Runaway Fox

Chapter Twelve: Aishiteru

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  Sorry, but it's true.  And no, I am not J.K. Rowling. 

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            Harry and Charlie were on the airplane to San Francisco.  Charlie was nervous and kept asking questions about how everything worked.  "My dad would be really envious about me coming with you if he knew.  I think my mom and dad would have gladly come just to find Ron," said Charlie.  Harry was feeling a little guilty about not telling his parents-in-law about not saying where they were going.  Bill, Percy, Fred, George, Ginny, Sirius, Remus, and even baby Jessica came to see Harry and Charlie off.  Harry's nerves were starting to catch up with him, but he kept a calm facade.

            Harry wondered if it would be hard to find Hermione and Ron, or better yet Ron.  He also thought of the strange behavior that Hermione had before she had up and disappeared.  It had something to do with Ron.  He recalled how Percy described the way they were together.  It didn't surprise Harry at all.  To him, it sounded not only normal, but natural.  Harry thought back to Hogwarts and remembered what it was like to have Hermione and Ron fighting all the time.  It annoyed Harry, but he missed it when Ron was gone.  Ron was a part of who Harry was , but Harry never realized it until he was gone.  If Harry never met Ron, he would never be a part of a wonderful, loving an official member of the family.  Ron and Harry were brothers-in-law.  Harry wanted Ron to be his best man at his wedding, but George filled in instead.  Harry remembered seeing Hermione, Ginny's maid of honor, walk down the aisle with George, and how wrong it seemed to him.  No, if Hermione was going to walk down the aisle with anyone it had to be with Ron.  Harry remembered the first he thought they looked perfect together was when he saw them yell back and forth at each other after the Yule Ball when Hermione had gone to the ball with Viktor Krum.  Harry also thought of all the times Ron talked about Hermione and Viktor together.  At first, Ron sounded resentful, jealous and angry, but later he sounded wistful as if he accepted defeat.  Harry also noticed that Hermione gave Ron hopeful looks every once in a while whenever she said she had to go and do something with Viktor and how disappointed she looked when Ron would just let her go.  "She loves him," whispered Harry out loud.  Charlie was sitting next to him, watching the in flight movie with much amusement.  "What?" asked Charlie as he stripped off the headphones to listen to Harry.

            "I was just thinking of Hermione and Ron," said Harry.

            "I was sure you were.  Did Ron ever say how he felt about Hermione?" asked Charlie.

            "No, but I always thought that he didn't just think her as a friend," said Harry cautiously.

            "Did he tell you?" asked Harry in a surprised voice.

            "Didn't need to.  Found out during the family vacation to Egypt a couple years back.  Well, ten years old.  Wow.  Anyway, we were messing around, Bill and I, with him.  Playing and teasing.  We asked him if he had a girlfriend.  Said no, but when we caught him writing a note to Hermione, he seemed to be a little flustered about saying she was just a friend.  I also think Ron gave up with she went out with Viktor because he didn't think he was good enough for her," said Charlie.

            "Ron's always been insecure and unsure of himself.  He also had a slight inferiority complex," observed Harry.  "But with Hermione, he had no reason to be.  I mean look how much she covered for him.  And by what Percy said, he made her dreams come true for a little while by going out with her.  She loves him.  He loves her, but never he had enough.  I think she would have taken him anyway she could.  No matter who or what he was."

            "Ron's been blind, but Hermione lacked courage.  Both lacked courage.  I don't know how Ron feels about Hermione, but I know how she feels about him.  That's why I believed you when you said she took off for San Francisco," said Charlie.

            Harry did as much he could for Hermione after Ron left, but she kept saying she was fine, and Harry had many Quidditch games to play.  Somehow Harry realized that Ron was the glue that held their friendship together.

~*~

            Ron was more than happy to be back in San Francisco.  In a word, he felt reborn in the California sunshine.  His huge house in San Francisco stood on large property was his own slice of heaven.  Either office, in San Francisco and New York City, had spectacular views that showed his empire.  Basically, growing up poor strengthen his resolve to make something of himself.  All it cost him was his family, friends, and love.

