Just Going With It

by pinkdigi

When the world falls apart, they only have each other. [PostHBP. HG and RHr, with Horcrux hunt and Final Battle]

20. The Rescue

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

The kitchen scene with Ron and Hermione in this chapter first popped into my head months and months ago – when I was a huge R/Hr shipper but (gasp) couldn't stand H/G – and it wouldn't go away. The main reason I wrote this story was so I could work in this upcoming scene. And I think listening to the song '4AM' by Our Lady Peace kind of sets the mood for this chapter, the kitchen scene especially.

Chapter Twenty: The Rescue
……………………………………………………………

This was awful.

No, awful would be Harry having to live with the Dursleys until he died. Awful would be Mr Weasley losing his job at the Ministry. Awful would be waking up tomorrow to find that Voldemort had murdered a whole other group of wizards and Muggles.

This was worse than awful, because it was Ginny. And Harry couldn't do anything to save her.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. Harry could save her, if only McGonagall would let him go after her. But instead, she had locked herself up in one of the rooms in Grimmauld Place and taken all of the Order members with her. She had called it strategizing. Harry wasn't so sure. He had done a lot of strategizing in the past – whether for Quidditch or for sneaking around Hogwarts or when trying to get Slughorn to give him that memory – and it had never taken him this long. Well, the Slughorn thing had taken quite a bit of time. But that was beside the point.

Harry checked the clock again. It had been over an hour since him, Ron and Hermione had been ordered upstairs. In that hour, they could've been out rescuing Ginny. Merlin, they could've been back withGinnyby now!

She could be getting killed … or she could already bedead!

But she wasn't dead. Harry knewshe wasn't, because he would feel it.

His scar would twinge when Voldemort was up to something, and it would throb and burn when something big was happening.

His heart was aching now, telling him that Ginny was in danger. But it hadn't broken yet, so he knew she was okay. She was tough … she would hold on. She had survived Voldemort once before, after all.

That was the real dilemma for Harry. Ginny wouldn't have survived if Harry and Ron hadn't gone after her, if Harry hadn't destroyed the diary and saved her. Was history repeating itself? Was Harry supposed to go after her now?

He had had enough. He wasn't a patient person. In a way, he couldn't believe that McGonagall expected him to sit around, quietly twiddling his thumbs, while everyone else made themselves "useful" for Ginny.

Sighing, he trudged resolutely down the stairs. Once in the kitchen, he discovered Professor Lupin exactly where he had been when Hermione had attempted to sneak over to The Burrow.

'What do you think you're doing?' asked Lupin.

'I can't go and get Ginny by myself,' he admitted. 'I'll only end up getting my arse kicked by the Death Eaters. But everyone is in that meeting, trying to come up with some bloody strategy, and I'm not going to be excluded from it.'

'I'm sorry,' Lupin said sincerely, 'but I can't let you pass. I have been told that you, Ron and Hermione are not to be allowed into the meeting. As Minerva tells me, you waved that right when you were kicked out of the Order earlier today.' He raised his eyebrows knowingly.

Harry tried to stand tall as he drew his wand. 'You know, you're the closest thing to a father that I've got,' he said. 'But if you think that I won't do something drastic to get into that meeting, you're wrong.'

'Harry –'

'Step aside,' said Harry. 'Please.'

'Fine,' said Lupin, who now seemed understanding and slightly amused. 'But if Minerva asks, I'm telling her that you bullied me into it.'

Harry attempted a smile.

……………………………………………………………

Ron sighed in frustration and paced the bedroom he and Harry used during the summer before fifth year. He was waiting for Harry to come find him, to tell him that the meeting was over and they were ready to go get his sister back. Why wasn't Harry coming? What was taking the Order so long?

There was an annoying sound coming from somewhere in the room. Ron looked around but couldn't find the source. He opened all the drawers, but they were empty. He pulled all the pillows off of his old bed, but nothing was there. It was getting louder and louder, so loud now that Ron could hear nothing but this … ticking. It was a clock. It had to be. He walked over to the bed Harry had used and it was louder than ever. Kneeling on the bed, he stuck his hand in the space between the bed and wall. His fingers brushed against something cold and metal. He grabbed it and pulled, bringing it to his ear to investigate, hearing it tick.

Without thinking, he growled and hurled it against the opposite wall, loving the sound the clock made when it smashed to bits.

It was then, as he stood there panting, that he heard someone clear their throat.

He spun around and found Hermione watching him with wide, worried eyes. Great. First, he had punched Harry. Now, he was throwing things around the room. She probably thought he was aggressive and hot-tempered and – well, he was those things. And she knew that, too. But Ron had never seen her look at him this way before. She was staring at him as if she didn't know him, as if she was afraid of him.

'Hi,' he said awkwardly.

'Hi.'

'Are you okay? What did Audrey say?' asked Ron.

Hermione's eyes softened and she smiled slightly. 'She said that I was okay.' Ron sighed in relief. She walked into the room and sat down on Ron's old bed. 'I still have to go home, though.'

There was a sinking sense of dread in the pit of Ron's stomach. He sat down beside her on the bed, unable to stop thinking about the rest of the summer and how it would feel to not have Hermione there. Harry and Ginny would have each other and he would be bored out of his mind, holed up in his room writing letters to Hermione, working up the courage to tell her everything he would never be able to say to her face.

'Are you sure your parents won't reconsider? I mean, don't they see how much we need you here?'

