To my Reviewers

Mrs.AshleyFelton Thank you for enjoying my beginning I hope this next chapter will be to your liking.

Dancerrdw thank you for reading another one of my stories.

Ginny278 I hope my rendition of Ginny will be satisfying.

Carolquin I am glad to know this caught attention

Chapter 2

Ron felt a light burning on his face. That was what woke him up. He rolled over in his sleeping bag and got up.

Wait a moment, he thought. Harry was supposed to wake them before daylight. Sensing something might be wrong Ron grabbed his wand and looked around the attic space that Harry, Hermione and him were sharing.

Hermione was lying right besides him. They had fallen asleep together the night before. They had different sleeping bags though. Ron had insisted on being the gentleman about their sleeping arrangements.

They were currently hiding in a Muggle attic. The building was all but abandoned. Harry wanted a place that was inconspicuous as possible and where they could watch the area.

Ron rubbed his head as he looked around. For some reason he felt a little dizzy. Harry's sleeping bag looked like it had not been touched.

He then looked over on the crate they used as a table and saw a piece of parchment on it. Ron picked it up and read it.

"Stupid sod off!" He shouted when he got done reading it.

Hermione jerked right up. "What's going on?" She looked around and saw too that it was morning. "Harry should have woken us."

"He didn't. The damn prat." Ron went on and on with his cursing. He started heaving.

Hermione had seen this more than once from him and had learned how to handle it. She got up and tried putting her arms around Ron to try and calm him.

Ron broke through Hermione's grasp and continued pacing all the time using words his mother surely would not approve of.

"What is going on? What happened?" Hermione said calmly taking Ron's hand.

"Why did he have to be so damn noble?" Ron said collapsing finally into a sitting position on the floor.

Hermione sat alongside of him and locked her arms and legs around him. She held him in a makeshift hug while he continued heaving.

"We agreed it would be all of us." Ron said. He then held out the letter so Hermione could read it.

Hermione tilted her head so she could read the note. Her eyes filled with tears as she read.

Dearest Ron and Hermione

I know that I can never ask you to forgive for what I did.

I slipped a sleeping draught in your food tonight.

Now Hermione knew why she was so tired yesterday and how groggy she was this morning.

That was why you were so tired and slept all night.

I placed several protective charms around you while you were asleep.

I could not let you come with me to fight Voldemort. He would have killed you both. I promised your Mum that you would come home to her, Ron.

To full fill the prophecy I am afraid that I must too be killed in the final battle. If by my death Voldemort dies, I accept that.

I ask only that you honor my final requests.

Tell Ginny that I am proud of her and that she was important in my life.

Tell Molly that she was like a mother to me and I love her for that. Tell her thank you for the gifts and everything else she has ever done for me.

Hermione, Ron, I know that you two have a special relationship. I have watched it blossom over the past year. You tried to keep it secret from me, but I know you two are close.

Hermione felt herself blush a little through the tears.

Take care of each other. Live your lives happily.

Your friendship has been the greatest thing in my life. Hermione you showed he how to focus and about being confident. Ron you gave me someone to talk to and laugh with. You introduced me to Ginny, the one girl I ever truly loved.

Thank you for everything you have done.

Harry.

Hermione just held on to Ron not knowing what else to do. She had not seen this coming.

She had known that Harry had defeated Voldemort. Otherwise they would probably have been dead right now.

Ron got and walked over to the window. "Hermione, its Sunday."

"No Saturday" Hermione said shaking her head. She wondered why Ron was suddenly worried about what day it was.

"No Sunday." Ron said pointing out the window. "Look at the Muggles. They are going to church."

Hermione looked out the window and at the chapel. She saw a string of families coming towards the church and entering. The church bells were ringing in a welcoming manner.

As she watched the families she thought to herself. This was why she was fighting Voldemort. To fight for this, people's lives. She could remember going to church with her own family.

Hermione started crying right then. Ron just held her.

"You realize he's dead. He would have been back for us by now."

"I know." Ron said. "The least we can do is hunt for a body. Something of him."

Hermione wiped her eyes and said that would be wise.

Ron and Hermione headed to the place that they had planned to fight Voldemort. The cemetery where the Riddle's were buried. All that they could tell was a fight had taken place there. Hermione saw several scorch marks on some of the tombs.

They both looked around and thought about all the conspired to bring them to this point in their lives.

"We have to look. There might be something left." Hermione said going further down the cemetery. "Maybe he's hurt or something."

Ron walked up to Hermione. "There isn't anything." He put his hands on Hermione's shoulders. He could tell she was close to becoming hysterical.

"We are not going to find anything, he's gone." Ron said to a Hermione looking into her crying eyes.

"What are we going to do now?" She asked.

"I would like to go home." Ron answered. "Are you alright to Apparate?"

"Yes," Hermione said. She then closed her eyes took a breath.

Ron and Hermione Apparated to the edge of the Burrow.

They both looked at the house for a moment. Hand in hand they walked up the door.

As soon as they opened the door they were greeted by Molly.

She immediately wrapped her arms around Ron. "I was so worried." She said holding her son.

"Yesterday," She said in between tears. "Everyone said that Dark Lord was destroyed. The Aurors have been cleaning up the rest of the Deatheaters. Nothing was said about you three."

Molly then took Hermione into her hug as well. "I feared the worst."

"Voldemort's gone." Ron said. "He can't hurt our family any more."

"Harry didn't make it did?" Molly asked.

"No," Hermione said feeling fresh tears.

They stepped into the Burrow's sitting room. Molly still had her arms wrapped around her son.

"Harry gave us a message." Hermione said to Molly. "He wanted us to thank you for everything that you had done for him."

Molly dabbed her eyes dry as she sat down. Nobody said anything for quite a while.

The silence was interrupted by someone coming down the stairs. Ginny was home and coming down stairs. "Ron," she shouted running over and giving him a hug. "I can't believe you're home."

Ron hugged his little sister. "I missed you, Ginny."

"Harry didn't make it did he." Ginny said looking up.

"No," Hermione answered.

Ginny nodded her head. "I guess I knew he would have come here by now if he did survive."

The Weasley family had arrived not long after to welcome Ron home. Arthur had left the Ministry early as soon as he heard that his son was home. Fred and George showed soon after as well as Bill and Fluer.

Charlie showed a little later in the afternoon.

Percy had been killed months before defending a group of Muggle-born children that were in hiding.

When the family arrived they sat together to mourn for Harry and the other Aurors who had died in the fight. Molly pulled out a group of candles and lit each one.

"For Harry Potter. May his memory live on. May he be remembered."

"With kindness." Fluer said.

"And bravery." Ron said.

"Selflessness." Bill said.

"Warmth." Hermione added.

"Love." Ginny finished.

The family spoke the names and the memories of the Aurors and those who had died in the defeat of Voldemort.