Ron was confused. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had missed something terribly important during his short time away from the burrow. The looks everyone was giving him were, well, bizarre. Ginny and Fleur were weepy, Mrs Weasley kept trying to hold onto him, Harry looked guilty and the rest of them were acting just as strange. Except for Hermione. She suddenly seemed calmer than in the whole two days she'd been back in his life. God, was it really just two days? It felt like an entire lifetime had happened since then.
He didn't know what Hermione had to be calm about now. If the vial in Harry's hand was any indication, they were all about to learn whatever thing it was that Hermione was so desperate to hide. Harry had quickly apparated to his and Ginny's flat and brought back the pensieve, which now rested on the floor of the living room. The whole family was gathered around it. Apparently, it was going to be a field trip.
"I'm not going," Hermione said suddenly, eyeing the bowl of the pensieve. "I already know what's in there, and I'd rather not see it twice."
Harry nodded, unstoppering the vial to pour the memory in.
"You'll be okay here?"
"Sure, I'll watch the kids," Hermione said calmly. "The wards are up, no one can get in."
Harry poured the memory out and into the pensieve then, and one by one each of the others pressed their faces forward, falling in. Ron took one more look at Hermione, who nodded and smiled at him reassuringly, then jumped into the inky blackness himself.
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They were standing in Ron's old bedroom at the burrow. The small space had somehow been stretched out to accommodate the twelve people who had just fallen into it. The edges of the room flared out in wispy, smoke-like tendrils. Ron landed on his backside with a thud and stood up, looking around to reacquaint himself. The walls were garish orange and Canons posters covered the area. And there, standing at his bed, was Hermione, folding a basket of laundry.
He watched her, the first time in ages he could examine her without her pushing him away. This Hermione couldn't glare or scowl at him; she couldn't see him at all. He watched the way her wavy hair hung down her back, some of it falling in front of her shoulders. It followed her as she moved, making quick work of the laundry with her thin, graceful hands. Ron wanted to laugh at the fact she was doing this the muggle way, even though he could see her wand in the back pocket of her jeans.
His family behind him stretched out to watch as well. Harry was watching Hermione as well, his eyes shining. It was obviously affecting him too, being this close to her, before she had gone away from them.
Suddenly, there was a pop, and an image appeared. The audience watching the scene jumped back in shock at the same time Hermione did. Hermione whipped around, dropping the neatly folded laundry and holding her wand out in front of her. When she saw who it was, she let the wand drop, then whipped it up again an instant later, realizing something was wrong.
Harry Potter was standing there, but it wasn't a version of Harry anyone in the room had ever seen before. His hair was short and graying at the temples. He had frown lines around his face and wore a wedding band on his left ring finger. This man looked to be about ten years older than the real Harry Potter should have been.
"Who are you?" Hermione asked, her voice stern.
"Careful Hermione," the figure said back. "You don't want to alarm anyone in the house."
This version of Harry held his hands up in front of him and placed a finger over his lips, motioning for quiet.
"It's me Hermione. Ask me something."
Ron watched as Hermione visibly struggled to understand what was going on, as she tried to come up with a suitable question.
"Where did we spend summer before fourth year?" she asked finally.
"Here," he said automatically. "At the burrow."
"That's a bit obvious, don't you think?"
The man paused, looking around as of for an answer. Spying one of the moving Canons posters, he spoke again.
"We went to the Quidditch World Cup, Dad… Mr. Weasley got us tickets."
Hermione lowered her wand at that, still eyeing the figure suspiciously. Taking in his appearance once more, something seemed to click inside that brilliant brain of hers.
"What year are you from?" she asked quietly.
"We need to go somewhere else," older Harry said. "To talk."
With that, the time traveler walked toward Hermione and touched her elbow. There was the telltale sound of an apparition pop, then they both disappeared.
As soon as it happened, Ron felt himself pulled along as well, moving somewhere else. The colors were blurred around him, but he could see faces: George, Ginny, Bill… everyone was being dragged along as well. Finally it stopped and Ron found himself on the floor of a place that seemed familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it. The floor and walls were made of wood and he could tell from the few square windows that they were surrounded by trees.
"We're in our old tree house," Ginny said, looking astonished. None of the Weasley kids had been inside this tree house in ages. Arthur had magicked it when they were younger to be tall and wide enough to fit all his offspring, and now the whole family stood in it again, watching as some future version of Harry led Hermione to a table in the center of the hut.
Taking a seat, older Harry began taking things out of his pockets and placing them on the table, Hermione looking at him apprehensively. Harry set down scraps of papers, books, newspaper clippings. Hermione reached out a hand to touch his arm, pausing his work.
