Ernie head the twin cracks of Apparation as Hannah and Susan arrived behind him. After a quick glance to reassure himself that they were well, he took a defensive stance, putting the girls at his back. He inspected the room for Colin or Dennis or Death Eaters, but it seemed as though no one was in the room. He swallowed. He wanted to reach out his non-wand hand to Susan, but knew that he couldn't be distracted or one-handed. Tension filled him, his heart sped up, and he was aware of every sound, every smell.

The room was dim with low ceilings, pipes and beams exposed. There was a staircase that led up to a closed door. There was a slight hum as though the whole house were making a noise. It reminded Ernie of the feeling in his hand right before he sent a Stunning Spell. He smiled, diverted for a moment smelling roses, knowing that was Susan. He swallowed, letting his eyes move across the opposite side of the room. There was a dark corner. He couldn't define the shadows, and when he heard the crack and saw the figure turning, he raised his wand while beginning to crouch, reaching his other hand to push Susan down if necessary.

"Where's Colin?"

He turned towards Neville, but Hannah was the first to speak. "I don't know. We Apparated to him like you said, but we wound up here."

A voice tinged with fear came from the shadows of the dark corner. "Prove who you are."

Neville did all of the talking, and finally Colin came out of the shadows, looking small and frail, a large bundle at his feet. Dennis. Neville collected the younger boy into his arms and laid him in the brightest part of the room. This was apparently the basement of Colin's friend. Dennis had a lump on his head, and his hair was matted down with blood. Colin sounded weak, but stood off to the side as he explained what they discovered upon arriving home. Their parents were dead; had been for weeks, the Dark Mark in their bedroom. They couldn't stay at the house, so Colin took his Muggle money and brought Dennis to a hotel. Dennis had not handled any of this well, and wrecked the room using magic. That was how the Death Eaters found them – through the Trace. He had Apparated and Splinched himself-- luckily not too badly--but Dennis had been unconscious since he had been forced to hit him. Colin couldn't have Dennis using his magic so haphazardly.

There was a pounding on the door at the top of the stairs, and Ernie jumped, raising his wand. He relaxed when Colin explained that it was his friend, Brad. This was his house and he was bringing him Muggle medical supplies for Dennis' head. He heard them exchange a few words that didn't make sense to him that included mages, teleportation, lawful something or other, but when the other boy asked if they could do magic, Ernie flicked his wand at the door, closing it with a grin.

Brad asked about healing Dennis, but Neville frowned. "I'm not going to mess with a head injury like this. I don't know what I'm doing that well on Healing Spells. We can't take him to St. Mungo's, that'd be as good as gift-wrapping him for You-Know-Who, but we can't just leave him here, and that's not just that he's hurt. It might take them a little while, but if this kid's been Colin's best mate that long, the Death Eaters will track him here sooner or later if we stick around."

"What about the Burrow?"

Colin's question was lost on Ernie's ears as he saw Susan move towards the boy.

"Are you all right, love?" She reached a hand out to him and Ernie was shocked when she called out his name and saw that the hand she pulled back was covered with blood. "Ernie, he's soaked in blood."

Colin continued to insist on having Dennis' injuries taken care of first, and began to back away from Susan, but quickly lost consciousness, falling. Neville caught him and laid him gently down on the cold floor. Hannah cried out. Ernie met Neville, kneeling beside him and Colin, seeing for the first time that what Colin described as a minor Splinching was a missing right hand. His mouth opened in horror, and Neville began to take charge again. Neville checked Colin for a pulse and pulled his bowtie, wrapping it tightly around Colin's wrist.

"We need Blood Replenishing Potion right away…you're in N.E.W.T. levels –"

"Takes an hour and a half, even if I had all the ingredients on me. We don't have that kind of time. I didn't think there could be that much blood in a kid his size," he said, shaking his head.

"What if we do take him to the Burrow? Ginny's said her Mother--" Hannah had begun to speak, but Neville interrupted.

"He'd never survive the Apparation, not like this. We've got to do something first…." Everyone looked at Neville and he seemed to finally have come to a decision. "Susan, you take Dennis to the Burrow. Get him under care while we try to help his brother. It's no good losing both of them, and that blow to the head scares me…his color's all wrong, and he hasn't even twitched since we got here. The rest of us will try to do something for Colin, and we'll join you as soon as we can."

She nodded, "All right. But take care of yourselves. If they find you here…." She caught Ernie's eye, and he saw alarm there, knowing his eyes showed the same fear, but at the same time knowing that if anything happened in the basement, Susan would be safe at the Burrow and that gave him a sense of peace. Still, he wanted to reassure her.