Hermione shook her head. 'They don't understand what's going on. They don't understand that even though some dangerous things happen from time to time, I'm safer with you than I am with them.' Ron liked the way she said with you, as opposed to with your family or with the Order. 'I asked them again when I showed them to their room … they're going to let me stay until Ginny is safe, but I'm going home first thing in the morning.'

'Damn …' said Ron.

'I know,' said Hermione. 'It doesn't look as if I'll be able to go look for Horcruxes, either.'

'We'll all die without your help, you know. Even Harry won't stand a chance.'

Hermione laughed softly. 'You'll be fine without me. And Harry won't need me at all,' she said. 'He's perfectly capable. He's strong and smart and –'

'He's your bloody hero, I get it,' Ron said irritably. Why was she going on and on about Harry? Couldn't she see that he was the one who was hopeless in love with her?

Hermione's head snapped up and she seemed annoyed, but the look on her face quickly dissipated when her eyes met his. 'Harry is a lot of things,' she said slowly, 'but he isn't my hero.'

Ron didn't quite know what to make of that.

'Then who –?'

'Who do you think?'

Honestly, he didn't have a bloody clue what she was talking about.

But then Hermione reached out and rolled one of his sleeves, tracing her fingers lightly over the scars on his arms from their fifth year, and he knew what she meant.

'R-really? But ...'

She wouldn't meet his eyes when she said, 'Don't pretend you didn't know.'

'I –'

He paused when he heard her sob.

'What's wrong?' he asked softly, brushing a tear away with his thumb. Merlin, he hoped he was doing something right. He was rubbish when it came to girls. Lavender had taught him absolutely nothing about this sort of thing.

'I'm such an idiot,' she cried, burying her face in his chest. 'I didn't have my wand! Why wouldn't I carry my wand with me? I could've fought them off … I could've saved her!'

Ron shook his head, though she couldn't see him. How could she blame herself? 'No, you couldn't have. They – they would've taken you, too. If – if you tried to fight them. Or they would have killed you.'

'I just let them take her,' she said. 'I didn't even try and –'

'There was nothing you could do!'

'– now you must hate me.'

He stiffened and put his arms around her. 'I don't hate you. I …'

No. No. No. Now wasn't the time.

'I don't hate you,' he said weakly.

Ron knew what his feelings for Hermione were. He had known since second year that there was something there. After a long, long time of questioning it, he decided to let it be. He would always feel something more for her, but it was only recently that he realized how much more he felt for her. Perhaps it had happened over this summer, or the previous summer, or the one before that. Maybe it was in first year, on the train. He would never know.

Hermione was shaking. She cried for several more minutes before she calmed down and her breathing evened out. Ron didn't let go for a long time.

'I should go try to sleep,' she said, pulling away. 'The Order will probably be a while longer and –'

'Sleep here,' Ron said quickly. She gave him a strange look. She wanted to, he could tell. 'You – you shouldn't be alone.'

'My parents are here …'

'My parents are here, too,' he said. 'But I don't care. Besides, you're leaving tomorrow … it's going to be ages before I see you again.'

'My birthday is in a month. And the second I turn eighteen, I'll be back at The Burrow,' she vowed.

Ron couldn't describe how good it made him feel to know that Hermione would rather be with his family than hers. He knew, logically, that there was something between them. Something had always been between them. But … it was complicated.

Hermione nodded and stood up. While waiting for Harry to return, hours earlier, Hermione had changed out of her dress and into regular clothes. Ron, unfortunately, hadn't followed suit. He was stuck in the same clothes he had worn to the wedding.

'Do you think Harry will be using the other bed tonight?' Hermione asked.

'No,' said Ron. 'But it doesn't really matter.' He grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his bed. Hermione relaxed against him and if Ron wasn't so anxious to go after Ginny, he would've settled for lying there forever.

……………………………………………………………

'I have obtained a blueprint of Malfoy Manor,' Harry heard McGonagall say. 'And as you will note, there are secret entrances here, here, here, here and here.'

Harry came to the room and stood in the doorway. The Order had their backs to him, staring something on the opposite wall. Tonks shifted on her feet and when her head moved slightly, Harry got a peek at what appeared to be blueprints, up on the wall. There were red circles around the secret entrances. However, as Harry examined them, he couldn't see the room where Ginny was being held. Whoever made these blueprints probably wasn't aware of the dungeons.

'If we sneak around to the back entrances,' Kingsley said, 'then we can –'

'That'll never work,' Harry piped up from the doorway. The Order members spun around to face him, startled.

'What are you doing here, Potter?' asked McGonagall. She appeared to consider this for a moment. 'And what did you say?'

'I said that your plan won't work,' he repeated. 'We can't sneak in. They aren't stupid. Voldemort will have Death Eaters standing guard at all the back entrances.'

'It's our only choice,' said Tonks.

'When I did the Wandering Spell,' he explained, 'I didn't see a single Death Eater roaming around the Manor. I'd be willing to bet that they were all stationed at those entrances, waiting for us to sneak in. They aren't stupid. They know that we're going to do the only logical thing: get a copy of the Manor's blueprints, map out the secret passageways and entrances, and attack.'

Everyone stared at him expectantly.

'What do you propose we do, then?'

'If we want to get into Malfoy Manor, we do exactly as I did,' he said firmly. 'We walk right through the front door.'

……………………………………………………………

'Get up!'

Hermione opened her eyes and sat up. How long had she been asleep? It felt like a few minutes, but it could've only been a few hours.

'We're going! Ron, get up!'

What was Harry talking about? Where were they going?

Oh.

