Chapter Thirty Five

Ron's Choice

Dear Hermione,

If you're reading this, most likely it means I've gone. I don't know how I can ever begin to tell you what horrible thing I've done to you and to Ron. I don't even know what came over me and did what I did. I have no excuse except that it was a moment of weakness. You may not realize it, but I made love to you that night in the few hours when Ron was unconscious and I'm so sorry for that.

I'm not asking for forgiveness, I know I don't deserve it. I accept whatever action Ron takes on me. It's his right to be happy with you and I have been a hindrance long enough.

Take care of him. He loves you so much.

Harry

Harry wearily put down the quill and let the parchment dry. He resisted putting one last note of endearment before his name. He didn't even dare put "your friend' as closing greeting as he used to do, or much less "love from" like Hermione always used. No, he said to himself. Hermione would never know. It's better that way.

He had argued with himself regarding that note, but in the end, he just couldn't help not being able to say goodbye and apologize to her at least.

The first rays of dawn were beginning to light up Maddy's sunny living room. He had been awake since two hours ago and so far, Ron was still unconscious. He didn't have much time, he may only have a few minutes left. He folded the letter and sealed it. Then he got up from the couch and rapped on Maddy's bedroom door.

The French girl opened it and eyed him irritably. "So you are finally up!" she said.

Harry nodded sadly.

Maddy seem to notice his dejected mood. "Which one of you eez zhere?"

"Just Harry."

Her expression softened. "Can you talk to me?" she asked gently and he nodded. She opened the door wider and let him in. He sat next to her on the edge of her bed and gave her the letter.

"Please give this to Hermione."

Maddy looked alarmed. "Why? Harry, pleeze what eez wrong?"

"Everything." And he told her. By the end of it, Maddy's eyes were glistening with tears.

"'Arry, you do not 'ave to go. I will talk to Ronald."

Harry shook his head. "No, let him. It's time that I go." He looked up at her and gave her a sad smile. "It was great meeting you though."

"'Arry, no! I do not want you to die!"

"I'm already dead… just the letter, please."

Maddy nodded before gripping his hand tightly in hers. He clutched back, comforted at her support.

Harry was startled when his hand moved back so suddenly and he felt hot anger overwhelm him. He didn't need to hear Ron speak to know he had awakened.

Maddy appeared to sense it too, Harry guessed, from the expression of their face.

"Ronald… can we not talk about zhis!"

"I don't want to talk about it Maddy," he said coldly. "Thanks for letting me stay for the night." Ron stood up and reached for his wand.

"Ronald…" Maddy begged.

She had a hand on their shoulder but it was Harry who gently eased it out. "Maddy, don't. Let go… just let go."

Maddy reluctantly withdrew and Ron took advantage of it to run out of her flat.

"Ronald, pleeze!" Harry could hear her. "Do not kill 'im!"

Ron ignored her and Harry caught a glimpse of Maddy's panic-stricken expression before Ron apparated them to the Manor backyard where they both knew Maddy couldn't follow.

"Just do it, Ron," resigned Harry.

"Shut up, Harry!" replied Ron. He didn't appear to be shouting, but the way he said it was bitingly cold. "That's the only thing you can do for me. I want full control of my body. And that means, no matter what I do or what I say, you don't do or say anything, do you understand?"

"Yes…" he replied, though Harry didn't understand at all why.

Ron breathed deeply and strode into the house.

The moment they stepped in, Harry saw Hermione looking like a hurt puppy awaiting her master's return. She had a half-worried, half-hurt expression and she appeared to have been up the whole night. Harry's heart twisted painfully and he felt a double dosage of it that he knew came from Ron. Strangely, though, Ron rearranged their face and looked at Hermione coolly as if it was common seeing her like that.

She made a move to hug them, but stopped herself in time. Her cheeks were reddening and she looked uncertainly up them. "Is… is Harry there?"

"Yes, but don't worry. You can talk to me. He knows anyway."

"Oh…" she blushed even more. "Well, I suppose he would know eventually… but Ron, where… where did you go? I was worried. You were gone… I thought you had an emergency so I checked Auror Headquarters, but they said you were off for the day… I checked with Molly but she said she hasn't seen you…" She paused and bit her lip uncomfortably.

"I was with Maddy," Ron said curtly.

Hermione's mouth fell open and Harry could see her lips tremble at this revelation. "Maddy? That-that girl… but… we…"

"Ron, what are you doing?"

