A/N Thanks to all those who reviewed. Harry's death was not a stunt to get attention. It really happened.
Dementorchic- Thank you for the praise. Don't let his death keep you from reading. Much is yet to come.
Jenni- Thanks for reading. It's not over yet. Don't cry.
Ginny530 - I came back and here is more. Thanks for the lovely things you said. I promise it's not over. More is to come. Keep reading.
Thanks to everyone else who read. You are great. As for this chapter, I can tell you little. Just read.
(Draco)
I don't know how far I had carried Ron Weasley before my legs gave out underneath me and I fell to the ground panting. I lay there, staring up into the tree branches, trying to remember the events leading me here. Shady images of lifting my companion onto my shoulders came to me, I had seen Potter's body nearby, but did not stop to check him. There was blood, so much blood that he could not have lived. Ron, however, was breathing and moaned sometimes as I carried him. He made a sound from where I had dropped I left him fall and I glanced over.
"Harry…" He mumbled and opened his eyes.
I got to my knees and crawled to him, gently rolling him onto his back.
"Wake up." I said and sat heavily back on my haunches.
He looked at me dazedly until his vision focused.
"Draco! Where's Harry?" He cried hoarsely and tried to get up.
"He's dead."
The other mans breathing quickened and I thought he might have gone into shock.
"He can't be…where were you?" He gasped reaching in the direction of his head.
I pointed to the large sore area alongside my face and over my eye, "Got hit before you did, blacked out for a moment, when I got up it was over."
He frowned and closed his eyes. I was glad he had not seen through my story, my memory did not go back as far as receiving the injury and I did not want to explain.
"Harry."
"Is dead." I repeated.
"How?" He asked opening his bleary eyes again.
"Stabbed."
A sob escaped him, but somehow he held the rest back, pulling strength from hidden places within him.
"How did we get here?" His eyes searched the area above him.
"I carried you, found the path out of luck just as dawn was breaking. We're nearly out of the forest." I explained.
"My head…"
"You have a concussion, I think. There was a lot of blood, but it's stopped now. We need to keep going."
"Harry…he can't be…"
"He is. We have to keep moving."
"We need to go back and get his body, my sister…she'll want…" He pleaded suddenly grabbing my hand.
"We can't, we don't even know if you can walk. Besides whatever attacked us could be following and I want out of this place." I was becoming impatient.
I could see the tears just waiting to fall and wished I could understand. Sighing I stood up and paced to keep my muscles from cramping. Something fell from my belt and landed in the underbrush at my feet. I bent down, my wand. Retrieving it I found it to be slightly damp with what appeared to be blood. Potter's face loomed before me, mouth open in surprise and agony as I twisted the wand up under his ribs. I shook myself violently and turned to face Ron.
"I'm ready." He said simply and reached a hand up for help.
I shoved my wand back into my belt and hefted him up. With a bit of time we found a steady position and I led him slowly from the forest. My mind stayed on the vision I had seen. When we returned and I delivered him safely to his family I would pay a visit to my mother. I knew, somehow, that she was expecting me.
(Hermione)
The pounding on the door was insistent and I hurried to answer it. As I passed the stairs I saw Ginny standing near the top, her hands were clasped in front of her and a fearful look in her eyes. The hammering continued. As a precaution I drew my wand and held it at ready, tugging the door open. A sharp cry escaped me when Draco hauled my husband inside.
They both stumbled and Ron fell unceremoniously to the floor, his head dropping to the front revealing a large bloody gash.
"Ron." I gasped and dropped down beside him.
He lifted his head a little and peered at me hazily.
"Mione." He managed.
"Ginny!" I shouted and turned his head to look at the cut.
"Oh my God." She cried and hurried to my side.
I moved back and let her get a better view. Instead, I turned my attention to the blonde man beside me.
"What happened?" I asked leaning over to look at his bruised face.
"Attack." He muttered and pushed me away.
"You need attention too."
"No."
