Harry Potter 1. Default Chapter

CHAPTER ONE: OUTWARD APPEARANCES

A hand reached out, pushing the thin door open, hoping that hinges had been oiled so they would not squeak. When they made no sound, the boy grinned.

As faint light from the stairwell swept the dormitory enough to see, the boy took in his surroundings.

Five, scarlet colored, canopy beds took up most of the space, and each held a peacefully sleeping girl in them. But the boy was focused on only one bed. The one closest to the door...it was too perfect.

Slipping into the shadows, he walked stealthy across the wooden floorboards to the bed.

Taking a deep breath, he twisted his face into a smirk, eagerly awaiting the look on her face when she saw him there. Slowly, ever so slowly, he drew the bed curtains, with his one free hand, to reveal a bushy haired seventeen year old girl, lying contently with her eyes closed, the boy, listening to her deep breathing.

Grinning, his eyes alight, the boy bent down, one knee resting on the bed, the other foot steadying himself and slowly...slowly he drew closer.

And then...he raised his arm, the dagger slipping a little in his sweaty hand. The point of the knife gleaming in the dim light, he paused before preparing to plunge it into her skin, conflict evident in his eyes. But suddenly, the girl opened her eyes, "mm?" she whispered confused.

Panicking, the boy lifted the knife again and brought it down towards her in one swift movement.

Realization hitting her, the girl screamed and twisted to her side, the knife plummeting into the mattress, feathers flying up into the air.

Concentrating on nothing but the image of seeing that girl dead with his knife protruding through her ribs, the boy was stunned when the girl pushed him onto the bed, twisting his arms above his head in a lock position.

Struggling to get out of her grip, amazed at her strength, he twisted the dagger in his hand, in a desperate attempt to somehow harm her.

Gasping with pain as the blade brushed her skin, she gasped and grabbed her side, a trickle of blood seeping through her nightshirt.

"Ahhhh!" He roared, charging towards the girl...knife raised.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" a sudden voice screamed, sending the boy flying across the room where he hit his head on the wall and fell limp on the ground, no longer moving.

Hermione Granger let out the breath that she'd not realized she'd been holding in, sat shakingly on the bed, and lifted her eyes to the corner of the room where the voice had been heard. Raising her hand towards the person she whispered, "Come here. It's alright now"

And slowly, she heard the shuffle of feet as Hermione Granger emerged from the darkness.

Smiling sadly and glancing at the clock, it chimed 2:00 a.m.

Taking a deep breath and laying down on the bed, her elbows supporting her up, she waited, as her long hair became short, the frizzy ends becoming smooth, and her chocolate curls turning a vibrant red.

"Hey Ron" Hermione said softly from the shadows, but with the trace of a smile on her lips.

"Hey yourself." He grinned, "You have no idea how bloody good this feels to be me again. Being you was too weird"

She laughed softly, but her tone became serious very quickly, "We barely made it." She said

"I know, we got lucky he came in time. I don't know what I would have done with myself if that polyjuice potion had worn off"

"You would have stood in the corner and hexed him the moment you saw him" she said simply, making her way across the room to where the boy lay in a heap. "You think he's alright? I do hope we made the right choice"

She bent down and turned the boy over gently, smoothing out his raven hair.

"Harry'll be okay; he always is" Hermione looked up at him tearfully and nodded.

"You think we knocked Voldemort out of him?"

"Hope so"

"Harry?" Hermione called out

"Harry mate wake up" Ron said, poking him with his finger

Moaning, Harry opened his eyes, observing first Ron and Hermione's faces that were inches apart from his own--concern evident in both their eyes, and then the room. Feathers were everywhere, items overturned from when he fell, there was a giant slash in the bed, and it was obvious that Ron had been bleeding, a thin red line gracing his stomach that was becoming stronger, stained his green T-shirt.

"Ron?" He asked hoarsely "Why are you hurt? What happened? Where the bloody hell am I?"

"Shh...it's okay Harry" Hermione coaxed,

And then suddenly, everything came rushing back to him. Voldemort's voice urging him to take Sirius' knife...to kill Ron; but Ron wasn't in his bed. So he was to kill the mudblood...kill Hermione. He'd snuck up the stairs and into her dormitory where she'd woken up. He'd tried to kill her! And then...someone else had said a spell and the next thing he knew he was lying on his back.

Emerald eyes filling up with guilty tears he tried to talk but nothing emitted his mouth. "Hermione...I-I'm so sorry" He said, trying to sit up. Hermione pushed him back down gently.

"Shh...it's alright, I know you didn't mean to do it"

"No!" Harry sighed heavily and put his face in his hands "How can you say that? I tried to bloody kill you!"

"Harry listen to me" she urged, eyes seeking his, "It was another one of Voldemort's tricks...I know that you would never--"

"Hermione and I have known about it mate. We've been waiting for something like this to happen." Ron interrupted

They received no response from Harry but a choking sound that confirmed their suspicions that he was crying. "Oh Harry please don't beat yourself up about this" Hermione begged, "Everything is fine. Nothing happened"

"I-I could have really hurt you Hermione. I would have never forgiven myself...I--"

"But nothing happened. Ron told me about what you've been saying in your sleep and we knew Harry, we've been doing this for a few nights already."

Harry looked shocked, "What have I been saying? Have the others heard?"

"It's kind of hard to decipher but I ended up getting: If no Ron then mudblood, be sneaky...while sleeping. And no, the others haven't heard, they could sleep through the end of the world."

Harry nodded, looking thoroughly miserable.

"Harry" Hermione began cautiously but with a stern voice "Have you honestly been practicing Occlumency?"

"I've been trying 'Mione. I'm just so exhausted lately."

"I know Harry but you have to try. You know that Ron would take the polyjuice potion to be me and I'd stay up all night waiting for you to come—we'd do it every night for the rest of term if we had to. But I'd rather not"

"No. You two shouldn't have done this. I'm so sorry"

"We didn't do this just for you. I mean I for one certainly don't want Ron dead. This way I was protecting Ron and he was protecting me." Hermione said softly, looking at Ron. He smiled encouragingly at her.

"Protecting each other from me" Harry said miserably

Neither knew how to respond to this, so instead they remained quiet

Harry sighed, "I'm tired. I'm going to go to bed. I'll put a restricting charm on my bed curtains in case I go out trying to kill everyone"

"Good night Harry" Hermione said, kissing his cheek

"G'night mate."

"Night" Harry mumbled, closing the door behind him as he headed down the stairs.

Ron and Hermione both sighed, each avoiding eye contact with the other.

"Well this sure has been an interesting night" Ron said finally

"Yes it has" Hermione agreed, standing up and examining the damage done to the room and her belongings. "He sure knew how to handle a knife"

"Yea. Need help straightening up?" Ron asked

"I'd love it, I'm pretty tired."

"Well it is two in the morning" He grinned

"Yes I'm aware of that" Hermione smiled

Picking up a few books that had flown from her dresser, she paused and looked at the bed again. "We got very lucky that you woke up when you did. H-He was so close to driving that knife through your heart." Voice shaking she continued, "I was going to shout out but I knew if I did it would just become a scramble for the knife and the chances were high that one of you would be hurt and--"

"Shh...it's okay" Ron said soothingly as he grabbed her shoulders that had been trembling. "You said it yourself, nothing happened."

"I know. I suppose I'm just being emotional but...it was so real. I saw his eyes when he walked through the door Ron; they were red. I was terrified;" Here she paused, and her voice trembled, "I-I've never been scared of Harry before"

"It wasn't Harry. It was Voldemort."

"That's just as bad."

"You should try not to be so afraid of him...we'll be meeting him sooner than you think"

Hermione's face fell and tears accumulated in her eyes. "Oh Ron don't say that"

Smiling sadly, Ron whispered, "You know it's true"

A single tear escaped Hermione's chocolate brown eyes, and she wiped it away hastily. She'd always hated crying in front of others, even if it was Ron. It was weak of her to do so. Desperately trying to look anywhere but at Ron's clear blue eyes that were trying to catch hers, she paused; unsure if she should voice the current thoughts that were running through her mind.

"I don't like to think about it; because when I do, all I see are you and Harry dead." She whispered.

"I know. I see you and Harry too" Ron said softly, emotion evident in his voice also.

"I dream about it sometimes" Hermione confessed, "They're worse than any other nightmares I've ever had."

"With Voldemort?"

"Not necessarily. Sometimes you'll get buried under a collapsing building, sometimes Harry will get hit with an unforgivable. It all depends."

"Is that why you wanted to stay up tonight?" He asked. She nodded. "Oh 'Mione I'm so sorry. You should go to Madam Pomfrey for some dreamless sleeping drought."

Embracing her in a hug, Ron waited for her agreement. She sighed against him. "No it's alright. I don't have them every night."

'_Liar'_ she thought to herself.

"Are you sure? It makes sense to get some" He asked concern in his eyes, pulling away from their hug

"Since when have you been concerned with things that make sense?" she teased, "That's always been my job"

"Well I suppose spending so much time with you lately, you've rubbed off on me a bit" He replied sheepishly

Hermione smiled at him and yawned. "It's getting late Ron. I'm going to go to bed."

"Alright. I suppose I'll see you in the morning then."

"Yes you will"

Striding over to the door that he pulled open, he paused in the doorway and looked back at his friend. "Good night Hermione" He grinned

She smiled, "Good night Ron"

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(A/N: So.....? What do you think? It certainly is a switch from Draco/Hermione so tell me I'm doing it to your satisfaction. Thanks! Hugs, Haystack)


	2. Chapter Two: Heavy Air

(Disclaimer: Here is the disclaimer for the entire story: I do NOT own Harry Potter, it's characters, setting, or anything else you might recognize. The plot and the plot only are mine.)

CHAPER TWO: HEAVY AIR

Weeks had passed and no other problems with Harry had occurred. The Trio eventually fell back into their usual routine; old habits from holiday slowly faded and the start of term activities filled their place. It had been one month into term and Hermione was already fussing over N.E.W.T.S., regardless of the fact that they were eight months away.

Quidditch resumed and both Harry and Ron played their usual positions of Keeper and Seeker, Ginny Weasley joining the team for the first time as a Chaser; replacing Katie Bell who had graduated Hogwarts last year. Harry, the person with the most experience on the team, was naturally made captain. Ron had told Hermione two weeks after school had started again, that Harry made an excellent coach when it came to drills, play tactics and strategies. But he suffered in the organizational department, especially lately.

Though it had been two years since Sirius had died, Harry had never quite been the same after his Godfather's death. The beginning of sixth year, Harry isolated himself, as predicted, from as many people as he could. As the year went on, he eventually eased out of the phase, but there was that quietness about him every now and then that had remained.

As for his organizational skills, Hermione graciously helped him out; spending her free time coming up with a calendar of practices and many other useful handouts for Harry to give to his team members.

So the day had begun this morning.

"I wrote down three to five o'clock. I wasn't sure exactly how much time you needed for tomorrow's practice." Hermione said brightly, sliding a new calendar across the table to Harry.

"It's fine. Thanks" Harry said, barely looking it over. Hermione didn't notice.

"Here I took your play book and looked up some of the terms and defined them for the team, in case they didn't know what you were talking about. We do have a lot of new players this year" She continued adding more papers to the pile in front of Harry, Ron looking at Harry with wide eyes wondering why the bloody hell anyone would spend their time defining terms like that. Harry simply shrugged.

"And I also talked to Madam Hooch and booked Gryffindor the Quidditch Pitch all of next week from five to nine o'clock." Hermione concluded, pulling a small piece of paper that had Madam Hooch's signature on it and handing it to Harry who put it in his robe pocket.

"Gee Wiz Hermione. You really went all out this week" Ron said, eyes still wide, staring at the enormous stack of papers that covered Harry from his view across the breakfast table.

She shrugged. "I had some extra time on Sunday while you two were finishing up your Charms essays. Ron eat your eggs"

"Hermione!" He whined

"Honestly Ron, why do we have to go through this every morning! It's not like I don't notice you pushing them under your toast to hide them!" She exclaimed

"They're just eggs 'Mione." He smiled, knowing exactly what she would say next. In fact, Ron could recite the whole ordeal by heart. It was simply routine, part of every day, and secretly, Ron looked forward to it each morning.

"Fine, if you don't want to have your energy for Quidditch this week, then don't eat the eggs. I've told you before that protein helps you concentrate in class better and--"

"Okay, okay I know. I'll eat my eggs Mum" Ron pacified, trying hard to hide the smile his face wanted to make.

"Good. I swear I'm acting more and more like your Mum each year." She said, and then to herself she muttered, "You would think he'd get the message after I tell him every day..."

"Well um thanks for all the stuff for Quidditch Hermione. I appreciate it." Harry said "But I better get going to class."

"Your welcome Harry. But you do know that we're going to the same class this morning don't you?" Hermione said slowly not wanting to push him.

"Yea mate, just give me five more minutes to finish my breakfast and then we can head out to the Greenhouses together"

"No, it's alright. I um... don't want you to rush your food Ron"

Ron just stared at Harry opened mouthed. "What kind of an excuse is that?" He demanded

"It's not an excuse," Harry said, looking around the Great Hall. "But I forgot my Herbology book in the common room. I'm going to go get it and I'll meet you two in class," He said quickly, not waiting for a response from his friends, and hurrying out of the Great Hall.

Hermione sat back down and sighed. "He hasn't been the same since that night"

"I know" Ron said sadly

"I wish there was something we could do..." she said wistfully

"There's nothing we can do" Ron mumbled "Except be his friends"

"Why doesn't he just wake up and realize that we can help him?! He doesn't have to shut us out. We want to help!" She cried passionately

"Deep down he knows."

"Can he not see that we'd do anything for him?!"

Ron sighed, "C'mon 'Mione we've been through this before. Don't get yourself all worked up now"

"I am not worked up, Ron, I'm just--"

"Yes you are worked up and stop being so stubborn"

"Would you please stop calling me stubborn every time we disagree?" She snapped

"Alright, Alright I give up" He cried, putting his hands up in the air "You win"

"You don't have to give up Ron. It's not a battle or anything" She said, clearly surprised

Ron smiled "Of course it's not. I know that." When Hermione scowled at his sarcasm he laughed "C'mon, I better get you to class before you bite my head off" He said, standing up.

But before he exited, he bent down and whispered in Hermione's ear, "And just for the record, you _are_ stubborn."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest when his next comment silenced her.

"But I wouldn't have it any other way"

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"Ron mate c'mon! Trelawny's going to have our arses!"

"I'm coming! Slow down will ya? Merlin, the way you're running, it makes me think you actually want to get to class!" Ron shouted, finally catching up to Harry

"I'm just looking forward to two hours where I can catch up on my sleep" Harry said, as he began to climb the ladder that led to the heavily perfumed classroom.

"Didn't sleep again huh?"

Harry gritted his teeth and climbed higher. "No"

"Mate you can't keep doing this to yourself! It's not healthy!" He called from below

"Now you just sound like Hermione"

"Well you do know that all the useless information she sometimes gives us, she gives us for a reason! Most of it is actually pretty useful"

Harry smirked, climbing the final rung on the ladder and turning around, arms crossed over his chest, waiting for Ron. "Okay now who are you and what have you done with my best friend Ron Weasley?"

"Oh shove it!" Ron smiled, pretending to smack him; to which Harry laughed, dodging Ron's blow anyways and ran into the classroom.

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It was Ron's theory that if you took an empty vial and filled it with the air from the Diviniationclassroom, you would have your own dreamless sleeping drought. Harry laughed at this theory and Hermione rebuked it, saying that it was his boredom that drew him to sleep, and to try paying attention in class, but Ron still held tightly onto it. Of course it had never been tested, but maybe one day when he was older if he ever ran into a tight spot with money he could bottle a bunch of it up and sell it. Who knows? Maybe he could possible become as rich as the Malfoy's! But there he was again...letting his mind wander not even ten minutes into class.

Ron stole a glance at Harry who had his head on the table, peacefully snoring quietly.

_Poor Bloke_ he thought to himself. _He's been staying up all night because he still thinks he'll try to kill Hermione and me. He's been through too much...it's not fair. _

_Well _he corrected himself_ I suppose the three of us have all been put through too much. _

His thoughts already deciding the route they would take his mind with him this afternoon, acknowledged the fact that they'd been down the same path many times before. Why they'd been down it just yesterday!

His memories started as early as age five; when his Mum would tuck him in bed and tell him of a boy his age named Harry Potter that had defeated a really bad wizard. But for some reason, his mind decided to skip the next ten years of his life, where they finally settled on a more recent memory.

_White_ was the first thought to occupy his mind. _So much white. _

As Ron blinked several times, his eyes readjusting to the light, all he saw was white. Looking around the room he noted a white bed, a white nightstand; white sheets, white pillows, a white floor, ceiling, and walls. White blankets were wrapped around his body and white curtains blocked his view of the other beds. Though it was nighttime, the white-ness of the room still glowed.

He immediately knew where he was; Ron Weasley had been in the Hospital Wing enough time to associate the color white with this place where Madam Pomfrey was an all-powerful dictator. After all, he spent the most time in the hospital wing out of everyone in Hogwarts, well, everyone besides Harry.

At the sudden thought of his best friend, he sat up in bed abruptly. Pain seared through his back and made its way along to his chest, shoulders, and stomach. Falling back onto his cot, his whole body aching with pain, Ron looked himself over. Long red scars trailed his arms, deep black looking ones graced his chest, and putting his hands to his face, he felt enough dried up blood to know he would have marks there as well.

Panic began to arise inside his stomach. How the bloody hell had he gotten these?? What had happened?

And then it hit him. It hit him harder than anything he'd ever experienced, including a passionate punch from Hermione, that he had joked about not hurting.

He'd never tell her it bruised.

Memories of the night before washed over him, making Ron suddenly wish for company. Umbridge...Hermione had tricked her, riding the threstrals, the prophecy, and that spell he'd been hit with...then the brain flying towards his outstretched hand. That was it. That was all he could remember.

Had the Death Eaters gotten a hold of the prophecy? Who had died? Where Luna, Neville, Ginny, Harry and Hermione okay? Were they dead? More questions than his brain could handle were zipping through his mind, each fighting for control. Finally unable to take it, he slid off his cot, wincing as he did so, and stepped out beyond his curtains in search of his friends.

Looking at the sky through the open window, Ron was surprised when he saw no moon. Only a handful of stars twinkled brightly in the midnight black sky.

Luna, Neville, and Ginny all appeared to be fine. Each had only minor cuts or bruises, Ginny's leg was in a splint, but other than that, he felt confident they would be fine. Approaching the bed that was normally Harry's, Ron's heart momentarily stopped beating when he noticed that it was empty.

Already frightened, Ron felt sure that he was about to go crazy with worry. He ran to the only person he could think of that would understand. He ran out in search in of Hermione.

He found her cot easily. It was lying next to his own, but he had somehow skipped over it before. Slipping behind her curtains, he paused a moment to catch his breath. But with one glance at her, Ron suddenly wished that he had not gotten out of bed at all.

Hermione's face was paler than Ron had ever seen it before, her skin taking on an almost blue like glow in the nighttime light. She sported a black eye and minor cuts and bruises just like the others, but something was different. There, it was the way she was breathing—wait a minute, she wasn't breathing! She looked almost...dead.

Tears sprung to Ron's eyes as he stared at Hermione's body. Harry and Hermione dead...what was to become of him??! They were his joy in life, what he woke up every morning for. They kept him level headed and focused and had an incomprehensive amount of ways to cheer him up. What was he to do?

Desperately wishing it to be a dream, he approached her bed. "M-Mione?" he whispered, his voice breaking as he did so.

No response.

But then he heard it, "mm?" Hermione said, rolling over to her side.

Relief like Ron had never known washed upon him. He sighed contently and smiled softly. "Just glad you're alright 'Mione" he said, planting a quick kiss atop her messy brown hair; planning to let her sleep and exit quietly.

Moving slowly so as not to disturb her, he finally made his way to the curtains, ready to fall back into his own bed, (completely forgetting about Harry) and fall into slumber. After all, his back was really hurting him. But just as he was about to leave, he heard so quietly he almost mistook it for the whisper of the wind, "Ron?"

He stopped where he was. "Ron?" he heard a little louder, the voice sounding more frightened than before.

He slowly turned around. Hermione was sitting up, chocolate eyes alert and worried, staring intently at Ron as though she'd never seen him before. "Hey Hermione" he said

As though his voice provided clarification to his identity, she returned his feeble attempt at a smile, her eyes clouded with some emotion he could not decipher, but he noticed she looked close to crying. "Hey" she replied. "I've been calling for you." She added quietly.

"Oh?" He teased

"They kept saying that you hadn't woken up yet." Hermione answered, not changing her emotion, despite Ron's teasing. "They won't tell me a god damn thing"

"Language Miss Granger" He sighed, "Do you know about Harry?"

She looked surprised, "Harry?"

"That's what I came in here to ask you about, before--"words failed him

"Before?" Hermione egged

"Before I saw you." He admitted

"You've seen me plenty of times, don't know why that would stop you now from waking me up" She joked, her face curving into a kind of smirk

"Don't you joke about that!" Ron snapped. The smirk died on her lips instantly. "I-you-you looked dead" he stuttered hollowly

"I really look that bad eh?" She smiled

"I'm not laughing 'Mione." He said angrily

She sighed, "I know. I'm not that bad, honestly. You're worse off than me"

"Liar"

Ignoring his comment she motioned for him to sit on the bed. He obliged. "Let's take a look at those scars. They look pretty bad," she said, placing a hand on his forearm. He automatically pulled away. 'Do they hurt?" she whispered, eyes wide with sadness.

"Yea" he mumbled

"Mine hurts too" she said softly

"Y-yours?"

Hermione nodded. Pulling down the high collared hospital gown, only a bit below where a normal Hogwarts uniform would go, Ron saw the beginning of a deep scar, much deeper than his were. "It continues" she said, tracing it with her finger slowly "all the way down to here" Her finger rested right below where her right ribcage ended.

Ron sat transfixed, his eyes wide. He tried to say something of comfort to her, but nothing came out.

"Don't tell Harry," she whispered, readjusting her gown.

"Harry?" He asked, suddenly remembering his original reason "He's alive??"

Hermione gave him a confused look, "Of course he's alive."

"He wasn't in his bed" He clarified

"He never was in 'his bed' Ron"

"What do you mean?"

"Harry's never been to the hospital wing since we returned from the Ministry"

"But how?"

She shrugged, "He wasn't as badly hurt as the rest of us. He blames it all on himself though"

"Like usual" he mumbled

"Yes. But it's worse this time. Dumbledore talked to him all day yesterday. Made him pretty upset. Lavender came in to bring us make-up work and she said that Seamus said that Harry barged into the dormitory and started destroying everything. He and Dean were up half the night trying to repair it all."

Ron sighed and rubbed his head. "Do we know what it was about?"

"Partly. But I expected this."

"How the bloody hell do you expect something like this? I never have a bloody clue"

Hermione threw him another confused look. Then it melted away and realization was evident on her face. "Oh Ron" she said sadly "You don't know"

"Know what?"

"It's Sirius—he"

"what happened?"

"Ron, Sirius is dead"

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He had cried then. Cried for Sirius, but mostly cried for Harry, because Ron knew good and well what Sirius's death would do to his best friend. And he had been right. Last year had not been an easy year.

As class commenced, and Ron allowed his thoughts to return to reality, he poked Harry in the ribs.

"Wake up mate" he said

"Hmm what?" Harry mumbled, rubbing his eyes

"Class is over. Let's get going."

Harry grunted but followed Ron out of the room. "Boy I needed that," Harry said brightly, once normal cold air reached their lungs.

"You really should try sleeping at night."

Harry's features darkened and he stared at Ron, eyes narrowed. "How can you even suggest that?" he snapped

"Harry..."

"He's got power of me at night Ron. At night I'm a murderer. I can't afford to let something like that happen again"

Emotionally exhausted from his memory Ron just sighed and threw his hands up in the air, "Alright mate, whatever you say. But you should at least try."

"You wouldn't understand" Harry mumbled under his breath, as he ran to catch up with Ron.

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(A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed, the reviews are so dearly appreciated!!! I'm going on thanksgiving vacation this week so there will be no updates this following week, but expect one very soon after that!! Review and tell me what you thought of this chapter! Thanks, Hugs, Haystack)


	3. Chapter Three: Not so Sweet Dreams

CHAPTER THREE: NOT SO SWEET DREAMS

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As Hermione prepared herself for bed, she looked uneasily about her dormitory. The dark shadows swallowed up the room, and left Hermione with few places she could change. After all, most people were asleep at midnight.

Plagued with horrific nightmares each night, Hermione had finally given up sleeping. When people started heading up to their beds, Hermione, Ron, and Harry would remain in the common room. Finally when it got too late for excuses, the boys would head upstairs, but Hermione's bookworm reputation left her with many logical explanations to give her best friends towards her refusal to go to bed.

She'd stay up a good two hours after that, doing extra homework or extra credit. Every now and then she'd work on Harry's Quidditch papers, or read a good book, but more often than not, she was reading ahead. Sometimes she'd fall asleep on the couch but she'd be up before any student came down to the common room.

Tonight she hadn't counted on Professor McGonagall entering the common room.

"Miss Granger?" she had asked, utterly surprised to see the girl with her head down on the desk

Startled, Hermione jumped up a bit, putting a hand to her heart "Oh I'm sorry Professor"

"What are you doing up at this hour Miss Granger?" The Transfiguration teacher had asked

Hermione blushed, "I-I was studying"

Minerva tried very hard to fight back the smile that her lips wanted to curve into but it was late and she was too tired to try. "I see. Well I think it'd be better for you if you headed up to bed. After all, you are already two weeks ahead of the class my dear. If you don't be careful, you won't have any material to read for the remainder of the year, you very well could graduate in December!"

Hermione looked about ready to protest but she finally nodded her head.

"Well now that that's all settled; I'll just put this up on the bulletin board and head off to bed myself."

And so, here she was, staring at her bed, debating whether or not she should even climb into it. A small voice in the back of her head told her to, she was absolutely exhausted and wanted nothing more than to fall into a dreamless sleep. But another voice told her not to go near it, because she knew she would fall asleep, and once she did, there was no telling what could happen.

_No_ she told herself _I can't go to bed_. _I'll sit up and read, that way at least I'll be comfortable._

Grabbing her book, and climbing across her bed, Hermione got herself situated and whispered, "Lumos" The light was definitely brighter than Hermione would have liked, but it would have to do.

And so Lorrie Confunkalus, a member of a resistance group against He-who-must-not-be-named was tortured at the hands of several Death Eaters, by the Cruitacus curse. Her death resulted in outrage by the Wizarding World for she was a member of the ministry and though not married, was a member of a large family. Her long time boyfriend, Nicholas Rowanistky declared revenge and foolishly leaded several of her friends and brothers in a rampage, one that resulted in the deaths of all he led, and only a single Death Eater….

"Hermione!" A sudden voice cried out

"What?" She asked softly, not wanting to wake her roommates.

"Turn off that light. I can't sleep!" Parvati snapped

Hermione sighed, "Alright. Nox!" And the room was developed in total darkness.

There was nothing left her for to do but sleep. And at the thought Hermione squirmed underneath her covers. She would just have to stay awake.

'_Review spells in your head' _she told herself_ 'you know enough to keep you up for five more hours. C'mon just concentrate…'_

'Accio…'She began. But against all efforts the witch put up, she eventually succumbed to slumber.

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Pressing her feet as fast as she could against the ground, she raced to the oak door and pulled with all her might, to open it. As she did, fire shot up from inside the room, making Hermione sweat and fall backwards onto the ground. Screams from inside filled her ear.

"Hold on!" She screamed, "I'm coming!"

She looked frantically for a way to get in that didn't involve running through fire. She saw no such entrance. More screams of death were drifting up into the smoke filled air.

Guilt flowed through her veins; she couldn't do anything! Those people inside the entrance hall were trapped and burning, and there was no way to reach them. She scooted away from the room, not looking back, tears flowing heavily down her cheeks. Her classmates were dying and she was leaving them, how on earth had she been sorted into Gryffindor?!

She just sat there sobbing, as frantic people ran past her, screaming as though the world were ending. And as Hermione looked down onto the scene that was occurring on the Hogwarts Grounds, she admitted that it probably was.

Parts of the castle were on fire, Death Eaters and students battled bravely, one or the other always dying, and blood stained the once perfect lawn. Her friends and fellow students, her professors, and more recently, members of the ministry and Order were dying, and her beloved home was burning to the ground.

And then she saw him. As she crawled over to where he was, she wanted nothing more than for him to hug her and protect her, and tell her that everything would be all right, she didn't hear that someone was behind her.

"Hermione!" The cry rang into the air and she whipped her head around. Ron was running towards her. Forgetting about crawling over to Harry she sat there, not believing that he was actually alive. He had been in the Entrance Hall.

"Hermione!" He said, falling next to her on the ground, and quickly pushing her into the nearby bushes. Diving into the thicket himself, he straightened himself out, breathing heavily.

"Ron?"

"Yea I'm here. Don't worry."

"Ron, y-you were in the entrance hall"

He stopped what he was doing and looked her in the eyes. "No I wasn't" he replied solemnly. "But I saw what happened to it."

"No Ron, I saw you…"

"Hermione, you probably mistook me for someone else."

"How many people have your hair Ron?!" She snapped at him

"Eight" He replied cheekily, desperately trying to get her to smile. Instead, she paled and began to cry.

"Oh no Ron…."

"What is it?" He asked concerned, putting a hand to her cheek.

"You said it yourself! Eight people! Oh my God!"

""Mione calm down. Everything is going to be okay"

"No it's not Ron! It wasn't you I saw go into the entrance hall…it was one of your brothers!" She sobbed hysterically. Realization suddenly was on Ron's face and he paled so much Hermione wondered if all the blood had been drained from him.

"Hermione" He croaked "Do your remember what he looked like?"

She shook her head no. "I just saw the hair"

Ron took a deep breath. "I'm sure he got out"

"Don't be so thick! I heard those people! They were burning to death!"

Suddenly Ron grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "NO! DON'T SAY THAT!" He shouted.

Hermione just looked at him with fearful eyes. "I'm sorry," he said gently. "But he got out" He emphasized sternly. "He did"

Hermione opened her mouth to respond but before she could say anything, the loudest scream she had ever heard pierced the night sky. Both immediately turned their heads to where they had seen Harry and Voldemort fighting earlier. From where they were, they couldn't see anything. But the moment they heard a deep cackle that spread about all of Hogwarts, they both knew who had won.

"No…" Hermione whispered

"Harry?"

"No…it's too much! I can't take it! I have to see!" She cried, jumping up and over the bushes.

"NO!" Ron screamed, jumping up and running after Hermione. "HERMIONE COME BACK!"

She wouldn't listen. She had to see for herself. There he was. There Harry lay, her best friend. Falling onto the ground beside his body she didn't move. His forehead was still dripping with sweat, his black hair stuck to his forehead, hiding that scar she knew he'd always hated. His emerald eyes were open, staring blankly back at Hermione. She began to cry so hard, that she couldn't breathe. "Harry!!" she moaned, throwing herself over his body.

"Well well well…what do we have here?" A voice that Hermione instantly recognized as Voldemort's said "The Mudblood crying over her fallen hero? Or maybe it was her true love?" He laughed, "Well he's not worth your tears, he's dead"

"HERMIONE!" Ron shouted, coming to a stop when he saw Voldemort.

"Ah here he is. Potter's sidekick. I don't believe we've ever met. Let me introduce myself."

"I know who you are you bastard" Ron said through gritted teeth, completely ignoring Voldemort and instead, tugging on Hermione's arm. "Let's go 'Mione"

"Leaving so soon?"

"Actually yes" Ron replied "Hermione LET'S GO!"

" No Ron. Harry's dead"

Tone softening, Ron looked at her "I know. But now's not the time to mourn when we could get killed in an instant. That'll come later. Right now we have to save our skins"

"Easier said than done Mr. Weasley" Voldemort said enjoying each moment of this encounter

"YOU NEED TO SHUT THE HELL UP!" Ron screamed at Voldemort. Realizing what he'd done, Ron flung Hermione over his shoulder and started running like he'd never run before.

"Oooh nobody talks to Voldemort like that" the snakelike man said to himself.

XXXXXXXX

"Ron put me down!"

"Fine!" He said, placing her gently on the ground, then grabbing her head and running.

"Ron when I said put me down, I meant let's stop!" she said in between gasps of breath

"We can't do that 'Mione! We can't stop running till we're out of Hogwarts. I pissed Voldemort off, that's the one thing no one should ever do!"

To this Hermione said nothing. But eventually said, "Where are we going?"

"Right now we're going to find Dumbledore. If he's still alive"

"How can you talk like that? You just found out that Harry and at least one of your brothers are dead and you haven't cried yet!" She shouted, tears threatening to spill down her face again.

"I've still got you don't I? If Harry's not here to take care of you, then bloody hell I'm going to do it! And since both of our lives are currently in extreme danger my first priority is to keep us both alive! Once we stop running, then I can grieve." He said, pushing open one of the doors to the castle.

"Ron we shouldn't be in here. Parts of the building are on fire, it won't be long before it collapses."

"Exactly. Voldemort wouldn't dare come in here if there was a chance of him dying would he?"

"When did you become so smart and cool-headed in emergencies?" Hermione asked with a slight smile

He shrugged and finally slowed down to a walk, panting heavily. "Here we go" he said, looking at Dumbledore's office on the opposite end of the long corridor "I'll go first in case there are any Death Eaters in there. Stay here."

Hermione nodded, heart beating fast for Ron. As he walked slowly, she noted the pounding that was coming from the floor above. It was excruciatingly hot and little bits were falling from the ceiling. When a chunk as large as her hand fell to her feet she suddenly put the pieces together and screamed, "RON THE CEILING IS COLLAPSING!"

"Huh?" He said turning around to look at her. When another piece fell from the sky his heart started pounding. "HERMIONE GET OUT OF THE CORRIDOR!" He screamed as loud as he could, kicking Dumbledore's door open, eyes taking in the fact that Dumbledore lay in his chair, eyes open, completely dead, blood still dripping from his mouth.

Understanding the fact that Dumbledore couldn't help him any more than Harry could, he began to run back towards Hermione when suddenly…

His scream was the one Hermione would remember forever in her mind. She'd taken shelter underneath a table that was underneath a mirror in the neighboring corridor, waiting until Ron would come for her. But when she felt the crash, and heard the scream, she knew he'd never come.

She ran back to where she had previously stood and stared at the ruble underneath her feet. She looked up and the night sky with its red moon looked down upon her. Assuming where Ron would have been when it collapsed, she began to dig. Using every bit of strength she had left, she pulled rock after rock up from the ground, tears washing away the dust. She would refuse to give up until she found him. She had to see his body. Had to search for a pulse herself in order to believe it.

And then, she felt the sole of a shoe. Working faster and harder than she had ever in her life, Hermione quickly uncovered Ron's body. His face and clothes were covered with a white kind of powder that made him look like a ghost; his flaming bright hair sticking out more than usual. His eyes were closed but for the first time in her life, Hermione wished he wasn't. She wanted to look into his eyes one last time, even if his held no emotion.

Hands shaking, she gently pried his eyelids up, and screamed. Where there once had been ice blue eyes, there now were red.

A laugh from behind her made her jump. The eyes were blue again but Hermione couldn't bear to look after what had just happened. Turning around fearfully she stared into the face of Lord Voldemort.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hermione opened her eyes to find her covers thrown completely off her bed, and her body enveloped in a cold sweat. Her heart pounded insanely and her hands shook. Not quite understanding that everything had been a dream, she jumped out of bed and threw the door open, running down the stairs, into the common room, and up the stairs leading to boy's dormitories, the only thing on her mind, seeing Harry and Ron.

Reaching their room, she didn't hesitate at the door like she usually did, but instead flung the door open so hard that it banged into the wall.

"What the bloody hell??!" An overly tired Seamus Finnegan cried out.

Hermione ignored him and made her way over to Harry's bed, ripping the curtains down from the rod they were on

"Hermione?" Dean Thomas squinted through the darkness, then turning to Seamus "What is she doing?"

"I've got no idea" Seamus replied

Seeing a body in the bed, Hermione leaned closer to make sure it was Harry. Turning him on his side so that his face was in the moonlight she pushed his messy hair out of his face and found his scar.

"Umm Hermione?" Harry's voice asked her confused

"Harry?" Hermione asked, her voice shaking

"Yea it's me. What are you doing here?"

"Oh Harry!" She cried, throwing her arms around him. Uncertain what to do, he rubbed her back, looking to Dean and Seamus for an explanation. They only stared curiously at the scene before them. "I just couldn't—you don't understand---it was so terrible---I--" She gasped, making Dean jump "Harry! Where's Ron?"

Harry looked at Hermione utterly perplexed. "H-He's over there Hermione but—" Harry never got to finish his sentence when Hermione dashed across to the bed two down from Harry's.

XXXXXX

Ron, who could sleep through anything, almost had a heart attack when his bed curtains were yanked open and a figure stood towering above his bed. Focusing his eyes he tried to see the identity of the person, fearing it to be a Death Eater, when it suddenly jumped on him.

To say he was surprised would have been an understatement. He looked around the dormitory at Dean, Seamus, and now Neville, who were sitting up in their beds staring at him, and at Harry who had his eyebrows furrowed in thought. Since all their eyes were staring at the thing on his bed, he decided it would be a good thing if he took a look too. No one was screaming or looking scared so he assumed it wasn't a killer of any kind.

The first thing he saw was a bunch of curls. Brown, only slightly frizzy curls that immediately gave away the identity of the person.

"'Mione?" He asked to no one in particular

When Hermione lifted her head to look at him, he noticed the tear marks that were on her face, and he began to panic. Hermione never cried. She came close to it many times, but the only times he'd ever see her cry, they were either in mortal danger or they had just survived something miraculous. Something was terribly wrong.

"What's wrong?" He asked gently but with an urgent sternness in his voice

She shook her head and clung to him, a few more tears escaping her chocolate eyes.

"Do you know what's wrong?" he asked Harry

Harry shook his head, "She nearly petrified me though, tearing down my curtains like that."

Ron nodded his understanding and turned his attention to the girl in his arms. He studied her intently, unsure exactly how to handle this situation, but intrigued with her state of terror. After all, he'd never seen her like this.

For several minutes no one said anything and Dean, Seamus, and Neville must have given up trying to find out anything because they soon were quickly snoring. Harry sat on his bed, watching Hermione too, and trying desperately to cover up his yawns, it was the middle of the night after all.

"Hermione, it's getting really late. Do you think you would be able to go back to your dormitory? Or do you want to tell us about it, I don't think the other blokes would care since they saw you come in anyways" Harry said gently.

Hermione didn't say anything but shake her head no.

The boys both sighed. "Why don't you go back to bed mate? I've got a feeling it'll be a while and if one of us needs our rest its you."

"I want to find out what's wrong with her Ron"

"I know Harry, so do I. But somehow I have a feeling we won't know for a long time. She might not even tell us tomorrow."

Harry nodded his head. "I know that. But I can't leave her."

Ron sighed but smiled slightly "Alright. I bet that's what she'd want anyways"

Hermione nodded her agreement and moved against him, getting comfortable. "Don't go to sleep on me," she whispered so quietly he barely heard her.

"I won't," He whispered back, holding her a little tighter, "I won't"

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(To be Continued…)

(A/N: Thanks so much for the wonderful response to last chapter!! I've decided to put all of my responses and Author Notes at the end of each chapter instead of before, because this way you all can read the story first and keep that allusion before breaking back into reality, if that makes any sense. My only announcement this chapter is that I'm back from vacation, so to expect more steadied updates; though I am aiming for longer chapters even if it means longer time in-between updates. That's about it, Thanks again, and review!!)

AmyChris: Thanks for the nice comments! I'm sorry about the update but hopefully this chapter made up for it! Can't wait to hear more from you, Thanks again for reviewing!

Smiles28: I was so ecstatic to see that you had reviewed! It meant a lot to me that someone from my other stories would read this one! And as always, your feedback was wonderful! You let me know what you're story is up and I'll be the first one to review!!!

Courtney Anne: You are only the second person from my Dr/Hr stories to review and make that switch with me! SO thank you thank you thank you!! It was great to hear from you, as always!

belanna30: I wasn't originally planning to add that chapter with the hospital wing scene in but I think it made things a bit easier to ease into, cause now you all hopefully get the sense of how I'm portraying these wonderful characters JKR has given us! Thanks so much for reviewing!

KHdreamer: Your review made me laugh! Glad you're enjoying the story, and I'll admit the first chapter was pretty weird and mysterious, but hopefully it was to everyone's liking! Thanks for reviewing!

Bhekie: Thanks for the feedback and the nice reviews! Glad you're enjoying the story!

Loki10125: Hopefully that last update wasn't too terribly long, and again I apologize for this one, I was in the mountains and completely cut off from everything to do with technology. Thanks for reviewing!

ronluver88: Your review really meant a lot to me, because I'll admit, I'm a bit insecure about writing R/Hr having come from a couple that is COMPLETELY different. So thanks for that, and thanks for reviewing!!


	4. Chapter Four: The Promises of Emtions

CHAPTER: THE PROMISES OF EMOTIONS

Several hours later, not much had changed. Harry had eventually fallen asleep; as had Hermione. But desperate to keep his promise to her, Ron managed to stay awake.

With nothing else to keep him occupied, Ron studied Hermione. Something he realized he'd never really done before. And the more he looked at her soft curls, her slightly freckled skin, and her pink full lips, the more he suddenly realized how beautiful the girl he was holding was.

But before his thoughts could continue any further, Hermione moved against him and squinted her eyes open. "Mm" she said, still in the process of waking up "Ron?" she whispered "You still up?"

"Yea" he replied, watching in awe as she stretched and then settled back against the pillows

"Mm. Good" she said, drifting back into sleep

"'Mione?" Ron whispered

"Yea?"

"Why do you want me to stay up? I mean I don't mind, but I'm just curious"

At this, Hermione opened her eyes fully "Because"

"Would it be terrible to ask for a better excuse?" He teased

She sighed, "No. I don't know I just—I'd feel a lot of better if you were awake and alert and stuff"

"What for?"

"Just in case…something happens," She said apprehensively

"What do you think could happen that I need to watch out for?" He asked softly

To this question, Hermione fell silent

"Mione?"

"In case the school goes under attack," she whispered quietly

"Why would you--"?

"I had a dream," she said more to herself than to Ron

"A dream?"

"Well I suppose it was more of a nightmare. Yes, the worst nightmare I've ever had"

"What was it about?" he asked comfortingly, drawing circles on her arm. He felt her tense up at his question.

"A lot of things." She replied slowly "The school was under attack. It was on fire. I tried to save people but one of your brothers died."

"Oh" was all Ron could manage to say

"Then you found me and calmed me down" she continued, blushing in the darkness, though for what reason, she did not know "And then there was Harry. H-he---Voldemort killed him. We were running and went to get Dumbledore when you died. Then I turned around and Voldemort was there"

"It was just a dream 'Mione"

"If it had just been a dream I might have run in here to check if you two were alive and then left. I wouldn't be in your bed if it was just a dream" To this, they both blushed, thankful that it was dark

"No matter what you say it was a dream. Just a really bad dream" He said stubbornly

"The dream itself wasn't what scares me"

"Well what is?"

"The fact that it could be real. It could easily be our futures. It could be tomorrow," She said quietly, not daring to look Ron in the face.

Astounded by the newfound realization that occurred to Ron's mind, he simply sat there not saying a word. Finally he managed to croak out, "That's not going to happen."

"What?"

"It's not going to be our future 'Mione"

"How do you know?"

"I just do!" He snapped. "I won't let it," he whispered, kissing the top of her head

"I'm just so scared Ron. You didn't see Harry's dead body, or Hogwarts burning to the ground."

"I don't need to have a dream to see it."

"I don't know what I'd do without Harry." She said, her voice starting to waver as she struggled to hold back tears, "Or you" She added

Not trusting himself to speak, Ron simply held her as she began to cry. What was happening? Ron had never seen Hermione act like this. She'd always been the cool-headed rarely emotional one, when did she suddenly become this frail, fearful girl that Ron felt a huge desire to protect? When several minutes passed and her tears had not subsided he let go of her and twisted around to face her.

"Shh" he said, taking her face in his hands and wiping some tears away with his thumbs.

"Everything's going to be okay."

"N-no Ron. We don't know when he's going to attack, but Dumbledore knows it'll be soon."

"Well we'll handle it when the time comes. There's no use in worrying about it quite yet. But I promise Hermione; I'll protect you okay? Do whatever I can."

"Just promise me one thing"

"Anything"

"That you won't take a curse meant for me or Harry. I know you Ron, and if there's one thing you are, it's loyal."

Ron sighed. "I-I can't promise that 'Mione" he said looking at his hands

"You have to!" She cried hysterically

"Hermione, I'm not going to promise you something that I'm not sure I'll be able to keep!"

"Ron, you and I know that when that curse heads for Harry, you'll be the first one to jump in front of it. What if Harry would have dodged the spell? Then you're dead for nothing. I can't have that Ron. If Harry dies, I need you with me. You have to promise me!!"

"'Mione…"

"Just do it dammit!"

A few moments of silence followed her outburst. What was the bloody world coming to?! Hermione never swore.

"Will you promise?" Ron finally asked facing her for the first time since her request

"That's not the question," Hermione said, now being the one to turn away

"I don't care. Answer it"

"Ron…"

"If you want me to promise I won't sacrifice myself for you two then you're out of your bloody mind if you think I'll do it with you planning to do the opposite. I swore I'd protect you didn't I? I intend to keep that. If I have to lock you up in Gryffindor tower then so be it"

"You wouldn't…"

"Try me" Ron said seriously staring into her eyes.

Though she was sitting on the bed, Hermione felt her knees go weak. Something strange was definitely going on tonight--He'd never made her knees go weak before. And to think it was all over the way he looked at her! But the more the two looked at each other the more it felt different. The way he was staring at her right now, with care and that damn male protection towards her gushing out of his bright blue eyes, like he was trying to see through her soul, it-it just made Hermione want to kiss him.

"You know" Ron whispered, not breaking eye contact "I used to think that when the final battle was coming, you'd have us living in the library researching things to help Harry. That we would be worried about Harry's success first and us later."

"And now?" She whispered back

"Now…" Ron trailed off, but scooting ever slightly closer to Hermione "Now your safety is the one thing I can't get my mind off of. Harry has always had that threat of death over him, but you never have, and in my opinion there's no use in putting you in danger."

"Harry needs us to help him fight. No matter what you think, he needs BOTH of us there. So locking me up in Gryffindor tower won't do any good. But promising me you won't do anything reckless and jump in front of curses meant for other people…well that is what will make me feel better about it all."

Ron sighed ignoring her last comment, "I suppose there are a lot of things I didn't count on when we were younger"

"Like what?" Hermione whispered

"Like" Ron chose his words carefully "My emotions towards it all"

"Enlighten me, what emotions?"

"Anger, fe--"

"Anger?"

"Towards Voldemort for screwing up our lives" Ron said hotly

"On the contrary, if it weren't for Voldemort and Quirrell, there would have been no troll let into Hogwarts on Halloween. I happen to remember that being the night we became friends."

Ron grinned despite himself, "The night I saved poor little Hermione from the big bad Troll"

She hit him in the arm "Don't flatter yourself. Harry was there too you big prat."

"Ah yes, now I remember." He said, pretending "But I happen to recall knocking out the beast with my amazing magical abilities"

"I taught you how to do that and you know it," She laughed

"See now _that_ I do not remember," He teased, "You should tell me…what was it like when your knight in shining armor burst through the bathroom door to save you?"

"Well I remember being blown away by his angelic appearance." She said, smirking

"Yes well I suppose I was rather dashing as an eleven year old squirt"

"Oh yes, I remember him swinging open that door, his raven hair flipping to one side …"

"Hey!"

"And his emerald eyes…ooh! I could have died and gone to heaven!" She giggled

"You're going to pay for that one Missy!"

Her laughs subsiding she lifted an eyebrow "Oh I am, am I?"

Ron didn't answer. Instead he rolled on top of her, straddling her waist so that she was pinned down to the bed; and he began to tickle her.

"Ha Ha Ha Ron stop! Ha Ha Ha Oh Ron please stop! Ha Ha Ha I can't breathe!" She said through bursts of laughter.

Ron felt his chest constrict with the sight of her. Her laugh was like music… and the way she smiled right now…truly happy and carefree…He'd never seen anything quite as beautiful before in his life. His fingers stopped poking and tickling her, and as Hermione calmed down, she found herself getting lost in his eyes again.

Neither dared move. Hearts thumping, they continued to stare into each other's eyes; Blue on Brown.

"Hermione…" He whispered

"Shh…" she said, putting a finger to his lips, not wanting to ruin the moment with words

Maybe it was the feel of her small finger on his lips, or maybe it was the way she was looking back at him now, but for whatever reason, Ron felt himself drawing closer to this angel that he was currently sitting on.

"Ron…" She whispered as she felt his hot breath on her neck.

"Mm?" He asked, their noses touching

"I-I--" She stuttered, her mind turning to mush with the feel of their lips barely touching each other.

Ron smiled, for the first time in his memory, Hermione was lost for words…. and he was the cause of it. Smiling as he rested his forehead against hers, savoring this feeling of her lips just scarcely touching his, but enough to make him go mad with desire, he paused, taking a deep breath, getting lost in her scent, one that was all Hermione.

But a cry from Harry's bed broke the silence, startling both Ron and Hermione enough to separate. A second cry made Ron reluctantly get off Hermione, striding his way over to his best friend's bed, desperately avoiding eye contact with her.

"What's wrong?" He heard her ask him in a voice barely above a whisper, that he noted, was shaking.

Bending over to see Harry moaning in his sleep, Ron patted his head and closed the curtains around him. "Just a nightmare" he said simply, returning to his own bed, where Hermione still laid, propped up on her elbows. Unsure of what to do, he sat down on the edge of the bed, not trusting himself to get too close to her.

"Oh" was her reply, not knowing what else to say. Silence followed.

"We better get some sleep if we're going to be any use tomorrow" Ron said hesitantly

"Yea we should," She agreed not moving

Another uncomfortable silence hung about them. Neither knowing what else could be said to each other, Ron got into bed and turned off the light from his wand that had been faintly glowing most of the night.

Backs facing each other, sleeping on the edges of the large bed, they refused to say anything.

_How could I have been so careless? I should have stopped him the moment he got that look in his eye!_ Hermione yelled at herself _Just look at how things are now! If it's going to be this uncomfortable edginess all day long tomorrow, maybe I should eat in the library. Yes! That's a good idea…Harry might suspect something but he never does confront me about things like that unless their important. I do hope Ron doesn't jump to the wrong conclusion though…he does have that tendency. Oh how could I have let things go so terribly wrong? Just look at us now. Before he had his arms wrapped around me. Now…I'm cold. It—_Hermione stopped her train of thought, and smiled in the darkness, as she felt a strong muscular arm, snaking it's way around her waist, holding her close, and keeping her warm.

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(To Be Continued…)

(A/N: I'm real sorry for the long time gap in between this update and the last chapter but my internet on my computer was down for four days! I promise that will not happen for this next chapter! Thanks so much for the wonderful response!! They truly were all amazing, and brightened my week very much! So thank you!! I've reached a sort of first marker in my mind, for this story so I'd love to hear what you all think so far if you haven't told me already! Hugs, Haystack)

Bhekie: You are quickly becoming a much-treasured reviewer! Your review last chapter so great! Thanks! Hope you liked this last chapter!!

cumbacksirius: I'm so glad you thought the dream sequence didn't feel like a dream; it was what I was going for! Thanks so much for your encouraging reviews!

AmyChris: Another new favorite reviewer! You're review really was a boost for my day! I am sorry about the update but if my internet will cooperate than it'll be up probably around Wednesday! Thanks again!

ShimmeringEvil: Thanks for reviewing! Hope you liked this last chapter!

Smiles28: And the award for one of the best reviews I've ever gotten goes to…you! Seriously, you have no idea how happy that last review made me!! I am glad that you're starting to like Ron though…I'd rather portray him this way then the other way that some ppl do….he certainly is different than our favorite Slytherin isn't he? Lol anyways, I do hope you got my reviews! I'll be looking for your next update! Hugs!


	5. Chapter Five: A Dawn of Changes

CHAPTER FIVE: A DAWN OF CHANGES

When Ron woke up in the morning, it took him a while to figure out what felt different. He physically didn't feel any different from the previous morning, and as he lay there in bed with his eyes closed, he couldn't for the life of him figure out why he had this strange feeling in his gut. But the moment he opened his eyes he knew.

With his bed curtains not shut the night before, sunlight poured over Ron's bed, making the thing in it, that he currently had this legs and arms somewhat wrapped around, shine brightly. His hand felt something silky that he immediately recognized as hair, and he shifted to get a good look at the girl in his bed.

His breath, on the way out through his nose, stopped where it was and went the other direction, creating a whirlpool effect inside Ron's lungs that made him almost cough. _Bloody Hell_ Ron thought to himself, _She's never had that effect on me before!_

With the sunlight shining upon her, wrapping her body up in a warm glow, and catching the color of her dark brown hair just perfectly, the angel image that he'd seen in her last night, didn't seem enough to describe the way she looked right now. And he simply sat there for several minutes staring at her, taking in everything about the beauty he felt privileged to see.

He was torn. Ron knew Hermione, and he knew that she would want to be up and about early enough to get ready for class, with as few people as possible seeing her exit the boys dormitory. But on the other hand…she looked so peaceful. So content with her surroundings, so—

"Ron?"

"Yea?" He replied, drifting out of his thoughts suddenly; the remains of his previous smile still faintly on his lips.

"What time is it?"

"We've still got two hours before breakfast" He answered slowly, not wanting her to go

She nodded her head and sat up, looking around. "Why are you up so early? You always are the last one awake!"

"I forgot to draw the bed curtains last night, the sunlight woke me up"

"Oh I'm sorry, I should have reminded you"

"No it's fine. This way you can be out before anyone realizes you were here. People might jump to the wrong conclusions."

"Yes, Hogwarts is known for its gossip" Hermione said, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and standing up. "Well I guess I better get going then…"

"Yea" He said, but neither moved.

An awkward silence followed. _Think of something to say! _He screamed at himself.

"Thanks again Ron." Hermione said slowly, her mind obviously elsewhere

"For what?" Ron snapped out of his thoughts

"For being so good to me, especially since it was a silly nightmare"

Ron blushed and he knew it. "It was nothing really. Just doing my duty as a friend, Harry would have done the same I'm sure" The moment the words left his lips, he knew they were the wrong things to have said.

Hermione chose her words carefully, "I don't remember letting me crash in your bed and making you take care of me all night, being part of the job description." She teased "And it wasn't Harry that did it, it was you… so thanks."

"Anytime. You know I mean that don't you? Anytime something like this happens again, you can come to Harry or me." Ron wasn't exactly sure why he kept bringing Harry up, it certainly seemed to make things more awkward and he certainly didn't like it.

"I know" This time a true smile graced her lips. "Bye" she whispered as she snuck out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

Ron sighed and lay back in his bed in a feeble attempt to fall back asleep, but he couldn't chase the feeling in his stomach away. He had been right, something had changed between himself and Hermione but he couldn't put his finger on it. But the more he lay there and the more he reflected upon the previous night, the closer he came to finding it.

And then suddenly Ron sat straight up in his bed; he knew…He was in love with Hermione!

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"Weasley!!"

"Mm?"

"Weasley!"

No response.

"WEASLEY!!!!"

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU WANT SEAMUS?!"

"Good! You're awake!" The sandy haired boy said happily, sitting on the edge of his own bed that was next to Ron's.

"I'd prefer to be asleep," The red head snapped, grouchily

"My my aren't we crabby this morning!"

"Sod off Finnegan, I didn't get any sleep last night"

"I'm sure" He grinned evilly "That's what I wanted to ask you about"

"Let me get this straight. You woke me up in the morning to talk when you knew perfectly well I got no sleep last night?"

"I woke up this morning after having some weird dream that Hermione came into our dorm at night all deranged and hysterical. It was pretty funny when the rest of us all remembered having the same dream." Seamus said pointedly, ignoring Ron's last comment

"Maybe your minds are connected" Ron said in a fake excited voice that was dripping with sarcasm

"Maybe, but that's not the point" The Irishman played along "I want to know why Hermione was in our room in the first place."

"Do you have to be such a nosy git?"

"Hey! It's my dorm too! I deserve to know why random girls are bursting through my room at night!"

"Hermione's not just a random girl," Ron said calmly, picking through his dirty laundry for a clean shirt, but his stomach flipping with mention of her and the realization he'd made last night.

"That doesn't give her reason to be here. I mean I don't care really. If you two want to shag on school nights, fine by me, but I need to know"

Ron had whipped his wand out so fast; Seamus barely had time to react. Face as red as his hair, he said through gritted teeth "Don't you dare say something like that ever again!"

"Okay, okay I get it. So, why was she acting crazy?"

"After the shit you just pulled you'd be lucky if I told you anything!" He said angrily

"C'mon Weasley…you've got nothing to hide. Unless, I was right before" He smirked

_C'mon Ron…take a deep breath…its just Seamus trying to piss you off. You have to keep your cool_. Ron told himself. He wasn't entirely sure why he was so set against anyone but Harry knowing the real reason Hermione came to him, but it just felt right.

"Where are the others?" Ron asked, completely ignoring Seamus' last comment

Seamus practically choked he was so surprised, "W-What? No punch in the face? No death threats? No hexes?"

Ron raised his eyebrows. "You looking for a fight Finnegan?"

"Well no but--"

"Well than let's get down to breakfast! I'm famished!"

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"Hey Hermione" Harry said, kissing the top of Hermione's head before sitting down for breakfast in the Great Hall.

She smiled brightly. Harry didn't show very much emotion in public anymore, so it was rare to get anything more than a hug from him. "Hey Harry."

"How are you 'Mione?" Harry asked, staring at her intensely.

"I'm fine Harry. Really." She added when he gave her a look.

"What happened last night?" He whispered.

She smiled sadly. "I had a nightmare, that's all."

"You seemed pretty upset. Actually, I don't think I've ever seen you like that, in all the years we've been friends"

"Yes well it was a pretty terrible nightmare," She said as she poured herself some pumpkin juice.

"I don't mean to pry, but what was it about?"

Hermione sighed and hesitated. "T-The war, and seeing the two of you dead"

"That's why you were so frantic to see us," Harry said to no one in particular.

"Yes, it felt so real" She whispered sadly

Harry took her hand and squeezed it gently. "I was real worried about you. I tried to stay up and find out what was wrong but I fell asleep. I felt so bad, I wanted to be there, I really wanted to help you."

"Its okay Harry" Hermione said, touched

"So Ron was good then? He has some trouble with the emotional stuff sometimes."

"Ron was wonderful," She said, her stomach doing a flip-flop with the mention of him, that she chased away with a bite of food.

"Good."

"Hey you two! Is breakfast over yet?" Ron asked, his voice booming into the Great Hall, a smile on his lips.

"Yeah it is but I saved you a plate" Harry said

"Thanks" Ron said, taking his fork and shoving huge amounts of food into his mouth.

"Where were you?" Harry asked, in between bites.

"igawtstokvifseamus"

"Don't talk with your mouth full" Hermione said more out of habit than anything else.

Ron swallowed. "I got stuck with Seamus. Bloody git woke me up"

"I told him to leave you alone" Harry sighed, "What did he say?"

"Um…" Ron looked uneasily at Hermione. "Just nonsense really. I was half asleep while he was jabbering"

"Oh, that's funny. I would have thought he'd pester you about last night. He was practically jumping up and down when he realized that last night wasn't just a dream of his. You know Seamus, wanted to know every detail, bloody annoying really. Couldn't seem to believe that Hermione would rush into our dorm, tear down my bed curtains, practically attack Ron, and then spend the night in his bed with him" Harry said

To this, Hermione blushed and both desperately avoided eye contact with the other.

Harry noticed and fell silent for several minutes, thinking and studying the two.

"Pass me the eggs." Ron said to Harry.

Harry obliged and Ron began piling spoonful after spoonful onto his plate. And then he began eating them.

Hermione was so surprised she almost choked on her pumpkin juice

"Ron! What are you doing?!" She yelled

"Eating my eggs like you tell me to" Ron shrugged.

Hermione and Harry sat there staring at him like they'd never seen him before.

"You can't be serious" Harry exclaimed

"Why not? Eggs help me pay attention in Quidditch Harry. You should try some sometime"

Flabbergasted, and with nothing to say back since his mouth wouldn't seem to close enough to form words, Harry sat back and said nothing, but watched every move Ron made like a hawk.

Once he was done, Ron cleared his throat and stood up. "Well I better go and finish my Charms essay. I meant to do it last night and need it for this afternoon. I'll see you both in class."

"Okay." Harry mumbled, somewhat still caught in his world of thoughts.

Once Ron left the Great Hall, Harry turned his attention onto Hermione, studying her carefully. It was several minutes until he finally spoke. "Hermione?"

"Yes Harry?" She asked politely, taking another bite of her breakfast, still trying to shake the feeling she'd gotten with Ron's new display, away.

"Is there—I mean…. Did something happen last night?" Harry asked, almost timidly

"Something happen?" Hermione asked confused, putting her fork down to look at Harry, and purposely ignoring her pounding heart.

"Between you and Ron" Harry clarified

"Between me and Ron?" She asked, her stomach twisting a bit, but her face remaining the perfect image of surprise and confusion that Hermione had to use all of her strength to keep in place.

"Yes"

"Why would you say something like that?"

"I don't know. Things just feel…different this morning."

"It's probably because we're tired. Waking you two up at three o'clock wasn't very considerate of me." She tried to sound convincing.

"Maybe…" Harry said uneasily, not really accepting her logic "I can't put my finger on it, but are you sure?"

Hermione's stomach was now feeling very uncomfortable. "I—of course. Everything is fine. Ron was only being a good friend, and I know you would have done the same."

"I'll take your word for it then"

"Good. We better get going if we want to get to class on time."

"Alright" Harry said, standing up and gathering his books.

As the two left the Great Hall and headed down the long corridor towards Transfiguration, the feeling in Hermione's stomach faded away with each step she took, but she couldn't for the life of her understand why she felt like she was lying to her best friend.

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(A/N: I know, I know, not much R/Hr stuff this chapter but I promise more is on the way! Stay with me! Hope you liked this chapter, and thanks so much for the feedback from last chapter! An update should be expected around Friday-ish. The chapter I'm working on is taking a while! Hugs, Haystack)

ShimmeringEvil: So glad you thought last chapter was my best!

cumbacksirius: I was very unsure whether or not to add that tickling scene in, but thanks for letting me know you liked it!!

Legofiance: Thank you so much for reviewing! It's so nice to meet new reviewers! My plans for R/Hr are a bit complicated but I've mapped most everything to the end. As you saw in this chapter, it seemed like Ron and Hermione were fine and nothing but friends again, but trust me, I won't let them forget! Hope the update was soon enough!


	6. Chapter Six: Midnight Rain

(A/N: Well here it is! Sorry if the update took a little longer, but with Christmas just around the corner, I'm frantically rushing around town trying to buy gifts for everyone! Plus, Finals are closer than I would like and my teachers are being ruthless! Thanks again for the reviews from Chapter Five and I hope you like this chapter!)

Bhekie: Thanks for your constant reviews! I agree, Seamus is a git! But I really like him anyways, lol.

ShimmeringEvil: You've given me a challenge now. Try to beat Chapter Four…hmm I'll have to think about this! Lol no seriously, thanks so much for reviewing!

Legofiance: My problem is that I really want to move the story along, and it's very hard to do that when things are awkward between R/Hr, so you'll see a pattern in my writing from now until my third big plot point, where things are awkward with R/Hr but get better, then get awkward again and so on. It's somewhat annoying but I think once I'm past that third plot point things'll just flow from there! Thanks so much for reviewing!

AmyChris: Don't worry about reading when I update, I understand how life catches up you! It meant a lot when you said this story was one of the best on the site, because I've read some really great ones! Thanks so much!

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CHAPTER SIX: MIDNIGHT RAIN

Ron's sudden new interest in eggs, wasn't just a one time thing. He ate his eggs every morning now, something that confused Hermione greatly. And there were other things she'd noticed about Ron that were different.

Hermione was forever scolding him of walking ahead of her. He claimed it was his longer legs, but now suddenly, either his legs had shrunk (which Hermione doubted greatly) or he was making an attempt of walking side by side with her.

She no longer could shake her head and lecture him on taking his own notes, before giving him hers, because suddenly Ron was taking his own.

And the big change happened, two days later. After throwing his typical insults that usually made Ron pummel him into the ground, Draco Malfoy waited for a reaction of some kind. Instead, Ron just turned his back on the Slytherin, much to the gaping looks from not only Malfoy's cronies and Malfoy himself, but Harry and Hermione as well.

It was then that she knew something was up. Hermione was well aware that many times she misjudged Ron, thinking less of him than she should, but no matter how great she thought of him now, it wasn't enough to explain this. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before, and it intrigued her.

Ron seemed not to notice, and Harry sat there fuming at him for some unknown reason to her. Every time now, that Ron would place the eggs inside his mouth, Harry would narrow his eyes, staring at him chew, dribbling his fingers on the table, as though trying to annoy Rom enough to make him spit them out. Obviously, Harry found something terribly wrong in Ron's change. Hermione herself couldn't determine her feelings towards it.

And so here she found herself, walking about the grounds at midnight, in the rain.

So many people disliked the rain, but to Hermione, it was the most beautiful and precious thing a person could witness. The tiny beads of water that fell from the heavens, only to disappear the moment something hit them. Rain just seemed to make everything seem less complicated, and so good. Even the most evil thought couldn't seem to have effect on her, if the cold droplets were hitting her skin, because the rain washed all wicked thoughts from her mind and she concentrated on the miracle she was witnessing. And then, she would get this bubble of joy that would burst from inside of her, making her laugh and throw her arms up to the skies. Sometimes she would dance about, like she was doing now, and other times, she would simply sit and close her eyes, and relish in that calm aura that seemed to drown out any other feeling she possibly might have been feeling before.

Once she finished her little dance, she decided to walk around the lake, and so she set off, determined to keep her mind blank for as long as possible, because if she didn't, then the thoughts would come crashing down upon her like a hurricane, washing her away from everything she knew, and eventually drowning her.

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Ron Weasley wasn't sure why he had awoken. Especially since he'd been told he slept like a dead tree. Well maybe it hadn't been those exact words, he thought to himself, but there had definitely been something dead in the sentence. Rubbing his eyes and sitting upon the edge of his bed, he looked around the dormitory to see if possibly there was some explanation to his awakening. Nothing met his eyes but four dark figures lying in their respectable beds. He sighed and looked out the window. It was raining.

Since he was wide-awake, Ron just decided that he might as well sneak down into the kitchens to get a glass of milk. Throwing some jumper (he couldn't tell which since it was dark) over his head, he tried to walk as carefully as he could across the wooden floorboards. Instead, he tripped over someone's trunk and fell with an "oof!" But no one stirred.

_Strange_, Ron thought, _that the rain makes them all sleep soundly while it's the reason I'm awake_. Shaking his head, he continued down the dark staircase and into the common room, the only light coming from the fireplace. But as he passed by the large bay window, something caught his eye.

Moving closer to the window to examine the thing better, he realized with a start, that it was a person…a girl. She was too far away for him to tell who she was, except that she had rather long hair. Entranced, he watched as she walked, arms wrapped around herself, across to where that large oak tree was.

_She's mental!_ He screamed inside_, doesn't she know that lightning strikes trees? That, those are the first things you're supposed to avoid in a storm? _

But apparently there were quite a few things this girl either didn't know, or didn't care about. Because then she lifted her arms to sky and began to twirl and skip about. She laughed to herself and continued in her carefree blissful dance…. and Ron Weasley felt his heart constrict. The way she gracefully moved about, the innocence that was clearly a quality in her (because who else but those child at heart liked to go for walks in the rain?) and the happiness that was radiated from her in such a way, that Ron could feel it from within the thick castle walls. Absolutely captivated by this mysterious girl, he sat there, his head almost touching the cold glass, his thoughts racing about her identity, for this was the kind of lass that blokes only imagined about in their minds. She was too perfect for Ron to think about; He had to know who she was.

His warm glass of milk that he had been looking forward to with such enthusiasm, now suddenly seemed like the last thing on his mind. Daring himself to rip his eyes away from her, he raced through the portrait hole and down the corridors leading to the grounds. He couldn't let her get away!

Tearing open the heavy mahogany door, he stepped into the last corridor that really wasn't much of a _corridor_ so much as it was shelter from the rain. And there she was, so much closer than he felt privileged to be. She hadn't noticed him yet, hadn't heard his ragged breaths or pounding heart, hadn't sensed his presence. And Ron was grateful for that.

Moving a bit to get a better view of her, he feasted his eyes upon her, in some desperate attempt to remember her features, so that he could find her again. With the rain, her hair was damp so it was too hard to see the natural color of her hair, but Ron suspected it to be a darker color, not blonde. He was still too far away to see her eye color so he tried less obvious features. She seemed like she could come up to about his shoulder, probably an inch or two higher than that but not more. She was over all, petite, and walked with an air about her, not an arrogant one mind you, just an air that she knew things you didn't.

_It's the same feeling I get around Hermione sometimes_ Ron thought to himself as he snuck even closer to her. There now! Now he could see her lips, her dainty nose, her rosy cheeks, the faint tiny freckles that looked as though they had been splattered on her face, her—Wait! Ron's heart stopped beating. She looks just like—

"Hermione?!" Ron asked, so much surprise and confusion in his voice that he didn't even bother hiding it. The girl whipped her head around at his voice.

"Ron!" She shrieked

"What are doing out here?" He asked, now simply more confused than anything. Where was that girl? And what the bloody hell was Hermione doing out here in the cold?

"I-I was just walking around" She said, still staring at him with those gorgeous wide brown eyes.

"At midnight?" He inquired, forcing himself to concentrate on the situation at hand, instead of staring lovingly at her eyes.

"Yes" she blushed "I couldn't sleep"

"In the rain?"

"I love the rain"

"Oh." Ron said, taking a moment or two to study her. The way her hair had flown, when she'd whipped her head around to see him. It was the same way that girl's hair had flown when she twirled around. But no, it was impossible. That would be suggesting that Hermione was that beautiful, mysterious, innocent, exotic girl. The one that made him react the way he did to Veelas. The one who he had just sprinted here to see, afraid she might leave. The one who took walks by herself in the rain at midnight. The one who looked so innocent and carefree. The one who _danced_ in the rain.

And then it hit him. Hit him so hard, the wind was almost knocked out of him. Of course it was Hermione. He should have suspected from the beginning. She was the only girl he'd ever known who could make his stomach perform those tricks. The only who gave him that warm feeling like he was floating upon air. It always had been, and it always would be, Hermione. He'd realized before that he was in love with this wonderful girl standing in front of him, but to Ron, his love for her had never been so strong. She was everything he wanted and admired, and he wanted her to be his. But she couldn't be. Hermione was his best friend. Nothing more. And understanding that, made his heart sink.

"Ron? You there?" Hermione asked a dazed out Ron

"Yea. Sorry" He said, clearing his throat, trying to clear his face of the emotion he'd just felt.

"What are you doing up? I really am surprised. You usually sleep like a dead log during thunderstorms."

_That was it! She was the one who always said that…a dead log. I'll have to remember that for later!_ He thought. Shrugging, he ran a hand through his red hair, only to find it sopping wet. "I don't know actually. Just couldn't get back to sleep" He said; now giving his head a shake to rid his hair of the water. Unfortunately, since it was still raining, all he did was splatter water everywhere.

"Ah! Ron you're getting me wet!" She laughed.

"Who cares? You're already more wet than if you'd gone for a swim in the lake!"

Suddenly, he laughed when he saw her reaction to the evil grin he had currently spread across his face in relation to his brilliant idea. "Ron no!" She cried trying hard not to smile

"Oh yes Miss Granger! I think you fancy a swim!"

"Ronald Weasley you will not toss me into the lake!" She tried to sound stern, but both could tell she was failing miserably.

"I never said anything of the sort!" He said triumphantly

"Ron, please! Ah!" she screamed, as he easily scooped her into his arms, running as fast as he could to the lake's edge. "Ron!! Put me down this instant!"

"Alright" Ron remarked childishly, throwing her into the ice-cold lake. He waited for a few moments for her to resurface.

"RONALD WEASLEY!" He heard her scream, a laugh dancing throughout her words. He beamed.

"Yes poppet?"

"Help me up this instant!"

"Of course" He said, bending over and offering her his hand. And as he did, Hermione yanked his arm as if to pull him in as well. But unfortunately for Hermione, Ron had seen that move coming and quickly backed away, pulling her out with him. But the way physics worked out, Hermione's wet form ended up on top of Ron's.

It took both of them several moments, to play back in their minds what exactly had happened, and how they had ended up in this position. Both looked at the other uneasily, (Ron's senses currently on overdrive) not sure where to carry it from here.

"Ron?" Hermione asked softly

"Yea?" He replied

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure" He said nervously

"Can you give me an honest answer?" She asked, readjusting herself to that her legs were no longer on Ron's, but rather on the side, her hands supporting her up.

"I-I'll try"

"Why _do_ you suddenly eat your eggs?"

"My eggs?" Ron repeated, unable to comprehend that after that serious introduction they were going to talk about what he ate for breakfast.

"Yes."

"Well…I-I'm not exactly sure"

"I think you are"

"Why would you say that Miss Granger?"

"Because it's not just the eggs Ron. It's taking your own notes, not walking ahead of me" Here she paused "And not fighting with Malfoy. Everything I usually scold you for"

Ron sighed and his stomach twisted. She _had_ noticed! "Did you ever think that just maybe all of your constant nagging finally got to me?"

"All of that in one week?"

"How do you know my taste buds didn't just change? That I was sick of waiting for you to catch up to me? Or that I'd greatly matured and decided that Malfoy was a bag of dragon dung not worth looking at?" He smiled

Hermione sighed and got more comfortable on the grass, leaning against Ron more. "I'm serious"

"Why does it matter to you so much anyways? I'd have thought you'd be beaming"

"So did I." she mumbled under her breath

"What was that?"

"I--" Hermione paused, not entirely sure if she really wanted to say aloud what she was thinking. Deciding to keep her mouth shut, she turned away from him and moved over. "Never mind"

Ron's heart sank as her warmth left him. Sitting up and scooting over to her, he sighed and said softly, "Look did it ever cross your mind that maybe, I wanted to make you happy?" Well, he thought to himself, 'wanting to impress you' is _somewhat_ along those lines!

"Make me happy?" She repeated "But why would you think--"

"You're always nagging me about things like that. I just figured, it'd probably get old saying the same things over and over again for seven years. So I decided to put you out of your misery"

"Put me out of my misery?"

"Yes"

"Oh" She replied, looking at the wet grass with mock interest.

"Isn't that what you want?"

Her bottom lip trembled, and she was silent for many moments, trying quiet the sob that was occurring inside her. "Of course it is! Why wouldn't I want that?"

Ron studied her face carefully. "That's what you want?"

"That's what I want!" she declared, proud of her seemingly strong voice

"You know Hermione," Ron began still watching her, "When people get things that they want, aren't they usually happy?"

"I'm happy!" she said stubbornly

"You don't look happy"

"Well I am!" She cried out defensively

"No you're not," Ron said so softly it could have been considered a whisper "Look at me"

"No"

"Why not?"

"B-Because"

"Because you're about to cry and you don't want me to see, that's it isn't it?"

Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded.

"Why are you crying?" He whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder but refusing to do anything more than that for fear that he wouldn't be able to handle it. "Could it be that maybe it's _not_ what you want?"

Again, she nodded. Ron smiled sadly. "I thought so"

"I don't want you to change for me!" she suddenly burst out, her voice only wavering a little.

"Why not?" he asked, staring deeply into her eyes.

"Because I like you the way you are, Ron." She said seriously, placing a hand on the side of his face, making Ron's pulse go into overdrive "And as mental as this may sound, but I enjoy reminding you about little things like that."

"Why?"

"Because I'm a bossy know-it-all who likes to be in control of things," She joked

"No you're not," He said defensively

She shrugged, "I know it's true. And I know that's what a lot of people say behind my back. I'm just a silly bookworm, frizzy haired, muggleborn--"

Impulsively, before Ron understood what he was doing, he quickly placed a hand over Hermione's mouth, instantly shutting her up. His eyes were burning with anger, and he knew it. "Don't you ever say that about yourself" He said in a low voice

Hermione looked at him strangely. "Ron, I distinctly remember you saying those exact words in first year."

"Well I was a thick-headed, prat who couldn't tell right from left." He said angrily. "Please" He softened his voice, "Don't ever say that about yourself again. You're so much more than that and you know it"

Hermione opened her mouth in order to respond, but her voice seemed not be working. She was looking at Ron in a way indescribable; eyes filled to the brim with unshed tears.

"I mean, you're the smartest witch to have passed through Hogwarts, you're responsible, trustworthy, brave, a great friend, beautiful, car--"

"You think I'm beautiful?" She interrupted, a slightly confused look on her face. _Obviously_ Ron thought, _No bloke's ever told her that._ And for a moment, Ron was mad at all of the boys who talked all about her, raving about how pretty she was, but never once bothered to tell her. _Well you shouldn't be talking Weasley_. A voice inside his head cried out. _You're one of them._

Ron was having a difficult time breathing but he tried to make it sound as casual as he could, "'Course I do 'Mione"

Hermione looked down at her hands and smiled, "Thanks Ron"

"Anytime." Ron said, racking his brain for something else to say to fill the awkaward silence that was currently eating away at him.

"Ron?" She finally whispered

"Yea?" He whispered back

"Can we make a deal?"

"Sure"

"If I promise I won't talk like that again, will you promise never to change for me?" She asked, eyes looking at him hopefully.

"You sure? You honestly want me to not take my own notes anymore?"

"Yes"

"You want me to walk ahead of you and punch Malfoy when he infuriates me?"

Hermione smiled softly and took his face in her hands. "I just want you to be yourself. And if that includes me yanking you off Malfoy and rushing you to Madam Pomfrey, then yes."

Ron smiled, "Alright. But you have to keep your end of the bargain too you know."

"I know…" She smiled, still not releasing Ron's face from her hands. Not that he minded, mind you, in fact, he bit his tongue from mentioning it.

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She trailed off, cursing those blue eyes for trapping her own again. It seemed as though she could get lost in them; they seemed to hold every shade of blue imaginable, all swirled together in a dramatic starburst that was in every way, Ron.

With the realization that they both were moving sub-consciously towards each other, both froze where they were, mere inches apart. Ron couldn't breathe. Hermione shivered.

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He stared at her lips, oh how he wanted to lean just a little more forwards to capture them with his own! But eyes darting around, he realized this was not the place, this was not the time. Sighing, he pulled away and stood up, not really caring to meet Hermione's eyes and offered his hand to her. She looked up at him, unsure whether or not to take it. Finally accepting, he helped her off the ground, holding her hand a little longer than normal. "Now," He said placing a hand on her waist, "Let's get you inside. You're colder than ice."

