Hermione was sitting in a tower in the Manor, trying to escape when she saw something out of one of the windows.
"No, no it can't be!" She was smiling, and she could hear footsteps in the hall. She stood on the side of the door, ready for the guard to come in. She heard the door open, and punched the man in the face.
"Ouch! Hermione, that hurt! I came up here to get you! Geez, this is the last time that I save you from a tower at the Malfoy Manor again!" Ron laughed as he held his nose to stop the bleeding.
"Sorry, I thought you were-"
"Ya ya, it's alright. Let's get the hell out of here. Where is Percy?"
"Um, Ron, I don't know if-"
"Look Hermione, he may be my brother, but he's also a Death Eater. Most importantly, he tried to kill one of my best friends." He smiled at her. "And he's never going to forget that." Hermione hugged him for a few seconds and then lead him down the hall to the room where Percy was. Before they opened the door, Ron handed her her wand. "Thought you might need this." She took it and kicked the door in. Ron stood outside, waiting for the right moment.
"And you told me not to even try to get out because it wouldn't happen? Boy were you wrong!" She ran over to the desk where he was and punched him in the face before he could even defend himself.
"How? How in Merlin's beard did you get out of there?" He looked up at her.
"Me." Ron walked into the room and stared straight at his brother. A brother he once looked up to, and now loathed.
+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+
Harry, Lupin and Sirius were all still downstairs fighting the last remaining Death Eaters. Once they were all gone, and sent off to where they belonged, they went running up the stairs to find Ron, and Hermione.
"He's been gone for a while. Do you think that he found her okay?" Harry looked back at his Godfather.
"Of course I do. Harry, Ron loves Hermione and wouldn't let anything happen to her." He ruffled up his nephews hair.
They kept on going until they saw a door at the end of the hallway with singe marks on it. They knew that must've been where Hermione was and ran down the corridor. While running, they could hear yelling and screaming. They stopped at the door to the room where Ron, Hermione and Percy were. What they saw, they couldn't believe. Hermione had her head on Ron's shoulder and they were standing against the wall, covered in blood. Percy was lying on the ground covered in blood as well, only he wasn't moving.
"Hermione!" Harry ran over to and kissed her.
"What the hell happened?" Lupin asked as he walked over to Ron.
"We…I-" Ron was staring off into space, not making any sense.
"He, he got me out of the room, and we came into here to get Percy." She walked out of Harry's arms, and walked around the room toward the window. "I came in and punched him in the face before he could do anything. Then Ron came in, and Percy-" Sirius walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Percy just went soft. He kept on saying how sorry he was for everything, and he never meant to hurt anyone. He started crying and walked over to Ron to give him a hug and-"
"And he pulled out a knife and was going to stab me, but Hermione saw and got the knife away from him. He started trying to choke me then, and Hermione tried to pull him off because she didn't want to kill him. I ended up pushing him onto the ground. Spells were flying everywhere and one hit Hermione. Sorry about that."
"It's okay Ron." She smiled at him.
"She fell to the floor, dropping the knife. He grabbed it and kept trying to stab me. Hermione tried to pull him away, and he…he stabbed her a few times. Then while she was lying there, he came at me. I took his hand and I tried to get it away when…when-" A single tear ran down his cheek, and Hermione walked over to him and finished the story.
"Ron went to get the knife and Percy kept fighting and then, and then they fell. Percy pushed on top of him and-" Nobody needed her to finish telling the story, they figured it out by themselves. They could tell just by the way Percy was lying. He was face down on the floor, and the blood was starting to form a pool around him.
+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+
Harry, Hermione and Sirius had decided that it would be best if they tried to clean Percy up a bit before they brought him back. They didn't think that it would be a good idea for anyone, if they popped up in the Weasley home, with Percy's bloodied body. Hermione used a vanishing spell to clear away most of the blood.
