Word Count: 4221

Warnings: Depression, Rage, Torture Curse

a mixed point of view (it happens differently for everyone)

Hermione

She sighed to herself as she brushed her hair, critically looking at her appearance in the mirror. Her twenty sixth birthday was less than a week away, and it was like she'd done nothing with her life.

She wondered how everything had gone so wrong. When she'd left school, she'd had her life all planned out.

A perfect job at the Ministry, Ron as her husband, two or three kids running around a lovely little cottage in the countryside.

Instead, she was still stuck in an administration position at the Ministry that she hated. Ron was still her boyfriend, though he seemed no closer to a proposal than he had when they'd left school, and children hadn't even been discussed.

She knew that she could only lay the blame on herself for not demanding what she wanted and needed, both in her professional and private lives, but…

It just sucked.

…

Harry

Harry sighed happily, leaning back into the strong arms of his fiance as they settled down in front of the fire with a book each.

He absently wondered how his life could be so different from what he'd planned for himself, and yet so much better.

He'd expected to be married to Ginny by now, a nice house, a comfortable job in the Ministry Auror office, maybe a couple of kids.

He didn't have any of that.

Instead of that 'nice house', he shared quarters at Hogwarts with his soon to be husband. Instead of that 'comfortable job', he worked at Hogwarts, as the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. And instead of the wife and 'a few kids', he was truly, madly, deeply in love with a man he'd once hated, Severus Snape.

He would never have dreamed of such a future when he'd been a student, nor even when he'd been fighting a war, but it was funny how life worked out sometimes.

He'd be the first person to admit that fate had been kind to him, once Voldemort had been properly disposed of. He was twenty five, and he was happier than he could have ever hoped to be.

…

Ron

Sighing, Ron picked up the remote control. He was sitting in the flat that he'd once shared with Harry, flicking through the channels on the TV that he'd left behind when he'd moved out.

Life had taken a downturn the last few years, and unless he was seeing Hermione, this was how Ron spent the majority of his evenings.

He wondered how life could have gotten so bad without him even realising it.

When he'd left school, he'd had it all worked out. He and Harry were going to be Aurors, and he was going to marry Hermione, while Harry married Ginny. They would be each other's best man, and the four of them would have grown their families together.

Not a single one of those things had happened, nothing was the way that it was supposed to be.

It was all Harry's fault.

If only he'd forgiven Ginny for sleeping with someone else—once—then everything would have been just fine.

…

Ginny

Ginny smiled to herself as she read the letter she'd just received from Harry. The words were practically glowing on the page, she could read his happiness so clearly.

He'd used most of the letter to tell her stories of his students, and his classes, but he'd also included the details of his planned trip with Severus, over Christmas break.

Her life hadn't turned out as she'd planned, but it was for the better.

When she'd cheated on Harry, it was the worst mistake of her entire life, but not for the reasons that many would think. The two of them hadn't been happy together, but she should have sat down with him and talked about it, before she decided that she wanted someone else.

To Harry's credit, he'd forgiven her almost immediately. Their split had been amicable, and now, she was happy with Neville. The two of them were expecting their first child in January.

She and Harry were the best of friends—closer than they'd ever been as a couple—and they, along with Neville and Severus, often met up for dinner.

Harry and Severus would be the godparents to the baby, and Harry was almost as excited about her pregnancy as she and Neville were.

He liked babies that he could hand back.

It was a strange turn of events in some ways, but Ginny couldn't be happier with the way her life was progressing.

…

Severus

Severus wondered, often, how he had been so fortunate in his second chance at life.

After almost losing his life in battle, he'd woken in the hospital wing, bitter and disappointed that he would have to continue living the half life he'd made for himself.

Harry, in the way that only he could, had pushed his way past all of Severus' barriers, insinuating himself into Severus' life so fully, with about as much subtlety as a Muggle bomb.

They had built a home together in the dungeons, and they had friends, pets, everything that Severus had never believed that he could have.

