1

Arguments and Anger

It wasn't the first time Ron and Hermione were arguing about food; Harry was getting use to it. It was only a few weeks after the battle, and already they were fighting.

"Ron! You eat like a pig!" Hermione complained, watching as Ron took his fourth slice of toast.

"Meh hu-ng-ry," Ron said, his mouth full.

"How revolting!" Hermione said, disgusted, looking away, her anger rising.

Ron swallowed, then mimicked her, throwing his head back, acting posh. Harry tried to hide a laugh behind a cough, but Hermione shot him a cold look, indicating she didn't find it funny.

They were all sitting in the Burrow, at the table. Mrs Weasley was in the kitchen making more and more breakfast, just to keep herself busy. She had been like that since Fred had died. Running around making more food than necessary, changing the beds twice a day, washing up cleanplates. The weird thing was that she was doing everything the muggle way. Washing up with her hands, knitting without her wand. Harry had never seen a witch or wizard do this (Hermione not counted). It was quite strange. However, it was just her way of grieving.

George wasn't acting normal either. He wasn't cheerful like usual, and wouldn't talk much; that was very weird for him. He would come over for dinner or lunch, but most of the time he would just stay in his flat. He hadn't re-opened Weasley's Wizards Wheezes yet

and he was talking about closing it down. At first he just said it, likeempty words, but the more he said it, the more serioushe got. Harry began to realise that Fred wasn't just George's twin brother; he was his best friend.

Fred's funeral had been a week ago. It had been hard for everyone. Ron had cried the whole way through, and Hermione had been supporting him, rubbing his back, and holding his hand. Fred had been placed to rest where the boys used to play Quidditch, which had been Ron's suggestion. It was just over the small hill from the Burrow, in between the 2 trees they used as the goal.

It had been muddy on the day, but no one seemed to care. After the service, it even rained. That night, no one spoke.

A few days after Fred's funeral, Mr Weasley went back to work. Kingsley Shacklebolt had been made Minister For Magic, and wanted him back immediatly. He was back working in 'The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office,' and was having a hard time with a muggle fork, that would keep stabbing the owner in the hand. The fork was restored back to a normal fork, however the owner, who had told many people about his fork, was harder to get back under control. It took the wholefirst week back for Mr Weasley finally to have everyone the owner told about his fork, and even harder to take away all of there memories. However, finally it was all sorted, and the fork had been 'disposed of'.

Ron and Hermione kept arguing for a while. It began getting on Harry's nerves, so he left them. He wandered out into the Weasley's field, smelling fresh grass. He couldn't believe Ron and Hermione were arguing again. When they were away hunting horcruxes they seemed to be getting closer. Holding hands while asleep, comforting eachother, and even having a kiss while the battle was going. However, due to the aftermath of the battle at Hogwarts, their relationship still seemed platonic, with just the slightest indication of something else. He knew that deep down they must be slightly aware of the others feelings, yet neither acted on it; just typical Ron and Hermione.

Harry sighed, as he fell to the grassy, muddy ground. He lay back, looking up at the clear blue sky. Big fluffy white clouds were dotted around here and there. Harry thought some looked like various different shapes, including: the ressurection stone, a gigantic quill, and a lions head. He began daydreaming for quite a while, thinking about Fred, Tonks, and Remus. He rembered that Tonks and Remus had just had a baby, Teddy. Teddy was going to grow up like Harry, without a Mother or Father. He remembered when he had seen the picture of Teddy, Remus looking at the photograph with so much love and adoration. Now, Teddy would never know his Father. He knew that Teddy knew about them though; he would make sure of it. "When Teddy gets older, I will tell him wonderful things about his parents," thought Harry. "He deserves to know how brave they were."

Harry began thinking about Colin Creevey. Colin had died in the battle. He rembered seeing Colin's body, pale and stiff. Harry suddenly felt guilty. He remembered in his second year, when Colin was following him around. Harry had began to get frustrated with that at the time. However, now he realised that Colin was only someone who was interested. Maybe he shouldn't have been as harsh on him. However, Colin didn't seem to care. He got himself petfrified, coming to see Harry, when a monster was on the loose. Even when Harry had been a bit mean to him, Colin didn't care. He still liked Harry. He fought for him. He died for him. He was dead for him.

Harry laid there for a while, letting his mind wander around. Many thoughts drifted into his head; his parents, Sirius, even Dudley and the Durselys. They probably didn't care if they ever saw him again. He was just their 'freak' nephew. They wouldn't be happy with him; they would have a go at him, for putting their lives at risk, for being the culprit of their many problems.

