July 2003
Rarely did Ron Weasley allow himself the luxury of eating porridge, toast, and juice on a weekday morning. Normally, he would sleep too late and only have a chance to grab a bit of toast and swig of coffee before Apparating to his office on the second floor of the Ministry of Magic, where he'd worked as an Auror for the past two years.
Ron's partner at the Ministry was named Perdita Gereald, a feisty American, whose grandparents had died in Britain during the war with Voldemort. Ron and Perdita weren't the best of friends, but they got along well, as did Harry Potter and his partner Sam Jones. It had been a mystery to both Ron and Harry why Alastor Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Amelia Bones had not allowed the two old friends to become partners. Each had received high marks at the Auror Academy. They knew each other better than anyone else. It only seemed natural for them to pair up, but alas, it did not happen. They spent a great deal of time complaining about this fact until recently, when things at headquarters began to run amok.
Presently, it was seven a.m. on an uncharacteristically dreary July morning, and Ron sat at his kitchen table, shoveling deliciously warm porridge into his mouth, showered and dressed for the day. His red hair remained dutifully in place, which was also a rarity for the six-foot-plus twenty-three-year-old.
The reason for all of his togetherness was not that his body had merged with the likes of his old friend Hermione Granger or that he'd been hit with an Imperius Curse. It was simply because he was fidgety about work this morning. He'd been chosen, along with Nymphadora Tonks, an Auror just a few years his senior, to be a part of an experiment that could very easily lead to a break in the most important case his department had seen in years. However, it was not the fact that he had been asked by Moody and Shacklebolt to participate in a mind-altering experiment that bothered him. What bothered Ron was that someone he despised and still did not trust completely would be involved - Severus Snape.
Pushing his plate away from him and finishing off the last of his juice, Ron glanced at the fat-faced clock on his wall, which read, '30 Minutes 'til Work. Bet You're Not Even Awake.'
He sighed. He didn't want to wait thirty minutes. He wanted to go and get the day over with as quickly as possible. As he was about to stand up from the table, an owl swooped in through the tiny kitchen window and dropped a copy of The Daily Prophet in his lap. Perfect. Just what he needed. More lies about the department. He gave the bird a Knut and paid no attention as it glided back out into the sky. Against his better judgment, Ron opened the paper and read the headline:
~*~*~
Aurors Hit a Brick Wall
Still no information on the kidnapping of the Muggle-born child, Elizabeth Marlowe, now affectionately known in the wizarding world as Baby Bess. Baby Bess, whose parents and two non-magic siblings were slain brutally by suspected dark wizards still yet to be named..
~*~*~
Same rubbish they've been printing all week, thought Ron, unable to read another word. They were trying as hard as they could to get the child back. That's what this whole crazy Snape-involved experiment was about. The fact that a kid was involved was the main reason he hadn't complained outright about it. Sighing, Ron's eyes fell back to the paper and moved a bit lower until they came upon an article wedged in the right corner.
~*~*~
Wealthiest Known Wizard to Wed
During a gala affair on the beautiful island of Anegada held to commemorate the opening of the Van Vleck Institute for the Recovery of Lost Magic, Montgomery Lewis-Igor Anthony Van Vleck III proposed to the brilliant young researcher and magical historian Hermione Granger. Granger, who will be heading up the institute's lead research team, readily accepted the young benefactor's proposal with open arms. "I'm very happy," she told the crowd amidst tears of joy.
The couple has only been dating for a short while but have known each other since their days at Hogwarts. "She was Head Girl, and I was just a scrawny 6th year who'd transferred from Durmstrang. I noticed her beauty right off. She didn't even know I was alive," admits Van Vleck. The pair reunited only months after Van Vleck's final year of school in the tropics, where Granger had already begun researching the Venemortando Civilization.
"We were having a hard time finding funding, but Montgomery stepped in and saved the day," says Granger. "It's been an adventure ever since." Indeed.
The handsome pair has yet to set a date, but from what this reporter can tell this young couple, with its brilliant combination of money and brains, will not keep us waiting very long.
~*~*~
Ron, whose heart had been racking viciously against his chest for the past three minutes, scanned the words in front of him a second time. Hermione. Their Hermione? His Hermione? Was getting married? To some arrogant rich prat he'd barely even heard of. Sure, everyone knew about Montgomery Van Vleck, the heir to the Floo Powder fortune and the fact that he spent his days hiding on some island in the tropics. But that was it. He'd never even seen the guy when he was at Hogwarts. Of course, that might have had something to do with the fact that he and his friends had more important things to worry about than the Durmstrang transfer students, a third of whom had shown up at Hogwarts when their school had been taken over by Death Eaters. The rest ended up at other wizarding schools or stayed behind in order to aid Voldemort and his minions.
"Damn it, Hermione!" Ron tossed the paper away and began pacing the tiny room. "Why the hell didn't we know about this before The damn Daily Prophet?" he fumed. "We should know. After all we went through together. Damn it!" He shouted, not quite understanding why it was he was so angry about this. He hadn't seen Hermione in over five years. He'd forgotten all about her, moved on, made a life for himself.