For that—and more—he would always be grateful to the young man currently falling asleep in his arms.

He looked forward to the day when he woke up in the morning now, when before Harry, all he could think of was how miserable life was.

Severus could easily define his life into two sections. Before Harry, and with Harry.

He knew easily which one he preferred, and he would do whatever was necessary to keep it that way.

…

Neville

Neville had never believed that life could be so good. He'd grown up coming to terms with the fact that he wasn't a very good wizard, and that he wouldn't amount to much of anything in his life.

When he'd met Harry, something inside of him had changed. Harry had the instincts, and the compassion, to help someone make the best of themselves, all while assuming a modest air and taking absolutely no credit for such a thing.

Neville was proud to be his friend, and he owed him so much.

He had a hob he loved, working in the greenhouses. It always calmed him, made him feel like he was making a difference. The fact that he was due to become a father in just a few months had helped with that too.

The thought that he would be about to provide for such a little life filled him with pride.

Life was good for Neville, and it was only getting better.

…

Hermione

Hermione pulled on her jacket, checking her reflection in the mirror. She looked… tired.

Molly was throwing her a birthday party—one that she wasn't particularly excited about—and Hermione couldn't just… not go. As much as a part of her wished that she could avoid it.

She could already picture how the night would go—it was how every gathering had been lately.

Ron would see Harry and Severus together, and spent the rest of the night sulking. Harry and Severus would spend the night with Neville and Ginny, because the four of them were really close these days.

Molly would spend the evening fussing, over Hermione, over Harry, over everyone, trying to keep the peace. Fred would pointedly ignore her, as he always did these days, and Hermione would end up sitting on her own in the corner, wishing that she hadn't gone in the first place.

The evening would undoubtedly end with an argument with Ron, about why Hermione wouldn't go back to his pigsty of a flat.

Wonderful.

…

Harry

Harry straightened his shirt, chuckling when he saw Severus rolling his eyes in the mirror behind him.

"We're going to be late," the old man warned, a small smile reaching his lips when Harry turned around and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"I'm ready, though to be honest, I'm tempted to just change back into comfortable clothes and spread out in front of the fire, instead. This is going to be a disaster. You know it, I know it, hell, Molly knows it. I just don't know why we bother anymore."

"We bother, because they are your family. None of them have got a problem with us, except for Ronald, and even then, it is only because you didn't marry Ginny, and become an Auror with him. Ron blames you—wrongly, I might as well add—for his life not being what he always expected it to be."

Harry leant into the arms that wrapped around him with a heavy sigh. He wished that things could be different between himself and Ron, but he refused to ruin his own life, for the sake of a one-sided friendship.

Harry was happy; he just wished that Ron could be happy for him.

"I have to tell him about the flat tonight, as well," Harry muttered, as he reluctantly pulled away from Seevrus to put on his jacket.

This was going to be about as fun as a party with Aragog.

…

Ron

He pulled on a t-shirt and jeans, checking them quickly in the mirror. He wasn't particularly looking forward to the night ahead. He'd much rather just take Hermione to the cinema or something.

Instead, he had to go to his parents house, and play nice with the others.

It wasn't even that he hated Harry, or anything. He missed his best friend. He just wished that Harry would realise that the greasy git was using him, for his fame, or his money, or both.

There was no way that dungeon bat could really love Harry. No way on earth.

Ginny and Neville would probably spend most of their time with Harry and Snape, leaving Ron to the mercy of the twins, who would likely use him as the test subject for their new products.

It was going to be horrible.

…

Molly

Molly nervously moved around the kitchen, checking on the food and making sure that the cake she'd baked was okay, all the while thinking that it had been a mistake to throw the party at home.

Arthur walked into the kitchen, and spotting the look on his wife's face, he pulled her into a hug.

"What's wrong, Molly?" he murmured.

