Chapter 11: The Wedding Ring

�Mummy?�

Hermione felt the gentlest of pokes on her shoulder, but it was enough to jolt her out of her thoughts, and to her embarrassment, she let out a small gasp before she had the chance to stop herself. It was then that she realized that all eyes were on her at that moment--and probably had been for quite some time now; she must have been quiet for a lot longer than she had thought.

�Mummy?� Elinor said again. This time, there was a shade of concern that laced her voice, one that Hermione noticed straight away, and gave a twinge of guilt. Her daughter seemed to be eying her very carefully indeed, as if trying to sense whether everything was all right.

Of all of the children, Elinor had always been especially perceptive; she seemed to have been the one who had inherited most of Ron�s intuitiveness, his inherent ability to know what was going on with Hermione before she herself even knew. And she had to admit, it unnerved her a bit to know that her ten-year old could be so good at seeing right through her.

�What, love?�

�You�re not eating,� Elinor said. �Why aren�t you eating?�

The little girl pointed towards Hermione�s plate, which had been largely untouched since they�d all sat down to dinner. Hermione had spent the better part of the last half hour or so absently digging trenches in her potatoes with her fork, so much so that somewhere along the way she had forgotten to actually do something with her food besides play around with it.

�Silly girl,� Hermione said, with a bright laugh that she hoped would be enough to ease Elinor�s mind, �of course I�m eating. You just haven�t been watching.� She tapped Elinor�s nose playfully, a distraction that had always worked with her other children when they were this age, but apparently was not enough for her youngest daughter.

�Yes I have, Mum,� she said, �and you haven�t been eating.�

So she was caught. Hermione knew should have known better than to try and pull the wool over Elinor�s eyes, especially when her daughter was just so good at sensing when something wasn�t quite right. But the truth was, Hermione was so desperate for some semblance of normalcy at that moment. She needed some way of pretending that everything was all right, that nothing at all was out of place.

Because it was had been the only way to keep herself from falling apart.

Across the table, Harry, who had been quiet all this time, gave her a sympathetic smile. She wasn�t surprised; Harry could always sense when something was distressing her. But he also must have known that it was taking everything she had inside her not to let on to the children.

�Oh, your mum�s just never liked potatoes much,� he said. �She�s always eaten around them.�

�She makes them all the time at home,� Elinor said quietly.

�C�mon, Ellie, haven�t you noticed how she rarely ever eats them, though?� Madeline said. Hermione met her gaze and smiled at her in gratitude, but it seemed Elinor remained unconvinced.

�You�re... worried about Dad, aren�t you?� she said, her eyes filled with even more worry and uncertainty than they had been before.

And Hermione felt her stomach give away just then. That feeling of dread that had started out as a mere seedling this morning had now grown into full-fledged panic hours later. She�d struggled to keep it well-hidden until now, but the longer this day had dragged on, the more hours that passed by that Ron hadn�t walked through that door, her composure began to slowly erode.

Gently, she reached over and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Elinor�s ear. �What makes you ask that, love?� she said.

�He was supposed to be back by now,� Elinor said. �Why hasn�t he come?�

There was a part of Hermione that wanted to lie to her. It was even a big part of her--the part that thought that no ten-year old should ever have to question her father�s safety. And she supposed she could have lied to her daughter, and blindly assured her that everything was all right and there was be nothing to worry about.

But she didn�t want to be that kind of mother, and she knew very well deep down that everything couldn�t be all right. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

There was a knock on the door before she could even say anything, however, and all at once a tidal wave of adrenalin broke over her. Oh God, she had never been more glad to be wrong in her life. She had started to get up instinctively, but Ginny was first to rise.

�I�ll get it, it�s fine,� she said. �Someone should give that man a hard time for keeping us worried all this time, and as his sister, I think I should get first crack at it.�

Hermione laughed softly. �Don�t be too hard on him, though--that�s my job.�

�Mummy!� Elinor said. �You�re not really going to get in a row with him, are you?�

�Oh, don�t take everything so literally, Ellie,� Caroline said. �She was only joking, of course.�

�How was I supposed to know that she-�

�Girls...�

Hermione laid a hand on Elinor�s shoulder to end the argument; something else had her attention at the moment, and just as quickly as the rush of adrenalin had pumped through her system moments before, it receded.

Ginny had walked back into the dining room, but it wasn�t Ron who followed her; it was Jack. And as soon as Hermione saw his red-rimmed eyes, she knew. She knew he had not come here with good news.