Sighing, he leaned against the counter. Who was he kidding? He still had a ruddy picture of her beside his bed. It had been taken not long before that day by the lake during their 7th year, the day that changed everything.
*~*~*~*~* *~*~*~*~*
June 1998, Hogwarts
The evening was warm and thick, and the stars had just begun to emerge in the darkening sky. Exams were over and half of the Hogwarts population was enjoying the weather out of doors. Ron, Harry and Hermione had found a spot a few yards from the lake to lay their blanket on about two hours earlier. It had still been daylight then, but time had flown passed them and the sun soon disappeared.
About ten minutes ago Hermione had decided she fancied a walk down to the lake to dip her toes in. By that time, both Harry and Ron had grown too comfortable to move and sent her on alone. "You lazy gits," she'd said affectionately before shuffling down toward the water.
Ron, who'd been thinking about Hermione the entire time but wanted to get his mind off of it, sat up beside Harry, who didn't bother to open his eyes. "Can you believe it?" he asked him, knowing he wasn't asleep.
"Hmm?"
"Tomorrow's our last day ever."
"I know."
Ron's eyes drifted down to where he could see Hermione standing at the tip of the lake. "Look at her, Harry."
Harry's eyes must have opened at that moment because he replied tiredly, "I see her, Ron," and snorted a chuckle.
Ron barely paid him any attention, as he continued to look towards the water. "She's bloody amazing sometimes, you know."
"I know," Harry agreed, and then added with a heavy sigh, "So, why don't you tell her that?"
Ron groused and clapped his eyes on Harry. "Not now." He wasn't ready to tell her something like that now. Not when everything was still so unsafe. Not when Voldemort was still out there. It wasn't as if Hermione felt that way about him, anyway.
Harry gave him another heavy sigh and flopped his arm over his eyes, which meant he was tired of the conversation, and he did not want to talk any more.
Ron looked toward the water again and frowned. Maybe Harry was right. If this wasn't the right time, when would be?
"I'm going to go. uh.." Ron began shuffling his large feet back and forth and stared bravely at the water.
"Right," Harry replied lazily without opening his eyes. "Good luck, mate." He didn't sound as if he believed Ron would go through with anything since he'd been chickening out from said mission since they were fifteen. But he was going to do it this time. It felt right.
Hermione stood at the edge of the lake with water only up to her ankles. Ron approached her, mesmerized by the flittering of her beautiful brown frizzy curls in the warm gentle breeze.
"It's still so hot, isn't it?" she said, not even turning around, having seemed to sense his presence.
"How did you know it was me?"
Hermione shrugged. "Who said I knew it was you?"
"Did you?" he asked, as he came to stand beside her.
"Yes."
Ron guffawed. "Not only are you a know-it-all but you're a seer too."
"Just because someone senses something doesn't make them a seer, Ron," Hermione huffed, obviously stung by his teasing more so than usual. "Honestly," she went on haughtily, "I thought you were the one who took Divination."
"Relax, Hermione. I was only joking."
"Don't tell me what to do, Ron!" she bit back.
Why was she fighting with him on their last night together? Here, he'd come out here to. to.. Damn it! He turned on her. "Me don't tell you what to do? This from the girl who gives orders to Harry and me like she was the 'High Inquisitor of Hogwarts' herself."
Hermione's eyes grew to the size of two dinner plates. "Do NOT liken me to that woman, EVER!"
"See!" Ron threw his hands up in the air. "There you go again! Telling me what to do. It's okay, Hermione; we're used to it."
"Well, maybe you should get unused to it fast!" she snapped.
"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Figure it out!" She whipped around to stalk away, but Ron quickly grabbed the tips of her fingers.
"Hermione, wait," he croaked. She turned to look at him wide-eyed. A toad- sized lump formed in his throat and he worked the necessary muscles over to swallow it." I.."
Her eyes were soft, then pleading almost. "What, Ron?" she asked, her voice small.
Ron threaded his fingers with hers, softly brushing the skin between her thumb and her index finger absently. His heart raced and his breath quickened. He inched closer to her, so close that he could smell her intoxicating scent - lilacs, jasmine, and sweet, sweet Hermione. "Hermione, I, I want to tell you. I need to tell you that-"
Suddenly, the sky ripped open and rising above their heads was a cluster of green stars in the form of a horrible skull with an ugly snake hanging from its mouth. The Dark Mark.
Hermione whirled around, and in an instant both she and Ron had their wands drawn. Screams broke out, sending students rushing madly into any and every entrance of the building. Ron's heart dropped. This was it.
"We have to find Harry!" Hermione rushed forward out of the water with Ron at her heels. Professors had begun to emerge, wands raised for battle.
Ron moved in front of Hermione, eyes desperately searching for a sign of their best friend.
"Where is he?" Ron heard Hermione ask. He whirled around to see Hermione gripping her wand so tight that her knuckles were turning white. She was pale, and she seemed to be thinking of something. Spells, probably, thought Ron. He was so mesmerized by her, even now. It was amazing, how her eyes grew wide, and how she gripped her wand, and how she pointed it, and how-.
Enough! He had to snap out of this. His best friend could be anywhere. The Dark Lord could be anywhere, and all he could do was gawk at Hermione? What the bloody hell was he doing?
"Ron!"
Just then a shadowy figure came rushing toward them. Startled for a moment, Ron realized the swishing black robes belonged not to any Death Eater but to the Head Boy, Neville Longbottom.
"Hermione! Ron! Get inside now!"
"Where's Harry!" shouted Hermione.
Ron's eyes grew wide, as a tall hooded figure appeared behind Neville with his arm raised. "Neville, look out!"
Neville turned around bravely and pulled out his wand. "STUPE-!"
A scream peeled from Hermione's lips as they watched Neville crumple to the ground after a curse hissed unintelligibly from the Death Eater's lips. "STUPEFY!" She cried as a stream of red shot from her wand and stunned the death eater instantly, allowing her quickly rush to her friend's side. "He's dead, Ron! He's dead!"
"Are you sure?" Neville? Dead? Those bastards!
Hermione started shaking. "God, Ron. This is real. This is it. We have to find- Ron! In the Dark Forest!" Ron saw Hermione's pale, shaking hand point to Harry, who was closely following a dark-cloaked figure into the forest. Ron saw Hermione's face, and understood. He ran towards the Dark Forest, dodging the students and teachers, quickly followed by Hermione.
"Where is he?" Hermione whispered, heading deeper into the forest. "Surprising," she added, after a while, "No one else is here. Isn't that odd, Ron?"
Ron shushed her and pointed to a small opening through the thick trees. Hermione gasped beside him, as her eyes came to rest upon Lord Voldemort. He was hideous. He had skinny red eyes and a snake-like thin face. He stood there, cloaked in a heavy black robe, pressing his lips into a thin hateful smile.
"How... touching," Ron heard him say, watching him smile evilly at Harry. Harry was on his knees, shaking with rage, and holding a frail body. Ron's eyes focused on the person lying in Harry's arms. His mouth dropped open when he saw who it was. It wasn't. No, it couldn't be. But it was. The near-lifeless body belonged to his little sister. His only sister. Virginia Weasley.
"Ginny," Ron whispered. He began making his way through the thick bunch of trees when he felt a soft hand on his shoulder.
"Ron, wait. You can't go," Hermione plead, but he didn't listen. That was Ginny lying out there. That disgusting bastard had killed Ginny.
"Hermione, Ginny's dead because of him. I have to kill him. I have to." He stepped forward, then heard Hermione's foot fall beside him. Was she coming? She couldn't come. He had already lost Ginny; the last thing he needed was for someone else that he loved to die. Before Ron could turn to protest, Hermione opened her mouth.
"If you go, I swear, Ronald Weasley, not even wild centaurs could stop me from following."
She'd made up her mind and there was no arguing it, though Ron wanted to very badly. This, however, was not a time to have a heated row.
Eventually, they made their way to the clearing, where they found Ginny's still body propped against a tree.
"Well," the snake-like figure said, "The idiot Weasley boy and the Granger Mudblood have come to join their little friend." Voldemort paused and let out an ear-piercing evil laugh, as Hermione went straight to Ginny and Ron stepped toward him, chest raised like a true Gryffindor. "Well, Weasley, would you like to join your darling sister?"
Another ear-piercing laugh made Ron snap. "Av-"
"Petrificus Totalus!" Voldemort boomed.
Ron quickly dodged the spell and trained his wand on the Dark Lord.
Voldemort was enraged. "Fool!" he shouted, turning his wand back on Harry. "Would you like to see young Mr. Potter follow your that silly sister of yours, hmm?"
"Fuck off!" Ron was boiling over with fury.
"Crucio!" Voldemort's curse hit Harry, and he slumped to the ground.
The Dark Lord then quickly pointed his wand on Ron.
"Stupefy!"
"Avada Kedavr-!"
"Avada Kedavra!" Ron heard pained voice cry. Then the next thing Ron knew was darkness.
~*~*~
"Wake up, Ron," he heard.
His eyelids then slowly opened to see Hermione sitting at his bedside and smiling. She was so beautiful, and he felt so comfortable. Bloody hell, where am I? He suddenly recognized the feel of the firm mattress beneath him. He was in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. 'Was it all a dream?' Ron thought to himself. He prayed it was. If it was, Ginny would be alive. So would Neville. They wouldn't be dead because of that evil, vile, horrific, disgusting.. There was no word for him. "Hermione! Where's Ginny? Harry? Neville?"
Hermione's head lowered at the mention of Neville, as fear consumed Ron's body. Her expression said it all. Neville was... He was ..
"Neville's... dead." Hermione announced. Ron could hear the tears in her voice. His stomach clenched.
