We Move in 2 days
**N/A: Hey folks! Sooooo I never planned on dropping this story. And once I did, I never planned on getting back to it. But I've been having a lot of free time these past few days and I saw a notification that someone recently favourite this story and I thought... Why the hell not? So here we are! Let's see where we can take this baby. Sorry if I make some mistakes, it's been a while ^^**
For Ronald Weasly, life had drastically changed in the past year. Of course, he had lost his best friend, the one he considered a brother more than his own blood, but it went deeper than this. Ever since he was 11 years old, Ron had been used to being the sidekick, the one in the shadow of the Boy Who Lived. And he had been content with it (as he had convinced himself that 4th year was just a fluke due to teenage hormones). He had been more than fine leaving the spotlight to his two other friends because they had never asked anything from him more than just being himself and being there. They loved him. All they needed from him was to be himself, and he had embraced that mission with no second thoughts.
But with Harry gone, there was no shadow cast upon him any more. If they wanted to win this war, he had to change who he was at his core. Hermione was still the brain behind the ops, with the wits, the knowledge, and the heart. Sirius was still the rebel, the core of hate that fueled their need for revenge and justice. Remus was still the calm strength, the one keeping their feet grounded. But they didn't have a warrior anymore, the one who went to battle no matter what, the one who made things happen. And they definitely didn't need the funny sidekick. Ron Weasley had to change his whole identity, for them, for the war. He was still a Gryffindor after all.
So he trained. He really had put his heart into it, his whole focus. To be more like Harry, to try and fill his gigantic shoes. And he thought it was working. He assumed it was why, a few months back, after a terrible meeting where the group realized how utterly fucked they seemed to be, Hermione had found a cure to her despair in his arms, on his lips, and in his bed.
And then Fairy Tail came along and shattered his illusions. He hated them for how strong they were. How effortless it would have been to turn him into a pile of ashes or a pillar of ice. How could they move so fast, and have so much power, while being barely older than he was?
But right now, as he was training against Lucy, dodging her magical whip while keeping the arrows of Sagittarius at bay, he realized how grateful he was too. He realized what he had always been missing: the battle instincts. The reflexes of the body that move by itself before even understanding what was happening, the spells cast left and right without thinking about it.
He felt so close to Harry this way. He understood why Harry was always so... "superior" to him, how the euphoria could take over fear in the heat of battle. And he loved it. He finally felt that he was becoming who he needed to be. Who he wanted to be. How he could truly be worthy of his best mate!
- Focus, Ron! screamed a voice dragging him out of his thoughts.
The whip cracked the air an inch away from the face and he ducked the best he could, albeit too late if Lucy had truly decided to punish his lack of attention.
- Sorry, sorry! Come on let's go again! DIFFINDO!
The slashing wave cut clean the volley of arrows that Sagittarius had thrown his way, and he raised in **PROTEGO** with a smooth movement immediately, stopping the whip in its tracks.
- ACCIO WHIP!
The weapon darted toward him, but Lucy was used to the enemy trying to rip it out of her hand and hold on firmly at first, then ran toward him to cut his momentum.
- REPULSO!
A wave of energy through her backwards and she landed hard on her butt.
The fight kept going on for a bit, in the meadows near the forest where Natsu and Gray had given the first demonstration, under the watchful eyes of Hermione, taking every opportunity she had to study battle strategies and this new magic. And also to watch Ron with a newly found interest.
A sudden *pop* startled her.
- Morning kids, said Sirius. Training is going well?
Hermione didn't answer, she just pointed at the battlefield, as if the answer was obviously displayed in front of their eyes. Ron was sweating and panting, but Lucy seemed just as tired. That clearly showed a lot of progress since the week before, although he was still nowhere near being a challenge for Natus or Gray.
- If I may, suggested Lucy while wiping the sweat off her face, you're still being too predictable. Master Makarov told us that wizards would make rain stones and then invoke a fire serpent, or turn you into a pig.
Ron chuckled, embarrassed
- I wish. I'm not that good, this is the type of magic Albus Dumbledore used to do! But us regular folks we tend to stick to regular point-and-cast spells, like Stupefix.
Lucy smiled gently.
- That's the point of training. If there's any moment to get out of your comfort zone, it would be now.
As she stepped away to greet Sagittarius goodbye, Hermione leaned closer to her partner.
- As much as I hate to say it, she's right. We're still way too academic, too basic. But you're getting better, it's obvious!
- Thanks 'Mione. I feel it. Those Fairy Tail blokes... They know what they're doing. A week with them is better than a year of Death Against the Dark Arts.
- Speaking about the DADA, intervened Sirius, we got news about Umbridge. I mean, we don't, really, but Erza wants us back home to discuss an action plan.
- She's finally tired of waiting around? Asked Lucy.
Sirius only smiled and shrugged, then offered her his hand to apparate away, back to 12 Square Grimmaurd.
- Let's summarize what we know, started the redhead knight.
- Which is nothing, groaned Grey.
- That's not true, smiled Wendy. We know she's travelling from inside the Ministry, otherwise one of us would have spotted her at one of the exits.
