Chapter Ten

"I think that we should go next week, I really don't want to wait any longer. Kingsley said that the longer we waited the harder it would be to take the charm off." Hermione said.

They had made their way back to Grimmwauld place. Neither really wanted to be in the spotlight at a restaurant.

"Sounds good." He mumbled as he shoved a sandwich down his mouth.

Hermione loved Ron; more than she could've ever possibly imagined but she had to admit his eating habitat were absolutely horrid.

He stared at the plate even though it was empty.

"Ron what's the matter?" Hermione asked.

He shifted in his seat next to her with his arm around her. "I'm not sure, I just feel like something is wrong."

"With what?" She stroked his hair and he placed his head on her shoulder.

"Just George, he seemed weird before we left, don't you think?"

"Do you want to go check on him? We can just apparate back." She said.

He nodded. "I just want to check on him."

"Then let's go." She said and stood up holding her hand out.

"Have I ever mentioned that I love you?" He asked her as he stood with his forehead touching hers.

"Maybe once or twice." She giggled and kissed him lightly on his lips.

He found it hard to believe that it had been a month since the battle. A month since it seemed as if everything had gone away.

A month when he felt as if he were the one that died not Fred.

He stared at the floor and could feel tears spring from his eyes.

He had gotten so good at making everyone think he was fine that he was almost starting to believe it himself. Until he was alone, and all he was alone with was his reflection, and it reminded him only of Fred.

He was no longer George. Only a broken reflection of Fred.

His head was fuzzy. He was aware of that. But he wasn't aware of how to make it stop. He wasn't even aware of how to get up.

He looked his side and saw a flash of red.

It was his mirror.

He slowly stood up and went to it.

He pressed his hand to the glass to support himself. When he looked he realized something was wrong.

It was him wasn't it? But something was missing…

His reflection shifted and he suddenly realized that it wasn't him.

His reflection had both ears, and wasn't looking sad and pathetic; it was looking at him in pity.

"What are you doing?" It whispered. It's eyes were watery. "Please don't do this."

He pressed his head against the glass and looked at it angrily. "You left, you don't get a choice."

He stepped away and took his wand out. "Bombarda!"

He slipped to the floor and fell to a pitiful sleep.

Ron heard a loud boom when he walked into the store.

Hermione looked at him alarmed and both immediately reached or their wands. Ron walked in front of her until he reached the door to the apartment above the shop.

He slowly opened the door and when he did he saw George lying on the floor. He gasped as he noticed he was lying in glass and bleeding openly.

"Oh no." Hermione said and brushed past him. "Wingardum Leviosa." She levitated him over to the couch and quickly began mending his wounds. "Ron go get him something to drink."

Ron nodded and Hermione sat so that George's head was on her lap as she lightly cleaned the glass out of his hair.

Ron returned with a glass of water and sat on the coffee table in front of him. He winced slightly at the broken picture on the floor before quickly fixing it and putting it back on the table face down.

He was in awe of Hermione, as guilty as he was for it, she was amazing with his brother. It reminded him of something his mother would've instantly known to do. How to take care of people. Something he couldn't do.

One of the many reasons he needed her.

"George," She muttered quietly still stroking his hair.

He opened his eyes, and looked at Ron half lidded.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked him quietly.

George began to sob into Hermione's lap and she stroked his hair with a hopeless look at Ron.

Harry rushed through the Ministry of Magic, attempting to make sure that no one would notice him.

It was only when he made it to the Auror offices that he slowed down.

He pulled into an office when he noticed the secretary staring at him a little too intently.

"Hey Harry!"

"Neville!" Harry said in a shocked but pleased tone. "I didn't know this was your office."

"Yeah, well, I was pretty shocked to get an office too." He said nervously. "Most of the new aurors don't get an office right off the bat."

"I reckon things are going well then." Harry said as he sat down on a chair in front of his desk.

"They're going alright. It's weird though; working and all. I still feel like I should be in school." He said. "And some of the others are a little jealous to say the least. They don't seem to like the fact that I skipped some school and got an office right away."

"I'm sure it's not that bad." Harry said quietly. He was hoping it wasn't so bad. He technically knew that he should be here with Neville, and he had every intention of coming to help him out but he wasn't ready yet. He thought he deserved a break after everything that had happened. Didn't he?

