Power of Love

CHAPTER 11 - BITTER ENDINGS / NEW BEGINNINGS

Ron looked up from the table as Ginny's head poked through the portrait hole to the common room. She flopped down in a squashy armchair near him and closed her eyes. She hadn't counted on Ron being awake, and she figured she'd better talk sooner than later.

"Rounds go all right?" asked Ron.

"Yeah. Er... I saw Harry," said Ginny tentatively.

Ron set his quill on the table. "Is he okay? Did he see that healer?"

Ginny nodded. "Harry didn't tell me what he said, but I overheard the healer tell Dumbledore that Harry would have to spend at least three months at St. Mungo's."

"Three months! Merlin, that's forever! But he'll recover his memory?"

"Yeah," replied Ginny. "The healer seemed pretty confident. But he won't be able to sit for his NEWTs."

"Dammit! It just doesn't seem fair. I can't believe it. He saves the world from Voldemort and he gets three months at St. Mungo's for his trouble!" Ron moaned grumpily. He caught a strange expression on Ginny's face, and knew immediately that she was holding something back. "What else?"

She ran her hands through her thick, wavy hair and focused her gaze on the fire glowing dimly across the room. "What do you mean 'What else'?" she said guiltily.

"I know there's something else you're not telling me. Is it bad news about Harry?" asked Ron anxiously.

Ginny blushed as their eyes met and then quickly looked away again. "He kissed me."

"Oh, well, that's because he thinks you're really his girlfriend and he's supposed to. It's all right." Ron patted her gently on the arm.

"No, Ron, you don't understand." Ginny glanced around the room and saw that it was nearly deserted. She hissed quietly, "He kissed me like he used to kiss you!"

The color drained out of Ron's face. He could barely take in her next words. "He asked if he could kiss me and he had this - I don't know - lusty look in his eyes. And the next thing I knew... Well, I'm sorry. I...I didn't think it would be any different than before."

The despair Ron had been feeling all day erupted within him and with one swift move, he flung all his books and parchment off the table so that they scattered across the room. "No!" he shouted. "This cannot be happening!" He lowered his face to his hands, not wanting Ginny to see the tears welling up in his eyes.

Ginny levitated Ron's things back onto the table, not daring to speak to him. Finally the silence had grown so heavy she could stand it no longer, so she quietly said, "He's leaving for St. Mungo's on Sunday. Until then, I won't see him unless I'm with you or Hermione."

"That would be good," said Ron without looking up. "Just leave me alone, okay?"

"Listen, Ron, I know you're really upset right now, but remember, I'm the only one you can talk to about this. And I want you to know that I'm really sorry."

"Yeah, I bet you're really sorry that you finally have Harry all to yourself. I know it's what you've wanted all along. Quite convenient the way it worked out for you," said Ron savagely.

His words stung her, but Ginny knew they were born out of grief and frustration at the situation. And she really couldn't blame him for feeling that way. As she headed toward the girls' dormitory, she heard his books crashing to the ground again, and did not have the courage to look back.

* * * * *

The Great Hall was abuzz with gossip the next morning as Ron and Hermione sat down to breakfast. It appeared to be directed at the Slytherin table, which was uncharacteristically subdued and from which Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were all noticeably absent. Anthony had told Hermione he heard it had something to do with Goyle's father, but he couldn't provide any further details. Finally, the mail arrived, and an article on the front page of Hermione's Daily Prophet seemed to confirm the rumors.

"Listen to this," said Hermione to the Gryffindors surrounding her. "It says Goyle's father was killed by an angry mob of wizards yesterday when it was discovered that he was the hit-wizard behind Ludo Bagman's murder last March. Apparently, a crowd gathered around Goyle's house as soon as the news of his actions became public and they hexed him as he stuck his head out of a second story window." Hermione was silent for a moment as she read the story to herself. "Oh dear," she said looking up at Ron. "They've taken Lucius Malfoy into custody for questioning because a witness saw him at Goyle's house casting Avada Kedavra." Hermione looked up from the paper. "I thought they were friends, though."

