Is Love Enough HPFF Ch3revised

Spinning through the green fire of the floo network and watching a multitude of fireplaces whiz by always made Harry feel a little ill. Flying had always been his favorite way to travel, if people would let him be it would always be his way. He didn't care that apprating or portkeys were faster as well as the floo, maybe it was because he liked to be in control, or perhaps because the ministry couldn't track you. Whatever the reason that was his feelings on it.

The present situation didn't really give him an option though. So glimpses of normal family's lives flew by too quick for it to be taken all in, but slow enough small scenes could be seen. After the past few days his typical nausea was even worse, his gut was tied in knots. He had chosen to go first, followed by Ron and then George. The younger men wanting to check the burrow over before their family arrived, just in case, entered the dark burrow and began to stalk through the rooms and floors silently, wands drawn.

Harry had been through the rest the house and had come back to the main level to finish by checking the dark coat closet just past the front door. As he walked through the living room into the kitchen he watched Ron come from the cellar into the entrance and head towards the closet. "Already checked the closet, mate." He called over his shoulder before he turned to walk around the wall to the kitchen, he saw Ron staring at it, and a few seconds later he heard the closet screech open and close after a quick peek. Smiling he couldn't help leaning against the kitchen counter, to wait for Ron to come in, with one eyebrow raised.  As Ron entered a flush rose up his neck and he grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked back at Harry and shrugged.

"Constant Vigilance.." They said together with a chuckle and started preparing tea and wait for George to finish his search. They were already drinking from their cups when they heard George's steps enter the adjacent living room start for the closet.

"Oy! Come get a cup of tea, we've both already checked the closet." the steps stopped at Ron's words and he and Harry grinned at each other and tilted their heads toward the next room. They heard the closet creak open as George tried to open it without them knowing. Rolls of laughter fractured the silence even worse then the squeaking hinges of the door. As the last of their scouting party walked into the kitchen to finally join them, he wore a blush very much like Ron's.

"Constant vigilance." The lone twin tried to explain, but Harry and Ron joined in. If anyone ever thought Mad Eye forgotten, they clearly hadn't met any of his students from Hogwarts.

The three men discussed safety measures that should be taken, areas of defensive weakness of the burrow, protective spells, and who would go collect the rest of the family to come home while finishing their tea. The decision was made that George would go let Hermione and the rest of the Weasley's know that things were clear and Ron and Harry would start putting up safety spells, as they had been casting them for nearly a year.

Ron and Harry walked out into the falling sun's last rays looking at the sky painted in pinks, orange, purples and blues. They had walked through the yard and out the gate a few paces side by side before either of them spoke.

"You know, I thought for so long that once we got rid of Voldermort we wouldn't be afraid anymore... but here we are, putting up wards, and the three  of us searching the whole house behind each other..."

Harry nodded his head, kicking a pebble on the path in front of him. "It's like McGongall said, his followers are still out there and some day someone is going to try to succeed where he failed." Yards from the gate and near the top of the hill, they paused and stood back to back.

"All the regular?" Ron asked over his shoulder.

"Yes. Make them strong as you can." They started out in opposite directions to complete a circuit and meet on the other side of the burrow. Their wands whisked through the air and glinting lights of spells could be seen for a distance before the spells started to take effect and the Weasley family home faded into the night to be over looked or not seen at all..

