Here's the next chapter, with a bit of delay!
Chapter 22
The End of All Things
Ron felt an incredibly amount of relief wash over him when, at last, his eyes found his family in the midst of the chaos that was the Great Hall and noticed that they were all alive. They looked battered and wounded, yeah, but —
His heart skipped a beat when he took the full picture in and realised that Percy was not standing with them. He had become so accustomed to his absence that he hadn't noticed at first, but, now that he had, he became aware than they were all surrounding a body lying on the floor …
A tight fear gripping him, he forced his tired body to run towards them, barely conscious that Hermione had sprinted after him.
"Mum! Dad!"
"Ron!" yelled his mother, turning round to face him. Her face was dirty and she had a deep cut on her right cheek, but otherwise she looked fine — except for the tears and her red puffy eyes.
"What happened to —?" he started to say, but stopped himself as he looked down at his fallen brother, thinking he was dead. A sudden weakness overpowering him, he felt to his knees, his eyes moistening. Despite what Percy had done to them, seeing him dead like this, when, finally, he had returned to his family, was unbearable. Why hadn't he talked to him earlier, in the Room of Requirement? Why hadn't he —?
His train of thought was interrupted when he heard Percy whimpering a bit and realised that he was still breathing and alive.
"He's not dead!"
"No," said his father, his voice grave. "But, the arm …"
"Arm?" asked Ron stupidly. And it was then that he became that Percy's right arm wasn't there, and that he had a large bandage around the stump. The arm had been cut almost at the shoulder.
"Dark Magic," his Dad added, sobbing a bit. "There's no way for him to recover it, but at least he's alive. We're all alive."
Ron let out a sob, feeling the weight of everything that had happened fall upon him. He had been running on adrenaline alone, but now that they had got a moment to regroup, the horrors of the night were coming back to him in waves.
He felt Hermione's hand on his shoulder, and then he hugged her legs, burying his face in her dirty, ripped jacket. He heard her sob as well while she caressed his hair lovingly.
"He'll be all right, Ron. You'll see," she said softly and comfortingly.
Ron just nodded, wishing there were a magical way for this nightmare to be over without more death, more pain or more fear. Was it that previous morning that he had woken up in Shell Cottage? It seemed that a lifetime had passed since then. He tried to remember the past days — the talks with Harry and Dean, his time alone with Hermione, but he couldn't. Only the events of the day seemed real right now.
They had Apparated into Diagon Alley, Harry under the Invisibility Cloak with Griphook, Hermione as Bellatrix Lestrange and him as a foreign ambassador, disguised with Glamour Charms. They had managed to get to the Lestrange's vault, but, unaware that they had been discovered as impostors, they had been trapped in it. They had managed to get the cup, but had been betrayed by Griphook, who had left with the sword. Ron thought they were going to die in there, but, thanks to Hermione's quick thinking, they had escaped on the back of the blind dragon protecting the vaults.
The dragon had broken through Gringotts main hall and then through the ceiling. But Harry had fell off the back, hit by a stone. Ron and Hermione had jumped without thinking, not wanting to get separated or leave Harry in there.
Fortunately, thanks to the disturbance caused by the dragon, they had managed to flee across the roofs unnoticed, and then had Apparated to a forest, where they had set the tent.
They had discussed their options, their moods shifting from giddiness from having broken into Gringotts successfully, to dejection from the loss of their only weapon against horcruxes. They hadn't been able to think for long, though, as Harry had had a sudden vision of You-Know — No, fuck that. Harry had had a vision of fucking Voldemort killing those who had heard about the golden cup in a rage. Aware that his most precious secret had been discovered, he had thought about the others and Harry had seen that the two last horcruxes were the snake, like Dumbledore had deduced, and something related to Ravenclaw that was hidden at Hogwarts.
They had Apparated to Hogsmeade, hoping to get into the castle before Voldemort could take the horcrux (he was checking on the others first, as he believed the one at the school to be safer), but the Death Eaters had put a charm to alert if someone wandered around. Fortunately, they had been saved by the owner of the Hog's Head, which, to Ron's surprise, was Dumbledore's young brother, Aberforth. There they had discovered that some students managed to get out of the castle and get food and supplies thanks to a new tunnel that connected the inn and the Room of Requirement. Aberforth had called for Neville, and then they had used the tunnel to enter Hogwarts, joining those students who had opposed Snape and the Carrow's reign.
The plan had been to just get the horcrux and leave, but things had escalated quickly. Alerted by the possible presence of Harry, Snape and the Carrows had heightened security, which resulted in McGonagall and Flitwick fighting Snape and forcing him to flee the castle.
With the school under threat, the professors and some students, along with the Order and members of the DA, had prepared to defend the castle against Voldemort's upcoming forces. Meanwhile, Harry had discovered the horcrux was Ravenclaw's old diadem, who had been put by Riddle in the Room of Requirement (as the Room of Hidden Things).
At the same time, Ron had suddenly remembered that they didn't need the sword to destroy the remaining horcruxes, as the dead basilisk, the source of the sword's ability to destroy them, was precisely there. So they had gone to Myrtle's bathroom and Ron had used his imitation skills to open the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. Down there, they had gathered a bunch of fangs and Hermione had used one of them to destroy the cup.
After they had come out, things had quickly escalated into hell: fights, deadly curses flying all around, walls and ceilings crumbling, people being killed and injured …
They had retrieved the diadem from the Room of Requirement, where they had been ambushed by Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. Crabbe had proved capable of committing murder, using the Killing Curse and then destroying the room with Fiendfyre, from which they had barely escaped with the diadem and Malfoy and Goyle. Crabbe, however, had died as a result of his own curse. He had, inadvertently, been the destructor of the diadem for, as it turned out, Fiendfyre could destroy horcruxes as well and it had touched the diadem, leaving Nagini as the only one.
The last thing anchoring Voldemort to immortality.
Ron remembered their journey across the castle as they ran, dodging curses and fighting Death Eaters, towards the Whomping Willow. Harry had seen Voldemort in the Shrieking Shack, and they had used the old passageway to get there, where they had witnessed Voldemort murdering Snape. Unable to use all the power the Elder Wand promised, he had realised he had to kill him — as he had been the one to kill Dumbledore and, therefore, its true master — to own it at last before facing Harry.
After the heatless murdered had left, Harry had reached for the dying man and held him as he bled to death. To everyone's surprise, Snape's last action had been to give Harry some memories, which he had collected in a flask Hermione had Conjured for him.
As they made their way back to the castle, Voldemort had commanded his forces to retreat and given them a one-hour truce to regroup and tend to the injured, demanding that, before that hour was over, Harry should be handed to him, or he would annihilate them all.