Lupin apparated back to the Burrow with Ron to explain the story and prepare them all for what they were about to see. Ron went upstairs and got washed up, while Lupin told them what happened. By the time Harry, Hermione, and Sirius got back with Percy's body, everyone in the Order was there. They were all sitting in the living room of the Burrow, and trying to comfort whoever was sitting next to them.
Mr. & Mrs. Weasley were both sitting by themselves in a corner of the room, crying over the loss of their son. Fred & George were just sitting there, not knowing what to do or say. Charlie was trying to comfort Ginny, who was sitting there in silence, so many tears dripping down her face that she wasn't even recognizable. Bill was sitting with Claire. Everyone else just pretty much kept in silence. They had not just lost their son, their brother, they could not relate. Ron was still up in his room and nobody dared to bother him.
When they all looked up, and saw how much blood Hermione was covered in, they all panicked. Tonks and Lily got up and offered to take her upstairs to get her cleaned up. But when Molly saw how bloodied up she was, she started crying even harder. She couldn't bear the fact that her son had done that to her and now he was dead. Hermione walked over to Arthur and Molly and gave them both a hug.
"I'm really sorry about Percy. Truly sorry." She turned away to leave.
"I am too Hermione. I'm so sorry that he hurt you-"
"Don't worry, cuts and bruises heal Mrs. Weasley, no matter how deep." She smiled and then apparated to Grimmuald Place. Everyone without red hair and freckles followed suit, thinking that they would all need their time. Back at Grimmuald Place, Lily and Tonks brought Hermione upstairs to get cleaned up and try to heal whatever was wrong.
"Hermione, are you sure that you're alright?" Tonks looked her up and down.
"Yes! You guys, I'm fine, honestly. I've been worse." She chuckled. Nobody else seemed to find it that funny. Lily walked out into the hallway, leaving Hermione there, confused. "Tonks, what's the matter with her?"
"Well, Harry and James got into a bit of a row right before they left to get you. James was yelling at her that she was going to have to stay here because it was too dangerous. Then Harry told him that he wasn't going either because things were different and he didn't know how things were. And James got pissed off and asked him if he did know how things really were."
"Well, that doesn't sound so bad."
"Wait, it gets better." She added sarcastically.
"Oh god, what the hell did he do." She mumbled under her breath.
"He, well, reminded James that he fought You-Know-Who 6 times before he graduated, and that he watched you die because of him, right before graduation. That you knew how much his parents meant to him, and you basically killed yourself for it. And that he never would have lost you in the first place (even though he did get you back) if he hadn't gotten themselves killed. Then Harry just turned around and they left."
"Oh, for Merlin's Sake." She walked out into the hallway and started to talk to Lily. "Lily, look, I know what Harry said to you and James before, and I just wanted to make sure that you knew that I don't blame you for anything that's happened. I chose to die and bring you both back. I could have very easily let Voldemort die and bring back one of you. But I knew that, that wouldn't be right. I don't regret any of the choices that I made. And I know that Harry didn't mean what he said. He just, even though he won't admit it, gets scared sometimes, and he says things that he doesn't mean. He's yelled at me plenty of times in the past 10 years." They both laughed.
"Thank you Hermione, it means a lot to me." She reached over and gave her a hug.
"I love you and James both, and so does Harry. Now, I'm going to talk to him and get him to realize what a jerk he was, and maybe he'll apologize. Either that, or ill have to kick his arse." They both laughed. "HARRY JAMES POTTER!" She yelled down the stairs so loudly, that everyone looked over at Harry, silently wishing him luck.
"It was nice knowing you." Sirius laughed and kicked Harry in the back, giving him a shove toward the stairs. He walked up the stairs slowly and stopped when he saw Hermione sitting there.
"What's the matter?" He asked her, with a lump in his throat.
"You know dam well what the hell is the matter!" He just looked at her confused and scared at the same time. "I know everything that you said to James and I think its complete trash!"