Hermione nudged Ron. 'Ron,' she said. 'It's time to get Ginny.'

Ron's eyes flew open and he was off the bed and down the stairs before Hermione even realized he was awake. Harry gave Hermione an odd look and they followed him, running down the stairs so quickly that Hermione nearly tumbled several times. When she and Harry got to the kitchen, her parents were waiting for them. Wordlessly, Harry went over to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder.

Once they had all safely made it back to The Burrow, Hermione saw that the entire house was filled with witches and wizards.

Was this the Order? Hermione knew that there were more than just the ones working with Harry to find Horcruxes … but were there really this many members?

It couldn't be, she reasoned, because Grimmauld Place was the Order's Headquarters. Why would they have to leave and come to The Burrow if they were all Order members?

'I called in favours from a few friends at the Ministry,' Mr Weasley explained.

'So did I,' added Percy.

Hermione knew better than to ask questions now, because Mr Weasley had just subtly warned everyone that many of these people were not affiliated with the Order of the Pheonix.

Hermione recognized a few of the Romanian members – Cassi, Anastasia, Dimitri and Ivan. And some of the witches and wizards had been at the wedding earlier today. They were friends of Bill's, ones he had made in Egypt.

'Hermione? What's going on?'

Hermione spun around and saw her parents standing just inside the kitchen of The Burrow, looking around the crowded area with wide eyes.

'They're Muggles,' Mr Weasley announced, excitedly, to the group.

'What's the plan?' asked Ron. 'When're we leaving?'

'You are not leaving!' commanded Mrs Weasley.

'They need all the help they can get, Mum,' said Ron. 'I'm seventeen. I'm doing this.'

Mr and Mrs Weasley exchanged looks. To Hermione's amazement, Mrs Weasley's shoulders eventually slumped and she relented, shaking her head and muttering under her breath.

'I have taken the liberty of finding objects around the house and turning them into Portkeys,' said McGonagall. She spoke with a loud, booming voice, once that Hermione had only heard once before – their first day at Hogwarts, when McGonagall explained the Sorting Hat ceremony to them. All eyes were trained on her as she spoke. 'Our destination is the Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire. Our goal is to rescue Ginny Weasley, who is being held somewhere inside the Manor. I ask that you do not use force unless it is absolutely necessary. Your emotions are to be kept in check at all times – this means you,MrPotter.'

Harry nodded quickly. Hermione shifted, trying to get a better view of McGonagall. It was hard, though, with all the people in the way. Hermione had never been so surrounded in her life. There were far too many people for such a small area. It was … suffocating, to say the least.

'These Portkeys will take us to a safe point, just outside of the Manor's boundaries. As I have already outlined the course of action – and I sincerely hope you all know that stealth and concealment are required at all times – I daresay we are ready to go.'

McGonagall looked at Kingsley, who cleared his throat and drew his wand. 'Right, well, since there are far more of us than I had expected, we'll be going in shifts. Wands ready. Once you arrive at the safe point, start moving toward our destination. But do not attack until you receive the signal.'

'What's the signal?' Ron whispered.

Harry shrugged.

As Kingsley divided the Order members, Aurors and other Ministry officials into groups and began handing out Portkeys, Hermione noticed that Harry ran upstairs and came back down with his Invisibility Cloak and something else, which he quickly stuffed inside his robe. Remembering that she didn't have her wand, Hermione tried to make her way upstairs, to retrieve it. She wondered if she should try a Summoning Charm, but then decided it would be too dangerous. Her wand would probably end up poking somebody's eye out on the way to her outstretched hand. Not that there was any room for her to stretch out her arm and hand, anyway.

'And just where do you think you're going?'

'To get my wand,' Hermione told her mum.

'Oh, no, I don't think so,' said Mrs Granger. 'You aren't going anywhere. No. I forbid it.'

Large groups of people were leaving via Portkey. There was now room to move around slightly inside the kitchen.

'Mum,' Hermione protested, 'I'm seventeen! I'm of age in the wizarding world, and –'

'Well, it's a shame that I don't follow wizarding law, isn't it?'

'Your mother is right,' Mr Granger said in a tired voice. He seemed bewildered and was still looking around the room as if this was some sort of dream. 'You aren't stepping foot outside of this room unless it's to come home with us. Do you understand?'

Hermione opened her mouth to argue some more but McGonagall answered for her. 'Yes, she does,' said McGonagall. 'Miss Granger, given that your parents clearly do not want you accompanying the others, I am forced to put my foot down on the matter.'

'But Professor –'

'Do not argue with me, Miss Granger.'

This wasn't fair! Rage erupted inside of Hermione but there was nothing she could do now. They would all have to go rescue Ginny without her. She knew that they were all more than capable, that she probably wouldn't even contribute very much in the long run … but she couldn't possibly sit around with Mrs Weasley and wait until they returned, could she? It had been absolute murder when she and Ginny were forced to wait for Ron and Harry to return on the Horcrux mission. She couldn't do it again. She wouldn't do it again. She would find some way to help. She'd go crazy with worry if she was forced to sit around and wait.

Kingsley was sending groups every minute and a half. After ten minutes, the room was nearly cleared out. The only people left were Ron, Harry, Kingsley, Tonks, Fred, George, Charlie, Bill, Cassi, Seb, Percy and several wizards who Hermione didn't recognize. They all said their goodbyes, though Mrs Weasley didn't seem too keen to let Ron leave.

'Ron ... please don't go,' pleaded Mrs Weasley. 'I can't ... I can't have all of you out there.'

