Second Chances

Summary: Two years after Ron's supposed death, he has a new life, a new love, and a past forgotten. Except for her. A sister's love will find him and the memory of a girl who truly loved him will bring him home. Sometimes all you need is a second chance...

Some called them the golden trio. Some called them kids. Some called them heroes. But tonight, all names were shot to hell. No matter how you sliced, diced, mashed, chopped, sauteed, boiled, or whatever the hell else you could do with it, they were three sixteen-year-olds scared out their minds. Why? Because in a few hours' time, they would go to battle with Voldemort, the most powerful Dark wizard in a hundred years, possibly in the history of wizardkind.

They were at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade, enjoying the butterbeer that may be the last they ever had. Everyone else had evacuated for fear of Death Eaters and Inferi and such, excluding Madame Rosmerta and her cat.

"I'm not leaving my bar," she had said, "It's all I've got and to hell with all of You-Know-Who's followers and werewolves and Inferi and dementors and giants or whatever else he's got under his command. I'm going down with this place. And to tell you the truth, having all his followers do everything for him just shows how cowardly he is."

Harry, Ron and Hermione all sat in silence as they slowly drained their butterbeer bottles of their contents. Harry had taken to cleaning his glasses extensively, Hermione was somberly looking down at her knuckles, which were turning white from clutching her wand so tightly, and Ron had suddenly become extremely interested with the fingernails on his left hand.

"So..." Ron said.

"Yeah..." Harry said back. Hermione reamined silent. She bit her lip.

"Oh, come on, guys!" she said, slamming her hand on the oak table, "This could be the last time that all three of us are together. We've been there for each other for the last five years, through thick and thin, and now we might die. We might as well talk to each other."

Silence.

"Fine. I'll start." Hermione said, turning to Ron. He looked at her in shock.

"What?" he asked. Hermione blushed.

"I've been wanting to do this ever since first year." she said. And then, out of the blue, she kissed Ron straight on the lips. His ears turned so red a tomato would be put to shame. When they seperated, Harry was staring at them with his mouth wide open, his hand in mid motion of cleaning his glasses.

Silence again.

"W-well...it's not like I'm that surprised. I had an inkling this would happen sooner or later." Harry mumbled. Hermione giggled. Ron began to laugh. Soon the empty bar was filled with the laughter of the three of them. Ron kissed Hermione on the cheek, and her face turned the same color as Ron's ears.

--

They stood at the end of a large lawn, at which the other end was the Riddle house. Of course none of them would admit it, but what else can you feel when you stand outside of the safehold of someone who could kill you in a flash. Why, nothing other than fear.

All of a sudden, Wormtail came out the door of the Riddle house. He looked around cautiously before spotting the three. His eyes grew wide and ran back into the house and to the lounge, where Lord Voldemort sat watching the flames in the fireplace. Wormtail scuttled to the edge of the large red armchair.

"Master, they're here." he whispered. Lord Voldemort turned his head towards Wormtail slowly.

"Get my cloak." he said simply.

"Yes, Master." Wormtail said, scurrying off to get his master's black cloak. He soon returned, then assisting Lord Voldemort to put the cloak on. They walked through the door, and out into the cold night air. Voldemort took off his hood slowly.

"Harry Potter. We meet again." Voldemort hissed. Harry slowly drew his wand out. Hermione did the same. Ron caught on after a few seconds and took his wand out too. They stood rooted to their spots. Nothing was moving but the grass in time with the slight breeze.

"Did you come here to fight me, or just stand there?" Harry said coldly. Voldemort smirked and pulled his wand out too.

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort cried, directing his wand at Harry. A green bolt of light flashed as the three scattered all across the lawn. Four Death Eaters in their masks appeared at Voldemort's side.

They glanced at each other quickly, and then ran at them with all they had.

--

The Death Eaters had been taken down, excluding Wormtail, he'd dissappeared. It was just Voldemort, who Harry had sworn that if either Ron or Hermione killed, he'd kill them. But it looked like the odds looked pretty slim at Harry surviving. Behind the gravestone they were hiding behind, Ron wanted to have a go at Voldemort, but Hermione wouldn't let him.

"Just stop it, 'Mione let me have a go!" Ron pleaded quietly.

"No, I won't let you!" Hermione pleaded back.

"I'm going to go no matter what you say anyway, I'm going." Ron concluded. Hermione said nothing. Ron kissed her one last time, pulled his arm away, got up, and ran.

"No, Ron, no!" Hermione screamed. A Death Eater, having awoken a few minutes earlier, grabbed the back of Ron's shirt and hurled him towards a gravestone. His head hit it, and he went cold.

Hermione got up from behind the gravestone and slowly walked towards the Death Eater, who had not noticed what she was doing. She stopped walking at about five yards away. Trembling, she drew out her wand and took aim. And then, just as a tear fell from her eye, she yelled...

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Her cry distracted Voldemort, giving Harry just enough time to yell the same curse. Hermione ran towards Ron's body and grabbed his wrist, feeling for a pulse. Nothing. Harry kneeled down, took her forearm, and gently tugged slightly. Hermione held on tighter to Ron's wrist.

"Hermione, he's dead." Harry whispered.

"He's not." she said, as though trying to convince herself as well as Harry.

"Yes he is, just let go..."

"NO, HE'S NOT!" Hermione yelled, facing Harry with her eyes streaming, "I know he isn't!" Harry's eyes were starting to stream too. Hermione fell against the ground, sobbing. "He's not...he can't be..." she squeezed Ron's wrist one more time. Nothing. Harry helped her up.

"There's nothing we can do." he said quietly, his eyes to welling up, "Come on." Hermione kneeled down and kissed him, then got up and hugged Harry. He was crying too. He kept an arm around her as they walked away, sobbing.

But had she felt for a pulse a moment longer, she would have found one.