The Unbreakable Vow

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Ron and Hermione shared their first kiss as newlyweds. Little did she know, it could be their last.

Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and led her back up the aisle, him in his tuxedo; her in her bridal gown. They went over to a secluded corner while the guests were chatting.

"Hermione, thanks for marrying me before I leave for the war. I know you wanted to wait, but if anything happened..."

"Ron, I just want you to be happy," she replied, tears starting to fall down from her eyes. She saw Harry approach them.

"Congratulations, guys," he said, shaking Ron's hand. "The bus is waiting for us."

Hermione's tears turned to rivers pouring from her eyes. "Don't leave..." she whispered.

"I have to," Ron said. "It's a promise I made to my best friend. I told him I'd always have his back. I'll come back to you. I promise," he ended.

"Don't worry, Hermione. I'll make sure he comes back to you," said Harry, giving her a final hug and kiss on the cheek.

"DON'T GO!" she yelled, latching her arms around Ron's neck.

The bus honked its horn.

"I love you. I promise I'll come back to you," Ron finished. He gave Hermione a last kiss on the cheek and turned his back on his new bride.

***

Ron and Harry sat on the same bus bench. Harry had the isle, while Ron stared blankly out the window. There were various other former classmates from Hogwarts on the bus, as well. Zacharias Smith sat a couple of rows ahead of Harry and Ron. Ernie Macmillan sat directly behind them with Dean Thomas. Seamus Finnigan was at the very front of the bus next to Cormac McLaggen.

Harry's friends were the most important thing to him. Live or die, he wanted his friends to be happy.

Together.

"Ron?" Harry nudged Ron out of his trance.

"Yeah?"

"How badly do you want to get back to Hermione?"

"More than anything," he replied, still gazing out of the window.

"I might know a way," Harry sighed.

"How?"

"Dean, get your wand out," Harry turned around and asked.

Dean pulled his wand out of his pocket. Harry placed the tip of Dean's wand over his and Ron's linked hands.

"Will you, Ron, promise to do anything in your power to make it out of the war alive?"

"I will."

A bright red flame shot out of Dean's wand and engulfed the boys' hands.

"Will you come home to Hermione?"

"I will."

Out of Dean's wand jetted out another red flame and entwined with the first.

"Lastly, will you promise, if you are truly my best friend, to allow me to give you my life, should you lose your own?"

Ron hesitated. "I will."

A third and final flame came out of the wand, and tangled with the others. They turned a brilliant green and then disappeared.

***

Hermione spent weeks and weeks at the Burrow. She waited around for an owl from Ron. She glanced out the window to see if Ron was walking up to the house. One day, she had gotten what she was waiting for.

The usual owl was flying towards the house with the Daily Prophet. Today, there was a second owl flying with it. Hermione ran up to the window and opened it to let the owls in. The first owl dropped the Prophet in front of Mrs. Weasley, who was sitting at the table with Ginny and Mr. Weasley. The second owl dropped a letter at Hermione's feet. Both owls flew back out the window. Hermione bent down and picked up the letter. It was addressed to Mrs. Hermione Weasley.

"The war's over!" cheered Mrs. Weasley. "We won!" She hugged Mr. Weasley, Ginny, and then Hermione. "It says 'Harry Potter reflected the Killing Curse back to Voldemort and destroyed him. Healers woke Potter from the unconscious state and tried to take him to St. Mungo's. Potter resisted. He ran off, saying he needed to find one Ron Weasley. Surviving soldiers will be returning home later this evening.'"

"Our boys are coming home, Molly," Arthur said. He had started to tear up a bit. Bill, Charlie, Fred and George had all gone off to the war a couple of days before Harry and Ron did.

"Hermione, is that a letter from Ron?" asked Ginny. Hermione still hadn't opened her letter. "Open it."

Hermione slowly unfolded the letter. Right away, she could tell that it wasn't from Ron. She read out loud:

Mrs. Hermione Weasley,

It is with deepest regret and sympathy that we inform you of your loss. Your husband, Ron Weasley, has been found dead-

Hermione stopped reading the letter. She ripped it up and thrashed her way outside. She fell to her knees and screamed at the top of her lungs. "YOU PROMISED YOU'D NEVER LEAVE ME! YOU PROMISED!" She collapsed all the way to the ground, sobbing hysterically, pounding her fists on the grass.

Molly, Arthur, and Ginny all came outside. Each was silently crying. Molly was sobbing into Arthur's shoulder, with Ginny latched onto her arm. Mrs. Weasley tried to get Hermione up, but she kicked her away.

"Mum!"

Mrs. Weasley looked up; not expecting to see what was there. Fred and George were running up to the four of them.

"My boys! My baby boys!" cried Mrs. Weasley. "I'm so happy you're home and okay!" She ran up to her twins and smothered them with hugs and kisses.

"Sons!" exclaimed Mr. Weasley. He saw Bill and Charlie walking up to them. Ginny ran up to her brothers and Bill picked her up. Mrs. Weasley went over to the rest of her family with Fred and George. The Weasley's were reunited, minus Ron.

"Where's Harry?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"With Ron, I'd expect," answered Charlie. Arthur, Molly, and Ginny exchanged glum looks.

"No, he didn't..." Fred trailed off. He looked over and saw Hermione still lying and crying on the ground. "No..."

"Hermione!"

Hermione looked up. She did a double take. It couldn't be.

Ron was walking up to his family.

Hermione instantly stood up and ran as fast as she could to Ron. Ron did the same to her. They met and hugged and kissed furiously. Ron carried her over to his family. Mrs. Weasley was beside herself. The whole family ran up to Ron. Mrs. Weasley got to him first. She started smothering him a bit more than she did the twins. Ron let Hermione down and greeted the whole family.

After everyone was back together, they went into the house. Molly made some hot chocolate and cookies. They all sat by the fire. Something was bothering Hermione, though.

"Ron, I thought you were dead. Where's Harry?"

***

Harry slipped and fell in the mud. It was raining hard. The grey clouds chased him with thunder and lightning.

"Ron? Where are you?"

Harry saw the familiar red hair poking out of the mud.

"Ron?"

Harry ran over. He picked Ron's body up and shook it, trying to wake him up.

"Ron!"

Harry realized that Ron was dead. Then he remembered.

"Here you go, mate. Just like I promised; just like you promised Hermione."

A blue beam of light shot from Harry's mouth. It flew to the sky and then rebounded on Ron. Harry's body fell lifeless in the mud. Ron awoke and saw what happened.

"Harry...thanks."