Chapter 7

Darkness falls

I found my parents waiting for me on the Muggle side of platform 9 and ¾. After six years of me attending Hogwarts, neither of them had the courage to walk through the barrier. I threw myself into theirs arms and hugged them tightly.

"How was school?" my mother asked.

"As crazy as ever" I sighed to her.

"We got a letter about your headmaster" my dad mentioned as we walked to the car.

I nodded so he knew that I had heard him, but I didn't say anything. Dumbledore's death was still fresh in ours minds and it still pained us to think about never seeing our beloved Professor again.

"Do you wanna talk about it sweetie?" mum said as she hugged me again.

"Not just yet" I told them.

They knew me well; they were my parents after all, so they knew that when I was comfortable enough I would talk to them about it. They didn't press the issue after that.

The ride home wasn't an awful long one, but when you have so many things going on in your head at once it made the car ride feel like an eternity. When we got home dad helped me carry my trunk up to my room and mum helped me unpack my things. Although putting my things away was a little pointless since I was going to repack another bag shortly, but I wasn't going to tell my parents that, then they would definitely know something was up.

Once everything was unpacked, my mum and I got started on dinner. We had just sat down to eat when Errol, Mr. Weasley's owl cam tumbling through our back door. I hurried over to help him up and took the letter from his leg.

"That's one thing I'll never get used to" my mum chuckled lightly.

"I know what you mean" dad agreed.

I smiled at my parents, they still didn't understand why wizards just didn't use the ordinary post to send mail, and I tried explaining to them that owls were faster and in some cases more reliable, but they still didn't get it.

I turned back to the letter and saw it was Mrs. Weasley's hand writing. I opened it up and read it to myself at first; I didn't want to read it out to my parents if it was bad news.

Hello dear

I know you probably just got home, but I wasn't sure if Ron mentioned Bill's wedding this summer. He was supposed to invite you to stay with us for it, but knowing Ron I'm sure he forgot.

Just send your reply back with Errol Dear and feel free to come whenever you feel like, your always welcome.

Love Molly

I smiled at Mrs. Weasley; she didn't give Ron enough credit sometimes. I grabbed some paper off the bench in the kitchen and jotted down my reply, I didn't want to keep Errol waiting any longer.

Hi Mrs. Weasley

Yes Ron did mention the up coming wedding and I would love to come and celebrate this happy occasion with your family.

I just have to do something's at home and then I will head to the burrow via the flu system. I should be there by the end of the month.

See you soon

Love Kim

I attached the letter securely to Errol and took him outside so he didn't hit any walls. When I came back in my parents were watching me very closely.

"It was Mrs. Weasley checking if I was still coming to the wedding" I explained.

I had told my parents about the wedding on the car ride home. I told them they were more than welcome to go, but they happily declined. They knew the Weasley's, but that's where their knowledge of what wizards was like stopped. I didn't push them because I didn't want them to feel uncomfortable.

We went back and finished dinner before heading into the living room to relax. I knew I had to tell my parents that's times weren't safe for them anymore, but I didn't know how I was going to put it delicately.

I waited until they were both content and relaxed before I struck up the conversation.

"Mum, dad do you think we could talk about something?" I asked.

Dad raised an eyebrow curiously, but nodded yes so I continued.

"I was wondering if you two would consider going and visiting Aunt Sue and Uncle Garry in America for a few months" I said rather quickly.

"And why would we do that?" dad asked.

"Well the thing is, things are about to get very dangerous in the Wizarding world, especially for families like ours" I explained.

"Why is that?" mum asked this time.

"There is an evil wizard who is almost invincible and his powers are getting stronger. He was the one that killed Harry's parents and he doesn't like wizards and witches born to non magical parents" I went on.

I had told my parents many years ago about what had happened to Harry's parents and how he survived. They had felt so horrible about it that they even offered for him to come and stay with us over the summer, but Dumbledore insisted that harry go back to his Aunt and Uncle.

"So if were over in America, where will you be?"

