A/N: I don't own Harry Potter. Enjoy:
After the initial shock passed, after there were no more tears to cry, no more walls to hit, Ron decided to get out of his room. He had been staying in there for the past week.
After he died—Voldemort, ha, he could say his name— Ron was incredibly happy: his best friend was alive, his other best friend was currently his girlfriend and they had won the war. But then reality kicked in. Fred, Lupin, Tonks and so many others.
Fred was the biggest pain of all for him. There was no day without night. No cold without warm. No Forge without Gred. It was impossible to understand that his brother was dead.
When he stepped out of the room for the first time he found himself in the dark hall.
From his left he heard some loud noises. It was probably Percy, who moved in for a while, and who had been working on useless devices ever since. This was his way to block the memories off, keep himself busy.
From the right he heard loud music. It was Ginny, trying to cover her chat with Harry (yes, his best friend remained at The Burrow, feeling like an intruder but being welcomed like a part of the family). From downstairs he could hear his mom washing the dishes. Poor mum, she was broken—
"My dear, thank God you came! Maybe now he'll listen! Maybe now he'll come and eat something! I've lost my son, I'm not going to lose another! I'm begging you Hermione, do something!" his mother's loud voice said.
Ron's breath caught in his throat. Hermione.
He stood there for a second, then ran off the stairs, entered the kitchen, ignored his mother's cries,—"Finally, Ronald!" – and bumped into Hermione. She tensed for a second, then relaxed in his embrace and moved her fingers trough his hair gently.
"It's okay. I'm here," she said softly. "Just…let me get more comfortable, okay?"
He chuckled and let go of her. She was still fully dressed, coat and all. She had been to Australia to find her parents. He had no idea how on Merlin's pants she managed to find them so easy, but she was Hermione. He shouldn't be surprised. She gave them their old memories back, lived with them for a week (they were her parents after all), then came to The Burrow.
She explained this at a cup of hot chocolate, to Ron, Harry and Ginny. They were in the living room. Everyone else was off doing something else.
"So…Ron, I heard you've been hiding in your room while I was gone," she accused him.
The ginger boy felt his ears redden but didn't reply.
"Yes," Ginny said in his place, "he hid like a mass murderer or something. He didn't eat, didn't say a word to any of us. I'm even surprised you haven't grown roots, big brother. Look, I'm going to meet Luna. I'll see you later. Bye Harry," she giving him a peck, "bye Hermione, bye Root."
They chuckled and Harry looked sheepishly at them.
"Uhm, guys. I've got a problem."
"Please tell me you're not proposing to Ginny," Ron said with a horrified voice.
"No. My problem starts with 'T' and ends with 'eddy'."
"Teddy. I don't see how that is a problem," Hermione smiled. "He's your godson, isn't that wonderful?"
"Yes, great, and I'm proud of that title. But how the hell am I supposed to take care of him?"
"You're not. Andromeda takes care of him," the girl insisted.
"I know, for now, but I thought that maybe…I don't know, after I get a job and everything, I might take him in."
"That's lovely, Harry! I'm sure Teddy will love it with you. Andromeda will teach you how to take care of him and all, so you'll manage!" she added, supportive as ever.
"Just a thing, mate. Where are you going to live?" Ron asked ingenuous.
"I've got money. I thought I'd buy an apartment."
"Let's not tell mum, or she'll tie him to a chair."
"Um, Harry," Hermione butted in. "Ron. I…I want to go back at Hogwarts."
"Yes, I'll miss it too, Hermione, but you don't get money from Hogwarts," Ron rolled his eyes.
"No, I mean go back. We've missed our seventh year, remember? I'm set on doing it."
"No!" Ron exclaimed narrowing his eyes.
"Good for you, Hermione," Harry smiled. "I want to take my tests to become an Auror. I've got what I need."
"Besides, you're The Boy Who Lived," the girl said with a proud smile.
"Yes, and you're the Smartest Your Age," Ron said staring at her mouth. After Malfoy made her teeth grow bigger and she made them back, she let the spell fix her too big teeth. Now her smile was marvelous, since she always had really white teeth.
He had to fight the urge to kiss her (he didn't want to disgust Harry like Harry disgusted him when he was kissing Ginny), but it was really hard, since she kept looking so gorgeous.
"Thank you Ron, but I've got to live up to that name, don't I?"
"Yes, but you don't have to go back at Hogwarts to prove that."
"I know."
"So don't."
"Why?"
"Because I'll miss you."
Silence. Ron just expressed his feelings. This was rare.
"That's very sweet, but we'll see each other a lot!"
"Not enough."
"Twice a week isn't enough?"
Harry rolled his eyes. Here goes the bickering again. He was used to it, but not with the declarations.
"The hell it is! After I've lived with you in a tent for a year you ask me to see you twice a week?"
"I don't see you asking Harry to see you more often, and you've lived with him in a tent too!"
"I'm not in love with Harry, Hermine."
Silence again.
"I'm still going to Hogwarts."
Ron started mumbling something. Harry smiled at Hermione and gave her two thumbs up. Most girls would swoon and batter their eyelashes if they were told something like that. Hermione just felt really warm and fuzzy inside, but stood on positions. She really wanted to finish that year.
"You'll be in the same room and classes with Ginny probably. So we can go and see them together, mate," Harry tried to convince his friend. "We can pull some strings from McGonagall and get in whenever we want. So chill."
"What will you do, Ron?" Hermione asked.
Ron mumbled a response they couldn't quite make out.
"Come again," Harry said amused.
"I. Said. I'll. Help. George."
Both Hermione and Harry smiled. Ron telling what he felt. Ron helping someone because he felt like doing so. Ron offering to help. Ron being, well, Ron, but better.
"I'm going to eat, I'm starving, how the hell did I survive a week just with water and air, damn it! Bloody hell, isn't there anything comestible in this fucking house?"
Well, a bit better.
The Trio was going to be broken. Harry becoming an Auror. Hermione back at Hogwarts. Ron on Diagon Alley, helping George with the shop.
It was going to be a hard year, away from each other, with pain to swallow, emptiness to fill and lots of people to help. After the great battle the castle was a ruin. It needed to be mended.
And they all offered to help.
It was going to be hard, but worth it.
Harry smiled, playing with the ring in his pocket. Of course he told Ron he wasn't going to propose to Ginny. No, he was going to wait until she finished school. But he already had the ring.
And Ron and Hermione—after finally admitting their feelings, were the most discrete yet loving couple Harry had ever seen. And they were happy. That mattered.
No more Voldemort. No more pain.
Harry smiled. Yup, things were awesome.
That was it :).
It's over *sobs*. If reading the last book was awesome and heartbreaking at the same time, the last movie felt like the final journey or something. I loved it, so thank you JK for creating something so epic!
Please review and tell me what you thought!
Anana.