In the Name of Love

DISCLAIMER: Still, sadly, not mine. Although, I must say, Harry…he's like a brother to me. We're just really, really, really good friends.

A/N: This is little one-shot that sort of grabbed hold of me yesterday morning. Its teeth were sharp and I felt compelled to oblige and give in to its demands. The pain is no longer that “jabbing me with that hot poker” type pain…it's now become a dull ache. I'm hoping that means I've appeased the gods of the one-shot and I can now get on with my Work-in-Progress…. Please, if you'd be so kind as to leave a review…perhaps the dull ache will subside also. I'm quite convinced that the gods of the one-shot won't give up completely until the gods of the review are appeased as well.

As always, thanks for reading…and most especially for reviewing (my fingers and brain thank you just as much as my heart does).

Cheers,

Terri

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In the Name of Love

Harry and Hermione stepped out of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry into the bright sunlight of a beautiful new day. It was the first they'd seen of the sun in nearly two weeks and they paused at the top of the steps, relishing in the feel of it on their faces. They closed their eyes and instinctually moved together, interlacing their fingers with their faces turned up toward the heavens.

The final battle had mercifully ended two weeks prior and they had both been bed-ridden, poked, prodded, and thoroughly examined in the aftermath. It was this day that they were finally able to step away from their solitude and rejoin the world of the living.

Ron had been gone for months; since before the official start of the war. An innocent, late night trip to Hogsmeade had taken his life far too soon. No one had properly grieved…not his family, his friends, or the special young woman in his life. Everything had begun to move much too fast and there was no time to devote to grief…no time to give him the respect he'd earned— the respect he deserved. It was as though Ron's death had been the catalyst for escalating the onset of the war. Harry and Hermione had begun their training in earnest. Everything they'd learned— everything they had left to learn— was learned and re-learned with a renewed vigor as thoughts of their best friend remained at the forefront of their minds.

As they stood now, at the top of the stairs, their minds drifted backward in time…back to the day that had haunted them mercilessly for the past four-and-a-half months…back to the day when Ron's body had been discovered near the back entrance of Honeydukes.

No one knew the particulars of what happened that night, as Ron had decided not to inform anyone else of his plans. They put together the few pieces of the puzzle that they'd been able to gather, and they used them to tell as much as they could of Ron's story….

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Ron had entered into a serious relationship with Luna Lovegood the summer before his sixth year, not long after their trek to the Department of Mysteries. Having watched her fight so bravely to protect both he and Ginny, he realized there was far more to Luna Lovegood than any one of them could imagine. Once the visible scars left by the tentacles of the brain had vanished, and his inner wounds had begun their slow healing process, he made the life-changing decision to get past whatever strange qualities Luna seemed to possess…he was determined to get to know her better. And they'd been inseparable since.

It was February 13^th and the four of them— Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Luna…had taken a trip to Hogsmeade together, reveling in their short reprieve from the rigors of their daily life. They'd been enjoying themselves immensely as they walked through town, each of them oblivious to the other students who were spending their day in much the same way. When they walked past a particular shop, Hermione happened to look Ron. She sensed a change of sorts in Ron's demeanor and she followed his gaze toward the shop. Although she wouldn't think about it again until later; at the time, it had made her smile.

Ron ushered them all forward and into a small, nearly empty café. Once they were seated, with drinks in their hands, he excused himself and disappeared for what must have been twenty-to-thirty minutes. When he finally reappeared he had a certain mischievous gleam in his eye as he looked at Luna. It was as though he held a great secret that he wasn't quite ready to share.

“Where've you been, Ronald? I was getting worried about you,” Luna asked, her large grey eyes searching his.

“Nowhere, it's…it's a surprise. You'll see…tomorrow, yeah…tomorrow,” Ron stammered. Keeping secrets had never been an easy thing for him and with Luna staring at him that way; it was a struggle for him not to tell her the complete truth.

“All right, Ronald,” Luna replied. She raised her hand to his cheek and combed back his hair before leaning in for a kiss. “I trust you.”

“I know,” Ron replied, slowly opening his eyes and looking directly into hers. “You'll love it, I promise.”

