Disclaimer: All Characters and things associated with Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. This writing is purely for entertainment only.

Summary: Harry died in the Forbidden Forest and Ron and Hermione must find a way to finish his mission in a world where Hermione and her blood status leaves them both in incredible danger.

Chapter 5

Hermione and Ron got dressed in silence. The room felt heavy after everything that had happened. They were reunited with a good chunk of the Weasley family and yet it felt almost more isolating then when they were completely alone.

"Ron...are you okay?" Hermione finally asked once they were both dressed.

Ron furrowed his brow at her. "I mean...honestly? I don't know. I didn't think I'd seen any of my again, you know?"

Hermione nodded.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" Ron asked. He knew it was all a bit overwhelming, to even see other people let alone people they both had cared about but he thought it was overwhelming in a good way, however, Hermione's facial expression said otherwise.

"Did you see the way Ginny looked at me?" Hermione said softly as she shook her head and fought back tears. "She blames me for you leaving."

Ron moved across the room in one quick stride, his hands moving to rub Hermione's arms as he squared himself to her. "I chose to leave with you...I made you leave...I'll make sure they all know that. We all made decisions that day and mine was you."

Hermione laughed and looked away from Ron, blushing in embarrassment. "They literally walked in on us half naked...probably think we have just spend the last few months shagging..."

"Haven't we?" Ron smirked a bit, another hint of his former self and former humor coming to the surface.

Hermione turned to glare at him but also had a smile on her face. She loved catching those rare glimpses of the old Ron. They were so few and far between but she knew that the jokes weren't funny in the given circumstances.

"Ron..." Hermione warned.

"What?" Ron pulled her in and kissed her forehead. "George will never let us live it down..."

Hermione oddly felt comfort in Ron's joke as she thought about all the Weasley's downstairs. Finally, they weren't alone. Finally, Ron had a small piece of his family back and Hermione was happy they could at least say that.

Hermione and Ron stopped short of the kitchen of Shell Cottage where they could hear Ginny, George, Bill, and Fleur speaking in hushed tones.

Hermione took a deep breath as Ron's hand snaked into hers.

"We are going to be fine. They're my family...and they know how I feel about you. They understand...and if they don't, I'll make them." Ron told her, knowing she was still nervous to speak with them, particularly Ginny.

To Ron, the thought of Ginny being upset that he had left to save Hermione was crazy. He knew she would have done the same for Harry. She would have saved him if she could have so to him this was no different.

Hermione nodded at Ron's reassurance, and then allowed him to lead her into the kitchen. Immediately the eyes of the other four Weasley siblings all looked to the couple. Hermione felt herself shrink at their stares.

There was a long moment of silence before Ginny spoke. Her voice was cold and hollow, hardly holding any emotion other than anger. "So...what in the bloody hell have you two been up to the last few months? Other than the obvious we could gather from upstairs..."

"Ginny..." Ron started, unable to believe just how spot on Hermione had been about Ginny's attitude.

"No. We'd all like to know-" Ginny continued.

"Enough, Ginny. I get it...your mad I took off with Hermione but we had no choice. You know what would have happened to her especially if she had gotten caught. She's a muggle born-" Ron started.

"You didn't even try to find us," Ginny snapped.

"Gin, we were in the middle of the woods...we were just trying to survive...just like you were," Ron said, making the assumption that they were all in survival mode.

Ginny slammed her hands on the table at Ron's words, causing Hermione to flinch.

"No...no we've been trying to end this! We've been trying to carry on for Harry! You two...you're the ones who gave up." Ginny accused Ron and Hermione before pushing off the table she had slammed and storming out of the front door.

Silence filled the room for a long moment before George broke it.

"As you can see...she's been very stable since we lost Harry..." George half joked, though his words got the same glare from Hermione and Fleur.

"She's having a hard time..." Bill's voice almost came out as a warning to George before turning his attention back to Ron and Hermione. "We all have been, as I'm sure you two have as well. Everyone handles these things differently."

