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Ron craned his neck over his shoulder, trying to get a good look at his back. There had been several gasps in the room after he had turned around, and now Ron wanted to know what all the fuss was about. He couldn't see what they were all staring at, but he could feel it…it was like some sort of cut slashed down his back, it's shape jagged like…

"It's a scar," Harry answered for his friend. "And it looks just like mine."

Harry fingered his own scar on his forehead as Ron whipped back around, astonished at the news. Understanding flooded his senses, he instantly knew what had happen. Still, he couldn't believe it. That would mean that she…that Hermione still… that maybe they could…

"What is that?" Lavender asked quietly, looking about the room to see if the others were as confused as she was. Not a one of them was; they all looked like they knew perfectly well why Ron had a near identical scar to Harry Potter's.

"How did you get that Ron? How were you able to survive that curse…did you do a shield charm?"

Lavender chewed worriedly on her lip. Ron sighed and pulled his shirt back on, quickly buttoning it back up.

"No, I didn't do a shield charm."

Ron seemed almost unable to go on, begging Lavender with his eyes to understand, to make the connection.

"I was willing to die for him," Hermione said then, uttering her first words since returning to the house. "It protected him. Just like Harry's mother was able to protect him with her love."

"Love?" Lavender said, as if not understanding the word. "You…you love him?"

All eyes were on Hermione then, but she didn't see any of them. She stared at Ron, in a way she hadn't allowed herself to look at him since he had first walked across the threshold of her cottage.

"Yes."

Her response was simple. She'd said the word plainly, it needing no embellishment. Yes, she loved Ron Weasley. It was the most obvious thing on Earth.

At her declaration, Ron let out the breath he had been holding and took a step toward Hermione. He was halted by Lavender, who put a hand on his arm to pause him. Ron looked back at her as if he had forgotten she was standing there.

"Ron?" Lavender searched him with her eyes, trying to make sense of what was going on.

"Listen," Hermione interrupted. Both Lavender and Ron whipped their heads to look at her at the sound of her voice. Hermione's tone was steady and she was using that matter of fact voice she brought out whenever she was trying to put her foot down. "Everyone is safe now and we can all go on just as we were…I realize I've sort of turned everybody's world upside down the last few days, but that was never my intention. And I don't have any expectations." She looked down as she said that last word.

"Our choices are our own," Hermione finished. "Nobody's life has to change because of this."

Hermione nodded to herself, almost like she was trying to convince herself of what she had just said. Ron looked at her like she had sprouted a second head. All they had gone through and she was still trying to pull this. Nobody's life has to change? Didn't she realize it already had?

"But you said you love him," Lavender said, her bottom lip trembling. She turned accusingly to Ron. "Is this…do you love her too, Ron?"

A collective silence hung in the air at the question. Lavender was looking up at him imploringly and Ron looked back at her, wishing there was some way to spare her this. Lavender was an innocent bystander in all of it, once again swept into the storyline of his and Hermione's tumultuous relationship. Ron shut his eyes for just a moment before opening them up again.

"Let's talk somewhere in private, okay?"

Lavender let Ron lead her away from the curious onlookers and into the kitchen. The kitchen door swung shut behind them.

"That'll be a fun conversation," George said, breaking them all from staring at the now closed door. His words brought the group back to its senses and activity resumed in the living room. Angelina and Audrey began tending to Percy and Charlie, who had some nasty scorch marks on their arms from a wayward hex. Harry sat down on a sofa, rubbing his temples. Ginny sat next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, relieved her fiancé had come out of yet another fight relatively unscathed. Molly walked over to the corner where Hermione still stood and motioned that she would take Rose, offering the young woman some help. Hermione started to protest, but Mrs. Weasley cut her off.

"You're going to need your arms free, dear."

Hermione stared at her, confusion written on her face. Mrs. Weasley just smiled back and took the child, her granddaughter, into her hands. Then, the door to the kitchen swung open and Ron walked back into the living room. Alone.

His gaze darted around the room, searching for something. When he landed on Hermione he gave her a determined look.

"Lavender's gone."

"Gone?"

Ron nodded at Hermione's question. Activity in the room paused once more as the family watched the scene before them, anxious to know what would happen next.

"She didn't need to leave, Ron," Hermione said quietly. This part was important, she needed him to understand this. "We've all received a glimpse of the future and that can be dangerous if you treat it like an edict. Your life is your own Ron."

Ron pushed two frustrated hands into his hair, running his palms over his scalp so that the hair became ruffled and messy. He shook his head as if to clear it and leaned forward a bit, resting his hands now on his thighs. His head hung down so Hermione couldn't see his face anymore, then he suddenly stood up tall once more.

"For someone so brilliant, you can be really thick sometimes."

Ron moved forward at that, walking with quick strides toward Hermione, crossing the room in five long steps. Hermione opened her mouth as if to speak, to throw out more attempts at reason or logic. Ron wasted no time to hear her protests, reaching out instead to grab Hermione roughly by the elbow and pulling her to him. Finally, after surviving so much danger and countless threats, outrunning obstacles and tempting fate, Ron was able to wrap his arms around Hermione at long last.