Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling does. Anything you recognize, I do not own.
The Test of Time
Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking in the light alone.
Helen Keller
Harry POV
There was blood everywhere. Blood on the stone walls, on the faces of the survivors, blood staining my home. I walked as slowly as I could, my bones protesting against each movement. All I could see was carnage and destruction. I stepped into the Great Hall. The once majestic hall was missing the head table, and its four tables had been replaced with bodies. That's all I could see. Bodies everywhere. Some were mauled by Greyback and his pack, so that they were barely recognizable. Others were surrounded by loved ones who begged for them to return. My eyes burned with the stench of death, and I wished I could leave. Spanning my eyes around the hall, I searched for my best friends. I wanted to leave. This was all too much. All I could see were sobbing mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. All I could hear were the cries of friends, lovers, coworkers, and children. I searched frantically, panic beginning to settle in my throat.
Finally, I saw a spot of Weasley red (Ron!) at the back of the hall. I rushed over to that corner, before my brain caught up with what my eyes saw. Ron was spread-eagled on the floor, blood pooling out from a gash in his head, half of his left leg missing. His face lacked his usual carefree grin, and I felt something akin to horror rise up in me. Ron was an energetic, cheerful person. Death did not suit him well. I felt bile rise up into my throat, and I turned my head away to see Hermione, beautiful Hermione, crumpled up in a ball, her angelic face ruined by several deep gashes. Someone, (Dolohov), had snapped her neck, so I could see her gorgeous face, but the back of her body. I felt tears start to fall from my eyes. I blinked, praying for it to be an illusion, heck even a nightmare would be welcome except this. I felt something rise from within me. I looked at my beloved friends' ruined bodies once more. I let out an unearthly scream. I screamed and wailed and cried. I fell to my knees, and pulled at my hair in despair. I cradled Hermione in my arms, my tears falling onto her delicate face, washing the dirt off her face. I cried for my sister, my friend who helped me through everything. I grabbed Ron's hand, Ron my best friend in the world, and pulled him ever-so-gently towards me, holding his hand tightly. I sobbed for my best friends, my family, and wished with all my might that I could just say goodbye. I wished that I could hear Ron's awkward, yet endearing, laugh once more. I wished I could see Hermione reading a book once more, see her roll her eyes at Ron and I again, clearly knowing more than us. I screamed, and cried, wishing that I could be with them.
Ron POV
"Harry! Harry! HARRY!" I yelled. He continued to thrash, pulling at his sheets, groaning and screaming. The last time I saw him have a nightmare as bad as this was when Sirius nearly lost his soul at the end of third year. He continued to scream and cry, and I felt fear start to creep up onto me. Harry never cried. Not when Cedric died, not when he lost Sirius, not even when Dumbledore left us. He always kept a strong face and never showed a single weakness in front of me. I knew he cried in his dreams, I had seen those tears myself, but he never sobbed. He never let out such a heart-wrenching sound like this. I grabbed him once more, and shook him roughly, hoping he would wake up. He suddenly shot up, his fist knocking me over. I groaned, and got up from the floor, and held my quickly bruising jaw. Harry was panting heavily, as if he had just run away from a Dementor. I looked at him closely, and I noticed that his usually vibrant green eyes were red from crying. But I also noticed the hallow look in his eyes that could usually be found in a seasoned Auror. I sighed, and settled myself next to him. He heaved in a great breath, and I spoke soothing words to him while simultaneously rubbing his back. I prayed that he wouldn't puke over me, as he tended to empty his stomach after a nightmare. Finally, his tears stopped, and I felt it safe enough to talk.
"What happened?" I whispered, trying not to startle him. He clenched his jaw, and swallowed. While I waited for him to answer, I took the opportunity to see if he had any injuries that he hid from Hermione and me earlier. He looked okay, I deemed silently, except for the numerous burns covering his arms.
"You… you and Hermione were dead. You were lying in a pool of blood, and you looked as if you were sleeping. And Hermione…Hermione's head was snapped and she looked like she had died slowly in pain. You were both dead. You left me behind," he whispered so softly I could barely hear him. I closed my eyes tightly, trying not to envision Hermione like that. I understood Harry's screams now. He started to shiver, so I wrapped his blanket around his extremely thin shoulders. I tried not to shiver myself as he started to describe his nightmare in detail. I cringed when he described my death. For some reason, the idea of my death frightened me to my core. When he finished, I hugged him, despite it not being "manly". Harry was my best friend and I hated to see him in such pain. He started to cry again when it finally sunk in, and I felt my own tears start to fall.
"I thought I was all alone. I thought that I lost my family again. I thought…" he cried. I hugged him tighter, trying to silently convey the fact that he was NOT alone.
"You're not alone, Harry. Hermione and I are right here; we're not going anywhere. Your family is right here. We are not dead. Do you understand? We are NOT dead," I said firmly. "We said that we would be here for you, and we are. We are not going to leave ever. You are stuck with us for the rest of your life, okay? Don't ever doubt that," I say softly. He looks at me, and a small smile appears. The sight of it gives me hope that things WILL get better. Because we had a friendship that would stand the test of time. And nothing, not even a couple of nightmare, would break that friendship. I had Harry's back, Hermione had mine, and he had hers. We were invincible together, and we would get through this.
"Will it ever get better?" Harry asked me. I thought about it, and decided to tell him the truth; I knew he would appreciate it.
"I doubt it. But like a scar, it will become easier with time to deal with. We might forget our old fears, forget the war, even forget the pain, but it will always be there, hiding…waiting. But Harry you won't ever have to deal with it alone. Just like how Hermione and I won't have to deal with our nightmares alone. We'll be together, no matter what. We've had to deal with dragons, teachers with two faces, Cornish pixies, Dumbledore's crazy riddles, and going to the library for Hermione. I don't think a couple of nightmares will beat us, right?" I smiled. He laughed, and hugged me back, before letting go.
"Thanks Ron. Thanks for being there. And sorry I punched you," he said, pointing at my jaw sheepishly. I grinned and waved his apology away. I slung my arm around his shoulder.
"Hey, what are friends for?" We'll be okay. We just needed time.
A/N: Hey everybody! So I got a burst of inspiration today, and I really love Ron/Harry friendship stories, so I decided to write one. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, and please REVIEW! I really need critique, so please, help out! Thanks!
yours in demigodishness
teamhp98