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Hermione nodded her agreement, and willingly was led into Hogwarts. _Strange_, she thought to herself as she passed through the wooden doors to meet the wave of warmth that overwhelmed her as she entered the castle, where Ron reluctantly let go of her waist, _I only felt cold once he let me go. _

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To be Continued…


	7. Chapter Seven: Twas the Night Before Chr...

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CHAPTER SEVEN: TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Weeks and weeks went by without much activity. The days all seemed to mold into one, with the routine of school beginning to become as much a part of the students, and as second nature, as breathing. Before anyone could stop to catch their breaths, it was Christmas Eve.

Though things resumed somewhat back to normal, to Hermione, there was a difference in her relationship with Ron. They were still friends of course, and to Harry and the rest of the world, it appeared as though nothing was out of the ordinary. But there was. She felt it every time Harry left her and Ron alone. There was that awkward and silent moment. She felt it every time they made contact, whether it was a comforting hug, or elbows bumping into each other at the dinner table. There was that electric tension.

And here was where her dilemma lay. Though she'd felt emotions when she was with Ron, she'd put them in the back of her head, not wanting to deal with them. But, for some reason, they kept insisting on coming out of storage. Try as she might, there was no point in fighting them, so instead, here she sat, in front of the common room fire, finally surrendering to the mercy of her mind.

True, Hermione could no longer deny, that throughout the years, her friendship with Ron had always felt different than her friendship with Harry and looking back, she realized that she probably had had a bit of a crush on him. But with the mayhem at the Ministry and everything afterwards, Hermione simply forgot about her petty schoolgirl crush, more concerned with her survival and that of her friends.

But what did she feel towards Ron now? She wondered. It had been so long, she'd almost forgotten what it felt like to have a crush. It meant that she thought the boy was cute, that she thought he was nice or funny, and when he complimented her or gave her a hug, it meant more than it normally would have.

_Well_, she thought_, none of that has changed. But it's a bit more than just thinking he's nice… it's the little things. Like the way he always knows the right things to say, that lopsided grin of his that makes me go weak in the knees, the way his hair hangs in his eyes all the time, how sensitive he is, how he swears even though I tell him not to, how obsessed he is with Quidditch, how quick he is to come to my or Harry's defense, how fiercely loyal he is to us both, so loyal, that he'd die for us. He's brave, he's kind, no one else can make me smile like Ron can, he—_

Suddenly Hermione stopped, her eyes widened, and her mouth opened up into a little "o" shape with surprise. She'd already come to the conclusion that she felt much more for the bloke, but she'd never just sat down and listed it out like this. There was only one step higher beyond a crush, and with this realization, Hermione cringed. _Oh merlin!_ She cried internally _I-I'm in love with Ron!_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry and Ron laughed merrily as they trudged through the corridors, with a long trail of snow beginning to melt with the warmth of Hogwarts, following behind them. In Ron's opinion there was nothing better to cheer anyone up, than a competitive snowball fight. And Harry needed a good cheering up today. Christmas was always hard for him; the ache in his heart for family was strongest on this day of the year. But as Ron stole a glance at his best friend, he smiled; Harry seemed much better.

Crawling through the portrait hole, he was surprised to see Hermione sitting there without a book in her hands. She simply sat on the couch staring at the fire, the embers throwing a golden glow on the girl, accenting her soft brown eyes and beautiful brown hair. A mug of what he assumed to be hot tea was in her hands, and she sat still, staring at the dancing flames as though they'd told her a surprising fact. She was so entranced, in fact, that she never acknowledged their entrance.

"Hermione?" He asked, watching with a bit of confusion as the girl tore her eyes away from the fire and jumped when she saw Harry and himself standing there

"Oh it's just you two" She breathed, "How was your snowball fight?"

"Brilliant!" Harry said cheerfully, cheeks pink with the cold

She smiled "I'm glad. But look at you two! You're covered in wet snow! You better go up and change."

"Aw…C'mon Hermione!" Harry pretended to whine, "Why bother changing? My clothes are in the bottom of my trunk!"

"Because" She said motherly "You'll catch a cold and get me wet sitting on the couch next to me"

"Get you wet you say?" Harry asked mischievously

"Don't you dare, Harry Potter!" She shrieked as Harry proceeded in gathering her up in a hug

Ron laughed, beaming at Harry. It seemed like years sine he'd acted like this; though Ron would never admit it; he really missed having this sort of Harry around.

Hermione screamed childishly as Harry picked her up and spun her around. Ron watched with awe as he suddenly was reminded of that night in the rain. He saw that innocent happiness that made his stomach flip. It was right here in front of him, where he didn't have to squint through a fogged up window to see it.

Harry must have put Hermione down at some point because the next thing Ron knew, Harry was marching upstairs to change, leaving Hermione only a few feet away from him. Hermione was still smiling and she looked up to Ron, "Harry certainly seems happy. What did you do? Hit him with a snowball in the head?"

He shrugged, his mind still thinking about the way she had just looked. "I'm just glad he's back"

"Me too" She said, heading back over to the couch.

"You know" Ron said, following her "As brilliant as Christmas is, I always feel real bad for Harry around this time of year."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, sitting on the couch

"I don't know. It's just that Christmas is supposed to be all about being with the ones you love. Harry doesn't exactly have that." Ron said, sitting down next to her

"Sure he does. Harry has Lupin, and Dumbledore, and everyone else from the Order. He's got Neville and Ginny, and most importantly, he has you and me." She replied, sitting up from the couch the moment he sat down and walking over to the fire.

Ron stared at her back, confused. He was getting that sense that something wasn't right, and he bet all his chocolate frogs that it was something to do with Hermione. "Harry has us of course." He said "But he doesn't have family. True family. I'll bet you Harry has memories of Christmas's past that we can't even imagine. He once told me that he got a dirty pair of his uncle's socks as a present one-year! It just makes me realize how lucky I am." When Hermione didn't respond, Ron sighed and got up from the couch.

Hermione felt his eyes on her. It was rather like an additional sense to her; she'd been used to stares from the time she was old enough to read. She gritted her teeth in an effort to fight back the urge to turn around. She focused on the flames in front of her, not listening to too much of what Ron was saying to her. She felt guilty, but she had a much bigger problem on her hands now.

She was in love with Ron.

Out of all the facts Hermione Granger had ever known, this was the first she couldn't seem to wrap her mind around. And before she could even seem to acknowledge this realization, Ron had come bursting through the portrait hole, leaving her with no choice but to treat him in the friendly manner she'd used half her life and pretend like nothing had occurred.

It was too much. She needed time to think. She had to be sure. Love was much too powerful of a word to use lightly. She couldn't stand being in the same room as him right now, she had to leave, go to the library, her room…anywhere!

"Hermione?" A gentle voiced asked, making her cringe. "Are you okay?"

She turned around to face Ron. "Yes of course I'm fine. Why would you say something like that?" She said hoping her voice sounded normal, making her way over to the desk she'd been using, pretending to be looking for something.

"Because you keep running away from me," He said simply as he followed, a trace of hurt evident in his voice.

She froze where she was and spun around to squarely face him for the first time that evening. "I-I'm not running away"

"Yes you were. You just went from there to there to--"

"I wasn't running away from you" She said honestly, praying he'd believe her

Instead he gave her a confused look. Wrinkling up his nose a bit, tilting his head, and furrowing his eyebrows, he reminded Hermione of a kind of puppy she'd seen in a pet store once. "Then what were you running from?"

"I--" Hermione stammered, backing up as Ron was advancing towards her

"You can tell me anything you know"

"I know. I just--" This was not going where she had intended. Why was he making this all dramatic?

Ron stopped once Hermione reached the wall. "Just look at you 'Mione. You looking at me the way a baby animal would look at a hunter with a gun. I'm not going to hurt you. You should know that"

"I do, it's just that--"

"I'm your best friend. I want to help you." He said taking another step closer

_What is he going on about? I just can't be near him right now that's all! Why is he turning this into a big deal? And would he just stop getting closer to me!_

Hermione pressed her back further into the wall. "Ron please, I just need a few minutes by myself"

"What for?"

"I-I need to figure something out"

"Does it have something to do with me?"

Great, just bloody great! Now what am I supposed to say? He'll never leave me alone if I don't tell him something. Just think Hermione…

"Yes" She blurted out before she could catch herself

Yes? YES?? No! That was wrong answer! Now he's going to think he did something wrong!

"It does?" He asked softly

Hermione could do nothing but nod. His blue eyes widened, guilt obviously there but a certain kind of pain outlining them that made Hermione's heart break. "What did I do? I promise Hermione, whatever it is, I didn't mean to do it. I'm so sorry!"

"No Ron it's not like that it--"

He backed away from her "And to think I've been pressuring you to talk to me, when I was the one causing you all this pain to begin with." He muttered to himself

Great! Now you just hurt his feelings! You can't just leave him like this, even though those stairs do look tempting! Just make him believe it had nothing to do with him and then you can run for it!

"Ron--"

He looked at her with sad eyes, "I really am sorry Hermione."

"Ron you don't understand"

"Yes I do"

"No. You don't." She said softly, walking towards him. "It's not anything you did. It's me"

_Wow Hermione, that's a really old line! Way to be original! _

"I didn't do anything?" Ron asked

"No," she said smiling slightly "you didn't do anything wrong"

"Then how--"

"It's me Ron." Hermione said motioning to herself. "Not you" She said, placing a hand on the side of his face, despite her head screaming at her not to touch him.

"I never want to hurt you" Ron said sadly, his eyes finding hers.

"I know Ron."

"Promise me that you'll let me know if something I ever does upsets you?"

"I promise"

"You have to really mean it"

"I do"

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you why you kept running away from me earlier?"

"We're back on this subject again aren't we?" Hermione teased. Ron looked down. "It's really bothering you isn't it?" She asked curiously. He nodded.

"I never want you to be upset with me."

"Well Ron, I'm sorry to break it to you, but since we fight every week, I'm upset with you quite a lot"

"I'm not talking about that kind of fighting. I'm talking about us not talking for months like we did in third year."

"Oh. That was pretty terrible wasn't it?"

"Yeah. I hated it."

"You were the one who started it!"

"I never knew it'd turn out like that!"

"But it did"

"I know, that's why I never want that to happen again. So?"

"So what?"

"So can you tell me please?"

"Ron please…"

"Just say it," He said, taking a step closer

"I don't know exactly why" She sighed

"You have to have some idea"

"I just--"

"Yes?" He asked, taking a second step, their bodies now so close they could feel the hot breaths of the other on their faces.

"I-I was afraid," she whispered

"Of me?" Ron asked, getting a panic look in his eyes for the second time that night. It literally broke Hermione's heart to seem him like this. Not knowing what else to do, she grabbed his face and pulled him closer to her so that his face was level with hers.

"Not of you. Of me" She said slowly so that he could comprehend.

_What are you doing? Get your hands off of him! Didn't you learn anything from the night in the rain??! You cannot be in this close proximity with Ron Weasley until you figure everything out! _

There were a few moments of silence where the other took notice of the position they were in. Hermione's head swam and her knees felt weak. Ron's hand was on the wall above Hermione's head, his face in her hands, her back against the wall. Not knowing quite what to say, Ron lifted his hand to cover Hermione's, intertwining their fingers.

The waves of electricity that shot up Hermione's arm with the touch almost made her faint. She looked at Ron to see if he had noticed anything. She couldn't tell by his expression; it was the same one he'd worn that night in the rain, and the night in his dormitory but his look brought her towards him, overpowering all thoughts that were currently sending a big red sign through her mind.

As if on cue, Ron tilted forwards enough so that their noses were touching.

_Oh God. Hermione, listen to me, Run! _

Hermione's heart fluttered and she moved her hands from his face to his broad shoulders. His arms snaked around her waist and her eyes slowly closed.

But in the back of her mind a huge warning sign flashed brightly. This was wrong, she was vulnerable and Ron was her friend. Just her friend.

Ron dove in for the kiss and suddenly Hermione snapped her eyes open.

Ron's mind was lost, all he could think about was the way Hermione's lips would feel against his own. But as he closed his eyes and pushed his face forwards, he felt a small, smooth finger instead of those luscious lips of hers.

He opened his eyes immediately. Hermione was there, in his arms, looking at him with the saddest expression he'd ever seen. Tears were accumulating in her eyes already and suddenly Ron felt his heart drop into his stomach.

"I-I'm sorry" she choked

Ron blinked back tears of his own. She didn't feel the same way. She didn't love him like he'd always hoped. "I s-shouldn't have. I'm so sorry Hermione." He moaned. He felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest and stomped on. How could he have been so thick?

"That was it," He heard her whisper to no one in particular.

"What?" he asked, his voice strained

"That was what I was afraid of"

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Hermione closed her eyes and pressed her back against her door as she shut it. She remained in that position for several moments, her mind racing through the chain of events that had just occurred in the common room and she cursed everything she could think of. Finally giving into exhaustion, she stalked over to her bed and fell into it, uncharacteristically like Hermione. She laid on her stomach, her face buried deep into a pillow.

Why had she stopped him? She loved him and he was the one asking for the kiss! Why hadn't she just sucked it up and puckered her lips?

Because it happened too fast. She answered for herself. You can't just go kissing a friend like that. Especially only ten minutes after I figured out that I'm in love with the bloke.

But you handled it wrong. She argued. You should have left before he managed to pin you to the wall. You should have excused yourself the moment they came through the portrait hole. Bloody hell you even could have looked away instead of egging him on like that. You were right to begin with! Now what does this make it? THREE bloody times you almost kissed him?? Things will never be the same after this.

Too tired to think anymore, Hermione shut down her mind and slipped under the covers, determined to take care of it in the morning. As for now, she'd slip into her dream world where she didn't mix things up, Voldemort was absent, and her pillows weren't drenched with tears.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hermione's eyes snapped open at the loud bang. Sitting up in bed, she listened carefully as she heard a series of thuds; each one coming closer and closer. Heart beating fast, she held her breath and fingered her wand under her pillow, waiting for some kind of intruder. She was ready. If a Death Eater of some kind opened her door, she'd wait until he slowly approached her bed and then…then she'd take him by surprise.

But the person who slammed her door open with an even louder sound than what she'd heard before, didn't wait to look around or walk slowly towards her.

Ron didn't miss a beat in running towards Hermione and grabbing her arm, yanking her up upon her feet.

"Ah!" Lavender Brown screamed, not yet recognizing the intruder. As predicted, all the other girls in the room slowly started waking up.

"Ron? What do you think--" Hermione began.

"It's Harry" Ron said quickly, his face pale and the arm that was currently holding a lantern shaking.

Hermione's heart momentarily stopped beating. "What's wrong?"

"Come on!" He said, ignoring her question, grabbing her hand, and running at an impressive speed out of her room.

"Ron!" She cried as she half-ran, half-flew, down the stairs. "Please tell me what's going on!"

"He had another nightmare," Ron shouted over his shoulder as they reached the bottom of the stairs and began running across the common room. "Voldemort invaded his mind again, gave him another sort of vision."

"What was it?" Hermione asked as she ascended the stairs that led to the boys dormitory.

But Hermione never got an answer to her question as she crossed the threshold of the room, where Neville, Seamus, and Dean were gathered around Harry's bed, looking frightened out of their minds.

Panic immediately seized hold of her and she approached the bed with caution.

Harry lay on his back, his face a deathly pale, his eyes focused on something above him, the rest of him looked as though immobile. Leaning over him, she put a hand to his forehead. He was hot, but it was obvious he was in some kind of cold sweat. She turned to the boys. "What happened?"

"We're not sure. He was screaming bloody murder; woke the whole lot of us up" Seamus spoke up, appearing nervous and nothing like the arrogant boy he sometimes was. "Ron knows better"

Hermione nodded her head, accepting the answer and turned her attention back to Harry. She took his cold hand in hers, squeezing it gently and stroked his hair. "Harry?" she called out. "Harry please look at me."

"We've been calling at him for a while now. He doesn't seem to be responding" Dean said

Hermione ignored him. "Harry! Harry! It's important that you look at me, to let me know you're okay."

Nothing.

"Harry Potter you will look at me and tell Ron and I what happened!"

"Hermione…"

"Harry…please" She whispered, biting her bottom lip to hold back tears. "See? Now I'm going to cry. I know you hate it when I cry but I can assure you that I will if you don't look at me this instant!"

"It's not working" Dean said sadly

"Have you sent for Dumbledore?" She whispered.

"No" Neville replied, "Ron wanted to get you first."

"Go get him please. Hurry!"

"I can't be out alone after curfew!" Neville said horrified "I'd get detentions for a month!"

Ron sighed, "Fine then, Dean you go with him"

"I can handle detention, but Filch is something else. He wouldn't believe a word I said." At this the boy gave a shudder

"Finnegan! You can lie like the devil! Please just go with them!"

"Fine but you owe me Weasley!"

"Just get your asses down there before you have Harry's death on your hands!"

With that comment, it took no less than 20 seconds for the three boys to hurry out the door. The door slammed shut and Hermione suddenly realized that she was alone with Ron again, though technically Harry was also present but Hermione didn't see fit to count him if he couldn't move. Her heart sped up a bit and she told herself repeatedly to act as though nothing had happened unless he confronted her. She focused her attention instead, on Harry.

It was simply astounding how dead Harry looked. The only clues he was alive were that his chest rose and fell and Hermione had found a pulse. The sight of him brought tears to her eyes. He had been doing so well, and now…depending on how horrible the vision was, he might never be the same again. She sighed and looked at Ron.

He was sitting on his own bed watching her and Harry. He looked exhausted.

And suddenly, that feeling of love she'd felt on the couch earlier, came again, but stronger. His dedication to Harry was so wonderful. He was self sacrificing and unselfish. He was strong and brave and a capable wizard. He was humorous and cute with a gift for making people smile. He was everything Hermione wanted.

"Thank you" she heard herself say.

He looked up, surprised that she had said anything. "For what?"

"For coming to get me," She whispered, "I would have hated to wake up not knowing what was going on"

"Sure thing." He responded, obviously uncomfortable with saying much more, the memory of the common room still fresh in both their minds.

Many minutes of silence followed until, "Hermione, look I--"

"Is he in here Mr. Longbottom?" A voice interrupted.

"Yes Sir" Neville's faint voice was heard.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other. "What were you going to say Ron?" she asked, heart beating fast.

"I—never mind. It wasn't that important" He said wearily, rising the moment the Headmaster entered the room.

"Hello Professor" He said respectfully

"Hello Mr. Weasley. Where is Mr. Potter?"

"Right here Sir. He hasn't moved since he woke up."

Dumbledore nodded, striding over to the bed to look at Harry. He waved a hand in front of his eyes and then turned around to face the students.

"Could someone please tell me what happened?" He asked calmly but with a sense of urgency.

"I heard him having a nightmare when I came up but didn't pay it much attention since he has them every night." Ron began "But we all woke up when he began screaming. He's never screamed quite like this Headmaster. I immediately ran to his bed and shook him awake. He was sweating and he looked absolutely petrified and just said my name real weakly."

"Did he mention having a vision?" Dumbledore asked

"Not exactly. He kept muttering Voldemort under his breath so I kind of put two and two together. But whatever it is, it must be bloody terrible because he hasn't moved since, not even when I got Hermione."

"And this is all true Miss Granger?"

"Every word Professor."

Albus sighed. "Well then, there's not much else to do except to get him to hospital wing quickly. Poppy! Would you mind?"

Everyone looked towards the woman who had been standing in the open doorway. As if on cue, she suddenly began fussing over everyone, putting Harry onto a magically transfigured stretcher that she floated in front of her out the door. Seamus, Dean, and Neville looked at each other; unsure whether or not they should follow.

"It's alright boys. You may go back to bed, I can assure you, Mr. Potter is in good hands." Dumbledore said as though he had read their thoughts.

"You sure?" Seamus asked, "There isn't anything else we could do?"

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Finnegan."

"Well then, suppose I'll see you two in the morning then." Seamus said to Ron and Hermione.

"Yes, Yes, see you in the morning." Ron said, busying himself. "Hey! Finnegan?"

"Yea?"

Ron smiled sadly. "Thanks for helping. All of you"

The three boys smiled sadly back at Ron, "It wasn't a big deal. Harry's our friend too."

"Still…thanks"

"Your welcome. Good night Ron, Hermione"

"Good-night" Hermione responded before turning to the Headmaster. "Professor Dumbledore sir?"

"Yes Miss Granger?"

"I was wondering…would Ron and I be able to stay with Harry?"

"Stay with Harry?"

"Yes, I know that he's out of it, but I think it'd help if we were there when he woke up."

"There aren't accommodations fit for you to spend the night, Miss Granger"

"I understand that. But I'd be willing to sleep in a chair if Ron is"

"Mr. Weasley?"

"Of course. Yea, that'll do."

"Very well then. I'll show you to the hospital wing."

"Thank you"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It took a good hour to get Harry, Ron and Hermione situated. Madam Pomfrey had a fit when she found out that they were staying the night in chairs, but after much coaxing, they finally convinced her. After attending to Harry in the form of making him take many potions, she finally announced that he would revive in no less than an hour, at which time, it would be their job to try to get him to talk.

Until that time, it appeared to Hermione, that she and Ron would sleep. He hadn't said a word to her since they left the dormitory and as much as she hated it, she supposed at least this way, she didn't have to say anything back to him.

Her heart was really in the gutter. He didn't appear mad, but knowing Ron, he was immensely hurt (not that he would admit it). And then Harry. She was terrified of what he would say when he woke up. He'd been doing so good…she prayed that he wasn't the way he was sixth year…that had not been fun.

The minutes passed and try as she might, Hermione couldn't for the life of her fall asleep. Too much had happened in one night, she couldn't possibly sleep now. Sighing and shifting in her chair, she finally gave up and took out a book.

Not only did immersing herself in a novel clear her mind, but it also calmed her emotions, a drug she desperately needed right now. So she wasn't surprised when an hour passed (though it felt like only minutes) and Harry began to stir.

It began with some moaning; moans and cries that sent goosepimples up her arms. Then he tossed and turned in his bed, twisting up the covers. Full-blown shouts and tears ended the dramatic scene and by this time, not only had Hermione woken up Ron, but also she was holding Harry's hand, whispering soothing words to him as he eased out of his nightmare.

"Wha-Where am I?" Harry asked confused, looking around for his glasses.

"Here mate" Ron said, putting Harry's glasses on his face.

"Ron? Hermione? What are you doing here?"

"If you're in the hospital wing, where else do you think we'd be?" Ron said with good humor

"No you can't be here!" He shouted

"Why not Harry?" Hermione asked, somewhat hurt

"You can't…hurry! Please get out!"

"We've been waiting forever for you to wake up. I'm not going bloody anywhere"

"Ron…"Hermione scolded

"Please! Go hide! Do something! Don't just sit there staring at me!"

"Harry…" Hermione began "I don't know what you're thinking but we're not in any kind of danger. Just pleas--"

"But we will be" Harry whispered, looking out the window on the opposite wall, his eyes glazing over.

"What?" Ron asked

"Voldemort invaded my mind again" Harry choked

"We figured" Ron said uncomfortably running a hand through his long red hair.

"He's coming for us…" Harry continued in a Trelawney-like voice. "He's got more followers than we think. He wants us to know…wants us to try to put up a fight, he's that confident he'll win"

"That's very foolish of him" Hermione sniffed

"No it's not…" Harry argued, "You should have seen them Hermione. Hundreds…I-I've never seen so many Death Eaters."

"Harry it could have been a mind trick he was playing on you"

"NO IT WASN'T!" He shouted, making both Ron and Hermione jump back, casting weary glances at each other. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! HE'S COMING! HE'S COMING SOON!! HE'S GOT HIS FOLLOWERS. WITH THEM, THEY'LL ATTACK THE SCHOOL. THEY'LL KILL EVERYONE. YOU TWO ARE THE PRIME TARGETS AFTER ME, YOU KNOW THAT??! THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT YOU, THEY--" With this, Harry began to cry against his will.

Hermione looked at her friend with a horrified expression. She'd never seen Harry cry. She'd seen his subconscious tears as he slept and she'd seen him angry and violent…but she'd never seen him shed actual tears. Not like this. Not these heart wrenching sobs that tore her apart. She stole a glance at Ron, who was staring at Harry with the same expression she was.

Ron watched as Hermione climbed into the small bed with Harry and enveloped him in a hug. Harry held onto Hermione, burying his head in her bushy hair, like the world was ending. And to Harry, that's probably what it was.

Suddenly, everything made sense now. Comprehending everything Harry had said, he understood the true meaning Harry's words. They were coming! Voldemort and his newfound alliances were planning to attack the school…. soon.

He had to do something! Sitting here crying, as terrible as it was, wasn't going to solve anything. He and Hermione needed to get the details from Harry, and then go tell Dumbledore! Dumbledore would know what to do! Opening his mouth to tell Hermione this new plan of his, he closed his mouth when he saw her.

She was curled up at Harry's side, stroking his hair in a soothing manner. And as he looked closer he could tell she was trying desperately hard for Harry's sake not to cry. A flash of jealousy, however minor it seemed, surged through Ron's body at the sight of them, but he cursed himself internally for it; reminding himself that this was not the time.

"Harry?" Ron asked in what he hoped seemed like a calm voice

Harry looked towards him.

"What did Voldemort say? Did he give you any details?"

Harry nodded his head, avoiding eye contact with Ron. "Just taunted me really. They got the Dementors and Giants on their side."

"I thought Hagrid was working with them?" Hermione asked in an innocent voice

"Guess it didn't work out" Harry replied miserably

"Anything else mate? He didn't tell you his plans did he?"

"'Course not. Just told me to be warned, that they were coming soon, and to" He swallowed "To watch out for you and Hermione. He really wants you two, you know? Thinks it'll be the key to breaking me down"

"We've always known that we'll be targets mate. We've always known that we've been in danger."

"No, it's different this time. He wants you to kill you Ron!"

"Harry" Hermione said, putting a hand on his arm, "Ron and I understand. Really. Ever since first year, we've understood that being friends with you includes risking our lives. It's almost gotten to be routine, I don't even think about it anymore"

"Well you should" He snapped "You don't seem to understand. He wants to torture you two to insanity. Make me watch it all. Hermione, they'd probably take you prisoner and use you as a shag toy. Ron, they'd kill you so fast you wouldn't know what hit you"

"Harry please don't talk like that," Hermione whispered, tears welling in her eyes

"This is what I'm talking about. Ever since fifth year we knew that the war was coming. I'm telling you it's coming soon, maybe within a few months. Hermione that could easily be our futures."

"No please stop. I don't want to hear it"

"You have to"

"No I don't!" She said forcefully, "If we win Harry, none of that will happen"

"It's a 50 chance 'Mione"

"But that's still half in our favor" She argued stubbornly

"I know, but you have to be prepared" Harry cried defensively

"I'll deal with it if the time comes. But I can assure you Mr. Potter, I will not be taken prisoner and be used, as you so plainly said it, as a shag toy."

Harry sighed. "I don't want to fight with you Hermione. I'm just telling you"

"I know more spells than three Death Eaters put together. They don't stand a chance if they try to rape me"

"Unless they have four Death Eaters" Ron said smirking. Hermione looked offended for a moment, before she caught Ron's smile, then she hit him over the head with one of Harry's pillows.

"Not funny Ron. This isn't the time to be making jokes"

"On the contrary, I think it is the perfect time. Bout time one of us smiles, things were getting too heavy"

Hermione fought back a smile of her own, "Yes well about that…Harry, we need to report this to Dumbledore."

"I know; he needs to tell the Order."

"What do you think he'll do?" Ron wondered

All went quiet for a moment or two as the three thought. "He'll probably recruit some students who want to fight."

"Strengthen the defense wards on the castle"

"Cancel trips to Hogsmeade"

"Cancel homework?" Ron asked hopefully. Hermione and Harry laughed.

"Wishful thinking Ron. Believe me, in these next few weeks, I think homework is going to be the least of our worries"

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(A/N: I realize that I keep switching where I put these author alerts but I think it depends on the chapter. Anyways, I know it's been a full week since I've last update but as you all can imagine, Christmas and Homework took over my last week before we went on break. It was just one of those weeks where everyone is up to here with papers and projects due. I calmed down three of my sobbing best friends this past week on the phone; these papers were so intense. But anyways, I'm going out of town on the 21st so this might be the last update before the New Year! Which is one of the reasons I made it 18 pages long. But who knows? I might have time to write, we'll see. Big thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! This chapter was different and kind of jumpy to me, so I'd love to see what you guys think! I'm just trying to get to my next plot point! If I don't update before the holidays, Happy Christmas/Holidays and Happy New Year! Hugs, Haystack)

CrazyWomanLovesYou: So nice to hear from a new reviewer!! Thanks so much for reviewing!

Bhekie: I hope that was a good :( lol…thanks again for reviewing so faithfully! Hope this chapter was to your liking!

AmyChris: I'm so sorry about the update! I personally adore rain so I just had to add a little rain dance in there, I couldn't resist! Lol…yes, Ron is a sweetheart. If only there were many many more guys out there like him, this world would be so nice! Lol thank you for the encouraging feedback!

Smiles28: Yes yes, I know, ANOTHER almost kiss? I myself am getting annoyed with that so I assure that this is the last one until….never mind I won't spoil it ;) I really am tryin to speed things along to get to the good stuff. Does it go too fast? I kind of get that but oh well. I completely agree with you! I want a real-life Ron, I'm not picky, he doesn't have to have red hair and blue eyes…but I, like you, don't have anyone at the moment and I suppose it's just my view on boys right now cause being single is good. I adore the rain with passion so there's that bit of me in Hermione. Thank you sooooo much for your continually, faithful, encouraging, support and feedback! It's just the highlight of my week! Thanks again and Happy holidays!!


	8. Chapter Eight: Promising Discoveries

A/N: Hey everyone! I just got back from vacation as you can see so in case you didn't read my author note on the last chapter, that's why I didn't update. Really hope you all liked this chapter cause I didn't have time to really read through it and edit it, so if there are any mistakes then I'm sorry! We're getting closer and closer….I predict probably two or three more chapters until things start getting really good. I'm quite excited about what's to come so if things seem a bit boring stay with me! Um…I think that's about it, I hope everyone had a good Christmas/holiday season and if I don't update till after New Years, then Happy 2005 everyone! Again, thanks for all the reviews!!!)

cumbacksirius: Don't worry about the internet thing. I understand completely, my internet has that tendency too! Annoying isn't it? Lol As you saw in this last chapter Harry kind of goes back and forth between his normal and depressed self. It just all depends on what situations he's put into. Thanks again for reviewing and the encouraging words!!

Bhekie: lol I know, those kisses were annoying me too! But I promise, no more till they really do kiss! Thanks for the review!!

AmyChris: You're such an enthusiastic reviewer! I love it! Lol I'm terribly sorry about the update but I was out in the country with no connection whatsoever. I can't say anything about the war or killing off Ron or anyone else for that matter but I hope you like what happens! Thanks so much for reviewing!!

Smiles28: WOW! You most definitely have won the longest review I've ever received award! YAY FOR YOU! Lol Thanks!! You know what's funny about that whole Harry thing? I find that you can read a character and get a sense for their thoughts and stuff, but it's when you actually sit down and try to write them, that you find out things about them that you never knew! I don't really know how to explain it so I hope that made somewhat sense. But I just find that so cool! And it goes for all characters too! Lol yes I love Ron too!! There was some poll recently and it asked if you thought JKR would kill off any of the trio and out of the three Ron was the highest and it made me so sad! I would cry soo hard if he died! Yes, he is a sweetie and I really like how he uses humor, even in the most serious of times, cause when he does the mood get lighter and than ppl can think and stuff and it just makes it easier. I think Hermione's problem is probably more confusion than fear because I know I've had several conversations with guys and girls about the whole "love" thing and everyone I've talked to has agreed with me that you can't really love at our age, it's more like hard core crushing or puppy love or whatever. So I kind of think that Hermione has that idea in her mind that love is preposterous for someone her age and when she finally realizes that she is really and truly in love with Ron, she gets confused and then also afraid of loosing him or whatever. Oh and btw: I'm glad you didn't delete what you wrote and it did give me a laugh but not cause it didn't make sense, it did! Lol And thanks so much for that lovely compliment on this being the best of my three stories. I really do prefer this style of writing better than whatever it was I used in my other stories. It's just easier somehow. I know that your on vacation now but I'll look forward to hearing from ya when you get back! Thanks again!!! Hugs!

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CHAPTER EIGHT: PROMISING DISCOVERIES

Unfortunately for Ron, homework and classes were not cancelled. And as a matter of fact, if there were any changes made, the trio didn't notice. A fact that greatly disturbed Harry.

Dumbledore had reacted calmly and asked many questions in great detail, most of the questions directed towards Harry. Once he was through, he sent them on their ways much to their protests of wanting to help. So it was with caution and weariness, the trio resumed their usual activities.

Harry was much more solemn than he'd been at the beginning of term, even paranoid at times. He watched over Ron and Hermione like a hawk and his nightmares were worse than ever. He always bags under his eyes and he never could focus in class. Quite frankly, Ron and Hermione were worried.

Quidditch helped Ron immensely, focusing all his pent up frustration into the game, making him a very dangerous Keeper to mess with. He led Gryffindor to an outstanding victory over Slytherin that had Ron smiling for weeks and girls giggling over him.

Hermione was found more often than usual in the library, pouring over mountains of spell books. She claimed to be studying in advance for NEWTS but Ron knew that she was reading up on combat spells. She would disappear at dinner many times and head to an empty classroom to practice what she'd learned, not coming back to the common room until well past curfew.

Ron knew deep down that playing Quidditch instead of learning like Hermione, wouldn't serve him well in the near future, but Ron had, like Hermione, stuck faithfully to the live-for-the-moment-don't-think-about-the-future way of thinking, because it was far too emotional draining to think of the future.

Of course, they listened to Harry's rants about being prepared and on the edge, but neither honestly paid him much attention. They'd nod their heads and agree with him in all the right places, but would immediately push the information out of their minds once he was done. After all, if Dumbledore wasn't taking action yet why should they?

It was late February and the snow that lay atop Hogwarts grounds was only beginning to melt; the bitter cold only starting to ease. Hard-core Quidditch fans didn't notice the whipping winds or the collections of snow on their cloaks but it was an excuse that got Hermione out of many Quidditch games.

And it was so such days, that Hermione found herself in the library.

She sighed as she pulled yet another book from the shelf sat down at her usual table by the windows. She had nothing against Quidditch; no matter what Ron said, she really and truly enjoyed the games. But it terrified her when Harry and Ron played so competitively, always doing those vertical dives and hopping off their brooms to make some remarkable move that made the crowds go wild. She never could take her eyes off them, and spent the whole game watching their every move. And besides, she had much better things to do these days.

After getting out her parchment and quill out, with an extra supply of ink today in order for her to take notes, she opened the dusty volume to begin her tantalizing research; until a shadow fell across the words on the page.

Startled, Hermione looked up to find Ron standing there, all decked out in his Quidditch robes a smile on his freckly face.

"Hey 'Mione" He said

"Ron!" She said surprised "I thought you were already supposed to be in the locker room for Harry's speech."

He shrugged. "Hey, I'm best mates with the captain, I'm allowed to miss one every now and then."

Hermione frowned. "He shouldn't be giving you breaks just because your friends"

Ron smiled and sat down "It doesn't matter. Besides, he wanted me to come find you"

"He did? Why?"

"Well…" He began looking out the window. "We wanted you to come to the game today."

"Oh Ron you know I can't. I have to--"

"Do research" He finished for her sadly.

"Yes" She said quietly.

Ron looked around the library for a while. "Look Hermione, I know how important your research is to you. But you haven't been to a game since Christmas and this game really counts. It's the big one that determines if we're still in the running for the cup. Please, just say you'll come. Harry and I want you there."

Hermione bit her lip and looked around her uncertainly. Ron's blue eyes bore into hers and when she finally met them, they weren't upset like she expected them to be, but instead, patient and calm. Her stomach did that flip she'd become accustomed to in the past few months around Ron and she felt herself caving in.

She smiled "Alright, I'll be there"

"Really?!" Ron asked, his face lighting up

She laughed at his happiness, "I said I'd be there and I will"

"You won't back out and just come the last few minutes?"

"No, I'll be there the whole game. Just let me go back to the room to drop my things off alright?"

"Okay that's fine I--" he paused and looked at Hermione for a second and smiled "Thanks for coming."

"It's nothing Ron, you're right. I haven't been to a game in a long time. Thanks for coming up to find me."

"Ah well yes, your welcome. I-I better get back. I guess I'll see you after the game then"

"Yes I'll see you after the game." Hermione smiled, as he walked off. "Ron!"

"Yea?" He poked his head back into the room

She smiled warmly at him "Good luck"

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It took Ron quite a while to get to the Gryffindor locker room, as several groups of students stopped him to wish him luck. Ron grinned happily as he strode across the pitch, listening to the cheers with enthusiasm. Though things might not have been going too great in his life, Quidditch was his drug that kept him going. Because when he was on his broom, he was an invincible monster and everyone loved him.

Ron entered the locker room just as Harry was wrapping up his speech.

"This is the game that determines if we're in the running for the cup," Harry said, enthusiastically, standing on the bench. "This is everything we've worked for. If we don't beat Ravenclaw then this is our last game. We've worked too bloody hard for that to happen. Put all you have into this game. Do whatever you can. Get dirty if you have to. Ravenclaw isn't that much of a challenge, just watch out for their beaters. We can win this! Stay focused and ignore the crowds today, no matter what they or bloody Finnegan say. Come on! Let's go!"

With the end of Harry's speech, the team cheered and hollered at the top of their lungs, everyone's blood pumping. Harry motioned them towards the doors and hopped off the bench, making his way over to Ron.

"What did Hermione say?" He asked

"She's coming!" Ron said with a broad smile.

"Really? What did you do to get her to agree?"

"Nothing actually. I think she was just waiting for us to invite her"

"Well good. Did you tell her where to meet after the game?"

"No, but she should remember. At the entrance to the locker room, like always."

"Sounds good, c'mon let's go!"

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"The Quaffle goes to Smith! Oy! It's intercepted by Gryffindor's Adams! Whoa look at that midget go! Bloody Hell he's good for a squirty second year! Yea yea, I know Professor, I shouldn't swear when I'm in charge of the commentary; my apology. YES! GRYFFINDOR SCORES! This puts the score at Gryffindor-40 Ravenclaw-50."

Ron looked around the pitch, while atop his broom. The stands were packed today, which was unusual for a Ravenclaw/Gryffindor game. Usually the only ones as full as today were the Gryffindor/Slytherin games. But either way it honestly didn't matter to Ron, as long as they won.

He was beating himself for letting those shots go through the hoops, but Harry had been right, the beaters were great. He rubbed his head where he was sure a bruise would appear in the morning and almost didn't see the Quaffle headed his way.

"C'mon Weasley!" The loudspeaker urged.

Yanking his broom upwards he flicked the end of his broom just in time. The red ball shot backwards, away from the hoops, and towards a Gryffindor chaser. Smiling at his accomplishment, Ron watched the game with pleasure. Gryffindor scored again.

About to let himself wander into his own thoughts again, Ron was suddenly shoved off his broom with such force, the wind was knocked out of him. He grabbed desperately onto the handle of his old broom, hanging from the end of it. The crowd gasped.

His hands were sweating and he kept slipping. He put his other hand onto the broom and tried to lift himself up back upon it, but it was no use, gravity was pulling too hard on him.

Now beginning to panic, Ron looked around desperately. There had to be some way.

"HOLY SHIT! WEASLEY GET BACK ON YOUR BLOODY BROOM! THE QUAFFLE IS COMING!!!" Seamus screamed, making Ron's heart nearly stop. He looked up and saw the red ball shooting at an impressive speed towards him. He had to make that save.

Without really understanding what he was doing, Ron started swinging his body back and forth. He got going well enough and as the Quaffle came within his reach, he pushed with all his might, his legs swinging up over his head, making contact with the ball and sending it away from the hoops.

The crowd exploded. Seamus was shouting something at him and the cheers were unlike anything Ron had heard. His teammates were cheering him and Harry came over to his side to help him back onto his broom.

"Thanks mate" Ron said

Harry shook his head, beaming "That was one spectacular save, Ron."

As Harry rode off, Ron laughed. It was half time and the teams were heading back towards ground. Ron pushed his broom down slowly, enjoying the cheers of his name and the applause he was still receiving.

And suddenly, Ron was on top of the world. Nothing else mattered but the sound of the crowds. All thoughts of Voldemort and danger disappeared from his mind, and for the first time in years, Ron Weasley was truly carefree.

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Once Harry caught the snitch, the game was over, and Gryffindor had won. Gryffindor students burst onto the field to congratulate the team and even some of the Professors joined in on the celebrating. Fred and George's firecracker items were bursting all around and suddenly Harry, Ron, and the rest of the team were hoisted upon people's shoulders, paraded about like heroes. Ron caught Harry's surprised expression and the two boys laughed at each other.

Only once the celebrating died down and the crowds headed back towards the castle, all Gryffindors eagerly awaiting the party that would soon follow in the common room, were Ron and Harry able to look for Hermione. They strode across the field towards the locker room, looking for her bushy hair that always gave away her identity in a large crowd. After yet after several minutes of searching, they saw no such hair.

"Hermione!" Ron called out. He got no response. The crowds were now draining out and very few people remained, and still, there was sign of the girl.

"Maybe she forgot where to meet us," Harry said. "Let's go back to the common room and look for her there."

"Alright" Ron agreed, desperately trying to ignore the feeling of disappointment that was surging throughout his body.

When they were finished changing, the two boys made the long trek back towards the castle, and Ron kept an eye out for Hermione every inch of the way there. Harry chatted to him about something, but Ron wasn't paying attention. Even the compliments from the pretty girls nearby didn't distract him.

The moment they reached the portrait hole, Ron hurried inside, glad to rid himself of those two girls who insisted on hanging on his arm the whole way there. He spotted his sister almost immediately.

"Ginny!" He shouted above the music that was blaring

"Hey! Congratulations Ron!" She said, kissing his cheek.

"Thanks. Ginny have you seen Hermione anywhere?"

"Hermione? I thought she was in the library"

"She was, but then I invited her to the game and she agreed to come."

"Really? Well I met her outside and asked if she wanted to walk with me towards the pitch and she said she had to get to the library."

"No Gin, that was earlier. I'm talking about after the game."

"Ginny!" A sixth year Gryffindor called out "Do you want to dance with me?"

His baby sister smiled "Sure! Here Ron, would you mind holding my drink for me?"

"Yes I would mind!" He snapped "Ginny where--"

"Just check the library Ron!" She called, as the boy pulled her away.

Deflated, Ron looked around for Harry. "Harry!" He called

"Ron! Over here!" Harry motioned him over to where he and Dean were talking.

"Harry we need to find Hermione!"

"She's not here?" Harry asked, surprised, as he looked around the room.

"No she's not! Harry something must be wrong! She promised she'd go to the game; what if she was attacked or something?!"

"Ron calm down. I'm sure Hermione was at the game and we just missed her." Harry yelled as Seamus changed the music and turned it up even louder.

"You might want to check the library!" Dean shouted, "I mean, if you ever can't find Hermione, that's where you're supposed to check first isn't it?"

Harry sighed. "Alright Ron c'mon let's go check the library. Thanks Dean!"

"Anytime!" The boy responded

"Harry" Ron said, once they were outside the common room "Let's check the hospital wing first!"

"Ron stop being daft! Hermione is not hurt! Do you honestly think McGonagall would have let us play and then go to a party, if Hermione was hurt?"

"Well no but--"

"She would have cancelled the game like she did in second year."

"That was different."

"No it's not. Why are you all worked up over this?"

"I'm not. It's just that she promised."

"And if I know Hermione, then she always keeps her promises. Honestly, when has she ever broken a promise to you?"

"Never" Ron grumbled

"See? There you go. You're just over thinking this. C'mon let's just go in." He said, motioning towards the doors they were standing in front of.

"Fine but you go first"

Harry rolled his eyes as he pushed open the doors to the library and walked in, Ron in tow, several steps behind him.

"See?" Harry said smugly, pointing to the same table Ron had seen her at several hours earlier, "There she is!"

Ron froze where he was and watched Harry approach her.

"Hermione?" Harry asked. Hermione jumped and spun around quickly.

"Harry what are you doing here?!!" She shrieked

"I-we came to find you" He said confused

"We?"

Harry turned around and motioned towards Ron who was still frozen. Hermione froze as well. "Shit…" She breathed

"What was that?!" Harry asked stunned.

"Harry is the game over?" She groaned

"Yea. It's been over for a while. D-Did you not go?"

Hermione put her hands over her face and sighed into them. "Ron is going to be furious with me"

Harry wasn't all too sure how to respond to this. "Harry, you have to understand. I meant to come! I really did! You believe me don't you?"

Harry nodded.

"Would you get Ron for me please? H-He needs to know why I didn't come"

"Sure" He replied, walking over to Ron.

"She didn't come did she?" Ron said through clenched teeth. Harry shook his head no. "She broke her promise to me." He said so sadly Harry felt bad for him.

"She wants to talk to you though."

"Fine." He said, striding over the short distance to where Hermione was, looking guilty; a look that made Ron feel bad.

"Ron" She began. "I know I promised you that I would come to the game. But I'm sorry, something came up."

"What was it? What is more important than keeping your promise to me?" He said, a bit harsher than he meant to.

Her face fell. "I was walking towards the pitch honestly. I stopped to talk to Hagrid for a while and then—then I got this idea."

"An idea?" Ron snapped, hurt "You didn't come to see Gryffindor win because you had some idea about your research?! You could have remembered it, or written it down!"

"We won?" She asked meekly

"Yes we did! I made this great save and Harry caught the snitch after pulling out of a vertical dive! And you missed it!"

"Ron…this was for a good cause! I had to look it up and talk to Dumbledore about it!"

"Hermione," Ron said softly "I just asked you to come. That's it. I didn't ask you to do anything big. It would have meant a lot to me. And to Harry" He added quickly "I'm not going to make a big deal about it anymore, I'm just hurt that you find your research and books to be more important than Harry and I"

"Ron that's not true and you know it! If you would just let me explain what my idea was then you'd see that!" She cried out, tears coming to her eyes with his hurtful words.

"What idea did you have Hermione?" Harry asked sadly

"I-I figured out how to save our lives," She said, caught off guard. Her eyes were complex; filled with sadness, guilt, and pain. Yet at the same time they held excitement, the kind Hermione only got when uncovering something new.

"Save our lives?" Harry asked in confusion

"Yes. It's rather complex I must say. But it should work all the same. Dumbledore approved of it."

"Dumbledore?" Ron asked "You've already talked to Dumbledore about it?"

"Well yes. I got the idea while talking to Hagrid. I researched it quickly here in the library and then ran to Dumbledore's office to run the idea through him and get these" Hermione said proudly, drawing three silver necklaces from her the pocket of her robe.

"What are they?" Harry asked curiously

"They're called Lornelas." She replied in a matter of fact voice. "See the red jewel? It works like a locket. You open it up and put a potion in it."

"You put a potion in a jewel? Where did you dig this stuff up from?" Ron asked

"From this book in the restricted section. These were used in the early 1300's during Medieval Times when war was common. The potion that these early witches and wizards put into the jewel acts as a sort of protector in times when the person is confronted by with Avada Kedavra."

"That's it? That's all they protect you from?" Harry asked

"That's it?!" Hermione cried out passionately "Harry! Think of how useful this would be if the three of us were immune to the killing curse!"

"There are other ways of dying Hermione"

"I'm well aware of that Harry but can you honestly not see how useful this would be? The Death Eaters won't be expecting it! I'm sure you'll see that it will save our lives!"

"So you'll give the Order some of these then?" Ron asked, studying the jewel.

"No" Hermione replied sadly

"Why not?"

"There are about twenty necklaces. Those are not the problem. It's the potion"

"You can't make more than one cauldron of the potion?"

"No you can. It's just that the potion itself is nearly impossible to make."

"I'm sure Dumbledore could make it."

"Do either of you know what Professor Dumbledore taught when he was a Professor here at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked in the same voice she used when Ron mentioned apparating on Hogwarts Grounds.

"No" The two boys grumbled

"Transfiguration. Though his potion spells are good, they are not at the level to brew this particular potion."

"So Snape will be doing it then?" Harry asked

"No…" Hermione replied uneasily

"Why not?"

"You see making this potion requires certain amounts of strength from its brewer. It requires constant attention and many other factors. With Snape spying for the Order, it's impossible for him do this correctly."

"Then who's going to do it?"

"Well…I am. Dumbledore gave me permission to use all of Professor Snape's supplies and I'm excused from as many classes as necessary."

"Hermione you can't! We'll never see you!" Ron cried

"How long do you think it'll take?" Harry asked

"About two months"

"Two months? Are you mental? Hermione this is our last year here! Do you really want to spend it making this thing?"

"Yes Ron! If it gives us any chance of survival I'm going to do it. Don't you see? If this works, then you'll defeat Voldemort, Harry. If this works then we'll all stay alive….and we'll win the war"

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	9. Chapter Nine: Changes

(A/N: I'm really pleased to get this chapter out so soon! It was a rather easy one to write and I hope you all enjoy it! Thanks for the wonderful reviews as always!!)

AmyChris: Thanks for all the wonderful feedback!! I love your reviews!! Your last one was so convincing that after writing all day, you made me sit back down at my desk and write chapter nine! Thanks for that! Lol Glad your enjoying it!

cumbacksirius: I completely agree with you, I wouldn't have wanted to miss Ron's amazing save either! But I needed some dramatic way to introduce the potion and alter the tension between Ron and Hermione so that had to be the one! I'm glad your liking Ron, I agree, this world needs more of him!! Thanks for reviewing!

ShimmeringEvil: Thanks for reviewing!! Hope you like this chapter!

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CHAPTER NINE: CHANGES

Hermione did her best to assure Ron that nothing would change once she began the potion but it was no use. He listened of course, and he tried to believe what she was saying, he really did. But they both knew it was a lie.

The very next morning, Harry and Ron waited for Hermione at the bottom of the girls stairs like usual. But Ginny was there, telling them that she'd had orders from Hermione to tell the boys to ahead, that she wouldn't be at breakfast. Ron's heart sank and he shuffled along beside Harry, both boys feeling that empty space inside them that Hermione usually filled.

Ron hurried to his first class of the day and sighed when Hermione wasn't there. He thought he'd heard Hermione say that she'd miss classes only when necessary. Obviously he must have heard wrong because the whole day she was nowhere to be seen. It was only after dinner when he was heading towards the common room, (Harry staying in the Great Hall to talk Quidditch with one of the younger players) passing the portrait of the pear that led to the kitchens, did he finally see her.

"Hermione!" He called out to her, running up to where she was.

"Ron?" She squinted in the dim light.

"Where have you been all day?" He asked, not bothering to hid how upset he was about it.

"I've been working on the potion. You know that." She said calmly

"All bloody day? I thought you were only going to miss a few classes here and there."

She sighed. "I know Ron. I honestly didn't think it would be like this but you should see the procedure. It's the most complicated thing I've ever set eyes on. I just finished an hour ago but was so tired I just fell asleep on the floor. This is my first time out of the room Dumbledore gave me to work in."

"But this is just the beginning right? Once you get it going, you'll start coming to class again won't you?"

Hermione looked at the ground before meeting his eyes. "Maybe. But I doubt it."

"So you're saying you won't see Harry or I for two bloody months??!"

She bit her lip in an effort to prevent tears "I don't know Ron. I just don't know."

"Hermione…" Ron began, the reality of what she was saying finally hitting him "I can't go two months without seeing you. What am I supposed to do if I have trouble with school, or I need someone to prevent me from hitting Malfoy?"

Tears now flew to Hermione's brown eyes. "I suppose you're going to have to find out." She whispered sadly. "Please Ron, I need to do this. I care too much about you and Harry to not try. Just think, it's only two months. But if one of you died, it'd be forever."

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Life continued in this pattern for several weeks. Ron would try to walk by the kitchens as much as possible, in some vain attempt to catch Hermione there. But for a full month he didn't catch a glance of his best friend.

Ron had imagined in his mind, what life would be like if Hermione died in the final battle. But now that he was living his life without her in it, he suddenly saw how unbearable life would become. He'd known he loved her, he'd just never understood that he _needed_ her.

Harry who had raised himself out of his depression for a week, now slumped even further than he had been before. And without Hermione to encourage and help him along, Ron was at a loss of what to do with him. Ginny was a big help in that respect, she was the only person Ron knew who could sit with Harry for hours without saying anything to him, and still be comfortable. For this, Ron owed her a lot.

Ron tried to pay attention in his classes, but it was a lost battle. No matter how hard he tried to focus on the words the Professor was saying, it somehow related back to the empty seat in front of him. It was more than missing her advise or her nagging… he craved to look at her again; to watch her expression as she read in class, or to see her smile. He craved her eyes the most. Ron had looked for a while, once Hermione left, at girl's eyes, and no one's were such a beautiful coffee brown, alive with passion and excitement. If Ron had only been able to meet her like he had her first day of absense, once a week, it would have been enough to sustain him.

Without her he felt empty, as though a huge hunk of his heart had been ripped out. He rarely slept anymore; instead, he lay on his bed thinking. Creating a world in his mind where Voldemort didn't exist, where 17-year-old girls didn't have to miss months of school to try to save her friend's lives, a world where he had Hermione in his arms, protected, and utterly and exclusively his.

Ron's days blurred together and it was almost as though his body carried him throughout his day automatically, without any help of his brain. Whenever he would escape his thoughts he would jump, surprised about where he was, and having no recollection of getting there.

At the thought of it, Ron looked around the corridor to locate himself. He sighed and leaned back against the wall, he was where he'd found himself a week long; in front of the pear portrait. He sat on the floor, his elbows resting on his knees and his head against the wall. _It's no use Weasley. You know she's not coming here._ He thought bitterly.

But suddenly, the sound of footsteps were audible and Ron's heart leapt into his throat. He peered around the corner at the intruder. It was a petite girl, skinny in an unhealthy way, with mattered long hair, and skin white as Draco Malfoy. She had bags under her eyes, brown eyes that looked unmistakably familiar.

"Ron?!" The girl cried out. Ron's heart froze. It couldn't be…

"Hermione?" He croaked, standing up immediately.

"Oh Ron!" She cried, throwing her arms around his neck in an embrace.

Ron was too stunned to do anything but pat the girl's back, thoughts running faster than he could keep up with. But the sound of soft crying brought his thoughts to a halt and Ron crashing back to earth.

"Hermione?" He repeated, pulling her arms from around his neck so that he could see her.

It was Hermione all right. But a different Hermione than he'd seen a month ago. No, this girl had a haunted look about her, as though she'd just escaped from Death Eaters. Her hair obviously hadn't been combed in days, the word frizzy taking on a whole new meaning. Ron stole a glance at her hands that he was holding. His hand fit loosely around her wrists; a task he hadn't been able to do a month ago. Her cheekbones protruded a bit from her face, an obvious sign of weight loss. The change broke Ron's heart, as he observed each feature with horror. Her eyes were the only thing that remained the same, and he quickly looked to them for signs of life.

"What's happened to you?" He whispered in fear

Hermione sniffed and shook her head. "I-I can't tell you. Please Ron don't be angry with me"

Her statement was almost like a slap in the face. This girl was meek, afraid to defend herself; what had happened to the strong willed, stubborn girl he loved?

"Hermione" He lowered his voice an octave. "I haven't seen you in a month. You're going to tell me what's hurting you."

She let another tear fall "No Ron. I can't."

"Hermione!" He growled, spinning her around so that her back was against the wall "Look at you! I'm not going to stand by and watch this happen to you! I haven't been able to be there for you this past month, Hermione, but now's my chance to protect you and I'm not going to pass it up!"

Ron expected tears. Ron expected angry words or harsh looks. He bloody hell didn't expect her to crumble in his arms and cling to him the way she did. Unsure exactly how to go about the situation, he sat down and gathered her up into his lap like a rag doll.

"Sh…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled like that." He whispered into her ear as he rubbed her back comfortingly. "I-I've just been so worried about you. You have no idea what life's been without you." He said, voice thick with emotion, as he pulled her close and buried his face in her hair. "Please tell me what's happened to you."

"You're going to hate me for it" She whispered

"Try me" He said comfortingly

"I-It's the potion." She said, voice shaking "It extracts strength and health from the brewer."

Ron's heart began beating rapidly inside his chest. "W-What do you mean?" He asked, fear evident in his voice

"It makes the brewer weaker, and weaker. Some people in the early 1300's have even died of exhaustion trying to make it back when medicine wasn't available to the common man."

Ron pulled back suddenly from her so he could look her in the eye. "Y-You knew this and you still went along with it?" She nodded solemnly "Hermione how could you?! Come on!" He said suddenly getting up

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to destroy that potion. No matter what it does, it's not worth loosing you over it"

Hermione only shook her head sadly. "It can't be stopped, it's already halfway through."

Ron looked around desperately for some kind of idea that would work. Finally he gave up and his face fell. "I can't believe you didn't tell Harry or I."

"Ron, I was afraid you two would stop me from making it."

"And we bloody well should have!"

"Please understand! This is the only chance I have to protect you both." She begged, burying her face in his shirt "I can't loose you"

As Ron wrapped his arms around Hermione, he almost smiled at her last comment, but resisted the urge. "You won't die though will you?" He asked quietly

"No of course not." She mumbled, "I'm taking medicine."

"Good" He sighed, leaning back against the wall, savoring the feeling of Hermione in his arms.

"Ron?"

"Yea?"

"I've missed you"

He swallowed, leaning his chin on top of her head. "I know, I've missed you too."

"It's only one more month though"

"That's too long 'Mione"

"I know"

"What am I supposed to do?'

"About what?"

"About you being sick like you are"

"Oh" she tried to laugh "Don't' worry about me. I can take care of myself"

"To hell you can! I can't just sit back and watch you get weaker and weaker!"

"You're just going to have to be strong for me" She whispered, leaning back to look him in the eye.

"How am I supposed to concentrate in class when for all I know you're collapsing on the ground?! And what am I supposed to tell Harry?"

"Tell him that I miss him, that I'm weak but not dead, tell him not to panic. How is he?"

"Rotten. Ginny's helping me help him though."

"Good. Ron? What time is it?"

"I don't know. I heard the clock chime ten a while ago."

"That's half an hour after curfew!" She cried, her eyes becoming large

"So?"

"So you could get detention!"

"Hermione" He stared at her with an odd expression "Do you honestly think a week of detention means more to me than getting to see you for the first time in a month."

She blushed and Ron internally gave himself several points for this. It was nice to see her with color in her face. "Well, I guess not. But you better go now."

"If I'm going to get detention anyways why not stay out later?" He teased

She smiled, another first for the evening. "Because. I better get to bed myself if I want any strength for the morning."

"Alright, you win." He said getting up and offering her a hand.

"So I guess this is good-night then?" Hermione asked

"Yea" Ron said, heart beating fast

"I-I guess I'll see you in a month then?" She asked, though it looked as though the words pained her to say

Ron smiled sadly "Yea I guess so. Take care of yourself 'Mione. Please!"

She nodded "I will Ron. Thanks." She said as she tiptoed up to kiss him on the cheek. "Good-night"

"Good-night" He said as he watched her walk away. "Hermione wait!" He suddenly called out

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to say that I think you're a great friend and a brilliant witch to brew this thing for Harry and I. So thanks. Even though I want you to know that we'd give up our strength for you too"

She smiled "Thanks Ron. That is what we do best after all isn't it?"

"What?"

"Sacrifice things for each other."

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	10. Chapter Ten: Some things never change

(A/N: Wow…I was absolutely blown away by the responses I received this chapter! THANK YOU! You guys are the best!! I know that last chapter was sad (and I'm not trying to be pessimistic) but if you're familiar with my other fics, then you'll know I dig into the sadness and drama a bit…so, basically what I'm saying is…be prepared for more. Another VERY important note is that my finals are next week. I'm real sorry but writing isn't number one on that to do list at the present moment so please try to understand if there's a wait in between the chapters here for the next two weeks. Once those are done though, I predict we'll be in the heart of the story and I'll have lots of time to write! I personally don't like this chapter as much as chapter nine but it has to be there, as much as I would love to skip right to the juicy stuff, you all would be very confused. So anyways, I hope you like this chapter and thanks again for all your splendid reviews!!! Hugs, Haystack)

Roncrazychic: So nice to hear from a new reviewer! Thanks so much for taking the time to review, it means a lot to me. So glad you're enjoying the story, hope to hear from you again!

ShimmeringEvil: You'll find out Hermione's fate in this chapter. Glad you liked last chapter, I love sweet interactions between Hermione and Ron too! Lol thanks for reviewing!!

AmyChris: Aw, your review made me smile! It's so nice to know my story's getting a reaction from readers, the fact that you almost cried is great news to me, my goal will now be to have you crying at least once by the end of the story! In my mind, the true sign of love is if you truly need the person; as in if they died you would go crazy, so I was glad when I could weave my little philosophy into the story! You're a smarter one to catch have caught it! Lol thanks for your wonderful review!!

Legofiance: It's so nice to meet another reviewer! Thanks sooo much for your review, it was one of those that encouraged me to sit down and type! Hope to hear from you in the future!!

eckles: Thanks for your review!! Hopefully, I'll hear from you again!

cumbacksirius: Another review that made me smile! Thanks so much for your encouragement! Thanks for reviewing!!

Bhekie: lol yup, bittersweet chapters always get a reaction! Thanks so much for reviewing!!

SOBs 4 Sirius 223: When you reviewed, I recognized your name but I somehow couldn't figure out where I'd heard it. But then finally it hit me a few minutes later…you're a reviewer from my Draco/Hermione stories! So nice to hear from you again and Thanks for reviewing!!!

dancerrdw: Aw thanks for the sweet review! Hope the update was soon enough for you!

SlytherinRoyalty: Yes yes yes! I remembered you immediately! Soo nice to hear from you again and I'm VERY happy that you gave my story a chance!! I feel like writing is easier, and my chapters are longer than they were for SV and ST but it's so nice to hear someone say it! Thanks sooo much and I'm so happy I could add another favorite pairing to your list! Thanks again!!

Smiles28: As I told another reviewer, tears? Yay! That may sound bad but it's always been a goal of mine in writing. So lemme know if the tears ever make their way out of your eyes! Lol…aww that's so sweet of you to ask your friends to read it! I hope to hear from em sometime!! Personally, I'm glad someone made up JKR's mind for her, and I support your "Ron Weasley will not die" thing all the way!! As for your story, I can't wait till the next chapter is up. Count on my review!!

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CHAPTER TEN: SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE

Hermione walked to her room slowly, her arms encircled around herself in an attempt to fight off the cold; she'd forgotten her cloak again. Her mind was in a state of overload, too many emotions and thoughts were bouncing off the walls of her brain. But the grumbling of her stomach brought her back to earth. She hadn't eaten. Why hadn't she eaten?

Because Ron had been there.

Her heart lurched with the thought of the encounter she'd just had. She hadn't expected him to be there, though many times she'd hoped he would be. Sighing, and pushing open the door to her "room" she glanced around.

It was a rather large room for what she needed to do. Gray stone made up the ceiling, walls, and floor, each one just as cold as the next. The room had no fireplace; the only item filling up the empty room was a small bed that looked very much out of place. The room lacked a window, something that Hermione hated most. She hadn't seen the sun, felt the wind or seen the sky in over four weeks.

Shivering, she made her way over to the corner where a large cauldron sat over a small fire, and sat down, opening her book to the recipe. She still had to let the potion sit for another hour, a task she feared, for Hermione never was certain these days when she would drop suddenly into a deep sleep.

Already struggling to stay awake, she diverted her thoughts towards her run-in with Ron.

He was her first human contact in weeks. She had been surprised that when she had spoken, her voice had sounded relatively normal; it had been a while since she'd used it. The house elves in the kitchen were nice enough, but by now they already knew her preferences and started leaving her plates of food so they would be able to go to bed; her hours _were_ a bit different than the rest of the world.

She honestly hadn't realized how terribly she missed Ron and Harry until she saw Ron today. She thought about them constantly, wondering how they were fairing without her, and simply missing their company. As terrible as Ron made it out to be without her, (something she secretly was grateful for. At least she wasn't the only one suffering) Ron had the better end of the stick. At least he had Ginny and Harry to talk to, Hermione had no one. Every now and then she'd murmur little sentences to herself, almost to make sure that she could engage in conversation than anything else. She always refused to talk for long lengths of time though; she didn't want to drive herself insane now did she?

She sighed again and settled in her little corner, wishing desperately to be in Ron's arms instead of alone in this dark room. The way he'd held her…. whispering sweet things in her ear…. it just made Hermione's heart want to burst. She scolded herself suddenly, for insisting that he return to his dormitory, she should have brought him here to keep her company. Maybe he even could have held her as she watched the flickering flames of the small fire… _NO!_ She screamed at herself _You cant' take advantage of him like that! He only holds you when you're distressed, he wouldn't have touched you otherwise!_

Accepting her situation, she sifted positions, looking around for something to occupy herself. Finding nothing, she played with her hair as she thought of her friends. How she wished she could be in class, taking notes and reading instead of sitting here idle! Drifting back into her dream world that only a month ago was her life, she imagined herself going to Quidditch games and laughing with Harry and Ron, her only worries being homework and upcoming tests. She would eat good meals in a grand hall with tables stretched miles long, instead of alone with her plate in her lap.

Twisting her hair between her fingers, she examined it for a moment. The strands were dull and dry, her normally lush, shiny curls, lying limply atop her head. She knew she looked bad. If it had just been her looks, not being one to normally care that much, it wouldn't have bothered her. But it was the fact that she was weak and sick as well that made Hermione miserable. Rolling up her shirt, she checked her watch.

It had been an hour.

Her stomach flipping uneasily; knowing full well what was about to happen (and dreading it), Hermione walked over to the cabinet Dumbledore had provided with ingredients and pulled out a small phial with a watery, purple potion inside. She positioned herself in front of the cauldron, crossing her legs in the process, and slowly added a single drop into the large base.

Her hands started shaking as her fingers began tingling. It was only the beginning. She steadied herself and added another drop. The tingling sensation moved up her arms, becoming more powerful with each drop. Hermione's heart was beating fast and her lungs started getting heavy. A third drop. The sensation was all over her body, her legs involuntarily twitching. A forth. The room started spinning. She put on hand on the wall to steady herself. A fifth. Breathing was becoming difficult. A sixth. Hermione felt sick to her stomach; the kind of feeling she had when she was about to vomit. Seven. It was almost as though someone were pounding a mallet against her head. Eight. Suddenly, her temperature shot up, making Hermione twitch about in a cold sweat. Nine. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, it felt as though she were burning up, too many things felt wrong with her. Ten. It felt as though a bolt of electricity had shot throughout her body, frying up everything inside her to a crisp. She could feel the magic seeping out through her fingers out into the cold air. She'd never felt so terrible before, but before she could comprehend what she was doing, just acutely aware that she had finished adding the purple liquid and succeeded, her eyes rolled to the ceiling and she felt her body go limp as she collapsed onto the stone ground.

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Ron jumped out of bed, in the same fashion he had for the past six days. Looking around he smiled broadly as he picked out his clothes from his clean pile on the floor. Pulling his last white collared shirt out of the pile, he clicked his tongue. It was wrinkly.

Quickly uttering a spell to fix the problem, he continued getting dressed, humming a little tune to himself. Once that was done, he glanced at his watch. It was time for Harry to wake up. Grinning to no one in particular, Ron happily walked to the curtains covering the large windows in the dormitory. With ease, he yanked the curtains open, laughing as he heard the groans from his roommates, including Harry.

"Time to wake up!" He said in a jolly voice

"Not this again!" Dean moaned, covering his face with his pillow

"No sleeping in today!" Ron announced, "We've all got a Herbology test, better get a good breakfast in our stomachs so we can do well!"

"Ron!" Seamus barked, "It's Friday! We told you last night not to wake us up!!"

Ron ignored him, instead turning his attention to his best friend who sat up his bead rubbing his eyes. "Today's the day Harry! I can feel it!"

"That's what you said yesterday. And the day before." Harry snapped, putting his glasses on.

"No. I'm positive, I've got this feeling!"

"Well we're all happy for you Weasley but you don't have to wake all of us to celebrate it every bloody day this week!!" Seamus yelled. He was not a morning person.

Even Seamus Finnigan's shouts couldn't dampen Ron's mood today. "Fine then. I'll just let you lot oversleep tomorrow!"

"Yes!" Dean shouted, throwing his arms up

"Please do!" Harry grumbled

"You would really do that?" Neville asked

"You bloody well better! Tomorrow's Saturday!" Seamus snapped. But Ron wasn't listening.

"I'll meet you in the Great Hall for breakfast Harry!" He shouted as he pulled open the door and walked lazily down the boy's staircase.

------------------

"Ron stop tapping your foot!" Ginny yelled, "It's driving me bonkers!"

"Sorry" Ron mumbled looking around the Great Hall eagerly.

Ginny smiled. "You know, she never said that it would be done a month to the exact week." She whispered

"I know"

"So you do understand that she might not come today don't you?"

"Yeah. But I've got a feeling."

Ginny laughed at her brother's giddiness. "Why are you so excited anyways?'

Ron suddenly stopped smiling and he leaned on the table, playing it cool "Oh you know, just the same reasons you're excited to see her. We haven't seen her in a month."

"Two months for me" Ginny corrected

"Yea. Two months."

"I want to see her too yet you don't see me leaping out of bed for the fifth day in a row, whistling and humming to myself, and waking up my roommates." Harry said grumpily as he sat down.

Ginny smiled. "How bad was it today?"

"Terrible. I swear, I'm impressed with the other blokes. If he wasn't my best mate I'd have strangled him."

"Well you better pray that Hermione does show up today, or you'll miss your one chance to sleep in tomorrow."

"I know. But I hope she comes irregardless of the fact that it would shut this one up."

"Me too"

Harry and Ron hadn't told Ginny _why_ Hermione had been gone all this time; instead they fed her the Order excuse that it was classified information that they had no idea about either.

"I wonder what she's been doing all this time." She wondered

The boys shrugged and exchanged glances.

"Miss Weasley, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley" A sudden voice from behind Ron asked.

"Yes Professor McGonagall?" Harry asked

"Professor Dumbledore would like you all to report to the hospital wing immediately."

"What's wrong? Is she okay?" Ron asked, his heart leaping into his throat

"I can't give that information out Mr. Weasley. You'll see for yourselves." She said, turning around and walking back to the Head table.

They watched her go, exchanged a look between each other, and then bolted up from their seats for the door.

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Ron's stomach had twisted into several series of knots, by the time they arrived at the Hospital Wing. He'd led Harry and Ginny at a speed he never knew he could go, bursting through the doors so hard that the hinges fell off of one of them.

"MR WEASLEY!!" Madam Pomfrey shrieked "What is the meaning of this?! You probably just woke up half of my patients."

"Sorry, is Hermione here?"

"Yes" The lady said gravely "She came in here last night. She's in a right state Mr. Weasley and I will not tolerate any acts like the one you just performed. Any commotions and I'll have you thrown out, she's too fragile to handle much."

With the woman's statement, Ron's heart dropped to his stomach. He nodded vigorously. "I understand. We promise, no scenes." He said, "Where is she?"

"The third curtain to the left." Madam Pomfrey said as she left. Ron sprinted over to the curtain she had pointed out and rushed in, the only thing on his mind, seeing her. But he stopped at a dead halt once he caught glance of his best friend.

Hermione resembled nothing of her former self. The girl he had met a month ago was a strong, healthy girl compared to the one lying in the bed in front of him. Her skin was hollow, with a yellow hue to it from not making contact with the sun. She had lost at least 15 pounds if not more, and her skin almost seemed to hang off her incredibly small bones. There were gray circles under her eyes. Black and blue bruises graced her skin.

Ron felt tears in his eyes but desperately tried to blink them away. He heard Ginny softly crying in the background and Harry mumbling something, but it was all background noise to him. As if in a trance, Ron approached the bed and grabbed her hand, never breaking eye contact with her body. He rubbed his thumbs over her hand, gently urging her…_begging_ her to open her eyes so he could catch a glimpse of the girl that he had fallen so deeply in love with.

Her hands were calloused, from what Ron didn't know, and as he examined them further, he saw that they were not blisters, but burns. Horrified he looked closer and he saw more of them on both of her hands. More scared than he'd ever been in his life, Ron almost began to cry. "H-Hermione?" He croaked.

The girl stirred in her sleep, something that (based by her face) she did with pain. Slowly, very slowly, she opened her eyes, blinking twice, and looked around her. She smiled shyly at everyone in the room, which Ron suddenly noticed Dumbledore was in, sitting in an armchair with his elbows resting on the armrests and his hands folded. "Hi" she whispered, very shyly, for what reason Ron couldn't figure out; after all it was only himself, Harry, Ginny, and Dumbledore.

"Oh Hermione" Ginny whispered between tears "Y-You look terrible"

"I know," She agreed with an attempt at a smile. "How have you all been?"

"Obviously better than you have been." Ginny answered for them; that horrified expression still on her face.

Hermione nodded her understanding and turned towards Harry who was currently standing in the shadows of the corner. "Hey Harry"

He shook his head back and forth still not believing his eyes. "How could you, Hermione?" He said angrily "When Ron told me…." He paused to collect himself "I-I couldn't believe him. But he was right, we should have stopped you!"

"Think whatever you want Harry. But it's done so there's no use in blaming yourself for not protecting me. I'm already hurt and sick so sulking or moping about isn't going to change anything." Hermione said simply but with a look that made Harry bow his head in guilt.

"I'm sorry" Harry said, "It's just that I haven't seen you for so long and when I finally get to see you again you look…"

"Like a truck ran over me eleven times" She finished for him with a smile

"Yea" He agreed breathlessly

She laughed, if a bit of wheezing with a smile on her face counted as laughing. "Well I certainly won't look like this forever. I'll be better before you know it." She said encouragingly

"What did Madam Pomfrey say?"

"It's not like I have any broken bones or anything. She can't do a whole lot about the bruises and burns, they'll just have to go away naturally or stay forever. As for the rest, she plans to fatten me up with a bunch of chocolate and get me outside again. Bed rest is what I need most."

The three nodded and a silence developed between them.

"Well Miss Granger I suppose you're in good hands now" Dumbledore said with a wink towards Harry and Ron "So I'll be seeing you again tomorrow yes?"

"Yes, thanks again Professor."

"No Miss Granger, thank you. I'm really very impressed. But we can chat more about your accomplishment another time can't we?" He said with a smile "Good-bye and do feel better."

"Thank you, I will"

"Alright! Alright! Visiting time is up! You lot have classes to go to don't you?" Madam Pomfrey said from her position in the doorway.

"Oh no! I have a Astronomy test!" Ginny cried "I'll come back during lunch okay Hermione?" She asked as she gave her a hug

"That sounds lovely. I'll see you then!" Hermione said as Ginny hurried out of the room.

"Potter, Weasley, that means you too!"

"Okay" Harry said uneasily "We'll come back too 'Mione."

"Promise?"

"Yes, of course we'll come back!"

"Alright then I'll see you later"

"Bye" Harry said as he squeezed her hand and exited the room

"Bye 'Mione" Ron said, disappointed he hadn't been able to talk to her, as he turned around to leave

"Ron wait!" Hermione said, grabbing a hold to his hand

Ron stared at their intertwined hands for a moment, and then at her face before looking back at Harry who was standing in the hallway. "It's okay Harry go ahead. Tell Professor Sprout I'm coming!" He said slowly.

Once Harry left, Hermione scooted over so that he could sit on the edge of her bed. There were a few moments of awkward silence before Hermione broke it with a small laugh.

"What's so funny?" He asked staring into her eyes.

"You. You still have that look in your eye like you're looking at a piece of road kill instead of your best friend."

Ron frowned. "You really have to stop making jokes when you're in the hospital wing. You being hurt isn't funny to me."

Hermione sobered instantly. "I'm sorry Ron. It's just that—I don't really know how else to deal with it. I look like complete shit."

"Language Miss Granger"

"You have to agree"

"Let's just say that you've looked better," Ron said softly, running a hand down her cheek. "No need to get critical of yourself. Once you get over the initial shock of seeing you, you're really the same. Your eyes never change."

Hermione brought her hand up to Ron's "Is that bad?" She whispered

His eyes locked with hers. Ron shook his head no, never breaking eye contact with her. "Merlin I missed you," He said emotionally

Hermione smiled sadly, "I missed you too Ron. Was the second month easier for you?"

"Not really. At least the second month I knew what you were doing and I understood why you couldn't come to class, that made it a bit easier, but at the same time I knew _what_ you were doing and how dangerous that was for you to be doing it by yourself. That made it harder."

"The second month was easier. I was used to not seeing anybody all day and at least I had gotten some news as to how things were without me." She said, "I'm glad it's over"

"I'm glad you're okay." He whispered as he leaned back against the pillows and drew Hermione to him. "I still can't believe I let you go back. I don't know what I would have done with myself if something had happened to you."

She sighed contently as his strong arms wrapped around her, and she hugged him closer to her. "You really have to stop blaming yourself every time something happens to me."

"I can't help it"

"When the war comes, it's not guaranteed we'll be together. In fact, it's extremely unlikely. You're going to have to accept whatever happens and realize that's just because you weren't there, it doesn't make it your fault."

"I thought you didn't want to hear about the war"

"I don't. But I just had two months in isolation to think, and Harry is right. We should be more on guard. It's April now anyways. Voldemort usually strikes in May."

Ron sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You really think he's coming soon?"

"He said so didn't he?"

"Well yea but I don't trust anything that twisted bastard puts in a dream of Harry's"

"Language" She said dully, her nagging had somehow lost its magic in the past few months. "Honestly Ron, there have been signs everywhere. He's coming this year. The question is when."

"I still can't believe it." Hermione gave him a pointed look. He sighed. "I don't _want_ to believe it. We've talked about this battle for years, it just seems unreal that it's finally time."

"Believe it." She said looking around her room. "Ron turn around for a moment will you?"

"Why?"

"Just do it"

Curious, Ron obliged and turned back around once Hermione told him to. In her hand she had a key. "Open that trunk and take out the box that's in there. Then use this to unlock that."

Doing as told, Ron's mind flew around searching for possible items that could be inside the box Hermione obviously kept safe and secret. When he found three necklaces he almost laughed. Of course!

"Bring two to me" Holding them carefully, he brought them to her bed and gave them to her.

"What are you doing?" He asked curiously

"I'm putting yours on you. Is that okay?"

"Sure." He said uneasily

"Alright now Ron, look at me. You have to wear this underneath your clothes, you can't let anybody see it." She said sternly

"Why?"

"Because the Professors know what they're used for and probably even some of the students too. We can't risk word reaching the wrong people. Now I've placed an unbreakable charm so you don't have to worry about breaking it." She explained

"What about when I take a shower?" He asked the tips of his ears turning a bit red even though the reason was rather childish.

"It's fine. But I need to tell you something else. I've placed another charm on this. Now what this charm does, is it restricts you from taking it off."

"What?"

"You physically will not be able to take this off."

"So I have to have that on the rest of my bloody life?"

"No Ron, I wouldn't do something like that. The only people who can take it off are Harry and I. The three of us are connected. I have to make sure that you're okay with this though. Are you?"

Ron shrugged "It doesn't matter to me. Just so long as I don't have to have it on my whole life."

"Good." Hermione said, separating the two necklaces. "Here now I'm going to put it on you alright? And I want you to do the same thing for me. I can put Harry's on when I see him next."