Hermione watched him closely, winking at him when he finally looked her way. It would later bring her the slightest comfort knowing that their last exchanged glance was done in good fun, and had nothing to do with one of their monumental arguments. His smile would stay with her forever.

That night…that blasted, hateful, dreadful night, long after they'd returned from Hogsmeade, Ron had apparently waited for everyone in his dorm to fall asleep. He crept quietly out of the room, down the stairs, and through the portrait of the Fat Lady…making nary a sound as he went.

Harry hadn't seen what he was carrying as he left, he hadn't given it much thought, but he smiled to himself as he heard the soft rustling of the bed as Ron rose from it. Harry assumed that Ron was going off to meet Luna for a late-night snog…it certainly wouldn't have been the first time. Harry snuggled down into his covers and prepared himself for sleep, completely unaware it would be the last time he saw his best friend alive.

It was February 14^th, Valentine's Day, and the day after their trip to Hogsmeade, when Ron's body had been discovered. The `Avada' curse the apparent cause of death. Clutched tightly in his hand was a tiny box that as of yet, no one had been able to open. Remus held it in his hands and studied it closely.

“I think I know where that came from,” Hermione whispered quietly to Harry as she eyed the object in Remus' hands. “There was a little shop we passed just before Ron ushered us into that café yesterday. I think that's where he disappeared to for so long. Someone should question the shop owner.”

Based on the location of his body, Harry determined that Ron must have left Hogwarts through the One-Eyed-Witch passageway, which would take him directly to Honeydukes. A quick scan of the tunnel revealed Harry's invisibility cloak, and only one answer in a thousand questions.

This is what they surmised…

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Ron had managed to get hold of Harry's invisibility cloak and he walked stealthily through the halls of Hogwarts to the passageway of the One-Eyed-Witch. He took the trail leading out of Hogwarts and into the cellar of Honeydukes. When he reached Honeydukes, he pulled off the invisibility cloak and placed it at the entrance of the tunnel. He climbed out of the cellar and used the `Alohomora' spell to open the door to the now-silent town of Hogsmeade. Under the assumption that no one would know he was there, and that the entire town would be sleeping, he openly walked toward the shop he'd visited earlier that day.

Dumbledore and Harry went together to talk with the shop owner. It was unorthodox perhaps, but where members of the Order or their families were concerned, Dumbledore had said, “One can never be too careful.”

Hermione's hunch had proven correct. According to the shop owner, Ron had indeed been there the day before. He had convinced him to open his shop to him late that night to allow him the opportunity to surprise his girlfriend…the love of his life, with a special gift. Ron had said there was a purchase he wanted to make but he felt it would be best to make it at a time when he was alone. He wanted desperately to surprise his girl on Valentine's Day.

Not one to stand in the way of young love, the owner of the shop had agreed to open his store to Ron that night.

Ron made it to the store, apparently without incident, and excitedly made his purchase. They placed the gift, and what the owner assumed was a love note, in an enchanted box that could only be opened by the giver and the recipient. If both were to perish, the box would be sealed forever.

The shop owner said that Ron left after only twenty minutes in the store. His spirits were high and he was admittedly excited about seeing the expression on his girls' face when he handed her the box. “It was truly an extraordinary piece, have you seen it?” the shop owner asked.

Dumbledore and Harry exchanged glances, both of them now anxious to see what it was that Ron had died for.

Before they left, Dumbledore asked, “Was there anyone else in the store yesterday afternoon when young Mr. Weasley stopped in?”

The shop owner squinted his eyes in concentration. “There may have been, yes. Yes, I do believe there were others here. But I must apologize; I cannot say for sure who they were. My attention was focused more on Mr. Weasley, as he was the one begging me to open the store for him after hours.”

Dumbledore nodded and together he and Harry thanked the owner and left the shop. They followed the path they assumed Ron had taken. The footprints of numerous others were evident in the dirt behind Honeydukes, they appeared to form a half-circle around the place where Ron's body lay. It looked as though Ron had been ambushed and from all appearances, he hadn't stood a chance against the surrounding crowd.

There were marks on his body, which indicated to them that he may have been tortured…although it didn't appear to have lasted long, as the struggle was minimal at best. Nothing on Ron's person was missing…the attack had been intentional, and Harry knew immediately that it was a message for him.