"I have a bad feeling about this evening," she admitted softly. "Ron's moods have been unpredictable lately, and he seems to have been getting worse. Freddie has been in a funny mood since I told him we were celebrating Hermione's birthday, and I just… I have a bad feeling, that's all."

"Everything will be okay. It'll all work out the way that it should, Molly. Life is a funny thing, and it happens to everyone differently. You'll see."

He smiled at her, and she returned it, albeit a little shakily.

Turning back for a final check on everything, she tried to convince herself that Arthur was right. It would all be okay.

Call it a maternal thing though, but she knew deep in her gut that something bad was going to happen.

…

Harry

Severus caught Harry as he stepped out of the fireplace, as he always did, and the two of them shared a small smile. Severus hated to be late, and it didn't matter that Harry had told him that Molly always asked for them half an hour before she actually wanted them—to ensure they were all somewhat on time—so they were the first to arrive.

Greeting Molly and Arthur, Harry placed a gift for Hermione on the present table, and then took a seat in the living room, with Severus and Arthur.

Conversation with the eldest Weasley was always easy. There was something about him that just made it comforting for anyone who spoke to him.

When the floo flared, and Hermione stepped out of the flames, Harry jumped up to greet her, pulling her into a tight hug. He didn't see her very often these days, because she wouldn't come up to the castle without Ron, and Ron refused to come at all.

Harry knew that she was still holding onto a shred of hope that she and Ron could be a couple who double dated, the way that Harry and Severus did with Ginny and Neville often, but Harry thought that she was hoping for something that would never happen.

She hugged him back, and he felt her squeeze him for a moment, before she let go, turning to greet Arthur and Severus in turn.

"How are you?" he asked her softly.

She smiled at him, but he could tell that it was forced and he hated to see it on her face.

"I'm okay. Busy with work, you know how it is."

He nodded, letting her pretend, and the four of them fell into general chatter for a while, until the fire flared again, this time releasing Ron from the flames.

…

Ron

Of course they would arrive before him. They always did. But really, did Harry have to sit so close to that man? Honestly, it was as though he had a leash and collar, not allowed to go anywhere, or do anything, without the bat's permission.

Ron barely refrained from rolling his eyes. He kissed Hermione briefly when she jumped up to greet him, but he was less interested in her for the moment.

"Hey, happy birthday," he said, though he didn't even look in her direction before he sat down.

His gaze was fixed on Harry, who nodded at him briefly, before he turned away again, to answer something Ron's dad had said.

"Hey, Harry. Alright, mate?" Ron asked, as Hermione perched herself on the arm of his chair.

He tugged her onto his knee. He might as well pay her some attention; maybe it would convince her to stay with him that night. It had been way too long.

"I'm good, Ron. You?"

"Same old, you know? Nothing ever really changes, does it?"

"It does when you want it to," Harry replied.

Ron was interrupted from answering when Ginny and Neville came through from the kitchen. With Ginny being pregnant, they preferred to Apparate.

The floo made Ginny sick.

Ron watched through narrowed eyes as Ginny kissed first Harry on the cheek, and then Severus, and finally her father. Neville shook hands with them all, as Ginny pulled Hermione to her feet, enveloping her in a hug.

"Happy birthday!"

…

Harry

Harry was glad when the others arrived, and Molly called them all to the dining room to eat. Harry and Severus got lucky, finding themselves facing Neville and Ginny. Hermione sat on Harry's other side, and Ron was facing her, beside Neville. The others were all around them, on either side.

The food was delicious, as it always was when Molly cooked, but the conversation was stilted.

Harry glanced at Hermione.

"I'm really, really sorry if this puts him in a bad mood," he whispered to her, so nobody else could hear him. "But I have to tell Ron that I'm putting the flat up for sale. I don't see him very often, so this is the only real chance I'm going to have to tell him face to face. I really am sorry though."

She smiled at him. "It's fine, I understand, Harry."