Ron and Hermione merely nodded, neither really sure what to say.

"So you've just been...in the woods then?" Bill asked.

Ron took a deep breath before speaking, his hand latching around Hermione's and it didn't go unnoticed to anyone in the room. "We've been trying to keep a low profile. We've kept up with everything as best we could with one of Dad's radios but...other then that we haven't really seen a soul until you all."

Bill nodded. "Well, then you know about Mum and Dad..."

"And Percy and Charlie," Ron nodded, knowing the members of his family who had been captured and persecuted.

"Right," Bill nodded.

More silence filled the room. It made Hermione feel like she was drowning. She couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm sorry Ron left with me. I'm sorry I'm the reason he left your family..." Hermione blurted out, not even sure who she was apologizing to anymore.

"We understand why Ron did that. We do not blame you," Fleur spoke carefully for the group, eyeing Bill and George.

"We all had hard decisions to make with very little time and even less information," Bill added.

"But now we know a bit more," George said.

"Like what?" Ron asked.

"Well, once we were able to track Ginny down...we were also able to track some other members of the Order and Dumbledore's Army," George said.

"Track Ginny down?" Hermione questioned, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Well...yeah. She went a bit mental after losing Harry. She tried to chase down anyone she thought had anything to do with it. She killed...well...a lot of death eaters are gone because of her." George said.

Hermione took a sharp breath. That didn't sound like the Ginny she knew and yet she also knew everyone handled grief so surprisingly differently. For example, she never thought she and Ron would run and hide after losing Harry. To Hermione that showed the difference in bravery and loyalty between Ginny and her. Hermione had always thought she was loyal to the end but she felt like she had let herself down by letting Ron save her even if she knew their choices were limited.

"There are still those of us out there who are fighting...who want this to end. It's hard to round everyone up but we've been in communication with Kingsley, Neville, McGonagall, Dean, and Aberforth. We're all spread out...small factions of us...we are just trying to figure out a way to end this. You-Know-Who though...he's grown stronger, people we didn't think would have turn are bowing to him out of sheer fear," Bill explained.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"He's allowing Purebreed and Halfbloods who profess their loyalty to live rather luxurious lives. Those who don't have been subject to rather harsh punishments. Given the choice, most choose him." Bill said.

"We heard about the servitude and the camps," Ron said, remembering the radio broadcast explaining what was happening to those who went against Voldemort.

"It's different to hear it then realize who it's actually happening to," George said, not making eye contact with Ron, as if he was off thinking about something else.

"What do you mean? Do...do we know people who have been taken?" Hermione asked. With the exception of Ron's parents, Charlie, and Percy they hadn't recognized names that had been announced over the radio and she had assumed most of those they were close to were still safe.

George snorted at Hermione's question as if she were utterly ridiculous.

"Luna and her father were sent to Hogwarts, along with Mum and Dad and Charlie and Percy," Bill said carefully.

"Hagrid was sent to a work camp in Northern Ireland. He's still alive...as far as we know," George said.

A gasp escaped Hermione's mouth at the mention of Hagrid; their lovable and loyal Hagrid had been captured.

"Angela Johnson and Katie Bell have been taken as personal servants to the Zabini family and Cho Chang was sent to the Goyle family...so you can imagine what that means," George seemed really a angry about this, his hands clenching into fists as he spoke.

"What does it mean?" Ron asked.

"Well, they only take women for that so..." George snorted.

Hermione took a deep breath, realizing what George's words implied for Angela, Katie, and Cho. She realized even more now what sort of fate Ron had really saved her from by forcing her to take off with him.

Ron glanced over at Hermione and she could see, he too quickly understood what George was saying.

"Those of us who are left and willing to fight are looking at it from three points. We need to free the work camps, we need to free the servants, and we need to save those who were sent to Hogwarts and Azkaban. The problem is...there aren't many of us and all three of those things are massive," Bill said.