            Ron couldn't believe that was happening to him.  The pain was something he had never imagined.  His hand clutched the spot where the bullet entered.  The night air chilled him even more so because his blood along with his consciousness was leaving him.  I'm going to die, he thought as he heard Marcus sobbing incoherently in the background.  Ron looked at Mari, but his eyes fell on her chest.  There was a hole there just about her left breast.  Her dark eyes were open, gazing at his.  There was nothing there but love.  No pain.  No fear of imminent death.  No bravado.  Just love.  All the love in the world was in front of him in her perfect, dark eyes.  Mari's hand reached out for Ron's, and he met hers.  He needed to hold her hand because fear was overtaking him.

            "This is all my fault," muttered Marcus.  "I'm sorry Mari!  I never meant to hurt you!  I never meant to hurt Mom!  I'm so sorry!  Ron...so sorry!" His voice trembled on the last part.  When Ron heard his name, he lift his head up and his eyes widened in fear and pain.  Marcus with his right hand trembling had his gun pressed against his forehead above his right ear.

            "NO!  MARCUS!  PLEASE DON'T DO IT!  I FORGIVE YOU  MARI FORGIVES YOU!  JUST GET US SOME HELP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!" screamed Ron helplessly.

            "It's over," said Marcus as he pulled the trigger.

            "Expelliarmus!" shouted Ron in a hoarse, futile voice the moment Marcus pulled the trigger, but it was too late.  Ron couldn't focus himself , and even if he had the strength it was too late.  Ron's vision blurred with tears as Marcus' body fell with a sickening thud on the ground.

            Ron felt Mari's hand holding his gently, but firmly.  He felt tears cascade down his cheeks as he desperately grabbed her hand.  There were tears in Mari's eyes which threatened to fall at any moment.

            "Ron," she gasped.

            "I'm with you, Mari.  Don't be scared.  I'm with you," whispered Ron.  It was getting difficult to breathe let alone talk.

            "I'm not afraid.  I'll be with my mother and brother soon," whispered Mari.  "And you're here with me now."  It sounded as if Mari knew that Ron was going to get out of this alive, but she was not.

            "Mari," whispered Ron as he watched her close her eyes.  She couldn't hold back her tears any longer as they flowed freely.  She opened her eyes again.  "I know that you love someone else.  Promise me that you'll love her always.  Promise me that you will love her as much as I love you," she whispered. 

            "I promise," whispered Ron.

            "For a moment.  Just for a moment.  Could you love me?" whispered Mari as she pressed her cold hand against his cheek. 

            "How couldn't I?  You taught me how.  I love you, Mari," whispered Ron.  She smiled to him, whispering a single word, "Aishiteru," and kissed him softly on the lips.  As the kiss ended, her last breath escaped.  Ron felt his tears come down his cheeks and his vision blurred again.

            It must have been about fifteen minutes before Simon arrived.  Ron had called him earlier to come and meet him after he was done talking with Marcus, but nothing could have repaired him for the scene that would greet him.  Simon parked his car.  The parking lot was located close to the water, near the shore, but it was nearly Christmas, so it was cold.  Simon called out, "Ron!  Marcus!"

            Ron heard his name, but he didn't have much strength left in him.  He could feel the life literally drain out of him.  At that moment, he had thoughts of his family, Harry, and Hermione.  Hermione.  He felt his heart struggle even more.  "OH MY GOD," gasped Simon as he ran for Ron.  He pulled him up into his arms.  "Mari.  Marcus," said Simon in a helpless, scared voice.