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“Give it to Luna,” Hermione suggested, just as Harry and Dumbledore entered the room. “I think I might know what it is and if I'm right, only she and Ron will be able to open it.”

Dumbledore and Harry joined Hermione, Luna, Remus, a few of the Weasleys, and a handful of others in the Great Hall, the doors and windows shut tight against any outsiders to their circle. Harry moved to stand beside Hermione, grasping tightly to her hand as Dumbledore nodded his approval at Remus.

Remus handed Luna the box and she stood to accept it, pulling it close against her heart. She closed her eyes and fought a losing battle against the tears that had flowed unremittingly down her face since the moment she'd received the news of Ron's death. She held tightly to the box, closed her eyes, and whispered, “Ronald, please.” No sooner had she spoken than the lid sprang open. Her tears fell faster and harder and she fell immediately to the floor, willing her heart to stop beating.

“Ronald!” she screamed. “No, Ronald, please,” her voice was breaking, a reflection of what was happening to her heart.

There wasn't a dry eye in the Great Hall when they saw what Luna had clutched in her hand. It was the first time Harry could remember seeing Dumbledore cry so openly. That alone, brought an onslaught of tears to his own eyes.

Luna clutched the box tightly as though it was a lifeline to Ron. “Take me with you, Ronald, please,” she begged. “You can't leave me behind. You can't…”

Hermione and Ginny knelt beside her on the floor…each of them grasping an arm and gently pulling her up into a sitting position. Luna's protuberant eyes seemed to look right through Hermione, even as they begged her for an explanation. “He promised,” she cried. She fought to focus her intense gaze on Hermione. “You were there, you heard him. He promised. How can I…I trusted him. I trusted him and he…he promised. How can I…?”

She raised her hands and her grip on the box loosened. The note that Ron had written fell unceremoniously to the floor. Hermione picked it up and held it out to Luna. Luna grasped it with trembling hands. “Can you help me?” she asked Hermione, her hands trembling far too violently for her to unfold the paper.

“Of course,” Hermione said gently. She opened the note, intentionally averting her eyes from the private words that Ron had written, and placed it once again in Luna's hand.

Luna blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to clear them of the tears that blurred her vision. She carefully set the box on the floor and tried to wipe her eyes with her other hand. No matter how hard she tried, the tears refused to stop falling. The room was deathly quiet, but for the sound of the occasional sniffle, as all eyes were on Luna. No one knew what to say, not even Molly could find words of comfort to offer, as she sat, just like all the others, wallowing in her own grief.

Hermione placed a hand on Luna's shoulder. “You don't have to read it now, Luna. This is a personal, private thing between you and…” Hermione paused and sniffled, closing her eyes and struggling to dislodge the lump in her throat, “you and…and Ron,” she stammered hoarsely.

Luna shook her head. “No,” she replied in a choked whisper. “I want…ev…everyone to hear,” she stammered. “We…we all need to know why he…why he…”

Ginny rubbed Luna's back in smooth, calming circles. Hermione reached up to gently smooth back the hair that had stuck to the tracks of Luna's tears. “Shh…” she said softly. “We're right here, Luna, and we'll help you through this as best we can. We'll help each other through.”

Luna nodded and struggled to take a deep breath. “We…we will,” she agreed, nodding her head. “But can…can you…?” She held out the paper to Hermione.

Hermione looked at her questioningly. “You want me to read this?” she asked, the shock evident on her face and in her voice.

Luna nodded. Hermione looked up at Harry, who offered her an encouraging smile. She held her hand out to him and guided him down to her. He sat behind her, his hands resting on her waist. “I'm here, Hermione,” he said softly.

“Thank you,” she replied, turning her head to look at him gratefully. She reached up and took the letter from Luna. She held it in one trembling hand. With the other she grasped Luna's hand, and she began to read…

“My Dearest Luna,

I bet you never thought you'd see an opening like that from me, did you? I'm full of surprises, love. This is only the beginning.

In this box you'll find my gift to you…my promise. Everything you mean to me is represented in that circle.”

Hermione looked up at Luna, her eyes pleading with her to let her stop. “Luna, this is personal. I can't do this. I just…I can't!” she cried.