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When the two finished they walked back into the house just as George came through at the beginning of the long line of Weasley family members. The three helped Molly and Arthur out of the fireplace, Fleur and Bill came through, and Hermione who hugged Harry fiercely before moving to Ron's side. She wouldn't move from there the whole night, and he may have poked fun at her if Ginny hadn't burst from the green flames on her heels and tripped over the grating to fall into Harry's waiting arms. "Oh! You caught me!" She spoke breathlessly from the fall and he smiled at her. "I'll always catch you Gin, don't you worry about that." He brought her back to her feet and she crushed into his chest. The other brothers came through, and their family was as complete as it was going to be for now. Fleur and Molly went to the kitchen to start dinner, Hermione and Ginny tried to help but Molly insisted they weren't needed. So the two rejoined the guys in the living room. It wasn't enough space for everyone to have a seat so Ginny sat on Harry's lap curled up against his chest, Hermione tried to sit on the arm of the sofa next to Ron. "Oy! Don't let mum see you do that! She wiggs out that it will pull the arm off. C'mere." he pulled her by her hand off the arm and into his lap so he could wrap his arms tightly around her. Arthur smiled a wain smile at the couples, and then the rest of his sons. George sat on the opposite sofa from the foursome, looking alone after 19 years with a double. He glanced around every few moments at the others, hell everyone was throwing covert glances at everyone else. In the silence Ginny was listening to his heartbeat, marking it's pace with her finger tapping his arm. It was oddly reassuring to him, like proof he was alive. But it was George that finally broke the silence; "Well don't everyone talk at once." Charlie clapped him on the back "You're right. We shouldn't mope around, no one would have wanted that." George nodded and Charlie, he, and everyone else turned to look to Arthur. The patriarch of the family looked back at them all. He could see that they were are a little harder looking, there was a tension masked by their relaxed positions in their family room. He imagined he looked different to them as well. Merlin only knows that he must have gained a lot more grey to what was left of his hair, and more worry lines in his expanding forehead. "I'm so very proud of you all... And while I know the horrors of what has happened will never go away, I want to ask you to keep the hope. You were all so damned..." "Arthur Weasley! Language!" echoed in Molly's strictest voice interrupting him momentarily. "Ah, right dearest, excuse the slip!" he called back with a grin. "As I was saying you all did stupendously. I want to commend each of you for what you've done... Except for Ginny.. Who should have stayed hidden." He cut his eyes at his only daughter and watched as she paled. "Ha! You'll face a Deatheater down with out a flinch but you're terrified when I go to admonish you!" The whole lot laughed as a flush spread back up her face and she narrowed her eyes at Ron who happened to be close enough for her to kick, and Harry earned another shot to the ribs. "Blimey woman! would you stop that!" Laughter exploded again as the family broke into tales of the last few days that were of a high note. They weren't ignoring the sad, the loss, they were just setting it aside for a time, and trying to find the hope their father had asked them to hold on to.

When Molly called the whole lot filed through the door and gathered around the dining table still exchanging stories. "- and then mom Swoops in and say 'Not my daughter you----'well you all know what she said! and then takes off dueling Bellatrix to the death!" Ginny gushed waving her fork a little to enthusiastically and getting casserole on one of Harry's lenses. "Didn't even break a sweat did she?" George asked smiling finally. Percy chuckled "Of course not, the woman's been chasing this whole lot around for years! Bellatrix didn't stand a chance!" Molly smiled with a flush and a self satisfied air, and passed seconds around to her loved ones. Dinner was warm and lively, and following it they returned to the living room, turning on the radio and letting soft music play in the background. The girls took back up their spots in Harry and Ron's laps and Fleur leaning against a sofa arm while her legs rested across Bill's. The chatting continued growing softer and softer as family members fell into dozes and Arthur and Molly decided to call it a night. Bill, Fleur, and Charlie headed to their homes but Percy and George opted to say at the burrow. They started to amble up the many stairs of the burrow followed by their parents.  All except they youngest four got up. They were all asleep wrapped up in each other. Ron's long legs were stretched out and his arms secured Hermione to him, snores escaped his mouth at random moments. Harry's head leaned down against Ginny's and her fingers still tapped in rhythm with his heart beat.

Molly and Arthur paused on the stairs "Do you think we should wake them? The may end up with horrible cricks in their necks.." Molly worried aloud. Arthur shook his head and patted her bottom to get her moving back up the stairs. "They're tired, and sleeping peacefully. Maybe for the first time in ages." She started back up the stairs followed by her husband "You know Ginny hasn't slept well since they left... God only knows how those kids did." He agreed with her. "They are all an amazing lot, we've been very blessed Molly. But those three are beyond words. And we owe Harry, Ginny would have followed him if he hadn't stopped her..." She opened their bedroom door and spoke softly "I've thanked him every night since in my prayers. I was always afraid she would leave and try...." Her husband gathered her into his arms and grasped her to his chest, he laid a soft kiss on her head. "It's over Molly-wobbles, we can rest a bit."  He laid them down on the bed and wrapped her in his protective embrace As the seconds ticked by into minutes he felt her breathing become more regular and looked down into her lovely face. She was asleep but sparkling tears hung stubbornly on her eyelashes. Sighing he leaned his head to hers and allowed sleep's spell to wash over him, and dull the myriad of emotions playing inside him.

