Time to heal
"Right then," Mrs Weasley said in a no nonsense tone, "we're going home, eat up." she told them. The Weasleys and Harry were sitting at the Griffendor table eating breakfast before they set off for the Burrow. Now that Fred had healed enough to be moved they were all going home, Mrs Weasley in her state of rushing and organising had not noticed that her youngest son, Ron and his best friend, Hermione Granger were missing, "come on" she urged them.
"Urm Mum," said George, "aren't you forgetting something's or someone's?"
"What?" She scanned the group "Where are Ron and Hermione? Honestly!" She turned and marched from the hall into the direction of Griffendor tower to look for the pair.
"Uh oh," Harry said, "I hope they've moved since I got up."
"What?" Ginny questioned before comprehension dawned, "you don't think? You don't mean?" Her face paled a little, "they'll be in for it now."
The Weasley brothers laughed "This should be good!" George exclaimed and they all set off after their mother. Mr Weasley at the back, stony faced.
When they entered the common room, there was a scattering of people in various seats and varying states of tiredness.
"Hey Harry" Dean Thomas said when he saw the other man.
"Hi Dean, did Mrs Weasley come in?" Harry asked a little nervously and he saw some of the occupants shift uncomfortably.
"Upstairs, boys dorm," Dean replied, "Ron and Hermione are still there, I don't think it'll be pretty."
"I'm sure she'll understand," Neville piped up, "after last night it's hardly surprising, not that it bothered you Harry, slept like a brick," before Harry could ask Neville what on earth he was rambling on about Mrs Weasleys piercing voice rang through the tower.
"RONALD WEASLEY! Just what do you think you're playing at"
"Mum please stop shouting."
"I'll shout all I want young man, is this honestly the way to behave? Have you no sense of propriety?"
"But Mum you don't understand" through all the shouting Harry did wonder at Hermiones lack of input.
"Don't I, don't I, I think I understand perfectly well. Now both of you get down those stairs now!"
"Mrs Weasley please," Harry had to strain to hear Hermiones whispered voice, she sounded exhausted, "don't be mad at Ron, it was my fault, I'm sorry, I just needed" the end of her sentence was cut off.
"I thought better of you Hermione, now both of you, move."
The dormitory door opened and they stepped on to the landing. Ron turned to his Mother to once more protest their innocence but Hermione pulled on his arm and shook her head. Ron wasn't sure why she wasn't more willing to defend herself but he acquiesced, and followed her. It wasn't lost on Harry, though he doubted Mrs Weasley had took it in, that they were both dressed in the clothes they had worn last night, which looked obviously slept in. They both looked tired Hermione more so, and she had a defeated and sad expression on her face.
They all walked in silence through the castle and to McGonagalls office so they could floo home.
"Mr Weasley, Mr Weasley, wait"
"Ah Neville," Arthur turned to face a rather out of breath Neville Longbottom chasing after him.
"Mr Weasley, its not my business I know, but its not how it looked, don't be too hard on them." Arthur Weasley thought for a moment and said
"explain it then"
"well Hermione fell asleep in the common room, I think she didn't really feel comfortable in the girls dorms, since Ginny was with you and Mrs Weasley, she would have been on her own. Well she had a nightmare, right nasty it was, woke most of us up. she was screaming and screaming, I thought someone was trying to kill her and I'm amazed that the one person who didn't wake up was Harry, he must have been really out of it."
"The point Neville"
"Right, well Ron brought her up to our room, she looked terrible, shaking and crying. She said something about Greyback. I didn't really hear, she was so scared we agreed she could stay with us. So she got in with Ron. Nothing happened. She just needed to feel safe." Mr Weasley turned this over in his mind, he didn't think the lad a liar, far from it, he was positive that this was the truth.
"Thank you Neville" he said and the younger man trotted away.
When they arrived at the Burrow Mrs Weasley very calmly organised the house, the twins were staying the night so Harry bunked with Ron once more and Hermione with Ginny, she allowed them to go upstairs so they could empty the beaded bag and then she just as calmly made dinner. The evening grew later, Hermione made a point of sitting as far away from Ron as possible. Mrs Weasley finally dismissed her children to bed and they went willingly, a little scared of the calmness.
