The black of the night sky spread throughout the house, covering it in darkness. The wind howled past the window, and smashed against the trees, shaking the house as the rain pelted against everything it could touch. The thick walls subdued most of the wailing, preventing the full extent of it to echo around the house. The warm blankets wrapped around her kept the cold at bay, but the storm still woke Hermione as she lay curled up in bed. Thunder was on its way she could feel it, and despite everything, Hermione still hated the sound of thunder, she hated the rumbling and the bolt of lightning that always came first. Shuffling backwards to be closer to Ron she found his spot to be cold and empty. Rolling over she placed her hand out of front of her, sliding her palm against the soft flannelette sheet, she found his side of the bed to be abandoned.
A sound of crackling came from behind her, then a small cry before the crackling ensued. Rolling back over, Hermione leant forward and turned on the bedside lamp before wrapping her fingers around the baby monitor, shaking it once, hoping to cease the crackling. As she leant for her wand the crackling stopped, and she could hear Hugo's cries. Not wanting him to wake his sister, and knowing that he couldn't sleep because of the storm, Hermione wiped her tired eyes before kicking back the blankets that were keeping her warm and slipping her feet into her slippers before she trudged half-awake to the door. Switching on the light switch in the hallway, it flickered for a moment before returning to normal, Hermione sighed, they needed to get the wiring fixed in the house. She knew the route to Hugo's room in her sleep, it was once Rose's room and she had stumbled down the darkened hallway for night feedings, changing of dipers and general soothing, she could find it in the dark, but something about the light in the hallway comforted her on this dark stormy night.
Shivering as she walked past Rose's bedroom door that was drawn to a close, Hermione hoped that Hugo wouldn't be too fussy, and wondered why she hadn't bothered to put on her dressing gown before leaving her room. The light wasn't on in Hugo's room but she could make out Ron standing in front of Hugo's crib, his back to her as he looked down at Hugo.
"Thanks baby." Hermione smiled, before walking down the stairs and towards the kitchen, knowing that Rose would be up soon and a cup of hot chocolate would soothe her back to sleep. Wiping her eyes again, Hermione reached the bottom of the staircase and yawned. The door to the kitchen was drawn to a close but light was seeping out from underneath it. Taking a few steps forward, Hermione pushed the door open and almost screamed at the sight in front of her.
"Hugo!" Hermione screamed, as she turned on her heel and ran out of the kitchen and towards the stairs, wishing that she could run faster as she took the stairs two at a time, leaping over the last three before sprinting towards his room. Down in the kitchen, a mug and a glass shattered side by side on the ground, as Ron stood in his pyjamas with the kettle fully boiled and a half made cup of hot chocolate for his daughter now residing on the tiles beneath his feet. He hadn't seen Hermione's face, just the back of her bushy brown hair as she screamed and turned from the kitchen.
"Shit." Ron muttered to himself as he ran out of the kitchen after her. A piece of glass pierced the sole of his foot but he didn't notice nor care. Taking the stairs three at a time, leaving a trail of blood behind him, he reached the top of the stairs when he heard Hermione's piercing scream, the scream that had pierced his soul in Malfoy's Manor, a scream that he had not heard since that day, nor did he ever wish to hear it again. And yet here it was, on a dark winters night, as he foot bled and he feared for the life of his family.
He didn't need one of his brothers extendable ears to hear the sound of his baby Hugo wailing alongside the cries of his wife. His mind blank, he bolted towards Hugo's room as Rose pushed her bedroom door open and took a small step out into the hallway. Ron didn't see her, as he ran into Hugo's room, his eyes checking the corners before he followed Hermione's screams, and found himself looking at the ceiling where blood was dripping from her stomach and smoke starting to spill around her, fire would be next he knew. A man dressed in black remained still beside Hugo's crib, watching Ron's expression unfold, from terror into determination.
