A/N: I made a few changes to the first chapter if anyone is interested in reading a better version of it [or, well, I `think' it's a better version, anyway]. There's a reason why I shouldn't write and post between 3 and 5am…and I discovered it when I re-read the first chapter! LOL
Many thanks to those of you who reviewed!
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A Visit to the Past
Despite the fact that he'd convinced himself it was all some stupid joke on the part of one of his friends or, more likely, Fred and George…it took a few minutes for Ron's heart to stop racing. In and out he deliberately breathed as he concentrated on lowering his heart rate. The rush of adrenalin that had coursed through him at the initial sound of the voice now left him feeling exhausted as his measured breathing exorcised it from his body. Finally, blessedly, he felt himself begin to relax and he fell into a restless sleep.
"Wake up, Ronald."
Ron half opened his eyes and muttered, "Nahnowmum," under his breath as he rolled over onto his side and into a ball.
He hardly registered the hands that had begun to shake him. "Ronald, you must wake up."
Ron blinked his weary eyes and brushed his hand lazily against the hands that were shaking him. "Five minutes," he mumbled. "Jus' fi…"
Suddenly Ron was jerked awake by the feel of ice cold water running down his neck. "Bloody hell," he yelped as he grabbed his wand from beneath his pillow and jumped quickly from his bed. He looked around the room in a daze.
"Sorry," a woman's voice came from behind him. "I had to do that. I couldn't wake you up."
Ron whirled around, wand in hand. His mouth dropped at the sight before him and he began to shake his head to clear away the haze. "No," he said in disbelief. "It can't be." His wand fell from his hand and he pointed a shaky finger at his guest. "You're…" he couldn't finish.
"I am," she said, smiling knowingly. "Lily Evans-Potter, at your service." She gave an exaggerated bow and the soft tinkling of her laughter filled the room.
"Why are you here?" Ron asked quietly. "What's this about?"
She gazed up at him, her once-gleaming eyes now darkened. "I'm here to show you a piece of the past," she answered without preamble. "You have been warned, have you not?"
Ron's eyes flew to the door and then to the floor as though he could see through it to the group below. "I thought that was a joke."
"I'm afraid it's not, Ronald," Lily said apologetically. "And I fear we must be going. We have much to do tonight and I will not be your only visitor." She held out her arm, "Hold on to me," she advised, "trust in me to take you where you need to go."
Without another thought, he grabbed hold of her arm and felt the familiar squeeze and pull of apparation.
They landed outside a quaint house that Ron had never seen before. He looked around them and saw street lamps lit with holiday lights. "This is a Muggle town," he said softly, voicing his thoughts aloud.
"Mmm…yes," Lily nodded. "Godric's Hollow."
Ron looked at the house incredulously. "You mean…" he swallowed hard as a lump formed in his throat.
Lily nodded her understanding once again. "Yes," she said sadly. "This is how it looked before that night. How it was meant to look forever. Ah, the memories," she finished raggedly. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath, "But this isn't about me," she said recovering quickly, "it's about you." She pulled his arm and gently urged him forward. "Come, let me show you something."
Ron followed her without a sound as they passed right through the closed door. He looked back in surprise when suddenly they were standing in the kitchen. "Through here," Lily said excitedly as she pulled him through an open archway and into the living room. "Don't worry," she said when she felt Ron pull back. "They can't see you."
Ron backed himself into a wall and watched a giggling, baby Harry roll onto his stomach. Lily and James cheered him on excitedly, before rolling him once more to his back so he could do it again. "Christmas Eve," Lily whispered to Ron. "He's nearly five months old already…and growing so fast." She pulled her eyes away from the scene before her and turned to look at Ron. "Do you understand this?" she asked. "Do you know why I brought you here?"
"Not completely," Ron said, shaking his head.
"Why do you think?"
"Because it was the only Christmas Harry had with his family," Ron said softly. "And there's no way for him to remember it."
Lily closed her eyes and wrapped her fingers around Ron's arm. "No, he never will," she sighed just before she apparated them away.
Ron was surprised to find himself in the familiar setting of Hogwarts. "Why are we here?" he asked, looking around.
Suddenly a sound came from the staircase leading up to the boys' dormitories. "I've got presents?" Harry shouted as he came bounding down the stairs. It was then that Ron noticed himself sitting there beside a few wrapped packages…many more lay open beside him.
"Watch," Lily whispered. "Tell me what you see."
Ron watched as Harry picked up his gifts, his eyes narrowing when Harry got to the one from Hermione. Harry's eyes lingered a bit longer on hers than they had on any other…and they seemed to shine just a tiny bit more. "Chocolate frogs," Ron whispered to himself. His eyes darted to Lily's. "He's really happy there…" Lily lifted her finger and twirled it around, rewinding the moment before them. "There!" Ron shouted as he once again watched Harry's reaction to Hermione's gift.
"Tell me the significance," Lily implored.
"The first Christmas Harry can remember being happy?" Ron queried.
"I could show you what Christmases were like for Harry at Privet Drive," she said, a frown creasing her brow. "If that's what you want."
"I'm not sure I'm ready for that," Ron replied.
"Well, I can assure you," Lily began, "they were not happy times for him. He was often forced, even as a young child, to watch as his cousin opened one extravagant gift after another while he, Harry, held tight to his uncles' one lonely sock that my dear, sweet sister couldn't find the mate for."
