Disclaimer – I don't own anything.
Authors note – There is this story called 'consequences of lost love' in which author continuously bashed hhr under the dillusion of it being a 'Realistic'. It was okay because of being in Ron's POV. But end of the story just set me off. Because it has shown whole wizarding world turned against them. So I am writing this oneshot explaining it from perspective which is not Ron's (not cannon but from above mentioned 'Realistic' story) Pov.
Do read that story before going through to understand this.
Consequences of Lost love…. Yeah! Right.
Nevil Longbottom was not happy. He just had heard from headmistress that Hermione was in St Mungos and Harry was demoted to a desk job in MoM. He knew since he read the article about Ron's death that something bad was going to happen. But to Wizarding folks to react so badly were not what he had in mind.
When he started dating Ginny, she never told him why Harry and Hermione broke up with the Weasely siblings. Being a patient man he was he never asked but it all came into light when Rita's article came. He wanted to blame the BWL, but didn't want to believe prophet without knowing other side of the coin.
So now he was on his way to Harry's home to know the truth and if possible give him support considering Hermione's condition. Headmistress told him that she was recovering a little bit. He felt guilty for not coming before but better late than never.
SCENE BREAK
As he sat on sofa in the living room waiting for Harry to return from playroom where little Jamie was sleeping, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. He didn't know how to bring up the subject. There was no way he would ask 'hey did you two really cheated on Ron and Ginny.' As the possible scenarios were running in his head he saw Harry return with two cups of tea in his hands. Giving Nevil one he sat on Loveseat opposite him.
"So you must be here to know if it's all true." Harry asked breaking the silence.
Nevil was somewhat relieved that Harry had brought it up without himself voicing it.
"I know that not all of it is true Harry, I just want to know which part is." Nevil answered, choosing his words carefully.
"Why don't you ask and I will answer if it's true or not." Harry said throwing the ball in Nevils court again.
"Did she cheat on him with you?" Nevil asked with a baited breath.
"Yes." Harry sighed. "But it was not as straight as it was portrayed. I realized I loved her almost at the same time Ron did. In our fourth year, But Ron always wore his emotions on his sleeves. I realized that by going after her I will lose Ron, so I diverted my feelings to others. But I failed and at the end of the sixth year I realized that I was betraying Ginny by being with her and thinking about other girl. So we broke up."
"So, were you waiting for them to start dating to steal her from him?" Nevil asked in accusing tone.
"No, I was waiting for death I knew was coming. I knew that there was death for me in future and didn't want to drag her with me." Harry replied his eyes drifting into nothingness.
"So, what changed?" Nevil asked to keep conversation going.
"I survived. You know sometimes you are so sure that something's going to happen and you prepare yourself accordingly but when a completely different outcome emerges you don't know what to do. Exactly same thing happened to me. I was waiting for death so impatiently that when it didn't come I did the stupidest thing of my life. I told her about my feelings. As it turned out she returned my feelings for her. And in the heat of the moment we kissed and that is how Ron found us, kissing."
"So you decided to start kissing without even clearing up your previous relationships" Nevil asked a sarcastically.
"We never said we were rightg Nevil, we are just saying that hurting Ron was never our intention. But we paid for our mistake by losing him as a friend." Harry replied.
"Oh! What about his family. Why did they abandon him?" Nevil asked hesitantly. Not sure about getting the answer.
"They felt responsible for us. Me, being orphaned from young age, not knowing what family is and Hermione because she sacrificed being with her parents because of this war. Mrs. Weasely thought that if she sided with Ron then that would mean that she is abandoning us in cold because we were not related by blood."
"But he was her own son. And don't get me wrong he was indeed betrayed by you. Why was he punished for being mad at you?" Nevil asked heatedly.
"Because we didn't know he would leave us Nevil, not for this long anyway. We thought he needed time to cool off. You know how hothead he was. He wouldn't have listened to anyone when angry that is why we were wating for him to calm down."
"You know for all his mistakes, Ron had a very good quality. He never abandoned me forever. He always came back. I was hoping that this was one of those times. But he never returned. So after a while we tracked him down, but Mr. Weasely Stopped us from approaching him." Harry said.
"Why?" Nevil asked perplexed.
"He said we were looking for Ron Weasely not Prince." Harry calmly replied.
"But that does not make any sense. He was the same person even with the different name, wasn't he? Arthur should have given him a chance." Nevil tried to make sense of why would a calm mannered man do such a thing.