And so here they were, in the Great Hall, full of people moaning and crying or just in shock. Most of them were just students, many even younger than them.
It was so unfair. And Percy … it was true that he was a prat, that he had betrayed his own family, but to lose an arm when he had made amends with them was — was … Unfair, yeah. There wasn't another word for it. Bloody unfair.
"Oh, gods, Ron!" he heard Hermione say with a loud sob, taking him out of his reverie. He moved a bit away from her and looked up at her bloody, soot-stained face. She was staring to a point beyond their group with tears in her eyes.
"What!? What!?" he asked, turning round. And then he saw them: Remus and Tonks, lying next to each other; dead. His blood turned into ice in his veins.
"NO! No!" he yelled.
"Bellatrix Lestrange killed Tonks," said George, his voice hoarse. "I tried to help, but it was too late. She seemed determined to — to do her in. When Tonks fell, she practically jumped in joy. How could she? I mean, Tonks was his niece, wasn't she?"
"Yes," confirmed Mr Weasley.
"Dolohov killed Remus," said Bill. "That monster was attacking a couple of students. Remus saved them, and Dolohov killed him in cold blood."
Ron clenched his fists in an attempt to contain his rage. Dolohov, the one who had found them after the wedding; the one who had cursed Hermione in the Department of Mysteries; the one who had killed his uncles Gideon and Fabian —
At the thought of his family, he realised, suddenly, that someone should be the most affected by Remus's death. He was, after all, the last of his father's best friends and the father of his godson …
"Harry," he said, turning around to talk to his friend. "Harry, I'm —"
"Where is he?" asked then Ginny, interrupting him.
"What?" Ron asked, getting up and looking around.
"He didn't come with you," she explained, worry etched upon her face.
"But he was just behind us when we walked into the castle!" said Hermione, looking around frantically. "Where has he gone, Ron?"
"Dunno. I thought he was here as well!"
"You don't think he'll surrender to Voldemort, do you?" Fred asked nervously.
"No, he wouldn't," replied Ron quickly, though he knew that was the kind of brave, stupid thing Harry would do. He shared a quick glance with Hermione, and he knew she feared the same.
"Maybe he needs some time to himself," suggested Bill.
They looked around, walking around the Great Hall for a bit and asking other students, but no one had seen him. Ron checked his watch and realised that half and hour had passed since Voldemort's ultimatum.
"The memories," said Hermione suddenly. "Maybe he went to Dumbledore's office to watch them?"
"Which memories?" asked Ginny.
"Maybe," said Ron, hopeful.
"Which memories?" repeated Ginny.
"Snape's," said Hermione. "We need to find him, Ron."
"Snape's?" asked Ginny, incredulous.
"Not now, Ginny," spat Ron. She was about to reply, but right in that moment, Professor McGonagall's magically amplified voice asked for everyone's attention. Every pair of eyes focused on the professors' table, from which she was speaking.
"Please, those of you who can move, go into the grounds and bring back anyone still out there, death or alive."
At once, people in the Great Hall began to organise to cover the grounds and the castle.
"What do we do?" asked Hermione, biting her lower lip. She was divided between the desire to help and to find Harry.
"We need to find Harry, Hermione," said Ron. There were enough people to help the injured, but to him, Harry was their responsibility, his and Hermione's.
"We'll help here while we can," interjected Mr Weasley. "You two go and find him, okay?"
Ron and Hermione nodded and left the Great Hall in a hurry.
They climbed the great staircase, though they weren't sure of which way to take. There were a few possibilities, after all, so they decided to take the quickest one. As they ran, Ron couldn't help but notice that half the castle was in ruins. The Death Eaters had shown no respect for this place at all.
"This is horrible, Ron," Hermione commented as they moved. "So much destruction …"
"Yeah, I know," said Ron grimly.
When they reached the headmaster's office, they saw the door open and entered without delay, but the room, who was practically unscathed, was completely empty.
"Fuck!" shouted Ron.
"Watch that tongue, lad!" shouted one of the headmasters on the walls. "Students, these days …"
"He's been here, Ron," Hermione said, pointing to a stone basin. "Someone has been using the pensieve."
"But then — where the hell is he?"
"I don't know."
"Fuck! If we had the fucking Marauders' Map …"
"Such a foul mouth," commented the same wizard, shaking his head in disapproval. "In my days, you'd spend a couple of hours with a an iron ball hanging from your tongue as a punishment, and —"
"Shut the fuck up!" Ron yelled at him. "In case you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of a war and we're looking for Harry Potter!"
"Ron, calm down," said Hermione.
"Hermione, how can I calm —?" Ron started to say but was interrupted by another headmaster.
"Harry Potter was here, but he put an invisibility cloak on and left barely five minutes before you arrived.
"He left under the invisibility cloak?" asked Ron, his eyes widening. He looked at Hermione, and saw the same fear in her eyes.
"You don't think —"
"Why would he want to be invisible?" exclaimed Ron, furious. "The fucking idiot has gone to the forest! Fuck, we must have passed him on our way here and he didn't say anything!"
Hermione's eyes moistened. "But he c-can't," she said. "He can't, Ron! We still haven't got rid of the snake and — and —"
"Let's go," he said. "Maybe — maybe — I dunno, but let's go."
They sprinted out of the office, went down the castle and back to the Great Hall. Students and professors were still carrying fallen fighters. Ron saw Neville helping a Hufflepuff student and approached him. "Neville, you didn't see Harry, did you?"
"Harry?" repeated Neville. "Yeah, just a moment ago," he said.
"Where? WHERE?"
Neville blinked a few times, perplexed. "Outside. He said he had something to do before the fight resumes."
"And you let him go?" Ron shouted, furious. "You let him go give himself over to that monster!?"
"What!? No!" Neville yelled back. "I asked him and he said he wasn't going to do that. That he — he —" As he was talked, realisation appeared on his dirty, round face. "Shit, I'm an idiot! I'm the biggest idiot ever! I should have known!"
"It's not your fault, Neville," intervened Hermione, her voice shaky. "You — you didn't see which direction he took, did you?"
"No," said Neville, shaking his head. "It's so dark outside and I — Shit, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, guys."
Ron sighed, dejected. "It's not your fault," he told him. He wanted to be angry, but a deep, profound sadness was taking over him.
"Sorry," said Neville again, and then walked towards the Great Hall, leaving Ron and Hermione alone. Hermione put her arms around him and sobbed.
"He's going to k-kill h-him, Ron! Oh, Merlin, Harry!"
Ron felt his own eyes fill with tears and embraced her as well, resting his chin on the top of her head. He didn't say anything, because there was nothing to say.
After a while, not wanting to think anymore as they waited for the hour Voldemort had given them to pass, they went back to the Great Hall, hoping to help with anything.