"Ginny? Harry?" he asked, sitting up, eyes darting across the room for any sign of his little sister or his best friend. The hospital wing was filled to capacity. First, his eyes landed on a young Ravenclaw third year he knew as Henrietta to his right. Beside her was a bedridden but smiling Susan Bones, chatting with a fellow Hufflepuff. He then saw Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas wrapped and bandaged but none the worse for wear, and a red- eyed Draco Malfoy with Crabbe and Goyle sitting at his bedside, most likely awaiting their next orders. Luna Lovegood and the Patil sisters were there, too, and next to the very awake Harry Potter, was the very asleep Ginny Weasley.
Hermione's face brightened a little. "She's going to be fine. Madame Pomfrey's letting her out tomorrow." Ron smiled, and sat up some more. "Oh, Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck, "Don't ever, ever do that! You were so brave, just going in there like that. I thought you were going to die!"
"Well, blimey, thanks for the support," he replied sarcastically, loving the feel of her being so close. He sighed into her soft hair. This was right. He was happy. Harry was alive. Ginny was fine, and Hermione was here. "Voldemort!" Ron pushed away from Hermione with a start. "What happened?"
Hermione swallowed, and shifted her gaze to Harry for a moment then back to Ron. "Harry, uh. The prophecy was fulfilled. Harry killed him."
"And the Death Eaters?"
"Most of them have been taken to Azkaban or were killed."
Ron glanced over at Malfoy, whose pinched face looked even more twisted that usual. His eyes, as Ron had noted earlier, were red and also quite puffy.
"His father was killed," Hermione supplied.
"Oh." He didn't feel bad about that at all. In fact, he felt a bit triumphant. "All right there, Harry?" he asked his best friend, who smiled a bit weakly then gave him a nod.
"All right, Ron."
Ron returned his smile and sighed. It was over. Finally. But was it really? There was still Darkness out there. He hadn't missed the 'most' Hermione had used while describing the Death Eaters' whereabouts. Voldemort may have been dead, but what of his minions and those like him that had not even begun to show themselves? Ron looked at Hermione. He had to tell her about what he was going to do. Soon. "Hermione, I'm going to be an Auror. I've already been accepted." There. Be blunt. That worked.
Her eyes filled with tears. Her mouth hung open. "How could you do this to me!" she shouted abruptly, jumping off his bedside as if she'd been burned. Ron barely registered Ginny waking up, and Harry staring right at them. He couldn't breathe. Why was she so angry? "You could've died out there!" she exclaimed.
"I thought you-"
"Shh!" Madam Pomfrey pressed her finger to her lips. "There are sick people here, Miss Granger."
Hermione glowered at the nurse for a moment, then quickly returned her attention back on Ron. "You don't care about me at all! After everything that's happened! How could you even think of doing this?" She pressed her eyes closed briefly, allowing her tears to begin a course down her cheeks. She opened her eyes and looked at Ron, shaking her head. "I-I can't be here any more. I can't do this!" With those last words, she grabbed the thin golden ring that Ron had gotten for her 17th Birthday, and threw it at him. She was angry. And Ron didn't even know why.
*~*~*~*~* *~*~*~*~*
July 2003, Ron's Apartment
Ron swallowed a heavy lump at the memory of that day. It had been horrible. She left him without so much as a backwards glance. Five years later, he still felt empty without her, and now she was getting married? He glanced at the clock, which read, '10 minutes to work. Awake yet?' He sighed, threw the paper down in a mad fit, and left for Auror Headquarters.
*~*~*~*~* *~*~*~*~*
Author's Note(s): The island of Anegada is a real island, for those of you who may not know, located in the British Virgin Islands very low on the horizon, meaning its damned hard to see if you're not approaching from above. Its population is said to be between 150 to 200 (Muggles lol), and it is known for its beautiful beaches and remote atmosphere. The vegetation is noted to be "scrubby", though they do have some tall tress. For our purposes, however, Anegada will have more than some tall trees for the group of hidden wizards to dwell and research, and will seem a bit more lush than it does in reality. The island's past also consists of stories of shipwrecks and lost pirates, which will not be included in our story but adds to its fun.
As for the Venemortando Civilization. it simply means dead magic people. I know it's a bit morbid, but think of it as dead magic culture.
Well. we have a long ride ahead of us! Lots of drama and eventually lots of R/H. I hope you like it enough to keep reading. We've been working hard on this. Please, please respond because it is both mine and Sena's very first Harry Potter fan fiction, and we're both excited and nervous about your reactions. ;) Promise to keep the A/Ns shorter next time.
Thanks to our fabulous betas Teresina, Ron Weasley, and my friend Lily! We love you for helping us out. We really needed it! Also, thanks to Sena's friend for reminding us we needed a title lol. Good thinking. ;) AGAIN, Please reply! So, we know to write more as quickly as we can.
Shout outs from my writing buddy, Sena: Thanks to Jaky-Nikole, who totally is so bodacious. Oh, and thanks to Elyna for shutting Jaky up. And, especially thanks to Gigi, I loved writing this chapter with you!
Same here, Sena!
Thanks to everyone for reading and hopefully replying. Promise to keep the A/Ns to a minimum next time. ;)
PS Can someone tell me how the heck to activate the italics on here? Can submit HTML in a doc and have it work? I had to break some of my rules in place of italics because I couldn't get them to work.
