Chapter Ten / Spoke Our Destiny
TIME STAMP: Approx. 3 months after the Battle at Hogwarts. (August 1998)
In this chapter, the Weasley boys have a meeting, Hermione returns, Ron and Harry shout some more, and Ginny finds her place.
There's four roads to anywhere,
Four ways to everything.
We were unbreakable,
We spoke our destiny.
Let's take a moment out and go where we'd never go,
Let's make a new world now.
Where we can wear each other for a while,
I'll lend you my tears, if I could borrow your smile.
We'll get through tomorrow- somehow today
Happy After...
Once upon these days.
-These Days, by Chantal Kreviazuk
"-doesn't justify attacking you, or what he said to Harry-"
"- just heartless-"
"-on't be dramatic, George. His mental state is clearly compromised-"
"Stuff it, Perce."
Ron laid still, eyes closed, listening to his brothers' voices. He was lying on what he was sure was his old bed, but wasn't exactly sure how he'd ended up there, why his brothers were there or why he could smell his favorite homemade soup. He climbed back into awareness slowly... His limbs felt heavy, and his head ached, his mouth was dry. And why was his right hand aching?
"Where's Ginny?" Percy was asking.
"The light was on in Dad's shed when I came in... I think her and Harry went to call Hermione." That was George's voice.
Harry. Hermione. George. Suddenly, everything came back to Ron. His eyes snapped open. He was lying on his side, near the edge of the bed. Sitting on the floor in a circle were his brothers, a pot of their Mum's best soup- Ron's favorite- was on the floor between them, surrounded by the soft orange glow of a warming charm. Half empty bowls and plates of bread were scattered on the floor, and in the brother's laps. Charlie sat near the door, his bowl of soup balanced skillfully on one knee. Beside him, Percy sat, legs crossed, glasses perched near the end of his nose. Ron's face was a mere inches from the back of Bill's head; he was seated right by Ron's pillow. Keeping watch, no doubt- Ron was Bill's after all… Ron glanced up over Bill's shoulder and came face to face with George, who sat across from them, leaning against Harry's cot. George stared back at him, his expression blank. Someone had fixed his broken nose and bruised face, but a bit of blood still stained his collar, evidence of the earlier fight. Ron looked away quickly. He drew in a sharp breath, and in his sleepy panic, reached out and grasped the first thing his hand landed on- Bill's shoulder.
Bill jumped and spun around, nothing but relief in his eyes.
"Finally!" he exclaimed, setting his bowl on the bedside table before turning and laying a heavy hand on Ron's forehead. "How do you feel?"
Ron blinked. He was too exhausted to keep up just yet.
"Here." Percy appeared over Bill's shoulder, bowl in hand. The aroma steaming from it was intoxicating, and Ron suddenly realized he was starving. "You should eat."
Ron stared at Percy in silence, trying to comprehend what exactly was being asked of him. All he really felt like doing was going back to sleep. But Percy and Bill both looked concerned, and he was so hungry… when had he eaten last?
It was a struggle, but Ron managed to slide to the floor and sit between his older brothers. Percy placed the steaming bowl into his shaking hands and he murmured a virtually unintelligible thanks. He ate in silence. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Percy and Charlie exchange glances, saw Bill looking at him with an odd expression on his face, saw George still staring at him- that blank expression on his face. Charlie and Bill spoke casually, about Charlie's work, about dragons mating and colonizing and the like. Percy refilled Ron's bowl twice before Ron finally waved him off. When he finally looked up, George had looked away.
"Alright. Alright, we're going to sort this all out now, alright?" Percy wrung his hands nervously as he spoke. Ron had a sudden urge to put a quill in his hands, or give him something to take notes on- anything to make his brother stop shaking. Ron looked down at his own hands, and saw that they too, trembled.
"This is bollocks-" Suddenly, George was getting to his feet. "I'm not sitting around for some sort of bloody intervention, I've got work to be doin-"
"George Gideon." Charlie's voice wasn't loud, but it was final. Ron was shocked, and by the looks on Bill and Percy's faces, so were they. If Charlie was pulling middle names, this was serious. "SIT."
The color drained from George's face, except for his ears, which turned beet red. He sunk back to his place on the floor without as much as a glance at anyone else.
