I do not really feel like writing a disclaimer it's ridiculous. Every one
of you knows that I don't own the characters in this story I only own the
plot. Eh, that's your disclaimer-if you will. Anyway, without further ado-
the continuation of my story.
"But Ron- how can we tell him?! If he isn't upset enough now that would just do him in, I can't do it to him. And I won't! It's dangerous to tell him." Hermione spoke the final sentence in a whisper.
"Hermione! How can we NOT tell him? He deserves to know more than anything, he will be able to deal with it." Ron argued back.
"He can't handle it now."
"Yes he can. He'll be completely pissed off if we tell him later."
"Do we even have to tell him at all?" Hermione pleaded.
Ron just cocked his eyebrow and gave her a look that said; 'You should know the answer to that already.' Hermione sighed, accepting her defeat. She was far too tired to argue this any further with him.
"Alright, I give up. But I'll tell you one thing Ronald Weasley; I am most definitely not going to be the person to break it to him. It has to come from you, you're his best friend. And....and we'll both have to be there to pick up the pieces. When are you going to tell him?" Hermione asked him.
"After the wake. He has enough on his plate already right now, I don't need to add to it. He's so stressed with that damn song. I'll tell him when we come back here....Merlin Hermione. How....how do I tell him?" Ron sighed.
"I don't know Ron. Do you....have it?" she asked.
"Of course. I should give it to him, shouldn't I? Dammit, why does this have to be so hard?" Ron spoke.
"Can you handle this Ron?" she asked, concerned.
"I have no choice." He replied.
"Herm, I'm going to go check on him. I'll catch up with you later." Ron pecked her on the cheek and left the room. He walked slowly down the hall and stopped outside the room Harry was staying in. He knocked gently on the door, waiting for a response from the other side of the door.
"Come in." cracked Harry's voice.
Ron readied himself for any and every condition his friend could possible be in and opened the door. He glanced around the room and stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind himself. The room was an absolute mess. Papers were in every possible crevice, the product of Harry's late night inspiration. Harry's body looked as though he had a pleasant slumber, but his eyes told a different story.
"You didn't sleep at all, did you?" Ron questioned gently.
A sigh was the only response that he got. Ron shifted uncomfortably on his feet, clearly uncertain of what to say.
"I wrote it." Harry whispered.
"The song for the wake?" Ron asked.
Harry nodded. "It took me all night, but I did it. I'm actually...happy with it." Harry said whilst pulling on a shirt.
"Well, I'm glad you're happy with it. Hey Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry."
"I know."
Ron walked over to Harry and awkwardly wrapped his arms the other man's waist. Harry rested his hands lightly on Ron's hips.
"Thank you for being here with me Ron. You guys are the reason why I'm here today, why I didn't...." Harry left the remainder of his thought unspoken. He didn't feel the need to finish it, Ron already knew. Harry rested his head on Ron's shoulder and closed his eyes. They stayed like this for a long time, friend and friend. At some point Ron pulled Harry closer to him, placed his head on top of Harry's and tightened his grasp on him. At the same time, the two broke the embrace. It was clear that they had shared a moment, a moment neither of them was likely to ever forget.
Harry finished getting dressed and put on his shoes. Ron decided to sit on the bed and stay with Harry while he got ready.
"Alright, let's go round everyone up and get them into the den." Ron spoke.
Harry went first to Sirius' door, and knocked.
"Siri, you guys ready in there? It's time to go." Harry said simply.
"Yeah, we'll be out in a moment-we'll meet you in the den Har." Sirius' voice rang out.
Next would be to go to Crabbe and Goyle's room. Hopefully they would be up and ready at this time. Harry walked down the hall to their door and knocked.
"Hey, it's time to leave. Are you guys ready?" he asked.
"Yeah," Crabbe responded as he opened the door, "We're ready. It's in the den, right?" he asked. Harry just nodded. The 3 men walked into the den and awaited the others in the house to join them. Pansy came out moments later, thankfully in a better state than last night. Ron was currently in Hermione and Ginny's room.
"Hey Ron," Hermione started as she put her earrings on, "Why the hell was Pansy drunk last night? I mean seriously, of all nights to be drunk, she chooses this one."
Ron sighed. "When she gets depressed-she drinks. It's a horrible habit, and she was horrified when I told her about last night. She can't help it, really. When her father died, her mother drank alcohol as if it were water. And the alcohol made her mother happy, so that's the idea she has in her head. Drinking equals happiness. Dreadful, isn't it?" he said, sadly.
"Quite dreadful. You should try to break her of that habit, Ron. If anyone could it would definitely be you." Hermione said. "Alright, I'm ready now. Gin, come on love. It's time to floo."
"Okay, let me just get my shoes on and I'll be ready." Ginny said quietly. She put on her heals that made her almost taller than Hermione, but not quite. She grabbed Hermione's hand, and the two of them walked out together-Ron trailing behind them. By the time they reached the den, everyone was gathered there. One by one they all flooed to the funeral home. It was decided that they were going to rent a room in the funeral home for the wake, as Harry was not comfortable with being in a church. The room already had the casket in it. The casket was black with a silver snake on it and wasn't opened yet. Harry had asked that it not be opened until after people spoke.