The man standing beside the crib must not have known what house he was in, who occupied this house, or perhaps he did, Ron could not guess, and even if he willed himself to, his mind was otherwise occupied. Perhaps if this man knew who Ron was, who Hermione was, he never would have dared staying, but instead he remained, an amused expression clouding his face as he looked down at Hugo, and smiled before the fire bubbled onto the ceiling, spreading quickly as Hermione continued to scream, sounding just as desperate as before.
With a flash of his wand, and not a single sound uttered the darkly cloaked man was bound in front of Ron, gagged and bolted to the floor. With a swift flick of his wand, he knocked the man out and sent a howling message to both Harry and the Ministry. With Hermione no longer screaming above him, Ron rushed forward, picked the screeching Hugo up out of his crib and kissed his forehead quickly. He sensed someone behind him, even above the burning of the fire, and the cries of his son as he rocked him in his arms he knew who it was, bending as he turned, he gave Rose a small smile, and made sure that she did not look up.
"Rose, take your brother outside." Ron instructed as he placed Hugo in his daughters arms, she nodded to him and opened her mouth to ask something. "Don't look back honey, just run." Ron added before he turned Rose around and pushed her softly towards the door, this wasn't something that she needed to see, he didn't want her to see this, he couldn't let her.
Making sure that Rose was out of sight, he once again turned his wand towards the ceiling, just as he had done so shortly after he entered the room, only moments before the fire spread across the ceiling. With a quick flick of his wand, he attempted to put out the fire in Hugo's nursery, whoever this man was he had not used normal fire, Ron wouldn't be able to put it out, not yet at least.
With another flick of his wand, he removed Hermione from the ceiling and quickly floated her into his arms. Wrapping his arms around her, keeping his wand at the ready he attached a chain to the man, and with a smash he slammed the man against the window, sending shards of glass down outside. Without hesitation, he sent the man to the front lawn, binding him to the ground with a simple flick before Ron jumped out of the window himself, Hermione in hand. Using the same spell she had used in the tunnels at Gringotts he softened their landing. Making sure that he was far enough away from the burning house that the fire would not reach them for a minute or so, he kept one arm wrapped around Hermione, as he slid to the ground, letting Hermione's body rest on his knees, as he cradled her head with his hand.
"Rose! Come here Rosie!" Ron cried as he saw Rose shivering as she ran across the lawn with Hugo in her arms. Rose turned at once and ran towards her parents, tears streaming down her face as she stumbled but did not fall before collapsing beside her father. "You did good Rosie, just keep holding onto Hugo for me ok? Mummy's fine baby, we just need to get her to Auntie Fleur." Ron added as he used his free hand, the one not yet smeared with blood to place it on Rose's shoulder, pulling her into a hug with one arm, he tried to keep her safe and calm her down.
"At St Mungo's?" Rose almost whispered, as she hugged Hugo closer to her, kissing his forehead as she broke the mutterings of 'It's okay Hugo's for the first time since she left his nursery.
"Yes Rosie." Ron answered his shaking daughter, as his eyes examined Hermione's wound. It was deep, but that was all there was, a wound to her stomach, she wasn't burnt to a crisp, his silent spell had saved her from that fate. He had put her to sleep as he protected her, and put her screams on repeat to prevent the man beside Hugo to make a move. "Merlin." Ron muttered to himself, so quietly that even Rose could not hear him, even with her tiny frame so close to her father as she kept a tight grip on her brother, and watched her brothers little face, red from the wind and wet from the rain. Beside him, Rose was shaking more from the cold than from fear as she focussed on her baby brother and clung tightly onto Ron with her free hand.
Cracks came from all around them, and Rose looked up from Hugo to see her Auntie's face. Ginny looked down at Hermione for a second before her eyes met Ron's, they met only for a second but she knew just what he was saying, nodding she ran towards Rose and Hugo, smiling at Rose warmly as she scooped the two of them up in her arms.
