Coming Back Home by CleganeSnape

It took him a few minutes to reach the place where the Forbidden Forest began, and then a few more to walk to the clearing where he had given himself to Voldemort, but once he was there, the Stone was not hard to find.

He scanned the ground several times, looking over the roots, grass, and dirt, until he came across a black pebble that reflected the sunlight in a different way than the others. He bent down to pick it up and looked at it between his fingers. The Deathly Hallows mark was still there, as was the cut that ran vertically across it, marking the spot where Dumbledore had destroyed the Horcrux. He had wondered if seeing it would make him want to summon his parents, Sirius and Remus again, but so far it wasn't happening. It had been different that night; Harry had been willing to die. Now, however, that he had a life and a future ahead of him, he was aware that they had no place in the world of the living. It would be pointless and unfair to force them to spend any more time there than necessary. He wondered if the Weasleys would be able to understand that too.

Putting those thoughts aside for the moment, he pocketed the Stone and turned to look around the rest of the clearing. It was strange to think that less than two weeks ago Voldemort and his followers had been right there, waiting for him. If he concentrated, he could see him right in front of him, with his red eyes and snake-like face, pointing his wand and hitting him with the Killing Curse for the second time in his life. He still couldn't believe that he had been willing to die and that he had, in fact, died. It seemed too unbelievable to be true, but he knew it had happened. If he closed his eyes, he could see the beam of green light approaching before everything went black.

He shook his head, trying to concentrate on what to do next. He would have time to think about such things later. And so, he left the clearing behind him and started walking towards Hogwarts.

He was halfway there when he realized that he hadn't say anything to his friends yet. He fumbled in his pocket until he found the D.A. coin.

"I've done what I had to do. I'm on my way back to the Common Room now. H"

Ron and Hermione's response didn't take long. A few seconds later, the coin vibrated again displaying the following message:

"Alright, Harry. We're almost done. We'll wait for you here. R&H"

He read those words and picked up his pace, trying to hurry. He was starting to get nervous, aware of what he had to do that day. A funeral was sad and exhausting enough, but having to decide what to do with the Stone and perhaps explain to the Weasleys that they could talk to Fred, but only for a few minutes, was extremely stressful. Still, if he believed it could help them, he would do it without a second thought: the Weasleys deserved it.

He continued walking, immersed in his thoughts, debating what to do, as his legs carried him to the castle entrance and then beyond, until he reached the Gryffindor Common Room.

Ron and Hermione, conversing quietly and dressed in elegant black robes, were sitting in the armchairs, waiting for him.

"I'm here." Harry said, stepping through the portrait hole.

His friends looked up at the sight of him and greeted him in unison.

"We left your clothes on the bed." Hermione told him, pointing in the direction of the room. "And I've also taken some extra clothes for you, in case we stay at the Burrow for a few days." She showed him her little beaded bag, which she had dyed black for the occasion.

Harry saw it and nodded, grateful for his friend's ability to think of everything.

"Thank you. Well, I'm going to change, and I'll be right back."

Five minutes later, dressed in a robe similar to the one he had worn during Dumbledore's funeral, Harry descended the stairs of the Common Room to join his friends.

"Ready?"

Ron and Hermione nodded, but Harry could see the nervousness on their faces.

"Yeah, yeah..." Ron said. "Come on, let's go."

Harry could see his hands shaking.

"Ron."

His friend looked up.

"Mm?"

"We're going to be fine, okay? You said so yourself yesterday."

Ron swallowed.

"I know, I keep thinking it, but... I'm a little scared now... Just thinking about coming home and seeing his stuff lying around and him not being there..." He shuddered. "And having to put up with the stares from all those Weasleys. All those people that I can't even remember their names. Their whispers and their 'I'm so sorry' and-"

Hermione put a hand on his shoulder, trying to curb those thoughts.

"Ron. They don't matter, okay?" She said softly. "We're not doing this for them. We're doing it for Fred. And for your parents and your brothers too. They need this. And so do you. I've been reading about loss and grieving and-"

"Hermione..." Ron sighed.

"No, listen to me. I know you can't learn certain things from books, but in this case, I think it's essential to know what we're dealing with. And everywhere else it says it's very important to have a funeral or some kind of ceremony to say goodbye and to be able to continue the grieving process. Really, the brain works like that."

Ron opened his mouth to respond, but Hermione continued speaking.

"Look, I know... I know it's a completely different situation, but it helped me. When... when my grandmother died, I wasn't able to understand what was going on until I went to her funeral. And it was nice in a way. Seeing all those people there who loved her, hearing stories about her, laughing and crying with anecdotes from her life..."

Ron swallowed.

"Looking at it like that... Maybe... Maybe you're right."

Hermione smiled sadly at him.

"Look, it scares me too. But we're going to be together. Forget about those relatives that don't matter. Those of us who really loved Fred are going to be there, supporting each other. Saying goodbye to him."

Ron nodded, slowly, and, Harry, who had been watching the exchange holding the Stone between his fingers, dropped it back into his pocket. At some point, he had come to think that Ron was the weakest of the three of them. He was ashamed of it, but when he had abandoned them in the midst of their search for the Horcruxes it had been easy to be angry with him and believe it. What had happened during the War, and also after it, had shown him how wrong he had been. Ron had always been the heart of the trio, but now he was also the anchor that kept them grounded. The one who made sure that pain and loss wouldn't drag them down. That was why it hurt so much to see the sadness in his eyes. Harry sighed, wishing he was able to make the right choice.