"Not you two" she said to Ron and Hermione as they tried to make their escape. They came back into the living room and sat at opposite ends of the couch. "Now," she began "I don't want to lecture you but I will tell you, in this house there will be no funny business. I'm deeply disappointed in both of you."
"Mrs Weasley, it really was all my fault and nothing happened between us. I had a bad dream and I was a little scared so Ron said I could stay with him. I know I shouldn't have, I know how it looked and I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Hermione explained, teary eyed.
"it wasn't all your fault" Ron added.
"You were both at fault," Mrs Weasley snapped, "and it had better not happen again or there will be Hell to pay. Now off to bed." Arthur Weasley watched from a safe distance as the youngsters left up the stairs.
"they're telling the truth Molly. Young Neville told me and from what he said it was a bit more than a bad dream. He said she was screaming the place down." he could see in his wife's eyes that she believed them to, "I think that while they were away something very bad must have happened. It might be a good idea to find out what."
"We'll talk to them tomorrow." Molly agreed, and the adults to went to bed.
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The first thing Hermione noticed was how alone she was, where was Ron? Where was Harry? She was in a forest, it was dark and dismal and empty. There was a distant howling and her heart rate doubled, she immediately began to run. The howling grew closer and she could hear the crashing of a large moving creature heading her way through the trees. She ran faster and faster until her lungs burned, and then a great almighty weight hit her in the back and dragged her to the ground screaming.
Hermiones eyes shot open, she was sweating and panting. She looked at Ginny, still asleep in her bed. She sighed in relief that she hadn't woken her friend and she slid from the bed. She hugged herself as she walked downstairs and settled on the couch in the living room. She'd gotten so used to her boys by her side while they were travelling, that now she felt completely alone. She'd gotten far too used to Ron sleeping next to her, holding her through the night and keeping her safe from her nightmares. She conjured a blanket to wrap around herself and pulled her knees to her chest. She was tired and her whole body ached, but she knew that if she closed her eyes she would see Greybacks face leering back at her. She would feel his hands on her skin and most terrifying of all, she would hear him whispering in her ear. Telling her how he wanted her, how she wouldn't be just another kill, how she would satisfy far more than just his blood lust. She knew how close he had come, the narrow escape she had had. But in her dreams he was never stopped, she never escaped except when her own screaming woke her.
It was hours before anyone stirred in the house, Molly and Harry the first ones up. Molly by nature, Harry by habit. They walked down the stairs together and both were shocked to find Hermione sitting on the couch, hugging her knees and her eyes closing and then jerking open.
"Hermione, how long have you been here?" Harry asked her gently, crouching down in front of her.
"You look like you need to go back to sleep." Mrs Weasley confirmed.
"No, can't sleep," Hermione muttered, "have to stay awake, he can't get me if I'm awake."
"Who?" Molly asked, but Hermione didn't reply she just sat staring in front of her desperately trying to keep her tired eyes open.
"I'm getting Ron" Harry said as he left the room. Molly sat beside the girl, for the first time in her life she was at a loss what to do. Unsure of how she could provide the reassurance and comfort the younger woman so clearly needed. Fast and heavy footsteps told her that Ron was on his way, he strode to Hermiones side, kneeling down in front of her, without so much as a glance at his Mother.
"I'm here, it's okay, it's over, he's gone." he whispered and Hermione flung herself into his arms, she didn't cry, it hadn't been bad enough this time to cry, and Ron was relieved slightly by that. He shifted their positions so that he was sitting on the couch and she was cradled against him, "sleep now," he told her and her eyes began to close, her grip on him tightened, "it's okay, I'm not going anywhere, you can sleep, I'll keep watch." her hands relaxed and she drifted into sleep. Mrs Weasley watched the whole exchange in a horrid fascination. She felt like an invisible observer in the lives of her battle scarred children. She watched and listened as Ron turned to Harry.
"Did she tell you which one it was?" he asked.
