She knew her mouth was moving. She knew she was trying to speak, but all the air in her lungs had simply escaped. When she did get a breath, it came back out as a low keening wail that she didn't recognize as coming from a person, let alone herself.
Her knees buckled and Harry wrapped his arm around her middle on reflex as they both slid to the ground. She saw through a glaze of tears, although in reality she wasn't seeing anything. Nothing existed outside of what she had just heard.
Harry's grip on her was painful, not that she really noticed. She could hear him saying `No,' over and over again in the most broken voice imaginable.
He couldn't be gone. Ron couldn't be dead. Not before she got a chance to see him again. Not now that Harry was back. It was so wrong that she couldn't even process it.
She couldn't stop making that noise. It came from a place deep within her that she didn't know existed. None of her injuries hurt. This hurt. What she was feeling in that moment was more painful than anything she had ever experienced.
She felt Harry's head drop to the back of her neck and felt his hot tears as they slid beneath her collar. His hands fisted around her middle as if he had to hold on to her or he'd fly apart.
There were feet all around them then. It was odd looking, she noted in a disconnected sort of way. She could tell people were talking to them but the rush of blood in her head didn't allow her to hear anything. And then someone touched her cheek, her forehead, and then there was a hand at her elbow trying to lift her up.
"NO!" was torn from Harry's throat in such a brutal way that she was sure he must have done some damage to his vocal chords. His arms tightened even more and she was starting to have a hard time taking a breath.
And then there was red hair in front of her. Not just any red hair. Weasley red. She turned towards Harry and drew her knees up to her chest and sobbed so hard she was choking.
She could hear someone talking to Harry again. She didn't know what they were saying and Harry was shaking his head, but eventually his hold on her lessened. Then there were hands pulling her away and she panicked, tried to scrabble to Harry. But he was holding her back and then someone was next to him. Someone she knew. It was George.
"It's ok Hermione, it's just Bill," George said, looking over her shoulder at his brother. "Let him help you. We'll explain. It'll be alright." And then he turned back to Harry and was whispering frantically in his ear. But Harry kept shaking his head and looked stunned.
She didn't see what happened next because strong arms had pulled her away and picked her up. She looked around, startled, and saw the grim face of Bill Weasley. "It's ok Hermione. The healers need to look at you," he said with forced calm as he carried her over to the bed.
The bed where Ron had died.
Just as Bill placed her down she bucked like a wild animal and screamed for Harry. Bill's hands fell away, and then Harry was there, right in front of her. His eyes were wide and wet but for some reason he had a smile on his face.
"`Mione! `Mione! Listen to me! Listen!" he pleaded and took her face in his hands. She had stopped struggling and was now trying to focus on him but she was shaking so hard it was difficult. She tried to control her sobbing but was unable. "Shhhhh, baby please. Shhhh. Calm down." He dropped his head to hers and wiped her tears away with his thumbs.
""Mione you have to listen. Ron..." his voice broke off and he swallowed hard before continuing, "Ron's not dead."
She didn't understand what he was saying. Ron was dead, the nurse had told them.
She shook her head at him, not comprehending why he would be so cruel.
"It's true. He's not dead, George just told me."
And then someone came from behind Harry and tried to make him move. He turned on them with the fury of the one who vanquished the Dark Lord. "You will give us some time!" he growled before turning back to her.
His words still weren't making sense to her. Ron was gone.
"He's not dead. He's someplace safe. They're hiding him so whoever is after you two will think Ron's out of the picture." He said it so earnestly she was forced to believe him.
And somewhere in her mind this began to make sense.
"He's...he's not gone?" she said slowly and carefully, not sure she was ready to believe if it was just going to get torn from her again.
"He's not gone. He's safe. And as soon as you get patched up, we're going to go see him." He pushed damp hair out of her face and stroked her cheek.
"He's alive?" She had to ask one more time before she could believe. And after his happy nod she dissolved into tears once again, except now they were tears of relief.
He caught her up in his arms and held her while she sobbed. As she gradually quieted she realized she was shaking, and it wasn't from the news about Ron. Her knee felt like it was on fire and her head and arm didn't feel too good either.
Harry helped lay her back on the bed and then she was surrounded by healers and nurses. She heard Harry telling them everything that had happened to her and before she could say anything the world went black.