"We'll chance moving him anyway and run," he said quickly. He carried Dennis over to Susan and laid him gently in her arms. He leaned across the small boy to kiss his wife. "I'll see you soon, love." He mouthed the words "I love you" and she turned. With a loud crack, she was gone. Ernie stood there, looking at the empty space on the floor where his wife had just been, then Brad's voice rang in his ears.

"Holy…this is unreal."

Ernie turned back, and they quickly discussed their options. When Brad suggested calling an ambulance and taking Colin to hospital, emphasizing his opinion by jumping up and heading for the door, Ernie grabbed him by the arm.

"No! You can't!"

"Why not?" Brad didn't seem to notice the substantial difference in their sizes, or that Ernie was still gripping his wand, pointing it towards the boy, but not yet threatening him. "He's my friend, and if you say he's dying there, and you can't do crap –"

"Colin's hurt because we're at war in our world – the wizard world – and there are bad wizards after us because we're fighting back. If we take him to one of your hospitals, they'll find him there, and they won't care who else they have to hurt or kill to get to him."

Ernie was standing near the stairs, ready if Brad had any other ideas about leaving to get Muggle help. He couldn't risk letting him get Muggle authorities involved or take Colin to hospital. Who knew what would happen with Colin's magic while he was unconscious in an unfamiliar place? He barely heard Hannah's soft voice asking him, "Brad, what do you do if you don't have Blood Replenishing Potions? In your hospitals?"

"We give them a transfusion. Other people give blood, and they kind of hook up tubes to put it into whoever needs it."

"Neville, could we…?"

Hannah stopped speaking, and Ernie looked towards her as she set herself down on the floor as Colin was placed in her lap; the same way he had laid Dennis in Susan's arms. Neville began to strip off his jacket, and it only took a moment for Ernie to meet his glance and do the same, rolling his sleeves up and watching as Neville took the tip of his wand and transfigured it into a sharp point to take the blood. Ernie did the same and began the spell that would transfer his blood into his wand.

Neville knelt beside Colin, using his wand to draw out his blood that Ernie would use to transfer into Colin once Ernie's blood-filled wand was depleted. Ernie was kneeling by Colin's head. He had just rested the tip of the warm, throbbing wand on Colin's throat when Neville looked at him. He spoke quietly to Neville, pleading. "If I get it wrong…"

"Yeah, you might kill him." He looked at Hannah, who had spoken, watching tears stream down her cheeks. He'd never been in this position before. He looked at each of his friends and saw the expectation in their eyes. He thought about Susan. She was often the most comforting, somehow knowing that she would let him know that whatever happened wouldn't be his fault and that he was the best man for the job, but of course, she wasn't here now. He wasn't so sure that he trusted her unwavering belief in him; unsure of not only his skill, but his faith that he could simply do what was necessary. He had never had this kind of responsibility before. As much as he worked with the animals on the farm and as much as he loved them and cried when one of them died, it wasn't the same thing. People weren't like the lambs, and this was a huge task, one he had never imagined before. If he could do this, he could do anything.

Ernie took a deep breath and went to insert the point into Colin's neck. He felt his own chest rise and fall with each deliberate breath, but when Colin's body twitched, he froze. Neville's voice echoed in his ears. "Do it."

He looked from Neville to Hannah and then finally to Colin. He had never been more frightened in his life. He closed his eyes for an instant, reciting an old prayer silently in his head, and inserting the wand tip into Colin's throat. He saw his wand pulse, and he saw the small neck pulse, and there was no blood seeping out, so Ernie thought it was working. He looked at Neville again as the blood in his wand was depleted, telling Neville with his eyes that he needed that man's wand. Timing was everything now, and while still pressured, Ernie felt a bit better about what he was doing. He took Neville's wand in his other hand to ready for the transfer, but at that moment, the cracks of Apparation could be heard upstairs. They listened until the sound stopped. Six Death Eaters had come for Colin and Dennis. And whoever else they found. Six.

"Get out of here!" Brad's voice cracked with fear. "I know what that sound means now!"

"If we leave now," Neville whispered, "we'll make that same noise, and the people up there will hear it, no matter whether Colin survives it or not!"

"So…you'll be gone!"

