Always the Sidekick

PART III

Unfogging the Present

Chapter 15

There was an insane amount of noise in Ron's head as he lay in his bed. Who was it? He couldn't make out the voices, or what they were saying, but he sensed it was disappointment. He tried to listen, tried to see if he could tell what the voices wanted, but he was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Ron?" It was George's voice. It was odd that George would be waking Ron up. George was the type that if he could sleep all day long, he would. Ron pried his eyes open and saw the sunlight streaming into his room. It wasn't morning. He turned his head and looked at the clock on his dresser. The Chudly Cannon Chaser was telling him it was almost noon. Ron had slept that long? He was going to help his mum with the gnomes. He shot up.

"Ron, are you awake?" George asked again.

"Yeah, I'm up," Ron hollered back. He pulled some pajama bottoms over his underwear and opened the door.

"Well, sleepyhead. Look who's decided to join the land of productive people." George smiled.

"Why didn't Mum wake me up earlier? I was supposed to help her degnome."

George laughed. "You used to hate that, why do you suddenly want to help Mum?"

"I just think she's been through enough, I want to help her." The truth was that Ron felt responsible for Bill's death. It was the hardest thing for him to look at his mother. He had taken her oldest child. How could Ron ever repay her for that?

George seemed serious at the last comment Ron made. "Don't worry. Fred and I already took care of the gnomes. Mum thought you could use some sleep. She said you haven't been yourself lately."

Ron didn't say anything. He just stood in the doorway of his bedroom looking at his feet.

"Anyway, Mum made some sandwiches, she wants you to eat something." George turned and left.

Ron pulled a shirt on and walked down the stairs. He passed Percy's room, now looking like he had remembered it before Percy left. Books stacked to the ceiling and Percy at his desk. Ron stopped outside the door and watched.

"I'm very busy, Ron. Is there something you need?" he asked.

Ron smiled, "No, nothing." It was like old times. Until he passed the wall that held the portraits of everyone in the family. And Bill's seemed to be looking glum. He smiled and waved, but there was nothing behind his eyes. There was no life in the photo. That was because of Ron. He walked into the kitchen and sat at the table.

It was four weeks into his summer holiday and he hadn't gotten one owl from Mina. He wrote to her a few times, but when he never got replies he stopped. He felt an ache in his heart.

When Pig flew into his window one day he suddenly felt nervous that Mina had replied. What would she say? Maybe she wanted to see him. He could Apparate now. He went into Hogsmeade last week and got his Apparition license. He hadn't been able to use it since though. He never went anywhere.

Ron opened the parchment Pig had in his claw and saw Hermione's handwriting.

Hope the summer is going well. Dad is going to America again to see his cousin and if it's all right with you I'd like to come to the Burrow. Let me know.

Love,

Hermione

She wanted to come to the Burrow? He didn't know how good an idea that was. He was confused enough about his life, he couldn't take the confusion of Hermione too. But he knew he had no choice. He wanted her there. He wanted her to talk to, to make him feel normal again. He wrote his reply and sent it back with Pig. She would be arriving in a week.

At dinner that Thursday night the whole family sat. Charlie had ght his girlfriend Beth, who was adjusting well to dating a wizard. Fred spent endless days at St. Mungos where he says Angelina is doing better. Since he arrived she was able to respond to him by squeezing his hand, though she still hadn't opened her eyes. This consumed all Fred's time, and George was working the joke shop by himself with only occasional help from Lee Jordan.

Percy's job at the Ministry suffered and he was demoted to owl clerk, which meant he sent the owls to their respective recipients. It was the lowest job they could give him, but he did it.

Nobody had mentioned the coup d'etat since Bill died. Since they lost their leader, they were simply a group of wizards who didn't like their government. A sorry lot they were, Ron thought.

The dinner table at the Burrow on this weeknight was filled with laughter and chatter. Everyone seemed happy, everyone except Ron.

"You haven't eaten much," Ginny whispered to him. The ruckus at the table was loud enough that nobody else could hear.

"Not hungry," he said.

"You heard from Harry?"

Ron looked at Ginny. She had? He was owling her and not him? "No. How is he?"

"He's worried about you, Ron. He really is." Ginny had genuine concern in her eyes. When had she grown up? She suddenly wasn't Ron's baby sister anymore.

"Everyone," Charlie said loudly, getting the attention of everyone at the table. "Beth and I have decided to get married."

This was a much different announcement then when Fred announced he was marrying Angelina. Charlie didn't seem nervous at all. And Beth glowed.

Molly put her hands to her mouth and looked proudly at Beth. "How wonderful," she said.

Ron glanced at Fred. He had a forced smile on his face, but Ron knew this had to be difficult.

"She knows all about the Muggle Protection acts. She knows she's not allowed to tell anyone I'm a wizard." Bill answered the question his father asked only a moment before.

