Disclaimer: I don't own them, they own me.

Chapter 1

The Deception of Silence

A very soft rain had started to fall through the patchy ceilings throughout Hogwarts as day turned to dusk. Minerva McGonagall lifted her wand momentarily with the intent of casting a shield but changed her mind. Maybe we need a little cleansing. She thought as she returned to the terrible task of identifying, and directing the removal of bodies.

She'd tried to round up as many adults as possible for this particular job, not wanting to give her pupils anymore memories that would haunt their dreams, however, it would be a lie to say she wasn't relieved when some of the seventh year boys insisted on helping. The ministry's attempt to bring in assistance was met with fierce opposition. Shacklebolt was able to convince her of the trustworthiness of very few. She resumed her work with the same determination and reverence as before when she was once again interrupted, this time by the increasing volume of Luna Lovegoods voice, calling from across the great hall.

"Someone," she was almost breathless, "someone, come quick." Heads turned and a few wands, out of what was now a defensive response, were en guarde. McGonagall started walking forward and then broke into a jog to quickly quiet the girl before panic set in. She stopped short a few feet from Luna, who was hunched over the body of Remus Lupin. Harry and Seamus who had just returned from Madame Pomfrey's make-shift mortuary just in time to notice the now growing group of spectators, broke through the crowd with panicked curiosity.

Minerva knelt beside Luna gently, 'What is it girl?'

'I can hear his heart beating.' Luna said through her trademark moony smile. Her ear pressed lightly against his chest.

Harry threw himself down next to Luna, at the head of Remus. He looked to Professor McGonagall for confirmation but didn't wait for it. 'Remus, can you hear me? Remus?'

The lack of an answer didn't dampen Harry's mounting spirits as McGonagall ordered everyone to stand back. She conjured a stretcher out of thin air, gently pulled Luna clear of the space to Lupins left, and motioned for Seamus and Harry to lift Lupin onto the stretcher. 'Take him to Madame Pomfrey's immediately.' She ordered. They were quick to the task. Minerva gestured wordlessly for everyone to get back to work. A few watery smiles lit dark faces as students, parents and order members all returned back to their grisly tasks. Minerva waited a moment then knelt down next to covered body that had been lying next to Lupin. She pulled the white sheet low enough to just see the peacefully slumbering face of Nymphadora Tonks. She put her hand on Tonk's chest and willed her heart to beat too. When after a few moments it failed to obey, Minerva kissed her fingers and placed them softly on Nymphadora's cheek. Tears welling in her eyes, she pulled the sheet back and called quietly for the two nearest boys who'd been assisting her. She swallowed her grief as she watched them haul her away, and returned once again to the bodies that were waiting for her.

Harry, Ron, Seamus and Neville were all huddled around Lupin's bed while Madame Pomfrey waved her wand slowly over Lupin's chest. It was oh so small, but undeniably there. A rise and then a fall. Remus Lupin was white, too white. The pale only served to more intensely set off the dark bruises that littered his face and neck, making him look corpse like. Was that why he'd been originally presumed dead?

"How is this possible?" Neville asked the question they'd all been thinking.

He hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud until Madame Pomfrey answered in a soft but joyful voice. "It must be related to...well, his condition. The werewolf in him."

They all stood silently. Harry looked up at Ron to notice that he wasn't watching the miracle occupying the bed in front of him, but rather the miracle across the room, bandaging up injured soldiers from the battle the three of them had managed to survive. He followed his gaze and his heart swelled impossibly more. Hermione and Ginny working side by side offering the little healing powers they possessed to anyone they could.

Ron's arms were crossed but his stance relaxed, his expression one of mixed relief and determination. Harry was used to the missed looks the two of them would give each other, and they were almost always easily deciphered, but Harry sensed this was a new Ron standing next to him. And this new Ron was not so easily read.

"Maybe we should get back out there. It's going to be hours before-, we'll before we can rest." Harry suggested. Neville and Seamus shuffled around the bed and started for the door but Ron was rooted where he was, lost in thought and still seemingly distracted by the girl across the room.

Harry pondered Ron for a moment. "Why don't you go let them know what's going on?" Harry nodded his head towards the girls. That seemed to be the motivation Ron needed, as he uncrossed his arms and slowly made his way across the room. Harry turned to Madame Pomfrey, "You'll tell us if there's any change?"

"Yes, of course." She replied almost giddily as she applied dittany to a number of cuts behind Lupins right ear.