"It's okay Rosie." Ron said quietly as Ginny prised Rose's fingers from their tight grip on Ron's shirt before Ginny took a step back and with a crack, she disapparated, taking his children with her. His grip on Hermione still tight, he turned to Shacklebolt. "It's fiendfyre." Ron informed him, before nodding to the house, where the fire was spilling out and coming towards Hermione at a rapid pace.
"This is his doing?" Shacklebolt asked as he and three others pointed their wands towards the fire. Ron nodded. "We'll meet you at St Mungo's. Don't worry, we'll take care of him." Shacklebolt gestured in the cloaked mans direction with a heavy look on his face. Again, Ron nodded. Beside him, Harry was staring down at Hermione and Ron is disbelief, wondering why on earth this was happening.
With Harry gaping down at Hermione, Ron grabbed his hand that lay limp by his side and apparated the three of them to St Mungo's. His voice didn't work, he couldn't yell at the healers, all he could do was feel useless, as he acknowledged the fact that he knew no spell to help Hermione. Looking up, Ron saw a flash of blonde hair, and couldn't help but smile at Fleur who stood above him, she had nursed Hermione back to health after the Malfoys Manor, she could help her now. Fleur smiled reassuringly down at him as she pried Hermione from his grip, for a second he refused to let go, and then his brain started working again and he helped her onto the stretcher Fleur had made before stepping back and watching in silence as Fleur and two other healers whisked her out of the room.
Harry said nothing, but stood in silence beside Ron for a few seconds, not allowing himself to think, as his mouth refused to open, refused to work, and his heart felt like it would rip a hole in his chest. Taking a shallow breath in, he moved slightly and wrapped his arms around Ron. Ron stood stiff for a moment before sinking into it, his arms wrapping around Harry as the silent tears rolled down his cheeks and down Harry's back, and Harry's own tears streamed down his face, splattering on Ron's back as their grip on one another tightened.
"I can't leave, but I want to see them." Ron breathed after several minutes of silence, he didn't know how long they stood there and he didn't care. Hermione was alive, he knew that, and she could, she would, live through this, but he needed to be with Rose, she would be petrified, Hugo wouldn't understand it, he wouldn't be bothered by it, but Ron still needed to be with Hugo too, he needed to be with his children.
"I know." Harry whispered into Ron's ear as he pulled him closer. Ron and Hermione were his best friends, Ron was his first friend, and they were without a doubt his closest friends. This wasn't as hard on him as it was on Ron, but it almost was. He couldn't leave her either, and he knew how hard it was for Ginny to leave them at the house, but she needed to look after her niece and baby nephew.
"I don't want to wake them." Ron said, pulling back, out of the hug that had kept the two of them comforted for the past ten or so minutes. Looking into Harry's dark green eyes he knew that Harry knew what he was thinking, and if Ron wasn't such a wreck he would know exactly what Harry was thinking too.
"Do you really think they'll be sleeping? Hugo might be, but Rose won't be. Do you remember when Arthur was here after being attacked by that snake?" Harry asked. Ron thought for a moment, remembering how they all sat in that kitchen, waiting, nervously, anxiously waiting, as Ginny willed herself not to fall asleep. Even after everything, that night was still one of the scariest for him.
"Can you get them for me?" Ron asked. His blue eyes had no sparkle left in them as he looked at Harry who nodded in reply. Ron's eyes were puffy, and his pyjamas blood stained. He had smoke from the fire covering his skin, parts of his skin was singed along with small patches of his pyjamas, but he didn't notice it, they weren't deep, and his family was all he could think about right now.
"Ginny will want to come but I..." Harry started. They had three little ones of their own and they could hardly get a babysitter at this time, he didn't want to wake them and from the look on Ron's face he knew that Ron agreed.
