Families had begun to slowly trickle down to Hogsmeade. For the first time in months, the village was alive. "Open" signs hung in the windows of pubs and shopkeepers helped one another in restoring the odd broken window. Witches and wizards stood in clusters around The Three Broomsticks where Madame Rosmerta offered her fireplace for access to the Floo Network. Many shared hugs and handshakes as they parted. Cracks sounded all around Ron as some disapparated from the village. The Weasley family walked together, speaking quietly amongst themselves. Ron's mother had her arm linked with his as they walked, and she spoke to him and Percy about what she would cook when they returned home. A few paces ahead of the Weasley's, Hermione smirked as Harry turned her jacket a bright shade of green with his mended want.

"Turn it back, Harry." She laughed quietly before he changed it back to its original colour.

Ron watched his friends laughing and in that moment, he felt as though things had gone back to normal.

"Arthur, we should stop by The Magic Neep and pick up some things for our brunch." Molly said looking to her husband.

"Ah yes, I suspect our food will no longer be fit to serve after all this time." Arthur replied with a grin as he turned in the direction of the greengrocers.

"Ginny can you give us a hand?" Molly asked her.

"Sure, mum." Ginny said before following her father.

"We'll meet you at home then, mum?" asked Percy.

"Yes dear, that will be fine." She pulled him down towards her and kissed his cheek. "See you all back at home."

Ron watched her turn and walk after Arthur and Ginny. As she disappeared into the little shop down the way, he marveled at her determination to care for her family in the midst of what had probably been the darkest day she had ever seen.

"See you at home." Smiled Bill before he and Fleur disappeared before their eyes. Percy followed his lead and disapparated only seconds after. Charlie stood beside George with his arm around his younger brother. George still looked pale and exhausted. His eyes were dark and swollen. Ron saw Charlie speaking quietly to him. Charlie looked up to Ron and nodded before disapparating with George in his arms, who evidently had not been strong enough to go on his own. Sadness struck Ron like a lack of oxygen at the sight of his debilitated older brother. He turned to see Hermione and Harry hand in hand. She held out her free hand to Ron and he walked forward to take it. With one loud crack, Hogsmeade swirled away.

The view of his home fell perfectly into place as the came to a firm stop at The Burrow. Ron's feet landed on the ground and he felt Hermione pulling him towards her to stabilize him.

"Thanks," he began but stopped short at the sight of his family's home. The house had been the victim of an angry attack and it stood in shambles before them.

"Oh no," breathed Hermione.

Ron dropped her hand and walked towards the house. Every window on the main floor had been shattered. The back door that served as the entrance into the kitchen hung from its hinges. The family broom shed looked to have been maliciously set on ablaze and the fire had eaten away one side. Fleur, Bill, Percy and Charlie had all begun repairing windows. George sat on the ground with his arms resting upon his bent knees. He tossed his wand to the ground in frustration and squeezed his forehead. Ron walked towards him and gripped his shoulder tightly.

"We're going to fix this." Ron told him.

"Yeah," George nodded.

Harry had gone forward and began helping to seal cracks in the windows of the home. Hermione stood at the entrance to the kitchen, holding her wand to the hinges of the door. With great concentration, the door began to straighten and align with the wall as the hinges came unbent. She pulled the door handle towards her in attempt to see if it would close and it lined up perfectly. The door refused to shut however, so Hermione held it closed and muttered "reparo." There was a quiet click and Hermione opened and reclosed the door to make sure it had worked. Ron watched her fondly as she moved inside and continued to work.

He began to walk forward to follow her inside but a crack sounded and Ron knew his parents had arrived home. He turned just in time to see their devastated faces. Arthur stepped forward with a large paper shopping bag in his arm.

"Well that was to be expected, wasn't it?" he said. He looked down to his son and extended his hand. George took his hand and Arthur pulled him to his feet. "Good man." Said Arthur as he pulled his son close to him and walked inside together..

"Yes well never mind. We'll take care of it later." Said Molly as she followed her husband towards the house. "Lot's to eat, you all."

"There are only a few windows left, mum." Bill called over to her. "We'll just finish up. Only be another minute."

"Well if you insist." She replied as she stepped into the house.

Inside Hermione had begun picking up the mess left by the intruders. It looked as though someone had taken the contents of every surface and swept them to the ground.

"Oh thank you, dear." Said Molly as Hermione unloaded one of the bags from her arms.

"It's better than I thought it would be." Arthur smiled to Harry as he looked around the kitchen. Molly and Hermione looked to each other and laughed. Molly pushed a broken plate from the counter and onto the ground before unpacking the bag, and Harry joined in on their laughter. Ron looked from one face to the other, confused about how everyone could be happy.

"Ze windows are as good as new." Smiled Fleur as she walked through the doorway.

"Marvelous!" called Arthur spreading his arms out enthusiastically while Molly kissed Fleur's check.

Suddenly, George voice rang loudly from another room. "Dad!" he called sounding panicked. Arthur rushed after his son's voice and the rest of the family followed.

Everyone had gathered around the family clock and Ron approached it, noticing immediately that new hands had been added.