"You know what's bollocks, George?" asked Charlie. His voice was low. Dangerous. Ron watched him glance at Bill, as if for support. Bill only nodded curtly. "Bollocks, is the utter lack of consideration you've got for anyone right now. You and Ron, fighting like animals-"
"He started it." Ron bit out, besieged by a sudden urge to stand up for himself.
"You little maggot."
Ron saw George reach for his wand, and he whipped out his own, ready to stagger to his feet despite his exhaustion. George hadn't done a thing to warrant a fight this time, but looking at him, seeing his gaunt face, dark eyes, and sick looking complexion made Ron angry with the world. So angry, he didn't care who he let it out on.
"Ron, don't!" Percy grabbed him by the shoulders as Charlie levitated the pot of soup aside so he could move forward to restrain George.
"Stay out of this, Percy-"
"George, put it away. Put your effing wand away!"
"Get off, Charlie-"
"ENOUGH."
Ron blinked. He was inches from George, his wand stuck somewhere between them. George's wand was poking him in the shoulder. Charlie and Percy were trying to pull them off of each other. Everyone froze and turned to their eldest brother. Ron swallowed as Percy's hold tightened on his shoulder. Charlie swore under his breath.
Bill was fuming. His face colored Weasley-red, mouth twisted into a vicious scowl. His eyes, an exact copy of their father's, was filled with a fury that could counter the great Molly Weasley. They were doomed.
"Wands." He demanded, hand held out. Ron and George obeyed immediately and Percy soon followed suit. Bill glared at Charlie. "Charles. You too."
Charlie scowled but handed his wand over as well. Bill added his own to the pile. He turned and opened the first drawer of Ron's bedside table, tossing the wands in. Percy winced, as the drawer was slammed shut with a crash and a clatter.
"This needs to stop." Bill hissed, eyes traveling among the other four. "We're tearing each other apart."
They all looked round at each other in silence. It was true. Ron had been arguing with George for days. Percy barely spoke to anyone. Charlie was in Romania. Bill had Fleur now. Ginny barely ever smiled. And Fred was gone.
"You aren't Fred." George said suddenly, voice hushed. He was staring at Ron again, a frightening sort of clarity in his eyes, as if he'd just realized that Ron was Ron, and not his dead twin.
"Er. No." Ron glanced at Charlie who looked as concerned as he felt. "I'm Ron."
George laughed, short and with little humor.
"I know who you are. Missing an ear, not a frontal lobe."
"You're a lot like Fred." Percy said quietly. Charlie nodded a little. "Same temper."
Ron closed his eyes and took a deep breath, willing himself to keep his composure. He felt a hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes to find it was George, who was now kneeling in front of him.
"I'm sorry, kid." he said.
"Why are you sorry?" Ron looked down at his still bloody knuckles. He hit George, didn't he? Was he remembering this right? Why would George apologize?
"You're like, the puzzle piece that's almost the right shape, but not. And there's this empty space in the puzzle and I wanted it full, so I'm just forcing whatever piece looks like it might do." George's voice shook, but he smiled a little in spite of himself. "And I think I should stop, before I break you."
"Yeah." Ron just nodded. He'd never seen George so open and apologetic.
"You aren't the only one caught in the crossfire here-" George continued, looking suddenly sick with himself. "I practically forced myself on Alicia."
"George, you didn't." Charlie said, in disbelief.
"Huh." Maybe it was the exhaustion. Maybe it was just downright insanity, but suddenly, Ron started giggling. "Maybe that's why she's been shagging Lee in the supply closet."
"Is she?" asked George weakly. Ron nodded, still laughing. "That is funny."
George started laughing too. And then Charlie. And next anyone knew, they were all rolling in a heap on the floor. Laughter turned to tears at some point and Ron ended up soaking George's shoulder with tears and Bill and Charlie were consoling a sobbing Percy.
"'M'sorry." Ron muttered. "Shouldn't have hit you."
"I deserved it. Been I real prat, I have." George ruffled Ron's hair as they pulled apart.
They all went to bed in the wee hours of the morning, moving to the twin's old room, because it was the biggest. George hesitated for a moment before crawling into Fred's old bed, curling into the sheets. Charlie slumped against the headboard next to him, rubbed his back absently. Bill and Percy bedded down on the floor between the two beds while Ron fell into George's bed. They all lay awake for a long while, in comfortable silence.
"We're all going to get through this." Percy said into the darkness. "This is the hardest thing we'll ever have to do, and we're never going to be okay with it, but we're all going to learn how to live our lives without him."