Ron had witnessed some of the lousy gifts the Dursley's had sent to Harry at Hogwarts over the years, but he'd never fully realized just how much Harry had been forced to endure…and he was sure that with Lily, they'd barely scratched the surface that was Harry's life.
"Why are you showing me Harry's life?" Ron asked. "What does all of this," he gestured around the whole of the room, "actually have to do with me?"
Lily held Ron's arm and, with a heavy heart, apparated them to the kitchen at Privet Drive.
"Christmas!" a pudgy kid Ron didn't recognize yelled as he raced down the stairs. "Where're my presents?" he demanded, sliding into the kitchen and knocking a chair into a fat man sitting at the table.
"Potter!" the man bellowed without looking up from his morning paper. "Potter, get in here this instant!"
Ron looked up at the sound of the broom cupboard door opening.
Harry scratched his bedraggled head and yawned. "Yes, Uncle Vernon?" he asked sleepily.
"Get in here, boy! Get me some coffee," Uncle Vernon shouted. "It's Christmas and Dudders wants to open his presents. Hurry up with the breakfast, boy!"
"Yes, Uncle Vernon," Harry said as he handed his uncle a steaming cup of coffee.
"I want hot chocolate!" Dudley demanded. "Bring me hot chocolate."
"Hold on," Harry snapped. "I'm getting breakfast on."
Dudley turned to his father, his face an angry red. "Did you…"
Uncle Vernon turned to face Harry. "There'll be no gifts for you this year!" he hollered.
Ron stared at the scene in disbelief.
"How much energy do you expend being jealous of him?" Lily asked suddenly, bringing him out of his stupor.
The question took Ron by surprise and he found himself unable to answer. "I don't know," he shrugged. "Haven't given it much thought in those terms, really."
"Too much, Ronald," Lily said, nodding her head solemnly. "Far too much."
Ron cocked his head thoughtfully. "Perhaps," he agreed. "But he's just so…" Ron stopped, his next words lodged in his throat.
Lily put her hand on Ron's arm. "Trust me, Ronald," she said sincerely. "You do not want to be standing in Harry's shoes. It's all that I can do to watch him struggle every single day with no apparent hope in sight. All he has is you…" she turned to look at him fully, "and Hermione," she added pointedly.
In the next instant Ron found himself standing in the kitchen of The Burrow. Echoes of laughter rang through the house just as they always had at Christmas, and he felt the familiar lightening of his heart and mind as he stood in silence, listening.
From where he stood, he couldn't be sure which Christmas it was, but inside he knew it was fairly recent. He walked into the living room and found his family gathered round. Harry was there, staring forlornly into the fire, seemingly lost in thought…until someone mentioned Hermione's name and he was pulled instantly from his trance-like state. As soon as the conversation changed, Harry's attention was once again lost to the flames.
"Has it always been this way?" Ron asked. "Has she always had that kind of effect on him?"
"There's one more thing that I must show you," Lily said, linking her arm with his.
Ron stumbled backward as all around him spells flew. "The Department of Mysteries?" he questioned. "Why are we here?" He shook his head. "This isn't a place I want to be."
"Watch," Lily said, pointing to the scene before her. "There are two things you need to see whilst we are here."
"Great job, Harry!" Hermione shouted, her attention momentarily drawn away from the death eaters and focused solely on Harry.
A slashing movement caught the corner of Ron's eye as Dolohov sent his silent curse flying at Hermione. Her mouth opened in a small `o' and she crashed to the ground.
Ron wiped at the tears that stung his eyes as one best friend lay motionless while the other fell beside her…paralyzed with fear and begging her not to die.
All around them shouts rang out.
"Get out of there, Harry," Ron felt himself urging, despite the fact that he was already aware of how this battle ended.
It wasn't until Neville's nearly incoherent cry of, "Dat's a bulse, Harry," did Ron feel his body begin to relax. He wanted to yell at Harry for wasting time by trying stubbornly to persuade Neville to take Hermione out of there to get her help. He was proud of Neville for the fight he put up and for insisting that he would carry Hermione and stay to fight. He sensed Harry's resistance, and felt the last of his anxiety fade to black when Harry finally acquiesced.
"I never knew he reacted that way," Ron said incredulously. "I always thought Harry was the most level-headed person I know…despite the circumstances."
Suddenly the scene changed…
Ron turned to check on Luna and Ginny when he was struck by a curse and knocked to the ground. Luna gasped and in the blink of an eye she cursed the death eater responsible, then ran to Ron's motionless form. "Ronald? Ronald, are you all right?" She picked his head up and placed it in her lap, smoothing his hair from his forehead. "Come on, Ronald," she desperately urged. "Don't leave me. Open your eyes, speak to me."
"Luna, we have to go," Ginny cried. "We have to get out of here, they'll be back any time."
Luna held her wand above Ron's face and cast an awakening charm. Ron's eyes opened and he smiled goofily up into Luna's worried face. "Loony Luna Lovegood," he sang.
Luna closed her eyes and released a thankful breath. "Come on," she urged, forcing him to stand. "We have to get out of here."
Ron couldn't believe what he was seeing. Of course, he had never remembered it that way, but it played out much like the scene between Harry and Hermione. Only this time it was Luna…and him.
Suddenly the scenes disappeared and he found himself back in his room…alone.
He sat on his bed, silently awaiting his next `visitor' as he reflected over all that Lily had shown him.
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