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Chapter 3

Hermione held fast to Ron as they watched Ginny follow the Healer into the room.

"Come here," she led him over to a bench next to Harry's room. All the rest of the ward seemed to watch them warily, but the staff seemed more at ease that Ron was no longer shouting and began continuing to busy around with their work.

Speaking of her fiancé, he sat heavily at her coaxing and put his head in his hands.

She hadn't seen him like this in years, it was beginning to frighten her.

"Ron," she said quietly, "Harry's going to be alright. You heard the Healer, he's fine."

Finally he looked up, "He was just laying there, Hermione, on the ground. He didn't move a muscle. I kept calling his name and…nothing."

She recognized the look and knew all she could do was sit next to him, hold his hand, and wait their turn to confirm Harry's condition.

For months following the Battle of Hogwarts, she noticed Ron had a hard time letting Harry out of his sight. It was a side effect of watching your best friend lay apparently dead at the feet of his greatest enemy. Whenever Harry and Ginny went for a clandestine flight for some alone time or if Harry went to Diagon Alley alone, Ron would get this look of fear in his eyes. The fear she first saw the moment they looked around the Great Hall that night at Hogwarts and realized that Harry was gone. These feelings were at the surface once more in her fiancé's eyes.

She knew in her heart this was the reason he accepted the Auror position so quickly, to be there for Harry. It was a habit that everyone knew would be difficult for Ron to shake. Before Minister Shaklebolt had offered him the spot next to his best mate in the Academy, he and Hermione had discussed returning to Hogwarts together. But when the time came and he heard Harry would accept, he did so in a heartbeat. At first, she'd been a bit hurt until she realized why he'd done it. She would be safe at Hogwarts. For the first time in a year, she would be safe from bodily harm, Headmistress McGonagall would see to that. He could visit her on weekends and have the peace of mind that she was among friends.

But they both knew Harry. Harry would forever be the first to run into a fight to protect those he loved. And as an Auror, they both knew that his nobility streak would mean that protection would extend to all the innocent. Not to mention, Kingsley had given them a rundown of the needs of the Auror office, and it was mostly dangerous raids to find at large Death Eaters. And when Ron, poor Ron, had to pick between his best friend and his love, he knew who truly would need the protection. She couldn't begrudge him that.

And after all that, here he now sat, feeling as if he had failed. But he hadn't, Hermione had heard the Healer say that Ron saved their friend. She knew, though, that Ron wouldn't understand or comprehend that statement until he saw Harry's open eyes.

So she waited, holding his hand.

It felt like hours before Ginny emerged, looking serious but not distraught. So it must be true, Harry was alright.

"I'm going to call Mum," Ginny said hoarsely, now as her friend was closer, Hermione could see she had been crying, but was not going to acknowledge it, "and tell her everyone is ok."

"You're not going to tell her?" Ron asked, glancing at the doorway Ginny had come from.

"No," Ginny replied shortly, "she has enough going on at the moment. I know Angelina is due any day so she's been staying up late in case she's needed. I'm just going to say you and Harry are back, and that we will all be at dinner on Saturday." She looked pointedly at Hermione, who understood and nodded.

"Alright," the youngest Weasley straightened up, and in a very Molly-esque voice said, "You may see him now. But if I hear you raise your voice again, Ronald, you best hope the Healers get to you before I do." She may have been trying to make it a joke, but her face remained serious.

Hermione couldn't help but let a small smile play on her lips at her future sister's threat. Ginny had become Harry's keeper and caretaker, and he so needed it. As famously overprotective as Harry was of his Ginny, the feeling was certainly mutual. She was a strong and confident woman, traits that would certainly serve her as the partner of the noble and stubborn man that was Harry Potter.

As permission had been granted, Hermione got up and led Ron into the room.

When she walked in, relief flooded through her in seeing Harry sitting up, with his glasses and a small smile already on his face.

"Ah, she let you in I see," he said with amusement in his weak voice.

She rolled her eyes, scoffing, "Good lord, Harry," and gave him a ginger hug conscious of the array of bandages around his frame, "you're in quite a state, aren't you?"

Harry shrugged as best he could, "Been worse off, they said I'll be out of here by tomorrow." He looked at Ron who as of yet had not made eye contact, "Ron, I…"

"Why'd you do it, Harry?" Ron croaked quietly.

His best mate sighed, Hermione had the Level 3 clearance necessary, they could discuss this now.

Harry grabbed his wand and pointed it at the door, "Muffiliato." And looked back at his friend with guilty eyes.

"Why?" Ron repeated. Hermione saw his face was no longer angry, just tired.

Harry's face on the other hand had darkened with anger, "Did she get away?"
"Yes, Harry, she got away," Ron's voice rose slightly, "Because not only did you disobey our direct orders not to engage, you let her get the best of you."
Hermione needed to get clued in, "Who is she? Who was your target?"

"I was holding it together just fine…" Harry argued, ignoring Hermione's questions, "until she started on about Remus."

