Chapter Eight

After all that we've been through

I will make it up to you, I promise to

And after all that's been said and done

You're just the part of me I can't let go.

Hello, Adele

Ron woke to Harry hovering over him, his hand firmly gripping his shoulder. He was flat on his back, on the grass at the park he'd found Rose at.

"They almost got you," Harry said, attempting to sound amused, though there was relief in his voice. He offered a hand for Ron to sit up.

"Rosie," Ron mumbled. "Did she get away?" He turned his head, spotting his daughter lying beside him, still unconscious. "No! I told her to run. What's she still doing here?" Despite Harry's protests, he crawled to her, where Dean Thomas was attempting to rouse her.

"Saving your life," Harry said. "You're only here because of her. It was her screams that alerted us to your whereabouts. 'Not my dad. Not my dad. It's not his fault. It's all my fault.'"

"Rose," Ron said, shaking his daughter. "Rose, wake up. Come on." When she didn't move, he turned back to Harry. "Did they get her? Please tell me they didn't get her?" He couldn't keep the panic, the guilt, from his voice. "If they got her…"

Harry shook his head, but he didn't seem convinced. "We arrived when she was still conscious."

Ron shook her again. "Rosie, come on, Rosie. Don't do this. Rose Nymphadora Weasley, wake up right now! If you don't, I'll take away all of your books."

Rose's eyes flashed open, her gaze turning straight to Ron. She gasped as she tried to sit up, but was forced back down by Dean and Ron.

"The Muggle!" Rose then cried, again trying to sit up. "The Muggle. I… I couldn't…" Tears rolled down her cheeks as the memory of the Muggle man came back to her.

"It's okay, it's okay," Dean soothed, placing his hand underneath her back and helping her to sit up slowly. "Here." He passed her some chocolate, which the Aurors had been carrying around with them since the first Dementor attacks three weeks ago. He offered some to Ron, but Ron refused. "Eat it, Rose," he encouraged.

"The Muggle!" Rose said, craning her neck.

"There's nothing that can be done now," Harry said.

"I tried," Rose sobbed. "I tried to help. I told him to run away, but he didn't listen. It's my fault. It's all my fault."

"Shh," Dean soothed, forcing her to eat the chocolate. "Eat, Rose. It'll help you."

Rose then looked to Ron. "Dad… Dad, I'm sorry… I didn't mean —"

"Just eat, Rose," Ron said and he got shakily to his feet to stand by Harry.

"I told her to run, and she bloody didn't listen. Now look at her."

"She has half of your genes and half of Hermione's genes. The kid's got no concept of self-preservation, nor the ability to stand back and let someone suffer for them," Harry said. "I saw her. She wasn't leaving you. Not in a million years. Her hand was covering your mouth and everything. Bless her for thinking that would help."

Ron looked back at Rose, where Dean was asking her if she was feeling a bit better before he helped her to her feet. He shook his head. "If I hadn't —"

"Don't blame yourself," Harry said. "I think there'll be a lot of self-blame in the coming days." He nodded at Rose, who was staring at Ron, desperate for him to acknowledge her in some way.

"I don't know what I would have done had they taken her," Ron said. "And they would have, had I found her a second later."

"Well they didn't, and I think we've established that your relationship is not as broken as you thought it might have been."

"I shouldn't have said it," Ron said. "I never should have — I didn't mean it. How could I mean it? She's my daughter. I love her. I love her so much."

Harry gripped his arm and turned to Dean. "You okay to take her home?"

Dean nodded and took hold of Rose.

Harry Disapparated with Ron, landing just outside their house, right before the enchantments took place. Rose and Dean appeared a moment later.

"Dad —" Rose began.

"I think your mother will be glad to see us," Ron said, and he walked to the door, but it opened before he had the chance.

"Oh, thank God!" Hermione cried, throwing her arms around Ron's neck. "I was so worried…" She looked at Rose, taking in her dishevelled appearance. "What happened?"