"I know." Ron said, giving Harry a small smile. Harry nodded and turned, taking a few steps forward before he disapparated with a crack. Alone for the first time since what felt like a life time ago Ron took a quick sharp breath before stumbling backwards and leaning against the wall, thinking of the last time he was alone. When he stood in the kitchen making his daughter and his wife a hot chocolate, knowing they would both be awake due to the storm and a pouring a glass of water for himself, a peaceful time that seemed unimaginable now.
Closing his eyes for a moment, Ron's head swam with images, images that created a nightmare, a nightmare that had already come true. Pushing open his eyes he found himself staring at the face of a healer, he smiled up at Ron, and Ron felt safe, he recognised him for when he was last here visiting one of the Auror's on his team who broke a few bones on a mission. For a second Ron was unsure what the healer wanted, then he knew, opening his mouth to protest, he was too late, the healer had already put him to sleep, knowing it was the best way to heal him quickly.
The healer flicked his wand, and lowered Ron onto a makeshift stretcher, before wheeling him out of the room. He could see the blood stained footprints on the floor and cleaned them with another flick of his wand, before pushing him down the corridor, surveying his injuries as he did so. His face impassive, the man disappeared from the hallway, and reappeared in the one of their working rooms, or as Muggle's called them, operating rooms. Unconscious and unaware, Ron lay on the stretcher than transformed into a bed below him, his mind blissfully blank, as he thought of nothing, not the sight he saw in his sons nursery, not his brother dying, and not any of the other unpleasant memories stored in his mind.
Over at Grimmauld house, where the fire was burning in its proper place, Rose was warm, dry and dressed in some of Albus' clothes. The three Potter children were still asleep in their beds, and Hugo was cradled in Ginny's arms as Rose stared blankly at the hot chocolate sitting on the table in front of her. A crack came from outside, and the door opened and shut almost soundlessly, but enough for Rose to be off the chair and onto her feet, running to the kitchen door and looking up the stairs expectantly.
"Rosie!" Harry exclaimed as he lifted Rose up off the floor and hugged her tightly as he walked into the kitchen. Still holding Rose in his arms, he made his way towards Ginny, kissed her on the cheek and then sat down where Rose had been sitting, with Rose resting on his knees. Just like her mother Rose was full of questions, she opened her little mouth to ask as she looked into Harry's eyes, a worried expression covering her face. "Auntie Fleur is taking care of Mummy and Daddy is missing you both." Harry added, smiling down at Rose, as he felt Ginny's eyes on him, she was nervous for news as well.
"Can we go now?" Rose asked as she loosened her grip on Harry and made a move to stand up.
"Not just yet, first you need to drink your hot chocolate." Ginny answered for Harry. Rose turned to face Ginny and nodded solemnly, before leaning forward and picking up the mug of hot chocolate and raising it to her lips, taking a small sip before she rested it back down on the table, it was still a little too hot for her.
Standing up, Harry raised his niece above him, smiling up at her before placing her back on her seat and walking over to Ginny. Leaning forward and kissing her softly on the lips this time, his lips lingered above hers for a moment before he breathed, "Ron needs to be checked out, we shouldn't take Rose before he's awake. I can stay." Ginny nodded and smiled gratefully at his last three words. Handing Hugo to Harry, Ginny rose quickly from her seat.
"Can I come?" Rose asked, her bright blue eyes looking up at Ginny, a hopeful expression on her face. Without answering Ginny walked towards Rose and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a hug, before kissing her cheek.
"Not yet Rosie, but you'll go soon." Ginny answered, as her head hovered in front of Rose's and her hands lay lightly on her shoulders. Rose sighed and nodded, before extending her hand out to reach her mug. With a flick of her wand, Ginny lowered the temperature of her hot chocolate.
Now that Rose's back was facing her, Ginny looked over at Harry, asking him without words how bad it really was, Harry shrugged, he really had no idea. Turning, Ginny grabbed a handful of floo powder before she stepped into the fire and with a bright green flash disappeared, leaving Harry alone with the children, a tired look on his face as he talked to Rose and rocked Hugo in his arms.