A/N: This first part is Ron's point of view. When you get to the XxxX, it's back to Harry's. JSYK (just so you know)
Chapter 4: And If You Do This
"Where could he have gone?" asked Ron nervously. They had looked all over the school and were now standing on the opposite side of the lake, farthest from the school.
"Oh, I am so stupid!" cried Hermione suddenly, slapping her hand to her forehead. "We can get the Marauder's Map from Harry!"
"Yeah, well we'll have to find Harry first."
"He's over there with Ginny," she said simply, pointing to a tree on the other side of the lake. Ron looked where she was pointing and saw his little sister and Harry sitting at the foot of the tree. She had her head on his chest and he was holding her close; He was resting his head on her's. Ron could feel his ears going red with anger. Hermione must have noticed.
"Ron, they're in love. You'll get used to it... eventually," she said as they made their way around the lake.
"She's my sister...messing her around...I'll kill him," he mumbled.
"Oh, come on Ron. Look, if I do this-" She kissed him and he felt himself grin. "Exactly. You don't mind in the slightest if we kiss, but it's a crime for Ginny and Harry, who had to spend a year apart, to kiss?" When he said nothing she rolled her eyes and pulled him over to the beech tree. Harry's head shot up when Hermione whispered his name.
"Have you found George?" he asked. Ginny lifted her head up. Her face was wet with tears.
"What'd you do-" he started, but Ginny cut across him.
"He hasn't hurt me Ron," she said sharply.
"Have you found George?" Harry asked again.
"No not yet," he said quietly.
"Could we borrow the Marauder's Map Harry?" asked Hermione.
"Er- sure. I'm not sure where it is... Accio Marauder's Map!" he said as he raised his wand. The map zoomed out of the Gryffindor tower. "Here," he said, holding it out to Ron, who took it, tapped it with his wand and said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." The map appeared on the parchment. He scanned it for George's name. He finally found George's dot walking up and down a corridor on the seventh floor. Suddenly, after the third time down the hall, his dot vanished.
"He's gone into the Room of Requirement," said Hermione. "Let's go."
Ron saw Harry and Ginny start talking as they left.
When they got to the corridor where the Room of Requirement was Hermione walked up and down the corridor three times. On the third time, she smiled. Ron then noticed a door appearing on the wall. She opened the door and he followed her in. It looked nothing like it had the last time they had been inside it. There were rows upon rows of drinks. Some alcoholic, others not. They crept down the closest aisle and when they reached the end there was a large matress in the center of the floor. George was sitting on it, looking out of a window that revealed the grounds. It must have been one if the things the room gave George, for Ron had never seen a window in the room before.
"Get out," he said harshly when he noticed Ron and Hermione.
"No," said Ron firmly. "I'm not that thick." There was a long silence, but it was suddenly broken by George.
"It's like a part of me is gone," he said. "It's always been the two of us. I don't know what I'm going to do without him."
"You'll... live," said Hermione timidly. George looked at her incredulously. "You'll keep up with the shop, look out for your family, find a wife, and you'll always have him with you. He would want you to live your life normally... happily." Ron sat down next to George and patted him on the back.
"I know it'll be hard, we're all hurting... and we've got each other..."
"Easier said than done," said George flatly.
XxxxX
"So..." said Harry as he watched Ron and Hermione leave. "At breakfast when you're mum was talking about school... Want to tell me what you were going to say when she interrupted you?"
"Not particularly, no." She smirked and went on. "Fine. I don't want to go back to school." Harry raised his eyebrows.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. I can't go back here. Too much has happened. I'm not going to be able to walk down those hallways every day and see place after place where people I knew died... I can't do it."
"I'm sure your mum will understand."
"But she won't. I'm always going to be a baby to her. Her little baby girl... who in her mind has to finish her education... even if a huge battle happened at the school just months before."
"When are you going to tell her?"
"You don't mind I'm not going back to school?"
"It's your decision. And even if I did disagree, I don't think that would stop you."
Ginny smiled.
"I'll tell her when we get back to the Burrow. I'd rather not have a row with her here."
Harry yawned.
"I'm still exausted..."
"I know how you feel..."
And even though it wasn't the most comfortable spot, Harry soon fell asleep. Ginny rested her head on his chest and fell asleep, too.
Phew! Finally got a new chapter up. Well since it's my birthday tomorrow I'm in a really good mood. So a new chapter could possibly be up tonight. Now go on, click the purple button (: