Chapter 8

Minutes turned to hours, hours turned to days, and days to weeks as time passed. There was a quiet abnormality to the Burrow these days, but it wasn't a bad thing. People were healing and learning to live again.

Molly and Arthur had been spending the days together reminiscing about their lives, their sons and daughter, and mostly talking about Fred. Some days were rough, others were bearable, but they were managing to heal one breath at a time.

Percy Weasley had jumped back into work as had Charlie, while Bill and Fleur spent time together. Time they hadn't had after their wedding and last heard they were traveling somewhere in Australia taking a much needed break from the wizarding world.

George was constantly in his room concocting up new inventions, toys and all sorts of things for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes would soon be up and thriving again. It was also where he felt closest to his late brother and sometimes he could even be heard murmuring to Fred.

Ginny spent most of her time with Ron and Hermione, but had recently been reconnecting with some of her friends from Hogwarts and Luna and Neville had popped up at the burrow on more than one occasion.

Ron had obviously been spending a great deal of time with Hermione and he was enjoying his girlfriend and family. For the first time in a long time things seemed normal, but a void was still present from not only the loss of his brother, but the disappearance of his best friend.

Hermione was a little bit different. She couldn't seem to shake worry from her mind and was constantly looking over her shoulder hoping to see Harry Potter come around the corner. She spent her nights with Ron and was happy for his boyish distractions. From his rants about quidditch to hers about spell books the two had come together and found a happy medium with each other. She was up every morning for the sunrise and outdoors every night at sunset sitting on the rock wall that Harry had grown so accustomed to. Hermione thought maybe if she sat there long enough he would come swooping down on Buckbeak and all would be right in the world. It was a childish desire, but understandable all the same.

The Forest of Dean was quiet as dusk crept over the corners of the parting day. The golden rays of sun fell through the branches softly framing the river where Harry Potter sat, his bare feet dangling in the soft flow of water. It was absolutely beautiful, the sun, the leaves, the trees and the last time Harry had been here was in the dead of winter during a dark time.

Harry yawned silently and scratched at his chin which was now thick with scruff from the passing weeks. He splashed some water on his face the cold bite just enough to wake him up and he headed back to his campsite. He wiped the remains of the water on his black t-shirt and plopped down beneath a tree rolling his jeans down to his ankles. He sighed as he looked up remembering the last time he had been here with Hermione.

"Maybe we should just stay here Harry… grow old."

The words cut at him hard and he rubbed his temples in protest. Why hadn't he just said yes? Yes Hermione, let's stay here and grow old. Sometimes he wished he was selfish enough to take what he wanted, but shuddered as Ron's smiling face popped into his head.

He hadn't intended on staying here as long as he had. When he apparated out of Ron's room the only thing he was thinking of was a few peaceful moments away from the world. He didn't actually realize he would like it so much, let alone stay a month. But he did like it, it was tranquil and his mind was at ease here. The only downside was that this place screamed Hermione and he didn't know how much more of it his heart could take. Every which way he turned he saw her. He saw her sitting beneath the oak tree reading, gathering water from the stream, hunched over the table in the tent researching away into the wee hours of the morning. She was inescapable.

The sound of a hoot drew him out of his thoughts and he hopped up as a grey owl soared down from a nearby branch a parchment attached to his talon. Harry held out his arm and the owl perched happily and nuzzled his cheek.

"What're you doing here?" Harry mumbled as he unclasped the letter from his claw and shoved it in his back pocket while he rummaged around for some spare food. He unrolled the paper and perched back under his tree, the words readable by the light of the setting sun.

To Mr. Harry James Potter,

You are cordially invited to the Rebirth of the Phoenix masquerade ball on Saturday, June 18th beginning sharply at 8pm at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in celebration of those lives lost. Dress code is formal wear and if you do attend we ask that you please wear a disguise as this is a masquerade ball. Please RSVP immediately. We look forward to seeing you on the 18th of June.

Most fondly yours,

Headmaster Minerva McGonagall

Harry inwardly cringed. June 18th was the death date of his beloved godfather Sirius Black. He couldn't imagine a worse way to spend it. He was about to toss the parchment into the fire pit and send the owl on her way, but he stopped at the last minute reading the letter once again. A masquerade ball… if anything he would be able to see Hermione and nobody would technically know he was there. With the way he had been acting he wouldn't be expected to go. He would be fine as long as he could see her for a few minutes. He had been craving it for days and was surprised he hadn't apparated back to the burrow for a late night visit.

He scratched at the nape of his neck uncertainly and grabbed a piece of coal off the ground.

Yes.

He folded the parchment quickly and summoned the owl down from the perch she had settled on. "You know where to go," Harry told her gently and patted her head. With a quick nip at his finger the owl was off flying higher and higher off into sky as Harry watched from below.

"A ball…" Ron mumbled sullenly as he sat at the breakfast table on Sunday morning holding the invitation morbidly as if it were to bite him. His memories from the last ball weren't exactly fond. He watched Hermione dance away into the night with Viktor Krum and had to wear the most repugnant dress robes he had ever seen.

"Ronald Weasley," Molly scolded grabbing the letter out of his hand and reading it over, "I think it's a wonderful idea. It says here the whole family is invited. I bet you half of the wizard world will be there!"

Hermione started to giggle as she held a hand over her mouth trying not to spit water across the table.

"What's so funny then?" Ron huffed out crossing his arms over his chest.

"I was just wondering…" she continued to laugh close to hysterics, "If I should match my dress to your dress robes from fourth year."

The table erupted with laughter and even Ron started to chuckle as he put his head onto the table. Ginny couldn't stand as she hunched over the counter shaking she was laughing so hard. It was the moments like these that kept them all going and even Mrs. Weasley was chuckling as she poured herself a cup of tea.

"Come on then." Hermione excused herself motioning for Ron to follow her. "I have something to show you."

They climbed the stairs toward Ginny's room and Hermione spun around playfully at the last minute with her back to the door. "Now," she smiled cheekily, "before you even enter you might want to thank me."

"Oh is that right," Ron grinned like a schoolboy and reached for the door as Hermione stepped aside. He stopped abruptly when he saw what lay on Hermione's bed. It was a brand new hansom pair of navy dress robes. They were simple, but elegant with a matching vest and tie over a crisp white tuxedo shirt and a new pair of brown shoes lay at the foot of the bed. "Hermione…" Ron started at a loss for words.

"Now I know you have other ones…" Hermione responded nervously, but Ron cut her off.

"Nobody's ever done anything like this for me…" Ron grinned incredulously.

"So you like them?" she smiled uneasily.

"I love them." Ron smiled down at her as he brushed a strand of hair gently from her face. "I only have one question…"

"What's that?"

He smiled a devilish boyish smile, "When do I get to see what you're wearing?"

She playfully slapped at his chest and he grabbed her around the waist spinning her around happily. "So when is this silly ball," Hermione asked between laughs.

Ron shrugged setting her down. "I think it said June 18th."

Hermione's face changed, her smile disappearing instantaneously.

"What's wrong?" Ron wrapped his arm around her shoulders looking down into her eyes.

"That's Sirius's two year anniversary," she whispered sadly, "you don't think Harry will go do you?"

Ron's face fell and he stepped backwards onto Hermione's bed sighing deeply, "I hope so. What a better way to spend the day than with friends and family?"

"Yah, but Harry doesn't look at it that way." Hermione fell next to him resting her head on his shoulder.

Ron was at a loss for words as he stared at the ceiling. He wished that Harry would just come home and open up to the love that awaited him. There would be no judgment or scolding. He had a mother in Molly, a father in Arthur, a brother in Ron, a sister in Hermione and a girlfriend in Ginny. What more could he want?

Hermione breathed against Ron's sweater and turned her head to the right staring at the picture of her, Ron and Harry on her nightstand. They were eleven in their first year at Hogwarts. Ron had his arm around her shoulder smiling madly at the camera a bit of dirt on his nose as it always seemed to be that year. Hermione, in the middle, turned her head left and right smiling back and forth at the two boys and at one point reached up to wipe the smudge off Ron's nose and he glared at her out of the corner of his eye. And then there was Harry. He seemed to be laughing, his boyish face round and untouched. He had one dimple on his right cheek and Hermione couldn't remember the last time she saw it. His emerald eyes were shining brightly through his glasses which were crooked on his nose, but to Hermione he looked perfect. He was young, bright, and untouched just an eleven year old boy who found out he was a wizard only some months prior. He had never asked for any of the responsibilities and duties that were put on his shoulders, but he had never complained either and that was the kind of courage that blew Hermione away on a daily basis.

"I miss him Ron." Hermione sighed into Ron's chest her voice cracking faintly.

"I know," Ron murmured out in response, "I miss him too."