A/N: I AM SO SORRY THAT THIS TOOK SO LONG. I've been very busy lately between a trip to Chicago two weeks ago (during which I saw Julia Albain's production of "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" which featured several Starkids - it was TOTALLY AWESOME) and then moving back to school last week. But here it is, the penultimate chapter of TMH - alternately titled "The Loose Ends Chapter." Thank you so much to everybody who has read, reviewed, favorited, or followed this story thus far. I love you like Ron and Hermione love each other.
Disclaimer: Unless JKR currently lives in a student apartment with possible mold growing in the closet, I am not she.
Though he preferred to spend Saturdays snuggled up in bed with his fiancée, Ron split his time the day after the attack at the Grangers' between the small meeting room in the Auror Office and Mrs. Granger's room at St. Mungo's. Neither location offered a particularly fun time, but as much as he loved his fiancée, he had to admit the office was a marginally more comforting place to be. Ron had spent nearly two hours in the morning drowning in emotionally charged conversations and tears shed by Hermione's family.
The strangest part of it all was that they hadn't seemed to say much of anything, though both sides repeated apologies nearly twenty times over for various wrongdoing. Though he would never admit it out loud, it seemed to Ron that none of it really mattered in the grand scheme of things, especially in light of all that had happened, and considering the overwhelming amount of forgiveness each party had expressed toward the others. Although, when Ron put his mind to it, he supposed that he had continued to apologize for his mistakes long after Harry and Hermione had told him all was forgiven and forgotten.
Regardless, it was not a fun morning, nor did it seem to be a very progressive one. When Ron ducked out at eleven to make his way to the office, he kissed Hermione quickly on the cheek and hoped vaguely that they would be able to talk more freely in his absence. As much as he could sense that Mr. and Mrs. Granger really had accepted him and his place in their daughter's life, the majority of what needed to be discussed was very much between Hermione and her parents, and he couldn't help but feel as though he was intruding.
However, the office didn't provide much in the way of respite. Ron found himself spending the majority of the afternoon filling out various paperwork with Harry while Isaac and Bryce were questioning Lestrange and the others in Azkaban. It was after three when the two senior Aurors returned at last to discuss what they'd discovered with Harry and Ron.
"Well, they're locked up in high-security cells this time," Isaac said almost immediately, and Ron instantly felt himself relax a bit.
"How did they manage to get out the first time, anyway?" Harry demanded.
Bryce shrugged. "They won't tell us. We've got a guess, though; the low-security area isn't exactly that tricky, if you're dead-set on getting out. Lestrange had probably briefed them all beforehand, just in case they did get caught."
"Why the hell have we got low-security cells in the first place?" Harry asked, fuming. "What's the point, when we've already got the DMLE holding cells here for misdemeanors and the like?"
"Add it to the list of things we ought to change once the old blighters retire," Bryce declared. "Or go bother them about it now if you like, but it'll be a bit of a long process."
"Believe me, they'll be hearing about it," Harry muttered under his breath.
"And we'll have Hermione on our side," Ron added on half a laugh. "She's a bit hard to ignore, see."
"At any rate, they aren't getting out this time," Isaac continued. "The security's much tighter now."
"They did let slip how it was they were communicating," Bryce added, "and it's got us another arrest. Shopkeeper in Knockturn Alley let them leave messages for one another with him so they wouldn't have to use owl post."
"So he'll be charged with accessory to a violent crime," Isaac finished. "He probably won't have to do time like the others, but the bloke was scared shitless when we apprehended him."
"How much time do you reckon they'll have to do?" Ron asked.
"Dunno. Hard to say until the legal department's looked into it, but I'm guessing Lestrange will be there for a very long time. Probably for life, given his past. The others might get shorter sentences, but it's really hard to say," Isaac explained. "Though to be honest, I find it hard to believe the teenagers would have done any of it without Lestrange at the helm."
"But it was probably the younger ones that chose the victims," Harry pointed out.
"Very true," Bryce acknowledged. "It's not likely any of those victims would have been chosen without your schoolmates, except perhaps Granger."
