It hadn't started right away, not the physical side anyway. But Ron always had been rather adept at psychological torture ... it was just built-in to his nature it seemed. He displayed this skill flagrantly during their school years, constantly putting Hermione down and belittling her. Hermione only truly recognised that now, in this haven away from it, with Harry as her immovable defender from Ron's attacks. A role, she also accepted, he'd always fulfilled, if not quite so vitriolically as he did now. He'd always been there for support, to build her up when Ron tore her down. Vaunting her qualities, championing her to anyone who might need to know. She remembered Horace Slughorn telling her once how Harry had gushed about her when they'd met. There was no reason for him to, Hermione recalled thinking at the time, so she hadn't really believed it when Slughorn told her.