Marooned - Fred Weasley

Chapter 62: Guns and roses

A.N.

This is a longer chapter, folks. Sorry in advance.

Lots of love!

__

That night, while everyone slept, Harry grabbed a backpack, threw the necessities for simple survival in it and moved as quietly and slowly as he could out of the room he was sharing with Ron. The Burrow was almost reconstructed, but a lot of people had fallen asleep in the living room, he panicked every time he heard something shift in their sleep because he knew that if someone caught him right now, they'll stop him.

When he closed the door, there was a split second where he reconsidered, thought of going back, but cared too much about every single one to let them risk their lives again.

"Going somewhere?" he heard Ron's voice behind him and he almost started running, instead he stopped walking. He breathed in deeply and turned to face his friend.

"Nobody else is going to die," blurted Harry, "Not for me." He turned to walk away when Ron's voice stopped him once again. Like he was hearing a small voice at the back of Harry's mind that was crying out 'I don't want to do this!'

"For you?" said Ron indignantly, "You think Mad-Eye died for you? You think George took that curse for you?"

Harry shook his head at him, started walking away again and Ron played the card he knew would make him stop, "You think Sarah has that scar for shits and giggles? Do you know it means she risks her life anytime she steps outside? You think she does that for you?"

By the look of Harry's face, that plunged the knife and twisted it, making him stay in place.

"She didn't choose this, you didn't choose this. None of us did. But we're here. And we bloody need to stick together," said Ron earnestly, "You may be the chosen one, mate. But this is a whole lot bigger than that."

"Come with me," said Harry desperately.

"And leave Hermione? You mad? We wouldn't last two days without her-" he blurted then fidgeted, "Don't...tell her I said that."

"I need to do something, Ron, the longer I stay here, the stronger he gets."

Ron shook his head, "Tonight's not the night mate. You'll only be doing him a favour."

With a deep sigh, Harry dropped his shoulders in defeat and followed Ron back inside. He was right, tonight wasn't the night.

_

Sarah, Ginny and Hermione had woken up early on the 30th to bake Harry's favorite kind of cake for his seventeenth birthday. He'd woken up late and everyone hid behind the walls when he came down and they all jumped up at once making him stumble down on the ground and then he started beaming.

Ginny walked in holding the cake with the candles on top, and since it was such a beautiful day, they settled outside for the rest of the day, enjoying snippets of peace while they still can.

Before he came down, Sarah and Molly pulled aside everyone and strictly forbade them to mention how this meant his protection was lifted and he was once again vulnerable and at risk, insisted particularly on avoiding jokes about it, looking directly at Fred and George and although he laughed at first, Fred nodded when Sarah's face remained unfazed. Harry needed a day where he was celebrated for being alive and being with them. They all needed it.

And they abided.

It was late the next afternoon when someone knocked on their door, everyone stiffened but quickly realized it was the Ministry of Magic, Scrimgeour. After brief salutations, he explained he had come here to execute Dumbledore's will, and he sat down with Hermione, Ron and Harry, but looked up, "Oh, and miss McCauley, could you join us also, please?"