Ron shook his head. 'I have to, Mum. This is Ginny we're talking about. I can't stay behind on this one.'

'But –'

'Those bastards took my sister,' he said darkly. Hermione didn't like the look on his face. She had seen it only a few times throughout their six years of friendship, and whenever he got like this … things didn't turn out well. 'And now, they're going to pay for what they've done to her. I'm going whether you like it or not. We can either stand here arguing for another hour, or you can accept that I'm leaving and maybe we'll get to Ginny before something bad happens.'

Mrs Weasley let a few tears escape her eyes but nodded and hugged him. 'I love you so much, Ronnie.'

'Love you, Mum.'

Mr Weasley was next to hug Ron. 'I'm proud of you, son. Be careful. You-Know-Who … he might be there.'

Ron nodded, and Hermione was amazed by how unafraid he appeared. 'I know.'

Hermione saw her own mother stiffen. She'd only given her parents a few, vague details about Voldemort but her mother had picked up a ton of horrifying facts about him in the short time that they had been at Headquarters. She now knew all about "You-Know-Who" and the things he had done. In a way, Hermione knew that she couldn't blame her mother for not wanting her to go rescue Ginny. But it didn't make watching everyone else leave any easier to take.

Ron turned away from his parents and began walking toward Harry and the others, who were waiting by the Portkey. Suddenly, he stopped and turned back around. 'One more thing ...'

He marched over to Hermione, pulled her toward him, and kissed her – really kissed her. She stood in shock for a moment before reacting. She put her hands on his cheeks and pulled him closer. This was … wow. She didn't know what made Ron do it, but Merlin, she was glad that he did. The small portion of her brain that was still capable of forming coherent thoughts vaguely wondered why they hadn't done this sooner. But then, she had always known that this was a long time coming.

The kiss was hurried and intense. They were putting everything into it: everything they couldn't say or apologize for saying, everything they couldn't do or apologize for doing. Her lips said she was sorry and her tongue said she loved him. Her touch said to be careful, to come back to her.

She was somewhat aware of the fact that she was standing in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place, in front of Harry, her parents, the Weasleys, Professor McGonagall and a few Order members, snogging Ron. And she didn't care.

It was entirely possible that Ron might not come back. Hermione realized this sometime during their embrace. This was their first real kiss, and it could also be their last. Hermione wasn't going to let anyone interrupt it. Voldemort would have to wait, because she was kissing Ron, and she wouldn't pull away to save her own life.

After what felt like an eternity, but seemed much too short, Ron pulled away.

'I've wanted to do that since I was fourteen,' he said quietly.

He smiled and walked to the Portkey.

She suddenly knew what Ginny had meant during their talk, weeks ago. Ginny was sneaking around with Harry because she didn't want to waste any more time and lose out on the opportunity. Hermione had thought that Ginny was crazy, that Ginny was acting like a … well, like a bit of a slag. Hermione hadn't been able to understand back then, but she understood now. She understood Ginny's desperation, the overwhelming fear that started out in the pit of her stomach but quickly spread throughout her entire body. Ron, like Harry, was going out to battle. Hermione, like Ginny, didn't know if the one she loved would be coming back. Ginny had been forced to stay behind during their adventures, and now Hermione was the one missing out. Hermione was the one who would sit at home and feel helpless and inadequate until everyone returned safely. Ginny had been right on the mark about everything. Hermione just hadn't known it at the time.

She hated herself for wasting time. She hated herself for not saying something sooner, for letting stupid fights and drama come between her and Ron. It wasn't worth it. Nothing had been worth it.

And Ginny had been right about one other thing, too: it did suck to feel this way.

'I'm coming with you,' Hermione said instantly.

'No, you aren't,' her mother interjected.

'This is bigger than you realize, Mum!' cried Hermione. 'They need all the help they can get! I'm going.'

'No, you aren't,' said Ron.

'You can't tell me what to do,' snapped Hermione.

'I just did,' Ron said quietly.

Hermione gritted her teeth, her eyes filling with tears. 'Don't you dare end it like this! Don't you dare try to make me mad at you, Ron!'

'Sorry,' he whispered.

'Let me come with you.'

'No.'

'Please ... I can't stay behind,' Hermione pleaded.

'You have to, Hermione.'

'Then you have to stay, too.' She grabbed his arm. If Ron couldn't get her to let go, and he took the Portkey, she'd probably be pulled along with him. He either went with her, or he stayed behind with her. It was that simple.

'Let me go,' Ron said firmly.

'No,' she said stubbornly. 'I won't stay behind, not while you're out there.'

'I'll come back. I promise.'

'What if you don't?'

'You once told me that we'd all be together until we were old and grey,' Ron said softly. 'And you said that if –'

'That was a load of shite, Ron!' Hermione argued, surprising even herself when she cursed. 'I didn't know what I was talking about back then. I was an idiot!'

Ron smiled and put his lips to her ear. 'I love you,' he breathed.

Hermione let go of his arm in shock. 'What?'

Someone began counting to three. 'We'll talk when I get back,' Ron promised, reaching out to touch the Portkey.

They disappeared.

And Hermione didn't get to say it back.

……………………………………………………………

It was dark and Harry didn't have a bloody clue where he was. The air around him was hot, but he could feel only chills as he walked, only to be greeted by more and more darkness.

Ron was beside him – but then, when wasn't Ron beside him?

Hermione was back at The Burrow. Her parents weren't letting her come along. In a way, Harry knew that this was good. He and Ron were willing to die on this mission but Hermione shouldn't have to be. Hermione shouldn't have to make a decision like that. Not for Ginny or Harry, not even for Ron.