"You know she never tells me anything Ron, she wants you and only you, but you need to get her to talk about it. I think we're all going to have nightmares for a while but," Harry hesitated, he hadn't forgotten Mrs Weasleys presence, she was silent, holding her breath as if hoping they would forget she was there and continue talking.
"I know," Ron said, "in my dreams I see him, holding her. I see the knife and I see the blood. In my dreams I'm not fast enough." he sucked in a breath their would be time for his fears later, "she's been like this since, well you know, the manor, after what they did to her and then during the battle at Hogwarts. I swear Harry, if I hadn't already killed him, I'd kill him again, but much slower." Harry nodded in agreement, remembering Ron's dispatch of the werewolf Greyback, then his brain caught up.
"Hang on, during the battle? You never said anything." Ron realised his slip, the small piece of information that they had kept from Harry. He looked for the first time to his Mother, who released the breath she'd been holding. He had so much he wanted to say to her, to tell her and part of him wanted to curse her for separating them when Hermione clearly needed him. He settled for a simple.
"any breakfast?"
When the rest of the family came down to breakfast, Ron was still sitting cradling the sleeping Hermione, a bacon sandwich in his free hand. Harry had stalled any potential teasing by explaining what had happened. Ginny felt awful, sleeping in the same room and not realising that she had gone halfway through the night. Mrs Weasley took the opportunity of having Harry on his own to attempt to get information, this wasn't unnoticed by the others and they all quietened down hoping to learn about the trios journey.
"It's over now Harry, where did you go? What was your mission? I'm sure Dumbledore wouldn't mind you telling us now."
"Yeah, share Harry, surely you can now." the sentiment was echoed by all. Bill and Fleur, who had arrived for breakfast, were desperate to know what had led the three to Shell Cottage on that night, along with a dead Elf, an injured Goblin and Ollivander. But after seeing their injuries and the terror etched on Ron's face when he looked at Hermione's battered body, they agreed some things were better left not known.
"I know you are all eager to know what we were doing, why we left, but I can't tell you by myself. That story belongs to the three of us and if we tell it then we have to tell it together." the table fell silent again and Mrs Weasley was frustrated, the not knowing eating away at her.
Hermione awoke a few hours later. It wasn't much sleep, but it would see her through. The Burrow was still full, and everyone was chattering and reminiscing stories to each other.
"Thank you." she whispered to Ron as she shifted her aching body away from his.
"Anytime." he told her. She placed a small kiss on his cheek and stood, greeting the family and then leaving to wash and dress. Harry quickly began to discuss with Ron what they should tell the family. Harry wanted them to know everything, wanted Ginny to know everything. Ron was happy with that but he knew Hermione would not be, she would want certain points to be left unsaid.
"It needs to be spoken about, she needs help and support. If there's one thing that I've learned this year it's that you can't keep secrets, you can't hide your pain. She's got a lot of love and support here."
"I know that, but she's not ready, I'm not ready."
"something happened that I missed, didn't it?" it was more of a statement and Harry felt saddened by it.
"Yeah" Ron confirmed, "and until she can talk about it then I won't."
Harry started to ask more but Hermione had come back downstairs, she didn't however approach the boys, she instead went to Fleur who was sitting at the table with Bill and his parents. She whispered into the French girls ear and she excused herself to follow Hermione upstairs.
They didn't speak until they were in the safety of Ginny's room.
"Is everything alright Hermione?" she asked.
"well it's just that, I didn't have chance to see Madam Pomfrey after the battle, actually I haven't seen a healer at all since we were at your place, I didn't want to have to answer questions you know." Fleur nodded encouragingly, since she did indeed know. She had been the one to heal Hermione after her ordeal at Malfoy Manor, "it was just I was wondering if you could have a look at some of my scrapes, I stopped any bleeding, but I'm no healer." the younger woman's face flushed with embarrassment and her eyes were pleading.
"Do not worry Hermione," she gave her a reassuring smile and led her over to the bed, "here, I just need a few things and I'll be right back." she knew Hermione needed someone to turn to and if she had chosen herself, Fleur, then so be it, she would do all she could. She ignored the many Weasleys and approached her own personal Weasley, Bill, "Bill could you get me your mothers healers kit please?" she asked him.