"Okay." Ron said bending his head down. Hermione's hand's barely touched him as he felt the thin, cold chain make its way around his neck. But Ron was caught off guard when Hermione unbuttoned the first three buttons on his shirt. Ron's pulse shot up and he suddenly wished Madam Pomfrey would open a window, it was getting rather hot in here. She ran her hand around his neck, a feeling that made Ron take a deep breath to control his instincts. Tucking it under his shirt, and re-buttoning it back up, Hermione looked at him as though nothing was unusual. The whole ordeal left Ron's skin tingling with pleasure and it took everything in him to keep his hormones in check as he looked at Hermione.

"Now me" She said, lifting up her hair with a grimace. Ron froze. She couldn't possibly have meant for him to unbutton her nightgown the same way she had unbuttoned his shirt could she??

"Stop! It's okay, I got it" Ron said comfortingly as he lowered her arms and lifted her hair himself, placing the necklace around her neck; admiring the way it flowed over her collarbone. Now what? Was he supposed to do anything more?

"Thanks" He heard her say

"Your welcome" He responded, breaking out of his reverie, with the sound of a chiming clock. He looked at Hermione; they both knew he had to go. "I better get to class, I doubt Professor Sprout would let visiting you be an excuse for missing more of her class."

"Yes of course, you don't want to upset her."

"No I don't…" He trailed off "I'm really glad you're back Hermione."

She smiled "Me too Ron"

"So I'll see you later then?"

"You'll come back won't you?" Hermione asked in an innocent voice that made Ron grin.

"Yes I'll be back today, laden with all your make-up work. That'll be fun to watch you do," He teased

"To bad for you that I've already completed all my make-up work and even had time to do next week's homework as well." Hermione laughed

Ron's mouth opened in mock horror "How is it that you can be completely gone for two months and still be farther along in school than me?"

Hermione smiled. "I would have thought you'd be used to that by now. I've been a head of you since day one."

"Some things never change then I suppose"

"No I guess not. Good-Bye Ron"

"Bye 'Mione." He said as he kissed her head, "Welcome Back"

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	11. Chapter Eleven: The Day Before the Night

(A/N: Again, a splendid response!!!!! Thank you Thank you Thank you! You guys blow me away…Here's some good news for you all. I spent some time during my phys/chem. Class making a final studying calendar thing (sounds dorky I know but what can I say? Lol) where basically I picked two subjects every night to study for. This way I have more time to write, and I can really spend a lot of time concentrating on those two subjects, yet not get bored or slack off on them later in the week. So yes, I was rather pleased with myself because today when I just had the writing juice, I actually had the time to put my thoughts on paper! Yay! I like this chapter a lot better than last chapter and it's the start of my real plot so I'm very excited about that. Um, I don't think I have anything else to say. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy! Hugs! Haystack)

dancerrdw: So glad to hear from you again! Hopefully the update was good for you, thanks for reviewing!!

SlytherinRoyalty: haha…well I'm very glad I could help ease your terribly long Monday and if I may say so you made my Monday better too!! I'm really glad you brought up the title of my story cause I don't think I said what it meant at the beginning like I usually do (oops!). It means "Final Dreams" in French of course, the only language I know anything in (besides obviously English) but I realized after checking over my translation that my accent é was wrong and that it should be a ê and fanfiction wouldn't let me change it. So hopefully no one'll be offended by it, though personally I think they're silly, I mean, I don't _think_ they change the meaning of the word but then again I don't know so…lol thanks for reviewing!!!

ShimmeringEvil: lol I'm glad you thought it was cute! Thanks for reviewing!!

AmyChris: aw, your reviews are always so cute! I love them! Lol….. Yes I agree, I didn't like Hermione being all by herself for too long, which is why I kind of skipped a month on purpose (I hope no one minded) I like her with Ron! Thanks again, your such an encouraging reviewer!

Smiles28: A very encouraging review, as usual, but in more ways than usual this time. Your little 'good luck on finals' thing was very sweet and I needed it cause I was trying to study for French, something I find incredibly difficult so yea thanks for that, I appreciate it! That's great that you could feel that the last chapter wasn't as good as nine, cause I wasn't very happy with it, I guess you're getting to know me better! Lol Thanks again for everything!

Blake-Tori88: Well hello there! So nice to meet a new reviewer!!! Your review made me laugh, and that was finally when I decided to finish it up, so thanks for the extra push! Lol Thanks for reviewing too!!

cumbacksirius: aw I almost made you cry? I told some ppl in last chapter this…yay! It's what I strive for even though that sounds really depressing and stuff. So thanks for letting me know that! I can't wait till finals are over too! Thanks for reviewing!!

Legofiance: Hahaha…your review made me laugh. Glad you thought it was cute. More fluff you say? Alright POOF! Your wish is my command! Read on!! (lol ooh that was fun to say)

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CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE DAY BEFORE THE NIGHT

It was a beautiful afternoon. The sun was shining it's brightest, the sky was a clear pale blue and the Hogwart's Grounds had never looked more pretty. Trees had lost their nakedness; now flourishing with breathtaking blossoms covering every inch of them. The grass was lush and green and though a cool breeze was making it's way through the land, the warm air did wonders for the students lying out, soaking up not only the sun but relishing in the wonderful feeling Saturdays brought.

Hermione, who had spent many days outside in the past two weeks, closed her eyes and smiled, stretching arms out as she laid on the grass. "Mm…it's so lovely out today"

"I know" Ginny agreed, her eyes closed as well, lying with her back against a tree, the sunlight hitting her at a perfect angle; reflecting the gorgeous color of her hair in such a way that even made Hermione jealous.

"I'm just glad the Professors took it easy on us this weekend." Harry mumbled, the perfect weather making him drowsy.

Ron let out a rather long snore, one that resembled a snort, in agreement.

Hermione and Ginny made eye contact before bursting into laughs and before long, even Harry was laughing along with them.

"Ron!" Harry called out before breaking into another laugh

"Ronnn!" Ginny called, still giggling, pushing him in the shoulder "You lazy git wake up!"

"Hm?" Ron said in his sleep

"I said WAKE UP" Ginny shouted as she punched Ron in the side.

"OW! WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" An overly tired and very confused Ron asked as he grabbed his side. Hermione and Harry simply burst into a second set of laughter.

"What's so funny?" He asked, thoroughly confused

"Ha Ha Ha Nothing" Hermione smiled

"You were snoring" Ginny clarified

"So what?" Ron asked, though his ears were burning red

"It was so loud Lavender and Parvati were giving you strange looks." Ginny said, pointing to the two girls, on the other side of the lake.

"Oh" Ron said, "What time is it? How long was I sleeping?"

"It's four. Not long." Harry said checking his watch

"Good. We've still got two hours till dinner." Ron said, stretching out on the grass and then sighing contently. "Today would be a good day to go flying don't you think Harry?"

"Yea. Maybe we should later."

Ron nodded. "Let's"

"Well if they're going flying then what should we do Ginny?" Hermione asked

"Why don't you come with us?" Harry asked, looking at Ginny as he spoke.

"I'd love to" She replied smiling "What do you say Hermione?"

Hermione bit her lip. "Um…well I suppose I do have a book to read. I'll just watch this time."

"Read? Are you kidding? On a day like this?" Ron asked

"Come on Hermione, I'd feel terrible if you sat out" Ginny urged

"Why should you? It's alright, really. I don't mind"

"You always sit out!" Ron whined

"Well maybe I have a good reason to!" She snapped

"What's your reason then?" Ron asked, grinning

"I--"Hermione started, flustered "That's not the point. The point is that I'd rather read."

"What are you afraid of?"

"Nothing. I'm not afraid of anything."

"Oh really?"

"Yes"

"Then why won't you go flying. Give me one good reason"

"Because it's a dangerous sport."

"Flying, 'Mione. Flying is much different than Quidditch."

"I don't see the difference." She replied stubbornly

"Flying is calm. You go up high and look around. I mean you can go fast if you want to but that's beside the point. You're afraid of heights; we all know that. I just want to hear you admit it."

"I will do no such thing."

"Harry when you and Hermione rode Buckbeak in third year, did Hermione enjoy it?"

"Don't bring me into this Ron, I've told you before"

"Just answer it."

"No. She was screaming her head off, squeezed my waist so tight I couldn't breathe"

Ron and Ginny laughed. Hermione smiled sympathetically at Harry but scowled at Ron. "I'm sorry about that Harry."

"It's okay." Harry smiled

"See?" Ron said eagerly "You _do_ hate heights!"

"Alright fine I give in, yes Ronald. I'm afraid of heights and the prospect of flying has never appealed to me. So for these reasons, I'm going to go get my book and I'll meet you three at the Quidditch pitch." She said as she got up from the grass.

"Alright we'll see you there 'Mione." Harry said as she walked away. "Come on" He said to Ginny, let's go get my firebolt"

"Okay, I'll grab my broom too" Ginny said as she followed Harry.

Ron stared at the retreating couple and almost laughed when he saw Harry grab Ginny's hand, both unaware that anyone was around. Still smiling, he turned around and started running towards Hermione's disappearing figure.

"Hermione!"

She turned around and sighed impatiently. "What Ron?"

"Come on. You're always the one who lectures me on overcoming my fears. When have you ever overcome one of yours?" He asked softly

"First Year. Second Year. Third Year. Fourth Year. Fifth Year. Sixth Year." She snapped

"Okay, well besides the fear of Harry or I dying." He added

"I don't know off the top of my head. Ron why are you doing this?" She asked quietly

"I wish I could tell you how amazing flying is but I can't. You just have to trust me on this one." He said in a gentle tone "C'mon! Harry, Ginny and I would be there. It's not like anything could happen to you. And bloody hell, even if you do fall, Harry is a seeker, He's used to catching free falling objects!"

Hermione stared at him horrified for a moment before she finally caught onto his smirk. She laughed as she left out a breath and punched him in the shoulder. "That, Mr. Weasley, was _not_ funny!"

"Oh but if you could have seen your face, you would have found it very humorous I'm sure." Ron replied cheekily, throwing her one of his famous lopsided grins.

As usual, that particular smile worked wonders on Hermione and she felt herself caving in.

"Come on, say you'll come with us"

She bit her lip in thought. "I don't have a broom," She said finally.

Ron pondered this for a moment before finally crying triumphantly "You could use mine"

"Ron, you need your broom to fly"

"No, what I mean is, you could ride _with_ me"

"With you?" Hermione repeated, her heart skipping a beat as she did so.

"Yea and this way it would be easier for me to help you. You wouldn't be able to fall off, and you could tell me if you wanted to get down. It makes sense."

Hermione Granger was never one to overrule logical ideas and that last sentence of Ron's won her over more than anything else he'd said. But it was her emotions that kept sending a bright red sign through her mind. No way on earth would it be a good idea for her to ride on a broom with the boy she secretly was in love with. He would be holding her waist, leaning over her, sending his hot breath over her face, she would be able to feel his muscle's in his chest constrict against her back…

"Okay" She heard herself say

_Okay? Okay?! NO! NO! NO! That's what you were supposed to say! You're going to regret this!_ She shouted at herself

"Really?" Ron asked, his whole face lighting up

"Yes. Let's go before I change my mind." She said as she began to jog towards the Quidditch Pitch.

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"Flying is really easy. You kick off from the ground to start. You move the handle of the broom down to go down, right to go right, left to go left., you get it. The only thing that makes it difficult is your control of it. All your movements have to be gentle." Ron said as he mounted the broom. "Make sense?"

"Yes" She said nervously, looking up in the sky at Harry and Ginny who were already flying about, playing some kind of game with each other.

"Okay. I'll go first and then I'll let you do it once we're in the air. Sound good?"

"Yes." She said, making her way towards Ron, her heart beating fast despite her cries to remain calm. She swung her leg over the broom, gripping it tightly, her breath hitching as Ron's arms came to rest at her hips.

"Ready?" He asked softly "I'm going to kick up from the ground and I want you to do the same."

"Okay"

"One…Two…" Hermione squeezed her eyes shut "Three!" There was a sudden whoosh in her ears as air whipped by. Hermione felt a slight pressure on her lungs as they continued speeding upwards, she was shaking she knew.

"Relax" Ron's gentle voice said in her ear as they slowed to a stop, now eye level with Ginny and Harry who were cheering them on.

"See it's not that bad is it?" Harry asked as he zipped around them

"N-No not that bad." She said, her voice shaking as well.

"Now whatever you do, don't look down." Ginny said, "You'll freak out. But remember, it looks a lot higher than reality"

"No it doesn--" Harry began but was silence by a glance of Ginny's. "Oh yea. That's right…it looks higher than it really is."

Hermione nodded nervously and diverted her eyes as best as she could away from the ground. But it was almost as though her eyes were attracted downwards and before she could fully comprehend what Harry and Ginny had just said, she looked down and screamed.

"RON GET ME DOWN RIGHT NOW!!!" She demanded, her entire body shaking with fright. She couldn't breathe…they were higher than Gryffindor tower! And that was more than 200 feet above the Grounds; she of all people knew, she hadn't read Hogwarts: A History for nothing! "RON I'M NOT KIDDING! PLEASE!" She cried, tears coming to her eyes, she wanted down so badly.

"Sh…it's okay," He said, tightening his grip on her

"NO IT'S NOT!"

"What do you think is going to happen to you right now?" He asked in a soothing tone

"I could tip over right now and bring you with me!!" She said hysterically

"Maybe. But that's unlikely."

"Please Ron…" She moaned.

"Look at me." He said, twisting a bit on so he could see her face. She obliged, trying to blink to hide her tears. "If you honestly and truly are so scared that you want me to go back then I'll do it. I don't want to force you to do something you don't want to. But if not, then just hold on tight, relax, and _trust me_."

"I trust you Ron. I-I'm just so scared"

"Well don't think about it. Don't think about how high up from the ground you are; focus on the things around you. How often are you able to look down on the trees? How often are you eye level with the clouds? You love new things. Soak up all the knowledge you can get from being up here. You're brilliant at that."

Hermione let out a long breath and leaned back against Ron. "Okay" She whispered

"You're okay?"

"Yes. Let's go higher"

"You're not serious are you?"

"Of course I am. I've never felt a cloud before."

Ron laughed and grinned at Harry and Ginny who had watched the scene with interest. "All right, let's go!!"

"Yes!" Ginny said, whipping her broom around and zooming up into the air. Harry followed her and Ron directed the broom upwards after Harry.

"Woooo!" The four friends cried all the way up until Ginny stopped the procession, right before the clouds.

"Why did you stop?" Harry asked curiously

Ginny sighed contently, one of those sighs girls often make when they catch glimpse of an attractive boy. "Look over there"

The trio looked to where Ginny was pointing only to be greeted by the most miraculous sunset Hermione had ever seen.

The sun, a fiery yellowish orange color was bright, causing shadows of all intensities to fall across the ground. The sky was bursting with such vibrant colors; it took Hermione's eyes a while to get used to them. It was like an artist's easel, splashed with every color from his pallet. It was like an actor, excited to put on a show. It was beautiful; and it took Hermione's breath away.

"Oh wow…" Harry muttered beside her. Hermione turned to look at him.

He was staring at the sunset as though it were the most precious thing in the world. A playful smile playing in the corners of his mouth, his raven hair tousled handsomely from their flight, his emerald eyes shining with something Hermione couldn't exactly place; it had been years since Hermione had seen him like this. Peaceful, content, and in love with the world instead of angry at it. She smiled at him and he winked and smiled back.

Hermione's gaze fell on Ginny, just above Harry. The girl was so comfortable, she had her elbows resting in front of her, in the same position she'd seen her in when she watched TV at Hermione's house. The girl's hair fell onto her shoulders and flew in her face a bit with the wind, Ginny scrunching up her nose, trying to flip it behind her. Her cheeks had a rosy color to them from the journey here, her classic red hair and brown eyes accented beautifully in the light. She had a bright smile on her face, and her eyes lit up with excitement and joy. Smiling at her, Hermione moved on to Ron.

The boy sat on the broom, with his arms wrapped around her waist protectively even though they were no longer moving. His blue eyes shone with nothing other than simple happiness and contentment. His red hair resembled Harry's, standing up in different directions. Hermione thought it looked adorable as his freckly face turned towards hers.

"What are you looking at?" He asked quietly, not wanting to ruin the mood

She smiled and shook her head. "Nothing. It's pretty isn't it?"

"It's brilliant, I've never seen one from this point of view before."

"Me neither." She said, "Ron?"

"Yea?"

"Thanks for bringing me up here. Convincing me and then not letting me go down when I wanted to. You were right, it really is amazing."

"I thought you'd like it. But your welcome."

"You two ready to go down yet?" Harry asked them

"I'm ready if you are" Ron said to Hermione

"I'm ready."

"You want to steer?" Ron offered

Hermione shook her head. Taking his face into her hands, she smiled at him, "It's alright. I trust you"

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It was the perfect ending to an already perfect day in Ron's mind. He really hadn't expected Hermione to agree to go, but now he was so thankful she had. The four of them raced back to the ground; Harry winning, Ron coming in second, and Ginny in third, the trio teasing her all the way back to the castle. Ginny had then proceeded to tackle Harry to the ground, resulting in a tickle fight between the two; something he and Hermione had watched with similar reactions and exchanged glances about all night.

Dinner tasted extra good that night, for what reason Ron wasn't sure but all he knew was that after he and Harry bid the girls good-night and he finally fell into bed, he couldn't have been happier. And for the first time in a long time, Ron fell asleep immediately, a smile still on his face. Dripping in and out of a deep slumber until…

---------------------------------

Ron awoke to screams.

Someone was shaking him shouting incoherent things at him. "Harry?" Ron squinted

"Ron! Get out of bed!"

"Why? What's wrong?"

"It's Voldemort, Ron," He said as he began to dress frantically

"No" Ron shook his head, unable to comprehend what Harry had just said "I-It's too soon. It's can't be"

"You didn't feel the castle shake?"

"No"

"They hit it with something. All the girls started screaming, that's where the other blokes are right now, trying to calm everything down before McGonagall gets here. Go look outside the window."

_I'm dreaming!_ Ron thought to himself as he left the safe haven his bed had always provided for him, putting his feet on the cold floor and shuffling to the large window. As he glanced out, Ron rubbed his eyes. Thousands of men, or at least Ron could assume they were men, surrounded the part of the castle he could see. They all carried torches and were shouting. Some were trying to knock down the big oak door with a tree, but most were standing idle, obviously waiting for orders. It was unlike anything Ron had ever seen and he had to pinch himself to make sure it was real.

He paled and sat down on the edge of his bed "It's really time isn't it Harry?"

"Yea. It is" Harry said sadly, handing Ron a knife.

"What's this?"

"I've been saving them Ron for when the time came. It might save your life. Now come on, get dressed and dress right! We're going into battle"

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Harry hadn't been the only one prepared. When Ron caught glance of Hermione, she was pale and it was obvious she had been crying, but she was wearing proper clothes to fight in, her hair pulled back like Mad Eye Moody had always suggested.

"I'm glad you remembered what I told you" Harry said quietly as she approached them.

"You both have your wands?" She asked

"We wouldn't go into battle without them," Ron said

"Good"

"Here." Harry said slipping something covered in a cloth to her "In case your wand gets snapped"

"What is it?"

"A knife" Harry whispered

Her eyes widened. "Harry I couldn't--"

"Just in case" he hissed

"Attention!!" A very haggard Professor McGonagall shouted. The room went silent except for the sounds of crying. "As you know we've been attacked by Voldemort and his followers. The staff and I are trying to secure as much of the castle as we can. For now, we are going to lock you all into Gryffindor Tower. Under no circumstances are you to talk, for if the Death Eaters get into Hogwarts, they'll attack anywhere they think students are."

"How did this happen?" A fourth year boy asked

"What do you mean get into Hogwarts?" A third year girl shrieked

"What are we supposed to do?" A sixth year boy asked

"Those of you who want to fight, you may. But only those sixth year and above. The rest of you will remain here. For now, I need Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger"

The common room went completely silent and everyone turned around to stare at the trio who lifted their heads determinedly.

"Don't leave me," Ginny whispered, fear evident in her face.

"We have to Gin" Harry whispered back

"No" She moaned, her eyes darting between the three of them.

"I'm sorry" Hermione said, her eyes filling with tears. "We'll see you on the battle field." She said as she embraced her. "Good luck" She whispered as she squeezed her hand.

"Ron…please" Ginny begged, "You're my big brother it's your job to look after me."

Tears flew to Ron's eyes with this statement. "I-I'm sorry Gin. I want to, but I've got another job as well."

"Ron please don't leave me"

Ron simply gathered his baby sister up in his arms, unsure if it was the last time he would do so and rubbed her back as she began to cry, just like he used to when they were little. He kissed her cheek "I love you Ginny."

"Don't get yourself killed Ron or so help me God I'll--"

"Don't worry I won't. You be careful too"

"I will"

"Ginny I told you" Harry said softly as Ron and Hermione took a few steps away to give them some privacy.

"I know Harry. But hey it was fun while it lasted wasn't it?" She laughed through her tears

"Yes it was. You're an amazing girl Ginny."

"I love you Harry," She blurted out

Harry blinked a few times, unsure if he'd heard the right thing. But finally he smiled, his eyes reflecting his happiness. "I love you too. Take care."

"Come back to me."

Harry's eyes flashed with pain. "I want to. But I can't promise you that. Good-Bye"

"Bye" She said as Harry lent down to kiss her, both aware that it could be good-bye for life.

"Come on Harry" Ron said, pulling Harry away, and giving his sister a wink despite the situation.

Together, the trio walked through the human-made aisle, watching the faces of their childhood friends and classmates roll by, as they held hands, took deep breaths, and raised their heads determinedly, prepared to face their destinies.

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(Heeheee…tell me what you think! Hugs, Haystack)


	12. Chapter Twelve: Goodbyes

(A/N: WOW! I'm soooo happy!! I would never have expected such a WONDERFUL response!!!!! Gosh, you guys still amaze me! Thanks so much!! I've been home sick yesterday and today and every time I received a review I swear my temperature went down a degree! Yay! Thanks so much! Well I did intend to update yesterday but I was still kind of out of it, but I'm feeling much better today hence the update! This was originally supposed to be two different chapters but just because I love you all I made it into one. Okay so now down to business…yes the long awaited war is here. For you hard core action people, I'm sorry but there is no battling in this chapter but some rather sad stuff. I promise action next update though I'm not sure how much. I think that's basically about it! Hugs, Haystack)

Cariel: Yay! Another new reviewer! Hope you like this chapter! Thanks so much for reviewing!!

AmyChris: Haha, I'm glad you liked it so much! Thanks for reviewing as always!

nattieb: No I don't think you've ever reviewed before but thanks for reviewing last chapter!! Your review made me laugh, thanks for your energetic response! Hope to hear from you again!

Orchid6297: Aw…yay! I'm so glad you and a select few ppl from my other stories are giving this new ship a chance!! So nice to hear from you again!! Thanks for reviewing!!

cumbacksirius: I'm sorry bout the cliffhanger but it had to be done! Yes, I'm a sucker for sunsets and stuff! I felt bad leaving Ginny too but I don't think she's going to be much of the battle though so I had to have her goodbye somewhere. Thanks for reviewing!

Legofiance: lol good, I'm glad you liked the fluff! Hope the update was soon enough! Thanks for reviewing!

weasley74: Your review made me sooo happy!! So glad your enjoying the story, and it's nice to meet you by the way! Hope to hear from you again!! Thanks for reviewing!

ShimmeringEvil: Hope the update was soon enough, Thanks for reviewing as always!!

Zahra Haider: I'm going to try hard to try to have the chapters out pretty quickly while we go through this battle to try to help it flow but it'll end up varying when we get into next week. Thanks so much for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter!

dancerrdw: I'm sorry to leave you hanging but hopefully this update was fast enough! Hope you like this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!!

SlytherinRoyalty: Sorry about the cliffhanger! Haha…glad your getting prepared! I'll try to have the chapters out fast as we go through the battle so that the suspense doesn't kill anyone! I'm glad you have the effect of being with the characters instead of reading it…another thing I work for! I'm glad you'll be prepared for killings, I don't want to give anything away so I'll zip my mouth shut! Lol Thanks for reviewing!

Bhekie: Aw, I'm sorry if last chapter made you sad but unfortunately the time has come! Saying goodbye is so sad isn't it? Hope you like this chapter and Thanks for reviewing!

Smiles28: I'm sorry about the cliffhanger! Yes, I completely agree with you about the sunset with a boy holding onto thing! Who wouldn't want that? Gosh, Hermione is lucky isn't she? Harry and Ginny go together I think, I've tried to think of other possibilities but nothing really works. As for me killing off anyone, especially H, G, Hr, & R, I'm afraid I cant' say anything. Sorry! Thanks so much for reviewing as always!!

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CHAPTER TWELVE: GOOD-BYES

Hermione had kept her head held high the whole way down the corridor. _Show no signs of weakness_ She reminded herself. _Pretend like it doesn't affect you. Pretend like you're not scared out of your bloody mind. Pretending makes things easier. _

In truth, Hermione's stomach felt so…empty. Nervous, frightened, petrified, none of these words seemed to best fit the feeling she was currently feeling. Fear. Yes fear was there. An intense fear like Hermione had never known just seemed to swallow up her being. Determination and Hope was there as well but at the exact moment, they were hard to locate.

"What's the situation like Professor?" Harry asked calmly.

Hermione was astounded! She turned to look at Harry with wide eyes and an open mouth. How could he be so calm about this?? Between the three of them, Harry was the most likely to die and yet here he was asking a frantic Professor McGonagall for the details! What did he need to know? Thousands of Voldemort's followers were at the castle's gates, eagerly waiting to kill them. Wasn't that everything?

"Not good Mr. Potter. Our chances are incredibly slim. Locking the students up in their common rooms isn't going to help any. It's just going to make it easier for the Death Eaters to get them all at once! I told Albus not to do that but he--"

"Professor calm down. It's okay. Everything'll be fine." Harry reassured

Minerva McGonagall simply stared at Harry. "I'm not sure exactly where you are pulling this confidence from Mr. Potter, and let me assure you, I want to believe you, I want to believe that everything will turn out alright, but at this point, I simply can't. There are too many facts staring us in the face."

"Facts can be bullocks Professor. Because numbers aren't what win a battle, it's the spirit and emotions behind the soldiers. It's their confidence and desire to win. It's their care for their fellow comrades that'll give them the upper hand." Harry said powerfully. So powerfully in fact, that Hermione almost believed him. Almost.

Professor McGonagall stopped walking and looked Harry in the eye for several moments before a smile crept over her wrinkly face. "You really are a Gryffindor." She whispered to herself. "You're parents would have been proud"

"Thanks" Harry said, smiling.

"Your welcome." She said but it sounded as though the Transfiguration teacher were caught up in a different world of her own. "The Headmaster is waiting for you. The password is Sugar Crème puffs."

"Thanks Professor."

"Good luck" The woman to whom Hermione had looked up to as a role model, said, tears in her eyes. Hermione immediately looked away, any more emotion and her façade would break. But she stole a glance as the elderly woman walked back down the corridor, and she could have sworn she'd seen her shoulders shaking.

"Sugar Crème Puffs!" Harry said loudly. The trio climbed onto the moving staircase as they rotated up towards Dumbledore.

"Professor Dumbledore Sir!" Harry spoke for the group again. Hermione wondered how Ron was feeling; he hadn't said a word since they left Ginny.

"Over here Harry." A tired voice said.

Curious, the trio pulled back a thin curtain to reveal the Headmaster's private chambers. He was sitting on the windowsill looking out the window, appearing more like a scared child than the wise old adviser that Hermione admired. The change in him was like a slap in the face.

"P-Professor?" Hermione sputtered

The old man smiled sadly, his wonderful blue eyes that were always sparkling with mischief and entertainment fading away to a dull blue, a blue that seemed to hold no emotion. "Hello Miss Granger." He said

"Hello" She replied softly

"You wanted to see us?" Harry asked

"Yes." Dumbledore paused for several moments before beginning "We have no choice but to fight soon. The castle won't hold out much longer and the last thing I want is Voldemort and his followers inside this place." He shuddered with the thought. "I'm going to ask that you try to find Voldemort as soon as possible Harry. The quicker he's dead the less lives can be lost."

"So you think I'll defeat him?"

"Mr. Potter" Dumbledore began, standing up. "I have known you since you were a baby. If there is anyone up to this job, it is you. You have my full confidence, you always have."

"Sir—" Ron said suddenly, earning a worried glance from Hermione. "When is the Order coming? And the Ministry?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Well Mr. Weasley, when I was made aware of the dream Mr. Potter had, I tightened our security as expected. I wrote a letter to Cornelius Fudge explaining the situation and asking for the Ministry to be on alert so that in the case of this war, they would be at our call. Unfortunately Voldemort had Fudge and many other powerful members of the ministry, tortured. I wouldn't count on anyone arriving. But the Order, is on their way."

"But Sir" Ron said, his eyes as wide as saucers "There aren't that many Order members. I mean not nearly enough to hold off all of those people below."

"I know Mr. Weasley. I know."

"Then what will happen?" Hermione asked; she couldn't help her voice from quavering.

"We'll recruit a few students willing to fight for us, and the Professors will all fight as well."

"That's not even a quarter of their side!!" Ron cried out

"As long as I kill Voldemort fast, then everything should be okay" Harry reassured them. "This is my job, I've been preparing for it for years. I'm ready! When are we going?" He asked the long bearded man

"Soon Harry, very soon. But I wanted to say good-bye to you three before we go."

"We're not going to die!" Harry exclaimed, "There's no need for good-byes"

"Yes there is" Dumbledore insisted, "I'll be fighting as well. Helping you along if I can Harry. After all, Tom and I do have a history"

"We know" Hermione mumbled

"So before we part just let me say these few things. I don't think I've ever told you all how proud I've been of you over the years. In my opinion you're the bravest and most clever group of students to have passed through Hogwarts. And though I'm not one with emotions I think you should know that I've come to look at you three as my children."

Hermione couldn't help it this time. Tears fell out of her eyes. She couldn't place it, but there was something about the way Dumbledore was acting…it was almost as though he knew he was going to die. Hermione didn't know why he would think such a thing but it scared her.

"You've been the father figure for my life so I think that claim is appropriate." Harry said maturely. "Thank you for everything you've shown me and taught me over the years."

"Yes Professor Dumbledore." Hermione managed to choke out "You'll have no idea how much you've impacted my life"

"Mine too." Ron said.

Dumbledore's eyes shone with unshed tears. "Thank you. Now I think is the time to go. Go to the Entrance Hall. I'll be there in a moment."

The Three students nodded and turned around, heading out the door. But they all heard Dumbledore mutter to himself, "Until we meet again…whether in this world or the next."

That simple sentence had more impact on the group, then anything so far this evening and the three walked out solemnly. But as they were walking suddenly they stopped, understanding the true meaning of Dumbledore's meeting, each wanting to go back to demand it wasn't true, but they trailed on anyways, strong, united, and most importantly, together.

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"I want you and Hermione to stay together alright? Go and hide somewhere safely. I don't want to have to worry about you two. It'll be easier to defeat Voldemort that way." Harry said as they stopped on the stairs above the Entrance Hall.

"No bloody way!!" Ron cried, "I'm not going anywhere, and certainly not to hide like some pathetic child playing hide and seek!"

"Harry" Hermione said calmly "We've always done everything together. This will be no different. It would be too strange not to be by your side."

"No. We've always done the journey together but I've gone off alone in the end haven't I? I was the only one who passed through the final task first year, I was the only one to meet the basilisk in second year, I was the only one in the Triwizard Tournament, I was the only one to see Cedric die and Voldemort return in the graveyard that night, I was the only one out of you three to see Sirius die. We've done everything tonight together but this is the last part. I have to do this by myself."

"Harry, I really think Ron and I will be useful for the 'power the Dark Lord knows not' business" Hermione insisted

"I already know what that is though. It's your potion. He doesn't know we have that."

"You can't make assumptions like that Harry. Please, we're asking to come with you."

"And even if you say no we're coming anyway!" Ron huffed

"And I'm begging you two…Voldemort has already threatened you two in my dream. He knows that if he captures you, I'll be worthless. You both could be my undoing."

Hermione turned to Ron, "He does have a point there"

"I don't care! Someone has to watch his back and it's going to me! What about that whole triangle back thing we had going in sixth year? That worked really well."

Harry nodded "It did. But it worked for what we were doing. We're dealing with the very face of evil here. Besides, it's not like either of you can do anything to harm him. Only I can."

"But we can fight off other Death Eaters for you" Ron persisted

"You can do that. Just not where Voldemort can find or see you."

"Harry…" Ron moaned in frustration

"Ron." Harry continued calmly "This isn't something I'm going to argue with you on. You _will_ take Hermione and get out of sight from Voldemort and I. If nothing, then do this for me"

Hermione sighed. "This is what you want Harry? You honestly want to risk us being separated like this?"

Harry nodded solemnly. "At least I'll have the peace of mind knowing that you two are safe together. Don't look at me like that 'Mione" He said softly, brushing a tear off her face gently before it had the chance to roll down her face "I'll see you once this mess is done with. I promise."

The girl nodded. What else could she say to him?

Ron looked at her bewildered. "So that's it then? You're agreeing to this idea?"

Hermione looked at him, a look of desperation on her face. "What else do you want me to do Ron?! Harry has obviously made up his mind about this. What am I to say to that?"

"Tell him that it's not going to happen!"

"Ron if it'll help him defeat Voldemort faster…"

"Oh don't throw that Voldemort shit at me. A Death Eater could smack him in the back with a Crucio and knock him down. How easy would Avada Kedavra be by Voldemort?"

"It would be easy Ron, very easy. But Harry can't die of Avada Kedavra. None of us can remember?"

Ron growled in frustration. "I know that. What I meant was 'how easy would it be to just kill Harry off while he's withering on the ground?"

Hermione threw her hands up in the air. "You're convincing Harry here. Not me." She said in a huff as she stepped aside for a moment.

Ron eyed Harry carefully. His jaw was set in the same way it was for Quidditch matches, his body language was confident, but his eyes kept darting around with each sound. "Look Harry I know you think this is some brilliant idea you have but please…I'm your best mate. Don't leave me out in the cold. What if something happens to you that wouldn't have if I had been there? I'd never forgive myself"

A half smile, half smirk spread over Harry's mouth. He chuckled. "I remember having a conversation with you after Sirius died. You told me only dumb-asses-filled-with-chicken-shit blamed themselves for things they couldn't have prevented. Now Ron, you don't want to be a dumb-ass-filled-with-chicken-shit do you?"

"That's not the point and besides I was all worked up and it was different."

"Oh I see, so it was okay to call me that but not if it refers to you too" Harry laughed

"No, no…Harry that's not the point! I'm telling you that I'm coming with you"

"And I'm telling you that you will do no such thing. I'll run off once those doors open and I know you Ron. You'd never leave Hermione, even if it were for me." Harry lowered his voice "Now you remember what we talked about earlier? They're going to be after Hermione in more ways then one. One of us has to protect her and we both know it can't be me as much as I'd love to. It's your duty; I'm counting on you. Keep her safe."

Ron lowered his head and nodded. "I know."

"Hermione?"

"Yes Harry?"

"Look after Ron. Keep his arse out of trouble won't you?" Harry said with a wink

Hermione managed a weak smile. "I will."

"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger?" An Order member that they didn't recognize asked

"Yes?" They chorused

"It's time. Dumbledore wanted me to tell Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley to go out the back entrance with the rest of the other students fighting and for Mr. Potter to exit with Professor Dumbledore on the east side door. I'd run if I were you." The adult said as he ran off himself.

The trio exchanged saddened glances.

"You heard Dumbledore's orders. You two better get going." Harry said slowly

"Oh Harry!" Hermione said suddenly, flinging her arms around her friend, holding him tightly. "Please be careful!"

Harry's arms tightened around her waist and he leaned his head onto her shoulder. Ron could have sworn he'd seen tears in his eyes. "I will 'Mione. I will. Please take care of yourself."

She sniffed and nodded her head, stepping out from the embrace.

"I still can't believe I'm letting you do this by yourself mate." Ron said as he approached his best friend.

"Thank you for doing this for me Ron. It'll mean more to me than you know."

"I just hope things go our way."

"Me too. Good-bye Ron. Remember everything I said." Harry said as the two boys hugged.

"I will. T-Thanks for being such a great friend." He said with difficulty

The words must have hit Harry hard because he struggled through his words. "Y-you too Ron. I-I don't know what would have happened to me all these years if it hadn't been for you. You're the b-best mate a bloke could have asked for."

Ron opened his mouth, about to respond but a voice suddenly spoke. "Mr. Potter! I'm to escort you to Professor Dumbledore! Please hurry, we don't have much time!"

The boys pulled out of their hug, the trio exchanging the same look to each other.

"Bye" Harry whispered as he was led away.

Ron stood with Hermione at his side, watching his best friend for seven years walk away to face the most evil wizard in all of history, and Ron felt like giving up everything. His heart suddenly had a gap in it, and his stomach was filled with worry. After all, one member of the trio had left…what would happen to the remaining two?

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	13. Chapter Thirteen: The Beginning

(A/N: I'm being over worked on little sleep today so cut me some slack if I seem kind of out of it. I know, if you can see the scroll bar, you'll realize that today's update is really short. I'm sorry about that but I have the next update written, so it'll be up before you know it. Um…I think that's about all for now, hope you all are enjoying it! Again, I can't re-iterate how thankful I am for every review I get! So always know that your review is taken to heart, I treasure each one! There is a character who's name I'm pretty sure I mis-spelled every time I used it but I just want you all to know that I'm aware of it and that the next time I need to make a reference to the character, it will be spelled the correct way! Thanks again for everything and here's Chapter Thirteen! Hugs, Haystack)

Smiles28: I was close? YAY!!!!! Next time a really sad part comes, I'll drag it out you can have time to cry! Lol Thanks for reviewing so faithfully!

Bhekie: Isn't that sad? As much as I would have loved to have the trio together during the war, it's not very realistic. Harry's a loner on this one. Thanks for reviewing!!

dancerrdw: Another almost cry-er?! WOO HOO! I'm scoring today! Lol u let me know when it happens! Haha…thanks for reviewing! Glad you liked last chapter!

AmyChris: Glad my last update was the highlight of your day and that you liked it so much, and in all fairness getting your reviews are the highlights of my days as well! Thanks for reviewing!!

SlytherinRoyalty: First off, you got the spelling of McGonagall, I was very impressed lol(something I didn't get down until the other day) Second, I'm very very happy you liked my take on her. I'm always nervous writing new or rarely used characters like that. The prospect of Hagrid always scares me with his cockney accent! Anyways, thanks so much for reviewing!!!

SoloLobo: Let me tell you, your review had me smiling for a long time! Thank you so much, it really meant a lot to me, the nice things you said. It's so nice to get some re-assurance from time to time like that! So thank you, and hopefully I'll hear from you again!

Blake-Tori88: I'm sorry but my lips are sealed. I don't want to ruin it for you do I? Lol I'll try to update quickly to make it easier for ya. Thanks for reviewing!!!

wildmage58: I realize you only reviewed for chapter one, but I just wanted to publicly thank you here for even bothering to review when you didn't get to finish! That was very nice of you and I appreciate it! Take your time with it, I'll still be here, lol. Hope to hear from you again!!

ShimmeringEvil: Glad you liked last chapter so much! Hopefully, you'll like this one as well! Thanks for reviewing as always!

cumbacksirius: Your review left me smiling for quite a while. Even being compared to the amazing JK Rowling is a big honor for me! So thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN: THE BEGINNING

It was unlike anything Hermione had seen. As she looked around, Ron yanking on her hand to pull her along, she barely recognized the school she loved so much…the school that was her home.

The war had started; both Ron and Hermione could hear the moment it began. Screams of all sorts filled the air, sending shivers up and down her spine. As the door had opened, Ron immediately started sprinting, dragging her along, never for a split second letting go.

Hermione knew that Hagrid had been unsuccessful in bringing the Giants to their side, and she was prepared to battle them, but Hermione wasn't expecting all the other creatures that filled out the grounds; there were creatures she'd never seen before, only read about in books. There were some elves, some house elves that were forced by their masters to fight, a few dwarfs, and wild creatures of all sorts. And then of course, there were the Death Eaters. Hermione had battled them many times in her young life, but never in the past seven years had she seen so many of them conjugated in one spot. It boggled her mind…how could they have not known?

"Come on. Over here" Ron whispered as they ran into the Forbidden Forest. Hermione's stomach twisted, it was so dark; the full moon was providing the only light, Voldemort's followers having blown out their torches.

They ran a long ways into the forest, Hermione wondering the whole time why Ron was leading her into here. She looked behind her, witches and wizards were already dying. _Come on Harry!_ She thought

Ron stopped and Hermione bent at her waist, trying to catch her breath. Ron too, was breathing just as heavily. "Where are we?" she managed to say in between gasps for air

He shuddered at the thought. "Aragog" was all he could say

"Aragog?" She asked confused "Wasn't that the spider that you and Harry faced in second year?"

He nodded, finally catching his breath. "Come on" He said, grabbing her small hand in his large one, holding onto it firmly.

"Ron…" Hermione said fearfully as they made their way underneath a mound of dirt and hundreds of little spiders crawled over their head. "You hate spiders."

He clasped a hand on her mouth. "Don't say that here," He warned

"Who's There?" A loud voice boomed

"Let me talk" Ron whispered to Hermione "Aragog? My name is Ron Weasley. I came to see you with my friend Harry Potter five years ago. This-"

"I remember who you are!!" He bellowed

Ron jumped a little and squeezed Hermione's hand tighter; it was obvious he was frightened to death. "Yes well this is our friend Hermione Granger. We're all friends of Hagrid"

"Hagrid?"

"Yes. I came to ask you a favor."

"A favor?!!"

"Yes Sir. There's a war going on right now and--"

"I'm well aware of that!!" The spider screamed, "I had to gather all my children here so that they would not be hurt."

"I-I'm sorry." Ron squeaked "But my friend Harry Potter is trying to defeat He-who-must-not-be-named and my friend and I are in danger."

"I see. Go on"

"I was wondering if I could leave my friend here and you could protect her."

"Ron!" Hermione hissed, "What are you doing?"

Ron ignored her.

"Hmm…well what is in it for me?" The old spider said

"I'm afraid I can't offer you anything. But it would mean the world to me and you would have the satisfaction of knowing you saved a life" Ron said persuasively

"Ron! Stop this! I'm not staying here!" Hermione said, pulling on his hand

Ron turned around to face her, his eyes boring into hers. "Yes you will" Ron said with finality.

"Alright Weasley, I will accept your offer. I will take the girl, no harm will be done to her, by Death Eaters or us spiders. You have my word."

"Thank you!" Ron said, his face showing great relief, "Thank you very much. When the battle is over you can let her go."

Aragog nodded "I will do so"

"Ron!" Hermione snapped, yanking his arm towards her. For a second time he turned around to face her. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Language" He said calmly

"I don't give a shit. What are you doing? You can't just drop me off like some child at daycare! I'm a grown woman! I need to fight!"

"You're seventeen," He stated. Hermione sent him a death glare. "Hermione" Ron begged "Please do this for me!"

"NO!" She cried, "Harry told you to stay with me!"

"I know" Ron said sadly "But I can't have you get hurt" He said softly, cupping her chin in his hands.

"Well what about me? I don't want you hurt either! It's like you told Harry, we can watch each others backs."

"No 'Mione. I'm going and you're staying here."

"YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!" She yelled "IF I WANT TO GO WITH YOU THEN I CAN! I WILL NOT HIDE IN A CAVE FULL OF SPIDERS LIKE A COWARD WHILE YOU AND HARRY AND EVERYONE ELSE FIGHT"

"Don't make this more difficult than it should be."

"Ron…" She said softly her eyes filling up with tears. "Don't leave me please"

"Hermione…don't" Ron warned when he saw what she was about to do. She threw her arms around his neck, holding on tight.

"If you go, I go" She whispered

"This isn't open for debate." He said firmly

"I'm not letting go"

"You have to"

"Ron…" She said quietly, her voice choked up by tears. "You didn't have a choice to leave Ginny. You have a choice to leave me"

Ron inhaled his breath sharply. That one had hurt. "And I'm making that choice 'Mione because I care about you and don't want you to hurt, raped, or dead" He said as he stoked her hair lovingly.

"Why are you trying to get rid of me? Do you think I'll be a nuisance? What is it?" She cried into his shoulder.

Ron shook his head. "You don't understand."

"No Ron, I think I do. Harry didn't want us with him because he thought we'd distract him, now you don't want me with you because you think I'll be a distraction. But what you two don't see is that alone, we're all just like everyone else out there. Together we're better…stronger than your average witch or wizard. You know that, I know you have to."

"I know that Hermione but this time everything is different."

"Ron you were the one who was so adamant on us going with Harry. You were the one who fought him over it."

"I know. But I gave in, see? And now you have to do the same."

"I-I can't" she whispered "Ron. I told you before and I'll tell you again. If Harry dies, and there's a pretty good chance that might happen, I need you with me" She said, holding him even closer.

"Hermione, this is for your own good." He said as he took her hands off his neck "I don't want to do it anymore than you, but I am. I'll come to get you after the battle."

"What if your dead?"

"Then Aragog will let you go"

"No Ron" She moaned as tears fell down her face

He placed her down on the ground. "Take care of her please." He said to the spider, desperately trying to control his feelings. "She means too much to me," He whispered so softly that no one heard.

"I promise" Aragog said.

"Thank you. Good-Bye 'Mione." He said as he kissed her head and began to walk away.

Hermione watched him walk away unsure if she had just lost both of her best friends. As Ron took out his wand and started running away, Hermione followed the light his wand was giving off. And when the little dot of light finally extinguished, Hermione felt her heart break.

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(A/N: What did you think?! Let me know!)


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Words to Guide

(A/N: Wow we're doing very well with the reviews lately! Lol…I love it! Keep it coming! I'm real sorry but I'm in a time crunch but wanted to get this chapter out so I'm TERRIBLY sorry but I'm not going to individually respond to all your reviews this chapter! I'M SORRY!!! But just let me say that I really do appreciate each one! So

nattieb, AmyChris, dancerrdw, ShimmeringEvil, cumbacksirius, eckles, belanna30, Alicia-B, SoloLobo Thank you all soooooooo much for reviewing last chapter!! I took each to heart and so many of them made me laugh! Thank you Thank you! And now onto Chapter Fourteen…hope everyone's enjoying it!!)

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CHAPTER FOURTEEN: WORDS TO GUIDE

As Ron ran out of the Forbidden he wiped at his eyes shamefully. He couldn't be crying…not now anyways. Crying made noise and noise was the last thing you wanted to create while in middle of a war.

Each step he took away from Hermione, he felt his heart break. Leaving Ginny behind was one thing and even as terrible as that had seemed at the time, it didn't compare to leaving Hermione.

"Avada Kedavra!" A sudden voice cried, the attacker sending a beam of green light towards Ron. He easily ducked it, Quidditch had given him more than muscles. But the real problem here was that someone was close behind him, knowing exactly where he was. Unsure if it was a beast or not, that could outrun him easily, he ran very slowly waiting for his attacker to catch up. And right when Ron could hear his footsteps behind him he suddenly jerked around shouting the killing curse into the air.

His attacker had been a Death Eater, and obviously a very stupid one to have fallen for that old tactic. The Death Eater emitted a loud scream into the night, only one of many Ron was sure he would hear coming from his wand. The person lay on the ground and Ron was tempted to pull back his mask to see exactly whom he had killed; after all, if it was a parent of someone at Hogwarts, at least he could apologize.

No…he shouldn't waste time. Besides he didn't want guilt to override him for the rest of his life. But against his urges to run, he still stood above the man. He had never killed anyone before, even in all the battles he, Harry, and Hermione had fought, they'd always used Stupefy. But like Ron had told Hermione…everything was different this time. Finally able to pull himself away from the corpse, he headed out of the Forbidden Forest; thankful that Hermione had not been there to see that. After all, he was now classified as a murderer.

The moment he ran out of the trees, his eyes widened. This was obviously the heart of the war. The odds were not even, it was maybe one Witch or Wizard to three or four of Voldemort's followers. He spotted Harry and Dumbledore by the lake, obviously looking for something…or someone. He cursed the fact that they hadn't found him yet. Voldemort obviously wanted to drag this war out.

Ron began jogging towards his Headmaster and his best friend when he suddenly remembered his words. No…Harry had been right. He would only get in the way of his mission. Besides, Harry would have his head for leaving Hermione behind.

Hearing a high-pitched scream, one that obviously belonged to a girl, Ron sprinted over to the scene.

Lavender Brown was standing with her back against the castle, tears running down her face, screaming her head off as two Death Eaters and a Troll circled her.

"Come here my pretty." The Giant slurred

"No please, don't come near me. A-Avada K-K-Kedavra." She said weakly

Ron was almost tempted to roll his eyes, didn't she know that the Unforgivables didn't work if she didn't mean it? And there was not once ounce of hate in Lavender; well except when it was directed to a girl who stole one of her numerous boyfriends.

Finally reaching the situation close enough to help, he watched with horror as one of the Death Eaters pinned her arms down to Hogwarts and the other one started touching her.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!!!" He screamed, pointing his wand at the Death Eater who currently had a hand on one of Lavender's breasts. The Death Eater was so surprised, he easily fell to the ground. _Come on Weasley. Take care of the other one first; the Troll won't attack until he understands what's going on_. He thought to himself, silently blessing the fact that God had made Giants so stupid.

"WHY YOU LITTLE…" The other Death Eater cried. But he was too slow for Ron.

"Avada Kedavra!" He said again, knowing full well he had the upper hand here. The other one fell down just as easily as his friend.

Ron stole a glance at the Troll. Luckily he still had a few more seconds before his small brain comprehended the fact that both of his comrades were dead. And just like he had done in first year when he and Harry saved Hermione from the troll, and smiling at the memory, he sent one of the stones that had fallen from Hogwarts into the air, bringing it with a loud crack on top of his head. He had been lucky Quirrel had let that monster into the castle in first year, Troll's were too thick blooded to die from spells, something barely anyone knew.

Lavender was sobbing now and sunk down to the ground. Ron cursed; she couldn't do that in the middle of the battlefield!

"Hey Lavender?" He asked quietly but with an urgent tone to his voice.

"Thank you Ron" He heard her whisper

"Yea it was no problem. Are you alright? They didn't do anything to you did they?"

"They touched me" She hissed with venom, Ron sighed, here was one of the many people who be permanently scarred from the war.

"Can you get up?" He asked, taking in her distressed appearance. It was quite a shock. The most popular girl in seventh year who had always seemed so together, with boys following her wherever she went, was now lying on the ground, her hair a mess, a red puffy face, and her entire body shaking.

She shook her head no.

"Well I hate to break it to you but we're in the middle of a war here. I wouldn't suggest just sitting on the battlefield." She shook her head again.

"I can't do this anymore!" She moaned, "I wasn't supposed to be a warrior. I'm too pretty to be a warrior." At this Ron rolled his eyes "I didn't focus that much in class…I can't remember anything!"

"Well you're certainly brave to try. It proves you're a Gryffindor." Lavender dried her eyes.

"Thank you Ron for saving my life." She said as she leant in to kiss him. Ron put his hand in front of his lips.

"It's alright. You can thank me some other time in a different way." He said, grinning

Lavender sniffed and nodded her head.

"I'm going to go now alright? Good luck!" He said as he stood up.

"No Ron! Don't leave me!" Ron stopped walking and closed his eyes, cursing. Why was it that every girl used that line? It made him feel so damn guilty!

"Sorry Lavender. Take care of yourself. Get out of here if you have to. I've got other lives to save."

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Hermione Granger sat on a branch, her brain in overdrive, and her source of tears, never drying up.

It had been hours! Why wasn't the battle over yet?! Hermione thought.

True to his word, Aragog and his children didn't bother her. They all actually gathered in one place so she wouldn't risk stepping on one of them. But the advantage of Ron leaving her here instead of behind some rock was that she could ask questions out loud, and get answers, instead of sitting there silently, where her mind would drive her insane.

"How long has it been?" She asked

"Not yet an hour." He replied. She sighed impatiently. She'd gotten the same answer ever since Ron had left her and she was getting annoyed with it. If she was going to sit here, she needed something else to keep her occupied besides the time, which seemed to be going by extra slow.

Almost as if reading her mind, which Hermione didn't doubt him to do Aragog asked, "So you and the Weasley boy are in love yes?"

Hermione fell off her branch she was so shocked. Her mouth open wide, she gaped at the spider in shock. Obviously, he was a bold spider. Hermione tried to speak but she wasn't quite sure how to respond. Should she be offended that he would dare ask such a question? Should she admit it? But what if Ron came back and he told him?

Aragog chuckled, which was a strange sight on its own, if you've ever seen a spider laugh you'll know, but Hermione figured it probably replaced smiling. "I'll take that as a yes. If I may be so bold" _Be bold?_ Hermione thought_ I thought your last question was pretty bold!_ "I wouldn't worry about it. He obviously loves you in return. Us spiders can sense strong emotions like that. It was the reason I put my children on the younger Potter and Weasley; because I could sense their fear. I don't like fear." He said menacingly

"Oh." Was all Hermione could think of to say

"Yes" Aragog continued, sounding very pleased with himself. "It is obvious he returns your feelings," He repeated. "I may not like fear, but I do like Love. I never do humans favors mind you, I usually kill them. But I've never had anyone come see me who was in love. That is the only reason I agreed to protect you. Love conquers Fear after all."

Hermione was silent and her mind finally comprehended what the spider had been saying. Love…he could feel their love? Yes she was in love with Ron but she'd never thought he would be in love with her too. Maybe, just maybe this spider was right. After all, it made sense why he attempted to kill Ron and Harry before. She had been surprised that Aragog had agreed to Ron's idea, she'd thought he'd hated him, being the boy afraid of spiders. This Love/Fear theory did make sense; however preposterous it sounded that Ron might love her back.

"I can see you're having doubts. But let me say this, I was looking at the boy's face. There is no mistake about it; it was killing him to leave you here. While you had your arms around him, his had tears in his eyes. I can sense strong emotions remember? Yours were betrayal and pain; his were guilt and sadness. Don't you think it's curious that he would come all the way out here so that you could be protected?"

"But I need to protect him to!" Hermione cried out

Once again Aragog laughed "A true sign of Love Granger."

Hermione didn't really appreciate the way Aragog was trying to get her to admit her love for Ron. But at the same time, he was making a few good points that Hermione had never thought of before. And at least she was keeping her mind off the time.

Hermione sighed when Aragog cleared his throat, wondering if he even had a throat to clear, and if she was imagining the whole ordeal.

"Yes?" She said, hoping she didn't sound rude, but still annoyed at the same time.

"War is a terrible thing." He said

"I know" She replied

"Many people die in war."

"I realize that"

"Even our loved ones." He said with emphasis. "Even if you don't believe me, you must be aware of your own feelings. If you love him, you better hurry up and tell him before it's too late."

Once again, for what seemed like the umpteenth time Hermione fell silent, turning his words over and over again in her mind. She loved Ron. That was a fact. Ron might die in the war. That was a possibility. Did she honestly want to take that risk? For once, Hermione was certain Aragog was right on this one. She had to tell him, no matter if he felt the same way, though Aragog certainly seemed to think so, which gave her a bit of encouragement. "You're right," she whispered, staring outside the cave. She then turned to the spider and laughed. "You're right! I have to tell him! I have to find him!"

Aragog nodded his approval "Very good. You have my permission to leave."

Hermione stood up and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," He said as Hermione turned around and ran out of the cave, her wand up. "Good luck"

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	15. Chapter Fifteen: As the Walls Come Crash...

(A/N: It was a pretty short time in between updates but again, you all succeeded in amazing me! Thank you so much! This Chapter ends with a bit of cliffhanger so I'm just warning you now. Hugs, Haystack)

AmyChris: I'm sorry you were having a hard day and I from my own fair share of family crappiness sometimes, I'm sorry and hope whatever it is gets better soon! That said, thanks for reviewing! I'm glad your happy, but hopefully I won't be too predictable…after all, how boring would that be? Lol ;)

dancerrdw: Hope the update was good. Thanks for reviewing!

ShimmeringEvil: My lips are sealed. Read on my friend! (Thanks for reviewing!)

Smiles28: I wanted to add Ron's hero thing into it; poor guy never gets any credit! As for the killings…my hand is over my mouth to prevent me from saying anything. Hope you enjoy it though! Thanks for reviewing as always!

Ron'n'Hermione: haha…I'm glad you liked Aragog. I definitely hadn't planned for him to be in the script at all but sometimes I surprise myself. Lol thanks for reviewing! Hope to hear from you again!

cumbacksirius Yes, having Hermione stay was a difficult decision for me to make but I rather liked the appeal that this is her I-am-woman-hear-me-roar scene. Defy that man! Lol…thanks for reviewing!

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN: AS THE WALLS COME CRASHING DOWN

Ron Weasley, though however special some people thought him, had never been a hero. That had always been Harry…he had been the little sidekick. And now that he was saving people from the hands of death and saving damsels in distress, he suddenly realized, after pining silently for all these years, that being the hero wasn't all it was made out to be.

But then again, Ron had to give some of the credit to Hermione. He'd already been in two situations where he had been immobile with Petrificus Totalius, and withering on the ground in pain with Crucio, and his attackers had uttered the killing spell.

Whatever she had done to these ordinary necklaces…it worked! And it gave him superhero like powers; at least in the eyes of the people he saved. Which probably explained why none of them wanted him to leave. They'd beg and sometimes cry, afraid to go back into the war without the security of this new God-like Ron. He regretted abandoning these people sure, but then again there was always one more person. And besides, all his killings didn't weigh so heavily on his conscience either once he'd saved lives as well.

Personally, he'd been attacked as well. He'd fought to his best, always winning. But that didn't mean he wouldn't have scars to prove it…

His head was pounding mercilessly and his hands were currently covered in blood not his own. It repulsed him, but it wasn't as if he could wash them off anywhere. Even the once beautifully clear lake had been dyed a blood red, swimming with bodies, the corpses bobbing up and down in the water. He had several scratches and bruises from falling to the ground so many times and several deep cuts from Death Eater's spells. He walked fine, though he ran with a bit of a limp. (His knee had been the icebreaker between himself and the ground many times, and it was starting to show).

Holding his knee with his left hand, his right hand always holding his wand up, he hobbled towards a part of Hogwarts that looked pretty desolate. Looking around, it used to be a corridor, though Ron couldn't remember where it led to at the moment. The outside wall had crumbled and Ron made his way to the farthest corner, so as to not attract any visitors. Sitting down on a piece of rubble he began examining himself for further injuries. He found nothing he didn't know already. Sighing, he rested for just a moment, resting his elbows on his knees as he ran his hands through his thick, curly red locks.

But suddenly Ron had the sense that he wasn't alone. He heard deep breathing.

Resisting the urge to turn around and look, Ron told himself to stay calm, though his heart was beating rapidly. He slowly got up from his seat, pressing his back against the wall, and hiding around the corner of the debris, waiting in the shadows patiently.

A few moments later, when this person obviously thought it safe to come out, a man stepped out of his hiding spot. Looking at only his back, Ron's eyebrows furrowed together. There were no humans fighting this war that weren't dressed up in their Death Eater outfit. This man was wearing no such robe or mask. Ron racked his brain but could come up with no excuse, well except…

An even worse looking Peter Pettigrew turned to the side, peaking out from behind the remains of the building, to watch the fighting. He was wearing different clothes than when Ron had seen him last, but these weren't faring any better than his old ones he wore for twelve years. Immense hatred for Pettigrew rose inside Ron, bursting like a bubble, his face turning bright red with anger. Here was the man he received as a present when he was little, here was the man responsible not only for the deaths of James and Lily Potter and Sirius, but also the man responsible for Harry living with the Dursley's, dealing with the fame he hated, and complicating all their lives such. He had a pretty good shot at him; it would be so easy to kill him!

Ron grinned evilly and raised his wand, only two words away from ending this miserable lost cause that created such horror and destruction. But against his will he stopped to think. Did he really want to do this? He hadn't seen the face of anyone he killed yet, did he want to end that record? Unlike some of the random trolls or other creatures he had killed, he knew this man. He knew his story, knew his past, knew and even, if he dared to say so, somewhat understood why Peter did what he did. After all, being teased for your whole life, being the last one picked for a team, the student failing all his classes, none of that could have been easy. And the more Ron thought about it, the more he came to a conclusion that Peter was only looking for a way out of his life that treated him so horribly. Voldemort probably looked like a pretty easy escape; and Ron suspected that Peter didn't know two of his friends would be dead because of him when he began. And if there was one thing Ron was certain of, it was that once you were in with Voldemort, there was _no_ turning back, no exceptions.

Ron lowered his wand. He couldn't do it. Shamefully he bowed his head. "I'm sorry Harry," He whispered. Pettigrew heard nothing.

Ron crept silently around the edges of the room, keeping a close eye on Pettigrew. He was at the exit, the same archway he had entered. And suddenly he heard a voice that made his head snap up.

"RON!!" Hermione called, trying to run up towards him, but stopping to duck spells and fight Death Eaters. Her brown curls having come undone, bounced behind her and Ron's breath caught. She looked too beautiful for words.

But Wormatil had recognized her voice too and as he saw her running, he followed her gaze to Ron, crouching low behind a stone.

"You!" He hissed

Ron stood up bravely. He wouldn't kill this man by choice, but he had to, he would.

"Hello _Wormtail_" He spat

Pettigrew wasted no time. "CRUCIO!"

Ron dodged the spell but it hit the wall, leaving a permanent burn mark on the gorgeous stone. "PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Ron said as he prepared to duck another spell.

"IMPERIUS!"

"ENGORGIO!" Ron shot back

"FURNUNCULUS!"

"REDUCTOR!"

"STUPEFY!" Pettigrew yelled

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Ron roared as the walls around them trembled and shook. He was annoyed; all of their spells had simply bounced off each other and hit the walls, well…more like the ceiling. But the Rat had fallen to the ground.

Ron examined him. There was no mistaking it…he was dead. His wide beady eyes were still wide-open, staring him in the face. Unable to stand any more, he quickly shut the lids of Pettigrew's eyes, and sat on the ground, in shock, almost urging tears to come, his guilt was so intense. But as he sat there, staring at the ground, he found it odd that the little pebble in front of him kept bouncing around. As a few more rocks and dust fell on top of him, Ron chuckled nervously to himself, it was almost as if the room were falling apart.

With the though, Ron immediately whipped his head around. It wasn't just his imagination; this room was collapsing! He could see huge chunks of the ceiling fall next to him.

Without thinking, Ron scrambled up from where he was sitting in the back of the room, and began sprinting towards the entrance, where Ron saw through the window, Hermione was close to. And just as quickly as he had made it there, he remembered the he had left his wand.

It was now obvious that the building was indeed falling apart. Huge blocks of stone fell from the ceiling, bricks flew from the fireplace, and the dust that filled Ron's lungs was like poison. Finally finding his wand, he turned around, a smile on his face, as he heard Hermione's voice calling him. He tried to run, but his head was getting all cloudy and he couldn't really see where he was going.

"Hermione? Where are you?" He called

"I'm over here Ron! Follow my voice!" She cried desperately

"I-I'm getting all turned around! I can't--"

But Ron would never get to finish his sentence, as the room finally gave way. Smoldering the youngest male Weasley with such a dramatic crash that even the war, the very thing that brought Ron here in the first place, stopped, everyone turning their eyes to gaze with bewilderment at the destruction, and the pretty girl who was screaming as though the man she loved had died.

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	16. Chapter Sixteen: From the Dust Up

(A/N: I'm rendered speechless. All I can simply do is thank you all for the FANTASTIC response to chapter fifteen!!! Many of you commented on the cliffhanger, I'm terribly sorry but what can I say? Lol Again, Thank you all so much! I hope you all are enjoying it!! Hugs, Haystack)

SoloLobo: Hope the suspense didn't kill you! Thanks so much for reviewing! I'm sorry I didn't respond to you last chapter but I had a bit of a delay in when I could see reviews at the time I updated! So…thanks for reviewing last chapter too!

Bhekie: Thanks for reviewing!

Legofiance: Sorry if the update wasn't fast enough but hopefully it was. Here's the next chapter, you can decide on the fluff-o-meter how it ranks! Lol thanks for reviewing!

Ron'n'Hermione: Haha…your review made me laugh. A new reviewer yes? Well welcome and thanks for reviewing! I suppose you'll just have to read on to find out the fate of your beloved couple and as for the pimple curse, I'll keep that in mind thanks! Lol

RedRose013: Aw I'm flattered that it made you cry! That's simply wonderful if you don't mind me saying! Thanks for reviewing 14 as well as 15 too! It's so nice to meet a new reviewer! Hope to hear from you again!

Alicia-B: Very thankful that my last quick update redeemed me for my cliffhanger! Lol A mainly Ron/Hermione site? I'd love to have the address of it! Thanks for mentioning it and Thanks for reviewing as well too!

Zahra Haider: So glad you're enjoying the story! It's so nice to hear from new reviewers! Hopefully the suspense wasn't too bad! Thanks so much for reviewing and hopefully I'll hear from you again!!

Smiles28: haha I can see that you were reading every word over for clues weren't you? Lol very smart thing to do! Well I won't say anything else on it, I'll let you find out yourself! Yes, it wasn't my best I agree. It's all pretty random. Some days it just flows, others it takes a while. Once life calms down I'm sure it'll all flow better! I've actually been very lucky as an author. I've only had one person flame any of my stories and even so, it doesn't matter. I'm definitely not one to stop doing what I'm doing cause one person or a select few don't like it. I write for me, and I think that's terrible that other fanfiction authors simply give up if they don't get enough positive feedback! If you've got at least one reviewer, write for them! Anyways, thank you soooo much as always!!!!

AmyChris: Your review made me smile. Yours always have a tendency to do that! Lol thanks for that! I'm very glad you find my chapters inspiring! As for your 'ickle Ronnekins' my lips are sealed and I'm saying nothing. Read on my friend!

CrazyWomanLovesYou: Hope the update was fast enough! So glad you're enjoying the story! Thanks for reviewing and hopefully I'll hear from you again!

ShimmeringEvil: Well I don't want to give too much away but I'll give pre-warnings that this fic should be more sad than my other ones, so interpret that as you will but that's my little hint. Lol sorry if that doesn't make sense but it's the best I can do at the moment. Thanks for reviewing!

cumbacksirius: lol I like people who look over each word carefully to search for meaning! Very smart of you to play detective that way, many authors will leave you will cliffhangers like that on purpose! I cant' say anything but you'll find out poor Ron's fate this chapter! Thanks for reviewing as always!

nattieb: I'm terribly sorry you didn't get any sleep last night as a result of me not updating fast enough, but this one took a while to write. Glad you're enjoying it so much! Thanks for reviewing!

dancerrdw: Sorry about the update, hopefully it was quick enough! Thanks so much for reviewing!!

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CHAPTER SIXTEEN: FROM THE DUST UP

It was all happening in slow motion. Ron's muffled cries died as the roar of the building collapsed on top of him, each stone falling gracefully to the ground, the particles of dust rising into the air like little ballerinas dancing. It was a beautiful kind of horror, a kind Hermione had never witnessed before, a kind she wished she never had.

Hermione had been frozen to the spot with fear…she couldn't move.

_His scream was the one Hermione would remember forever in her mind. She'd taken shelter underneath a table that was in the neighboring corridor, waiting until Ron would come for her. But when she felt the crash, and heard the scream, she knew he'd never come. _

_She ran back to where she had previously stood and stared at the ruble underneath her feet. She looked up and the night sky with its red moon looked down upon her, taunting her. _

She wanted to run to Ron. To gather him in her arms and kiss his face over and over again, protect him the way he'd so desperately tried to protect her. But it was her dream…her horrible nightmare that she'd had that kept her rooted to the spot, her mouth agape, staring at the pile of rubble. It had come true! That fact that kept slapping her in the face over and over again kept ringing in her ears. This was her life. This was really happening. It wasn't some terrible daydream, or some haunting nightmare, this was now.

She kept staring at the pile….and it kept looking back at her, never moving.

And then suddenly, as though she were being awoken from a deep sleep, she realized what had happened. "RON!!" She screamed in a panicked voice, as she scrambled up the debris, choking on dust as she did so.

Just like in her dream she began to dig. Stone after stone, brick after brick. It was hard work; she could feel the sweat dripping on her hand. But wait…that wasn't sweat. Those were tears. Her tears.

Ignoring them and continuing her work she moaned in pain as she tried lifting an enormous stone. Eventually settling for kicking it off the pile, she began again, sifting through the dust for Ron, her hand getting cut viciously as she did so.

"Ron…Ron…" she cried out between tears as she lifted another particularly heavy stone off the ground. As she thrust her hand in the ruins again, she suddenly felt something. Something that definitely did not feel like stone!

Filled with inspiration, she frantically threw rock after rock away. She had to get to him!

More rocks, more stones, more bricks, filled the air as Hermione hurled each away, her strength escaping her with every item she moved. But finally she was able to uncover Ron's body.

He was covered in white dust from head to toe, and for the first time in her life, Hermione had to look hard to see his infamous red hair. It looked as though he were bleeding from everywhere but as she looked closer she saw that it was really just a bad head wound.

"Ron?" She asked tentatively, her heart hammering as she turned him over onto his back. "Ron!" She called him "Ron wake up! Ron please!" Hermione knelt over him, taking his face into her hands. "Wake up! Ron it's me!" Shaking his shoulders she yelled as tears rolled down her cheeks, "RONALD WEASLEY YOU WILL WAKE UP RIGHT NOW!"

No response.

Hermione shook her head, tears flying from her face as she did so. "No! You can't be dead! I won't let you! You promised me… Ron no please wake up! I can't loose you…" She whispered as she kissed his forehead. "I can't loose you" she repeated

Nothing.

"Ron…" was all she could say before she began to cry. Placing herself beside him, her head on his chest, she simply sat there, whispering his name over and over again, her strength and hope extinguishing with each time she said it.

He was dead…Ron was dead. If only she'd insisted on going with him, then maybe, just maybe she wouldn't be lying on top of his corpse. If only she never let go of his hand, if only…if only Voldemort had never existed then she and Ron could be sitting in front of the common room fire, his muscular arms around her the way she liked, she could rest her head on his shoulder and look up at him. He'd grin and wink at her, his freckles dancing in the firelight. And then she'd be overcome with love, lean up and kiss him. He'd kiss her back of course, and then Harry would come in, make a gagging sound, and they'd all laugh and return to their homework.

Tears were pouring from her eyes, her sobs racking her body. She'd never been in such internal pain. Not in all her life, never had her heart ached like this. It was surreal. It had to be some kind of dream. She refused to believe it. Her Ron, with his wicked sense of humor, his handsome body, his fierce loyalty and unmistakable anger, and his gentle way with her, he was gone.

He'd never know…she'd never gotten the chance to tell him. They'd never share a kiss together, they'd never whisper loving words to one another, every dream Hermione had ever had was suddenly shatter in an instant. She'd grow old, never finding someone like Ron again, with the guilt of her silence eating away at her every day.

When she felt him move, she snapped her eyes open. But she didn't move. Even as a familiar arm wrapped around her and brought her closer to him, she didn't move, didn't say a word. It was probably her mind, and even still, she wanted to remember the moment that she'd no longer be able to have with Ron dead. The hand traveled upwards, up her back and towards her head where it rested there, stroking her hair. The other hand found hers, intertwining their fingers, her warm fingers to his cold ones. He brought her hand up to his face, and kissed it gently; Hermione relishing in the feel of his soft lips on her hand. She was breathing heavily and could no longer assume this was some sort of dream. He felt too good to be just part of her imagination.

"R-Ron?" She breathed

"You came back to me" He said with disbelief, his voice thick and coarse. "Even when I said not to"

Hermione strained her neck to look at him. "I needed to be with you." She said softly

He looked away. "You shouldn't have come." He said, then turned back to meet her gaze. "But I'm glad you did"

Hermione's heart swelled. Touching Ron's face gingerly, tracing all his features with an awed silence, she leaned forward, her whole body on top of his, so that their noses were mere inches from touching. "You want to know why I left?"

Ron smiled faintly, "No. Tell me."

"I realized I didn't say something to you before you left."

"You said a lot of things to me before I left." Ron replied cheekily, earning him a look from Hermione.

"I know. But I forgot this."

Ron slipped back into his serious mode just as easily as he'd slipped into his joking manner. "I'm here now. Tell me." He breathed

Hermione took a deep breath, not believing she was doing this. She looked around her. To her right, a Witch gave a terrible shriek as a group of Death Eaters surrounded her, each sending different spells at her. They threw her to the ground with Crucio, her entire body shaking and twitching involuntarily, her screams enough to make Hermione want to vomit.

"'Mione?" Ron asked concerned

Hermione looked at him. Though there was destruction and despair over there, this…Ron was always right. And it was then that she knew. She loved him, loved him with everything in her soul, she always had, and now she knew…she always would. Aragog had been right…Love overcame everything. No matter that they were in the middle of a war, Love could blossom within it.

Ron was staring at her with deep concerned eyes, but Hermione only smiled at him and leant down to whisper in his ear, "I Love You"

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It was as though suddenly a Banshee had started singing, Ron couldn't comprehend the words, too much of a distraction was the beating of his heart.

"What?" He asked, his voice filled with hope that he'd heard right

Hermione laughed softly and leaned into his ear again, brushing her soft silky lips against his ear as she said the very thing Ron had waited (though he hadn't always known it) seven years to hear, "I Love You"

It was as some sort of fireworks had exploded in Ron's brain. He knew he was smiling that lopsided grin again, something he thought made him look like the Cheshire cat but he couldn't help it. Hermione Granger…the beautiful curly haired, brown-eyed girl who was currently straddling him, loved him. The know-it-all, the girl every guy wanted but would never dare go after, she wanted him. _Him_, not Harry the Hero, Seamus the lady's man, or even bloody Oliver Wood, the Quidditch Captain. She wanted him, Ron the sidekick, the King of hand-me-downs, the little brother, the clumsy, hot-tempered, redheaded Weasley.

Hermione was waiting there, biting her bottom lip, and smiling. She was nervous he knew; she always bit her bottom lip when she was nervous or thinking about something. She was waiting. Waiting for him to call her a Ninny for saying something like that, or…for him to say it back. Ron laughed despite himself. He would do no such thing! Ron always got around the rules and here he would do so again.

Instead, he placed his hand on her neck, guiding her towards him steadily. Her breath hitched and he grinned at the power he never knew he had. Hermione eventually ended up with her hands on his chest, when he simply pressed his lips to hers.

Ron had fantasized about this many times. He'd pictured soft gentle kisses, hot passionate ones, but never…not in all his imagination, had he imagined one so perfect as this.

It was neither soft nor passionate. It was something of its own, something so powerful Ron felt sure his heart was about to shatter with happiness. Her lips were soft, much softer than he'd ever realized, and he suddenly wondered how on earth he had lived seven years without this every day.

Hermione moaned in the back of her throat and Ron smiled into the kiss, pulling her to him, wanting to be as close to her as possible. She had her arms around his neck, twirling the hair at the nape of his neck, sending shivers down his spine. This was better than anything he'd ever dreamed of…it was simply…loving. For the first time, he finally understood Hermione Granger better than he ever had.

When they both pulled away for oxygen, Ron grinned to himself. That had been the right way to handle it; he saw that now. "I love you," He said to her in all seriousness.

Hermione smiled and then shyly stood on tiptoe to kiss him again, but Ron had other ideas.

Grabbing her to deepen the kiss, Hermione lost her hands in his thick locks, Ron's hands roaming her back, making her shiver with pleasure. There was no gentle hesitation this time. Though it was only their second kiss, to them, everything felt perfectly natural. It was their release. Releasing their fears, worries, and insecurities about the war, and their love and desires they'd hidden for so long. It was overwhelming; the amount of baggage they were able to unload in such a simple act as two people's lips touching each other.

Before either of them knew it, they were back on the ground, snogging each other senseless in a pile of debris. They rolled around, Ron on top of Hermione, Hermione on top of Ron. Eventually, Hermione came out on top, her legs straddling Ron's waist, her arms entangled with his, her lips pressed firmly to his own. She pulled away, for what Ron assumed was air, but when she began nibbling on the soft skin of his neck, he couldn't repress a moan. Hermione giggled and planted soft kisses up his neck and all over his face. Ron was in Heaven. He laughed and pulled her beside him, sucking on her collarbone that he'd admired so much in the hospital wing that day. Hermione had her hands mangaled in his hair, moaning out his name in soft whispers. But then just as suddenly as it began, it stopped.

Hermione pulled away and giggled as Ron made a move to capture her lips again. "No Ron. We can't. Not like this anyways."

"Well how do you want to do it then?" Ron asked curiously, open to any ideas she had

"Not in the dust where rocks can jab me in the back" She said simply looking around

"Okay so we'll do it on the grass" Ron said with a lopsided grin

"Ron! Have you already forgotten? We're in the middle of a war! I mean I know this area is secluded but honestly I'm surprised someone hasn't snuck up on us yet"

"Kissing you makes me forget everything" Ron said sincerely

Hermione smiled, and kissed him sweetly. "I'm glad I can do that now." She said shyly "It was getting to hard to contain myself when you'd make sweet comments like that."

"Hard to contain yourself eh?" Ron asked wiggling his eyebrows at Hermione suggestively.

She blushed. "You know what I mean."

"Don't think I do you might need to--"

"RON BEHIND YOU!" Hermione suddenly screamed, pointing.

Ron was faster than both of them, already fingering his wand underneath his robe as he was talking, whipping around, even injured the way he was, to yell "AVADA KEDAVRA!" The man snickered to his end, Hermione whimpering behind him, a delicate hand covering her mouth.

"Y-You killed him," She whispered with horror. Ron nodded solemnly. "W-We never used to kill people Ron."

"I know," He whispered back

Hermione took a deep breath. "How many have you killed?"

"Doesn't matter" Ron said quickly, brushing himself off and offering a hand to her.

"How many have you killed Ron?" Hermione repeated more sternly than she had before.

Ron sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "C'mon 'Mione let's forget about it please. You can't act like this in war."

"Yes I can Ron. They may be our enemies but they deserve respect."

"Respect? RESPECT?! YOU EXCEPT ME TO SHOW RESPECT TO THE VERY CREATURES THAT WANT TO HURT YOU? THE SAME PEOPLE WHO USE GREAT GIRLS LIKE LAVENDER FOR A GOOD SHAG BEFORE THEY KILL THEM?! NO, I CAN'T DO THAT."

"Lavender?" Hermione asked urgently "What happened to her? Is she alright?"

"They were touching her" Ron mumbled, "She was crying. I killed them."

"How many?" Hermione asked horrified

"Three. Two Death Eaters. One Troll."

"Oh Ron…" Hermione said as she stood up

"Save it Hermione. I don't want to think about it now. Maybe later. But not now. People probably saw that guy come over here. Let's go"

"Where are we going?"

"The Battlefield."

"But Ron--"

"I'd love to sit here and snog you the rest of the night" Ron interrupted "But I wouldn't be able to live with myself later. You were right. This…Us isn't supposed to happen right now."

"But it is" Hermione whispered under her breath

"You're right." Ron said gently catching her gaze. "But we're just going to have to put that aside for now. There are bigger things happening here than you and me. I love you and you're staying with me, but we're really going to fight this time. After all, there's a time for love…and there's a time for war. It's wartime"

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	17. Chapter Seventeen: The Fires of Seperati...