She came to gradually, the familiar fog of a potion induced sleep clouding her mind. She blinked twice taking in the room until she saw a dark shape in the corner.
Harry was slumped in the chair, his head propped up in one hand, wand in the other and he was fighting sleep. His bruises were gone. The leather jacket he wore still showed signs of their past few days, but his other injuries seemed to have been healed.
She gave an experimental shift of her leg and was rewarded with a pain free experience. Her head wasn't throbbing and her arm also didn't ache, nor did her myriad of cuts and contusions.
The door to the room was shut, but Bill Weasley was pacing slowly at its entrance, his wand at his side. Seeing Bill brought back the nightmare ordeal from when they had arrived and tears pricked her eyes unbidden until she remembered everything, although she still didn't quite understand how Ron had been dead and then alive again.
She took a ragged breath and both Bill and Harry looked her direction. Harry was on his feet in an instant.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, voice rough
"Good. Much better than earlier," she said and pushed herself into a seated position, glad to see she still had her clothes on from earlier. "How about you?" she asked and ran a hand down his arm until she could grasp his fingers.
"Never better," he replied with a tired smile and dropped a quick kiss to her lips.
Her eyes cut to Bill, but he wasn't looking their direction.
When she looked back at Harry she knew he could see the fear there, that what he had told her earlier was somehow not true.
"Please. You have to explain, about...about Ron," her voice cracked with emotion and Bill made his way to the end of the bed.
"Hello, Bill," she said
"Glad to see you're feeling better," he replied. "The two of you looked like you had gone a few rounds with a troll."
"It felt like that too," Harry answered for both of them. Then he turned his attention to Bill. "Would you like to explain?"
Bill took a deep breath before he began. "The attack on Ron seemed like it was a random event. He was closing up the shop late and was the only one there when three men entered. They took him by surprise in the stock room. He didn't stand a chance." Bill scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck before continuing. "Some of the spells mixed with the merchandise and the healers think that's why it took so long for him to wake. The people who attacked him took what money there was and some of the more specialized potion ingredients so it appeared to be a robbery."
"But now you don't think that's what it was at all." She directed her statement to Harry.
"No. I was able to talk to Bill while you were out. Seems Ron had mentioned some other strange happenings in the few days prior to the attack, but no one thought they were connected." Harry replied, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
"Strange happenings like what?"
"His flat looked like it had been broken into. Ron doesn't exactly use much beyond a simple home alarm charm which are easy to get around. The place was such a mess already, he couldn't tell if anything had been taken."
"But you think something was?" she asked unnecessarily, as the grip on his wand had become tighter and he was fighting the urge to start pacing.
"I think they took the last owl you sent him. I think that's how they knew how to find you," he answered tersely.
"Oh," she replied "That would make sense. Except, if that's true then they waited at least a week to come find me. Doesn't that seem odd?" She was trying to puzzle it out like a problem in class.
"It does, but that's not your concern." And with the hard set of his eyes she could see he was back in Auror mode.
Her eyes flashed angrily at him. If Bill hadn't been there she'd have started another row over what was and was not his concern, especially when it involved her.
Shooting him a look that said this wasn't over, she turned back to Bill.
"He was here for almost two weeks. Things looked bad for awhile but then he started to improve." She could see the strain in his face, and knew that for the Weasley's to almost lose another brother, another son, it must have been excruciating. "Right after Harry left there was a second attack. Here." Hermione gasped in shock. "Two people entered the room posing as healers. The potion they had would have done serious damage and most likely killed him."
She blanched and Harry's fingers tightened around hers in support.
"Ginny is the one that figured it out. The shoes were all wrong apparently." Bill smiled at Hermione's confused expression. "That's how I felt too, don't worry. But apparently healers' uniforms are very specific. The shoes these two were wearing weren't part of the uniform." He gave a shrug and a small smile. "She happened to be the one sitting with Ron when they came in. They didn't pay her any mind, and when she noticed the shoes she stupefied them from behind." He looked quite proud of his little sister.
"Then you've got them!" she said suddenly looking at Harry with hopeful eyes. Knowing this was the sort of information he could use.
But Harry just gave a shake of his head. "These two apparently had portkeys on them that were set to activate if their wearer was ever made unconscious. I've only seen this..." And then he trailed off, realizing he wasn't alone with her. "Well, let's just say it's not that common."