Ron reached the girls before Harry, who had decided to hang back and give Ron a moment. Both Ginny and Hermione listened intently to whatever Ron was telling them. Hermione's eyes seemed to glass over as she exhaled heavily and put her hand over her heart, her relief obvious. Ginny just beamed. They trio seemed ready to disband when Ron must have been struck with something very great for he grabbed the hand of a retreating Hermione and turned her slowly around. She questioned him with her eyes for the smallest of moments before Ron cupped her face and lowered his lips to hers. Harry couldn't help but smile as he looked anywhere but at them. It was then that he caught Ginny looking at him. She rolled her eyes but her smile from before was still plastered to her face. They both seemed to laugh but it went unnoticed by Ron and Hermione, who gazed at one another for a brief moment. Ron grabbed her hand again and let it go slowly as he walked away. Harry just waved at a red faced Hermione and followed his friend out of the hospital ward, and back into the sobering task of cleaning up after a war.

It was midnight before the Hogwarts survivors reached a stopping point. Families had been apparating and disapparating with jarring frequency to remove deceased loved ones. The injured had been taken care of and Hermione, Ginny and a few other girls had arranged to sleep in the hospital ward in shifts, so their resident healer wouldn't be overwhelmed. A few were able to start directing the repair of the crumbling structures surrounding them, and when McGonagall had ordered everyone to finish for the night, it didn't take long for sleeping bags and cots to start appearing out of thin air. Everyone spread out, seeking quiet, un-demolished corners and halls to finally rest. Arthur and Molly Weasley had decided to take Fred's body back to the burrow. Mr. Weasley informed his many children, biological and adopted, that he would return early in the morning to further help the clean up and check on Remus, and instructed them with weary, blood shot eyes to get as much sleep as they could. Everyone had tried to talk George into going with them, but he refused.

Shortly before 1am Ron had fallen into an empty bed in the boys Griffendor dormitory. He wasn't sure he'd even been asleep before he was awoken by a second body joining him. Bleary eyed he squinted in the darkness. Small hands forced him back down and Hermione's head rested wearily on his chest. He reached over her and pulled one of the partially open curtains closed before wrapping his arms around her and kissing her damp head. Moments passed and before he could drift back to sleep he felt warmth, and wetness penetrate his shirt. "Hermione, are you ok?" He rubbed the arm she'd draped over his chest. She nodded but continued to sniffle. The laid in silence for several moments before Ron decided he couldn't take anymore.

"Talk to me." he requested without pleading.

She turned on her chin to look up at him through the darkness. A moment passed and she answered him through her exhaustion. "I just... want to feel safe." She pressed her cheek back over his chest, and found comfort in the beating of his heart.

This left him almost speechless. Introspective. Once again, he was reminded, rather stupidly, that Hermione was a girl. He'd of course, noticed her feminine attributes long ago, but in this moment, it occurred to him that while he could tell what Harry was thinking, and communicate with him rather easily, Hermione was different. He instantly felt horrible. They'd all been through so much, but he'd never stop to think about how differently it all might have affected her simply because she was a girl. She was strong, but also delicate. Fragile, in some ways. It was then that his thoughts brought him back to a place they seemed to take him quite often lately. Malfoy Manner. He could still hear her screams, and remember the panic he'd felt with disturbing clarity. He could also feel something changing in him. His anger at what they'd been through was dormant, but there, crackling somewhere deep inside him, like the burning embers left after the inevitable combustion of the phoenix.

Pulling himself from his reverie he buried his nose in Hermione's neck and inhaled. He was comforted by the familiar girly-flowery smell that usually accompanied her. Ron regretted that he hadn't thought to take a shower before falling into bed. Despite the fact that she'd fallen asleep, he answered her earlier confession with one of his own. "I'll keep you safe, Hermione."

Behind the burrow, if you're willing to take a small hike, there is a hill covered in long prairie grass. At the top of the hill under an enormous willow tree, there are six tombstones. The day Fred's tombstone was added to the small family graveyard was exceptionally beautiful. The sun warmed everyone in spite of the cool breeze that blew through the grass and swept the willows. The sky was peaceful and the world around them felt calm. Everyone felt safe, which was something no one had really felt in a very long time. The ceremony was very short and highlighted by an appropriately wistfull Gaelic song sung by a brother of Arthurs. Ginny had leaned into Harry to explain it was a sort of family tradition.

Ginny Weasley had her own way of dealing with the events of the day, as Harry learned after the funeral. Instead of returning to the house with the rest of the family, Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him through the willow and deeper into the hillside. They walked hand in hand, without words until Ginny seemed to find what she was looking for. Another willow, smaller than the first and quite secluded. She sat first and when Harry sat next to her, she shifted, placing her head in his lap. The breeze managed to grab wisps of her hair and Harry found himself unable to resist playing with the long red mane draping over his legs. Despite the fact that they had just buried a member of the family, he couldn't help but appreciate the moment. No one was running from mortal danger, no dark, unseen force was threatening to take away something precious to him. Ginny was safe, and here with him. He took advantage of her closed eyes and studied the tiny, almost invisible freckles that created a path across her nose. Her eyelashes were darker than most of her brother's and long. She was far more beautiful than he was ever able to recall when they were apart.