However, as they knelt to a girl with a severely injured arm, Ginny came hurrying towards them. "Did you find him?" she asked, anxious.
Ron had always considered his sister to be tough and strong, something needed if you were the youngest of seven siblings, but, when he shook his head, he saw her face crumble and her eyes moisten.
"He knows what he does," she said, trying to sound sure and confident. Then she left, brushing her eyes.
Hermione looked up at him, and then, without saying a word, went back to tending to the girl's arm.
"Ron, can you help me?" asked Justin Finch-Fletchley. Ron turned his head and saw he was laying Ernie Macmillan down, who had a nasty wound on his head. Ron hurried towards him and helped him put him down carefully. His knowledge in the field of healing was rather limited, but he cast a spell to clean the wound and then began to apply dittany on top of it.
"Thank you," said Justin, who looked exhausted.
After helping Ernie, who had just woken up, Ron moved across the hall, helping others. Time seemed to lose his meaning as he worked. He didn't know whether the hour had passed or not and was afraid to check, feeling conflicted as he wanted to know what had happened to Harry but at the same time dreaded the outcome.
He didn't have to ask, however, as Hermione approached him while he was helping Professor Flitwick with a Ravenclaw boy whose name he didn't know.
"It's fifteen minutes over the hour he gave us," she said simply.
Professor Flitwick looked up. "But nothing has happened."
Ron felt a bubble of hope wanting to expand inside him, telling himself that maybe the Death Eaters had left. He knew, however, that that was nothing but wishful thinking and pushed the idea back down.
"Let's find my family," he suggested, looking at Hermione. "Can you manage, Professor?" he asked Flitwick.
"Yes, yes. Thank you, Weasley."
All the Weasleys had gathered around Percy once more. He was now awake, though still looked pale and sick.
"Hey, Perce," Ron said, feeling a bit awkward. "How're you doing?"
He tried to smile. "I'm alive, and with you. It's okay. I suppose it's fitting that I suffer this curse, after the way I behaved —"
"Don't say that!" Ron's mum shouted. "Don't ever say that, Percy!"
"Yeah," nodded Fred. "You were a right asshole, but we were planning on using you as a test subject for our new products for a couple of years as punishment, not — not this."
Percy actually let out a laugh. "Well, sorry for disappointing you. I —"
But Percy was interrupted by the sudden, powerful voice of Voldemort, which once more shook the foundations of the castle.
"HARRY POTTER IS DEAD! HE WAS CAUGHT TRYING TO FLEE THE GROUNDS AND NOW I BRING YOU HIS BODY AS A PROOF THAT YOUR HERO IS GONE!" There was a pause, probably to allow the fighters in the castle to process his words. Ron and Hermione shared a look, their eyes open wide.
"No," said Hermione. "No."
"THE BATTLE IS OVER," continued Voldemort. "NOW YOU'LL COME OUT AND SURRENDER BEFORE ME."
There was a moment of stillness, as if time had been frozen by a sudden spell, and then everyone moved towards the main gate, dejection and fear pasted on every face.
Ron felt Hermione's hand touch his and he grabbed it, needing her comfort as much as she needed his. When they reached the stairs that led to the grounds, they saw the army of Death Eaters, lining behind Voldemort. Next to him was Hagrid, who was carrying Harry's body.
Harry's dead body.
"NO!" shouted Ginny.
"No, no!" added Hermione.
"Harry …" muttered Ron. He should want to cry, to mourn his best, first friend, yet right now the only thing he felt was a deep, powerful rage.
"Potter!" shouted Professor McGonagall.
"Silence!" bellowed Voldemort, and cast a spell upon them to keep them quiet. "He's dead!" he repeated, pointing at Harry's body. "Show them, Hagrid! Show them how their hero, the boy who lived, is dead after trying to escape, leaving them behind to fight for him!"
Hagrid sobbed, and Ron couldn't stand it anymore. Despite Voldemort's Silencing Spell, he managed to yell, "LIAR! You're nothing but a fucking liar and he beat you many times already!"
After Ron's shouts, other people shouted as well, the charm broken, insulting the Death Eaters. Voldemort narrowed his eyes dangerously.
"Quiet!" he shouted once more, casting the charm once more. "Now you'll come down here and will kneel before me. You fought valiantly, but the war is over and you'll accept your fate or suffer the consequences. I'll annihilate anyone that continues to oppose me, even wiping out their families so every tainted branch of our magical society is disposed of. Now, who'll be the first one to surrender?"
Voldemort's eyes shifted from face to face, and, although no one held his gaze, no one said anything, either.
"What about you, young man? You look defiant still. Who's your name?"
"He's Neville Longbottom, my lord," sneered Bellatrix Lestrange, the relish evident in her voice. "The son of the Aurors, you know."
"Oh, yes," Voldemort said, nodding. "Pureblood, and from a noble, brave family. You'll be very valuable to me."
"I'd rather face the Dementor's kiss than join you!" shouted Neville, and the Silencing Charm broke once more.
"Well said, Neville!" yelled Seamus.
Voldemort just stared at Neville, his eyes narrowing into thin slits. He gripped his wand tighter, and Ron felt Hermione squeeze his hand. He gritted his teeth, not knowing what to do. He was sure Neville was going to be punished in a terrible way, but could they do anything to save him that wouldn't just get themselves killed uselessly?
Voldemort flicked his wand carelessly and, in his mind, Ron saw Neville crumbling to the ground, but, when nothing happened, he furrowed his brows. "What the —?"
But he didn't finish the sentence, as the Sorting Hat suddenly came flying into Voldemort's other hand. With another movement of his wand, Neville was rendered completely immobile. With a dangerous smile, Voldemort put the hat on Neville's head, retreated a bit and then addressed the wizards and witches facing him. "Let's Neville here be an example of what will happen to anyone who dares to defy me. We won't need the Sorting Hat anymore, as only the colours and house of my ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will be present at the school. No more sorting will take place, so, let's give the Hat a well-deserved farewell, using it one last time as an example of what happens to the fools who think they can confront me!" And, with another swish of his wand, the Sorting Hat burst into flames.
"Holy fuck!" shouted Ron, horrified.
"NO!" yelled Hermione. Other yells and shouts of horror arose from the watching crowd, while the Death Eaters cheered and jested.
And it was just in that moment when all hell broke loose.
There was a sudden, sibilant sound and a cloud of arrows fell over the Death Eaters. Some scurried away while others used charms to protect themselves. A few fell to the ground, wounded by the sudden attack. Ron looked past them and saw the centaurs, armed with their bows, charging against Voldemort's forces. At the same time, Neville broke free from the curse the sick fuck had put him under and took the hat off his head, extracting the Sword of Gryffindor from it.
"Hermione, look!"