"But…I-"
"DON'T EVEN TRY TO TALK YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS! Ya, I died before graduation so that you could have you're parents back! BECAUSE I LOVE YOU! And in case you forgot, they didn't go and get themselves killed! They fought to save YOU! YOU, because they LOVE you…just like you love them. And I know that a part of you is angry with them, especially your father for leaving, but wouldn't you have done the same thing for April?" She looked around and then practically smacked herself in the face. "Speaking of, where is April?"
"Oh ya, with everything that was going on tonight I forgot. She's sleeping in Ron's room, I brought her there when we went to get you."
"Alright, well, I'm going to get our daughter, and YOU are going to talk to your father!" And before he could even say anything she was gone. He saw his mother sitting there laughing quietly.
"Mom-"
"You don't have to say anything to me. Me and Hermione already talked. Besides, I've put up your father for a long time, I'm used to the temper." She smiled and kissed her son on the forehead.
+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+
Hermione apparated into the living room of the Burrow, Mr. & Mrs. Weasley were still sitting on the couch. She figured that everyone else had gone upstairs already. She didn't want to disturb them so she started to walk upstairs when Molly saw her.
"Hermione dear, is something the matter?"
"Um, no Molly, nothing really. I'm sorry if I disturbed you-"
"Not to worry, dear."
"I just came to get April, Harry said that she was in Ron's room. And I think that I should have I talk with Ginny and the twins too. I left in sort of a hurry."
"Don't worry dear, we still love you and Ron, no matter what happened in that room tonight."
"Thank you." Hermione walked up the stairs and into Ginny's room first. Fred & George were sitting there with her, looking at pictures and exchanging stories. They looked up when the door opened. Fred got up and walked over to her.
"Fred-" Ginny wasn't too sure of what he was going to do and was trying to stop him when George held her back.
"It's okay Gin." Fred walked over to her and Hermione thought that he was going to hex her, hit her, anything. Anything but what he did.
"Fred-"
"Oh, Hermione, don't you ever know when to shut up!" He looked at her and smiled. He walked over to her and gave her a hug. They stood there, hugging, until George came over. The three of them motioned Ginny over.
"Look, I didn't know how you guys were going to react, I mean, part of this is my fault-"
"No, no it's not." Ginny let go of her brothers and Hermione. "None of it was your fault 'Mione. And none of us are going to blame you, or Ron, for anything that happened tonight."
"Ya, Hermione, it was Percy's dumb choice to become who he was, not yours, not ours, his."
"Thanks you guys. Hey, are your brothers still here, I want to talk to them, I want to talk to all of you actually."
"Ya, there in Charlie's room. Come on." Fred led them down the hallway. George went to open Ron's door when Hermione stopped him.
"No, I want to talk to Ron alone." She smiled. "I just need you guys to know something."
"Alright." They knocked, and went into Charlie's room. Bill was sitting there with Charlie, neither of them talking.
"Hey guys, we have a visitor." George said as they walked into the room.
"Oh, hi Hermione." Bill looked up at her and tried to force a smile.
"Look, I want to talk to you guys before any of you talk to Ron. What Ron did tonight was something very brave. And I know that Lupin told you what happened, but I thought that you would like to know first hand, everything that happened. I think I owe you that much." They all looked at her and just nodded.
Hermione told them everything from the start, right from when Percy locked her in the room. She told them how Ron got her out, and then went straight for Percy. How brave he was. That he walked right over to him, and told him what a jerk he was for doing this to everyone. That he couldn't believe how stupid Percy was for even trying what he did. Then how Percy tried to trick him and she stopped him from stabbing Ron. How Hermione got stabbed and cut several times, but she was able to stop the bleeding before it was anything serious. Then she told them how he died, that he pushed Ron and landed on top of him, the knife going into his stomach.