"These two fought valiantly against some very determined Dementors," Harry said.

"Mum!" Rose sobbed, throwing herself into Hermione's arms.

Ron, who'd not yet consumed the offered chocolate and looked like death itself, shared a look with Hermione. Rose may have been oblivious to it, but Hermione saw it all. She saw the relief, the guilt and she knew what he'd done. She smiled at him, though he lacked the energy to return it.

"I'm sorry, Mum. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I didn't mean any of it." Rose turned to Ron as they stumbled into the house, Harry and Dean in tow. "I'm really sorry. For everything. I'm… I'm glad no one got hurt by the Dementors. I mean, that man. I tried. I really tried —"

Rose obviously hoped for a reaction from Ron, for she stared intently at him. But Ron didn't give her what she was after — he couldn't. He'd given everything he had to those Dementors to keep them away from her. He'd held onto a Patronus for far longer than was normal and he'd been an inch away from succumbing to them himself. He had nothing left.

"Rosie, it's okay," Hermione said. "I'm just glad you're okay." She looked at Ron. "I'm glad both of you are."

"I tried to cast a Patronus," Rose said, tears streaming down her face. "I tried, but I couldn't save him. He… I told him to run but he wouldn't listen to me. I tried." She fell into Hermione's arms again, while Hermione looked around at the others.

"We lost a Muggle," Harry explained and Rose cried into Hermione.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sure you did everything you could," Hermione soothed, rubbing her daughter's back.

"I couldn't save him, though. I told him. It's my fault. It's all my fault. I should have been able to get a Patronus. I should have done it."

"None of this is your fault," Hermione said. "None of it."

Ron barely made it to the couch before he collapsed onto it, barely conscious. He ran his hands over his face, but didn't look up. "I told you to run, Rose."

Rose froze in Hermione's arms. Hermione held her close.

"Why didn't you? Why didn't you do as I asked? For just once in your life..."

Rose sobbed into Hermione, not daring to look at her father.

"Ron, I'm not sure this is the time," Hermione said, feeling Rose trembling against her. "I think what we all need is a good night's sleep and we'll deal with this tomorrow."

Ron shook his head, his face still buried, but said nothing. Hermione pulled away from Rose and looked at her. "Let's get you into bed."

Rose nodded, but stopped at the foot of the stairs.

"I told them to take me and leave you alone," she said softly. "They should have."

"Don't ever say that, Rose!" Ron snapped. "No one should have been out there. I thought you were smarter than that."

Rose flinched at the harshness of his words. She looked up at Hermione who tried to offer a comforting smile. "Come on," she said. "Maybe have a shower first."

Fresh tears rolling down her cheeks, Rose went upstairs with Hermione, her sobs trailing all the way down and into the ears of Ron.

He shut his eyes, Harry and Dean sitting on either side of him.

Dean placed chocolate in his lap and patted his shoulder.

"We have to go back out," Harry said. "They're contained, but not gone. Will you be okay?"

Ron nodded, keeping his hands over his face.

"That was one mighty Patronus, by the way," Harry said, getting to his feet. "Never seen anything quite like it."

Ron gave no indication that he'd heard. Looking at each other, Dean and Harry nodded and left, ready to relieve the current Aurors in charge of the Dementors.

I know this is a short chapter, but if I added what is now chapter 9, it would go on forever haha. Thanks for all of your kind and honest reviews. I've appreciated them.

Also, in the coming weeks I will be republishing my story 'When I Have You'. I say 'republishing' lightly, because while I've taken aspects from the original it is essentially a whole new story. It will detail (in great detail) the lives of Ron/Hermione from right after the war all the way through to old age. I am predicting over 200 chapters (oops). Because it's so long (and I was bored) I've created an instagram account for it where I plan to maintain interest by posting snippets and other things because I know the slow burn of this story won't be for everyone straight up. But if you're interested, it's called ' '.