"Is everything alright?"
"I think so, but she doesn't want anyone else to see her, you remember when she was with us." he had only briefly seen Hermione injuries then but it was more than he had wanted to see.
"I understand," he told his wife, "You've seen her at her worst, she trusts you, I'll bring the kit up." he watched her leave and went to get the kit. After assuring everyone that all was well, he took the kit upstairs.
"Thank you Bill." Fleur told him before returning to her patient. She looked down at the messy knot of scars across Hermione's stomach that she'd seen before, she smoothed a cream salve into them, "I can not make them go away, the knife must have been cursed, but this should ease them." she moved to the fresher wounds, there was a raw looking scrape across her lower back which healed easily. There were small cuts on the inside of her left thigh and one long cut which ran from her right armpit all the way to her right knee.
"You put dittany on these?" she asked.
"Yes, they were quite bad."
"Well that was exactly the right thing to do. I'll put a bit more on and they should been gone completely by tomorrow. May I ask how you got them?"
"In the battle, Greyback, we had some unfinished business." and that was all she would say on the subject. Fleur knew all to well Greyback's handy work, after all it was he who was responsible for the scarring on her husband face. There were other than that only minor scratches and bruises which were cleared up easily. He didn't occur to Hermione until then just how many injuries she had received in the fight.
"you know," Fleur said as she stood with one hand on the door handle, "Ron loves you very much, that will never change."
"I know, thank you, I really appreciate this." Hermione pulled her clothes back on and followed Fleur back downstairs, feeling a little more comfortable now.
Ron and Hermione sat quietly in the afternoon sun, both quite content to just sit in silence in each others company. Ron knew Hermione needed to talk, for her own sanity, she needed to let out everything she felt about their mission, the war, Greyback. Not to him, he already knew, but to everyone else, she needed more help than he could give her. Harry was right, it's not healthy to keep these things bottled up inside and the two boys were hoping that between them they could push her into letting it all out.
"Mione," Ron said gently, "I'm glad you asked Fleur to check you out."
"She was really the only choice, there's only three people who've seen my scars, the two of us and her, and I needed help." she twisted in his grip and looked into his eyes, tears threatening to spill. She placed his hand on her stomach so he was touching the worst scars, "they'll never fade, never go. You'll always have to see them."
"I love you Mione, that'll never change." she smiled in relief.
"that's what Fleur said."
"Smart girl that one," he looked at a point over her shoulder, "Harry's coming." she turned again and made herself comfortable.
"Hey Harry." she called.
"Hey guys." he dropped down beside them, "I've been thinking, we should tell them what happened, about the mission. They're family they should know, the rest of the world can have the abbreviation but they deserve the truth in full."
"I'm not sure Harry." Hermione said, Ron gave a non-committal nod.
"Look there's moments that all three of would like to leave out, but if we tell it together then we can get through it. The parts that are individual to us and difficult, well they are our own to tell and if any of us find a point where we don't want to share it then we won't, it's that simple."
"I don't want them to know that I left you two," Ron said clearly still ashamed by his actions, "but I'm going to include it. If I hadn't then there were lessons that I wouldn't have learned and I wouldn't have found you in the lake."
"I don't want them to know that it was my fault that we were caught and taken to Malfoy Manor, I'll regret that for the rest of my life, but it was my fault and I will tell them." They both looked at Hermione, all she said was.
"Tomorrow, we can tell them tomorrow, but I'm not promising anything."
"Fair enough." Harry told her, "I won't say anything if you ask me not to." she offered him a weak smile, she wanted to tell their story, she really did, she just didn't know if she could.
As the evening wore on Hermione felt herself grow nervous as well as tired. She sat on the couch in the living room, trying to convince herself that she could sleep.
"Are you coming to bed?" Ginny asked her.
"In a bit." she replied
"Don't stay up too late." Mrs Weasley urged her and the family went to bed. A few minutes later Ron came back down the stairs.