Rarely did Ron Weasley allow himself the luxury of eating porridge, toast, and juice on a weekday morning. Normally, he would sleep too late and only have a chance to grab a bit of toast and swig of coffee before Apparating to his office on the second floor of the Ministry of Magic, where he'd worked as an Auror for the past two years.
Ron's partner at the Ministry was named Perdita Gereald, a feisty American, whose grandparents had died in Britain during the war with Voldemort. Ron and Perdita weren't the best of friends, but they got along well, as did Harry Potter and his partner Sam Jones. It had been a mystery to both Ron and Harry why Alastor Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Amelia Bones had not allowed the two old friends to become partners. Each had received high marks at the Auror Academy. They knew each other better than anyone else. It only seemed natural for them to pair up, but alas, it did not happen. They spent a great deal of time complaining about this fact until recently, when things at headquarters began to run amok.
Presently, it was seven a.m. on an uncharacteristically dreary July morning, and Ron sat at his kitchen table, shoveling deliciously warm porridge into his mouth, showered and dressed for the day. His red hair remained dutifully in place, which was also a rarity for the six-foot-plus twenty-three-year-old.
The reason for all of his togetherness was not that his body had merged with the likes of his old friend Hermione Granger or that he'd been hit with an Imperius Curse. It was simply because he was fidgety about work this morning. He'd been chosen, along with Nymphadora Tonks, an Auror just a few years his senior, to be a part of an experiment that could very easily lead to a break in the most important case his department had seen in years. However, it was not the fact that he had been asked by Moody and Shacklebolt to participate in a mind-altering experiment that bothered him. What bothered Ron was that someone he despised and still did not trust completely would be involved - Severus Snape.
Pushing his plate away from him and finishing off the last of his juice, Ron glanced at the fat-faced clock on his wall, which read, '30 Minutes 'til Work. Bet You're Not Even Awake.'
He sighed. He didn't want to wait thirty minutes. He wanted to go and get the day over with as quickly as possible. As he was about to stand up from the table, an owl swooped in through the tiny kitchen window and dropped a copy of The Daily Prophet in his lap. Perfect. Just what he needed. More lies about the department. He gave the bird a Knut and paid no attention as it glided back out into the sky. Against his better judgment, Ron opened the paper and read the headline:
~*~*~
Aurors Hit a Brick Wall
Still no information on the kidnapping of the Muggle-born child, Elizabeth Marlowe, now affectionately known in the wizarding world as Baby Bess. Baby Bess, whose parents and two non-magic siblings were slain brutally by suspected dark wizards still yet to be named..
~*~*~
Same rubbish they've been printing all week, thought Ron, unable to read another word. They were trying as hard as they could to get the child back. That's what this whole crazy Snape-involved experiment was about. The fact that a kid was involved was the main reason he hadn't complained outright about it. Sighing, Ron's eyes fell back to the paper and moved a bit lower until they came upon an article wedged in the right corner.
~*~*~
Wealthiest Known Wizard to Wed
During a gala affair on the beautiful island of Anegada held to commemorate the opening of the Van Vleck Institute for the Recovery of Lost Magic, Montgomery Lewis-Igor Anthony Van Vleck III proposed to the brilliant young researcher and magical historian Hermione Granger. Granger, who will be heading up the institute's lead research team, readily accepted the young benefactor's proposal with open arms. "I'm very happy," she told the crowd amidst tears of joy.
The couple has only been dating for a short while but have known each other since their days at Hogwarts. "She was Head Girl, and I was just a scrawny 6th year who'd transferred from Durmstrang. I noticed her beauty right off. She didn't even know I was alive," admits Van Vleck. The pair reunited only months after Van Vleck's final year of school in the tropics, where Granger had already begun researching the Venemortando Civilization.
"We were having a hard time finding funding, but Montgomery stepped in and saved the day," says Granger. "It's been an adventure ever since." Indeed.
The handsome pair has yet to set a date, but from what this reporter can tell this young couple, with its brilliant combination of money and brains, will not keep us waiting very long.
~*~*~
Ron, whose heart had been racking viciously against his chest for the past three minutes, scanned the words in front of him a second time. Hermione. Their Hermione? His Hermione? Was getting married? To some arrogant rich prat he'd barely even heard of. Sure, everyone knew about Montgomery Van Vleck, the heir to the Floo Powder fortune and the fact that he spent his days hiding on some island in the tropics. But that was it. He'd never even seen the guy when he was at Hogwarts. Of course, that might have had something to do with the fact that he and his friends had more important things to worry about than the Durmstrang transfer students, a third of whom had shown up at Hogwarts when their school had been taken over by Death Eaters. The rest ended up at other wizarding schools or stayed behind in order to aid Voldemort and his minions.
"Damn it, Hermione!" Ron tossed the paper away and began pacing the tiny room. "Why the hell didn't we know about this before The damn Daily Prophet?" he fumed. "We should know. After all we went through together. Damn it!" He shouted, not quite understanding why it was he was so angry about this. He hadn't seen Hermione in over five years. He'd forgotten all about her, moved on, made a life for himself.