"Surely Ginny could give a description." She threw out, trying to find some way to help him.
But Bill just shook his head. "She only saw them from behind. Once she stupefied them they disappeared. Male. Dark hair. Tall. That's it."
"Then where's Ron!" Bill was taking his time telling this story and she was becoming anxious again. Harry's thumb stroked over the back of her hand.
"As soon as the attack occurred we realized Ron wasn't safe here. At that point we also knew that something was going on with you, although we didn't know what. It seemed to make sense to move him to a safe location."
"Where is he!"
"Safest location in Britain, `Mione." Harry answered with a grimace and she knew immediately. Ron was at Grimmauld Place.
She knew Harry had bad memories of that house, but it had been given to him after Sirius died and had stayed protected. No one knew it existed unless they had been told.
"But Ron's alright then? He's recovered?" And for the first time she really let herself believe everything would be fine.
Bill nodded. "Recovering. But yes, I'd say he's alright," and then before he knew it, the poor unsuspecting Weasley had an armful of grateful Hermione.
"Oh Bill, this is wonderful! Just wonderful!" she exclaimed through happy tears. After a moment Bill hugged her back, but he must have sent Harry a frightened look.
"It's Hermione. She hugs, mate," Harry said with a laugh, and then she pulled away from Bill and made her way around the bed.
"He's really fine?" And she knew she needed Harry to tell her.
He held her face in his hands and then pulled her in tight. "He's fine."
And then her mouth was on his, and they both forgot they weren't the only ones in the room until Bill cleared his throat loudly.
"Well, well, well. She disappears to France and comes back attached to Harry by the lips. What are they teaching at Muggle university?", came the unmistakable voice of George Weasley.
She broke away from Harry, blushing furiously, and saw Harry turn surreptitiously to the side to hide his red face.
"Honestly George!" she exclaimed and then made her way over to give him a hug as well.
When the greetings were finished she looked at Harry "Can we go?" She had a need to see Ron with her own eyes.
"The healers want to see you before you're discharged," Harry supplied, and she saw George slip out of the room.
"Really, Harry, is that necessary?" But he just gave her a look and she sat on the edge of the bed to wait. She absolutely refused to lie back down, however.
"You two were pretty bad off when you came in. When are we going to get that story?" Bill asked.
"How about we fill everyone in at once when we're at the house." Harry said noncommittally and she could tell he wasn't going to be thrilled to recount their last couple of days.
George reentered the room with a healer following him. Both Bill and Harry gripped their wands tighter until George gave them a small nod. Bill relaxed and took a step back, but Harry did not.
The healer started to ask Hermione to lie down and then looked at her mutinous face and thought better. After a few waves of her wand she turned to Hermione. "Everything looks back to normal, Ms. Granger, although you may feel a bit tired as a result of the exhaustion and concussion you were suffering from." Hermione just nodded, none of this information was a surprise to her.
"And I'm afraid the wound on your arm is going to leave a scar." the healer said, pointing to the long line down her right arm. "If we had been able to treat it immediately it would have healed properly, but there are limits to magic."
"It's ok," she shrugged, "I'm used to scars." And gave Harry a reassuring smile, hoping to dissipate the guilt she knew he was feeling at not being able to heal her better.
"Am I free to go?" she asked anxiously, wanting to get out of there and see Ron.
"Ideally we would keep you for the night to ensure you get proper rest, but since Mr. Potter has also checked himself out against our advice I have no doubt that you will do the same." The healer replied dryly, sounding scarily like Madame Pomfrey.
"I'm feeling much better. Thank you," Hermione said with a smile.
"Then you are free to go Ms. Granger," the healer said before turning and leaving.
She was up off the bed before the woman was out of the room and turned impatient eyes to Harry.
Bill spoke up before she could say anything. "Mum's there with Ron and Ginny. We'll join you in a couple of hours." And then he and George were heading out the door.
"Thanks, boys," she called, and George threw a jaunty wave over his shoulder.
"You ready for this?" Harry asked softly.
"Yes. Are you?" His answer was to take her by the arm and apparate them to the front step of No. 12 Grimmauld Place.
The house looked the same as it had the last time she was here. It was one of the first places she had gone when she had been searching for Harry.
