"Hermione?"
The bushy haired brunette gave a start at her name. She looked up and saw a balding, slightly pot-bellied man standing at the door to Ron's room. Hermione jumped up from her chair rushing over to the man and throwing her arms around him.
"Oh Dad!" cried Hermione. Arthur quickly wrapped his arms around the young woman he had come to think of as a daughter. He was slightly surprised with her greeting but pleased as well. With comforting shushing sounds he stroked the young woman's hair.
"Are you alright dear?" he asked in his caring voice. The young woman nodded into his shoulder. "How is my son?" he asked. The brunette pulled away from the older man and looked over at the bedridden redhead.
"He's okay. Doc was able to heal his wounds since they were non-magical," Hermione said with a sniff. "He's been asleep. Doc says it's probably due to the trauma."
"And how are you?" the elder Weasley asked holding the young witch at arms length.
"I'm okay," the brunette said nodding her head. "How is Mrs. Weasley?"
"Molly is doing better now that Ron's clock hand is on home," Arthur said while walking over to the bed with Hermione. Hermione gave him a questioning look. The Weasley patriarch laid his large hand on his son's forehead and said, "Home is were the heart is Hermione and if I am not mistaken Ron's heart is with you. It is difficult for Molly, and myself, to let go. Ron, out of all our children, has had the hardest go of it I think."
"Well," the greying redhead said, "I best be going. Molly will want to know how her baby is. You'll let me know when he wakes up?" The brunette nodded her head and Arthur kissed the top of the young woman's head. "Get some rest dear," he said in a fatherly tone and the brunette quietly agreed. As Arthur was leaving he turned at the door to look on his son one more time. Hermione had climbed onto the bed and was curled up against the long form of his son.
With a small smile Arthur quietly closed the door.
A bottle of Ogden's sat on the ebony coffee table as Harry sat back in the sofa with a full tumbler in his hands. He was lifting the glass to his lips when the hearth flared with green flames.
"Harry! What are you doing?" asked a short redhead.
"Drinking."
The youngest Weasley's lips went thin. Throwing down her Harpies kit she stomped over snatching the half empty bottle from the table. As she stoppered the bottle and walked over to the liquor cabinet she asked, "Why?"
"Ron almost died today."
"What?!" Ginny said spinning around and rushing over to the couch. "What do you mean he almost died?"
Rubbing his face Harry looked at his young wife. He said, "You know how he's been working on the Greyback case?" The young Harpies star nodded her head. "Well," Harry continued, "Ron fell into a trap. Ambush. Something. I don't know but some how he was captured by the great dirty bastard." Ginny gasped as she knelt down beside the sofa.
"Yeah, we couldn't find him," Harry said choking up. He rubbed at his eyes and continued, "We...we couldn't find him. He was gone and I didn't know what to do." Ginny climbed up beside her husband and cradled his head as tears started to escape the Auror's eyes.
"Ssshhh Harry. It's okay," she soothed.
"If Ron didn't have that dog we would have lost him," Harry blubbered. Ginny pulled back and looked at him confused. "Shaggy found him Ginny. Shaggy found his master just like Hagrid said," Harry explained. "Shaggy took us to Ron. It was bad love. They'd done horrible things to him. There was so much blood. But they took care of him. They saved him."
"Who Harry? Who saved him?" asked the fiery redhead.
"S.W.A.T.. S.W.A.T. and Hermione did."
An hour later Ginny had finally coaxed her husband to bed. She looked down on her sleeping messy haired husband. "I don't blame you Harry," she said softly. "I blame Ron. Time for a Weasley Family Intervention," she finished as she left the room to send some owls.
The sun was just peeking over the mountains as the short cropped redhead sat at the kitchen table of his small cottage. Charlie was looking forward to inoculating the new Common Welsh Green hatchlings with the help of the new intern. Suddenly said intern wrapped her arms around him. Blonde hair fell into his face with the smell of lilacs.
"Good mornin' darlin'."
"Good morning," he answered turning to pull the blonde into his lap with a squeal. Charlie was just starting a proper snog when an owl landed on the table. The blue eyed woman jumped up from his lap and started breakfast as he pulled the note from the owl's leg.
"I have to go. Family emergency," the redhead said giving the woman a quick kiss before rushing out the door. The blonde watched the broad back of the dragonkeeper as it retreated down the path. Picking up the note the woman read the short missive.