Sighing, he leaned against the counter. Who was he kidding? He still had a ruddy picture of her beside his bed. It had been taken not long before that day by the lake during their 7th year, the day that changed everything.
*~*~*~*~* *~*~*~*~*
June 1998, Hogwarts
The evening was warm and thick, and the stars had just begun to emerge in the darkening sky. Exams were over and half of the Hogwarts population was enjoying the weather out of doors. Ron, Harry and Hermione had found a spot a few yards from the lake to lay their blanket on about two hours earlier. It had still been daylight then, but time had flown passed them and the sun soon disappeared.
About ten minutes ago Hermione had decided she fancied a walk down to the lake to dip her toes in. By that time, both Harry and Ron had grown too comfortable to move and sent her on alone. "You lazy gits," she'd said affectionately before shuffling down toward the water.
Ron, who'd been thinking about Hermione the entire time but wanted to get his mind off of it, sat up beside Harry, who didn't bother to open his eyes. "Can you believe it?" he asked him, knowing he wasn't asleep.
"Hmm?"
"Tomorrow's our last day ever."
"I know."
Ron's eyes drifted down to where he could see Hermione standing at the tip of the lake. "Look at her, Harry."
Harry's eyes must have opened at that moment because he replied tiredly, "I see her, Ron," and snorted a chuckle.
Ron barely paid him any attention, as he continued to look towards the water. "She's bloody amazing sometimes, you know."
"I know," Harry agreed, and then added with a heavy sigh, "So, why don't you tell her that?"
Ron groused and clapped his eyes on Harry. "Not now." He wasn't ready to tell her something like that now. Not when everything was still so unsafe. Not when Voldemort was still out there. It wasn't as if Hermione felt that way about him, anyway.
Harry gave him another heavy sigh and flopped his arm over his eyes, which meant he was tired of the conversation, and he did not want to talk any more.
Ron looked toward the water again and frowned. Maybe Harry was right. If this wasn't the right time, when would be?
"I'm going to go. uh.." Ron began shuffling his large feet back and forth and stared bravely at the water.
"Right," Harry replied lazily without opening his eyes. "Good luck, mate." He didn't sound as if he believed Ron would go through with anything since he'd been chickening out from said mission since they were fifteen. But he was going to do it this time. It felt right.
Hermione stood at the edge of the lake with water only up to her ankles. Ron approached her, mesmerized by the flittering of her beautiful brown frizzy curls in the warm gentle breeze.
"It's still so hot, isn't it?" she said, not even turning around, having seemed to sense his presence.
"How did you know it was me?"
Hermione shrugged. "Who said I knew it was you?"
"Did you?" he asked, as he came to stand beside her.
"Yes."
Ron guffawed. "Not only are you a know-it-all but you're a seer too."
"Just because someone senses something doesn't make them a seer, Ron," Hermione huffed, obviously stung by his teasing more so than usual. "Honestly," she went on haughtily, "I thought you were the one who took Divination."
"Relax, Hermione. I was only joking."
"Don't tell me what to do, Ron!" she bit back.
Why was she fighting with him on their last night together? Here, he'd come out here to. to.. Damn it! He turned on her. "Me don't tell you what to do? This from the girl who gives orders to Harry and me like she was the 'High Inquisitor of Hogwarts' herself."
Hermione's eyes grew to the size of two dinner plates. "Do NOT liken me to that woman, EVER!"
"See!" Ron threw his hands up in the air. "There you go again! Telling me what to do. It's okay, Hermione; we're used to it."
"Well, maybe you should get unused to it fast!" she snapped.
"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Figure it out!" She whipped around to stalk away, but Ron quickly grabbed the tips of her fingers.
"Hermione, wait," he croaked. She turned to look at him wide-eyed. A toad- sized lump formed in his throat and he worked the necessary muscles over to swallow it." I.."
Her eyes were soft, then pleading almost. "What, Ron?" she asked, her voice small.
Ron threaded his fingers with hers, softly brushing the skin between her thumb and her index finger absently. His heart raced and his breath quickened. He inched closer to her, so close that he could smell her intoxicating scent - lilacs, jasmine, and sweet, sweet Hermione. "Hermione, I, I want to tell you. I need to tell you that-"
Suddenly, the sky ripped open and rising above their heads was a cluster of green stars in the form of a horrible skull with an ugly snake hanging from its mouth. The Dark Mark.
Hermione whirled around, and in an instant both she and Ron had their wands drawn. Screams broke out, sending students rushing madly into any and every entrance of the building. Ron's heart dropped. This was it.
"We have to find Harry!" Hermione rushed forward out of the water with Ron at her heels. Professors had begun to emerge, wands raised for battle.
Ron moved in front of Hermione, eyes desperately searching for a sign of their best friend.
"Where is he?" Ron heard Hermione ask. He whirled around to see Hermione gripping her wand so tight that her knuckles were turning white. She was pale, and she seemed to be thinking of something. Spells, probably, thought Ron. He was so mesmerized by her, even now. It was amazing, how her eyes grew wide, and how she gripped her wand, and how she pointed it, and how-.
