Chapter Ten

Looking For Answers…

"R-ron?" gasped Mrs Weasley, staring at her youngest son, wondering faintly if she was seeing things. She knew he was dead, but there he was, looking too solid to be a ghost…

"Yeah, mum, it's me…" Ron said, looking confused. Why was his mother so surprised to see him? He'd been gone a while, but that wasn't any reason for her to look so pale and forlorn at the sight of him.

"But you're dead! You and Harry and Nathan, you're all dead!" Mrs Weasley murmured, on the verge of sobbing.

"No we're not! Didn't Angel tell you? We were attacked, but we're alive!" Ron said desperately, not sure what to do, taking a hesitant step towards his mother.

"Ron?" she asked again weakly.

"Yeah," Ron said, finally reaching out to wrap an arm around her.

For a good while, Mrs Weasley did nothing but sob onto the shoulder of her newly returned son, as he held her and Nate prepared some tea and a calming potion. All the while, both boys were wondering what had happened while they were gone, to make Mrs Weasley behave so oddly upon their return. After she stopped crying, and was able to speak again, the three all sat at the table and the boys set about pulling the story from Mrs Weasley.

"Oh Ron, you're home," sighed Mrs Weasley. "Do we have to go into all the things that have happened?"

"Mum, we need to know some things," began Ron.

"Starting with, why didn't Angel tell you we were alright?" demanded Nate, who had been on the edge of panic since the moment he had realized that Mrs Weasley hadn't heard the news that Angel was supposed to have brought back. Had something happened to her?

"She fell. Hit her head… now she doesn't remember anything. She's been beating herself up for months, especially since she accepted that you were dead. Except you're not, are you?" Mrs Weasley sounded close to tears again.

"Is she alright?" Nate demanded sharply.

"She's fine, physically," Mrs Weasley said with a small smile.

"What about the others? How are Hermione and Ginny and my brothers and, and everyone?" asked Ron.

"Ginny is managing. If it weren't for Jamie, she might be worse off. Hermione is doing much better lately. The last few days, she came to visit me at least twice, plus she went to lunch with Ginny. She seems to be starting to get over what happened a few months ago," Mrs Weasley seemed to not see the two before her anymore.

"Who's Jamie? What happened to Hermione?" demanded Ron.

Mrs Weasley seemed to come back to herself. She stared at Ron a few moments, searching his eyes. "I think the girls will have to answer those questions. Now, your brothers are doing okay. There have been few deaths lately. Everyone was shocked, they thought that when Harry died, Voldemort would go crazy in celebration and start killing openly. Ginny told me she wasn't surprised when he didn't. She says that the only one who could be more upset by Harry's death than her was his greatest foe. Ginny said Voldemort would have wanted to finish Harry himself, publicly, just to prove that no one could defy him for long." With a faint smile, Mrs Weasley continued, "She scared me when she talked like that, but don't tell her that."

"Is there anything else we should know about before we go check on the girls?" asked Ron, preparing to leave, anxious to see Hermione again after so long.

"Yes. Ron, don't be too hard on Hermione. She's been through a lot. Same with you're sister. She needs Harry even more than Hermione needs you," as soon as the words left her mouth, Mrs Weasley looked around quickly, "Where is Harry?"

"Promise not to yell, mum, and I'll tell you," Ron said, backing up from his mother.

"Ronald Weasley, where is your sister's husband?!" cried Mrs Weasley.

"He left. He snuck off without us one night after we destroyed the last Horcrux. His note said that he was going after Voldemort, and that he couldn't risk anyone else's life on this last mission." Ron said, feeling it was best to get it all out at once.

"You let him go!? You let your sister's husband, your best friend, the father of-" Mrs Weasley faltered, then pushed on, trying to cover her near admission. "You let him go on his own?! How could you do that?"

"There was no stopping him! Harry didn't even tell us he was going." Ron defended himself.

Mrs Weasley was relieved that Ron hadn't caught on, but a glace at Nathan, who stood silently behind her son, told her that one person did catch on to what she said. The American wizard with the scruffy brown hair was frowning, trying to figure out what all was going on, but Ron just shrank back from his mother's anger. Mrs Weasley was grateful that her youngest boy hadn't changed too much on his quest to help save the wizarding world.

Suddenly it really hit her. Ron was home.

A week later, Ron Weasley sat on the couch beside his girlfriend, and wondered when she was going to tell him what was bothering her. Though he had a sneaking suspicion he already knew what she was going to tell him, Ron pretend not to even know she had anything serious on her mind. Hopefully, she would let him avoid his painful task for at least a few more days.

"Ron?" asked Hermione.

"Yes, dear?" replied Ron, still marvelling at how fast they had fallen back into sync.

"What are your plans for today?" she asked, obviously thinking that he should be doing something in particular.

"Why so I get the feeling that crawling back into bed with you is not an option?" he joked weakly.

"You can't avoid her any longer. Ginny has to be told, and Harry trusted you to do it for him," Hermione lectured, reminding Ron of their school days.

"I know, but sometimes I think our best friend just left so he wouldn't have to face his very angry wife," muttered Ron.

"Ron, you know that Harry can always get her to stop yelling," teased Hermione, though Ron missed it.

"Really? How?" he asked hopefully.

"I doubt you'd approve of his methods," was the dry reply.

"Hermione! That's my sister your talking about!" cried Ron.

"And that's exactly the reason you have to go tell her now. Ginny deserves to know that her husband is alive. Besides, I left part of the story out when you asked what's been going on. There's something that Ginny will have to explain to you." Hermione told Ron.

"What?" asked Ron, then his mind went back to what his mother had said just after his return. "Is this about that Jamie bloke that Mum mentioned Ginny had taken up with?"

Hermione stared at the love of her life for a moment then began to laugh. Ron had such a way of getting everything all backwards!

"Hermione, it isn't funny! Ginny's married to our best mate, she shouldn't be taking up with anyone, even if she thinks he's dead. Especially when I tell her he's not," Ron spoke over top Hermione's laughter until she stopped.

"Ron, you really need to go visit your sister!" Hermione giggled.

"Fine, don't tell me what's so funny! Just tell me how to get to her house," Ron grumpily asked.

"I can't. I don't know where she lives, no one does." Hermione said, getting up to write a brief note inviting Ginny to lunch.

"That's dangerous!" cried Ron, "Not telling anyone where she lives. What's Ginny playing at?"

"She's playing at trying to keep the ghosts at bay," Hermione told Ron as she sent the not off with Ron's owl, Pig. "I don't blame her. I might have done the same myself, but I was all alone and I wanted to keep your ghost close."

Wrapping Hermione comfortingly in his arms, Ron replied "Ginny was alone as well."

"No she wasn't. She had Jamie, and I have to admit, I was jealous, especially after the miscarriage." Hermione spoke softly, though she had told Ron about her lost baby and the mistake that had lead to its conception the day after he returned. To her surprise, Ron had not only forgiven her, but said he understood why she had done what she did.

"That's it!" cried Ron in frustration, "No more mention of this Jamie until I know who the hell he is!"