(A/N: The response for chapter sixteen was fabulous!!!! Thank you all so much! I'm sorry if this update took a while but I've been pretty busy lately with life so I apologize. I've gotten the next chapter written so the next update should be pretty fast. I'm actually surprising myself with the way I've been writing the war, it was a lot different than I planned, but there are a few new things that I added that I'm pretty excited about so hopefully it'll be to your likings! I think that's it so happy reading!! Hugs, Haystack)

Alicia-B: Glad you liked the way I got them together! I'm a big believer in fluff ;) Thanks so much for reviewing!

Ron'n'Hermione: Hahaha well I'm very glad you revoked the pimple curse! As for Hermione not liking Ron killing people in battle, she's just so innocent and a come-on-harry-shake-hands-with-voldemort-so-everyone-can-be-united-and-happy girl that it was crucial that someone (which always must be Ron) explained to her that in war it is okay to defend yourself and stuff and…yea okay I'm rambling. Lol I'm glad you found the snogging in the middle of the battleground funny! Thanks for reviewing!!

RainDateChick: lol your review made me laugh! I'm very glad you liked the way they got together and everything! Also, thanks so much that you reviewed for other chapters as well, even as a new reviewer! That means a lot to me, so thank you very much! Hope to hear from you in the future!!

cumbacksirius: You're very welcome for not making you cry. But I'm very excited because I believe I've found the problem…my chapters aren't long enough! That must be it! So I will do my best to add 8 or 9 pages to next chapter and maybe I'll get some waterworks! Yay!! Lol Thanks so much for reviewing!!

Smiles28: hahaha I'm glad you're so happy! And I'm glad it's done with, no more almost kisses! As for the bad review stuff, I wouldn't worry about them at all. Seriously in my opinion, unless it's nicely put constructive criticism, people shouldn't say anything but positive stuff! It's a waste of their time and it puts down the author! So any flamers obviously don't have better stuff to do and shouldn't be listened to! Lol As always, thanks sooooooooo much for reviewing!!

dancerrdw: Glad you're liking it! Thank you for reviewing!! Hope you like this chapter!

CrazyWomanLovesYou: Aw, I'm glad you thought it was sweet and cute! Yay! Thanks so much for reviewing!!!

Cariel: Hopefully your wish for plot twists will be granted. Predictable plots are no fun! Thanks soo much for reviewing and I'm glad you liked that last line Ron said!

Blake-Tori88: lol I'm glad you liked the omg-ron-is-almost-dead-oh-wait-no-he's-not-I-love-you thing! Hope you like this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!!

Princess Storm: Well I'm glad you're not upset that I almost axed Ron. Scares like that keep ppl on their toes! Lol And I am very glad that you love our Ron. Yes, he is a sweetheart isn't he? Thanks sooo much for reviewing!!!!!

Legofiance: hahaha your review made me laugh! I'm so glad you liked last chapter!! Oh, and the fact that it was very high of the fluffometer is very nice to hear! Lol it was sweet of you to re-read it again and thanks for reviewing chapter six as well! Thanks soooo much for your lovely reviews!

RedRose013: Glad your liking the story so much! Yay! Sorry about the update but Thanks for reviewing!!!!

AmyChris: Aw I'm so happy that you thought it was one of the best chapters! And I loved all the wonderful adjectives you used in your review to declare your happiness! Lol it made me laugh! Again I'm terribly sorry about the update but thanks for your faithful reviewing!

ShimmeringEvil: Yes it was a bittersweet chapter but that way the sweet is much more appreciated! Thanks so much for reviewing!! As for the fate of Ron and Hermione….we'll just have to see!

Bhekie: Yup, you caught me! When I read through it to edit it, that was my thing too. It felt like time was suspended or whatever and that's not how life (or especially war) is like. You'll find that I do that in this chapter too and I'm sorry but I get kind of into the dialogue and stuff. :) So hopefully it doesn't bother you too much and it's to your liking! Thank you so much for reviewing!!

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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: THE FIRES OF SEPERATION

As the night drew on, Hermione noted several comparisons to her nightmare she'd had, besides Ron getting buried underneath a collapsing building.

First and foremost was the fire. Hogwarts was burning. Her beloved home, the building that always used to send shivers up and down her spine with excitement when she viewed it for the first time since summer holidays, the place where her precious books all lay, the ultimate memory book, it was slowly burning and shriveling away, the smoke that filled the air carrying away a part of her as well.

The Death Eaters found it a stroke of brilliance and for a few moments, most fighting commenced as everyone gazed with horror or with excitement as the indestructible castle burst into flames. Hermione had caught Ron's eye from a distance and he had nodded; he understood what she had been trying to communicate with her eyes, and he felt it too.

Screams filled the air as the majority of the students, locked in their own common rooms, respectively, realized that they would burn to death if they did not come out. They were trapped!

Hermione's stomach had fallen out of her stomach with that realization and suddenly she felt deathly sick. All her classmates and friends…all of the younger students she'd watched grow up…everyone would be dead soon if someone didn't help.

Acting spontaneously, something Hermione Granger didn't rarely ever do, she threw a punch at the elf she'd been fighting, and throwing a guilty look at Ron, began to run into the flaming castle.

She could hear his screams as she ran but she refused to turn around, even for Ron. He'd just have to understand.

Running up the stairs that led to the entrance, Hermione huffed and puffed, trying to catch her breath between each stair. Finally reaching the large oak door and yanking it open, she passed under the burning archway and entered the castle.

It was straight out of a horror movie. The flames were everywhere, licking up anything and everything. The dense smoke made Hermione's eyes water and her lungs ache painfully. People were screaming, parts of the castle were crumbling, and everywhere Hermione could see, chaos was evident. Heading immediately for Gryffindor Tower, she ran as fast as she could, her brown curls flying in every direction as she whipped around corners and dodged falling items.

Flying up the different staircases needed to reach her destination, Hermione shouted out warnings to all who passed. They shouted their thanks over their shoulders as groups of people held hands and ran into the open arms of death. Finally reaching the portrait hole, Hermione pressed her ear to it.

"EVERYONE REMAIN CALM! I'M SURE EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE!!" A fifth year prefect shouted

"HOGWARTS IS BURNING! WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!" A terrified voice asked

"WE CAN'T DO THAT UNTIL WE HAVE PERMISSION!" The poor prefect rationed

"HELLO?!" Hermione called

"Who's that?"

"I don't know"

"It sounds like a student"

"Let them in!"

"We can't!"

"Hello?" The fifth year called

"This is Hermione Granger. Open this right now!" She urged

"Hermione?!" The prefect breathed sounding immensely relieved

"Yes! Hurry now please! The castle is burning! I need to get you all out of here!!"

"I—we can't! Professor McGonagall can only open it. She told us so when she sealed it up"

Hermione groaned. Of course! It made perfect sense…but how was she supposed to get them out of here?! _Think Hermione_ She told herself _When you can't do things magically you do them the muggle way. What would be the muggle way to get into here?_

"MOVE AWAY FROM THE PORTRAIT HOLE!" Hermione screamed through the tapestry

"What are you going to do?"

"I'M COMING IN! WATCH OUT!" She called, running away, over to the portrait of the pear. Tickling it, and entering the kitchens, Hermione grabbed the largest knife she saw and ran back towards the Fat Lady. "You might want to move to another portrait," She told the woman as she raised the knife and brought it down on the wood. Though it made a mark, it didn't go through the door, instead, slipping and gracing Hermione's hand just so. She gasped with pain and held her hand, letting the knife fall to the ground with a clank. Blood gushed through the wound but trying to ignore it, Hermione again raised the knife and continued her efforts, kicking at the painting every now and then.

It was a slow process. Though Hermione couldn't tell the time, she could tell by the amount of smoke in the hallways that time was running out. Desperately, she pierced the wood wholeheartedly…and she broke through! It wasn't a very big hole, but it was a hole nonetheless. Eyes suddenly appeared at the door.

"Can we do anything?" The eyes asked

"No just back away" Hermione replied as she continued to hack away at the portrait. Eventually, with the cheers of the Gryffindors, the managed to make a small opening big enough for one person to crawl through if they squeezed through it. "Alright! Come on! Hurry! One at a time!"

Slowly, the students crawled out; the younger students looking absolutely petrified while the older ones helped them through. Hermione smiled at the fact that it was such a small number of students; more than she thought had obviously gone off to fight. Once everyone was out, Hermione was bombarded with questions. Who was alive and if she'd seen their family members or friends. Ignoring all the protests, she grabbed the hands of a little first year with wispy blonde hair, and started running. Before long, all the students filled in behind her, falling silently into her pace.

They ran at an incredible rate, moving as quickly as they could, Hermione shouting out orders to duck when she saw bits of the building heading their way. They made good time, arriving at a door that led to the grounds.

Now Hermione suddenly panicked. What was she supposed to do with all these people? There was a war waging, where were they supposed to go if Hogwarts was really burning to the ground?! She considered the Forbidden Forest, the lake, Hagrid's hut, but it wouldn't take long for them to be found there. She racked her brain…Nothing.

"Where are we going?" The little girl she was holding asked her in an innocent voice.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know"

"What do you mean you don't know?" A third year boy piped up

"I mean, _I don't know!_" Hermione snapped, "Where you do you suggest we go?"

The boy shrugged and Hermione diverted her attention elsewhere. Out of all her years here, there had to be some secret places that might work. Immediately crossing off the Trapdoor that was guarded by Fluffy, the Department of Mysteries, and anywhere in fourth year, that left her with…The Shrieking Shack and the Chamber of Secrets. The Chamber of Secrets would be a safe place, after all it was underground and wouldn't be affected by the fire but Hermione had no idea if fire blocked the entrance to the girl's bathroom. The Shrieking Shack would be all right but it was getting there that would be the problem. Could they really get to Hogsmeade with Voldemort and his followers all around the grounds? It didn't seem likely.

"Does anyone here know how to apparate?" She asked. The group shook their heads no. No one was old enough. "Could anyone get home from Hogwarts if they needed to?" She asked. She really didn't want to simply let them all go; after all, they weren't fighting for a reason. But if there was nowhere else to go then she really had no choice. Many shook their heads.

"Our parents are Muggles" They said simply. Hermione cursed in her head. What was she supposed to do?!

"Look." Hermione said quietly "I'm really sorry. I don't know what to do. The best I can do is to send you off in pairs of two or three into the forest. If you can manage it, have a younger student crawl underneath the Whomping Willow and press that big knob. It'll freeze the tree. Then, follow the path inside it and you'll end up in the Shrieking Shack."

The group goggled at Hermione like she was crazy. "It's not haunted," She added for good measure "I promise you. I've been there before."

"So it's true then?" A first year boy with cute brown hair asked, staring at Hermione like she had just descended from Heaven.

"What?" She asked

"Well that you and Ron Weasley and Harry Potter have really gone on all these adventures. I thought they were just rumors, or at least exaggerated stories."

Hermione smiled at the boy. "Well I don't know what people say, but yes, Harry, Ron and I have had some rather wild adventures."

"Could you tell us sometime?"

Hermione opened her mouth to say no but as she looked at the hopeful expression on the little boy's face she suddenly realized what was happening. He saw her as a role model, as a sort of hero. And if she promised him something, he'd fight just that much harder to survive. Finally, she smiled softly. "Some things are better left for the imagination. But if you come back to me sometime and ask again, I'll tell you."

The boy's brown eyes shone. "Really?" He asked

"Me too?" The little blonde girl asked

Hermione nodded and addressed the excitedly buzzing group. "You all survive, I'll tell you. Now come on, divide into two's or three's."

The group hurriedly did as she told, and as Hermione watched them go out into the war, she quickly said a silent prayer. For though some of her best-kept secrets would be revealed, it would be worth it if just one of them survived.

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Ron watched Hermione throw him a guilty glance and his heart sped up. He knew that look…she was about to do something! He made his way over towards her, pushing and shoving people out of his way. He had to stop her! Why wouldn't she ever just stay put?!

"Hermione!" He called out to her. She didn't answer. Instead, she started running towards the castle that was burning like wildfire now. "HERMIONE!!!!" He screamed as he watched her pull the door open and run inside. The moment after the door slammed shut, it collapsed, becoming just a pile of burning wood. The fire spread, heating up Ron's panicked face.

He had to get to her! Taking a step back, he examined his ways in. There…the window. He'd have to break it but if it would lead him to Hermione then…here it went. Taking a deep breath, Ron backed up, preparing for his sprint.

Crossing his fingers and praying that it wouldn't hurt too much, Ron started running. The window was coming closer and closer. Suddenly Ron pushed and he flew into the air, his arms outstretched and his eyes squeezed shut.

He went sailing through the window, the glass shattering upon impact. It cut at Ron at such intensity, that Ron honestly thought for a moment he was dead. On the other side of the window, he lay moaning in pain. He seemed to be bleeding from everywhere and no matter what he did the blood simply wouldn't stop. Gasping with pain, he pulled himself up slowly. He had to find her. "Hermione!!" He called. Again, he received no answer.

Stumbling about, Ron wandered throughout his 'house' completely lost and confused. He called her name over and over again, but people just brushed past him.

"Mr. Weasley??!" A voice suddenly cried. Ron turned around to see the pale face of his Transfiguration teacher.

"Professor!" He called weakly "Have you seen Hermione?"

"What's happened to you Mr. Weasley?" She asked motherly

"I jumped through the window"

"Why in Heaven's name would you do something so stupid?! I thought we'd taught you better. You know perfectly well not to do something like that!"

"I know, I know" Ron brushed her off "I came in here to find Hermione"

The Professor paled. "Miss Granger came in here?"

"Yes."

"Why would she do that?"

"I don't know"

"Surely you must have some idea. Mr. Weasley you don't understand. Hogwarts is collapsing. In about an hour I predict that it will be all to the ground. She cannot be in here when that happens."

"I know that! Why do you think I jumped through a bloody window!" Ron cried slightly annoyed. Professor McGonagall frowned.

"Come with me. We'll have you see Madam Pomfrey while I have someone sent to look for her."

"No! I can look for her!" Ron protested

"Not in this condition you can't. I will not have you wandering aimlessly, getting blood all over the castle in such a dangerous time."

"Professor Please…you wouldn't understand. I need to find her. I need to bring her back to the battlefield with me. I need to make sure she's okay."

McGonagall's lip twitched as though she were suppressing a smile. "Well you may do that once you are healed. Mr. Weasley please, we don't have much time and you can't go back out there like this." The old woman said sternly, pulling Ron along. He had no choice but to oblige.

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"Mr. Weasley calm yourself!" Madam Pomfrey shrieked with horror as Ron knocked over a series of bottles, sending them to their doom on the floor.

"I CAN'T MADAM! SHE'S OUT THERE AND BLOODY MCGONAGALL LOCKED ME IN HERE! SHE CAN'T DO THAT! I NEED TO FIND HER!"

"I know you want to find Miss Granger."

"She could be dead! I-I need to hold her…make sure she's okay"

"I'm sure Miss Granger is fine. She's always been capable of taking care of herself."

"THERE ARE BLOODY DEATH EATERS IN THE CASTLE NOW! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THEY COULD DO TO HER??!"

"Yes Mr. Weasley I have a pretty good idea but--"

"I need to be there to make sure that doesn't happen!" Ron cried "How the hell can I do that if I'm in here?!"

"Mr. Weasley, Professor McGonagall was right locking you in here with the rest of us" The Mediwitch said passively, waving her hand to make reference to all the students who were currently huddled together. These were the students unable to fight. They were all here, except the ones from Gryffindor. And Ron had a pretty good idea why…

"I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!" He roared

The witch snorted. "Voluntarily diving though a glass window wasn't a very smart thing to do"

"I DID THAT FOR HER! THE WHOLE REASON I STOPPED FIGHTING WAS BECAUSE OF HER! I WOULDN'T EVEN BE IN THIS BLOODY CASTLE IF IT WEREN'T FOR HER! Everything I've ever done, I've done for her" He added much softer. Madam Pomfrey smiled.

"Well I'm glad you've finally realized your feelings. Merlin knows the whole school was simply waiting on you two"

"What do you mean?"

"Well it was obvious from first year the way the two of you cared for each other. It was different than your relationships with Mr. Potter."

"Yea. It's more of a brother relationship we both have for him. Harry really loves Hermione in that sense. He wanted so badly to help be the one to protect her but that's my job. AND I CAN'T DO THAT WHEN I'M IN HERE!" Ron returned to his pacing, and Madam Pomfrey couldn't help but smile.

But when a loud bang came from outside and everyone and everything inside the infirmary lurched to the left, the children screaming and sound of glass shattering blocking out all other noise, Madam Pomfrey suddenly felt bad for the young Mr. Weasley. As he was brushing himself off, he jumped up to the door, and pressed his ear to it and finally gave up, slumping to the ground, his head buried in his arms.

The nurse let him be and focused her attention on the younger students and the mess she now had to clean up.

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Ron tried not to cry. He really did. But that bang had done it. Hermione was outside in a burning castle with randy angry Death Eaters walking around the place and he was stuck behind some charmed door in some hospital. How had things gone so wrong? They'd been fighting; he'd been making sure she was nearby at all times. Why had she run off? Why had she left him? She knew they needed to be together, she knew what it did to him when she put herself in danger. She was the one who hated to be left behind, yet without more than a glance, she randomly ran off, leaving a hopeless, terrified Ron behind.

Ron had had enough scares involving Hermione recently than he cared for. This was the last straw. If something happened to her while he was sitting here feeling sorry for himself…Ron was positive he'd never ever forgive himself. She meant too much to him. She meant the world to him. She _was_ his world. Cold tears slowly found their way down his freckly face and for once he didn't care who saw them.

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	18. Chapter Eighteen: The Final Flash of Lig...

(A/N: Again, a big thank you to everyone who reviewed! You've all got no idea how happy it makes me! This chapter took me a long time to write so I really hope you all like this one! Also, I don't have any of the next chapter written so expect a longer gap between updates. I'll start some of it tonight if I have time. Again, thanks! Hugs, Haystack)

Legofiance: Very glad you liked the window thing! Lol Hope it's all kind of flowing along, battle scenes are so hard to work out with the updating and stuff! Thanks for reviewing!

Ron'n'Hermione: I'm terribly sorry if you got confused with the window thing. So as you know, the doorway that Hermione entered in, collapsed, leaving Ron with no other way to get to her except for the window. And because Ron is who he is, wanting so desperately to protect Hermione, he chose to dive through the window, risking himself, in order to try to save her. Also, Ron doesn't really think things through before he does them, so he didn't exactly fully understand what jumping through a window would do to him, until he did it. Typical Weasley. lol If that doesn't make sense I'm sorry! I tried to make this update quicker for ya. Thanks for reviewing!

Bhekie: On the edge of your seat you say? Well I'm very glad to hear it. Also, I'm very happy to hear that the time thing didn't bother you as much the second time! Thanks for reviewing!

ShimmeringEvil: Hope the update was fast enough! Thanks for reviewing!

cumbacksirius: I agree…poor poor Ron! I'm glad you like the brave Hermione bit! Thanks for reviewing!

AmyChris: Well I'm certainly glad my update fell at a right time for you! And hopefully this update was better! Thanks so much for reviewing!!

dancerrdw: Glad you liked last chapter! Hope you like this one as well! Thanks so much for reviewing!

Cariel: Aw…I'm glad you love Ron so much! I do too! He's just perfect isn't he? Glad you think his characterization is right on. Thanks for reviewing!!

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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: THE FINAL FLASH OF LIGHT

"EVERBODY OUT NOW!!!" A terrified Madam Pomfrey shrieked as a stone fell from the ceiling. The children all began screaming as more parts of the castle began to collapse around them.

Professor McGonagall grabbed the hands of some first year students, and hurried them outside, where unknown to them all, they were walking into the open palms of Voldemort's followers.

But Ron wasn't following them. He didn't help the kids along, instead, Ron bolted through the now open door.

With his wand out, he sprinted across the threshold, but soon stopped with horror as he took in the scene.

Death Eaters were inside Hogwarts.

They laughed with each other as they destroyed portraits and furniture, and doubled over with glee when they stumbled across someone hiding behind a statue. Dying screams echoed in the large castle creating a kind of song, beautiful even in its own way.

As a group of Death Eaters headed towards him, he quickly ducked behind a knight, holding his breath in as they passed.

Once they were gone, Ron moved quietly, not wanting to attract any kind of attention to himself. He hurried up the stairs towards the Gryffindor common room. As he reached the landing, the Fat Lady began screaming.

"YOU! YOU! SAVE MY PORTRAIT!!! TAKE IT DUMBLEDORE! HE CAN REPAIR IT!"

"I'm sorry I can't" Ron whispered,

"YES! YES! YOU MUST!" The lady cried before breaking into loud sobs

"Please, be quiet!" Ron hissed

"DON'T YOU OF ALL PEOPLE TELL ME TO BE QUIET!! IT'S YOUR FAULT IT'S RUINED!!!" She wailed

"What do you mean it's my fault?" Ron asked

"THAT GIRL! SHE'S THE ONE WHO TOOK A KNIFE TO ME!"

"You mean Hermione?" Ron asked, heart beating fast

"THE ONE YOU ALWAYS WERE WITH! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW?!"

"Where did she go?" Ron said impatiently

"I DON'T KNOW! IT'S NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP TRACK OF HER! I WAS TOO BUSY FLEEING TO ANOTHER PORTRAIT!" She cried hysterically "HOW WOULD I KNOW WHERE SHE TOOK ALL THOSE CHILDREN?!"

"Children?"

The woman sniffed. "Yes, she tore me apart with that knife to get all those poor children out!"

Ron took a step forward. "You need to tell me which direction she went," He growled in a low voice

The Fat Lady cowered. "That way!" She pointed

Ron immediately started running, ignoring all of the Fat Lady's screams to take her portrait with her, though they were soon silenced.

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Ron looked around, hopelessly; there was no chance of finding her. At least not now.

The Great Hall had caved in.

What had once been the center of activity for years and years…it was gone. The bewitched ceiling that had been magicked into looking like the sky was gone, and real stars replaced them.

He'd heard over and over again that Hogwarts would collapse, and now, it was finally happening. Each room he went into was gone moments later.

People kept bumping into him. Even the Death Eaters were fleeing!! As Ron raced past the people, he found the whole situation too strange to be true. A Death Eater, a Giant, and a fourteen-year-old girl were running side-by-side, and yet…they weren't fighting, they weren't even looking at each other. Everyone was united under the same cause: To get out of Hogwarts as quickly as possible. And even though it was a rather extreme cause, it still perplexed Ron.

"HERMIONE!!" He cried over the screams of the night. "HERMIONE!!"

Ron cried out as he was pushed up against a wall, pain shooting up his arm. He grabbed it, biting his cheek to keep himself from crying. He stumbled along, still fighting the violent crowd.

Yet as he was going along, he suddenly heard a scream and heard a loud thump.

Heart beating fast, he pushed his way through the people to where a beautiful brown haired girl lay on the ground.

"HERMIONE!" He screamed, rushing to her side and picking her up in his arms. She immediately opened her eyes.

"Ron?"

"Hermione!" He croaked, his voice cracking. Unable to say anything more he held her tighter to him, kissing her head.

"Oh Ron…" She said as she relaxed in his arms and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

As he started to cry, Ron looked up at her, wanting to look her in the eye and make sure she was okay. "Oh Ron don't cry! I'm here!" Hermione said soothingly, running her hand through his hair, kissing his tears away. Ron could only cry more. "I'm so sorry" She whispered, "I didn't mean to make you worry. I-I just had to save them, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself afterwards." She said, trying to catch his eye to make him understand. Ron simply, brushed away his tears ashamed.

"I-I was s-so worried" He said

"I know" Hermione whispered, kissing his forehead. "I know. But it's okay. I'm here right now. I'm not going anywhere."

Ron nodded and Hermione kissed him lightly on the lips. "I love you" she said honestly, looking at him with her large brown eyes.

"I love you too," Ron whispered.

"Ron? Hermione?" A sudden voice cried out.

"Who's there?" Ron demanded

A frightened Dean Thomas emerged from the shadows. "Dean??!" Hermione cried

"You two need to hurry!" He said quickly

"We know" Ron said, offering a hand to Hermione and helping her up.

"No…." Dean said, closing his eyes and shuddering "You don't understand. It's Harry."

"What about Harry?" Ron said quickly

"He's…He's in trouble."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, going pale

"Voldemort…" Dean muttered,

"Thomas! We need more details then that!" Ron said annoyed

"Ron!" Hermione scolded

"They're by the edge of Hogwarts. Kind of near the forest. He needs you two, I can tell"

"Thanks Dean!" Ron said as he grabbed Hermione's hand and started running off

"Take care of yourself Dean!" Hermione shouted over her shoulder as Ron tugged her along "And thanks!"

"Your welcome…Good luck!" He shouted to the retreating couple. Then more quietly he added to himself. "You're going to need it"

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Hermione gasped for air. She'd never run so fast in her life and her body was having difficulty dealing with it. She was awed at how effortlessly Ron seemed to be running, as though this were his everyday pace.

No words were spoken between the two, one glance and they both understood.

Hermione's stomach had twisted when Dean mentioned Harry. _Harry was in trouble_…that could only mean one thing, and it was something Hermione was desperately trying to put out of her mind. Harry was so confident he was going to win, what kind of trouble could he have gotten into that he hadn't seen coming?

Guilt was forming from her stomach, making its way up to her throat where she tried desperately to swallow it. She had been kissing Ron tonight while her best friend battled Voldemort. Though Hermione hated to do this, she had to admit that Ron had been right from the start. The splitting up idea had been stupid. Just look at where it had led them! They should have stuck to the arrangements they'd always used; hadn't history proved that it worked? They shouldn't have tried something new on the night where they needed each other the most. She was thankful she'd come back to Ron, but their next step should have been to return to Harry; not for her to run into a burning castle looking for children.

Screams of death brought her out of her thoughts though, Hermione gaping with horror, as a Wizard fell to ground moaning and screaming, his comrades soon accompanying him. Ron tugged on her hand, and she continued to run, her heart aching, and her eyes as they narrowed and darkened, longing to have the satisfaction of gazing at the corpses of those Death Eaters responsible.

A woman, covered in her own blood and screaming the most haunting scream Hermione had ever heard stumbled across the grass. Hermione opened her mouth, her eyes pricking with tears when she finally realized that the woman's hand had been cut off.

Two students were huddled on the lawn together. One obviously under the influence of Imperius was holding his wand to the girl who was crying.

"Devon! Don't! Please!" The girl sobbed. The Two Death Eaters holding her down snickered.

"He can't hear you!" One said happily

"Go on Devon! Kill her! I command you to kill her!" The other said

"D-Devon please! Listen to me! I'm your girlfriend! Please!!" She cried out in terror as he stood up defiantly, extending his arm out as far as it would go; his eyes narrowed to black slits. "I love you! Please Devon! Don't--"

"Avada Kedavra" He muttered calmly

Hermione bit her trembling lip and turned away, running as fast as she could so as not to hear the girl's dying scream. Unfortunately, distance didn't make a difference and the sixteen-year-old's cry echoed across the lake to where they were, something that Hermione was sure she would never in her life forget.

But they kept running. Running past the destruction, running past the death…never once stopping to help, never once taking a second glance; Hermione knew they needed to focus on saving Harry, but she couldn't help the feeling that gnawed on her insides, the sickening shame in herself that made her want to bow her head in shame and never speak to anyone again.

They were towards the edge of Hogwart's property by the Forbidden Forest, just the area Dean had described. Ron didn't stop, but Hermione saw him dart his head around. Where was Harry? Where was Voldemort? All Hermione saw were more battling pairs, and more Death Eaters.

But before they could do anything, an earth shattering sound pierced the night sky, a sound so horrific that it overpowered the screams of death and the cries of torture and agony. It was a sound that could never again be reproduced. It was a sound so terrible that Hermione and Ron, completely focused on their task, stopped dead in their tracks, both of their heads lifted to the sight.

It should have happened bit by bit. It should have been a gradual thing. But no…if Hogwarts was going down, it wouldn't go down without a dramatic end. The castle, the magnificent achievement created all of those thousands of years ago, was falling to ground.

The towers fell first, eventually in a matter of seconds creating a domino effect that was so powerful it sent the people nearest to it flying in the air, a cloud of dust covering the grounds.

Hermione's heart felt as though it had been ripped out of her chest. Her school, her shelter and security, her _home_ was gone. Merely hours ago it had stood, shining like a Fairy palace against the dark black sky, a symbol of strength, the symbol of good. Now, it was simply stones, it was nothing, it was gone.

Yet before Hermione or Ron had time to think, the cloud of dust was upon them.

It hit with immense force, knocking Hermione off her feet and sending her into the air, landing ungracefully upon the ground. She gasped for air and choked when she found none. She tired to open her eyes but the dust stung at them like sharp knives. She tried to call for Ron but she could barely breathe.

Getting on all fours, she started crawling, desperately trying to find some wisp of fresh air. She wheezed and coughed uncontrollably, stretching one arm out to help her navigate while the other propelled her forwards. She had no idea where she was going; she was all turned around, her sense of direction completely gone. Yet it was the only thing she could do.

Reaching out, her hand came in contact with another one. It grasped hers tightly, rubbing her hand with its thumb, and Hermione immediately knew who it was.

She moved closer to Ron and he put his arm protectively around her waist, pushing her towards the ground. There! There was air. Not enough, not nearly enough…but enough for her to breathe. She sat there, pressed as closely to the ground as humanly possible, concentrating full heartedly on breathing in and breathing out, her gasps for air barely slowing down.

Ron lay down next to her, his breaths as heavy as hers, stroking her hair encouragingly. She whimpered, the closest she could get to crying, and he pulled her to him, his body heat surrounding her, making Hermione feel safe.

Hermione relished in the feeling of his body on top of hers, and hugged him tighter. Now that the world seemed to be falling apart, he seemed all the more precious to her. Her home and most everything she owned was gone, her school in ruins, her friends and Professors in mortal danger, her best friend up against the most evil wizard in history, and yet…. Ron was here. She wasn't alone.

But with the thought of Harry came the reason they were here in the first place. She tried to nudge Ron…to somehow communicate the fact that they needed to find him. Taking a deep breath, she began crawling again, pulling at Ron to follow her.

She tried to navigate where they were going, but she simply couldn't. She needed to see! As her breath ran out, Hermione suddenly panicked. She needed more air! What should she do? She held her hands to her eyes and peeked through them trying desperately to ignore the pain that was scratching at her eyes and making them water. There was a figure…a boy. He was fighting, she could tell by the flashes of light around him. He jumped in the air, his black hair flipping in the wind. Harry!!

Still holding Ron's hand, Hermione did the first thing that came to mind. Jumping off of the ground, she stood up and began running.

All thoughts escaped Hermione's mind as she began to run. Greeted with air, she ran faster, Ron right at her side, understanding what she was doing now that his vision returned.

Harry and Voldemort stood face to face. They were talking in non-conversational manner now, but their wands were at their sides. Hermione wasn't close enough to hear what they were saying but she could see Harry's face.

His hair was everywhere; looking windblown the way Harry liked it. His beautiful emerald eyes were focused, his jaw set, and he was biting the insides of his cheeks again; a habit he had when he got extremely into something. He fingered his wand, rolling it in-between his fingers.

And then suddenly, Harry was on his back; it happened so fast Hermione barely had time to comprehend it. She froze where she was and watched as Voldemort laughed, walking slowly over to him. He leaned over Harry and muttered something. Harry turned red from anger and he shouted something. Voldemort shot a beam of purple light at Harry, making his body twitch and his mouth scream.

Ron was off…pulling Hermione along with him. His face was bright red and his wand was out. Hermione mimicked him, pulling the slender piece of wood out from her back pocket, her mind only on hurting Voldemort the way he was hurting Harry.

"Well Well Mr. Potter. Any last words?"

Harry sat up, sweat dripping from his forehead and said nothing.

"Nothing?" Voldemort asked humorously "Well I certainly have much to say."

Harry gingerly got up, his glasses askew, his footing unstable. Voldemort grabbed Harry by his shirt, lifting him up from the ground.

"You have been my obsession for the past seventeen years, I wonder what I'll do once I finally get rid of you? You've annoyed me beyond comprehension. Do you know…I still wonder how an innocent baby could kill me? I suppose that is something we'll let the world wonder won't we?" He growled

Harry kicked, trying to get his feet back upon the ground. Voldemort only laughed. "It's so sad really how easy it will be to kill you. You would have thought that after all these years it would take something miraculous to kill the famous Harry Potter. But I've enjoyed the challenge boy, I really have." With that, Voldemort threw Harry onto the ground, shattering his glasses.

"AHHHHHH!!" Harry cried as the glass pierced his right eye and blood started seeping through it.

Hermione and Ron sprinted. Hermione's stomach dropped. Why could Harry never remember the spell to fix his glasses?! Why had she always repaired them?! She should have let him learn himself!

Voldemort clapped his hands happily and laughed like a child receiving a present as Harry crawled around, squinting through the one good eye looking for his wand that he'd dropped. Blood continued pouring from his other eye and Harry kept on moaning and crying.

"Oooh Potter this is just too easy!!" Voldemort shrieked "Crucio!!!"

"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Harry cried as the fires of Crucio seared through his body, burning up his insides. It was agonizingly slow, starting at his feet and making its way up.

"HARRY!" Hermione cried, tears racing down her cheeks as she ran. Neither Voldemort nor Harry heard her. But suddenly three Death Eaters seemed to appear in front of her and Ron.

"HERMIONE RUN!" Ron screamed as he pushed her away and tried to yell the killing curse.

She swerved to the left, but the Death Eater followed her. She ran as hard as she could when suddenly she heard Ron's strangled cry.

"RON!!"

Two Death Eaters had grabbed Ron and were dragging him away. "LET ME GO! HERMIONE RUN! GO HELP HARRY!!" He cried

Hermione's heart ached. She stood there, battling internally for a moment, when suddenly the Death Eater who had been chasing her, lifted her off her feet, and carried her towards Ron and the others. "NOO!" she screamed "HARRY!!!!"

"QUIET MUDBLOOD!" Her capturer snapped

"NO! NO!" She clawed at the man's back, she kicked him and punched him, but nothing worked. Tears rushed from her eyes. She needed to get to Harry…he was in trouble! He needed her! He was hurt! He was in pain!

They were headed into the forest….she was loosing sight of Harry! No she couldn't loose sight of him! She needed to fix his glasses and wipe up his blood. She needed to help him up and throw a curse or two at Voldemort. She needed to tell him again what he meant to her; they needed to be by his side when fate finally arrived! She couldn't be here…she couldn't! Everything was going so wrong! It wasn't supposed to happen this way!

"Get in there!" A voice shouted. Her capturer set Hermione on the ground.

Looking through blurry eyes, she saw she was standing in front of a makeshift prison, made out of bricks. It looked secure and prepared. How had no one not noticed something like this being built in the forest?!! As Hermione was led into the building, she noticed that there were only six cells, three on one side, three on the other.

No one was in here except for an elderly wizard who was huddled in the darkest corner of his cell. One Death Eater opened the cell furthest away from him, while the second shoved Ron inside it, the third pushing her inside soon after. She fell onto the dirt ground and Ron helped her up as the metal door swung shut and the sounds of the retreating Death Eaters soon faded away.

They were the corner cell with two brick walls instead of one, and though there were many holes in walls, none were big enough to crawl through. There was a window with bars on it, and they had a good view of the battleground. There was a faint light, one that was bright enough to see but weak enough to cast shadows every which way and about.

Silently, Ron sat down on a stone and put his head in his hands, not meeting Hermione's eyes. Unsure exactly what to do, she sat down beside him, looking at her hands, trying to rid her face of all of her tears.

"I'm sorry," She whispered finally. Ron looked up at her confused.

"For what?"

"If I hadn't yelled then the Death Eaters wouldn't have come. We wouldn't be here" She said softly

Ron sighed. "They would have come before we could have gotten to Harry. This isn't your fault 'Mione" He said staring at her eyes

Hermione bit her lip "Yes it is! You know it! Stop pretending!"

Ron lifted her chin, "Look at me. It's not your fault. We wouldn't have been able to get to Harry no matter what we did. Voldemort had Death Eaters around on purpose. That's just the facts"

Tears pricked at Hermione's eyes again. "One of us should have made it through. Did you see? His eye had been sliced! He was helpless on the ground! He needed our help! One of us should have been able to get around them! I should have run faster!"

"Shh…you did all you could. And at least we're here together right? At least we're not separated."

Hermione nodded and kissed him lightly on the lips. "At least we're together."

But with the now common sound of a familiar scream, the two looked at each other with fearful eyes. Rushing to the window, standing on stones beneath, Hermione wrapped her hands around two of the bars, looking at the scene before her.

Harry was levitated into the air, his hands to his neck and his legs kicking wildly about. He looked as though he were choking, his face was a reddish purple. His eyes darted around, terrified and completely at the mercy of the monster who had always ruled his life.

"THERE YOU HAVE IT!" Voldemort's voice boomed "HERE FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE IS THE-BOY-WHO-LIVED, THE HERO, THE SYMBOL OF STRENGTH FOR DUMBLEDORE AND HIS LITTLE ARMY! TAKE A GOOD LOOK EVERYONE! REMEMBER HIM AND THIS LAST MOMENT WHEN LORD VOLDEMORT HAD HIM CORNERED AND BEGGING FOR HIS LIFE! THIS BOY MAY BE A HERO TO SOME BUT HE IS HUMAN! HE IS SIMPLY A HUMAN WHO HAS NEVER STOOD A CHANCE AGAINST ALL THE POWERS OF LORD VOLDEMORT!! SO NOW MY FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS, HERE IS THE GRAND FINALE TO A WONDERFUL SHOW TONIGHT! SAY GOOD-BYE TO HARRY POTTER!!!!!!!!!!"

"No…" Hermione breathed, grasping Ron's hand so tight, his knuckles turned white.

The world went silent as Voldemort's wand tossed Harry into the air. His body rose gracefully, reaching its peak, and falling back towards the ground, where Voldemort shouted something inaudible to Hermione, and Harry, her best friend, disappeared into thin air as a brilliant gold flash of light blinded her.

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	19. Chapter Nineteen: Shadows of Tomorrow

(A/N: Peeps out from around a corner shyly I know I know! It was an excruciating long update!! I really am terribly sorry but this chapter was so intense and long and life (school) was throwing me too much at once. I feel really bad about leaving everyone with a cliffhanger like this one and to reward you all, I have written the longest chapter yet! I cover a lot in it so you might want to close read. Anyways, since I have two unit tests tomorrow I won't reply to everyone's reviews. I'm sorry, next chapter I promise! Honestly, the reviews for Chapter Eighteen were fabulous!! They were so encouraging and sweet! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I LOVE YOU ALL! Okay also, another question I got was what the heck Rêves Finaux means. Just so everyone knows, it is French for Final Dreams, which would be the English title for this fic. So whatever you want to call it is fine with me. I abbreviate it but anyways….I'm going to dedicate this chapter to AmyChris because she e-mailed me yesterday asking when the next update would be. It made me sit down for two hours and finish a section up, completely the chapter which let me update today! So, kudos to her! Also a note; WARNING: This chapter includes some incidents and/or mentions of abuse, self abuse, sex, violence, and death. If anyone believes that this material earns an R rating, please let me know! That's about it, thank you for being so patient with me and hopefully you'll all enjoy this chapter! Hugs, Haystack)

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CHAPTER NINETEEN: SHADOWS OF TOMORROW

Hermione put her hand up to shield her eyes as the golden light exploded. Even from here, she was able to feel the heat it radiated.

As the light faded away, she scanned her eyes around frantically for any sign of her friend. Clinging desperately to the hope that he'd simply disappeared, Hermione almost heaved a sigh of relief when she couldn't find him. Almost.

Hermione had lost her hearing. She saw the people dancing happily about and saw their opened mouths…but heard nothing.

Her eyes were focused on the body that lay already forgotten, just a few precious feet from her.

It was a young boy of seventeen years. He had black hair that was damp from his perspiration and nice muscles that still clenched his wand. He had brilliantly beautiful eyes that were currently opened wide. He was a perfectly normal boy in every way…. except for the fact that he was dead.

It wasn't hard to figure out, his chest didn't rise or fall and his eyes…his emerald eyes were open, staring directly at Hermione and Ron with no emotion whatsoever. Hermione was spellbound. She wanted to look away, she wanted to scream, she wanted to reach a hand out through the bars to close those haunting eyes, but she was frozen.

He couldn't be…There was no way…Hermione refused to believe it…Harry simply couldn't be--

"DEAD!!!" Voldemort shrieked happily as he began to laugh "HE'S DEAD!!!!!!"

His followers laughed along with him, and together they all linked arms around Harry's body, dancing around carelessly, hiding Hermione's view of her best friend.

Her mouth was open but no sound emitted it. She was speechless, she was thoughtless, she was just as dead inside as the corpse that had previously been a few feet away from her.

Pain like Hermione had never known throbbed painfully in her chest, soon taking over her, quickly draining her of all her energy. Her head spun and the volume increased. The evil laughs echoed through her head. She tried to close her eyes, tried to shut them out, but she couldn't. She couldn't think, she couldn't feel anymore, she couldn't breathe.

She let herself fall to the ground.

She sat there against the wall, with wide eyes and a deathly pale face. Her whole body was shaking but she didn't notice. The voices in her head refused to succumb to silence, they continued ruthlessly. Her breaths were coming in labored gasps for air and her eyes appeared glazed over. Hermione was past the point of reason. Her thoughts tortured her, thoughts of Harry… She was caught up in her own hell, with the flames dancing around her, threatening her, taunting her, and urging her to give in to them.

It was too soon…it was too much. She couldn't take it anymore.

Taking her long fingernails, Hermione scratched at her legs. Over and over again she scratched, transforming her pale skin red, one that soon was covered in bleeding cuts.

It couldn't be happening…it was part of her nightmare…she'd wake up and run to Harry and Ron and they'd comfort her like they always liked to do.

Ron…

His eyes were wide; his face that usually was red with anger or some other emotion, was white, his fists clenching the bars of the window painfully hard. Tears were in his eyes but they did not fall. He slowly reached a hand out of the window, almost so slowly it was painful.

He stretched out his arm as far as it would go, but it fell short of the body by an inch or two. Squeezing his eyes shut and bowing his head, he made his way to the corner with one hand on his hip and the other placed over his face, his fingers pinching the top of his nose. He was breathing heavily but otherwise appeared relatively normal. Until…

Hermione jumped as Ron picked up a huge stone and threw it against the bars of the cell with as much strength as he could muster. The stone bounced back, the corners getting chipped. "NO!!" He suddenly roared, picking up the same stone and throwing it again. "NO!!!!"

Hermione's eyes grew round and she gasped a small gasp.

Ron didn't notice. Running to the bars, he shook them with all the strength in his body. "GET ME OUT OF HERE!!" He screamed. "I NEED TO KILL HIM! I NEED TO RIP HIM IN SHREDS!"

Since shaking the bars was accomplishing nothing, Ron began kicking them. Over and over again he'd kick with each word, "I NEED TO KILL THAT BASTARD FOR RUINING OUR LIVES!!! NEED TO MAKE HIM FEEL THE PAIN I FEEL!! I NEED TO SEE HIS DEAD BODY…STARE INTO HIS DEAD EYES!!"

Hermione felt her heart breaking as Ron continued his rant, going back to his original plan, shattering smaller rocks as he threw them all around. She wanted to cry…wanted to reach out to him and hold him in her arms the way he'd done for her so many times…wanted to tell him that everything would be okay…. but she couldn't.

"HE'S KILLED TOO MANY PEOPLE! I WON'T LET HIM GET AWAY WITH IT! HE'S GOING TO PAY THIS TIME! JUST THINK OF ALL THE PEOPLE!! HARRY'S PARENTS, NEVILLE'S PARENTS, SIRIUS…." Ron fell to the ground, unable to finish out his sentence, tears like Hermione had never seen before pouring from his eyes. He kneeled on the ground, raised his fist, and then let it fall to the ground. "…and Harry" He choked quietly, he full meaning of what he said suddenly starting to dawn on him.

"Harry…he killed Harry. Harry's dead…he killed him" He whispered over and over again like a madman.

It was then, watching Ron-- the strongest man she knew—sobbing hysterically that her own tears finally started to come. They welled up in her eyes until they could hold no more tears, and then as she blinked, they cascaded down her already tear strained face. Her heart ached…it was too much. Loosing Harry and seeing Ron like this…it cut at her and ripped her apart. She wrapped her arms around herself and placed a hand to her chin to try to muffle the sound, but it was impossible. She was in too much pain…

She sniffed and Ron's head whipped up, staring at her like he'd just noticed her for the first time. They held eye contact for a moment, bloodshot blue eyes to bloodshot brown eyes. Ron seemed to take in her appearance, chin up, then come to some decision. And as Hermione watched those beautiful blue eyes darken evilly, fear washed over her.

"WHAT ARE YOU CRYING ABOUT?!" He suddenly screamed at her

Hermione bit her lip and lowered her head. A sob made its way out from her body. She shook her head.

"HUH? I ASKED YOU A QUESTION. WHY ARE YOU CRYING?!!" Ron roared, standing up

She looked up at him, desperately trying to find some comfort in his eyes. All she saw were two little black holes.

"Ron…" She whispered, not able to say anything else before she broke down into tears again.

Ron's face turned red with anger. Grabbing her wrist and lifting it above her head, he pulled her up, throwing her onto the dirt floor violently.

"AH!" She cried, her already sore body searing with pain.

"YOU HAVE NO REASON TO BE CRYING!" Ron screamed

"Ron…" She whispered, "Please don't…"

"DON'T WHAT? COME ON HERMIONE TELL ME! YOU'RE ALWAYS THE ONE WITH ALL THE BLOODY ANSWERS! WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?!"

Hermione shook her head, wiping her hand across her face.

"YOU'RE NOT AFRAID OF ME? WHY NOT HERMIONE?!"

She said nothing.

"FINE! IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TELL ME, THEN I'LL JUST _MAKE_ YOU AFRAID OF ME!!" Ron shouted, reaching down to the ground and pulling her up.

"Ron!" She cried, as he pushed her up against the wall.

Slapping her hard across the face, Ron glared at her, grabbing her shoulders, "LOOK AT ME!" He demanded, shaking her, "LOOK AT ME DAMN IT!"

Shaking, Hermione slowly met his gaze. "WHEN I ASK YOU A QUESTION, I WANT YOU TO ANSWER ME. NOW TELL ME, WHY WERE YOU CRYING?"

Pain mixed with her anger and suddenly Hermione looked him in the eye. "YOU KNOW GOOD AND WELL YOU SELFISH BASTARD! YOU SIT HERE AND THROW ROCKS AND HIT ME, ALL CAUGHT UP IN YOUR GRIEF!" She screamed, unable to help the tears flowing down her cheeks. "BUT YOU'RE FORGETTING THAT HARRY WAS MY BEST FRIEND TOO! I LOVED HIM JUST AS MUCH AS YOU DID! AND I'M HURTING JUST AS MUCH AS YOU ARE, MORE SO NOW THAT YOU DECIDED TO ABUSE ME!"

Ron stared at her with narrowed eyes and when he spoke it was low, a reserved octave Ron only used when he was intimidating people. "Don't—talk—about-- him," He growled

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!" Hermione shrieked "HARRY IS G-GONE! I DON'T CARE IF YOU WANT TO ADMIT THAT BUT IT'S THE TRUTH." Hermione paused to collect herself as she pushed back her tears. "SEE? IT HURTS ME TO SAY THAT! IT HURTS ME TO SAY HIS NAME! IT HURTS ME TO ADMIT THAT TO MYSELF BECAUSE I DESPERATELY WANT TO BELIEVE THAT IT'S NOT TRUE! BUT I AM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IF I DON'T, I'LL JUST DRIVE MYSELF CRAZY AND LAND MYSELF IN ST. MUNGOS! OUR SCHOOL IS BURNT TO THE GROUND, OUR BEST FRIEND IS DEAD, AND FOR ALL WE KNOW, EVERYONE ELSE IS DEAD AS WELL! YOU ARE ALL I HAVE LEFT IN THIS WHOLE DAMN WORLD RON!" She sobbed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Please don't push me away" She whispered

Ron stood for several moments, too shocked with her to say anything. He didn't hug her back; instead he removed her hands from his neck and walked across the cell. He paused, looking outside the window for a moment, and then began pacing.

Hermione watched in silence. Back and forth he went…back and forth, back and forth, back and forth…

Finally he stopped, and turned to her.

"He was my best friend…" Ron whispered more to himself than to Hermione, his eyes glazed over, caught up in his own world.

Hermione sniffed. "I know Ron"

"H-He was my only friend. Besides you"

She ignored the tears that pushed their way through her eyes.

"We told each other everything. I never went more than two months without him. He was like my brother"

Hermione looked at him with understanding.

"And now…" Ron bit his lip to stop the tears that were pushed up against his eyes. "Now…"

Hermione approached him slowly; tentatively wrapping her arms around him. He sighed as he snaked his arms around her waist. "Now all I have is you"

"But you want Harry?" She spoke for him gently

"Yea…" Ron said, tearing up "I need Harry. I need him…and, and…" He couldn't finish the sentence before he slowly burst into tears.

Overwhelmed with sadness, Hermione bit her lip, running her hand along the nape of his neck comfortingly, not trusting herself to speak at the moment, for fear of bursting into tears herself. "Shh…" She said softly, smoothing out his hair.

"Is h-he really g-gone?" Ron asked through his tears

Hermione's heart lurched. As another tear fell from her face she nodded even though he couldn't see her. "Yea…he is"

"It's not fair…" He murmured.

"Not at all. He shouldn't have died…h-he was so sure of himself" Hermione agreed

Ron backed away from her, and looked at her sternly. "Please" he said, closing his eyes for a moment "Please don't talk like that"

"Like what?" Hermione asked quietly

"You…You can't say that. Not like that. I-I can't handle it now, it's too soon."

"What did I say Ron?" Hermione asked, hurt evident in her voice.

"That he was…that he is…you know"

"Dead?" She whispered tearfully

He shook his head. "I don't want to hear it."

"But you said--"

"That he was gone. That's different than…you know"

"Oh Ron…"

"No Hermione!" He said sternly, "I'm telling you now. I-don't-want-to-hear-it"

"Why not Ron?" Hermione snapped, "It's the truth"

Ron's eyes narrowed at her "I disagree. He's coming back, he'll rescue us like he always does…you'll see. Just please respect my wishes…don't make me listen to it!"

Hermione shook her head. "I can't do that Ron! I can't let you sit here pretending like this! It's going to come back and bite you, and doing so it'll bite me too!"

"Oh so I see, you're more concerned about me bringing you down later is that right?!" Ron hissed

"No Ron! I don't want you hurting! This isn't about me!" She cried angrily

"But you said…"

"You're not listening to me…"

"Hermione stop being--"

"IT HURTS ME TO SEE YOU IN PAIN ALRIGHT?!" Hermione suddenly screamed "IT KILLS ME RON! I'M HURTING HERE…I'VE NEVER BEEN IN SO MUCH PAIN BEFORE, AND TO SEE YOU LIKE THIS…." She paused, "I CAN'T TAKE IT! I NEED TO FOCUS ON HARRY'S DEAHTH, I CAN'T BE WORRIED ABOUT YOU TOO!"

"WELL THEN JUST LET ME BE!" Ron shouted "FORGET ABOUT ME AND GRIEVE IN YOUR OWN LITTLE CORNER!"

"I CAN'T DO THAT!!"

"WHY NOT?"

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, YOU INSENSITIVE PRAT!" She screamed

Ron froze where he was, Hermione watching as the red vanished from his face and the scowl slowly melted off his face. "What was that?" He whispered

"I love you" Hermione said honestly, "But please, I'm begging you, please see reason"

"Hermione" Ron said softly "It's not that I don't want to. It's that I can't."

"You can't?"

"No" Ron said, tears gathering in his eyes "I can't just sit down and accept the fact that my best mate was murdered in front of me and that he's dead and gone forever!"

"Ron I'm not asking you to"

"Then what are you asking of me Hermione?" Ron said emotionally

"I just…I don't want you playing games with yourself. Pretending that he's coming back and all of that."

"He will. But what does it matter now? If it helps…"

"No Ron, trust me, it'll hurt twice as hard the second time"

Remains of his previous breakdown were gone and yet now tears now were on the verge of spilling over Ron's crystal eyes again. He shook his head, "Please stop." He said, voice thick with emotion "I just need to get through tonight. Tomorrow maybe I'll listen. Too much has happened, I can't take it anymore. Let's just…I don't know, try to go to sleep. I don't want to think anymore."

Hermione stood in thought for a moment or two before finally nodding her head. He was right. Walking over to him, she laid on the earth floor, shivering slightly. Ron lay next to her, his face inches from her own. "Good night Hermione" He said softly

"Good night Ron" She whispered, smiling slightly as Ron gathered her in his arms.

The two lay together for what seemed like hours, just listening to the gentle beating of each other's hearts.

Though however long Hermione closed her eyes, there was no chance sleep would claim her. Not tonight, she was sure of it. Screams of death still made their way through their cell window and the soft crying and mumbling of the man in the farthest cell provided an annoying distraction, though Hermione wasn't one to judge.

Yet as crazy as the idea of sleeping had sounded to her ears, once she got the idea into her head, it was all Hermione wanted. Sleep…a state of thoughtlessness. She wouldn't be bombarded with images of the night and wouldn't have to shed any more tears. Too much had happened, could it really only have been one night? What had she done yesterday? Or the day before?

It was a beautiful afternoon. The sun was shining it's brightest, the sky was a clear pale blue and the Hogwart's Grounds had never looked more pretty. Trees had lost their nakedness; now flourishing with breathtaking blossoms covering every inch of them. The grass was lush and green and though a cool breeze was making it's way through the land, the warm air did wonders for the students lying out, soaking up not only the sun but relishing in the wonderful feeling Saturdays brought.

That was it! She had been lying idle on the grass with Ron, Ginny, and Harry.

Harry!

He was staring at the sunset as though it were the most precious thing in the world. A playful smile playing in the corners of his mouth, his raven hair tousled handsomely from their flight, his emerald eyes shining with something Hermione couldn't exactly place; it had been years since Hermione had seen him like this. Peaceful, content, and in love with the world instead of angry at it. She smiled at him and he winked and smiled back.

They had gone flying…seen that breathtaking sunset. Hogwarts had never looked more beautiful. If only they had known that not even 24 hours later it would all be on the ground, collapsed! Students were walking lazily, laughing and playing about, enjoying the day. Now more than half were probably dead, the other half scarred for life, hiding in bushes deep inside a forest they never would have stepped foot in a day before.

It was the last happy memory Hermione could think of. She should have known things were going too well…she should have suspected something was up. And yet…Hermione was glad she hadn't. She was glad she had soaked up the moment, breathing in the sight of her friends and school, and relished in the feel of Ron's arms around her. After all, for all she knew it could very well be the last happy memory she'd ever have. She wished with every fiber in her body that she could rewind time, have that time turner from third year again. She wanted to return to the past and never come back. Simply re-live her life at school over and over again.

Back when Hogwarts was the safest place in the world. Back when her only troubles were reprimanding Ron for cussing, and Harry for all his dangerous late night adventures he led them on. Back when she had Harry again. Back when she feared expulsion more than death.

Laughing bitterly at her innocence, it was only then that Hermione realized she had been crying softly all this time, Ron muttering incoherent sayings sweetly in her ear.

As if she'd woken from a dream, Hermione sat up, looking wildly about her.

She was in a prison cell. Dawn was just arriving. She and Ron were huddled in the middle of the floor, attempting sleep. She wasn't in her own warm bed, she wasn't opening the curtains to greet the wonderful sunshine, there was nothing familiar about her old life now. Nothing except Ron.

The harsh reality slapping her in the face, Hermione wiped at her face, sick and tired of crying so much in one night, and lay back down, holding Ron close to her.

"What was it?" He whispered

"I don't know." She whispered back "I was thinking and sort of got caught up in my thoughts…made myself believe they were real."

"Oh" Ron said, "What were they?"

Hermione shook her head and snuggled closer to him, burying her face in his shirt. "Just…hold me"

Surprised, Ron nodded. "Alright"

Time passed, and before long, Hermione felt herself finally dripping off into slumber, greatly comforted. Finally daring enough to close her eyes, Hermione sighed heavily, overly exhausted in all aspects, eagerly awaiting the sleep she craved.

"Hermione?" Ron whispered timidly, afraid to wake her.

Cursing Ron for his bad timing, Hermione simply opened her eyes. "What?" She whispered

"I just wanted to say that I-I'm sorry"

"For what?" She asked gently

"For" Ron gulped "Hitting you. I never thought I'd ever do something like that. Especially to you. You have to understand how terrible I feel."

"I understand Ron. Don't worry." She said as she kissed his cheek, settling back into his arms, her mind still focused on sleep.

"It wasn't fair of me to take advantage of you like that."

"Shh…it's okay."

Ron pulled away from her, making Hermione cry out from the cold that suddenly hit her. "No it's not. It'll never be okay. I-I can't believe I actually hit you. Screamed all that terrible stuff at you"

"Please Ron" Hermione said as she took his hand into hers "Don't kill yourself over it."

"How can I not?" Ron sniffed "All this time I've been so worried about other people touching you or hurting you, and I'm the one who ended up doing it."

"Just shush." She said as she patted the space of ground where he'd previously been. "Now please come back"

He sighed, but did as she said, gathering her in his arms again.

"I'm sorry" Ron repeated

"Ron stop it" Hermione said wearily

"I really am. You were right, I am a bastard," He continued

"Ron I'm warning you. Please!" She begged

"I don't deserve you"

"Don't go there Ronald!" She said angrily, escaping out of his embrace to shoot daggers at him with her eyes.

"You deserve someone like Krum. Not a murderer that takes advantage of you like that."

"Do you honestly think that after everything tonight, I would prefer bloody Viktor Krum over you!" She screamed

"Well I mean he's got--"

"I can't believe it!" She cried, throwing her arms up in the air.

"Think about it! He's rich, famous, a bloody great Quidditch player! Girls all think he's handsom--"

"So what, are you planning on shipping me off to Bulgaria?"

"No! But the fact is that I don't deserve you!"

"RONALD WEASLEY TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW!"

"NO! IT'S TRUE! YOU'RE THE GREATEST PERSON I'VE EVER MET, YOU DESREVE THE BEST!"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK THE BEST IS, I WANT YOU!"

"YOU SHOULDN'T!"

"WHY NOT?"

"HERMIONE!! I'VE KILLED AT LEAST TEN MEN TONIGHT!"

"WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?!"

"YOU CAN'T LOVE A MURDERER!"

"YOU ARE NOT A MURDERER! THIS IS WAR FOR MERLIN'S SAKE RON! I KNOW YOU MUST FEEL GUILTY, BUT THIS IS STUPID! DO YOU HONESTLY THINK THAT I WOULD PERFER A DEATH EATER ALIVE, THEN YOU DEAD?!!"

"Well no, but—"

"If you don't shut up right now…"

"I'll bet Krum never hit you bef--"Ron stopped mid sentence as Hermione swooped over him, pressing her lips against his.

Obviously shocked, it took Ron a moment to kiss her back, but when he did, he kissed her so forcefully Hermione couldn't help but moan. Breaking apart for air, Hermione smiled as she gazed into Ron's eyes. "I love you" She said, "Do you get that now? I love you no matter what. It hurts me when you talk like that"

"Why does it hurt you?" Ron asked worriedly

"Because" She breathed as she planted kisses over Ron's face "When you put yourself down that's like insulting me. After all, I'm the one who fell in love with you and if you insult yourself then you're insulting my choice and judgment."

"Your choice and judgment?" He asked through his heavy breaths

"I chose you" Hermione said simply "And if you say you love me, then in theory, you've chosen me too"

Ron sat up, looking at Hermione with interest. Then flashing his lopsided grin, he said softly "I love you"

Hermione laughed quietly and kissed him again. They rolled around on the ground, their lips seemingly unable to untangle themselves from each other. Ron bit at her lower lip and Hermione's breath hitched. It was incredible…she'd never felt something so good…

Ron released her lip and broke apart from her, moving to her slender neck to plant kisses there as well. "So I've chosen you eh?" Ron mumbled

"Yea" Hermione breathed as she closed her eyes in pleasure

Ron laughed. "Well it's bloody good that you like me as well because you're going to be stuck with me for a long time"

She quirked an eyebrow playfully, a smile playing in the corners of her lips. "Really now? Enlighten me Mr. Weasley, how long would that be?"

Ron grinned "Forever!" He cried happily, pouncing on Hermione.

Soon Hermione felt his tongue running slowly over her lip, asking for permission to enter. Opening her small mouth, she giggled a bit when Ron's tongue eventually found hers. They were timid at first, getting to know each other politely; but before they knew anything, the tongues were ravaging the other, exploring each other's mouths hungrily.

Ron's hands were wrapped around her waist, rubbing circles on the skin that was now bare since her shirt had slid up. Feeling daring, Ron ran one hand up the back of her shirt along her spine making Hermione shiver.

Mimicking him, Hermione ran her hand underneath Ron's shirt, enjoying the feeling of his muscles flinching at her touch. Wanting to see more, she pulled at the fabric, a pout on her face when it didn't immediately come off.

"Miss Granger trying to un-shirt a bloke?!" Ron asked in mock surprise "I can't believe it!"

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the blush that crept up the sides of her face. Grinning, Ron pulled the shirt off his body, tossing it in the corner.

"Better?" He asked arrogantly, though the tips of his ears were turning red.

Hermione smiled shyly and nodded, her blush refusing to fade. Slowly approaching him, she took in every detail of his half naked body.

As expected, Quidditch had done wonders for the once lanky redhead, filling out his frame and broadening his shoulders. His chest was smooth. Hermione licked her lips subconsciously.

"Planning to devour me are you?" Ron asked

Hermione smirked and nodded her head as she brought her lips down upon his neck, kissing her way down to the newly revealed chest that she'd admired. Swirling her tongue in his chestbone, Ron moaned.

"'Mione…" He said softly

"Mm?" She asked, her hands busy sliding over his muscles.

"I…Love…you," He breathed

Hermione smiled as she began sucking on his neck. "I know"

"Can I…I mean could I…I mean only if it's alright with you"

"What are you asking Ron?" She whispered, still at work

Ron took a deep breath and said confidently, "Could I _show_ you how much I love you?"

Hermione froze where she was, and lifted her head to meet his searching eyes, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She was speechless. Had he really just said what her ears had told her?! Was Ronald Weasley, the boy who believed she had cooties for three years actually suggesting what she thought he was?

"You're serious?" Hermione asked quietly

He nodded, a determined look in his eye, completely ignoring the fact that his ears were bright red. "Of course…only if you want to"

Hermione looked around her. A prison cell. Did she really want her first time to be in prison? Hermione shook her head. No, never would she have even considered such a thing a day ago. Having sex with Ron Weasley in prison… It was almost laughable it was so extreme. She shot the idea down in her mind. What was she thinking? She believed in abstinence. Wasn't it she who always caught students snogging behind statues and dragged them to detention instead of looking the other way? Hadn't she always stuck her nose up in the air and sniffed when Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil gushed about who their last one night stand had been? It was such a stupid thing to do; there were so many consequences! Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Pregnancy only two of such results. It was simply morally wrong to engage in sex before marriage, she believed that with her whole heart. Just imagine!

Shaking, Hermione ran her hands through a man's hair, trying to distract herself from the feeling in her stomach.

"_mm…" Her husband moaned as he kissed her passionately "I'm so glad…" He mumbled incoherently "…that we saved ourselves for each other…I want my first time to be with you!" _

_It was like a steak through her heart. Oh how she wanted to be able to say the same thing back to him! Why had she let herself fool around all those years ago? _

_As he undid the clasp of her wedding dress, unzipping the zipper very slowly, Hermione buried her hands in her face._

"_What's wrong love?" He asked_

_She shook her head and bit her lip, refusing to cry on her wedding night. "N-Nothing"_

"_Aw…come on. You can tell me anything. What is it?"_

_Hermione lifted her head slowly, her tear filled eyes meeting his. "I-I'm s-so sorry!" She whispered before letting a tear fall. "I…I'm not a virgin"_

_His face twisted into that of immense disappointment "Oh" he said softly_

"_You have to understand! It was years ago! Only that once!" She cried desperately_

"_Who was it?" He whispered, unable to hide the pain in his voice_

_Hermione looked to the ground. "It was during the war. Harry had just died…you can't imagine what we saw that night."_

"_So it was Ron then?" He asked jealously_

_Hermione nodded slowly "Yea…it was Ron" _

Or…

"_Hermione! I got it! I passed!!" Ron shouted happily, bursting into her flat where she had previously been pacing._

"_Congratulations Ron!" She smiled up at him._

"_It was such a hard test! I was sure that I hadn't made it through!"_

"_Of course you passed Ron. I knew you would, you were doing so well when I quizzed you last week" _

_He grinned. "Thanks!"_

"_Your welcome" She said seriously, falling back into the routine she'd created an hour ago; pacing back and forth nervously wringing her hands. Oh how could she tell him now?! Not now…not when he was so happy! Not when his future had never looked brighter! It wasn't fair to him! _

"'_Mione?" Ron asked concerned_

"_Yes?" She asked surprised, stopping where she was_

"_Is there something wrong?"_

"_Wrong? Why would you say that?!"_

"_Well because you just…" Ron shook his head "Never mind." Walking over to the door he paused turning back to her, smiling once again. "I'm going to go tell Mum. She'll be thrilled! I bet you she'll--"_

"_Ron!" She suddenly called as he disappeared down the hallway, his voice still audible_

_He poked his head back inside, that adorable grin still plastered over his face. "Yes poppet?"_

"_I…uh…We need to talk"_

_His grin instantly gone, Ron looked at her curiously. "Okay" He said uneasily, taking a the chair opposite the couch where Hermione was. "So what do you want to talk about?"_

"_Ron I…um…I have some news as well."_

"_Really?!" He asked excitedly. She nodded solemnly. "Is it good news?"_

"_Um…not really. I mean yes, of course it is. Well…I guess not in all aspects."_

"_Well out with it!" He said happily_

_Hermione took a deep breath and shut her eyes, speaking very slowly. "Well Ron you see, I'm…pregnant"_

_Ron's face drained of all color. "What?" He whispered_

"_I'm pregnant." She repeated. "I know what you're thinking. No I've never done it with anyone but you so it's obvious you're the father."_

"'_Mione…" Ron breathed, "I-I can't. We can't. I just finished Auror training, I don't even have a job yet!"_

"_I know Ron," She whispered_

"_I don't know the first thing about being a bloody father!"_

"_You think I know anything about being a mother?!" She snapped_

_Ron's face fell. "I'm sorry Hermione. I'm going to help you, but…I just need time to think. I-I'll talk to you later." And with that, he disapparated with a pop!_

Hermione shook her head violently at the images. No…what was she thinking?!

But another scream brought her back to her life. Back to the cell she was trapped in, back to the war, back to an eager looking Ron who was waiting for an answer.

A pair of wizard shoes flashed by the window, followed by three pairs of Death Eater's shoes. Before long, the agonized cry of the man was heard. Hermione shivered.

But what if she didn't have a future past tonight? Harry had mentioned Voldemort wanting to kill them…would tomorrow be the last day of her life? It seemed likely.

And suddenly, everything Hermione had been thinking about for the past few moments, seemed irrelevant. They would come for her…they would rape her like Harry had said…then they would torture her and leave her in death's hands. That was her _real_ reality. How likely would it be that she would live past tomorrow, much less to her wedding night? She wouldn't be alive to have anyone's baby. She would be dead.

All she had was tonight. All she had was Ron. And as she gazed lovingly into his crystal eyes, she found her reassurance, found her comfort, found her strength.

Slowly, Hermione nodded her head, giving Ron her consent. His eyes widened.

"R-really?" He sputtered

"Yes" Hermione replied, closing her eyes. There was no turning back now.

"I don't want to force you"

Hermione smiled faintly. "Don't worry. You're not forcing me to do anything." She said, burying her face in his naked chest.

"What's wrong?" He whispered

"Nothing"

"Don't say that. I know something is wrong. Hermione we really don't have to. There's plenty of--"

"Time?" she finished. He nodded. "That's the problem Ron. There isn't time! I bet we'll be dead by this time tomorrow"

"Don't say that," He said quickly

"Why not? Ron please stop playing these games of denial with me! You know it's the truth so just admit it!!"

"Hermione…" Ron looked at her with disbelief

"What did you honestly think they'd do with us here? Just leave so that eventually we'd escape?"

"No"

"Then what did you--"

"I DON'T KNOW HERMIONE!" He suddenly shouted, making Hermione jump back away from him. "BUT I'M SICK AND TIRED OF THINKING THIS WAY! I DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE! I DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT WHAT I KNOW DEEP DOWN MIGHT HAPPEN! YOU KNOW ME…I'VE NEVER BEEN GOOD WITH EMOTIONS! SO DON'T GO MAKING ME SCARED ABOUT SOMETHING THAT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN!"

Hermione only stared at the ground tearfully.

"Look" He said much more quietly "I really don't want to fight with you anymore. It seems that's been about all we've done tonight. I don't want to think about the future, I just want to enjoy my time with you now"

Hermione laughed bitterly, fighting back tears, "Enjoy your time with me? You want to enjoy your time spent inside a prison? During a war?"

"No" Ron said softly "I want to enjoy my time spent with _you_. Look it doesn't matter to me where we are, as long as we're together. Come on 'Mione…" He leaned forwards to whisper in her ear "Let's block them out."

Hermione met his gaze, and held it for a few moments, getting his implied message that was woven in his words. He smiled a small smile, one that Hermione couldn't help but return. Leaning in to the kiss she knew he wanted to give her, Hermione had never been surer in her decision.

As the kiss intensified suddenly, Ron's hands getting lost in her long curls, Hermione's arms draped over his shoulders, it was as though someone had lit her body on fire. A new need surfaced, one that Hermione had never experienced before.

As they broke apart for air, their eyes met, both of their flames acknowledging the other.

Suddenly it was as though the temperature had rose several degrees, and Hermione was overwhelmed with the sudden urge to take her clothes off. Ron smirked at her as he noted her heavy breathing and she couldn't help but smile back.

Almost as though he were attacking her, Ron pressed her against the wall, his lips crashing on her pale skin. It was like his lips were ice, providing desperately needed relief to her burning body. Noticing that his kisses had ceased, she reluctantly opened her eyes to find Ron handling the edge of her jumper, waiting for permission. Cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink, she smiled shyly and nodded her head.

Ron pulled it off slowly, revealing a tank top underneath. Soon pulling that off as well, he chuckled as Hermione frowned at the carelessly tossed clothes. Of course she would have wanted him to fold them.

Hermione felt her face flush as his eyes raked down her body, making her feel like a doll on display. His eyes were wide with excitement and curiosity and he grinned happily to her. "Wicked" He breathed, as he kissed her hungrily. Hermione returned the kiss with just as much passion. Ron paused for oxygen, resting his forehead against hers. "You're perfect you know that?" He whispered, staring at her recently revealed breasts, between gasps for air

Hermione shook her head. She'd never been one to care much for looks, but she suddenly felt very self-conscious. "No I'm not," She whispered

Ron smiled. "You're perfect to me"

Hermione's heart leapt and love washed out from her. Grabbing her waist securely, Ron lowered her slowly to the ground, never breaking eye contact with her. And as Hermione looked deep into his eyes, she couldn't help but tear up with the prospect of what tomorrow might bring.

Ron noticed. "Hey" He soothed, squeezing her hand comfortingly, "It's okay"

"Oh Ron I'm just so scared" She whispered

"Don't be. I won't let them lay a hand on you."

"That's sweet Ron. But you know as well as I do that they'll have us separated."

"I won't let them separate us," He whispered as he kissed her cheek

Hermione reached out her arms to him, and he willingly engulfed her in a hug. She sighed. "I just don't want to think about it."

"Then don't"

"I can't help it. I'm terrified I'll loose you Ron," She said tearfully

"Shh…You know I'll never leave you"

"Not willingly. But I need you Ron"

"Well you have me right now." He said tenderly

She smiled through the tears that had made their way down her face "Yea…I guess I do"

Ron took her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. "Enough. You've cried too much tonight, it can't be good for you." He whispered with a faint trace of a smile on his lips

Hermione shot him a glance. "Can you blame me?"

He shook his head. "No. I'm positive we somehow transferred away from earth and landed in the pits of hell."

Lacking energy to correct him for being sac-religious, Hermione simply nodded her head in agreement. If there was one statement she was going to agree with tonight, it was that the past five or six hours had been a real life hell.

Ron continued. "And if what you think really is true, then I want to spend as much time with you as possible before morning"

"You're spending time with me right now"

Ron rolled his eyes playfully, "You know what I mean. Getting to know you." He said with a quick kiss "All of you" He added seriously

Hermione melted and the flame returned in her eyes. "Me too" She said sincerely

"Well then poppet" He said with a grin "We've got a lot to do before that bloody sun rises!"

"Ron!" She scolded, hitting him lightly

"What?!"

"You shouldn't talk like that!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's…well it's vile!"

"It is not! It's the truth!"

"Still…"

Ron laughed merrily "I love you, you know?"

Hermione giggled, "I love you too"

One kiss led to another, each one more passionate and desperate as the next. Caught up in a world entirely their own, neither noticed as particles of clothing were removed and love declarations proclaimed, that the sun had risen.

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	20. Chapter Twenty: The Will to Live

(A/N: The reviews for last chapter were brilliant! A big thank you to all who reviewed! It's so nice to 'be back' even though the last update was only a week long, it felt longer to me. This chapter was very easy to write which was great for me, since chapter nineteen was immensely difficult! And because of that, I feel like this chapter goes by pretty quick, so you might want to close read if you want it to last longer. I don't know, just a suggestion. Also, as a note to everyone, this isn't going to be one of those really happy we-live-happily-ever-after stories. I'm terribly sorry if I make people depressed or sad but I'm letting you know now not to expect some "I love you" "I love you too" "Oh my God Harry's back!" "Oh look! Hogwarts is back!" kind of ending. lol Anyways, I promised individual replies didn't I? Well I'll get started on those right away! Thanks again for all your support! Much love, Haystack)

Lafawnduh4: Hopefully the update was quick enough! Thanks so much for reviewing! Hope you're enjoying it!

Bhekie: In answer to your question, no, the Death Eaters did not forget Ron and Hermione. That's revealed in this chapter but celebration was more important at the time to them. I'm sorry you're sad about Harry! I am too, but it had to be done! Thanks so much for your continual support!

RedRose013: Hope the update was fast enough! Thanks so much for reviewing!

RainDateChick: lol oh yes there's a morning after but not exactly the same one you're probably thinking of…Thanks so much for reviewing!

Ron'n'Hermione: Aw what a sweet review! Yes poor Harry is dead. It's very sad, but you'll see about the but-who-can-stop-Voldemort-thing that there is indeed a problem. I'm very glad you liked last chapter and the compliment about my cliffhangers was lovely, thank you! Lol….hopefully the update was soon enough!

ShimmeringEvil: Hey! I'm glad you liked last chapter! Yes, Ron and Hermione got into it, but I'm not one to write that kind of heavy romance so I kind of left it hanging on purpose. Lol…thanks so much for reviewing!

EvelyneJ: Thanks so much for reviewing! It's so nice to meet a new reviewer! Hope to hear from you in the future!

AmyChris: Well I'm certainly glad I made your day! It was sooo nice to finally have gotten that chapter posted, so a big thanks goes to you on that one! As for the dedication, you deserved it! I'm very glad that you liked it though, if there was someone I wanted to make sure to impress it was you, after all, I didn't want you to have gone through all that to have a letdown chapter! So thanks so much for reviewing and hopefully the update on this one was better;)

wick3d77: lol your review made me laugh! Yes, it was a rather emotional chapter wasn't it? Hehee…I'm glad you liked it though! Thanks so much for reviewing!

dancerrdw: Hey there! I'm happy you liked last chapter! Hopefully the update wasn't too terrible! Thanks for reviewing as always!

cumbacksirius: YAY! Your review made my day! How exciting, I am very happy about those tissues in the garbage! Yes, I did kill Harry but it just wouldn't work with him alive. Very sad…I'm glad that you liked her little daydreams, I was unsure about adding them in. Anyways, soo much for reviewing!

Smiles28: I'm thrilled you got that up/down never-know-when-they're-going-to-explode-next feel for the chapter! It was what I was kind of going for…As for their separation, we'll just have to see, but hopefully there should be some surprises in the next few chapters! Heehee…anyways I'm glad you thought it was one of my best, it was a hard one! Lol thanks sooooo much for reviewing!

SlytherinRoyalty: Hopefully your concerns about the necklace thing will be explained in this chapter or the next. As for the sex part, yea, it basically was comfort sex, but I think they're entitled to that in this situation. Lol I'm glad you liked it long, it would be nice if they could all be that length but then the updates would be too sparse and I really didn't like having a week in-between them. Anyways, I'm thrilled that you liked last chapter and as always, thank you very very very much for reviewing so faithfully!

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CHAPTER TWENTY: THE WILL TO LIVE

At the sound of heavy boots pounding the ground, Ron's eyes flew open. He lay, breathing heavily as more pairs of feet than one came closer and closer.

Looking down frantically, he saw Hermione in his arms, a smile on her lips, hugging his waist contently. Heart beating fast, he sat up and looked around for their clothes.

He could hear voices now…they were coming for them!

Running quickly over to the corner, getting dressed himself, he gathered up Hermione's clothes and leaned over her, shaking her awake gently.

"Hmm?" she asked dreamily

"'Mione get up now!" Ron said hurriedly

"mmm? Why?"

"They're coming! Hurry!" He cried

Hermione's brown eyes shot open. Looking at him fearfully she whispered, "Where are my clothes?"

"Right here." He said, handing them to her.

If it had been any other day, and if Ron had been in any other circumstance, he would have paused for a moment, to admire Hermione's body as she dressed shamelessly in front of him. But things just never worked out for him that way.

As Hermione turned around, fully dressed, her eyes full of fear, she looked around. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Let's pretend like we're still asleep. Maybe they'll go away."

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows and wrinkled up her nose. "That won't help."

"Do you have any other ideas?"

"No"

"Well then-"

"You sure it's them?" A sudden voice asked

"Oh I'm sure of it" Another replied

"Down!" Ron hissed, pulling Hermione's wrist towards the ground.

"You think they saw him die?" A different voice asked

The group snickered. "I would have liked to see their reactions" A fourth said with disappointment.

"QUIET!" An ice-cold voice suddenly shouted, "I WON'T PUT UP WITH ANY MORE OF YOUR USELESS BABBLING! I HAVE BUISNESS TO ATTEND TO HERE!"

The group fell silent. "We're sorry my Lord." One said

"NO MORE!" He cried

Ron's heart was pounding uncontrollably. Wrapping his arms around Hermione, he held her tightly, afraid that the moment he let her go would be the moment they would forever be separated. As the footsteps neared, Ron closed his eyes. What would happen? Would they kill him immediately? Or would they be tortured beforehand? Would they pry him for information? Would they rape Hermione? Would they kill her first?

The footsteps were so close….there…they had stopped. They were standing at the door of their cell, watching them.

"Ron…" Hermione breathed, the fright evident in her voice.