Severus squeezed his hand in comfort, as Harry took a deep, steadying breath.

"Hey, Ron, have you given any thought to what you want to do about the flat? I told you the last time I saw you that I was thinking of putting it up for sale."

Ron frowned slightly. "You mentioned it, but it's not like you're selling it right now, so it's not like I need to decide now or anything, right?"

"Actually, I'm going to the estate agent next week to talk about putting it on the market," Harry replied. "Obviously you can have first dibs on it, if you want to buy it, but otherwise… Well, I don't really need it now, do I? And I want to put the money into a house in Hogsmeade."

"So, you're just kicking me out into the streets?" Ron demanded. "Like you don't have enough money to buy fifty houses, without selling the flat?"

Harry frowned. "What money I do have isn't really your business, but you know that I haven't touched my parents vaults, and I don't intend to. Don't make this into some big argument, please, Ron, you've had fair warning."

"Fair warning, my arse!" Ron shouted. "How could you do this to me? First, you ruin my life, then you decide to make me homeless? I bet this is all the bat's idea, isn't it? He wants to control every aspect of you, why can't you see that he's using you?!"

Harry stood up, his magic swirling around him as he did. He quickly cast a wandless, wordless protective bubble around Ginny, before he turned back on Ron.

"Get up," he snarled. "Go outside. Apparate to the flat, and clear all of your shit out. I don't know what makes you think that you have the god-given right to try and make everyone as unhappy as you are—through your own doing, I might add—but I'm tired of it."

Harry shook his head, before he continued. "You treat everyone around you like shit, Ron. Haven't you noticed that nobody ever invites you to things anymore? But no, it's not your fault, it can't possibly be you that's the problem. It's always the rest of us. Grow the hell up, stand on your own two goddamn feet, and get a fucking grip!"

Ron stared at Harry, wide-eyed, as though he hadn't expected him to get so angry. He ducked his head, not leaving the table, but not answering Harry, either.

Harry took a deep breath, before he turned to Hermione.

"I'm really sorry that I ruined your birthday dinner, Hermione. I love you, but I'm going to have to leave now. Let me make it up to you next week?"

Hermione smiled softly at him, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "You haven't ruined it. Please stay?"

He softened as he looked at her. He might not spend as much time with her now as he once had, but she would always be the closest thing to a sister that he would ever have.

He nodded.

"Alright. I'm gonna go and get some air in the garden though, okay? I need to calm down, and calm my magic down. Ginny can come with me though, so you know I'm not going anywhere."

As Ginny stood up, Harry cancelled the bubble around her, and put his arm around her shoulders. Regardless of their history, she could calm him down just as well as Severus could when the need came.

…

Hermione

She watched Harry go, and then turned back to look at Ron. He was sulking. It was as though someone had just taken her rose-tinted glasses off, and she was seeing him clearly for the first time in years.

She'd been told by various people over the years that he wasn't good for her, but she'd always waved them off. Even the one person that she knew she should have listened to.

"Ron," Molly said, quietly. "I think that you should probably do as Harry said. He doesn't seem to be in the mood for games tonight."

Hermione glanced at Molly as she spoke, and she was surprised to see the look of disappointment on her maternal face. Molly was often the first to make excuses for her kids, whether they were right or wrong.

"He'll calm down," Ron said, waving her off. "It'll all be fine, don't worry about it, mum."

His voice was full of bravado, and Hermione wondered if he truly believed what he was saying.

"Actually, Ron, he did," George told him, seriously for a change. "You would be stupid to not do as he asked."

Fred nodded along with his twin, catching Hermione's eyes for the first time in months. He smiled slightly at her and raised his eyebrow.

She felt her cheeks flush, and hoped that nobody else had noticed.

"I'll get my stuff later then," Ron said, shrugging it off. "I guess that I'll have to stay at Hermione's for a while. You'll help me get my stuff later, right?"

"No."

He frowned at her. "What do you mean, no?"