Footsteps hurried towards us. Fred, George and Arthur had arrived to investigate my long absence. A sharp tapping sound said that Tonks wasn't far behind.
"What the Hell? Ron?" Fred exclaimed.
"Came out of the dark. Didn't see it." Ron mumbled as Ginny prodded his wound.
"Did you see?" I asked Draco.
He shook his head and looked sadly at Ron.
"The bleeding has stopped. He just needs rest." Ginny said and wiped her hands on her pants.
Suddenly I realized something, "Where is Harry?"
A sob from my husband answered the question.
"He…he fell." Ron stammered.
A moment passed in silence before Ginny whispered, "What do you mean?"
"He's dead." Draco answered flatly.
At that Ron seemed to break, his body convulsed as he wept. The others seemed frozen to the spot. The twins simply stared at their brother in disbelief while Arthur wrapped an arm about Tonks. I saw Neville in the back, his mouth open, barely breathing. Ginny panted a moment before shoving through the others and up the stairs.
"Fred. George. Take Ron up to our room and put him to bed. Arthur get bandages and whatever else I'll need from Ginny. Neville find Ginny and … stay with her. Draco…"
He didn't appear to be listening to my instructions.
"Draco?"
"I've got to go." And before I could stop him he has stood and disapparated.
The others were following my orders silently, and I followed the twins, who supported Ron between them, up to my room.
I wrapped his wound myself and pulled off his bloody clothing, carefully readying him for bed, though I knew neither of us would sleep. It seemed his heaving sobs would never end, and there was nothing I could say. Harry had been my friend as well, but Ron didn't need me to breakdown as well, he needed me to be strong. So I lay next to him and pulled him against me. His arms wrapped tightly about me, clinging as though I were his only lifeline. After a while I to wept, quietly, against Ron's thick red hair, feeling as though my heart were breaking.
(Neville)
"Ginny?" I called and pushed her door open.
She seemed so small, curled again the headboard in a fetal position, as if the world would simply swallow her up if she let it. I wanted to cuddle her like a child, protect her from all the bad things in the world. Instead I sat down next to her, tentatively touching her shoulder.
"Go away."
"Hermione told me to find you." I explained resisting the urge to run my fingers through her hair.
"You found me. Go away."
My throat constricted and I stood to do as she asked. Grief was something I understood, sometimes it was best to be alone.
"Don't go."
I turned to look back at her tear stained face.
"Which is it? Stay or go?"
"Stay." She whispered and I sat back down beside her.
"I know it's hard."
"He can't be dead." Her voice was thin and high.
"You know I'll take care of you, right? You and Lily."
"I knew you would say that. How can you be so noble? How do you always manage to be so honest? So sincere?"
"I'm not being noble. I just don't know how to make this better, when I've already messed it up so badly." I explained taking her hand in my own.
"We both messed up. This is both of us. Not just you." She said looking down at our clasped hands.
"What do you want me to do?" I asked.
"I don't know." She swallowed hard.
"It's alright to cry." I remembered when someone else had told me those words.
"I killed him. I think I killed him." She whimpered and buried her face against her knees again.
I ran my thumb over the palm of her hand and wished I could grieve for her, but there are some things you can't share.
"How did you kill him?" I murmured.
"I told him…I told him that I wanted the forest to eat him alive. I told him not to come back and he didn't."
"You were angry."
"I said it though, he died thinking I didn't want him to come back."
"He knew. He had to know."
"And then you and I." She stopped and looked up at me.
"I know."
"Do you regret it? What we did?"
I bit my lip and touched her wet cheeks with my free hand, "Not a single moment."
"I think…I think I may. I think I regret something."
Strangely, her words didn't hurt me. The loss of my friend and brother may have been clouding my thoughts, but I knew that I would never want her like that again. The dreams and fantasies were gone for good.
"That's okay." I told her and kissed her cheek, tasting tears.
"I can't believe he's gone."
"Me neither. I keep expecting him to brush past me in the hall and inquire about the girls. You know, he never stopped worrying over me. Not ever. Always made time to check on me, always called me brother. Aside from Luna, he was the best friend I ever had." My voice caught a bit, but I held on to my serenity.