"Shh…"

"Ron I can't"

"'Mione…"

"I'm so scared"

"Shush"

"WAKE UP!" One of the Death Eaters cried, shaking the bars violently

"Don't," He warned

"DO YOU HEAR ME? WAKE UP!" He repeated

"Nott," A calm voice that Ron instantly recognized "Calm yourself. These two are obviously awake."

"Ron!"

"It's okay"

"No bother. They can still hear even if they pretend like they cannot. And I'm sure once they've heard what I have to say they will end their little game." Voldemort paused for dramatic effect

Hermione was squeezing his hand so hard, he was sure he'd lost all feeling in it.

"I thought perhaps that you two would like to hear about poor Mr. Potter's fateful end." Ron clenched his fists together angrily. "The boy started off fighting cockily, honestly believing that he could defeat me" Voldemort chuckled a low chuckle that sent shivers down along Ron's spine. "And we saw who really was the smart one by the end of the night didn't we? Yes well anyways, once he broke his silly glasses, he was a hopeless blundering fool. Even more pathetic than the ordinary man I come across and kill"

Ron's blood was boiling. How dare he talk about Harry that way! His words cut at his heart and Ron's hands shook. And based by the way Hermione's shoulder shook, he could tell that she was taking it just as badly as he was.

Voldemort noticed. Grinning evilly to his followers who began snorting happily, he continued, having more fun than he had imagined. " Oh yes, he stumbling about hopelessly. If only his fan club had seen him then. I took pity on the boy and tortured him for a while before finishing him off. By the end he had completely given up, lost all hope and was begging for me to kill him. Crying like a baby for a while there, he kept repeating over and over again how sorry he was. He finally saw that he was no match against me. That for his whole he'd been made to believe by that old crack of a fool Dumbledore that he could finish me off, was a lie. He saw the truth a little too late though. Perhaps maybe if he had seen it earlier he could have made his death a heroic one."

Rage was burning in Ron's eyes, and suddenly he could no longer lay on the ground pretending. Hermione sensed it.

"Ron don't!" She cried

But it was too late. Jumping up, Ron lunged through the bars, grabbing Voldemort's neck. Voldemort was screaming terribly, as Ron shook him over and over again, desperately trying to kill him. Hermione had raced over, yanking on Ron to pull him away.

"DON'T YOU SAY THAT ABOUT HARRY!" He roared "YOU BASTARD! YOU'RE BARKING MAD! I'M HARRY'S BEST MATE! YOU DON'T SAY THAT IN FRONT OF ME! YOU'RE A DEMETED, SICK MAN! YOU'RE DAMNED! YOU'RE GOING TO THE DARKEST PITS OF HELL FOR WHAT YOU SAID!"

"RON STOP IT! GET OFF!" Hermione screamed

"NO HERMIONE! HE KILLED HARRY! HE'S GOING TO DIE! I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!"

"G-g-get him!" Voldemort squeaked

The Death Eaters nodded, and raised their wands, all sending silent curses towards Ron. He flew through the air and landed on his back, Voldemort now freed from his grasp.

"RON!" Hermione shrieked, running towards him.

Voldemort bent over, catching his breath and regaining his composure, his face one of absolute fury.

"RON! NO RON NO!" Hermione cried, leaning over his body. He had no visible scars from what Hermione could see. Sobbing hysterically, she continued to shake him.

Opening his eyes he gazed at her tear stained face and blinked. Hermione threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, crying into his shirt.

"You're such an idiot…" She sobbed

"That's about the only thing I've ever agreed on with a _mudblood_" Voldemort hissed, "You just did a very stupid thing my boy. I hated you both from the start, but you two had never done anything to make me want to kill you _immediately_. That's all changed now, you understand? You're going to pay Weasley, and you'll bring your friend down with you as well! You're going to regret this more than anything you've ever done. Oh just you see, I'm going to make your deaths so slow that you'll beg for me to finish you off….just like Potter" He grinned "Boys, I think these two would benefit from the room downstairs don't you think?"

Laughing, they all nodded enthusiastically. "Well then" Voldemort smiled "I'm afraid I will not be able to join you, I have appointments with others like yourselves, but be assured that I will drop by later to reap the benefits of your pain." Laughing like a madman he made a motion with his hands as though he were tipping at hat at them "Nice to meet you both"

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Ron would have never noticed it. When one of the Death Eaters ran their hand along the side crack of one of the large stones, Ron thought he was mental. But when it gave way to reveal a spiraling staircase, lit with torches, he wondered why he hadn't noticed it before.

Hermione's sobs had quieted and her tears were gone. Instead, fear had replaced them both. He had never seen her in such a state before. She clung to him; even more so than before and her hands were shaking uncontrollably. Her face was drained of all color, yet her jaw was set determinedly. Something Ron knew she only did to appear strong for him. He appreciated it greatly, his own hands shaking a bit, and his stomach twisting in guilt. It was one thing for them to torture him, he should have seen that one coming. But it was quite another to punish Hermione.

As they walked down the steep staircase, water dripping a bit from the ceiling, a chorus of mice singing that provided little comfort for Ron, they walked into a dimly lit room.

He had been right. Torturous items filled up the room, a few bodies that had been able to handle it, lying in the corner. He shuddered with the thought of how their deaths might have come about. Hermione gasped and he squeezed her hand.

The Death Eaters got to work setting up the items and checking them thoroughly. Ron turned to Hermione.

Lowering his eyes he whispered, "I'm so sorry"

She seemed distant, her eyes caught up somewhere else. Shaking her head, she simply held out her arms and he engulfed her in a hug. "Don't leave me" She whispered

"I won't. I promise I won't let them touch you."

Her bottom lip trembling, she sunk to the floor. "'Mione?" He asked, kneeling so that he was level with her. Lifting her chin with his finger, he stared into her eyes. Tears were there.

"How could everything have gone so wrong?" She whispered, "My potion was supposed to save him"

"I-I don't know. He probably didn't hit him with Avada Kedavra then. Mine worked fine"

"Mine too"

They fell silent.

"This is really the end isn't it?" She whispered fearfully

"No" He said determinedly, his heart breaking with her lack of hope

"Promise me you'll try to save yourself"

"Don't talk like that"

"Don't worry about me. Leave me and get out of here. Go somewhere where they can never find you. America, Australia, somewhere."

"Hermione!"

"Please Ron?" She asked tearfully "Please promise me"

"Stop talking like this!"

"Promise!"

"I can't!"

"Please Ron, I'm begging you, do this for me!"

"If we want to live enough than we will!"

"That's false hope. I'm talking about reality here. Just promise me!"

"I—ah!" Ron cried as two of the Death Eaters pulled at his arms, yanking him backwards.

"Ron!" Hermione cried as she made a move to go after him

"Tsk Tsk little Missy! You weren't thinking of going after him were you?" The other Death Eater said in good humor

Hermione looked at him with horror before suddenly sprinting. The man grabbed her ankle and she landed on the ground. Picking her up, the man laughed. "Haven't you ever heard of 'Ladies First'? Don't worry about your friend, he'll get to sit back and enjoy the show with us!"

"NO! NO! PUT ME DOWN!" She shouted, pounding the man as hard as she could.

"HERMIONE!" Ron screamed as the two men slammed him against the wall. He flailed his arms around. He had to get to her!

"Stop wiggling!" One cried, as he tried to tie his hands together with rope.

"You're going to make us miss the show!" The other cried

Immediately looking up, Ron suddenly saw what the other man was doing. A crying Hermione was tied to a chair in the middle of the room, the man fingering a wand behind his back.

"NO!" He cried out, but it made no difference

"CRUCIO!" The man screamed

Ron's heart felt like it was slowly dying as he watched his best friend and the woman he loved scream in agony. He'd heard hundreds of screams within the past 24 hours but Hermione's was by far the worst, the one that would forever haunt his dreams.

He tried to kick his capturers, tried to wiggle his hands free, tried to run and simply drag the two Death Eaters with him, but nothing worked and Ron was left feeling helpless and guilty beyond his imagination.

Again and again the Death Eater shouted spells at Hermione. Ron was at the breaking point. He couldn't take it anymore. Using every bit of strength left in him, Ron lifted his foot slowly, and kicked the man to the left of him. The man fell to the ground, and while the Death Eater to the right of him looked at his comrade, Ron kicked him in the groin as well. Without skipping a beat or wasting a moment, Ron began to run.

He ran as fast as he could, though it was difficult with his hands still tied behind his back. As he neared Hermione and the other Death Eater he realized that he didn't have a plan of any kind. Using terms Ron was most familiar with, he slammed into the man, knocking him on over on his face. From there, Ron stomped on him, crushing every body part he could find. Once he felt sure that the man was hurting as badly as Hermione appeared, he walked over to her.

She was on the ground, scars and welts of all kinds on her body. She was lying motionless, yet breathing heavily, appearing as though she had been fried; and as Ron gazed at the burn mark down her right arm, it looked as though she had been.

She opened her eyes though, gazing at him silently, a small smile on her lips. "I made it," She whispered, though it sounded as if the words strained her.

Ron felt tears sting his eyes and nodded sadly, "Yea…you did"

But their conversation was cut short, as Ron was violently thrown backwards onto the ground, the three Death Eaters circling around him. Without saying a word, they shot spells at him, the forces of one mixing with the other, creating a kind of pain Ron had never felt before.

"RON!" Hermione cried, standing up and beating one of Ron's previous guards with surprising strength for someone who had just been tortured.

The Death Eater pushed her away but she kept at it, screaming things the whole time.

Ron tried to move, but he couldn't. The fire was eating away at him, licking up his insides and dissolving his flesh. It was as though needles were piercing his skin, and yet it was as though he had no limbs, like they had all disappeared. His mind was all fogged up, he could hear a struggle happening, he could hear cries and screams, yet he couldn't comprehend it, his mind was one tracked, completely focused on the horrors his body was undergoing. It consumed him, the world disappeared, there was no love in the world, no good, no compassion or hope, it was pain, it was darkness, it was evil, it was fire.

And then as suddenly as it came upon him, it stopped. Stopped so suddenly, he couldn't seem to believe it at first. It was as though someone had poured a bucket of ice water over the flames, they were smoldered and smoking, but they were gone. He regained his vision in the matter of seconds and what he saw made him heart lurch.

One of the Death Eaters had Hermione pinned to the ground, her shirt and bra discarded, his own pants pulled down, poised above her. She was screaming and crying hysterically, but the other two held her down.

"Hurry up! I want a go with her!" One of them cried out

Ron thought he was going to be sick. Rage overcame any pain he had, and before he fully understood what he was doing, he shoved the Death Eater away, grabbing his wand that fell to the ground. Pointing the wooden stick at the other two he demanded, "GET AWAY FROM HER!"

The two snickered and pulled out their wands, not moving their positions. But Ron couldn't stand it, and as another wave of fury passed over him he discarded any logic or reason and shouted, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Their faces had enough time before the spell hit to change from a look of cockiness to one of horror. Eyes burning, Ron turned to the third Death Eater who was half naked in front of him. The man cowered and began to babble incoherent mutterings, something Ron didn't have tolerance for at the moment. The man had tried to rape Hermione, and he bloody well would have if he hadn't come along. In Ron's mind, that made up his decision. Ignoring the small guilty voice in the back of his head, he pointed the wand at the man. "Avada Kedavra" He said calmly, watching with some satisfaction as the Death Eater's body went rigid.

Then, and only then, did he allow himself to approach Hermione.

She had grabbed her shirt and covered herself when Ron tackled her attacker but otherwise hadn't moved positions at all. Her face remained one of horror and fear, frozen in place as though she were a terrified Barbie. Even as Ron took a step closer, she backed away from him, a motion that slapped Ron in the face.

"H-Hermione?" He asked gently, reaching a hand out to her

Tears flew down her face. She said nothing but instead shook her head back and forth and buried her face in her hands, her sobs racking her body. Overcome with the urge to hold her, look her over to make sure she was okay, Ron sat down beside her and ran a hand comfortingly through her hair.

"Shh…it's okay now. I'm here," He said as softly as he could

That appeared to be all the invitation she wanted, for Hermione simply climbed into his lap, huddled and shaking like a scared child. Ron wrapped his arms securely around her, rocking her back and forth soothingly, kissing her forehead.

"I'm so sorry…" He whispered, "It's all my fault. I should have controlled my anger in the first place with Voldemort. Oh Merlin, I never meant for it to turn out like this 'Mione. I certainly didn't want you hurting. I'm so sorry….I'm so sorry"

"I-It's okay" She whispered,

"I love you so much" Ron said gently "I thought you were dying when they were torturing you. How did you survive that for so long?"

Hermione turned around to face him, brushing the tears off her face. "I was thinking about you"

"Me?"

"I told you before, you are the only thing I have left in the world."

"Still but-"

"I couldn't leave you. Even if I was tempted to. It just wouldn't be fair to you, I couldn't survive if you died; I didn't want to put you through that. I wanted to stay with you, I never want to be without you for as long as I live"

"Me neither." Ron said honestly

"You were right though," She said quietly

"About what?"

"That you really can survive if you want it badly enough."

Ron shrugged. "Just something Mum always said. I always believed it."

"Well I do too. And I mean what I said, I want to spend my life with you, though I'm not sure exactly how much longer that will be. Harry lost and we're personal enemies of Voldemort, it doesn't seem likely that we'll live to a ripe old age."

Ron nodded but was deep in thought. She was right…Their days were numbered. But…what if they could escape? Where would they go? Somewhere far, somewhere remote. They needed to be as far away from magic and England as they possible could be. Leave everything behind, leave no clues, no traces, and make it appear as though they had vanished into thin air. It pained Ron to think of leaving his family behind, especially Ginny, but it was the only way to survive. It was the only thing that would keep Hermione safe, and that meant the world to him.

"Unless we escape." Ron said quickly

"What?" Hermione looked at him curiously

"Escape." He repeated, "We're alone right now, Voldemort assumes we're being tortured. He'll come soon and we'll be gone."

"But Ron…Where would we go?"

"Like you said before. Somewhere far away like an island. The last place he'd ever suspect."

She was contemplating it, the wheels of her mind running, searching for mistakes.

"We'd have to leave England" She whispered

"I know" He replied solemnly

"Ron, we'd leave Ginny."

"I know" He said, the words sticking in his throat

"Your family, my family, all of our things that weren't at school"

"All I'd have would be you. But I'd rather have you and be on the run with nothing to our names and dirt poor than lying next to you, dead"

That statement had more power over Hermione than anything he'd said before. He could tell by the way her eyes flickered. "Me too" she agreed. "Let's go"

Ron smiled slightly at her sudden change of mind, and offered out his hand. "I'll go first" He whispered, squeezing her hand tightly as he headed towards the spiraling staircase.

She nodded and Ron's heartbeat sped up. This was their one chance. If they blew it, it might be the end. Hand shaking, Ron held up the wand of a man he killed, completely unaware of the fact that deep down in the hollow chamber, voices carried, and Hermione wasn't the only one who had heard his brilliant idea

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	21. Chapter TwentyOne: Harsh Reality

(A/N: I have been terrible about updating lately haven't I? I apologize, but words could not describe the whirlwind that this past weekend has been. I meant to update on Friday but certain events prevented me from doing so. So I'm terribly sorry but I thank you all enthusiastically about your outstanding patience on my behalf. THANK YOU THANK YOU! Reviews for last chapter were wonderful as always! So another lovely THANK YOU for those as well! Next chapter is not stared yet, and depending on how things go on my second audition in three days, we'll see how much time I have on my hands. This chapter was surprisingly easy to write though, so hopefully that shows. Again I honestly want to say how wonderful you all are, your reviews simply make my day! Anyways, here's Chapter Twenty-One, enjoy! Much love, Haystack)

EvelyneJ: I'm very glad you can handle the not happiness that most of my stories tend to have. It's not that I enjoy writing dark stories or am not a happy person (I am honestly lol) but I find things more dramatic and interesting this way. Some people can't handle it, but what can I say, its my style. I wanted to thank you though for putting in a little constructive criticism about not enough description sometimes. THANK YOU! That's lovely! I love advice like that. I want my fic to be as enjoyable for everyone so if there's anything else I can do, add, touch up, redo, etc. let me know! I added more description and less dialogue in this chapter just for you, so hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reviewing!

cumbacksirius: Sorry about the cliffhanger, but I am glad that you liked last chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

Smiles28: Aw you're so sweet! Your review definitely made me smile! Thank you so much!

Ron'n'Hermione: I completely agree with you! One of my worst fears is rape, it's such a terrible thing! Yes, I could think of a few things to do to Voldemort if he was within range as well. Hehee…thanks for reviewing as always!

Bhekie: Yes I know it's all very sad. Poor Ron and Hermione really have gone through a lot haven't they? Thanks so much for reviewing!

volleyballin17: Aw this is such a nice review! It made me smile all day! I'm astounded and honored beyond belief that you think my story is as good as some books you've read! What a compliment! Thank you! Well I hope you like this chapter, hope to hear from you again!

Blake-Tori88: I'm sorry to have kept you in suspense for so long! It's here It's here now! I feel so bad, but hopefully it'll be enough to revive you from that wait! Thanks so much for reviewing!

ShimmeringEvil: I'm glad you liked the descriptive-ness! Sorry about the update! Hope you like this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

Alicia-B: Yes, Harry is dead. It's sad but necessary. :( I'm glad you liked last chapter though! Sorry about the update but thanks so much for reviewing!

Lafawnduh4: I feel obligated that I must have you take back your comment about my quick updates! I feel terrible about this one, a week is much too long, but time kind of slipped by this week. Lol Anyways, I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Thank you so much for reviewing!

AmyChris: Always glad to help you transfer your problems away and bring you into the Harry Potter world that provides so much comfort for everyone! Gosh you have to love it! JKR is a genius, honestly! Your review was so sweet, thanks so much! It brightened my day! Thanks as always, and I hope you like this chapter!

dancerrdw: I feel sooooo terrible about the update! I am so sorry to have kept you in suspense for so long! Thanks for your review though about hopefully this chapter will somewhat make up for the wait! Thanks so much as always!

(A/N: One more quick author note (you're all going to hate me for this) but CLIFFHANGER AHEAD! You have been warned! Lol)

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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: HARSH REALITY

To Hermione, it was the strangest way of running she had ever experienced. It was draining…both physically and emotionally and she was beginning to feel faint; she could tell that Ron knew by his almost inaudible whisperings and encouraging glances. She was trying…she really was! But after the torture she'd succumbed to earlier, it was rather difficult.

With a tug on her arm, she began to sprint down another hallway behind Ron. The building was much bigger than it appeared; Hermione knew that even with all her Arithimacy skills she would have never guessed just how much by looking at it.

A downward yank on her hand sent her to the ground, pressing her chest and body to the floor, trying to become as small as possible, her breaths heavy and regulated. Ron never let go of her hand, the sound of his breathing comforting her. Once they heard boots pass by, they quietly got off the ground and again began to run.

It was hard work. Hermione silently blessing Quidditch for the first time in her life for giving Ron his quick reflexes. Up and down they went, around one corner and then the next. A couple of times they had to turn around because of Death Eaters that blocked the exits.

Her lungs honestly felt like they were going to explode…but she couldn't rest! She had to keep going! Had to keep running. Because the choice to rest might be the choice between death or life. They had an opportunity to leave! To leave Voldemort, his Death Eaters, and all the horrors he inflicted, behind. It was more than Hermione could have hoped for. She wanted to leave this all in the past. Wanted to start a new life with Ron. Where? It didn't matter at the moment. She wanted to leave Hogwarts behind. Wanted to leave the Wizarding World behind….if only for a few years. All she needed was Ron, he was the key to everything.

With the thought of returning to a more stable world, of having another shot at life, of living in peace with Ron, her heart fluttered, and she pushed herself on. This was too precious of a thing to risk.

Her feet pounded the ground and as Ron guided her into the shadows of a corner, she finally received the chance to regain her breath support. As she keeled over panting, Hermione's eyes darted around. All seemed safe….nonsuspicious and quiet….well…maybe a little bit too quiet.

Suspicion clutching her, her eyes swept everything in front of her. Nothing.

"Ron…" She whispered quietly

"What?"

"Something's wrong…" She said, flinching at the sound of breathing. Chiding herself, she saw that it was Ron's breath coming out slowly from his lungs.

A hot spot of air passed over her and Hermione shivered. By now Ron too was searching for whatever she was.

Nothing moved. There were no boots pounding on the hallways, there were no voices, there were no screams of torture, no shuddering breaths of death, no moaning or shouts….it was silent.

This is wrong! Hermione's brain screamed at her. It can't be silent in a prison!

Heart beating rapidly, Hermione held onto Ron tightly.

"What-"

"I don't know" He interrupted, reading her mind.

"Let's go," She whispered fearfully

"No…I bet it's a trap"

"Ron I'm scared. Please, let's go"

"I'm not going to walk blindly into some trap. Just hold on, I'm sure they'll make themselves known soon"

"I don't like this"

"Just shush…listen"

Hermione bit her lip to prevent her from saying anything more. Looking around, she had the eerie sense that she was being watched. Drawing her arms in front of her protectively, she shivered.

But at the swishing sound of air, she froze. Ron walked away for a moment and looked around the corner, unaware of Hermione's state.

She could feel it…someone was behind her. She shut her eyes, willing herself to move; but her feet wouldn't obey. Run to him! Run! She screamed at herself. Yet she remained planted to the ground.

There! In the corner of her eyes she saw it. A hand was extending over her shoulder ever so slowly. Fear filled her chest and Hermione held in her breath, watching the pale hand move downwards towards her arm.

At the touch of the ice cold hand to her wrist, her eyes shot up to Ron's figure which was still peering around the corner.

"Ron…" She breathed

"You think maybe they left?"

"Ron" She said louder, as the person pulled her arm backwards

"I wouldn't put it past them"

"RON!" She screamed suddenly as the person pulled her to them, a knife brought out

"What?" He asked annoyed as he spun around to face her, his expression melting off his face

"GO!" Her capturer screamed

It was beyond anything Hermione had ever imagined. In the blink of an eye, at least 10 Death Eaters suddenly appeared, all charging towards Ron, wands raised.

As Hermione felt something warm and thick, much like a blanket, fall on her foot; she looked down only to find it gone. Invisibility cloaks! Hermione only had one moment for her jaw to drop with horror before she was thrown over the shoulder of her capturer, no longer free, her dreams and hopes suddenly diminished.

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She'd fought and screamed, used every once of energy she had left in her body, but it was to no avail. The man would simply knock her into the walls they passed if she complained. After enough blows to her head, Hermione was quickly silenced.

She was brought to a chamber. It was wet and dark, dim torches providing the only light. At first Hermione feared it was another torture chamber, but the large chair in the front of the room proved her otherwise.

It was green, the deepest green Hermione had ever seen, nothing like the comforting color of Harry's eyes. Though it was wooden, it was carved with snakes all over it. And as though the snakes engraved on the doors and walls weren't enough, live snakes slithered and hissed all over the room.

She was shoved to the floor and her hands quickly bound, her capturer holding her hair like a leash. The slightest move and he would yank it out.

But suddenly the sound of doors opening echoed throughout the chamber, two men bringing a struggling Ron inside.

She wanted to call out, wanted to say something, but instead she turned her head, looking intently at the puddle of water she was kneeling in.

She ignored the sounds of struggle, ignored the musical hissing of the snakes and the shouts of the remaining 7 Death Eaters who entered, she ignored the clicking sound of a lock and the whispered apology of Ron. Instead, she focused on the image she saw in the water.

Hermione had had enough Muggle schooling to know that when she looked into a body of water, the person she saw in it was herself. But as she gazed at the tiny puddle, she barely recognized the person staring back at her.

She was pale and unbelievably skinny. Her hair had never looked so dreadful, like the whomping willow after Harry and Ron had driven the enchanted car into it in second year. She sported cuts of all kinds on her face alone, a cut above her lip currently still bleeding. But it was her eyes that frightened her. They were cold, emotionless, and haunting. They were the eyes of a prisoner of war, of a woman faced with death, a raped woman, a woman who succumbed to torture, a warrior, of someone who had just lost all hope. And with sudden realization, she realized that was who she was. She was no longer the top student in her year or the most brilliant witch to have passed through Hogwarts. She was no longer clever or daring, she was now downtrodden and weary.

They'd lost their chance. Their one glimmer of hope, of life free from evil. They'd had it…and they'd lost it. Hermione no longer tried to prevent her tears, they came without her knowledge. She'd never get to see her family again, never graduate Hogwarts, never marry Ron, never beam at Harry's wedding, never have a family of her own. It wasn't fair! She'd survived through everything! They'd always won! How could they possibly have lost the most important game! No…she couldn't do this anymore! She was giving up and throwing in the towel! She'd been tortured, she'd run into a burning building, she'd survived the fall of Hogwarts, she'd been separated from her friends (save Ron), she'd almost been raped; How much more of this was she expected to endure!

"BOW DOWN TO THE DARK LORD!" A sudden voice boomed as Hermione was pushed to the ground. She didn't fight it.

"I SAID BOW DOWN!" The same voice yelled.

_Please Ron_ She thought _Don't fight it. Just accept it. Maybe if we go along we can survive. No Ron don't do it-_

"I'll never bow down" His coarse voice answered

"YES YOU WILL!" A Death Eater screamed, as he pushed Ron down to the floor. Hermione heard his cry.

A murmur of laughter went around the room when it suddenly went silent as a side door was opened. Hermione instantly knew who it was.

"Ah, what do we have here?" Voldemort's voice asked, highly amused

"We found these two trying to escape." One spoke up

"How did they do that? I sent them to the torture chamber."

"We're not sure my Lord, but they killed Rosier, Mulciber, and Rookwood. We found their bodies down in the chamber."

"I see…"

"We heard voices as we were walking by and thought we'd investigate. They were talking about escaping, so we captured them and brought them here."

"Thank you" He said.

For a few moments there was silence. Hermione, with her head still pressed against the cold floor, couldn't see what was going on but when Voldemort dismissed most of the Death Eaters, she dared enough to peek.

Voldemort was standing before Ron, two Death Eaters lifting Ron's head to him, holding his arms behind his back. Ron's face was twisted into one of defiance; a determined gleam in his blue eyes.

"Well Well Weasley, I am afraid I underestimated you."

"You sure did" Ron shot back

"SILENCE!" Voldemort hissed

Ron shut his mouth, his eyes narrowed dangerously. Voldemort began slowly pacing. "You killed three of my most faithful followers and escaped. I'm afraid there is a grave punishment for that."

To this Ron said nothing. "I've already had you tortured, but I'm sure you are aware that there are some things much worse than that"

"Death doesn't scare me," Ron said bravely

Voldemort smiled evilly. "That may be so, and you may have withstood torture of the body, but Mr. Weasley, I think it's about time I torture your heart."

Ron stiffened and his eyes flickered to Hermione, who stared back. It was just a moment of connection but with the fear portrayed in Ron's eyes, Hermione had a pretty good idea what Voldemort was about to do.

Instead, he laughed. "Yes that's right Weasley. I believe it's been long overdue that I sat down and had a _chat_ with your lovely Miss Granger here."

Hermione's stomach tightened. She didn't like that sound of that.

Voldemort slowly approached her, his eyes glistening happily. Smirking, he lifted her chin, and examined her face for a moment before he turned it towards Ron.

"See here? You're weary aren't you Granger? I can see it in your eyes. You've given up hope. She's spent Weasley. I'm sure she'll succumb only too easily for me. You've killed her by dragging her with you like this."

At his sudden hesitation, Voldemort's eyes lit up…he'd found Ron's soft spot. "If it hadn't been for you, she would have reunited with other friends and classmates, completely safe and out of harms way. Because of you, she'll be tortured, raped and I assure you, killed. It's as if you drove the dagger through her"

Ron's eyes flashed with pain. "I didn't mean-"

"That's right." Voldemort continued in a hurry "You've killed her. It'll be your fault when she dies. She tried her best to be a good friend to you, that's why she never complained, but slowly it hurt her. She can say whatever she wants to you, but you both know that she would have preferred to be with Potter than here with you"

Hermione's heart ached when she saw Ron's face. She wanted to scream out, spit in Voldemort's face to shut him up, for she knew how sensitive Ron was about her. She tried to portray with her eyes that this was all a lie, but Ron was no longer looking at her. He had fallen for his trick; he'd been sucked into Voldemort's words.

He shook his head, trying to keep the words out "No, That's not true…She said-"

"No matter what she said. She was just being a good friend"

"No! She said she loved me!"

Suddenly Voldemort's face lit up, his face twisting into a sneer, and he turned to Hermione. "Oh, did she now?"

Hermione panicked. That was it! Voldemort was using Ron's heart to pry information out of him!

"Yes! She said she loved me!"

NO RON NO! She screamed. She couldn't let him do this! Voldemort would have them separated! That couldn't happen. She'd never survive without him. Where was her voice? She needed to correct this, she had to stop it!

"As a brother" She suddenly said; the words escaping her lips before she could think them through.

Hermione was sure that for as long as she lived, she would never forget the look that Ron gave her. It took him a beat to figure out what she'd said. And then as she played it back in her own mind, she realized just exactly what Ron would think. Horrified, she slowly lifted her eyes to his.

She was right. His eyes shone with unshed tears, a bit of hope in them. He was praying that she'd said something else. He was too vunerable right now, information and misunderstandings like that would destroy him! Damn Voldemort for doing this! Hermione honestly couldn't seem to understand how Ron could honestly believe that she didn't love him after everything but the look in his eyes told her that he wasn't acting or joking around; he was serious.

But she couldn't correct herself, Voldemort wouldn't believe her. Biting her lip until she tasted blood, Hermione watched his face fall, the saddest expression on his face. He looked like a lost, abused puppy. Hermione's heart throbbed painfully in her chest.

Reaching a hand out to him, he flinched when it made contact with his shoulder.

"Ron…" She whispered, her voice thick with emotion, emotion that she was desperately trying to show him.

"Don't," He said, removing her hand from his shoulder.

It was like a slap in the face. Tears of her own gathered in her eyes, threatening to fall over. Voldemort's giddy laugh didn't help.

Excitedly he exclaimed, "BOYS! PREPARE MY ROOM FOR MISS GRANGER! TOMORROW NIGHT SHE'LL COME TO ME!"

Her whole body was shaking. NO! Things were too wrong to be true! This couldn't be happening!

"SIR WHAT ABOUT TONIGHT? WHERE WILL THEY GO?" Some Death Eater asked hopefully.

Voldemort pondered this for a moment, then clapped his hands together. "TONIGHT THEY WILL STAY IN THEIR CELL AS USUAL FOR THE LAST TIME."

"But my Lord," A timid Death Eater asked "Don't they need to be punished? How is remaining in their cell punishment?"

"Oh don't worry about that. They'll have a guest join them tonight." He proclaimed

As the tears slipped out of her eyes, Hermione kneeled on the ground to cry. She barely comprehended Voldemort's words her pain was too great.

"BRING HIM OUT! FOURTH CELL ON THE SECOND FLOOR!" He bellowed

Hermione stared at the floor, as a little green snake slithered under her arms. She cried out and flung the creature off her. Everyone, save Ron, laughed.

"Scared of one of my pets Granger?"

Hermione remained silent. She shook her head and resumed to her despair. She closed her eyes tightly, urging this all to disappear, for it to have been one of her dreams. An extended and detailed nightmare. She'd long ago lost track of time, everything seemed like just the same night. A bitter, dark night.

As she kneeled over, burying her face in her arms as her sobs pushed their way through her, the tears falling gently onto her scarred arms, she heard the soft drip of water. Looking up through blurry red eyes, she found that same puddle of water that she'd gazed into minutes before.

She examined herself carefully. Puffy red eyes, trembling lip, tear strained cheeks. Nothing else had changed from the moments before. She was a ghost, just an image of herself. And for the first time in Hermione Granger's life, she craved death. She wanted to be whole again, and if death seemed the only way possible, than she was willing. Another tear fell from her milky white face, sending ripples across the water, blurring her image.

As the great door clanged shut, Hermione urged herself to look up, to gaze into the eyes of their new cellmate but she simply couldn't. She would look at him through his reflection in her little puddle. It was safer this way; hadn't it been the same as she walked around the corridors late that night in second year? Look at life through a reflection and you'd be safe from reality, if only for a few moments.

Examining the water she saw the figure of a boy, held up by two Death Eaters, who was flopped over. As the two brought him closer and pushed his torso up, Hermione's tears froze where they were, and her heart stopped beating. She rubbed her eyes, and squinted furiously, but the image refused to fade.

In a horrified kind of trance, Hermione forgot all about her new philosophy on gazing at this boy. Slowly, ever so slowly she brought her terrified brown eyes up; away from safety, where harsh reality hit her so hard, she could not make it go away with a splash.

For there in front of her, was the corpse of Harry Potter.

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	22. Chapter TwentyTwo: Insanity

(A/N: I know by now that I sound like a broken record, so I'm not going to explain why this chapter is late! All I can say is that I give you all full rights to yell at me however you wish, especially if the next update takes a week! I really am sorry, I feel terrible knowing I haven't updated! This chapter is shorter than usual, but I figured that some was better than nothing at all, so hopefully this should make next chapter easier to write. I realize that this story is exteremely sad, and this chapter is no different. My original ending is near though, so I'm trying to figure out a way I can redo my plot charts to try to continue this, cause I'm not ready to stop! The responses were absolutely _FABULOUS_ for last chapter! 16 reviews for _one_ chapter! AND, we hit the 200 review mark! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! You've got no idea what this means to me! For times sake, I'm going to try to respond to everyone's reviews in a sentence or less. This does not mean I didn't appreciate your review or whatever. I simply am pressed for time on Tuesdays! Again, I thank you all for being patient with me! And I hope you all are enjoying the story! Much love, Haystack)

To all my LOVELY reviewers…

volleyballin17: thanks for such an enthusiastic review!

Bhekie: Sorry you were in pain! Hopefully this update put you out of it!

Smiles28: Yes yes, it's sad isn't it? Your questions should be answered in this chapter!

Aphrodite2: So nice to meet a new reviewer! Thanks so much for reviewing, hope to hear from you again!

Alicia-B: lol yes I am serious. Glad you liked Hr's pov! Yes, things with R/Hr will get a bit mixed!

Lafawnduh4: I'm glad you think a week isn't too long for an update! That's wonderful! Lol

RedRose013: You can't give up hope for them! I haven't lost it! Have faith! It'll work out on its own! I promise!

wick3d77: lol your review made me smile! So nice to meet a new reviewer! Hope to hear from you again!

cumbacksirius: Aww…I'm sorry I made you cry! But it's pretty emotional I'll admit! Lol glad you liked it!

ShimmeringEvil: Alas, I'm sorry that nothing happy happens in this chapter! Soon! I promise!

LoganAlpha30: So nice to meet a new reviewer! Well I must say, that I'm tempted to respond to your threat but I'm afraid I'll give something away! lol have no worries!

Ron'n'Hermione: You're right. It was morbid. This chapter isn't much better I'm afraid. But your review was so sweet! Thanks!

dancerrdw: Glad your liking it! Thanks for reviewing so faithfully!

nattieb: I feel terrible that the glimmer you requested won't be in this chapter but it's coming!

CrazyWomanLovesYou: lol your review made me laugh! Glad you're enjoying the story!

AmyChris: What a sweet review! Glad you liked it! As for being paid…afraid not! Though it'd be nice…I need some new shoes! lol

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CHAPTER TWNETY TWO: INSANITY

Ron stood in the darkest corner, gladly welcoming the shadows that surrounded him. His mind was on overload, Ron couldn't for the life of him get it to slow down, and so here he sat, his face buried into his hands, utter despair clenching his heart.

Too much was happening, how had it all happened so fast? One moment they were racing towards freedom, the next he was back in his cell with Hermione's new fate revealed. The thought of what she would succumb to tomorrow made him want to vomit and his eyes burn in jealousy. She was his…how dare anyone take her away from him? He'd lost his virginity to her…how on earth was he supposed to think about Voldemort raping her? And yet…neither had spoken since they'd been brought back. He'd apologized a few times, but she refused to meet his gaze, her wide eyes staring at Harry's body as it was paraded in front of them, acting as if under some sort of trance.

As Harry's body was carelessly tossed to the dirty ground and the Death Eaters had a few good laughs, the bars clanked shut and darkness overwhelmed.

He'd immediately reached for Hermione, only to find her gone, walking slowly towards the corpse in the corner. He'd tried to grab her hand, but she'd shrugged it off, making her words earlier sting in his mind painfully. Deep down he refused to believe that the only love she had for him was brotherly, yet on the surface…Ron couldn't help but believe it.

"Hermione?" He had whispered his voice strained. He had to know…had to figure everything out.

She didn't answer. Her brown eyes were frozen open; the same horrified expression on her face, as she reached the body, and carefully kneeled down beside it. She said nothing…didn't move.

"'Mione?" He'd tried again.

Slowly, Hermione reached a shaking hand out, softly running it through Harry's black hair. Suddenly gaining confidence, in one sudden movement, she flipped the body over.

A rotting smell filled Ron's nostrils as the obvious scent of decay fluttered about the cell, making Ron's heart skip a beat or two. Harry's eyes were closed thankfully, something that Ron was eternally grateful for. His hair was still tousled, white bits of debris in it, clashing horribly with his raven locks. His shirt was ripped a little and spots of blood covered him. His skin seemed to take on an almost blue hue to it in the moonlight, something that made Harry appear even deader to Ron. Shuddering, Ron shut his eyes, unable to withstand the pain. He backed into the corner, repulsed by the sight.

Hermione seemed not to mind, something that bothered Ron for some reason.

"HERMIONE!" He suddenly shouted.

She ignored him, too caught up in the sight of her best friend to notice her boyfriend's cries. Gingerly placing a delicate hand to Harry's face, tears fell from her eyes.

"Oh Harry…" She whispered before breaking out into an open, heartbreaking sob, throwing herself over the body of her friend.

Ron's heart felt ripped away from him, the gesture not only hurting Ron's feelings but pulling at his heartstrings too. He couldn't take this anymore! He didn't want anything to do with that body! That was not his best friend! Harry was alive and out there, just biding his time until he could come and save Ron and Hermione from this place! He was the hero! The man Ron always depended on. He wouldn't have left Ron like this, not without a goodbye.

The thought made tears prick his eyes, but he simply swallowed them, Hermione's sobs enough to be his own.

Grabbing a bit of Harry's T-shirt and crying into it, the way she did with him, Hermione began whispering little murmurs that Ron strained his ears to hear. "I-I'm so sorry Harry…so sorry…all my fault…not fair…Voldemort…" The little mumblings had more of an impact on Ron than anything before, and for a moment, a fleeting passing moment, Ron wanted to throw himself beside the body of his best mate and cry as openly as Hermione was currently doing now. "No Harry…not you…hero….my best friend…my first friend…No Harry No!"

Ron turned around, he couldn't watch any longer. Staring at his shaking hands, he looked up into the starless sky.

Though Ron had never admitted it to anyone, he loved the stars. When he was little, his Mum had once told him that the stars were the eyes of people gone before him; that as long as there were little golden dots in the sky, he was safe. It was silly really that he'd believed it as long as he did, but it had always made him smile when he would sneak out of his room or out of the dormitory, to see the stars twinkling reassuringly. For as long as he'd star gazed, he'd never been presented with a starless night. And as he searched the skies hopefully for any sign of just a single star, his stomach plummeted when he found nothing.

Ron stole another glance at Hermione. She'd stopped her mutterings for now but Ron had to take a double take at what she was doing.

Hermione was bent over the body, licking her finger and wiping the spots of debris and blood off his face, the way she used to when Harry had a bit of food on his nose. Motherly, she then began straightening up his robes; folding down his collar, tying Harry's cloak up in a neat little bow; the same bow she'd always tied Harry and his cloaks up with. He and Harry had been teased by the other blokes of course and Ron would always turn beet red, immediately untying the darn little thing, where as Harry would shrug; secretly happy at some motherly attention…even if it was from his best friend.

But as if that wasn't enough, she kept going; straightening up Harry's appearance as though he were going on a date or giving some important speech. She ran her fingers through his hair, shaking out all of the white powder that was in it, something that made Ron jealous for some unknown reason. Hermione had never run her hands through any bloke's hair but his. She tied his shoes, rubbed out the scuffmarks in them, extended his shirt so that there were no wrinkles; she even tried to tame his famously unruly hair.

She was working herself up, Ron could see that much. She began to make each change faster and faster, her breaths becoming labored. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she huffed and puffed.

"Hermione don't!" He cried out to her. She shot him a look and continued even faster than before.

"Don't listen to him Harry," She whispered, but yet it was loud enough for him to hear.

Ron's mouth open in horror. His mind froze and he stood gaping at Hermione. S-She was talking to a dead body! To _Harry's_ dead body!

"Don't worry Harry. Ron and I will protect you. W-We won't let V-Voldemort get you anymore." She cried through her tears. Kissing his cheek she whispered, "You're safe"

"Hermione no!" Ron shouted, jumping up from his chair and grabbing her arms. She ripped it away from him.

"I'm sorry Harry. I know you hate it when Ron and I fight" She whispered again

Ron lost it. He put his arm around her waist, making a move to pull her back and away from the body.

"NOO!" She screamed hysterically, reaching out for anything and everything for her to grab onto.

"HERMIONE!" Ron grunted, using all of his strength to pull her away.

"NO! NO! DON'T LET HIM TAKE ME AWAY! HARRY!" She cried out insanely, her arms still reaching out towards Harry even though Ron was pulling her away.

Once she was away, Ron tried to hold her in his arms but she would have none of it. Scrambling around frantically, she scratched and pushed at him to try to get away.

"HERMIONE JUST HOLD STILL!"

"NO! NO! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME! I NEED HARRY!"

"HERMIONE PLEASE!"

"HE NEEDS US RON! HE'S ASKING FOR OUR HELP!"

Not knowing what else to do, Ron slammed her against the wall, pinning her arms above her head. Shocked at his sudden move, Hermione remained still for a moment or two. "Stop" Ron said sternly, looking into her eyes.

Hermione's lip trembled and she shook her head. Sobbing, she tried to push past him, but Ron was stronger than she was.

"Ron let me go!" She cried, her eyes open in fear

"NO!" He snapped "YOU'RE ACTING LIKE A NUTTER!"

"I…no….he….Harry" She fumbled for words

"THAT IS A DEAD BODY HERMIONE!"

"It's Harry!"

"WHO CARES WHO IT IS? IT IS A CORPSE!"

"Ron please let me go…" She whimpered, trying to push past him again

"Why? So you can go off on your psycho rant! I don't want you near that thing!"

Suddenly, Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously and sudden fire appeared in her eyes. Glaring at him menacingly she growled, "THAT THING! THAT _THING_ RON, IS OUR BEST FRIEND!"

"WHY WERE YOU TALKING TO IT!"

"IT'S HARRY!"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT IT IS, IT'S MAKING YOU CRAZY!"

It was as if he'd hit her again; she recoiled from his words in the same manner. Tears gathering in her eyes, she leaned against the wall, her face in her hands as she began to cry.

"You…didn't" She whispered, acting as though the words were painful to say

"I didn't what? Call you crazy! Bloody Hell I did! You were acting it Hermione!"

Placing a hand on her chest she cried defensively, "I AM NOT CRAZY!"

"YOU WERE TALKING TO A DEAD BODY!"

"I HAVE TO RON!"

"WHY THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU FEEL THE NEED TO TALK TO HIM!"

"BECAUASE! I DON'T NEED TO EXPLAIN EVERYTHING TO YOU!"

"OH YES YOU DO!"

"YOU DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER ME!"

"I KNOW THAT!" He snapped

"YOU'RE JUST LIKE ONE OF THEM. YOU DON'T GIVE A DAMN DO YOU?"

"About you?" Ron asked painfully

"YES!" She shrieked "I'M NOT SOME PIECE OF MEAT! AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT SOMEONE YOU WALK ALL OVER!"

Ron was silent, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You have no idea what your talking about" He finally gritted between his teeth.

"What?" Hermione caught her breath, caught off guard.

"In case you don't remember, you are the one who doesn't love me" He said, crossing his arms, and turning his back to her.

"What! You can't honestly believed what I said earlier!" Hermione cried, her eyes suddenly holding desperate guilt in them.

"Why not? Is that so hard to believe after the display you just pulled over there with Harry?"

"BECAUSE YOU INSENSITIVE PRAT, IF YOU DON'T REACAL, I'VE TOLD YOU OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT I LOVE YOU. I HAD BLOODY SEX WITH YOU!"

"You were comforting me Hermione! And I was comforting you! Just admit it, we both know that it's true!"

"NO RON! THAT'S NOT TRUE!"

"Yes it is! You were comforting poor ickle Ronnekins. I know you Hermione, you like to take control of things, you hate to see people unhappy. I wouldn't put it past you—"

"TO SLEEP WITH EVERY GUY I WANT TO COMFORT! IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK OF ME RON!"

"No but—"

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY TIMES I COMFORTED H-HARRY! SO YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT I SLEPT WITH HIM EVERY TIME I WANTED TO CHEER HIM UP AND LIFT HIS BURDENS!"

By this time, Ron had stood up, and he was marching determinedly towards her, abandoning his passive comebacks and using his sharp tongue.

"I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK ANYMORE!" He cried in frustration, throwing his hands up into the air.

"WHAT TO THINK ANYMORE!" She cried hysterically, standing up as well "THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT I LOVE YOU! HOW MANY BLOODY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT TO GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK SKULL!"

"WELL OBVIOUSLY IT DIDN'T GET THROUGH THIS WEASLEY'S SKULL!"

Hermione took a step backwards, tears falling down her face. She shook her head and looked Ron in the eye for a moment. It was only a fleeting second, but in it, Ron could tell what she was going to do. She was trying to run away. As she brushed past him, he panicked, grabbing her wrist and twisting her around.

"RON LET ME GO!" She snapped, her curls whipping around her face

"NO!" He cried, pulling her to him, and holding her in his arms.

"Ron what are you doing?" She asked, her tone not as sharp

Breathing in her scent, Ron sighed. "I don't know. I feel like I don't know where we stand. It keeps changing on me."

"No Ron" She shook her head, her voice much more quiet "It doesn't change. It's never changed. You just think it does. My feelings for you have always been the same and they're never going to change. That thick head of yours keeps confusing you." Her mouth curved upwards as she ran her hand through his thick red locks.

He closed his eyes, relishing in the feeling of her hand in his hair. "But with Voldemort"

"I was playing. It's called acting," She said with a smile, running her hand along his face

"B-But it sounded so real!" He protested

Hermione frowned. "I had to make it real, Voldemort wouldn't have believed it otherwise."

"Oh"

As Ron felt a pair of lips brush his cheek, and Hermione slip from his arms, resuming her old spot at Harry's side he lifted his eyes to hers.

"Hermione?"

"Yes Ron?"

"What were you doing with Harry?" He asked

Her eyes traveled to the ground. "You mean earlier?"

"Yea"

Hermione bit her lip. "I was talking to him. You heard right."

Surprised, Ron took a step forward, bending down so that he was level with her. Searching her eyes he said softly, "Why?"

"Because Ron…" She said gazing outside the barred window. "I'd tried to accept his death, but seeing him like this…I can't describe it, it ruined everything I wanted to believe. It's easier to pretend that he's still alive."

"I told you" He said softly

Tear filled eyes met his, "Yea…you did."

"Ron?"

"Yea?"

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything"

"C-Can we give Harry a burial?"

Ron had to blink a few times to make sure he'd heard everything correctly. "A-A burial?" He choked

Biting her lip to hide tears, she nodded. "I just…want it behind me. For now. At least before tomorrow"

With the realization of what tomorrow was, Ron's stomach dropped. Fighting back the tears of his heart that was currently screaming in agony, he nodded.

"Hermione?"

"Y-Yea?"

"Could you do me a favor?" He replayed her words

Smiling faintly, she nodded. "Anything you want Ron"

"Can-Could you tell me again?"

"Tell you what?"

"One last time, to set the story straight."

Nodding and grabbing the sides of face, Hermione gently steered Ron's face towards hers, and rested her forehead against his. Breathing in and out deeply, they matched their breathing into one single unison sound. Pausing, Hermione closed her eyes and brushed her lips past Ron's ears, "I love you"

Nudging her nose lovingly, Ron sighed contently, "I'd always hoped so"

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	23. Chapter TwentyThree: First Light's Raind...

(A/N: I think there must be something messed up with my brain lately. My sense of time is all screwed up. This is a very long chapter, 14 pages actually (aren't you proud of me!) and I've been working on it little by little all week long, so when I looked at my calendar and realized that it had been almost a full week since I'd updated…well you could say I was surprised. I fully intended on updating sooner than that, but I guess that would have been impossible since I stayed up late last night finishing it. Anyways, it'd done! It was rather easy to write which was nice, and made for a lengthy chapter! Yay! I feel kind of like I'm repeating some of the same stuff again, and in a way I kind of am, but I figured that if it really didn't make sense than I'd take it out later. No use in shortening up a chapter if it might work anyways. I was extremely tempted to leave you all with a monster cliffie, but I was nice instead. Lol…anyways, I hope you all enjoy! The responses were simply mind-blowing as always! You all never cease to amaze me! Much love, Haystack)

To my lovely reviewers…

Princess Storm: 3 reviews! blows many kisses THANK YOU! I know they were for 3 different chapters but _still_, I was so impressed! If there's more than one chapter to review, I'll find myself taking the easy way out a lot and just review the last chapter. I appreciate all three of them VERY much! I'm glad your not too disturbed by Harry's death, though it is very sad. As for dragging it out, I feel it too, I know you said it doesn't bother you but the next major plot point is here so this marks the end of that! Yay!

suckr4romance81789: Hey there! Thanks so much for reviewing! Always great to meet a new reviewer! I'm glad you're enjoying the story; it's pretty emotional isn't it? I'm honored that you cried when Harry died! That means a lot to me as a writer! As for Ron and Hermione having premarital sex, it's completely against my morals as well. I'm a Christian and believe very firmly in that. But as an author, I don't know…it just felt right in this fic. Hopefully it didn't bother you too much! Again, thanks so much for reviewing! Hopefully I'll hear from you again!

Bhekie: lol your review made me laugh. Afraid not, Harry's a goner for good. But the connection between Harry being blue and his being petrified was brilliant! I didn't think about that. Though I'm afraid it's not in the cards to bring him back anytime in the near future. Thanks so much for reviewing as always!

cumbacksirius: Tears! Woo hoo! Your review definitely brightened my day! Lol…yes I think that's Ron and Hermione's way of fighting, my big clue to JKR's true intentions for the characters! (let's keep our fingers crossed for book six!) Glad you like it though! As always, thanks for reviewing!

RainDateChick: Well…I suppose it is one day sooner than last time! I'm sorry! Hopefully the rest should be easier to write as things heat up here! Thanks for reviewing so faithfully!

Ron'n'Hermione: The biggest smile crossed over my face when I got your review! I'm even smiling thinking about it lol! YES! I am very very happy to hear that you cried! As for the other two books that made you cry…I sobbed my way through both of those so I know what you mean! You'll be happy to hear that I re-did my plot diagram chart things (they're so messy! Lol) and re-figured my numbers and stuff. I'm very excited about this twist of things and hopefully it should make the story more interesting! Thanks so much for reviewing so consistently!

Alicia-B: This may sound stupid but I honestly had not thought of making a sequel! So thanks so much for the suggestion, though I'll admit I'll have to sit on it for a few weeks before I can make a decision about it. Starting a new fic always takes a lot of time and thinking and stuff. Thanks so much for your constant reviews! Glad your enjoying it!

RedRose013: Yes I'll admit that Hermione's insanity breakdown wasn't in the plan originally, it just kind of came out, and that it was rather creepy; but I think it's fair to give that bit of breakdown to her. She's suffered so much poor girl! Lol yes, but there is hope! There always is hope! Thank you very much for reviewing!

Legofiance: Aw, your so sweet! Thanks for such an enthusiastic review! That meant a lot to me! As for Harry…well I'm afraid life isn't in the cards for him. My deepest sympathy goes to you. But the nice thing about fanfiction is that we know that it's not the real books. Now you see if JKR kills off Harry in book seven…I'll be beside myself with grief. I love his character! So let's hope and pray that that doesn't happen in real life. Lol Thank you sooo much for such a wonderful review!

AmyChris: Glad you liked last chapter so much! As for my updating…I'm terribly sorry to leave you all hanging so often. I hate it as well. But it seems like my updates are going to be about once a week for a while until life clears up a bit, as much as I don't want to admit that. I'll try my best to get next chapter out especially earlier but we'll simply have to see. Thanks so much for your understanding though! It really means a lot to me! And your encouraging reviews always keep me in line! Thank you sooo much!

doublelily: Hey! Thanks so much for reviewing! It's always great to meet another new reviewer! No worries about sounding corny, it made perfect sense and wasn't corny in the least! Lol Hopefully I'll hear from you again!

Celestial Fox: Well I don't want to say too much or give anything away but I can tell you that I'm afraid Harry isn't coming back. As for the other two questions, I'm sorry but I can't respond now. You'll just have to see! Lol Thanks so much for reviewing! Hopefully I'll hear from you again in the future!

ShimmeringEvil: haha gotta love that drama! Thanks so much for responding so consistently! Glad your liking it! Hopefully I'll have an update out sooner than 6 days! Thanks so much!

EvelyneJ: Thanks so much for your review! Lol yes, I thought it was appropriate for Ron to be right about something! Poor guy never gets that break very often! Hehee…I'm trying to switch point of views every chapter. They both see life so differently, it's important to get the two different takes of things. Anyways, thank you so much for reviewing!

dancerrdw: Oh you don't have to worry about me stopping any time soon! Lol I've got new and improved plans for these two! Glad you loved the chapter! ;) Thanks for reviewing as always!

wick3d77: aw…your review made me smile! Lol I'm glad you liked last chapter so much! It was pretty intense wasn't it? Hehee…Thanks so much for reviewing! It means a lot to me! Here's chapter 23!

nattieb: Very happy you liked last chapter! But I'm even more happy that you feel better about the depressing-ness! As for this chapter…It goes back to the same sadness but the ending shouldn't be as bad! Stay with me! I promise its coming! Lol Thanks so much for reviewing!

And now, without further ado…..

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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: FIRST LIGHT'S RAINDROPS

As Ron watched Hermione place the last stone on top, his heart leapt up in his throat. He still held onto the belief that Harry would come rescue them, but after working with his body for so long, he couldn't help it….he had to accept it for now, and the bitter truth left him feeling more alone than ever. Hermione paused, and brushed her hand along the rocks for a moment, thinking deeply, before turning around and gladly accepting the hug Ron had offered.

She didn't cry. For that Ron was grateful, she'd shed far too many tears in the past 24 hours than he liked. But she did sigh into his arms, holding onto him tightly. Ron ran his hand along her spine, making her shiver, loving the feel of her in his arms.

Stepping out of the embrace, Hermione looked up at him. "T-Thanks" She said softly

"Your welcome" He replied, tucking a curl behind her ear

Hermione smiled faintly at the gesture. "They won't keep this will they?" She asked solemnly, waving her hand towards the mountains of rocks they had piled on top of Harry's body.

Ron shook his head. "I doubt it"

Sadly, Hermione nodded her understanding. "At least I got to see it before-" She trailed off

"T-Tomorrow" Ron finished weakly

Hermione swallowed back tears and nodded her head tearfully, grabbing Ron's hand and directing him towards the corner he had previously sat in. Sitting down, she patted the space next to her. Ron took it gladly, leaning against the wall for support as Hermione eagerly laid her head on his chest, one hand around his torso, and the other intertwined with his hand. He wanted to say something but couldn't find the words to express himself so instead, took her hint of silence, and remained quiet; content enough with Hermione's small hand in his.

Rubbing circles in the back of her hand with his thumb, Ron dared enough to let his mind wander.

He was struck with pessimistic thoughts of what dawn would bring. Though they had talked about Harry and other topics, both purposely avoided the subject of tomorrow, each desperately wanting to believe that they'd simply misunderstood Voldemort earlier. But Ron knew it wasn't just a trick of his hearing. The thought made his stomach boil with jealousy and anger. They were doing this to her because of him, and though it was working bloody well, it wasn't fair to put her through all this! Sure, he'd wished numerous times that he hadn't dragged Hermione here but at the same time, he couldn't help but be selfish about it. He knew for a fact that he wouldn't have lasted so long without her here. He tried not to let his mind imagine what it would have been like not knowing if she was okay all this time, but he couldn't help it.

Shuddering at the images Ron's mind gave him, he wrapped his arms tighter around the bushy haired girl. Tomorrow she would be gone from him and it would be official. He would be utterly alone. Despair overriding him, he closed his eyes for a moment, desperately trying to compose himself.

"Sh…it's okay. I know" A gentle voice whispered

As Ron opened his blurry eyes to find Hermione's beautiful brown ones in front of him, he felt his heart ache. "I know," She repeated, placing a hand lovingly on his face "I feel it too. I-I don't want you to be alone either, I'd rather be here with you"

Ron felt another tear add to the pile consuming in his eyes "I'd rather have you here too" He whispered, his voice strained

"I'm sorry I messed everything up," She continued, leaning back into him

"Don't talk like that. You didn't mess anything up. I-I guess it was just…meant to be" He said weakly, not really believing what he was saying.

"Meant to be?" Hermione played back his words

Ron could feel her tensing up; she was already ready for another fight. Sighing, He shook his head. "I really don't want to fight anymore. I can't give you any answers alright? I never have and I never will be able to, so let's just forget about it and…try to enjoy our time together okay?"

Hermione opened her mouth as if she was going to protest but obviously decided against it. Leaning inwards, she brushed her lips across Ron's just enough to make him want more before she pulled away to look him in the eye. "You shouldn't say that you haven't given me any answers before."

"Why not? It's true"

Hermione shook her head, looking deeply into his eyes "No it's not. You've given me the answer to my life Ron. What better question is there to answer than that?"

A soft smile attempting to break out across his face, tugged at the corners of his mouth. "And what exactly is the answer I gave you?"

Hermione laughed softly "You gave me you" She smiled, kissing him again. "I now know how I was supposed to live the rest of my life. I was supposed to spend it with you. And I'm glad I could figure that out now, at least before-"

"Hermione, don't start talking about your life in the past tense" Ron said quickly

Hermione looked at him, surprised. "Why not?"

"B-Because" Ron said more to himself than anything

Running her hand across his neck, making him shiver, she leaned her forehead against his. "Why Ron?"

Fighting back tears Ron looked at her for a moment. Her curly brown hair swept around, her chocolate eyes, her porcelain skin, her petite size, her tiny fingers…he loved everything about her. She was perfect in his eyes. And knowing that he was going to loose the best thing that ever happened to him, made Ron want to start crying.

"Hermione" He said through his throat that was clogged with emotion "I don't want you to die"

Tears filled Hermione's eyes. She stared at him, biting her lip. "I don't want to die" She whispered "But.—it's not that much of surprise. You have to admit, we've seen this coming"

Her honest answer was like a punch in the gut. He didn't want to reply, and spent a moment or two purposely avoiding her gaze. He didn't want to admit that she was right on this one; the truth hurt too much. Searching for his voice, he finally was able to whisper "I predicted death Hermione. I predicted a green curse flying towards me. I didn't expect torture…at least not like this. We were Harry's best friends…we were supposed to die heroes deaths."

Turning to face him, Hermione asked softly "W-Would you give all this up? If you had the chance to go back and die the way you wanted?"

At first, Ron couldn't believe Hermione would ask such an obvious question like that. Of course he would rather die his ideal death without all the physical pain and heartache he'd endured in the past 24 hours! Just think….he wouldn't have the guilt of not reaching Harry, the anguish of watching Harry die, the burning physical torture of his body, the horror of watching Hermione suffer, the false hope of freedom, and then the sickening slap of reality that he'd only recently recovered from. He would be free of those memories that Ron was sure that he would never rid. Opening his mouth to declare his answer, he immediately shut it with a glance at Hermione's face.

She was serious. She wasn't kidding or wishing hopefully when she asked the answer, she was honestly asking him for an answer; an answer that she would interpret and search for hidden meanings in. Though Ron would never just switch sides because Hermione disapproved of it, her frown was always enough to make him re-think his answer.

There had to be something he was missing…one single act of goodness in all this despair. Working his mind backwards, he vainly racked his brain of memories for this event he seemed to have forgotten. His mind getting sidetracked as it remembered with a satisfied grin on his face all of the events of that night spent with Hermione, he tried to peel it off this memory; he had to look for whatever occasion he'd overlooked! But then suddenly it hit him. This was it! This was the true question Hermione wanted to know the answer to. If he would give that night up for his storybook heroic death?

Ron sighed. That had not been the question he preferred out of the two. Running a hand through his hair, he thought deeply. There was no way in hell he regretted anything they did that night. But would he sacrifice that one night…something he'd always wanted with Hermione for all of his horrific memories vanished? Did this one act of good outweigh all the countless bad? Was all this torture appropriate for their secretly stolen moments together? Was a dream worth giving up for love?

Hermione still sat in front of him, idling twisting her hands together, waiting for his answer. Her gorgeous brown eyes were wide with anticipation and fear, though otherwise she showed no signs that this innocent question could have meant anything more. Running her hands through her hair in an attempt to smooth it over, she tried to act as though Ron's silence didn't bother her. He knew it did, he could sense it in her.

Overcome with love, Ron bent down quickly, while she wasn't looking, and planted a kiss on her lips.

Smiling, and bringing a finger to where he had kissed her, she looked up at him surprised. "What was that for?"

"I love you," He said quickly

"I love you too Ron but…" She tried to ask, confused.

"You're everything to me" He interrupted "And you're worth everything. So no. My answer is no. I wouldn't give up that night we had together for some heroic death. That night was worth every bit of torture we've endured. I don't regret anything about it."

A smile spread over Hermione's lips, a smile that reached her eyes for the first time since the war and she kissed his nose playfully. "Me neither. I don't regret anything" She whispered

Ron smiled back, bringing her into his arms once again. "'Mione?" He whispered softly

"Yes?" She breathed, her eyes closed

"I-I've been thinking. And I want you to know now…I want you to understand that if you die, I do as well right?"

Hermione's eyes snapped open "No!" She cried out suddenly as she ripped herself away from Ron and whipped her head around to face him. "No Ron you can't!"

"Yes" He said firmly "We went through it before the war. Remember how you felt when you thought I was going to throw myself in front of that curse that was meant for Harry? I feel like that now, except worse. I don't care what you say or think. If you die…I'll just hand myself over to them."

"Ron you can't…" She said horrified

"You won't be able to stop me," Ron said bluntly

"You can't throw life away like that"

"And you think life as a tortured prisoner under Voldemort, without you or Harry in it is going to be worth living!"

"Ron…"

"I'm just telling you now, so you won't be surprised or caught off guard later alright?"

Tears now fell down Hermione's cheeks. "YOU CAN'T! IF I'M GOING TO DIE, THEN I'LL DIE TO SAVE YOU! I REFUSE TO DIE FOR NO REASON RONALD WEASLEY! I WANT MY DEATH TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE AT LIFE! AND YOU'RE TAKING THAT AWAY FROM ME!"

"Sh…" He soothed, wiping her tears away with his thumbs "I'm not trying to take anything away from you"

"Then w-why-"

"Because I love you" Ron interrupted

"That doesn't-"

"Yes it does" Ron said, reading her thoughts

"Ron…" She moaned, putting her face in her hands

"Listen to me" He said, taking her hands away from her face "It's okay. Nothing may happen. But if something does then…well then I'll make sure it happens to both of us"

"Please don't do this"

"This is old stuff 'Mione. We don't need to go back into it. I'm just telling you."

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "I can't deal with this right now Ron. I-I'm going to go to bed."

"Bed?"

"Yes, I just…I don't want to think about it. I don't want to think about tomorrow. I just don't want to think about anything at all."

"Never thought I'd hear that out of your mouth" Ron teased

Hermione tried to smile, he could tell that she was; but she was failing miserably at it. The corners of her mouth lifted upwards, as if pasted there, she nodded her head at him as she stood up. "Yes well…war changes people. And as much as neither of us would like to accept it, I'll never be the same again. You can count on that. Good night Ron. I love you"

Ron sat for a moment, contemplating what she had just said. Suddenly, he jumped up and grabbed Hermione's wrist.

"What did you say?"

"Let me go to bed Ron"

"No Hermione. What did you say?"

"I said I'll never be the same again"

"That's not true"

"Must you argue with everything I say?" She said, exasperated

Ron sighed. "I'm not trying to get under your nerves like I used to Hermione." He inwardly gave himself points for the eye roll and small smile Hermione gave him "But I'm serious though, 'Mione. Don't change on me. I fell in love with the bossy know-it-all"

"So you're saying you still won't love me if I'm a different person?' She huffed

"No! You're twisting my words around!" He protested

"Well then what are you trying to say?" She crossed her arms and gave him a pointed look.

Ron took a moment to think before he answered her. Memories bubbled to the surface of his brain demanding attention, and he had no choice but to succumb to their wishes.

_The compartment door slid open and a girl emerged from it. She asked them in a bossy voice that made Ron's skin crawl if they'd seen a toad. Harry Potter spoke up and told her they hadn't. Inwardly, he sighed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to have anything to do with that girl…he hated people who thought they were better than him just because he was poor. Praying the same prayer inside his head for her to go away, she turned to him, with curious brown eyes and Ron's stomach flipped. She'd seen him! _

_Trying desperately to find a way out, he realized he was trapped. Her chocolate eyes were cornering him, and he didn't like it. He watched those eyes travel down to his hand, where he fingered a piece of wood. Her eyes shot up to his, making contact in a way that made Ron's stomach tighten, trying to calm it. Her eyes held excitement; it was dancing around in the pools of brown. Trying to appear disinterested, she asked him if he would perform the spell he'd been using to impress the famous Harry Potter. He looked at her…her eyes were gleaming. It was a challenge! He'd never backed away from a challenge from his brothers, why start now? _

_Nodding, he took out his new wand; possibly one of the only new things he had ever received in his life, and rolled up his sleeves. Shooting a grin at the black haired boy sitting opposite him, he took a deep breath before muttering the spell Fred and George had taught him not only two days earlier. He stared with nervous anticipation at Scabbers; waiting impatiently for his rat to turn yellow. When nothing happened, his stomach dropped. Blasted Fred and George! Panicking, he desperately looked at Harry. That was it! He'd blown his chances with the him! He'd never want anything to do with him again…he'd go off and find other friends to poke fun at him. How could he have messed everything up already! They hadn't even reached the school!_

_But Ron was shocked when Harry's eyes showed only comfort and he told him it was okay, that he'd never even heard a spell before. Ron was beaming he knew, but he couldn't help it! Maybe he wasn't such a screw-up after all… He then looked up at that bushy haired girl. Her eyes held disappointment, but she was desperately trying to cover it up with a sneer. Huffing, she got up and walked out of the compartment. Intense dislike seared throughout Ron. He could see right through her, and it bothered him that she tried to cover up herself with such a cocky personality. _

_Remembering her eyes, Ron thought for a moment, that maybe if he got to know this girl, that maybe she would stop being such a know-it-all. Because her eyes didn't match up with the rest of her. She looked slightly insecure and scared and suddenly Ron felt compelled to go after her and ask if she wanted to join them._

_But before he could get up, she reappeared back in the doorway with her head held high and her chin pointed out defiantly, announcing that he had a spot of dirt on his nose. And in that instant, Ron Weasley knew that if he wanted to befriend this girl, he'd have to use every power in his being. This one wouldn't go down without a fight and Ron never backed away from a challenge. Though in his innocent eleven-year-old mind he didn't know exactly why he was drawn to her and wanted her company so badly, it was a challenge that would change his life forever._

As Ron broke out of his reverie he stared at Hermione who waiting impatiently. Calmly taking a deep breath, he approached her slowly. "What I'm saying is…I've always loved you. I loved you even when you were strutting about the school, flaunting your brilliant mind in first year. I loved you even when you criticized my schoolwork and magical abilities. I loved you even when you told me I had dirt on my nose and embarrassed me in front of Harry on the train. I especially loved you whenever we were in danger. I-I don't want to loose you. In any way. You were always the one who held everything together, please don't break down on me"

"Ron" She said softly, walking towards him, "I may have been the glue that held the three of us together, but if there is nothing to hold together anymore, glue has no purpose"

"There's still two parts left, desperately in need of glue" He said sadly as Hermione wrapped her arms around him in a hug

"You haven't really dealt with glue before Ron" She whispered, "It's a Muggle thing. We use it all the time in the Muggle world. Over time…it sort of decays. Gets yellow and starts to crack. Especially if people have been prying at it over time"

"But it still stays together doesn't it?"

She sighed, breaking apart from their hug. "Not always." Looking away from him she whispered quietly, "Voldemort was right. I-I am weary. I'm tired Ron. We've been going full speed it seems like for 2 years. Technically 7 if you look at it closely. I'm spent. I've tried…I really have."

Heart beating fast Ron approached her quickly. "No…but… you're not just giving up are you?" He squeaked

Hermione sat down and looked at her hands. "I can't pretend like I'm not looking forwards to dying in peace."

"Y-You can't be…s-serious!" He sputtered, his hands shaking

"Oh Ron don't look at me like I'm mental!" She cried tearfully, getting up and walking towards the window, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ron simply stood there, his mind racing. "Hermione what about you not wanting me to give up my life?"

Without turning around, she answered, "I don't want you to Ron. You can still make it. You've got enough energy…you've got enough hope"

Suddenly, Ron felt very old. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. This was too complicated. Everything seemed to be happening too fast. How could she act like this!. Horrified at his decision, and then making a similar one only minutes later? It didn't make sense and he didn't have the emotional capacity to handle it anymore.

But her words echoed inside his head. Voldemort was right. The scene played in his mind over and over again. What else had Voldemort said? That it was Ron's fault that Hermione was like this…he had killed her by dragging her along! Guilt plagued his stomach and he felt sick.

"Please" He croaked desperately "You can't…Don't go willingly!"

She examined her hands closer. "Everything will be over quicker. I don't want a big fuss. I'm too tired for another emotional drama"

Ron shook his head to block out her words. He didn't want to hear it. "So you're just going to lie there while that monster rapes you!"

Wiping a tear from her face, Hermione turned around finally to face him. "You make it sound like I want all this"

"Don't you?"

"How dare you!" She hissed

"I mean, didn't you just say that you want it all to be over with!"

"I said that I couldn't deny it!"

"That's the same thing!"

"No it's not!"

"You never would have let anyone touch and abuse you like that in the old days!"

"Well that was then Ron…Things are different now?"

"How so!" He challenged

"You have to ask!"

"I know _what's_ different, Hermione. I want to know how _you're_ suddenly different"

"I TOLD YOU! I'M TIRED OF FIGHTING FOR A LOST CAUSE! I'M TIRED OF MY HOPES GETTING UP AND THEN SUDDENLY CRASHING AND BURNING AT MY FEET! I'M TIRED OF SEEING PEOPLE I LVOE SUFFER AND DIE! I'M TIRED OF WATCHING LIFE AS I KNOW IT, SLOWLY SLIP AWAY FROM ME! LOOK AT ME RON! I'VE SEEN MY REFLECTION! I KNOW WHAT I LOOK LIKE! I DON'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE MY OLD SELF! THE OLD HERMIONE STUDIES AND READS BOOKS, THIS NEW HERMIONE CRIES AND SUCCUMBS TO TORTURE! I CAN'T HELP BUT CHANGE! YOU'VE CHANGED TOO! YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO ADMIT IT!"

Overcome with emotion and shock at her outburst, Ron simply stood there. Tears were flying down Hermione's face but she seemed not to care. She began to pace back and forth heatedly, then realizing that she wasn't accomplishing anything, she sat down on the ground.

"I'm sorry Ron. I really am. T-This wasn't how I pictured our last night together. Let's just try to get some sleep." She said so quietly he almost didn't hear her.

Ron said nothing. Yet he obliged, and as if his body was moving without his knowledge, he sat on the ground next to her. Darkness surrounded them, wrapping the couple up in its warm blanket and Ron sighed into the night air. His heart was pounding with pain and his mind felt like it had been fried. Fatigue like he had never known over overwhelmed him and he sat there silently, his back to Hermione.

He thought about everything. About Harry, about the war, about their plan which at the time, sounded so brilliant. He thought about Hermione telling him for the first time that she loved him, their first kiss, Hogwarts falling to the ground, torture, and the prospect of what tomorrow would surely bring.

He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Settling as comfortably as he could on the ground, he began drifting into slumber. Just as he'd reached the point of no return, as he easily slipped into a dreamless sleep, something called him back. It was a sweet soft voice that Ron knew only too well. Subconsciously, he smiled. She was calling him.

"Ron?" She whispered again

"Yea?"

"C-Can you hold me?" She asked meekly. He nodded in response, but was unaware that she had not seen his agreement. When Hermione didn't receive an answer she began babbling, "I mean I know I've been really hard on you tonight and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. You know I'd never want any of this under other circumstances right? I'm sorry Ron. I love you so much. I don't want to die tomorrow. I'm scared. I need you with me. Just please forgive me. I-"

Ron grinned into her ear, as he cut her off by slowly wrapping his arms around her body. "I didn't think you'd want anything to do with me," She whispered

Gently kissing her cheek Ron shook his head. "Never. If you need me, I'm here. You know that right?"

"Yea" She breathed, "You've always been there for me Ron."

"I always wanted to protect you. I-I'm sorry I couldn't"

"You're protecting me right now."

"Yea…but I won't be able to tomorrow," He whispered to himself, his heart breaking as he uttered the words

"Sh…don't talk about it"

Ron gladly obliged. Playing with a strand of her hair, he breathed in her scent; knowing that he never would again.

Snuggling closer to him, Hermione kissed him lightly on the lips, "Goodnight Ron" She whispered into his ear

"Night 'Mione." He managed to get out, as he tried to remember exactly how it felt to have her in his arms.

And as they slept on, the clouds rolled in and a soft rain began to fall. Some might have seen it as a sign of trouble, but Ron viewed it differently as he listened to the gentle thunder in the distance, his eyes securely shut. That night in the common room, when he'd seen that beautiful girl dancing in the rain…he'd seen a different side of Hermione. A side he'd never been privileged to see before. It was as though the rain had given birth to a new girl. Yet as Ron remained in a half asleep state, he let the tears fall onto Hermione's curly hair as he realized with bitter irony that the same rain that had 'borne' Hermione, would also be the same rain that took her away from him.

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It was still dark when Ron awoke. He wasn't sure what had woken him or why his senses were alert but when he opened his eyes, he immediately knew that something was wrong.

A soft tapping, like that of rocks against brick were pounding away above his head. A soft murmuring of voices swam inside his head. Looking down at Hermione, who lay peacefully asleep, still in his arms, he felt better. But this sound…it bothered him.

Moving slowly, so as not to disturb Hermione, he managed to separate himself from her and walk the few precious feet to the wall. It was the wall with the hole in it. Squatting down on his knees, he peered through it to try to catch a glimpse of whatever was making this noise.

Ron couldn't help but scream when a soaked, dirty, man with messy brown hair stared back at him.

Falling on his back, his face consorted into a face of utmost fear, he crawled backwards away from the face, never breaking eye contact with the man's eyes.

The man appeared frightened as well. But instead of backing away like Ron was doing, he quickly put a finger to his lips, desperately trying to get Ron to calm down.

Immediately silenced, Ron lay on the ground, his heart pounding uncontrollably in his chest, and his breaths coming in labored gasps. He cast a glance at Hermione. She still slept.

The hand motioned for him to come closer. Unsure what to do, but curious nonetheless, Ron cautiously and slowly approached the hole. It wasn't like the man could grab him or harm him through that small of a gap anyways.

When Ron was close enough to smell the man's breath (which was horrendous), only then did the man lower his finger from his lips.

The two studied each other for a moment. Ron was struck by his familiarity and the man…well he began to cry silently, wiping at his tears ashamed. Unsure how to handle this, Ron continued to stare, trying to place in his mind where he knew him. The man's face broke into a smile through his tears and he croaked out in a hoarse whisper "Ron!"

Stupidly, Ron looked around, just to make sure this man was addressing him. The man laughed. "Yes you, you idiot! Bloody Hell, war hasn't made you any smarter!"

The voice! Ron knew it! He'd heard it a million times! How could anyone mistake the accent! And yet…it didn't look like him. But it had to be! Only one person would address him like that!

"Seamus!"

The man smirked and nodded his head. Ron couldn't breathe! Seamus…here…alive! It wasn't possible! Everyone had died. Everyone Ron knew had died! How could Seamus be alive? Wait a second…Seamus was alive! Tears of happiness stung Ron's eyes and slowly overflowed, streaming down his face. He'd never been happier to anyone in his life.

A million questions buzzed around his head, he didn't know which one to ask first.

Who else was alive? Where have you been all this time? What's happened? Was Ginny alive? What about the Ministry and the Order? What else were the Death Eaters doing?

Was he alone? But the one that made it's way past Ron's brain and out his lips was,

"What are you doing here!"

Seamus laughed softly. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm rescuing you and Hermione dammit!"

If Seamus's re-appearance hadn't been a shocker to Ron…this did it. Rescue…he couldn't wrap his mind around the word. Did he mean rescue as in break Hermione and himself free? As in save them? As in free them? He blinked several times in a row trying to comprehend what this meant.

"W-Who else?" He asked, ignoring the fact that his mind wasn't ready for another answer.

"Lavender's here with me"

"Lavender?"

"Yea" Seamus breathed.

"And…the others? Ginny?"

"Lavender saw her before Hogwarts collapsed. We think she's okay, but we're not sure."

Ron could only nod.

"Look," Seamus said, lowering his voice. "We don't have much time. This is real dangerous of me to do. I need you to get Hermione."

"How are you getting us out of here?" Ron asked blankly

"I've got my wand with me still. Go on hurry!"

"Where are we going?"

"We're leaving!"

That was all the answer Ron needed. Quickly striding over to Hermione, he shook her gently.

"Mm…" She said in her sleep

"Hermione!" He whispered

"What?" She asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes. As she became more awake she looked at Ron's face fearfully "What's wrong? What happened?"

Ron had to pause for a moment to collect himself. Too much had happened! His brain wanted to focus on being reunited with Seamus and the bliss he felt that someone else had made it out alive, but for some reason, it was stuck on the last thing. They were going to escape!

Ron beamed down at Hermione who still gazed up at him with fear written across her face. "Come with me" He said grabbing her hand. "We're leaving!"

"Leaving?" She asked confused "Where are we going?"

"Just come on" Ron grinned, pulling her along, "I have something to show you!"

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	24. Chapter TwentyFour: Rebirth

(A/N: I must say that I am very disappointed in myself. My goal was to get this chapter out on Friday. But at least I'm improving by a day each week right? Lol. If you must know, two of my best friend's (they're twins) birthdays are this weekend and we kind of made it a weekend long celebration. Dinner and a movie on Friday, kidnap them to breakfast on Saturday, and we'll TP their house tonight. I actually had intended to make this chapter longer and not end it where I did but I wanted it out today for sure and I figured 15 pages was good enough for a chapter. Things are heating up and though this chapter is still very sad, there is hope for our favorite couple! Yea! I really am excited about how things turned out, my original plan was for the end to be where they escape. But this…this'll work great. Lol sorry I'm kind of babbling to myself. Again, I'd like to thank all of you faithful wonderful amazing people who continue to review ever so faithfully! You're the inspiration for this fic and your support means the world to me! As always if you have an constructive criticism or issues with the chapter, you are more than welcome to let me know. Likewise if there's something you like, I always like to hear those too! Hehee…Anyways, thanks again and hopefully it won't be a full week till next chapter's update! Much love, Haystack)

To my Lovely Reviewers…

cumbacksirius: Don't worry about the busy week. Mine was crazy too! Thanks for reviewing so faithfully!

suckr4romance81789: I wasn't too sure if people were expecting this whole Seamus escape thingy but I'm glad it's working for ya! This chapter is basically a fill in for everybody so though it may not be quite as emotionally interactive as the others, its refreshing for me to have some update! Thanks for reviewing!