They watched, as in slow motion, how Neville, who by some miracle hadn't been harmed by the fire, ran towards Voldemort, who, caught by surprise by the centaur attack, couldn't do anything to prevent the boy from slicing Nagini's head off its body.
"NOOOOOOO!" the evil bastard yelled, aware that another horcrux — the last one, Ron realised — had been destroyed.
Almost immediately, the night was lit up but dozens of spells coming from one side, and Ron turned his head to see a large crowd of people running towards them across the grounds, with Charlie on the front line.
"Reinforcements!" someone yelled, and around Ron and Hermione everyone joined the fight. Ron could heard Hagrid yelling Harry's name among all the noise surrounding him, and he felt a pang of pain at the sound of the name of his now dead best friend, but he couldn't look to see why the half-giant would be yelling that, because Grawp and Voldemort's giants had joined the fight as well. Ron pulled Hermione's hand towards the castle as they took their wands out and began to fire spells against the retreating Death Eaters, who seemed overwhelmed by the onslaught.
All around them, Voldemort's minions fell under the sheer force of their enemies, and he soon had to release Hermione's hand as the battle intensified and they parted as a stray Killing Curse passed between them. Ron saw her blast a tall, dark-skinned wizard away, but could only smile a bit before engaging in a duel with Fenrir Greyback. The fiery werewolf seemed quite resistant to spells, but, with Neville's sudden help, they managed to smash him against a wall, a long chunk of stone falling over him.
"Well done, Neville!" Ron shouted to him as they ran towards the Great Hall, where everyone was gathering. As they crossed the doors, the house elves, under the leadership of Kreacher, barrelled in from the back door, attacking the Death Eaters as well, of which just a few were still standing. Among them was of course Voldemort, who was attacking anyone on sight with cold, unmerciful fury, and Bellatrix Lestrange, who — to Ron's horror — was fighting Luna, Ginny and Hermione.
He was going to help them when Voldemort defeated the man fighting him, and then engaged Kingsley, McGonagall and his own dad in battle.
Ron doubted for a moment. Should he help his father and stop Voldemort at last, or Hermione and Ginny? Ultimately, he decided to help the girls, and would always be glad of his choice as, when he was about to reach them, Ginny stumbled on a piece of stone and, as she tried to steady herself, Bellatrix cast a powerful Killing Curse towards her. Ron knew that he had shouted, though didn't even heard his own voice as, acting on pure instinct, he shot a Banishing Charm towards his sister, throwing her to the ground barely a moment before the curse could hit her.
Bellatrix shrieked in frustration and focused her maniacal eyes on Ron, but, before he could intervene, his own mother pushed him away rudely and attacked.
"You won't touch my children, you deranged bitch!"
"Ahh, Molly Prewett!" exclaimed Bellatrix, deflecting Ron's mum's curse easily. "Ready to join those two idiots you had as brothers in the afterlife, are you?"
"Fucking monster!" Ron's mum yelled, causing his eyes to open wide. He had never, ever, heard his mother use such language.
Bellatrix kept taunting her opponent, until, after wondering out loud what would happen to him and his siblings when she died, she was hit by a Killing Curse straight on her chest.
Ron watched, in awe, as Bellatrix opened her eyes in shock for a moment, realising what had happened just before dropping to the floor, dead.
When Voldemort saw his last soldier fall, he let out a yell of utmost rage and sent his own opponents flying away. Then focused his hate on Ron's mum.
"MUM!" yelled Ron. He watched, frozen, as his mother turned to look at Voldemort, who was already pointing his wand at her, ready to strike. However, before he could, a Shield Charm erupted between them, saving her life.
"What the —?" he asked. Voldemort seemed disconcerted as well, looking around for the audacious idiot who had dared to deprive him of his victim.
And it was then that Ron's heart stopped beating for a moment, when Harry took the Invisibility Cloak off and revealed himself, alive and whole.
"Holy — fucking — shit!" he shouted.
"He's alive, Ron! He's alive!" he heard Hermione exclaim in wonder.
"But — how's that possible?" he asked, watching Harry and Voldemort circle each other while the rest of wizards and witches observed, the destiny of them all and the Wizarding world hanging on a thread.
"Well, he's the boy who lived, isn't he?" said Hermione simply, and Ron felt a sudden, irrational desire to laugh. He had been postponing the moment to mourn the boy who was his brother in everything but name, and now he was in there, facing Voldemort
He listened to his friend as he told his enemy that Snape had always been Dumbledore's man, not his, since the moment he had threatened Harry's mother, as Snape had been in love with her …
He watched as Harry offered his enemy the opportunity to feel regret, to change.
He grabbed Hermione's hand as the first rays of the Sun entered the Great Hall and both wizards cast their trademark spells: Voldemort, the Killing Curse; Harry, the Disarming Spell.
And he almost jumped as an exhilarating joy flooded him when Voldemort's curse rebounded against Harry's spell and hit him in the chest, finishing him off at last.
He didn't know when he had started to run, along Hermione, towards Harry, both embracing him as if they never wanted to be apart from him again, sobbing and laughing in equal parts. And then Ginny was there, too, and the rest of their family, and the professors, and their friends, all of them celebrating that, after all the suffering, all the dead and pain and horror, it was over at last.
Voldemort had been defeated, it all had ended, and they were alive.
Alive and free, and he was with the two people he loved the most in the world.
— o —
One hour later, they were in Gryffindor tower. The upper levels had been rather damaged, as defendants had used it to fight the invading Death Eaters, but the common room and the lower levels were relatively unscathed. He and Hermione had gone with Harry to visit Dumbledore, and afterwards they had come here. Harry had told them what had happened in the forest, and why he had survived, while they ate some sandwiches.
"Never give us another fright like that one, Mate!" shouted Ron. "When we saw you in Hagrid's arms we — we —" He shook his head, swallowing the hard lump in his throat.
"I know," said Harry, smiling apologetically. "But I couldn't reveal that I was alive, I needed time to act."
"We know, Harry," said Hermione, and then sighed. "I can't believe it's over now. I need to repeat it in my head every minute."
"Yeah," Harry said, nodding. "Merlin, I'm so tired … I could sleep for a week."
"Yeah," said Ron. "Can we go and find a bed, then?"
Before anyone else could answer, the portrait opened and Ginny came in, accompanied by Neville and Luna. She had a nasty wound on the chin, though it had been treated already.
"Here you are," she said, dropping onto the couch. "Everyone in the Great Hall is retiring. McGonagall is offering a place to sleep to everyone. We can stay here. The dorms of the younger students are practically free."
"I told Luna he could come here," said Neville. "Ravenclaw's tower practically crumbled."
"Yes, it'll take a lot of work to fix the castle," commented Hermione sadly.