Suddenly Ginny sat up straight.
"What?" I asked.
"We're going to find him."
"What?" I repeated.
"We're going to find him."
"He's gone, Ginny."
"I know, but we owe it to him to find his … his… body." She stammered over the last.
I watched her stand and pull her shoes on. Then stood myself.
"I'll go with you, but we don't know where he is."
"Hermione will know a locating spell, I'm sure of it, we'll just follow it to him."
"I don't think it's going to be that easy."
"We have to try."
I agreed, "Let me check on Ron first."
Hermione answered the door when I knocked, her eyes were red with crying but she managed a weak smile for me.
"I came to check on him." I whispered.
She nodded and moved so I could come in.
"I'll be back in a minute." She promised and shut the door behind her.
Ron lay propped against the headboard, long legs stretched out in front of him, hands clutching the fabric of his trousers at the knees. His eyes looked at me, but didn't seem to register. I hovered near the doorway, fearful of entering and disturbing whatever peace he may have found.
"I wish Harry had gone on to play quidditch professionally. He'd have done well. Always was good at catching the snitch and all that. We used to talk about it until late. Argue over things in a magazine, discuss which broom was best. Of course his was." Ron seemed unable to stop talking.
"Yes." I agreed sitting next to him.
"He was always better at flying than me. Like he flew on the wind itself, could do any trick you asked. I used to stand and call out things to him from the ground just to see if he could do them. Always could. He fell once, cause I told him to do something stupid. Thought I'd killed him. But I hadn't. He got up and brushed himself off, kicked me in the shin, but we laughed about it."
"Ron you need to stop this." I said troubled at his flow of nonsense.
"Even after school he continued to fly. He'd take his broom out to the clearing behind The Burrow and fly until he couldn't sit on the broom anymore. I'd watch from the ground. He'd offer to let me ride, but I never did. Was more interesting to watch him. He'd blush when he finished and we'd go back to the house together. He'd tell a joke and I'd punch him in the arm. Mum would be so angry at us for being late. Harry always apologized and she'd grin. It was always okay if Harry apologized."
"Ron, please stop."
"The day before my wedding I agreed to fly his broom. It was amazing, until I turned too fast and slipped off the side. I fell pretty far and couldn't move for a moment. Harry panicked and started shouting my name. I answered and he laughed. Said he thought he'd lost me. Like he could. You don't just lose your best friend. Said next time I'd be sure to fall on him, then he'd know where I was. He laughed and helped me up. We talked until dawn about Hermione. He grinned when I met her at the alter. Made me less nervous."
"RON!" I shouted shaking him by his shoulders.
He looked at me confused. His hands slowly released from their white knuckled grip on his knees and he pushed me away a little.
"Ron, this is insane." I said.
"I saw him, Neville." He rubbed his cheek with one hand and the other clenched into a fist.
"Ron. You need rest."
"I saw him fall."
Gently I pulled his hand from it's continual rubbing of his cheek and held it between my own. He looked at our hands and then back up to me, tears gathering behind his eyes again.
"He fell beside me. I always knew that's how it'd be. We'd fall side by side in battle. That's how best friends are supposed to go. That's how brothers are supposed to die. Protecting each other. But I'm still here." His words were no longer empty, instead I felt as if he were sharing a great secret with me.
"You've got to get some rest." I repeated.
He hiccoughed a little and leaned his head on my shoulder. I let a few tears escape before pulling myself back together.
"Ginny and I are going to look for him. We'll bring him back." I said letting him lean on me.
"He's dead, you can't bring him back."
"We can't just let him lie in the forest." I replied.
"I'll go with you." He pushed away and tried to climb off the bed.
"NO! No. You stay here."
He didn't argue, just nodded and leaned back again, seemingly more relaxed.
"We'll be back." I pulled him into a hug.
"Neville." He called as I opened the door to leave.
I waited.