"I kind of figured attacking Hermione was a strategic move on their part," Harry said dejectedly.
"Not like it's your fault, mate," Ron offered reassuringly. "We've made our choices, and we're sticking to them, even if they do include a skinny git like yourself."
"Still, it was her connection to me that led to the attack," Harry insisted, though he shot a mildly grateful look in Ron's direction.
"Probably true," Isaac acknowledged. "And if I understand correctly, the other three weren't only your classmates."
"They were all in Dumbledore's Army, yeah," Ron replied. "Defense club we formed back in our fifth year when that Umbridge bat was teaching us. Most of us fought in the battle," he added in response to Bryce's questioning look.
"But is there any insight to a motive? Other than trying to get to me, that is," Harry asked.
"Nothing but pureblood mania, if you ask me," Bryce offered. "It's quite pathetic, isn't it? Scare tactics were all it was in the end, thankfully, and I dunno that they'd have been capable of much else."
"But what would they have to gain from this?" Harry pressed.
"They were Death Eaters, weren't they? It's not like they were exactly right in the head," Ron pointed out.
"It's nothing new, really," Isaac added. "People will do almost anything to promote what they believe in, regardless of how mental it may be. Even wizards back in Merlin's day would do it, believe it or not, and that had to do with the treatment of muggles as well."
"Oh yeah, Hermione's mentioned that," Ron supplied, grinning fondly as he thought back to a lecture she'd given him back in the spring of their sixth year. Granted, the form-fitting jumper she'd been wearing at the time had led him to focus on certain aspects of her physique instead, but some of what she'd said had stuck. "It was before the Statute of Secrecy, see, and before all that witch-hunting nonsense, so muggle-supporters would help them out, y'know, and the muggles thought they were like miracle workers."
"But those who hated Muggles would go to extreme lengths to destroy their livelihoods, if not have them killed," Isaac finished. "It's an age-old thing, isn't it? It's just the context that's changed."
"It's hard work, isn't it? Trying to do this 'brave new world' bit?" Bryce remarked.
Harry and Ron both snorted humorlessly. "Marginally better than trying to do the 'hunting down the darkest wizard in history' bit, I guess," Harry quipped.
"Yeah, well, change doesn't come easy," Isaac said. "And add 'slimming down on paperwork' to the list of things to work at once you're in charge of this place, eh Potter?"
Harry immediately turned nearly as red as a sunburnt Ron. "But why does everyone-"
"Because it's gonna happen," Ron interrupted. "And hey, maybe if we harp on Price and the rest long enough, they'll take a hint and retire."
"At least Robards is alright, yeah?" Bryce pointed out. "But you're right, Weasley, it'll be people like the two of you that'll be up in management next."
"Well, Harry, yeah-" Ron began.
"You're on a first name basis with the Minister of Magic," Isaac interrupted in a voice that was almost bored. "And anyway, all the two of you ever really needed was a bit of training. You've already got more experience than the majority of the rest of us do."
"And neither of you are bogged down by protocols or bureaucracy bullshit yet," Bryce chuckled. "Give it another five years or so and we'll be reporting to you, mark my words."
"But til then, more paperwork!" Isaac remarked in a falsely cheery voice. Ron chanced a glance at Harry and was unsurprised to see that he was equally relieved by the distraction from the elder men's praise. A part of him did know that due to their…unique credentials, it would likely fall to them to make the changes necessary within the department and the Ministry as a whole, but he really was beginning to understand why Harry so hated being the center of attention. It truly was uncomfortable to be recognized by others for things they honestly knew nothing about. But the moment passed, and the four men spent the rest of the afternoon prepping the paperwork to keep the bastards in Azkaban for good.
-000-
"And that's what happened," Hermione finished lamely, her voice tired after nearly three hours of speaking. After Ron had left for the office, the repeated apologies had faded and she had been left in near silence with her parents. Wanting to avoid discussing their ordeal from the day before at all costs, Hermione had immediately launched into a explanation of Voldemort, Death Eaters, and horcruxes. She tried to be as thorough as possible without going into too much detail, a task which proved to be difficult at best, but Mum and Dad listened as she rambled, nodding along as though they understood.