“Please, Hermione,” Luna pleaded. “Please continue.”

With great reluctance Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath, and then continued reading…

“When you place it on your finger, you'll notice that the color changes. They call it a mood ring and every time your mood changes, the color of the ring will change with it. It's blue when you're happy, black when you're mad, red when you're passionate, white when you are content. Personally, I like the thought of seeing blue and red on it every day for the rest of our lives.

Here is my promise…

No matter what the color, my love for you is represented in the circle, not the stone. A circle has no beginning and no end. After nearly two years together, I no longer remember our beginning because it feels like we've been this way forever.”

The lump in Hermione's throat had become too large for her to talk around. The tears had begun to flow from her eyes and her sniffles seemed to echo around the walls of the Great Hall. “No,” she mumbled. “Not anymore.”

Harry placed his fingers on the letter and looked questioningly at Luna. “May I?” he asked, his voice firm as he fought to be strong for both Luna and Hermione.

Luna nodded her head and Harry cleared his throat and began to read where Hermione had left off…

“I love you, Luna, with all my heart…until the day I die, and well beyond. We're too young now, you have another year of school to finish when this year finally ends, but one day…one day, I'm going to ask you to marry me. And I can't wait to see you walking down the aisle toward me. I'll be the luckiest man alive.

You have no idea how long it's taken me to write this. For a guy with the emotional range of a teaspoon (you'll have to ask Hermione about that one), words aren't always easy to come by. I hope it all makes sense.

You have my heart, and I have yours…I promise to handle it with care.

I love you,

Ronald

P.S. Being with you has made me the happiest bloke at Hogwarts. I want everyone to know how this feels. Someday soon we'll have to put our plan into action. You know, the one to get Harry and…”

Harry looked up at Luna in astonishment. “What's this?” he asked incredulously.

“Just let me finish it,” Ginny said, snatching the letter from his hand.

“Someday soon we'll have to put our plan into action. You know, the one to get Harry and Hermione to finally admit their feelings? Our plan will have to be foolproof. They have many years of denial behind them. Together, I know we can do it.

I love you.”

Ginny folded the letter carefully and handed it back to Luna. “Here you go,” she said quietly.

Luna took the letter, never taking her watery gaze off of Harry and Hermione. “Thank you,” she replied hoarsely.

Harry and Hermione sat dumbstruck on the floor…Hermione between his legs, his hands resting once again on her hips. For several minutes neither of them spoke or looked around.

“I have to go,” Hermione said, suddenly jumping up from the floor. Her eyes were dry, but her face registered a great deal of shock.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Ginny offered.

“No…no…you stay here with Luna. I need…I need to be alone,” she said, her voice sounding hollow.

Harry allowed her to make it as far as the door before he jumped up and followed her, without a word to the others. When they stepped outside the Great Hall Harry placed his hand on her arm and turned her around to face him. Wordlessly he pulled her into an embrace. He held her there for several minutes as he stroked her hair, an occasional soothing whisper escaping past his lips.

Not a single word was mentioned between them about the content of Ron's letter and the implications it held for them. Instead of revelations, Harry realized that she was all he had left without Ron. Ron's death had been a message to him, of that much he was sure. It was his logic that the only way to keep her safe was to be with her always, so he could watch over her.

Between the time of Ron's death and the end of the battle, every waking moment he spent with her. It was with great reluctance that he watched her walk up the stairs to the girls' dormitories every night. In the beginning he kept Ron's owl Pigwidgeon busy throughout the night delivering messages to her. Thankfully, as Head Girl, she had her own room. She hated to think what the other girls would say to having an owl buzzing around their heads two or three times a night.

Harry's messages were always the same. “Are you all right?”

Generally she would reply with a, “yes, I'm fine.” But after the first week and countless hours of lost sleep she began to write things such as, “what's a little lost sleep between friends?” and “ yes, Harry, I'm fine. Would you please go to sleep?”

Their training had been kicked up in preparation for the battle, NEWTs still lingered on the horizon, thoughts of Ron and the truth of his death haunted them day and night, and they'd had little time for anything else. Hermione was exhausted as she flopped down on the couch late one Friday night. “Harry?” she said sleepily.