"Bring him back."
"I will." I promised and left.
Dementorchic- Thank you for the praise. Don't let his death keep you from reading. Much is yet to come.
Jenni- Thanks for reading. It's not over yet. Don't cry.
Ginny530 - I came back and here is more. Thanks for the lovely things you said. I promise it's not over. More is to come. Keep reading.
Thanks to everyone else who read. You are great. As for this chapter, I can tell you little. Just read.
(Draco)
I don't know how far I had carried Ron Weasley before my legs gave out underneath me and I fell to the ground panting. I lay there, staring up into the tree branches, trying to remember the events leading me here. Shady images of lifting my companion onto my shoulders came to me, I had seen Potter's body nearby, but did not stop to check him. There was blood, so much blood that he could not have lived. Ron, however, was breathing and moaned sometimes as I carried him. He made a sound from where I had dropped I left him fall and I glanced over.
"Harry…" He mumbled and opened his eyes.
I got to my knees and crawled to him, gently rolling him onto his back.
"Wake up." I said and sat heavily back on my haunches.
He looked at me dazedly until his vision focused.
"Draco! Where's Harry?" He cried hoarsely and tried to get up.
"He's dead."
The other mans breathing quickened and I thought he might have gone into shock.
"He can't be…where were you?" He gasped reaching in the direction of his head.
I pointed to the large sore area alongside my face and over my eye, "Got hit before you did, blacked out for a moment, when I got up it was over."
He frowned and closed his eyes. I was glad he had not seen through my story, my memory did not go back as far as receiving the injury and I did not want to explain.
"Harry."
"Is dead." I repeated.
"How?" He asked opening his bleary eyes again.
"Stabbed."
A sob escaped him, but somehow he held the rest back, pulling strength from hidden places within him.
"How did we get here?" His eyes searched the area above him.
"I carried you, found the path out of luck just as dawn was breaking. We're nearly out of the forest." I explained.
"My head…"
"You have a concussion, I think. There was a lot of blood, but it's stopped now. We need to keep going."
"Harry…he can't be…"
"He is. We have to keep moving."
"We need to go back and get his body, my sister…she'll want…" He pleaded suddenly grabbing my hand.
"We can't, we don't even know if you can walk. Besides whatever attacked us could be following and I want out of this place." I was becoming impatient.
I could see the tears just waiting to fall and wished I could understand. Sighing I stood up and paced to keep my muscles from cramping. Something fell from my belt and landed in the underbrush at my feet. I bent down, my wand. Retrieving it I found it to be slightly damp with what appeared to be blood. Potter's face loomed before me, mouth open in surprise and agony as I twisted the wand up under his ribs. I shook myself violently and turned to face Ron.
"I'm ready." He said simply and reached a hand up for help.
I shoved my wand back into my belt and hefted him up. With a bit of time we found a steady position and I led him slowly from the forest. My mind stayed on the vision I had seen. When we returned and I delivered him safely to his family I would pay a visit to my mother. I knew, somehow, that she was expecting me.
(Hermione)
The pounding on the door was insistent and I hurried to answer it. As I passed the stairs I saw Ginny standing near the top, her hands were clasped in front of her and a fearful look in her eyes. The hammering continued. As a precaution I drew my wand and held it at ready, tugging the door open. A sharp cry escaped me when Draco hauled my husband inside.
They both stumbled and Ron fell unceremoniously to the floor, his head dropping to the front revealing a large bloody gash.
"Ron." I gasped and dropped down beside him.
He lifted his head a little and peered at me hazily.
"Mione." He managed.
"Ginny!" I shouted and turned his head to look at the cut.
"Oh my God." She cried and hurried to my side.
I moved back and let her get a better view. Instead, I turned my attention to the blonde man beside me.
"What happened?" I asked leaning over to look at his bruised face.
"Attack." He muttered and pushed me away.
"You need attention too."
"No."
Footsteps hurried towards us. Fred, George and Arthur had arrived to investigate my long absence. A sharp tapping sound said that Tonks wasn't far behind.