"Harry, what's going on?" she asked. "You're scaring me."
"I knew you would need lots of proof," Harry responded, nodding his head at the table and looking determined. "I knew you wouldn't believe this unless it was written. You like things written down."
Hermione looked helplessly at the pages before her, clearly confused and overwhelmed. She shook her head.
"Just tell me, please?"
Older Harry looked at her for a long second, seeming to struggle with himself. Then he ran a hand through his hair and began explaining to Hermione about the prophecy, much the same way current day Harry had done a few hours ago in the kitchen of the burrow. He explained to Hermione about the trio, the break in at the department of mysteries, two death eaters set out to stop this one last prophecy.
"When Shraxen and Willigsbee stole the prophecy, they stole a time turner as well, before all the time turners were destroyed," Harry said. "They've been using it to move through time, trying to determine who around me the prophecy was speaking of."
"But why are you dealing with this now?"
"They've found out," Harry said gravely.
"How?"
"A child's been born." Harry paused, scanning Hermione's face to see if she followed. "In my time, a child's been born, a trio has been formed, and their magic is good and strong enough that any dark wizard would want to destroy it."
Hermione searched Harry's expression, trying to make sense of it, before speaking at last.
"What does this have to do with me?"
"You haven't figured it out?" Harry asked, a wry smile on his face. "The child is yours. Yours and Ron's."
Hermione gasped and sat back in her seat at the tree house table. Ron, watching the memory, felt like he needed a seat himself. He looked around at the faces of his family, expecting them to be as shocked as he was. They seemed enthralled by the scene in front of them, but not a one looked as surprised as Ron felt they should. Hermione and I have a baby together? He couldn't believe it. Then he thought about it again, the idea warming his heart and making him catch his breath. Hermione and I have a baby together.
"Why are you telling me all this?" Hermione asked at last, looking unnerved and afraid to hear more.
Harry walked over to a corner of the tree house where a wicker basket lay, covered in a soft pink blanket. Holding the basket, Harry walked back to Hermione and set it down on the table.
"We need you to protect her now," Harry said, removing the blanket to reveal an infant Rose Weasley sleeping soundly in the basket.
Ron was staring at the baby in the basket, his gaze not shifting. Harry said it, he thought. Harry said this is my baby. Ron couldn't believe it. She looked like a little puff of cloud. Her skin was so pale and soft-looking, her eyes were clear and her smile was so warm. Ron wanted to lay down next to her forever. This was his child. How had he ever gotten so lucky as to have created something so magical?
Ron jerked his head up from studying the baby to look at this memory-Hermione. She was studying the infant, her expression mirroring many of the emotions Ron was experiencing. She looked enthralled, impressed, amazed, but above all else, in love. Ron could tell immediately that whatever else this Hermione was thinking, she was already in love with Rose Weasley.
Hermione held out a hand to the baby, tears shining in her eyes already. The child grasped one of Hermione's fingers with her own. The connection seemed to radiate between the two, Hermione beaming back at the little girl as if she had known her all her life.
"Harry," Hermione said all of a sudden, looking up from the baby. "What do we do?"
"The prophecy only works once all three of you are together in one place. That's why we've taken her from you and Ron as soon as she was born in the future," Harry said quickly. "The thing we're really fighting now is a second prophecy that Shraxen and Willigsbee commissioned to counteract this first one."
Hermione frowned at Harry, her brow furrowed, confused.
"To help them in defeating this prophecized trio, they enlisted the help of a second-rate prophet, who gave them what they wanted," future Harry said steadily. "There's now a dark, evil, counter-prophecy declaring that if ever each member of this trio is under one roof, one of its unit will face the Avada Kedavra curse."
Hermione sucked in a breath, not believing what she was hearing. Ron, watching, moved closer, becoming more concerned with each word.
"We can fight this, so long as we make it so the three members of the trio are never under the same roof," Harry said urgently. "It's why I've taken Rose now, as an infant. She couldn't stay with you and Ron in the future, you made a perfect triangle."
"Shraxem and Willigsbee are after you," Harry continued. "Whatever time period they find you, Ron and Rose in, they can attack. They have a time turner and they're moving around, looking for the trio together."
"But now you've brought her here," Hermione said, trying to reason it out, "we still make a trio. If I have Rose… she, I and Ron complete the circle."
Harry looked at her with a grimace, nodding at Hermione's conclusion. Hermione and Harry looked hard at each other then, each of them at that moment fighting on a different side. Harry sighed.