She shook her head. "Exactly what I said, Ron. Harry was right, you need to stand on your own two feet. I'm tired of waiting for you to grow up. I'm sorry, but I'm done. We're over."

…

Ron

A red haze settled over his vision as rage flooded him so suddenly, and so fully, that he had no control over it.

Harry and Ginny returned to the kitchen, and he plunged his hand into his robes, pulling out his wand, which he pointed towards them.

"Crucio!"

Harry dived in front of Ginny, who the curse would have struck, and took the torture curse directly in the chest to save her, and her unborn baby.

Ron found himself wandless and bound on the floor of the kitchen. He could hear the commotion going on around him, but he couldn't make any of it out.

It was almost like he was underwater. His heartbeat thudded in his ears, louder than drums being beat. He twisted against the ropes binding him, but he couldn't get himself free.

…

Severus

Despite having seen Harry survive worse than a relatively short lived Cruciatus, Severus knew that Harry would take this badly. The caster being his once best friend would hurt more than any curse ever could.

Once he'd bound Ron, and Percy had sent his Patronus to the Ministry for assistance, Severus concentrated himself on Harry. He held him close, rocking him in his arms as he whispered words of comfort.

Harry held onto him, sobbing, and Severus had never, in his entire life, wished to end a life more than he did at that moment.

…

Neville

He couldn't quite believe what he'd just witnessed, but his only priority was getting to his wife. He hugged Ginny tightly as she cried, one hand rubbing her back, the other on her protruding stomach.

Two Auror's arrived mere minutes after it had happened, and they took Ron away fairly quickly, a third arriving to take statements.

"I'm going to take my wife to the hospital," Neville said, once he'd given his own. "If you need anything more from us, send us an owl."

"Of course, sir."

He needed to make sure that she—and the baby—were okay. Only then would he even start to be able to process what had happened.

…

Harry

"He needs help, not Azkaban," Harry said, his tone quiet but carrying in the Wizengamot chamber. "You just heard him say under Veritaserum that he's sorry, and that he doesn't know how it happened."

"Mr Potter, you were Mr Weasley's victim. Surely you should want—"

"I want what's best for him. It's all I've ever wanted. So if you can help him in the long-term ward, then that's what you should do."

…

Molly

"Thank you," she whispered, pulling Harry into her arms.

She hadn't seen him since the birthday dinner. It had been a week of wondering if he hated them all, only for him to go to Ron's trial, and plead for a lighter sentence.

She didn't know what they'd done to deserve Harry Potter.

"Of course," he whispered back, hugging her tightly. "Ron isn't… he's not the kind of person who would do that. I've known him a long time, and I know that."

Beside him, she could see Severus didn't look happy, but she didn't blame him. If someone had used an unforgivable curse on her Arthur, she'd skin them alive.

"I should cook something, we should have dinner," she said, as she stepped back from him.

The whole family—except for Ron, of course—had gathered back at the Burrow after the trial, and she wanted something, anything, to replace the last memory she had of a family meal.

She noticed Harry hesitate for a second, but Severus squeezed his hand, and he nodded. She smiled at the two of them.

She was so glad Harry had someone who would take care of him just the way he needed. He deserved nothing less.

…

Epilogue

Ron

The years following were filled with love and happiness, tears and sadness, but most of all, they were filled with friendship and family.

Ron was released eighteen months after the trial, much closer in personality to the person he had been just after leaving school.

He married Luna five years later, and Harry had, amazingly, stood for him as his best man.

When Harry and Severus had tied the knot a year after Ron's release, he'd watched with a feeling of sadness as Neville stood at Harry's side. He understood why, of course.

He'd promised himself that he'd spend the rest of his life making things up with his family and friends.

So far, he thought that he was doing alright.

Life was a strange thing to happen to everyone, and everyone experiences it differently. Ron was focused on making sure the rest of his experience was filled with happiness and love and family and friends.