Promises are Wished For

A/N: This is the first installment of the "Promises" series, a journey through Deathly Hallows with Ron and Hermione. This story is set in Chapter Five, centering on Ron and Hermione's reunion at the Burrow. The section starts on page 72 in the US version and page 70 in the UK version.

As Hermione sighted the Burrow, she smiled in spite of herself, looking forward to seeing Ron and Harry, and knowing that they were safe. Not that she didn't want everyone to be safe, but Harry and Ron were at the top of her list.

She landed unceremoniously in the yard of the Burrow, and quickly got up and brushed herself off. Portkeys, though much better than flying, was definitely not her favorite way to travel. Almost immediately, she saw Harry rushing toward her, and she hugged him, glad to see him. Hermione looked around for Ron, wanting desperately to have him in her arms, even more than Harry. Kingsley was questioning Lupin, and then turned to Harry. Lupin said, "It's him, I've checked!"

"All right, all right!" said Kingsley, stowing his wand back into his back beneath his cloak. "But somebody betrayed us! They knew, they knew it was tonight!"

Hermione thought back to the battle in the sky, and tried hard not to shudder externally. She had had been a part of the combat, but she had not seen anyone die on their side. She prayed that everyone was alive.

"So it seems," replied Lupin, "but apparently they did not realize that there would be seven Harrys."

"Small comfort!" snarled Kingsley. "Who else is back?"

"Only Harry, Hagrid, George, and me."

Hermione stifled a little moan behind her hand. She remembered that Ron should have been back first. She wanted to scream and shout, but fought it back, telling herself that he was fine; he just got held up somewhere. But in the back of her mind, a little voice told her that he had died, he had been captured, he fell off his broom. The evil thoughts reigned victorious.

"What happened to you?" Lupin asked Kingsley.

"Followed by five, injured two, might've killed one," Kingsley reeled off, "and we saw You-Know-Who as well, he joined the chase halfway through but vanished pretty quickly. Remus, he can –"

"Fly," supplied Harry. "I saw him too, he came after Hagrid and me."

"So that's why he left, to follow you!" said Kingsley, "I couldn't understand why he'd vanished. But what made him change targets?"

"Harry behaved a little too kindly to Stan Shunpike," said Lupin.

"Stan?" repeated Hermione, groping through her mind. "But I thought he was in Azkaban?"

Kingsley let out a mirthless laugh.

"Hermione, there's obviously been a mass breakout which the Ministry has hushed up. Travers's hood fell off when I cursed him, he's supposed to be inside too. But what happened to you, Remus? Where's George?"

"He lost an ear," said Lupin.

"Lost an –?" repeated Hermione in a high voice. An ear? How? She was horrified and fought to keep her mouth closed.

"Snape's work," said Lupin.

"Snape?" shouted Harry. "You didn't say –" Hermione desperately wished that he wouldn't lose his temper. Not now.

"He lost his hood during the chase. Sectumsempra was always a specialty of Snape's. I wish I could say I'd paid him back in kind, but it was all I could do to keep George on the broom after he was injured, he was losing so much blood."

Silence fell between the four of them as they looked up at the sky. There was no sign of movement; the stars stared back, unblinking, indifferent, unobscured by flying friends. Where were Fred and Mr. Weasley? Where were Bill, Fleur, Tonks, Mad-Eye, and Mundungus? And at the forefront of her mind, where was Ron? She would've given anything at that moment to see him, his lopsided grin, bright red hair, and the bright blue eyes that seemed to look into her mind. She wished to have his arms around her again.

He had comforted her at all her moments of sadness, especially when she had to erase her parents' memories and had cried through the night at the Burrow. He spent the night with her on his living room couch, with his arms wrapped around her. She had never felt more safe in her life.

"Harry, give us a hand!" called Hagrid hoarsely from the door, in which he was stuck again. Harry left eagerly to help him out and go inside. Hermione looked up at the sky, willing Ron to appear.

Kingsley began striding backward and forward, glancing up at the sky every time he turned. Hagrid, Hermione, and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing upward in silence. Hermione only vaguely felt Harry's return to her side. She was so concentrated on her wish to see Ron again that she almost wept in anguish.

The minutes were endless, discouraging thoughts rushing inexorably. The slightest breath of wind made them all jump and turn toward the whispering bush or tree in the hope that one of the missing Order members might leap unscathed from its leaves.

Hermione saw a flash of bubblegum pink, and of fiery red. And then a broom materialized directly above them and streaked toward the ground -

"It's them!" screamed Hermione. She had to fight herself not to jump up and down with anticipation, the tears far from her mind.

Tonks landed in a long skid that sent earth and pebbles everywhere, but Hermione was oblivious to the assault of the little stones. Ron tripped dazedly toward Harry and Hermione. She was looking into Ron's eyes, and he into hers, and they shared a moment in silence. It was all she could do not to jump on him.

"You're okay," he mumbled, before Hermione flew at him and hugged him tightly. Well…mission definitely not accomplished.

"I thought - I thought -" She remembered the evil thoughts and shuddered. He wrapped his arms around her tightly at this. This moment meant everything to her. Time stopped, just for them, and for a short time, she felt the whole world melt away. He was back, he was back. All too soon, however, the instant was over and everything came back into focus.

" 'M all right," said Ron, patting her on the back. " 'M fine."

"Ron was great," said Tonks warmly, relinquishing her hold on Lupin. "Wonderful. Stunned one of the Death Eaters, straight to the head, and when you're aiming at a moving target from a flying broom -"

"You did?" said Hermione, gazing up at Ron with her arms still around his neck. She wasn't exactly surprised; he had learned so much in the last few weeks - well, years, despite himself.

"Always the tone of surprise," he said a little grumpily, breaking free. She made to protest both about the surprise and the letting go, but stopped herself. "Are we the last back?"

"No," said Ginny, "we're still waiting for Bill and Fleur and Mad-Eye and Mundungus. I'm going to tell Mum and Dad you're okay, Ron -"And she rushed back inside. Hermione looked briefly at Harry to determine whether something was going on with them, but nothing was apparent.

"So what kept you? What happened?" At this point everyone began to regale their own experience, but Hermione wanted none of this, she wished only for Ron to wrap his arms around her again. She could only hope that they would be able to have another of their moments just for them, where time stops, love reigns, and hearts are whole.