"We owe him that much." George added.
A little while later the bedroom door creaked open quietly and as Molly Weasley snuck in and kissed each of her sleeping boys. The next morning George would take the clock off the wall and open the face, gently removing the hand with Fred's name on it. He'd give his mother a tight hug and together they'd put the clock hand into a small wooden box that already carried similar hands labeled 'Gideon' and 'Fabian'. They'd take care of each other for now.
Harry slept fitfully that night. He went back to his apartment, Ginny at his side, and barely had the energy to pull on pajamas before falling into bed. Ginny sat next to him for a long time, running a hand through his hair.
"You should go," Harry said finally, after what felt like hours. He felt himself drifting, so exhausted after the day's events. But he wouldn't allow himself to sleep next to her. "Take Hermione's bed, she won't be back tonight."
"Ever the gentleman," Ginny murmured, showing no signs of intending to move.
"Your Mum-" just the thought of what Mrs. Weasley would say if he knew they had shared a bed made Harry's face burn.
"-is not here to see." Ginny interrupted. She shifted to the edge of the bed, began to untie Harry's trainers. "When she was my age, her and Dad were engaged to be married... Did you know?"
Harry shook his head, cracking open one eye to look at her. Her hair shone auburn in the moonlight. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid eyes on... Surely it wouldn't hurt to have her stay? After all, Bill had practically given them his blessing...
"They've been together since Mum was 15." Ginny was saying, as she deposited his shoes on the floor and crawled back up the bed, flopping down and laying her head on his shoulder. "Dad asked her to marry him just before they graduated."
This made sense to Harry. It was hard to imagine that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had ever not been perfect for each other. Soul mates. A thought occurred to him.
"Ginny," he said curiously. "Do soul mates exist? In the Wizarding world, I mean..."
Ginny looked up at him, a bemused expression on her face. "Why do you ask?"
"Well... It's just, you can have your soul sucked out by a Dementor, you can split it up into bits so..." he trailed off. It didn't really seem so ridiculous, or farfetched. If a soul could be broken or stolen, surely it could be joined with another?
Ginny nodded.
"I don't believe it's as literal as you're thinking... I doubt Hermione could even explain the magic behind it- it isn't something you can do with a wand- more along the lines of what your mother did for you..." Ginny's gaze drifted to his scar. "It just is."
"Just is." Harry repeated. Over Ginny's shoulder, on his bedside table, his parents danced and laughed in their little photo frame. It seemed almost too good to be true. "My mum used to hate my dad."
Ginny laughed.
"Oh Harry, I forget sometimes you were brought up by Muggles." she smiled and grasped his hand. "It isn't 'love-at-first-sight'. That's rubbish."
"Yeah, it is." Harry smirked, thinking briefly of Cho.
"Ever heard of a Wizarding couple splitting up after marriage? Muggles have a word for it-"
"Divorce." supplied Harry.
"Yes, that. We haven't got that... Not really. Very rarely do we marry the wrong person and need to leave. And it isn't like you haven't got a choice. You can be with whoever you want, but there's always going to be that one person..." Ginny looked like she might cry. "You remember at Bill and Fleur's wedding? When they were bonded?"
Harry nodded.
"Just a formality." Ginny whispered, her eyes still shining in the darkness. Her breath was hot on Harry's neck. "We're bonded long before any wedding... Whether we like it or not."
She wasn't talking about Bill and Fleur anymore. Harry felt warmth fill him in a way he'd never felt before. This had to be it, he thought, this must be what it feels like to know where you're meant to be.
"It's done, then." Harry said seriously. He took Ginny's hand in his.
"You think?" asked Ginny.
"I'm sure." Harry kissed her and then pressed his their foreheads together, smiling. "Let's hold off on the formalities for a few years though, yeah?"
"Oh, Harry." Ginny buried her face in his neck and Harry could feel her tears against his skin. He held her close, rubbing her back clumsily.
"Why are you crying?" Harry asked, taken aback. "Aren't you... you know, pleased?"
"You see the way Ron looks at Hermione... It's the same for them, I can tell." Ginny sniffed. "When we found out he'd been at Bill's, that he'd left you two- I was so scared, Harry. I was so scared you and Hermione were going to go off and get yourselves killed and then Ron and I would- we'd-"
"Hey, hey, it's okay." Harry said, squeezing her to him. Her shoulders were shuddering as she sobbed against him. He'd never seen her like this before- it tore at his heart and it killed him that he was partially to blame for this. He tried not to think of that night in Godric's Hollow, of how close to death they did come, of the two Weasleys they would have left behind. Ginny didn't need the details of that night. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Ginny. I'm not going anywhere, nothings going to happen to me, I promise."
