Author's Note: I'm sorry guys! I know, I know, things have taken a turn. If posting another chapter would have helped, you know I would have done it. Don't give up just yet. :)

Chapter 12

A week had passed and Ron's mood had not improved. If anything, he had gotten more combative and felt like spending all of his time alone.

Head Auror Spivey had given him a stern talking to about his behavior in the field then issued him the rest of the week off to get himself back in order.

It took every ounce of self control not to sneak over to Jordan Court Apartments and see how she was doing. He'd spent hours in the Ministry gymnasium working out his frustrations. Even Harry could tell his best friend had really taken a hit.

The Leaky Cauldron was busy tonight, but it usually was when the Prophet got word that the Golden Quintet would be somewhere together.

"I visited the Thestrals again the other day." Luna said airily looking at Harry.

"Brought an extra bag of apples from me, I hope?" Harry asked, settling his arm behind Ginny.

Ginny leaned in and gave him a peck on the check. Ron took another long sip of butterbeer and looked across the bar.

"Of course." Luna responded. "You should come with me next time."

Ron tried hard to involve himself in their conversation, but after the war, he always seemed to be the odd one out. Ginny and Harry had gotten together back in sixth year and they kept their snogging to a minimum while the group was on the Horcrux hunt. Neville and Luna hadn't acknowledged their feelings until after the war, but they were quite content now.

They were all best of friends, but after so many years, short of Ginny being his sister, Ron still spent most of his time with Harry.

"You coming to the Harpies game next Saturday?" Ginny asked Luna.

"We wouldn't miss it, would we dear?" Luna squeezed Neville's hand. He nodded in response.

"Good. And you Ron?"

He didn't respond.

"Earth to Ron." Ginny waved in his direction.

"What?" He retorted, with a little too much malice for his sister not to notice.

"What's got your panties in a twist then?" Ginny sent back. Harry gave an inconspicuous shake of the head.

"Nothing." Ron grumbled and chugged the rest of his butterbeer.

The group was silent. Neville was oblivious to Harry's warning and continued.

"What is it? You know you can tell us anything." It was always in Neville's nature to be the most caring of the group.

"Auror stuff." He tried to push off.

"Hmm, you know, it's not healthy to bottle things up. Can lead to the most awful Wrackspurts." Luna explained as if she was providing medical advice to Ron.

Ron didn't have the patience today.

"I'm just bloody tired of your constant PDA." He barked back. "Can't you just give it a rest for one night."

Ron knew he was being immature and it didn't even bother him most of the time. It was just that now he recognized what they had, and what he'd lost. He avoided Harry's gaze.

"Hmm" Ginny said undeterred, unwilling to let her brother get away with such rude behavior. "Looks like Ronniekins needs to find himself a girlfriend."

That was all Ron could take before he slammed a few Galleons on the table and got up to leave.

"Ron, I was just joking." He heard Ginny call from behind him.

Ron ignored her and found a flirty blonde eyeing him from across the bar. He took two shots of Firewhiskey and listened to her squawk on about how she'd heard so much about him from the paper.

Ron left alone, not long after his friends said their goodnights. He exited the Leaky Cauldron and found himself walking along Diagon Alley. He looked down a ways and could see that Knockturn Alley was filled with miscreants making deals in the moonlight, but he was in no mood to investigate. Instead he walked along looking in the windows of various shops, thinking about what Hermione might be doing at this very moment. He suspected she had pulled her armchair up to the window and continued her nightly view of the apartments across the courtyard.

He wondered if someone new had moved into the second story flat. Was Hermione attending another party? Ron had made sure to give clear instructions to her new Auror security team on how to keep her from being another target of Belladonna. Harry had confirmed that they were following protocol exactly, though that didn't provide him any solace.

Ron passed the window of Calliope's Cauldron, a shop dedicated to interesting cooking supplies and obscure ingredients, and something caught his eye. He stopped and stared at it.

It was a grey teapot. So simple, yet all Ron wanted to do is break the glass and take it with him. Whether it was his slight intoxication or his yearning for the girl next door, he had made a decision.

If he couldn't see her again, he could bring her one last gift. Even if she never knew it was from him.

Early the next morning, despite his pounding head, Ron was putting his Galleons down for that teapot. His heart thrummed. This would be his goodbye gift. Something she could remember him by, even if she never knew it.

Ron recognized that it was risky going to her flat, but acquiesced that he would let Andrews and Jacobson know what he was doing first as not to set off any alarm bells.

He apparated in a small alcove near Jordan Court Apartment. He looked around first, ensuring nothing was out of the ordinary than hastily making his way into her complex and up the first flight of stairs.

As Ron reached her floor, he noticed a commotion of wizards disappearing into Hermione's flat, one of which being the dark hair of his best friend. His body went rigid.

He held the teapot under his arm as he stormed through her door.

The scene made his heart stop. Two motionless bodies under dark flannel sheets and a few wizards who had been discussing something in hushed voices all turned their wands to him reflexively.

"What..." he choked.

"Ron." Harry paced over. "Something's..."

"She's...not under..." he couldn't even get the words out. Couldn't even point to the two figures laying hidden beneath the sheets.

"No." Harry responded quickly, grabbing Ron's shoulder trying to reassure him. "I was about to come to you after I got the full report."

Ron felt his body go numb. "She's got Hermione."