Life After Living

Chapter Fifteen

"I should know who I am by now..."

~ Winter, Joshua Radin

Harry caught Ron in his arms as the taller boy collapsed. "Ron!" Molly ran forward, but halted as Ron's body came back to life. There was a deep guttural noise as Ron looked up.

"Ron?" Harry's voice shook.

"From the right hand of the heir a scion has been chosen." Harry jumped away, but Ron remained standing. "His birth was destined and his blood has been passed through centuries."

"Ronald?" Molly called her son's name as Ron stared blankly ahead, blood trailing down from his nose.

"He is the last of the pure. The Dark Lord has shaped him to fight his final battle, but the scion's blood will tarnish clean hands. He, with tarnished hands, has the strength to destroy the Dark Lord and will rise from the depths of the darkest hollow to claim his birthright." With the final words from Ron's mouth, the vacant expression left his face as he collapsed again. This time his father caught him from behind.

Molly looked to Dumbledore. "Albus?"

"The children will go to Hogwarts."

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Ron stared at the familiar ceiling for several minutes before coherency started to come back to him. He narrowed his eyes, absorbing the sight of the ceiling. His eyes widened and he sat up with a gasp. "Ron!" Harry jumped up from his seat beside the bed in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts. "Oh, Merlin, I'm so glad you're awake."

"Harry..." Ron reached out to him, taking the other boy's hand in his. "How did I get here?"

Harry touched his other hand against Ron's face. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Ron thought. "Yelling at my parents and Remus. Harry, what happened?"

"You passed out."

Ron reached up to his nose. "It started bleeding," he said quietly. "How long?"

"Only a few hours. It's almost noon. They moved us at once this morning."

"Well, look who decided to grace us with his presence." Harry stepped aside to reveal Madam Pomfrey standing a few yards away. "How are you feeling?" she asked, stepping up to the bed.

Ron cocked his head. "Perfectly fine. I don't understand what happened."

"I will let Professor Dumbledore know you're awake." Madam Pomfrey turned and scuttled off.

"Harry?" Harry bit his lip. "Something else happened, didn't it? I don't remember, but I can tell. I know you. You're not telling me something."

A small smile tugged at the corner of Harry's mouth. "You do know me too well."

"Harry..."

Harry sat on the edge of the bed. He turned to look behind him, making sure no one was looking and pressed his lips to Ron's. "I'm so glad you're okay." He squeezed Ron's hand. "You scared me." Ron reached up and brushed a strand of hair from Harry's face. Harry took a deep breath. "You know that divination stuff you don't believe in? Prophecies and all?"

"Yeah?"

"You made a prophecy, Ron."

"I what?" Ron's voice rang out through the room.

"You passed out, but then you came back, but it wasn't you. When you spoke, it wasn't your voice. I mean, it was, but it was so harsh, like a growl."

"Harry, what did I say?"

"I can't remember it word for word. Hermione wrote it down, though. You know Hermione." Harry searched Ron's eyes and ran his hand over the copper hair. "I'm just so glad you're okay." Ron couldn't help the smile that came over his face. Harry pulled away. "You didn't do that on purpose did you?"

"What? The bloody nose and prophecy?" Ron snorted. "Yeah. It was my big plan."

Harry smirked. "Well, it worked if you did. I don't have to be here alone."

"Harry! I think I might have--" Hermione burst through the Infirmary doors. "Ron!" She rushed over. "How do you feel?"

"Perfectly fine. Never better actually." Hermione threw her arms around the redhead. She pulled away. "Harry told me what happened. Everything... except what I said." Ron looked at Harry, but the dark-haired boy looked away.

"I was just about to tell Harry about some of the things I was looking up. I have what you said," Hermione riffled around in her stack of papers. She pulled out a sheet of parchment from the stack and handed it to Ron.

Ron read his own words with a dry voice. He read the last words as chills ran down his spine, "'He, with tarnished hands, has the strength to destroy the Dark Lord and will rise from the depths of the darkest hollow to claim his birthright.'" He looked up at Harry. Ron met Harry's eyes. "I really said this?" Harry nodded solemnly.

Hermione set her stack of books and parchment on the bed at Ron's feet. "I've been looking through some of the texts on interpreting prophecies and I've found some pretty interesting things..." Hermione continued to rattle on as Harry gave Ron a small smile. "...Maybe if we can take a peek in the Restricted Section there will be a book in there that can help us."

"Hermione," Ron said quietly. She looked up from a piece of parchment. "I think it's pretty obvious what it means." Hermione blinked.

"Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore announced as he entered the Infirmary, Madam Pomfrey on his heels. "So glad you're awake. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," Ron answered. "I don't feel off at all."

"You gave us quite a scare. I assume Miss Granger and Mister Potter filled you in on what happened."

"Yes, sir. I never in a million years would have thought I'd be making prophecies. I wonder why I passed out is all."

"Sometimes that happens with one's first prediction," Dumbledore answered. "You should be fit as a fiddle, though. No harm done."

"Do you have an interpretation, Headmaster?" Ron asked.

Dumbledore gave him a smile. "I will not speculate as of yet." He patted Ron on the shoulder. "For now you are released from the infirmary. You'll find your things have already been delivered to your dorm. I will see you all at dinner." With that, the Headmaster left.

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"It feels weird being here without anyone else," Ron said, leaning against the bedpost. Harry collapsed on his bed. "You alright, Harry?' Ron moved to stand next to Harry's bed.