Ron'n'Hermione: Hahahaha wow your review had me laughing for a long time! Omg that was hilarious! Lol sorry…phew okay I'm good now. Glad you like the new twist of things, and hopefully the update wasn't too bad. Thanks so much for brightening up my day!

scubagurl: Aw thanks for your sweet review. Yes, Harry is truly dead. A lot of ppl have had a hard time coming to grips with that but we all must, for I'm afraid I can't bring it in myself to bring him back! lol thanks so much for reviewing!

AmyChris: haha You're welcome! Very happy that you enjoyed last chapter! Yes, things are certainly looking up aren't they? You'll get to find out the fates of the other friends like Ginny and stuff so even though it may not be as emotionally exciting, hopefully it'll be fulfilling! Thanks so much for your wonderful review!

dancerrdw: Aw I'm glad you liked last chapter so much! It was fun to write! Hopefully the update wasn't too bad this chapter! Thanks sooo much for reviewing!

RainDateChick: Haha, was the update okay? I'm one day ahead of myself than last week! Glad you're enjoying the story and thanks for reviewing like you always do!

ShimmeringEvil: Yes, finally there is goodness for them! Hope is a wonderful thing isn't it? Lol thanks so much for your review!

Bhekie: lol yes a cliffie! But now there's a plot twist! Woo hoo…plot twists are always fun! Haha…thanks so much for reviewing!

RedRose013: Aw well I'm glad you're enjoying it so much! I'm having fun as well! Yes, there is hope in the air! Yay for Ron and Hermione! Thanks so much for reviewing!

Princess Storm: Okay, before I thank you for reviewing this story, let me thank you for the 14 REVIEWS I GOT FOR SORT TORDU! Omg woman you are _amazing_! THANK YOU THANK YOU! You have got to be the most dedicated reviewer I've ever met! I was completely speechless when I saw all those reviews! Wow…I honestly don't know how I could possibly put into words how much that meant to me! Though now that I have more experience in writing under my belt and it was my experimental beginning fic (that personally I would love to go back and edit!) it really means a lot to me that you would find something good in it to review on. So THANK YOU! As for this fic I'm really glad you liked last chapter. I never knew my cliffhangers were a work of art. Hehee…I actually was not sure about Ron's wand and if it was new or not, I haven't had time to look it up. I'll just roll with you on this one, cuase once I thought it over I think your right. But thank you for mentioning it! And as always thank you very very much for reviewing!

vacant xpressi0ns: haha, your review made me laugh! Yes I know it's wonderful isn't it? No more prison! Yay! Thanks so much for reviewing! By the way, I completely love your username! Hehee…

nattieb: lol another brilliant review that made me laugh! Yes, you do know me very well. I don't believe in easy things. Ron and Hermione are in for some more trials ahead but as for this particular chapter, I'm going to let everyone soak and relish in this rare ray of happiness for a while! Hehee…I needed a break, and we all need some mega updates from Seamus don't we? I'm honored that you were tearing up a bit, I always love a show of emotion! Lol…thank you soooo much for being such a wonderful reviewer! Here's to chapter 24!

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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: REBIRTH

As Hermione was awoken from her dreamless sleep, she groaned. She hadn't slept that well since before the war and she needed the sleep…desperately.

"Hermione!" A familiar voice whispered in her ear. Silently cursing Ron for waking her up, she groggily opened her eyes. The world was blurred before her. She could see Ron's figure, standing above her, only slightly bouncing on the balls of his feet. Rubbing her eyes, his face came into focus.

He was wringing his hands and biting his lip, things Ron never did unless something had big just happened. Her stomach immediately dropping and her heart racing automatically, she sat up quickly. "What?" She asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Her mind was zipping through all the possible reasons for Ron's distress. Voldemort wanted her early, they'd changed their mind and wanted Ron dead instead, he'd somehow found out about another death, he was hurt, they were to kill her in front of Ron…Hermione went through everything she could think of and fear clutched her heart. Why wasn't he talking!

As Ron stood there for another moment Hermione was about to say something, yell at him to just spit it out, that this waiting and pondering was worse than the news itself; when suddenly, he smiled at her.

Hermione blinked several times to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Ron Weasley was smiling at her…after the war and Harry's death he was….smiling!

"Come with me" He said grabbing her hand. "We're leaving!"

As she was yanked off the ground and pulled over to the wall, Hermione silently agreed with herself that Ron had lost it.

"Leaving?" She asked confused "Where are we going?"

"Just come on" Ron grinned, pulling her along, "I have something to show you!"

_Just play along,_ her brain told her. _For his sake, just play along._

"Okay…" She said apprehensively as Ron stopped in front of the brick wall.

"Look! Look through that hole!" He exclaimed excitedly, gently pushing her to her knees.

It was a hole not quite big enough to fit her head through. Inching forwards, she pressed her eye against the wall, not quite sure what she was looking for. Suddenly, as her eyes adjusted, she made out the shapes of two people.

"Ron! There's someone out there!" She said fearfully, backing away from the hole.

"I know" He beamed

"Who-" She asked, lifting her face up towards Ron's.

"H-Hey Hermione" A small voice said.

Hermione's heart froze where it was and her breath got caught up in her chest. She knew that voice! She'd heard it a million times, and yet…it couldn't be! There was no way… everyone was dead. She must be hearing things. Or maybe it was a dream; some wonderful yet tortuously cruel dream.

Her head whipped to Ron who stood there, a broad smile flashing across his face. Her heart clenched painfully. "Ron" she breathed, shaking her head; refusing to believe what her ears told her. "No Ron…No. It's not-"

"Yes it is" He said softly

"No! It can't be! I don't believe it!"

Chuckling softly, a sound that sounded like music to Hermione's ears it'd been so long, he grabbed her hand. "Believe it. This is real. We're going to get out of here!"

"NO!" She ripped her hand away from his. A pained expression flew across his face as her stomach churned guiltily. "I told you earlier" She said quietly "I'm sick of getting my hopes up. Now stop torturing me with this. Let's go back to bed."

Confused, Ron suddenly pushed her to her knees again. "Seamus, come closer. It's hard to see you. Hermione, look!"

A shuffle of grass was heard as suddenly, before Hermione's eyes, Seamus' face came into focus. It was as if someone had knocked the wind out of her. There was no doubt that this man was Seamus. All his features were the same. The eyes, the hair, the nose, the skin, the accent…everything was just as it was a week ago. Dirt, mud, and grass were strewn across random parts of his body and his eyes held a different light in them, but otherwise…Hermione felt herself tear up.

"S-Seamus?" She whispered, her voice shaking.

The boy smiled and nodded his head. "Nice to see you too Hermione."

At the sound of his voice…the voice of a fellow Gryffindor, of a fellow classmate, of a fellow friend…Hermione couldn't hold in her tears. Trickling down her face slowly, she raised a hand to his face. She had to touch him, make sure she wasn't dreaming. Placing a hand on his cheek, Seamus smiled sadly, his own eyes glistening as he covered her hand with his own. Squeezing it gently, he turned around.

"There's someone else who wanted to see you," He said softly

Hermione squinted in the darkness to see, as Lavender Brown emerged from the shadows, tears of her own falling down her face.

"L-Lavender?" She whispered, her mouth open in shock, a delicate hand covering it.

"Oh Hermione!" The girl cried, rushing forwards to grab Hermione's hands through the hole. Staring at her roommate's face, her blurry red eyes, her messed up hair, her tear strained face, she couldn't help it. The tears simply burst from her eyes like a dam and she sat there pitifully, her head bent, sobbing.

No one said anything for a moment, the only sound being the sobs of the two girls. Hermione had lost all her senses. Her mind seemed useless as her body racked with tears. Seamus and Lavender were here…alive! They were fine, they weren't dead! Just that realization made Hermione want to cry forever, happiness like she hadn't felt in ages overwhelming her body.

"You have no idea how worried we've been about you two! It's been so horrible! We saw H-Harry…oh merlin we saw him! He'd been fighting so well…and then they just…Oh Hermione I don't want to be the one to tell you this, but he's dead!" Lavender cried in between tears.

Hermione could only shake her head and whisper, "W-We know. We saw it too"

"You did!" Lavender gasped, "Oh God…I-I'm so sorry! So sorry!"

"Who…Who else?" She said, not hiding the emotions in her voice.

"You mean who else is left?"

She nodded.

"Not here" Seamus said quickly. "We need to get you both out of here. Do you have everything you need?"

Hermione looked at Ron who shook his head. "We don't have anything but each other"

"Alright then. Back away." Seamus instructed.

Obediently, the couple backed away from the wall. Walking away, Hermione stole a glance at Ron. He was looking at her intensely.

"You okay?" He whispered

Hermione smiled softly and nodded. "Never better"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was unlike anything Hermione had ever experienced. It was like being born again. Everything was so new, so wonderful, and so good. Her senses were on overdrive trying to relish in the feeling of the cold soft grass underneath her feet, the swish of the night air as they ran, and the healthy beating of her heart all at the same time.

Seamus had magically enlarged the hole to about the size of a doorway, making it only too easy to walk through towards freedom. Guilt pounded in her heart at the thought of leaving Harry behind. It hadn't been easy to walk slowly through that doorway. But with the warm guidance of Ron's hand, Hermione desperately pushed all thoughts out of her mind.

Jumping over a fallen tree and ducking a branch, her mind couldn't help but race, wondering about the answer to her last question. Who else was left? She couldn't help but hope. Seamus and Lavender's sudden re-appearance filling her with the hope she hadn't felt for what seemed like ages.

They stopped in front of an enormous rock. Serving as a little cave, Hermione crawled in after Ron.

The four said nothing for a while, everyone concentrating on catching their breaths. Finally, it was Seamus who, breathing heavily, began. "This is where we've been for the past two days."

"Here?" Hermione asked, looking around. It barely held all four of them, how could they have lived here like cavemen for two full days? What had they been eating, how did they sleep? Someone could easily walk in, how had they not been caught? Had they just been sitting in here? How did they know to come look for them? So many questions buzzed around her head, that finally Hermione gave up and leant up against the wall.

"Yea" Seamus said

"How did you find it?" Ron panted

"It kind of found us. We were running from Death Eaters and Lavender tripped right in front of it. This little cave saved our lives."

Ron nodded. "What have you been doing here all this time though? How do you know about the others? How did you know where to find us?"

"Slow down." Seamus sighed, leaning against the wall. "I guess we better start from the beginning."

"We don't have time for the whole story," Lavender said quickly "We have to leave before the sun comes up"

"I know" Seamus ran a hand through his hair. "I'll be quick, I promise"

"Fine" Lavender said, settling against the wall like the others.

Hermione was struck by them both. True, during school they had not always been her favorite people; finding Seamus too loud and obnoxious, and Lavender too ditzy for her own good. But here…she never would have guessed. Seamus spoke in a calm quiet voice and Lavender no longer used that excited high-pitched voice of hers. Both were tired…that was easy to see. They were much more serious…as if they'd matured to the age of thirty, in two days time.

"We were both sent out of the same door, along with the Patil girls, Dean, Luna, Neville, and Ginny. But once the war started, we all kind of lost each other. Everyone had their own spot of trouble. We tried to help as much as we could, but everyone had their own battles to fight. I was right near the Forbidden Forest when Hogwarts crashed. Lavender was in the forest. Some Death Eaters had dragged her in there."

Hermione looked over to Lavender, who stiffened, looking towards the floor.

"When the first part started collapsing, I was shouting at everyone to run for it. Not many people listened to me though. I ran into the forest and found Lavender who was um…" Seamus paused to gage Lavender's reaction "having some trouble with a particular Death Eater who was torturing her pretty bad. I knocked the bastard over and we ran for it. Then we found this place and hid for a while. The dust and debris wasn't that bad for us since we'd found shelter before Hogwarts completely collapsed, though it did kind of snow us in. Those who were right near it weren't so lucky. Michael Corner somehow managed to crawl around into the forest. He died right outside this place. We tried to get to him but we couldn't get out, this tree had fallen in front of us. We think that's why nobody looked inside here. No one likes to go near a dead body."

Hermione ignored the look Ron was giving her.

"We kept pushing at this tree to move and eventually created a hole big enough for us to slip through. We were trying to run back towards Hogwarts when we ran into Luna. She was frantic. Neville was hurt really bad. We eventually found Hagrid who rushed away with Luna to help Neville. We still don't know what happened to the three of them."

"What about Ginny?" Ron interrupted

Seamus and Lavender exchanged looks and Ron's hands balled up into fists, digging his fingernails into his palm nervously. "What? What happened? Is she okay?"

Hermione took in a breath. Ginny was one of her best friends…she was one person she wasted to know about.

Seamus cleared his throat. "Um…Luna was the one who told us. She said that Ginny had been tortured really badly because the Death Eaters knew how close she was to Harry. They dragged her to where Harry and Voldemort were battling. They were trying to distract him so that Voldemort could just finish him off. But Harry didn't fall for it."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HARRY DIDN'T FALL FOR IT!" Ron suddenly bellowed, his face bright red "HOW COULD HE NOT HAVE SAVED HER! I THOUGHT HE BLOODY LOVED HER!"

"Ron calm down" Lavender soothed

"NO!" He cried out stubbornly

"Just let me finish!" Seamus cried. "It's not like Harry didn't want to save her. And don't worry, when the Death Eaters triedtorapeher Harry killed them all."

"What was that?" Ron asked, "I didn't catch that last bit"

"You didn't? Oh well-" Seamus looked around nervously

"The Death Eaters tried to rape Ginny" Hermione interrupted. She knew she was the only one, save Ginny and Ron's mum, who could control Ron. Seamus shot her a thankful look.

"WHAT!" Ron screamed.

"Ron…" She warned. Ron met her eyes, fire dancing among the sea of blue. She gave him a very pointed look and after much protesting, the fire simmered and only concern for his baby sister flowed out from him.

"She is…I mean…Is she…Okay?" Ron asked afraid

Seamus and Lavender exchanged a bewildered look between them. Looking at Hermione impressed, Seamus continued his story. "Um…we're not really sure."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked for Ron, but her own heart aching for a certain answer.

"Well once Harry had killed the Death Eaters she was weak, crying on the ground and stuff. They'd tortured her pretty badly. According to Luna, Harry didn't know what to do. He tried to run to her, but Voldemort kept shooting curses at him. He was shouting stuff at her, and begging for someone to take her and get her away, keep her safe. The Creevy brothers apparently heard him and Colin picked Ginny up and the three of them ran into the forest."

Seamus finished his story, staring at Ron expectantly.

"Well, what happened next? Where is she? Is she okay?"

"W-We don't know" Lavender said timidly "That was all Luna knew at the time. But you have to realize Ron, at the time such a detailed report of someone was special. Luna gave us more information than we could have ever hoped for."

Ron said nothing. He looked at his hands, refusing to meet eye contact with anyone. He nodded his understanding to Lavender but bit his lip, trying to fight back tears. Hermione's heart broke for him. Placing a loving hand on his shoulder she tried to get him to look at her. He wouldn't.

Turning to Lavender and Seamus, Hermione asked, "Is that all we really know? What about Colin and Denis? Do we know what happened to them?"

Again, the two exchanged worried looks. Seamus cleared his throat nervously. "Well…we know the three of them were together. Colin and Dennis would never separate from each other, Dennis would never disobey an order from Harry, and Colin…he would never leave Ginny like that."

Hermione searched in her brain for the memory of Colin. Over the years, true, he'd changed much. Once fifth year hit and the news of Voldemort's return was made public, he changed. No longer did he annoy Harry and the others; instead he took to reading up on all he could. He wanted to fight with them, and with help from Harry in the D.A. he transformed into a reliable fighter. He still took pictures, his passion for photography never ceasing, but he'd matured and become much more serious. By seventh year, he had grown up entirely. He and Dennis were best friends, the brothers seeming even closer than the Weasley brothers. Dennis was a lot less serious than Colin, but with the help of his older brother Dennis also was made into a fierce warrior. Thankful that it had been these two that had responded to Harry's call, Hermione had subconsciously let out a breath she'd held in the whole time. She didn't have to worry too much about Ginny's safety. She was more than safe in the arms of the two brothers.

"I know," She agreed, feeling much better.

"So I mean we still don't know about Ginny, whether or not she's safe."

Confusion arose on Hermione's face. But hadn't they just said…? "What do you mean?"

"Well I mean we can only guess." Seamus said sadly "W-We came across Dennis's body in the forest."

Hermione's eyes widened and she gasped. All the safety and securities she had felt previously, washed away from her, leaving her with a sickening worry for her friend. Heart beating she whispered, "And Colin?"

"We don't know what happened to him. Or Ginny. We searched around…we never found their bodies or any trace of them. The best we can hope for is that Colin at least has Ginny safe."

Hermione nodded as if she were in a trance. This was too much information to process. She stole a glance at Ron. His arms were resting on his knees, his face buried in them. She suddenly had an urge to bury her face in his shirt and cry into it, or run her hands comfortingly through his hair. Nodding, she scooted up to Ron and leaned her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around herself. Ron didn't respond to her gesture for a while, but finally gave in and took her hand gently. She squeezed it, desperately trying to give him some kind of comfort.

Lavender and Seamus were watching the interaction with interest. "So…" Lavender said softly "A-Are you two together?

Hermione looked up at the girl. Lavender always had a passion for gossip but without Parvati at her side, she seemed half as enthusiastic about the news. Hermione simply nodded. She smiled. "Good. We were all wondering when you two would."

Seamus laughed. "Merlin, we had bets going around for years. Most people figured you two would cave in during sixth year. Everyone was rather annoyed I'll tell you that."

"Everyone?" Hermione asked curiously, not helping the blush that crept up the sides of her face.

Seamus nodded enthusiastically. "Hell yea. All of Gryffindor betted on you two. Most of the school as well. Even the Slytherins knew you would get together eventually."

"But how did they-"

"Oh it was obvious." Lavender broke in, smiling at Hermione. "The way Ron looked at you all the time. The way you looked at him. He was always so protective of you. And the way you both fought…we all knew it was sexual tension building."

Hermione couldn't help it. With a burst of laughter, she grabbed her sides, never loving a feeling more. And once she began, there was no stopping Ron. Looking up for the first time, he shot her a lopsided grin before falling in step with her laughter. The two continued for what felt like minutes, they couldn't be stopped. Lavender and Seamus looked at him confused, which made the situation all the more funny. Tears of happiness were tempted to spill over Hermione's eyes. The situation was all too hilarious.

"S-Sexual….hahaha…Tension?" She managed to say in-between giggles

"Well yea" Lavender said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world

This set Hermione out on another set of laughter. "W-What's so funny?" Seamus asked

Hermione calmed down enough to talk. "It wasn't sexual tension in the least! It was more like Ron annoying me to all edges of insanity and me lashing out at him!"

"Yea!" Ron suddenly said, "It was a competition to see who could last the longest."

"No it was not" Lavender insisted. "We used to examine the facts. Maybe it wasn't sexual tension but it was at least a tension that everyone knew would lead to romance. It was more of when you two blockheads would admit it. We used to talk about it all the time. Me and Parvati I mean…" With this last statement, the soft smile was wiped off of Lavender's face and she looked down at her hands. Catching on, Hermione's laughter was cut and her smile turned into a frown.

"Yea, what about Paravti? And Padma?" She asked quietly, looking at Lavender intensely.

Lavender said nothing, she looked around the little cave, desperately trying not to meet Hermione's eye. It was Seamus who squeezed her shoulder comfortingly and met Hermione's gaze.

It was filled with sadness and heartache. That much was obvious. Hermione's stomach felt empty and suddenly she wished she hadn't asked. She wanted to laugh again…it had filled her with so much warmth. She didn't want to talk about war anymore. Tears were gathered in Seamus's eyes and Hermione knew, without a word uttered by anyone, that they were dead.

Her head was pounding. How could this happen? The twins were always there, so bubbly and happy. Hermione had always sniffed when Lavender would walk around and chat excitedly about something with them, but not because she didn't like them. She'd still held a grudge about not having any girl friends at first and since Lavender and Parvati hadn't welcomed her into their group, even in first year when they shared a room, she couldn't help but pretend like she didn't want their friendship. But once she really got to know them, especially in sixth year, she found out about the school's secret craving to be inducted into the Golden Trio. From there she'd been distant friends with the twins and their deaths, however they came about, didn't seem to click in her brain. Michael Corner had been one thing…but she'd never really known him. Even Dennis Creevy's death hadn't had as big an impact on her, he was in a different year after all. But Padma and especially Parvati…this one hurt.

"How?" She managed to squeak out, tears of her own in her eyes.

Seamus looked away and put his hand to his neck as if he were debating whether or not to tell her. Finally giving in, he leaned forwards, his eyes not quite meeting her own- as if he were staring into another distant world.

"After we found Denis and searched for Ginny and Colin, we headed back towards Hogwarts. The dust had settled more so it wasn't that bad. We were running through the forest, and were at the edge of it, almost to where the castle used to be when we heard all this commotion. It was Harry. Naturally, we ran towards it to see if we could help when we saw him up in the air.

A Death Eater came right behind us so I pushed Lavender into some nearby bushes. From there we watched as Voldemort made his speech and well…you know the rest. Once Harry was…" Seamus seemed unable to say it "…gone, we heard these screams coming from right beside us. As the Death Eaters and Voldemort celebrated, this other Death Eater was watching the forest, looking for friends of Harry to have some kind of reaction. Apparently, Parvati had started crying.

This guy swooped down and dragged them both out of the bushes right next to us. _Right_ next to us. We had no idea…that whole time they were there…we didn't know. He didn't think to look for us. They're the ones who saved our own pathetic lives. Because they died…we're alive." Seamus was beginning to raise his voice, a voice that was chalk full of heartache. Lavender was sitting there silently crying while Seamus battled tears in his own eyes.

Hermione had never seen something so…heartbreaking. It just tore at her to see them like this. Wiping a stray tear off her own face, she urged Seamus to continue.

"They dragged them both out. Voldemort broke away from the celebrations to look them over. He questioned them about where the rest of us were. They wouldn't tell them anything, Parvati kept crying about Harry. He really liked that that bastard. From there, he tortured them. In front of our own eyes, he put them under Crucio. I-I can't describe what it was like. Their screams…they just…" Seamus shuddered "I won't ever be able to forget them. By that time Lav was sobbing. I was crying too. He set Padma's hair on fire. When the flames reached her scalp she just-" Seamus broke off, tears slipping down his face. He wiped them up, ashamed. "Sorry" He mumbled.

Hermione's tears suddenly didn't seem enough. Her hand was covering her horrified open mouth, and her whole body seemed rooted to the spot.

"It's okay mate. We understand." Ron's strained voice said. He wasn't crying, but tears were shimmering in his blue eyes.

"D-Dean was with them though. I'm hoping he's still alive. Obviously we searched for him in the bushes but he wasn't there." Seamus said. "That's all we know of everyone."

"Thanks for filling us in" Ron said softly, patting Seamus on the back.

Silently, Hermione crossed over to where Lavender sat, tears still streaming down her face. Sitting next to the girl, she took her into her arms. At the gesture, Lavender burst into open sobs. "I'm so sorry" She whispered. "I-I know they were your best friends."

Lavender nodded through her tears. "Yea…they were," She whispered

"I know what it feels like to loose a best friend" Hermione whispered gently, wiping all her tears away

"I know"

"I really am sorry"

"I know you are. I'm sorry about Harry too."

"I feel really guilty." Hermione confessed. "All those screams that Ron and I heard all night long. I wished for them to stop. But I never stopped to think about who they belonged to. T-That must have been unbelievable to watch."

"It should have been me. They were the ones with the plans for their lives, they were the smart ones, they were the best people I ever met. And what am I? I didn't want to fight in the first place. I only went so I wasn't left behind."

"No one wanted to go." Hermione replied gently

"But still…what good have I ever done? I wasn't clever at school like you, I wasn't funny, I couldn't play Quidditch…I was a good flirt and I was pretty. My favorite subject was mealtimes where I could catch up on gossip. I mean what a wasted life! Padma was in Ravenclaw, she was so smart! Parvati was really good at school too, she was always explaining things to me, but she was funny. They had so much going for them. Why am I the one alive and they're the ones lying there dead!"

"Sh…Don't say things like that. You were in Gryffindor, we all know you're brave. You rescued Ron and I, if that wasn't courageous I don't know what else was. Did you know that in the morning I was going to be raped by Voldemort and killed? You and Seamus saved my life. And probably Ron's too eventually. So don't say that you haven't done anything. You've done one of the best things you possibly can. Parvati and Padma gave their lives for you and Seamus, and because of that, Ron and I are living."

Lavender wiped her tears away and sniffed. "You were going to be raped by Voldemort?"

"Yea" Hermione replied looking at her hands. "In some mad attempt to hurt Ron."

"I'm sorry"

"Don't be sorry. You saved me from it. But I've been wondering…how exactly did you know where Ron and I were?"

Lavender looked up "Seamus? You want to take this one, I'm too tired."

"Sure Lav, you want to go to bed?"

"I'll just take a quick nap. I'll be up in an hour." She said kissing his cheek and switching positions with Ron so that she was in the darkest corner of the tiny "cave."

Ron was watching their interactions curiously. "So are you two together as well?" He asked in a soft tone so that Lavender was able to sleep.

"Nah." Seamus said "We're just friends. But you can't help but feel close to someone who went through all that hell with you, you know? Anyways, about you guys." He said in a business like manner. "Sorry to say that the story you guys are in isn't very exciting. But I'll do my best to lavish it up for you." To this, Hermione had to smile. "So after all that, we were sitting in those bushes, crying and stuff when we heard a Death Eater from the jail walk out to join the celebrations. He walked over to Voldemort and announced that they had captured you both.

Obviously Lavender and I freaked out, especially after what we'd just seen, and listened carefully. Voldemort asked what cell you were in so that he was able to visit you later and the guy told him. We were so shocked though. Nobody had heard or seen from you, no one had any information. For all we knew you both had died with Harry or something. But to hear that you two were alive…well it wasn't a hard decision to rescue you both.

We knew that the Death Eaters wouldn't leave the area that night so I carried Lavender who had practically fainted with all the stress back to this place and we waited it out. You should have seen her, I've never seen anyone cry so much. She never stopped, even in her dreams. In the morning, Death Eaters were sent to search out people like us who had escaped the war. Most were and still are living in the forest. It was terrifying. You never knew when they'd come for you, if you were next. Lavender learned how to cry silently. But Michael's body and this tree probably saved our lives. They never came near us.

Then tonight we snuck out. I lifted Lavender up to that little window to see which cell you were and if there was a crack in the wall that we could enlarge. We got lucky getting it right the first time. And that's it. You both know the story from there."

"Wow" Ron said "I had no idea…thanks Seamus. Really. We owe you our lives. So if there's anything we can ever do to repay you both, you just name it"

"Don't. Please. We'd both hate it I promise. This was our way of dealing with Parvati and Padma's deaths. I'd feel too guilty to accept anything."

"But Seamus-" Hermione started

"Shush. No more." Seamus said firmly "Now, we need to talk about tonight."

"Didn't we just-" Ron asked, confused

"No, I mean what's to come for tonight."

"What?"

"We're escaping"

"Tonight?" Hermione asked, bewildered. They'd just escaped from prison, barely escaped death. She physically couldn't. She was too emotional drained.

"Yes tonight" Seamus said "In the morning they'll realize you're gone and trust me, by the way Voldemort sounded when he found out that you both were captured, he will not be happy and he _will_ find us. I can guarantee that."

"Where are we going?" Ron asked

"America" Seamus said, "Lavender has an aunt who lives in some remote city there, we can stay there."

"But…how?" Ron asked

"Well we had two plans. Do you have your wands with you?" Ron and Hermione shook their heads no. "That's what I figured. We'll just have to try Plan B."

"Which is?"

"We escape Hogwarts grounds by foot and reach King's Cross. From there, we can take a train to the Leaky Cauldron. We can go to Diagon Alley and buy you both wands. There's no way we can spend the night there though, there will be too many spies. So immediately, we'll apparate to America. And don't even think of telling me we can't apparate cause we're underage, Hermione." Seamus said, noticing her open mouth.

Ron smirked and Hermione rolled her eyes at them both. "No, that wasn't what I was going to say."

"Well then," Seamus said, bowing his head "The floor is yours."

"Thanks. I appreciate you having a plan Seamus but this isn't going to work."

Sniggering Seamus asked in an amused voice, "Why not?"

"Because" Hermione said indignantly "With Harry gone, Voldemort will have access to Ministry files, if he doesn't already. Every time you apparate, it goes on file. He'll just be able to check where our latest apparation was and find us."

Seamus's face fell. Obviously he had not thought of such a thing. "Oh. I forgot about that"

Ron's worried face turned to her. "Do you have another plan?"

"Not exactly. But I know that we can't travel magically. It'll be just too easy to track down. We need to do it the Muggle way."

"Alright I'm fine with that," Seamus said. "But how do we get to America the Muggle way without Muggle money?"

Hermione sighed, "We can't. I don't have enough money to buy a plane ticket for four people. Or a boat ticket. We can't go to America."

Seamus's face opened in protest. "But we have to! That's the farthest away place that we have connections!"

"Exactly." Hermione said, "We need to go somewhere he won't expect. No where too far, or too close. He'll look there first. And we should stay in Europe with magical people that will be able to help us."

"What about my family in Ireland?" Seamus offered

"Too close. I'm sorry"

"Eh…your right."

"Hermione, I know you want to pick the perfect place but I don't know people who live in other European countries!" Ron cried, "The first real foreign witch or wizard I met was at the Triwizard tournament!"

Ron's words sent Hermione's brain into overactive mode. Triwizard tournament, foreign witch or wizard who would take them in, European country that was pretty far away…That was it!

"What is it?" Seamus asked seeing her face

"I've got it" Hermione breathed, running through her idea real fast to search for loopholes.

"Who?" Ron asked

Hermione looked at Ron. "You're not going to like it." She said truthfully

"Just tell me!" He rolled his eyes

"Wait, do I know them?" Seamus asked

Ignoring Seamus's question, Hermione kept staring at Ron, waiting for the connection to click in his brain. Suddenly his face lit up with the answer, and then darkened dangerously. Panicking, his turned towards Hermione. "Oh No…no, no, no, no, no…not him…please Hermione!"

"Ron…" She warned. "Don't go there"

"Hermione! There has to be someone else!"

"No Ron!" She cried seriously, "There is no one else! It's perfect! Admit it! You know we'll be safe there, he's rich enough to hide us safely, he'll have a lot of news, we can take the train there, and most importantly, no one will ever suspect it!"

"Hermione…" Ron moaned

"What's wrong?" Seamus asked, sincerely confused, not catching on to whatever they were talking about.

Hermione turned towards him, "Seamus, we're going to Bulgaria!"

"Bulgaria?" He scrunched up his face. "What's there? Who we know in Bulgaria?"

"Vicktor Krum" She sighed, rubbing her head, trying to relieve herself of a growing headache.

Seamus looked from Hermione to Ron, who was fuming in the corner, his face bright red. A smirk lit up his face as he realized exactly what Vicktor Krum symbolized to Ron and he sniggered. "Bloody Hell! This is going to be good!"

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(A/N: Wow this chapter just flew by. Sorry to end it where I did. More to come I promise! Please let me know whatcha think! Hugs, Haystack)


	25. Chapter TwentyFive: The Race Begins

(A/N: I'll be honest with everyone here. For some reason, about halfway through this chapter I stopped writing completely, my mind was on overdrive with other personal matters and I couldn't for the life of me think of how to begin the next paragraph. Once I was reassured for the sixth time that my friend was okay, I sat down last night to try again and wrote about five or six more pages. So in my opinion, this chapter isn't my best and is about 5 pages shorter than last chapter but it was the best I could do at the time. It really flies by so it feels even shorter, but this means that next chapter should be that much easier to write. So I apologize about the update but there was no way I could have written any more after Wednesday. I really appreciate the reviews, they sincerely brighten up my day! So thank you again, to all of you who ever so faithfully put up with me and my updates and continue to provide such wonderful and enthusiastic reviews. It's kind of hard to say how much more of this story will be left, but I think it's fair to say that it will a while: probably more than 9 chapters. So here is Chapter Twenty-Five, hope you all enjoy it, and I will have Chapter Twenty-Six out very soon! Thank you all so much! Haystack)

To my wonderful reviewers…I'm sorry but the responses must be shorter than normal! ;(

Bhekie: Thanks so much for reviewing! Things are really heating up aren't they?

Legofiance: I hope your computer gets better! Lol your review made me laugh! Thanks so much!

cumbacksirius: I'm glad to see you haven't forgotten about Ginny. And neither have I. But unfortunately it'll be several chapters till we find out about her. Sorry! Thanks for reviewing!

Alicia-B: lol you know we well. I was considering making Lav. & Seamus Death Eaters but liked this better. Yup, escape will not be easy for them! Thanks for reviewing!

Ron'n'Hermione: I agree, Lavender used to bother me, so I thought to shed some light on her character & make her more real. Sorry you're getting antsy about Voldie but I'm afraid that it's not planned for that info to be reveled for a long time, try to hold on for me! Thanks for reviewing!

dancerrdw: Glad you're enjoying it! Thank you soo much for reviewing!

doublelily: haha glad to see that I've got you stumped. I'm honored that you would stay up till 230 for moi! Hehee…Thanks for reviewing!

Princess Storm: I must say you're the one who probed this dreaded chapter along! So thanks for that! I'm ever so happy you're liking everything! Thanks again for reviewing my other stories too! You're so sweet!

RedRose013: Glad you liked the way things are turning out! It was a spontaneous decision to set them free, but it's really for the better. They deserve a little happiness, poor kids! Lol Thanks for reviewing!

EvelyneJ: haha I'm glad you liked the ending! I'm so used to ending a chapter with sadness or drama that this was a refresher for me! Lol Gotta love Ron! Yes, the two have much in store for them! Thanks for reviewing!

suckr4romance81789: Aw drat! I had to re-write your response because I accidentally included something that is not yet public (hehee). I want to tell you guys so much, it's so hard not to! Phew! Okay I'm okay now, sorry bout that! Lol Yup…Bulgaria. This will actually be very interesting to see how it turns out. Thanks for reviewing!

AmyChris: Yes I rather like this new mature Lavender and Hermione as friends. Though I still like Hermione and Ginny as best friends, I just think it'll be nice and refreshing, something new! Thanks so much for your sweet review! So glad you're liking the story!

ShimmeringEvil: Glad you liked the ending! Lol Ron is a kick…gosh I love him! Thank you sooo much for reviewing!

vacant xpressi0ns: haha yes…Bulgaria. Though who's to say we'll make it there? Oooh dramatic music Lol, something to mediate on. Thanks for letting me know you switched pen names, and I love this new one, very original! Thanks so much for reviewing!

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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: THE RACE BEGINS

No matter what they said, Ron and Hermione couldn't seem to convince Seamus to go to bed. They both offered, proclaiming it their duty to be on watch as a small token to say thank you, but he was firm in his decision. Secretly, Hermione thanked Merlin he had resisted so fiercely, she wasn't sure she would have been able to stay awake a moment longer.

Agreeing to wake up in about an hour or two, Hermione, after kissing Seamus on the cheek, settled on the ground, more comfortable than she'd been in two days, despite the fact that the rock floor was much harder than the soft dirt of the prison cell.

Sighing contently, she scooted over next to Lavender, thinking of her luck and the narrow escape that would come soon. If they could just get off of Hogwarts grounds without being caught, they would be okay. Not to say that from there on, it would be easy. Someone could easily recognize them on the train. But as Hermione remembered her reflection in the puddle, she found it unlikely. Besides, everyone thought she and Ron had died along with Harry, right?

The thought of what the rest of the Wizarding world knew, struck Hermione, and for a moment she wondered about the Weasley family. No doubt Mr. Weasley had been called in to help fight by either Dumbledore or the Ministry but it was Mrs. Weasley's reaction that Hermione couldn't bear to picture. With Fred and George in Hogsmeade and Ron and Ginny at Hogwarts, she cringed as she thought of what the poor woman's reaction must have been to the news of the war. She wondered if she knew if Harry was dead. Did the world realize that they had lost their hero? That without Harry to stop Voldemort eventually evil would conquer over good?

That was something Hermione couldn't seem to comprehend. She'd never heard of story in where goodness failed and evil won. How could darkness really and truly destroy all? Running to Bulgaria wouldn't help them then. They could only run for so long…it was only a matter of time, whether it was days or years, that Voldemort would find them. Thankful that she at least had the chance to find out how much time was left, her stomach twisted nervously with the thought of the escape. If they made one wrong move, it was all over. Voldemort and his followers wouldn't waste any time, they would kill them on the spot. This was it.

Knowing that she'd need her energy, she closed her eyes, savoring the feel of being squished between Lavender and Ron. Her friends surrounded her, and for the moment, she was safe. With that thought alone to ease her mind, Hermione easily slid into sleep, a smile on her face…

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She was jerked away from a blissful sleep, a pair of foreign hands shaking her back into reality and away from the dream world she favored. Snapping her eyes open, she sat up, rubbing her tired eyes.

"I know, I know." She mumbled. "I'm up"

"Good" Seamus said briskly, "Help me wake Ron while I wake up Lavender"

Nodding, not fully awake yet, she crawled over to where her red haired boyfriend slept on. Smiling, she crawled on top of him and kissed the area she knew he was most sensitive, right below his ear.

"Mmm…I could get used to waking up every morning like this!" Ron exclaimed, eyes still closed

"Oy Hermione!" Seamus cried in horror, a few feet away. "I said wake him up, but I didn't mean like that!"

Hermione giggled, not quite sure why she was so giddy. "Wake up!" She cried, pulling at Ron's arm

"Five more minutes" He mumbled

"No Ron" She whispered sweetly, kissing his lips quickly. "We need to leave, remember?"

"mm…Why can't we just stay here? This is nice" Ron said through his sleep.

"Because we're not safe here you git. Up now!"

"Well enlighten me Miss Granger, where exactly where we will be safe?"

She sighed. "Nowhere Ron. But we'll be safest in Bulgaria. Now up before I have to use your full name in front of Lavender and Seamus!"

Ron's eyes snapped open and he sat up immediately. Hermione smirked "Honestly Ron, your full name isn't that bad is it?"

Eyes darting around rapidly, Ron looked frightened out of his wits. "So you weren't kidding last night when you said we'd stay with Krum?"

Hermione's eyes bulged. Was he serious! Of course she hadn't been kidding! "You did not just ask that Ronald Weasley" She said in an astonished voice that made a sleepy Lavender Brown raise her head in both curiosity and annoyance.

"Hermione you know how I feel about that git!" Ron cried, throwing his hands up into the air.

"Before we were friends you thought he was greatest guy in the world! You were the one pushing to befriend him, you remember that?"

"No" He said stubbornly

Hermione threw her hands up in exasperation. Gritting her teeth she turned around to face Seamus who was desperately trying not to laugh. Irritated, she scowled at him. "It's not funny Seamus!"

Seamus simply burst into a series of chuckles. "You have no idea how bloody funny it is Hermione!"

"Don't curse" She sighed

Lavender smiled and she got up and threw on her cloak, tying it into a perfect bow much like Hermione's. "Glad to see some things never change"

Once everyone was ready and Seamus had transfigured some more pebbles into food, the four simply stared at each other. It looked no different outside, but Seamus assured them that it was early, early morning and that this would be their best time to escape. Unsure exactly how to begin this, everyone turned to Seamus expectantly.

"Right" He mumbled, noticing all the stares. "Okay so basically let me review the plan. We run as far as we can until we reach King's Cross. From there we board a train set to Bulgaria. Then, we follow Hermione to Krum's place. If we get lost, separated, or ambushed, keep on going. Any questions?"

Hermione's stomach suddenly dropped. She hadn't thought about that. What would she do if she and Ron got separated? Would she be able to keep on running? No…there was no way. And yet…if she were the one captured, she would want Ron to run. The future looming in front of her, Hermione closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to calm her nerves; she needed her wits about her if she was going to be able to do this.

The group nodded solemnly. Standing up and crawling towards the entrance, everyone filed in behind Seamus, their hearts beating fast and palms sweating. Hermione followed Lavender out of the "cave", with Ron close behind her.

Carefully, they walked slowly, avoiding twigs at all costs. But it was pretty difficult, as they were in a forest. No one said a word and the eerie silence made the hairs on her neck stand up. Shivering, she inhaled a shaky breath of the cool night air, her eyes scanning over the forest as they walked.

Dodging behind trees when they could, the group desperately tried to blend in with the forestry. Ron even got so into it, he began to press his back against every tree they passed, imitating a kind of spy move Hermione had seen once in a movie. She fought back a smile, and shook her head at herself, now was not the time.

So caught up in her thoughts, she barely comprehended that Seamus had stopped. Bumping into Lavender, she shot her an apologetic glance, looking behind her at Ron who raised his eyebrows at her and smirked.

Looking ahead of Seamus to see why they had stopped, her breath fell short. There was nothing there…but she could hear voices. Panicking, she made eye contact with Lavender, whose eyes were bulged out. Seamus bit his lips nervously and finally, with the sound of footsteps, motioned for them to hide in the nearby bushes.

Diving into the bushes, Hermione gasped with pain as the branches scratched at her skin, creating new cuts of all sorts along her arms and face. She wanted to cry out in pain, her skin now bleeding, but instead bit her tongue as hard as she could until she felt the taste of blood well up in mouth.

Rubbing at the scratches, she froze with the sound of someone approaching. The snaps of twigs were getting closer, and the heavy breathing of what seemed like a large man grew louder. Frantic, Hermione looked around her for Ron. He wasn't there.

Fear suddenly consuming her, she finally spotted a spot of red hair in the bushes opposite her. Lavender too, was looking for Seamus. Neither of them could find him.

Grabbing each other's hands, the girls huddled together, trying to hold their breaths in order not to be heard.

"Did you hear!" An extremely loud and upset male voice shouted over their heads

"No. What happened?" Another voice asked, brimming with curiosity and excitement.

"They escaped!" The voice exclaimed in disbelief

"Who?" The same voice responded

"Weasley and Granger"

Lavender shot Hermione a look that clearly said, 'I told you so'

"No! No way! B-but how?"

"No one knows"

Hermione crossed her fingers. This was good…if they couldn't trace their escape to anyone else alive, then maybe it would be easier to get away. After all, they would be expecting two people to escape, not four.

The Death Eater sighed. "Merlin…" He breathed, "This isn't going to be pretty."

"You're telling me! Malfoy's people were in charge of guarding them!"

"Bloody Hell! So you think Malfoy will get it as well?"

"You know our Master. If one makes a mistake, everyone related to it pays in blood"

Though it seemed a strange sensation, for one fleeting moment, Hermione felt bad for Malfoy. It was her escape that would bring the death of his father, and though in no way was she sorry for Lucius Malfoy, she could relate to the horrors that would soon come to pass for him. But in instant, the feeling was gone, and worry for herself and her friends took up the rest of her mind.

"Do we have any leads as to where they might be?"

Hermione held her breath.

"No. The best we can assume is that they're in the forest. Seems like the most logical place to hide."

That wasn't that bad. They'd soon be out of the forest anyways.

"I still can't believe it. I mean they're just a bunch of kids. All three of them were. How they managed to live like this, I'll never know. Faced a whole bunch of horrors in their lifetimes didn't they? Not many 17 year olds could escape from such a heavily guarded place."

Hermione's mouth open in surprise. Who would have guessed that even her enemies understood some of what her life was like? Even slightly admired her for it?

"Better keep that kind of admiration to yourself. If anyone hears you saying that, you'll be the one to deliver the news to our Lord. I wouldn't fancy the bloke who has that job. Near death sentence that is."

"Very true." The man yawned "Well I suppose I'll go switch posts with Baker. I'll probably join you in an hour or so to help you search the forest. Good luck, and thanks for filling me in, I'll let you know if I see anything."

"Sure thing. See you later then. Bye"

Hermione pressed her fingernails into her palm. This was it, if the man could walk by them without suspicion, they would be okay for now. The four of them could easily slip past one Death Eater. But if they got caught…it would all be over. Closing her eyes and trying to concentrate on holding her breath in, she made her body go rigid, never moving.

The footsteps were coming closer…there! They were right in front of her. She couldn't breathe! Why wasn't he moving? He was supposed to walk onwards! Why had he stopped? She hadn't heard anything. What was wrong?

Tempted to peek at what was going on, she felt as though someone had punched her in the good when she heard the sudden rush of feet and a strangled cry. NO!

She closed her eyes desperately and bit her lip as hard as she could to try to block out the cry.

"GOTCHA!" The Death Eater exclaimed "HEY NOTT! NOTT COME QUICK! I GOT ONE OF THEM!"

"Ahh!" The voice of Seamus Finnegan cried

Hermione sat up. What were they supposed to do? They couldn't sit here and watch this happen! But at the same time, she couldn't reveal herself! The inner turmoil was mixing around in her stomach, and she grabbed it painfully. Peeking through the branches, she saw Seamus trying to twist his body around as the Death Eater held him tightly by his long hair. She felt sick. She couldn't take this. Reaching into her back pocket for her wand, she remembered suddenly with horror that she no longer had it.

Panic seizing her, she looked once again at Seamus. The Death Eater was turned away, calling for backup when suddenly in a flash of brilliance, Seamus managed to tear away to him.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" His clear voice rang out through the forest, echoing a bit.

The body hit the dirt floor with a thud as shouts of more Death Eaters became audible.

Looking up with horror smitten across his face, he shouted, "RUN!"

Springing up immediately, Hermione grabbed Lavender's hand as they jumped over the bush and ran as fast as they could, Ron meeting them and grabbing a hold of Hermione's other hand.

From holding her breath in for so long, and now this sudden sprint, Hermione's lungs felt as if they were about to explode, the stress on them was so high. Concentrating solely on breathing in and out in a rhythmic pattern, desperately trying to tune out to beating of her frightened heart, she gained more strength and pushed herself forwards.

There was a mob behind them, that much she could tell. They were shouting curses she knew as random colors of light lit the way for them through the dark forest, but they were still too far away to have any effect on them. Preferring to keep it that way, she somehow managed to make her legs go even faster, a strength she never knew she possessed taking control of her. The race towards freedom had really begun now.

There had been times in the past two days where she ran as fast as she could, each time beating her previous record. But now…this beat all other records. Not the sprint to get to Harry, the sprint to get to Ron, or even the sprint to rush into a burning Hogwarts, beat this run. It was at a speed she never knew existed, something that surprised her greatly. After all, she'd had many good runs in her lifetime.

They'd exited the forest now and were on open ground, no trees surrounded them, helping to shield curses from their backs, they were now on their own.

This was the part they needed to run faster at, but energy quickly drained out of Hermione. She was exhausted, her heart ready to burst, the sudden exercise in her weak condition simply too much to handle. The others were slowing down as well.

But the mob was gaining momentum, feeding off each other and slowly closing in the distance between the two groups. Panicking, she tried to make her legs take longer strides but they were too sore, she must have pulled a muscle in them earlier on.

By now, she could feel the heat being radiated as curses were sent flying into the air. "Weave around!" Ron shouted to the group, "We'll be harder to hit."

Obeying orders, Hermione weaved to the left, and back to the right. It required more energy though, something she was short of at the moment. Her pace slowing down considerably, she tried her hardest to remain up to speed but it was physically impossible. She needed rest, she needed food, she needed water!

"GET EM BOYS!" A shout rang through her ear. The mob was upon them…she had to keep running, she couldn't get caught…not after everything…not now.

But it was no use. As she was hit with a curse she didn't know and fell to the ground, she looked up just in time to see both Ron and Seamus fall down as well.

An intense pain seared in her stomach, as if it'd been sliced open. Screaming out in pain, she clutched it as she kneeled over. Examining her hands, and noticing their red color, she immediately looked down at her abdomen. Blood was soaking through her robes.

"HERMIONE!" Lavender's voice suddenly screamed, as the girl realized that Hermione hadn't followed her.

Death Eaters continued to approach Lavender as Hermione watched her look about wildly. Noticing that both Ron and Seamus were down, all color drained from the beautiful girl's face. "ACCIO WAND!" She suddenly screamed as Seamus's wand flew into her hand. Killing off Death Eaters as she went, Lavender struggled to get to Hermione.

As a rough hand grabbed her shoulder, pushing her to ground, Hermione had enough time to see Lavender make her way towards her. Praying she got there in time, she grimaced as the man smacked her head, her face getting smeared with dirt in the process. When she heard a grunt and the pressure on her back was lifted, she knew he was dead.

Gingerly sitting up, she looked into Lavender's petrified face. "COME ON!" She cried, grabbing Hermione's arm and helping her onto her feet.

"What about Ron and Seamus?" She asked, looking around for the two boys.

"Over there!" Lavender pointed to Seamus who was looking around, punching a Death Eater in the process. Ron was lying on the ground.

"RON!" She screamed, desperately trying to make her way over to him.

"Hermione no, we need to go" Lavender shouted, pulling on her arm.

"NO! I can't leave him!" She protested, trying to fight Lavender back

"LAVENDER!" Seamus cried "WAND!"

"Right!" Lavender said, throwing the stick over her head. It fell to the ground, but Seamus summoned it with accio.

"YOU BOTH GO ON!" He shouted "I'LL GET RON!"

"NO!' Hermione exclaimed, breaking free of Lavender's grip and running over to where Ron lay. He was clutching his chest and using his free arm to try to propel himself forwards. Kneeling down next to Ron's body she grabbed his hand. "Ron! Ron!"

He looked at her with wide eyes. "Go 'Mione! I'll be fine! Hurry!"

"Are you mental? Ron you know I'll never leave you!"

Ron sighed in what appeared to be annoyance. Most of the Death Eaters were dead, and the others had retreated…but they would be back; the four knew that much. There wasn't much time left until they would come again.

"Hermione this is no time to be"

"What are you talking about!" She asked, horrified, realizing what he was saying. "You haven't been able to get rid of me for seven years, you think I'm just going to abandon you now!"

"Hermione!" Ron said sternly, "Look at me. This isn't time to get emotional. Seamus and I will meet up with you two soon. He's just going to need to help me along. I'm not mortally wounded or anything. We have a wand anyways. Just go"

Hermione bit her lip. She couldn't leave him. Yet…deep down she knew she had to.

"HERMIONE COME ON! MORE OF THEM ARE COMING!" Lavender shrieked suddenly, pulling at her.

"Please 'Mione" Ron said, his eyes begging. "Please go!"

A tear slipped out of her eyes without knowledge. Bending down and placing a quick kiss on his lips she squeezed his hand. "I love you," She whispered

"I love you too," He said, "Now go!"

As Hermione grabbed onto Lavender and began to run, more tears somehow found their way onto her face. They were running past the remains of Hogwarts. Knowing it could be the last time she ever saw the school she'd loved so much, she stole a quick glance at it before stealing a glance at the other thing she was leaving behind. And as she spun around, saw the massive group of Death Eaters, and heard the scream, suddenly the pain she was feeling in her stomach, was little compared to the wound in her heart.

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	26. Chapter TwentySix: Connections

(A/N: Good news everybody! I'm starting to catch up with my writing, in the sense that I'll be one chapter a head of you all, making my updates much much much faster! These chapters just kind of flow together so things are looking up! Yay! This chapter is kind of short but don't worry about the update, I'll have that up within two or three days. Um…not much else to say. Thanks so much for the reviews as always! Much love, Haystack)

To my reviewers…

Mr. Hifey: I'm very sorry that you do not like my story. Though I must say, it amused me that you said, "This is a horrible story" and yet you reviewed chapter 23 and mentioned hating the fact that Harry died. I suppose it wasn't horrible enough for you to stop reading, I mean you must admit, I had you going for 23 chapters! I am sorry but I simply cannot take your review seriously. But I suppose it's always good to hear someone else's opinion. So I guess in that respect I must thank you for even taking the time to hit the review button. I will do that much.

Princess Storm: Thanks so much as always for your never ceasing support and sweet reviews! I really am glad that you feel in a different world with this fic, that makes me feel really good! But then again, we all owe Miss JKR for this world to begin with! Fantasy worlds like these have been my escapes from some pretty hard times before so it means a lot to me to know that hopefully I can create that for other people as well! So thank you again, and as for your P.S. (that things in my life will go better) I especially appreciate that, and you can rest assured that everything is back to normal as of now.

doublelily: I'm glad to hear that your emotions run high, the depressing plot does require a lot of energy and emotional capacity to withstand it. Lol, hopefully the update was better and again, thanks so much for so faithfully reviewing. As for the story ending, you won't have to worry about that for a while! ;)

suckr4romance81789: lol yes, you are the lucky person who almost made me spill what is to come in chapter twenty seven I think. I can't remember what question you asked but it was extremely tempting to just tell you! Ahh! I wish I could have the time to just write and write, but too bad for me, they make me go to school! Lol thanks for reviewing!

Legofiance: Thank you very much for bringing up the subject of Hermione's cut, wound, slash, thingy. I had written the last chapter in a hurry so I wasn't sure if anyone would notice, but I'm glad you did! I'll address that a bit this chapter and a lot in chapter twenty-seven, and though the timing for everything might not be realistic I'm going to try! Again, thanks for reviewing!

Bhekie: haha your review made me laugh again! I'm sorry that you've had to say "Omg" for five days but the next chapter should be an even quicker update! Lol thanks so much for so faithfully reviewing!

AmyChris: Aw you always have such sweet reviews! Thanks! As for Ron/Seamus, I desperately want to tell you here what their fates are, but I'm afraid I can't! I'm sorry! Just another reason for me to hurry up with the updates right? Hehee….thanks as always for your support!

vacant xpressi0ns: Hmm…well I suppose you're the judge on if this update timing requires that "or else" or not. Lol! Another clever review that brought a smile to my face! I'm terribly sorry for ending where I did but I'm afraid there's not much more I could have written that wouldn't' have been considered another chapter! My deepest regrets. Thanks for reviewing!

ShimmeringEvil: lol yup things are getting kinda crazy aren't they? I'm currently at another plot deliema so we'll have to see where things go from here. I've got my direction and my goal, I just don't know quite how to get there. Lol anyways…glad you're loving the story so much! I'm so very lucky to have such wonderful sweet and faithful reviewers like you! Thanks!

RainDateChick: Aw your review made me smile! It also made me sit down and write as well though so don't worry, your cries were heard! Lol I don't think I come right out and say who screamed but hopefully by the end of the chapter you should have an idea who did! Hehee…thanks for reviewing!

Ron'n'Hermione: I'm afraid there's not much I can answer for you here that I don't make reference to this chapter. But please if you still have questions feel completely free to ask me! Hopefully I should have cleared things up a bit more by the end of this chapter and chapter twenty-seven should also clear more things up as well! Thank you soo much for continuing to stay with me on this crazy story!

dancerrdw: Glad you liked the last chapter and hopefully the update was better. You want to know what I just realized? You're almost always the first person to review a chapter! Isn't that cool? It means a lot to me that you'd be so quick with your responses and I want you to know that I appreciate them very much! Thanks for staying with me!

And now my lovely lovely reviewers….the next chapter!

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: CONNECTIONS

Hermione's body was numb with pain. She couldn't move. Her heart was withering inside of her, throbbing weakly, trying to find the energy to continue living. She was detached from the world, a world that suddenly, Hermione wanted no part of.

How had her life turned out so horrifically? Why must the world continue to plot against her? Was it too much to ask to be happy? It wasn't fair…she'd paid her dues in advance. The game was over, she'd surrendered and given in; yet fate continued to torture her so. It was the farthest thing from funny.

She was reclined back, her feet on the seat in front of her, watching her life slip away from her as she watched the countryside roll by. Lavender hovered near her, watching her like a mother watches her first-born child. Hermione sighed with guilt as she thought of all Lavender had done for her, and how she had treated her in response.

Lavender had heard the scream as well. She knew what it meant. Yet she, unlike Hermione, refused to look back. She'd played the game before; she knew how things went; you made alliances with people, yet in the end, it was every man for himself.

Hermione began to turn around, but Lavender held onto the girl all the more firmly. They had their orders, and it was obvious that Lavender was going to stick with them, no matter what other personal or emotional matters came up. For that, Hermione secretly admired her, though at the time, she'd hated her. She was what was preventing her from rescuing Ron. That and her health.

Sobbing loud enough to wake up the dead, Hermione had been yanked upon by Lavender, hobbling and running continuously. They'd never stopped for rest and Lavender never once looked back.

Hermione on the other hand was watching as the screams of death echoed to her ears, the group battled out, and her heart was slowly ripped apart. Ron was injured; there was no way he had survived. There had been only one wand between the two of them, and even if Seamus had managed to get him on his feet, there was no way he could protect Ron as well as himself.

She couldn't seem to believe that Ron was dead, but there was no possible way he'd survived. The love of her life was dead, and Hermione wished she were as well. How could she have left him like that? She'd listened to him…when had she ever listened to him! Why did she have to start obeying him now, of all the times! Now he was dead and Hermione was alone in the world, both of her best friends gone.

That pain crippled her. Once her brain realized all this, she fell to ground, leaving poor Lavender with the job of desperately trying to drag her off of Hogwarts ground.

Their escape was one that Hermione couldn't accept as real. They'd emerged from the heart of the battlefield, Hermione from prison itself, Lavender unscathed, and Hermione with only one serious wound. They'd run from Hogwarts to King's Cross Station without meeting a soul. It just seemed too easy, and for that, Hermione was wary.

Against all protests, Lavender had stopped at a Muggle doctor's, to desperately try to stop Hermione's bleeding. The slash on her abdomen was similar to the one she had received in the Department of Mysteries, except running in the opposite direction, creating a lightning bolt zig-zag effect on her front side, a mark that would forever pain her to look at; the shape reminding her too painfully of Harry.

In the pharmacy, a kind old woman who almost had a heart attack when she saw the state the two girls were in, insisted on inviting them to her home, right above the shop. They protested fiercely, it would be too dangerous to spend much time anywhere, but they did accept the comb and the food the woman offered. In addition, Hermione was now bandaged up, with painkillers to help her ease the hurt. Who would have known you could get so much for free in London if you looked bad enough?

Sneaking onto a train set to Bulgaria had been easy, not many people were headed that way, and finding an empty compartment was even easier.

Reclining out, the sensation felt almost foreign to Hermione's body. For days now she'd slept on the earth floor and stone. And now to be suddenly relaxing out on a soft cushion was…unbelievable, and immediately was lulled into a deep sleep.

When she had woken up, she spotted Lavender who was offering her another painkiller with the bottled water the woman had given them. Accepting it, she tried to smile softly at the girl who had already put up so much for her sake, but she found that she couldn't. Not with Ron dead.

Turning to her left, she gazed at the passing countryside and it was there she remained now, contemplating anything and everything. The two never said a word to each other.

But eventually the silence was too much to bear, for either party. Clearing her throat delicately, Lavender tried to catch Hermione's attention. When that didn't work, she simply began to talk.

"So" She began softly, not wanting to push Hermione too far. "Do you know where Krum lives?"

Hermione finally turned her face away from the window and gazed for a moment at Lavender's face.

Once a comb had been run through her beautifully long hair, she appeared more like her old self. With the food and water, and the nap they'd just had, Hermione was struck by how much she actually hadn't changed. Perhaps the same had happened to her, though she didn't have the energy to look at herself. It hurt too much. But it was in her voice…in her eyes that Hermione saw the change within Lavender. She was gentle and soothing towards Hermione, brave and independent, now a war-hardened warrior…qualities that Hermione would have never guessed were lying underneath Lavender's perfect skin.

She shook her head no. "I've never been to Bulgaria" She said in a hoarse voice.

Memories of the past suddenly flashed before her eyes, remembering all too well the letter she had received from Viktor, the summer of fourth year and the stir in her friendship with Ron that had followed.

"_Show me the letter damn it!" _

_Her mouth opened in fury, "How dare you demand something like that from me!" She shrieked, standing up from the couch in the common room that she'd been sitting on._

_Ron's face was redder than she'd ever seen it before. "Fine, then if you won't show it to me, read me what he said!"_

"_It's none of your business!"_

"_Yes it is! I need to know what that git is doing with you!" Ron cried out furiously_

"_He's just my friend Ron! Nothing more!" She replied defensively_

"_He wants something from you! And you're daft if you think I'm going to let him get it!"_

"_HE WANTS FRIENDSHIP!"_

_Ron's lip curled dangerously, as he stepped closer to Hermione, trying to tower over her. "HE WANTS MORE THAN FRIENDSHIP 'MIONE AND YOU KNOW IT! YOU'RE JUST SO WILLING TO GIVE IT TO HIM!"_

"_AND JUST EXACTLY DO YOU THINK HE WANTS! YOU SEEM TO KNOW EVERYTHING HE WANTS, SO WHY DON'T YOU ENLIGHTEN ME!"_

"_HE WANTS YOU TO GO TO BULGARIA SO HE CAN IMPRESS YOU WITH ALL HE HAS, SO THAT YOU'LL FALL HEAD OVER HEELS FOR HIM!" Ron suddenly screamed_

_Hermione's eyes bulged and all anger drained from her. She looked up in fear and amazement at Ron whose eyes held fire in them. Taking a step back from him, she glanced at the letter in her hands. _

**I'd been thinking about this since we left Hogwarts a few weeks ago. Why don't you come to Bulgaria and visit me for a week or so? I miss you and I'm sure you'd love all the history and charm here. I promise to take you on any tour anywhere you want to go. I could even pay for your ticket and such if money would be in the way of your coming. Let me know as soon as you can. **

"_How did you know?" She asked timidly, afraid to meet his gaze. _

"_Ginny told me." He said quietly, looking at the floor._

"_Look Ron I was going to tell you but"_

"_Forget it 'Mione. I shouldn't have gotten so mad. Obviously, you want to be with him, so f-feel free to go" He choked the last part out as if it were difficult to say._

_Hermione glanced at the piece of paper in her hands. Viktor really was just a friend, and she wanted to see Bulgaria, but how could she give Ron the wrong idea? She couldn't leave with him thinking that she had those kinds of feelings towards Viktor. _

"_Thanks for looking out for me Ron" She said quietly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But Viktor really is a good guy. You really should get to know him someday. He's not out to kill me or anything"_

"_I know," He mumbled, avoiding her gaze._

"_But because it bothers you so…I won't go."_

_Ron's head snapped up immediately and his eyes met hers. "Really!"_

_Hermione smiled at him warmly, "Yes."_

"_Hermione, you don't have to do this because of me. I just—I don't like him hanging around you all the time. He always has this look in his eye. And Harry and I wouldn't be there to look after you and…I don't know. I didn't mean for you to give this up for me." _

"_It's okay Ron. I suppose it is kind of sweet to always have the two of you looking after me, though you really need to get this idea of me liking Viktor out of your mind."_

_Ron's eyes lit up. "You think it's sweet?"_

_Blushing a bit, Hermione smiled, "Well, yes."_

Ron grinned his famous lopsided grin and the two stood there smiling at each other like fools in love, though at the time, neither understood the meaning of this moment. Awkwardly, for Ron was only 14 at the time, he took Hermione's hand in his. It was a memory that still sent chills down her spine, and at the time, made her lungs suddenly stop working. Looking up at him with wonder and even a bit of fear he gently squeezed her hand, probably for a bit longer than he should have and said, "I'm really glad you're not going this summer."

_And in that moment, Hermione knew that there was something going on between her and Ron Weasley. Smiling as though the earth had given her everything she could have wanted, she said, "Me too"_

Based by the look on Lavender's face, she was extremely confused why suddenly, a wave of tears spilled over Hermione's face.

"Hermione?" She asked sweetly, a concerned expression on her face "What's wrong?"

Hermione could only shake her head, choking back a sob. Lavender changed seats so that she could sit next to the girl and hug her comfortingly. Leaning into the hug Lavender had offered, Hermione continued to cry. "I-I'm s-sorry" She managed to say

"For what?" Lavender asked

"E-Everything" She cried

"You have nothing to be sorry about. Nothing." Lavender said gently, offering her a napkin to blow her nose into. Hermione took it eagerly. After several moments it was Lavender's soft voice that broke the silence. "I'm the one who should be sorry."

"Why?" Hermione sniffed "You saved me"

"Yea" Lavender said sarcastically, tears of her own building up in her eyes. "And I'm also the one who prevented you from running back there. I dragged you away in the first place. I was so scared for my own life that I made you walk away from the one you had with Ron. I'm not loyal like you are Hermione, what it comes down to is that I'm a coward who cares more about herself than others. That's the truth about me. Just look at everything Seamus did for me. He saved my life, he protected me, he carried me back to safety when I couldn't handle it anymore, he encouraged me, he was there for me when everyone else was gone. And how did I repay him? I ran away without a second glance back. So don't say you're sorry. You've never done anything wrong in life."

"No Lavender…you have it all wrong." Hermione said, composing herself "You were strong, you knew what was best for us, you stuck to the plan. War can't be about staying together. It doesn't work. That's why Ron and I were in prison and you two were free. Seamus and Ron both told us to run, and we did. It was my stupid emotions that got in the way of everything. You see that's my mistake in life. I never told Ron how I felt; I was too scared of messing everything up. I waited until he was on the brink of death to finally confess. But that new love…it's gotten in the way of us doing our job. We were supposed to protect Harry. If we could have just been brave enough to confess our feelings before the war, we could have concentrated on the spells being shot at us instead of each other's safety. We could have saved Harry. None of this would have happened."

"No Hermione. I know you didn't like Divination, but if there's one thing I learned from Trelawney, it's about prophecies and fate. Seers can predict the future, and sure the choices we make can alter the future, but fate…it's above everything. In Greek mythology, fate was the only thing above the gods. It rules our lives. Harry wasn't meant to survive…it-it just wasn't in the cards. It's hard to believe but it's true."

Hermione sighed and looked out the window again. Could Lavender be right? Was it Harry's fate all along to die? Had someone been watching his life roll out before him, knowing all along that he would die trying to save the world? Had they stepped back and let him believe he could win, was his confidence his downfall? Being around Harry…it had made Hermione believe she could do anything. She would look at all he'd accomplished, at such a young age and…she sighed…she had felt invisible, like nothing and no one could bring the three of them down. Yet…something had. Was it fate? Was it a cruel hand of cards that life dealt them? Or was it evil in itself, always out to prey on the good?

Harry's fate was one thing…but it was Ron's that drove her to the edge of her mind. He couldn't really be dead, not when she finally was free. She'd actually made it! Survived that torture, both physically and emotional, she'd persevered, she had overcome. But besides Lavender…she was utterly alone in this world. Her school was burnt to the ground, along with it all her belongings, precious books, and her future. She was without a Hogwarts full education, without her wand, and without money. All she had were the clothes on her back. Turning to Lavender, who at the moment seemed to hold so much wisdom, and she asked the question that had been burning in her mind ever since she left Hogwarts ground.

"Do…Do you think it was in our fates for us to escape? For us to still be alive?" She asked softly, her arms wrapped around herself.

Lavender blinked several times as she tried to comprehend the question Hermione was asking. She pondered for a moment or two, looking at her hands and twiddling them around. Finally, she sighed and looked up into Hermione's eyes. "Yes…and no"

"Even with both of the boys probably dead?"

"I believe that it was luck that you and I managed to get through alive. Luck and timing. But fate…I believe it was fate that you survived."

"What?" Hermione asked, shocked.

"Fate is bigger than just a power predicting your outcome. I believe that it was fate for at least one of the golden trio to survive. Harry's fate had been sealed a long time ago, it only makes sense that it should be you and not Ron."

Tears threatened to well up in her eyes again, Hermione tried to blink them away. "What do you mean? Why me instead of Ron?"

"Ron has been protective of you since day one. I know you would have gladly given up your life for him, but it's different. He felt it was his right, his _duty_ to protect you. Like it was his job. And after seven years of developing this way of thinking, it just seems natural for him to end up being the one who gave his life for you, and not the other way around."

"But what about you?" She asked curiously "You don't think it was fate that you survived."

"No. My life isn't important the way yours is. The center of focus was Harry, and after Harry, you and Ron. The rest of us Gryffindors came after you three. Fate is blurry, you can never see it directly. Harry's fate was sealed. The fate of the last remaining member of the golden trio was between you and Ron. As for the rest of us, it was obvious that some would die, and some would survive. I just happen to be one that survived. Parvati had bad timing and that's why she was chosen as one to be sacrificed for the cause."

"But what if everyone ends up dead? Or if Seamus and Ron really aren't dead?"

"Then that'll be based on the choices of others, and the luck that everyone has. Fate makes its plans long in advance; the short details of it are up to us. And of course, we can fight fate if we want to, just like Harry did. But we're not generally going to win."

Hermione's mind was wheeling around. There was so much information to take in, so many thoughts and questions bouncing around in her brain. She sat there for several minutes, just trying to sort everything out. Faintly smiling up at Lavender she asked quietly, "Where did you learn all this?"

Lavender sighed. "Honestly?" Hermione nodded. "Honestly, I learned it all from you."

"Me!"

"Yea. I never could understand how you could be so in tune with everything. You were like an academic superhero. Whenever you would answer a question, it would be like a revelation to me because suddenly the answer seemed obvious. I had been playing with this topic before the war, and of course I asked Professor Trelawney for some input, but I really only began to understand the full effects of what I'd been thinking about once I saw Parvati and Padma's deaths. All this silence with you has left my brain with time to think about it as well. But it's taken me all this time to come up with the answers, whereas you could have figured all this out in a day, so really, it's not that big of a deal."

"No, Lavender, it is. I'm really impressed. You seem so…I don't know, put together. I'm in a pretty weak period and right now, you look like a mentor or a teacher or something in my eyes."

Lavender looked surprised, but flattered by the compliment. "Wow, I never I'd hear those words out of your mouth. At least addressed to me."

Hermione shrugged. "War changes people."

Lavender's smile slowly slid off her face. Nodding in agreement, she looked down at her hands. "Yea…" She whispered, "It does."

There were a few precious moments of silence between them, but this silence…it was different than the quiet before. It was comfortable, not awkward in the least, each with their own thoughts to tackle. They could read each other's thoughts, and they sympathized and understood. It was a feeling Hermione had never felt with anyone besides Harry and Ron before, and she realized with sudden realization that Lavender, in the short time of 24 hours, had become a good friend…possibly even a best friend.

The realization startled her. Lavender Brown one of her best friends! Something about that sentence didn't feel right to Hermione. But looking at the girl, the only companion she might possibly have left in the world, someone who understood exactly what it felt like, and a changed person…Hermione couldn't help but smile faintly as she accepted the statement in her mind. She used the term best friend lightly, but even still…it applied. Harry and Ron were her very best friends, and Ginny was probably the only other soul she was this close to. But Harry was dead, and it was more than likely that both Ron and Ginny had died as well.

When she thought of Ginny, her stomach filled with guilt. She should have looked for her. They shouldn't have left with her still hiding in a hole with Colin. What would she do if she found out they had fled? Harry, the same Harry who'd had her heart since first year, would be dead. Her role model and protector Ron would probably be dead as well, and Hermione…she would be gone. Immediately pushing the thoughts out of her mind, she tried to focus on something else but images kept flashing in front of her eyes.

They were little images, just snippets of unimportant events. But they were moments she would never let herself forget, the only proof in her mind that there had been happiness in the world at some time.

There was the one during the summer of sixth and seventh years. All four of them were at the Burrow outside by the lake. Harry and Ron were in their swimming trunks, lying out on their backs with their toes dangling in the ice-cold water. Even for the tough manly boys, this water was much too cold, a fact that Hermione had teased them mercilessly about. Harry then had taken matters into his own hands by holding her out above the water. She'd kicked and screamed of course and after some bargaining on her part, Ginny made him put her down; though everybody ended up laughing about the whole ordeal. And it was then that this image came to life. Ginny had gone into the house and here she snuck out, carrying a huge bucket of the water. She'd winked at Hermione and began to run.

The sun was behind her, casting shadows all about her lovely freckly face. As she ran, her beautiful auburn hair swinging behind her, her face contorted into one of complete giddiness, the biggest smile Hermione had ever seen, stretched across her features, the boys suddenly realized what was going on. Looking up at the youngest Weasley with a mixture of terror and shock the two boys simply stood there, dumbfounded as Ginny approached them with the water, completely soaking them with the icy water.

Harry amused, and Ron outraged, the two agreed without even looking at each other that Ginny must pay for her crimes. Picking her up carelessly, they tossed her easily into the lake, a laughing and shivering Ginny emerging from the blue water.

It was an innocent enough memory, but it meant more to her than a whole library of books. Just as she was about to float onto the next memory her brain was providing her, a sudden voice interrupted her thoughts.

"ATTENTION ALL PASSENGERS! WE HAVE NOW JUST ARRIVED IN SOFIA, BULGARIA! THANK YOU ALL FOR TRAVELING WITH US THIS MORNING, AND ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US HERE, I'D LIKE TO WISH YOU ALL A SAFE JOURNEY. THE DOORS ARE OPENING NOW; PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL OF YOUR BAGGAGE. MIND THE GAP!"

"Let's go" Lavender said hurriedly, sitting up and looking around. They had no baggage.

The moment they stepped off the platform, they received many looks from people. They were two young woman with no luggage, no coats, no purses…nothing. And on top of that, their clothes were filthy and they appeared as if they'd survived sudden crossfire. Yet, amidst the stares that they received, the two simply held their heads up high and smiled. After all…they were alive.

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	27. Chapter TwentySeven: Heaven

(A/N: This week has been a killer in more ways than one. Not only am I preparing to go out of town for our spring break (I should be gone about a week, so the update will probably have to be two weeks! I know! I'm sorry in advance!) but my teachers have been relentless. And the reason I was so frustrated this week was because I had this chapter written about Tuesday. All I needed was about an hour to edit, write this author alert, and respond to your reviews but for some reason I couldn't get that these last few days. Anyways, after a wonderful day I finally have the time to update! Yes! I'm really excited about it actually. Hopefully you all will be too once you've read it! It's a pretty short chapter, but hopefully it will help some of those worries you all have. But as for the next chapter I'm afraid I've hit a temporary roadblock in the chapter. I re-drew my plot diagrams for the story, but unfortunately that'll change a few things in what I've already written so I'm going to have to go back and re-write it all. It's a bummer but I'm really excited about my new plans, even though I haven't decided the ending yet. As of right now, if I followed my plans exactly, we would have nine more chapters of this story; but trust me, it'll be more than that! I'm constantly changing the story line with my new ideas, though I must admit that this one seems pretty final. I just thought I'd let everyone know so you all have a rough estimate of how much more to expect of me. Anyways, I don't have much to say, other than a big THANK YOU and hopefully you all will like this chapter! Much love, Haystack)

To my LOVELY reviewers…

(I have 30 minutes to do these so if they're a bit shorter than usual I'm sorry!)

Ron'n'Hermione: Thanks for your sweet review! Hopefully the update wasn't bad! Glad to see you're enjoying the story!

Legofiance: I'm honored that you were on the verge of tears! So happy you're into it! Ah this is very difficult to write a review without giving anything away! Just know that I'm telling you stuff in my mind even if I can't write it down! lol Thanks for reviewing!

Sweetdiva: So nice to hear from a new reviewer! I really really appreciate it! As for your questions, first off, thanks for asking them! I like it when people voice their concerns/questions or whatever, praise is lovely but questions help me know what to work on, so THANKS! Anyways, lol…Hermione's parents. I can tell you because I wasn't planning on them making an appearance in this story, but yes, her parents are alive. But because this story is told through the eyes of Hermione/Ron, and communication with the war and everything is terrible, they do not know the fates of her parents. So that's why news like isn't known. The same goes for the Weasleys and Ginny. All we know is what Seamus and Lavender told Ron and Hermione. But that, I'm afraid I cannot say! Not to worry, there will that moment where we find out about them and what happened to them all, for the good or bad. Again, thanks so much for reviewing! And hopefully I'll hear from you again!

RainDateChick: Thanks so much for the continuous flow of support! Really I sound like a broken record but it's true! Thank you soo much! And I'm Glad you liked the last chapter!

Bhekie: Patience I'm afraid is the only answer I can give you. I'm trying to not have the updates be so long, but its difficult when my mind changes like this! But thanks for understanding and not to worry, your answer will be revealed in this chapter!

cumbacksirius: Yes my story does have that sort of up and down motion but life's like that, even though this feels like fast forward time since everything happens fast in war but yea that didn't make sense. Lol sorry. Anyways, hold on to the Ginny thing for me until two or three chapters! I'm sorry but it's not the time. I know its hard but try not to think about it. I'm really sorry! Thanks so much for reviewing so faithfully!

ShimmeringEvil: Aw thanks for the review! You're one of those people that makes me feel free to take my time and do whatever, yet I still feel supported! So thanks!

suckr4romance81789: I suppose Lavender is a bit OOC but since she is a major character from here on out, she needs a distinct personality and unfortunately there is no such thing as a ditz in war. Lol. Anyways, if it bothers you I can always tone her down a bit or whatever, just make sure you keep me updated on her! Thanks so much for the observation though! And as always, thanks for your wonderful and constant support!

doublelily: lol I'm very glad you liked that last paragraph. I had been planning to continue last chapter on with the material in this one, but I liked that paragraph so much I had to cut it off! Thanks for commenting on it! I'm also really glad you like Lavender. I do too. As for writing, honestly that saying 'practice makes perfect' is very frightfully true! I was one of the worst writers all through elementary and most of middle school. But once I started writing poetry and started doing it for fun, it got easier. And if you even look at my other fics, I can see the improvement. I cringe to read Sort Tordu now. But that is the beauty of fanfiction, it really did change my life. Anyways, thank you soooooo much for reviewing!

Mr. Hifey: Don't worry about the flame! In fact I was ecstatic to read your review, I didn't think you would review again! So don't worry, I understand. Harry's death is a hard one for a lot of people, and rightfully so! If JKR does it I don't know what I'll do with myself! Lol anyways as for Harry returning you don't need to worry about that. I did that once and I'm not into it again. As for Ginny my lips are sealed unfortunately! Thanks so much for reviewing, and hopefully I'll hear from you again!

nattieb: haha your review made me smile! I'm not really sure how to put this without giving anything away but just rest assured that the sun is coming out. I promise. Um…gosh I'm really sure what else I can say without jeapordizing the story line, but thanks for your kind words and I'm very very happy you're enjoying the story!

AmyChris: Aw…have I told you lately how sweet your reviews are? Seriously they make me smile every time I read them! So thanks that really means a lot! As for Ron, my lips are sealed. But I'm glad you enjoyed Lavender and Hermione's conversation about fate. It's a topic I like to sneak into all my stories cause I think especially after book five that its an issue we'll see more of in the books.