Fleur's face and long silvery hair floated closely to Bill on an ornate looking hand. To the right of Fleur were another two hands that bared Harry's and Hermione's smiling faces. Their hands had joined the rest of the Weasley family under the "home" location. Ron turned around and saw them both examining the same thing. Hermione's eyes watered and Harry caught Ron's gaze. Harry smiled to him and Ron knew that they were both moved by his family's gesture.

Ron looked to George who was standing before the Weasley's family clock. George fiddled angrily with his wand trying to stop a single spinning hand. Ron peered closer and saw that the picture of Fred's face had darkened. The hand was rotating aimlessly. It appeared to be lost.

"It won't stop." Said George in frustration, flicking his wand back and forth.

"Oh, Arthur." Pleaded Molly at the sight of her distraught son.

"Alright," said Arthur placing a hand to George's back. He withdrew his wand and with a gentle wave, Fred's face lightened and the hand began to slow. It came to a final stop, aligning itself with George's hand, then gently dropped from the clock. Ron's mouth fell open and George stood devastated as he watched his twin's hand fall to the ground. Arthur reached out quickly and grasped it in his hands.

"Here, son." Said Arthur, placing it to George's palm. George tightened his fingers around it and held it to his chest.

"Thanks." Nodded George, his voice hoarse and broken. "Could you help me with this?" he asked turning around to Bill.

"Sure," Bill waved his hand, gesturing for George to follow him from the room.

Everyone began to walk back to the kitchen but Ron stayed there, alone in the room. He kicked aside everything surrounding his feet, wondering where to start. He began picking up everything from the floor, trying to clear a walking path through the littered items. He lifted chairs back into standing positions and readjusted the strewn furniture, putting each item back into its original place. Ron's frustration grew with every book, picture and trinket he picked up from the floor. Fatigue was catching up with him, and Fred's darkened face was all he could think about. He reached forward to lift a lamp from the ground and tripped over his feet trying to avoid a vase. Ron turned around angrily and kicked it. He instantly regretted his sudden outburst as the vase hurdled rapidly across the floor towards the wall. To Ron's astonishment, the vase came to an abrupt stop and hovered a couple inches from the ground. Ron breathed out a sigh of relief and looked up to see Hermione holding her wand out towards the vase.

"Thanks," he muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I'm just… frustrated." He said taking in the mess around him.

Hermione lowered the vase onto a side table and walked over to Ron. She took both of his hands in hers and pulled Ron close to her.

"That's okay." She said looking up at him with her big brown eyes. She put her head to his chest and Ron rested his chin on top of it. They stood together for a moment while to ease Ron's frustration.

Hermione guided him to the couch and they both sat looking at each other. He felt more tears welling up inside him but fought back against them.

"It's okay that you feel angry, Ron. And it's okay to be sad." She told him and nodded. "But it's also okay," she added, holding his hands tenderly, "to try to feel happy, too." He nodded again, avoiding her eyes to keep from crying.

"She's right." Said Bill quietly as he walked towards them and took a seat in the chair next to the couch.

Ron exhaled before trying to speak. "I just don't think I can feel happy yet." Hermione nodded sympathetically.

"And Mum and Dad just keep going on, and everyone's laughing but I don't feel happy. I feel angry. I feel really angry." Ron said looking to both of them. He leaned back into the couch and directed his eyes to the ground. Hermione ran her thumb back and forth over the top of Ron's hand. He tightened his grip around her fingers.

Fleur walked up and took a seat on the arm of Bill's chair. He wrapped his arm around her as George entered the room and leaned against the wall. Fred's clock hand now hung around his neck and he tucked it below his sweater.

"You know, Mum and Dad feel like they need to be strong sometimes. Parents try to do that for their children. Everyone tries to do that; protect the people they love. When they're alone and everyone is asleep, they will take the time to deal with George's death and it's going to be incredibly difficult for them. But right now they're doing what they do best. Looking out for their family." Bill told Ron, but glanced to George every so often. "And Hermione is right, because if there's anything Fred would want, it wouldn't be for us to sit here like a bunch of miserable goblins. He would want us all to have a round of butterbeer, and celebrate him." Bill looked encouragingly to George, who nodded his head and gave a faint smile. Ron turned to Hermione.

"I think that's exactly what he would want." She told him.

"How about it?" Bill asked him.

"Yeah." Nodded Ron slowly.

"Maybe, do you 'ave any of ze Weasley fire works?" said Fleur turning to George.

"Great idea! Any Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes at all?" Bill added enthusiastically.

"Whole box upstairs!" George said, standing up tall for the first time since they arrived at the Burrow.

Bill clapped his hands together. "Pull it all out, then!" he yelled and George ran up the stairs towards his room to retrieve the box of merchandise that normally filled his store.

"Hey Charlie," Bill called to the other room. Charlie peered around the corner with his eyebrows raised curiously.

"Will you call for everybody over there to come outside? And bring all the butterbeer that's there." Bill instructed as he stood from the chair.

"Outside?" Charlie questioned, "Outside for what?"

"To celebrate Fred." Bill told him, and he walked from the room.