They sat for a very long time before she spoke. "When I was four, my mum got this horrible statue. I think her great aunt gave it to her. It was supposed to be a fairy, I think. Anyway it was ghastly. It had this smile, but it looked more like a grimace or something and I swore to anyone who would listen that its eyes could follow me. I thought it was somehow alive. My mum put it in the garden and it creeped me out. It got to the point where I hated going outside to play. But mum loved it. One day I was outside playing and," She opened her eyes and looked up at him. "I remember thinking it was looking at me, and I got really mad so I took mums rake and rammed it as hard as I could. It fell and shattered and I was so scared I was going to get into trouble. Fred and George came out to see what had happened and laughed hysterically, and I was crying because I just knew I was going to get a spanking. Fred came up to me and put his arm around me and said "don't worry Ginny, you're mum's favorite. We'll just tell her Ron did it." At this Harry started to shake with laughter. Ginny laughed silently and her voice took on a higher pitch. "Then I got even more upset because Ron was my favorite brother and I didn't want him to get into trouble. George spent the next hour trying to talk me into blaming Ron, but when my mum and dad came out later and saw the statue, do you know what Fred did?"

Harry shook his head, genuinely interested.

"He took the blame." A single tear slipped down Ginny's cheek and Harry wiped it away. As he knew he would do for every tear that Ginny ever shed again.

They sat in an extended period of silence again. Harry wasn't sure if Ginny had fallen asleep or not, but decided he wanted to talk anyway.

"When we were gone, on the run…" He traced the outline or her nose and she peeked up at him out of one eye. "I checked the Marauders Map constantly. Looking for you. I thought if I could see the little dot with your name above it, then you were safe."

Ginny sat up slowly. She faced him and extended one leg bent over his lap. Harry didn't hesitate; he pulled her face gently with one hand and gave her the softest kiss. It had been too long since they'd been alone together. It had been too long since he'd even considered acting like a young teenager in love. And there, under the sweeping willows, hidden by the tall grass, Harry spent as much time as he could, just kissing Ginny Weasley.

Later that evening, after an appropriate amount of somber time had gone by, Charlie and Bill passed around mismatching glasses and started filling them with Firewhiskey. Molly shot Charlie a disapproving look but took the glass that was offered her anyway.

"Oi, listen here, Fred will be upset if we don't send him off with properly." He said loudly. "George, you wanna do the honors?"

George, with puffy eyes and a reluctant smile stood up. He took a second to think and when he raised his glass, everyone else did too. "Fred was a hero, a good friend and the second funniest Weasley in this family," he said with a twinkle in his eye. The twinkle remained, but was joined by a few tears as he finished. "and he will be greatly missed. To Fred." All the Weasley's, Harry, Hermione and Kingsley Shackelbolt gave a chorus. "To Fred."

Hermione coughed as the alcohol burned it's way down her throat. Through watery eyes she noticed Harry and Ron slam theirs back and hold their glasses out for refills. "How can you drink that so easily?" She questioned them.

They both had the good sense to look slightly ashamed. "Oh, you know…. sometimes in the dorms…." Ron replied, hoping his casual tone would sway Hermione's approval.

"Ronald Weasley, you were a prefect!" She chastised as she swung her hand at his arm. Though they both had been reserved in showing affection for one another since arriving at the burrow, Ron couldn't help but appreciate that little piece of the old Hermione that had just slapped him. He slung an arm around her shoulders, pulled her to his side and kissed her forehead.

"You are absolutely right my love, I am so sorry." He replied.

Hermione let out a nervous laugh and playfully pushed him away. "No your not." Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink and Ron suspected that it had something to do with the fact that he'd just called her 'my love'.

"Fancy another drink?" Charlie asked, tipping the bottle into her glass without waiting for an answer. Hermione was about to protest when he winked and said, "You'll sleep like a baby." Hermione blushed deeper and took a sip of her refreshed drink.

The comment didn't go unnoticed by Ron and he wondered if Hermione had been heard sneaking up to his bedroom the last two nights. The thought slipped away when Kingsley appeared next to Hermione and asked her for a few words in private.

She didn't seem the least bit surprised by his request, which made Ron insanely curious. He debated following them out of the room but Harry grabbed his elbow and ushered him to the other side of the house and out the kitchen door.

