"She's like my sister," he went on"I love her...
"She's like my sister," he went on"I love her like a sister and I reckon that she feels the same way about meIt's always been like that
Ron did not respond, but turned his face away from Harry and wiped his nose noisily on his sleeveHarry got to his feet again and walked to where Ron's enormous rucksack lay yards away, discarded as Ron had run toward the pool to save Harry from drowningHe hoisted it onto his own back and walked back to Ron, who clambered to his feet as Harry approached, eyes bloodshot but otherwise composed
"I'm sorry," he said in a thick voiceI know I was a \a150\a150 a \a150\a150"
He looked around at the darkness, as if hoping a bad enough word would swoop down upon him and claim him
"You've sort of made up for it tonight," said HarryFinishing off the Horcrux
"That makes me sound a lot cooler than I was," Ron mumbled
"Stuff like that always sounds cooler than it really was" said Harry"I've been trying to tell you that for years
Simultaneously they walked forward and hugged, Harry gripping the still-sopping back of Ron's jacket
"And now," said Harry as they broke apart, "all we've got to do is find miu miu bow bag that tent again
But it was not difficultThough the walk through the dark forest with the doe had seemed lengthy, with Ron by his side, the journey back seemed to take a surprisingly short timeHarry could not wait to wake Hermione, and it was with quickening excitement that he entered the tent, Ron lagging a little behind him
It was gloriously warm after the pool and the forest, the only illumination the bluebell flames still shimmering in a bowl on the floorHermione was fast asleep, curled up under her blankets, and did not move until Harry had said her name several times
"\iHermione!\i"
She stirred, then sat up quickly, pushing her hair out of her face
"What's wrong? Harry? Are you all right?"
"It's okay, everything's fineMore than fine, I'm greatThere's someone here
"What do you mean? Who \a150\a150?"
She saw Ron, who stood there holding the sword and dripping onto the threadbare carpetHarry backed into a shadowy corner, slipped off Ron's rucksack, and attempted to blend in with the canvas
Hermione slid out of her bunk and moved like a sleepwalker toward Ron, her eyes upon his pale faceShe stopped right in front of him, discount hermes her lips slightly parted, her eyes wideRon gave a weak hopeful smile and half raised his arms
Hermione launched herself forward and started punching every inch of him that she could reach
"Ouch \a150\a150 ow \a150\a150 gerroff! What the \a150\a150? Hermione \a150\a150 OW!"
"You \a150\a150 complete \a150\a150 \iarse\i \a150\a150 Ronald \a150\a150 Weasley!"
She punctuated every word with a blow: Ron backed away, shielding his head as Hermione advanced
"You \a150\a150 crawl \a150\a150 back \a150\a150 here \a150\a150 after \a150\a150 weeks \a150\a150 and \a150\a150 weeks \a150\a150 oh, \iwhere's my wand\i?"
She looked as though ready to wrestle it out of Harry's hands and he reacted instinctively
"\iProtego!\i"
The invisible shield erupted between Ron and HermioneThe force of it knocked her backward onto the floorSpitting hair out of her mouth, she lept up again
"Hermione!" said Harry"Calm \a150\a150"
"I will not calm down!" she screamedNever before had he seen her lose control like this; she looked quite demented"Give me back my wand! \iGive it back to me!"\i
"Hermione, will you please \a150\a150"
"Don't you tell me mulberry bayswater bag what do, Harry Potter!" she screeched"Don't you dare! Give it back now! And YOU!"
She was pointing at Ron in dire accusation: It was like a malediction, and Harry could not blame Ron for retreating several steps
"I cam running after you! I called you! I begged you to come back" "I know," Ron said, "Hermione, I'm sorry, I'm really \a150\a150"
"Oh, you're \isorry!"\i
She laughed a high-pitched, out-of-control sound; Ron looked at Harry for help, but Harry merely grimaced his helplessness
"You came back after weeks \a150\a150 \iweeks\i \a150\a150 and you think it's all going to be all right if you just say \isorry?"\i
"Well, what else can I say?" Ron shouted, and Harry was glad that Ron was fighting back
"Oh, I don't know!" yelled Hermione with awful sarcasm"Rack your brains, Ron, that should only take a couple of seconds \a150\a150"
"Hermione," interjected Harry, who considered this a low blow, "he just saved my \a150\a150"
"I don't care!" she screamed"I don't care what he's done! Weeks and weeks, we could have been \idead\i for all he knew \a150\a150"
"I knew you weren't dead!" bellowed Ron, drowning her voice for the chanel jewellery first time, and approaching as close as he could with the Shield Charm between them"Harry's all over the \iProphet\i, all over the radio, they're looking for you everywhere, all these rumors and mental stories, I knew I'd hear straight off if you were dead, you don't know what it's been like \a150\a150"
"What it's been like for \iyou?\i?
Her voice was not so shrill only bats would be able to hear it soon, but she had reached a level of indignation that rendered her temporarily speechless, and Ron seized his opportunity
"I wanted to come back the minute I'd Disapparated, but I walked straight into a gang of Snatchers, Hermione, and I couldn't go anywhere!" "A gang of what?" asked Harry, as Hermione threw herself down into a chair with her arms and legs crossed so tightly it seemed unlikely that she would unravel them for several years
"Snatchers," said Ron"They're everywhere \a150\a150 gangs trying to earn gold by rounding up Muggle-borns and blood traitors, there's a reward from the Ministry for everyone capturedI was on my own and I look like I might be school age; they got really excited, thought I was a Muggle-born in cartier watches hidin