And for the first time, that was a promise he thought he might actually be able to keep.
They fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms. Harry woke in the night, once to Ginny crawling back into bed after going outside for some air, and again to her shaking him gently; a flash of green light and the sounds of Hermione's tortured screams and Ginny's weeping in the back of his mind.
Finally, he woke suddenly, to sun splashing through the window and onto the bed. He blinked in the brilliant light and turned his head. Ginny was still there, lying on her side, facing him. Her hair had come out of its ponytail and lay shining over Harry's pillow. Her hand was flat against his chest. He watched her for a moment before he glanced at his watch. He was supposed to watch Teddy for the day while his grandmother ran errands. Harry gently pulled himself away from Ginny, who stirred and opened her eyes just a bit.
"Go back to sleep," Harry whispered, feeling guilty; she'd been up half the night with him and had dark circles under her eyes. He pulled the covers up over her and laid a hand on the top of her head. "I'm going to pick up Teddy."
Kay," Ginny murmured, squishing her face into the pillow and going still once more.
Harry was already late to get Teddy, but he couldn't seem to get focused on the task at hand. His head was awhirl and his heart felt heavy. He'd kicked Ron out, probably when they needed each other the most. Hermione would be home soon and Ginny had just spent the night in his bed. On one hand, he wanted to feel ecstatic, wanted to jump and down with joy because Ginny loved him and Hermione was coming home, but still his excitement was weighed down by Ron's cruel and hurtful words, his obvious misery...
Harry pushed these thoughts out of his mind. Teddy. Think about Teddy.
It was still an odd concept to Harry, being a godfather... He was young enough he could be Teddy's sibling, let alone some sort of guardian, and with how protective Andromeda was of her grandson, Harry felt most of the time like an over glorified babysitter- which to be honest was still pretty weird for him. He'd never had experience with children before, never held a baby before Teddy. Harry remembered vividly the first time he saw Teddy. It had been the day of Remus and Tonks' funeral, barely a week after the battle. He'd walked around the Burrow in a daze, the empty snitch that had once housed the Resurrection Stone clutched in one hand that remained in his pocket. Before the service, Andromeda had shown up with the baby.
"I thought Remus' boys should be together today." she'd said softly, placing the baby in Harry's arms and adjusting him to support the tiny head. "You meant a great deal to him, Harry."
Harry had only nodded, looking down at the little human in his arms. Teddy slept on, not yet old enough to know what he'd lost. But Harry knew. He knew the loneliness and grief he felt over never knowing his own parents, and knew that Teddy would feel it one day.
Walking down the hall of their little flat, Harry was distracted by a female voice coming from the kitchen.
"Aren't you just a sweetheart?" A moment later the sound of an infant's giggle joined the familiar voice. The cheerful tone threw Harry off at first but it only took him another second to realize who it was. He took the last three steps at a run and turned the corner.
And there in Harry's tiny little kitchen, standing at the counter with little Teddy Lupin against one shoulder, was Hermione.
Harry stood in the doorway for a minute and looked her over. She had tanned in Australia, her skin a light golden color he'd never seen on her. She'd cut her hair, and the loose curls fell neatly just at her shoulders. What threw Harry the most however, was her outfit: she wore a pale blue, knee length dress with capped sleeves and simple lace detailing, and though her feet were bare, a pair of white, heeled sandals lay on the floor next to the stove. She looked beautiful, healthier and happier than Harry had seen her in years.
She smiled at Teddy, and turning away from the stack of post on the counter, caught sight of Harry. She looked as shocked as he felt for a second, before her face lit up.
"Harry!"
"Hermione." Harry walked swiftly around the table and pulled her into his arms. Happiness filled him at the thought of having her home with them for good, and a hysterical laugh escaped him. "Hello."
"Hello, yourself." Hermione chuckled, giving Harry a tight, one armed squeeze. Between them, Teddy gurgled against Hermione's shoulder.
"I wasn't expecting you so early," said Harry, stepping back to look at her again. "And what are you wearing?"
Hermione scowled.