"Maybe Malfoy thought Goyle was going to rat him out to the Ministry of Magic. If he was as thick as his son, Malfoy probably thought he was too stupid to keep his mouth shut." Ron shrugged. "Anyway, you'd have to be thick to trust a Malfoy to be your friend."

"Still, that has to put Draco and Greg in a bit of spot, doesn't it?" Hermione looked around. "I don't see them in here, do you?"

"No, and I consider that to be the highlight of my day so far," answered Ron. He was in a very foul mood, and couldn't have cared less about anything involving Goyle or Malfoy.

The only person Ron cared about was Harry. He missed Harry so much that it hurt, and for the first time in his life, he understood the meaning of the word "heartache." He'd hardly slept a wink, and the little sleep he did get was riddled with horrible dreams. Ginny glared at him from across the table, not daring to say a word. Her expression of concern was killing him, though. He had been nasty to her last night, and he supposed he should apologize.

"Ginny," Ron said, "look, I'm sorry about what I said last night. I was just upset."

Ginny smiled kindly at him. Ron hated the look of pity on her face. "I know that, Ron, and I don't blame you. Just forget about it."

Hermione looked from Ron to Ginny, neither of whom was feeling a need to enlighten her on the previous night's conversation. She broke the uncomfortable silence by saying, "Ron, if you insist on having additional Quidditch training this afternoon, it will cut into your study time for Charms. Are you sure you want to do that?"

Ron glowered at her. "Hermione, if we win the match on Saturday, then the Quidditch Cup is ours. If we don't, then it goes to Slytherin. What could be more important?"

"I should think your NEWTs would be more important. But I don't suppose I'll ever be able to convince you of that. Just because it affects your whole future..."

Ron was highly agitated. "I don't really care about NEWTs or my future right now. Harry deserves the Quidditch Cup and, dammit Hermione, I'm going to win it for him. Now if you don't mind, just get off my back!"

Ron rose from the table and stormed out of the Great Hall. He felt guilty almost immediately for taking out his anger at the situation on Hermione. But why couldn't she understand that nothing mattered to him anymore, except Harry? Everything had changed, and there was no way he was going to be able to act normally when he had just lost his lover due to a tragic twist of fate.

Ron wandered aimlessly until the bell rang. Even though he was still irritated with Hermione, he couldn't deny that it was important to attend class and prepare for his NEWTs. He sauntered off to Defense Against Dark Arts with a heavy heart.

* * * * *

Harry, Susan, Hermione and Anthony (who had been told Harry was back) were among the last students out of the castle on Saturday, and they hurried to the stands so as not to miss the entrance of the players onto the pitch.

Dumbledore had suggested that Harry attend the match wearing his Invisibility Cloak in order to avoid awkward questions from his fellow student that he was incapable of answering due to his memory loss. Harry found wearing his Invisibility Cloak to be very exciting. As they approached the stadium, Hermione and Susan were on either side of him so that he wouldn't accidentally bump into the other students. They found their seats just as the captains were approaching each other to shake hands.

Harry's only recollection of Quidditch was the brief glimpse of his memory that Dumbledore had shown him the other day, and he found the real thing to be quite astonishing. Hermione was extremely pleased that Susan took up the task of explaining the finer points of the sport to Harry, as Hermione was never interested enough to bother learning the strategy. Susan, in addition to having spent many hours with Ron who obsessed about Quidditch, came from a wizard family and had two cousins that had played professionally several years back. Harry may not have remembered Quidditch, but as Susan explained what was happening, he was able to grasp the strategy very quickly.

The Gryffindor team was playing way beyond their usual capabilities. Ron was awesome, totally shutting out the Ravenclaw Chasers during the first half hour of play. The Gryffindor Chasers had racked up 130 points, 70 of which were scored by Ginny Weasley. Evans had dived for and missed the Golden Snitch four times before he finally caught it forty-five minutes into the match. Gryffindor won the game and the Quidditch Cup, and the roars from the crowd were deafening.