Harry handed him another full glass and Ron put his empty one down on a nearby chair. "You ok, mate?" Ron asked.

"Yeah." Harry took a good swig of his whiskey. "No. Look, I'm a little worried about Hermione."

Ron looked down into his drink. "Yeah. She hasn't been acting herself. She's sleeping like, 12 hours a day. Do you think it's just exhaustion?" Ron asked, somewhat hopefully. "I haven't had the chance to spend more than two minutes with her since we've been back. I-"

"Ginny says she think she's having nightmares." Harry interrupted Ron's rambling. "She's really restless. Ginny's had to wake her up a few times to keep her from waking up the whole house."

Ron frowned. "But she sleeps like a baby when she's in our room." Harry shrugged. "Hey, do you know what all this business is with Kingsley then?"

"Ginny mentioned she wants to go check on her parent's, hopefully restore their memories." Harry answered cautiously. This new Ron Harry had been noticing was stoic, calmer than the old Ron, but still unknown, therefore, not entirely stable.

"Shit." Ron murmured as he threw back the rest of his whiskey. He set the glass down and ran both hands through his hair. He'd forgotten all about her folks and felt like a world class ass for not having been more considerate. "Well you don't think they'll let her go, do you? There are still death eaters on the run and the ministry doesn't have control over the dementors."

Harry proceeded carefully. "I don't think it's a matter of letting her do anything. She's not a child, she's a legal adult and as much as I don't want her out there," Ron tried to interrupt but Harry charged on. "you and I both know she won't tolerate us telling her what to do. If you want a say in any of this, don't let your Weasley temper get the best of you." Harry gave Ron a knowing look.

Ron clenched his jaw but had nothing to say. Just then the door creaked open. Hermione sneaked out and closed the door behind her. "I've just been talking to Shacklebolt." She looked relaxed, happy. The three of them looked out into the vast blowing grass surrounding the Weasley burrow.

"You don't say." Harry humored her.

"Yeah, day after tomorrow I'm going to go check on my parents. Kingsley said he strongly advises that I don't reverse the obliviate spell just yet, but I'm finally going to be able to see them." The words seemed to tumble out of her quickly, a habit of hers when she was excited about something.

Neither Harry nor Ron said anything at first.

Hermione's smile became less confident as she noticed the scrutiny she was under from both of her best friends. "What?" She asked.

Harry was the first to speak. He pulled her to him and kissed her forehead much the same way Ron had done earlier. "I don't suppose arrangements have been made for all three of us then?" He asked, looking down at her.

Hermione looked a little surprised. "No, actually the ministry has arranged a port key for Bill and I to go-"

"BILL?" Ron exclaimed. "Why Bill? We've done everything together for the last seven years, what the bloody hell does Bill need to get involved for?"

Hermione was taken aback. Before she could respond Harry set his glass rather clumsily down next to Ron's two and grabbed Hermione by both arms. "Hermione, I love you, and I want you to be happy. I want you to exercise extreme caution and let Bill look out for you. If you need me, you know where to find me. Now," he looked at Ron with a warning glance. "you two have a few things you need to discuss rationally. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to walk inside. While I can still walk." And with that he reentered the kitchen. With the open door came the sounds of laughing and loud argumentative voices that sounded suspiciously like Charlie and George.

Ron breathed deeply. He took the half empty glass from Hermione and set it down next to the other three.

"Can we go upstairs and speak? Privately?" Hermione asked.

Ron nodded, grabbed her hand and led her into the house through the kitchen. They skirted the living room, climbed the stairs, and when Hermione tried to pull him into her and Ginny's room on the second floor, Ron beckoned her further and they climbed the stairs to his room. If they were going for privacy, they were going to get as far away from the rest of the family as possible. Ron opened the door and pulled her in behind him, then closed the door. He reached into his pocket and tapped the door knob once with his wand, locking it.

Walking up the stairs with Hermione in tow was easy. Turning around and facing her in a locked room was slightly less so. It occurred to him that perhaps the careful distance they'd kept the last few days wasn't exclusively due to the need to prevent attention from the crowd of people crammed into the burrow. Maybe insecurity played a part as well.

"You're upset." She said as Ron turned around to face her.

Ron nodded. "Yeah."

"Can I ask why?"

He took a moment to gather his thoughts. Things were different now with Hermione and while they'd definitely been kinder and more affectionate with one another, there hadn't really been a verbal confirmation of this change. No labels like, boyfriend, or lover, or soulmate had been used. Ron felt equal parts elation and fear as he realized where this conversation could lead them. Whatever existed between the two of them had been seven years in the making, and yet, everything seemed to be happening so fast. He weighed his words heavily.