"So the man from yesterday was one of the…Death Eaters, then?" Mum asked after a brief silence, adjusting one of her pillows behind her. She was sat up in her hospital bed, looking much better than she had the night before. The Healers had decided to keep her just one more night to be sure everything was in the right order, but she appeared to be recovering well by Hermione's estimate.
"Yes, he was. He faked his own death after the battle," Hermione repeated simply. "But he was one of the last ones out there; you needn't be afraid. The Ministry is reinforcing the protective charms around your house this afternoon, once they've finished with it as a crime scene, of course."
"But how did they get in yesterday?" Dad interjected, frowning.
"I think they were able to force the Auror who was watching the house into leading them straight to it. But we're going to put a version of the Fidelius Charm on it this time, so things like that can't happen again," Hermione explained. "We should have done earlier, but I don't think anybody really…we didn't think it would go as far as it did. We're sorry."
Dad rubbed at his face before replying. "I just can't believe you've had to deal with…with all of this. You're still a teenager, love."
"I know. It's not really fair, of course, but it is what it is," Hermione said wearily.
"I realize that now," Dad said carefully. "Ron and I had a bit of a chat about it yesterday, you see."
"Yes, he mentioned," Hermione replied. "And I'm glad the two of you are able to see eye to eye."
"Well, he loves you very much; we've got that in common," Dad replied with a small smile.
Mum beamed at him before she turned to face Hermione. "I don't think either of us realized, dear, just how much you and Ron had been through together. Most couples your age haven't had to face much more than a bit of jealousy here and there."
"Well, we've had our fair share of that as well," Hermione replied with a bit of a laugh. "But none of it seems to matter much anymore, considering everything else."
"Well, you're lucky for it. Not everyone meets the love of their life so soon," Mum said pleasantly.
"But that doesn't mean you can't," Dad added with a strained smile, though Hermione was pleased to see the sincerity in his eyes.
"Thank you, honestly. It means so much to me that you're supporting us," Hermione told them, reaching out to grip each of their hands firmly.
"Well, it's like your mum said. I just needed a bit of time to realize our little girl was part of an 'us' now," Dad replied, managing to look her directly in the eye as he spoke. Hermione's heart positively soared.
"And I think we all needed time to figure out how to be part of each others' lives properly again," Mum added, reaching for her husband's hand so that the family formed a sort of triangle. "But now, we move forward."
Dad hesitated. "Hermione, love, there's just one more thing - Ron said you'd been…hurt," he finished delicately, looking in her direction but not quite meeting her eyes this time.
Hermione took a deep breath in an attempt to ease the desperation from her voice: "Do you really think we have to-"
"We've all got to be open with one another, love," Mum insisted firmly. "That includes you."
"Well, Ron was right. He was there, after all," Hermione said in an almost clinical tone, frowning down at her lap and hoping fruitlessly that avoiding the emotion behind the words would keep the images from springing up in her mind. If she tried to stick to the objective facts, she could pretend that it had been somebody else writhing on the floor of the Malfoy Manor, victim of both the Cruciatus Curse and of Bellatrix's knife. But the moment she began to relive it, she was sure she wouldn't be able to handle it.
"They did…that to you?" Mum asked softly, squeezing her hand. Hermione didn't need to look up to know that her mother's eyes were swimming with tears.
"Yes, once. The woman who cursed me is gone now; Ron's mum was the one who saw to it," Hermione replied shortly.
"Was…was the cut on your neck…?" Dad trailed off uncertainly.
"Same incident," Hermione replied. "It happened a year and a half ago, but the blade was cursed. It won't ever heal fully, but it's hard to see it now. Ron's sister-in-law helped patch me up, and he was there for me during my recovery."
She shifted her hair off of her shoulder in response to her mother's questioning look; Mum gasped audibly and squeezed her hand tighter.
"It was war," Hermione continued simply, "and I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything about it, but it's over now, and I want nothing more than to try to move on."