Harry felt a pang of jealousy, intuitively knowing that he should have been on the field leading the celebration. "I want to go down onto the pitch," he shouted to Susan over the noise of the crowd. She was surprised, but took his hand and led him through the bleachers as he still wore his Invisibility Cloak, leaving Hermione behind to console Anthony over the Ravenclaw loss. When they reached the field, Harry let go of Susan's hand and ran to where the team was gathering to pose for a picture.

Harry snuck up behind Ron and whispered, "Ron, it's me, Harry. Nice job, mate. You really looked spectacular up there."

Ron stepped away from his teammates and whispered back in the direction he thought Harry might be standing, "Thanks, Harry. It should have been you as captain, though, not me. I told them that we were playing for you today, and see how well they did?" Colin Creevey, the photographer, was beckoning Ron to return to his teammates. "Harry, take the Cloak off and be in these pictures. We'd never have won the Cup if it wasn't for you, even if you can't remember it."

It took some persuading, but finally Harry removed the Invisibility Cloak and was overwhelmed by the response from the team as they mobbed him. Ron's voice could be heard authoritatively addressing them, "Back off and let him breathe! He didn't defeat Voldemort just to be smothered to death by you lot!" Harry couldn't remember ever feeling like a hero in his life, but he sure did now. Harry was in the center of the pictures, surrounded by crimson and gold and holding the Quidditch Cup, with Ron on one side and Ginny on the other. He was grateful to have the opportunity to participate in the spoils of victory, and felt a pang of regret over not knowing what it meant to everyone.

Ron and Ginny covered for Harry's memory loss beautifully, and none of their teammates were any the wiser after their brief encounter. He told them that he had some medical problems due to the battle with Voldemort and that he would be leaving Hogwarts soon, and they seemed to accept the news of Harry's imminent departure fairly well.

After the celebration died down, Harry sat on the lawn with Susan, Hermione and Anthony while waiting for Ron and Ginny to emerge from the changing rooms. As they walked out, they were bickering like small children.

"What's the matter with you?" Ginny said heatedly. "He's only just gotten out of the hospital wing!"

"You're not arguing about me, I hope," called Harry as they approached.

Ginny and Ron glanced at one another uncomfortably. "My genius brother has come up with the brilliant idea of taking Harry out flying this afternoon."

"Oh would you!" interrupted Harry. "I've been wanting to fly ever since Ron told me I owned a broomstick."

"See, I told you he'd want to," gloated Ron. "Anyway, Gin, you didn't see him fly for the very first time, like I did. He's a natural. I'm sure he'll be just fine, and I'll be right beside him if anything goes wrong."

The six of them tramped off to the broom shed. Harry was enthralled with his Firebolt, which seemed to recognize his grip when he held it. Ron gave Harry a few basic instructions and they mounted their brooms. Susan and Ginny flew on either side of Harry, and Ron flew below and slightly behind them. It was amazing to watch Harry who, with no memory of being a wizard, was able to soar effortlessly into the sky. Anthony and Hermione had stayed on the ground, ostensibly to perform cushioning charms if necessary, but it was obvious after a few minutes that their services would not be required. Ginny and Susan, who were both flying Cleansweeps, were having trouble keeping up, and pretty soon Harry and Ron were off on their Firebolts just like old times.

When Ron and Harry returned to their friends twenty minutes later, Harry was elated. He declared several times on their way back to the castle that flying on a broomstick was the most fun he'd ever had in his life. As they walked back to the castle, the three boys arm-in-arm with their girlfriends, Ron's grief had eased somewhat. He might not have had his lover back, but Harry was still his best mate, and it seemed that even a total memory loss couldn't put a damper on their friendship.

* * * * *

At Dumbledore's request, Harry was whisked quietly off to St. Mungo's via portkey. His friends had said their goodbyes before dinner, with promises to write often, and then he was gone. Ron pushed his food around his plate, unable to overcome the loneliness that was building inside him. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and left the Great Hall halfway through the meal.

Hermione finally found him two hours later sitting in the Room of Requirement. It was adorned like one of the House common rooms, with rich red carpeting, plenty of comfortable couches and armchairs and a fire blazing on the hearth. Ron was sitting on a leather couch staring into the fire, and he flinched with surprise when he saw Hermione sit down next to him out of the corner of his puffy red eyes.