"Hermione's right." He said finally. "And we're going to be with you the whole time. You won't have to face this alone."

Ron looked at him with affection on his features.

"Thank you. Both of you. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd manage." Hermione joked, trying to cheer him up.

"I'm not so sure..." Replied the boy, though he seemed calmer. "Okay." Ron sighed. "I guess we should get going then. We better not be late..."

He got up for the armchair.

"Yeah, you're right." Hermione nodded, joining him.

They checked one last time that they had everything they needed. Once they were sure they did, the three friends left the Common Room and started walking towards the Hogwarts grounds.

The large iron gate that marked the entrance to Hogwarts seemed small from that distance. Ron squinted his eyes to get a clearer look and estimated that it would still take them a few minutes to reach it.

"Harry." He said breaking the silence. "I know you couldn't say it before, but can you tell us now what you went to do this morning?"

It was clear that what had pushed Ron to ask that question had been the need for a distraction, and, although Harry wanted to give it to him, he wasn't sure what to answer. He still hadn't decided what to do with the Stone.

"Er... I went to talk to Snape, I needed his advice about... One thing. And then I went to do that, uh, thing..." He fell silent suddenly, realizing how stupid he sounded. "I'm sorry, I know it's weird and I don't want to keep secrets from you, but I still can't tell you exactly what I've been doing. It's important that I don't."

Ron sighed.

"I trust you, Harry. If you say you can't tell us, then you must have a good reason for it. But promise me you're not in danger. The last time you disappeared without an explanation... Well, let's just say that when we saw you again you were in Hagrid's arms and Voldemort was screaming and laughing, saying that he had killed you." He swallowed to undo the lump in his throat. "I don't want to go through that again, okay?"

"N-no, of course not." That had made him feel guilty. He hadn't stopped to think about how traumatic that scene must have been for his friends. "It's nothing like that, really. No one's in danger. It's just that... I want to do something that might help someone, but it might also make things worse. And I don't know what to do."

Ron watched him for a few seconds, thinking. Harry could almost see the gears in his mind moving.

"That 'someone', is it me? Is that why you can't tell us what is going on? Is that why you went to talk to Snape, instead of asking us for advice?"

Harry, who had opened his mouth to deny it, realized there was no point in doing so and closed it again.

"Yes..." He said finally. "It's you. You and the other Weasleys." He bit the inside of his cheek, choosing his next words carefully. "I'm sorry... I wish I could explain it, but I don't think it's a good idea to do that right now. I want to help." He continued. "Help you deal with... all of this. But maybe I'm going to make it worse. That's why I haven't said anything until now. I want to wait to talk to your family and see how they're doing before I make a decision. But even then, I don't know if it's going to be the right one. Snape said that... that I should trust myself. That whatever I choose will be the right choice. But I'm not so sure."

Ron looked at him for a few moments, as Harry's heart pounded. He was afraid that he had said too much, that Ron wouldn't understand him, that he would ask for explanations, or that he would tell him to mind his own business. But the boy simply continued to watch him and when he spoke, he did so gently, as if he was afraid of scaring him.

"I understand. You have to decide if it's worth the risk before you do anything..." Ron sighed. "Look, Harry. If you're trying to help, then, whatever you decide I'm going to be grateful. And I know my family will too. The only thing I feel bad about is that you have to carry the weight of making this decision alone."

At those words, ironically, Harry felt a great weight lift from his shoulders. He still wasn't sure what he should do but having Ron's support helped a lot.

"Thank you, Ron. Really. I promise that as soon as I make a decision I will tell you right away. I'll tell you both of you right away." He added, looking at Hermione.

The girl, who had been silent until then, was watching him with a sparkle in her eye. Harry realized then that he recognized that expression. It used to appear on her friend's features when she solved a riddle or knew the answer to a question. And, in that moment, Harry was sure that Hermione had deduced that he was talking about the Stone. He would have liked to ask her opinion, if she thought it was a good idea. But that was not possible with Ron in front of him.

"Don't worry about this now, okay?" Harry added, turning his attention back to his friend. "You just concentrate on what you have to do today. On being with your family. Alright?"

Ron nodded and looked ahead, towards the large metal door in front of them.

"Okay, Harry. I'll try."

They had reached the end of the Hogwarts grounds and his heart began to pound, aware of what was ahead of him.

"Ready?" Ron asked, looking at his friends.

Harry and Hermione were paler than usual, but he could see the determination in their features. They nodded and began to walk forward, crossing the door. Before following them, Ron turned one last time towards Hogwarts. The school, bathed in sunlight, looked quiet and peaceful. No one could have imagined that only days before there had been a battle there, one that had taken lives and caused so much pain and sorrow. He shook his head, turning to his friends.

The midday sun was shining through the doorway and creating shadows that fell across the road in front of it, darkening it. Harry and Hermione were waiting there, wands in their hands, ready to Appear. Ron fumbled in his pocket until he found his own wand. He hesitated for a moment, a heartbeat. Then he took a deep breath, gathering his courage. After another heartbeat, he followed them.