The Reluctant Detectives

Chapter Twenty


When Harry and Ginny arrived at the Burrow it was to find Hermione napping in Severus Snape’s arms and Ron hanging magically by his ankle just above the lake. The other Weasleys told him that he would stay there until he apologized to Hermione for the years of treating her like shite.


Frowning he turned to see Hermione absently rubbing Snape’s belly as she woke. Harry nudged Ginny, asking, “Is it just me or do those two seem very close?”


Laughing Ginny told him, “Yes, Harry, they are close.”


Hermione kissed the older man’s jaw, muttering something to him before getting up.


“You mean to say that she…” Ginny nodded. “With him?” Again Ginny nodded, but this time was giggling. “But…”


Ginny hushed him murmuring, “Harry, may be you should ask a different question?”


“What?”


“Is she happy with him?” She looked over to see Hermione bringing over a mug of coffee for the older wizard as she held onto one of her own. “I think she is, don’t you?”


Smiling he replied, “Yes, I think you are right.”


It wasn’t until an hour later that Ron was heard yelling that he was sorry and a very loud splash followed there after. When he got to the doorway of the house, Hermione absently flicked her wand at him drying him completely, not wanting Mrs. Weasley to have to clean up after him.


“He’s my husband,” came a wavering voice from next to him. “I’ll tend him.”


“If you want to trail behind him like an obedient little wife, cowing down to his each and every demand, then by all means do so,” Hermione said, moving her queen’s knight to block her king from being put into check. “I only did as I did, because Molly shouldn’t have to be cooking and cleaning after him as well.”


“Oh,” she whispered weakly. “But Ron said that you…” She frowned. “That you were still in love with him and were just waiting for him to leave me.”


Hermione’s exclamation of, “WHAT!” rang through the house and had Ron wanting to run.


Hermione grabbed Ron’s wife Heather even as the others grabbed Ron, all of them trying to keep them from bolting but for different reasons.


“No, no, no, please stay,” Hermione murmured, sitting her down. She looked over to Severus. “This will only take a moment.”


“Take your time,” he murmured, still looking at the chessboard.


Hermione gave the other woman a comforting smile, saying, “Let me assure you that whatever emotion I may have left for Ron Weasley isn’t anything close to the emotion of love. Even if there was a glimmer of it, which there isn’t, I have more respect for marriage and for you, his wife, to even think of doing so.”


“That’s bullshite!” Ron exclaimed. “You still love me!”


“Not for years,” she replied dryly. “Your demeaning attitude along with this need to emotionally tie me into knots took care of any and all warm feelings I may have once harbored.”


“Don’t tell me,” he snorted. “You have a man now?”


“Yes, I do at that,” she murmured. “Not that it’s any of your concern, but he taught me what it’s like to be with a true gentleman.”


“Who would want you?” he asked, trying to sound harsh but only achieving the sound of a pestilent child. “Not even Snape would want a know it all like you!”


Sighing and shaking his head, Bill looked over to Charlie who was looking ready to laugh his head off. “Fifteen feet this time?”


Charlie shook his head no. “It’s like this one muggle comedian said. ‘You can’t fix stupid’, Bill.”


Ron only caught on that something was amiss when most of the others there were laughing so loudly that you would think they had been hit with a tickle jinx. “What!”


“Mr. Weasley, she and I are involved,” Severus stated.


“With what?”


Hermione squeezed her lover’s shoulder, whispering, “Be strong. You can do this.”


“With each other, you imbecile!” Everyone in the room turned slowly to look at Heather, who was all but blowing smoke out of her ears she was so upset. “We are leaving!”


“But…”


“Now, Ronald!” she screamed, grabbing his ear and pulling him out of the house.


The twins looked to each other and exclaimed, “Oh Merlin! He married mum!”


***


When the calamity had faded and most of the Weasleys went back to their respective homes, Harry handed over the letters he had been receiving for approximately the last five months. It was with a great deal of trepidation that she opened the first letter after putting a sealing charm on all of them to keep them free of fingerprints.


Dear Mr. Potter,

I just wanted to let you know just how much I admire you. You are a hero. But what kind of hero leaves as you did? You left us. Abandoned us all and for what? A true champion of the people would have stayed. I would be a better victor than you. And so I will be.

Hero


Hermione let the letter drop to the table, as she let out a shaky breath. “I wonder if Ron received any letters from this man?” she wondered out loud, as she handed the letter over to Severus.


“Do you think this man is behind the bombings?” Harry asked, guilt already building in his tones.


“Harry, if it is, it isn’t your fault,” Hermione told him. “You weren’t the one who made or set off the bombs.”


“If what this man was doing was sending out letters to the three of you, why didn’t you receive any of them?” Severus asked her.


“I arranged it so that the only mail I receive are bills and letters from family and friends. Anything else the public owl service has permission to dispose of. It’s been that way since the war. After reading so many marriage proposals from absolute strangers I thought it was for the best to do so.” She looked over to Harry. “Can we keep these? I think these letters might help.”


“Absolutely,” he replied. “Keep them. They made me ill.”


Worrying her lower lip, she asked, “Do you have the envelopes they came in?”


Frowning Harry asked, “How did you know that they came that way?”


“The way that they were folded,” she pointed out to him. “That along with the fact that there is no address or postage on the exterior of the paper told me as much.”


Laughing at himself, Harry handed over the envelopes. She magically sealed them before taking them in hand. She opened them carefully, looking at the interior lips of the flap as well as the stamps. A smile broke out on her face, as she began to nearly hum with excitement.


“What is it?” Harry asked her. “You are looking like you just received a treasure.”


“I just might have at that,” she whispered, looking at muggle stamps that would have required licking to make them adhere to the envelope. “A treasure trove of deoxyribonucleic acid.” She waved the envelopes. “And it’s all right here.”


Harry leaned over to Ginny and asked, “Did you understand that?”


“No,” she murmured. “Did you?”


“No,” he said, sounding relieved. “I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just me.”


***

"You can't fix stupid" is a quote from Ron White. Very funny man and ever so correct! Please review!