1,182A/N: You'll notice the inspiration kept flowing and I have another chapter already! Though part of that is because a third of this is directly from the books. Thank you all for your continued support of this story, I know I don't respond to reviews very often but I read each and every one of them, and they all make me strive to keep the quality of my writing up even though I do go months without update most of the time.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: A portion of this chapter is directly from Deathly Hallows, Chapter 31. Written and owned by JK Rowling. Not by me.
1989
Chapter 46
"Ron! Wait!"
Hermione attempted to follow him out of the Room of Requirement as he stormed off, the door all but slamming in her face. She'd had to run the last half of the distance in order to try and catch up to his longer strides, but it had been in vain.
Hermione ripped the door back open, ready to scold him for being so childish, but her frustration melted as she caught sight of the devastation on his face as he paced back and forth. She was going to have to be calm and patient with him if she was ever going to be able to mend the damage caused by her and Charlie's betrayal.
Harry could be seen a little ways down the corridor, tucking Crabbe, Goyle, and Mafoy's unconscious bodies behind a small alcove with a large curtain. He ended up joining them after catching sight of her in the hallway, either to give them some privacy, or in order not to be involved in the oncoming argument. She wasn't sure which. Probably a bit of both.
"Ron, Please. Let me explain." She said as she approached him.
Ron stopped pacing, and looked her in the eye for the first time since she'd told him the truth several minutes ago.
"I don't want to hear it, Hermione." He shook his head at her in disbelief.
She couldn't believe how similar he sounded to Charlie the day he'd learned of her complicated past with him. Their similarities were apparent now that she was back and in his presence again.
"But–"
"No!" He stopped her. "The more I hear, the angrier I am going to be. And you know I don't deal with my temper very well."
She couldn't argue with that statement, in fact the self awareness was rather surprising, so she sighed with a nod instead.
"I'm angry, Hermione. At both of you." He continued. "I honestly don't even want to look at you right now."
Hermione's face fell and a lump formed in her throat. She feared where this conversation was going, and that maybe Harry had been right, maybe she should have played along until the battle was over; except his next words nearly shocked her.
"But Harry needs us both too much right now for me to let that get in the way again. Ending this war is too important for me to let my feelings about you sabotage everything we've worked so hard for over the past few months." He looked defeated as the words poured from his lips. "So no. I don't want to know what happened in 1989. Not yet."
She wanted to hug him for both his sensitivity, and growth in maturity, but she refrained. He definitely wasn't ready for her to touch him yet, no matter how much he could probably use the comfort.
"I am going to be mad about this for a long time. And once tonight is over I don't want to see you or Charlie for a while." He informed her; coldly at first, but then changed his tone. "But I will get over this. Eventually. You know I always do."
Hermione was about to throw her arms around him anyway, she was so proud of him, but the sound of the door shutting again stopped her. It looked like Charlie had finally followed them out after giving them a moment to talk alone.
The two brothers looked at each other, one sheepishly, the other shooting daggers yet again. Charlie forced a grim smile and nodded his head before pushing past to help Harry secure and hide the three Slytherins in the alcove until they could come back for them later.
It was then, just as they were finishing their task that a number of huge bangs shook the castle, and a great cavalcade of transparent figures galloped past on horses, their heads screaming with bloodlust under their arms. Harry staggered to his feet when the Headless Hunt had passed and looked around: The battle was still going on around them. He could hear more screams than those of the retreating ghosts. Panic flared within him.
"Where's Ginny?" He said sharply. "She was here. She was supposed to be going back into the Room of Requirement."
Ron looked to the left, and then to the right. "Shall we split up and look –?"
"No." Hermione spoke up firmly. "Do neither of you realize that Charlie just destroyed Ravenclaw's diadem? That was fiendfyre– cursed fire. It's one of the substances that destroy horcruxes, but I would never, ever have dared use it. It's so dangerous – how did Crabbe know how to –?"
"Must've learned from the Carrows," said Harry grimly.
"Well lucky for us, and him, Charlie learned how to control it in Romania. Otherwise we might all be dead right now." Hermione continued. "But regardless, this means if we can just get the snake –"
But she broke off as yells and shouts and the unmistakable noises of dueling filled the corridor. She looked around and her heart seemed to fail. Death Eaters had penetrated Hogwarts. Fred and Percy had just backed into view, both of them dueling masked and hooded men.
Harry, Ron, and Charlie had already ran forward to help: Jets of light flew in every direction and the man dueling Percy backed off, fast: Then his hood slipped and they saw a high forehead and streaked hair –
"Hello, Minister!" bellowed Percy, sending a neat jinx straight at Thicknesse, who dropped his wand and clawed at the front of his robes, apparently in awful discomfort. "Did I mention I'm resigning?"
"You're joking, Perce!" Shouted Fred as the Death Eater he was battling collapsed under the weight of three separate Stunning Spells. Thicknesse had fallen to the ground with tiny spikes erupting all over him; he seemed to be turning into some form of sea urchin. Fred looking at Percy with glee.
"You actually are joking, Perce. . . .I don't think I've heard you joke since you were –"
BOOM!
That's when the air exploded around them.