"Mione, why are you still up?" he sat by her and put his arm around her shoulders, "You're exhausted." she looked at him, her eyes slightly bloodshot and wet with tears.
"Will you stay here with me? I'm scared to be alone." he smiled at her, kissed her cheek and lay her down with him on the couch. Wrapping his arms securely around her, she lay her head on his chest and drifted into sleep.
When Molly Weasley came downstairs, Ron was already up and making a pot of tea, he poured a cup for his mother. She took a seat and glanced at Hermione still asleep on the couch, a blanket around her, she looked at his ruffled nightclothes and raised an eyebrow at him.
"I don't need a lecture right now," he told her, "you'll just have to trust me, if you can't do that then trust her, she's earned that." he took a cup of the hot tea to Hermione and gently shook her awake.
"tea love."
"thank you," she told him gratefully, "thank you for everything, I'm sorry I'm such a nuisance."
"Don't say that, I'm just glad I can help, I love you, you know."
"I love you to Ron, I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Come on," He said and he pulled her up, "get yourself dressed and then maybe we can go out for a walk, we could go into Ottery ."
"Okay," When she left the room Ron sat by his mother.
"What happened Ron? Maybe I can help." she asked him.
"Not now mum. Soon, I promise." she nodded her understanding.
Hermione felt happier than she had in days, the walk in the village had been relaxing and fun. She felt that maybe things were going to be alright after all. When they arrived back at the Burrow however Harry was waiting for them.
"It's time." He said.
"Can't we wait a little longer?" Hermione asked not wanting to disturb the happiness she felt.
"No, everyone is here, the sooner we do it, the better. It'll be done and over with and then we can all move on."
"It'll be alright Mione, we're all here together." Ron said, squeezing her fingers and they all went inside and sat with the family.
"Here it is," Harry began, "there's going to be parts that you're not going to want to hear, I'm warning you now. There's going to be parts that we don't want to say, but here it is, for the first and last time, the whole story." He began to relate the story, starting with sixth year and Dumbledores lessons. They all listened with interest. Respecting the difficulty of the tale and holding back their comments. The story progressed, Mrs Weasley visibly blanched when he told of Ron's splinching. He told of the locket and how it angered them. When Ron spoke of his departure, Mrs Weasley exploded in fury.
"You left them? How could you?"
"Mum please, just listen. It was the locket, I've never felt as low as I did then and the minute I'd dissaparated I wanted to go back, but I ended up in a group of snatchers, took me awhile to get away and then I couldn't find them, Hermione's protection spells were too good." they continued the tale, many moments making the Weasleys' pale and upset. Finally they reached what they all considered to be the hardest part, Malfoy Manor.
"I did something really stupid, probably the worst thing I've ever done in my whole life and I'll regret it forever. I said Voldermorts name." Harry took a breath to compose himself, "next thing we knew we were surrounded. Hermione tried to disguise me but ironically they recognised her, Greyback recognised her, took him awhile but then he figured out who I must be."
"Greyback" Bill whispered. Knowing first hand what the werewolf was capable of, Fleur looked at Hermione who had paled considerably. She quietly stood and fetched a glass of water, setting it in front of the girl before re-taking her seat.
Harry looked at Ron for support but the red head was silent, clutching Hermione tightly. Ginny put her hand over Harry's. "Go on." she told him.
"The snatchers, led by Greyback, tied us up and took us to Malfoy Manor. All the Malfoy's were there. Draco tried to pretend he didn't recognise us. But Narcissa remembered Hermione from Madam Malkins. Bellatrix was there to." tears started to fall silently down Hermione's cheeks but Harry continued, dragging the words out and hoping for a sign from his friend telling him what to do, giving him permission to tell her story.
"We had Griffendors sword, Bellatrix went crazy and she wanted to question us, so," his eyes met Hermiones and she shook her head, mouthing the word no. "Ron and I were locked in the cellar and then Dobby came to rescue us, we escaped with Luna, Dean, Mr Ollivander and Griphook the Goblin, after that,"
"Wait!" Ginny interrupted, "Where was Hermione?"
"We were separated."