"I was going to stay with the Weasley's until school and when school is over coming to find you" I said.

I knew I was leaving out the part about going in search for the Horcruxes so we could destroy them and ultimately destroy Voldemort, but they didn't need to know that much.

My parents looked at each other quietly. I knew they were thinking about what I had told them and I expected them to go against everything and just stay. If that was the case then I was going to have to take Hermione's option and erase there memories of me and send them somewhere knew and I really didn't want it to come to that option.

"I suppose if it's for our safety we don't really have a choice do us" mum sighed lightly.

"I'll call Sue and see if she'd like a visit then" dad nodded and walked over to the phone.

I moved and sat next to my mum. I hugged her never wanting to let go. I hated the feeling of leaving her, but I knew she'd be safer this way.

"I know there is more to this then you are telling us" she whispered so dad couldn't hear.

"I can't tell you though" I whispered my reply.

She nodded and I released her from my hug. About half an hour later we heard dad hang up the phone and walked back over to us. He sat back down in his seat and smiled.

"Sue said she'd love to have us and wants us to come as soon as we want"

I smiled happily at him. I knew they would be safer out of the country.

"So we should start packing in the morning" mum said standing up and stretching.

We headed off to bed after that. In the morning after breakfast my parents began their packing. And by the end of the week I was hugging them goodbye as they boarded their plane to the other side of the world.

I was sad, but relieved to see them go. I would miss them so much, but this was the safest thing for them. When it was safe to do so, I apparated home and began my own packing.

The house was so quiet that it had become a little eerie. I found myself leaving the TV on or the radio so that there was some kind of noise round me.

I felt like I had packed my bag and unpacked it again a hundred times, but I still felt like I couldn't fit in all the important things we might need.

I was about to throw the bag at the wall when I heard a 'pop' from down stairs. I grabbed my wand and tried to sneak down and see who or what it was. I could just make out a figure in the dark when I reached the top of the stairs.

"Kim?" it called out in a loud whisper.

That wasn't a voice I had expected to hear at all. I had no idea what would bring her here looking for me.

"Hermione?" I said a little louder.

"Lumos" she said and shown the light towards me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her lowering my wand.

"I came to see if you needed help with your parents or packing" she explained.

"Thanks, but my parents are already gone" I told her, "but packing is driving me nuts".

She followed me up the stairs to my room to see if she could help me with my bag. I noticed that all she had with her was a small backpack and a small clutch purse.

She noticed me looking at her confused and explained what she had done.

"I've bewitched the clutch so it can fit everything that I thought we might need, I could do it for your backpack if you like" she suggested.

"Thanks that would be great" I handed her my bag.

When she had done her magic she handed the bag back. It was no longer bulging out the sides with things like it had been earlier.

"Why the change of heart towards me?" I asked her seriously.

I thought it was a little weird that she had gone from practically hating my guts to actually offering me help with things. I didn't even think that she wanted me to come with them on this mission.

"well, I figured we need all the help and ideas we can get and I know you are pretty bright when you put your mind to it, not to mention Harry pointed out that I might have been a bit harsh about the Ron thing" she explained.

"Really?" I asked unsure if what she was telling me was true.

"It doesn't mean that I like you though" she added.

I nodded and smiled. I knew not everything had changed there. Once we were sure we had all the things we would need, the two of us headed for bed. I offered Hermione the spare room we had which she accepted the moment I said it had its own bathroom. I knew that was something both of us were going to miss once we were on this journey.

The next day we headed off to the Burrow. We used the fire place in my living room and some flu powder I had bought the last time we were at Hogsmeade. Hermione went first and when the green flames had died down I stood in the fireplace. I felt the odd pull behind my naval and before I knew it I was falling out of the fireplace at the Burrow.

"Mum Hermione and Kim are here!" Ginny yelled for her mother.

She hugged both of us as if she hadn't seen us in years. Mrs. Weasley's head appeared in the door way to the living room. She smiled happily when she saw us.

"Girls it's good to see you!" she hugged us as well.

"It's good to see you too" I replied.

"Ginny will help you take your things upstairs, you girls are sharing with Ginny and Fleur" Mrs. Weasley told us.

I shot Ginny a confused look and she rolled her eyes. I knew she was going to complain about her later when Fleur and Mrs. Weasley were out of ear shot.

Ginny lead us up to her room. There were four beds crammed into the small room. Hermione and I put our stuff down on our beds and sat down with Ginny.

"She is absolutely driving me nuts, the twins have started calling her Phlegm because that's the feeling they get when she is around!" she whined.

"She can't really be that bad can she?" Hermione dared to ask.

Ginny glared at her for not believing and called for the twins to come to her room. Fred and George apparated into the room within seconds of Ginny's yell.

"What's the matter little sister?" George asked.

"Is Phlegm at it again?" Fred added.

"See what I mean" she smirked at Hermione.

I laughed at them a little too loudly. The twins turned around not realizing that Hermione and I were even there.

"Hey it's brainy and short stuff" Fred said as he came over to hug us.

"Both looking well of course" George hugged us as well.

Ginny told them about Hermione not understanding the Fleur issue they were having. The boys told us about the tension between fleur and Mrs. Weasley over everything.

The five of us sat in the room talking about what had been happening with all the wedding plans and the things happening in the wizarding world.

We were beginning to get a little carried away, when there was a knock on Ginny's door. Fleur stuck her head in.

"Dinner iz almozt ready" she told us in her strong accent.

"Ok we're coming" Ginny replied.

Ginny and Hermione walked ahead, following Fleur down to the kitchen. I was about to follow them when Fred grabbed my arm.

"Can we talk to you for a sec?" he asked.

"Sure what's up?" I replied.

"Its about Ron, he told us about what happened with you two at school" he explained.

"we don't condone how our brother went about things, but do you think you could give him a shot, he has like you for as long as we can remember" George continued.

"Let me think about It, ok?" I told them.

The truth was I hadn't stopped thinking about it since the break began. It was all I could think about, I wanted so much for there to be an us when it came to Ron and I, but I guess I was just scared.

The two boys nodded and proceeded to push me out of Ginny's room and down to the kitchen. We laughed the whole way down making everyone look as us weirdly.

I sat down between Ginny and Fleur, Ginny looked like she was ready to stab her with her fork and I couldn't let that happen. She smiled at me and whispered a thank you.

We ate dinner and chatted about happier things. Apparently Mrs. had brought in a nothing but happy talk at dinner time rule since everyone had been home. I didn't blame her; the things that were happening around us were not pleasant at all.

I hadn't even noticed Ron sitting across from me. He hadn't said a word the whole time Hermione and I had been there that I was starting to think he wasn't there at all. I smiled at him over the table and he smiled back, but still didn't say anything. Maybe the twins were right; maybe I needed to have a talk to Ron.

That was all well and good, but Mrs. Weasley didn't really give us a chance to talk to each other. After dinner she ushered us off to bed and then in the morning we were put to work cleaning up the house to get it ready for when the wedding guests arrived.

About a week out from the wedding I still hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Ron. The order was collecting Harry from his Aunt and Uncle's house that night so I knew that I would be able to talk to him tonight.

Everyone was off on this mission except for Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and myself. I was angry that I wasn't allowed to go and help and that slime ball Mudungus Fletcher was allowed to go.

All we could do was sit, wait and worry for them to come home. The plan was that they were going to have some of the others to take some polyjuice potion and there would be seven Harry's. Each of the Harry's was going to be paired up with someone from the order and the pairs were going to be travelling by means that couldn't be tracked by the ministry. Some would travel by Thestrals, others by brooms and Hagrid who had the real Harry would be using Sirius's flying motorcycle.

Ginny and I sat in the kitchen and waited quietly, while Mrs. Weasley busied herself cooking so she was distracted. Time seemed to tick by so slowly it was almost unbearable. We waited and waited then finally we heard a loud rumble. The three of us ran outside to see Hagrid land the motorcycle roughly. He and Harry got out and ran over.