And after everything that had happened today – every terrible, heart-wrenching thing – Harry was able to smile, because Ron and Hermione were going to be okay.

Harry knew now, at least, that his best friends would have each other if he didn't make it through the war. He knew that Ron was too stubborn to let anything bad happen to Hermione, and Hermione was too smart to let anything bad happen to Ron.

The walk was long and the hill was steep, but Harry wouldn't let himself give up. He kept climbing. He ignored the pain in his legs, the pain in his jaw. Audrey had given him a Deflating Potion that had taken care of the swelling, but it hadn't helped with the soreness at all.

Who knew Ron had such a strong right hook?

Harry and Ron had fought many times before, and Harry hoped there would be many more to come … but they were normally on the same side. And they normally used wands. Whether battling Malfoy or Death Eaters, they had always stood united.

But Harry didn't mind that Ron had hit him. Harry knew that he deserved a whole lot more than that.

He wondered if his and Ron's kids would be best friends, someday.

In his fantasy (the one Harry thought up as he stole through the darkness toward Malfoy Manor), Ron and Hermione would be married. Harry, of course, would be married to Ginny. Ron would have a big family – seven kids. My own personal Quidditch team, Ron would say with a laugh. And their house would have a huge library and a ton of Muggle things, because Hermione would insist upon it, and Ron would know better than to argue.

Harry hadn't decided how many children he and Ginny would have. He would put up with ten or would even settle for one, if it was what Ginny would want. They would live in a nice house – cozy like The Burrow but bigger … though not large and frightening like Malfoy Manor.

Harry was crazy. He knew that blokes didn't normally think about things like that, especially at seventeen … but Harry's mind did something funny when it was faced with the fact that tomorrow might never come. It made him want to think about tomorrow, about the next day and the day after that.

Besides, he needed something to distract him from the pain in his jaw.

Harry couldn't wait to get that signal. He was worried about Ginny and now, on top of everything, he was exhausted from the walk. He just wanted to attack and get the bloody hell out of there.

He had no idea what the signal was, though. Lupin had said that when the signal was given, Harry and the others would be able to tell … whatever that meant.

Harry had sat in on the rest of the meeting, when McGonagall outlined the basic plan of action. He knew what he was doing. But Ron didn't. Harry would have to remember to stick by his friend. There was going to be no room for error on this mission.

'Just a bit longer,' Lupin whispered.

Merlin, how much land did Lucius Malfoy own? The Portkeys they had taken brought them right to the edge of the Manor's boundaries. This was ridiculous! They had been walking for fifteen minutes, Harry reckoned.

From somewhere to Harry's right, Fred cursed.

'Hey, Ron …' said Harry as they stalked through the darkness.

'Yeah, mate?'

'If … if something happens,' Harry whispered, 'you have to tell Ginny something for me, okay?'

'No. Tell her yourself.'

'Ron –'

'Fine,' said Ron. 'But you have to tell Hermione the same for me.'

Harry didn't bother asked Ron what he would want Harry to tell Hermione. He knew, just as Ron knew what Harry would want Ginny to know.

Harry grinned. 'That was quite the show you put on,' he said, so quietly that he barely even heard his own words, as they forged ahead.

'Yeah, well … shut up.'

Harry could tell that Ron was smiling.

……………………………………………………………

'Hermione –'

'I hate you for this,' Hermione whispered. 'I hope you know that.'

Mrs Granger inhaled sharply but said nothing. Hermione knew that her mother didn't believe her. But it was true. If something happened and Hermione wasn't there to … well, she would never forgive her mother if that was the case.

What was going on with Ron right now? Where was he? Was he battling? Had he even reached the Manor yet?

'I'm going to go see if Audrey needs any help,' she said, as coldly as she could manage, before walking away from her mother.

Just outside the kitchen, a room had been cleared out. Close to a dozen Healers were in the room, scurrying around, as if they were expecting many injured people to come through in the next few hours. Hermione didn't like the uneasy feeling creeping into her stomach at this thought.

The Healers were shifting through first aid kits and setting different coloured potions out on a long, narrow table provided by Mrs Weasley. Hermione recognized Audrey, Earl and Valerica – the Romanian Healer she met briefly while at Romanian Headquarters – but the other Healers were strangers to her.

'Is there anything I can do?' asked Hermione.

Audrey nodded and beckoned her over.

Hermione sighed. This was going to be a long night.

……………………………………………………………

The signal had been given and Harry identified it immediately, as did Ron and the others. And they did exactly what Harry had said to do – they stormed right through the front door.

Well, Harry did, at least.

In hindsight, Harry noted that it would've been smart to wake Ron before the strategy had been made. Before attacking, Harry had briefly explained that Ron was to ignore the other rescue teams, who were instructed to sneak around to the back entrances and do anything possible to create a diversion and hold off as many Death Eaters as they could for as long as possible. Harry, Ron, Bill, Charlie, Cassi, Kingsley and Tonks weren't following that plan. They were the real rescuers – they were the ones who went inside Malfoy Manor, down to the dungeon, to retrieve Ginny.

Things didn't exactly happen that way.

Most of the Death Eaters were, as Harry had predicted, standing guard at the back entrances. But Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy, Dolohov, Nott, Goyle, Crabbe, Macnair and Snape were waiting at the front doors for them. And damn it, so was Draco Malfoy.

'Potter,' sneered the younger Malfoy. 'It's about time you showed up.'