- If she's even going to that stupid Ministry, complained Natsu, chewing on his last piece of ham.
- She is, confirmed Hermione. The newspaper includes an interview with her almost every day, and the pictures are clearly taken there. They could have faked it, but honestly, I don't believe for a second she would pass on the opportunity to be in the spotlights for real. So she's in there, likely every day. If we trust these papers, she's leading some kind of court of justice or grand jury to judge if people are worthy to have a wand.
- Maybe that's our way in? We pass as one of these Muggleborns, we end up face-to-face with her, and force her to give us the medallion.
Sirius shook his head.
- That's not going to work. They have registers, a list of people, kept tracked for decades if not centuries. You're not in it, so there's no way you'd be "invited" in. Also, there are hundreds of people and that would expose Fairy Tail to all of them.
Lucy scratched her chin.
- It doesn't mean we can't get in at all... What if we impersonate those Muggleborns with Gemini or your potion? Or better, one of the other judges.
Hermione went through some of the paper littered in front of her, throwing some on the floor.
- Right... Here! See, there's a list of people who are part of her Muggle-Born Registration Commission. Runcorn. Yaxley.
Wendy jumped on her feet and pointed at Runcorn.
- I've seen this one almost every night this week! He gets out around 6 p.m.
- And I saw him yesterday morning at 8. He's a possible target and could get close to Umbridge. But that would mean only one of us could go. It's risky, too risky.
- Let's go back to the beginning, offered Erza. What do we know about Umbridge?
- She's an adept of the Pureblood First philosophy, and no doubt a sympathizer, if not a follower, of You-Know-Who, answered Hermione as if she was reciting her lesson for a few House Points. She's a sadist who enjoys hurting people. It's hard to explain, the way she does it. It always seems like nothing at first, you know. When she was giving Harry detention for his "misbehaving", he only had to write lines... Except, the quill was enchanted, and the ink it used was his own blood. It left scars on his hand that would never really heal... She did that to 11-year-old kids too.
A thin smoke started to rise from the table, as Natsu's hands gripped the edge and small flames started to engulf the edge of his fingers.
- What the hell is wrong with this world... These people...
His growl was primal, animal, enough to concern Lucy and Wendy.
- Calm down Natsu, please.
- The weird thing, joked Ron, is that she seemed so... harmless. She's got this very tiny squeaky voice, awful for sure, but like a little girl mixed with a frog. She's always dressed in pink, and she's completely obsessed with cats.
Everyone made the same realization at the second he said those words and turned toward Happy.
- What...? squeaked the blue furball.
- Are we all thinking the same thing? asked Erza.
Lucy smiled, confident in the idea.
- We take down this Runcorn guy and one of you takes his place. He brings me to the Ministry and introduces me as a long-lost cousin or something like that. They would recognize Natsu, Erza, or Gray, but me, it's unlikely, I did not fight them at the wedding, nor during the flight... Anyway. I'm a long-lost cousin, and I got a discovery that might interest her more than anything...
She points at Happy.
- We get her alone. And force her to give us the medallion.
Erza nodded and summarized.
- So Lucy will go with Happy. I will accompany her as Runcorn, and...
- I'll go as Runcorn, intervened Gray. Come on Erza, you know Wendy and you get stage fright as soon as you have to fake anything. You will blow it and you know I'm right. And Natsu is too braindead to be trusted with something that risky.
- Hey! Repeat that you...
- It should be me going as Runcorn, said Ron. I know the place, it's better if I lead...
- What about me? Offered Sirius, eager to finally see some action. I haven't seen the Ministry in decades, but I'm most knowledgeable about our world and...
- And we can't risk you if we can avoid it, countered Hermione. You're the leader of the Order now. Don't bother protesting! You know it's true! Albus is gone and Remus needs to take care of his family. Snape betrayed us and the Weasleys have the Ministry breathing down their necks. No, I'll go with Ron.
- And I'll go with you too! screamed Natsu! I can't let Icehead have all the fun!
- SHUT UP ! yelled Erza, her fingers against her forehead. Can't you be silent for one damn second, it's impossible to think!
Silence fell through the room as she sighed deeply. She tried to speak again, but Ron cut it short.
- I will be going with Lucy. It's the most logical. I know the place better than any of you. My father works there, I know some of the people, and I know how to enter and how to exit. And if something goes really wrong... There's an army of other Weasleys to take over, when there's only one Black and one Granger... It's a no-brainer. I'll go.
Hermione gently put her hand on his shoulder.
- Ron... I know what you're saying, I understand, but you're not...
He pushed her hand back and stepped away, abruptly. He seemed angry but before answering, he took a deep breath. People could see his shoulders rise, then lower, as he did his best to master himself.
- I'm not Harry. What's what you were gonna say, right? I'm not Harry. I know. Neither are you. Neither is any of you. Harry's gone, we got to step up.
Natsu snickered.
- Ehe, that's the spirit!
- I was about to say you're not as expandable as you think, said the witch, with a gentle, proud smile.
- Still, added Erza, I don't like the idea of leaving you two and Happy in there, alone, with no backup. If anything goes wrong, we have no way of contacting you, no way of helping you. In normal circumstances, I'd trust you with it, but this is nothing but normal. It's not our world, not our magic...
