salty tears mingling with the fresh rain. As she rocked herself frantically trying to stop the tears, which only multiplied, she felt Harry's arms come around her. Not thinking or wondering about anything she buried her head into his shoulder and wailed as he tried to comfort her. She could make out from his strangled breathing that he was crying too. She could not look up and see the tears in his eyes, now of all the moments. So she just stayed in his arms and cried away. Because that was all she could do now. Her knowledge would not bring Ron back. Her books would not bring Ron back. Her feeling helpless would not bring Ron back.

"I...I loved him..." she whispered.

"I think he loved you too." She heard Harry's voice in her ear for the first time since they met at the funeral.

She sobbed again, knowing that Harry would never lie to her. He probably knew, like everyone knew. Everyone except them. And it was her fault. She was too proud. Too stubborn.

"Hermione..." she could hear the cracking as she recognized he was going to sob like she would, "I wish...I wish it was me, instead. I'm sorry."

Hermione flung her arms around Harry's back and held him tightly in return and whispered, "Me too, Harry."

The two friends cried with each other as the rain combined with a howling gale and each held to the other. Because it was all they had left of their friendship.

Metres away a grieving family did the same as the granite stone was laid into the ground that read:

Ronald 'Ron' Weasley,

Beloved son, brother and friend.

In life we shall remember your smile,

In death, we remember your bravery