"And none of them kill You-Know-Who," Ron added. The only way to do that was to kill the snake. He knew that; they all knew that.

"Right, which means even if we do all of those things there is still the issue of him." Bill sighed.

The room lapsed into silence again. Ron was trying to read his siblings faces, wondering what they expected him to do now. "So...now what?"

"We all spoke. We don't except you to help. We understand, given Hermione's blood status, how dangerous that would be. We are just glad to know you're okay." Bill said.

Hermione looked to Ron with so many questions in her eyes and so much guilt weighing on her. She saw the same guilt in Ron's eyes, but he looked passed Hermione, out the window, where he could see Ginny leaning on the porch, looking out at the sea.

Hermione's eyes too moved to the shell of the version of Ron's younger sister. This Ginny had been beaten, and wronged, and was angry. This Ginny was vengeful.

"Don't give Ginny a zecond thought. Her feelings don't reflect ours," Fleur seemed to understand what Ron and Hermione were thinking as they looked at Ginny.

"She has every right to be angry," Hermione sighed.

"She's not angry with you...she's just..." Bill started and stopped, not really sure how to describe his younger sister anymore. She had lost so much; Harry, her parents, her freedom.

"Broken..." Hermione finished Bill's thought for him before looking back at Ron.

Not a single word was said between Ron and Hermione and yet Ron knew exactly what Hermione's eyes were asking. All of the months hunting Horcruxes followed by the last few in the tent alone together had created a bond, a wordless language, between the two that was almost intoxicating to watch.

Ron gave Hermione a small nod, as if giving her permission to go outside and speak with Ginny.

Hermione smiled back at him and did just that, leaving him in the kitchen with his brothers and Fleur.

"Just be ready for that conversation to not go well..." George pointed in the direction Hermione had just walked in.

"It's Hermione and Gin. They were nearly best friends at one point," Ron reminded his brother.

George merely shook his head. "That's not the little sister we all knew and loved. Trust me."

Hermione cleared her throat as she stepped out into the porch to catch Ginny's attention, and it worked as Ginny turned quickly on her heel, her eyes glaring into Hermione's own.

Hermione was taken back by how harsh Ginny's features were. The gash running her face made it worse, but the dark circles under her eyes, the chapped and dirty lips, the hair that Hermione could tell was not just Weasley red but seemed to be decorated with blood - this was not the Ginny that Hermione had grown up alongside. This was someone else.

"What did they send you out here as the sacrificial lamb? You were always good at that martyr look...though not when it counted, I suppose..." Ginny snapped.

Hermione swallowed hard and bit her own lip, allowing Ginny's jarring words to sink in. Hermione couldn't even argue with Ginny because she wasn't entirely sure Ginny was wrong about who she had become.

"I'm sorry, Ginny..." Was all Hermione could think to say after a long moment.

Hermione's words caused a bitter laugh to escape Ginny's lips as the redhead folded her arms firmly across her dirty jumper, showing gashes, dirt, and scars marring Ginny's hands.

"What are you sorry for, Hermione? Are you sorry you left with my brother? Are you sorry you ran from the fight you swore to Harry you would finish? Are you sorry Harry's dead? Or are you just bloody sorry we caught you and my brother going on with life like the rest of us didn't even exist?" Ginny's voice grew more aggregated with every question.

Hermione shook her own head, surprised as the tears rose in her eyes. She didn't know how to answer Ginny. She was sorry for all of those things because they all held a partial truth, except the last one.

"We didn't forget about you all..." Hermione managed out.

Ginny snorted. "No just...instead of looking for us, instead of continuing Harry's fight you have spent the last four months screwing my brother! People are dying every day, Hermione! People you supposedly care about-"

Hermione shook her head fiercely at Ginny's accusation as the tears filled her eyes now. "It's not like that, Ginny. We were scared, and heartbroken...and...and I love your brother. We didn't know what to do, we didn't even know where to start to find you all."