Enough! He had to snap out of this. His best friend could be anywhere. The Dark Lord could be anywhere, and all he could do was gawk at Hermione? What the bloody hell was he doing?
"Ron!"
Just then a shadowy figure came rushing toward them. Startled for a moment, Ron realized the swishing black robes belonged not to any Death Eater but to the Head Boy, Neville Longbottom.
"Hermione! Ron! Get inside now!"
"Where's Harry!" shouted Hermione.
Ron's eyes grew wide, as a tall hooded figure appeared behind Neville with his arm raised. "Neville, look out!"
Neville turned around bravely and pulled out his wand. "STUPE-!"
A scream peeled from Hermione's lips as they watched Neville crumple to the ground after a curse hissed unintelligibly from the Death Eater's lips. "STUPEFY!" She cried as a stream of red shot from her wand and stunned the death eater instantly, allowing her quickly rush to her friend's side. "He's dead, Ron! He's dead!"
"Are you sure?" Neville? Dead? Those bastards!
Hermione started shaking. "God, Ron. This is real. This is it. We have to find- Ron! In the Dark Forest!" Ron saw Hermione's pale, shaking hand point to Harry, who was closely following a dark-cloaked figure into the forest. Ron saw Hermione's face, and understood. He ran towards the Dark Forest, dodging the students and teachers, quickly followed by Hermione.
"Where is he?" Hermione whispered, heading deeper into the forest. "Surprising," she added, after a while, "No one else is here. Isn't that odd, Ron?"
Ron shushed her and pointed to a small opening through the thick trees. Hermione gasped beside him, as her eyes came to rest upon Lord Voldemort. He was hideous. He had skinny red eyes and a snake-like thin face. He stood there, cloaked in a heavy black robe, pressing his lips into a thin hateful smile.
"How... touching," Ron heard him say, watching him smile evilly at Harry. Harry was on his knees, shaking with rage, and holding a frail body. Ron's eyes focused on the person lying in Harry's arms. His mouth dropped open when he saw who it was. It wasn't. No, it couldn't be. But it was. The near-lifeless body belonged to his little sister. His only sister. Virginia Weasley.
"Ginny," Ron whispered. He began making his way through the thick bunch of trees when he felt a soft hand on his shoulder.
"Ron, wait. You can't go," Hermione plead, but he didn't listen. That was Ginny lying out there. That disgusting bastard had killed Ginny.
"Hermione, Ginny's dead because of him. I have to kill him. I have to." He stepped forward, then heard Hermione's foot fall beside him. Was she coming? She couldn't come. He had already lost Ginny; the last thing he needed was for someone else that he loved to die. Before Ron could turn to protest, Hermione opened her mouth.
"If you go, I swear, Ronald Weasley, not even wild centaurs could stop me from following."
She'd made up her mind and there was no arguing it, though Ron wanted to very badly. This, however, was not a time to have a heated row.
Eventually, they made their way to the clearing, where they found Ginny's still body propped against a tree.
"Well," the snake-like figure said, "The idiot Weasley boy and the Granger Mudblood have come to join their little friend." Voldemort paused and let out an ear-piercing evil laugh, as Hermione went straight to Ginny and Ron stepped toward him, chest raised like a true Gryffindor. "Well, Weasley, would you like to join your darling sister?"
Another ear-piercing laugh made Ron snap. "Av-"
"Petrificus Totalus!" Voldemort boomed.
Ron quickly dodged the spell and trained his wand on the Dark Lord.
Voldemort was enraged. "Fool!" he shouted, turning his wand back on Harry. "Would you like to see young Mr. Potter follow your that silly sister of yours, hmm?"
"Fuck off!" Ron was boiling over with fury.
"Crucio!" Voldemort's curse hit Harry, and he slumped to the ground.
The Dark Lord then quickly pointed his wand on Ron.
"Stupefy!"
"Avada Kedavr-!"
"Avada Kedavra!" Ron heard pained voice cry. Then the next thing Ron knew was darkness.
~*~*~
"Wake up, Ron," he heard.
His eyelids then slowly opened to see Hermione sitting at his bedside and smiling. She was so beautiful, and he felt so comfortable. Bloody hell, where am I? He suddenly recognized the feel of the firm mattress beneath him. He was in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. 'Was it all a dream?' Ron thought to himself. He prayed it was. If it was, Ginny would be alive. So would Neville. They wouldn't be dead because of that evil, vile, horrific, disgusting.. There was no word for him. "Hermione! Where's Ginny? Harry? Neville?"
Hermione's head lowered at the mention of Neville, as fear consumed Ron's body. Her expression said it all. Neville was... He was ..
"Neville's... dead." Hermione announced. Ron could hear the tears in her voice. His stomach clenched.