"What are you doing here?" asked Ron thickly.

"I've been looking for you ever since dinner, and by the way, you forgot to lock the door." Hermione had never seen her friend so despondent. To look at Ron, you'd think Harry had died, rather than just gone away for a few months to get his memory back.

"Look, Hermione, I just want to be alone right now. I'm not up to a lecture on how badly I'm going to blow my NEWTs. I've been having a little trouble caring about them lately, in case you hadn't noticed."

Ron's eyes caught Hermione's, and he could almost see the debate she was having with herself. Ron supposed she had something to say that he didn't want to hear, and was fighting with herself to see if she should say it anyway.

"Ron," she said finally, "it's okay. You can talk to me about it if you want. I already know."

"What is it that you think you already know?"

"About you and Harry...as a couple, I mean." Ron was stunned. How could she possibly know? He hadn't told anyone, and he didn't think Harry or Ginny had either. She had to be bluffing.

"Me and Harry as a couple? Yeah, right." Ron tried to make his voice sound sarcastic, but he wasn't sure he'd been able to pull it off.

"I've known for ages, Ron. I was hurt at first that neither of you told me, but then I figured you might believe I'd think less of you if I thought you were gay..."

"I'm not gay!" exclaimed Ron defensively. "And neither is Harry."

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. If you came out as transvestites, you and Harry would still be my best friends. I care about you and it really hurts me to see you so upset." Hermione reached out and pulled him into a comforting embrace.

"Who told you?" asked Ron after a moment, as he pulled away from her.

"Well, after Ginny mentioned the Tyet of Isis that time, I did some research in the library. Isis is fascinating, isn't she? Anyway, I came across a book that described using the Tyet of Isis amulet to invoke Isis' protection for your lover, and it became very obvious what was going on. I never said anything to anyone else, though. Not even Anthony or Ginny."

"Ginny knows. She accidentally walked in on Harry and me kissing. It was her idea to pretend to be Harry's girlfriend." Ron saw Hermione's shock at this news. "Er, Hermione, are you angry that we didn't tell you?"

"No, I mean, I wish you had, but I'm over it. I was just thinking how very complicated it all is. Everyone knows that Ginny's in love with Harry. We've teased her about it for years!" Hermione slumped back into the couch with a sigh.

Ron turned to Hermione and put his hand on her shoulder. "It's even more complicated than you think it is. Since losing his memory, Harry has become very, er, smitten with Ginny. He keeps wanting to kiss her and be alone with her."

"Oh dear. This is a mess," said Hermione. She and Ron both sat in silence, pondering the absurdity of the situation.

They talked for a long while, about Harry and Ginny and Susan. Ron had to admit that, for all their sniping at each other over the years, Hermione was definitely the friend you wanted to talk to when you were hurting. She seemed to understand exactly how he felt, and it was easy to talk to her.

"You know, Ron," said Hermione after they had been silent for a while, "maybe fate just stepped in and brought you and Harry together so that you could save him with the Tyet of Isis. I mean it's got to be more than a coincidence that as soon as Harry's reason for needing protection is destroyed, his romantic feelings for you suddenly disappear."

Ron's eyes opened wide. He hadn't told a soul about the prophecy, but now that Voldemort was gone, there was no reason to keep it a secret any longer. Ron spilled the whole story of the prophecy to Hermione, including how he had seen Professor Trelawney in the pensieve and how he had asked Dumbledore whether he and Harry had been destined for each other. Hermione listened with rapt attention, and seemed fascinated that the events had all been foretold. When Ron was finished, he watched her as she thought through the ramifications of his story and formulated a theory.

Hermione stared into his eyes with every ounce of sincerity she possessed. "Tell me the truth, Ron. Are you upset because you think you've lost Harry, or is it because you and Harry went through this great adventure together as lovers, and now that adventure is over?"