Ron gave an uncomfortable sigh that Harry could sense was not entirely sincere. "Look, about the other night. Really sorry about that. Things just went a little overboard…"

Hermione looked like someone placed a full body bind on her. Harry could have mistaken her for a statue except that her eyes were slowly glistening with tears.

Ron turned away but continued as if he was asking whether she liked milk in her coffee: "You know how these things happen and I'm really sorry that we let things go out of hand. Look, can we just forget it ever happened?"

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Ron, why are you saying that?"

"Shut up, Harry!"

"Out of hand? Forget it happened!" Hermione stormed. Ron avoided her gaze but she pushed at them to face her. Both Harry and Ron winced at the sight of her. A single tear was running across her cheek but she was too angry to notice. "I don't understand… Ron… I thought, you and I…"

"RON!"

"HARRY, FOR THE LAST TIME, IF YOU VALUE WHATEVER LAST BIT OF FRIENDSHIP WE HAVE, SHUT UP!"

Harry complied, but his heart sank even more at Ron's next reply.

"Hermione, I like you as my friend, but that's all. I didn't mean for the other night to happen. Maddy and I, we have a thing you know—we got together yesterday, you can understand that, can't you?"

Harry saw the blaze of hatred in Hermione's eyes and she made a forceful motion with her hand. He expected to be hit on the chest but nothing happened… that is until a few seconds later when they realized their robes were on fire.

Harry panicked but Ron seemed to be expecting it and lazily shouted "Aguamenti!" on themselves. But even in their soaking robes, Harry could feel a few burns on their arms and back.

Hermione didn't even give them one last glance. She pointed her wand at herself and disappeared.

"Why did you do that? How could you lie to her like that?" Harry cried. "Why didn't you let me go? You should have let me go!"

Ron picked a small glass vase and hurled it into the fireplace before setting the grate blazing with an intense flame.

"BLOODY HELL, DON'T YOU GET IT!" Ron screamed. He tossed another item into the wall. Harry was too worried to care what it was but it left shards of glass on the floor.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO! DO YOU WANT ME TO BE YOUR MURDERER! DO YOU!"

Ron sent the couch and several other pieces of furniture flying in all directions. This went on for quite some time until there was nothing left in the living room that wasn't in its proper place. Finally, exhausted, Ron sank to the floor and crushed their head in their hands hard as if he wanted to squeeze their brain out. "I love her, I always have. But I'll give her up because I will never forgive myself if I killed you! And I might just do that if I'm with her, I can't risk that!" He let out a stream of curses. Harry didn't know what to say. He never wished for death more than he wished for now.

"I can share everything with you, Harry. Except her. And if I can't be with her, then neither of us can. It's either you or her. And damn you, but I choose you."

The door suddenly burst open and in came Maddy followed by Ginny, both looking apprehensive.

"Ron, don't eject Harry!" shouted Ginny.

Ron snorted. "Relax, the bloody traitor is still stuck to me."

Ginny and Maddy didn't appear convinced. They were taking note of the mess in the living room and they appear to shudder at the thought. "Prove it!" challenged Ginny.

"Go on, Potter."

Harry waved his wand and out came his stag Patronus.

"Thank goodness you're alright!" Ginny hugged them.

"Oww!"

"What?" asked Ginny. She gently shook off part of their robes that were burned to reveal a few scorch marks at their arms and back.

"What happened to you?" said Ginny.

Ron attempted to cover up the scorch marks with their remaining robes but it was useless. "Bugger off, this is nothing."

"But you're burned—"Ginny began but Maddy lightly touched her arm and shook her head at her indicating she shouldn't pry further. Ginny looked confused but looked sternly again at Ron and Harry.

"Ron, don't you dare—"

"I'm not planning to!" Ron shouted back at her.

"Alright…" Ginny said uncertainly. "Look, I don't really understand what's going on. Maddy just came at the Burrow and asked me to bring her here and stop you from ejecting Harry. If you want to talk—"

"What is it with girls and always talking? NO, I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT! THAT'S BETWEEN ME AND HARRY SO KEEP OUT OF IT!."

Maddy stepped up calmly. "I think we should go," she said to Ginny then turned to Harry and Ron. "I can make excuses for you. You do not 'ave to go to work today. You can just rest."

But Ron had already gotten up. "No, I'm going to work. Give me a few minutes to freshen up, we can go together."