Harry couldn't agree more. Gripping his wand tightly in one hand, he was more than ready to do what he'd wanted to do since last June – murder Draco.

'You're looking better than the last time I saw you,' Harry snarled back. 'You remember … the night you had him do your dirty work for you,' Harry said, pointing his wand at Snape but not taking his eyes off of Draco.

Draco paled.

'Where the bloody hell is Ginny?' demanded Harry. 'What did you with to her?'

'She's dead,' Lestrange said coolly.

Harry's heart stopped. 'No, she isn't,' he argued.

'Oh, I think she is. It turns out your little girlfriend can't hold up under torture as well as one might expect.'

She couldn't be dead. Harry would know if she was. She couldn't be dead, because then Harry would be dead, too. He had lived through the death of his parents, Sirius, Dumbledore and so many others. But Ginny … he couldn't do it. She wasn't dead. He wouldn't let her be dead.

'My girlfriend,' Harry said boldly, 'is stronger than you think. And she isn't dead. So step aside, before I make you step aside.'

Lestrange laughed.

'You dare threaten me?'

'Yes. I dare.'

Ron coughed.

'Leave him for the Dark Lord,' Snape barked when Lestrange pointed her wand directly at Harry.

'Oh, by all means,' said Harry, hoping he was coming off more confident than he felt, 'take your best shot. Your bloody leader couldn't take me out, what makes you think you'll be able to?'

Lestrange inhaled sharply but didn't attempt to curse Harry.

'I suppose it's for the best, though,' continued Harry. 'Voldemort would look no better than Malfoy if he had to have someone else kill for him.'

Malfoy went to charge but his father restrained him.

'Do not speak the Dark Lord's name!' yelled Dolohov.

Harry laughed in their faces.

'I think I'm going to go … check on Weaselbee,' Draco said teasingly. 'I sure hope nothing happens to her. I'd hate for her to suffer because you provoked me.'

But Harry didn't flinch. Malfoy, ever the idiot, had just given away the most valuable piece of information: Ginny was still alive, despite what Lestrange said. 'I doubt that she'll suffer,' he spat. 'I've seen you in action. Although being in your presence is a sort of torture, I suppose.'

Draco shot Harry one of the dirtiest looks Harry had ever seen and backed away slowly.

'Stop,' said Snape. 'You stay here. I will go check on Weasley.'

'But –'

'Listen to him, Draco,' said Lucius Malfoy. Draco sighed in frustration but didn't protest as Snape disappeared from sight, taking the same route Harry had taken while under the Wandering Spell.

If Snape hurt Ginny – Harry would kill him.

No, Harry would kill Snape regardless. But if he hurt Ginny, Harry would make sure there was a nice round of torture beforehand.

Harry did the only thing he could think of – he stalled. He was in no rush to start firing hexes at the Death Eaters. No … it would be best to wait until Snape came back, so Harry would be able to gauge what had been happening with Ginny.

Shite. Harry had to close his mind, or Snape would be able to read it when he returned. He had probably been reading it since Harry walked in. But wait – didn't Snape need to maintain eye contact in order to do that? Harry mentally sighed in relief. Maybe he had gotten lucky.

His eyes flicked over to Kingsley very quickly, as if trying to decide what to do next. When the man didn't appear to be too unsettled by Harry's stalling tactics, Harry decided to continue.

'So …' he said. 'I must say, I'm rather surprised. There are seven of us and only eight of you – nine, if you count Draco … although I certainlydon't. Where are the rest of your pals? Normally, you outnumber us ten to one. It's the only way you even stand a chance, after all.'

'Why you little –'

There was a scream. It was a high-pitched, echoing sound. Ginny.

Harry tensed, though not as much as Ron, Bill and Charlie did. He knew the sound of Ginny's screams. He had heard them when he did the Wandering Spell. They were a good thing, in a way. If she was screaming, she wasn't dead.

'Like that, do you?' taunted Lestrange. 'Yes, that sound has been rather common around here today. Even with the shields we've put up, you can still here the Weasley's screams all the way up here. She must be in an awful lot of pain.'

'SHUT UP!'

Harry nudged Ron hard in the side.

The time was coming. Harry could feel it. He wouldn't be able to hold Ron off for much longer. He wouldn't be able to hold himself off for much longer.

……………………………………………………………

'Now,' Snape muttered.

Mustering all of her strength, Ginny tossed her head back and screamed.

'Again.'

Ginny screamed again, squeezing her fists in concentration. This needed to sound real or else Snape would get in trouble and there would be no hope for Ginny.

Where was Harry? Wasn't he coming for her? He was supposed to love her, but he wouldn't even try to save her?

'Potter is upstairs,' Snape said automatically. Ginny gasped. Snape was reading her mind. Had he been doing it this whole time?

Wait, Harry was upstairs? But she was … well, she wasn't sure where she was. She knew it wasn't upstairs, though. How would he get to her?

'He knows everything,' said Snape. 'He will be able to find you.'

'How?' Ginny whispered. For once, Snape shrugged in reply. 'How am I going to get out?'

'The same way we discussed before,' he said. 'Don't tell me you've forgotten, you silly girl.'

'Of course I haven't,' she said quickly. 'But if I do this … what about you? Won't they know?'

'Potter is … strong,' Snape said, his voice heavy with great displeasure. 'He is stronger than before. And he is only getting stronger.'

'What does that mean?' Ginny asked.

'Never mind what it means,' Snape insisted, growing impatient. 'Do you remember what I have instructed you to do?'