Hermione wasn't sure he was going to answer her. "Bill can conduct business in Australia, something with Gringotts. If there's anyone watching portkeys, there won't be any reason to suspect anything." She supplied calmly. When she dared to look at him she was slightly taken aback. In the soft glow of the moon and the little light provided by a small bedside lamp, Ron looked different. Older. An air of maturity seemed to accessorize the knowing, confident manner in which he was holding himself. The boy she'd fallen in love with wasn't a boy anymore. He was a man. She shivered with delight and anticipation.

Quickly, without warning, the air around them changed. It was charged with anticipation and pure hunger. Ron ignored her earlier question and comment and decided to spend this time alone on something they seemed to need far more than verbal reassurances.

Staring into her eyes, Ron slid one hand behind Hermione's head and the other around her waist and lowered his mouth to hers. Hermione didn't hesitate, stood on her toes to be just a little closer and her hands formed tight fists filled with his buttoned white shirt. Their kisses were tentative. Soft, but with purpose. Ron pulled back and brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen out of her messy bun. He seemed to search her eyes, and before Hermione could ask what he was looking for he slowly lowered his lips back down to hers, kissing her with renewed vigor. The intensity between them heightened. For a moment she felt weightless and then she found herself sitting on top of a dresser, making her just a couple inches shy of Ron's height. She delighted in the feel of his mouth dropping hesitant kisses down her neck. She felt Ron's fingers come up and trace a line on her neck. The line Bellatrix Lestrange had drawn with the tip her knife. It was small, and not terribly noticeable, but being only a month old, it still had a pink tinge to it. Ron lowered his mouth and kissed it with reverence. Without thinking she parted her legs just a little more, wrapped them around his torso and pulled him just a little closer. Ron pulled his face away from Hermione's collar bone and looked into her eyes once more, but she wasn't ready to stop just yet. She reached for his neck and pulled his mouth back down to hers. Ron's hands found the dark navy dress riding up the sides of her thighs and slowly pushed the fabric a little higher, not wanting to push Hermione further than she was willing to go. He felt her fingers set to work on the buttons of his vest, and then his shirt. Her warm hands slid beneath the material, lingering on his chest before trying to push the clothing off of him. Ron was about to help her when a loud bang deflated the weightless feeling in the room.

Hermione and Ron stopped everything, his hands still under her dress and resting dangerously high up her thighs. Hermione's perched atop Ron's shoulders, underneath his shirt. They waited silently for a moment.

"Is everything alright in here?" It was Molly Weasley.

Hermione lowered her head, panting, to Ron's chest. Ron removed his hands from her thighs and absently pulled down the material. "Yeah, mum, what is it." He tried to keep the desperate frustration out of his voice. He could almost hear her wringing her hands outside the door, trying to think of something to say.

"I've got a bit of cake, and some treacle, downstairs. Perhaps you'd like to join us?" She asked hopefully. Molly had seven kids and was once young and in love herself. She was no fool and interrupting was her subtle way of conveying that there were in fact, implied house rules concerning her children and members of the opposite sex.

Her request was followed by a moment of silence before Hermione laughed silently into Ron's chest and he couldn't help but smile himself. "Yeah mum, we'll be down in a few."

"Wonderful, we'll wait for you before we dish it out then." She made sure to point out.

Once he heard her retreating footsteps he pulled Hermione from her hiding place inside his shirt and looked down at her smiling face. He didn't kiss her for fear of not being able to stop.

"Why can't I come with you?" Ron asked softly.

Hermione had been expecting the question. "I just really need to do this myself. I can't…, I don't know if I can explain it." Even if she wasn't sure of her motivations, she was sure of her decision.

Ron leaned on his hands on either side of her, and Hermione leaned back against the wall behind the dresser.

"Can you try and understand?"

Again, he seemed to search her eyes. Hermione was starting to feel slightly self conscious when Ron nodded and kissed her cheek. "Promise me you'll be careful? You'll listen to Bill?"

This time Hermione nodded and then kissed his lips once more before pushing him out of the way. He stepped back and started buttoning up his shirt, amazed that after spending fifteen minutes alone with Hermione Granger, it was necessary to put clothes back on. He watched Hermione try to tame her now mussed hair in the mirror on his door. When it seemed she was done Ron reached around her and pointed his wand at the door knob and opened it for her. She turned around, reached up and ran a hand through his hair, blushing as she did so and then lead him down the stairs.

Authors note: I've got a pretty good outline for this story, not sure if anyone will be interested, please review and if you have any good HP stories you could refer me to, I would really appreciate it.