Ginny and I threw our arms around Harry and hugged him afraid if we let go he would vanish. Only minutes later Lupin appeared with his wand raised at Hagrid. Only when he knew it was the real Hagrid did he lower his wand. Then one by one the other pairs appeared.

George came in covered in blood; He was so pale we all froze. They carried him inside and put him down on the couch. Mrs. Weasley fussed over George; it was his ear it appeared to have been taken off by a curse.

Fred's face was almost as pale as George's when he saw his brother. He knelt beside his injured brother.

"Look Fred I'm holy" George managed to say to his brother.

"What did you say?" Fred asked.

George pointed at his ear and repeated his sentence again.

"See I'm holy" he said again.

"Of all the ear related humor, you chose holy" Fred chuckled.

We left Mrs. Weasley to tend to her fallen son and moved into the Kitchen. The mood was beyond tense in the tiny kitchen.

"Mad eye is dead" Kingsley Shacklebolt told us, "Mudungus took one look at the you know who and apparated".

I couldn't believe what I had heard, I knew Mudungus was a know good slime ball, but I didn't think he would sink that low.

"They new we were moving him tonight" Mr. Weasley pointed out.

Before they started going further into details we were all sent upstairs and out of ear shot. We all trudged up the stairs a little hurt that they still didn't trust us enough to let us in on what they were talking about.

Ginny and I went straight to bed, while Harry, Ron and Hermione sat up in Ron's room talking about what had happened. I wanted to know what had happened, but right now I just wanted to sleep.

In the morning we were greeted by a visitor we had not expected to see. During the middle of breakfast we were joined by the minister of Magic himself. He sat down with Harry, Ron, Hermione and I in the living room. He pulled out a piece of parchment and held it in front of us.

"I have here the final will of Albus Dumbledore", he stated.

"really?" I asked.

"yes he has left you all something".

He unfolded the parchment and began to read its contents out to us.

"to Mr. Ronald Bilius Weasley, I here by leave my deluminator".

The minister handed Ron the deluminator and watched him very carefully as Ron used it to put out the candle on the table and then re light it again.

"wicked" Ron muttered.

"to Miss Hermione Jane Granger, I here by leave my copy of 'the tale of Beedle and Bard'" he handed Hermione the book.

She flicked through the pages briefly and then placed it into her lap neatly. Again The minister watched her like a Hawk.

"To Miss Kimberley Sue Wilson, I leave my phoenix Falk's" he continued.

"wow" was all I managed as Falk's appeared on the window sill.

I hadn't expected Dumbledore to leave me anything let alone his Phoenix. I really didn't know what else to say.

"and to Mr. Harry James Potter, I leave the golden snitch he captured in his first Quidditch match", the minister handed Harry the snitch.

Harry examined it carefully and placed it into his pocket. We all then turned back to the Minister of Magic waiting or him to go on.

"he also left you the sword of Godric Gryffindor, but as it was not his to give I am unable to hand it over today" he finished.

"what?" I asked.

"Harry pulled the sword out of the sorting Hat back in the second year, the sword chose him" Hermione pointed out.

"Not quite Miss Granger, the sword of Godric Gryffindor will appear to any true Gryffindor when it Is needed, not just Mr. potter" He went on.

He starred at us seriously for a moment before he spoke again.

"So why do you believe that Dumbledore left you four these particular things?" he asked.

"Because he liked us?" I suggested.

I don't think any of us knew why Dumbledore had given us these things, but we did know why he chose us. We knew it was something to do with this mission, but we weren't going to tell him that.

"We really don't know" Harry told him.

He could see that he wasn't going to get anything out of us, so he stood up and bid us farewell. He spoke to Mr. Weasley briefly before apparating.

Once he was gone, Mrs. Weasley sent us a back to work. Before we knew it Fleur's family had arrived. Mrs. Weasley had her parents set up in Percy's old room and her sister was in with us, which made the room even squishier.

