Ron knew that it was all over. Voldemort was standing in front of Neville, his wand poised to curse him. Ron knew that after Neville, he was next. But they had to bide their time before Harry could get to Voldemort to kill him. The prophecy had to be fulfilled.
So Ron sat quietly in the dark, letting the evil wizard torture his friend. It sickened him to do it, but they had vowed to follow through with the plan. Ron just wished he had gone first. Then he would be the one suffering. He looked at the ceiling away from the fight when he heard the Cruciatus curse from Voldemort. They knew that there was no way that they could out curse the Dark Lord, but they had to hold their ground. Ron was surprised that Voldemort didn't just kill Neville right there, but he did love to torture. Voldemort knew that Harry would come to his friend's rescue, and that all he had to do was wait. He might as well enjoy himself while he waited.
Neville had insisted that it was as much his fight as the other's. He had drawn the short stick, and he wanted to do his part to end the man that had ruined his chances of ever knowing his parents. He was willing to give his life to see Voldemort die. Ron admired Neville's courage. He just hoped that Harry could get through the other Death Eaters to the dungeon where Voldemort was personally torturing them. Maybe then, Neville wouldn't have to die. Maybe then Ron wouldn't have to take his turn. Most of all, maybe then the third and fourth reinforcements wouldn't have to die. Hermione and Ginny were next, and Ron was just glad he wouldn't have to live to see his sister and best friend killed.
Technically, Hermione was supposed to go next, but Ron couldn't let that happen, so just before the Avada Kedavra curse left Voldemort's lips and took Neville's life, Ron was going to play the hero. Then attention would be distracted from Neville and Ron wouldn't have to see anyone die. Voldemort would be left with him to deal with and Neville could go into the darkness till he was needed again. He knew they had vowed to follow the plans, but he had to buy his friends more time. Maybe when he was done with Ron, Harry would be here, ready to put an end to the Dark Lord's reign.
Sitting in the dark, Ron leaned his head back on the stone wall. His thoughts turned to all he would leave behind for the fight. He knew it was worth it. He knew he had to help make the world, their world, safe for his nieces and nephews that would one day go to Hogwarts. He had to make sure that Harry's kids could someday live in a world where they didn't have to fear anything. Hopefully Hermione would live to have kids who could someday hear about what a great man her best friend had been. But he didn't want to have to leave his whole world behind.
The main thing that it killed him to give up was the chance that someday those kids Hermione would have would be his. He loved Hermione with all his heart and all he wanted in life was to be with her forever. He knew that they would be together someday, but he wanted to be with her now. The greatest day of his life had been the day that she had said that she loved him.
It had been the summer after sixth year. Voldemort had been starting to pick up speed again, and he and Harry had decided to enlist in the army to fight the Death Eaters. She hadn't wanted them to go of course, but she had respected their decision. They were about to leave for the wizarding world's version of boot camp when Hermoine had pulled him into the corner of the common room and professed her love. Just out of the blue. They had shared their first kiss that day, and he had thought about her the whole time he had been away.
Because he and Harry were still in school, they were reserves in the fight. They weren't called to battle until after graduation. Things were quiet their entire seventh year. No attacks, no signs of Voldemort whatsoever. Then he had struck. He had struck hard. The attack on Diagon Alley had been eight months ago. They had all lost a lot in that attack. Percy had been killed along with his wife Penelope and their two month old son. The Order of the Phoenix lost two of its members. Remus Lupin and Mad Eye Moody were missed at Grimmauld Place.
And the war had begun. The remaining members of the Order which now included Ron, Hermione, Harry, Neville, and the other four Weasley brothers plotted Voldemort's demise, waiting months for the time to come when their plan would happen. The planning session was hard and troubling, because the younger members were ready to give their lives for the fight. And they would have to, if the Prophecy were to be fulfilled. Mrs. Weasley had removed herself from all planning because she could not let herself hear her children resigning themselves to death.
The plan had been to lure Voldemort away from the rest of the Death Eaters and give him something to do while he waited to kill Harry. Neville had insisted that Harry would come to rescue him and that finally Voldemort would die. The prophecy was still a secret from the Dark Lord. He didn't know that it was him or Harry; that only one of them could survive. But he did know that he needed Harry to die. So they had banked on the fact that Voldemort would be happy to just deal with the teens until Harry would arrive. And things were going according to plan.
Fred, George, Bill, and Charlie were helping Harry to get away from the rest of the Death Eaters. The others had slipped through easily enough, but all of the Death Eaters wanted to be the first to kill Harry Potter. Harry had been held captive for the last few weeks, and the Weasley boys had freed him. Now the end was coming.
Now all Ron had to do was wait. Wait and think. He glanced across the room to the alcove where he knew Hermione was waiting, poised to sacrifice herself. He wished he could hold her one last time, but it just wasn't a possibility. Sacrifices had to be made, and he was prepared. Ron knew that he would die today. He just couldn't bear the thought of his little sister dying. Or the love of his life. He couldn't let it happen.