Come
home.
G"Well, you're a keeper aren't you Charlie
Weasley."
Ron's eyes fluttered then sprung open. His head jerked around in terror until his eyes fell on something familiar. Something safe.
"Hermione," he exhaled. They found him. She found him. He was safe. The redhead closed his eyes and opened them again. Looking down at the brunette curled against him he ran his hand through what used to be too bushy hair. Now he was amazed with the soft brown mane that belonged to the woman he had known for so long.
"Hermione," Ron said again, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I've done that's ever made you cry. I'm sorry for first year and the Yule ball. I'm sorry for Lavender. I'm sorry I'm not here for you." As he spoke tears fell down his cheeks.
"Mmm, Ron?" the brunette said lifting her head from sleep. "Oh Ron!" Hermione exclaimed springing up to pepper the redhead's wet face with kisses. Just as he was starting to enjoy himself Hermione pulled back and started punching him in the shoulder and chest.
"Don't. You. Ever. Do. That. To. Me. Again. Ron. Weasley!"
"Ow Hermione! That hurts. I'm a wounded man here," Ron said with a grin grabbing the witch's wrists. Hermione tried to pull free but settled for collapsing into the redheaded Auror instead.
"I was so scared Ron," she said with a sniff.
"I was too luv," Ron said stroking her hair. Hermione looked up at him with questioning eyes.
"Not of dying," the redhead said with a gulp. "I mean, Fred was there with me ya know. Like a knew he'd be there for me if it came to that." Pushing himself up into a sitting position Ron continued looking into Hermione's eyes, "I was afraid of you not knowing how much I love you. That I'd never get the chance to take you on a proper date. That we'd never have a life together."
Throwing her arms around his neck Hermione declared, "We will Ron. We will." Ron folded his long arms around the petite brunette and held her. He would never let her go. Never. After a long moment Ron spoke.
"Where's Rowle?"
Hermione pulled away and averted her eyes. "He's dead," she said. Her mind flashed back to Ron's rescue. Of the hex she used to blast the huge blond through the wall. Of the anger and fear behind the spell that took the last breath from the Deatheater.
"And Scabior?"
"Shaggy. . .Shaggy broke his neck," Hermione said glancing at Ron. "He saved you Ron. Shaggy brought us to you."
Closing his eyes Ron fell back into the pillows. With a sigh he said, "I know where he is."
"What?"
"I know where he is. I know where Greyback hides," the redhead said sitting up and taking the brunette's hand. "When I was being. . .when I was being tortured Greyback threatened me. He described what he was going to do with me. I could see his thoughts. I saw his hiding place."
"But you said you weren't a Legimens."
"I'm not," the young Auror said, "but Greyback isn't a wizard. He's a beast full of rage. His thoughts flew from his mind. I saw into his mind. I saw the cages. The dungeons. The forest. I know where he is Hermione."
Placing a hand on her head and dropping it the brunette said, "I don't know what-"
"It's time Hermione," Ron said with a cold look in his blue eyes. "It's time to finish this."
"Okay Ron, just promise to let me help," Hermione said with pleading eyes.
"Oh I need your help," Ron said nodding. "I need you to get the Anti-Apparation Net staffs to work. Without them we'll never catch the Bastard. Nothing else matters Hermione. I need those staffs."
"Okay. Okay," she said. The brunette leaned forward and gently kissed the young redhead. Pulling away she said, "I told your dad I'd let him know when you woke up."
"Right, I'll just rest a little then," Ron said. Hermione gently touched Ron's freckled face before getting up and leaving the medical room. Ron watched her leave with sad eyes. As soon as the door closed the Auror tore the sheets off him and swung his legs to the floor.
"Sarge."
With a pop the small S.W.A.T. member appeared next to the redhead. "Chief Wheezy is awake!" yelled the elf before bowling into the Auror.
"Yeah, yeah," Ron said awkwardly patting the elf's back. "Listen Sarge," he said pulling the elf away. "There's something I need you to do. It's dangerous. Now I'm not ordering you to do it and before you do I want you to think about it long and hard. Okay, so I need. . ."
A/N: In case you can't tell, I don't like Harry. This chapter sucked. The dialogue didn't work out at all like I wanted. Bah. On another note, can anyone recommend a good story?