He dove under the table as Ernie switched the wands, handing his own to Neville so that he wasn't unarmed when the attack came. Ernie had been concentrating on his task, watching the pulsing of the wand, the rhythm of it matched by Colin's neck, the slow rise and fall of his shallow breaths. Ernie knew that Brad was fiddling with the two large black boxes and a smaller box with green and red lights that began to blink. He thought he heard a hum, but it was only for a split second until the racket began. It was an unbelievable amount of noise, and Ernie surprised himself by not startling as Brad looked quite pleased with himself. Luckily the wand ran out of blood before the Death Eaters made it to the basement. He handed Colin to Neville to be taken by Side-Along Apparation, and Ernie focused entirely on Ginny. He hoped he could find her as he had found Colin. He'd never been to the Burrow, and trusted that knowing Ginny was enough to get through the charms that must have been set up for protection at The Burrow by now, especially after Luna's kidnapping. He glanced at Colin's friend Brad for one last time as he felt the sensation of the Apparation close in all around him.

The chaos of the kitchen as Ernie arrived became a sort of mind-boggling fogginess as everyone had a job to do. There were witches and wizards that Ernie didn't recognize, but he saw Hannah being recruited by Mrs. Weasley to skin parching peas; Susan was already at the stove stirring some potion, and Ginny was talking to Neville. There was a level of subdued worry and anxiety that was heavy in the air. Ernie's mind couldn't wrap itself around all the muddled noises. Everything was going faster and faster, but also very slowly at the same time. It was both loud and hushed, scary and calm. Susan caught his eye and set the potion to stirring itself, coming close to him and grasping his hand.

"Are you all right, love?"

He thought his dazed look might speak for itself. "I need to get back to Scotland; pay for the hotel, gather the trunks."

She nodded, trying to observe her new husband and Dennis' caring while keeping track of her cauldron.

"You'll stay here to help?"

She nodded again in silence, but squeezed his hand, and he took a deep breath, realizing in the moment how much he needed her to go with him, but also knowing that she was needed here more. He selfishly wanted her to return to Gretna Green with him, perhaps, simply stay there and never come back, but no. That was the coward's way, and while he was many things, that wasn't one of them. He kissed the top of her head and went in search of a quiet place to clean up before his detour back into the Muggle world.

*****

Ernie could hear the quiet murmurings of conversation downstairs, but he didn't want to join them. He sat on one of the stairs, elbows on knees, face in palms, eyes closed. He had just returned from Gretna Green. For now, Neville's trunk was in Bill's old room and Hannah's was next to Ginny's in her room. His and Susan's were still in the hallway at the top of the stairs. He wasn't sure where they would be sleeping.

While on his errand, there had been a lot of time to think about the day. He smiled, thinking of the start of their day. He had been busy with the paperwork for the legality of his marriage and with the clerk and Neville, and when he had looked up and seen Susan, she had taken his breath away. He knew he had been staring and when she had smiled back at him, he had thought he would pass out from the sheer joy of it.

When she had held his hands as they recited their vows, he had thought his heart would stop. She was so beautiful, and he couldn't believe how quickly she had won his heart in these past few months. He saw her bright smile in his mind's eye, the bright Scottish sun no match for it. Just as suddenly, he saw her frightened face in Brad's basement. He became regretful thinking about the boy. He was surely dead by now. He had paid for their escape with his life.

Ernie felt her presence before he heard the soft padding of shoes, and when she touched his knee; he didn't look at her, afraid of the explosion of pent-up emotion.

"I'm so sorry, Susan," he whispered.

"Sorry? Why would you be sorry?"

He lifted his head. His eyes had begun to water. "Today should have been perfect for you. You looked so lovely; so beautiful, my Susan." He was staring at the bloodstains on her dress and reached out his hand, not actually connecting with the dress.

She looked down and then took his hands in hers as she slid herself onto his lap, sitting on one knee. "Today was perfect, Ernie. I married the man I love. And you saved Colin's life. That was not a small task. It couldn't have been more perfect."

He exhaled an ironic laugh, almost rolling his eyes. "Susan." He looked at her, his eyes welling, about to spill with unshed tears; tears Ernie wanted left unshed. "Putting aside running away to be married, no proper wedding night or honeymoon not to mention your bloody wedding dress, there's still the small matter of Colin nearly losing his brother and actually losing his hand. Today was far from perfect."

He went to put his head down; to turn away from the concerned look on her face, but she wouldn't let him. She cradled his face gently between her hands, refusing to let him look away. "Ernie, it's not about the wedding, it's about the marriage."

"I could have lost ya today, Susan. We were all so close to death. That poor boy's dead. Colin was almost dead."

