Disclaimer: I own nothing. See previous chapter.
Ginny and the Weasley's ran up the steps to the small cottage her brother lived in, tears running down her pale face as she grabbed her set of keys in her shaking hands and opened the door. She couldn't believe it, she couldn't believe that her best friend, the girl she considered to be a sister was finally safe, was finally home.
Her whole body trembled as she ran up the stairs, her heart beating quickly as she ran into Ron's bedroom, a gasp escaping her mouth when she saw Hermione laying in his arms. Her hand flew to her chest, ignoring the tears of relief and gasps from behind her as she took just one moment to take it all in – Hermione was alive. It had been over two years, with only two people ever believing that she was still out there somewhere – her and Ron. And here she was, safe.
"Hermione?" She finally cried out, the tears refusing to stop falling down her face as Ron gave her his first real smile in so long. He bit his lip as Hermione looked up at her friend, "Ginny?" She whispered, a tear falling from her eyes, trailing down her pale and bruised face.
Ginny nodded and ran up to her, wrapping her arms tight around her, "I never gave up, Hermione, I never gave up." She sobbed, holding onto her.
"T-thank you.." Hermione closed her eyes, thinking about how long she had waited for this day, how long she had been waiting to be surrounded by the people she called family, for Ron to tell her that he loved her, and that he had waited for her. She was home, and she was happy. And she wished she could forget the past.
Her fingers curled around Ginny's top as she sobs took over her body, thinking about how she finally got away after two years of pure torture, pain and hate. She never thought this day would come, it was something she could only dream of when she was down in that cell. It was something she had imagined, wrapping her arms around herself as she thought about how nice it would be to have someone hold her.
Ron looked on as his family welcomed Hermione back, smiling wide at the thought of her being back home with him – back where she belonged. He thought he would wake up, and this would all be a dream but she was still here, his family finally believed him.
Two years. He looked at the family who had believed her to be dead a long time ago, smiling at them genuinely for the first time in so long, letting them know that he forgives them. He forgives them for forgetting, he forgives them for telling him she was dead when he could still feel her, he forgives them for not believing in love.
Finally, she believed she could make it through, she would never be able to forget the person she was forced to call 'master' and she would never be able to ignore the scars, but it would get easier. She had Ron, who loved her so much. She had been so sure he would have given up on her a long time ago, just like she had given up on herself, but instead he stuck by her, and never let her down – she wasn't about to let him down now.
She was going to make it through, she would make sure of it. If not for herself.. then for him.