"What the Hell? Ron?" Fred exclaimed.
"Came out of the dark. Didn't see it." Ron mumbled as Ginny prodded his wound.
"Did you see?" I asked Draco.
He shook his head and looked sadly at Ron.
"The bleeding has stopped. He just needs rest." Ginny said and wiped her hands on her pants.
Suddenly I realized something, "Where is Harry?"
A sob from my husband answered the question.
"He…he fell." Ron stammered.
A moment passed in silence before Ginny whispered, "What do you mean?"
"He's dead." Draco answered flatly.
At that Ron seemed to break, his body convulsed as he wept. The others seemed frozen to the spot. The twins simply stared at their brother in disbelief while Arthur wrapped an arm about Tonks. I saw Neville in the back, his mouth open, barely breathing. Ginny panted a moment before shoving through the others and up the stairs.
"Fred. George. Take Ron up to our room and put him to bed. Arthur get bandages and whatever else I'll need from Ginny. Neville find Ginny and … stay with her. Draco…"
He didn't appear to be listening to my instructions.
"Draco?"
"I've got to go." And before I could stop him he has stood and disapparated.
The others were following my orders silently, and I followed the twins, who supported Ron between them, up to my room.
I wrapped his wound myself and pulled off his bloody clothing, carefully readying him for bed, though I knew neither of us would sleep. It seemed his heaving sobs would never end, and there was nothing I could say. Harry had been my friend as well, but Ron didn't need me to breakdown as well, he needed me to be strong. So I lay next to him and pulled him against me. His arms wrapped tightly about me, clinging as though I were his only lifeline. After a while I to wept, quietly, against Ron's thick red hair, feeling as though my heart were breaking.
(Neville)
"Ginny?" I called and pushed her door open.
She seemed so small, curled again the headboard in a fetal position, as if the world would simply swallow her up if she let it. I wanted to cuddle her like a child, protect her from all the bad things in the world. Instead I sat down next to her, tentatively touching her shoulder.
"Go away."
"Hermione told me to find you." I explained resisting the urge to run my fingers through her hair.
"You found me. Go away."
My throat constricted and I stood to do as she asked. Grief was something I understood, sometimes it was best to be alone.
"Don't go."
I turned to look back at her tear stained face.
"Which is it? Stay or go?"
"Stay." She whispered and I sat back down beside her.
"I know it's hard."
"He can't be dead." Her voice was thin and high.
"You know I'll take care of you, right? You and Lily."
"I knew you would say that. How can you be so noble? How do you always manage to be so honest? So sincere?"
"I'm not being noble. I just don't know how to make this better, when I've already messed it up so badly." I explained taking her hand in my own.
"We both messed up. This is both of us. Not just you." She said looking down at our clasped hands.
"What do you want me to do?" I asked.
"I don't know." She swallowed hard.
"It's alright to cry." I remembered when someone else had told me those words.
"I killed him. I think I killed him." She whimpered and buried her face against her knees again.
I ran my thumb over the palm of her hand and wished I could grieve for her, but there are some things you can't share.
"How did you kill him?" I murmured.
"I told him…I told him that I wanted the forest to eat him alive. I told him not to come back and he didn't."
"You were angry."
"I said it though, he died thinking I didn't want him to come back."
"He knew. He had to know."
"And then you and I." She stopped and looked up at me.
"I know."
"Do you regret it? What we did?"
I bit my lip and touched her wet cheeks with my free hand, "Not a single moment."
"I think…I think I may. I think I regret something."
Strangely, her words didn't hurt me. The loss of my friend and brother may have been clouding my thoughts, but I knew that I would never want her like that again. The dreams and fantasies were gone for good.
"That's okay." I told her and kissed her cheek, tasting tears.
"I can't believe he's gone."
"Me neither. I keep expecting him to brush past me in the hall and inquire about the girls. You know, he never stopped worrying over me. Not ever. Always made time to check on me, always called me brother. Aside from Luna, he was the best friend I ever had." My voice caught a bit, but I held on to my serenity.
