A/N: Pinksunryse, thanks for that exceptionally long review. I love long reviews! Glad to see that you approve. I, like yourself, am also a R/Hr-I really don't like R/L that much, so any of my readers, don't expect to see that. I know that ships other than what portkey approves of shouldn't be included in stories, but that just means that Ron will either be single or his ship I will consider pretty low-key.
Thanks to hpdancer92, sweetazsuga423, Draca, Allie, dracomio, Emeraldisle, Carrots546, Draco's Gurl, Peanut, meg, Austenlover, toryn (I love spicy Ginny too! And thanks for the long review), Alexandria, momentyne, mereschino (good guess *wink*), Shortcake, princessfab11210, Fiona, lavalamgronsgirl (yeah ff.net!), Rid, AnimalLover947 (thanks for your long review!), Squirtser35, and Pure Evil.
Thanks to anonymous for your reviews as well!
This chapter actually backtracks from the last, but I think it fit better having it after the first part. Hope that you guys agree.
I'm also thinking about making a one-shot of how Ginny and Draco got together...it's the typical get together story, actually, but I still love the idea of it. You guys would have to wait a while, though, as I've also got a novel-length story in the works and I have to finish all of my other short stories too. Most of them are coming to a close, though, so yay!
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To Bring You Back
Chapter Six: Revelation, part II
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(Harry)
I trudged back to the Burrow, hands in my pockets as the wind ruffled my already messy hair. I sighed. I thought that going to Snape would finally find me some answers...but all I find myself left with are burning questions.
I needed Hermione's help.
"Hermione?" I called out as I opened the door and walked in, glancing in the mirror. "Hermione? Are you here?"
"Harry, dear?" a voice wafted up from the kitchen. Briskly walking I rounded the corner and saw Mrs. Weasley sitting at the table.
"Hello, Mrs. Weasley."
"Hermione's at the ministry, I believe. Or at least talking to poor Mr. Malfoy."
"Draco Malfoy?"
"Yes. Care for a cup of tea?"
"No, thanks."
"This house has never been so alone," Mrs. Weasley muttered, staring into her tea cup. "The only other time it's been like this is when Arthur and Ron went to America for some convention...Hermione had her hands full at the ministry that weekend."
"Yeah," I said, not knowing what else to say.
After a moment of silence she said, "Chloe's up in Ron's...in the study." Smiling up at me, she murmured, "She'll be happy to see you."
I smiled back, nodding as I turned towards the stairs. I felt her eyes rest upon me on my way up, a mournful, contemplating glance.
It's horrible. In one moment, your life can just turn upside down. Often times I find myself still referring to Ron in the present tense, as if he was still alive.
I think it's my own way of dealing with his death. I haven't cried about it much...the only times I do are with Hermione, when she crumbles down and needs someone to lean on. I can't bear to see her like this, so I break down, too. She's my foundation as well. Without Ron, all we have left is each other.
Ron's room was turned into a study when the rest of the Weasleys moved out. Due to financial trouble and the fact that Hermione and Ron both knew that they wouldn't have much use for a home due to their work, Mrs. Weasley offered them a home in the Burrow. They agreed...I think Ron felt an obligation to make sure his mum wouldn't be lonely.
"Chloe?" I asked as I opened the door. I saw her crouched in Ron's old chair, her hand working furiously on scattered pieces of parchment.
Chloe turned around, and upon seeing me she screamed, "Daddy!" I smiled as she climbed off the chair and ran towards me, her pudgy arms outstretched. I embraced her in mine, holding her tight while I petted her hair gently. "I missed you, Daddy."
"I missed you too, Chloe. I'm sorry I haven't been with you lately."
"It's okay. I know. You have to go fix Uncle Ron's life." Her face was full of innocence, of pure bliss.
We all need to have a face like this to come home to.
"Come on, I wanna show you something! Look at what I've been drawing!" She took my forefinger in her hand and led me to the table, pointing at her pictures. "That one's of me, and you, and mummy...that one's of Aunt Hermy and Uncle Ron...that one's Aunt Ginny, see she's crying?"
My eyes raked over the pictures, biting my lip as I realized how alone we all looked. Impossible, I told myself, that little Chloe could portray this emotion with mere stick figures and a broken quill. Yet...