"Ginny? Harry?" he asked, sitting up, eyes darting across the room for any sign of his little sister or his best friend. The hospital wing was filled to capacity. First, his eyes landed on a young Ravenclaw third year he knew as Henrietta to his right. Beside her was a bedridden but smiling Susan Bones, chatting with a fellow Hufflepuff. He then saw Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas wrapped and bandaged but none the worse for wear, and a red- eyed Draco Malfoy with Crabbe and Goyle sitting at his bedside, most likely awaiting their next orders. Luna Lovegood and the Patil sisters were there, too, and next to the very awake Harry Potter, was the very asleep Ginny Weasley.
Hermione's face brightened a little. "She's going to be fine. Madame Pomfrey's letting her out tomorrow." Ron smiled, and sat up some more. "Oh, Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck, "Don't ever, ever do that! You were so brave, just going in there like that. I thought you were going to die!"
"Well, blimey, thanks for the support," he replied sarcastically, loving the feel of her being so close. He sighed into her soft hair. This was right. He was happy. Harry was alive. Ginny was fine, and Hermione was here. "Voldemort!" Ron pushed away from Hermione with a start. "What happened?"
Hermione swallowed, and shifted her gaze to Harry for a moment then back to Ron. "Harry, uh. The prophecy was fulfilled. Harry killed him."
"And the Death Eaters?"
"Most of them have been taken to Azkaban or were killed."
Ron glanced over at Malfoy, whose pinched face looked even more twisted that usual. His eyes, as Ron had noted earlier, were red and also quite puffy.
"His father was killed," Hermione supplied.
"Oh." He didn't feel bad about that at all. In fact, he felt a bit triumphant. "All right there, Harry?" he asked his best friend, who smiled a bit weakly then gave him a nod.
"All right, Ron."
Ron returned his smile and sighed. It was over. Finally. But was it really? There was still Darkness out there. He hadn't missed the 'most' Hermione had used while describing the Death Eaters' whereabouts. Voldemort may have been dead, but what of his minions and those like him that had not even begun to show themselves? Ron looked at Hermione. He had to tell her about what he was going to do. Soon. "Hermione, I'm going to be an Auror. I've already been accepted." There. Be blunt. That worked.
Her eyes filled with tears. Her mouth hung open. "How could you do this to me!" she shouted abruptly, jumping off his bedside as if she'd been burned. Ron barely registered Ginny waking up, and Harry staring right at them. He couldn't breathe. Why was she so angry? "You could've died out there!" she exclaimed.
"I thought you-"
"Shh!" Madam Pomfrey pressed her finger to her lips. "There are sick people here, Miss Granger."
Hermione glowered at the nurse for a moment, then quickly returned her attention back on Ron. "You don't care about me at all! After everything that's happened! How could you even think of doing this?" She pressed her eyes closed briefly, allowing her tears to begin a course down her cheeks. She opened her eyes and looked at Ron, shaking her head. "I-I can't be here any more. I can't do this!" With those last words, she grabbed the thin golden ring that Ron had gotten for her 17th Birthday, and threw it at him. She was angry. And Ron didn't even know why.
*~*~*~*~* *~*~*~*~*
July 2003, Ron's Apartment
Ron swallowed a heavy lump at the memory of that day. It had been horrible. She left him without so much as a backwards glance. Five years later, he still felt empty without her, and now she was getting married? He glanced at the clock, which read, '10 minutes to work. Awake yet?' He sighed, threw the paper down in a mad fit, and left for Auror Headquarters.
*~*~*~*~* *~*~*~*~*
Author's Note(s): The island of Anegada is a real island, for those of you who may not know, located in the British Virgin Islands very low on the horizon, meaning its damned hard to see if you're not approaching from above. Its population is said to be between 150 to 200 (Muggles lol), and it is known for its beautiful beaches and remote atmosphere. The vegetation is noted to be "scrubby", though they do have some tall tress. For our purposes, however, Anegada will have more than some tall trees for the group of hidden wizards to dwell and research, and will seem a bit more lush than it does in reality. The island's past also consists of stories of shipwrecks and lost pirates, which will not be included in our story but adds to its fun.
As for the Venemortando Civilization. it simply means dead magic people. I know it's a bit morbid, but think of it as dead magic culture.
Well. we have a long ride ahead of us! Lots of drama and eventually lots of R/H. I hope you like it enough to keep reading. We've been working hard on this. Please, please respond because it is both mine and Sena's very first Harry Potter fan fiction, and we're both excited and nervous about your reactions. ;) Promise to keep the A/Ns shorter next time.
Thanks to our fabulous betas Teresina, Ron Weasley, and my friend Lily! We love you for helping us out. We really needed it! Also, thanks to Sena's friend for reminding us we needed a title lol. Good thinking. ;) AGAIN, Please reply! So, we know to write more as quickly as we can.
Shout outs from my writing buddy, Sena: Thanks to Jaky-Nikole, who totally is so bodacious. Oh, and thanks to Elyna for shutting Jaky up. And, especially thanks to Gigi, I loved writing this chapter with you!
Same here, Sena!
Thanks to everyone for reading and hopefully replying. Promise to keep the A/Ns to a minimum next time. ;)
PS Can someone tell me how the heck to activate the italics on here? Can submit HTML in a doc and have it work? I had to break some of my rules in place of italics because I couldn't get them to work.