"But he's not dead. You saved his life –"

"I almost didn't. I held my wand against his neck. I could feel my blood in it - warm, throbbing." He looked down at his hands. "They're still shaking. I can't stop thinking about it." He closed his eyes and Susan took his hands in hers, bringing them up to her face, placing gentle kisses across his knuckles. I can still see him, laying there on the floor, the blood everywhere. You were gone, but I couldn't look at him without thinking of you. He was so small. What if I made a mistake? Opened his neck in the wrong place? I'd no idea what I was doin', Susan, and everyone was relying on me. Everyone. All I could think was that if he died, the Fidelius died with him, and you…you'd be in such danger. Would I be able to Apparate to you quickly enough if he died? It wasn't just his life in my hands, Susan. Everyone's. But most important, yours." He opened his eyes and pulled his hands out of her soothing grasp, taking her face in his hands as she had done earlier. "I'm supposed to protect you, my love. I'm your husband now. You're my responsibility."

"And you're mine."

"No," he shook his head. "It's different…for a man, Susan. It's on me to protect you. I need to protect you. If we're lucky enough to have a family someday, it's up to me to keep you safe."

"Ernie –"

"I couldn't bear it – for you to be in danger, but Susan…. Sweet Merlin, Susan, I'd never been so scared in me life when I stuck my wand into Colin's throat. He twitched and then he relaxed and I only knew he was all right because the blood stayed in his neck."

He pulled his hands from her face and dropped his head to her shoulder, pressing a gentle kiss to her collarbone. He was exhausted. Between the fight with his parents and drinking all those Muggle bottles in the hotel the night before, and the early day of paperwork and the wedding itself and then Colin's rescue, he simply wanted to crawl into a bed and sleep. Ernie was feeling sadness and fatigue and despair, but then his senses were overtaken – the feel of Susan's skin against his lips, seeing her dark hair falling from its combs.

He could hear her soft breathing, and he was overcome. He wanted to taste her, and he lifted his head so he could reach her lips. He hadn't kissed her since they left Brad's basement, and that seemed so very long ago, so waiting this extra moment didn't seem so bad. He reached a hand up and pulled the nearest comb from her hair, pulling that hair loose. Her fingers were raking through his hair and he didn't know if he grabbed her head first or she grabbed his, but he was clutching at her and pressing his body against hers in a fury of emotion. She started to unbutton his shirt and he grabbed her breast through her dress, only stopping when her head hit the wall behind her.

He looked at her, still in her wedding dress, the blood catching his eye. Both of their breathing was labored, one of her hands inside his shirt on his bare chest; one on his belt. He shook his head hazily, knowing this was not how he was going to be with his wife for the first time, quick and dirty on the Weasley staircase, and when she leaned her head in to kiss him, he pulled his back and shook his head more forcefully. "No," he finally whispered, reining himself in. "Not like this."

He pulled her closer to him and kissed the side of her head. "Marrying you was perfect. Making love to you will be perfect." He kissed her lips again, savoring the feel and her taste, and he stood up, helping her to stand and steadying her on the stairs. He pulled the hair he'd taken down back up and slid the comb in, admiring his good work, then straightening her dress. He buttoned his shirt and adjusted his tie. "Ready Mrs. Macmillan?" he asked, putting his elbow out for her to grasp.

She nodded, and they made their way downstairs to the sitting room, where they thought everyone was. Looking around for a place to sit, Ernie saw that Neville was not down from the bathroom yet.

Ernie nodded at Colin, who was huddled under a blanket in a chair that made him appear tiny and two sizes too small to fit in it, his new hand cradled across his body. Mrs. Weasley gave Mr. Weasley a little push and he moved closer to the end, so that she could make room for Ernie and Susan.

As he crossed the room, he leaned down to shake Lee Jordan's hand and then Remus Lupin. His former professor was sitting near a pink-haired witch, who must have been his wife. She smiled up at Ernie as she absentmindedly smoothed her hand across her belly. Susan gestured to him to sit next to Mrs. Weasley on the sofa, and when he did, she gently slid onto his lap.

He felt his whole body relax into the well-worn comfort of the cushion. He feared that he would fall asleep like this and when Susan molded herself to him, her head resting on his, his resting against the ball of her shoulder, he let out a deep sigh, letting the stress of the day leave him. He smiled against her shoulder, content as a Kneazle as she brushed his hair with her fingers, pressing an occasional kiss to his head. He closed his eyes and rubbed his knuckles against her thigh where his hand rested, glad that the strain of that part of their day was finally over and that Colin and Dennis were safe; that they were all safe.

His eyes opened when he heard Neville step off the staircase and into the sitting room, his voice quiet as he concentrated his attention on Colin.