"Here, Daddy. This one's for you." She took the last drawing and held it up to me, her eyes glittering. I took it gently and smiled at the image, chuckling slightly.
It was a picture of me in Hogwarts, standing with Ron on my left and Hermione on my right. There's a castle behind us, the lake seen in the corner and Hagrid's Hut in the other.
"I see you looking at it all the time, Daddy...that pictcha on your beside table." I ran my fingers gently over the image, trying to hold back tears.
I remembered that day. That was the day we all promised to never drift apart...the morning before our graduation. Hermione began crying, wiping away her tears as she explained that she didn't want to leave, that this was home. Ron and I had looked at each other helplessly before she brought her arms around our waists, tugging us harshly into a six-armed hug and before we knew it, Ron and I were crying as well.
"Just promise me," she whispered, "that n-no matter what...we'll never lose each other, okay?"
"We can't promise that, Herm," Ron said gently, trying to smile at her. "You know we can't."
"Yes you can," she said gently, her eyes glancing desperately at ours. "We can die proudly. We can be separated. But we'll never lose each other...right?"
"I promise," I whispered, nodding at her. I took her hand in mine, squeezing it gently.
"Me too," Ron replied, taking her other hand. "I promise."
We hadn't lost Ron. But yet, we had. Hermione had wanted to make sure that during the battles with Voldemort, our morals would remain high and we would know we had each other's support. It's ironic, really, that Ron would be murdered after everyone believed it to be safe, finally free of evil.
I don't think that can ever be accomplished.
"Daddy?" Chloe's voice broke through my cloud of concentration and I blinked fiercely.
"Yes?"
"What's that on the back?" she asked, pointing.
I turned the piece of parchment over in my hands, startled to find that the back was a letter.
Greasy has warned me of activity. Stay low, don't owl back for few days. New Address.
Keep a good eye on her.
My eyebrows knitted in concentration as I tried to contemplate what this letter meant. And what was it doing, in Ron's study? I glanced at Chloe's other pictures and grabbed them, turning them over to find that they also were letters.
"Chloe, where did you get these?" I asked. She shrugged.
"I was playing with Blackie when I threw her and she hit that," she replied, pointing at Ron's book case. "These papers fell down, but they were tied together by rope."
"How'd you get them out of the rope?"
"I dunno. I just wanted them gone and they suddenly disappeared."
Amazing. My daughter could already do wandless magic, and she had no idea.
I read the other letters. They all had varying messages, but the last line was always the same.
Keep a good eye on her.
Who had been writing to Ron?
I walked over to the bookcase Chloe had talked about, chanting, "Accio, parchment!" All the papers from the top shelf flew into my hands. Most were blank. But there was one folded up, and blank to the eye.
My auror glance knew better.
I waved my wand and words began to appear on the paper. I immediately recognized it as Ron's handwriting.
Will be my last. Has escaped, as you already know. Knows about me. Contacted. Will try to keep secret. It has been an honor.
She's fine. On outside, bitter and hates you. But she still loves you. Maybe think about coming back. Can't stand to see her cry. Especially over a prat like you.
I clutched this never-sent letter in my fist as I racked my brain, trying to figure out just what exactly this meant.
Suddenly, it all clicked. Everything fell into place. And Ron...
...I knew where to go for some answers. Obviously, he hadn't told me the truth. Or at least the full truth.
And Snape hadn't mentioned it, either. Or maybe he just hadn't known.
"Sorry, Chloe, but Daddy's gotta go now," I said, bending down to kiss her on the forehead. I picked up all the letters and stuffed them into the inside of my robes, tucking them in safely.
"Will you be back soon?" she pleaded.
"I'll try."
"Tell Mr. Malfy that I say hi," she said, smiling. "Tell him that I miss him."
"You...what?"
"He's been missing from my dreams, Daddy. It's lonely without him."
I nodded, frowning as I began to walk back down the stairs. I waved to Mrs. Weasley, who gave me a small nod.
I probably should get Hermione's approval before rushing into this. But I knew my instincts...I knew what I was thinking, assuming, was right.
Raising my wand, I apparated.
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Sorry that chapter was pretty short. Ah well. I think I might just be the Queen of Cliffies. I'm just so evil that way...