"I don't like what you're implying, Hermione, " said Ron. "Are you saying that Harry and I... that what we had was just some kind of a spell or something? "

Hermione shook her head briskly, causing her bushy curls to fall across her face. "No, Ron, I'm not saying that at all. I just -"

Ron narrowed his eyes as he interrupted her. "I swear to you, it's real. I love Harry. I couldn't have protected him unless we had a bond of true love, remember? He and I were great together. I don't expect you to understand this, but being with Harry made me feel things I never felt before."

"I do understand that, I really do," replied Hermione. She hesitated and then continued quietly, "But maybe after Harry lost his memory you just, well, fell out of love. I guess what I'm asking you to do is think whether he had that effect on you this week. Was there anytime since you left the hospital wing that he made you feel those things?"

Ron was quiet. As a matter of fact, he hadn't really felt the knots in his stomach or racing in his heart when Harry was nearby. There had been some jealousy for sure, and the time that he had spent riding the Firebolts with Harry was a blast, but not in the least bit romantic. For a fleeting moment, Ron allowed himself to seriously consider the possibility that he had also fallen out of love. He looked cautiously at Hermione, who was patiently waiting for him to say something. "You're really amazing, you know?"

Hermione smiled. She knew. "Well, I just wanted to make sure that if you are grieving, it's at least about the right thing. Look, Ron, I know you still love him, and you probably always will. But I'd hate to see you pining away after Harry, who seems to have moved on, when there's someone right here who is crazy about you."

"You mean Susan?" asked Ron quietly.

"It's been really hard for her this week watching you so upset about Harry. She'd never say this to you, Ron, because she knows that Harry is special to you, but I think she has sensed that Harry is more important to you than she is. And she's a good person, Ron. If it's really over between you and Harry, I don't think you want her to get away."

Hermione stood up and fiddled with the fire, giving Ron a few minutes alone with his thoughts. He quickly determined that he had no idea how he felt about Harry, but Hermione was right - there was no point to wallowing in self-pity and messing up his future by brooding about the way things used to be. He joined Hermione at the hearth and turned her toward him.

"Thanks, Hermione," said Ron. "I really mean it. I'll think about what you said. Does Anthony know what a special girlfriend he has?"

"Of course he does," said Hermione, smiling wickedly. "I tell him all the time."

They left the Room of Requirement and headed back to Gryffindor Tower. Neither of them knew how the coming months would turn out, but their secrets had been shared and they were as close as they'd ever been. Whatever Harry was like after his recovery, they'd find a way to deal with it and would welcome him back into the trio. It felt nice to know that no matter what happened, the three of them would always be special to one another.

* * * * *

Ron's talk with Hermione had two major effects. The first was that his concentration improved and he was able to focus on revising for his NEWTs. The second effect was that he noticed more about Susan than ever before. She really was perfect for him. She was sweet, but could tease him as readily as Fred and George, and she had an easygoing style about her that helped him to stay calm. And now he noticed when he kissed her, he felt a tingle of excitement. Ron doubted that he'd ever have another lover as sexy and intense and exciting as Harry, who could get Ron's body to respond to just a look, but he was certain that if was really over between him and Harry, Susan might make a fine substitute. He'd have to figure out a way to leave behind the moral high ground before that could happen, though.

NEWTs were both nasty and exhausting to all except Hermione, who found them "invigorating." With their final NEWT exams behind them, the seventh years had plenty of time for sleeping late and skiving off. Ron's last exam had been Defense Against the Dark Arts, which went surprisingly well considering that Harry was not available to give them tips and advice.

Harry had been a regular correspondent, however, so it was no surprise when Hedwig showed up with a letter addressed to Ron at breakfast. The contents of the note were surprising, though. Instead of the progress reports he customarily sent ("I remembered that time we hexed Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle on the Hogwarts Express and everybody did a different curse"), it was extremely short.

Ron,

Is there any chance you can come visit me at St. Mungo's? My latest restored memories concern you, and I really need to talk to you. Please send your answer right away.

Harry

Ron immediately tracked down Professor McGonagall, who referred him to Professor Dumbledore. Dumbledore granted his permission and before long, Ron was walking through the main gates in order to Apparate to London. Hermione's parting advice to Ron was that he pay attention to what he was feeling and why. That was easy for her to say. She had no idea how Harry's beautiful smile addled his brain.

