Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.Though I would love to.Who wouldn't? But seriously, the credit for all the characters goes to J.K.Rowling. You are the best!

Hey everyone. I am back with the second and third chapter. well these two chapters aren't as fast paced as the first one. They are bit slow. So bear with me for now.

Thank you so much to all those who reviewed. They certainly made my day. I just hope the story will be upto all your expectations. But if it isn't then please feel free to let me know. Cause i am just hoping to improve my story with each chapter. And hopefully it will come out as i planned.

And as for the story behind Ron's death, the future chapters will have lots and lots of clues and a huge flashback which will explain a lot of things.

So anyways, keep reading. Have fun!


Chapter 2

Few months later……

"Happy Birthday to me," Harry muttered as he checked the clock.

It read 12:01 am.

Harry got out of his bed and went to his bathroom. He looked into the mirror and looked at the face that was staring at him. A pale, thin-skinned, bespectacled boy, with jet-black hair was staring at him. His expression was of pity, sympathy and sorrow.

"What are you looking at?" he asked the image.

Happy birthday Harry.

"Yeah thanks"

You better be. I am probably the only one who will wish you today.

Harry frowned at the image.

"That's not true"

You know it is.

"I am not in the mood for this"

That's what you always say, Harry dear. Especially when it comes to facing reality.

"I don't think I asked for you opinion"

Do you think I have been torturing you all these days with your consent? Face it Harry you have nobody left in this world. You shouldn't have listened to that itsy bitsy girl in Azkaban.

"Don't you dare talk like that about Hermione!"

Imagine, if you had told everyone the truth, then you could have been happier. Even she would have been out of prison by now. But you had to be noble.

"Shut up! You don't know what you are talking about"

He threw a bottle at the mirror. The mirror shattered loudly as the glass pieces fell down in front of him.

Your life is like these glass pieces Harry. Shattered, broken, depressed…

Harry closed his ears and ran out of the bathroom.

He sat down on his bed and looked at his bedside table.

You shouldn't have listened to that itsy bitsy girl

What would have happened if he had told everyone the truth?

Hermione looked at the wand in her hand.

"Harry we can't tell this to anyone"

"What do you mean Hermione? How can we keep Ron's death a secret? Half the wizarding world must have already got the news. Plus you used…"

"Harry. I know" she interrupted.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean …"

"I know," she said again. She paused and looked at him with pained eyes.

Harry felt like she had aged sixty years in half an hour. His face probably mirrored hers too.

Fresh tears fell down her cheeks. Harry reached to wipe them away. But she pushed his hands away gently and turned away from him.

"Everyone loves" she paused and choked out a sob "loved Ron. We can't tell what he did to us to anyone."

"I don't understand. Hermione, what he made us face was cruel…"

"And we can't forget it that easily, I know. But he is de…" she shook her head not able to say those words. "He is no longer with us. There is no need for us to tell about him to anyone else."

"You are not making any sense, do you know that?" Harry put his hands on her shoulder and turned her face towards him. "This will certainly get you to Azkaban, Hermione, if we don't tell everyone the truth." He whispered softly

Hermione face paled and she looked down avoiding Harry's intense eyes. Harry put his hand under her chin and lifted her hesitant face.

"Talk to me" he told her softly.

"Oh god Harry! What did I do?"

She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly and cried on his shoulders.

"I killed him. I killed him," she chanted as if waiting for the fact to sink in.

"I hate myself"

"Shh…shh…" he tried comforting her but it was of no use. "You had to. You didn't have a choice."

"We can't tell anyone Harry. Not till we find out what actually happened. He was our friend Harry. Not just for one year but seven whole years. If he betrayed us it wouldn't have been without a good reason."

Harry freed himself from her and pushed her away, not harshly but firmly.

"I can't believe you are trying to justify his actions, Hermione. He was your boyfriend. Fine!" he spat out angrily. Hermione flinched at his sudden outburst. She opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off.

"He wanted to kill me, Hermione. And you want me to find out if it was genuine? What if I had died in there? What if you had not aimed the killing curse at him? Don't you realize I just escaped death? And it was all because of Ronald Weasley!" he stopped catching his breath. He couldn't believe he had actually said all that. It only proved his hatred for Ron.