"Colin…" he began, "…are you…did they find your hand?"

"No, but I'm feeling a lot better, really. You guys saved my life."

"But if they didn't find it -?"

"We just did our best to regrow it." Ernie looked towards the pink-haired witch as she shrugged; explaining the trouble they had with Colin's missing hand. "Trouble is, we're Aurors, not Healers, and I guess I'm only much good at making one set of hands at a time." He looked again at her own hands cradling her swollen belly.

"It's okay, Mrs. Lupin," Colin said quickly, confirming her identity. "I'm not –"

"Oi! Don't call me that! Makes me feel ancient as well as huge! Tonks'll still do me fine, I told you."

"Now, Dora, you're not huge, you're not even six months," Mrs. Weasley chimed in. "You should have seen me with the twins…I told Arthur if I got any bigger, my belly would need its own owl address."

"Point is," Ginny said, pointing at Colin from her position on the floor, "they regrew it fine, but they can't get it to work, and they don't know why, so right now, it's just sort of a decorative end bit on his arm."

"I'm left-handed anyway, I can still do magic fine. And they said the proper Healers should be able to figure it out as soon as it's okay to go back to St. Mungo's, or if Madam Pomfrey can get a look at it once we go back to school."

"Well that's good to hear," Neville said evenly, "but it's not all okay, Colin. You nearly died, and there was no good reason. What you did was incredibly stupid, and you're sitting there grinning like it was all just a lark. Your best friend has probably been killed by Death Eaters, Dennis – well, I don't know where he is – and you came this close to breaking the Fidelius Charm right when we're all scattered across the countryside and most vulnerable."

Ernie was surprised by Neville's tone, and as the room grew uncomfortably silent, he knew that he wasn't the only one who noticed it. He lifted his head from Susan's shoulder, paying closer attention to his commander. Susan's hands stilled at the nape of his neck at the same time, and he knew that she was also waiting for Neville to continue. Ernie couldn't recall having ever heard him use this tone before during their time in the DA. He thought he was being a bit harsh, but beyond that, he just didn't sound quite right. Before he could say anything, Colin's small voice came from the mass of blankets on the chair. He stammered and sounded weak and unsure of himself, and that wasn't the Colin that Ernie had gotten to know in the DA in recent weeks.

"I…I…I'm sorry. D-D-Dennis is sleeping upstairs with S-S-Sturgis watching him. 'Nother Order bloke. They fixed his head."

Ginny spoke up quickly, a critical edge to her voice. "What did you want him to do, Neville? Sit around and let the Death Eaters take them because he hadn't passed his Apparition test yet?"

"No, but that nonsense about trying to hide how badly he was Splinched was inexcusable." He turned to face Colin again. "You're the Secret-Keeper. When I explained that to you, I told you it might mean sacrifice, including your brother. You said you understood, but when it came down do it, you stood in the shadows and nearly bled to – no, scratch that, you did bleed to death, and you're only sitting there now because Ernie and I pushed a couple of pints of our own blood into you to replace what you let soak a dozen yards of fabric and half that basement. I want to know why I shouldn't lift the Fidelius now and put it on someone else."

Ernie could barely see Colin under the blankets, but he was beginning to tremble under Neville's insensitive criticism. "I didn't mean to let everyone down. I just…I wasn't thinking…my Mum and Dad…and my brother…and I just…I guess I didn't want to believe I was bleeding that much…."

"You'd lost a hand!" Neville raised his voice a little, causing Ernie to sit up a straighter. "It should have been a clue when your uniform was wet to the knees."

"I won't do it again."

"You bloody well won't. You only have one left…and I mean hand, life, and chance."

Ernie put pressure on Susan's back, gesturing her to move from his lap, which she did immediately. He stood and took two steps towards Neville, still unsure of what he was about to do, but knowing that what Neville was saying was more than a little unkind.

"Wait a moment there, old chum…you're being really hard on the poor kid. He just lost –"

Neville interrupted. "We're all going to lose, Ernie, and some of us already have." His eyes flickered towards Hannah, but met Ernie's again as he continued, "It wouldn't do any good to say Hannah was excused because she lost her mother if she failed in her duties, or because I lost my parents, or Harry lost his, or anyone else, for that matter. Colin failed, and he's going to have to make up for it and win my trust back, and it's really that simple."

Ernie's eye met Hannah's, but then turned his head to look at Susan, and wasn't surprised to see his own shock mirrored on her pretty face. He licked his lips and when he turned back to Neville, he didn't speak because the taller man was already speaking to Mrs. Weasley. "Now, I don't mean to bother you, but I haven't eaten in almost twelve hours. Would you mind if I grabbed a spot of leftovers or something from the kitchen?"

