Okayyy here goes chapter 2, glad to see you've given me a chance :D (wow, Im amazed with how many people favourited this story and reviewed, thankyou! so I really don't want to let you guys down) DISCLAIMER: Not J.K. Rowling, otherwise this would be a book, not in Fanfic… also I'm following the books, not the movies, so don't get confused or anything.
"I want to talk." Hermione said. Ron gulped, wondering what it could possibly be. She led him down a narrow passageway, into a deserted classroom. "Listen," Hermione started to say, "You know when, um, after we went into the chamber, and met up with Harry, and you started talking about saving the house elves and we…" she trailed off. 'The kiss?" Ron asked. "Yes, yes, that, I was thinking well, I really wanted to do that again." Ron grinned, "you know you didn't have to ask." He said before grabbing her and kissing her. They broke apart, both of them smiling, "So, we're together now." She grinned sheepishly. "How do you think your mum's going to react?" Ron groaned. "Oh dear, she's going to go crazy..."
Mrs Weasley squealed in delight. "Oh Hermione, Ron, I always knew you two would end up together!" she cried. She'd been doing that a lot lately, crying. But this time it was tears of happiness when her youngest son had finally found a suitable girlfriend. "About time you two." Harry grinned. Hermione went red and Ron went redder, damn Weasley blush he thought.
By the time the two of them were alone again, it had started to get dark. Hermione was at the top of the Astronomy tower, watching the clouds crawl lazily across the sky. Ron crossed the room to sit down next to her. "Everyone's thinking about leaving tomorrow," he sighed, "right after the ceremony."
McGonagall had announced over lunch that they would hold a funeral for all those who had perished in the battle, before the families of the fallen could take home their loved ones, and bury them properly. She found his hand in the dark and squeezed it and Ron found it was all he needed. Just the touch of someone he loved to remind him he wasn't alone in this. Hermione let herself have a small smile, Ron looked cute when he was thinking hard.
They both sat in silence and watched as the moon cast an eerily light upon the castle grounds, and saw a bushy cat, probably Crookshanks Ron thought, chasing a small mouse across the grass. Hermione laughed softly as she was reminded of the time in third year, when her and Ron had been mad at each other over Crookshanks and Scabbers the rat, who eventually turned out to be Peter Pettigrew, the Potter's secret keeper, and the one who sold out the Potters to Voldermort- she shuddered involuntarily and Ron hugged her close- by letting him in on the secret. Lost in her train of thought, Hermione did not notice the time until Ron shook her gently. "We should go back to the common room." He said and she obliged sleepily.
By the time they had reached the fat lady, Hermione was resting her head on Ron's shoulder, very worn out by the day, sleep washing over her like a wave. Ron of course, couldn't go into the girl's dorm and by this time, Hermione was flat out asleep and nothing Ron did could wake her up. So he put her in his own bed, deciding to sleep in Dean's, who had left the night before.
The Weather the next day, was perfect. Everybody had gathered round the black lake, the same place they had held the funeral for Dumbledore. Apart from the occasional weeping from a distressed family member, the crowd was silent. McGonagall stood up, and started to speak. " Today we have come to morn those who died saving Hogwarts, Today-" Hermione squeezed Ron's hand and they shared a smile. Mrs Weasley was weeping freely while Mr Weasley comforted her."- They did not die in vain," Professor McGonagall continued, " they died so that we may live, and today we honour that."
The centaurs had come out of the forest, like they did when Dumbledore had died, to give tribute to those who had died. The sky rained with arrows, but those who had been there at Dumbledore's funeral did not jump out of their seats this time, instead they welcomed the exchange between man and centaur. After that, a couple of people said a few words, including Kingsley Shacklebolt, who had been voted in a minster for magic.
The atmosphere was subdued and sombre and Harry, Ron and Hermione couldn't wait to get back to the Burrow to enjoy Mrs Weasley's home cooking. By the time they got back to the Burrow, Mr and Mrs Weasley were arranging Fred's funeral, and she kept bursting into tears over dinner. It was heartbreaking for all the Weasley's, and anyone who knew Fred. George only came down for food, preferring to stay in his room all day otherwise.
Hermione found Ron sitting in the shade of an apple tree, flicking his wand around randomly, and making the leaves go from green to purple to blue and back to green again. "How are you feeling?" she asked tentatively, Ron looked at her and sighed, "Fred's dead, he was the most alive of us all, and he's dead. Any time I yelled at him, got mad at him, I regret now. Its destroying mum and dad, to be planning his funeral, they should be planning his wedding, his birthday party." Tears that Ron had held back started to fall down his face. Hermione hugged him and Ron sobbed into her shoulder. "I'm sorry." He said, "For what? Your brother is gone, of course you have reason to cry." Hermione told him, "You're allowed to be sad."
The funeral was a quiet affair. The Weasley family gathered round Fred's grave, Auntie Muriel was there but for once even she had nothing to say. The priest spoke in his deep mournful voice, and everyone looked everywhere but the coffin. Tears streamed silently down George's face, but cascaded from Mrs Weasley's. Ron held Hermione tight like she was his anchor, to stop him from floating away into nothingness. The old Gryffindor quiddich team, the original team Harry had known in his first year, had come by to pay their respects to the fallen beater.
It took a couple of months for life at the Burrow to begin to feel like normal again. There weren't as many tears as before.
But for Hermione, that's when the nightmares started.
Oh I am naughty… always leaving off on a cliff-hanger… so tell me… Did it suck or was it okay? Did I totally blow it or you thought it was alright? Because it's hard to tell with your own writing, so review review! Are the chapters too long? Because even my assignments for school are only 500 words…