"Well, it's a highly magical castle, isn't it?" said Luna happily. "I wouldn't worry much about it."
"By the way, Kingsley has been appointed Temporary Minister for Magic," announced Ginny with a grin. "He's going to bring Aurors and Ministry officials to take care of everything."
"At last, a Minister worth of the position!" exclaimed Hermione. "I'm so glad it's him."
Everyone nodded their approval. Ginny grimaced and then touched the wound on her chin.
"What happened to your chin?" asked Harry then, looking at Ginny. "Did someone punch you?"
Ginny looked at Ron. "Apparently I owe it to my dear brother, who threw me to the ground face down."
Ron glared at her, a scowl on his face. "Oh, sorry, Milady! Next time I'll just beg the curse going your way to wait while I cast a Cushioning Charm so Your Majesty can lie on the floor comfortably!" he exclaimed sarcastically. Harry, Neville and Hermione broke into laughter and Ginny grinned.
"That'd be nice," she said approvingly. Ron narrowed his eyes, but, before he could say anything else, Hermione got up and pulled his hand.
"Come on, Ron. Let's go to sleep, I'm knackered."
"Okay," he said and, getting up, let Hermione drag him towards the stairs. Before he could put a foot on the first step, however, Ginny called him.
"Ron." He turned his head to look at her and found her smiling at him. "Thank you for saving my life."
Ron smiled back at her. "Always, Milady," he replied, making her laugh.
They climbed the stairs to the fourth years' floor, the last one habitable, and entered the room, closing the door behind them.
The moment they were alone, Ron hugged her and she leaned into his chest, sighing.
"It's over, Ron," she said.
"It's over," he repeated. "I was so afraid, when I saw you fighting that crazy woman …"
"I was so scared, too. And I didn't know where you were … I could only think what would happen if I lost you after losing Harry …" She hugged him tighter.
"I felt the same," he said. "But we survived. We survived, Hermione."
"I'll see my parents again," she said, looking up at him with big, bright eyes. "I'll see my parents again, Ron!"
"I know," he said, grinning down at her. "And as I promised, I'll go with you to find them."
"Thank you."
"I need a shower before getting into bed," said Ron then, moving away from her. "I think I've never been this dirty."
"Yeah, me too," agreed Hermione, checking her own body and clothes. "Want to share a shower?"
"Yeah," he said. Hermione took her beaded bag and approached a bed, taking clean clothes for both of them. Afterwards, they moved to the bathroom, which had four shower stalls, two toilets and two urinals. They took their clothes off in silence, sometimes gasping when they touched a burn or a wound.
"We should put some dittany on once we're clean," Hermione told him, taking off her knickers.
"Yeah," said Ron, clenching his teeth as he pulled on a sock whose threads were stuck to a deep cut on his ankle. Hermione turned on the water and stepped under the water, wincing when the water toucher the burns. Ron was going to use another stall when she stopped him.
"Join me," she said simply.
Ron looked at her and then stepped into her stall, joining her under the water.
"Fuck!" he swore, wincing at the way his wounds stung. Hermione passed him some shampoo and began to clean her hair, using her fingers to disentangle it. Ron washed his own, finishing much sooner, and then began to soap her back, caressing her lovingly. Hermione sighed and pressed her back against his chest, her ass touching his groin.
"I love you," Ron told her, moving his hands to her sides and then to her stomach, which he caressed.
Hermione sighed in pleasure and then, surprising Ron, took his hands in hers and moved them to her tits, making his grab them.
"These are dirty, too," she said.
"I imagine," replied Ron, giving her a squeeze. He hadn't expected anything sexual. They had been awake for more than twenty-four hours and had witnessed so many deaths … Though maybe that was why Hermione was seeking his touch.
"Caress me, Ron," she begged, moving her own hands to his hips and moving her bum against his cock, which was starting to wake up.
"I thought you were very tired," he muttered.
"And I am. But, after everything … I just need you." She turned round to face him and, putting her hands behind his neck, brought his mouth down to hers to kiss him.
"My mouth probably reeks," he said a few seconds later, pulling away.
"Don't care. Kiss me and make me cum, please."
"Okay."
He kissed her again, more passionately, and then squeezed her tits again, pinching her nipples, which were already hard. After playing with her breasts for a while, he moved his hands to her ass and kneaded her buttocks though not in the way he usually did, but as gently as possible. Hermione moaned into his mouth, putting her tongue in. Ron used his to play with hers, causing their passion to increase. His cock hardened completely. The idea of lifting her by her bum and taking her against the wall crossed his mind, but he was too tired for that. Instead, he moved his right hand to her front and between her legs, which she opened willingly, and began to caress her moist slit.
"Yes, Ron, yes," she moaned. "Touch my clit. Rub it and make me cum."
Ron pushed her against the wall and used his left hand to lift her right leg, giving himself more access to her pussy. Then began to rub her clit expertly.
He swallowed her moans by kissing her again, and then moved to her ear, her neck and even down to her tits, sucking on her tits while he kept moving his fingers, bringing her closer and closer to her orgasm.
Hermione grasped his hair and mussed it while she squirmed in pleasure. Ron watched her, enthralled. He shoved his middle finger into her tight hole and used her thumb to rub her clit, sending her to new heights of bliss. He fingered her hard and fast, his fingers working in perfect synchrony. After just another minute, he felt her pull on his hair almost painfully and he claimed her mouth once more, snogging her passionately as she moaned into her mouth, her pussy clamping around his fingers as she orgasmed violently.
After a bit, she put her hands on his shoulder for support and broke the kiss, panting heavily, her chest moving up and down in rhythm with her ragged breathing.
"Better?" he asked, feeling a bit smug. No matter how many times he made her cum, he always felt it was an incredibly achievement. Just seeing Hermione like that, so free and wild, was amazing.
"Mmmh," she said, looking up at him. Then she smiled devilishly. "Your turn," she added, grabbing his dick. Ron gasped, loving the feel of her little hands around his hard prick, and, when she began to stroke him, he groaned.
"I want you to cum for me," she told him, her voice low and seductive. "All over my hands, Ron."
Ron just nodded, focusing on the way she was wanking him, and let out another groan when she used her other hand to cup his balls, rolling them between her fingers.
"Shit, Hermione …"
"Does it feel good, Ron?" she asked, jerking him faster.
"Fuck, yeah!"
"Put your hands on my tits. Play with them while I give you pleasure."
Ron did as told, squeezing them a bit more roughly than before. It was hard to maintain control when she was working his cock with such dexterity. Fuck, he wasn't going to last at all!
"Yes, Ron, touch me. Enjoy my breasts. And don't hold back. I want you to cum hard. Enjoy that we're alive and together. Cum for me. Cum for me, Ron."