Princess Storm: I must tell you that your review made me smile! And although I refuse to say anything about Ron I will say that you know just the things to make me laugh! I'm glad you liked the flashback and am ecstatic that you could find nothing to criticize! Woo hoo! Lol, as always thanks so much for your faithful patience and loyalty! Thanks for reviewing!

dancerrdw: hehee…again the first reviewer of the chapter! Yup yup, cliffie! The plot thickens dum dum dum! Lol I'm very happy that you're enjoying the story, I'm having so much fun writing it! Thanks for being such a wonderful and consistent reviewer!

And now, after all this time, I'm pleased to present to you well deserving people…

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: HEAVEN

The train rolled away and Hermione looked at Lavender, who was staring at her expectantly. Unsure how to begin this final leg of their journey, Hermione simply went down the stairs, into the train station, and out the glass doors. Lavender followed, her wide eyes soaking up everything around her. Obviously, Lavender had never been out of their beloved England before.

Once they had walked a block or two, Hermione suddenly realized with panic that she had no idea where Viktor Krum lived. He'd mentioned living in the capital of Bulgaria once, but that was all she knew. They were in the right city, but how on earth were they supposed to find his house?

They asked around of course, but people either turned their noses up at them and continued walking on, or gave them insulted looks. Hermione was feeling desperate and on the verge of tears. As a woman with a small child walked towards them, Hermione sprang up from the park bench and approached them. She just _had_ to make the woman see how important it was to find Krum.

"Excuse me!" She asked politely. "I was wondering if you knew what street a Viktor Krum lives on? You see my friend and I are old friends of his and it is extremely important that we find his house."

The woman looked up and took off her sunglasses, holding onto her little boy by the hand tightly. "I do not know vat you ur talking about"

"Please, I'm not the sort of person to around begging things of others but this is a life death situation. You don't happen to know anyone by the last name of Krum? It's not a very common name, surely you must."

The woman looked around as if searching for an answer. Hermione and Lavender held their breaths. Suddenly the little boy cried out, pulling at his mother's sleeve to try to get her attention. He was speaking in Bulgarian though, and Hermione couldn't for the life of her figure out what he was saying.

The mother bent down and listened to his excited sentences with a patience Hermione could only admire. As realization dawned on the woman's face and she patted the boy on the head she turned to them.

"Yes, I think ve do know a man called Krum." She said in broken English. "He used to have many parties. He lives about 5 blocks that vay."

Hermione let out the breath she'd been holding in. Beaming, she turned to the woman. "Thank you! Thank you so much! Come on Lavender!" She said, grabbing the hand of her friend and breaking off at a run.

Five blocks that way…they could do that! Hermione's heart lifted. They would make it to Krum's before the night came. They would finally be safe. Finally…

But with the sudden pain of her stomach wound, she gasped and fell to the ground.

"Hermione?" Lavender shouted, kneeling down next to her.

"Ahh…" Hermione moaned in pain. "I-It's my stomach."

"No! I knew we should have done more for that! Are you alright? Do you think you can walk it if you lean on me?"

Hermione's head was pounding, she felt as though someone had lit her body on fire. Nodding anyways, she slowly raised herself up. By now she had attracted quite a lot of attention. The woman and her child were looking at them with concern. But with thoughts of reaching Krum's place, of finally being safe, she managed to stand on her wobbly legs.

Lavender helped her along, and together they walked slower than an old woman, but in Hermione's book they were still walking.

It was a slow pace that took probably about two hours, but once they reached the street, and saw KRUM written neatly on one of the doorbells, Hermione almost fainted with joy.

Lavender too, was grinning uncontrollably, helping Hermione up the stairs that led to what appeared to be an extremely nice building. Ringing the doorbell once and knocking twice, Lavender gripped Hermione's hand with anticipation.

But even still, after they'd come so far, Hermione was nervous. What if Viktor somehow didn't remember her? What if he couldn't afford to put them up? What if he simply didn't want to, and couldn't care less about her outcome? What if he believed her to be dead and she couldn't prove who she really was? Fear naturally pounded in her veins as the soft padding of footsteps was heard and the door swung open, revealing a handsome, yet much older looking Viktor Krum.

When both she and Lavender said nothing, he opened his mouth as if to say something, when suddenly his gaze became fixated on her. Blinking as if he had something in his eye, he leaned forwards to her, looking at every part of her face, making Hermione feel extremely uncomfortable.

His eyes got wide and he clutched his heart as if he was having some sort of heart attack. "Her-my-own-knee?" He choked out, his voice heavy and thick with unspoken emotion.

Tears quickly filled up in her eyes. Nodding her head, she jumped in her skin as Viktor suddenly screamed and brought her into a tight embrace. But secretly she beamed as Viktor's words re-played in her mind. Yes…Viktor had indeed gotten her name right, however broken up it might be! _Maybe I wasn't that bad of an English teacher after all,_ she thought with satisfaction.

As she pulled away, she saw Lavender biting her lip, desperately trying not to laugh as Viktor continued to blubber. Hermione scowled at her, which made her smile spread even further.

"Vat are you doing here!" He exclaimed, wiping at his own tear strained cheeks. Viktor had always been an emotional man. "How did you get here? I thought…oh but Her-my-own-knee, I read that you vere…dead!"

Still in pain, Hermione brushed him off. "I'll tell you later Viktor, I promise. The whole story. But I was wondering, we need a place to hide. Would we be able to stay here?"

"Of course!" He said enthusiastically. "But vho is this?" He said, raising his eyebrows in a flirty manner to Lavender.

Hermione smiled. "This is my friend Lavender. Lavender, this is Viktor"

"Yes, I know" Lavender said impatiently, as Viktor bent down to plant a sloppy kiss on her hand. Hermione couldn't help but laugh. But the sensation sent her off balance, and fearfully, she grabbed at her stomach again, yelping out in pain.

"Her-my-own-knee! Are you okay!" Viktor asked concerned

Hermione opened her mouth to say yes. She knew how dramatic Viktor was and her injury would send him off the edge. But Lavender got there first. "No she's not. She's hurt really bad."

"AH!" Viktor screamed, putting his hands to his face in horror. "Vell Quickly! Quickly! Come in! We must get Her-my-own-knee back to good health!"

As Viktor grabbed Hermione's arm and led her inside, Hermione caught sight of something that made her heart stop beating.

"Oh my goodness, I cannot believe this! Her-my-own-knee is hurt! We must get her better!"

"Calm down. She's been good about it. It's nothing that terrible. At least I don't think so." Lavender cut in, trying to calm the excruciating loud Bulgarian.

"Viktor…" Hermione breathed, staring intensely at the object

"I am so glad that you came to me! Almost no one knew that ve vere friends. It vas very smart. I vill make sure that no one knows vhere you are"

"Viktor" Hermione said louder, reaching out to try to grab his attention

"I just read this morning about the var. It is terrible. Ve vill have to be very strong to fight that Bad Wizard, He-who-vill-not-be-named. I vas certain that no one survived."

"VIKTOR!" Hermione suddenly screamed.

Viktor turned around, staring at Hermione with a concerned expression on his face. "Vat is wrong Her-my-own-knee?"

"That…" Hermione breathed, her eyes wide and her heart throbbing, pointing at the object on the floor. "Can I see that?"

Bending over to retrieve the object, Viktor examined it in his hands for a moment before turning it over to Hermione. Accepting it with shaking hands, Hermione looked at the object in her hands.

It was a necklace. A round ruby jewel on a gold chain.

Hermione's breath was now coming in pants. "Hermione?" Lavender asked, placing a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, "Are you okay?"

She shook her head no. Turning to Viktor she whispered, "Where did you get this?"

Viktor looked at the necklace in Hermione's hands and the expression on her face. He shook his head and shrugged. "I do not know. It is not mine."

Tears were slipping down her face. Hugging the necklace to her chest, she bent her head down as she began to cry. Suddenly with a burst of energy, she approached the large man who was looking very frightened by her appearance.

"Viktor I need you to give me an honest answer." She whispered through her tears.

"Of course" He responded nervously

"Did you let anyone else in your house?"

At his nod, Hermione's pants became more regular.

"Did you let a boy into your house?" She asked, her heart beating

Again, he nodded. "I let two in"

"Two…" Hermione whispered, leaning against the wall, tears cascading down her face. Suddenly, as this information settled in, she leapt up from where she was, holding onto the banister for support. She tried to run; she was going as fast as she could. She had to know…had to make sure.

"Hermione! Where are you going?" Lavender cried

"Her-my-own-knee are you okay?"

"Ron! Ron!" She called out, making her way up the stairs

As she reached the landing, she looked around. There were so many doors…she had to find him now! But she got lucky as the one down the hallway opened and a man walked out of it.

"What's going on? Is everything okay?" The man in the shadows asked, turning around and closing the door he'd come from.

Hermione would have asked him where Ron was, when she froze where she was. This man had red hair, this man had freckles, this man had blue eyes….

"Ron" She whispered to herself, her hand covering her open mouth

They just stood there looking at each other. Too many emotions were searing through their bodies that it was impossible to describe their feelings. Hermione's eyes feasted on Ron's figure, taking in every detail of his face, unable to believe that it was truly him in front of her.

"Hermione" Ron breathed, walking closer to her. Tearfully, she nodded her head. "Y-You're alive"

Hermione smiled through her tears. "Yea…and so are you."

Ron laughed suddenly and Hermione rushed into his open arms. They spun around and around, laughing and crying at the same time, holding onto each other as if they'd disappear if they let go. Hermione sighed as his arms snaked their way protectively around her. "I t-thought you'd died," She whispered

"I'd never leave you like that," He said honestly, seeking out her eyes.

Hermione smiled at his wonderful blue eyes, overwhelming herself with the comfort they provided. "I love you Ron"

Ron kissed her gently. As he pulled away, he kept his lips lingering by her ear. Smiling he said, "You know, honestly, I never thought I'd hear you say that again"

Hermione could only give him a teary, sad smile.

His tone serious, he said, "I've missed you," tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "Are you sure you're okay? You're not hurt anywhere are you?"

Hermione smiled to herself and placed a hand on the side of Ron's face, "I'm okay _now_," She whispered, purposely not mentioning her wound on her abdomen. There would be time for that later. Sure the gash would have to be attended to, but there was some Muggle medicine on it right now, and she really didn't want to set Ron off. Besides, it didn't appear that serious.

Ron grinned, "Me too"

She laughed and looked around. "Is Seamus here?"

"Yea he is. He was in the kitchen eating."

"I'm going to go run say hello to him." She said, as she began to descend from the stairs, Ron right behind her, never letting go of her hand.

But as she held onto the banister, with the sudden running she'd done, the world slowly started blurring together and spinning. She stopped on the step she was on, swaying to and fro gently as she tried to steady herself.

"'Mione, you okay?" Ron asked from behind her, concern in his voice

"Y-Yea I think so," She mumbled as the spinning started getting faster. The world was changing colors, and a constant pounding on her temples was driving her insane. She needed to sit down, she needed to rest, she'd been under too much stress today, she had to just get down the stairs.

"Hermione?" Lavender asked in a tone that clearly said, don't you dare.

She wanted to call out to Lavender to reassure her that she was okay, and she even opened her mouth to do so, but she simply couldn't put the words out, her head was hurting too much. She took a step forwards to prove to them all that she could do this, but she hadn't counted on the world finally turning black as she did.

She was acutely aware that she was falling and tumbling down the stairs, Lavender's high-pitched scream piercing the air. She was falling down Viktor's large staircase, and in the back of her mind she decided that she was going to die. She expected to hit the hard wood floor; she was waiting for the impact wondering what it would feel like. She was expecting this…she wasn't expecting to land in someone's arms. But once she was in those arms, and they wrapped around her comfortingly, she knew to whom they belonged. And as they lifted her up in the air and carried her to some other room, she smiled, finally agreeing with herself that everything was okay in the world…so long as she was in these arms.

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(A/N: What did ya think? Let me know!)


	28. Chapter TwentyEight: Knight in Shining A...

(A/N: I'm back! Yea! It feels so good to be back and writing again! I got back from vacation on Wednesday, but I've been really sick the past few days, with a high fever so finishing up this chapter was rather hard. It is kind of tricky to get back into the swing of writing after I've gone two weeks without it, so if there are a few choppy parts, forgive me, I'll be good by next chapter. As always the reviews for last chapter were wonderful, though I still feel bad making you all wait two weeks for an update! That's way to long in my book! Anyways, my plot for this story is now set, and I'm really excited about what's to come! Hehee…A big thanks again to all of you who remain ever so faithful readers and reviewers, your support means a lot to me! This is a longer chapter, at about 12 pages so hopefully that'll help ease some of the wait that you lovely people had to endure. Next chapter should be up in about a week. Thanks again! Hugs, Haystack)

To my FANTASTIC reviewers…

granhermi: I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! I believe you're a new reviewer am I right? So nice to meet another reader! Thanks so much for reviewing! Hope to hear from you again soon!

doublelily: haha I'm flattered that you wait up for this fic! And as for you thinking about it in class, I'm extremely honored! I'm glad that necklace part was exciting for you as well! As always thanks so much for reviewing!

ShimmeringEvil: Aw I'm delighted that you thought that was the best ending so far in the story! Yay! Thanks for wishing me a good vacation, it was great! Hehee And thanks soo much for reviewing!

Bhekie: haha I'm assuming "yay" meant that you liked it! Lol I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! Thank you so much for reviewing!

Princess Storm: hehee…you're catching onto my tricks! I'm glad you liked that last part, it was rather fluffy and cute wasn't it? As for wanting someone like Ron…I completely agree with you! Who wouldn't want a sweet, protective, handsome, red-head blue-eyed guy! I'm sure he's out there somewhere! ;) Thanks for reviewing!

volleyballin17: Aw I'm glad you liked it so much! Yes Ron is alive! Omgoodnes I love the notebook! What a tearjerker! Lol anyways…Thanks for reviewing!

vacant xpressi0ns: haha yes you are completely right! Nothing shall stop the love of R/Hr! Glad you liked it so much! Thank you so much for reviewing!

suckr4romance81789: lol I'm happy you figured out what I was going to tell you earlier! It is always so hard not to tell! Yes, please do keep me posted on Lavender. As for your support, Thanks so much as always! I'm glad you're still enjoying the story! Thanks for reviewing!

RainDateChick: lol very true! They are finally together despite the fact that all those nasty evil ppl want them dead! But I suppose without all those evil people then we wouldn't have a story! Life cannot be all happiness, with stinks, but oh well, it's life! Hehee thanks so much for reviewing!

cumbacksirius: Ah yes well I'm afraid I love Ron and Hermione too much to kill them off….yet! Mwahaha no seriously that would so sad! We need a little more happiness before we dive into sadness, this story has been so heavy. Anyways, thanks so much for reviewing!

Legofiance: Yes you were right. Last chapter I was frantically trying to get an update out before I left. After all, I didn't want to make it three weeks did I? No no no! That's like almost a month! So if it felt a bit rushed that's why. I'm so glad you're enjoying though! Thanks for reviewing!

AmyChris: Oh don't worry about reviewing last chapter! I completely understand! Yes, fluff alert is right! Hehee…I'm glad you liked their reunion! The world of fanfiction is addicting isn't it? Even on vacation I have to check every once and a while! And Harry Potter fanfiction especially lets you escape into like two different worlds! Lol anyways, Thanks so much for reviewing as always!

Sweetdiva: Yay! I'm so glad you like Krum's character! I felt like in the fourth book we didn't really get to know _who_ he was since it was through Harry's eyes so I kind of made some guesses to make him my own. As for answering your questions, it was my pleasure. I'm always willing to answer as many as I can! Thanks so much for reviewing!

dancerrdw: Oh you don't have to worry about me stopping any time soon! Lol I've got big plans ahead! So glad you liked this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

nattieb: Haha you're review made me laugh! I'm so glad you were so happy about Ron! Yes, this chapter is another ray of sunshine for you and if I'm estimating right then I think next chapter should be pretty light as well. It's time for these characters to be happy, they've suffered so much! Anyways, Thanks as always for your review!

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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR

Ron closed his eyes as he felt Hermione's body tumble into his arms. He kept them shut as he tried to concentrate on slowing his racing heart and breath. Both Lavender and Viktor alike were breathing heavily, both probably staring at Hermione with open mouths and a hand to their chest.

No one said anything. Finally opening his eyes, Ron stared at Hermione. She was sweating and looked pale but otherwise appeared normal. Questions were rushing through his brain, and Ron could only stare in wonder at Hermione. She was here…she was in his arms. _But she's hurt_ A voice in his head reminded him. _She bloody passed out and fell down the stairs!_

"I-Is she okay?" Lavender's soft voice asked timidly.

He gazed down at the passed out Hermione. "I-I dunno" He said quietly

"Ve should get her a doctor!" Krum proclaimed

"No!" Lavender and Ron said at the same time

"Vell Vhy not?"

"Because" Ron said exasperated, "We're escapees remember? No one can know that we're here"

"Oh. Right. Vell ve should at least get her onto the couch."

"Yea…of course" He agreed but didn't move. Pushing her hair back lovingly, he turned around to face Lavender. "D-Did anything happen to her? On the way here I mean?"

Lavender nodded solemnly. "Yea. She was hit with"

"What the hell is happening out there Weasley? Do I need to come and break you and Krum up? You know perfectly well it's not nice to fight with your host!" His voice from the kitchen interrupted.

Ron looked up at Lavender and Viktor who were staring at him expectantly. He started to tell Seamus to come and join them, but the words wouldn't come out. He was annoyed…if only Lavender would finish her sentence! There was something wrong with Hermione…he had to know!

Obviously bored, Seamus strolled through the doors, a sandwich in hand. "You know Weasley if I didn't know any better I'd sa" Seamus gasped at the scene in front of him. Ron almost laughed. It was the first time he'd ever seen the Irishman speechless.

"Seamus!" Lavender squealed as she ran up to him and into his arms. It took Seamus a few seconds to respond as he slowly patted Lavender's back, his sandwich now on the floor. But slowly his brain seemed to accept the situation as the biggest grin Ron had ever seen passed over his face. He began to laugh and hugged Lavender back enthusiastically, holding onto her tight.

Ron could have sworn that he saw Seamus' eyes water up but maybe it had been his imagination. After all, Seamus proudly proclaimed many times in the common room at Hogwarts that he never cried; a lie Ron had never really bought.

As Seamus and Lavender broke apart, it was then that Seamus noticed Hermione.

"Ah! Bloody hell! What happened to Granger?" He asked, surprised

"She's hurt," Ron snapped

"Hurt?" Seamus asked confused "How?"

"Lavender was just going to tell me," Ron said, turning to the brown haired girl.

"Let's get Hermione on the couch first. I'll go get some wet towels for her head, and the medicine the doctor gave us for her. Then I can tell you both everything." Lavender said patiently

Ron internally screamed, but he nodded his head and stood up, Hermione hanging like a rag doll from his arms. He was surprised by how much lighter she'd become…she'd lost more weight than he'd thought in prison.

"Here. I'll take her. You look very tired." Viktor said as they began to walk towards the parlor.

A sudden protective wave towards Hermione washed over him and he tightened his hold on her. Pulling her away from Viktor, Ron said, "No it's okay. S-She weighs practically nothing."

Viktor shrugged. "If you're sure."

"I am" Ron said quickly, kissing Hermione's forehead when he knew Viktor was looking.

As they entered the parlor, Lavender was there with the wet towels and medicine. Together, they got Hermione situated on the couch and Ron pulled up a chair next to her, grabbing her hand.

It was surreal seeing her here in front of him…touching her. No matter how many times he repeated the thoughts over again in his head, he couldn't seem to believe them. They had all made it. Hermione wasn't dead. She was here. They were all together. He might have lost Harry and God only knew who else, but he still had Hermione with him. His Hermione.

As they all took their seats, Lavender sipped a glass of water she'd brought with her from the kitchen. Ron took the moment to take in her appearance as well. She didn't appear much different from the few hours ago he'd last seen her but there was weariness about her that wasn't there before. If her brown hair had suddenly sprouted gray strands Ron wouldn't have thought anything of it. She seemed on edge; in the same manner an abused child acts as he's first offered a hug. Pushing her once perfectly curled bangs out of her face and settling as much as she could into Viktor's stiff chair, she sighed, looking at Ron.

"I'm not exactly sure what happened to her." Lavender began, looking at the passed out Hermione. "As the four of us were running from that mob, I turned around to see all three of you down on the ground. I never heard her scream or anything. Once I got to her and killed the Death Eater who was smacking her, we ran—as you both know. It wasn't until we were out of Hogwart's ground did she make any indication that she was hurt."

"Did you do anything for her!" Ron demanded

Lavender rolled her eyes at him. "Of course I did. I'm not that daft. It was a big slash kind of wound on her stomach. I took her to a Muggle pharmacy where the woman working there bandaged her up and stuff."

"You took her to a Muggle place!" Ron screamed, his face red. "They could have killed her!"

"Relax Ron. We couldn't afford to take her to a Magical clinic. They would have to record it, and Voldemort will surely check those. Besides, there wasn't time. We had to catch our train."

Ron scowled and crossed his arms "Well what is a farm-a-key anyways?"

"Pharmacy. It's a store where you can buy medical supplies. But the woman who worked there helped Hermione and refused to charge us for it, which was a good thing because neither of us had any money; magical or Muggle."

"Still…I don't trust those Muggle places. They're centuries behind on medical technology."

"Well you better be thankful I took her anywhere" Lavender snapped "You've seen what's happened to her already, and that was after she was treated. She was just about to die on me earlier; especially thinking that you were dead."

Suddenly, all evidence of anger or annoyance rushed out of his body as Ron turned his head to look at Lavender, his blue eyes piercing hers with a soft intensity. "S-She thought I was dead?" He whispered

Lavender nodded solemnly. "We both did. As we were leaving we heard this scream. It sounded like a death scream and it was your voice I'm sure of it. Hermione turned around and I don't know what she saw but it must have been bad. She started screaming and crying, trying to run back. I held her and kept her going, I-I'm sorry Ron, but even if it had been you, we couldn't have turned back. It would have been suicide."

Seamus and Viktor looked at Ron with interest, but Ron sighed miserably. "No…you were right to keep going Lavender. T-Thanks for helping her. I-I didn't know it was that bad…I'm sorry for what I said earlier." He said, running a hand through his hair.

Lavender gave him a small smile. "It's okay Ron. You didn't know. But I have to know…who was it that screamed? _Was_ it you?"

Ron looked over at Seamus, his eyebrows furrowed trying to think. Seamus shrugged. "I don't know, I don't remember screams but maybe I was in so much pain I was out of it."

He tried to recall everything that had happened, but Ron found that he couldn't. Everything seemed blurry. Searching deeper into his brain, Ron tried to call upon that memory.

"Ron! Ron!" Hermione's panicked voice cried 

_He looked at her with wide eyes. "Go 'Mione! I'll be fine! Hurry!"_

_Hermione bit her lip and Ron realized with sudden horror that she was considering staying with him. Fear surging through his body for her safety, he tried to scream at her, to tell her to go on, that he would be okay, but no words came out of his mouth as he opened it._

"_HERMIONE COME ON! MORE OF THEM ARE COMING!" Lavender's terrified voice screamed._

"_Please 'Mione" Ron said, his eyes begging. "Please go!"_

_A tear slipped out of her eyes and internally Ron cursed. She was wasting time! He wouldn't feel better until she was gone, out of danger and safe somewhere. He could see the struggle in her eyes as she tried to decide and he couldn't help but want to push her away. Didn't she understand? But he waited, trying to communicate with his eyes how much he wanted her to go._

"_I love you," She finally whispered, looking down at the ground. _

"_I love you too," He said with a big sigh of relief, "Now go!"_

_With one glance back, he smiled sadly to himself as he watched her run away with Lavender, slowly fading away to a dot in the distance. Ron's heart ached as he wondered if that was the last time he saw her. _

_But before he could do anything else, the Death Eaters were upon them. As two ganged up on him, shouting Crucio at the same time, Ron tried to focus on Hermione but even Hermione couldn't keep his mind off the pain that was searing through his body. _

_In the back of his mind, Ron understood that he was screaming but it sounded foreign to him. It was a voice he didn't recognize, one that was easily giving into pain. But with Hermione now gone, Ron suddenly didn't want to fight. It would be so easy just to give in and surrender. After all, he'd been fighting these Death Eaters for the better part of three going on four days. _

_But the pain stopped suddenly, freeing Ron from his weak line of thought, and as Ron gingerly opened his eyes he saw Seamus standing above him, a smirk on his face. Without one word, he threw Ron over his shoulder, handing him his wand so that Ron could shoot curses at the Death Eaters that were now charging after them._

"Yes…. it was me." Ron said, sadly

Lavender looked at him with sympathetic eyes. "I thought so."

A silence followed, everyone caught up in their own thoughts of the war. But the silence was soon broken by Viktor who, now looking at the grandfather clock in the parlor, declared that it was time for dinner; something that lit a smile on everyone's face.

"Ron, how about you put Her-my-own-knee upstairs? She'll be more comfortable there." Viktor said as he hurried off into the kitchen, Seamus and Lavender following suit.

Ron nodded and picked Hermione off the couch gently, walking out of the room and up the stairs. Opening the door to the room Viktor had given him, he placed Hermione softly onto the large bed. Pulling back the covers and taking off her shoes, Ron tucked her in. Kissing her forehead, he turned off the light and quietly closed the door before heading down the stairs.

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All of the drama and heaviness of the conversation in the parlor seemed like only a memory as Seamus, Lavender, Ron and Viktor sat down to dinner. The adventure of preparing the food itself had done wonders on the four.

As Ron walked into the kitchen the scene he found lit a smile to his face. Viktor was stirring a pot of soup, and talking on the phone meanwhile telling Lavender and Seamus to be quiet as they had a mini food fight.

"Ahh!" Lavender screamed as Seamus smeared some jam onto her forehead "SEAMUS!"

The sandy haired boy laughed, "You know, I think that color works for you"

Lavender laughed, "Shut it Finnegan!"

"I'm just sayinOy! Weasley! Come join us!"

Ron chuckled, "And get covered with food that I'll have to sit in while we eat? I don't think so."

Seamus simply smirked, and picked up a handful of potatoes that Viktor had just prepared.

"Oh no…Finnegan I'm warning you!"

"What's the matter Weasley? Scared of some potatoes?"

"Seamus I'm telling you right now, put those down!"

"Or else what?"

"Just put them down!"

Seamus paused and struck an intellectual pose as if he were pondering something very difficult. Ron rolled his eyes and smiled. "You're nutters. Absolutely nutters."

"Well I'm sorry but that comment just sealed your fate." Seamus grinned, as he threw the potatoes, which hit Ron in the face. Seamus laughed and shouted, "GET EM LAV!"

Before Ron knew what had happened, he had not only joined Seamus' little food fight, but he was also covered in not only potatoes, but all other kinds of food as well. As Ron ducked behind a chair and threw some food at Lavender, he grinned to himself, wondering when he had last felt this carefree and childlike. The approaching war had dampened seventh year a lot and moments like this were rare. And of course there had been no laughter in the past three days.

Seamus jumped over a chair and tackled Lavender to the ground, smearing butter throughout her hair. Lavender screamed and screamed, grabbing onto Viktor's foot to try to escape from Seamus. Now off the phone, Viktor turned around and smiled at the scene in front of him, something that made Ron stop what he was doing to look at the Bulgarian.

Ron was completely surprised by the way Viktor was and the way Ron had remembered him. From the moment he and Seamus had showed up on his doorstep Viktor had been nothing but welcoming. He seemed genuinely glad that he had come; something that Ron couldn't seem to get over. Ever since fourth year Ron had assumed Viktor's intentions towards Hermione were more than friendly ones and therefore Ron had made him into an enemy. But now, he suddenly saw that Viktor was none of the things he used to believe. Even now, when his kitchen was slowly being destroyed, he didn't care.

But as Ron was hit with some more food, he broke out of his thoughts and quickly re-joined the fight that Viktor now was involved in.

As Viktor began bombarding Seamus with food, Seamus laughed, finally letting go of Lavender.

"FINE KRUM!" Seamus shouted gleefully "THIS IS WAR!"

Ron froze where he was. Lavender, Viktor, and even Seamus himself did as well. No one said anything; everyone simply remained frozen in the positions they were in. All eyes were on Seamus but his eyes were on the ground. He understood what he'd done.

Ron sighed and ran his hand through his hair that was caked with food. Was this going to happen for the rest of his life at every mention of war? The word was no longer justified to be used in a kidding manner, not after Ron had seen it. The word itself sparked those fresh memories from his brain, memories he would love to just forget.

"Sorry" Seamus mumbled

"It's okay Finnegan. We're all used to saying it like that out of habit." Ron said, clapping the Irishman on the back.

"Viktor do you want us to help you clean this up?" Lavender asked, trying to switch the subject and getting to her feet.

"No, no, it's okay. You all go shower and I will have dinner served soon."

"Are you sure? We're the ones who made this mess," Seamus said

"No really it's fine. Go on up."

"Alright then. Thanks again Viktor." Lavender said as she pushed the swinging door open.

"Yea thanks." Ron said as he left the kitchen and headed for his shower, suddenly feeling like he needed to talk to Hermione.

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Dinner went by pretty uneventfully. Viktor turned out to be a fabulous cook; food so good, Ron had to admit it was better than Hogwarts. He, Lavender, and Seamus, now clean, ate until they could eat no more; as if they were trying to make up for the three days with literally no food. Viktor luckily, found this very amusing and beamed as the three showered compliments on his cuisine

With the reports of each other's adventures already shared, there was nothing left to discuss except lighthearted conversation, filled with much laughter. For Ron, this did him as much good as the food; so tired was he of crying and drama. They were all seventeen, except of course, Viktor, and for once to have the freedom to act like seventeen year olds made Ron want to laugh and shout for joy. It hadn't been fair the way the sixth and seventh year students had been treated. Like full-grown adults, the professors demanded more of them emotionally and mentally than any other class to have passed through the oak doors of the castle. Ron chuckled to himself as he thought of how well Hermione had adapted over the years to the magical expectations of the professors.

But even through all this new happiness, Hermione still weighed greatly on his mind. He shouldn't be down here, eating and having a good time while she lay upstairs in pain. Of course when he went upstairs to have his shower, he'd checked up on her, sat beside the bed and held her hand, but that was it. Guilt plagued his stomach as he thought of the food fight he'd taken part in. Hermione would have stayed by his side; what kind of boyfriend was he?

And as he thought the thought, Ron paused. Was that all the title he had when he referred to Hermione? Cho had been Harry's girlfriend and the amount of love in that relationship couldn't even be compared to what he and Hermione had. He really and truly loved her, and he knew that she loved back…but real love wasn't normally in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. To call her his wife was out of the question in more ways than one. He supposed he could refer to her as his lover, but that didn't imply love. Frustrated and giving up, he stood up and took his plate to the kitchen as Lavender was doing.

Now that dinner was done, Ron excused himself and made his way up the stairs; hoping and praying that Hermione was awake. It was late to be finishing up dinner, about ten o'clock, and Ron eagerly sought the comfortable bed that was waiting for him, thrilled to have a good night's sleep for once.

As he opened the door, he found the room succumbed in darkness. Making his way over to where Hermione lay, he squinted through the darkness to see her face. She appeared to still be out.

Opening the door that led to the bathroom, Ron suddenly realized that not only did he not have a change of clothes, but he was without a toothbrush as well. But a soft knock on the other door that led to Seamus' room sounded and Ron softly opened the door.

"Yea?" He whispered

"Here," Seamus said in a quiet tone, "These are from Viktor. He figured you would want them. There is another set for Hermione as well."

Ron took the package and said his thanks as he shut the door. Opening it up slowly so as not to make noise, inside he found two pairs of pajamas, two toothbrushes, and one tube of toothpaste. Smiling and shaking his head, he reminded himself just what a nice guy Viktor was. Holding the pants up to the moonlight, he wondered how Viktor had managed to find a size close to his own. Putting them on, he found they were a little short in the legs, but for pulling them out of thin air, he was impressed.

Brushing his teeth, Ron finally felt cleansed of everything that had happened the past few days. The grime, dust, and dirt were finally off his body and hair, his teeth were brushed, he was fed, and now he was going to sleep in a real bed. A smile on his face, he opened the door to the bedroom again, placing Hermione's pajamas on her nightstand.

Pulling back the covers, Ron sank into the soft mattress, comfort like he couldn't remember shooting up all over his body. He gave a satisfied sigh and closed his eyes.

It was a few moments later, right as Ron was about to drift off into sleep that he heard it.

"R-Ron?"

His eyes snapped open. Turning to his side, he was met with a pair of brilliant brown eyes.

"'Mione!" He whispered, reaching out to touch her face.

"Yea" She breathed, placing her hand on top of his

"How are you? Are you okay? I was so worried about you."

Hermione smiled softly. "I'm okay now."

Ron felt anger beginning to form inside his eyes. "You said that last time" he snapped "And look what happened."

"Really Ron, I'm fine." She said calmly

"Obviously you're not. You fainted, fell down the stairs, and passed out."

"Don't worry about me," She whispered, pushing a stray piece of his red hair out of his eyes.

"Hermione, why won't you tell me what happened?" He asked, hurt by what he saw as a lack of trust in him.

"Ron shush. I'll tell you in the morning."

"You'll do no such thing. I want to hear you say it now"

"Ron please, I don't want to talk about it. I've missed you so much. Just…hold me." She said slowly,

His tone softening, he said, "Hermione, Lavender already told us about it."

Hermione simply stared at him for a few moments. "Oh"

"Why didn't you tell me when I asked you earlier?"

"I didn't want you to worry." She whispered to herself

"Well I'm sorry but with you pulling what you did earlier, I was a hell of a lot more worried about you than if you'd just told me"

"I'm sorry."

"'Mione you know how much I care about your safety. All I want is for you to be safe."

"I know Ron. I really am sorry." She said tearfully

Ron cursed inwardly, he hadn't meant to make her cry. Crying certainly wouldn't help her condition. "Shh…it's okay." He soothed, pulling her gently into his arms

Just like a little child, Hermione buried her face in his arms. Ron sighed contently, it felt good to have her in his arms again. It was where she belonged in Ron's mind. "I-I heard you thought that I was dead." He said, trying to be gentle with her, for when she was on the verge like this, a simple change in tone could set her off.

She nodded into his arms. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. You should know I'd never leave you like that."

"You can say that." She whispered, "But no matter how much you want to get away, a curse is a curse and it'll kill you just the same."

Ron sighed, she was right. But what was he supposed to say? Going with his rule of thumb he'd devised in sixth year, he decided he'd tell her the truth. Lying to Hermione was almost certain death. "You're right. I'm sorry all the same. I'm here now."

Hermione hugged him tighter. "Yea…you are. You always pull through for me Ron." She paused, smiling at a memory. "You're my knight in shining armor."

Ron smiled, "Well I better be your only knight in shining armor," he teased

"Oh don't worry. You are." Hermione breathed as she kissed him

As Ron continued kissing Hermione, memories of what he'd been thinking at dinner came bolting through his brain. And as he sat there with Hermione in his arms he suddenly, in one single moment, knew. Breaking apart from Hermione, he stopped to catch his breath.

"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked, looking at Ron's face with confusion.

Ron laughed which earned him another look from Hermione. He kissed her forehead happily. "No nothing is wrong." He grinned "But there's something I need to do"

"Ron don't leave now!" She cried, fear obvious in her eyes.

"Sit up for me will you?"

"Ron please, whatever you have to do can wait till morning."

"Did that hurt?" Ron asked, ignoring her, as he helped her sit up.

"A little" She admitted, "But Ron seriously, I can't walk very well. I can't go with you wherever you're going."

"Calm down" He said, putting both of his hands on her face. "Now breathe, I'm not going anywhere."

"But"

"Shush!" Hermione bit her lip. Ron took a deep breath, his heart pounding. "'Mione do you love me?"

"'Course I do you git! What kind of a question is that?"

Ron smiled at her response. "Will you do something for me then?"

"Anything, you know that." She smiled

Ron stared into her eyes for a moment, seeking encouragement. He found it instantly. Grinning, he grabbed her hands. "Will you marry me?"

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	29. Chapter TwentyNine: Green Flames

(A/N: I realize that it has been 3 weeks since I've updated but I have a very important announcement to make. **TO ALL READERS, IMPORTANT INFORMATION**: I'm a show right now and things are heating up towards opening night. I have practice for as long as 8 hours on some weekdays, and from 9-5 every Saturday and some Sundays. Also, I'm trying to keep up with my piano, voice, and acting classes. And finally on top of that, I've been assigned three huge projects that are taking up every moment of my rare free time. Life has been, as you can see, unbelievably crazy and I've been trying desperately to try to squeeze this story into my agenda but it hasn't seemed to work. We open in three weeks and I can promise you that practices are only going to get longer and more intense and there is simply no way I can keep up with this story right now. So, anyways what my point is, that I will not update within the next three weeks. I know things have really slow around here, and I'm sorry but I can't do it all. So I apologize, it's not fair to you all, and I realize I might loose some reviewers but it has to be done. Thank you in advance to those who'll remain loyal to the story, and for those of you who don't, I understand that its never fun to read a story that only updates like once a month. So anyways, hope you like this chapter, it kind of drags in the middle there but it should be passable. I'm glad I thought of this scene, it's something I've been wanting to do for a while. ;) Thank you SOOOO much to those of you who reviewed last chapter, they were fantastic reviews as always! I think that's about it. Thanks so much! Much love, Haystack)

doublelily: haha well I'm glad you were excited for the last update. So sorry about this one. Thanks so much for staying with me! Enjoy!

dancerrdw: Aw I'm glad you liked last chapter. Hope you enjoy this one! Thanks so much for reviewing!

Sweetdiva: hehe…what can I say? I like cliffs! ;) To answer your questions about Hermione, the curse she was hit with was the one she was hit with in the department of Mysteries in book five. Just a slash (we don't yet know the name for this curse) on her stomach instead of her chest. As for the length of this fic, it's kind of hard to tell because as I write I keep changing my plot and get new ideas and stuff. As of right now, this very moment, I'd estimate probably 10-12 more chapters but don't quote me on that! Lol thanks so much for reviewing!

OneTreeHillCharmedFreak: haha I'm glad you liked it so much! To be completely honest, Ron's proposal was never in the plot charts, it was never in anything, even as I began to write last chapter I had no idea that was how it was going to end. Lol Thanks sooo much for revieiwing! Hope to hear from you again!

vacant xpressi0ns: hahaha your review made me laugh! At first I didn't remember that song and then I remembered it was one I used sing all the time as a kid! Hehee…weird how stuff triggers your memory huh? Lol anyways, glad you liked, and Thanks as always, for reviewing!

Kay89: I realize you only reviewed the first chapter but if you continue to read the story then eventually you'll come across this reply! Lol Anyways, thanks sooooo much for putting in a review! It really does mean a lot to me! I'm glad you liked the beginning and hopefully I'll hear from you later on! Thanks!

nattieb: Aw thanks for the get-well and hope you had a good vacation note. You're so sweet. I'm eatin my apples and stayin healthy! ;) Oh! And thanks so much for saying that you thought the chapter flowed, it's hard to get back into the swing of things and I felt really self-conscious about last chapter…and this chapter too come to think about it! It's really reassuring that I'm doing it right! As for your sunshine…don't worry it'll be here for a couple more chapters! Hehee…Thanks so much for reviewing!

Krissy-Jane: lol Yay! I'm glad you think my story's romantic! And officially I declare you the winner! Yes, I had watched that movie a week before and just thought it was perfect so yes I'm afraid, I borrowed that line! I was really surprised that no one else picked up on that. Great movie eh? Lol, anyways thanks so much for reviewing! And hopefully I'll hear from you again!

AmyChris: Aw I hope you haven't been checking every day to see if I updated. I'd feel bad. :( It's been three weeks! Can you believe that! Gosh, how time zooms by! Lol anyways, thanks as always for your amazing review! Yes, it was a pretty nasty cliffie but I put this chapter in Hermione's pov just for you! Plus, she's easier to write for some reason right now. Hmm…lol anyways Thanks you soooooo much! Enjoy!

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: GREEN FLAMES

Hermione simply stared at Ron and he stared back, that lopsided grin on his face again. Hermione honestly considered calling for someone, he couldn't be serious could he? They were seventeen! They might not be qualified for any jobs because of their lack of completion at Hogwarts, they didn't have a house or a place to live; for Merlin's sake they were temporarily living in Viktor Krum's house as runaway escapees! Of all people Ron must understand that this was not the time to get comfortable. They still had enemies; Voldemort still wanted their heads, maybe even more so now that they'd narrowly escaped his grips yet again.

How could Ron possibly be thinking about marriage now? True, she loved him enough to marry him, and obviously he felt the same way; but now was not the time. They were too young, too inexperienced with the world…they just couldn't.

But yet if all that was true, if they really were too young, why did her heart ache with want, her lips begging to form the ecstatic word, "Yes!" Why was Ron's unfaltering gaze making her want to cry? Why, beyond all the logic, did this somehow feel right? After all, hadn't Ron's parents gotten married straight out of Hogwarts? And Hermione had never to this day met a couple so wonderfully in love all these years later as the Weasleys. She and Ron were in love, was it too much to ask to want to get married? It was only natural, right?

But how could they? With everyone dead…with Harry dead? Harry was supposed to be Ron's best man. That had always been an unspoken implication. And Ginny? Ginny was supposed to be her maid of honor. Who knew if she were dead or alive? How could they possibly be married without Harry and Ginny? It would feel so…wrong.

But the image of a wedding band on her finger, of walking down the aisle to meet Ron whose ears would be undoubtedly red, yet his face beaming burned in her mind. She wanted to get married. She wanted to be Ron's wife. She did. But she was supposed to be the logical one was she not? And logic was simply screaming her in the face right now, how could she turn it away? Too much was riding on keeping themselves hidden, of not making a scene. Viktor would naturally insist for a big wedding and that would attract people, maybe even photographers. Marriage had to be recorded, by Ministry rule, or else the marriage was not legal. How could they possibly get around that?

She sighed and looked at Ron, who was still waiting for an answer, squirming a bit as he tried to be patient. What was she supposed to say? Flat out no? He would jump to conclusions and interpret it the wrong way. Could she say yes? Her heart begged, and she lit up inside thinking about it._ No No…remember Hermione, you need to stay logical _She reminded herself.

"'Mione?" A more timid Ron asked, still holding her hand. He took a deep breath. "You can say no if you want to"

Hermione almost cried. How could he say that? How could he be so gentle, so sweet, so understanding when it was _his_ question being shot down? How could he possibly say something like that when she could tell how much the answer meant to him?

She looked up at him, almost fearfully. "Ron, I want to say yes. You know that right? You need to know that. I want to say yes. I love you and I want to marry you."

Ron smiled but simply nodded. "What's holding you back then?"

"Everything" She sighed. "Marriages have to be recorded by the Ministry Ron. Did you know that? We can't afford to have anything about us written down on paper, especially something like that. They'd try to separate us."

"But Hermione, the whole world knows what we mean to each other, we were just too bloody blind to see it ourselves. Surely Voldemort knows that by now."

Hermione stopped for a moment, thinking hard. Ron was right. Everyone did know. But sometimes the most obvious of facts were the most hard to see. Was it possible that Voldemort had somehow overlooked the tension between them? After all, he'd only seen them a few times, how could he possible have put the pieces together in that amount of time. _They_ didn't even know how deeply their feelings ran for each other until recently. She had tried to trick Voldemort out of believing they were in love earlier. Had it worked? It must have, he would have taken action if he believed otherwise. No, he didn't know yet…not fully anyways.

"No, don't you remember? I tried to trick him into thinking we have some kind of brother/sister love going on, like what we used to have. Ron, we can't record anything. Besides, the marriage certificate would have to say that the ceremony took place in Bulgaria, it would give away our safety."

Ron looked sullen. "I-I hadn't thought of that."

"I'm sorry Ron," She said sincerely, tears glistening in her eyes.

He shrugged and put a hand to her face, tracing a line down the side of her face. "But you never really answered my question."

"Ron how--"

"So maybe we can't get married here. But whenever we leave, and we're enough out of harm's way, then we'll do it. Until then, we'll just be engaged. Cause I'm serious about this, Hermione. I want to marry you."

Hermione had to bite back a smile, "So what exactly are you asking?" She teased

"I'm asking if you'll marry me."

Hermione couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it before…engagement! Of course! It was perfect! They'd remain engaged in secret until it was safe and then…then they would really belong to one another.

"I'm sorry I don't have a ring. I realized that about ten seconds before I asked you. It would have made everything more official, and romantic too I suppose."

"No, it's better this way. I couldn't afford to wear a ring anyways, and I wouldn't want to loose something like that."

Ron smiled at her. "You're brilliant you know?"

Hermione beamed back, "And I love you"

"So I'll take that as a yes?"

She nodded, "It's been a yes since the first day I met you."

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They both agreed to keep the engagement a secret. No one wanted things getting more complicated around here than necessary and Hermione especially was trying to keep things under wraps, though Ron could never totally act innocent about the whole ordeal. Immediately after breakfast, not only did he grab her hand and lead her into a closed off study for a quick snog, but he presented her with a cheap plastic ring he'd found in his cereal box for Hermione to wear on her wedding finger, though on the wrong hand of course.

Hermione had of course shot him a nervous look, glancing frequently at the door to make sure no one interrupted them, but eventually she fell into the energy their secret engagement was providing. They were closer in every way now, and their love for each other only seemed to grow with each passing day.

By the third day, Hermione had caught herself giggling giddily to herself for no particular reason as the five were lounging around in the library. She'd received several strange looks from Seamus, Lavender, and Viktor but Ron simply grinned at her knowingly; teasing her about it later when they were alone.

They were going to get married! Hermione was going to get to buy new robes, something she was craving like no other at the present moment in time! She was going to get to become Mrs. Ronald Weasley after years of secret pining for the title. Mrs. Weasley, bless her heart, wherever she was now, would have been ecstatic, throwing Hermione a wonderful bridal party. She couldn't help but feel saddened by the absence of the loud boisterous Weasley family. Just thinking of their reactions brought a smile to her face.

Yet thinking of them brought back the terrible questions that haunted her every day amidst her joy. Where was everyone? Who had survived? Were they all dead? Had they suffered in the same way Ron and Hermione had? Were they in hiding? Was there any chance of someday finding them?

She thought of Ginny everyday…the rest of the Weasley family as well. Molly and Arthur, Bill and Charlie, Percy, and of course the infamous Fred and George. Had the war ripped them all apart? Was Ron the sole survivor of his large redheaded family? That thought alone brought more pain to Hermione's heart than she cared for, but now that she was on this train of thought, she had to finish.

Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hagrid and all the other professors weighed heavily on her mind as well. Had these brave teachers, who knew magic like the back of their hand, been able to save themselves? What about the students? Had some of them escaped to the Whomping Willow? Were some still hiding in the forest? Or had most of them been trapped up in their towers, only to be burnt to death, or caught under the collapsing castle?

Nighttime was the worst. She, Ron, Lavender, and Seamus hadn't stepped foot outside in the five days they'd now been at Viktor's. It was too risky. But with all this time now on their hands, they all had no choice but to think of it all. To reflect and try to sort through it, everyone desperately searching for reassuring clues and answers. No one spoke of it to each other, but everyone knew what was on each other's minds.

They spent most of their days in the library Viktor had. No one really knew what they were looking for but, especially for Ron and Hermione, spending hours pouring over dusty books searching for answers to unimaginable questions brought immense comfort.

It was such a day when Hermione suddenly put down the huge book she'd been flipping through with a gasp.

"What is it?" Lavender asked from across the table. Hermione didn't answer, but everyone could tell her mind was running full speed, searching for loopholes in whatever she'd suddenly come across. They all knew that look.

"Go on, tell us" Seamus said somewhat irritably from his spot in a large comfy armchair by the fireplace.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked, stepping down the ladder he was on

Hermione simply nodded mutely, the famous wheels of her brain turning still. Everyone waited with batted breath. Slowly, she let out the air she'd been holding in, and relaxed a bit. With a small smile she looked up at her audience. "Does anyone know if Lavender's come in contact with Voldemort?" she asked softly

"What?" Seamus scrunched up his face, thoroughly confused,

"What I mean is," Hermione said gently, "If the Death Eaters saw Lavender, would they recognize her?"

Everyone fell silent, thinking.

"I-I don't think so" Lavender said slowly, "The only Death Eaters that might remember me are the ones that tried to rape and hurt me, but Ron and Seamus killed most of them."

"What about the ones who were chasing after us?" Ron asked

"I don't think so. I was pretty far away from you all and the only ones that might have seen me, I killed. They were too far away from me to see what I looked like."

"Why do you want to know, Hermione?" Seamus asked, his irritable restless side gone now that there was some action for him to take part in.

Hermione smiled to herself, a smile that captivated everyone's attention for it was a smile of someone brimming with good news and sheer happiness. "Because," She said, looking at Ron, "I think it's time we contacted the Order."

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The fireplace chosen was the one on the third floor. It was an empty room used only for storage purposes, creatively decorated with spider webs of all kinds and a thick layer of dust that made everyone cough.

"It's freezing in here" Lavender shivered

"Vell this room hasn't been heated in a long time." Viktor said simply, striding across the distance from the door to the fireplace.

The others trickled in slowly, looking around with curiosity at the objects lying about the floor. A chest of drawers, an old writing desk, a beautiful set of china, a hat rack, and a mirror Hermione knew her that her mother, who had a love for antiques, would have died for, were some of the larger objects in the room.

"There we go" Viktor exclaimed, getting the fire started with his wand. Hermione laughed quietly as she watched him trying to build up the flames with his wand.

"Here" Ron's voice came from behind her. "We can use these as a backdrop so that they won't recognize anything in the background." He said, carrying a bundle of white sheets.

"Only your head will appear using the Floo network Ron," She reminded him

He shrugged, "I know. But you never know. Just in case."

Hermione nodded. "Alright. Just in case."

Once the sheets were covering all the furniture, the group stood in front of the fireplace, unsure of what to do next.

"Okay so what exactly am I supposed to say again?" Lavender asked nervously, running her hand through her long hair.

All eyes looked to Hermione. "We're trying to contact any Order member we can. Who knows, maybe Voldemort killed them all and there is no more Order. You need to make sure that you act assuming that it could be a Death Eater impersonating an Order member. Refuse to give your name, location, or who you're with alright?" Hermione said

Lavender took a shaky breath and nodded her head. "You ready?" Hermione asked, standing up.

"Yes" Lavender replied, her face a bit paler than usual.

"Now remember, you can always pull your head out of the fireplace if you need to." Ron reminded, "And we'll all be right over here to help you if you need it."

"Thanks"

"Okay. Everyone get out of the view of the fireplace." Hermione ordered, she and Ron going to the right, and Viktor and Seamus going to the left. Lavender stood alone. "Now Viktor" She commanded. With a flick of his wrist, the warm flames turned a deep green and Lavender got down on her knees and thrust her head into them.

Ron took her hand. Hermione looked up into his face to see the fear lying there underneath his blue eyes. "It's okay," She whispered, squeezing his hand.

"What if it's not?" He whispered back, looking deeply into her eyes.

"I don't know Ron. I just—I have to know if they're okay."

"I-I want them all to be there like they always were. I want everything to be okay. I don't want to think about things the way they are now. I don't want to deal with death any more. What if they're all gone? My family? Dumbledore? What'll we do then?"

"I--"

"Hello?" A strained voice echoed throughout the room. Not a soul moved, no one dared breathe.

"Is someone there?" Lavender's voice asked, "I-I need to speak with your leader."

"My leader?" The man…yes it was a man's voice, asked incredulously. "Who exactly is this?"

"Don't say it" Hermione whispered inaudibly, fear rising from the pit of her stomach

"Please, I need to speak with the Order. Or someone from the Order." Lavender continued fearfully

"On what business?"

"Personal business. Or whatever else there is."

The man was quiet for a moment, "I'm afraid I can't help you." He said finally.

"Please sir, you don't understand!" Lavender cried out, "Just let me talk to someone. Put anyone on."

There was a pause-- as if the man was examining Lavender. It was pause that made Hermione squirm uncomfortably. What if he didn't find Lavender convincing enough?

"You're young." The voice said, sympathy evident in his tone.

Lavender nodded.

"How old?" He asked quietly

"Seventeen" Lavender replied.

Hermione wrung her hands together. No! So maybe she hadn't mentioned age to Lavender, but it fell in the category of things not to tell these people! What if that was it? What if Lavender blindly, had sealed their fates? This was a stupid idea…how could she have been so thick? It was too dangerous. Much too dangerous. How could she have—

"No" The man breathed. "You---that can't be."

Hermione shot Ron a confused look. What did he mean?

"I—well I mean, yes, I am seventeen."

"Merlin…" The man exclaimed, caught up in his own world "I remember you"

"Excuse me?"

"Ah I see it better now. The brown hair, the same nose, the same voice…by God, it really is you."

"What?" Lavender asked nervously. "Please, sir I'm running out of time and I need to speak to an Order member now."

There was a silence, and for a moment Hermione thought he'd disconnected the link, but then quietly, and emotionally there came the voice again, "You're speaking to one."

Lavender said nothing and Hermione could hear Ron sucking in his breath quickly. An Order member…who was it?

Lavender had been caught off guard and seemed incapable of speaking as she tried to form words. "I see you don't remember me." He said

"No…" Lavender said softly, trying to think

"Let me re-introduce myself."

"'Mione…" Ron suddenly whispered at her side

"What is it?"

Ron's eyes filled with emotion. "I know who he is."

"Who?"

"How exactly do I know you?"

"We were at Hogwarts together"

"Hmm well I don't think---" Suddenly Lavender gasped, a hand covering her mouth, tears evident in her shaky voice "I knew you looked…something about it…I'm sorry I didn't recognize you before…I just--Oh Professor Lupin how are you!"

(A/N: I was going to stop it here but decided I'd put you all through too much to be that mean)

"Lupin…" Hermione whispered, closing her eyes to try to stop the tears stinging at her eyes. Ron nodded and smiled, pulling her into an embrace and leaning against the wall, contently. The relief Hermione felt at a familiar voice, of knowing that they weren't alone…it was so marvelous that all she could do was cry silently.

Lavender was talking animatedly to the Professor and Viktor was shooting them a confused look from across the room. But Seamus stood as far to the edge as he could go, grinning from ear to ear….he understood.

"Lavender tell me what happened. Where are you now? How did you escape? Are you okay? Who are you with?"

Lavender paused, unsure if she should tell him. Looking to where Ron and Hermione were standing, Ron simply nodded, and leaned his smiling face on top of Hermione's head.

"What do you know already?" She said slowly

Lupin sighed "The Order's been reduced to only a small group now. Luckily though, those that survived were the most useful. We've gotten only two reports back from the battlefield and it didn't sound pretty."

Lavender laughed bitterly, something Hermione had never heard her do. "I think it's fair to say it wasn't _pretty_."

"Kingsley was there and he said Hogwarts had collapsed and a lot of people had died. The Death Eaters had a stronghold in the Forbidden Forest and were capturing people to kill."

"That's all true."

"What about Harry, Ron, and Hermione? Did you ever see them? Are they okay? "

Lavender froze and inhaled her breath slowly as she closed her eyes. Ron's smile disappeared off his face and Hermione broke apart from Ron to step towards the fireplace. Seamus and Viktor too, were leaning in to hear Lavender's response. Instead of talking, Lavender simply looked at Ron and Hermione with sad unsure eyes, before turning back to face Lupin.

Lupin's voice wavered, "T-They're okay aren't they?"

Lavender sighed. "Professor Lupin, you asked earlier how I escaped. Well the answer to that is, _I_ didn't escape. _We_ did."

"W-We?" Lupin repeated, bewildered as though he'd never heard the word before. There was a pause where Hermione assumed Lupin was trying to comprehend everything. Finally he said in a mere whisper, "More of you escaped?"

Lavender nodded.

"W-Who?" Lupin asked, his voice fearful

"There were four of us. Me obviously, Seamus, and…"

"And you both are okay? You're not hurt?"

"No, we're both fine. You shouldn't worry about us, we're taken care of."

"Good." The old Professor breathed. "And who were the other two?"

"Ron and Hermione." Lavender said quietly, looking down at her hands as if she were fearful of Lupin's reaction

The longest pause yet filled the room, one that brought more tears to Hermione's eyes as Ron and Seamus stood on their tiptoes, waiting for his reaction. They waited for a long time, and heard nothing. For a moment, Hermione almost feared that it had been a trick all along, but then finally the sounds of choked sobs were heard.

The group sat in silence, listening to the weeping of a strong man, who usually did not cry. His sobs echoed throughout the room, only making his tears seem all the more joyous…our sad, depending on if he'd put the pieces together yet.

Acting spontaneously, Ron strode over confidently to the fireplace, completely ignoring Hermione's whispers, and knelt in front of the fireplace with Lavender.

"Hello Professor" Ron said, a gentle smile on his face

"Ron…" Lupin's voice cracked

And as if her body were being drawn to the fireplace, Hermione suddenly found herself kneeling next to Ron, her head thrust into those light green flames, looking at her old Professor, with a tear screamed face that was smiling.

"Hermione….Merlin you're both okay!" Lupin's voice whispered

"Professor Lupin…" Hermione cried, wiping at her eyes shamefully

Lupin laughed jovially wiping at his own tears. "I can't believe it's really you"

"Me neither" Hermione agreed quietly

"H-How! How did you do it? How did you escape?"

Ron and Hermione made eye contact. Yes, they should tell him the whole story. "We were in that prison you spoke of."

"No---but how! Kingsley said that those brought in were tortured to death."

"We were tortured," Ron said gravely

"You were?"

They nodded

"But you survived?"

Again, they nodded.

"How!"

"We killed those Death Eaters torturing us, and ran. But we got caught and met with Voldemort. Then he had the brilliant idea to make Hermione his mistress, but that he would wait until the next night so that arrangements could be made. Then that night, Seamus and Lavender came to us and helped us escape since Seamus still had his wand with him. Then, the next morning, we ran. Death Eaters followed us and we were forced to split up. Seamus and I thought the girls were dead, and they thought the same about us. But we met up here." Ron explained

"Where is 'here'?"

"We can't tell you that now." Hermione said quickly, "I'm sorry"

"It's alright"

"Lupin, who out of the Order survived? What about my family?" Ron asked quietly

Lupin took a deep breath and looked at Ron sadly. Hermione's heart sped up and it felt as though someone were sitting on her lungs. "Your mum's okay." He said slowly "Your dad got wounded but he should pull through."

"How'd he get wounded?" Hermione breathed

"I'm not completely sure. All I know is that it's in his leg. But it didn't sound that bad."

"And my brothers and sister?"

"No word on Ginny. As for your brothers, Bill and Charlie are safe. They were in Romania and Egypt when they got the owl and couldn't get here as we sent people out to fight. Once they got here, we needed them to attend to the wounded and such. It's been chaos around here. Percy's here as well…working the technical part of it all. He's one hell of a boss I'll tell you that."

"And Fred and George?"

"I'm sorry Ron, we haven't heard from them. They apparently were at Hogwarts."

"But their shop is in--"

"Hogsmeade I know. They must have heard the commotion and apparated to join the fight, or they were involved in that attack on Hogsmeade. Either way, we don't know. Your mum is going absolutely insane with worry but I don't blame her in the least. Doesn't know where six of her children are, and her husband is wounded."

"Six?"

"Well Harry and Hermione of course."

Hermione couldn't fight back the smile that played at her lips.

"Ah that reminds me! Harry! Where is he? Was he with you two? Is he okay? Should we send some people out for him?" Lupin asked, his face contorting back into one of panic

Ron, Hermione, and Lavender shared a look. "No," Hermione said softly, "Don't send anyone for him."

"Why not? Is he here? Put him on, I want to talk to the lad" Lupin beamed

Tears were re-building in Hermione's eyes. Shaking her head, she let Lavender fill poor Remus in, the more times they had to talk about Harry, she would have expected it get easier. For Hermione, it only seemed to get harder.

"He's not here Professor" Lavender said quietly

"Where is he? Is he okay? He's not captured is he?"

There was a pause, no one wanting to have to drop the bomb. Finally Lavender had the courage to meet Lupin's unfaltering gaze. "It's worse." She whispered, "He's—Professor, Harry's dead."

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(A/N: What did ya think? Let me know! Much love, Haystack)


	30. Chapter Thirty: The News

(A/N: SURPRISE!  Well I must say that I'm rather thrilled with life right now. Not only, does my class have off school for two days this week due to testing in other classes, but my all-day practice got canceled as well! This left today completely and utterly free! And of course, what better way to spend my rare extra time, then write for you lovely people! So here you go, a medium sized chapter to help ease those three weeks that technically will only be two weeks now! Amazing how things work out isn't it? Haha…anyways, I was completely BLOWN away by the content of these reviews! Everyone was sooo sweet and supportive and ah I don't know…AMAZING! So THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! That's about it I think, see you all in two weeks! Much love, Haystack)

spiritoffire32: Well welcome to fanfiction! Thanks so much for reviewing, you're so sweet! As for this story being taken straight from the hand of JKR, well that is probably the biggest compliment I could ever receive, so Thank you so much! That means a lot since goodness she's my favorite author and without doubt one of the best to have ever lived. Anyways, I'm so glad you're liking the story and hopefully this update was an unexpected treat! Hope to hear from you again!

Princess Storm: haha well I'm glad you liked it. Ah yes, who doesn't love Ron, gosh what a sweetie. You gotta love his character, he tries so hard and so rarely doesn't succeed. What's cuter than that? Lol Well hopefully you liked chapter twenty nine too, and actually chapter thirty to come to think of it! Anyways, thanks so much for reviewing as always!

RainDateChick: Ah how I wish I could update daily! When I started my first fic I was updating regularly (as in almost every day), but then again, my plot was a lot less complicated, and the chapters were at the most, four pages, where as an average chapter in this story runs at about ten. As for writing, well besides the point that I'm an amateur and no where close to where professional authors are, all I can say is practice. If you don't believe me, check out my first fic SORT TORDU for proof. I almost never got A's on papers or stories when I was younger, but once I started writing on this site for fun, suddenly writing became fun even if it was a boring topic. This is why I love this site so much. It gives people a chance to learn and grow and stuff. Anyways, thanks so much for your support and thanks for reviewing!

Sweetdiva: Aw your loyalty means a lot to me! Thanks! Yes, Hermione and Ron are engaged! As for the Weasleys, well I'm sorry, I may be able to kill off Harry, but there's no way I could kill off Mr. Or Mrs. Weasley. I'm not that heartless. Lol Yes, so that's really good news for Ron. Thanks for reviewing!

Smiles28: It took me a while to figure out who I wanted them to contact. I considered making it an imposter but these poor characters need a break. And who better honestly than Lupin? That poor man. He's a werewolf and shunned for part of his life, and then his two best friends die, and now Harry and…goodness Lupin needed to have some hope again. Is it obvious I have a soft spot for him? Lol anyways, Thanks so much for reiviewing!

doublelily: Aw you're so sweet to recommend this story to your friends! And for those three friends who have read it, tell them that I said "Thank you!" and that I'm glad they're liking it so far! Yes, the story is bitter-sweet but I suppose I made it that way to try to make it real. After all, most days of our lives are bittersweet and that's kinda how I see life. You're a songwriter! That's so funny because my friend and I write songs as well! Well I'm glad this gives you inspiration for songs, it's hard to find sometimes so I'm glad I can provide some for you! Thanks for reiviewing!

suckr4romance81789: I know, I never would have been able to tell Lupin either. At least not without breaking up into sobs. Death is always hard to recite to someone and something like this would be soo hard! I'm glad you liked it though, and though emotions were running high, I'm happy to put some hope back into the story! Thanks so much for reviewing like always!

cumbacksirius: Aw I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bring anyone down with the whole Lupin thing, but it was pretty important to the plot that they'd talk to him. But yes! They are engaged! Engagement worked better for me because I had kind of stuck that in there last minute and a wedding wouldn't fit into the plot. Also, I've never been to a wedding (though I'll be going to one soon!  ) and would be completely clueless as to how to write it! Thanks so much for reviewing!

ShimmeringEvil: Glad you liked the chapter! Yea it was a little sad there at the end, but it's refreshing to bring in a new character. Ron and Hermione are great characters…really complex so that you don't get tired of them, but new characters that can foil their characteristics are always exciting. Well at least for me, but then again, I'm an English nut. Lol Anyways, Thanks so much for reviewing as always! Hope you like this chapter!

Krissy-Jane: Oh good. I'm glad someone commented about Hermione's reaction. I was worried at first that people would be upset cause it wasn't romantic or anything. But I thought that Hermione would be the sort to think things through before rushing into them. Glad you liked it! lol Thanks so much for reviewing!

vacant xpressi0ns: haha your review made me laugh! Yes, Lupin is alive! He's always been a favorite of mine. Hehee…I'm glad your happy about him. Thanks so much for reviewing and reading so consistently!

EvelyneJ: oh wow! Best yet! YAY! I must say I was surprised, I hadn't thought that this chapter was one of my better ones, but I'm so happy you did! Thanks so much for reviewing, I swear they all just make me smile!

dancerrdw: Aw! Your loyalty is so sweet! THANKS! You've got no idea what that means to me! You guys are all so nice to me, I don't deserve it after what I put you through with updates and cliffhangers and stuff. Lol, glad you liked it! As for my show, I'm excited, it's turning out great and can't wait to put it all together. I really hope you like this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

nattieb: Hehee…I'm evil you say! innocent face lol…Phew! I'm glad you didn't think that it lagged. Maybe that was me being over-analytical. As for Ginny, well all I can say is patience. It's coming soon I promise. Good news though is that my biggest project is out of the way, and by the end of next week, the others will be too! Gosh I don't know what I'm possibly going to do with all that spare time? Hmmm… ;) lol Thanks for reviewing!

starsmiles: Yea this chapter kind of had a roller coaster thing goin on with the ecstatic happiness in the beginning and the sadness at the end. Oh well, I wanted to keep it moving quickly so we can get to the good stuff! I'll tell you though I sincerely considered making Lupin an imposter but these characters needed some good news and hope and stuff. As of course, did you all. As a writer I'm glad that you found his wracking sobs heartbreaking. That may sound weird or inconsiderate but my job is to make my audience feel what they are. Are you an actor as well? It sounded like you'd been in shows and stuff before. Thanks so much for reviewing!

CHAPTER THIRTY: THE NEWS

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Lupin's face twitched; as though it were responding to a slap in the face. He didn't move, but his eyes blinked a lot. He hadn't reacted at all to the news Lavender had just shared with him and Ron secretly wondered if he were alright. Maybe he had some kind of brain thing that prevented him from hearing certain things. Could he possibly have not heard anything of what Lavender had told him about Harry?

As Ron continued to stare at his old Defense teacher, worry filled his mind. How on earth could Remus handle Harry's death? He still hadn't gotten over Sirius…

But then, Lupin closed his eyes, and exhaled painfully. Lavender's statement must have registered by now and here Ron stood, watching slowly as the effects took hold of poor Lupin.

"H-He's gone?" Lupin whispered, looking at Lavender with such intensity, it was obvious to tell he was praying and hoping she wouldn't respond with a yes.

"Yes" Lavender said slowly

Tears shot to Lupin's eyes so fast, Ron wondered if maybe he hadn't imagined it. Lupin sighed and put his face in his hands and remained there for a few moments.

"How?" Came the timid voice of Lupin, sounding nothing like his old confident self.

Lavender looked at Ron and Hermione desperately, she didn't want to have to recite it all again. Hermione thankfully, nodded her head to Lavender and began to speak in a soft tone.

"H-He asked for us to leave him Professor. We didn't want to leave. Ron especially. But we did. Later on, we got word that he needed us so we rushed towards him, but then Hogwarts collapsed and we got caught up in the dust. By the time we reached him, his glasses were shattered and…" Hermione stopped, her shoulders shaking and her eyes far off, remembering every detail in excruciating pain. Ron reached out to touch her…he needed to touch her. To let her know he understood, to let her know he saw the same images in his mind right now but she was too far away. "and…" she continued "the glass had pierced one of his eyes. He was bleeding everywhere Professor. I screamed out to him but Ron and I got captured and taken to that prison. Once we were in our cell we looked out of the window and saw Harry up in the air. Voldemort made a speech, said the spell and…h-he disappeared."

"Disappeared? How do you know he didn't just get transported somewhere? Maybe he's still alive!"

"There's no way Professor. There was an explosion…a big flash of gold light. This was the moment Voldemort had waited for for 17 years. He wouldn't have blown that." Hermione explained through her tears.

"And we know because…because we saw his corpse." Ron said suddenly, surprising himself with how even his voice sounded as he continued to sob internally.

It was here that Lupin's eyes came into focus. Focusing on Ron's own blue ones as if nothing in the world were more important Lupin asked him, "You what?"

"Voldemort thought it'd be funny if he placed Harry's corpse in our cell." Ron replied somberly, a trace of tears in his eyes

"And…how--?

"Ron wouldn't go near him" Hermione shot angrily, wiping at her tears with the back of her hand

Ron's eyes narrowed. "And Hermione turned into a mental nutcase." He retorted

This only made Hermione cry harder, and made Ron immediately regret saying it. Lavender averted her eyes elsewhere in an attempt to stay out of it, but Lupin still looked at him intently. "What do you mean?"

"Well um she" Ron stole a glance at his crying fiancé "She started talking to him, fixing him up, stuff like that. Acting like he was alive."

"He wasn't was he?"

"No way in hell. I could smell him from across the cell." Ron replied painfully. He sighed. "Look Professor, that's it. He's gone. It wasn't exactly the message I wanted to give anyone over the Floo Network but whatever. We shouldn't be on here too long or else it'll be suspicious, so I need to ask a few more questions."

Lupin nodded miserably "Go ahead"

"Who else from the Order is alive?"

"Tonks is still here, she was out on the battlefield but is okay. Hagird's here as well."

"Hagird!" The three chorused breathlessly

Lupin managed a small smile, "Yea, he made it through the war too. He was in the castle when the whole thing started, and a good thing too because his hut was the first place they struck. Fang unbelievably, was spared as well. Hagrid cried for an hour he was so happy."

This comment not only turned Hermione's tears into sniffles, but managed to bring the tiniest of smiles out onto her face. Ron beamed.

"And the others?"

"Madam Pomfrey was killed, as was Snape"

"Snape!" Ron and Hermione shot out in horror

Lupin nodded gravely, "Voldemort figured out where his loyalty stood and had him tortured to death."

Hermione tried to say something but couldn't get it out, and so she simply sat there, her mouth open in dismay. Ron's stomach twisted with guilt. All those years spent of cursing him, of never trusting him…all to find out he'd been wrong all along.

"We haven't heard from McGonagall, but we know she was with students last. We can only hope."

Everyone nodded numbly.

"But perhaps the best news yet is that Dumbledore managed to survive."

"DUMBLEDORE'S ALIVE!" Seamus asked, his face contorted into sheer joy.

Lupin smiled and nodded. "Who's that I hear?"

Lavender laughed, "It's Seamus"

Lupin returned her laugh with a small chuckle. "Well hello there Seamus. You always were a boisterous one in class."

All turned to Seamus who'd gone a slight pink. "He's really alive Professor?" Ron asked, trying to keep a cap on his glee. He didn't want to be disappointed later.

Lupin again, nodded. "Believe it Ron. I've talked to him myself."

Ron shook his head. "It's hard to believe. How'd he survive?"

Lupin looked at him and for a split second Ron thought he saw a sparkle in Lupin's eyes. But a second later, it was gone. "I don't think the question is how, for we all know that Dumbeldore is probably the most powerful wizard in the world. I think the question is why."

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't he want to survive?" Lavender asked

"Dumbledore had been caught in a corner, he'd done everything he possibly could to help Harry and everyone else, but he knew that he had to step back and let the prophecy fulfill itself. I think it was his intention to remain inside Hogwarts until he was captured, to let Harry finally take his role. Dumbledore is extremely old, you all must know that. Life becomes simply exhausting after that many years."

"Then why didn't he go along with his plan?" Ron asked

"I don't know. I'm not sure how, but somehow I think he knew that things weren't going to go our way. He knew that he'd be needed. And all I can do thank Merlin over and over again that he's alive right now. Without him, I don't know what we would have done."

"So what is his plan?" Hermione asked, tears gone

"What do you mean, his plan?" Ron asked her, confused

She rolled her eyes at him. "Honestly Ron, we have to find some way to beat Voldemort and the Death Eaters. We can't let evil take over the world. Dumbledore surely has a plan. Aren't I right Lupin?"

Lupin nodded and smiled faintly at Hermione. "There are plans being made. I couldn't and wouldn't tell you what they are now. But Dumbledore's been working non-stop. I'm sure news that you all are alive will do more good than anything right now. All of you were presumed dead."

"Even Harry?" Ron asked quietly

Lupin turned his gaze on him, "Yes, even Harry"

"Then how did they create a plan without Harry. Surely it would have resulted in more deaths."

Lupin sighed, "I can't tell you anything right now Ron. But one thing I do need to know is this, are you lot completely safe where you are?"

Everyone exchanged glances. "For now, until they can figure it out." Hermione replied slowly

"You sure you're okay? You're not living off the land are you?"

"Don't worry Lupin, we're fine." Ron assured him

"Alright. Now listen to me carefully. You all are to stay exactly where you are, you here me? For safety measures, alter your appearances and try to destroy any evidences of yourselves. Please, just make sure you stay hidden. Especially the two of you, Ron and Hermione. Voldemort's going to be after you both more than anyone else right now. Once we can figure everything out, we'll come for you. Until then, stay put. And if you hear of any resistance fighting going on, don't worry. Things'll be okay. I promise. Ron, I'll make sure to let your mum know how you are immediately after I'm done talking with you okay?"

"Thanks Lupin, for everything." Ron said emotionally

Lupin shook his head at them. "You lot continue to amaze me. I'm just so thankful you're alright. I-I was so worried. I really had thought you were dead."

"We had no idea if everyone else was gone besides us. Thanks for filling us in, I'll be able to sleep better." Hermione said softly

"Take care of yourselves. See you whenever we can."

"Bye Lupin. Take care." Ron said

"Bye Lupin. Send our love to everyone." Hermione said, blowing a kiss

"Will do. Bye!"

"Bye!" They chorused

"Oh and you three?" Lupin looked at Lavender, Ron, and Hermione, with a wink, "Get yourselves new wands."

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"Hermione! For the last time, we can't!" Ron shouted, his face a fiery red. Hermione rose in vain attempt to tower over Ron. Seamus was eating as he laughed…thoroughly enjoying the show. Lavender and Viktor simply looked scared as they sat on the couch, their eyes darting back and forth between the two.

"Ron we have to!"

"No! You were the one who was so petrified of us keeping cover, of not making a scene! How in bloody hell does this count as not blowing our cover!"

"Ron, this is different. It--"

"HOW IS IT DIFFERENT! WE'D STILL BE EXPOSING OURSELVES EITHER WAY!"

"RON JUST CALM DOWN AND LISTEN TO ME!"

"NO! YOU'RE STILL HEALING! NO WAY I'M LETTING YOU OUT OF THIS HOUSE WHILE YOU'RE STILL HURT!"

"IT'S BEEN FIVE DAYS RON! WE HAVEN'T BEEN OUTSIDE IN FIVE DAYS! I FELL FINE!"

"Yea but you also said you were fine before, and then you fainted!" Ron mumbled quietly to himself as he crossed his arms.

Hermione glared at him. "Ron, how can you honestly not want to do this! It was your idea anyways"

Ron's eyes widened and his face grew if possible, a deeper shade of red, close to purple. "IT WAS NOT MY IDEA! I MADE ONE INNOCENT COMMENT AND YOU JUMPED ONTO IT AND CREATED THIS WHOLE INSANE PLAN THAT I REFUSE TO LET YOU CARRY THROUGH!"

"RONALD WEASLEY YOU'RE BEING UNREASONABLE!"

"NO I'M NOT! WE'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO WHAT LUPIN SAID!" Ron shouted, then added more quietly "We've been extremely lucky so far, but we can't afford any more close calls. You know that. Voldemort's angry. He won't play games this time and draw torture and death out. He'll be quick and ruthless. He'll kill us all."

"Ron" Hermione said calmly, "I see all of that. I understand. But you need to take a deep breath and just hear me out."

Ron looked at Lavender who shrugged her shoulders, Viktor who gave him a deer-in-the-headlights look, and at Seamus who winked and nodded enthusiastically. Sighing and running a hand through his hair, he nodded. "Fine, go ahead."

Hermione smiled, "Thank you" She said, rubbing it in a bit.

Ron looked as if he was about to retort but finally he chose to keep his mouth shut. He really hadn't been in the fighting mood tonight. Now that Hermione was his, fighting had lost its wonder and excitement. It was simply exhausting. He used to marvel at the rosy color it put in her face, at how her frizzy curls seemed to fly by themselves, at how bright and alive her eyes looked. And though none of that had changed, now that he was over how beautiful Hermione was, he had time to actually focus on the issue at hand; and it was one that Ron refused to let her win. Not this time. This time, he _knew_ he was right.

"I know how worried you've been about your family Ron." Hermione said sympathetically, "And Seamus and Lavender, I'm sure you're just as worried as I am about everyone else." She said, addressing the two on the couch before her. They nodded silently, solemn looks on their faces. "And you have to admit that now that there's an Order, and people alive, that there's a safe spot for us now. There's a place where we can be surrounded by friends and family and involved in whatever these plans are. And we'll be safe, for the time being, at least until we fight again."

"Stop it right there 'Mione." Ron cut in, "I understand why you want to go. Believe me, I would give anything to be there right now. But think about this. Even if miraculously somehow, we made it there alive, it'd only be a matter of time before one of us dies in whatever fighting you're talking about or Voldemort finds this huge hiding hole and kills everyone within it. We're safer here, there's no doubt or question about that. Voldemort is busy, he doesn't have enough time on his hands to think and research and try to crack the mystery about where we are. But since he's there, he _does_ have the time to look around Hogwarts and England for us, and anyone else he can find."

"I want to help Ron!"

"Hermione," Ron said gently, putting his hands on both her shoulders and turning her to face him, "I get that. But you and I have paid our dues. We don't need to do anything anymore. All I'm thinking about is staying alive and keeping you alive with me as well. We've fought against Voldemort for seven years, been tortured in more ways than anyone else in the world (especially with Harry dying), and right now, are the most wanted people in the world. To abandon logic and rush off to fight already after I've barely comprehended what happened a few days ago, is insane. You need to take a deep breath and look at the facts."

"I know I don't do anything rash or unreasonable Ron," She began, "But I have a feeling on this one. You say Voldemort won't have time to sit down and think about where we are, well I think you're wrong. If he wants to find us, he will. It's only a matter of time. And I think we'd be safer where other people can protect us, then if we're here in a foreign country all by ourselves, and still without wands."

"'Mione…" Ron moaned, "Did you have to go and complicated things like this? Why did you have to do this tonight! Can't we just go to bed and talk about it in the morning?"

"No Ron"

"Why not?"

"Because." She said plainly, "We have to discuss it with Lavender and Seamus"

"Can't we talk about it in the morning at breakfast? I promise I'll be more open to ideas with food in my stomach and a good night's rest behind me"

"What do you two think?" Hermione asked Lavender and Seamus, ignoring Ron.

Seamus grinned. "I want to go back"

"FINNEGAN!"

"Hey Weasley, relax. I'm ready to go back and help. Being locked inside for five days has been killing me. Though I will admit this was royalty compared to what we'd been living off of earlier." He said, nodding to Viktor "But seriously, its time to go back. People need us there and I-I need to find out if certain people are okay." Seamus said honestly, looking at Ron calmly

Lavender sighed. "I guess me too. I really don't like the idea of going back to fight but being near other people and helping in some way would do me a lot of good."