Ron tried not to think about Harry as he attempted to Apparate to London, not wanting to splinch himself or end up miles off course. Considering how little practice he'd had, Ron was in London in short order, trying to get his bearings and figure out which direction led to St. Mungo's.

He saw some taller buildings in the distance, so Ron headed towards them. As luck would have it, he had gone only six blocks when he saw a large red brick building ahead with a dilapidated sign that read Purge and Dowse Ltd. Ron was astounded that nothing about the building had changed since his last visit to St. Mungo's over two years ago. As he walked the perimeter of the building, he saw the same pathetic collection of ancient dummies, and the sentry was still wearing the hopelessly out-of-date lime green pinafore dress.

Ron stood before the dummy and tried to remember what name Dumbledore had told him Harry was using. Oh yeah. "I'm here to see Harry Evans." The dummy beckoned him inside and, after glancing around to see that no Muggles were watching him, he walked through the window.

He knew Harry was on the fourth floor, so Ron waded quickly through the cacophony of the reception area and out the double doors to the stairway. When he reached the fourth floor, he saw a pretty young witch sitting behind a long counter. He thought she looked vaguely familiar, but she recognized him immediately.

"Well, if it isn't Ron Weasley! I was wondering when you'd show up. You're here to see Harry, er, Evans I suppose..." The witch noticed that Ron couldn't place her. "I'm Patricia Stimpson. I was in Fred and George's year at Hogwarts."

Now Ron remembered her. He had a vague recollection that Fred and George were not all that complimentary of her, but the reason escaped him. "Oh, right. Nice to see you again. Er, yes, I'm here to see Harry."

"Wait here a minute. I'll go and get him. It's been so nice to have Harry here. Of course, he doesn't remember me, but at least he's not out of his mind like some of our patients." As Patricia disappeared through a door labeled "Guillaume Forget Ward" it occurred to Ron that perhaps Harry couldn't remember Patricia because she wasn't exactly memorable.

Ron paced anxiously in front of the counter, wondering which memories Harry had recovered, and what he wanted to talk about. He also heard Hermione's voice in the back of his mind reminding him to pay attention to his feelings. Yes, he'd have to remember to do that.

Harry appeared in the doorway with a broad grin across his face. "I wasn't expecting you to come straightaway, but I'm glad you did. Come see my luxurious accommodations!"

Ron followed him through the Guillaume Forget doorway and was surprised that the surroundings were quite comfortable and not at all like the sparse and antiseptic ward that his dad had been in after being attacked by Voldemort's snake. Harry's room was a short way down the hall. It was warm and inviting. In addition to a bed, there was a small couch and a writing desk.

"This is pretty nice, actually. I was expecting something a little more like a hospital," said Ron. His eye caught a large pile of parchment lying on top of the desk. "Are you writing a book while you're here?"

Harry laughed. "No, it's part of my therapy. Healer Wilkes is having me write down the new things that I remember everyday to make sure the memories make sense and he didn't connect up the wrong bits. It's pretty interesting, though. I expect some of the things that have happened to me would make a good novel."

"I think you're right," said Ron. He heard Hermione's voice in his head again and mentally assessed his emotions. Nervous, glad to see Harry, no fireworks. "Are you getting on okay, mate? It's hard to tell much from your letters."

"It's not too bad. Of course, I'd like to be out flying on my broomstick or spending time with people my own age. That Healer-in-training, Patricia, is driving me mad, though. To hear her speak, we were close friends, but I haven't come across her in any of my memories so far."

"You probably won't either," said Ron. "She was a Gryffindor two years ahead of us, but I barely remember her. I don't think Fred and George thought much of her."

"That's good to know. Anyway, I'm doing this therapy every day and it's pretty wild to relive all my memories. Once I think about them, suddenly things I've remembered before will make sense. It's fascinating really." Harry sat down on the couch and invited Ron to do the same.

Ron was having trouble waiting for Harry to get to the purpose of the visit. His curiosity was killing him - he just had to know which memories Harry had remembered.