Between the way she was talking and how good she was masturbating him, Ron had no chance of lasting, and he didn't fight it. He kneaded her tits harder and she sped up, grasping his shaft more tightly. He looked at her face and saw the eager expression in which she was wanking him.
Fuck, she's loving this! he thought, and that was his undoing.
He felt his ball sac tighten and a moment later he exploded, shooting abundantly all over her hand and even her stomach.
"Fuuuuuuuck! Aah, Hermioneeee!" he moaned, his entire body alight with pleasure.
Hermione kept stroking him until he gave her every last drop and then he fell against her, his had on her shoulder as he sighed.
"Fuck, that was amazing …" he said, closing his eyes.
"So it looked," she commented, amused.
"Now I really feel knackered, Love."
"I know. Me too. Let's finish here and go to bed."
With not a little effort, they cleaned themselves and then closed the water. Hermione used her wand to dry them both and then they put on some dittany over the worst cuts, wounds and burns.
Finally, they put on pyjamas and got under the covers of the closest bed, sighing in bliss as they snuggled against each other.
"'Night, Ron," she muttered, already half sleep.
"'Night, Love," he replied, nodding off at once.
— o —
Something moved next to him, disturbing him, and Ron wake up, disoriented. His body felt as if he had been sleeping for a century, and, for a moment, he didn't know what he was. Then it all came back to him suddenly, and he opened his eyes.
"We won," he blurted out.
"We did," said Hermione, moving next to him.
"Hermione … what time is it?"
"Nine o'clock," she answered. "Sorry for waking you up. I just needed to pop into the loo."
"Mmmh — but, why's so dark outside?" he asked, looking at the windows.
"It's nine o'clock in the evening, Ron."
"Shit, we've slept the whole day?"
"Yes. We needed it, don't you think."
"Yeah. No wonder my entire body feels so stiff … And now that you mention the loo, I really need to pee, too!"
Hermione shook her head, a small smile on her face. "Go then, I'll just wait for you here," she told him, getting comfortable once more under the covers.
Ron got out of the bed, stretching his long limbs a bit, and went to the bathroom. After finishing, he, came back to bed, rubbing his eyes.
"All the other beds are empty," he commented. "Wonder where everyone else has slept."
"Well, many had to go San Mungo or the Hospital Wing, and I suppose others just went to heir homes."
"What about Harry and Ginny?"
Hermione shrugged.
"Shouldn't we go down? See where my family is?"
"Do you want to?"
"Well, yeah. And I feel a bit hungry as well."
"Let's wait for a bit," she suggested. "I mean, once we get out we'll go to The Burrow, and though I really want to go, we won't have any privacy there. I missed sleeping next to you while we were at your brother's and I'd like to enjoy just us for a bit longer."
"As you wish," he said, joining her in the bed. "It feels so good, being next to you."
Hermione beamed at him and kissed him.
"You taste good," he told her. "Did you brush your teeth?"
She nodded. "Well, I wanted to kiss you with a fresh breath. And, no offense, but you should do the same …"
"So you want to snog?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"I want to snog," she said.
"You could have told me when I went to take a piss, you know, but okay."
He got out of the bed for the second time and went back to the bathroom, brushing his teeth thoroughly and then rinsing his mouth a couple of times. He then went back to Hermione and, the moment he was under the sheets, put and hand on her waist and kissed her. She responded eagerly, and soon they were snogging passionately. Ron's hand on her waist quickly found his way to her back and then to her ass, sliding under her pyjamas and panties. He moaned into her mouth when he squeezed her round, firm ass.
Hermione, meanwhile, didn't just allowed him to grope her, but moved her own hand to his bum, giving him and squeeze, and then under his shirt, caressing his chest and stomach, his fingers probing lower, just under the waistband of his bottoms.
"Do it," he whispered into her mouth, breaking the kiss. "Do it, Hermione."
Hermione looked at him in the eyes for a moment, her eyes darkening, and then kissed him once more, reaching down to fondle his erection.
"Mmmh, yesss …"
"Do you want to have sex?" she asked, her breathing uneven.
"Shit, yeah. Do you?"
She just nodded, and they snogged again, their hands moving more freely over the other's bodies. Hermione began to stroke him, while Ron moved the left one to touch her tits and the right from her bum to her pussy. She raised her left leg, giving him access, and he put a finger inside her already wet cunt, making her moan loudly.
"Fuck, you're so ready for me …"
"So are you for me," she replied.
They stared at each other's eyes for a moment and then they took of their bottoms and underwear hurriedly, eager to get joined. Then Ron rolled her onto her back and climbed on top of her, settling himself between her parted legs. He stared into her eyes as his cock made contact with her scorching pussy and they both moaned in anticipation.
"Come on, Ron. Put it in. Fuck me."
Ron positioned himself so his tip was at the entrance of her perfect hole and then thrust hard into her and groaned at the feeling of her dripping cunt around his cock.
"Fuck, I missed this," he said, moving his hips slowly, savouring the way she felt as he slid in and out her.
"Me too," she whispered, arching her back and bucking her hips against him. "Me too, Ron. Now move faster, please …"
Ron kissed her as he sped up his thrusts, fucking her with intensity and yet gently, enjoying her after several days. As he moved inside her he put one hand under her top, caressing her side and brushing her left boob.
And then, suddenly, Hermione pushed him and made them roll on the bed so she was on top, her hands on his chest. "I want to ride you," she said, her eyes boring into his. In a quick move, she took off her top, throwing it to the side and making her large breasts bounce enticingly before starting to roll her hips, riding him slowly.
"Ron …" she moaned, pushing his shit up so her hands could touch his bare skin. "Oh, Ron, your cock feels amazing …"
"Fuck, Hermionee …" he moaned, enthralled by how sexy she looked, her body moving sinuously atop him. And her pussy … Merlin, her pussy felt like heaven.
Part of Ron couldn't help but feel a bit guilty at what he was doing. He was making love with his girlfriend while many people had died. While one of his brothers recovered from having lost an arm. And yet, hadn't all those people sacrificed themselves so they could live? Hadn't Harry, Hermione and he spend months on the run so every wizard and witch and Muggle could live the way they wanted?
And he wanted to live like this, with Hermione. He wanted to have her for the rest of their lives, or for as long as she'd have him, at least.
"I love you, Hermione," he blurted out, moving his hands up her torso and to her jiggling tits. "I love you so much …"
"So do I," she moaned, speeding up, moving her hips in a way that could only be described as divine. "Oh, Ron, I love having you like this … I love making love to you, I love riding your hard cock …"
"Fuck, yeah!" he exclaimed, squeezing her tits. "Ride me, Love. You look like a fucking goddess. Ride my cock, let me feel you cum all around me!"