�Mum,� he managed hoarsely, �I need to talk to you...�

Elinor had closed her hand around Hermione�s arm, clutching onto it, as if for reassurance, and slowly, Hermione turned to her.

�Ellie, why don�t you take some of that bread pudding to Luke? I bet he�d like some dessert.�

�But, Mummy-�

�Go on,� Hermione said. She raised her eyes to look at the two older girls, who nodded solemnly, and understood exactly what was going on right now.

It was only after they�d left the room that Hermione looked back at Jack again, and, gathering what strength she had inside her--that she didn�t even know she had until that moment--she followed him into the study, Harry and Ginny trailing closely behind her.

�Mum, you know Dad was supposed to check in by now...�

Hermione nodded. �I... assumed he was with you all this time... I knew he would get in touch with us eventually...�

It was a lie. She knew that Ron couldn�t have been with Jack all this time; Ron would have never let hours go by without letting them know he had returned. He would have got word to them one way or another.

�He wasn�t with me,� Jack said. At the sound of his voice cracking, Hermione thought she was going to die on the spot. �Mum, I�m so sorry...�

�What are you saying?

She knew it. She didn�t have to ask. But asking meant there was still a possibility that the answer would be different than what she was dreading.

Jack reached into the inside pocket of his cloak. Hermione watched in horror was he pulled out a small object; she knew what it was at once, before he ever handed it to her. Ron�s wedding ring.

�There was a fire at the Riddle house... It looked like it had been set thirty years ago... They found this near the remains of a body...�

�Oh God...�

�He must have tried to save Snape, Mum...�

Harry reached around her shoulders to steady her; she was shaking so badly now, so violently that she wasn�t even sure how she could still be standing. In the next instant, a terrible wailing filled the air, piercing her eardrums, a horrid sound, like the cry of an animal being slaughtered.

And it took her a few minutes before she realized: it was coming from her.

�Ron Weasley...�

Albus Dumbledore�s face had always been hard to read; Ron learnt that upon coming to Hogwarts, when he first met the old wizard as a wide-eyed first year all those years ago. And to be sure, that face, with its many well-defined lines and angles--earned over a lifetime that had begun before Ron was even born--had not got any easier to read over time.

Ron couldn�t quite tell whether that was a smile that danced in Dumbledore�s probing eyes, or if instead, it was skepticism. He supposed he couldn�t really blame the headmaster if it turned out to be the latter, after all, what Ron had just told him was one outrageous story, even by wizard standards. Ron wasn�t even sure if he himself would have believed it either, had a complete stranger told him all of this out of the blue. But something told him--instinct, perhaps, or else it was probably just wishful thinking--that even if Dumbledore had his misgivings, and no doubt he did, that Ron had also earned his trust.

Or so he hoped.

Ron watched him closely, not daring to say another word, even to further clarify himself. Funny that he had seen so many horrific things in his long career as an Auror, and a few minutes in the presence of his old headmaster was still enough to render him speechless again.

Slowly, the creases around Dumbledore�s eyes deepened, and his long beard hitched up slightly; he smiled at Ron.

�Ron Weasley,� he said again, this time with much amusement in his voice. �Of course, of course... I should have known...�

Ron felt his face grow hot. He was sure it was practically glowing right now, but as usual, he was powerless to stop it. Damn Weasley genes working against him again.

Dumbledore was now chuckling softly, as if reliving a private joke in his head over and over, then he came closer to the bed so that he was standing above Ron, and pulled out his wand.

�Caput Medero...�

Immediately, Ron felt the pressure that had been bearing down on his head fade, until it was gone completely, and for the first time since he�d come back into consciousness, he felt back to normal again. Not quite believing it, he reached behind his head to feel for the bump. The area was still a bit sore, but at least the throbbing was gone, and the swelling had gone down significantly.

�There,� Dumbledore said, �that should take care of that nasty concussion of yours. I trust everything is in order now?�

Ron couldn�t help but smile. �Yes, sir,� he said. �Thank you.�

Dumbledore nodded. �Now then... it seems we have a rather interesting situation here.� He pointed at the time-turner that still hung around Ron�s neck. �I assume that that is what brought you here?�

Ron absently closed his hand around the small hourglass. It would be completely useless now, of course. After a while, he let go, letting it fall back against his chest.