"Besides, who would believe me if I told them I was marrying a wizard?" Her eyes sparkled.

It seemed to Ron like a slap in the face. They had just lost Bill. Everyone was supposed to be sad about that. But they hadn't just lost Bill. It was months ago. And though Ron still heard his mother crying at night over him, he knew they were starting to move on. Bill of all people wouldn't want anyone's life altered because of him. He would consider it an insult.

So why was it feeling to Ron now like he had just lost his oldest brother? Why was this emotion so raw and new in him? Why wasn't he able to mourn Bill when the rest of the family had?

Amidst the excitement at the table Ron was able to leave unnoticed. He just wanted to be alone.

It was late that night when Ron walked down the stairs and saw Fred and George in the front room of the Burrow talking. Ron assumed it was about the reaction everyone gave Charlie and his engagement. But it wasn't. And Ron was surprised when the twins didn't shoo him out of the room.

"It's not just a coincidence. Bill, Angelina, Ron. Someone is out to get the Weasleys." Fred said in a hushed tone, but Ron could still hear. He listened intently.

"Why?" George asked.

"In Azkaban I heard something. I'm not even sure Mum nows this."

George leaned in closer.

Fred continued, "Aunt Virginia. Don't you find it odd that she never married and she died suddenly and mysteriously right after You-Know Who's fall? You-Know-Who had fallen for Aunt Virginia years ago, tried to convert her to the Dark Side, but she wouldn't go. He is out to get her family, thinking we are to blame, and since we are close to Harry, well there's that side of it too."

"Fred, how did you find this out? I'm not sure it's believable." George said.

"I sort of pieced it together. Since I wasn't considered a threat they let me walk around Azkaban on occasion. There was a woman who was brought in as a Death Eater while I was there. I had never seen her before, so don't ask," Fred said when George's face lit up. "Anyway, I heard another Death Eater telling her about the woman You-Know-Who was in love with years ago. I knew once he described the woman it was Aunt Virginia. The Death Eater was getting ready to tell her how Aunt Virginia died when he looked over at me and saw me. You know, a Weasley can't ever hide their identity." Fred's eyes rolled up to his head, as if he were looking at his hair through the top of it.

"And you think Mum doesn't know?" George asked.

"I don't know. It would be something she wouldn't tell us. And it would help aid Mum's fuel against You-Know-Who. But I just can't imagine Mum would know that."

"I wonder how they killed her," George said to himself.

Ron, who was going unnoticed, suddenly got a strange image in his mind. A woman who looked quite similar to his mother standing in front of You-Know-Who. Pleading with him.

"If you care about me as much as you say you do, please don't do this," she sobbed to him.

"I will have your heart, Virginia," the snakelike snarling voice said.

"No," she screamed. A flash of orange light shot across the room and Virginia lay on the floor, motionless. Her chest was open and exposed. There was blood everywhere. And Ron could see it, beating between her lungs. Her heart. The man in the long robes walked over to the body and said, "Accio heart," and the beating organ flew into his hand.

"You all right, Ron?" George asked.

"What?" Ron's breath was gone. He couldn't believe what he had just seen in his mind. What was that? "I'm fine. Think I'll head back up to bed," he said.

"I think it's best you not tell anyone about what Fred thinks. At least not yet." George had never talked to Ron in this tone of voice. Like Ron was a friend.

Ron nodded that he understood and walked back up to his bedroom.

Ron watched the water flowing in and out of the pond that lay behind the Burrow. It was peaceful there, yet he felt no peace. The footsteps behind him took him out of his thoughts.

"Are you all right?" Hermione asked gently.

Ron closed his eyes trying to get the tears out of them. He didn't answer. He forgot Hermione was supposed to be arriving today.

"Ron?" She moved in closer to him. "Where is everyone?"

"They took Charlie and Beth to the The Leaky Cauldron." His voice was shaky and barely audible.

"Why didn't you go?"

"I'm not feeling very much like celebrating," Ron turned his back to Hermione and rubbed his eyes.

"I don't understand?" She whispered it, as if she hadn't planned on him hearing.

Ron sighed and turned back to her. "It's just being back here without Bill. It sort of just hit me, you know. He's not coming back. Ever. And it's my fault."

"No, Ron, it's Voldemort's fault. He's the bad guy, not you." She put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't you dare let him get the better of you. It's what he wants." She moved in closer and put her other hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry," was all she could think to say. She wanted to help. She wanted to take the pain away, but she just didn't know how. Ron put his head on her shoulder and embraced her.

They sat for a moment just being together, listening to the water flow through the creek. Then, sort of out of nowhere, Ron said, "I think Mina's seeing someone else."

Hermione looked genuinely concerned. "Why would you think that?" She asked, her voice giving nothing away.