            "Sorry, Mari," whispered Ron as he closed his eyes.  "No!  Don't close your eyes, Ron!" shouted Simon in a panic.  He took out the handkerchief, that his mother made him carry all the time, he pressed it up to the wound in Ron's liver to slow down the blood flow.  "Stay awake, Ron.  Think of everyone else.  Just stay awake," he pleaded as he moved his other hand to check Mari's pulse, but he stumbled a bit and dropped in hand into the puddle of blood.  Now, Simon's hands were coated in Ron and Mari's blood.  He shook his head when he realized that Mari was dead.  He scrambled to get his cell phone.  He didn't want to call a wizards' doctor because this was a Muggle device inflicted wound.  "Hello...my name is Simon Scott.  I need some help.  Three of my friends have been shot.  Please...help me," he voice stammered.  The voice on the other line told him to stay calm as he told them where they were.  He waited, clutching both the phone and the wound on Ron for dear life.  "Ron...my friend's lost a lot of blood.  He's not  going to be awake much longer," whispered Simon as he kept his voice calm.  "Ron...please...don't die on me, man.  Come on.  Don't die on me.  You're a fighter.  Keep fighting man.  Don't die," he pleaded.  He didn't want to tell the operator that Ron may not live.

            Ron couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.  Simon's voice was fading away from him.  He no longer had any strength left in him.  He closed his eyes to the welcoming darkness.  And to death.

            Of course, Ron didn't die that night.  No, he was given a second chance at life and he took it.  After months of physical therapy and living at with the Scotts, because Mrs. Scott had insisted, Ron pulled himself up from the bottom, but he never really recovered from his loss.  He didn't lose his life, but Ron lost part of who he was.  Ron relived those memories all the time.  He tried keep them buried, but it was a losing battle.

~*~

            Hermione waited in the hotel lobby for Simon to show up.  He called during the morning telling her that the flight had arrived.  He also said that he would come and meet her.  The hotel staff had been very friendly to her because she had been staying in one of the most expensive rooms in the hotel.  Hermione saw Simon walk into the hotel and he was headed for the front desk, but she intercepted him.

            "Hi Simon.  It's good to see you," said Hermione with a slight smile.  "Thanks for bring me here."

            "It's nothing, Hermione.  How are you?" asked Simon.

            "I'm fine.  You?" asked Hermione nervously.  It was just pleasantries.  She really wanted to know how Ron was doing.

            "I'm fine.  Ron's okay, not great, but okay," answered Simon as if he had read her mind.  Hermione gave him a smile of relief. 

            "I supposed if he's okay...it's fine for now.  I'd like to see him soon, but I'll wait," said Hermione as she chewed her bottom lip slightly.

            "Would you like to meet my sisters and see my mom's ranch?" asked Simon.

            "Your mom has a ranch?" asked Hermione in a surprised voice.

            "Yep, it's up near Davis.  That's a Muggle university.  It's a bit of a drive from here though, so we'll just have to apparate there," said Simon.

            "Um...sure," said Hermione with a nod.  "I'd like to meet your family.  Your mother was really nice.  She's so much like Mrs. Weasley."

            "I thought so when I first met Ron's mom.  She's pretty cool.  And considering that she and Mr. Weasley raised Ron, along with six other children, she's a brave woman," said Simon with a grin.

            Hermione couldn't help herself but laugh.  Simon allowed her to go through the automatic doors first and they found a place to apparate unnoticed.

~*~

            Harry and Charlie were walking along Fisherman's Warf looking for the entrance to Whispering Footsteps Cove.  Charlie looked amazed at almost anything because he had heard a lot about Muggle things from his father, but he never really had a chance to see them in natural use.  Harry was also in tourist mode because it was his first visit to America.  However, they had to find the Wizards' enclave before they did anything else.  For one thing, Ginny had made reservations at a hotel there for Harry and Charlie.  They would have separate rooms next door to each other.  "Look at all the different cars, Harry," said Charlie. 

            Harry thought it was strange that one place could have so many cars, but he supposed that's how they did things in California.  The trick was finding the right slip in the docks to get to the cove.  Harry had a map, and Charlie pointed to where the boats were.  "I think it could be there.  What's the slip?"

