Warning: Complete non-Canon ahead

Chapter One: The Lives They Lead

And so they went on, throughout they're years in Hogwarts, and the night, The Incident, never mentioned again. Viktor Krum and Hermione Granger made splashes on the covers of magazines; Harry Potter was made protégé to Professor Dumbledore – the so-called Golden Boy, and Ronald Weasley? Well, his deep-rooted love for his best friend turned ugly and was transformed into, need I say it? Hate. Though it was never voiced out loud whilst still in the premises of school, there grew a drift between them. And Potter, stuck in the middle of it all, made it worse by avoiding the situation. There were, after all, more important things to be considered. Like the impending rise of the Dark One, for instance…

Post-Graduation: Hog's Head

"So how are those meetings with Dumbledore going?" Ron asked Harry, taking a swig of firewhisky and at the same time slapping his friend at the back.

It was just hours after graduation, the former seventh years of Gryffindor headed out to Hog's Head for a quick graduation party. It was risky, for sure. The Ministry placed a seven-thirty curfew on all wizarding streets, and not one single wizard, magical folk, or even pet, was to be let out. The Dark Lord was slowly rising to power, and it was in everyone's best interest to keep a low profile.

But Seamus and Dean wouldn't have it. One hour of complete celebration, they said. It is, after all, the last they'd ever see schoolbooks again.

And so they did. They allowed themselves an hour of happiness and debauchery, drinking and telling stories of their years in Hogwarts.

"Cryptic," Harry answered with a frown. "Dumbledore is nothing but cryptic. He says a whole lot, but never really enough. He never paints the entire picture, and I think he finds mad pleasure in it."

"He is a crazy old coot," Ron said in response.

"Hey, look who dropped by to surprise me!" Hermione's voice came through within bodies of Gryffindors, pushing her way to Ron and Harry's table.

Viktor Krum, visibly appearing before them, held out his hand for a friendly shake. Harry tentatively took it, followed by a seemingly mutinous Ron.

"Congratulations to all of you," he said, smiling at them, although feeling awkward and uncomfortable at the same time. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt there was always something that wasn't right whenever he was around Hermione's friends. But for the sake of their relationship, three years going on four, he played nice and genuinely wanted to befriend them.

"Thanks," Harry called out over the loud music. "So how's Quidditch? I heard the World Cup had to be cancelled this year."

"Not anymore. The clubs were thinking about postponing it, given the circumstances, but it was agreed to just move the game in a safer, more distant country."

"Yeah? Where would that be, then?"

Viktor shrugged. "It hasn't been announced yet."

"Why would you want to know? Won't you be too busy saving the world?" Hermione teased.

"Just in case I feel the need for entertainment in between deathly curses being hurled at me," Harry answered in jest. "So what are your plans after?"

"I have to go to London, meet up with my agent," Viktor added.

"What? But you just got here!" Hermione complained, frowning deeply at Viktor.

"I'm sorry, but I can't break the commitment," Viktor said.

Hermione made a face. Viktor leaned in closer, invading her personal space and whispered something in her ear that made her blush brightly.

"I have to go," Ron said suddenly, rising to his feet.

"Now?" Hermione asked, detaching herself from Viktor. "Why do you all have to leave right away?"

Ron shrugged and walked out, making his way through the bodies of people crowding Hog's Head when loud sparks blasted in the air, drowning out the noise in the room. The women screamed out loud, the others ducking in instinct.

From inside, they could see smoky green light could be seen through the blurry windows of the pub.

"What is it?" one voice asked.

"The Dark Mark," a hushed voice whispered.

Immediately, they all started to panic, not knowing what to do but to put the blame on Dean and Seamus for thinking up of the most ludicrous celebration plan ever.

And then, one by one, they all turned to Harry, expecting a solution to everything. As if he could control the Dark Mark on whim.

"Everybody, get in," the owner said holding open a trapdoor, motioning for his customers to get inside a safe keep, located behind the bar.

Slowly, they all piled in, save for Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"What are you going to do now, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing yet, I can't. Dumbledore has his plans, I can't just make a sudden move that would destroy everything we've worked hard for."

"So we hide?"

Ron peered out the window; the green smoke was less visible than it was. "It's probably nothing, just a warning signal to scare us. Look, it's starting to fade."

"Let's leave it at that," Harry said. "Come on, let's hide for a while. We'll settle this tomorrow, when we're with the rest of the Order."

Hermione looked at Harry and then at Ron. "Yeah, okay," she said, agreeing with Harry and started to walk towards the trapdoor.

"Check up on your boyfriend, would you?" Ron said snidely. "He looked a wee bit afraid of a little fireworks."

Hermione stopped and turned to look back at Ron. "A little fireworks? Are you out of your mind?"

Harry gave a weak laugh. "He was making a joke, right, mate?"

Ron stared at Hermione, his eyes showing no emotions. "It's nothing," he said, tonelessly. And as if to prove himself, he walked out of the pub and into the deserted road.

"Ron, no!" Harry called out, while at the same time Hermione gasped, feeling her heart stop for a second.

"See? It's nothing," Ron said, holding his arms open, spread-eagled.

"Okay, very funny, now get inside!" Harry commanded him.

Ron chuckled and started to get in, until he saw Viktor, walking towards Hermione and started pulling her in the direction of the safe keep.

"You know what? I think it's too crowded in down there," Ron said, and started to walk back. "There's no danger here, and I'm headed home. I'll see you two around."