"She wants us to see other people over the summer." Ron stared at the white water, then looked into her brown eyes. She moved in close to him.

"It'll be okay," she whispered into his ear. He could smell her. She was so comforting, so what he wanted. He lifted his head up and kissed her. Gently at first, and she was gentle back, but soon it escalated into something deeper. Maybe by disappearing into a kiss he could disappear altogether.

Hermione guided him down to the ground and ran her hand furiously through his hair. Now there as no place his wanted to be but here. He wouldn't dream of disappearing. He wanted Hermione. More then he ever wanted anyone before. If a kiss could do this, what would it be like to do more?

Gaining more passion by the minute, Ron rolled them over, so now Hermione was on her back. Now his hand was roaming through her hair, her neck, her shoulder.

He gasped. This was his best friend. What was he doing? He sat up abruptly and looked back at the pond, an ache growing in his body.

"Ron," she whispered again. "It's okay. Don't worry." And she put her lips on his neck and finally met his lips.

This time he wasn't messing around. He lay on top of her, still fully clothed, but moving as though he wasn't. He groaned. Then he heard a distant voice.

"Ron," the voice called. He ignored it. He moved his hand to Hermione's breast and now she groaned.

"Ron, are you there?" That bleeding voice again.

"Ginny," Hermione gasped.

Ron sat up abruptly. Had she just called him by his sister's name? But then he realized when he heard again, "Ron. I know you're there. Did Hermione ever get here?" She still hadn't seen them.

"I'm here Ginny," Hermione called back to the voice. She straightened herself out, ran a hand through her hair and started walking toward Ginny's voice.

Ron closed his eyes, uncertain if he was grateful or furious for his sister interrupting them. After a moment of composure, Ron followed them into the house.

~~*~~

There was a tapping on the door. Ron thought it was in his dream, until he heard a voice. "Ron," came the whisper in Hermione's tone. Ron woke up. He lay in bed a moment, trying to figure if that too was a dream when he heard the tapping again. He got up and opened the door to find Hermione standing there in the same pajamas she wore at Hogwarts, thin and pink cotton with few buttons.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked, assuming that she would only be up there if something had happened.

"I can't sleep." She said. At the look Ron was giving her she continued. "Do you remember that summer we were in Grimmuald Place?" Of course he remembered.

"Do you remember the nights we'd sit up until the middle of the night talking?"

Ron smiled. "Yes," he said groggily.

Hermione gave him the familiar look. The one that said could you be more daft? Finally Ron got the hint and opened the door. She gingerly walked over to his bed and lay down. "I sleep better when I'm with you," she said. She pulled the blankets back and patted the pillow, hinting for him to lie down next to her. So he did. He crawled into the blankets and wrapped his arms around her back, spooning her. She smelled wonderful. Ron closed his eyes and took her in.

His eyes shot open a moment later, however, when a tightening in his pajama bottoms alarmed him. He tried to edge slowly away from Hermione, but she moved in closer to him. He was about to jump out of the bed when she turned around and kissed him.

This was not improving things. Her kisses always made him melt, but now they were threatening to take over his mind. Once again, he tried to pull his body away from hers. And once again, she moved in closer. This time reaching her hand down in between the elastic in his pajama bottoms and his skin.

Ron gasped. What was she doing? If she didn't stop soon he wasn't sure he'd be able too. He was just about to form the words to tell her this when she gazed into his eyes and nodded slightly.

Now he had another emotion to contend with. Nerves. He looked into her eyes. They looked like the same brown eyes, but there was something more in them. She smiled at him and then pressed her lips to his. Taking her hand from him she took his hand and guided it to where she wanted it to be. Up her nightgown, up her thigh.

He stopped briefly, grabbed his wand, pointed it at his groin and said, in a squeaky voice, "Profalax". He threw his wand on the floor and met Hermione's lips again.

His instincts took over now. He moved over top of her and pulled the nightgown over her head. He didn't think she could ever be more beautiful then she was then. He was breathless. She smiled up at him then tugged at his trousers. A moment later their bodies joined.

Their bodies moved together forming one continuous body. Enough that Ron couldn't tell where he ended and she began. It was more incredible then Ron thought. More incredible then when he was with Mina. He felt Hermione soar through his soul and cover his body, from his head to his feet.

He collapsed on top of her, breathing hard and his heart pumping in his chest as if he'd just run a marathon. His ear pressed to her breast, he could tell her heart was moving at the same pace. Maybe from now on their hearts would beat the same.

The pattern continued for a week. Hermione would come to Ron's room when everyone was asleep and they would wake up intertwined in each other. Ron never wanted to leave his bed again.

He woke up with only two weeks until September first to a tapping on the window. It was an owl. Not just any owl. It was Mina's owl.