"Of course, dear. Arthur will get something. Just give him a moment."

Mr. Weasley went into the kitchen, leaving the rest of them in an awkward silence. Ernie, himself, felt as though he were in a different kind of reality. Was he the only one who thought that Neville's outburst was out of line? No one else had said anything to him, and now that it was over, Neville was going to have his dinner, simple as you please.

Ernie glanced around the room again. Hannah had moved over to the arm of the chair where Colin was whimpering, beginning to cry, and Ernie felt a pang of remorse that the rest of them would see him this way. Hannah was rubbing Colin's back, and for the first time, Ernie realized that poor Colin was the head of his family now. He was the oldest, and would have to take care of Dennis. They still didn't know how Dennis was. Their parents were dead.

He thought of his own parents and his argument with his father. He couldn't bear it if something happened to his Da, and if the last words he said to him were… He stopped those thoughts just before the kitchen door swung open and Mr. Weasley stuck his head into the sitting room, signaling to Neville to come in.

"If you'll come in here, son…?"

Ernie seemed to be the only one startled by the thump on the other side of the kitchen door. He turned, and at once thought he would join Neville in the kitchen when Professor Lupin drew his attention away.

"It's all right, Mr. Macmillan. Kingsley has a way of finding out what's amiss with Mr. Longbottom."

"What was that about?" Susan asked quietly, looking at Ernie, who shrugged, but continued to look towards the kitchen, torn between his duties as Neville's Lieutenant and his friend, partly wanting to help Neville and partly wanting to knock some sense into him after the way he had spoken to Colin.

He was mildly distracted by Colin, even though the Secret Keeper's emotional wave was subsiding, and after a few more moments, Ernie settled back into the sofa with Susan on his knee. He was exhausted and all he really wanted to do was to find out which room he and Susan would be staying in and go up there as soon as possible, simply crawling into bed.

After a time, Neville returned with Mr. Weasley and apologized to the room for his behavior. He was still sitting beside Colin, talking in hushed tones when Ernie felt his head nod onto Susan's shoulder and thought that at this point it would be ruder to start snoring rather than ask Mrs. Weasley to direct them to their room.

After settling Colin and Dennis, Mrs. Weasley showed Ernie and Susan to the room next door. They tried to protest when they realized that it was the Weasleys' own bedroom, but Mrs. Weasley had none of that. She squeezed both of their hands and spoke in a soft voice more to Susan than Ernie. "You only have one wedding night. Leave me your dress, dear, I'm sure I can get the stains out, given enough time and magic." She hugged Susan and then Ernie, slipping quietly into the next room, leaving them standing alone in the hallway.

Ernie watched Mrs. Weasley disappear down the hall. He wondered how his own parents would have reacted if they'd spent their wedding night at the Loch; at the farmhouse. Would his mother have hugged Susan? Would his father have shaken his hand as Mr. Weasley had done?? He'd like to think so. He had begun to return in his mind to their argument at the train station. He should have introduced his parents to Susan before they left. It may not have gone well, but he should have…. Did he hug his father goodbye? He couldn't remember. So much had happened since yesterday morning. He should have –

His thoughts stopped with Susan's touch. Her fingertips were warm and soothing as she entwined them with his cooler calloused ones.

The door to the bedroom was ajar, and Susan pushed it open with her other hand to reveal a warm, homey space with a large bed and a rocking chair under a window. She began to step inside but Ernie had the presence of mind to hold her back. He bent and lifted her, one arm around her back and one under her knees, and her surprised smile grew larger. She put her arms around his neck and pulled his head closer to kiss him deeply. Ernie's grin widened as he stepped over the doorstep, the door closing with a push of his foot, carrying his wife away from the awfulness they had faced and towards the beginning of their marriage. .

Ernie couldn't stop smiling. He couldn't help but feel giddy as he kissed his wife again, setting her gently on the patchwork quilt-covered bed. He took a step back, but Susan was quickly reaching for his shoulders, drawing him back to her. His lips happily met hers as he balanced himself with one knee on the bed, his arms around her, pulling her against him. He kissed a trail across her bare shoulders then continued lower, and when he met the top of her dress, he looked up expectantly. They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever. Ernie felt Susan's small fingers untying his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. She wasn't simply undoing the fastenings, but with each button undone, she was peeling away the day. The last button undone was Neville's harshness towards Colin. The tugging on his undershirt was the bloody trail in the Weasley's kitchen.