--

And that, my dears, was the last they ever saw of him. Rumors circulated the wizarding world, one just as ghastly as the other. There was a rumor that had him dead, trying to escape the Dark Lord, but his followers found him and tortured him to death, before eating him. Others say he ran from the Dark Lord, lost in a forest, and died from the wild beasts. But whatever the case, no one saw him again.

Five months after, Grimmauld Place

"Oy, Lupin, catch!" Fred called out from the stairs as he saw Remus Lupin walk by, releasing a dungbomb. Luckily, after five months living in the same house as the Weasley twins, most of the people in the Order easily gained quick reflexes. "A worthy skill to fight against Oldie Moldy Voldie!" was the twins' answer.

"You know karma will soon catch up with you!" Remus called out, as he quickly magicked the smelly toy away.

"It never has, it never wi-" as quickly as the dungbomb disintegrated, Fred Weasley found himself hanging in midair by the crook of his ankle.

"Oh bravo, Lupin! I didn't know you had it in you," Fred called out gleefully, clapping his hands. "Now if you'll kindly let me down, it's getting harder for me to breathe with all this blood in my head."

"What's all this about?" Tonks asked, as she stepped into the house, ignoring the shouts coming from Sirius' mother's portrait. "Remus, you should know better than to –"

"He started it," Remus said stubbornly, cutting off his wife at mid-sentence. "That was the seventh dungbomb he had set on me. You should start saving those for Snape, you know?" he called out to Fred who was still hanging upside down from the stairs.

"That stuffy goon? He has a stick up his saggy, yellow ass –"

"Ew, how do you know what his ass looks like?" George demanded, walking into the conversation as he quietly closed the door of the room he was in.

"I may have walked in on him once, while he was in the shower," Fred answered his twin evasively. When George started making gagging sounds, he quickly followed uip with an explanation. "Completely unintentional, I promise you that. I thought it was Fleur in the bathroom!" He was now bright red from all the blood in rushing to his head – and humiliation. "But seriously mate, I'm starting to see double and would greatly appreciate being let down now."

With a small shrug (and a stern look from Tonks), Remus flipped his wand at Fred's direction, releasing him from the hex. Unfortunately, he was hanging between the barrier of the stairs and hit his head on it before falling two floors down.

"Oh!" Tonks said and held out her wand to create a soft pile of pillows for Fred to land on.

"My deepest thanks, Nymphadora," Fred said, giving her a wink, knowing full well that she hated being called by her first name.

"Practicing for the circus now are we?" a mocking voice came from behind them.

"Good evening, Snape," Tonks said cordially, while the three men stayed in their places and looked at the man draped in black with great dislike.

"Well fancy that, we were just talking about you," George called from above.

"Yeah, something about your ass…" Fred said, trailing off.

"Hm," was all he said before walking away from them all and headed inside to the kitchens to wait for the rest of the Order to arrive.

"Was that Snivellus?" another voice said, surprising all four of them and making them jump when the portrait started to yell all sorts of obscenities. "Good day to you too, Mother," Sirius said, pointing his wand at her portrait to cease all her ramblings.

"You just missed a delightful topic about him and his yellow-skinned ass," George said walking down the stairs to greet Sirius and Kingsley Shacklebolt who arrived with him.

Sirius shuddered. "I won't ask, and please, just keep that to yourself. Is Harry in?"

"Last I saw, he was in the living room, making googly eyes at your fireplace," Fred answered, standing up from the pile of pillows he landed on.

"Right," Sirius said and gave Tonks and Remus a smile and a hug each before looking for Harry. Kingsley went the other way and into the kitchens to wait along with Snape.

"Any news on the whereabouts of Voldemort?" Sirius asked, sitting on the couch next to Harry, looking tired after a long day with Kingsley Shacklebolt. "The Ministry is fast being infiltrated by his men. Malfoy has the entire Department of Mysteries covered."

Harry shook his head silently. "Not a single thing. But we have finally gotten access to the sixth Horcrux, which explains why he's becoming too elusive for us."

"And what of Ron?" Sirius asked, this time in a deathly whisper. Molly Weasley was in the room next door, desperately looking for new things to clean, if only to keep her mind busy. The moment she stops and remembers her son, long gone from her, the tears and wails start.

Harry instantly looked aggrieved and depressed. "Nothing," he whispered back.

"And Hermione?"

"As was before, as was the week before, and the month before, and the month before that," Harry answered wearily.

"Don't worry," Sirius stood and messed up Harry's hair. "We'll soon have this sorted out once all of this is over."

"And if it never does?" Harry asked.

"Never say that," his godfather said sharply. "Never give up on hope, Harry."

--

"Hermione?" came a voice through the door she shared with Ginny in 11 Grimmauld Place.

"Hey," Ginny said, walking in the room and sitting down next to Hermione who sat still on her bed. "You won't believe what Fred and George did this time. They planted fireworks in the guest room once they found out Fletcher would be staying over tonight. He's in for a nice surprise once he enters the room."

Hermione slowly turned to look at Ginny as she heard the word 'fireworks' being spoken. She opened her mouth, almost like she was about to speak. Ginny started, looking excited. "Yes?" she asked, hoping her friend would talk, it's been too long since she last heard Hermione's melodic voice.

Hermione closed her mouth. She raised her hands, tied up in white sheets, and offered them to Ginny, silently pleading for her to be released.

Ginny stood up and went to her side of the room. "No, you know I can't do that. Not after… just, I'm sorry. We both lost him, Hermione…"

Mutely, Hermione turned away and faced the door again, just as if Ginny never entered the room. As if no one else was around.

Not even herself.

--