Harry must have felt the same, though, because he blurted out suddenly, "Ron, I think I've remembered enough about you and me to figure out why you were acting so strange before I left Hogwarts and why you told me some of things you did. But Healer Wilkes is getting frustrated with me because I keep pushing him away from certain areas of my brain that I don't want him to see. The problem is, I don't know why I won't let him see them, or at least I didn't think I knew until yesterday."

Ron swallowed. It sure sounded to him like Harry was using his Occlumency skills to keep Healer Wilkes from seeing the two of them together. Loyal to the end, thought Ron. "So how can I help you?" he asked. "Do you want me to explain something?"

Ron could see that Harry was uncomfortable. He swallowed hard and quietly responded, "I just need to know if I'm right that you and I were... er, that we had..."

Ron could tell it was only going to become even more awkward if they didn't just talk about it, so he summoned all his Gryffindor courage and interrupted, "You and I were lovers, Harry. For six months we were incredible together, you and me." Ron blushed as he said this, and he noticed that Harry did too.

"So when you told me in the hospital wing that we were as close as it was possible to be, you really meant it," said Harry. Ron nodded. "And when I remembered being attacked by Voldemort, I heard a voice in my head saying 'I love you, Harry, and I'll protect you', it was your voice, wasn't it?"

"Yes," answered Ron. "We were able to communicate through the amulet."

"So, Ron," Harry asked solemnly, "what is the room I keep remembering with a big purple four-poster, and why do I keep blocking Healer Wilkes from seeing it?"

Ron knew that Harry already knew the answer to the question, but it was really making him uncomfortable and he needed confirmation from Ron. "That room is called the Room of Requirement. It is a magical place that changes according to what you need. You and I used to conjure it, mostly on Sunday mornings, to have sex." Ron bravely stared down Harry. He felt it was important for Harry to know that he was not embarrassed about their relationship and had no regrets.

Harry nodded. "That's what I thought," he said quietly. Ron could see that Harry's breathing was labored, and he was at a loss for what to say next. Ron was not used to seeing Harry like this. He'd always been so confident and self-assured, and definitely the dominant personality in their relationship. Ron reminded himself that Harry was a boy who was working on half a memory, who had just learned something about his past that surprised and upset him. It was going to have to be up to Ron to put him at ease.

"Would it help if I told you the whole story? Our last six months together have been very complicated, and if you only remember a little bit at a time, it will be very confusing." Only Ron realized that this was a huge understatement. Even he couldn't think about his relationship with Harry without his head spinning.

Harry got up from the couch and poured himself a glass of water. "Do you want one?" he asked Ron, who nodded. As he handed the glass to Ron he said softly, "Yes, I think you'd better tell me everything. Ginny told me things were complicated too, and now I'm beginning to understand what she meant."

Ron started describing the events as they happened, from the first hints of romantic interest to their Christmas holidays, to Ginny's role in the cover-up, all the way through the final demise of Voldemort. He did not embellish the tale, nor did he leave out any important details. It would be up to Harry's memory to fill in the feelings and emotions he felt.

"There are also a couple of things I can tell you that you won't have any memories of because you didn't know about them. The day you left Hogwarts to come here, I learned that Hermione had found out about us sometime back in February, but hadn't said anything to anyone. She figured we didn't tell her because we thought she wouldn't want to be friends with us anymore. She would have been fine with it, though, and I feel a little guilty that we didn't tell her. We should have known she'd find out somehow.

"The other thing you never knew because Dumbledore swore me to secrecy until after Voldemort was destroyed. Now that he's gone, I guess I can tell you. Have you remembered anything about Divination and Professor Trelawney yet?"

Harry chuckled. "Yeah, last week sometime I remembered that she kept seeing the Grim in my tea leaves. Right old fraud, she is. Didn't we think so?"

Ron smiled. "Yeah. Well, I used to anyway. Now I still think she's a fraud at Divination, but she also said two prophecies to Dumbledore and one to you. Does any of this sound familiar?"

"No," said Harry. "I must not have gotten to those memories yet."