The door opened at his touch and she automatically cringed, waiting for the onslaught of Mrs. Black's portrait. But the wall where it had hung was blank. She turned her shocked expression on Harry who looked sheepish.
"I came here once. After...Anyways, the portrait went off like it always did and I just got so angry. I don't know what happened but the next thing I knew my wand was out and the portrait was gone. She's never returned," Harry explained. She knew he didn't want to bring up the time where he had disappeared.
She took his hand and gave it a tug. "Come on." And she pulled him behind her as they made their way through the rooms. They looked tidier than they ever had, and she surmised that Mrs. Weasley had been keeping herself busy.
Just then, the door from the kitchen swung open and out came Ron, taller than she remembered, but still very much Ron. His mother and sister were behind him but she didn't see them.
With a strangled gasp she pulled away from Harry and sprinted for Ron, throwing her arms around his neck with such force he had to take a step back.
"Hermione! Harry!" he exclaimed, hugging her back, and straightened to his full height so her feet dangled off the floor. But she didn't care. She just clung harder and blinked furiously.
Harry came up behind her and wrapped his arms around them both and she felt something inside herself click into place, something that had been missing all these years.
She could hear Mrs. Weasley's happy sobs in the background, but couldn't make out what she was saying.
Finally Harry pulled back. She looked up at Ron, her eyes full of tears and found him grinning at her madly. And suddenly she was furious. "We thought you were dead you great idiot!", and smacked half heartedly at his chest until he laughed and pulled her in for another hug.
She hung on for another minute and then pushed back until he set her down, wiping at her eyes, which turned out to be pointless since as soon as she was done hugging him he had turned to Harry and they were now doing one of those typical bloke hugs where there was a lot of back pounding and saying of the word `mate'. But it made her cry just the same.
Harry turned to her and saw the state she was in, even though she was smiling. He just pulled her in close and pressed a kiss to her hairline. "He's alright," he whispered so only she could hear, and she nodded tightly.
Harry's arm was still around her waist and she found herself unable to stop staring at Ron. "Look at you," she said, voice wavering as she reached out a hand to brush crumbs off his shirt.
"Still the same old Hermione, always having to correct me," he said with a big grin.
"Still the same old Ron, feeding your shirt more than your mouth," she retorted and felt more than heard Harry laughing from behind her. She had forgotten how much she had missed this. How much she had missed them.
But they were all smiling. She was smiling so broad her face hurt and she couldn't have stopped if she tried.
"Enough. Enough!" came Mrs. Weasley's voice, breaking into their reunion. "Let me see you two!" And then she was being pulled into the motherly arms of Molly Weasley. The family matriarch patted her cheek. "We've missed you, dear," she said genuinely.
"I've missed you all too," was all Hermione could manage to squeak out.
Then it was Harry's turn, which took quite a bit longer than Hermione's. Still the favorite, her eyes said to him over Mrs. Weasley's shoulder as she continued to tut and fuss and say that he hadn't been eating even though it was obvious to anyone who looked at Harry that he wasn't the scrawny boy he used to be.
"Hello Hermione," said a voice to her left and she turned to see Ginny Weasley, all grown up.
"Ginny!" she exclaimed and gave the girl a hug, pleased to see her even if they hadn't always gotten along so well.
"Let some others say hello, Mum," Ginny protested to her mother until finally Mrs. Weasley stepped away from Harry, still mopping her eyes. And then Ginny was hugging Harry as well. Hermione saw him gulp and she had to turn her eyes away to school her features as a flare of jealousy reared up within her so quickly it took her by surprise.
Ginny had an odd look in her eye when she moved back, one that made Hermione a bit uncomfortable.
But then Harry was at her side again and Mrs. Weasley was demanding they come eat something after they put their things away. Ginny offered to show them to the rooms that had been cleaned and they promised Ron they'd be right back.
Ginny led the way and Harry stuck his hand out behind him in open invitation for her to take it, which she gladly did. When they got to the main hallway Ginny pointed to Sirius's old room. "Mum thought you'd like to stay there, even though we didn't know if you'd be back or not," she said to Harry. "And Hermione, the room we stayed in before is mostly cleaned out, but there's enough room to push another cot in there if you don't mind sharing."
The thought of sharing a cramped, dusty room with Ginny Weasley was less than appealing. And the thought of spending the night away from Harry was just not something she could think about right then.