            "It's over there."  Harry pointed towards the numbers that were further way from the shops and restaurants.

            They walked down the docks and found that there were several fishing boats and walked until they reached a slip that was marked reserved.  It was the right slip, so they stepped through it.  They found themselves in another set of docks.  It was a different place because the streets were now like the ones in Diagon Alley, cobble stone.  (AN: It's been forever since I've been in San Francisco.  Part of me wishes I had set this in Los Angeles.  I hope I'm right the cobble stone right.)  The shops were labeled.  One was a candy shop that proudly displayed Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Beans. Another one was a wand shop.  And there was a Quidditch supply shop that displayed seven different brooms in the window for each position on a Quidditch team.  There was a large sign that said, "Warp Speed Technologies Limited, tested in San Francisco."  Harry got Charlie's attention and they both smiled broadly.  "Looks like Ron's really made his mark.  I wonder why he uses a fox as his logo," mused Charlie out loud.

            "It looks good though.  His broomsticks really are the best," said Harry.  It was a busy place and pretty soon more people were collecting to look at the broomsticks on display.  "That's the new set of broomsticks by Warp Speed," said someone in a whisper of awe.

            "I hear that Warp Speed tested them inside that indoor Quidditch field they've got out near Napa.  It must be huge," marveled someone else.

            "The seeker's broomstick is the fastest one.  It travels at more than a 150 miles an hour like the old Firebolts, but it's got the ability to hit those bludgers.  The same way that Weasley hit those bludgers during Cup.  Remember that?  It was awesome," said a fan of Ron's.  It was true. During the game, the bludgers came straight at Ron because it was the Russian team's plan to knock him out, but he used the tail end of his broomstick to hit the bludgers back at them.  Unfortunately, the Russians did knock him off his broom, but he caught the Golden Snitch on the dive down and won the game.  Most people didn't know that the bludgers smashed his right scapula.  The Golden Snitch was in his left hand.

            "He's awesome.  All right," said Charlie out loud.  People turned around to look at him because of the English accent, but it was his red hair that made people stare even more at him.

            "Hey, he looks sorta like Ron Weasley," said someone.

            "I'm not Ron Weasley.  Um..." trailed off Charlie, not exactly wanting to say that he was Ron's older brother.  He and Harry agreed that to keep Ron in one place and sneak up on him, it was best to keep their arrival a secret.

            "Actually, we're tourists.  We're looking for the Whispering Footsteps Bed and Breakfast," said Harry.  Hoping that no one would know that he was Harry Potter.  He wore a baseball cap, and he was starting to wish that Charlie had done the same.

            "It's up the street over there," said someone.

            "Thank you," said Charlie and Harry as they quickly left the scene.  They breathed a sigh of relief as they got away.  It was a little hard to get past the inn staff because they knew who Harry was and the fact that Charlie's last name and hair color were identical to a world famous Quidditch player didn't help either.  Needless to say, they were more than happy to take naps to shake off the jet lag when they got to their rooms.

~*~

            Ron was at his office and he was calling Simon to see what the report was from the papers that he was looking through, but found that Simon wasn't answering.  Ron called his secretary, Carla, to take some dictation from him.

            Carla was a petite woman with blonde hair who was married to one of the engineers at the R and D labs.  She recently had to go away for maternity leave, but Ron was glad to have her back.  "Carla, do you know where Simon went?"

            "No, Mr. Weasley.  Mr. Scott said that he had some private business to take care of," said Carla.

            "Oh.  All right then.  Take this letter," said Ron with a sigh.  Carla listened carefully and took down the dictation from him, and then she read it back to him when she was done.  With some corrections, she was finished and left to go and type up the letter.  Ron looked out the window.  There was a reason why.  Most people had pictures of their families on their desks at Warp Speed in both offices, but not Ron.  His desk was organized and prestine.  No, he didn't take any pictures of his family with him when he left England, so he had no pictures of his family.  He didn't have any pictures of Hermione and Harry either.  Not that pictures of Harry would be that hard to find, but Ron wished that he had a picture of Hermione on his desk.  What would he tell people if he had a picture of her on his desk?  Would he tell them that she was one of his best friends?  Would he tell them that she was is girlfriend?  Or wife?  The last two sounded too painful to think about as he ran his hand against his abdomen again.  Of course, he didn't need a picture of her.  No, he always had a perfect picture of her in his mind. 

