A/N: I found out that there's something wrong with my document. There was supposed to be a break whenever I change POVs and it refused to appear when I upload. I'm trying to put a line in between them to make it clearer.

Chapter Three

Grief and Comfort

"Bishop to D5," Harry commanded. But even before the last of his three white pieces could move, he knew he made a mistake. He felt triumphant when there was nothing to be triumphant about. He was losing the game.

His mouth involuntarily moved to form the words: "Pawn to C8! Checkmate!"

Harry was feeling extremely put off. Having Ron gloat after winning a chess match was bad enough, but having to feel Ron's revelry physically was downright ridiculous. It was like gloating at himself.

"Merlin, Ron! Even in your body, I still lose to you!"

"It's all in my mind Harry, not in my body. You can't share my chess skills even if you're in me. That would be like playing by myself."

To anybody watching, it would seem that Ron had been playing by himself for the last two hours in the living room at the Burrow. It had been three days since they discovered that they were sharing Ron's body. This morning, the healers had finally discharged them along with Ginny and Fred on the condition that they convalesce at home.

It had been a rather depressing homecoming for them both. Even though the war against Voldemort had been won, the victory came with a price. One by one, the news of their dead friends and classmates began to come in since they had first awaked from the hospital: Dean Thomas, Ernie McMillan, Susan Bones, Dennis Creevy, Parvati Patil, Anthony Goldstein, Zacharias Smith, Katie Bell and Lee Jordan. The last battle had wiped out almost half of the original members of the D.A. as well as a number of younger students that joined the D.A. when Dumbledore made it a legal organization in their sixth and seventh year. At the same time it took a number of members of the Order: Kingsley Shacklebolt, Emmeline Vance, Hestia Jones, and Dedalus Diggle, aside from Hagrid and Snape who died in earlier battles.

Very few of those who did managed to come out alive left the Riddle House unscathed that day. Most, like Arthur and George Weasley were still confined in intensive care wards at St. Mungo's. It was a miracle that the remaining Weasleys all managed to survive that last battle. The family had endured too much already when Percy was tortured and killed by Death Eaters in a Ministry attack last year and Charlie died in an earlier battle five months ago.

It was an all too sad time for everyone. In addition to the casualties, the wizarding world was in a state of chaos. The Ministry of Magic was in shambles and the major wizarding settlements were devastated. A lot of families had lost their homes or businesses. Even Fred's and George's jokeshop had burned down in the last few days just before the final battle.

This was why Harry was glad for the distraction of chess, even if he did get slaughtered again for the third straight game. It helped take his and Ron's mind off things. It was better than brooding and focusing on the grief, they had been doing that for three days and Ron's tear ducts were already dry. Hermione hadn't been able to see them since that time when Harry talked to her. Her parents had taken her home after she was discharged. They were shocked, angry and hurt that she never told them anything what was happening in her world until they heard news about her latest injury. In an owl she sent Ron (which they figured she had to smuggle with Pig when they sent her an earlier message), she said her parents were forbidding her to go back to the wizarding world at all. But she assured Ron she would find a way to get back. Neither Ron nor Harry was worried about this. Hermione always found a way to get what she wanted. She was that smart, though they wished she would come soon.

Harry tried to suppress a yawn but Ron let it continue. As much as Harry hated to admit it, it was late and they were tired. He and Ron didn't want to go to sleep as much as possible. Being awake may be depressing but sleeping always gave both of them nightmares. Harry's were always of the night they fought Voldemort. During the battle he was too busy to take in details but now it all came back to him. There were brutal deaths that night and in his dreams he relived the fall of some of his friends as they forced their way into the house. But the one that haunted him most was the image of Ron crouching on the ground begging him to recognize him. In his dreams he could feel his body being possessed again, forcing him to threaten his best friend. It made him feel disgusted with his own body, knowing he had been violated with such evil. When he would awaken, he would be relieved as he realized he was inside Ron—something pure and untainted though still strange in many ways from what he was used to with his own body.

Ron didn't say what his nightmares were but Harry could guess it was of him going away and never coming back. Every time Ron would awaken he would call on him and Harry could feel Ron's agitation until he responded.

"It's been a long day, Harry," Ron said. "I know you hate going to sleep because of the nightmares. They did give us a dreamless potion. We could use it tonight."

"Alright, Ron. Let's go up to bed."

