Fic: Broken
Title: Broken
Author:
silentdescant
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Ron/Hermione, Harry/Ginny
Summary: Songfic. Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny go into battle and learn how much they need each other.
Wordcount: 1795
Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine, I'm just making up stories for my own enjoyment.
A/N: The song is "Broken" by Seether, featuring Amy Lee of Evanescence
A/N2: I wrote this a long time ago, possibly (probably) even before book 5. So, no spoilers.
Broken
I saw his reflection watching me. I pretended not to notice and stared at the rain out the window. This must be how Harry feels all the time, I thought miserably. All those aurors died to keep ME safe. I can see why he likes to be alone. Ron seemed to guess what I was thinking, however.
“They knew what they were getting themselves into, Hermione. It’s not your fault they died.”
“But Ron, it is. I was the one who insisted on going out in public. None of those people would have died if I had just let someone else go out instead, or even taken more safety precautions!”
“Hermione, listen, I know you think it’s your fault but, well, you had support. It wasn’t just you that wanted to go, love. Hell, I think half the aurors even wanted to go! And as for safety, I think every available precaution was taken.” He said with a slight smile. I saw his eyes brighten at the sound of my chuckle.
“Yes. They might have all been eager for a fight. Only none of them expected to die.”
“I bet they knew they were probably going to die at some point, Hermione,” he said with a small grin.
“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” I answered him, although I couldn’t help smiling a little.
“How’s breakfast sound? I know for a fact you haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon. C’mon, ‘Mione, I’m sure mum has made something even if there’s no one around to eat it,” he said, laughing. It seemed the laughter was contagious as I walked over to him. He took my hand and led me downstairs. Ron always knew how to make me laugh.
I wanted you to know
that I love the way you laugh.
I wanna hold you high and
steal your pain
...away.
***
I looked at the old picture again. Ron had given it to me only three years ago and it was already worn and yellowed at the edges. I guess this is what comes from handling it so often, I thought. It was a picture of the quidditch pitch, with Ron and Hermione off to one side, holding hands. Harry was watching them intently but kept glancing up at me. I felt my finger stroking his two-dimensional face. God, this is pathetic. I just miss him so much. I know it was probably for the best that he was sent away. He probably thought it was better than staying with me. ‘I’m doing this to keep you safe, Ginny. You know I am.’ I thought, imagining his voice in my head. “It’ll all be over soon,” I said to the empty room.
I keep your photograph
and I know it serves me well.
I wanna hold you high
and steal your pain.
***
“I’m going mad. I just know I am,” I said to myself, alone as usual. “STUPID, BLOODY, SOD! WHY ME? God, I’m yelling at Voldemort. Forget ‘going mad,’ I’m already there.” Then I heard Ginny’s voice in my head, “Harry, you’re not going mad. Trust me, I know mad.” Ginny could always make me feel normal. Maybe it was because she had had a ‘problem’ with the Dark Lord as well. Or maybe we just connected the same way Ron and Hermione did. I don’t know if it was true love, and I may never know. Moody and Tonks escorted me to a safe house similar to Grimmauld place but I can’t send or receive owls. I’m told the Weasleys and Hermione don’t even know where it is. Dumbledore says its all for the best and I see his point. While Voldemort is searching for me, he won’t worry as much about my friends. We can hope. Every now and then I get a visitor but it’s never anyone I know very well. I miss everyone so much, especially Ginny. The thing I regret the most is never telling her how I felt. I’ll probably die and she’ll never know. Stop thinking that way, NOW! I thought forcefully. I’ll see Ginny again, at Ron and Hermione’s wedding, and I’ll get her a ring, and Ron will be my best man and we can be next door neighbors with loads of children and pets and they’ll all have red hair and… and… I collapsed on the bed and did something I tried never to do. I cried.
‘Cause I'm broken
when I'm lonesome.
And I don't feel right,
when you're gone away.