"Um, well, Ginny...." she stammered, and then she realized that Harry was dead quiet and it hit her that maybe he didn't want to share a room with her now that it wasn't necessary. Shame and embarrassment grew and she wished for the floor to open up beneath her. Then suddenly his hand was taking hers. "Actually Ginny, we'll be fine in Sirius's old room, but thanks for the offer." Harry said as evenly as possible and her heart was in her throat.
Ginny looked like she had been hit with a bludger bat but she rallied quickly. "Oh. Well...Oh. Right then. Of course." Her eyes darted to their joined hands and how close they were standing. "Of course." Then she cleared her throat. "I'll just let you get settled. I'm sure Mum needs me for something," and she disappeared so fast it was like she had apparated.
Hermione turned to face Harry and let her head fall forward onto his chest. "Well that wasn't awkward at all," he deadpanned, and she laughed dryly. "You know she's going straight down there to tell Ron and Mrs. Weasley. We're going to be berated about `living in sin'," she said, her voice muffled by his shirt.
He pulled her up and kissed her, making sparks shoot through her belly. "Little does she know..." he said against her lips, and then he was opening the door, leaving her gaping at him from the hallway.
"Harry Potter!" she cried out, before following him in.
"What `Mione? It's my house. We're adults. And quite frankly it's no one else's business." His voice was tight, and she could tell that the strain of the past few days was catching up with him. And more than likely the strain from the past few years mixed with being back in England after so long.
She came up behind him where he stood emptying their paltry possessions from the resized duffel bag and wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his back. "I know this isn't the right time, but we're going to have to talk about this," she said quietly. His back tensed for a moment and then he turned around. "I'm sorry," he said genuinely. "You're right but...You just need to know how important you are to me."
"I know, Harry," she whispered. "The talk will keep, for now." He squeezed her hands once and then turned back to his task.
"How are you doing otherwise, being back here again," she asked.
"I could ask you the same question," he countered.
"Fair enough." she conceded. "I'm not sure I know how I'm doing. It sort of feels like it's a dream, and then after everything with Ron..." she trailed off with a tired wave of her hand. "I almost feel like I've been asleep for four years and now I've woken up and have been dropped back into my life, except everyone else went on with their own without me and I don't know which way is up anymore."
His hands stilled. "That's exactly how I feel." he admitted "In a way I feel like no time at all has passed, and we're still 18. But then I look around..."
She was opening her mouth to reply when a voice bellowed from below.
"Oi! You two! You going to join us again or do I have to come up there?" Ron shouted from downstairs.
She shared a look of mock exasperation with Harry before they made their way back down.
The Weasley's were waiting for them in the kitchen. Ron just gave them a knowing smirk and then sat back to watch the show. Mrs. Weasley looked less than pleased and she opened her mouth several times to say something before stopping herself. Finally Harry walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders before leaning down so that only she could hear him. Hermione didn't know what he could have possibly said, but she watched as Mrs. Weasley's face ran a gamut of emotions, from tears, to shock, to disapproval and finally to a smile.
When Harry returned to his full height, she gave him a loving smile and patted his cheeks before asking him if wanted one helping of stew or two.
Harry came back to the table and Ron was staring at him open mouthed, and in awe of what Harry had managed. Then he leaned across the table and mock whispered, "You've got to tell me your secret, mate," and Harry laughed good naturally.
It was such a small thing, but to Hermione it was pure nostalgia. This was how they were before everything went to hell. Things may have always been tense, and the shadow of Voldemort may have always loomed over them, but they had been able to have good times and be normal more often than not.
It hit her then. What they had lost. What the war had taken away. And with a strangled gasp she stood up so quickly her chair flew out behind her and then she darted from the room.
She could barely see through her tears when she stumbled into the library. The smell of leather and old books was comforting and she sank onto the worn settee, burying her face in her hands.
There were footsteps on the carpet and she fully expected that Harry had followed her, but when she peeked through her fingers she saw Ron.
He sat down gingerly and laid a hand on her back, but didn't say a word.
"I'm sorry I left. I'm so, so sorry." He didn't say anything, just rubbed circles on her back and waited. "Harry was gone and...I couldn't stay here. My parents weren't here. I didn't have a home to go to...and I just...I ran," she finally admitted. His hand stilled and she thought maybe he was upset with her. The next thing she knows he was bodily pulling her towards him, curling her into his chest. He wrapped his long arms around her and just held her.