"Just tired," Harry answered with a smile. "I didn't sleep last night after all." Ron looked out the window. "What is it?"

"I think it's the perfect time for a nap," Ron responded with a smirk. He crawled up onto the bed and slid down next to Harry. The dark-haired boy put an arm around Ron, laying his head on the redhead's shoulder. Ron smiled as they settled in together. Harry was asleep in no time, snoring ever so quietly. Ron didn't feel like sleeping, thoughts rushing through his head, but he was content to lay silently with Harry. He closed his eyes only briefly.

The sun had moved when he opened his eyes, and staring up at the canopy of the bed he realized that he must have slept a little. Harry hadn't moved. Ron looked down at him, a faint smile on his lips, as a summer breeze drifted through the room, ruffling the dark hair. He ran a hand down Harry's arm.

The breeze moved the bed curtains and Ron only caught a shadow at first. When he looked up his heart leaped in his chest. There were tears running down Hermione's face and Ron didn't know what to do. There was heartbreak on her face mixed with a look of betrayal. Their eyes met, both silent. Harry shifted. Stretching, he opened his eyes. He looked up at Ron and seeing the look on the redhead's face, followed his eyes. He sat up quickly. "Hermione."

Hermione spun and left the room at a run, the door slamming behind her. Harry looked back at Ron as the latter sat up. "It might be time to tell her," he said quietly.

"Yeah, I think so."

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Ron interrupted. "I think I should do it." He leaned forward and pressed his lips quickly against Harry's.

Ron found Ginny in the common room. "Hey," she said. "What did you do to Hermione? She took off crying."

"Do you know where she went?" Ron asked.

"No. Ron, what happened?"

"I'll tell her," Harry said, coming down the stairs. Ron nodded and following a hunch, left the common room.

Ron made his way through the stacks in the library towards the back corner. He found her on the floor against a bookcase, tears running down her face. She looked up, angry. "When were you going to tell me?"

"We should have already told you," Ron said solemnly.

"But you didn't."

Ron knelt down beside her. "Hermione," he reached out to put a hand on her arm.

"Don't touch me!" She batted his hand away.

Ron hung his head. "We were scared. We still are scared. We're in love, Hermione, and we're scared to death."

"How long have you known?" she asked bitterly.

Ron looked up at her. She stared back at him, waiting for an answer. "I don't know. I didn't understand it before. I probably wouldn't have ever done anything about it if he hadn't kissed me." Hermione looked away, a pained look on her face. He sat back, looking away. "It disgusts you doesn't it?"

There was silence before she answered, "No. It doesn't disgust me. It just hurts." Ron looked up quickly when he felt her hand on his arm. "I just wish you'd told me sooner."

"Would it have hurt any less?"

"Probably not."

"I'm so sorry, Hermione."

She looked away from him, emotions taking over her. It was a long time that they sat in silence, him waiting as hopes died and new ones were born. After several minutes of silence she turned and gave him a meek smile. "So... You and Harry are in love?"

"Madness, isn't it?" She gave him a small laugh and pulled him into her arms.

"It will take some time, but I'll get used to it," she said into his hair.

"Thank you." Ron felt the weeks of tension roll off his skin and even let a tear find a path down his cheek. "Thank you, Hermione."

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Ginny looked back at Harry once Ron left the common room. "What's going on?"

"I lied to you."

"Lied? About what?"

"About Ron."

"About having feelings for him?"

"About whether I was going to tell him." Ginny looked at him confused. "I told him, Ginny. I told him before your birthday." Ginny's eyebrows shot up. "I kissed him."

Ginny sat down on the couch. She looked up. "What did Ron say?"

"To make a long story short," Harry sat down across from her. "He kissed me back."

"Wow." Ginny shook her head. "You and Ron."

"Weird, huh?"

"Hermione walked in on you two, didn't she?" Harry nodded.

"We should have told her, both of you, but it was so new. We didn't want to rush into anything."

"You're in love, aren't you?" Harry nodded again. "She'll understand. You know Hermione. Everything will be okay." Ginny bit her lip as she looked in to the fire.

"You think it will be okay?" Harry prompted. Ginny tried to give him an encouraging smile.

They sat in silence for a long time before Ron and Hermione appeared. Harry stood to face his friend. She stepped forward. She smiled. "Come here." She pulled him in to a hug.

"Thank you for understanding," he told her with a shaking voice.

"Of course. You're my best friends." Hermione released an arm from Harry and motioned for Ron to join them. She hugged them both with a smile.

"Oh, group hug!" Ginny proclaimed.

Hermione laughed. "Get over here." Harry and Ron opened their arms to let her in.

"This is our, secret, okay?" Ron spoke. "For now."

"Of course," Hermione and Ginny answered.

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Hermione appeared to take it all well but Ginny could see that a part of the older girl had fallen apart with the knowledge that her best friends were in love with each other. Ginny found her sobbing that night in her dorm room. Her own tears of remorse welled up in her eyes as she pulled Hermione into her arms. "I can't hate them," Hermione whispered. "But it hurts so much."

"I know," Ginny answered. "I know. It's going to be okay, though. Maybe it just means our hearts were in the wrong places." Hermione looked up at her with tear-stained cheeks. "I mean, I do have a boyfriend and all. I suppose I could appreciate him a little more."

"We're such idiots." And Ginny laughed.

"No we're not. Everything is going to be okay. You'll see. It will be." Ginny pulled Hermione back into her arms and hoped it was true.