You've gone away
You don't feel me
Anymore
***
I finally saw Harry. He was already in the middle of the battle when we arrived. Hermione wanted to help him but agreed to help the injured with Ginny. I don’t know if Harry saw me or not. It’s not exactly a social occasion. He did talk to Hermione though. She couldn’t resist going to his aid when he broke three ribs. Ginny didn’t know about his injuries and Hermione told me to keep it that way. I know Ginny would pitch a fit and demand to see him so I agreed immediately. Hermione told me before Harry left that Ginny was going out with him. If you can call walking to the pond going out. I didn’t mind. I was actually a bit eager now that I think about it. Harry was as deep into the defense spells and protection potions that he was technically overqualified to be an auror and he hadn’t even left school! The battle was horrible but with our DA training, most of the people I knew from school got out okay. With the exception of Seamus. He died alongside Harry, killed by the Dark Lord himself. And Charlie. He went after Lestrange when she made her appearance at Diagon Alley and never came back. He’s still considered Missing-In-Action but I know she killed him. Bellatrix was eventually ambushed while torturing some nearby muggles. Neville had, I think, the second greatest role to play that night. When Harry told us about the prophesy, he insisted Neville hear it too. When Neville walked up and stood next to Harry, he told Harry that he finally did believe the prophesy and that it would take both of them to defeat Voldemort. They said the curse together and when the two green beams of light hit Voldemort, time stopped. Everyone turned to look. No one could move. Then he hit the ground and all hell broke loose. What was left of the group of aurors rounded up the remaining death eaters and the rest of us gathered the bodies. There were too many to count. Most of them, thankfully, were supporters of the Dark Lord but hundreds of Order members and muggles were found as well. Hermione’s parents among them. She was inconsolable when she found out. She wouldn’t come out of the small huts the ministry wizards set up for about three days. When Harry went in and told her she was acting like he used to, she came down out and started talking to a few people. After a year of dating, I finally got up the nerve to propose and, to my disbelief, Hermione said yes. Our wedding is in 4 weeks and Harry told me he would propose to Ginny tonight. Mum is extremely glad to have a wedding to plan. Not many good things have happened these past years and I think everyone is starting to feel better.
The worst is over now,
and we can breathe again.
I want to hold you high
and steal your pain.
***
The first thing I wanted to do after the battle was find Harry. Hermione wouldn’t let me out of her sight until someone else could watch me though. Honestly, it was like she though I was going to blow away with the wind. I saw Ron and Harry talking in a pub across the street and asked Hermione if I could go over to them. The stray spell that hit me during the battle made it difficult to move and Hermione insisted upon walking me over. One of the muggles who lived in the village walked down the street toward us. Hermione asked him if he needed help and he said he wanted to find his family. She then asked me if I could make it to the pub, to which I answered with a groan. She left me then, taking the muggle to the medi-wizards. I walked a few feet then pain erupted in my chest, making it hard to breath. I think I must have cried out because a few people on the street turned to look at me. Harry looked out the window at the exact moment I started falling to the ground. When I woke up, Harry was carrying me to a clearing in an empty lot. I could see Ron arguing with some medi-wizards just ahead of us. Ron must have won the argument because one of the wizards accompanied him towards where Harry was setting me down. Once the wizard had examined me, he told me to take a cup of rejuvenating potion each day for three weeks. Ron then went off to find Hermione, who was doing more that most thought possible for the muggles. I assumed she wanted to do all she could to prevent anything from happening to muggles like her parents. Harry sat next to me for a long time and we talked about everything other than the battle and all those that died. He leaned over so our lips were inches apart and whispered, “I love you, Ginny. I have for a long time. Tonight made me realize it.” We kissed then, and it seemed like we might just have a happy ending after all.
There's so much left to learn
and no one left to fight.
I want to hold you high
and steal your pain.
***
Today I’m getting married. To Hermione. I’m assuming that if I’m still alive now, I won’t die of nerves or something equally horrific. Ginny tells me Hermione’s dress is beautiful but I think everything Hermione wears looks great on her. With the exception of her knitted elf hats. I have mixed feeling about getting married. Obviously, the good feelings won over because here I am. I know Hermione must be sad about this for at least one reason, which she confessed to me last night. Her dad won’t be here to walk her down the aisle. My dad gladly agreed to do it though. Harry has been trying to calm me down a bit; I’ve been pacing back and forth in this tiny hallway. Finally, he touches my arm.
“You ready?” I nod. “Then lets go.”
fin.