"Wow, all Lupin told us was that Percy and Ron were fighting and Percy ended up getting stabbed in the stomach." Ginny looked over at Bill and Charlie. "See, this was his own dam fault! And if I ever hear either of you saying any of this to anyone, especially Ron, ill hex you myself." With that said, Hermione hugged all of them and walked into Ron's room. He hadn't left there since he went in. She expected to find him and April sleeping, but what she saw was Ron telling April a bedtime story.
"-and there was this big troll, you see, and it was in the girl's lavatories, which was were your mum was. And your Dad and me went to find her. We waltzed into the bathroom and fought the troll to get your mum out. Your Dad, well" he laughed at the memory. "He-"
"-he jumped onto the troll's back. And your Uncle Ron here, he finally got the spell right," they both laughed. "And he levitated the troll's own club, up into the air, and then dropped it on his head, knocking him out cold." She smiled.
"And then your mum, lied to get us out of trouble. She told McGonagall that she went to find the troll, and me and Harry saved her."
"And from that moment, we became inseparable." She walked over to Ron and gave him a hug. "April hunny, why don't you go downstairs and try to cheer up Molly and Arthur, alright? Everybody else is in Charlie's room, don't forget to say goodbye to them, and then we'll go home."
"Okay. By Uncle Ron, I love you!" She jumped on him and gave him a hug.
"I love you too." He kissed her in the forehead, and she ran across the hall and then she could be heard running down the stairs.
"Sorry about that, Harry didn't tell me she was here. Hope that she wasn't any trouble."
"No, she was good company actually." He smiled. "I was sitting up here, answering her questions about when we were kids, and telling her stories. For a while, I forgot that I killed my own brother."
"Ron, don't say that. You didn't kill him. It was an accident, and don't even tell me that everyone thinks you're a murderer, because they don't." She hugged him harder than she had ever hugged anyone before.
"I'm sorry Hermione. I'm so sorry!" He cried into her shoulder.
"Shh, its okay Ron, everything will be okay."
"It's just, he…he was going to kill both of us. And…I knew that none of us could lose you again. I should have let him kill me."
"No, Ron, don't say that! Don't you ever say that!"
"Why not? It's true. It's not like I have anything to live for, 'cept you and Harry, and you guys have each other now, and April. You don't need me anymore."
"Of course we need you! Just because we have April doesn't mean that we don't love you anymore." She held his face in her hands and looked him in the eye. "You're our best friend Ron, and we love you. April loves you, your parents love you, the twins, Bill, Ginny and Charlie love you." She smiled. "Don't you ever forget that Ronald Weasley." He laughed. "Or I'll be forced to take action." They both laughed and she kissed him. "Your brothers and Ginny are in the other room, I suggest you go and talk to them and let them know that they only lost one brother tonight." She smiled and walked out of the room and downstairs. She gave Arthur and Molly each a hug and a kiss, took April, and went home. She walked in just in time to see Harry and James, giving eachother a hug.
"There's my girls!" Harry yelled and April ran over, jumping into her father's arms. "I was beginning to think you got lost." He laughed.
"Ya, don't get your hopes up." She walked over to her husband and gave him a kiss. "When I went to get her, I talked to all of them a little bit."
"Ya, how's Ron doing?"
"Okay, he's still kind of shaken up. But I talked to him, and I think he'll be okay."
"Mommy?"
"What-ie?"
"Can Uncle Sirius tuck me in?"
"I don't see why not. Go ask him." She smiled. April walked over to Sirius (who was talking to Remus) and gently tapped him on the arm. Lupin nodded at her and Sirius laughed.
"I wonder what little princess would dare come over here and hit me!" He yelled jokingly, he turned around and grabbed her, tickling her as he did. "And I suppose you want me to tuck you in?"
"Yes!" She managed to spit out in between laughs.
"Well, alright then! Goodnight everyone!" he saluted Harry and Hermione, and dragged her up the stairs over his shoulder, bouncing up the stairs as he did so.
"G-goodnight!" she managed to say as Sirius was bringing her upstairs.
"Goodnight!" Everyone yelled back.
+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+x+