'Yes.'

'Do you remember what you promised, in return for me helping you?'

She hesitated.

'Do you remember?'

'Yes,' she whispered. 'But Harry will –'

'I am aware,' he said curtly. He pointed his wand at Ginny and the invisible ropes around her arms and legs must have fallen away, because she was free. Ginny struggled before finally standing up, wincing at the pain that shot through her limbs as she did so. The Cruciatus Curse was more painful than she had imagined, but the aftereffects were nearly as bad. She expected that she wouldn't be able to move painlessly for another week – maybe even two. She wondered if she would be able to get out of the Manor and knew that if she wouldn't make it if she had to run.

'Thank you.'

'Once more ought to do the trick,' Snape said, ignoring her. Ginny nodded and screamed. 'This is in your hands now. Wait for the signal. Then get into position.'

Ginny nodded.

Her neck hurt, too.

……………………………………………………………

As the rest of the Death Eaters and members of the rescue crew battled, all hell breaking loose around him, Harry ran straight into the crowd. When he was sure that everyone was immersed in their own battles and no longer paying attention to him, Harry pulled out his Invisibility Cloak and threw it around himself. Safe under its protection, he weaved in and out of people, running down corridors and through various rooms, down flights of stairs. Finally, just as he began to wonder if he was going in circles, he found what he was looking for.

And the door was opened.

Harry could've dropped to his knees and kissed the dirty floor. The door was open! Snape, the bloody idiot, must've forgotten to close it after he finished with Ginny.

He ran into the room and found only Ginny inside, slumped against the wall. He was vaguely aware that she was in a different spot than she had been when he did the Wandering Spell, but disregarded it. Was she conscious?

He threw the Invisibility Cloak off of him and fell to his knees beside her.

'Ginny,' he said, struggling to keep his voice quiet.

Ginny's eyes shot open. 'Harry,' she said. Her voice sounded hoarse, as if she had a bad cold. Harry attributed it to the amount of screaming she had probably done and shuddered.

'C'mon,' he whispered. 'We need to get you out of here.' Remembering something, he reached into his robes and pulled out her wand. 'Take this. It's crazy up there. You'll need it.'

Ginny grabbed it and he helped her stand, trying to be as careful as possible. She was moving stiffly, as if her entire body was in extreme pain. He studied her and saw no cuts or bruises, which meant only one thing: the Cruciatus Curse.

He couldn't keep quiet any longer. He had to know.

'What did Snape do to you?' he asked as he led her down one of the corridors.

Ginny sighed and wouldn't look at him. 'Harry, no, he –' she stopped and made a sobbing sound. 'He tortured me,' she whispered. 'It was awful.'

She sobbed again and Harry wanted to comfort her. The sounds of battle were getting louder and he was reminded of what he had to do. He handed her the Invisibility Cloak and she wrapped it around herself, disappearing before his eyes.

They made it back upstairs, taking slightly longer than it had taken Harry to get down to the dungeons. Ginny was wincing but moving as quickly as she could. Harry wanted nothing more than to pick her up and run with her, but knew that he couldn't. She had to stay under the Invisibility Cloak until they were safely outside of the Manor.

He didn't want to leave her but knew that he had to. It was the only way they would both stand a chance of making it out alive.

……………………………………………………………

'You're coming home with us,' said Mrs Granger. 'As soon as possible. Nothing has changed. We'll leave tonight, if this whole thing wraps up at a reasonable hour.'

Hermione didn't appreciate the things her mother was saying, nor did she appreciate the tone she said them in. She sounded bored. She sounded as if "this whole thing" was a Muggle video game or movie.

'This is real!' screamed Hermione, unable to take anymore. 'Ginny was really taken and my best friends really went after her, Mum! This isn't a joke!'

'Apologize to your mother,' Mr Granger ordered.

'I'm sorry,' she spat. 'I'm sorry that you don't care about my friends. I'm sorry that you don't care about me!'

'Of course we care about you!'

'Then why are you trying to take me away from the Weasleys?' asked Hermione, her voice breaking slightly. 'This is my home now. I belong here, with them.'

'You swore to us,' said Mrs Granger. 'When we agreed to let you go to Hogwarts, it was under the condition that you wouldn't forget about our world! And not only have you forgotten about your roots, but you've forgotten about us.'

'I'm not going to fight with you,' Hermione said. 'Not now, when we're all dealing with so many things. I'm not going to make in scene.'

Mrs Granger sniffed.

'You're still coming home with us,' she mumbled.

……………………………………………………………

He was battling Mulciber when it happened.

'Protego!' he cried. He put his shield up just in time to stop the spell from hitting him.

A flash of red appeared before him. Ginny appeared before him.

She was supposed to be under the Invisibility Cloak! What in the name of Merlin was she doing?

'Weasley!' he heard Lestrange cry. It was as if everyone stopped battling, stopped moving, stopped breathing. It was as if everyone was watching Lestrange. 'Has the little rat gotten out of her cage? Hmm … I suppose a cage can't hold you anymore. Perhaps I can do you one better.'

Lestrange pointed her wand at Ginny and he knew what he had to do.

He had known for a while now that he would do it, if faced with the situation. Honestly, he'd known since he was eleven that it was a possibility. He just hadn't ever admitted it to himself. He had tried not to let himself think about it before. He had mentioned it here and there, but he had never really believed that it would come to this.

And now, it was up to him to … to … oh, Merlin.