"Why?"
"Bellatrix wanted answers, she thought Hermione would give her them."
"So, you mean she," she was interrupted by Hermione
"No! no Harry, please, you promised, you said we didn't have to tell, please." she begged him.
"We need to Hermione, you need to. This needs to be said, they should know."
"No Harry, please, I don't want to talk about this, I can't" she tried to leave but Ron held her firmly in place, "I just want to forget."
The Weasleys watched the exchange silently.
"Hermione damn it, we are going to talk about this, we have to, you have to."
"You don't understand Harry." she screamed at him.
"Of course I do, I understand better than anyone here. I know it hurts but you can't keep it locked up inside."
"I don't want to remember, I don't want to relive it, not to anyone not ever."
"but you do, everyday. Do you even know what its like for the rest of us, watching you, seeing you fade away, not eating, not sleeping; seeing you so scared and hurting and you won't let us help. Do you know what it's like for me, watching you hurt and knowing that it was all my fault." tears stained Harrys own cheeks.
"It wasn't your fault Harry." she said, her voice shaky.
"Yes it was, it was my fault. I said his name, Ron told me it was taboo but I was so involved in being angry that I said it anyway. If I hadn't we never would have been caught." Harry stated.
"You can't shoulder the blame for that, if they hadn't recognised me they wouldn't have took us to Malfoy Manor. Besides if we hadn't have been caught then we never would have known about the vault and the cup. It was a good thing really." Hermione told him. Ron could sense the argument building up more, he chose to stay silent, his arms wrapped firmly around Hermione's waist. He did blame Harry, he was sure it was Harry's fault, he needed to blame Harry. But he knew Hermione was right. If they hadn't have gone to Malfoy Manor they never would have learned the valuable information about another Horcrux.
"How can you say that? After what they did to you, how can you say it was a good thing?" Harry yelled incredulously.
"Because I have to Harry, I have to believe that, if I don't then I don't think I'll cope. So I tell myself it was lucky because we learned so much." she was crying freely.
"Lucky, lucky, I'd rather still be fighting him now than have you go through that. I'll never forgive myself, in my dreams I can still hear you screaming through the walls, I can still see her holding you with the knife to your throat, I see Greyback staring at you, when he caught us."
"Stop it, stop it Harry. Stop with the 'poor me act' I can't deal with it anymore." everyone was shocked at her words, she had never spoken so harshly to Harry before. "I was the one that it happened to Harry, you have no idea, so stop pretending that you do, stop pretending that it hurts you most of all. You weren't there, you have no idea."
"No idea, I've felt the cruciatus curse Hermione, in case you've forgotten. I know how badly it hurts, I'm the only one here who does."
"it does hurt, you're right, I haven't forgotten Harry. It feels like you're being tore apart, but it fades, after a half dozen times, you don't feel it anymore, you're too numb. There are worse things." her voice softened a little but Harry was too angry to care. He knew about pain and she had dismissed him.
"yeah like having him you're head, watching him murder innocent people, people you know, people you care about. He's never done that to you though has he, worse things I know all about." he screamed at her.
"Do you Harry? Worse things like this," she grasped the edges of her t-shirt and pulled it up, exposing her stomach and the messy network of scars. The room gasped and Harry stood dumbstruck, "in the end, I would've begged for death. I wanted to close my eyes and never wake up, but there was a choice. Death or torture, Bellatrix or Greyback. If I died Ron was next, so I chose torture, I chose Greyback." she lowered her top and Ron put his arms back around her.
"You chose life." Harry said quietly.
"What life did I choose. He would've killed me eventually, once he was sated and bored. But not right away, I wasn't for satisfying his bloodlust. He could have anyone for that, his 'special' victims were for his other cravings, and I was 'special' Harry. He wanted me to know everything he was planning to do to me, everything he wanted from me. Every little detail and still I willingly chose to live, to give myself to him, to give you time. I'll never forget his voice, his words. But I don't blame you Harry, I can't, I haven't got the energy left. I just want to live, I want to forget, I just want it to stop." at her final words she collapsed into Ron's embrace and cried as hard as she could. Harry's face was ashen and Ron mouthed, 'thank you' to him, now that she had finally unloaded that which had weighed so heavily on her. Hermione hadn't cried this much in the whole of the past year put together, but with each tear that fell she felt lighter, like everything that she had bottled up was pouring out and she was able to finally breathe. Ron held her gently and stroked her hair, knowing how comforting she found the gesture. Everyone in the room was silent, their hearts all breaking at this revelation. The three women crying silently.
