A/N: All the characters contained herein belong to Ms. Rowling.
Without needing to speak, to even acknowledge it, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins went directly to Ron's room after leaving Harry's. Sitting down, they all looked at each other, not really knowing what to say. Finally, Fred broke the silence.
"Right. So what's the plan, how do we help him?"
"Plan?" Ron asked. "We're supposed to have a bloody plan for something like this?"
"You're the best mate of the hero little brother," George said. "Sirius put the burden on you."
"Well obviously," Hermione said, "we need to do some research. We need to help Harry learn as many spells as we can get our hands on, maybe find some old magic."
Ginny shook her head. "The adults will be doing that Hermione. I mean you can still look, and we can still do that, but I think we need to be there in a different way for Harry. I think it's up to us to make him remember what it is he's fighting for, to put as much fun and normalcy into his life as we can... just in case," she added quietly her voice breaking slightly.
"Just in case Ginny? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Harry is NOT going to lose. He is NOT going to die. There is no just in case," Ron stormed at her.
"Do you think I want to think that Ron? I care about Harry too, more than you'll ever know. I wish things were different, with all my heart, but they're not," Ginny raged back.
"Ronald," Hermione said grabbing his hand. "We...we have to accept that it's a possibilty, as much as we don't want to."
Ron glared at her. "I can't. I won't... It's Harry," he said his voice breaking. Hermione put a comforting arm around him.
"Merlin! We're supposed to be his friends 'Mione... his best friends. How could we not know something like this? How could we not realize how badly he was hurting? I...I actually thought that he was being a jealous prat 'cause things were finally going my way and now... I mean I knew all that he'd been through. Why didn't I help him? How did I miss this?" Ron's eyes were filled with guilt and pain for his friend.
"It's not your fault Ron, anymore than it is mine. We both know how Harry has always kept so much inside of him. We didn't know how bad it was for him, because he didn't want us to know," Hermione said soothingly.
"But why Hermione? Why didn't he tell us? We would've helped him. Why did he leave us in the dark thinking the worst of him?"
Hermione sighed, "I don't know Ron. I wish I did."
"He was trying to protect you," Ginny said quietly.
"Protect us?" Ron said, clearly not believing her.
Ginny nodded. "He was scared Ron. He was afraid of what he saw himself becoming. He was afraid that you would be hurt because of him and angry that he was powerless to stop it. I've been in Voldemort's mind. It's not a pretty place, and he's been getting flashes of it for a long time. It's bound to have an impact," she said her eyes haunted, as though remembering her experience with the mind of Voldemort.
Her brothers exchanged a somewhat guilty look. They sometimes forgot what Ginny had gone through in her first year.
"Sorry Gin," Ron said. Ginny got up and walked over to her brother, hugging him.
"It'll be ok Ron. We'll get him through this. We have to."
"You lot allright?" said a voice from the doorway. They all turned to see a concerned Mr. and Mrs. Weasley watching them.
"Of course they're not allright Arthur. None of us are," said Mrs. Weasley, sitting down on the bed by her two youngest children.
"How's Harry Mum?" Ginny asked.
"He's sleeping now. Remus is with him. That poor child. It's not enough for him to have lost his parents and his godfather, and to have grown up with those horrible muggles. No, he has to be given a burden like this," Molly began to tear up. Ron and Ginny both hugged her, trying to comfort her.
"Children," said Mr. Weasley quietly. "We are heading into very dark times. We are going to need to be strong and stand together, not just for Harry, but for each other. Your mother and I want all of you to know, including you Hermione, that we love you and are here if you need us."
Fred and George exchanged a look, and seemed to reach a silent agreement.
"Mum, Dad... Fred and I have been discussing it..." said George.
"And we feel that it is high time we joined the Order," said Fred.
Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth to protest. George cut her off.
"We wouldn't have to be on the front lines Mum. We're pretty fair inventors we like to think. We can develop things to help the Order... to help Harry."
"We're not children anymore Mum. None of us are really. We know we can help. Let us do this," said Fred a determined gleem in his eye.
"They're right Molly. They're not children and they could help. Merlin knows we need all the help we can get," said Mr.Weasley firmly, looking with pride and a touch of sadness upon the twins.
Tears once again filled Mrs. Weasley's eyes, but she nodded, knowing she'd lost this battle. Composing herself, she stood up, briskly clapping her hands.
"C'mon... downstairs. All of you, with all of the excitement not one of you has had a bite to eat since breakfast."
Fred laughed. "Typical Mum, when in doubt, feed someone." He nevertheless did as he was told and followed his parents down the stairs accompanied by George and Ginny. Hermione and Ron stayed where they were, however.
"I can't believe this is happening," Hermione said at last. "It's all just too much. I keep thinking it's a nightmare and I'll wake up and we'll be back at school and Harry will be back to himself and everything will be ok."
"I know 'Mione. I know," Ron said, wrapping his arms around her to comfort her.
"How do we help him Ron?" Hermione asked her eyes pleading for an answer, she, the one who had all the answers, who knew everything.
"I wish I knew," said Ron.
The day's events ran through their brains, as they desperately tried to come to grips with the burden their best friend bore. Ron was lost in guilt, in his mind he had failed Harry. Hermione was going through every book she had ever read in her head, trying to remember something, anything that would help.
Mrs. Weasley, sensing their need to be alone, brought them up sandwiches and left them to their thoughts. The house had grown dark around them, still they sat together, talking quietly hoping against hope that, things could go back to the way they were.
"Not easy is it?"
They turned quickly and saw Lupin standing in the doorway watching them.
"What do you mean?" Ron asked.
Lupin smiled sadly. "I, much like Sirius, have been in your spot. I was one of James' best friends too. And Harry... Harry for all the ways he can be like Lily, is very much James' son."
"Really?" said Hermione. "I'd always gotten the impression that his dad was more like...well... like Sirius."
Lupin grinned, remembering. "In some ways yes, but there were always depths to James that most people never saw. He kept so much of himself hidden deep inside, only a very few ever got to know the real James. Harry is the same way."
Ron nodded. "I feel like... like I've failed him Professor, like I wasn't there when he needed me to be. I don't ever want to do that again."
Lupin sighed, sitting next to Ron. "You haven't failed him Ron, nor you Hermione. I honestly believe no one could've helped Harry before now. He had to come to terms with this himself. I know you two have always been there for Harry, but this is his cross to bear. As much as we would like to, we can't carry it for him. You can help him though."
Ron and Hermione nodded, neither sure if they completely believed what their old professor had said, but comforted by it just the same.
"He's awake if you want to see him."
"What do we say to him Professor? How do we help him?" Ron asked, his pain evident in his voice.
"You two have spent almost six years being the best friend of the Boy Who Lived. You've never treated him that way though. To you, he's always been just Harry. Underneath it all, he's still just Harry, and he needs you to remind him of that now more then ever."
Ron and Hermione were quiet for a moment, and then exchanged a glance. Nodding, they both stood and went to go find their friend.
Another chapter down! The next one is, I promise, much lighter. Thanks for reading, and please remember to review!!!