But he couldn't be afraid. He had to save Ginny. Ginny … she had to live. The world would be such an awful place without people like her in it. But everyone would be fine without him. They had to be.

Better him than Ginny, right?

He was doing this for the entire wizarding world – and the Muggle world, too. He was doing it for Ginny and for Hermione … for everyone.

He was frozen in fear for several moments. Then he heard Lestrange mutter a spell – one he had never heard before – and something inside of him snapped. It was now or never.

He threw himself in front of Ginny and took the blast.

……………………………………………………………

Time seemed to move in slow motion as he watched Lestrange point her wand at Ginny. He watched as his best mate jumped in front of her and disappeared into thin air. He screamed out his friend's name but it was no use.

Ron was gone.

That thought repeated over and over in Harry's brain as he gripped his wand, not caring what hex he threw or where it ended up.

Ron was gone and they would never see him again.

His wand just wasn't doing the trick. Harry no longer wanted to Stun the Death Eaters. He wanted to kill the Death Eaters for what they had done to Ron, to Ginny, to everyone in the world who was good and didn't deserve the bad things that happened to them.

Ron was gone and it had almost been Ginny.

Harry lost sight of Ginny, and for once, he couldn't bring himself to care. All he could focus on was the feeling in the pit of his stomach, the feeling that was making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

Ron was gone and it was Harry's fault.

His scar prickled. His skin crawled. His temperature rose to an almost unbearable level. His stomach churned. His fingertips itched.

Ron was gone and now Mrs Weasley only had six children.

This time, Harry knew it was coming. Harry knew that he was going to do more wandless magic. He could sense the feelings building up inside – they were more intense than they had ever felt before. This was even more intense than the feeling he got earlier today, when he had done this sort of magic at the wedding.

Ron was gone and Harry had promised Ron that he'd give Hermione the message.

Harry gasped at the newfound power that exploded deep inside of him. It was as if every pore in his body was opened and he suddenly felt so dizzy, so tired from his exertion.

He wanted to sleep, and maybe he did, because the next thing he was aware of was Lupin crouching over him, calling his name. He opened his eyes and knew that he must have blacked out, because he didn't remember closing his eyes and he certainly didn't remember falling to the floor.

But did it matter?

Ron was gone.

……………………………………………………………

'It's been an hour and twenty five minutes,' Mrs Weasley announced.

Hermione wished she would stop doing that. Every five minutes, Mrs Weasley announced how long the rescue groups had been gone. Hermione didn't care if it had been an hour or a year. Every second felt like an eternity.

And something wasn't right. She had started sensing it about twenty minutes ago. Yes, it had to have been twenty minutes ago. Hermione knew because she remembered Mrs Weasley saying, 'It's been an hour and five minutes,' right after the feeling arose in her stomach.

The sense of dread that had coiled so tightly inside of her had relaxed significantly. She felt … unafraid and full of hope. She felt free. She was flying. She was weightless and powerful and … mortal. She felt destructible, and that was something that should frighten her, but it only made her feel at peace and humbled.

She now knew why people took risks. She knew why Muggles jumped out of airplanes with nothing but a parachute strapped to their backs. She knew why Ron and Harry and Ginny loved flying so much.

It was because of this feeling.

She sat there, marveling in this newfound understanding, until they heard a strange sound coming from outside. She knew that everyone was back. Jumping to her feet, Hermione exchanged a look with Mrs Weasley and sucked in a big gulp of air, though she knew she wouldn't need it.

She knew that they had rescued Ginny. She knew this because there was no way Harry would have left, or let anyone else leave, without her.

Tons of people flooded into The Burrow (already, however, Hermione could tell that there were less people coming back than there should have been). Hermione stood on her toes, looking for flaming red hair. Most of these people were injured, Hermione realized, because they were all going directly toward the stations the Healers had set up to tend to victims.

As the crowd thinned out, Hermione was able to spot Harry. He was wandering, almost aimlessly. His eyes were cold and hollow. Ginny was in his arms, looking tired and weak and more childlike than ever before. She was crying – sobbing, really – and Hermione wondered how much the girl had been through to make her cry like that. Fred and George were standing on either side of Harry, their expressions blank. Everything about Percy's demeanor was all wrong. He didn't carry himself the way he used to when Hermione had known him. His shoulders were slumped and his head was hung low as he trudged in behind Harry. Bill and Charlie were behind Percy, their faces the absolute definition of defeat. Hermione didn't understand why. She wanted to shout, to tell them that Ginny was in Harry's arms and that she was safe again. They didn't seem to notice. Hermione surveyed the Weasley boys again, wondering what was going on. These were not the faces of people who had just rescued their sister.

Mrs Weasley ran over and immediately began fussing.

It was only then – when Mrs Weasley said his name and Hermione suddenly realized that she hadn't seen him yet – that everyone noted the absence of a certain Weasley.

Hermione would never know why she hadn't noticed it right away. She would never know how she hadn't managed to put two and two together the second everyone walked in. She would never know why, even after she figured out what must have happened to him, the feeling of calm hadn't left her, but had intensified somewhat.

But she didn't care.

And she doubted very much that she would care about anything ever again.

The only thing that mattered was that Ron hadn't come back.

……………………………………………………………

I adore Ronald Weasley. Rest assured, he is very much alive.

So sorry that this took a long time to be posted, but was acting weird and wouldn't let me sign in at all on the weekend, and to top it off, my power went off on Monday, but once it came back, I spent the day editing and tweaking this chapter. Although the content is rather depressing and the wait was long – too long – I hope that the length of this chapter makes up for it.