Chapter Text
“Woah, hang on a second there Rose.” Bill said “Your Dad isn’t well, he’s injured … let’s think this through - we don’t want him wandering around the woods, alone in the dark.”
Rose looked a bit abashed. “Sorry… Just got excited…”
“I know dearie” Mum said softly “Let’s just take a minute though.”
I’m still staring at my pocket “Could someone please tell me what is going on?” I ask
Bill took a deep breathe “So Rose told us everything that happened - er happens - sorry I’m still not used to this. What happened the last time anyway. That deluminator thing can move you around to be with Harry and Hermione.”
I stare down at the little device in my hand “What? No it - it turns lights on and off.”
“Actually that’s not fully accurate Dad - the deluminator moves light, the light does’t really turn off, it moves to be inside the deluminator.” Rose said
“But that doesn’t explain why it can move me?”
“As best as we can understand it -“ Arthur pipes up “The deluminator is a device to bear light. You are Harry and Hermione’s light.”
I stare at them “This makes no sense….”
Snape sighs irritably “Albus did love to be rather poetic and cryptic about things. Maddening habit. He gave each of you gifts that represented your role in the task ahead - a book to Miss Granger to represent knowledge, the snitch to Potter to represent seeking…, and that lighter to you. I believe Albus told you to think of him when you use it right? He was trying to tell you that he saw you Weasley and how important you were to Potter. I told Albus over and over again that there is a downside to being cryptic and poetic all the time - that it’s rather easy for your meaning to be misconstrued…”
I look down at the little device “And why did Hermione’s voice come out of it just now?”
“The last time, it took ages to work. I think -“ Rose hesitated “I think you were very depressed last time and it took you a long time to snap out of it - it didn’t work until Christmas before but this time you must have felt better earlier.”
“I did. Seeing everyone and then” Ron said softly “talking to you I felt - I felt hopeful again…”
Rose beamed at him.
“Apparently last time you all thought that someone had to say your name or something for it to work but Rose tells us that you later realised it wasn’t about somebody else - it was about you. In order for the deluminator to move you - you must be the light - hopeful, optimistic - the locket drained that all out of you.” Bill explained.
“So if I click this it will - what, apparate me away?”
“No, er, some kind of -“ Bill looked somewhat skeptically at Rose “some kind of ball of shimmering light will appear and float inside you and then you can disapparate and it’ll take you to right coordinates - well thereabouts.”
Ron nodded and then he turned to Rose “Wait - did you say let’s go get Mum?”
Rose grinned at him before, in a perfect imitation of Hermione, she put her hand on her hip, shook her head at him and rolled her eyes “Honestly!”
Ron leaned back and slowly sat back down on the couch. He felt elated, relieved, slightly awestruck by the girl in front of him - this was not just his daughter - she was his and Hermione’s daughter.
Fred and George where smirking a little at him but he didn’t care. Then a thought struck him. “And - is everything you know alright with us?”
Rose smiled “Yes Dad, you’re disgustingly happy.”
He grinned at her, he was sure he looked like a sappy sod.
“Right - “ Bill broke in “Sorry Ron I know you’ve been through a lot but we need to figure out what to do to get Harry and Hermione to come back here and to keep Ron safe.”
Several arguments and a bowl of stew later it was finally agreed, over his mother and Rose’s protests, that Ron should use the deluminator to apparate and take Teddy and Remus with him. Remus was their best bet to get Harry to listen and they hoped the presence of Teddy would convince Harry that they had knowledge of the future and that he could give up this futile approach.
As Ron packed a charmed thermos of the warm stew to offer Harry and Hermione. Rose sidled up to him “Fair warning Dad, from what I understand last time Mum was really cross and said some pretty nasty stuff.”
“S’okay Rosie, angry Hermione is better than no Hermione.”
She smiled at him a bit misty eyed “You called me Rosie.”
“Oh sorry - do you not like to be called that?”
“No, it’s not that at all - lots of people call me Rosie but you especially, you always call me Rosie. And yeah, I don’t know maybe Mum will react differently - you’ve only been gone a day this time. And - I guess time-travelling prophets from the future might distract her. When you get there - look for a lot of heather with a large rock in it - Mum said…” Rose hesitated again “Mum said she cried a lot there the first night you were separated.”
Ron nodded, feeling guilty.
She seemed to notice his expression “Dad - don’t. It was a dumbass idea to wear that locket in the first place, Mum knows that - in the future anyway - and well - look you’ll need to talk to Auntie Ginny to really understand I’m sure - but it’s not your fault.”
Ron still felt guilty but he nodded at her, he was determined to set things right at any rate.
“You ready?” he asked Remus and Teddy who were being fussed over by a worried looking Tonks.
Remus gave him a grim nod and Teddy a thumbs up. He clicked the deluminator and sure enough, a little blue ball of light floated out of it and he smiled at Rose. He looked around at his family who were looking confused.
“They can’t see it, I don’t think.” Rose said in response.
He smiled as he reached for the warm glowing bubble that felt so much like home and, just like Rose said it would, it bobbed towards him and went inside, right next to his heart.
He took Remus and Teddy’s hands, knowing the little orb would guide them true and turned.