Warnings: Deals with death.

Challenges

Shipping Wars Competition: Romione Vs Harmony (HPFC) - Prompt #4: 'It Is You (I Have Loved)' by Dana Glover (song)

Greek Mythology Category Competition (HPFC) - 1. Aphrodite: Write a romance fic.

Word Count: 2,116


A flash of green. A flash of red. A wand flying through the air. A body hitting the ground. Then silence, just silence. For just a moment the entire room was silent before the screams and cheers began. Hermione Granger ran towards her best friend, Harry Potter, engulfing him in a desperate hug. One thought consumed her mind, just one. We've won. Disbelief turned to unrelenting happiness. She let go of Harry and looked up at the tall, lanky boy with freckles and fiery red hair. He looked down at her with an expression full of love and joy. And Ron Weasley was kissing her for the second time in her life, and Hermione was ecstatic. They broke apart and a loud giggle escaped her lips. Ron began to laugh so exuberantly that she joined in. Harry and Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, began to join in. This was the happiest Hermione had been in a long time. Finally, they were free. Yet guilt and grief were still with them, grief they would never be rid of. Soon everybody was in the Great Hall. Hermione sat with Ron, leaning her head against his shoulder as he stroked her hair. Across from them sat Percy with his arm around George, two brothers comforting one another in their grief.

"Hold me close and hold me fast, this magic spell you cast. This is la vie en rose," Hermione began to sing quietly to herself.

"What is that you're singing?" Ron murmured as he intertwined his fingers with her own.

"Just a song my mother used to sing to me. It was her favourite."

Hermione nuzzled herself closer to him. Speaking of her family was painful. Ron surprised her by kissing her softly on the forehead.

"Don't worry. They'll turn up. I promise," said Ron.

"I know," she sighed.

"Hope this is the last bit of trouble we see. It always seems to be us."

Hermione sat up and looked at him. "In that case I'm going to bed before you come up with another clever idea to get us killed, or worse expelled."

Ron roared with laughter as Hermione grinned. "So that's how it is, eh?"

"Yes."

They laughed a little more before leaning back into their embrace.

"I love you, you know," Ron murmured.

"I know," Hermione replied. "It's nice to hear regardless."

"And you?"

"Don't pretend you don't know already."

"It's nice to hear regardless."

Hermione looked into his eyes. "I love you, Ronald Weasley."

Ron bent his head and kissed her lightly on the lips. Hermione sat up as somebody came to greet them, keeping a firm hold of his hand. They didn't stay for long but it didn't matter. Just as they left they heard Harry whisper from behind, beckoning them to follow. They got up immediately and followed him out of the Great Hall where he shed his cloak and led them up the broken marble staircase. Peeves was zooming around singing a victory song. As they walked Harry began to fill her and Ron in over all that had happened. He recounted all that he'd seen in the pensieve to what he had encountered in the forest. Hermione was astounded and was only just letting her thoughts be known when they reached the headmasters office.

"Can we go up?" asked Harry.

"Feel free," said the stone gargoyle which now stood lopsided.

They went up and Harry pushed open the door. He let out a cry due to the noise that greeted them but seemed to quickly realise that it was merely the portraits applauding. Hermione watched with shining eyes as he and Dumbledore had one last final conversation.

"And then there's this," said Harry, holding up the elder wand. "I don't want it."

"What?" said Ron loudly. "Are you mental?"

"I was happier with my own."

With that he pulled out his broken wand and, to Hermione's astonishment, used the elder wand to fix it. Although she had said that it most likely could not be repaired she was sure that this extremely powerful wand had managed it. Perhaps there was nothing it could not do. Harry picked up his beloved wand and looked back up at Dumbledore. He told him what he planned to do with the elder wand and the portrait Dumbledore smiled with assent.

"Are you sure?" asked Ron.

"I think Harry's right," said Hermione quietly.

"That wand's more trouble than it's worth. And I've had enough trouble for a lifetime," said Harry.

The three of them laughed and Hermione flung her arms around Harry's neck. "I am so happy that you're alive. So so happy. But don't you dare do that to me ever again."

"Sorry," said Harry, his voice muffled slightly by her hair.

Hermione released him and stood back and held his hands, giving him a slightly watery smile. Ron put an arm around her shoulders, giving her a little squeeze.

"Let's go," said Ron.

~P~

Over the next week or so neither Harry, Ron or Hermione could escape their grief. They held funerals for their fallen comrades but Fred's was the worst. Hermione sat with the other two and Ginny in the front row. Ron gripped Hermione's hand the entire time, attempting to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. But they did fall regardless. Hermione let him use her as an anchor. Tears of her own fell thickly into her lap but she didn't care. Ron's need was greater than her own in that moment. She stroked the back of his hand with her thumb as Mr Weasley finished up his tearful speech. The wizard presiding over the service asked whether anybody else wanted to say a few words. Bill and Charlie had already said a piece together, George had also gone up, and Mrs Weasley was far too distressed to say anything at all. To everybody's surprise Percy stood up and rather shakily walked to the front.