Ron picked up his wand and said a spell to clear up the chess pieces. They were about to head upstairs when they heard a bell ring. By instinct Harry grabbed his own wand, so they were holding two wands in one hand. The bell had been a warning signal installed as part of the wards around the Burrow. Even though the war was over there were still some Death Eaters on the loose and Molly had taken the extra precaution to make certain the house was safe. The bell indicated that someone had just apparated just beyond the fence—the closest possible area in the Burrow where one could apparate.

Ron muttered a spell at the front door and the opaque wood turned into something that resembled a mirror. It revealed the person beyond the fence. It was quite dark but they recognized immediately the person standing at the gate from her bushy hair. Ron went to the window and called out "Hermione?"

"Ron, it's me," came her reply. "Let me in."

"Lumos!" Harry cried to get a better look at the same time Ron opened the door and cast a spell on the gate with his own wand. Harry marveled at the skill Mrs. Weasley had in putting up wards around the house. It could only be removed by a Weasley and no one could come in aside from a list of people Mrs. Weasley pre-approved when she first placed it. Hemione was among the list so they didn't have to counter check if it was really her. Not even polyjuiced wizards disguising as friends could get beyond the gate.

Hermione was wearing a dressing gown over her pajamas. She looked liked she had just gotten out of bed in the middle of the night though she was wide awake. When she walked through gate she grasped Ron's left hand in a tight grip.

"My parents don't know I came but I had to see you." She paused as she saw him holding two wands.

"I er... kept Harry's wand safe," Harry hurriedly explained.

Hermione's eyes glistened with tears.

"Come into the house," Ron said. He put an arm around her and led her in. "Everybody here's asleep; let's go up to my room."

They climbed the stairs in silence and when Ron had closed the door Hermione suddenly flung herself at them, sobbing.

"I missed you so much. It's horrible. My parents wouldn't let me go out so I had to pretend I was asleep before I apparated. I heard about the others before I left St. Mungo's and I haven't stopped crying. My parents are no help. I wanted to tell them their being unfair to me for keeping me away, but I feel too guilty for not telling them anything. I should have just told them from the start."

Harry patted her on the back. "It's alright. Maybe they'll come around eventually. Just explain to them you need to be with us. I'm sure they'll let you soon enough."

"It all just seems so much. This thing with my parents, right when so many have gone and Harry... Ron," she held to him tighter. "I thought I lost you, too."

"Hey, I'm still here," Harry said, though he felt Ron say the same thing. He felt sick. He had always felt guilty of all the deaths that had occurred in the fight against Voldemort. Despite reassurances, he always felt it was his fault that they died because Voldemort was trying to get to him. But he never thought it was equally painful to know that someone was hurt because you left them.

"Harry, let's tell her."

Harry considered it. It would ease her pain somehow to know he was still around. But what if he wasn't meant to remain? He and Ron hadn't had time to figure out what happened to them. They were in too much grief to think of it. What if tomorrow he would go away for good? Was it worth giving Hermione that false hope?

"Not yet, Ron. Please. Let's just comfort her. I don't want her to expect anything when maybe there's nothing to expect."

"Harry!"

"Look, I can't handle this right now. We don't know what happened to us and I don't want her to exhaust herself figuring this out when she's all tired and just needs a shoulder to cry on. We all need that!"

Ron breathed a sigh of resignation. "Alright Harry, for now."

They let Hermione sob silently for several minutes. When she quieted, she pulled slightly from them and they led her to sit at the edge of the bed.

"I haven't asked you how you are or your family." she said guiltily. "I'm sorry I'm being selfish."

"It's alright," Ron replied. They kept an arm around her. "We're surviving. Mum's fine. Dad and George are still in hospital though they're out of danger. Fred and Ginny are here but they're in a pretty bad state. Not physically, I mean... Ginny... she's been... it's hard for her seeing Dean..."

Ron couldn't go on and neither could Harry. Ginny wouldn't speak of what she saw when her boyfriend died, but the casualty reports were telling enough. Dean had more than twenty lacerations on different parts of his body. He had obviously suffered from a series of slash curses. He was just one of the many victims of brutal deaths that night and Harry knew that each death would always leave a bruise on his soul.

Harry found himself sobbing. He had never felt his emotions slamming against him twice as hard and he knew it doubled because Ron was feeling the same thing. All three of them cried themselves to sleep that night.

Ron woke to find his eyes wide open and his fingers gently stroking Hermione's hair as she slept facing him. He knew Harry had wakened earlier than he had, but as usual he called out to be sure.

