"Get out."

"No."

"I said get out."

"And I said no."

"Ron, I can't deal with this right now. " Harry sighed rubbing his forehead. He didn't turn away from the window to make sure Ron couldn't see his face.

"Well, I can. You can't hide here forever. Its been months, I miss you, mate." Ron said walking towards his friend slowly. Placing his hand on Harry's shoulder. "We all do."

Ron sighed and tried to send his happiness to Harry through his fingertips. Harry turned around and looked at Ron with sunken features.  

"What part of no don't you understand?" He asked quietly. "Why can't you just let me live alone a die the slow painful death I deserve?"

"Well bloody hell, Harry. That's not an option." Ron said defiantly. "Please come back." Ron didn't like going soft. But he missed his best friend damnit. 

"Just go, Ron," Harry mumbled walking back to the window.

Hermione who was reading in the kitchen looked up from the tiny worded pages when she heard the door swing open.

"He won't listen to me." Ron sighed defeated as he fell into the nearest kitchen chair.

"Honestly Ron. Can't you do anything?" Hermione asked trying to be silly. 

"I know." Ron murmured putting his head in his hands.

"No, Ron. I was trying to joke with you. It's fine honestly." Hermione said leaning over the table and kissing his forehead. "Let me go talk to him."

"I got you to date me. Right?"  Ron smiled slightly before kissing her on the cheek.

"Right." Hermione smiled as she left the kitchen and climbed up the stairs.

She got to the landing where Harry was and stared at the brass knob. Willing to walk through the door, she subconsciously pumped her confidence up enough to open it. 

The hinges squeaked and Hermione closed the door quietly behind her. Harry heard her light footsteps tred across the floor. He chose to ignore them and keep staring out at the brick wall and changing light outside.

"Harry," Hermione said with sympathy and exhaustion in her voice. "Harry, please come to see us. I know you're upset-"

He was so sick of hearing people say that. Because they knew nothing about what he was feeling. He was so done with everyone trying to relate to him. They knew nothing.

"No," He interjected, "You don't know. You don't know what it is like to think and know about all those people who had to die because I was too much of a coward to go face Voldemort."

Hermione winced at the name. 

Harry was clenching his hands into tight fists. "Everyone died because of me. I could have done something to stop it, and I didn't. They all had to die because of me. Me and my fear. I'm not welcome back at the Burrow, I killed Fred. They don't want to see me."

"Harry James Potter. Don't talk like that." Hermione said aggressively.

"You know that I wish Hermione?" Harry asked his voice alarmingly calm.

Hermione became suddenly fearful. "What do you wish?"

"I WISH EVERYONE WOULD STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO!" Harry bellowed.

Taken aback by his sudden outburst Hermione flinched. She walked out to Harry. She put her face close to his and whispered in a tone that made the hair on the back of Harry's neck stand up. 

"You, do not, shout, at me." She said the sentence in increments. "Ever."

"And you, don't tell me, what I'm, supposed to do," Harry whispered back. He didn't know where the malice in his voice came from.

"You want to hash out a debate on coming back? Do you really want to do this?" Hermione whispered into his ear.  Pity was creeping her voice. She really did care. But being kind was getting them nowhere.

"I'm not coming back." He muttered.

"Alright, then let's do this," Hermione said breaking away and straightening her stance in front of him. 

"For starters, those people did not die for you, they died for themselves. They died for their own freedom. They knew what they were doing and they did it for them. There is no reason to blame yourself for their choices. They knew what they were doing." Hermione began spewing the words with intense ferocity.

"But it's still my fault." Harry began. "If I had just gone sooner-"

"You were the key. Everyone was fighting to make sure you would unlock the door to liberation." Hermione explained. Her face softened slightly. "No one blames you for Fred's death. They know what happened. There is no way you could have prevented his death. Everyone at the Burrow is worried sick about you."

"Then tell them they don't need to be." Harry sighed.

Hermione bit her lip. She knew Harry's weakness, she felt terrible for exploiting it. "Ginny isn't even talking to anyone she'll go out and do something for hours and work herself to exhaustion. Mrs. Weasley has had to drag her inside the house so she will rest. She's hardly eating and she is working herself till she drops. If you don't come home for anyone else, come home for her."

"Don't," Harry whispered. "Don't bring her into this. Please."

"I will do whatever I have to get you back with us," Hermione replied. "You may think I don't understand what you went through but believe me, I understand. Harry, you're not alone."

"I feel alone," Harry muttered.

 If Hermione heard him she ignored what he had said. "If you don't remember all of last year I was with you and I was tortured by Bellatrix. Just like you and like everyone else I fought in The Battle of Hogwarts. We all suffered, and we all feel bad. People die every day, Harry. But they would not want us to be like this. They would want us to keep living."

"Last time people close to me died I lived under the stairs for ten years. I wouldn't call that living." Harry grunted.

"Harry Potter, you're coming back to the Burrow whether you like it or not," Hermione stated, her tone was final and Harry knew better than to argue. "We'll leave tomorrow morning. It's too late and I'm too tired to apparate."

Hermione marched from the room and Harry heard the door to the room that she stayed in with Ginny slam shut.