A/N: So, the mood seemed awfully light in the last chapter and I know it isn't really realistic, so this chapter might be a bit angsty, however, I'll make it up to you by adding a couple of sweet and fluffy moments in it as well. =]

Enjoy ..x..

Chapter 7

The Prophet's BIG Mistake

Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny had all retired up to Ron's room, it being the biggest out of his and Ginny's. The two couple sat, just revelling in each other's company when there was a tapping at Ron's window. Hermione stood up and walked over to the window to let Pig in with the day's Daily Prophet.

"Hermione, you have got to be kidding me. You still get that rag?" Ron asked, in awe.

"No, you imbecile, everyone's getting a Daily Prophet for free at the minute. To let everyone know what is going on in the wizarding world at the minute. We owe that to the Ministry of Magic." she added. Then hit him over the head with the paper before unrolling it.

"Oh, that's nice, they a have tribute to the lost people of the war." she sighed, a tear falling from eye, which Ron wiped away for her, his fingers lingering on her cheek a moment longer than necessary.

"Really?" Ron asked. She nodded and handed him the Prophet, before leaning her head on his shoulder. He scanned it with a sad smile on his face, however, the smile turned to a grimace as he saw the tribute to Fred.

"Shit!" he exclaimed, a bit too loudly, shoving the paper away from him angrily.

Ginny look at him questioningly as Harry snatched up the paper and scanned. He squinted for a minute before looking up, realisation dawning on him.

"Wait a second, is that...?" Ron nodded.

"George." he said. Ginny gasped and leaned over Harry to get a good look at the paper. She let out a sob that raked through her entire body and let herself fall into Harry's lap, head buried in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered comforting words in her ear.

"Ron, this is awful. We can't let George see this." Hermione whispered but Ron was shaking his head before she finished her sentence.

She watched him or a second, as more tears fell from his impossibly blue eyes. The eyes that once held the glimmer of hope that everyone else needed. It seemed her rock had shattered. This was the realisation of what had actually happened, and she could see it slowly consuming him.

She cried tears for him, and wrapped her arms around him. She cried tears for everyone they had lost, she cried tears for the Weasleys, so strong, who wear slowly losing themselves.

The four of them sat in a subdued silence for a while, before Ginny spoke up.

"You know, George isn't going to be that upset by this." she told them. "It'll be mum." she explained. Ron's eyes widened and his arms, which where wrapped around Hermione, tightened painfully. She winced.

"I can't help you if you choke me, Ron." she struggled to say, Ron instantly released her from his grip.

"Oh, Merlin, Hermione. I'm sorry, You okay?" he asked, worried that he'd caused damage. She swatted his arm playfully.

"Of course I am, you just don't know your own strength sometimes." she consoled him. He smiled at her and pulled her into his lap.

"So, all we have to do is sit and wait for mum to see the paper." Ginny said. They all nodded and got comfy on the floor. Ron and Hermione conjured pillows and blankets for them all to sit on and Hermione grabbed a book off of Ron's bedside table.

"Um, Hermione, what is your book doing in Ron's room?" Ginny asked, a little mischievous smile playing at her lips. Harry pinched her side.

"I let him borrow it." Hermione explained, but the all knew it was a fib. She never could lie. They all rolled their eyes and discussed plans for next year while Hermione sat and read her book.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

It was about an hour later when they heard the commotion downstairs. They heard sobs and shouting, and groaning. Ron gave Hermione a worried look but she just kissed his cheek and set her book down.

"I think we should go down and make sure everyone's okay." The rest of them nodded and followed her downstairs to the sitting room.

When they got there Hermione's heart shattered. She had never seen such sadness in one room. George was sitting on the sofa, along with Percy and Charlie. Bill was standing behind them. Mrs Weasley was sitting on the other sofa while Mr Weasley tried to comfort her.

Fleur and the girlfriends were nowhere to be seen. Ginny and Ron rushed over to their mother and father and Hermione and Harry walked over to where Bill was standing.

Bill smiled weakly at them and patted Harry's shoulder.

"You read the Prophet today then?" he asked them. Harry nodded and Hermione just kept looking at her feet.

"Hey," Bill said, reaching out and tilting Hermione's chin up. "Something was bound to come along sooner or later. Better sooner rather than later huh?" he said. He reached out and pulled her into a hug. She sobbed into his shoulder as he rubbed his hands up and down her back.

She had never realised how luck she was. She had this family here who treated her like their own and had never really thought of them that way until that moment. Harry stood and watched them. Hermione had never had a big brother and he had always just been the friend. He was grateful to Bill for comforting her while Ron wasn't there.

"Now," Bill started. "If ever you need someone to talk to, come to me or Charlie, yeah?" he said to the both of them. Hermione nodded into his shoulder. Bill shook his head and held on tighter to his little brother girlfriend.

Bill had spent a lot of time thinking about his youngest brother and had found that he had become the strongest out of all of them.

When Ron had gone to himself and Fleur at Christmas Bill could see he had changed, but not that much. He was so proud of Ron and everything that he had done. And for the first time, Bill saw him as a young man, rather than the clumsy, short tempered teenager he had been at the wedding.

"He better treat you right," Bill whispered to Hermione, "Or the rest of us will kick his ass," he told her. She giggled a little. "Eh Harry?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll hold him down and Ginny will boot him in the balls." he agreed. "Then again, you wouldn't want that would you?" he added with a wink. Bill nearly laughed. Nearly.

He wanted to be happy, but now wasn't the time. They were going to need to let things settle. They would never get over the loss of one of them, but they had to move on.

The world didn't want them to move on but they would find a way.

"Hermione?" Bill asked. She looked up at him, "You going to help me and Harry cancel that party? I don't think these guys are up to it, and I know I'm not." They nodded and left the living room unnoticed and got to work on owling everyone from the kitchen.