Hermione's moans increased in volume and she began to bounce faster on him, her ass slapping his thighs noisily. She arched her back and threw her head backwards, eyes closed, her hair flying wildly as she rode him faster and faster. Fuck, she was the most beautiful and sexiest girl ever. He looked down, between her legs, and seeing her perfect pussy engulfing his cock over and over made him twitch.
As time passed, she moved faster and harder, rolling her hips violently, her cunt gripping him so tightly. She lifted her hands from his chest and, leaning backwards, she put them on his thighs to support her, now using just her hips to get pleasure from him.
Ron groaned at the sight and moved his hands to her hips, helping her to move faster before pressing her clit with his right thumb, rubbing it.
"Oh, Ron, yess! Ohh, yes, touch my clit! Gods, I'm about to cum, Ron!"
"Cum for me, Love. Fuck, I could explode just watching you, you're so fucking sexy. Ah, fuck, you feel so good around me … Your pussy's perfect … perfect …"
Hermione bucked her hips with violence, his cock as deep in her as was possible, and then simply exploded, opening her mouth in a silent scream of pleasure while her entire body shook.
Ron felt her cunt flutter and groaned, thrusting upwards with force to help her along and increase the intensity of her strong orgasm.
Finally, spent, she fell on top of him, her hips still moving languidly. Ron kept fucking her, wanting to keep her making those amazing little sounds.
"Ron … oh, oh, Ron … Gods, keep going, keep going, this is heaven … Oh, fuck, Roooon …."
"Fuck, Hermione, I need to cum so badly!"
"Cum in me. Fuck me and cum in me. I want to feel you cumming in me."
With a roar, Ron rolled them over once more, so he was back on top. Kneeling between her legs, he lifted them, draping them over his shoulders and, the slammed hard into her, her arms looped around her supple thighs.
"Fuuck, yesssss!" he hissed as he fucked her as hard and fast as possible, her magnificent tits bouncing wildly with the force of his thrusts.
"Like that, Ron, like that! Gods, yes, like that! Hard! Cum in me, Ron! I want you to cum in me forever!"
"Shiiiit!" Ron shouted. He leaned over, almost pressing her thighs against her chest, and grabbed her tits, kneading them roughly while he fucked her like an animal. In just ten seconds, he felt his bollocks tighten and then exploded, shooting into her cunt with an intensity that left him lightheaded.
"FUCK! FUCK, HERMIONE, CUMMING!"
Hermione kept saying things, encouraging to him to keep cumming, to give it all to her, but Ron barely heard her, his head buzzing with the pleasure he was feeling as he emptied his balls into her greedy pussy, filling her to the brim.
"Shit, that was so — so intense," he managed to say, breathing heavily as his cock twitched and softened inside her gripping insides.
Hermione moved one hand to his face and caressed him. "Yes. It was really amazing, Ron."
With an effort, he moved off her, the two of them moaning at the loss of connection, and then lay next to her. Hermione lowered her legs and turned to face him, her right arm folded under her head. Ron put his right one on her waist, caressing her soft skin.
"You're so fucking beautiful," he told her. His eyes roaming over her body.
"You're not bad, either," she teased him, smiling. Ron gave her a kiss, and they embraced, falling asleep once more.
— o —
"Ron? Hermione?"
Ron opened his eyes, blinking. He looked to his side, watching Hermione, still asleep next to him, an arm draped over his belly.
"Ron?" Ginny repeated, unsure.
"Ginny?"
"Bloody hell, Ron, I called you three times already."
"I was sleeping," he replied grumpily. "What's up?"
"We're having breakfast in the Great Hall, and then we're going home."
"Breakfast?" he asked. He looked at the window and saw there was light outside.
"It's half past eight in the morning," she said. "You've been sleeping or whatever for an entire day, so you'd better get up before Mum comes."
Ron sat up on the bed, waking Hermione in the process.
"Ron …?" she asked, still half-asleep. "What're you doing?"
"It's breakfast time, Hermione. Ginny came to wake us."
"Ginny?" she asked, now more awake. "Ron, we're naked!" she muttered, anxious.
"Don't worry, she didn't come in," he whispered. "We'll be down in a few minutes," Ron told Ginny, raising his voice.
"Okay. See you soon."
They let themselves stay in bed for another couple of minutes and then got up to get dressed. They went down to the common room, where Harry and Ginny were waiting for them. Then, together, they went down to the Great Hall.
"Harry, how are you? Did you rest?" Hermione asked him, fretting a bit.
"Yeah," he responded, nodding and giving them a small smile. "I'm fine, Hermione, really. Better than in a long time, in fact."
Hermione beamed at him and the four of them exited the common room.
"Where is Neville? And Luna?" asked Hermione.
"Already left," said Ginny. "Neville after dinner last night, and Luna in the afternoon. He went to see her dad, after they released him from Azkaban."
"Oh, yeah," nodded Ron. "Hope he's right, despite everything."
Ginny frowned. "What do you mean?"
"That's a tale for another moment," said Harry. Ginny looked at them all in turns, but, as no one explained more, she just shrugged.
Ron expected to see a lot of people in the Great Hall, but it was mostly empty. A few students with their families, including his, and the professors. He supposed most of the people that had participated in the battle had already left, as it had been a whole day since the battle. The remaining people were all eating at the same table, and the four friends joined them.
"Hi," said Ron, looking at his parents. He made a quick scan of the table and saw that Fred, George, Bill, Fleur and Charlie were there. All his siblings, except for Percy.
"Ron," said his mother. "I was starting to worry about you."
"Mum, we had been up for twenty-four hours when we went to bed, and we managed to save the world in that time, so I think we earned some sleep.
Fred and George shared a conspiratorial grin at his words. A grin that meant 'sleeping, sure.' He probably was going to be teased by them later, but in that moment he didn't care. "How's Percy?" he asked, grabbing a plate and piling sausages, bacon and eggs onto it.
"He's in the Hospital Wing, there are healers from St Mungo's here," explained his dad. "He'll have to stay in there for a few days, but he'll be all right."
"Good," said Ron. "Percy is smart. He'll be able to write loads of reports even with just one arm," he joked.
"Ron!" Hermione scolded him. However, George and Fred chuckled, and even his mother smiled a bit.
"After breakfast, we're going back to The Burrow," continued his dad. "Hermione, Harry, you're coming with us, of course."
"Thank you, Mr Weasley," said Hermione with a grateful smile. "Though I'll have to visit my house to check everything's all right. And then prepare to travel to Australia to find my parents."
"And I'll go with her," declared Ron, looking at his mum and dad. He wanted to settle this matter soon, in case they had any objection, which, in the case of his mother, she surely did.