"I-," Percy began. Ron's grip tightened slightly. "It is a hard thing to lose a brother and even harder when that brother was one of the best." He paused and took a deep ragged breath. "I have not been the best brother; in fact I have been one of the worst. Because of this I had even less time with him than I should have. If I had not let my superiority and vanity get the best of me that would have been different but, as it is, he was gone too soon." Percy held onto the podium for support, closing his eyes and attempting to steady his breathing. "Fred was superior to me in every way. You see he forgave me for my actions. He along with the rest of my family, who I am so grateful for, forgave me and welcomed me back with open arms." Tears began to flow down his face as he looked at each of their faces in turn. "Freddie, our darling Freddie. He died as he lived – laughing and fighting for what is right. You were the best of us and I- I love you."

At that his voice broke and Percy dissolved into tears. Wordlessly Ron stood up and embraced his brother. Hermione watched as the two of them clutched at each other for support. Ginny got up and led them both back safely to their seats, though Hermione vacated hers and took the one next to Harry in order to make room for them to sit together. She looked at Harry and saw his own tears there. They clutched each other's hands as the small wizard went to the front again and ended the service. Mr Weasley and his remaining sons stood up and levitated the coffin with their wands. They began to process towards the grave and the rest of them followed suit. When they reached the place they lowered Fred into the grave and stood back. The presiding wizard said a few more words, followed by each of the Weasley's lowering down a few keepsakes into the grave. Percy put in a rather beaten up teddy bear, while Ginny dropped in a locket. Mr and Mrs Weasley put in one of his baby onesies while Ron, Charlie, and Bill put two quidditch scarves in. George, meanwhile, pulled out a plain white box.

"What's in that?" asked Ginny.

With a watery smile George opened the box to show them. Inside was a box of puking pastels, some canary creams, a pack of muggle playing cards, one of their portable swamps, and an extendable ear. Hermione couldn't help but grin and neither could anybody else; it was perfect. George closed the box with a grin and lowered it down to his brother. The presiding wizard levitated the mound of dirt beside them and filled in the hole. He conjured a white marble headstone with the words Fred Weasley, Beloved Son and Brother – He died as he lived, laughing inscribed upon it. Mrs Weasley stepped forwards and conjured a golden wreath of flowers before placing it gingerly against the headstone.

"I will always love you, my precious baby boy."

~P~

"Do you remember that time when he -hic- tried to make me make an unbreakable vow?" said Ron.

"YES!" George shouted as everybody roared with laughter. "We could have had you as a slave for LIFE!"

Everybody laughed even harder at that. Hermione looked around at all of the faces in the room. Each was tearstained but they all had smiles upon their lips now. Most people had left by now and Mr and Mrs Weasley had already gone up to bed. There were a few stragglers; Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, and Rubeus Hagrid amongst them. Bill and Fleur were sat together, her on his lap as he stroked her long hair. Percy, Charlie, Hagrid, and Olympe Maxime sat together at another table, drinking whiskey and singing songs. Hermione sat with Ron, George, Ginny, Harry, Neville, Luna, and Lee Jordan. They were telling stories about Fred, reminiscing the good times. It felt good to laugh, something they knew Fred would have wanted.

One by one the room emptied. Madam Maxime had to guide Hagrid out of the tent he was so drunk as she took him home. Percy, Charlie, Bill and Fleur all went to bed at the same time. Neville and Luna went home soon after that and Ginny and Harry had disappeared somewhere. Finally Lee and George left Hermione and Ron to it as they decided to give a visit to the pub in the village. Once they were alone the atmosphere seemed to change. It was calmer than it was a moment ago. A song came on the radio and Ron stood up, holding out his hand. Hermione took it and they began to sway on the spot together.

"It is you I have loved all along," Ron sang along quietly into her ear.

Hermione lifted her head from his chest and gave Ron a long, lingering kiss. "You were so brave today."

"Really? I don't feel brave."

"Well you were."

"Thanks," he replied. "Thank-you for being here, with me. I- I really needed you."

"I know. I'll always be there for you, Ron."

Ron smiled and they continued to dance. Even after the song ended they danced and danced, not wanting to let go of one another. Hermione was resting her head on Ron's chest once again, lost in thought. Part of it was enjoying how warm she felt in the embrace. The other was set on things much darker. She looked up at Ron, not relishing in what had to be said next. His sparkling blue eyes bore into her own.

"There is something that I need to say," she began. "Something that I don't want to say."

"What is it?" said Ron. They had stopped dancing but he still had his hands resting upon her waist.

"I'm leaving for a while. In fact I- I'm not sure how long I will be gone."

"Why?" Sadness coloured his voice.

"My parents," Hermione replied. "I need to find them. Now that the war is over and there are no more funerals to attend…" She trailed off, her sentence unfinished as he turned his head away. "Please say something."

Ron looked at her again and stroked her face with the back of his hand. "When do we leave?"

Hermione blinked in confusion. "What?" she asked.

"You didn't think that I'd let you do this alone, did you?"

Tears of joy filled her eyes. She would find her parents and Ron would help her do it. Ron leaned down and kissed her once more before the two of them continued to dance into the night.