"It's alright Hermione. I understood all of that," Ron said roughly, and she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.
"None of us knew how to handle it. Harry was a complete disaster. I was in no condition to help him, and once he left you fell apart. But it happened. And maybe it shouldn't have, but we can't fix that, so we just have to deal with it." The room was dead silent as she let Ron Weasley's words of wisdom sink in.
"He's right, you know," came a voice from the other side of the room and she lifted her head enough to see Harry leaning against the doorjamb.
"I know. I just think I'm in shock at how sane and rational he sounded," she said with mock seriousness.
"Oi! A bloke has feelings you know. And occasionally I have been known to use my brain for some good," Ron protested.
Harry pushed himself off the jamb and made his way over to them. He sat on her other side and she curled her legs up on the couch so that her feet rested on his thigh. His hand immediately wrapped around her ankle, his thumb running over the bone. With a sigh she settled back against the couch, Ron's arm around her shoulders. She was content, she realized. She hadn't felt like this in so long it was almost foreign to her.
Tears pricked her eyes and she shook her head to get rid of them. She was through with crying.
"Alright `Mione?" Harry asked
"Perfect," she answered.
They sat in silence, and she enjoyed just being still.
Their peace was broken all too soon as the sounds of many Weasley voices began to fill the halls.
"We've been invaded, mate. Sorry," Ron said, slipping his arm out from behind her and stood, wincing slightly as he did.
"I'm sorry, Ron. I haven't asked how you are," she said suddenly
"Better. Just a little sore here and there," he assured her. "What about you two? I overheard some stuff when Dad floo'd Mum earlier. Bill had said something about being at St. Mungo's."
Hermione blanched at the reminder of their time there and Harry thankfully stepped up. "I told Bill I'd fill everyone in at one time," Harry said, his fingers just brushing the back of her hand in a gesture of comfort.
Their arrival in the kitchen resulted in more shouts, exclamations and hugs all around. Every Weasley was there, even Percy and Charlie. Fleur was holding the hand of little Victoire and Bill had a baby in his arms.
Hermione took a moment to speak to Victoire in French which delighted the little girl to no end. Fleur gave her a grateful smile and then asked if she wouldn't mind holding the baby, Dominique, while she and Molly set up a place for the sleepy baby to lie down.
Hermione sat down in the nearest chair, not trusting herself to stand and hold the baby at the same time. She had never spent that much time around young children.
But the littlest Weasley was more than happy to sit in Hermione's lap and chew her own fist. The others were milling about, getting something to eat while they waited and she tried to force herself to relax.
Soon enough Fleur was back, and as Hermione handed her the smiling baby she caught Harry staring at her, his eyes dark, and she was never so glad to be sitting as she was right then since her knees had turned to jelly.
Hermione took a deep breath and then fixed herself a cup of tea before gravitating to where Harry stood, talking to Arthur. When she was at his side, his arm automatically went around her waist and she let her posture droop slightly. It was late. She'd woken up in a B&B in France only that morning but it felt like it had been days ago.
Once everyone had gathered, Harry asked them to take a seat.
She glanced around the table and saw a group of people who were very important to her, and she was so glad to be around them once again. With Harry to her left and Ron to her right, she felt like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.
Harry began talking. He started with finding her in France, her attack on the road, and their feeling of being watched. Everyone sat in rapt attention and other than Mrs. Weasley's near constant gasps of horror, it was silent. He was obviously sticking to the bigger events and carefully and deliberately avoiding anything too personal. When it came time to tell about the car wreck he stumbled a bit and she slid a hand over his knee in support. He did explain how they had used the limited potions they had and tried their best to heal what they could.
Percy interrupted and asked why at that point they hadn't abandoned their original plan and just apparated back. It was a fair question, Hermione knew, and she knew Harry felt guilty over not doing just that.
Harry steeled himself before answering, "Good point, Perce. It was my call to stay on the road. I was hoping Hermione's attacker would show themselves again and could be apprehended." Hermione wondered if he knew exactly how much he sounded like an Auror right then.
He resumed the story, telling them how they had changed direction and gone through Brussels instead and then arrived at St. Mungo's to discover Ron had been moved.