"Of course you will," she stated, surprising him. "No one should wander around the world alone in these times. Kingsley said that more than a few Death Eaters escaped after the battle, and even without You-Know-Who, they're dangerous. Hermione, dear, you should wait a few days until things have calmed down at the Ministry and it's more secure to travel."
"Okay," Hermione agreed.
Once they had had breakfast and said goodbye to the professors, who were going to start with the reparations of the castle, and other classmates still there, they left the Great Hall, accompanied by McGonagall.
"The Ministry will help, won't they?" asked Ron, looking around. "To repair the school, I mean."
Professor McGonagall smiled widely. "They will, but it won't take as long as it seems, Mr Weasley. Hogwarts is a very magical place, after all. We'll have it as good as new in a few days."
"Just a few days? Really?"
"Just a few days."
"Ron, if you read Hogwarts: A History, you'd know —" started Hermione.
"Okay, okay, I get it," Ron cut her in quickly, causing Harry to snigger, though he sobered up pretty quickly when Hermione threw him a dirty look.
"Thank you all for your help," said McGonagall. "Now rest and take care of yourselves. You've earned it," she added, looking at them all proudly, though her eyes lingered a bit longer on Harry.
Before departing, they went to the hospital wing to check on Percy. The bodies of the dead had already been taken by their families, and Ron wondered how many funerals would take place in the next days, while the rest of the Wizarding world celebrated the end of Voldemort's reign of terror. He took a quick glance at his family, including Harry and Hermione, of course, and thanked Merlin for how lucky he was that, despite all of them being fighters, none had died.
Though those suffering the worst injuries had been moved to St Mungo's, there were still around twenty people in the hospital wing. Six healers — seven with Madam Pomfrey — were moving around, checking on them. Ron, Harry and Ron followed his parents to Percy's bed, who was eating his own breakfast.
"Percy, you're awake!" said his mother, approaching him and caressing his forehead. "You were still asleep when we came before. How are you? Does your — you arm hurt? Do you need something?"
"I'm fine, Mum. The healers said the wound looks good and I can go home in a couple of days."
Ron's eyes darted to the bandaged stump attached to his left shoulder and couldn't help but grimace. Percy noticed his stare and smiled.
"It's okay, Ron. It doesn't hurt or anything."
Ron just nodded, swallowing, and Percy's gaze moved to Harry. His expression turned serious and apologetic. "I didn't have the chance yesterday, but I wanted to ask you to forgive me, Harry. And you too, Ron. That letter I wrote you two years ago … The things I said … I — I've got no excuse."
"It's okay, Percy," said Harry. "It's forgotten."
"Yeah," nodded Ron. Had Percy not lost an arm he probably wouldn't be so quick to forgive him, but, given the circumstances …
"It shouldn't. I could have done things, could have helped, and instead I did nothing. Worse — what I did benefitted Voldemort's plans in the end. The only thing I can say is that I promise to be better in the future, and to work to atone for my mistakes."
"Oh, Percy!" said his mum as she grabbed her son's hand, almost on the verge of tears.
"Do you need anything, Percy?" asked his dad. "Do you want us to bring something else later?"
"No, it's okay."
"You sure you don't want me to stay?" asked his mother.
"I'm sure, Mum. I'm fine and cared for. Go home. I'll see you later."
Their mother nodded and then gave Percy a kiss on his forehead. "See you later, dear."
"Take care, Perce," said Fred, patting Percy's leg.
"Yeah, no need for you to write a report," added George.
Percy laughed. "Don't worry, I've taken the day off."
Fred and George chuckled. "You see, George, I think he might have a funny side after all."
"Yes. There might still be hope for him," George agreed.
"Stop teasing your brother, you two," scolded their mother, smacking them on their shoulders, and Ron couldn't help but smile at the familiar scene.
The smiled vanished, the moment they Apparated near the Burrow at took a look at it. Though the house was still up, all the windows were broken and the front door had been pulled out of its hinges and laid, shattered, a few yards away. They all froze for a moment, staring at it. Ron could hear many gasps and more than a couple of swear words.
"No, our home!" exclaimed his mother, and sprinted towards the house. At once, the rest of them followed.
"No, stop!" yelled Bill, who hadn't moved. Neither had Fleur, whose hand he was holding. Hermione hadn't, either.
"What!?" asked Ron, turning to face his brother.
"The Death Eaters could have left a trap," he said darkly. Hermione nodded.
Shit, why hadn't he thought of that?
"You're right, Son," said his father, sighing. "Should I call some people from the Ministry to check?"
"There's no need, I can do it," said Bill. He approached the house and began to move slowly, surrounding the building, moving his wands in complicated patterns.
"Fucking bastards," muttered Ron, looking at his home. "They knew the house was empty, yet look at what they did."
"I know," said Hermione, grasping his hand in hers. "But we'll fix it, Ron."
"Yeah, Mate," said Harry, patting him in the shoulder.
They waited for twenty minutes or so, until Bill stopped moving his wand and turned round to look at them. "It's safe."
Slowly, they walked towards the door, fearful and what was awaiting them inside. His parents entered first, and, when he was crossing the doorframe, he heard his mother let out a sob.
Ron looked around and felt his insides boil with fury.
Practically all furniture had been destroyed, including the old clock that indicated the position of every member of the family. And in the wall, in large, red letters, there were two words written.
Blood Traitors.
Next to him, Hermione gasped.
"Fucking bastards," muttered Charlie.
"I hope they rot in Azkaban," added Fred in a dark tone that sounded very odd coming from his mouth.
"It's okay," said their father calmly once the initial shock had passed. He turned to face them with a smile, albeit quite forced. "It's just a house. Stone, wood, glass and metal. We can repair it. The most important thing is that we're alive, and together, all of us."
Ron's mother let out a sob and embraced his dad. He placed a kiss on her forehead, his hands moving soothingly over her back. Ron felt Hermione and Harry's arms on his back as they showed him their support. He smiled at them in turns.
Dad was right, home was, after all, where his family was.
Well, the war is over!
Sorry if you feel this is like reading 'The Battle of Hogwarts' once more, even with the little changes. This must be the least smutty chapter yet, but you'll understand. And I wanted the sex to be more about feeling alive and pushing the darkness away.
And yes, I didn't kill Fred! This story is intended as a much lighter one, so I wanted the Weasleys to be happy and whole. I opted to have Percy lose an arm instead.
Now, we enter unknown territory!
Next update should be to 'The Case that Changed Everything,' tough response to that fic has been mild at best the last chapters so I don't know. It's almost complete, but in need to revision, which, in a plot-driven story like that is twice the work. I also started the next chapter of this story, and I'm still working in another multi-chaptered one, so I don't know.
It'll depend on your comments and reviews, on other Romione stories I might read (so write!) and my own inspiration, of course!