Harry startled and pulled away from Hermione. Ron could feel something like embarrassment on Harry's part but he quickly dismissed it. "I'm still here Ron."

"You alright?"

"Yeah. Didn't have any nightmares, it's a first and we didn't even drink the potion."

"Me, too. I'm glad Hermione's here."

Hermione stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She looked bloodshot and tired but she managed to give him a weak smile. Despite the worry lines in her face, Ron thought she looked beautiful. She moved toward him, shifting careful so as not to fall off the small single bed. He moved a bit so he was on his back and Hermione rested her head on his chest with her arm around his waist.

Breathe! Ron thought to himself. He had never been this physically intimate with Hermione and he tried to suppress his pounding heart, knowing Harry could feel any physiological sensation he was having. He quickly patted her back like a good friend. There, surely Harry wouldn't suspect anything. We're just a couple of friends comforting each other.

Hermione lifted her head but instead of getting up, her face hovered inches above his. He met her eyes and he was lost at her gaze. Slowly, her eyes move down to his lips.

He was startled when his face suddenly turned violently to the left and he felt Hermione's lips land on his cheek. Then he was pushing her gently and getting out of the bed. His heart was racing and he could feel the beginnings of a blush in his cheeks, but on his mind he was feeling extremely disappointed.

He tried to look back at her, but Harry was doing the exact opposite. The result was a painful jumble of nerves as he tried to turn back and look away at the same time.

"Let's go down for breakfast, shall we?" Harry spoke before he could say anything.

Ron wanted to curse Harry, but he realized Harry just saved both of them from what could be an embarrassing situation. He decided to let Harry take control and not look at her.

"Oh no! What time is it?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Six o'clock, I think," Harry answered promptly.

"I have to get home. I transfigured a pillow to look like me under the covers sleeping, but I need to get back home before my parents find out I'm out of the house. She put on her dressing gown and got into her slippers. "Can I apparate out of here or will the wards repel me?"

"No," Ron replied. "You can apparate out, but you can't apparate in."

She took out her wand. "Good, at least we don't have to go outside." She gave him a brief hug. "Take care, Ron. Tell your family I'm thinking of them, especially Ginny. I'll try to come back when I get the chance."

With a loud pop, she was gone. They quickly went downstairs where his mother was busy preparing eggs and sausages.

"Oh dear, I need to be at the hospital early today and I'm afraid I haven't started lunch yet and I don't have time. I know its short notice and I know Ginny's not up to it, but she knows how to cook a bit and perhaps you could persuade her to help you prepare something for you and Fred for lunch."

"Oh, it's alright. I can take care of it. I know how to cook," Harry answered.

Molly eyed him in surprise. "Since when?"

"Harry, I have never cooked anything in my life."

"Sorry, didn't realize. Force of habit."

"Uhm... I mean... I can make sandwiches," Ron saved. "I mean it's just a few pieces of bread and whatever's in the pantry. I'm sure I can make something up."

"Thank you dear," Molly said gratefully. "By the way, an owl arrived today. Dumbledore's set a mass funeral on Saturday at eight in the evening at Hogwarts Lake," she paused and swallowed hard. "There will be a separate one for Harry on Sunday night."

"What!" Ron exclaimed. He was suddenly on alert. How could they have forgotten? Harry's body would be having funeral rites soon and traditional wizarding rites for the dead meant his body was to be burned over water. Suddenly the full implications of it all struck Ron. If there was a possibility of resurrecting Harry, they needed his body!

"Sunday! But that's in five days! They can't!"

Molly turned to him and gave him an embrace. "I know it seems so soon, but maybe it would be better this way. The funeral rites are always a comfort because there is closure for everyone. I'm sure Harry would have wanted it."

Ron could feel Harry's nervousness and he knew exactly that Harry didn't want it at all. In fact, he was horrified by the thought. Ron didn't say anything to his mother though and he and Harry hurriedly finished their breakfast and saw her out as she apparated, leaving them with instructions to make sure Ron's siblings ate.

"What do we do now?" Ron asked when they were finally alone.

"I don't know. I mean we haven't got a clue why I'm still here. It's possible I can't go back into my body at all."

"We can't be sure of that, and until we are, we have to keep that body of yours intact. I know the healers can preserve the body for a couple of days until the funeral. We just have to find out till then what exactly happened and maybe we could get you back."

"How? We don't know, Ron."

Ron shrugged. He wished Hermione was here, but she couldn't help them, being locked up as she was. But an idea struck him.

"Time to do a Hermione, Harry. Let's check out the library."