“Yes?” he replied, the same sleepy tone in his voice. He was sitting on the couch opposite her, watching her in the glow of the firelight. “What is it?”

“Harry, can you come here?”

Harry slowly rose from his spot and flopped down next to her. “What is it?” he repeated.

Hermione grabbed him by his robes and pulled him down as she stretched out on the couch. “Can you just…can you stay here with me?” she mumbled. “I…sleep.”

Harry looked down at her sleeping peacefully beside him. He situated himself next to her and gently kissed her cheek. He laid his head down, using his arm as a pillow, and watched her sleep until he could no longer keep his eyes open. He laid his arm across her stomach and succumbed to his first full night of sleep in a very, very long time.

They slept late the next morning. The sounds of the students moving about the common room and passing in and out through the portrait hole did not so much as make them flinch. When they did finally awaken, they were surprised to discover that at some point during the night, Hermione had turned to face him, her arm around his waist, and one leg resting between his. By all appearances, they were comfortable with each other that way. In truth, both were shocked at the way they'd come together.

Rather than jump apart and scramble away from each other, Hermione raised her head to look at Harry. “Ron's right, you know,” she said softly.

Harry nodded. “I know,” he replied.

Hermione nodded and snuggled against his shoulder, his cheek resting on her head. He kissed the top of her head and gently caressed her hair.

“You do understand this now, don't you?” Harry asked, speaking only loud enough for Hermione to hear.

She nodded her head again. “Yeah. I do,” she replied.

“He died on account of love,” Harry said, his voice becoming hoarse.

“What greater reason is there?” Hermione asked, raising her head to look at him. “Of course, he didn't sacrifice himself for it; his life was stolen, not offered. But I believe Harry, I truly do, that had it been about sacrifice, Ron would have died over and over again for the ones he loved. He would have done it for you, for me, for Luna…” her voice trailed away as the sight of Harry's glistening eyes filled her vision. She shifted around and raised up on her elbow to gently wipe his tears. “He loved you,” she whispered. “And so do I.”

Harry looked down at her solemn expression, at the honesty in her eyes. “I love you, too, Hermione. And I loved Ron. I can't lose you like that, you understand that don't you? That's why I'm always there, why I can't seem to break free of you. As long as I can see you, you're all right. It's the moment you walk away that I begin to question whether or not you still are. I'm sorry, Hermione.”

Hermione gazed at him in confusion. “What are you sorry for?” she asked.

Harry dropped his head until his forehead rested against hers. “I'm sorry for being so weak when it comes to you. Ron's death was a message to me. I'm sure it was. And I just can't…I can't bear the thought of that happening to you, too. Losing one of you was bad enough. I'm not sure I could survive if I lost you both. Be patient with me, Hermione. The end is drawing near, I can feel it.”

Hermione lifted a finger to his chin and raised his head. She lifted her upper body, and held herself as high as she could on her arm, until their lips were barely an inch apart. She looked into his eyes, keeping her own wide so he could look as deeply into them as he needed in order to see the truth. “I love you, Harry. You're not going to lose me. I won't allow it,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Harry stared into her eyes and lowered his mouth until it covered hers fully. They clung to each other, both feeling the other's fear and heartbreak in their shared kiss. The kiss hardly lasted a minute, but it held a lifetime of friendship, love, honesty, and faith.

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Preparing for the battle had become about more than just revenge for the murders Voldemort committed. It was more than just defeating the Dark Lord and ridding the world of the most evil wizard in nearly a century. It was about love. Ron had died for it. Luna had nearly lost her mind because of it. Love shouldn't have to come with painful reminders of better times. It shouldn't be followed by feelings of bitterness and hate. The only way to separate one from the other was to destroy the one determined to destroy the love.

Together they did that. With memories of Ron and Sirius, James and Lily, and even Cedric, they set out to defeat and conquer the Dark Lord…and they succeeded.

And now they stand, hand-in-hand, on the steps of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, their faces turned toward the heavens from where they can feel their loved ones smiling down on them.

Their future is uncertain, their sorrow is oftentimes overwhelming, and a part of them will always feel as though it's missing. But as they lower their heads and glance at each other, their fears are pushed aside and they take that first step…together.

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