He watched her hands reach up to pull out her hair combs and that was Colin's transfusion in Brad's basement. Slipping his shoes off was the screech of the owl in the street at Gretna Green. Unfastening the waistband of his trousers was their vows – as long as there is breath in my body –and they were where they were meant to be. She kissed his cheek and his chin before their mouths crashed together in a mixture of sounds, grunts and half-formed sentences.

"Is the door –?"

"Locked."

"The Muff –"

"Done."

"Would you –"

"I'm trying."

They were eager, their lips finding any skin, any available bareness, their exhaustion suddenly gone.

Ernie's mind began to slow down as her smell overtook his senses-rose petals coupled with her natural scent. He licked her neck, tasting her skin – so sweet with the tiniest bit of salt, and it felt like the stairs again. He pulled back, laughing as she involuntarily moved with him. He paused, his breathing heavy and uneven. "I want perfect for you," he whispered, arranging her hair and letting it fall loosely around her face and over her shoulders.

She was kneeling on the bed and he stood up in front of her, his clothes half-hanging from his body and he realized that she was still almost completely dressed. He saw the blood streaked across the front of her dress, bright on the smooth white satin, but wouldn't let his eyes linger there.

"This won't do, Mrs. Macmillan." His voice took on a teasing sound as if to scold her. He carefully untied the tartan sash from her waist, reaching across her to lay it on the pillow at the head of the bed. He took in a short breath as she laid her hands flat on his chest, touching him, smoothing her hands along his muscles.

His arms went around her and he very slowly pulled the zipper down while caressing her back, peppering her neck with kisses. He let his tongue flicker against her hardened nipples through the lace of her bra as the front of the dress fell away. Before he could take a breast into his mouth as he'd planned, she gave him a playful shove, letting the dress fall completely away to pool at her knees. He had to catch his breath again, she was so lovely. He helped her off the bed so that she could take off the rest of her clothes. She stepped out of the dress and when she bent to pick it up, he had to touch her again.

Ernie finally let Susan slip away from his grasp long enough for the two of them to shed the rest of their clothing. For his part, the Muggle tuxedo was feeling very heavy and removing it felt like removing the stress and horrors of the day that weren't a part of their wedding. As each item was removed – waistcoat, tie, shirt, trousers- it was a layer of sadness gone. All that was left in his nakedness was the feeling of all that had happened was their wedding; more wonderful than he could have remembered.

Ernie watched from the corner of his eye as Susan did the same. With each article of clothing she removed, she seemed to become lighter as well. He turned away, glancing now and again at his new wife, who was delicately folding her dress and undergarments, her shoes and stockings already lying on the floor nearby.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ernie saw a flutter of white as Susan placed her things neatly on a rocking chair. He wasn't sure why he was hesitant to look at her. He had seen her in various stages of undress, although never all at once like this, and never with the anticipation of what was about to come. Completely naked, he turned to face her, swallowing nervously. He was surprised to find her staring at him, and for the first time in his life, he felt a bit self-conscious. He stared back at her, taking in all that Susan was. He had been with a few different girls, and they were all something wonderful in their own way, but there was something unique about the woman who was now his wife. He had never felt this way about any of the others; he had a connection with her that bordered on scary. He never felt more complete than when he was with her. He knew he had changed after his flogging; having come so close to death. He had been excited at first, when Susan finally admitted her true feelings for him, but right now, at this moment, he felt so much more for her than his initial lust. He wasn't sure when it had happened, but he loved her completely and sooner than he had ever expected he would love anyone.

And she was so lovely, standing naked and unquestioning in her trust for him, showing, with absolutely no hint of shyness, how much she loved him. Ernie's feelings went much deeper than simply how beautiful she looked to him now. Her long dark hair flowed freely, framing her face and shoulders, her flowered comb now lying on the bedside table. Her creamy skin, darkly highlighted by her beautiful dark eyes and the darker centers of her breasts- her nipples beginning to peak with arousal as his eyes drifted downward- ending at a cluster of dark hair. He breathed in deeply, afraid to move or speak and break the spell she was obviously casting on him. He noticed the small candlelight reflected off the rings on her left hand, and he felt overwhelmed at all that she was: his wife. This would be the first of many nights together, and he remembered what he'd told her when he first proposed. If they lived past the end of June, she would be his forever. He almost couldn't breathe at the enormity of it, and he smiled when she smiled at him, taking one step forward, hesitating only when she spoke, looking down nervously as she bit her lip. "I…."