"You have to understand Nevil that when Percy left the family even with bias towards weasely family he never abandoned his family name, so in way he was connected with them. None of the other weasely children needed to change their name to become successful. So for Arthur, name was not proportional to fame, and Ron changing his name was ultimate betrayal of the family. It has always been his nightmare that he could not provide his children with anything and Ron changing his name to survive just made it all the more real."
"What about Mrs. Weasely?" Nevil asked processing the information given to him.
"She just trusted him to come back whenever he was ready to. Deep down she regretted siding with us but never could say it out loud. And twins didn't know how to support him being his tormentors for earlier part of life. So they went along with elders. We never abandoned him Nevil. We just didn't realize how to apologize."
"Ginny told me something. That she was mad at him for living in self loathing and never realizing that others were hurting too. But by the time she got over that, he started using slytherine tacticts to throw off her game. He of all people should have realized the pressure of first game. That is why she never shook his hand after the game. Because that would be congratulating him on dirty game which Weasely's don't stand for? " Nevil replied remembering his wife's rant after first game with Ron.
"Why didn't you give any of us credit for our parts in war?"Nevil asked out of the blue.
"If you had read any Quibbler issue after the war Nevil then you wouldn't be asking this question. We told everyone again and again that war was not fought by just us two but prophet only told people what they wanted to hear. That I fought Voldemort with my eyes closed with both wrists bound." Harry said suddenly fuming.
"Why aren't you guys coming out and defending yourselves then?" Nevil asked confused. Harry accepting all the blame was the primary reason why he was inclined to believe the Prophet.
"Because people won't believe us. Whatever we say will be background noises at the best. People like heroes Nevil but they love case you havent noticed Voldemort is dead and dead people aren't very interesting villains because they won't fight back so I am the new villain. And second reason is because we don't want to." Harry replied and when Nevil looked at hi confusedly he continued.
"Coming out in open would mean that we are blaming Ron. And I don't want to do that to him after dying. He is finally what he wanted to be, a hero who is recognized by people. Even if I had to take the fall I am ready for that." Harry said and Nevil was reminded of the time when he was going towards forbidden forest to die because he believed it will save others.
"What are you going to do now?" Nevil asked somberly.
"Hermione will be released from hospital in a few days. She took it rather hard. Blaming herself all the while. You know how she is with the heart of gold." Harry said with a mild smile on his face.
"Yeah" said Nevil remembering all the times brown haired witch helped him when no one would.
"We will go away for a while until everything cools down. Not every wizard or witch is a quidditch fanatic. Maybe we will find acceptance somewhere. I don't want Jamie to grow up in a world where everyone calls his parents names. I feel bad that we could not do anything for the twins. But Arthur and Molly are coming with us." Harry said getting up.
Nevil realized that their talk was over so he too got up to leave.
"It's ironic isn't it Ron blamed you two cheating on him but goes and does the same thing to Oliver. He even has kid with Oliver's wife Sarrah. Isn't fornicating with a married women a greater crime than cheating on your boyfriend of few months." Nevil said. Hoping his words will comfort Harry a little and lessen the guilt.
Harry just looked as if he knew it all.
"Just so you know you were not responsible for anyone that died in war Harry. Until you came along we were even afraid to take his name. But you stood up to Voldemort when no one else will. You were the leader and far more important than anyone of us died in the war. You were hope that we can win this thing. Your parents and Serius were fighting even before you came along and were always targets. So don't blame yourself for their deaths. And it is not my opinion only. Many people out there still trust you."
"Thank you, Nevil that means a lot." Harry replied with a soft smile.
"Will I see you again?" Nevil asked.
"Of course." Harry said before closing the door.
SCENE BREAK
A man with glasses and black mop of a hair was staring intently at a glass jar. What is so interesting in that you may ask? But you see it was not an empty jar. This glass jar contained a beetle. And no ordinary beetle, an Animagus.
"You really didn't think it would be as easy as it was in my school days did you. You cannot sneak upon me Rita. My wards alerted me the moment Nevil stepped inside that there was an Animagus on him. You really pissed me off this time you know, hurting two of the most important people in my life. Ignoring to print the facts you led Ron to believe that we abandoned him. Well I don't usually do that but I am blaming his death on you; and then hurting Hermione by telling her lies. These crimes in my view are unforgivable."
Taking a deep breath and enjoying the beetles struggle Harry continued
"I want to give you a happy news Rita. You like eavesdropping on private conversations don't you. Now you can do that your whole life. You know why because I recently added a new ward. Your form is now permanent and you can no longer become human. Now enjoy my gift." With that that jar was thrown out on the street.
Yes things were not bright at the moment but who said anything was permanent. Breaking up with Harry did not stop Ginny from living her life and death of Ron weasely was not going to stop Harry from living his.