Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter/Wizarding World. They were all created by the genius that is J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: Sorry about the major typo at the end of the last chapter. I have no idea what happened there. I'll try to make sure it doesn't happen again. Thanks to everyone who's reading.

Chapter 24: Truth or Consequences

Everyone was a little on the surprised side when a distraught Lavender asked Mr. Weasley to take her home before breakfast. Initially Ginny, Luna, and Hermione sided with Lavender. After all Ron could have found a much better time and place to break up with the poor girl. Right before a wedding and just before he was to leave and possibly never come back. Yet, the more Hermione thought about it, the more she understood where Ron was coming from. Not that she would ever tell the other girls. Hermione walked out onto the porch where Harry was standing. "You should talk to him." She said.

Harry frowned, "What would I say?"

She rolled her eyes and huffed, "Guys!" she looked up at her fiancée. "He is your best friend and he's obviously very upset. Why is it that it's impossible for guys to talk about how they feel?"

Harry frowned and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her to him. "I tell you how I feel."

She smiled and kissed him softly, "Yes you do…but right now Ron needs his friend."

Harry walked out into the orchard where Ron was sitting. The wedding guests would be arriving soon and Ron still hadn't gotten ready. He wasn't exactly sure what to say to him but he knew that Hermione was right, as she often was. He didn't say anything as set down on the bench beside his best friend. "You're dad took her home." Harry said after several minutes.

Ron nodded, "You're not going to tell me that I'm dick?" he asked.

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Should I?" he asked. "I mean I can if that's what you want."

Ron raked his hand through his hair. "It's just not fair to her, for me to stay in a relationship. Especially when I know that it won't ever be any more than what it is right now, while she's hoping that one day we'll get married or whatever."

"What brought all this on?" he asked.

"It's just…everything going on it makes you think. I mean we're not guaranteed tomorrow-"

"You can't think like that Ron." Harry cut him off.

"How can I not?" he asked. "I'm scared Harry, deep down in my gut I really wonder if we'll all actually make it out of this. You remember the picture Mad-Eye had of the original Order….not even half of them lived. We're just kids Harry."

"I can't tell you that we're gonna all make it out of this. If we don't fight for what we believe in and we just sit back and buckle under it's not really living either. I might die trying to take Voldemort down; it's something I've known since we were in our first year at Hogwarts. It doesn't mean that I'm not going to going to give up without a fight. If you're scared that's good that means you're taking this seriously."

"Aren't you afraid of what would happen to Hermione if you died?" Ron asked.

"Every day," Harry said. "But I'm more afraid of dying without having tried."

"That's why I broke up with Lavender. She thinks that I'm in love with Hermione but I'm not. I mean I love Hermione and all…I want someone to look at me the way she does you." Ron admitted. "I want to be so in love with someone that will make me forget all the damn consequences."

They set there in silence for several minutes before Harry finally spoke again. "I worry about what would happen to Hermione if I did die. I mean she's so strong and it would probably piss her off that I worry about leaving her without any protection you know."

Ron nodded, "You're right she'd probably kick your ass." He said with the first grin Harry had seen him with all day.

"Come on the guests should be arriving any time. Who knows you might meet some of Fleur's veela cousins." Harry said. "Try out some of those fail-safe ways to charm witches."

Ron laughed, "I think for now I'm just gonna play it solo."