"I've just been to church with Mum and Dad. A load of rubbish if you ask me..." Hermione plucked nervously at the hem of the dress. "Is it that awful?"
"No! No, it's nice, looks great." Harry said swiftly, chuckling. "Ron will definitely approve."
Hermione blushed. Seeing her face flooded with color filled Harry with a sense of hope... Maybe they'd be alright after all. He met Hermione's gaze seriously.
"You look really good." he said, honestly, taking her free hand in his, pulling her towards their sitting room. "How're you feeling?"
"Better." she said softly, with a genuine smile. "A lot better."
"Good." Harry grinned and reached out to dig a gentle finger into Teddy's ribs. The baby laughed and squirmed. "Andromeda drop him off?"
"I met her in the Alley on my way up." Hermione nodded, her eyes searching Harry's face as she set the baby in his lap. "Now, the elephant in the room: you sounded rather upset last night on the phone."
Harry sighed.
"Have you been to Burrow yet?" he asked doggedly. Now that she was here in front of him, Harry found the last thing he wanted to talk about was Ron.
"Of course. Ron was asleep." Hermione said promptly. "All of his brothers are with him, and I thought I'd be more use to you right now. Now don't avoid me."
Harry shook his head
"You were crying." Hermione urged gently. Harry avoided her gaze, still tickling Teddy absentmindedly. Hermione tapped his leg and said sternly, "Hey! Look at me. What's he done to upset you like this?"
"It was stupid."
"I know you, Harry. You don't get like this over anything stupid. You two fought. He said something he's going to regret later, didn't he?"
Harry nodded. She knew. Of course she knew. Hermione Granger was the only person on the planet who could completely make sense of Harry and Ron.
"He got in Ginny's face." Harry said, voice low. He straightened Teddy's left sock; very aware of Hermione's eyes boring into him. "I told him to back off. He said I should stop trying to act like I belong there- with them."
Hermione blinked, looking appalled.
"He didn't mean it. I know he didn't. The second after he'd said it he tried to apologize, only I wouldn't listen. And don't you be mad at him. Because he's a been a wreck since you left and it might actually kill him if you two fight right now." Harry said quickly. His voice shook and suddenly he was tired. Exhausted. He didn't want to fight anymore, didn't want to explain himself or answer questions. All he wanted to do was go back to his bedroom and get back into bed with Ginny and just stay there forever. "Hermione, I kicked him out. I told him not to come home."
"You were supposed to take care of each other." Hermione shook her head a little.
"I should feed the kid." Harry whispered. Teddy had started to fuss, his face screwing up as if he could feel his godfather's pain. Harry picked him up and headed for the kitchen to get him a bottle, grateful for the chance to get away from Hermione before the waterworks started; he couldn't stand her disappointment. This must be what it feels like to be a girl, thought Harry, to be crying like this all the time. It sucked.
"It's coming, Ted, hang on a second." Harry said, bouncing the crying baby in one arm while trying to screw the lid on the bottle one handed. Fat tears leaked over the baby's pale face, his appearance- dark messy hair and green eyes to match Harry- faded into the soft shades of brown that he'd inherited from his father. Harry thought of Remus and his heart ached, and he was so close to breaking down and joining the baby in his sobbing. "Leave it to your Gran to hand you off to me on the one day you decide to be unpleasant."
The baby looked at Harry with Remus' eyes and whimpered. Harry thought of Ron's harsh words.
"We belong to the Marauders', mate... I know you've got your Gran, and I've got the Weasley's and Hermione, but our Dads- and Sirius- they were brothers. And I won't ever tell you that you don't belong in my family. I'm sorry I'm doing a rotten job of this." Harry sniffed, finally managed the bottle and offered it to the baby. Teddy sucked greedily, wide eyes never leaving Harry. "Your Mum and Dad would have done right by you. And it's my fault they aren't here."
Teddy emptied half the bottle before turning away with a wail. Harry dropped the bottle in the sink.
"Parents are selfish, if you ask me." Harry told the baby as he patted his back lightly. "Running off to fight wars and protect everyone. And here we are, left to look after ourselves."
Teddy hiccuped.
"Yeah, we forgive them." Harry sighed. "It's not that they didn't love us, is it? It's that they loved us too much."
Harry used his sleeve to scrub tears off his face, and then wiped at Teddy's nose.
"Look at the pair of us," Harry said as the little boy squirmed away from his cleaning attempts. "Getting snot all over each other. We'd best go face Hermione now, huh?"
Harry took a shaky breath as Teddy flailed his tiny arms and drooled on Harry's shoulder.
"I'll take that as a yes."
Waiting for them on the sofa, was not just Hermione, but Ginny too. The baby's crying must have woken her. Her hair was messed from sleep and she was still wearing the too-big T-shirt of Harry's that she'd gone to bed in. She and Hermione sat side by side on the sofa, slightly facing each other and clutching each other's hands over their touching knees. Harry watched them for a moment as they chatted quietly, heads together. It felt good, knowing that these two women, who he loved with all of his heart, were here for him when he needed them, close friends themselves; a united force.
Harry announced himself by taking another trembling breath, in an attempt to steady himself. The girls looked up at him. Both looked troubled. They'd been talking about him, or Ron. Or both.
"Oh, Harry-"
"Here, come and sit-"
They waved him over and made room on the sofa for him and Teddy. Harry sat between them, with the baby sitting against him on his lap, the both of them sniffing and gasping.
"Oh, this is just pathetic." Ginny said faintly. "There is nothing more miserable than crying orphans."
Hermione made a disapproving noise and shot Ginny a stern look, but a laugh bubbled inside of Harry, along with another not so pleasant sound that must have been a sob, because suddenly both girls had closed in on him. He sat, hunched over with his arms around his godson, and allowed himself to be coddled a little. Ginny wrapped her arms around his waist and tucked her head against his shoulder while Hermione rubbed his back. They didn't hush him or whisper nonsense like "it's going to be ok" and "don't cry" because they knew better. They knew him better than that. Instead, Ginny played peek-a-boo with Teddy over Harry's shoulder and Hermione told him he needed a haircut.
Sooner rather than later, his sobbing became less sobbing and more gasping for air. Hermione took Teddy from him and went to clean his tearful face in the kitchen.
"Oi, just breathe." Ginny urged, patting Harry on the back. "The sooner you calm down, the sooner this can be fixed."
But did he want it fixed...?
Yes.
He'd take screaming-yelling-crying-punching-people-Ron over no Ron any day. No questions.
"Right. Enough." Harry pushed himself up straight and took a few deep breaths. Ginny handed him a handkerchief, which he used to wipe his face and blow his nose. "Enough of this."
"Alright." Ginny nodded encouragingly. "Get up, then, and get going."
"I love you." Harry said, suddenly. Ginny smiled.
"I know you do," she said, kissing him. "Leave Teddy here. I'll bring him along in a bit."
"Thank-you." he said sincerely. They went to the kitchen where Hermione stood nervously by the stove. Teddy was in his carrier on the counter, settling down again.
"Let's go, Hermione." Harry said briskly.
"Go now?" asked Hermione, startled. "You're in pajamas..."
"You haven't got any shoes on." Harry countered. "Hurry up and get some. We're taking care of this right now. No ones wallowing in despair and throwing tantrums anymore, I've had enough."
Hermione blinked.
"I don't need shoes." she said faintly.
Ginny laughed. "Go already!" she exclaimed.
Harry kissed her swiftly, his face still damp with tears and then took Hermione's outstretched hand. Like they had so many times before, together they turned on the spot and dissaparated.
"Ron?"
"What?" At the Burrow's breakfast table, Ron lifted his head tiredly to look across the kitchen. His father stood at the window, looking out over the hill.
"When did you say Hermione was coming back?"
"To be determined." Ron said, unenthusiastically. From either side of him Bill and Percy gave him sympathetic looks.
"Well, son," Arthur Weasley turned away from the window with a smirk. "I think it's safe to say a date has been determined."
"No way." Charlie leaned over his father's shoulder to get a look out the window. "Oh bloody hell. Ron, the Calvary's coming!"
"Language, Charlie." Molly said absently, peeking past her son and husband. "Oh, she looks well, doesn't she? Could use with some feeding up though, I dare say. And where on Earth are her shoes?"
"Wait, what?" Ron jumped up from the table and clambered over George to get to the window. It couldn't be- she wasn't meant to be home for weeks- but there she was. Thin and an inch taller than Harry, as usual, but tanned and smiling and wearing the most feminine garment he'd seen her in since Bill's wedding. And she wasn't wearing shoes. And there was Harry, looking like he'd just jumped out of bed. And arm-in-arm, the two of them were coming down over the hill towards the house.