She did not mention that part of the reason she'd kept so much from them was that she'd got the support she needed in the aftermath of the war from Ron, Harry, and the rest of the Weasleys. She hadn't felt the need to turn to her parents with her troubles at the time. But instead of protecting them as she'd meant to, she'd almost cut them out of a substantial part of her life. She knew she was wrong now, and she could admit it, but she also knew that the underlying reasons would hurt them deeply. Some things, she supposed, were meant to be left unsaid.
"We can move on together, yes?" Mum said brightly. "Once I'm out of this bloody hospital bed, anyway. It's almost a comfort to know even magic can't make these places any better."
Dad offered his wife a grin as he added, "And we can start by making Ron a real member of this family."
Hermione squeezed her parents' hands again. "Thank you," she repeated. "I love you both."
"And we love you," Dad replied in the warmest tone Hermione had heard him use in years.
An awkward tap came from the direction of the door. "Finished the day's paperwork," Ron said sheepishly by way of greeting. His tall frame took up almost the entire entrance.
"Did you make any progress?" Hermione asked, reluctantly letting go of her parents' hands as he made his way across the room to sit next to her on one of the chairs they'd conjured for themselves that morning.
"A bit. There's plenty left to do this week, though. But what's important now is that none of them will be leaving Azkaban for a very long time," Ron finished, addressing Mum and Dad now.
"Good," Dad said sincerely. "Thank you. Your department's been very efficient, really. I'm told the bloke outside the door's been assigned to keep us safe til we leave."
"That's right. We think we've got everybody in custody now, but we're not taking any chances," Ron explained. "Oh, and Hermione - before I forget, you're authorized to do the Fidelius anytime. Later today, if you'd like; they're done with the crime scene. We assumed you'd want to be the Secret Keeper."
"What exactly does that mean?" Mum inquired politely.
"It means nobody will be able to know where your home is unless I want them to," Hermione said kindly. "I can work out the details so that your friends will be able to find it."
"How can you do that?" Ron asked curiously.
"By making sure to fill all the loopholes. If I send out copies of their address to their friends in my own handwriting, for instance, they won't be thrown off," Hermione replied. "I'll have to work through it all to be sure, but it should be a relatively simple process."
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you can do all that," Dad said, chuckling a bit uneasily.
"Hermione can do just about anything," Ron added, turning toward her and grinning widely.
"Oh, hush," Hermione muttered, but she reached over to thread her fingers through his.
They stayed in Mum's room another hour, until they were due at the Burrow for dinner. Though their time was relatively short, they chatted more amicably than they ever had as a group. There was still much to be worked out, but by the time Hermione hugged her parents goodbye, she knew without a doubt that they would be okay.
-000-
The week following the attack was insanely busy. Ron was working overtime to ensure that the case was ready for a swift and just trial. This left Hermione to take over many of the last minute tasks associated with the wedding on top of her normal work load. Additionally, she and Ron had taken to spending much of their free time with her parents, to ensure that Mum's recovery was going according to plan and that their relationship continued to grow in light of all that had happened.
It wasn't until seven days before the wedding that they found themselves able to breathe once again - the case had been wrapped up and sent to the legal department, Mum was getting ready to return to work the following week, and everything for the wedding was in order, save for the set-up itself. Though Hermione had offered time and again to help with the décor, Mrs. Weasley had insisted that the others would take care of it, and that all there was left for Ron and Hermione to do was to show up on the day of the ceremony.
So at last, after months of nearly constant chaos, Ron and Hermione found themselves alone in their flat on their last Saturday night before becoming Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, with nothing better to do than curl up together on the sofa and watch television. Neither one had any qualms about the matter, and they turned on a program that neither of them particularly cared for and spent several hours simply enjoying each other's company.
"Hey," Ron said suddenly at just gone ten o'clock, nudging a dozing Hermione with the arm he had wrapped about her shoulders.
"What is it?" Hermione asked with a yawn, shifting a bit so that she could readjust the arm that was strewn across Ron's chest.