"They can't strike at a later time, when Rose is older. Her magic would be too strong then to fight. They're coming after you when she's young," Harry said. "They know now, since I've run off with Rose, that she's been hidden elsewhere. They'll be looking through time for a moment when you and Ron are together with a baby."
"Why?" Hermione asked quietly.
"Because the magic the three of you generates, the bond of goodness and strength, can only be broken when you're each together," Harry said finally. "Going back in time and taking out you or Ron as eleven year olds, it won't work. It has to be at a time when you're at you're strongest, when you're all together, to truly destroy the bond."
Hermione sat back in her chair, contemplating the information. At the same time, Ron sat down on the floor of the tree house, suddenly having trouble standing. His brain was having problems contemplating what was going on, his mind shooting off synapses…Hermione… Rose… prophecy… it was a mess.
"So, you've taken Rose from her time in the future because these death eaters would have gone there to find her?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded, and she continued. "You've brought her here for me to watch over. Except Ron also lives in this time… and if I were near Ron with Rose that would also make a trio?"
Harry nodded a second time, looking like he finally knew Hermione understood what was being asked of her.
"So… what do you want me to do?" Hermione asked, timid and quiet, though Harry knew she could already tell the answer. Harry looked around the tree house, wishing there were someone else on hand to deliver the news. There wasn't.
"You have to leave Ron," Harry said finally. "You need to leave here today with Rose and never come back."
Future Harry's admission hit Ron like a dagger to the heart. Watching this display, he was trying to be rational. But so many facts were being thrown at him at once. He and Hermione were together in some future life, and they had a child. And now here was Harry, telling Hermione to take that child and run away from him. It made Ron want to turn to where he knew the current Harry stood behind him and deck him over the head.
Looking at Hermione, he could tell she felt the same way. She looked infuriated. She looked like she was ready to fight an entire army before she let one man tell her what to do. And Ron agreed with her, almost praying she would refuse to do what Harry asked, though he already knew the outcome.
"Leave Ron?" Hermione said in a hushed whisper. "How is that even possible?"
Harry looked out a side window of the tree house, shaking his head like even he didn't know the answer.
"Harry…HARRY!" Hermione shouted, until she had his attention. "You know Ron would never accept this. What am I supposed to do? Walk up to him and say 'Ron, I need to go now forever, and not see you again as long as I live?' He would never accept that. He'll fight for me."
Harry looked steadily on then, nodding earnestly as if believing what she'd just said.
"I know," he said. "That's why you have to make it convincing. I was thinking, if it gets difficult… maybe something like what you did with your parents?"
Hermione looked as if someone had just slapped her. She shook her head no then opened her mouth in a grimace of pain. The tears fell steadily and she began gasping for breath, looking as if she were drowning right there in the tree house. Her face was a mask of pain and had anyone seen it in real time they would have gladly done anything to get that look of grief off Hermione's expression. She looked as if she were slowly dying from the inside out, so stricken was she by the idea of a life led without Ron Weasley in it.
Opening and closing her mouth, Hermione began trying to protest, throwing up any objection she could think of.
"Even if we did this," she said desperately, "what if one of us falls, in this time? How would Rose be born later?"
"No one can take back Rose's birth," Harry said reassuringly. "Time travel is like a pretzel, if Rose has been born then sent back, nothing we do now can stop her birth… it's already happened."
Ron bit back a rude remark as he heard George behind him ask, "What's a pretzel?"
"Our worry now is someone killing her in this time," future Harry continued. "Or of course, killing you or Ron."
"Me or Ron?"
"Yes," Harry said forcefully. "They only need to kill one. If they're able to strike down even one of you at a moment when you're all together, they've killed the whole trio and succeeded. It's why we must keep you separated until Shraxen and Willigsbee are behind bars."
Hermione nodded through her tears, seeming to finally understand the task before her. Ron, watching the memory, moved closer to this Hermione and crouched before her. His own face was already awash with tears, amazed at what he was hearing. He reached out a hand to touch her face, wanting to provide her some comfort. Ginny's quiet whispers behind him reminded Ron this was all a dream.
"I think I understand all of this, but I don't know why you're coming to me only," Hermione said after a spell. "Why does this all have to be a secret?"
Harry took two full breaths then, steadying himself for what he knew would be the hardest blow of the story.
"You remember I talked about the second, evil prophecy, that says one of the trio must face the Avada Kedavra?" Harry said slowly. Hermione nodded, urging Harry to go on. "Ron will throw himself in front of the curse, put himself in front of you or Rose to take the death curse and sacrifice himself."
