Disclaimers: I don't own anything that has to do with Harry Potter, except for some copies of the book, but those don't really count. I also don't own the song "Wherever You Will Go". None of this is mine. Comprenez-vous? So don't sue me.
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"Ha! Won again!" Harry grabbed a nearby Death Eater's wand and placed it over another wand to make the 'x' that won him his fourth consecutive tic-tac-toe game. Ron scowled, and suddenly brightened. "Hey, want to play chess?" He grinned broadly as he conjured a chess board and pieces. Harry laughed. "YOU just want to play a game that you can win."
Ron stuck his tongue out. "You're just jealous."
"You wish." Harry grinned, and tossed a knight at Ron's forehead. The Death Eaters would have rolled their eyes at such childish behaviour, if they could have moved. Since they couldn't, they merely lay there, staring off into space and wondering how these two, out of all possible pairs of wizards, could have taken out fifty-five Death Eaters. Lano, who was at the bottom of the pile, was suffering serious undermining of his self-confidence.
Out of the pile, Ron was suffering similar underminings, since he was the object of a barrage of flying chess pieces. When the two had both reduced their artilleries, they collapsed laughing.
Harry wiped tears of laughter from his eyes. "God, I missed you, Ron."
Ron grinned, and idly threw Harry's king at him. "Missed you too. But really, you took your time getting here! Getting slow in your old age?"
Harry snorted. "At least my hair isn't going gray." He pointed to a random spot on Ron's head.
"Gray? I'm going gray already?" Ron's hands flew to his hair. Harry roared with laughter and fell over. Ron glared.
Hermione paced around her office for the two-hundred-thousandth time that day. "Okay, so we have everyone! Right?"
Neville nodded, scared to do much else. Within ten minutes, the whole party of nearly sixty Aurors, plus Neville and Hermione, set off for the secret door in the alley.
Ron and Harry crouched in the dark, wands ready, waiting for the two remaining Death Eaters. Ron's ears perked up when he heard rustling in the alley, and the door swung open. He jumped up and Petrified the person who came in.
Hermione fell to the ground, her face a mask of surprise. Harry started laughing. "Good one, Ron!"
Ron kicked Harry's shins. "Shut up, I'm trying to remember the countercurse!"
Harry grinned. "Hermione could tell us, but she's Petrified, isn't she?" He snickered. Hermione found none of this amusing in the slightest. Ron walked in circles, muttering and trying to remember his counter-curses.
Harry watched in amusement as Ron accidentally gave Hermione a few nasty curses in the process of trying to un-Petrify her. Finally, an Auror stepped forward and cleaned Hermione up. Harry held a hand out to help Hermione stand. She took it, and hauled herself up. "What are you two doing?!" she exclaimed.
Ron feigned a pout. "Not even going to say you're glad to see me? I'm hurt."
Hermione rolled her eyes, and hugged him tightly. "Of course I'm glad to see you, you great stupid almost-ex-Auror!"
Harry snickered.
Ron gasped for air. "Hermione, you're great and all, but I need to breathe."
"Oh, sorry." Hermione didn't look very sorry at all. She let Ron go and turned on Harry, who shut up immediately. "I have fifty-four Aurors out there all waiting to rescue you! Why didn't you contact me the moment you had all the Death Eaters?!"
Harry glanced at Ron. "Well, we don't have all the Death Eaters, and if your Aurors keep standing out there, we're not going to get them at all."
Hermione furrowed her brow. "Explain."
"There are two that haven't arrived yet. We were waiting for them," Ron explained. "We've got fifty-five of 'em Petrified in there, though." He beamed with pride.
Hermione glared. "I'll bring this lot in to take your Death Eaters back to the Ministry. Apprehend the other two and call me the second you get them. Ron, you idiot, I missed you so much!" She flung her arms around him again. Ron hugged her back. "Missed you too, Herm, but can you get your Aurors out of the alley?"
Harry grinned as fifty-three Aurors made their way through the darkened inner hall, occasionally bumping into each other and cursing before finding the right room. He settled down into a corner with Ron, waiting for the two others.
They didn't have to wait long, but the two men put up a good fight. Ron had a chance to use some of the new curses he had accidentally discovered while trying to un-curse Hermione, and the result was two very cursed and irritated (and Petrified) Death Eaters.
An hour later, everything was complete according to Ministry procedures, and the Aurors headed back to the Ministry headquarters to fill out forms and deliver the remaining Death Eaters to temporary holding cells. Ron and Harry Apparated back to the apartment at nearly 11 PM.
Ron explored his room with a look of wonder on his face, as Harry watched from the door. The redhead grinned sheepishly. "It's just been so long since I've really seen this place.."
Harry smiled. "I know.. don't you ever disappear like that again, hear?"
Ron nodded. "I'll try." Harry leaned against the doorframe, hands in his pockets. "It was empty without you," he said quietly. "There was no point to anything. Everyone around me was telling me what a pity it was that an excellent Auror like you, in the prime of his life, should die on duty. I couldn't live with it." He looked at Ron, the pain of the last year visible in his eyes.
Ron hesitated only a moment before he walked over to Harry, and hugged him tightly. Harry held on to Ron like he would never let go, could never let go. They stayed like that for a few minutes, until Harry moved slightly. "I love you," he mumbled into Ron's shoulder. The redhead grinned broadly, and hugged Harry tighter. "I love you too."
In the next room, Hermione listened, smiling.
If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go
-"Wherever You Will Go", The Calling
The End
Epilogue
Harry opened his eyes sleepily. Red. "What the - " he mumbled, and sat up. Then he smiled and lay back down. Ron continued sleeping, unaware that his companion had ever moved. Harry watched Ron for a few minutes, before laughing softly. "My eyes and your hair.. they make Christmas colors."
Then he fell back asleep.
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Hope you're happy, Morgan. You've convinced me that they would make a cute couple.. but I still like D/H better. Nyahahaha. ^-^
10:45 PM, August 16, 2002