A/N: Howdy Ho! First off did you review? DO IT! For those that did review : Welcome back to another installment of *trumpets blaring*: 'Live, Laugh, Love'! Really I have nothing to say so I'm going to turn it over to my collaborator if she wishes to say anything…
Oh, before I forget… I need some names for a guy that Hermione will work with. Something Clever and Smart sounding (Ron needs to feel threatened). Top choice is Edward Cullen, and later gets murdered by death eaters… teehee: D JK.
Disclaimer: I did not write the Harry Potter series. J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series. Thus, I'm not J.K. Rowling. (How'd you like my syllogism?)
In Booming Narrator's Voice: When we last left our beloved characters: "You know," George started, "It looked more as though they were eating each other…"
The clan, finally back home, for the first time in what seemed like years, split up and scattered themselves around the Burrow before lunch.
Mr. Weasley sat in the living room, busying himself with yet another muggle contraption; Charlie and Ron played chess. Hermione, who was seated next to Ron, talked and caught up with Ginny. Bill sat in a corner, his arms rocking a crying Fluer. George had disappeared to his room the moment they arrived home. Mrs. Weasley bustled around in the kitchen, working on lunch. Harry sat at the base of the stairs observing the interactions of the Weasleys and Hermione.
Mr. Weasley occaisionally looked up from his toaster to check on his kids. Bill wiped a rolling tear away with a finger before tenderly kissing his wife on the cheek. She looked at him as he whispered some inaudible words and smiled weakly. Charlie concentrated on the game while Ron looked vaguely distracted by the fact that Hermione was sitting next to him.
"What will she say about last night? What are we now? Still friends? Does she regret kissing me?" Ron thought as he absent-mindedly told a knight to move two spaces, diagonally.
"Ron you can't do that," Charlie said bringing his brother back momentarily.
"Oh, sorry," he said ordering the bishop to complete the move. He felt a warm hand on his, that rested on the couch. Ron's eyes widened and he tensed up, realizing it was Hermione's. Almost in the same moment he relaxed, relieved of his worry. Charlie ordered his queen to take out the bishop. Ron moved a pawn diagonal to an empty space.
"Ron, pay attention to what you're doing or don't play at all," Charlie said angrily.
"Shut up," Ron grumbled re-doing his play.
"Don't tell me to 'shut up' you're the one not playing right! Com'on! You've played for years! Why all of a sudden and you screwing around? It's like you don't know what you're doing!"
A pot clattered in the kitchen temporarily drowning them out as they yelled at each other, both standing up.
"Fine! You win! I quit!" Ron yelled heatedly, stomping off.
"OH! So you're just gonna leave? You're such a baby! You go off and pout just like you when you were two! You gave up when we played quidditch just two summers ago! You gave up and left Harry and Hermioneon their own! Typical!" he yelled after his brother, beginning to sit down on the couch in frustration. Ron spun around abruptly before drawing his wand and yelling, "LEVICORPUS!"
Without warning, Charlie was lifted into the air by his ankle. His other leg caught on the coffee table, tipping it, causing chess pieces to fly across the room. By this time, everyone in the room was silently watching as Ron stood, his wand still pointing at Charlie, panting with anger. Charlie was flailing his arms in desperation to get down.
"Ronald Billius Weasley! You put your brother down this instant!" Mrs. Weasley order from the kitchen doorway with a dish towel in her hands.
Charlie dropped. He fell to the floor, his head hitting the couch and rebounding into the over-turned table's leg.
"OW!"
Charlie clumsily stood holding his forehead. When he finally removed his hand, the upside down L-shape of the table leg was imprinted in red on his brow.
"Charlie, come into the kitchen so I can take a look at you," she said motioning her second eldest over to her. "I'll deal with you momentarily," she said glaring at Ron. George had begun to come down the stairs as Charlie passed.
"Why do you look like Harry?" he asked. Charlie glared fiercely at him. Ron, meanwhile stormed out of the Burrow into the garden, kicking a gnome in anger.
Both Harry and Hermione stood. Hermione looked at Harry, silently communicating with him. He sat back down and Hermione followed Ron to the garden.
Suddenly a metal thwang sounded from a corner of the living room, breaking the awkward silence. Mr. Weasley sat with an excited expression while staring at the cold, moldy, burnt toast sitting in the toaster. All eyes on him going unnoticed, Mr. Weasley slowly pushed the black plastic tab down and the toast with it. He let go half way then releasing it and letting it spring up before repeating the action. He grabbed the toast, sniffed it, and opened his mouth.
"Mr. Weasley! Wait!" Harry stood up and rushed over grabbing the toast and throwing it out the open window. He entered the kitchen where Charlie sat on the counter being babied by his mother. After taking two slices of bread he popped them into the toaster, whispering an energy spell with his wand touching the cord. The coils came alive, turning bright orange. Mr. Weasley watched the top of the toaster only stopping to observe the rest when his face got too hot. A couple minutes later the bread, browned on both sides, popped up. Harry buttered it before handing it to Mr. Weasley.
"It tastes like toast," he observed.
"It is toast, Mr. Weasley," harry responded. He turned to harry, wide eyed.
