Chapter Three

Before they walked through the doorway, Hermione turned her head and looked towards Harry, "I hope he will be alright."

Ron looked at Harry kneeling in the dirt, "I'm sorry to say, but this isn't his first experience with death. He will do what he has been doing his whole life and carry on."

"I don't know how he does it. I don't think I would have lasted as long as he has without just giving up."

"You," Ron said surprised, "Giving up? I didn't think 'giving up' was part of your large vocabulary."

She smiled as they continued through the threshold and towards the couch.

They sat down on the couch and Ron added, "Even today. You were brilliant, you didn't tell B—her, the truth—"

"So what is the truth?" Bill asked from the bottom of the stairs. Fleur came up right behind him.

"Bill, you know we can't tell you." Ron said, getting annoyed that Bill kept asking him and that he interrupted him complimenting Hermione.

Bill shrugged, "It was worth the try. When this is all over I'm sure you'll tell us everything, right?"

Hermione and Ron looked at each other skeptically. First off, they don't even know if they will have the chance to do that. And then if they did make it out of this all in one piece, they didn't know if they would believe everything that happened.

Bill looked at them with raised eyebrows and then said, "Well, everyone now knows that you—" Bill looked straight at Ron and sat down in one of the armchairs—"are not home sick. So the concerned people at the Ministry are bound to try and get in contact with the family and check up on you."

"Sorry." Ron said, feeling guilty that he was going to cause even more trouble than necessary.

Bill shook his head, "Just be thankful that it happened now so we have a better chance of being prepared. Charlie came back from Romania not too long ago. Fred and George closed down the shop a while ago, so they're been at the Burrow. And we're—"Harry, looking sullen, walking through the door and everyone turned their head but looked back to Bill when he continued, "lucky that Ginny's on holiday. If she'd been at Hogwarts, they could have taken her before we reached her. Now we know she's safe too." Bill turned to Harry and explained, "I've been getting them all out of the Burrow. Moved them to Muriel's. The death eaters know Ron's with you now, they're bound to target the family—don't apologize. It was always a matter of time, Dad's been saying so for months. We're the biggest blood-traitor family there is."

Ron thought they could certainly win as award for that.

"How are they protected?" Harry asked.

"Fidelius Charm. Dad's Secret-Keeper. And we've done it on this cottage too;I'm Secret-Keeper here. None of us can go to work, but that's hardly the most important thing now. Once Ollivander and Griphook are well enough, we'll move them to Muriel's too. There isn't much room here, but she's got plenty. Griphook's legs are on the mend, Fleur's giving him Skele-Gro; we could probably move them in an hour or—"

"No, I need both of them here. I need to talk to them. It's important." Harry paused," I'm going to wash, then I'll need to see them straightaway."

Ron looked at Hermione for an answer, but she looked just as puzzled as he was. Oh well, we'll find out soon enough, Ron thought to himself. I'm usually the least informed one of the bunch.

"Okay then, I guess we will get Ollivander and Griphook set up for him." Bill looked at Fleur, who nodded, and they both got up and went upstairs.

Ron turned to Hermione, "Do you need anything? Are you hungry? Fleur made a quick batch of soup for the other. There should still be some left."

"That would be ncie."

Ron put his arm out, "Stay here, I'll get it."

"Okay." She smiled, took his outstretched hand, and gave it a light squeeze, "Thanks. For everything."

Ron felt his face burning from her sweet smile and how she was holding his hand. He squeezed back, "It's no problem."

He reluctantly let go of her hand and started walking towards the kitchen, saying to himself, "It's no problem at all."

The rest of the day sped as if Ron had rode his broom past it. He replayed some parts in his head while he tried to fall asleep: Harry asking the goblin to help them break into the Lestrange's vault, Hermione going a little overboard calling herself a mudblood, and finding out that Dumbledore himself had the Elder Wand and now You-Know-Who has it!

How on Earth were they going to break into Gringotts though…

Ron's thoughts were interrupted when he heard light footsteps coming down the stairs. It had to be one of the girls.

The footsteps came closer and then, a soft and airy voice said, "Ron?"

Ron opened his eyes and titled his head to the side, "What are you doing up Luna?"

"It's Hermione—"

Ron jumped up, "What is it! What's wrong! Did I put the dittany stuff on wrong, did her wounds open up!"

Harry sat up and looked at them, "What's the matter?"

Ron opened his mouth to speak, but Luna said, "Sorry to wake you Harry, I was sleepwalking and stepped on Ron. We were just sorting ourselves out."

"M'kay." Harry mumbled and laid back down.

Luna put her hands on Ron's arms and tried to restrain him, "Calm down. She's just having nightmares."

Ron gave a sigh of relief, "Oh."

"I've tried to comfort her, but when she falls back asleep she starts having a fit again. She keeps calling out for you, so I thought it best to bring you to her."

"Sure. Yeah, thanks for getting me."

Ron walked over to the staircase, but then realized Luna had never moved, "Aren't you coming?"

Oh no, I don't want to interfere." She said casually.

"Erm, well I'll try not to take long I guess."

"Don't worry about me, I'll find somewhere to go in the meantime."

"Luna, have I ever told you how great you are?"

"No." She simply replied.

"Oh. Well you are." Ron added and then continued up the stairs.