Ron swore loudly and turned on his heel, bolted towards the front door. By the time he clumsily shoved on a pair of trainers and got outside, they were barely 20 feet from the door. Harry released Hermione and hung back as she sprinted forward.
"What you said to Harry was really awful and I'm so angry with you," she said all in one breath before flinging her arms around his neck. Behind her, Harry laughed, but Ron was too stunned, too overwhelmed to do anything but wrap his arms around her and cling.
He breathed deeply, drowning himself in her cinnamon and parchment scent. He had his hands everywhere, in her hair, which was shorter and tamer yet, just as gorgeous as ever, on her shoulders that were bronzed and freckled, around her back and waist, where she'd put on just enough weight to not feel fragile and weak anymore. She was babbling in his ear, scolding him for fighting with Harry, but Ron didn't care. She could be angry, he deserved it anyways, and she could yell at him forever and he'd be happy, as long as he never had to miss the sound of her voice again.
He was so happy, so purely ecstatic that he nearly forgot how worried he'd been. Nearly forgot the state she was in just a month ago, the barely improved condition in which she left. He remembered then, and his heart gave an uncomfortable lurch, his stomach twisted anxiously as he pulled away from her. He held her at arms length, and began to look her over.
When he'd taken her to the hospital, the Healers had shown him what to do, the signs to look for, so he'd know how to help her. He'd never paid so much attention to anything in his life. He'd memorized a list of Post-Traumatic Stress symptoms, knew the telltale signs of a flashback and the charm to manage hyperventilation. He knew how long she could go without keeping food down before she needed a Nourishment Potion. He learned how to take a pulse and count respirations and knew which were elevated enough to require a Calming Draught or a Panic-Relieving Potion; knew the correct dose for each potion and the proper procedure to follow in case of overdose.
Perhaps the most alarming of her condition had been when her panic began to trigger her asthma- a muggle illness that hadn't troubled her since she was a young child. The anxiety attacks, while distressing, couldn't physically harm her, but the thought of her not being able to breath, of something actually threatening her life, terrified Ron. He made Hermione teach him how to use the little muggle canister which the Healers had no substitute for, and he and Harry had each carried one with them at all times.
"How are you?" he asked her now, putting one hand on the side of her face as he ducked his head a little to look her in the eyes. They were tearful, but the emotion lurking there wasn't fear. His other hand found one of hers and he pressed two fingers to her wrist, finding the steady pulse beneath her soft skin. "Do you have your inhaler? I haven't got one on me, you should have told me you were comin-"
"Ron." Hermione's voice was strong and full of authority, the way he remembered it from before the war. "I'm fine."
"I can see that, but if you have an attack and we haven't got-"
"It's back at the flat, in my bag on the sofa table, and if you needed to you could Apparate there and back in 20 seconds. But I promise you, I'm fine."
And suddenly, there she was. Hermione. Not the empty shell he'd taken care of for weeks, or the falsely pleasant character that showed itself in letters from Australia. This was rational, independent, confident and spunky. This was his Hermione. The one he was so afraid he'd lost.
"You came back." Ron's voice shook. He took her face in his hands and kissed her, urgently and passionately, how she had first kissed him in the midst of battle.
It didn't last long. Hermione pulled away after a moment and took a deliberate step backwards.
"I am very upset with the both of you." she said earnestly. She turned on Harry who was standing ten feet away, arms crossed, looking at his shoes. "Come over here."
As Harry drew nearer, Ron saw that his eyes were murky and bloodshot, his face tear stained. Guilt filled him, extinguishing the delight caused by Hermione's return.
"Harry." was all Ron could say. His throat stuck; he didn't know what else he could say. Luckily, Harry started for him.
"I'm not kicking you out, and I'm sorry that was my first reaction. I want you to come home," he said, still looking at the ground. His voice was raw and coarse, like he'd done a lot of shouting. Or crying. "But you really need to quit forcing me out."
"I didn't mean it-"
"It's not about that. I don't care what you said; it's how you've been acting. Shutting me out and acting like I don't understand how you feel." Harry said heatedly. He met Ron's gaze now and his eyes were blazing. "Your parents are mine too, ok? They're the only mum and dad that I'm ever going to get. And I've felt guilty even thinking it, because they're yours and I've put them through so much. And I'm sorry if you don't really feel like sharing your family with me but it doesn't stop me from giving a damn about everybody in that house!"