"You're so beautiful, Susan." His voice was full of emotion he hadn't realized he'd had. He heard his burr, deep and strong, solid. It was who he was, and he couldn't hide who he was from her. He didn't want to hide anything from her, yet she brought up so many new feelings. He wanted her, yes, but he wanted also wanted to be with her. He wanted her to have his children and wear his name and run her fingers through his hair after a long day on the farm. He felt his eyes moisten as he thought again of the danger they had been in today, but only for a second. He pushed it aside as he bridged the space between them, almost gasping as their bodies touched, his hands smoothing down her arms and around her back, and he kissed her again. Softly, tenderly, sweetly. He lifted her and settled her on the bed, her head resting on the tartan covered pillow. His body hovered over hers as he watched the tiny motions of her skin as she breathed: the rise and fall of her breasts, the feeling of her breath on him as he drew down, closer. She looked uncertain and still a bit nervous as he brushed against her thigh, his desire for her now apparent.

He closed his eyes as he felt her breath on him. She scattered kisses along his arm, her hands running the length of him from neck to waist. Her actions made him groan, especially when with each caress, her hands advanced further down. His own hands followed her curves, over her shoulders, stopping to play at her breasts, along her waist, and finally as his mouth settled on one delicious breast, his hand slid between her legs. Before he felt how much she wanted him, she let out one of her noisiest gasps, and he almost laughed, but her hips rose reflexively and his fingers slipped inside, and they both gasped at the thrill of his touch.

He wanted to look at her, watch as she reacted to his caresses, his kisses, but his eyes closed as new sensations filled his body, his senses completely aligned with hers. Their hands were everywhere at once, and she surprised him when she dug her fingernails into his shoulders. Her hips rose again and he knew she was ready. He was a bit nervous. She was built so lightly, he wasn't sure what to expect, but he certainly expected more of an outcry than her tiny wail when he pushed inside her completely. Her legs wrapped around him, and he was within her. She was so much at once. Soon she was matching him thrust for thrust, her groans the only sound he heard. All his brain could focus on was the rhythm and the repetition of their movements and how she felt around him. She felt so warm. No, hot, and wet and tight. Oh sweet Merlin, she was tight, and he'd never felt anything so good in his life. He managed to open his eyes and look at her beneath him, moving with him and against him, and he knew his excitement was heightened because she was all that for him and only him. She was wet for him and the heat he felt all around him had never been for anyone else, and that made it so much better.

He was close now, and he could tell by the expression on Susan's face that she wasn't far off either. He knew he'd be first, though. When he shuddered, he nearly lost his balance but managed to regain himself. He smiled gently at her, stimulating her with his fingers, and was amazed at how good she felt as he returned to suckling her breasts, taking in her scent and groaning as she writhed against him. She surprised him by screaming out his name, screaming, and he moved his head up, taking her tongue in his mouth, holding her close as she spasmed and stilled. They were both still now, except for their panting and an occasional slide of one's hand over the other's body. He moved off of her, pulling her close until they were entwined, wrapped around each other and in the covers, kissing and continuing to tenderly explore each other's bodies long into the night.

*****

Ernie closed the door, but stood there, leaning against it. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched Susan, still asleep in the Weasleys' comfortable bed.

He remembered Mr. Weasley's words to him as they tried to decline the use of their bedroom, simply asking if when Susan thought of this day, would he want her to think of her blood splattered wedding dress or spending the night with her new husband in a cheerful, love-filled place. Ernie thanked Mr. Weasley and shook his hand.

Susan got his attention, letting a soft moan escape her lips as she rolled over. He grinned as the blanket covering her slowly slipped bit by bit until it puddled on the floor and she was completely naked and he smiled at the memory of their first time together, only an hour or so ago.

He removed the dressing gown and picked up the blanket, lying next to Susan, molding his body around hers, covering them up in the warmth. He brushed his lips across her head in a gentle way like she always did to him when he was asleep in the common room, and he reached for her hand, their rings clinking against one another, suddenly awash in a new emotion that took his attraction and love for his new wife and put it in a whole other place of fear and protection. There was a tiny bit of light coming in through the window and it caused his wedding ring to glint and catch his eye.

He lifted her hand to his mouth and he glimpsed her smaller ring; rings that had once belonged to her aunt. He brought her hand to his lips, kissing each finger in succession and he knew what men had known for centuries: the difference between a random bedmate and the love made between two people meant to spend forever together. He'd been with other girls, but Susan wasn't one of them. She was his wife; his mate. She was the one person he had never expected to find.