"God Harry! Not everything revolves around you. I am talking about Ron. The Ron Weasley we knew and loved. I want to know why he did whatever he did." She grabbed at his shirt and looked at him, her eyes breathing fire and hope.

"And how exactly are you planning to find that out?" Harry asked her, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Won't you be rotting in Azkaban?"

One look at her face and Harry immediately regretted saying those words.

Before he could say something, she slapped him. Right across his right cheek. He looked at her shocked.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that again, Harry" she screamed. "I swear I will curse you. I saved your life if you remember."

"Hermione, listen, I shouldn't…" he reached for her but she took a step backward.

"No, you listen Harry. You can't tell anyone and that's final. If you respect me or our friendship, you won't utter a word about this to any soul on earth and I mean it."

She turned to walk away but stopped and turned towards him.

"I probably will never see you again. But you need to find out what exactly happened." Her features softened and she walked a little more closer to him.

"I know you can do it Harry. Do it for me Harry, Please"

"And what will I tell everyone. That we were playing police-thief and Hermione killed Ron for fun? " He spat out. He hated her stupid logic and her irritating emotional blackmails. "What if it was the truth? Are you planning to be in prison forever"

"It won't come to that," she told him confidently but he made a face and she winced. "Don't make us separate on a bitter note Harry. You will think of something to tell everyone. I know you will. I am waiting for the day you release me out of Azkaban"

Hermione reached for Harry's hands. They were cold and didn't respond to her touch.

She squeezed them gently and pulled back her hands.

"Goodbye Harry. Miss me, will you."

He nodded slowly. He couldn't show his anger for Ron on Hermione. She was still his friend and she was still alive. Moreover, Hermione had undergone the same thing as him. Probably felt twice his pain. After all she had loved him more than Harry ever could. Maybe she had a point. Ron, who had always been there for him through thick and thin, could have never thought of letting him die unless…

It was up to him to complete that sentence. At least it was worth a try. He would probably do it for Hermione.

He sighed and pulled the retreating Hermione back to him.

"Hermione… how… you and Azkaban… how will you?" he stammered.

"I trust you Harry. You will bring me out. You will get us justified. Soon. I am sure."

"Hermione. Don't go." He choked as he tried to hold back tears. "I will be so alone without you."

"You will manage. And so will I," she assured him uncertainly and hugged him.

He hugged her back treasuring their friendship that stood strong right there.

"I will do it Hermione," he whispered into her ears. " I will find the truth and till then I promise I wont tell anyone. But remember I am doing it only for you…" He paused as she released him.

"And for Ron" he completed.

Hermione smiled. And they stood there for sometime just lost in their thoughts.

A chill swept through Hermione's body. She looked up and knew it was time.

"Goodbye Ron. Goodbye Harry."

Harry wiped his tears. He had gone through the most painful times of his life. He had brought himself an apartment in a remote part of the town, away from the wizarding world. It was peaceful but lonely, which Harry hated to admit. He almost felt as though he had lost touch with magic and the wizarding world. In simple words, he had fled from it all, all that reminded him of that dreadful day.

Hermione was probably suffering four times his pain. The very thought of Azkaban filled his heart with dread and fear. How was she staying there? Was she even alive still?

Harry shook his head. That was a dreadful thought.

If she were dead he would have got the news in colorful vocabulary through the newspapers. He remembered the terrifying way the media had reacted to Ron's death. It was so tough not to scream when the whole world thought Hermione was a murderer and he was her accomplice. At that time he was so sure they would lock him up in Azkaban too. After all he had been in the scene.

"But you are the Boy Who Lived. Why will they arrest you for killing The Boy Who Died?" Ginny had snapped at him that day. Her voice had been of pure hatred and had shown no mercy.

A huge part of him wanted to tell her everything. But he wasn't sure how she would react and whether she would believe him. Moreover he had to fight this battle alone.

"For Ron and Hermione" he reminded himself.

He lay back down on his bed. It was high time he started investigating about this and he knew exactly where he could start. Hogwarts. The place where Ron had spent the best days of his life. Probably he might get some clues there. After all it was his birthday and it was certainly a good day to start. With that happy thought, Harry drifted off to sleep.