Harry stopped himself thinking about the them. They weren't worth thinking about. He should be thinking of people who deserved it, like the Weasleys. Suddenly, a certain Weasley girl popped into his head, a girl very special to him; Ginny. Harry hadn't spoken to Ginny much after the battle. He said "Hi," and "Good Morning," but really only stuff like that. He had held her hand at the Funeral however, but not many words had been was like for some reason he was scared to talk to her, scared of what she would say. He knew deep inside that he shouldn't be. It was Ginny, for Merlins Beard. Ginny. Why, of all people, should he be scared of Ginny? Ginny, who was warm-hearted and pure. Ginny who was loving and caring. Why was he afraid?

Ron and Hermione joined Harry after a few minutes. Neither of them spoke, as they sat down beside him. Ron's bright red hair began to move in the wind, stray hairs flying in all different directions. They all sat together for a while, silently in eachothers presence. It wasn't an awkward silence, but a comfortable one. Harry didn't know what to say, so he just laid back, letting someone else start the conversation.

Eventually, someone caught on. "Are you okay?" Hermione asked, looking over at Harry. Harry nodded, as he sat up. "What were you doing?" she asked.

"Just thinking about things," Harry murmered.

Hermione nodded. "I can't believe it's all over. I can't believe Voldermorts dead."

For the first time, Ron didn't shudder at the sound of Voldermort's name; he just sat there, nodding. Harry looked at them both, feeling love for the two people who had helped him through this.

"Thanks for helping me. I couldn't have done this without you two. You were both brilliant and helped me so much. I don't know how I would have done this without you being by my side."

Hermione smiled at Harry, and reached out and took his hand. The tips of Ron's ears went the famous Weasley pink. "I didn't do much," Ron whispered, his blue eyes staring at the ground. Harry was about to speak, but Hermione got their first.

"What do you mean? We couldn't have done anything without you! You sacrificed yourself in the chess game in first year, went into a hollow of spiders, despite your fear, in second year, in third year, well you tried everything to save Buckbeak, and Sirius dragged you in the whomping willow, because of your friendship. Fourth year, you were Harry's lost item in the lake, and helped save Gabrielle, fifth year, you fought and got hurt in the department of mysterys, sixth year, well other than snogging Lavender Brown, you saved me from Greyback. Remember? Before Harry got back. And you destroyed the locket, saving Harry first. You came back. " Hermione said that all very fast, and Ron was staring at her open mouthed. Then she said something slower, more meaningful, as she looked softly at him. "Then, you helped me after what happened, when we stayed at Shell Cottage; you never left my side; I needed you then and you were there; I couldn't have gone on without you."

It was silent for a while, as the words sunk in. To stop the awkwardness, Harry spoke up. "You did do alot, Ron. We needed you. Together, us three make something special. We have the soul, the heart, and the brains. Ron, your the heart, as you kept us going; you were the glue that kept us together. And Hermione, obviously the brains. Guess I'm the soul."

Ron looked at them, as a single tear slid down his cheek. "If I did so much, why couldn't I have saved Fred. I was there. Why didn't I do something? Pulled him out of the way?" Hermione's mouth parted slightly, like she wanted to say something, and silence bloomed again. Harry saw Hermione thinking things over, like she was debating something. In the end, she just reached out, and took Ron's hand in her own.

"I've still got to go and get my parents from Australia," Hermione stated, after a moment of silence.

Harry nodded. "Do you want us to come?" He asked her.

"No, it's fine. I mean, I will have to go on a plane, because I can't see my parents wanting to apparate. I read it's not very good for muggles. Can mess them up. And I don't suppose you two would want to go on a plane because Ron will probably start acting weird, and cause suspiscion."

Ron looked up. At first he looked shocked. Then he realised that Hermione was right, and nodded. "How long will you be gone?" Ron asked her, his voice unsteady, clearly still upset from the previous discussion. And Harry knew that Ron also didn't like the idea of Hermione going.

"Oh not that long. No longer than a week. I will probably go next week sometime." Harry and Ron both agreed. "They will most probably be mad at me. I can imagine my mum going nuts. She will probably start saying things like I could have died, or something like that." Hermione sighed, heavily.

"That's what Mums do though," Ron whispered, rubbing her hand. Harry didn't say anything. How could Ron and Hermione talk about parents infront of him like that. It was like if he started talking about how once he saw twins down the road. He knew they weren't meaning to upset him, but it did. He never would know how it felt to be called son. He never would know how it would feel to call someone Mum or Dad. The closer thing he had ever had to a Mum was Mrs Weasley. But that wasn't the same. He had no family left. Even Sirius, he God-father was gone. Everyone had died; for him.