The day of the wedding came faster than any of us had expected. Ginny, Hermione and I watched the boys setting up the tent while we were getting ready. Ginny had chosen a black and white dress that sat just above the knees, with matching heels and wore her hair straight and down. Hermione wore a red dress that flowed down, with small sleeves. Ginny managed to unfrizz her hair so it curled up nicely. I on the other had had picked out a blue dress that had glittery thread through it. I pulled my hair up half way and curled the bottom layer.

Out the window when the tent was finally up and the boys were inside getting ready, we watched as One by one the guests started arriving. Most of them apparated, but some chose to come by broom and flu powder.

The ceremony was beautiful and it had both Fleur's mother and Mrs. Weasley in tears. I sat towards the back with Harry, who had taken some polyjuice potion to make him look like a Muggle boy from a near by town. The order didn't think that it would be safe for Harry to be there as himself.

After the ceremony the guests began eating and dancing and having an all round good time. I went inside and changed from my heels into some flats that were far more comfortable. When I walked back outside I found Harry sitting by himself at one of the tables. I sat down beside him and looked over to where he was staring.

He had been watching Ginny dancing with Bill. I could see the longing in his eyes. It was hard to miss how much Harry felt for Ginny.

My eyes moved from Ginny and Bill over to where Hermione and Ron were dancing. They laughed with each other so easily and looked like they were having such a good time.

"It's hard to sit back and watch when all you wanna do is go to them" he said bluntly to me.

I nodded in reply; I did know exactly how he felt. We sat there for a few more moments just watching the celebrations.

"Why don't you ask her to dance?" I suggested to him, "It may be the last chance you get for a while".

"I could say the same thing to you" he replied.

Ron turned to look at us; I figured he was probably checking to see if Harry was still ok. His eyes grew wide when they met my own. It was like he had never seen me before. I knew we hadn't seen each other all day before the wedding, but I didn't think it would be that much of a shock to him.

He said something to Hermione and they both walked over and sat down.

"Do you wanna dance?" He asked me holding out his hand.

It was the first thing he had really said to me and with all of the chores Mrs. Weasley had us doing over the last couple of weeks, we really hadn't had a chance to talk.

"Sure" I smiled taking his out stretched hand.

He pulled me out onto the dance floor as a slower song came on. I wasn't a very good dancer; I spent the whole time trying to remember the lessons professor Magonagall had given us back in the fourth year.

"Have you heard anything from your parents?" he asked as we danced.

"Nothing yet. I sent them an owl the other day, but they know it's not safe for mail" I explained.

"You look amazing" he said.

I watched as his ears turned that familiar shade of pink. I smiled and felt my own cheeks reddening under his gaze.

"Thanks, you look very handsome as well" I told him.

We continued dancing as the song changed into the next. I noticed Hermione pushing Harry towards Ginny, trying to get him to dance with her.

"I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you about how I felt" Ron said not looking directly at me.

"Its ok, I wasn't honest about how felt about you either" I replied.

I don't know what possessed me to do what I did, but before I could think about it properly, I had grabbed a hold of the front of Ron's shirt and pulled his lips down to my own.

I kissed him like we had kissed under the mistletoe at Christmas only this time I didn't have that little voice at the back of my mind telling me it was wrong. No this time that little voice was cheering me on.

Ron seemed a little shocked at first, but it didn't take him long before he was kissing me back.

We probably would have stayed like that a lot longer if it wasn't for the Patronus that grabbed everyone's attention.

It appeared in the middle of the tent with a message to all the guests at the wedding.

"The ministry has fallen. The minister of Magic is dead. Their coming".

Everybody began to panic. People were apparating out of the tent everywhere. There was a loud bang and people began to scream. Someone was sending curses flying all over the place.

Ron grabbed a hold of my hand and held it tightly as he pulled me in search of Harry and Hermione. The moment we had found them Hermione grabbed on to Ron and apparated us out of there.

This was definitely the beginning of something terrible.