"It doesn't really matter, I guess. Her first prophecy to Dumbledore was about you and how you and Voldemort were going to battle one another. She spoke her second one to you, after our Divination exam third year. It predicted that Voldemort would return to power, which he did in less than a year. But it was her third prophecy that was really important to us. She predicted that the 'one who could vanquish the Dark Lord would have a Protector' - and Dumbledore determined that you were the one to kill Voldemort and I was your Protector. It was just after I'd given you the Tyet of Isis, see, and Dumbledore fit all the pieces together. But this prophecy said that your Protector would only be able to protect you as long as the bond of true love remained unbroken."

Ron was quiet for a moment, giving Harry a chance to work out the implications of this information. It soon became clear, though, that Harry didn't have a clue why this was relevant.

"Harry, don't you see? You don't need a Protector any more because the Dark Lord is destroyed. The bond that we needed to have before - we don't really need it now. Maybe the only reason that you and I were together in the first place was so that I could protect you and fulfill the prophecy..."

Ron's words hung heavily between them, as Harry struggled to understand. The memory loss was a problem. Even with Ron's explanation, Harry couldn't see how he had ever felt romantic towards Ron. But it all made sense. The pieces fit, however oddly they were shaped.

Harry finally spoke. "So what do we do from here, Ron? I mean...do you still feel like that? Because maybe it's my memory loss, but I'm having a hard time thinking of you as anything but my friend." He looked anxious, and worried about hurting Ron's feelings.

"I don't know. I've never been very good with feelings and stuff. It's definitely different, but I haven't figured out whether that's because you've changed or I have." Ron paused while he and Harry gazed into each other's eyes, searching for emotions in the other that they couldn't feel in themselves. "I have an idea how we might find out, though."

"How?" asked Harry.

"If we kiss, I think I'll know." Harry looked at him, wide-eyed and curious. If even half of what Ron had told him was true, it was nothing that he hadn't done before when he was in full possession of his memory. And what harm could it do, really. "Okay," said Harry tentatively.

Ron pulled Harry closer and kissed him with the same fervor that he'd had a hundred times before. Harry was tense at first, but then he relaxed and began to enjoy it. When they broke apart, they stared into each other's eyes again.

"That was nice," said Harry, breathlessly. Ron noticed that his eyes were not shiny with lust as he was accustomed to seeing.

"But no fireworks?" asked Ron.

"No."

"Me neither. I guess that settles it, then." Ron couldn't help feeling let down. Hermione had been right, as usual. It seemed that he had fallen out of love with Harry after all. Or maybe it was the feeling of knowing that Harry was head-over-heels in love with him that attracted Ron to Harry in the first place. Things were definitely different, though, whatever the reason. But on the positive side, he and Harry felt the same way, so they could go back to being mates without any problems.

"Still mates, though?" asked Harry, seeming to read his mind.

"Always," said Ron.

Ron spent the day visiting with Harry and catching him up on the goings-on of everyone at Hogwarts. When it was time for Harry's appointment with Healer Wilkes, Ron got up to leave. He no longer felt sad, though. In fact, he felt more hopeful about his future and Harry's - together as mates - than he had in a long time.

"Harry," said Ron when they got to the door to the ward, "I want you to do something for me."

"All right," he replied. "What is it?"

"Let Healer Wilkes see all your memories. Some of the things you're going to remember before he's through are really horrible. I want to make sure you remember the good things too. Because Harry, we were brilliant!" Ron clapped Harry on the shoulders and walked through the locking double doors. When he glanced back, he could see Harry smiling at him through the glass. It was still Harry's special smile, but now, instead of causing Ron sorrow, it made him feel very lucky to have his friend back.

Maybe, thought Ron as he walked out into the windy London sidewalk, Mum and Dad would let Harry stay at the Burrow after he got out of St. Mungo's. He'd talk to Dumbledore about that. For now, there were classes to finish and applications to fill out for Auror School, and probably some fences to be mending with Susan. What a strange year this turned out to be after all! Ron ducked into a deserted alley and Disapparated back to Hogwarts.