"Muggles have toast?"
"Yeah. The coils heat up powered by electricity, browning the bread."
Mr. Weasley frowned in confusion.
"You know the energy that powers light bulbs? The same energy powers this. It heats the orange things and makes toast."
"Ooooooh! Brilliant minds muggles have."
Hermione trotted through the flower garden, finding Ron sitting, with his back to her, on a stone bench. She quietly sat down next to him, facing the other direction, her hands in her lap. She watched him silently.
"Ron?"
"Don't."
"Don't what? Don't try and talk to you? Don't try to understand how you're felling? I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong."
"Not now 'Mione," he said, turning away a bit.
"I know you feel guilty about leaving," she paused waiting to see if he would respond before continuing. "Harry and I forgive you. You came back. You fought alongside us. You've earned our forgiveness five times over. You need to forgive yourself."
"I can't Hermione. It's all my fault. We wouldn't have been caught if it weren't for me. It's my fault Bellatrix hurt you and I can't forgive myself for letting harm come to you," he said. His voice saddened and became softer. "It hurt me, more than you know, to hear you scream and I could come save you. It felt as though someone had ripped my heart out and directly torturing it the Cruciatus Curse. And now I don't know how to ease the hurting you still have. You have a scar, and not the one on your neck,that still pains you. I can't heal that pain with a potion or by whispering a spell. Something inside is hurting and there's absolutely nothing I can do."
Hermione's expression softened greatly. She sighed.
"Ron I don't blame you. I never have, and I never will," she paused. "Look at me Ronald," she said sternly. Ron, who had been slowly closing her out, obeyed, attempting to look in her dark brown eyes, quickly looking down off to the side. Hermione put a hand on each cheek, forcing him to look at her. Ron felt the warmth emanating from her hands.
"It's not your fault; none of it. Please don't take the weight of the world on your shoulders, Ron. We did what we had to. Put it behind you and look ahead to what could be, not what has been. Forgive yourself: If not for your own sake, then for mine. I can't see you hurting like this. I chose to get into this. I knew there was that chance, but I did it anyway. If anyone should take the blame then it should be me."
"But it's not your fault you were hurt like you were."
"It's not yours either."
Ron dropped his gazed and sighed. Hermione understood that he, deep in his heart, had agreed with her.
"Not that he'll admit it," she thought.
"I won't blame myself, if you'll stop getting hurt," Ron bargained looking back into her eyes. She looked deep into his warm grey-blue eyes. Almost instantly she felt as though she were floating in a cool, calm ocean on a hot summer day. Without another thought she leaned in and kissed him lightly, for the second time in 24 hours.
"Deal," she whispered, resting her forehead on his with her eyes closed.
"Oi!" Harry interrupted from the back door, "Lunch is on!"
The two stood and walked, hand-in-hand, to the Burrow. They entered the dining room where everyone sat, waiting for them at the table. They sat across from Harry and Ginny, in the remaining chairs. As Ron sat down next to Charlie everyone began serving themselves, including Ron.
In the midst of helping himself to a heap of mashed potatoes he said, "Sorry, Charlie. I over-reacted," before shoveling a spoonful into his mouth. Everyone in the vicinity stopped and stared.
"What?" he asked noticing a moment later.
"Apology accepted," Charlie answered, and Ron continued eating. They continued to stare. Ron for the first time had not demanded an apology back. Ginny turned and looked at Hermione questioningly, who simply shrugged her shoulders.
The meal continued as usual and they quickly cleaned up before they dispersed once more. Hermione and Ginny went to their room to prepare it for Aunt Muriel's arrival in the morning. Ron and Harry went to the garden to pick tomatoes; Bill and Fleur went home. Charlie had taken over Ron and Harry's bedroom so the two, after finishing picking tomatoes, set up Bill's tent. After dinner Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione made their way to the tent to relax in peace.
They all collapsed on the couches almost immediately. Ron in a tired voice asked, "'Mione? When are we gonna go get your parents from Austrailia?" He sat up. "I mean we can't leave them forever can we?"
"Ronald, I can't make you guys come with me. I sent them away and I will get them back. I can't put you through anymore trouble."
"Hermione you're not going this alone. We have always been there for you and always will be," Harry said. Feeling defeated, though still determined to have her own way, she restrained from arguing further.
"We had better all get to bed," Ginny said. "Aunt Muriel is going to work us like dogs tomorrow."
She stood and walked past the kitchen to the back of the tent where two bunk beds were, ready for Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione to wrap themselves in their covers and fall fast asleep. The trio followed her and they all prepped for the night's rest.
"I call the top!" yelled Ron as he childishly scrambled up the ladder. Ginny raised her eyebrows and was about to say something but Harry stopped her. After doing so he grabbed a blanket and lay down in the bunk below Ron. Hermione and Ginny also climbed into bed and soon fell asleep. Ron lay awake for a minute before rolling over and falling asleep.
A/N: find out what happens next click the 'Review this Chapter' button post what you are thinking about and continue on to the next Chapter! So tell me how it was! TELL ME! REVIEW! Please… I would love you forever and dedicate a chapter to you… please…?