~*Chapter Three*~ - Reunion
Ron sat in his chair, half shocked, half surprised, and all overjoyed. After all this time of him and Hermione worrying, Harry had been right here then entire time! Before his mind could even register what he was doing, Ron had jumped up and yanked his beloved friend into a tight, unceremonious hug, fighting valiantly to hold back his tears.
"DO you have ANY idea how worried we've been!?" Ron cried, still latched on for dear life. "Not answering my letters in God knows how long, then you vanish and I find out about if from that damned Rita Skeeter in the Daily Prophet-" Ron abruptly let go of Harry's shoulders and began to pace back and forth, flailing his arms in fury. "AND THEN I find out that you've been here at my house ALL along and I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD?!" He was on the verge of ranting by now; still waving his arms about madly. "I thought you were never to be-"
Ron's tirade was cut tragically short by two strong hands as they grasped his shoulders, spun him around, and stopped. He found himself looking into Harry's eyes, which were filled with mirth. Then without a word, he pulled Ron into an embrace and gently pressed his lips against his, his green eyes closing softly. It promptly brought silence to the room, and astonishment to Ron's blue eyes. He just couldn't seem to grasp the fact that Harry Potter, the one he had loved for so long, was the one who was kissing him. But suddenly, it all came together as Harry pulled away from the kiss, regarding the lingering look of surprise on Ron's features with contentment.
"Oh wow," Ron said, blushing furiously. "I told you, didn't I?" He had completely forgotten that the dog had really been Harry, and that he had told him EVERYTHING. He suddenly had cheeks that matched his vibrant red hair, but kept grinning nevertheless. "And here I thought you were dead…"
Harry paused, looking thoughtful. "Well, I almost was dead, I thought I might not make it through the woods to your house. I was running."
"Running from what?" Ron asked, offering Harry a seat. Harry took it and sighed, seemingly debating his words. "C'mon, Harry; who am I going to tell?"
Harry looked up from his seat and considered Ron's expression. It was sincere, not conniving in the least, so putting his full trust in his friend; he took a breath and spoke.
"Where to begin…it's been so long since this all began…" Harry paused, recollecting his thoughts. "About two years ago, Sirius sent me a letter, but this was no ordinary letter. He had been watching Voldemort's followers closely ever since we finally had destroyed the Dark Lord once and for all, and what the letter said worried me. He said that the Death Eaters, the most devout in Voldemort's disciples, had come up again under a new leader, it seemed. A new, extremely powerful leader. He wanted vengeance for the death of his Master…"
"Vengeance? On who?"
"Us, Ron. You, Hermione, and myself. How many times have we foiled Voldemort's plans of rejoining the living to start a new reign of terror; how many times have the Death Eaters tried and almost succeeded in bringing him from his death, and failed because of us? Then we caused his death and brought people out of the terror they had been living in since his second rising? So when I found out that they were coming for me, I stopped responding to letters for fear of them being trailed back to you or Hermione, and concentrated on learning how to become an unregistered Animangus at Sirius' suggestion. This was two years ago; and when the Death Eaters finally came upon my doorstep, my things were already sent through owl post to Sirius to be sent to you as soon as I instructed him to, and I fled, knowing that I could not combat their extreme numbers by sheer force. So I ran from my home as an inconspicuous dog; no one suspected a thing when I passed the countryside. It took me several weeks to get here from home; but I knew that you were the only person I could come to. Hermione's a Hogwarts teacher; her home would be traced far too easily. They won't be able to trace me as well if I were to come here; and since all of my belongings were addressed to you, the Death Eaters would not know. And now, here I am, and you know what has happened. Although," Harry said, standing and stepped up towards the box, "There was one thing you forgot to remove from the box that held my robes and wand." He reached in and pulled out a long, silvery cloak, a cloak that both Ron and Hermione knew well. "My Invisibility Cloak. Keep this handy, we might need it soon."
After Harry had finished his story, Ron sat in thought for a long moment. Death Eaters? Back?
Not if he could help it.
"Harry," he said, standing and making his over to his beloved friend, "I don't care if Voldemort himself comes knocking on my door, I'm going to make sure that those damned Death Eaters don't touch you." He smiled with care, and Harry returned the gesture, laying a hand upon Ron's shoulder. But Ron had another question as he picked up a few of the letters and looked at them with awe. "You saved my letters, Harry? But, why?"
Harry spoke not a word; he merely sat the silvery cloak upon the chair and pulled Ron back into his warm embrace. His vivid green eyes caught Ron's clear blue eyes for a second, but Ron beat him to the next move as he pressed a tender and loving kiss upon Harry's waiting lips.
~*Chapter Four Coming Soon!*~
