Don't yell at me I know it took a long time but my life sucks right now so it's hard to force myself to write but here it is anyway
Chapter is beta'ed
Enjoy
Chrys
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Harry didn't hesitate; he immediately ran to the floo and screamed out "The Burrow."
The rest of the group followed.
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"Ginny has taken them to the department of Mysteries. Do you know any faster way to get into the Arch room than the normal way of the spinning room?" Harry asked Arthur, who had been up and waiting for news.
Arthur thought for a second. "The Head of the Department's office is next to that room, he has a floo that is open to the ministry's main floo's. The fastest way would be to get to the atrium and then use the floo system there to get into his office."
Sirius nodded, "Good, when the others get here tell them to follow in the same way, but to be quite about it, we don't want something spooking her and causing an accident."
"I'm going with you… Molly can tell them, but I'm going with you."
Sirius and Harry looked at each other for a moment, then back at the others. "Ok, Hurry and wake her up, then follow us in, we don't know how long we have." Harry answered him.
Charlie grabbed the jar of floo powder from the mantel and held it out, "Atrium first, then the office, quite as possible."
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Hermione and Connor were both tied tightly to the legs of the arch with a red and black rope. Hermione watched Ginny place the three power stones that made up the other three points of the pentagon. She heard Ginny mutter to herself a list.
"Powerful seven to create it, Check. Sits on a power well, check. New power… previously cracked it… weak one to finish the job… check and check."
Ginny's words sunk in and Hermione shook… how the bloody fuck was she going to get out of this, and where in Merlin's pants was her men?
As if conjured by the mere thought, Hermione watched as Harry, Sirius, Remus, Ron, Charlie Arthur and Tonks slipped into the room, far above the platform. Harry caught her eye and made a "shush" motion with his hand. Relief flooded through her body, that is until she caught sight of Ginny directly in front of the veil with her wand raised and pointed at her.
There wasn't enough time, Hermione realized, enough for what ever Harry was planning… she needed to stall.
"Ginny. You realize that you don't actually have to kill us to go through with your plan… I mean, obliviate Connor, and me stun all three of us. And when Harry gets here, you can still claim that you don't remember anything. Your plan will work without you killing us."
"You'll still be in love with Harry, and him with you… you have to die for him to give up on you." Ginny spit these words out, hating that it was the truth
"Make it so I can only remember bringing Sirius back… it will be just me and him, and you can have Harry. He was going to propose the day he caught you, if he thinks that you weren't in your right mind he has to forgive you." Hermione hoped that they moved fast enough for what ever they had planned, because this line of thought wasn't going to go very far for very long.
Ginny's face turned cold and hard and Hermione wondered if maybe she was possessed or truly under some dark curse. "I would rather sacrifice myself into the veil than ever see you and Sirius fucking Black together again."
As she said this Sirius stepped out from behind the veil next to Hermione, his wand raised at Ginny.
If the Veil had been alive at that moment it would have looked around, shrugged it's shoulders and said "Good enough for me."
Due to the fact that the veil wasn't actually alive, and couldn't say that, instead the long cloth that hung from the top rose up as if pushed by a unfelt wind, and engulfed Ginny, pulling her in.
"NO!!" screamed Conner, Ginny's spells dissolving, the rune covered cloaks disappearing and releasing Hermione and Connor's bonds. What happened next, few would ever understand, because before anyone realized what was happening, Connor leaped through the veil after Ginny.
Hermione wanted to turn into Sirius arms, but found he was no longer standing next to her, but instead 10 feet above the ground, floating with his back arched to the ceiling and a think black smoke leaving his body. Hermione blinked and turned her head, catching sight of Tonks and Remus' body in the same positions.
"The Sacrifice has been accepted." Came a booming voice from no where.
"What 'Sacrifice' and who are you?" Screamed Harry scared to death of why they were hanging in the air.
Hermione ran as fast as humanly possible to Harry, wrapping her arms around him, tears running down her face as they watched the dark black smoke leave the bodies in the air.
It took Ron a second before it all clicked, "The Sacrifice! Merlin, Ginny did it without even knowing!"
"RON! What the bloody hell are you talking about?" yelled Hermione.
"The book that you threw through the veil… the next page was stuck to it, it had more instructions. You fulfilled the spell accidentally. There was also a letter from someone who had already used the spell. It explained that if you used the spell, it would only give you one more year of life with them, and they would slowly start to die after the third month… that's why they were all getting sick. It said that the only way to save them at that point is if someone made a willing sacrifice through the veil. The last thing Ginny said was that she would rather 'Sacrifice herself' through the veil than see you and Sirius together… and then he came out right next to you. She fulfilled the sacrifice that was needed without even knowing what she was doing."
Everyone in the room, which now included the other group that had been with George, stared at Ron as if he had grown two more heads. Not only had Ron just pulled a Dumbledore by explaining everything that not even Hermione understood, but also Ginny had gone and saved the lives of the people she was hell bent to destroy.
A sound of clapping could be heard far off, and everyone looked around to find the source. After a minute, outlines of people could be seen on the platform that the veil stood on. By the time the outlines turned into full-fledged human beings, Sirius, Remus and Tonks were back on ground.
Hermione ran to Sirius, who engulfed her in a huge hug. She figured Harry would follow but instead he made his way to the platform, because standing there were his parents. Even more surprising was the fact that standing to the side of both of them, was Fred and some girl that no one had ever seen before.
"FRED!" came the strangled cry of George, Charlie, Percy, and Arthur, who all ran as fast as they could down the steps to him.