Hermione seemed to sense that Harry was upset and quickly stopped talking. When Ron continued going on about his dad, muttering slowly, she gave him a cold look, the same she gave Harry not long before. Harry looked at both of them, then pulled them in for a hug.

They went back in, not long after. Ginny was up now, sitting at the table, having toast with strawberry jam. Her hair was as red as ever, hanging there like fire. Her eyes, warm brown, looked up at them. Her red lips curved into a smile.

"Morning," she said, softly.

"Morning," they all replied, at once. Harry smiled back, broader than Ron or Hermione. He walked over, and sat opposite her. Ron sat down beside him, eying him suspiciously. Mrs Weasley was now rushing around cleaning everything in sight, muttering words under her breath, that no one could understand. Ron watched Harry out of the corner of his eye, and Harry saw Hermione nudge him, indicating for them to go. They both walked outside again, Ron looking back over his shoulder.

Ginny finished fairly quickly, like she sensed something was up. As soon as she got up, so did Harry. She looked at him for a second, mysteriously, while Harry was urging himself on, inside his head.

"Talk to her, you great bafoon!" He parted his lips, saying quite quickly, "Ginny, can I talk to you for a second?" Ginny nodded, smiling kindly. She took her plate out to her mother, then began walking up the creaky stairs to her room. Harry was stuck to the spot for a second, then slowly began to follow.

When they entered her room, Ginny sat down on her bed. More posters of the 'Holyhead Harpies' were hung around her room, and a small picture of Fred on her bedside table. In the picture Fred was smiling, showing pure white teeth. He was wearing a jumper with an 'F' on it, so it must have been near christmas. Fred looked younger in the picture. About 16 or 17. He looked happy, and like in most wizarding pictures, he was moving. Harry smiled, as he reached out and traced it.

He sat down on the bed and turned and faced her. She was admiring something imaginable out the window, and he could tell she was as nervous as he was. "Ginny," Harry began. She turned around, her cheeks pale. "I'm sorry for everything. I just didn't want you to get hurt. If anything had happened to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. You are one of the most important people to me, and you have to understand how much you mean to me." Ginny's eyes began to well up with tears.

"Harry. I understand. I know why, but what hurt was that you still let Ron and Hermione be involved. I felt like I was left out, like always."

Harry was startled. "Dumbledore told me to confide in them, he told me to tell them. He asked me not to tell another soul, and I realised it was because of the dangers. Believe me, I tried to persuade them to stay, but they wouldn't take it. And I knew it would hurt you, but if I had taken you along, things would have been awkward, harder, and you could have lost your life."

Ginny moved closer. "I understand. I just always feel left out, being the only girl child, being the youngest, the baby. And that pushed me to the edge. I know why. It's you, your brave and noble, and if you hadn't, you wouldn't be the person I love."

Harry stopped. Love? "You love me?" She nodded, her cheeks blushing crismon. "I, well, I love you too." Harry blushed slightly.

"Really?" Her eyes lit up. Harry pulled her into a big hug, sighing happily.

They didn't say much more. Both couldn't wipe the smiles off of their faces, as they walked down stairs, greeted by Ron and Hermione. They both seemed to have known what Harry had spoken to Ginny about, by their faces; Hermione's was in a big smile, while Ron's was a frown. Ginny smiled up at Harry. He smiled aswell. Ron cleared his throat. Harry's eyes darted towards him. Ron raised his eyebrows, and gave him a dirty look. Harry swallowed.

"Congratulations," he muttered.

He stormed past Harry, and ran up the stairs, the steps creaking as he did so. Hermione rolled her eyes, as she followed after him, mouthing, "I'll speak to him."

"What's up with him?" Ginny asked 10 minutes later, as Hermione joined Harry and Ginny on the couch. Her face was red from anger.

"Oh, well he just is mad."

Harry looked puzzled. "Why?" he questioned.

"Because of what happened last time. You know, when you left her. He thinks that you are just getting her hopes up, then you are going to ditch her for someone better."

To Harry's surprise, Ginny burst out laughing. "I know that too!" She said. "But still, I want to have fun while I can!"

Harry looked at her weirdly. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"Oh, well, Harry, I know you are going to find someone better than me," Ginny said.

"No, I wont. I wont hurt you again. I promise. Didn't I just tell you I love you? " Ginny stared up at him, and knew he meant it. Hermione smiled a little, but Harry knew that deep down, she longed for Ron to be happy.