~*~

            Hermione and Simon apparated to a less populated area in Northern California.  There was woodland that surrounded a large fenced in a large corral with ten stables.  Hermione thought that it was something out of an American western.  Simon smiled, "Hi Mom."  Hermione looked to see Jordan Scott on horseback with jeans, a simple blouse, and a cowboy hat.

            "Hello Simon.  Hello Hermione.  It's good to see you again so soon.  Welcome to Scott Ranch," said Jordan with a smile.

            "Hello Mrs. Scott.  How are you?" asked Hermione politely.

            "I'm all right.  I always feel good after a morning ride.  How are you feeling?" asked Mrs. Scott.

            "I'm just getting over my jet lag and the time change," replied Hermione.  Mrs. Scott dismounted and walked with them, leading the horse along.

            "Well, it's good to have some company.  Simon's sisters are off at school, and you'd better get back to work, Simon, before Ron misses you," said Mrs. Scott.

            "Oh, that's right.  I have to go," said Simon, leaning forward he kissed his mother on her cheek.  "I'll see you both later.  Later Hermione."  He waved to them as he disapparated back to the office.

            "You have two daughters?" asked Hermione.

            "Yes, there's Jennifer and Rebecca.  Jackie's on her final year at Ellsinore.  She's studying to be a vet, and it doesn't take as long as the regular, Muggle schools to be a doctor of sorts.  She's specializing in the care of magical creatures.  And Becky's my baby, she's studying at the Los Angeles School of Magic.  She's only sixteen.  I hoping that she gets into Ellsinore, too," said Mrs. Scott proudly.

            "Magical creatures?  You mean like dragons, unicorns, and such?" asked Hermione interestly.

            "Yes, she loves dragons.  Although, I personally don't have any real idea why.  I guess it's the element of danger.  Or maybe fire," said Mrs. Scott with a laugh.

            "Actually, Ron's brother, Charlie, works with dragons in Romania," said Hermione.

            "Really?  Ron's never mentioned it.  Then again, Ron doesn't really talk about his family, but I do know that he misses them," said Mrs. Scott.

            "I never realized that he didn't talk about his family.  What about Harry or me?" asked Hermione.

            "No, he and Simon sort of kept it quiet that Ron knew Harry Potter, and he didn't really talk about you.  I'm sorry, but Ron has a tendency to keep things private, but it's really to protect himself," said Mrs. Scott.

            "I guess he rebuilt a life of his own here, so I don't think I should have..." trailed off Hermione.

            "Doubt is also a roadblock to happiness," said Mrs. Scott knowingly.

            Hermione smiled at Mrs. Scott for a moment.  "I don't think my son would have invited you to California, if he didn't think anything would happen.  If you're not ready to trust yourself or Ron yet, then trust me and my son," she continued as her hand gently squeezed her shoulder. 

            Hermione placed her hopes and trust to Mrs. Scott at that moment.  As she looked at the horses running around the corral.

AN:  I thought it was time to put the really serious memory in there and to bring Harry and Charlie to California.  Harry's part will start to grow at this point.  I've already got ideas of where to go and how to end the story, but that won't be for a while.  Ron's full of surprises and has many hidden talents.  Not to mention, burning the letter about his N.E.W.T.s without reading the note first, but that's later.  By the way, for those of you who don't understand Japanese "Aishiteru" means "I love you," specifically the "I love you" between two lovers.  There are different ways to say "I love you."  ^_^  As for the rest of you, thanks for the reviews.  ^_~