�Yes,� he said soberly. �It was specially made for me... for this mission... the Ministry had set it to expire at the end of twenty-four hours, to ensure that I wouldn�t linger around �more than necessary.��

�Oh, I see.� Dumbledore sat at the edge of the bed. �And now you have lingered more than necessary--not of your own choice, of course.�

�Professor,� Ron began, �I know this is a lot to ask of you, but... well, seeing as how I haven�t exactly any credibility with the Ministry at the moment, I can�t just ask them to...�

�You need my help in obtaining a new time-turner.�

�Yes,� Ron said. �Yes, I do need your help, sir. Would... you mind? I don�t really know where else to turn. I need to get back to my own time, Professor. I... have a life I need to go back to.�

Dumbledore�s mouth curved into a knowing smile. �You must be married now,� he said. �Children, too?�

�The best in the world, sir,� Ron said, instinctively running his thumb over his ring finger, wanting to feel that comforting sensation of cool gold.

But there was nothing there.

His eyes flew down to his hand. There was a thin, pale line that circled his ring finger, the part that had been untouched by the sun for almost twenty-five years. Where his wedding band usually was. Always. Ron never took his ring off; it was as much a part of him as his hand, his arm, and panic began to set in as he stared at his ringless finger.

Hermione�s going to kill me for losing it, he thought. If he weren�t in such a bizarre situation, Ron might have actually found the humor to laugh at that moment, but all he could feel was a sick, cold feeling at the pit of his stomach.

If ever he needed that one reminder of his connection to her, it was now.

�A fellow Hogwarts student, I presume?�

Ron looked up at Dumbledore. �I�m sorry?�

�Your wife,� Dumbledore said. �Was she a Hogwarts student as well? We have quite a number of former students who had attended together and then married later on. Your parents, Harry�s parents...� He leaned in and winked. �Lots of precedents, I�d say.�

�Oh,� Ron said, laughing softly. �Yes, as a matter of fact, she was a student here as well. Probably the smartest witch to step foot inside Hogwarts, if I might brag for a bit.�

At this, Dumbledore�s smile widened. �Ah,� he said. �I had a feeling you and Miss Granger might well make a go of it after you�d left here.�

Ron felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. It would only be a matter of weeks before Dumbledore himself would discover that Ron and Hermione hadn�t waited until they�d finished school before embarking on their romance, but, he thought, why spoil the surprise?

�So you do have much to go back to,� Dumbledore said. �Well, I will certainly do my very best to work on your behalf and secure you a time-turner as soon as possible. I do have a number of connections. I should be able to circumvent the normal procedures and get you one without the normal wait it usually takes.� Slowly, he rose from the bed. �I trust you�d like me to keep this information between ourselves?�

�I think that would be best, sir,� Ron said. �And thank you-�

And suddenly, it hit him. Of course... why hadn�t he thought of this before? It was perfect. Perfect.

�Sir, wait, before you do,� he said, �I�ve... just had an idea...�

Dumbledore paused and seemed intrigued. �Oh?�

�Seeing as how I�m here indefinitely...� Ron sighed. He might as well tell Dumbledore everything now. It would be the only way of convincing him to let him do this. �The Ministry didn�t want me to get involved with trying to protect Harry,� he said. �They felt it would be too much of a risk, and that history might be altered even further if I got involved, but I know I can help, Professor. I want to help. Please, sir, I can�t just go back without knowing whether I left Harry more vulnerable or not. I have to help make everything that�s gone wrong right again...�

�What about your family? Won�t they be worried until you go back?�

�I�ll send them a message,� Ron said. �Snape had kept a letter in a Gringotts vault and had them deliver it to me on a specified date--I�ll do the same... I�ll make sure they know I�m all right. But sir, please... please let me stay here for as long as I need to. I need to know that Harry will be okay.�

He swallowed hard, remembering the promise he had made to his best friend. He intended to keep it at all costs.

�Too much is at stake,� he said softly.

Dumbledore seemed to be weighing the decision heavily in his mind. He was quiet for such a long time that Ron thought for sure he wouldn�t allow it. And if he didn�t, Ron would be left with nothing once again. He watched Dumbledore�s face carefully, hoping for some sort of sign in the nuances of his expression.

Then finally, the headmaster spoke.

�All right,� he said. �I�ll allow it, but under one condition.�

�Anything, sir. You have my word.�

�No one can know who you really are, Ronald. It would be too dangerous having others learn of your true identity. Especially your younger self.�

�I understand, Professor,� Ron said. �I�ll be careful, I promise.�

Dumbledore smiled again. �This,� he said, �is going to be interesting indeed.