"go on Harry," Ron said in a whisper, "finish the story."
So Harry continued with the tale, the escape from the manor, Dobbys death, Bill and Fluers cottage. Mrs Weasley shot a resentful look at her eldest son, he didn't meet her gaze. Harry told them of Gringotts and the dragon, and finally Hogworts.
"we knew the final horcrux would be there, but we didn't expect it to turn into a battleground."
"So you weren't there for a showdown?" George asked with a chuckle.
"No, I went with Luna to find a picture of Ravenclaws diadum and then we had to find the diadum itself, but we also still had the cup to destroy. Thankfully Ron is a lot more brilliant than he pretends to be." all eyes turned to Ron.
"Wasn't anything special." he muttered.
"You were brilliant Ron," Hermione whispered regaining her composure, "he remembered about the chamber of secrets and the dead basilisk inside. I told him absolutely ages ago that basilisk venom could destroy a horcrux and he remembered that to. And he knew where the entrance to the chamber was and how to get in." Hermione forgot her own sadness and relished in telling of one of Rons greatest moments. "you have to speak parseltongue to open the chamber, so he did."
"Parseltongue?" Mr Weasley questioned.
"Yeah it wasn't that hard Dad, I just copied what Harry did in second year and we got the basilisks fangs, destroyed the cup, easy." Ron didn't see the fuss really, in the grand scheme of things it wasn't anything special.
"Well." Harry continued, telling of finding the diadum, the fiendfyre, the battle, Voldermort killing him and his ressurection. "You know the rest."
"Remarkable Harry, truly remarkable." Mr Weasley said after a long pause.
"I can't believe the three of you did all that, you could have been killed." Mrs Weasley couldn't hold back her anger at them but she also couldn't contain the pride in her voice.
"I want to add something," they all turned to Hermione, she took a shaky breath, "during the battle after Voldermort brought Harry out of the forest, I was fighting through the Death eaters and then I turned and Greyback was there. I fought him, but I was so scared, he said we had unfinished business, he was too strong." Ron wrapped his arms tighter around Hermiones waist, "I was losing, he knocked me to the ground and dived at me. I could feel him scratching at me and everything was going dark, I thought I was going to die right there. Ron saved me. I was on the edge of consciousness and I saw Ron fighting Greyback. I knew I was hurt pretty badly, but I saw Ginny fighting Bellatrix Lestrange, Neville was running to Ron to help and I was too far away, so I went to help Ginny instead." when she finished speaking she thought she would cry again, but she didn't she just felt relieved.
"I killed Greyback." Ron told them. "he kept shouting at me, saying things about Hermione, things he had done, things he would do. Things I couldn't imagine and could only pray weren't true. We fought and I killed him."
No one spoke for some time and It was Mrs Weasley who broke the silence. "it's finally over," she had fought Voldermort for decades, been through two wars and finally it was over. "we can all heal know, we can all live," she took a steadying breath. "I think dinner is in order, a feast, a celebration." she bustled off to the kitchen.
Harry immediately went to Ginnys side and held her tightly against him.
"forgive me." he whispered
"Always." she replied.
Ron turned to Hermione.
"its over." he told her.
"Thank you," she said, "thank you for everything, for saving me, for not pushing me, for holding me when it got too much."
"you don't have to thank me."
"I know but I want to, thank you Ron, thank you for loving me." he smiled at her words and before he could reply, she kissed him, when she pulled away he was breathless, "I love you Ron, I always have."
"I love you to Mione, I always have and I always will, for the rest of our lives I will love you."
She kissed him again and as she did she felt the last tiny fractured part of her soul start to heal.