Hermione shook her head no, throwing her hands over her mouth in disbelief. Behind him, Ron heard his mother give a shout and could hear his father trying to console her. None of it was making sense to Ron at the moment, and none of the surrounding noise mattered at all. All of his attention was focused on Hermione.
"You have to do whatever it takes, Hermione," future Harry said, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her urgently. "Even if you have to be cruel, you need to make sure he can never come find you and Rose again. Because if he does, the moment he's ever near the two of you, these death eaters will arrive and attack. And Ron will die."
Hermione stared down at the spot where Harry's hand held her shoulders. Tears were flowing in earnest now, and she didn't know when they would ever stop.
"Even as we speak, Ron's putting into action backup plans to ensure it's not you or Rose. He'll do whatever it takes to make sure if one of you gets killed, it's him."
"He is always doing very stupid things," Hermione said, her voice thick with tears. Harry tried to smile at the joke.
"And how am I supposed to do this?" Hermione asked, her voice a pained, harsh whisper.
"Harry… you don't understand," she said in a choked voice. "I-I can't leave Ron…he and I, well… Harry, I love him. I'm in love with him Harry!" Hermione said the last bit as if it made all the difference in the world. Unfortunately, Harry knew it would.
Hermione took a deep breath, struggling with the effort of the confession. Several more tears had begun trailing down her cheeks, an endless stream. Sitting silently beside her, Ron tried to reach out and brush the tears away, but, of course, he couldn't reach her.
"I do understand, Hermione. I know how much you love him. You and Ron, well, I've seen you. All this time I've watched you together, and believe me, you only get stronger as time goes by," Harry said, resigned. "I know exactly what kind of bond you and Ron have. That's why I know you'll do this for him."
Hermione cried harder now, the truth of Harry's statement hitting her like a wall. Of course she would do this for Ron. She would do anything for him.
"I'm going to take this moment and turn it into a memory," Harry added. "I'll take it to Dumbledore. Someone else needs this information, just in case."
"Dumbledore?" Hermione asked, quiet tears still streaking her face. "He's dead."
"Yeah," Harry chuckled sardonically. "Funny how he still has a hand in things."
Drawing his wand out and placing it to his temple as if to draw out a memory, Harry paused again to speak.
"You need to know we're all working on this together. You, at least future you, came up with this idea on your own. And Ron, too… I'm not doing this without his permission. The two of you agreed this is what should be done, and once the danger is past, we'll make sure Rose gets sent back." Harry paused, standing up and walking toward the exit of the tree house as if to leave.
"You trusted me to enact this because you both knew I would look after Rose as my own," Harry said, turning to Hermione from the door. "And trust me, it is now my own personal mission to stop these death eaters and make sure this child gets back to you and Ron in the correct time. I know how much my friends want their baby back. You have the past, present and future working together to help you here."
With that, Harry placed the wand to his temple, beginning to draw out a thin line of memory. As Harry pulled a small glass vial out of his pocket to preserve the moment, the images faded and all of the people watching tumbled out of the memory and back into real time.
Ron felt the space of the memory slipping from him; it was like swimming upwards from the bottom of a lake. Suddenly, he, Harry and all the rest of them were back in the living room of the burrow where they had started, standing around the ancient pensieve.
Everyone was affected. Ginny was openly weeping, clearly moved by what she had just seen, and Harry had an arm around her shoulder. Harry himself looked like he might start crying at any moment. Mum and Dad were huddled together at the back of the room, Mum's face hidden in Dad's neck. Bill and Charlie were whispering together in hushed urgency, and both Angelina and Audrey were holding hands in a corner. Percy and George were silent, but both looked as serious as if old professor Umbridge had walked through the door.
Ron stood upright in the center of it all. He was clenching his eyes shut, trying to understand. The truth of it hurt so damn bad. He could feel the need to cry like a baby welling up inside him, resulting in a few renegade tears falling down his cheeks. His eyes still closed, he thought about what it all meant, about the sacrifice of it all, about how it must have hurt her…
Suddenly, he was consumed with a need to see Hermione. His eyes whipped open, scanning the room for her. She had been there before they had gone, where was she now? Ron started frantically, searching for her. She wasn't in the living room. He began opening every closet door and looking behind every sofa, searching for her.
"I can't find her either," Harry said, sidling up behind him. Immediately, the entire group was on the hunt for Hermione. They looked about the room, until finally Ron began moving toward the door leading into the kitchen. Swinging it open, he was unprepared for the sight that met him.
There stood Lavender Brown holding little Rose Weasley at her hip. Noticing the oncoming crowd, she opened her mouth and spoke.
"Hermione is gone."
A/N: Thanks for reading and please vote and comment!