Besides he was enjoying this time with his friends and with Ginny, and hopefully the Weasley's once Mrs. Weasley came to her senses.

"You'll be coming around soon I hope?" Neville asked.

"Maybe." Harry said quietly. "Well, I was looking for Kingsley, so I you wouldn't mind pointing me in the direction which would be fastest and less crowded."

"Of course—"

The door opened and Harry was once again pleasantly surprised. "Luna."

"Hello Harry." She said. "What are you doing here?"

"I was coming to visit Kingsley." He said.

"Oh are you joining the Aurors as well?" She said as she came up to the desk. "It would be nice to have another fighting back against the Rotfang conspiracy."

Harry let out a small smile. "Not at the moment Luna; what are you doing here?"

"Neville and I are having lunch. Would you like to join us?" She said.

Harry looked over to Neville who had a brief moment of disappointment and then quickly smiled. "Yeah Harry, you should join us."

"It's alright, I have a few things I need to do today and I was planning on stopping by the Burrow and taking Ginny out."

"Just as well I suppose, it would've been hard for Neville and I to be alone if you had been there." She said with a smile.

Neville blushed and stood up. "Ok then, goodbye Harry." He started to push Harry out of the door.

"Wait!" Harry said laughing. "Alone, what were you going to do alone?" He couldn't help his teasing tone as Neville pushed him out the door.

"First door on the right, can't miss it. Bye Harry." Neville slammed the door in his face.

He laughed as he walked to Kingsley's office.

He opened the door and was happy to see that Kingsley was alone. He had been slightly worried that he would've been in an important meeting that would've required talking to other people.

"Hello, how can I help you?" Kingsley said quickly.

"Sorry is now a bad time?" Harry said. "I should've owled first."

"Of course not, you can always come, it's just been busy, I'm still working as head Auror until we can find more aurors to replace the others and doing the Minister of Magic job so things have been quite frantic lately."

"Then I'll be quick," Harry said. "I was just wondering what I would have to do to get Snape's portrait up at Hogwarts."

"Don't worry Harry, I've already been working on it. Minerva owled me the other day. And I'm sure a word from the Chosen One will do well."

"I'll just put him to bed and then we can go." Ron said as he pulled George over his shoulder.

Hermione nodded and went around cleaning up the room.

"Why are you even here?" George whined as Ron pulled him into his room.

"I'm taking care of my idiot brother." He mumbled.

"What do you even care?" George growled as he was lowered onto his bed. "You don't even care that Fred died. All you care about is your stupid life," He was slurring heavily. "You stupid Harry, and and and and He—Her—Her—whatever her stupid long name is. What kind of name is that anyways?"

George slumped over onto his pillow and fell asleep.

Hermione had continued the conversation they had been having as soon as they returned to Grimmwald Place.

"Maybe we could leave the week after Harry's birthday. That way we could throw him a party. I say it's about time for a party." Hermione said.

Ron mumbled something incomprehensibly and conjured himself a glass of water.

"Alright, maybe we can leave in August, a month before I have to go to school? I really don't want to wait any longer, then I have too. I 'd say we should leave tomorrow but I really don't want to be gone for Harry's birthday."

"For Merlin's sake Hermione!" Ron shouted and banged his hands on the table they were sitting at. "Can you think about anything else? My brother was fucking suicidal! And you don't even care!"

Her eyes were wide and slightly hurt as she stood up. "I'm sorry Ronald but it's kind of important to me that I find my parents before I go to school."

"School, parents, school, parents, school, parents!" Ron shouted. "That's all you can think about! Do you have to be so self-centered?"

She scoffed. "Me," she pointed at herself. "Self-centered! Well isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?"

"What?" He asked confused. "I told you not to use those stupid muggle sayings around me."

"Stupid muggle sayings? Fine then don't listen to them! Maybe you should just go and stay home with your mum!" She yelled.

"Maybe I will!" He said and stomped out of the room.

Hermione sat down breathing heavily before she could feel the tears coming to his eyes.

So this chapter is actually on time but that's cause I want to start a new story soon about what would've happened if voldemort hadn't existed. What do you think? I already started planning it but I'm not going to post it until december cause I'm a bit behind in all my school work. But once Christmas break comes around I should be ok but until then I'll have wait, even though I desperately want to post it.

Ok and what did you guys think?

How long do you think they'll be fighting?

Please review. Tell me what you thought.