- I have an idea, said Lucy.
She grabbed one of her golden keys and invoked :
- HIRAKE! SHISHIKYU NO TOBIRA.
The key beamed and gleamed, and when the bright light stopped blinding the crowd everyone could see a new member at the table, a young man with red hair, almost similar to Ron's.
- Yo Loki! greeted Natsu and Gray at the same time. Long time no see!
- Hey guys, smiled the newcomer.
Ron, Hermione, and Sirius looked dumbfounded for a bit. It was not the first time they saw Lucy invoke one of her spirits, but this Loki was the first to actually resemble a regular human being.
- Loki is the spirit of the Lion, explained the blond mage. He was a member of Fairy Tail before I joined, hiding his true nature from the rest of the guild. It's a long story, but he's the best fighter among the Zodiacs and the most trusted knight of the Spirit King.
- You flatter me, Miss Lucy, smiled the young man/spirit.
Then, noticing Hermione, he added :
- And you welcome me with a treat! Meow. Hello darling, how are you doing? I guess the rumours are true, we are in another world because your beauty is otherworldly...
Before he could finish, and before Hermione could answer or Ron intervened, Lucy smashed his head into the ground.
- Stop trying to hump everything that moves, you pervert.
- You got me confused with Taurus, muffled Loki, face against the wooden floor.
- Do I? Now listen please, this is serious.
Loki got back on the chair, all serious again.
- We're on a mission, and we need to infiltrate an enemy base, explained the mistress. Do you think that while I go in there, you could invite the others into the Spirit World with you?
Loki scratched his chin with a finger, thoughtful.
- I don't know Lucy... I don't like the idea of you going alone. And I'm not sure the king would allow these three... Their magic is different.
- Do you really have this kind of ... pocket dimension to travel us around? Asked Hermione, baffled but unsure. A safe space we where could stay?
- Well... It's a bit more complicated than that, sighed Lucy. See, Time flies differently in the spirit world. One evening there is a full week here. Or even a month. That's why I need to stay in his world, with the key, to invoke Loki so he could bring you along, and while it might be hours for me... It will be just a few minutes for you. It's safe but unreliable. If we all go, the war could be lost before have our first dinner.
- Damn, that's complicated, groaned Ron.
- Still, that's a good plan, muttered Erza with her iron-gloved fist against her mouth. We'd have a way in, a good reason to pull the target aside and away from all prying eyes, and backup in case things go wrong. And Ron knows the way out. Loki, please ask His Majesty the King if he would be willing to help us in our quest.
- You got it, Titania.
And in a flash, Loki the Lion was gone.
- Oh? Wondered Hermione. I thought you had to banish them back to their world.
- Loki is... special. He's the only one strong enough to come and go as he pleases between our worlds.
They had to wait almost half an hour, proving Lucy's point about time, to see him back in the living room.
- His Majesty the Spirit King agrees to grant you safe passage, he smiled. But at one condition. The wizards cannot go. He's concerned your... magical capabilities might disrupt the balance of the spirit kingdom. And of course, the Death Penalty in case anyone decides to harm the kingdom. Before, during, or after your stay. I guess that's two conditions.
- Very well. Thank you, Loki. You may tell the King we are grateful and accept his conditions.
- Come on I just got here. At least give me some of this beer before I go back!
She dismissed him and addressed the rest of the group.
- Natsu. Gray. Wendy. You'll go with Loki and stand by in case Ron and Lucy need your help. Sirius, Hermione and I will plan decoys, diversions and support for your return. Gray, tonight you go and see where this Runcorn guy goes, we need to know where we can grab him. Hermione, Ron, please find us everything you can about it. The more we know, the safer for you. We make our move in two days.
Ron had barely closed the bedroom door behind him when Hermione waved her wand to soundproof the room.
- 'Mione, I need to take a shower, I'm sweaty.
She crushed her body onto his.
- I know. I like it.
She slowly ran her tongue up his neck to his earlobe, gently biting the target and sending a jolt of electricity through his entire body. He did not waste a second and pulled up her robe and slid his hand between her thighs. She was already wet, dripping. He rubbed his index against her most sensitive spot, and her knees buckled. Ron loved the way she clinched to his neck, how she was literally hanging on to him to stay up. She bit her lips, then his shoulder.
- You don't have to stay silent, he grinned, you just soundproofed the room.
She pushed him away against the wall, almost irritated by his comment. But her frown turned into a smile as she pulled her robe up above her head.
- Make me scream, then, she invited as she stepped away toward the bed.
He removed his clothes and accepted the invitation gracefully.
A/N 2 : I said when i started this fic that i wanted to try my hand at more sex scenes. I'm still going easy, I didn't want to do more on my first chapter back, I also don't want it to take over the plot. I'm not writing erotica after all. Still, expect more in the future !
I hope you liked this small chapter back!
I have several good news :
1st is that i have written several chapters in advance. 2nd : I have the whole plan laid out for this fic. 3rd one : I'm also about to start publishing a new HP crossover fic I've very excited about ! I will probably post one chapter of each fic every two weeks.