George stopped a foot away and raised a hand slowly, reaching out to his twin and placing a hand on his shoulder, not expecting to, but finding solid muscle. There wasn't a second hesitation before George threw both of his arms around his twin, holding on to him as tightly as possible and sobbing.
James spoke then. "I am so sorry. We didn't know about the curse when we sent you back."
Sirius walked towards the Potters bringing Hermione in tow. "Like you said, fate has a plan, but we still have to make choices."
James nodded, and acknowledged Tonks and Remus on the other side of the room, before he turned to his son, who was standing right in front of him. "You have no idea how proud we are."
Harry nodded, "You know… you two sure pop up a lot for being dead." James and Lily smiled and gave soft laughs, "But there is one thing that I've never done when you have come back, that I've always wanted to do."
Lily ran her hand gently over her son's cheek, "What's that?"
Harry didn't say a word, but slid his around both of his parents' shoulders, and hugged them; silent tears streaming down his face.
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"Why didn't you stay in the room… you could have come back with them." George asked, who still hadn't let go of his mirror image.
"I had choice, I could stay, or I could join my true love on the other side." Fred looked over at the very beautiful girl to his right. "Funny thing about soul mates, according to laws, you only have to meet once before they are either one can die. Trisha was a customer once; whom I thought was the most beautiful girl in the world. Before we could go on our first date though, a horribly aimed bludger from a pick up game of Quidditch hit her in her head, and she died. George I knew you were strong enough. You got Hermione as a best friend, Mandi as a soul mate, and our family, minus Ginny… not to mention that two of the original four Marauders are alive again, just think of all the mess you could make if you set your mind to it!"
This made everyone in the room laugh, George and the Marauders the most. George looked over at the blond next to his brother, "Trisha?"
The girl smiled, "Nice to meet you, George. Your brother never stops talking about you."
George didn't know what to say to her, he was trying so hard to hold back his tears, he was speechless.
Luckily, Mandi did know what to say. "From one soul mate to another… I think I got the better one."
Everyone listening laughed.
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"As far as family reunions go, this has to be the best and oddest one I've ever attended." Said deep voice directly behind Sirius.
But Sirius didn't turn immediately. Hermione did, and was shocked. She stared at Sirius and then at the new comer and back, but didn't say a word.
"Yeah well… family was never really my strong suit." He tipped his head back and closed his eyes, scared of turning around.
"Not your fault, we were all pretty fucked up… the lot of us."
Sirius turned around and the eyes that Hermione loved so much, locked with those of his younger brother. "Regulus."
"Sirius… You look good."
Sirius stared at him, and did as others had been doing in the last few minutes, wrapped his arms around his brother and held on tightly. "I'm so sorry…"
Regulus just shook his head; "You have nothing to be sorry for. I figured at very young age that mom and dad would like me more if I was a perfect Slytherin," he shrugged without letting go of his brother, "Second born syndrome I guess… but the whole time, I just wanted to be like you."
"I think you redeemed yourself in the end," Hermione stated, as she watched the brothers hug.
Regulus looked at Hermione, "I'm glad that you think so." He turned back to his brother, "Think you could forgive me?"
"You're my brother… and you always will be." He let go of Regulus with one arm and wrapped it instead around Hermione; "I'd like you to meet Hermione, one of the loves of my life."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Regulus." Hermione extended her hand, and instead was pulled into an awkward three-way hug.
"Believe me, to meet the woman that saved his life. The pleasure is all mine."
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"I'm not dumb enough to think that you guys will get to stay… but how long before you have to go back?" Harry asked of his parents.
We have about a half an hour from when we appeared… and it will be the last time. You have a long and happy life ahead of you, and we will be watching, but none of us can come back again. And none of you can tell the Ministry about any of this."
Harry looked up at the stairs that surround the pedestal. Draco and Neville sat speaking about something or another, both of which nodded. He also caught sight of Luna standing in the corner speaking to a very beautiful woman with long blond hair who he assumed was her mother. Remus and Tonks stood near Sirius watching him and his brother. Harry nodded "I'm sure we are all just glad that you got to come back for the time that you did."
A few moments later the door at the top of the stairs opened and in came Molly, and Bill, who upon seeing Fred ran down the stairs and joined the rest of the family, crying and hugging all over him.
"How come Ginny didn't come back?" Harry asked.
"Because she is still in the middle ground, fighting for a way back to earth. Her soul will be at rest soon." Lily answered her son.
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Twenty minutes later, Hermione had met the Potters, and had been thanked profusely for not only saving their son's life so many times, but also Sirius'. Neville had met Luna's mother, asking her permission to marry her daughter, which she gave. Fred and George got to know each other's soul mates, and both approved completely. Molly had laved her son with attention, and told them that when George and Mandi got married, she would make sure there was special place set aside for Fred and Trisha. Draco had even gone so far as to meet Regulus and the Potter's, apparently Harry thought he was being left out. He had also apologized to Hermione about… well everything. She of course forgave him with a hug.
Lily told them all that it was time for them to leave, which inspired another round of hugs, tears and kisses from just about everyone before the five moved towards the veil. They gripped each other's hands, slowly dissolving, their eyes never leaving the ones they had come back for.
Hermione was pressed tightly between Harry and Sirius. George held Mandi, Arthur held Molly, Neville had his arms wrapped around Luna, Remus and Tonks held hands, and Charlie, Bill, Percy and Draco stood, watching them disappear one final time.
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You guys have no idea how hard it was to write that chapter. I kept crying… anyway, hope you liked it. Please review… (PS. Not the end of the story)