Ron and Shanon: Story 4

Chapter 10

Ron trudged down the stairs, holding the railing, to the front door. When he got there, he fixed his shirt, smoothed his hair back, and then opened it with a creak.

"Harry? Hermione?"

Standing in front of him were his two best friends. Ron frowned and opened the door a little more.

"Come in....."

They looked very solemn and were not smiling. Ron scratched his head.

"So, what brings you guys all the way over here on a Saturday?" he said, sitting down with them around the fire. "Getting bored with me working all the time?" He laughed. Hermione and Harry exchanged looks and sighed.

"I'm almost on the full time Quidditch team!" Ron said happily.

"That's great......" Harry siad weakly.

"Yeah! I know!" Ron grinned and continued. "Pretty soon they'll promote me. Right now I'm just on the reserve team for the Montrose Magpies. We're the most successful team ever! They won the British Irish League thirty-two times! And we're playing the Chudley Cannons soon! Funny huh? I think.........."

"RON!" Hermione stood up abruptly and glared. "Ron, have you kept in touch with Shanon?"

Ron blinked. Then he groaned and got up to walk to the kitchen.

"Hermione, did you come here to nag me about that?!?"

"You have no idea what's happened then."

Ron turned and looked at his friends. They were staring at him. He took a couple steps towards them then stopped.

"What?"

"Ron, he's back." Harry said. He touched the scar on his forehead and winced. "Attacks are starting again."

Ron's eyes grew wide and he slowly walked back to his friends, his mouth open.

"Who........"

"This is the same month the attacks were 17 years ago. October. When Harry's parents died." Hermione said quietly.

"October......." Ron echoed. He sat in a chair and stared into the fire.

"That's not all........." Hermione said slowly. Ron looked at her. Harry and Hermione looked back at him, then at each other, then back at him again.

"The first attack was on Shanon's mother." Harry said.

Ron let out a gasp. He put his hand to his mouth.

"Oh my god..."

"She's dead Ron."

Ron's eyes began to water.

"Who knows where Voldemort will strike next."

Ron got up and walked over to the fire, rubbing his forehead. He had his back to Harry and Hermione, but in seconds, Harry could hear soft restrained sobs coming from him. He got up and walked over to Ron. He put his arm around him softly.

"Ron, it's ok."

"BLOODY HELL." He yelled. "How could I have thought Shanon would do something like that?!?!?"

Hermione's eyes watered and she bit her lip. She got up and walked over to Ron to comfort him.

"I'M SUCH A BASTRARD." Ron yelled. "GOD DAMN IT." He banged the fireplace hearth and it rattled. Hermione patted his back and rested her head on Harry's shoulder. They were all quiet, except for Ron's sobs.

"Leave me alone." Ron said. Hermione touched him but he shoved her off. "ALONE." He yelled.

Harry and Hermione crept away quietly to the kitchen, where Hermione began to make a drink for Ron. They looked at each other, but said nothing. Ron was looking into the fire, his back to them still, crying. Hermione sighed and mixed the drink together slowly and as silently as she could. The impact of Shanon's father being a deatheater affected everyone. No one could ignore that Voldemort would be back now.

Ron let out a loud sigh. Harry and Hermione looked at him. Hermione slowly stopped mixing the drink.

"I know what to do." He said.

Harry looked at Ron. Ron turned around and stared at Harry and Hermione with watery eyes. He stood up straight and brushed his red hair out of his eyes.

"I never stopped loving her." He said.

Hermione smiled.

"Exactly Ron." She said. "Exactly."