The lot of them sat down in the front row. The first person to speak was Hermione.
"But Ron- how can we tell him?! If he isn't upset enough now that would just do him in, I can't do it to him. And I won't! It's dangerous to tell him." Hermione spoke the final sentence in a whisper.
"Hermione! How can we NOT tell him? He deserves to know more than anything, he will be able to deal with it." Ron argued back.
"He can't handle it now."
"Yes he can. He'll be completely pissed off if we tell him later."
"Do we even have to tell him at all?" Hermione pleaded.
Ron just cocked his eyebrow and gave her a look that said; 'You should know the answer to that already.' Hermione sighed, accepting her defeat. She was far too tired to argue this any further with him.
"Alright, I give up. But I'll tell you one thing Ronald Weasley; I am most definitely not going to be the person to break it to him. It has to come from you, you're his best friend. And....and we'll both have to be there to pick up the pieces. When are you going to tell him?" Hermione asked him.
"After the wake. He has enough on his plate already right now, I don't need to add to it. He's so stressed with that damn song. I'll tell him when we come back here....Merlin Hermione. How....how do I tell him?" Ron sighed.
"I don't know Ron. Do you....have it?" she asked.
"Of course. I should give it to him, shouldn't I? Dammit, why does this have to be so hard?" Ron spoke.
"Can you handle this Ron?" she asked, concerned.
"I have no choice." He replied.
"Herm, I'm going to go check on him. I'll catch up with you later." Ron pecked her on the cheek and left the room. He walked slowly down the hall and stopped outside the room Harry was staying in. He knocked gently on the door, waiting for a response from the other side of the door.
"Come in." cracked Harry's voice.
Ron readied himself for any and every condition his friend could possible be in and opened the door. He glanced around the room and stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind himself. The room was an absolute mess. Papers were in every possible crevice, the product of Harry's late night inspiration. Harry's body looked as though he had a pleasant slumber, but his eyes told a different story.
"You didn't sleep at all, did you?" Ron questioned gently.
A sigh was the only response that he got. Ron shifted uncomfortably on his feet, clearly uncertain of what to say.
"I wrote it." Harry whispered.
"The song for the wake?" Ron asked.
Harry nodded. "It took me all night, but I did it. I'm actually...happy with it." Harry said whilst pulling on a shirt.
"Well, I'm glad you're happy with it. Hey Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry."
"I know."
Ron walked over to Harry and awkwardly wrapped his arms the other man's waist. Harry rested his hands lightly on Ron's hips.
"Thank you for being here with me Ron. You guys are the reason why I'm here today, why I didn't...." Harry left the remainder of his thought unspoken. He didn't feel the need to finish it, Ron already knew. Harry rested his head on Ron's shoulder and closed his eyes. They stayed like this for a long time, friend and friend. At some point Ron pulled Harry closer to him, placed his head on top of Harry's and tightened his grasp on him. At the same time, the two broke the embrace. It was clear that they had shared a moment, a moment neither of them was likely to ever forget.
Harry finished getting dressed and put on his shoes. Ron decided to sit on the bed and stay with Harry while he got ready.
"Alright, let's go round everyone up and get them into the den." Ron spoke.
Harry went first to Sirius' door, and knocked.
"Siri, you guys ready in there? It's time to go." Harry said simply.
"Yeah, we'll be out in a moment-we'll meet you in the den Har." Sirius' voice rang out.
Next would be to go to Crabbe and Goyle's room. Hopefully they would be up and ready at this time. Harry walked down the hall to their door and knocked.
"Hey, it's time to leave. Are you guys ready?" he asked.
"Yeah," Crabbe responded as he opened the door, "We're ready. It's in the den, right?" he asked. Harry just nodded. The 3 men walked into the den and awaited the others in the house to join them. Pansy came out moments later, thankfully in a better state than last night. Ron was currently in Hermione and Ginny's room.
"Hey Ron," Hermione started as she put her earrings on, "Why the hell was Pansy drunk last night? I mean seriously, of all nights to be drunk, she chooses this one."
Ron sighed. "When she gets depressed-she drinks. It's a horrible habit, and she was horrified when I told her about last night. She can't help it, really. When her father died, her mother drank alcohol as if it were water. And the alcohol made her mother happy, so that's the idea she has in her head. Drinking equals happiness. Dreadful, isn't it?" he said, sadly.
"Quite dreadful. You should try to break her of that habit, Ron. If anyone could it would definitely be you." Hermione said. "Alright, I'm ready now. Gin, come on love. It's time to floo."
"Okay, let me just get my shoes on and I'll be ready." Ginny said quietly. She put on her heals that made her almost taller than Hermione, but not quite. She grabbed Hermione's hand, and the two of them walked out together-Ron trailing behind them. By the time they reached the den, everyone was gathered there. One by one they all flooed to the funeral home. It was decided that they were going to rent a room in the funeral home for the wake, as Harry was not comfortable with being in a church. The room already had the casket in it. The casket was black with a silver snake on it and wasn't opened yet. Harry had asked that it not be opened until after people spoke.
The lot of them sat down in the front row. The first person to speak was Hermione.