Harry was shouting now and Ron knew everyone in the kitchen could hear him perfectly.
"You don't think it tears me apart that Fred's gone? You think I don't blame myself when your Mum starts crying when he realizes she's set one too many plates on the table! You're not the only person here that cares about them, Ron. And I get it, you and Hermione are together now, and I'm just some friend that-"
Harry broke of, voice catching and he turned away. Ron's heart sank. There it was. The abandonment he was sure Harry would feel over how their dynamic had changed.
"Harry, look at me."
Harry ignored him.
"Damn it, Harry, look at me." Ron said harshly, grabbing his friend by the collar and forcing him back against the house, pinning him easily. "You think this changes anything? Huh? After everything we've done for you, everything we've been through you think this changes how we feel about you?"
Harry's silence answered the question for him. Ron couldn't help but feel angry.
"Think about what Hermione did for you. Lestrange tortured her, and she kept her mouth shut. Do you know how fast anyone else would have cracked, and spilled everything just to make it stop?" Ron lowered his voice so his family in the kitchen wouldn't hear. "I want you to think about what that night did to her, and look her in the eyes and tell her you're just some friend."
Harry shut his eyes tightly, face screwed up in guilt and shame.
"She loves you. Alright?" Ron shook Harry a little; although more gentle now that his anger was subsiding. "And- Merlin, Harry, so do I."
Harry's eyes shot open. He looked at Ron, stunned. In all the years they'd been friends, neither had ever uttered such a thing to the other.
"I know, I know, we're blokes, we don't say that rubbish," Ron said hastily, ears turning pink. "So repeat that to anyone and I'll murder you in your sle-"
The rest of Ron's sentence was drowned out as Harry pushed himself off the house and hugged him.
"Secrets safe with me." Harry choked. Suddenly there was a hitched sob from behind them. Harry and Ron pulled apart a little and turned to Hermione who stood a few yards away, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"You two are so stupid." She said, coming forward and wedging herself between them, an arm around each of their waists. "The two of you mean absolutely everything to me, and I don't want either of you to ever doubt it."
Harry and Ron hugged her simultaneously.
"Oh, Merlin, sorry-"
Ginny had walked out the front door and right into their little group huddle. Ron reached out an arm and wrapped it around her shoulders to keep her from escaping.
"I owe you an apology-"
"No. I'm over it." Ginny smirked. She looked around at the three of them; all with tear filled, red rimmed eyes. "If I had known this was going to turn into a tear fest, I would have never suggested Harry call you, Hermione."
"What- you-" Ron looked shocked.
Ginny shrugged.
"When it comes to you boys, she's got all the right magic."
"Ginny, thank you-" Hermione pulled her into the circle, hugging her tightly. "I know that must have been difficult- I- we don't mean to exclude-"
"I get it." Ginny said, hugging back. "The three of you are all still standing here because of what you have together. I'd never ask you to change that."
Her hand found Harry's and squeezed.
"We love each other." Hermione said.
"We look after one another." Ron added.
"And sometimes," Harry gently tugged Ginny out of Hermione's arms and into his own. "We put our lives on the line to save the others."
Ginny blinked up at him, her own eyes filling as she realized what he- what the three of them- were trying to do for her.
She allowed Harry to hold her. Hermione's arm around her shoulders still, and Ron's hand ruffling her hair a little.
"That sounds really good to me."
A/N: SO much happened in this chapter, but I'm so pleased with it. It really brings things to a bit of a blank slate for the next bit. The bit in this Chapter about Hermione having asthma may seem random, but its there for a reason. Before I wrote this story, I started writing a story about Hermione having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after the war. It's a short piece, about 4 chapters the length of this one. It mostly focuses on Ron and Hermione, and Harry, living in their flat for those first few weeks. When I decided to write this story, I took that idea and brought it over here. In that other story, Hermione has asthma, so I brought it over to this one. I just liked the idea of having that extra little problem that magic couldn't solve.
I'm wondering if some of you might like to see that other story. I know some of you have asked me to write some missing bits from that scenario, and this would be what you guys are asking for. It works hand in hand with this story.
If you'd be interested, please drop a review and let me know if there's anything specific you'd like to see in it! I may edit it up all pretty and post it as a companion to this story.
Don't forget to review and let me know how you liked this chapter! THANKS.
-Laine