Those damn onions. They always come out out at the most inconvenient times, don't they? *g*
Thank you so much! I admit I was a little nervous to play with such familiar tropes, so I'm thrilled they still felt fresh to you. I'm also relieved to hear the tension and desperation carried through for you -- it's what I was aiming for, but since I knew all along there would be a happy ending, I wasn't sure if they would *click*. And yes, I thought Harry definitely needed a strong friend to support him during this time, and Ron was definitely up for the challenge.