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Hermione's eyes fluttered when Ron slid an arm under her legs and lifted her as he stood. She couldn't bring herself to wake completely though. Hovering in that state between sleep and wakefulness she listened and took in the outside world without joining it. She felt a little jarring and heard what sounded like Ron kicking Harry's shoe. "Wake up Harry. We should get these two to bed..." Harry's waking groan was soft, and there was a small commotion of scuffling. When had her two best friends become strong enough to carry the her and Ginny so effortlessly? How had she missed them going from boys to men? She was so bright so observant! She never missed anything.... but she had been so distracted by life and the war. And here was the hard proof, her head laying against muscles that didn't strain to carry her. If she guessed right Harry was doing just as well with Ginny behind them. They weren't her boys anymore, they were Ginny and hers, and they were men.

They reached Ginny's room, where she always stayed when she visited the burrow, and Ron paused and did a quarter turn.

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"I...I don't think I can sleep away from her...I don't know how I did it last night, other then it was in Gryffindor tower..."
Silence held over them for a moment.

"You want me to stay in here with Ginny and you and Hermione go up to your room?"

" Well..I... I worry about you too you know."

So this is when guys actually open up and communicate, Hermione thought, when girls aren't conscious to hear it. Of course this could all be a dream, only occurring in her head.

"I know Ron. I know... I feel the same. Well Ginny has two beds in here for the girls, lets just all stay in here."

"I guess that'll work... Mum may have a bit of a tizzy but we can cross that hex when we come to it." She could hear him open the door while he spoke and when he bent to place her on one of the twin beds she clutched at his jumper and snuggled into his chest more. Ron froze at her movements and spoke to Harry again.

"What do I do?" his voice was deeper too, still expressive, but more mature...

"Well mate looks like you are stuck laying next to her... too bad eh?" Harry chuckled at Ron's expense

"Har har har... Smart arsed git."

Ron lifted her up and kneeled on the bed to lay her down gently and then joined her.

"And don't you get all handsey with my sister!" Ron grumbled. Harry laughed again and then there was the creak of bed springs. He must have pulled away from Ginny because the next sound was Ginny panicking.

"No! No, don't go don't leave me!" she hadn't screamed but it was loud enough to draw Hermione into full consciousness. She startled and clutched harder at Ron as she peered over him at the opposite bed. Ron stoked her thick wild hair "shh shhh love, it's ok. Harry just woke Gin is all.. we're all okay." Her tension drained slowly at his words and watched as Harry pulled Ginny's fingers from his shirt and kissed them. "Gin it's alright I'm not leaving. I'm going to be right here holding you all night.."

"Promise?" She sounded so innocent then that Hermione wanted to go comfort her as well but she knew Harry had it in hand. He pulled her into his embrace and laid down wrapped around her. "I promise. I love you Gin. So lets go to sleep before your overprotective brother thinks we are getting a little too cozy over here."

Ron, Hermione, and Harry all chuckled and Ginny smiled and nestled into his chest again. In a few moments  Hermione had drifted back to the in between state, her upper body resting across Ron's strong chest being rocked by his slow deep breaths and one arm wrapped around her. His breath blew the hair by her ear and he whispered softly "Love you Hermione, sweet dreams" Her eyes fluttered open and she kissed him beside his generous lips "Love you too." She didn't have to tell him that her dreams had all just come true. The man she loved was safely in her arms were he belonged, breathing gently and her two best friends were mere feet away doing the same. She would miss those they lost, but the loss could have been so much worse.

Sleep stole through the room and slow rhythmic breaths and small snores whisked around it and out to all that may hear, which as all the humans now slept deeply left Errol, Pigwedden, and crookshanks to listen to peace for the first time in recent memory.