She looked back down at the tear stained parchment in her hands only a few words stood out, Hagrid, dead, just heard, so sorry.
She let another tear fall onto the letter and she continued to watch as it washed away another word, the less words left in the letter the better.
"Hermione?"
She looked up. It was Ron, he sat down beside her and hugged his knees to his chest.
"He didn't need to die."
Ron looked at her, then without hesitating pulled her into his arms.
"I know Mione."
She placed her head on his shoulder and he wiped away her tears. After a year of being strong, a year of hiding how she felt, it was good to cry.
"He died thinking that I hated him."
"You know he never believed that Hermione."
"But the last time I saw him, I told him I would never forgive him for leaving me behind, that he was horrible."
"Hermione you did that because you were angry, he knew you didn't truly mean that."
Ron's voice was soothing and Hermione calmed down slightly.
"Ron I don't mean to always fight with you. When I was alone here and Dumbledore told me to sit down, when he told me one of you was hurt, I was scared it was you. I was scared that you were going to die not knowing how I felt."
"And how do you feel?"
"I love you Ron, I love you more than I think you know. Different than the way I loved Hagrid, he was like a father to me when I was here at Hogwarts. Very different from the way I love Harry, he's like the brother I never had."
Ron gently pulled her chin up so she was forced to look him in the eye.
"Ron�"
"Yes Mione."
"I've fallen in love with you."
"Mione, I've waited so long to hear you say that."
As Ron leaned in towards her, Hermione shut her eyes and listened to the sound of the rippling water. She never wanted to forget this moment.