Athena Dumbledore (A Harry Potter Love Story)

Ron Returns

ATHENA POV:

Weeks and weeks pass by. I've stopped counting by now, I can just tell we're sometime into late January or early February. Everyone is becoming increasingly adgitated, and especially me right now because it's my turn to wear the locket. It somehow has the power to make you very angry. I even thought about hexing Hermione to get her to stop tapping her foot. Stupid, right? 

"Should we try and destory it again, then?" Harry asks, taking the locket off of my neck. I sigh in relief as the world seems slightly less annoying. Harry smiles at my relief. 

"But we need the sword, remember?" Hermione interjects and Harry makes a face. 

"How do we get the sword then?" Harry asks and they both turn to me. 

"What?" 

"You knew him the best, Athena, what do you think he could've done with it?" I think for a moment. 

"He must've hid it somewhere...I mean, unless he left it with someone he could trust..." Harry makes a face and begins pacing. 

"You don't think he could've given it to Snape, do you?" I groan and bang the back of my head on the chair. 

"If he did then we are so not going to get it back. Nope, not at all." The others groan along with me and then silence falls over us as everyone thinks. Harry sighs and stands up, putting the locket around his neck. 

"I'll take first watch. You guys get some rest," Harry announces, grabbing his wand and going outside. Hermione and I snuggle into our comfy bunk bed and I blow out the candle. 

"Do you think Ron will come back?" Hermione asks through a whisper. 

"I don't know if he'll be able to find us, 'Mione...but I bet he's missing you already." She scoffs and, if she could, she'd probably slap me lightly. "Hey, 'Mione?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Do you think Harry will have to die?" There's silence.

"I had the same feeling...but no. Harry can't die. It's him who has to die." I smile. Even though they're dark, her words still comfort me somehow. "And since when have the bad guys ever won?" 

"I hope they don't start now."

All through the night I awoke to strange noises. I tried my best not to run outside and stay with Harry, which would make me feel more safe. I feel ridiculous getting scared so easily, but at the moment, I happen to be very jumpy. Hermione, on the other hand, is sleeping the best I've ever seen her sleep, and I haven't seen her wake up once. 

The whole room is filled with a dim light thanks to a little latern Hermione set up next to our bed. I can't hear Harry doing anything outside, but I figure he's just staring off into space and thinking. He's been doing it a lot lately. I can't blame him, though, these are tough times we're going through. Especially since everyone wants him dead. Eventually, I drift off to sleep, exhaustion overpowering my body and leaving my thoughts to cease for the night. 

I'm awoken by voices. Two voices outside of the tent. Had Harry gotten himself into trouble? I wake Hermione up and we creep out of the tent, our wands at the ready. Daylight is starting to creep towards us as the sun slowly rises up from behind the moutain. The woods look less scary as it does, and I feel slightly comforted by it. All that comfort is replaced with anger, worry, and hurt as Harry and Ron walk towards the tent, talking and laughing. Ron is holding the Gryffindor sword and Harry holds a destroyed locket. I'm too late to hold Hermione back as she walks towards Ron. 

"Hey," he says coolly and I mentally face palm as Hermione starts screaming at him, on the verge of tears. 

"Do you have any idea how sad I-we were when you left?! So you just show up now and all you can say is 'hey'?!" She starts hitting him with her book and I have to pull her off of him. So, to make up for it, Ron tells her this cheezy story about how a little ball of light in the deluminator was talking in her voice. Apparantly Hermione's voice was just saying his name and it led him here. He also said he regretted leaving like he did and he's really sorry. 

I could see Hermione's about to give in, but instead of saying anything, she just walks straight back into the tent with her book. Harry and I exchange a look as Ron watches her leave, a look of longing on his face. 

"You really like her, don't you?" I ask, breaking Ron's thoughts. He doesn't say anything, just walks back into the tent where Hermione is with a faint blush creeping up his cheeks. 

"I'd take that as a yes," Harry adds and I laugh, nodding. We walk back into the tent to find Hermione sitting next to Ron with her nose stuffed in a book, and Ron looking at her lovingly, talking to her about her book. I roll my eyes and Harry and I go and try and break the awkward situation. 

"How'd you guys destroy the horcrux?" I ask and Harry and Ron exchange a glance. 

"Just stabbed it with the sword," Ron says, breaking Harry's gaze and returning his eyes to Hermione. Those two really would be cute, they're both just reluctant to get together for some reason. Well, besides the possibility of our painful deaths....

We talk for a little while more before we end up on the discussion of horcruxes...yet again. 

"So if we kill them all we'll end up killing Voldemort?" Ron says the name before we can hush him. I hear people apparate outside. 

"COME OUT OF THERE RIGHT NOW!" We all exchange a look. Merlin, we are so dead.