His face got hard at that, and his hand landed over hers almost crushing it. She shot a quick glance to Bill and George, but their faces didn't betray the information only they knew; how Harry and Hermione had been told Ron was dead. The others felt the tension and she was sure they knew there was more to the story but thankfully no one pressed the issue.
There were other questions which Harry tried to answer as best he could. She assumed that other than Mr. Weasley, everyone else just guessed Harry was a regular Auror.
A sharp cry rent the air and she jumped in shock as large black raven flew into the room through an open window. It landed directly in front of Harry and dropped a black envelope in front of him before crying out once more and leaving.
The change in Harry's demeanor was instantaneous. His face shut down and it startled her so much she withdrew her hand and sat back. He snatched up the letter and said "Excuse me," in a short, clipped tone and left.
Her mind was in overdrive. It had to be from Kingsley. Harry had said that was who he reported to and who knew where he was. It was also the only way for the bird to have found him here in this house. There was a din of noise in the background but she didn't hear it, she was so focused on her own thoughts.
It could be about what was going on with her and Ron she posited, but there was also a very real chance it was about whatever case Harry was working in St. Petersburg. Ice went through her as she realized he was probably going to be leaving.
She was so struck by this thought that she didn't hear Ron calling her name at first. "Hermione!" she heard and jerked her head towards him. He didn't say anything, just nodded his head towards the entrance to the kitchen where Harry stood, stony faced, Auror robes on, staring right at her.
She didn't say a word, just got up and went to him, following him down the hallway as he turned before she reached him. He went into the library, pausing by the door until she had entered and then locked it behind her.
"I know you have to go," she said before even turning around.
His face was such a mix of emotions she didn't know which one to respond to. She laid her hand against his cheek and felt him lean into it. When he opened his mouth to speak she covered his lips with her finger. "I know you don't want to go. I know you're not leaving me. I know you'll come back. I will be safe. I will try and behave. I will not take any unnecessary risks. You will do the same. I've got you back now, Harry Potter, I'm not going to lose you again." And when she was done telling him how it was going to be, she replaced her finger with her lips.
He held her as if he thought she would disappear and he kissed her the same way. Finally she had to tear her mouth away to breathe and he pressed his forehead tight against hers. " `Mione," he began, his voice gravelly, "I am coming back. I promise you." She knew he would have a need to say it himself. So she smiled at him sadly and nodded.
Harry continued, "Please be safe. Please. If things are quiet, Ron could go home as long as the Burrow has adequate wards, but I want you to stay here. Please tell me you'll stay here." He was beginning to sound desperate and she didn't want him distracted. It also made her stomach do funny things to hear him ask her to stay in his house. "I'll stay here Harry. I promise. I'll stay here until you come back."
He kissed her hard again, and she vowed she wouldn't cry. It seemed like it took great effort for him to step away from her. She passed a hand over the front of his robes, the heavy winter kind, and pulled her wand out and performed a long lasting warming charm on them. "Stay safe. Stay warm," and when their eyes met, he acknowledged that she knew where he was going. Then she gave him a push towards the door since he seemed incapable of leaving without assistance.
They paused again in the foyer, his hand on the door knob. He passed a hand over her hair once, kissed her cheek and then he was gone. It was deathly quiet and she stood with her arms wrapped around her middle.
Ron dropped a hand on her shoulder in support. She didn't know how long he had been standing there. When she felt like she could, she turned around to face him.
"I'll tell everyone else Harry got called away," he offered, and she sagged in relief. The last thing she had wanted to do was walk back into that room. "You've had a long day, a long couple of days from the telling of it. Go on up if you want."
She blinked back tears. She was done crying. With a tight smile, she whispered, "Thank you." He wrapped her in a hug, her head only coming to mid chest on him. "I'm going to upgrade you to a tablespoon, Ron Weasley," she said lightly and then began the slow climb up the stairs.
It took him a moment to get it but when he did he let out a little `whoop' of triumph. "Yes! My life's ambitions have been met." She saw him do a jaunty little dance on his way back to the kitchen.
She sighed heavily before pushing open the door to `their' room. Funny how she had only been in there for a few minutes earlier, and now it seemed like she could feel Harry everywhere.
She didn't bother with changing clothes, just slipped off her trainers and lay on the bed, wishing she wasn't alone.