"We're going to be having our first married shag about this time next week," Ron told her matter-of-factly, earning himself a pinch on the arm.
"Is that all you think about?" Hermione groaned, though she buried her face in his shoulder.
"You know it's not," Ron replied with a laugh. "But it's strange, isn't it? This time last year you were getting ready to go back to Hogwarts."
"And you were getting ready to start your training," Hermione countered. "Now look at you; you big, bad Auror, you."
"And you get me all to yourself," Ron pointed out, wiggling his eyebrows around and making Hermione giggle.
"I'm a lucky, lucky woman," Hermione managed to deadpan, though she shrieked with glee as Ron dug his fingers into her sides and tickled her.
"So much maturity," she spat when he relented.
"I know. I simply can't control it," Ron replied with a sigh.
"Your maturity?"
"It's a blessing and a curse."
"I'll show you a blessing and a curse-"
Before she could have half a mind to reach for her wand, Ron leaned in and kissed her softly.
"You can't get out of everything that way, you know," Hermione said firmly when he pulled back, though Ron was pleased to note the breathless quality of her voice.
"But I can sure as hell try," Ron quipped, causing Hermione to roll her eyes. "Oh, you know it's 'cause I love you."
Hermione smiled. "I suppose that's true, isn't it?"
"Very," Ron replied sincerely. "And you know that I'm also really fucking happy, yeah?"
"So am I," Hermione said primly. "And I love you, too. I've got a feeling we're going to be quite good at this 'married' business, actually."
"Just good?" Ron replied incredulously. "We're going to be the very best, like nobody ever was!"
"That's a bold statement," Hermione laughed, cuddling closer to him and sighing contentedly. "I'm inclined to agree, though. We're not really like anybody else."
"Nah, we're better," Ron repeated, gathering her completely into his arms and standing up with a grunt. "Want me to show you how much better?"
Hermione bit her lip, pretending to consider his offer. "I don't know…perhaps we ought to save this gushy stuff for the honeymoon."
"Doesn't have to be gushy," Ron pointed out, leaning down to nip at her throat, just underneath her scar.
"Well, go on then," Hermione agreed with a faux-exasperated sigh and a barely concealed shiver of anticipation. "Show me what you've got."
Ron let out what was very nearly a growl, and kissed her hard as he stumbled toward their bedroom. It really was the furthest thing from gushy, though Hermione didn't enjoy it any less. A couple of hours later, however, they went slower, relishing the feeling of being with each other in every way possible.
Hermione knew that the honeymoon period wouldn't last forever. She knew that marriage wasn't easy, and that it wouldn't always be flirting on the sofa or whispers of sweet nothings in her ear as she fell asleep in his embrace. They would have their share of rows and challenges, that much was certain. But in light of everything that had happened - in the face of all that they had fought and conquered together, not only in the past few months, but in the eight years since she'd met him on what would become the first leg of the greatest journey of her life, Hermione knew without a doubt that they were making the right decision. She was madly in love with Ron Weasley, as he was with her, and when she looked back on it, she knew that admitting it had perhaps been the hardest part after all. Now, they had each other, and that was a bigger advantage than any other. Ron had always thought that she could do anything, and she had always believed the same of him - but really, as she now understood, it was only when they were together, hand-in-hand and full of the unadulterated love they had for one another, that they could truly take on the world.
A/N: I'm sorry I'm so sappy, but hey, who doesn't feel sentimental the week before their wedding? Also it's like my stories aren't really complete without a paragraph about how Ron and Hermione's love can conquer anything, which is ironic considering I'm known as a sarcastic and slightly cynical person in real life.
At any rate, this chapter was mainly to tie up loose ends and such. If there's anything about the plot that was left unclear, please let me know. :) Also, 20 points to anyone that spots the blatant pop culture reference. Now that I think of it I also put a culture reference in the epilogue of FAL and nobody mentioned it that I can recall so maybe I'm just bad at references. Anyway, all that's left now is a fluff-filled epilogue, which I'm hoping will be up within a week. Thank you for reading, you wonderful Romione shippers you!