Maddy nodded. She and Ginny used their wands to set a few things straight in the thrashed living room while Ron headed up to shower. Harry was grateful for Ron's decision. Work was at least a distraction. He secretly hoped they would end battling something today.

When they reached their room, Ron picked up something—a small bottle from the side table of their room that Harry had never seen before. He felt Ron's heart constrict for a moment when he held the bottle. He applied a little of its contents on their arms and back and their skin stopped hurting almost immediately.

When they came down a few minutes later Ginny looked calmer but Harry noticed the understanding in her eyes. Just before they parted, Ginny and Maddy shared a knowing look. He expected that both girls will be keeping close tabs on him and Ron to make sure he, Harry will still be around.

Maddy said nothing as they walked together to Auror Headquarters from the Atrium. The moment they stepped inside a dozen Aurors surrounded them, all with wands raised.

"What's going on?" Ron asked.

Harry recognized three people in the crowd: Terry, Blake and Padma. It was Terry who spoke first.

"Maddy, could you step aside please." He pulled his partner away. "Look, Ron," he said rather apologetically. "We just need to ask you some questions."

"Questions? What are you talking about? And what's with the wands…?"

"What is going on here?" another voice said. One side of the wall of Aurors broke through and in came Chief Atalanta followed by de Lancre.

"What eez the meaning of this?" de Lancre demanded. "Why are you pointing wands at Weasley!"

A senior Auror pushed him aside. "Keep out of this de Lancre. Chief, we just found something out and we just need Weasley to answer a few questions."

The Auror Chief folded her arms across her chest. "I'm listening."

The senior Auror nodded to Terry. "The elves broke free yesterday. Two of them were seen in St. Mungo's and they managed to steal something—a pensieve. And they also took down a few hospital staff along the way." Harry sensed Terry had added this for his and Ron's benefit since the Chief appeared to be aware of that fact.

"Before they escaped," continued Terry. "We managed to get a profile of the elves and we found a way to track them down—or rather Blake here figured out how." He nodded that Blake should explain.

"Well you see," Blake began nervously as he found all eyes on him. "I thought that elves are always used to carry errands for their masters in home maintenance and such. So most likely these elves have been sent off to buy things from shops before. So Padma and I," he pointed to his partner. "We were up all night making inquiries to all the shops we could think of in the major wizarding shopping areas."

"And so?" asked the Chief.

Blake gulped nervously and glanced furtively at Ron and Harry. "We… we found a furniture store keeper that confirmed two of the elves had been to his shop before. They've placed orders for deliveries for a particular house a few years back. We managed to trace the house."

"Where?" asked the Chief who was clearly getting impatient.

Blake gave her an address in Geneva then looked at Harry and Ron as if assessing their reaction.

"Who owns the house then?" asked Ron.

Blake refused to meet his gaze. It was Padma who answered. "Well, Ron… you do."

"WHAT!"

"It was registered under your name Ron," Padma explained. "It used to be under Harry's and before that it belonged to Sirius Black."

Maddy stepped forward. She faced Chief Atalanta confidently. "Chief, Ronald 'as nothing to do with zhis! 'E may own ze 'ouse but not ze elves!"

"What are you saying, Dindarte?" asked Atalanta.

It was de Lancre who answered for her. "Chief, I think it is obvious what happened here. Weasley inherited the house from Potter who inherited it from his godfather, Sirius Black. But that does not mean he inherited the elves. Elves do not pass on to legal heirs, only to blood heirs."

"So you're saying…"

"Zat whoever owned ze elves were serving on behalf of a former property of ze Blacks," finished Maddy. "Zey are Black elves."

"Of course, it makes sense now," said Ron. "Draco's mother was a Black. Through her, he can control the Black elves."

"But you are forgetting one thing Weasley," said the Chief gravely. "Draco Malfoy's dead. But the elves are still carrying out orders from someone else. Someone who also possesses Black blood."

Harry and Ron paled. "No, it can't be," Harry gasped. "You don't mean Tonks?"

A/N: Sorry if it took me a while to update, got too caught up with HBP. Just a reminder again that this won't follow HBP canon (well I think except for one spell I used in this chapter), so those who haven't read Book 6 won't have to deal with spoilers. I only have a few more chapters to go before I close this story so I hope you stick around until it ends.

Thank you again to all those who reviewed. To "mushroom" sorry about not being able to accept anonymous reviewers before, I didn't know my settings didn't allow them. Another reviewer brought that to my attention only quite recently.