Ginny shook her head at Hermione, though her voice came out with a little less anger and a little more pity. "You're just a coward, Hermione. After all that...once Harry was gone you just...Muggleborn or not you're a coward and Harry's had to die for you to show us that..."

Hermione's mouth fell open but she did not bother to respond to Ginny. Ginny's words made her feel numb and hit her so square in the chest that Hermione thought surely they must be true. She was a coward.

Just then, the door opened up and Ron stepped out onto the porch. Ginny didn't even look at her brother as she blew past him, knocking his shoulder with her own as she moved back into the house.

After a long moment, Ron came up and gently put a hand on Hermione's shoulder, causing her to flinch and turn to him.

"You're not a coward," Ron told her as he gently brushed a tear from Hermione's cheek.

"Aren't I though?" Hermione laughed bitterly as she wrapped her fingers around Ron's hand on her cheek.

"No," Ron said firmly. "Keeping yourself alive doesn't make you a coward and that's exactly that we did."

"We ran from everything. We lost Harry and we gave up..." Hermione basically repeated what Ginny had said earlier.

"What would you have rather done? We were already targets. With Harry gone...we didn't stand a chance. You heard what happened to Katie and Angela and Cho...imagine what would have happened to you." Ron reminded her of what they had just heard inside from his siblings.

Hermione shook her head. Deep down, she knew Ron was right but it didn't stop her feeling like a fraud, like a shadow of the witch who used to have all the answers.

Ron gently pulled Hermione's gaze back to him, forcing her to lock eyes with him. "I don't regret anything we've done so far. Not a single second of it."

Hermione sighed and leaned into Ron, allowing him to wrap his strong arms around her. She inhaled his scent, allowing herself to get lost in the peace it brought her for a moment.

"We can leave," Ron said into her hair.

Instantly she pulled back, her eyes locking with his, trying to read the grey in his normally blue eyes. "What?"

"No one is expecting us to stay and fight, especially given your blood status. We can leave again..." Ron told her.

Hermione sighed. Part of her wanted to take Ron's hand and go running off back into the woods where they could pretend none of this was happening; they could act like they didn't know what was happening to the people they cared about. They could grow old and live in peace away from the world. But the other half of her, the part she still felt held her Gryffindor courage and loyalty knew they couldn't turn a blind eye now, no matter how dangerous it was. Ginny was right, they had to carry on for Harry's memory and their own futures.

"We came here to try and help at first, didn't we? I know none of it came to fruition but maybe your family coming back was our sign that we are still needed...that we have to help," Hermione said.

Ron sighed as well. If it was just him, if he didn't need to worry about Hermione then he would agree with her but now, knowing what they did know and what could happen to her if they were caught, it felt like too big a risk.

"You heard what happened to Cho and Katie and Angelia...and they are half-bloods, Hermione. Imagine if they caught you. Everyone knows who you are...imagine what they would do..." Ron said.

Hermione gave Ron a soft smile, appreciating how much he clearly loved and cared for her. It was the only good thing she had left now. "Then don't let me get caught."

Ron gave her a soft smile back, knowing full well that wasn't something either of them could promise or control. He also knew what Hermione was saying without using the words.

"So we are staying to keep this fight going? Still trying to save the world?" Ron asked her.

"I don't see another choice," Hermione told him.

Ron sighed and looked over Hermione's shoulder at the sea. The moonlight was bright on the water and it almost put Ron into a trance. He felt his body sway like the waves a bit as he stood there and thought about Hermione's words

All he had wanted to do was save Hermione and keep her alive. He had done those things but by doing so he had cost them both all of the things that had made them who they were truly at their core. They had both merely been existing and while that would keep them alive he did not know how long it would keep either none of them sane. He knew eventually one of them would crack and they could lose everything. Now that they really knew what was at stake they couldn't walk away again. They had run, but they had never been built to run. They were meant to fight, not just for Harry but for themselves, for their future.

"I reckon you're right," Ron said after a long moment. "Don't really see any other choice."