Ron's eyes shut, and took a deep breath.

"No," Hermione suddenly realized exactly the 'she' they were discussing.

"Yes." Ron said simply, "Our target was Umbridge."
"That toad did this to you, Harry?" Hermione demanded, suddenly furious.
"Her and a few of her former Ministry colleagues," Harry said, and then went into the story.

Dolores Umbridge was at the Ministry during the Battle of Hogwarts in '98. When word came in that the Dark Lord had fallen, she gathered a few of her underlings and cleaned house of important evidence before disappearing.

Harry looked to Ron, who nodded his agreement, and then began the story.

"We had good…well, what we thought was good…intel that the hag was hiding out in Normandy in a seaside cottage. Well we got there and she knew we were coming." Both Aurors were shaking their heads, "She started magnifying her voice, it filled the whole clearing where the house was at. She didn't just know Aurors were coming," Harry's voice grew hard, "she knew I was coming."

Hermione's heart was pounding. Umbridge's physical and psychological torture of Harry had left lasting effects that she, Ron, and Ginny had been working very hard to reverse. But whenever the light caught his left hand just right, they saw in his chicken scratch handwriting the words. I must not tell lies.

"It wasn't anything I hadn't heard before," Harry reasoned, "until she…" The memory consumed him and his eyes closed.
Seeing his friend's pain, Ron finished for him, "She threatened Teddy," he said bluntly.

Hermione gasped, "She didn't… how did she even know about Teddy?"

Ron shrugged, "I don't think she knows he's Harry's godson. But she knows how close Remus was to Harry before… Anyways, she told him that she knew the 'half-breed' Lupin had a child and that um…she would destroy him. Then Harry here," he looked accusingly at his partner, "decided to break formation and spring her trap, which was in the form of motion activated incendiary spells. Turns out we were already outnumbered so they had no problem forcing their way out of the anti-apparition wards we'd put up and getting away."

"I almost got to her, Ron," Harry said, bitterly, "Once the bombs started going off, I had a shield charm going in front of me. I had to turn it off thought to hex her and then… there must have been one less than two feet from me because all I saw was the flash and then I woke up here."

"It was less than that, actually," Ron replied, "Nacturn said you nearly stepped on it."

Harry kept shaking his head, looking to Hermione for help but got none. She was furious that he allowed himself to be manipulated by Dolores Umbridge once more.

"Harry, you can't let those taunts get to you," she cried, "You're an Auror now and you're the famous Harry Potter. People are going to threaten Teddy, they're going to threaten Ginny, me, Ron, everyone you care for. But the best way for you to protect your family, the ones you love, is to keep the course and not let them get to you. Because if you do, then you cannot continue this job, it will kill you, just as it nearly did today."

It was direct, but it was necessary. And she could see her words were being heard by the look of shame in his eyes.

"You're right," he choked, his voice thick with emotion. He turned to Ron, "I'm sorry she got away, Ron."

Ron shook his head, "You think that's why I went bonkers? Merlin, Harry. That last bomb went off and all I saw was you laying on the ground bleeding. And my first thought…" his voice broke, but he took a deep breath and continued, "my first thought was, 'what am I going to say to Ginny?' Not only was that my best friend not moving on that hard ground, but the man my sister loves. If you can't keep the course for me, or for Hermione, do it for Ginny. I know I promised to be the one to tell her if… if the worst happened… but you have to promise me you'll do everything to not put me in that position."

Harry's eyes glistened with tears, "I shouldn't be putting her through this at all, she deserves better."

"Harry Potter don't you dare start that," Hermione interjected, "Ginny and I have endured a month without a word from you two and we have done so without falling apart. She is not fragile, she is strong. But you best be sure to make it worth it for her by not ending up in this hospital on a regular basis. Are we clear?"

It was her best Professor McGonagall impression, and the terseness in her voice actually made him smile, "You got it, Hermione."

She returned his smile, "Good, also I should think I'd be very unhappy if Ronald's best man offed himself before our big day. I imagine I need someone to count on to drag him to the altar." She winked to her fiancé who played incredulous.

"Drag me to the altar? As if I wasn't the one who asked you there in the first place!"

"Well, at the very least someone to get you there on time."

All Harry could do is sit there chortling.

"What?" Ron asked, confused, looking back and forth at Hermione.

The Healer came in once more, looking affronted, "Is everything alright in here, Mr. Potter?"

Harry nodded, "All right here, thank you."

The young man looked back and forth at the three old friends suspiciously, but eventually did walk out.

The moment he closed the door, all three burst out laughing, tension melting away, and relief finally settling in.

This was the final chapter for THIS fic, but this will be a multi-installment kind of thing. The next installment will be from 2003 and you will see some Harry and Ginny perspectives! Please, please review and follow if you want to keep up with the next installments. Also, please review with points from the future YOU want to see! I have some ideas already but I am more than happy to take requests! Thanks again!