Suddenly Ginny sat up straight.
"What?" I asked.
"We're going to find him."
"What?" I repeated.
"We're going to find him."
"He's gone, Ginny."
"I know, but we owe it to him to find his … his… body." She stammered over the last.
I watched her stand and pull her shoes on. Then stood myself.
"I'll go with you, but we don't know where he is."
"Hermione will know a locating spell, I'm sure of it, we'll just follow it to him."
"I don't think it's going to be that easy."
"We have to try."
I agreed, "Let me check on Ron first."
Hermione answered the door when I knocked, her eyes were red with crying but she managed a weak smile for me.
"I came to check on him." I whispered.
She nodded and moved so I could come in.
"I'll be back in a minute." She promised and shut the door behind her.
Ron lay propped against the headboard, long legs stretched out in front of him, hands clutching the fabric of his trousers at the knees. His eyes looked at me, but didn't seem to register. I hovered near the doorway, fearful of entering and disturbing whatever peace he may have found.
"I wish Harry had gone on to play quidditch professionally. He'd have done well. Always was good at catching the snitch and all that. We used to talk about it until late. Argue over things in a magazine, discuss which broom was best. Of course his was." Ron seemed unable to stop talking.
"Yes." I agreed sitting next to him.
"He was always better at flying than me. Like he flew on the wind itself, could do any trick you asked. I used to stand and call out things to him from the ground just to see if he could do them. Always could. He fell once, cause I told him to do something stupid. Thought I'd killed him. But I hadn't. He got up and brushed himself off, kicked me in the shin, but we laughed about it."
"Ron you need to stop this." I said troubled at his flow of nonsense.
"Even after school he continued to fly. He'd take his broom out to the clearing behind The Burrow and fly until he couldn't sit on the broom anymore. I'd watch from the ground. He'd offer to let me ride, but I never did. Was more interesting to watch him. He'd blush when he finished and we'd go back to the house together. He'd tell a joke and I'd punch him in the arm. Mum would be so angry at us for being late. Harry always apologized and she'd grin. It was always okay if Harry apologized."
"Ron, please stop."
"The day before my wedding I agreed to fly his broom. It was amazing, until I turned too fast and slipped off the side. I fell pretty far and couldn't move for a moment. Harry panicked and started shouting my name. I answered and he laughed. Said he thought he'd lost me. Like he could. You don't just lose your best friend. Said next time I'd be sure to fall on him, then he'd know where I was. He laughed and helped me up. We talked until dawn about Hermione. He grinned when I met her at the alter. Made me less nervous."
"RON!" I shouted shaking him by his shoulders.
He looked at me confused. His hands slowly released from their white knuckled grip on his knees and he pushed me away a little.
"Ron, this is insane." I said.
"I saw him, Neville." He rubbed his cheek with one hand and the other clenched into a fist.
"Ron. You need rest."
"I saw him fall."
Gently I pulled his hand from it's continual rubbing of his cheek and held it between my own. He looked at our hands and then back up to me, tears gathering behind his eyes again.
"He fell beside me. I always knew that's how it'd be. We'd fall side by side in battle. That's how best friends are supposed to go. That's how brothers are supposed to die. Protecting each other. But I'm still here." His words were no longer empty, instead I felt as if he were sharing a great secret with me.
"You've got to get some rest." I repeated.
He hiccoughed a little and leaned his head on my shoulder. I let a few tears escape before pulling myself back together.
"Ginny and I are going to look for him. We'll bring him back." I said letting him lean on me.
"He's dead, you can't bring him back."
"We can't just let him lie in the forest." I replied.
"I'll go with you." He pushed away and tried to climb off the bed.
"NO! No. You stay here."
He didn't argue, just nodded and leaned back again, seemingly more relaxed.
"We'll be back." I pulled him into a hug.
"Neville." He called as I opened the door to leave.
I waited.
"Bring him back."
"I will." I promised and left.