"Fine" Ron spat, throwing his arms into the air, "You all want to go back. Fine. But Seamus and Lavender do you want to go back badly enough to risk our safety?"

The two looked at each other and shrugged. Lavender sighed, "I don't know. I mean I want to go back, I really do. I mean, I'd give anything--"

"Would you give your life?" Ron shot

"Ron!" Hermione cried, shooting Ron a looked that he instantly recognized as his Ronald-I-cannot-believe-you-just-said-that look.

Lavender luckily, chose to ignore his comment. "I'm worried about how we'd do it though. I think if we do go through with it there are a few things we'd need to do first."

"What?" Hermione asked patiently

"Well first off, the rest of us need to get wands. I'm not sure how that's going to work. Surely there has to be some kind of place like Diagon Alley where we could go. Where did you get your wand Viktor?"

"Vell there is a tiny place near here, just a few blocks East, but it doesn't make very high quality wands. At least not compared to what you all are used to."

"What do you mean by high quality wands?" Seamus asked

"Oh don't worry. The wands aren't bad or anything. They're vonderfully made and very dependable. But the vands here are more general. Back in England the vand chooses the Witch or Wizard, correct?"

"Yes" Hermione said

"Vell here the vands are just like the ones you used to have, except that when the vand chooses the owner, the magic that emits the vand is more powerful. Mr. Ollivander is probably one of the only vandmakers that does this. But anyways, these vands should do for now. At least until you can go to him and get a better one."

"I'm sure they're fine Viktor. We won't be picky." Hermione smiled

Lavender nodded, "And once we have the wands, then we'll be able to alter our appearances."

"Well it sounds like this is all sorted out!" Seamus said cheerfully, stretching out on the couch, "So when are we leaving?"

Ron narrowed his eyes, but said nothing as everyone looked to Hermione. "Well we need to get there as soon as possible before anything changes." The group, except Ron, all nodded in agreement. "Viktor how fast do you think we can get those wands?"

"Tomorrow"

"Alright then. Tomorrow night, we'll leave."

"How are we going to get there?" Seamus asked

Hermione bit her lip thinking hard. "Seamus do they know your name? Would they recognize it if they saw it?"

"I don't think so. But I bet they'd look it up and see I was in seventh year with you lot. Why?"

"Well I figured that if we registered our new wands under false names, if we apparated, then Voldemort wouldn't be able to tell. But that wouldn't work if there was any chance Voldemort and his followers would recognize your name. Four young kids apparating a long ways to England would look very suspicious."

"If we can't apparate then, how'll we get back?" Lavender asked concerned

"Similar to the way we came, I guess." Hermione sighed. "Train, and a lot of walking."

"You shouldn't valk." Viktor exclaimed, "I can pay to have someone drive you."

"That's sweet Viktor and I appreciate it, but I wouldn't trust anyone else." Hermione said

"Fine then, I vill drive you."

"No Viktor, please don't. I just don't trust cars. They're undependable and you're enclosed in a tight space. With the train, if something goes wrong, we could always jump off. I'd feel better taking the train."

"It's settled then," Lavender said, "Tomorrow night we'll catch the next train to England under new identities."

"Sounds brilliant" Seamus grinned.

"I'm excited." Lavender smiled

"Ron?" Hermione asked gently, addressing him for the first time in a while.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "I can't believe we're going to do this but now that we are, at least we're doing it right. But I swear, Hermione, if anything goes wrong…"

"It won't" She said quickly, "It can't"

"Why can't it?"

"Because," She said, smiling, "We're going home"

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(A/N: Well! Let me know!

p.s. Talk to you all in two weeks!)


	31. Chapter ThirtyOne: Hopeful Comfort

(A/N: Hello everyone! These past four weeks (I realize it was a bit longer than I intended) have been crazy but I am absolutely THRILLED to be back for good! Unfortunately my show, which went amazingly well, made me sick the following week as family friends moved away and a distant family member died, and then of course as I was getting better, my internet router burnt up and we had to wait to get another one. Then once things were up and running, I had writers block. So, after many weeks of slow tedious work, I am very glad to get this chapter up and over with! I still can't believe how much free time I have now…I'm looking forward to hours and hours in which I can write! Yea! And then of course there is summer, which is only a week away! So yea, the future looks great and I can't wait to really get back to the story. No more weeks of waiting for an update! Horray! I want to thank everyone for the wonderful, amazing, spectacular reviews! I was BLOWN AWAY by how many there was! They were so encouraging! Thank you! Alright, well this chapter to me feels like it could be three mini chapters but I kept them together for you all anyways, because no one likes a bunch of tiny chapters, including me. I ended up having three different drafts for the ending and finally sat down last night and erased it all and started over again! It worked very well actually, and I'm glad that it's completed so I can work on the next chapter! Anyways, hopefully you all will like this chapter! Enjoy! Hugs, Haystack)

lolliipop: Aw, I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I felt so bad that as a new reviewer, you're first impression of this story was that it was one with huge long updates. Luckily, the crazy times are over and I promise no more long updates. Thanks so much for reviewing, and hopefully I'll hear from you again! Enjoy!

BexyLou: I know…it's hard to kill off Harry but for the good of the story it had to be done. I had intended for this story to be originally written as a tragedy---with Harry's death being the crusher ending but I liked the characters too much to end it there! I won't say anything about Ginny other than she's mentioned in this chapter. Thanks so much for reviewing, it was so sweet of you to review and hopefully I'll hear from you again!

Jdcrmn: Aw you're so sweet! Most original story? I must say I'm flattered! Thanks so much, that comment means a lot to me! You've cried! Oh I go through this with other reviewers sometimes but honestly, I always want to know if I've made someone cry because to me it's like the ultimate goal of writing, to know you've reached someone enough to make them cry. Sorry its just a thing I have, completely and utterly makes my day! After I got your review I was smiling for two days! Anyways, thanks so much for reviewing and I'm glad you like the story!

Smiles28: haha as always you know exactly what to say to bring a smile to my face! Thanks so much for standing be me, I appreciate it more than you know. So glad you're enjoying the story! Sorry about the update!

will-herm-simetra: haha well I must say I've gotten quite a few requests for a happy ending. I'm still undecided yet, I have two different endings I could do. We'll just have to see how I feel that day I write that part of the story. Lol, thanks so much for reviewing. I'm glad you're liking the story! Hopefully I'll hear from you again!

Sweetdiva: Well I must say I'm feelin pretty guilty about your 'Cya in 2 weeks!' right about now. Lol Yes it is getting exciting, I can't wait for next chapter because I honestly have no idea what's going to happen there; I'm as in suspense as you all! Anyways, thanks so much for reviewing so faithfully, hope you like this chapter!

spiritoffire32: You're officially hooked! Lol well I am honored! Haha…you're first ever response to a review? Wow…once again….honored! lol, I never used to respond to reviews and I'll admit they do take anywhere between 30-45 minutes but I mean the result has been so rewarding! I've been able to connect with my reviewers, which is beyond amazing! Some of them live in other countries so it's just the coolest thing ever! I'm glad you liked that scene with Lupin, it was refreshing to write a new character! Hope you like this chapter! Thanks so much for reviewing!

Legofiance: Aw I'm glad you liked it so much! Oh don't worry about reviewing, I understand. Sometimes I have to print out stories too…reading on the computer late at night always blurs up my contacts. Lol but anyways, I'm so glad you liked them! I'm sorry about the update but the good news is that I'm back for good! Hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for reviewing!

vacant xpressi0ns: haha you're review made me laugh! Random ipod dancing? I love it! Lol, yes they are going home! I'm happy as well! I'm sorry but they can only be in Bulgaria so long…writing Viktor's accent was starting to get on my nerves, I've never heard a Bulgarian accent so I was having a bit of trouble! Anyways I'm so glad you're enjoying it and thanks for reviewing so wonderfully and faithfully!

cumbacksirius: Yay! I'm glad you liked last chapter so much! Yup, they sure are going against what Lupin said. "The plot thickens…" lol, you'll just have to stay tuned to see what happens! I'm particularly excited myself! Sorry about the update, I swear those two extra weeks sure went by pretty fast! I was horrified when I looked at the calendar! Anyways, thanks so much for reviewing as always and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Princess Storm: Ah yes well I feel pretty bad after re-reading your review. Springing an extra two weeks on you all wasn't very considerate, I'm sorry! But like I keep saying, with my free time now I'll be able to do some serious writing which is such a great thing for me! I'm glad you think I make the characters real, but I must admit I had a pretty good base to start with provided by the amazing JKR. Lol anyways thanks so much for being such a dedicated and faithful reviewer, it means a lot to me. You're reviews are always so encouraging! So yes thanks for that and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

suckr4romance: Aw I'm glad this burst of happiness is helping you deal with Harry's death. And not to burst your bubble, but now that they're on their way home, things are going to start getting ugly again, but the worst of it is over with! So congratulate yourself on making it thus far, I really am surprised at how many people managed to stay with me! It's a lot of stuff to go through emotionally! Anyways, I'm so glad you're enjoying the story and thanks again for reviewing ever so faithfully!

starsmiles: Smiles Glad I could surprise you all with an early chapter! I was pretty happy about that myself! Lol, aw well yes you would most definitely understand what I mean by the long hours. They're tedious aren't they? But soooo much fun! Ah anyways, lol, to the story…I agree, traveling out in the open is a pretty risky and stupid (if you ask me) thing to do but what can we do? These characters never listen to common sense! Viktor's ride certainly would have made things easier but somehow that didn't seem a natural thing to do. As for Viktor, I'm so glad you like him! Not many people have commented on him, and since I kind of made him my own in this story, he holds a special place in my heart! He will definitely have half a chapter dedicated to him later on…just not sure where. lol anyways, thanks so much for reviewing and hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter!

ShimmeringEvil: Yay! Glad you found it uplifting…these next ones coming up are going to get serious again so I thought it was important to put as much of that in as possible. You poor readers have been through so much! Anyways, thanks so much for reviewing and I'm so glad you're enjoying the story; thanks for being such a faithful reviewer!

SamboTheGreat: All I can tell you is that I can't possibly write two fics at once and that that's not a pairing I'm all that familiar with. I'm certainly open to the idea and I haven't forgotten and I know I told you that by spring I'd have something up, but life threw me a lot of unexpected stuff this spring that left me with barely enough time to do all my homework and study, much less start a new plot for a new pairing. I'll think about it once this fic is done with, but I can't write a story without a plot and right now I have zip ideas on the matter.

AmyChris: Me too! Returning home is the best feeling isn't it? Oh don't worry about reviewing last chapter, I completely understand what you mean by crazy as you can tell by the time gap between my update! As for the last update, that chapter just seemed to come to me really easily, where as this one took me days and days to even get through. I'm very optimistic about next chapter since it's been one I've been eager to write for weeks now but we'll have to see how it all comes together! Thanks so much for always sticking with this story, it's reviewers like you that make this so much fun! Thanks again and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

dancerrdw: I'm glad you liked last chapter so much! I'm so sorry about the update but as you probably read in my author note, life around here has been one notch above crazy. Thanks for wishing me good luck in my show; it went amazingly well! Dress rehearsal week was grueling for me, I'd been sick that whole week and just barely got better in time to perform! But as always, the way things come together in life is truly miraculous! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story, I know I sound like a broken record when I say it but I'm soo excited for the plot ahead! Things are really starting to heat up again and I can't wait for the ending, which ever I choose! So anyways, thanks for sticking by me and my annoying updates and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Krissy-Jane: Actually to tell you the truth I was surprised myself but what can I say? Some days the writing gene is so overpowering, and others its terribly absent. It can get annoying at times but oh well, that's life. This plot is getting more complicated than I ever imagined but I'm so glad you're anticipating each one! Everything for this story in my mind is looking up, though the plot isn't quite as cheery; we've got some big stuff coming up. Anyways, thanks so much for reviewing and hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter!

Lily the klutz: haha you're review made me laugh! Well I certainly am glad that you loved it! I hope to hear from you again, you seem like a really entertaining person! I realized that I keep saying glad but unfortunately my synonyms for glad are all weird so everyone will just have to put up with me. Anyways, thanks so much for reviewing and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

doublelily: Oh yay! I'm glad you liked it! Yes, Ron is the wise cookie lately, kind of a switch, but one I find extremely entertaining to write! Lol, yes home is such a great feeling! Though I suppose no one really is going home…just to England, but even still…Bulgaria was getting annoying. I'm so glad you're enjoying it and thanks again for reviewing!

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"_It's settled then," Lavender said, "Tomorrow night we'll catch the next train to England under new identities."_

"_Sounds brilliant" Seamus grinned. _

"_I'm excited." Lavender smiled_

"_Ron?" Hermione asked gently, addressing him for the first time in a while._

_He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "I can't believe we're going to do this but now that we are, at least we're doing it right. But I swear, Hermione, if anything goes wrong…"_

"_It won't" She said quickly, "It can't"_

"_Why can't it?"_

"_Because," She said, smiling, "We're going home"_

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CHAPTER THIRTY: HOPEFUL COMFORT

Ron clutched his new wand so tightly his knuckles were white. His eyes darted around the compartment constantly as the noisy train bounced along. The accommodations in the Third Class section were quite frankly, terrible, as the four teenagers tried to situate themselves into the compartment well enough to sleep.

Hermione was asleep, her head resting on his shoulder, his cloak draped over her. Lavender was stretched out along the other seat, her feet laid across Seamus's lap. He of course, had found the situation highly amusing at first; teasing Lavender about kicking him or the possibility of her feet stinking and making him pass out. She, in response, had hit him.

Ron had tried to tell Seamus off as he continued to prevent the poor girl from sleeping as he played with her toes, reciting some kind of Muggle nursery rhyme. But eventually, Seamus too, became tired and stopped his pestering. Ron could tell the prospect of going home excited him greatly.

And it was then that a thought had struck him. They were not headed to Lavender or Hermione's houses, to Ireland, or even to the Burrow. They were headed towards Hogwarts, or whatever was left of it. And yet, it felt as if they were returning home. They all felt it…that exuberant joyous feeling of returning to what's familiar and cherished. And however much Ron had been, and still was, against returning, he couldn't help but feel glad to be doing so. And this time they were going about everything right.

They'd gotten their wands the very next morning after they'd discussed it, and said goodbye to Viktor that evening. Viktor had been saddened at the prospect of them leaving, and Ron couldn't help but feel sorry for the bloke. What a shock it would be for him to return home to his empty mansion with no one to talk to. But even still, Viktor had been unbelievably gracious, giving them all enough food to last them days and a pair of extra clothes that he'd had specially made as a sort of goodbye gift. Ron couldn't even begin to describe how grateful he was towards Viktor and his hospitality. It had been one of Hermione's best ideas by far.

And now they were here, on board a train headed towards London. From there it'd be a bit of a walk back to Hogwarts grounds. And it was this leg of the journey Ron feared most. They still had no idea where what they were walking into, and had not a clue as to where safety might lie.

But a snort, followed by a chuckle brought Ron out of his thoughts as he looked over to see Seamus sitting across from him; a broad grin on his face. "What are you laughing at Finnegan?" Ron snapped; he'd been awake the whole trip and was rather irritable.

Again, Seamus chuckled and shook his head. "You. You look like a madman, always darting your eyes around like you expect something to pop out of the walls."

"It could happen" Ron said short-temperedly,

"My, my, aren't we in a bad mood" Seamus teased

"Finnegan" Ron moaned, rubbing his head "Just stop it. I'm not in the mood tonight."

"Well what are you in the mood for?" Seamus pouted like a child

"I don't know. But not you annoying me"

"I'm not annoying you"

Ron shot him a look that he hoped clearly stated his opinion on the matter.

"Okay so fine, maybe I'm the tiniest, smallest, bit of a pest but what am I supposed to do? I've got Lav' s feet keeping me in my seat and I need to get up and move. All I know how to do is talk it out" Seamus said, a smile on his face the whole time

Despite his current mood, Ron couldn't help but laugh at the look on Seamus's face. Of course this only made Seamus happier. "See? This is good. I talk, you listen, and we both have ourselves a merry time!"

Ron smiled, "Finnegan your incorrigible you know that?" Inside, he burst with pride at the long word; Hermione would have been pleased, Harry would have laughed.

He smiled and bowed. "I've accepted it as my fate since first year."

Ron laughed, looking around the compartment as he did so, until his gaze fell upon Hermione. She'd pulled her frizzy mass of curls back, but a few curls had somehow managed to escape, and framed her face in an angelic halo. Pushing a few of them back and off her forehead, Ron took her hand and rubbed circles on it subconsciously. Silently, he wondered how it was possible to have so much love directed at this one girl.

It came randomly and in huge amounts, but always the feeling was the same. Love…it was supposedly the greatest force in the world…and Ron never doubted that. Love was supposed to have been able to save Harry. It hadn't, yet maybe…maybe the kind of Love he and Hermione offered Harry hadn't been the right kind.

"You don't have to do this, you know" Seamus said softly, aware of where Ron was looking

"Yes I do. Someone needs to be awake and alert in case something happens." Ron replied just as quietly, not looking away from Hermione.

"Mate, you need to relax." Seamus said honestly

"I can't" Ron admitted

"Yes you can. Close your eyes. Sleep. I'll take over the watch if you so insist."

"No, it's fine. It'll be just a few more hours till we reach London. I can make it."

Seamus shook his head. "We'll need you in London. That's the dangerous part Weasley, not here or now. Don't wear yourself out too early. Please just let me take over."

Ron sighed and looked at Hermione again. Oh how he wanted to just lay his head on top of hers and sleep! Looking up at Seamus he saw how desperately he wanted to help. Nodding solemnly he agreed. Seamus smiled faintly.

"Go on. Sleep. Savor the peace. Oh and Weasley?"

"Yea?"

"Enjoy the time left with her. You and I both know it's limited."

Struck by Seamus' intellect, Ron nodded numbly. But as he finally closed his eyes and opened himself to sleep, he couldn't help but wonder what Seamus had meant by that.

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"Ron you know you don't have to squeeze my hand quite so hard" Hermione whispered with a smile.

Ron didn't smile back, but loosened his grip on her as she requested, just never quite letting go. They were walking out towards the streets of London now, and Ron could hear the sounds of another train coming into the station as they left. Part of Ron realized that he didn't want to let go of Hermione because he was afraid of loosing her, but the logical side rationed that he was worried about finding her again in the crowd. After all, neither of them looked anything like themselves.

Hermione now sported blond hair that Ron despised. It was straight and thin and bounced around as she walked. It was like dangling a toy in front of a cat for Ron; he just wanted to swat at it. She had kept her little nose but had reduced her mouth. She had also grown several inches and now could look him dead in the eye—an unnerving thought.

Ron had kept his height however, if only to be just a single inch taller than Hermione. He couldn't very well be shorter than her could he? It was his one card he'd played since first year and he wasn't very keen on letting that go. He now had deep brown hair and brown puppy eyes to match it. (Hermione now had emerald green eyes—something she'd added on her own, that neither she nor Ron made any comment on.) He'd reduced his nose and ears though and now thought he looked like a first year.

Lavender had wanted to go red with her hair, since—she argued—it had some naturally red highlights within the brown but Hermione shot the idea down. She didn't want anyone thinking she could possibly be a Weasley. It would lead to more trouble than they could afford. Both Hermione and Ron told themselves it had nothing to do with the fact that they still had yet to find out the fate of Ginny. Finally Lavender agreed on a thick head of tight raven locks, and no one said anything about it. She also had dark brown eyes now, and made herself a few inches shorter than she usually was. After much protest, she also agreed to change her nose and make it larger.

Seamus kept his sandy hair but changed his brown eyes to blue. He opted to grow a few inches rather than shrink and as much as Hermione fought against three tall people, even she didn't have the heart to tell him no. Poor Seamus had never been among the tallest people at Hogwarts. He grew his feet bigger and made himself skinnier so as to appear as an awkward clumsy bloke. He got a kick out of enlarging his ears but eventually a nervous Hermione put a stop to the fun.

But now that they were out on the streets with new wands safely under everyone's fingertips and unrecognizable identities, Ron could tell she was feeling a lot better. He and Hermione were walking ahead of Lavender and Seamus who agreed to trail behind. After all, Death Eaters would be on the lookout for four teenagers.

"Turn right here," Hermione instructed as she huddled close to Ron who held the umbrella between them. London never failed to deliver its dose of rain.

Turning, Ron could now make out through the rain the outline of the Leaky Cauldron. Also, Ron could see the two Death Eaters guarding the place. Fear swept his body, as he held on tighter to Hermione. He sucked in his breath but didn't release it until they were a block away. Good thing they hadn't needed to get into Diagon Alley.

They walked six more blocks until finally after everyone was thoroughly soaked, Kings Cross Station came into view. Thankful, the four ran into the building, glad to be out of the cold rain.

Once they'd bought their tickets, they walked slowly together towards Platforms 9 and 10 where they stopped, trying to act as though there was some confusion with their tickets.

"Alright" Ron breathed, "We're going to go one at a time. Act as though you don't know each other. Then once we're on the train, two people will go in one compartment and two in another. From there we should be okay. But if not and something happens, get out of there as fast as you can. Jump if you have to. Everyone got it?"

"Got it Weasley." Seamus said

"Well I guess this is goodbye. We'll meet up with each other before we get to whatever's left of the castle." Hermione said slowly. Lavender nodded and gave Hermione a gentle hand squeeze.

The others could only share worried looks to substitute as goodbye. Then, heads held high and fingers crossed, they went; one by one, through the barrier that not only separated the non-magic world from the magical but the barrier that separated safety from the unknown.

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Ron and Hermione easily found an empty compartment near the back of the train. They'd only encountered a spare number of passengers thus far; and the near empty train made Ron both nervous and relieved; fear of something going wrong still occupying his mind.

"Sit down" Hermione said quietly as Ron stood awkwardly in the doorframe. Obeying, he made his way over to the seat opposite Hermione and, sitting down slowly, looked up at her expectantly. Something was bothering her.

A few moments passed where neither spoke, each just studying their surroundings in their own ways. Finally it was Ron, who couldn't take it anymore, who cleared his throat and said, "It'll be a while until we get there. How about you take a quick nap?"

Hermione simply shook her head, "I'm not tired"

Ron raised his eyebrows at her, "You look exhausted."

She sighed and looked out the window for a moment, "I _am_ exhausted," came her soft reply

"But you just--"

"I want to talk to you" Hermione interrupted, meeting his eyes

Ron tried his hardest to find some hidden message written in her eyes…all he could see was fatigue. What was wrong? Nervously, he said, "Oh…all right…um…what do you want to talk about?"

Hermione looked at her hands and shrugged. Now Ron was sure that something was wrong. Concern swept over his body and carefully, Ron got up, and took a seat next to Hermione. "What's wrong?" He asked

As he stared into her eyes, he suddenly realized that tears were glimmering within the pools of chocolate brown. She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice was strained, "I-I'm just…" She looked away.

"What?" He asked quietly

"Scared." She finished, snapping her eyes to meet his to gage his reaction

Ron smiled sadly, "'Mione, we all are."

"I know…I know. But Ron I-I'm just so--" She leaned into Ron, burying her face in his shirt as she trailed off. Ron instinctively put his arms around her, but he was confused. The sound of her tears only deepened this confusion.

"Sh…It's okay." He soothed. Lifting her chin, he looked at her face that was red with tears. Searching her face he asked slowly, "What's wrong? Tell me honestly"

Hermione looked down before meeting his gaze. "I--" She began, her voice choked up "I'm afraid of loosing you…for good this time."

Ron was startled. "'Mione you know I'm never leaving you. We've been over this before"

"I know. But I'm scared Ron. I'm afraid of going back."

"Hermione, this whole thing was your idea!" Ron cried

"I know" She replied miserably, "But Ron, what if we're ambushed? What if the Death Eaters get us again? I couldn't stand it. I'm not strong enough to go through that again."

"Wait a moment." Ron said slowly, thinking. "You're talking about everything that happened during the war aren't you? The torture and escapes. All of that?"

Hermione nodded, wiping a tear off her face. On the one hand, Ron felt stricken; she looked so small, so scared, like a lost child. On the other, Ron was _still_ confused.

"'Mione, there's no way all of that would happen again"

"How do you know?" She asked

"I just--" Ron was caught. She had a point…what if they _were_ walking into a blind trap? What if they were caught again? There would be no beating around the bush this time. The Death Eaters would be ruthless and show no mercy. They'd escaped…No one had done that before and lived to tell the tale. Voldemort would be furious.

Luckily, Hermione saved him from answering as she continued. "Ron, I just don't know if I can do it all over again. I don't have the strength…I don't have the hope. One war is enough to fight."

"Who says we're going to be fighting another war?" He asked

"Ron! Just look around you! I may have put up a brave façade for Seamus and Lavender but honestly, why does no one _think_! Voldemort is stronger than ever and Harry is dead. You of all people should understand Ron. The prophecy said only Harry could defeat Voldemort."

"So how the hell are we going to get him?'

Hermione's eyes flashed with annoyance and Ron could tell she was on the verge of throwing her arms into the air. Internally cursing himself for walking into this, he waited for her to begin lashing out at him. But as he looked at her, he suddenly realized that she would be doing nothing of the sort. She sighed, and looked to the floor and for a moment, Hermione seemed older beyond her years. She had the body of a normal seventeen year old girl, but her spirit, once fiery and passionate, was burnt up…he could see that now.

And with that realization, Ron was afraid. If Hermione really was as tired as she said…what did that mean for the rest of them? Hermione had been the brains, the brilliant mind behind it all. She'd been willing and determined to win. But they'd lost…and for the first time, Ron saw that it had taken its toll on the girl he loved.

He could see it now, when his Mum and Dad had talked about old friends going mad from war, what it looked like. Hermione was withering away…and he was powerless to stop it.

"I don't know." She whispered, "The only loophole could be within the 'power the Dark Lord knows not' sentence, but I can't think of anything that might fit there."

Ron looked over and saw her simply sitting. He was struck. Ron was used to watching her brain think. He was used to seeing her pace about while biting her lip, not simply sitting there idle. Hermione was never idle. It went against everything she'd worked for. He couldn't believe it, but it was true. This was really happening--she wasn't just saying things--she was spent, her energy was gone…the Great Hermione Granger had lost hope.

It was times like this Ron wished for his mother.

"Hey," He said softly, hoping he sounded cheerful, "Why don't you lie down for a bit? I'll go and see if I can get us some food."

Hermione simply shook her head and leaned back in the seat comfortably. "I'm not hungry either"

"You're not?" He asked concerned

"No" She replied quietly

She said no more and Ron began to panic. What could he do? He had to do something! Following his instincts, and ignoring his brain (which was never a good thing) he knelt before her and grabbed her hand. "'Mione?" He breathed, "Look at me." He said, rubbing her hand.

Hermione's tired eyes found his own. Ron swallowed. "I'm never going to leave you." He began softly, "I'll always be here to protect you. I-I don't know what we're walking into, but it has to be better than what we left." Hermione tried to smile for him, he could tell…and as she failed, Ron felt his heart breaking. "Look," He said quickly, afraid of loosing her, "I don't really know what else to say but…" He paused, 'I love you"

This time, Hermione's sad smile was at least real. Tracing a finger along his face lovingly, she whispered, "I don't know what I'd do without you Ron. You're everything to me…You're all I have left."

Ron leaned his forehead against hers and entwined their fingers, "Don't say that," He whispered

"It's true," He felt her hot breath against his face, "I-I don't know what happened to my parents. But they're Muggles and I'm their daughter…I don't know how the Death Eaters could have overlooked them. My home probably went with them, and Hogwarts--Hogwarts is gone. All my books Ron…they burnt in the fire. It may sound silly but t-those books…" She paused, trying to gather her feelings, tears springing to her eyes. "They were my first friends in the world. They were my drug. They gave me my only good characteristic…they gave me knowledge. And now--"

"You have so many other good qualities 'Mione" Ron said, his voice breaking. He could feel her doubt searing through her body. He was a little surprised that after all these years she still could not see what a wonderful, amazing person she was. He closed his eyes and brought a hand up to her face, their foreheads still touching, trying desperately to get his message across. He still needed her…did she not realize that?

"And now" She continued, pretending like she hadn't heard what he'd said, "Now my books will join Harry and all the others."

Ron took her into his arms, wanting nothing more than to block out her words of reality. "I'll buy you new books," He offered, smoothing out her hair.

Hermione relaxed in his embrace, yet shook her head again. "No Ron," She said gently, "My books are like people. They can't be replaced"

The words rang in Ron's ears for a while; they held such truth and meaning. She was right. Human lives had been lost that night, Ron shuddered just thinking about how many bodies he'd encountered, and no magic could bring them back. Great people with potential, and innocent people who'd never done anything harmful in their lives…it didn't matter in the end. They simply became another casualty, another name on a list, another body to bury, another grave in the cemetery. War had ended lives and torn families apart; War would always haunt Hermione and it would always haunt him.

No matter how many babies were born, Ron was sure that no number would be able to replace the deaths that night. Maybe it was foolish to bother to replace books as well.

"I have no family, I have no friends now, I have no home, I have no belongings or money, I have no books or anything of value. All I have is you Ron, the clothes on my back, and this wand. But then again if you think about it, these clothes aren't really mine, and this wand is just one I bought…it doesn't _belong_ to me. So you see, all I have is you. You are the only thing of value in my life, you are the only thing keeping me going or else…Ron I'll admit, I probably would have given up a while ago."

Ron's body went cold and goosepimples soon appeared over his body. To hear her say those words….they were enough to stop his heart. "Don't say things like that!" He snapped.

"Why not? It's true"

"No it's not. Hermione, I know you. You wouldn't have succumbed to their torture. You would have overcome it. I know you would have."

Hermione smiled sadly, "You said something while we were being tortured. You said that we would only hold out as long as we wanted to. Well Ron, if I thought you were dead and I knew Harry was dead…I wouldn't have wanted to survive."

"Stop it! Don't say that!" Ron cried,

"It's the truth!" She argued,

"Well I don't want to hear it!" He shouted, then, looking at her wide eyes, said more calmly, "Hermione" He moaned, "Please tell me you could have found some good in life to have kept fighting for. What about the chance of someone surviving? My Mum and Dad survived! They would have needed you 'Mione! You're like their daughter!"

"But I'm not" She stated, "Ginny is"

Ron's face that had been pink, on its way to its famous red, froze and became white.

There had been an unspoken agreement between the two of them that neither would mention Ginny. She was the one they were most worried about, and her fate meant everything…especially to Ron.

"What?" He asked, not quite sure he'd heard clearly. She wouldn't have broken that agreement, even to prove a point.

"I said 'Ginny is their daughter,'" She said innocently

"You said _Ginny_," He emphasized, disbelievingly. Maybe she hadn't realized what she'd said. Maybe she didn't realize she'd just broken their agreement. Or Maybe Ron was just hearing things…But either way he watched Hermione's face for the realization that would soon take place on it.

Sure enough, realization dawned on Hermione and her face turned from one of annoyance to one of sympathy and sadness. "Oh Ron…I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean--"

"Well you said it, so let's just drop the subject alright?" He snapped, now that he'd gotten her to realize the damage she'd done, he was entitled to be angry with her wasn't he?

"Ron please don't be angry with me, I didn't realize--"

"How could you have not realized? You said it twice!"

Hermione's eyes filled with angry tears, as she stood up, her face red with anger. She tried to blink the unshed tears out of her eyes but they both knew they were there. "It slipped out alright!"

"Yea well you still said it!" He said stubbornly, "How could you! You know I never want to hear her name again! How could be so st--"

"BECAUSE IT'S STILL NORMAL FOR ME!" She shouted, "IT'S ONLY BEEN A FEW DAYS RON, BUT I'VE BEEN SAYING HER NAME FOR SEVEN YEARS! I CAN'T MAKE A SWITCH LIKE THAT SO FAST! GINNY WAS ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS, I CAN'T ERASE HER NAME FROM MY MEMORY! AND YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU SHOULD HEAR IT! YOU SHOULD TALK ABOUT HER!"

That did it.

"WELL WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO BLOODY TALK ABOUT HER! WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT MY SISTER LYING DEAD IN THE FOREST! WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER HOW I ABANDONED HER! WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT HER BECAUSE EVERY TIME I DO, I WANT TO HURT MYSELF!"

Hermione took a step back, a hand covering her open mouth as water flowed from her eyes. Her eyes were full of nothing but sympathy. Ron continued to look at her, knowing that his face was bright red and that tears stung his own eyes. Suddenly, he felt vulnerable…he hadn't meant to share all of that information.

He knew she could sense his discomfort and for some reason that only made her cry harder. Bending over, she held her sides as she cried, her face contorted into one of utmost grief.

He was torn. Part of him wanted nothing else than to pull her into his arms and kiss her…taking back every hurtful word he might have said, if only to make her pain stop. But on the other hand, he was still furious with her. She'd brought it up, he told her not to, and yet she still persisted like always…she should have known better.

He looked at her, crying pitifully like a child with a scrape on their knee. He took a step towards her but otherwise made no other move to comfort her. But it turned out he didn't need to, as suddenly Hermione flung herself at him, standing on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Hermione?" He asked, surprised

The only answer he received was another bout of tears, but then after a few moments, she whispered, "It's not your fault"

Ron was stunned. Who was she to say that? Of course it was his fault! If he hadn't left her there, if he'd protected her the way he'd always promised himself…

"Yes it is" He replied miserably "I--"

Hermione cut him off with a kiss. Ron leaned into it, soaking up the love and reassurance he felt within it. When they broke apart, Hermione held his face in her hands, "Listen to me." She whispered, "Whatever happened to Ginny was not your fault. You couldn't have protected her her whole life."

"Yes I could" He replied quickly, feeling his shield of strength coming down and tears burning his eyes, "I could have just…" He sighed miserably, "She was my sister 'Mione. My baby sister. She was the first friend I ever had."

"I know…" Hermione said sympathetically,

"I just—I can't believe she's gone" He managed to get out before his shell cracked, and salty tears found their way down his face.

"Sh…it's okay." Hermione soothed, hugging Ron and stroking his hair comfortingly.

Ron held onto her like life depended on it. Squeezing her tiny waist, he cried onto her shoulder; letting everything go. He couldn't ever remember crying quite like this before. He'd cried in prison sure, but that was different. This…it was like Hermione was telling him that it was okay to cry. It was like what his Mum used to do before he left for Hogwarts. He'd sit in her lap and hold onto her and she'd whisper comforting words to him or sing him a song, and before he'd realize it, he'd have fallen asleep with his thumb in his mouth.

Standing on tiptoe, Hermione sweetly kissed at each tear that fell from his crystal blue eyes and Ron never felt so grateful. He liked it like this…he took care of her, and then she took care of him. But then again, they'd been doing this for years; it was almost second nature. It started right after Sirius died, when Ron and Hermione would talk for hours, trying to think of something they could do to help Harry. Before either knew it however, they'd become each other's outlets. When Ron was upset, Hermione would calm him down; and when Hermione was upset, Ron calmed her down as well. No wonder they knew how to handle each other so well.

Once Ron broke out of his thoughts, he realized that he'd stopped crying. Sniffing and wiping at his eyes, embarrassed, he looked at Hermione who was smiling at him. His heart clenched. She was smiling, really and truly! It wasn't a small smile, or a sad smile…she was happy and so she was smiling! It was contagious however and before Ron knew it he was grinning as well.

"Thanks" He said quietly

Hermione simply smiled and planted a kiss on his cheek. "You're a great guy Ron, you know that?"

He shrugged, "As long as you think so"

Another smile. Ron inwardly gave himself many points for this.

A few moments passed in which her face became serious almost instantly. "I'm sorry about what I said," She said honestly

He shook his head, "It's okay. You were probably right in saying it"

Hermione moved a piece of his red hair off his forehead. Her eyes were distant. "I don't like talking about her either" She said so softly, he almost hadn't heard it, "She was really the only girl friend I've had"

Ron's looked down at the ground, avoiding Hermione's eyes. "She was really great wasn't she?"

Hermione nodded sadly, "She was. But Ron, you should really stop talking about her in past tense"

"Why? The chances are one million to one that she survived."

Hermione shrugged, "Yes well…" She smiled faintly, "There's still hope"

Ron looked at her, with her eyes lit up, and a small smile playing on her lips and suddenly he saw it. He wasn't sure what had just happened, but he saw it clear as day. Somehow, that spark had come back within her. She had hope again…he could feel it. His Hermione was back.

"Yea, I suppose you're right" He grinned, kissing her softly, "There's still hope"

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(A/N: What'd you think? Was it alright? Let me know!)


	32. Chapter ThirtyTwo: Angels

(A/N: Well a week isn't exactly how long I wanted to wait to post this chapter but I suppose it'll have to do! Well, it is officially summer vacation for me which is amazing! I'm looking forward to all my extra time I'll have to write. I'm also working on an original piece for fun which is pretty cool. I feel much better about this chapter and hopefully you all will like it as well! I had trouble writing it at first so hopefully you all think it's passable. Anyways, I don't really have anything else to say except THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! THEY WERE SUPERB AS ALWAYS! And by the way, for those 'Anonymous' reviewers, I had no idea my settings didn't allow those! I'm so sorry if you've tried to submit a review and not been able to! It's up and open now so hopefully I'll be able to communicate with you guys as well! Anyways, thanks so much for being so supportive and Enjoy! Much love, Haystack)

To my lovely reviewers…

spiritoffire32: Aw I'm glad you liked it so much! I'm happy to be back too! ;) My family member that died was just a Great Uncle…no one I was that close to, but thank you so much for your sympathy! That was so sweet! I'm so sorry about your grandmother, one of my friend's was practically raised by her grandparents and went through some major issues when they died so like you said in your review, I have an idea of how hard that can be but only an idea. I wish I could say I personally could understand but I've been unbelievably lucky with deaths in my life and have only experienced ones when I was younger than four, so those don't really count in my case. I'm glad to hear your hooked on my story! It's so funny to hear ppl say that because I'm so hooked on other ppl's stories! I don't know why but when you said you live in Australia I was like so happy! It's just the coolest thing to think that we're semi—talking but we're on two different days! Ah I just find that so interesting! Anyways, I really hope you like this chapter and thanks for such a sweet review! Thanks for reviewing!

vacant xpressi0ns: Off the toaster you say? Hahaha…yay! I must say your review made me laugh quite a lot and I'm very happy you those it was good enough to deserve such praise! Lol, anyways I really hope you like this chapter and thanks for so faithfully reviewing!

Princess Storm: lol you're welcome! I'm glad I could provide what you needed! I must say, you're a very smart cookie! I wasn't sure if anyone would pick up on that line or not. I refuse to give anything away but there always is a loophole in everything in life! The trouble is, finding it! Yes, I know…weird changing appearances wasn't it? Long blonde Hermione…ugh! Lol I made a reference or two to that in this chapter…way weird! I must say that Ron probably has to be my favorite character. I adore Hermione for her intellect but emotionally, Ron is such an interesting character to write. He has so many levels and internal conflicts and struggles. He's extremely sensitive and I can't help but wonder if there's something more to him that JKR hasn't let us know yet. Sometimes I want her to write just for like one chapter or two from the pov of Hermione or Ron. It's frustrating sometimes not to see things through their eyes but I'm sure there has to be some reason for that. Anyways, thanks so much for such a nice review and thanks for reviewing so faithfully!

Sequoia: Aw thanks so much! I really do feel bad about having that block up. I didn't understand what it was at times. Have you been reading the story for a long time? Anyways, thank you so much for reviewing and I hope to hear from you again! Enjoy this chapter!

suckr4romance: Aw I'm glad you found it touching! Everyone's rooting for Ginny, I must say I had no idea she was so popular! It is quite interesting actually! Lol, I do love how JKR portrays her as such a strong woman/girl. It's like power to woman! Woot woot! Lol, you are right though about trouble and hope. Both are on their ways. ;) Thanks so much for reviewing!

Liz: Aw I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Gosh I really need to stop saying 'Aw' before each one! I swear I get so uncreative with these responses, I do hope that no one reads all of them. Maybe next update I'll try to be creative…hmm lol anyways, thank you so much for reviewing! Your so sweet! Hope to hear from you again!

volleyballin17: haha well thanks! Your review was one of those that made my day! I'm so happy you're enjoying the story! We're heading towards the big ending! I'm so excited! Thanks for reviewing! Hope you like this chapter!

Mysticalrain: Aw thanks! Yes, poor Ron/Hermione! I swear I knew when I started writing this that it was going to be much darker/sadder than my other fics (which if you talk to past reviewers, were pretty sad) but seriously, maybe I should put this under tragedy. Hmmm…food for thought. Lol, anyways thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Hope to hear from you again!

dancerrdw: I'm glad you liked last chapter! I really missed solo Ron/Hermione conversation scenes. They're always my favorite to write because its not so much he said she said kind of stuff you need to clarify. It's simply freee…lol anyways, thanks so much for your continual support! Hope you like this chapter!

nattieb: lol Well I must say you take the cookie for the funniest review this chapter! (why do I keep making references to cookies these responses? Is this a sign I might be craving a cookie? I think so!) lol. Anyways, yes I am back! And for the record I am very glad you did not run around and shout for joy and therefore wake up your roommates! I couldn't possibly be the cause of such a disturbance! Lol. Aw well thank you. It's getting harder as the story goes to come up with new ideas so that I'm not repeating the same stuff over and over again. Anyone else think that Hermione cries waaay too much for a normal human being? Lol I'm just kidding, poor girl, let her cry I say! About your ray of sunshine, I don't want to ruin this chapter but let me say that a small ray is coming. Also let me explain my plot charts strewn all about my desk. I have one plot chart that I've generally been following the whole story and I've made different changes within that one. But when I got to the ending I couldn't and still can't decide this one thing, so what I did is I had the same plot chart branch out into two different endings. So, your rays of sunshine and when they come, all depend on the ending I choose. I'm sorry, I don't know if that helps at all but hopefully it does. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks so much for reviewing!

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CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: ANGELS

Hermione stood open mouthed at the scene before her. Her eyes were huge and her face was white as a ghost she knew, but she didn't care. Her heart was lurching painfully in her chest and her lungs seemed to have stopped working. She couldn't breathe…she couldn't think…she couldn't do anything but stare in horrified wonder.

She was holding onto Ron's hand but it was as if he wasn't there. All she focused on was the girl right in front of her.

They had gotten off the Hogwarts Express and met up with Seamus and Lavender easily; there had been only one other person on the train. It was then that the four looked at each other, silently wondering where to begin when Lavender, who happened to look over her shoulder, let out a terrified scream.

Propped up on a bench, there was a body…obviously long dead…of a young girl, wearing Hufflepuff robes; purposely placed there for all the world to see. Hermione recognized the girl…she'd been a Sixth Year and had often come to Ginny asking for help.

"Bloody Hell" She'd heard Ron murmur, taking a step closer to the body.

Everyone watched Ron as he examined the face of the girl carefully. He looked down. As he came back, he was holding something.

"W-What is it?" Seamus asked.

Ron could only shake his head as he held up the piece of paper. Scribbled in Blood, it read,

Welcome to Hogwarts 

It was as if someone had knocked the wind out of her, the new meaning of those innocent words hitting her in the gut. Ron crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it onto the ground, as he went back to the girl. Slowly and carefully, he closed her eyelids and laid her onto the bench. He was angry, she could tell.

"What a welcome" Ron spat, his eyes on fire.

The others could only nod numbly.

"H-how?" Lavender's soft voice asked

All eyes went to Ron. He shrugged, "Some unforgivable. Looks like she was under Cruciatus for a while; her clothes smelled burnt."

"Ron--" The sound of her voice sounded strange. "Should we--" Her voice faded away, implying to Ron what she meant and hoping he got the message. He shook his head.

"No 'Mione. Leave her where she is."

"But--"

"We don't have time to dig a grave for each person we find." Ron said reasonably, his face becoming somber. "And trust me, we'll find many."

"W-We will?" Lavender asked, sounding terrified at the idea.

Ron nodded and met Hermione's eyes. "We're didn't come back to Hogwarts. We came back to a battlefield. This isn't the safe school we all grew up in; this is a battlefield now." Hermione knew he was right but she couldn't help looking in the distance, seeking the tall towers that had once guarded over her, and yearning for the innocence that came with them.

If only she had known, living day to day behind those stonewalls, what had lain outside them. How could she have taken those years; those years that now seemed like a different world; so carelessly? Why had she not prepared Harry better? How had she not found the courage to tell Ron how she felt?

"Come on, we better hurry." Ron said quietly, turning around and leading the way. Hermione hurried behind him, wand under her fingertips. But before she left, she took a last longing glance at the girl on the bench. What had that girl ever done to deserve such a fate? And for a moment, Hermione wondered, how easily that could have been her there; welcoming all to the very pits of hell.

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Walking out onto one of the many fields leading up to Hogwarts, Hermione suddenly realized that this was going to be a lot harder than she'd imagined. Death Eaters were patrolling everywhere and not a soul otherwise was out. Lupin had said that there were people safe…should they have gone to Grimmauld Place instead? She'd simply assumed that they were hiding somewhere on Hogwarts Ground but maybe she'd been mistaken. How were they supposed to go about this? Their hiding place obviously had to be hidden well enough that Voldemort wouldn't be able to seek them out. And if Voldemort wasn't able to seek them out, then how would Hermione and the others? And, they still had to avoid Death Eaters at all costs. This was an impossible feat.

Slowly, Ron, Lavender and Seamus seemed to come to the same conclusions as they continued walking and ducking behind trees as Death Eaters approached.

"So how exactly are we going to find them?" Lavender whispered, it was too risky to talk normally

Ron looked to Hermione. "I honestly don't know. I can try a spell to point us in the right direction but I doubt common spells would work on a place so secret like this." She whispered

They all waited in anticipation. "Pointus Imoivella" She breathed, holding up her wand. Everyone waited with batted breaths, but nothing happened. Disappointed she began mumbling other spells under her breath, flicking her wrist with each one—a motion so perfect by now, it seemed magically performed. "Point me! Directom Legenius! Immapu--"

"Hermione!" Ron interrupted her. She stopped, annoyed, to look at him. "This is pointless. Obviously spells won't work, you've tried like sixty!"

"No I haven't! I've only tried the most recent ones, maybe its tricky because it's such a simple spell!"

"Let's just try to think"

"Think about what Ron!" She asked, exasperated. "I have no clue where they might be! Not a single one!"

"Well obviously you must have had _some_ idea, or else you wouldn't have suggested the idea of coming here in the first place!" He cried

Hermione paused for a moment. He was right. She _had_ thought that…"Well" She said softly, "Hogwarts"

"What do you mean Hogwarts?" Lavender asked, "It's burnt to the ground."

"I know" Hermione dismissed her with a wave, "But I'm sure Voldemort hasn't gone picking through the ashes. And besides, there were…._places_ that could have survived"

Seamus narrowed his eyes, "What sort of places?"

"Well," She began, looking at Ron. "Places like the Chamber of Secrets"

"There is no such thing!" Lavender hissed

"Yes there is" Hermione countered, "We've been there---well I mean, _I_ haven't. But Ron has."

All eyes again, went to Ron, who looked startled at the sudden attention. He shifted his weight uncomfortably and darted his eyes around, blushing under Hermione's loving smile. He hated when she made him look like the hero he was, she of course could see that…she'd known it since he sacrificed himself first year, but it was something he couldn't see within himself yet.

"No you didn't" Lavender breathed

Ron cleared his throat, "Uh—Yea…I did" His ears turning a furious red.

"But---how?" She whispered, still in shock

"Through Moaning Myrtle's bathroom" He mumbled

"Mate, that's a girl's lavatory!" Seamus cried

"I know. But no one went in there…I mean the three of us even brewed a potion in there once" Ron said

Seamus whistled, "I'm impressed," He said. This of course only made Ron's face flush a darker shade of red

"But Hermione, Moaning Myrtle's bathroom was probably destroyed in the fire. How else could we get in?" Lavender asked, turning to Hermione.

"If that pipe is still there…" She said, thinking out loud, "We could get in through there. But we'd have to check. There's no other way otherwise."

Everyone nodded, thinking about what this new plan was going to entail.

"Alright then." Lavender said determinedly, "Let's go."

Hermione let Lavender take the lead as they began their routine of crouching and standing up, running and crawling. It was a slow process, and maybe pointless but she could tell it made each of them feel better. Seamus followed after her, and Ron grabbed her hand like always, the two of them falling into perfect syncopation as they scrambled through the trees.

It was a slow process, but they actually moved much more quickly than usual. With everyone's senses on alert, it didn't provide much time for thinking, and they soon were approaching the huge mound of ashes that once had been their home.

Breathing hard, they gathered in the thicket just below what used to be the castle.

"So how exactly are we going to do this?" Lavender asked

"I—" Ron stopped to catch his breath, "I don't think we should all go up there. It's too dangerous"

A twig snapping behind her caught Hermione's attention as her barely regained breath hitched.

"But it's dangerous being apart too you know" Seamus panted

"I know," Ron said, "But we're an easier target if we're together."

She was just being paranoid. How could there be anyone there? They'd all kept their eyes out…they would have noticed something…….or someone.

"So who wants to go up?" Seamus asked,

"I think Ron should" Lavender said, "He's been there before. He knows what to look for."

In the back of her mind, Hermione heard them debating who would go up, and who would stay behind, but right now all she heard was the loud pounding of her heart. Her stomach twisted in a strange way and the hairs on her neck stood up on end. Something wasn't right.

She spun around quickly. All she saw were three trees. Her eyes scanned the ground and the skies. Nothing was out of the ordinary. She examined Seamus, Lavender, and Ron, as they continued their debate…none of them appeared any different and no one seemed to notice that something was wrong.

And yet…she knew there was. She didn't get feelings like this often. Taking out her wand from her pocket, she continued to dart her eyes around, waiting for something to catch her attention.

"Seamus? Are you sure? I think Lavender's right. I think I should go too." Ron offered

"It's okay Weasley. I'm smaller than you; I'll be harder to spot. Plus, you know how well I was able to dig my clothes out of my trunk, digging up some pipe will be easy"

"It's not a normal pipe though Finnegan. It's enormous, and it'll be buried feet underneath all that."

"I know, I know, you told us before. C'mon Lav, let's go"

"Be careful!" Ron advised as the two silently snuck out of the bushes and up to the mound of ashes. Hermione watched…petrified. Something was going to happen; she just knew it.

Lavender gasped as she touched the pile. Hermione could see it in her face that whatever the ashes were made up…it wasn't firewood. And suddenly, Hermione understood Lavender's reaction. Sure, books, beams, metal, wood, and glass had all gone down with Hogwarts. But there had been people in there too…there was human flesh in that pile.

Horrified, she instinctively grabbed for Ron. He was one step ahead of her and had already put his arm around her protectively, coming to the same conclusion. Silently, she buried her face in his shirt, her heart beating. She could hear her own fear in her breath. She was shaking. Ron noticed.

"What's the matter?" He whispered

She pulled away from him and looked over her shoulder, "Something's wrong" She said

"What is it?" He asked, his eyes urgent

"I don't know." She whispered, "But something's not right here Ron. I can feel it"

Pulling out his wand on intuition, he searched the area around them. "I don't see anyone," He whispered back

"I know. But you do feel it too don't you? I'm not crazy am I?"

Ron searched around for a few more moments before looking up towards Seamus and Lavender up on the mound of ashes.

"No…" He said slowly, "I feel it too"

Seamus was digging just as he'd said he would, and Lavender was helping…but she was avoiding the mound she was standing on as much as possible and in the glint of the light; Hermione saw tears glistening off her face. She cringed, already dreading her encounter with the pile. She didn't fancy spotting body parts…they still had no idea who all had died within Hogwarts. The least she could hope for was that the pipe wasn't as deep down as Ron and Harry had described it. The less they had to swim through, the better.

But suddenly, the feeling intensified. It struck her so suddenly and painfully, she gasped. Ron, now tuned in to it as well, spun around to face whatever it was that had found them. Hermione was desperately looking to find Seamus and Lavender…no matter the Chamber of Secrets now. They needed to get out of here!

The sound of footsteps approaching only heightened her panic.

Her eyes were scanning the mound frantically…she couldn't see them! Her eyes had been on Lavender's long hair the entire time, but it was black now and it blended in too well! "I don't see them!" She cried out to Ron.

He spun around, his eyes raking over the pile as desperately as hers were. "There they are!" He suddenly cried, pointing to two vague figures a little over to her right.

Lavender's slim figure appeared as she crawled out from the pile. They'd been underneath it! Lavender and Seamus seemed to sense that something was wrong as well as Lavender reached down into the small hole they'd dug to help Seamus up. She was whipping her head around, looking for whatever force seemed to be pressing down upon them all. And then, all of a sudden, she was still, staring at something on the other side of the mound with a look of utmost terror on her face.

"Lavender! Help me out! Quickly! Come on!" Seamus cried out, looking in the same direction she was.

Snapping back to look at Seamus, Lavender grabbed his hands and pulled. Seamus' torso was now over the edge and he was crawling out.

"Hurry Seamus Hurry!" Lavender screamed, standing up and grabbing his hand.

"I-I can't!" He cried, "They're pulling me down!"

"Ron…" Hermione breathed, her chest rising and falling rapidly

"NO! NO! SEAMUS HOLD ON!" Lavender screamed, pulling on his arm with all the strength in her body.

"LAVENDER WHAT'S WRONG!" Ron shouted, jumping up and running towards her. Hermione was right on his heels

"HE'S STUCK! THEY'RE PULLING UNDER!" She cried

"Who's pulling him under?" Hermione asked, stepping onto the mound of ashes, and instantly recognizing a pinky toe. She felt sick.

"THE DEATH EATERS! HURRY SEAMUS HURRY!"

That sentence was enough to get Ron and Hermione running full speed towards Lavender and the paralyzed Seamus. But by some miraculous event, Seamus was able to get up on his feet.

"GO! GO!" He shouted to Ron and Hermione as he and Lavender began sprinting across the pile of flaky ashes, sending remains flying into the air as they sprinted for their lives.

Ron and Hermione turned around and made it to the bottom within no time, but Lavender and Seamus were still a good way's away.

"COME ON!" Hermione begged

"KEEP GOING!" Seamus yelled

"WE'RE NOT LEAVING WI--"

"AHHHHH!" A terrified Lavender screamed as suddenly, a Death Eater appeared from within the ashes.

"LAVENDER!" Hermione cried, watching the scene unfold with horrified eyes.

"DOWN!" Ron hissed, yanking Hermione to the ground, and crawling over to the thicket they'd previously hidden in.

"Ron let me go!" Hermione yanked on his grip on her arm.

"No 'Mione you can't!" Ron snapped

"They're in trouble Ron!" She pleaded, tears welling in her eyes

"And war is every man for themselves!" Ron said harshly

"They rescued us Ron! They saved our lives! This is the least we can do to repay them!" She begged, yanking on her arm the whole time, tears falling from her dirty face.

"We'll die if we go!"

"THEY'LL DIE IF WE DON'T!" Hermione screamed tearfully, dirt and tears running down her face and into her now long blonde hair, dying it a dull brown.

Ron opened his mouth to say something when a scream from Seamus stopped him and they both watched their friends running for their lives. Hermione tried to wriggle free but Ron held her close.

"LAV HURRY THEY'RE COMING!" Seamus screamed

"I'M TRYING!"

"LAVENDER HURRY!"

"I CAN'T GO ANY FASTER!"

"YOU HAVE TO, COME ON"

"SEAMUS DON'T LEAVE ME!"

"I WON'T!"

"SEAMUS THEY'RE COMING!"

"WE'LL MAKE IT!"

"WE CAN'T MAKE IT SEAMUS!"

"COME ON, WE HAVE TO MAKE IT!"

"SSSSEEEAAAMMMMMUUUUUSSSS!" Lavender let out the longest and most terrified scream Hermione had ever heard. And she'd heard a lot.

Hermione was frozen, watching all with a numb sense of reality when suddenly, 'they' were revealed at the top of the pile, walking with a sense of power and maniac glee. Lord Voldemort himself, followed by his Death Eaters were slowly surrounding Seamus and Lavender, approaching from all sides. And as some appeared from the ashes themselves, it suddenly occurred to Hermione what had happened. They hadn't found the secret hiding place of the Order…they'd found Voldemort's.

"H-Hermione…" Ron choked, frightened tears of his own welling in his eyes.

"What?" She asked, another tear rolling down her cheek

"T-They're not going to make it" Ron said in a monotone, disbelief evident in his face.

"Yes they are!" She replied stubbornly, "They have to make it" She whispered.

"RUN OVER THERE! TRY TO GO BACK! TELL THEM TO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

"SEAMUS, WE'RE TRAPPED!"

"NO, THERE HAS TO BE A WAY OUT!"

"SEAMUS…" Lavender sobbed, "WE'RE TRAPPED!"

"WE CAN'T BE! THERE HAS TO BE A WAY OUT!"

"Hello there" An ice cold yet amused voice echoed. It was Voldemort. He had Seamus and Lavender trapped. They were of no use to him. He would kill them. This was the end. Lavender and Seamus were going to die. And suddenly, Hermione came slamming into reality.

"NO!" She cried, jumping up and running towards the now surrounded Seamus and Lavender.

"HERMIONE DON'T!" Ron screamed, reaching out to try to grab her. She wriggled out of his grasp and began sprinting. She had to get to them…had to save them. "STOP!" Ron's voice cried after her, but she didn't care. She didn't want to listen, couldn't he see what was happening! 'Please Ron,' She thought, 'Let me do this, don't come after me.'

"COME BA--" Ron's voice was cut off, when suddenly an arm grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the ground.

"NO! NO! PUT ME DOWN RON!" She screamed, pounding and kicking Ron in any place she could reach.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Seamus' voice echoed over as a spell was shouted and a flash of light illuminated the night sky

"LAVENDER!" She cried out

"YOU CAN'T KILL US! WE'LL WIN IN THE END! OUR BLOOD WILL BE YOUR DEFEAT!" Seamus shouted out to the world,

"SHUT UP!" A voice that did not belong to Ron hissed in her ear. If Ron wasn't holding her back…who was it!

"W-Who--" She asked, now terrified for herself

A final flash of light appeared and then there was silence.

"Be quiet" Her capturer said much more softly, "And hold on tight"

Laughter was heard echoing from the pile of ashes, but soon that faded away as her capturer held onto her tightly and brought out a Muggle pen from his robes. And with that pen, Seamus and Lavender disappeared from her forever as the world went black.

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Hermione awoke to a familiar smell. It was a smell she knew well…a smell she knew she liked…but as events came crashing down upon her, a smell that pained her. Yet, as she opened her eyes, the sight that beheld her almost killed her.

Four faces were peering at her, barely a foot above her face. They were all smiling, one was crying, and yet….they all had red hair. Hermione's heart constricted and she froze, her brain not comprehending what she saw.

"She's awake Mum! She's awake!" Fred, or was it George, proclaimed excitedly

"She can see that! She's not daft!" The other one said, hitting his twin

Fred and George…but where was she!

"Hermione dear!" The kind, round, face of Molly Weasley exclaimed, dabbing at her eyes emotionally, "I-I'm so glad you're safe! I was so worried…I wouldn't stop crying worrying about you three."

"She was about to have kittens, we heard" One of the twins said

"But when Remus told us that you two were alive…I-I just couldn't believe it" She stroked Hermione's hair affectionately.

You three…had Lupin told them about Harry? 

"None of us could" Percy Weasley said, smiling at Hermione.

Percy! Here with his family…_smiling_ at her?

"Oh but look at me blubbering like a fool…you're probably starving. I'll go get breakfast, you come when you can alright!" She stood up to leave, but then, as if she couldn't control herself, she came back and kissed Hermione's forehead motherly before rushing out of the room.

As the door shut, Hermione was still frozen in the same position that she'd woken up in. Her brown eyes wide with unshed tears, her body trembling with fear that all this was a dream, and her mouth open in the case that it was real.

"I better go too." Percy stood up, "I'll send the others in later. Glad you two are back" He said, as he left, smiling at Hermione one last time.

Once Percy left, Hermione sighed. Her brain was on overload. She didn't know where to begin, she couldn't make her head work anymore, for once she was feeling hopelessly brain dead. A million questions bounced back and forth around in her brain, but the one that made it out of her mouth first was, "Where am I!"

Fred and George smiled to each other. "You're at Order Headquarters." One said, "And I'm Fred" He said, reading her mind.

"Sorry" She mumbled. "I used to get it right."

"It's alright" George said, "You've been through a lot we've heard."

Hermione didn't want to go down that path…not yet. She couldn't seem to formulate another question in her mind, the last thing she wanted to do was take a trip down memory lane right now. "How did I get here?" She whispered instead, purposely ignoring the looks on their faces as they realized they would be getting no story out of her quite yet.

"No need to whisper. It's safe here." George said

"Where exactly is here?"

"We're underground. It was magically created by Dumbledore years ago when he first became Headmaster. He said he used it for his own purposes…whatever that means. The only way to get here is by a specially activated portkey." Fred explained

"Lupin was stationed at Grimmauld Palace when you all made contact with him. He got here right after and insisted that we put people out on the grounds just in case you went against his advice to stay put, which he suspected you would."

"We were all actually quite impressed by how you all managed to do it"

Memories washed over Hermione as she remembered persuading Ron, Seamus, and Lavender, to go back to England. Now that Seamus and Lavender were dead…guilt unlike she'd ever experienced consumed her wholly. If she hadn't been so anxious, if she'd stayed put like Lupin said to…if she'd used her head for once instead of acting on impulse, if she had…then Seamus and Lavender would be here too.

As she looked up at the faces of Fred and George she secretly wondered what they'd gone through in order to get to safety like she and Ron finally had.

"Um…it's okay Hermione. Don't cry" George said awkwardly

"What?" She asked quietly

"You're crying" Fred clarified, "It's okay. I mean I know it's a lot to take in at once, but it really is okay, you're safe."

Hermione looked in bewilderment at her finger, which held a single teardrop upon it. She hadn't even realized she'd been crying. Looking up through blurry eyes at the faces of the twins, she shook her head. "No" she said quietly, "It's not okay"

"Why not?" Fred asked quietly

"Because" She said, tears rolling down her face, "I killed them"

"Killed who?" George asked, his voice gentle

"S-Seamus….and Lavender" She whispered, fearful of saying their names too loudly

"But…weren't they with you?" Fred asked, confused

"They were." She explained, "But I convinced everyone to come back to England. If we hadn't come back and if they hadn't followed my plan to find---my plan is what sent them to their deaths." By this time, Hermione was crying so hard she couldn't talk anymore. Shoulder hunched and shaking, she suddenly wished her Mum were there.

"Sh…it's okay. It's not your fault." Fred said comfortingly

"It could have been anyone's plan," George said gently

All Hermione could do was sniffle and shake her head. Looking to each other, they nodded and smiled as if they seemed to have some brilliant idea.

"How about we go get someone better trained in this area?" George asked

Hermione gave him a confused look. "Don't worry. We'll be right back," Fred said, as he and George got up and headed for the door

"Oh and Hermione?" George said, pausing in the doorway

"We're really glad you're okay," Fred said winking at her,

"Besides" George said

"We'd hate to loose our future sister-in-law" Fred finished as the grinning faces of the twins quickly disappeared.

Hermione stared at the doorway where Fred and George had just been. How did they know? Were they just teasing her? Tired, Hermione wiped at the tears on her face when something rubbed her raw skin. She looked down at the fake plastic ring Ron had given her. Of course! She was wearing it on her wedding finger! Smiling internally but not having the strength to smile outwardly, she shook her head. It was comforting to know that though the war had made the twins more understanding, they were still always the same mischievous troublemakers they were so renowned for being.

Looking about the small room, she noticed it was just barely big enough to fit the bed and the two chairs on either side of it. The ground of the room was dirt but the ceiling looked firmly secure with wooden beams holding it up. The bed she was lying in was extremely comfortable and sighing, she settled into the big fluffy comforter.

But just as she was about to doze off to sleep, the last remains of her tears subsiding, a hand pushed the door open, light spilling into the dimly lit room.

Curious, Hermione mustered up the strength to see who the person was, and who she saw almost made her start to cry again.

A young girl with freckly skin, and long red hair tumbling over her shoulders and down her back, stood in the doorway, smiling softly. Hermione paled and her heart stopped beating. It couldn't be…it just couldn't be. She was dead. There was no way she could have survived. It was beyond comprehension. How had she survived? It was like looking at a ghost or…Hermione paused as Ginny grinned up at her….no, it was like looking at an angel.

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(A/N: Dramatic eh? Let me know how you liked it!)


	33. Chapter ThirtyThree: Pangs of Guilt

(A/N: WOW! I swear I couldn't believe it when I looked them over….You all are AMAZING! Absolutely amazing! Thank you thank you thank you! The reviews for last chapter were simply astounding! There were a lot of new reviewers actually…thanks so much for bothering to review! Wow…anyways, good news and bad news. Good news is that I finally got this chapter out! I've had family in from out of town and writing time has been limited to midnight until I pass out. Bad news….well there's a few things unfortunately. One, I'm going out of town from the 19th to the 25th so this will probably be my last update until after then. Two, it's currently two in the morning my time and I'm sorry but there is no way I can respond to all your reviews tonight! Three, this chapter is much shorter than the others. That's about it for bad news thankfully, and I'll have about three or four weeks where I won't have much going on once I get back. I'm not really sure why I had trouble writing this chapter but something about it just never felt right. I did about three drafts of it so if something doesn't flow right then I apologize in advance. Well, that's about it. Thank you again, all of you faithful readers and reviewers! I appreciate every single word you say! Enjoy! Much love, Haystack)

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CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: PANGS OF GUILT

"Hey" Ginny said softly, taking a step into the room and shutting the door.

Hermione could only stare, big misty tears clouding her vision.

Ginny seemed to notice and stood awkwardly beside her bed. "It's really me," She said quietly, reaching out her arm, "Here. See for yourself"

Hermione's eyes scanned over Ginny's face. She was pale…her freckles standing out more than usual. She had bruises running up and down her arms and legs. Her lip and ear had a nasty cut, and she was much thinner than usual. Yet…she was still smiling. "I'm not a ghost," She whispered

Hermione shook her head, biting her trembling lip. Startled, Ginny took a step back, watching as the tears slowly made their way out of Hermione's eyes. Hermione wrapped her arms around herself, not wanting any contact with Ginny. It hurt too much. Far too much. This was a dream that she was going to wake up from and the prospect of waking up cold and utterly alone was more frightening than anything else. It was too much too soon. She couldn't be in a forest, screaming and fighting to save her friend's lives and wake up the next morning in a warm bed with those she loved around her. Thing like that didn't happen.

"B-but you are G-Ginny…" She managed to get through her tears, "You all are…"

Ginny's eyes widened and slowly, she approached the bed and sat on it, putting both her arms around Hermione in a hug. Hermione tried to fight them…she didn't want her shell to break and she could tell that she was already failing, but before she knew what was happening, she felt Ginny's own tears soaking through her shirt. "Sh…" She heard Ginny whisper, "I know. I felt the same way."

"I can't believe you're alive," Hermione whispered, hugging the girl tightly

"I couldn't believe it when they told us. I came here yesterday and was lying in bed with Mum fussing all around me when Percy burst in the room and told us. Mum shrieked and started yelling for Lupin. Once he got here, she grabbed him by the shirt and said, 'You bring those children to me.'" Ginny said, smiling "That was all it took to get three men stationed around the grounds in invisibility cloaks. Mum can be very persuasive when it comes to her children."

_Her children_…that made Hermione smile. The fact that Mrs. Weasley looked after her with the same motherly affection she showered on Ginny and Ron was enough to make her eyes water with yearning for her own mother. Ron pretended not to like it but Hermione knew he really enjoyed it. But suddenly her heart leapt out of her chest. Ron! She'd been so overwhelmed she hadn't even given a thought to him. Where was he! Was he dead like Lavender and Seamus! Was he searching for her! How could she have been so self-centered! Her stomach dropped and clenched and she felt sick. What if he was dead! What would she do! How could she go on without him! He deserved to be here with his family…not her.

"Hermione?" Ginny asked concerned, putting her hand to Hermione's forehead. "Hermione! Are you okay? Should I call for Mum? You look sick"

Heart pounding mercilessly, all Hermione was able to get out was a weak, "Ron" She whispered, her eyes wide and searching Ginny's face for any clue as to where he was.

Ginny withdrew her hand almost immediately and shot Hermione a look of pity. Hermione's throat closed up. "Where is he?" Hermione demanded, her breath short, wishing, hoping, _praying_ that she wouldn't receive the answer her mind was giving her.

"'Mione, calm down. It'll be okay." Ginny said softly, reaching out a hand towards her. Hermione yanked away.

"Ginny please" She begged, moist water gathering up in her eyes. "Just tell me."

"Calm down first."

"NO! This isn't some game to me Gin. Tell me where he is!" She shouted, staring Ginny down.

Ginny backed away fearfully, "I-I'm going to call for Mum."

"Bloody Hell you're not!" Hermione cried,

Ginny looked like she'd just been slapped. "You swore" she whispered, a horrified expression on her face

"Yes I did. This is what war does to people Ginny." Hermione snapped. Ginny took a step back, plainly hurt. There was silence for a moment as Ginny seemed to collect herself. But once she managed to look at Hermione, the look on her face was one of deep anger.

"Don't you lecture me on war Hermione!" Ginny suddenly cried, walking towards Hermione with fire in her eyes. "You think I've been here the whole time having tea! Well I haven't! I've been out there witnessing death after death of people I care about! I--"

"What are you talking about? I never was going to lecture you on--" Hermione asked, hurt

"Yes you were! I know you!" Ginny shouted

"Ginny I would never do something like that. I couldn--" Hermione tried to explain, now growing exceptionally angry. "And I've seen people I care about die too! Don't think I'm exempt from that! War has pushed over an edge I never wanted to go near!"

"I never want to hear the word 'war' again!" Ginny shouted, "You….You have no idea what I've seen!"

"OH REALLY! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I'VE SEEN GINNY!" Hermione suddenly screamed

"YOU WERE IN BULGARIA ALL SAFE A SOUND! YOU WERE RESTING AND GETTING FED GREAT FOOD NO DOUBT! YOU WERE HAVING A GRAND TIME WHILE I WAS STILL OUT THERE!" Ginny cried angrily

"DON'T YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT! DID YOU WATCH HARRY DIE! DID YOU HAVE TWO PEOPLE DIE BECAUSE OF SOME STUPID IDEA YOU HAD! HAVE YOU BEEN TORTURED AT THE HANDS OF VOLDEMORT! I DON'T THINK SO GINNY!"

"How dare you" came Ginny's low and hateful voice. It was filled to the brim with loathing and astonishment. "I-I can't believe you of all people would…" Ginny paused, seething with anger, "I may not have been part of the 'golden trio' and rode on that excuse my whole life like you but I sure have suffered more than you; I guarantee it. But you don't see me flinging accusations and making everything all dramatic. I—"

"HOW CAN YOU SAY YOU'VE SUFFERED MORE THAN ME? YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE HELL I'VE BEEN THROUGH!"

"WELL YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH EITHER! I DOUBT YOU'VE BEEN HIDING OUT IN A HOLE FOR FIVE DAYS! HAVE YOU'VE BEEN STARVING FOR TWO DAYS WITHOUT A MORSLE OF FOOD OR WATER! HAVE YOU'VE WITNESSED OVER 16 DEATHS OF PEOPLE FROM SCHOOL! HAVE YOU BEEN RAPED TWICE BY DEATH EATERS! DON'T TALK ABOUT THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW HERMIONE!"

Any previous thought in Hermione's brain was wiped away with Ginny's angry words. Her words stung like daggers at her heart and the meaning of the words made Hermione feel incredibly guilty. How could she have been so inconsiderate! She shouldn't have yelled…

All of that time she and the others had traveled to Bulgaria, rested, been fed, and traveled back, Ginny had spent in a hole starving slowly. And then…she had been raped. Twice. Hermione had been close many times before but no man had ever abused her that far. But for Ginny….it hadn't been enough to endure once.

Hermione had backed away from the steaming red head and tears had made their way across her face, her body crouched down even as silence took over the room. She wanted to reach out to the young girl, to apologize and take back her words, but for some reason, maybe her own pride, she was frozen. Ginny however, was not.

"OH AND BY THE WAY, I DID WATCH HARRY DIE! AND UNLIKE YOU, THE BOY THAT I LOVE IS NOW DEAD!" Ginny screamed as she made her way to the door. Pausing in the doorframe however, she shouted, "RON'S IN THE NEXT ROOM!"

And with that Ginny slammed the door, leaving Hermione utterly alone with a new sudden hatred of war…and herself.

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Hermione wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep or what time of day it was when she awoke. All she knew was that she wanted nothing more than to slip back into her dream world where she did no mean things, and came up with no deathly plans.

In the back of her mind, she heard her door creak open and a ray of light shine on her face. Her eyes were still raw from when she had cried herself to sleep and she turned on her side to avoid the light. Hoping the intruder would soon go away, Hermione tried to fall back into slumber but found she couldn't.

Especially when a familiar pair of arms wrapped around her body.

Just his presence made Hermione want to cry with guilt and shame. It was the reason she hadn't gone by his room all day and it was the reason she was crying now.

"Sh…" He said gently, smoothing out her hair.

"I didn't think you'd come" Hermione whispered, holding onto him tighter

She could hear the laughter in his voice as he leaned into her ear to whisper, "Mum wouldn't let me out of bed. Afraid this was the only time of the night she rests. Not very convenient but I needed to see you."

"Why did you need to see me?" She whispered

"Because," Ron said, leaning over to look her in the eyes, "I missed you. I wanted to make sure with my own eyes that you were all right." To this, Hermione didn't respond. "Are you alright?"

Wiping at her eyes, Hermione shuddered. "You shouldn't have come Ron" she whispered

"Why not?" He asked, trying to hide the hurt that was plainly evident in his voice

"I-I just want to be alone right now." Hermione said, moving out of his embrace.

"'Mione…" Ron sighed, "Look I know how you feel. It's overwhelming. I almost had a heart attack waking up with my family surrounding me."

Hermione sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped her arms around herself, purposely turning her back to Ron.

"Dumbledore's coming the day after tomorrow. He'll fix this whole mess up 'Mione. We'll win. Good always wins over evil."

Something inside Hermione cracked. Spinning around to face him she hissed, "I don't care about the war right now Ron! Merlin, for once I want to get away from the war! I don't want to think about it! I don't want to talk about it! I just wish none of this had ever happened!"

Ron looked at her angry face in the moonlight, "You don't mean that"

"Yes I do," She moaned, putting her face in her hands. "I mean it now more than ever."

"Hermione" He said sternly, grabbing her hands away from her and pulling her up to look him in the eye. His eyes searched her face and softened; out of concern more than anything else. "You're not acting like yourself. What's wrong? I would have thought finally being safe would have made you happy. Not bitter."

"Well I think I deserve to be a bit _bitter_ don't you think?" She snapped

"What!" Ron cried, not believing his own ears and examining her over again. "What are you talking about? No one has more rights than anyone else to be bitter. We all saw the same war. We all saw the same things. You're acting like you experienced the end of the world while everyone was out playing Quidditch."

"Because I did see the end of the world Ron." She hissed, "I've told you before that I'm tired. I wasn't kidding then, and I'm not kidding now. Maybe war's just turned me into a bitter old woman, I don't know. But I _do_ know that I never want to talk about what happened ever again, and I certainly don't ever want to go back up there."

"Then what do you want to do Hermione!" Ron cried angrily, "Hide out underground like scared little rodents! The war's never going to end if someone doesn't fight it!"

"I don't know Ron," Hermione sighed, "I'm just so tired. I'm done seeing bloodshed, I'm done loosing people I care about. I just can't take it anymore."

Ron studied her for a moment before bursting out, "Who the hell are you Hermione!"

"What do you mean, 'who am I'!" She cried out defensively

"The Hermione Granger I've been best friends with for seven years never gave up on anything. She would have never given up something just because she was tired. She would have fought to the end!"

"I'M TRYING RON!" Hermione cried, "BUT I CAN ONLY HANDLE SO MUCH! SEAMUS AND LAVENDER ARE DEAD BECAUSE OF ME, MY PARENTS ARE PROBABLY DEAD, MY HOME AND BELONGINGS ARE GONE, HARRY IS DEAD, COUNTLESS OTHERS ARE PROBABLY DEAD AS WELL, AND I…I SAID SOME THINGS TO GINNY THAT I'LL NEVER FORGIVE MYSELF FOR!" She screamed, tears that now seemed like second nature to Hermione streaming down her face. "I'M A TERRIBLE PERSON RON! YOU PICKED A LOUSY GIRL TO FANCY!"

Ron only watched as she began to sob. But then after a few minutes, he reached out for her and brought her close to him. Hermione grabbed onto his shirt and cried into it, clinging onto him for dear life as sobs racked her body.

"Sh…calm down. First off, you're not a terrible person 'Mione. In fact," He smiled, "In fact, you're the most wonderful person I've ever met. You know how picky I am about girls, I wouldn't just be saying that."

"Y-You never went out with another girl" She reminded him

"See? All along I knew I wanted you. I must say I was a very smart 11 year old." Despite the situation, Hermione couldn't help but snort. "And secondly, I don't just fancy you. I love you."

"Don't say that now Ron" She moaned, "I don't deserve to be loved by you."

Sighing, Ron put his finger underneath her chin, "Look at me." He said softly. She tried to look anywhere but his face, but found his eyes were attracting hers. "I love you." He said firmly.

Hermione sniffed and nodded her head, "I know" She whispered.

"Then you should know that I think you're the most beautiful," He kissed her forehead, "talented," nose, "bossy know-it-all" lips, "In the world"

Hermione smiled sadly as she looked into his crystal eyes. All she could see was love.

"It's okay if you're tired 'Mione." He continued, "Just don't let that defeat you."

"It's tempting," She whispered, snuggling into his arms

He chuckled and kissed her lips quickly, "I know. I know…but you're stronger than that. You always have been."

"You really think so?"

"You know I do. Not many people could have enough determination and strength to get the grades you did."

"Grades don't do me a lot of good now."

"They will. Once the war's over, people will look at your records and hand you the Minister's job. I'll be another story though. I was counting on my N.E.W.T.S. to help my grades."

"Ron?" She asked softly, "Do you really think life can return to the way it was supposed to be?"

Ron sighed, "I don't know about that. But I do know that life can only get better. Evil can never last."

A few moments of silence followed in which Ron laid Hermione back down on the bed and got under the covers beside her. His arms never left their place…keeping her safe and secure.

"I said some pretty horrible things to Ginny" Hermione confessed, closing her eyes at the memory.

"She'll get over it." Ron assured her

"No she won't…she's too frail to handle it right now. D-Did you know she was raped? And almost starved to death?"

Hermione felt Ron nod. "Mum told me. Had to constrict me to the bed with a charm. You do know she only came to them yesterday, right?"

"No." Hermione whispered, "Do you know how?"

"No" Ron mumbled, shaking his head. "But I know she was hell herself arriving here, screaming and shouting. Bleeding everywhere and sobbing. She came fresh from the battlegrounds."

"I feel so bad Ron. I shouldn't have yelled at her. I shouldn't have gotten her worked up."

"Don't let it bother you too much." He said, settling into a comfortable position to sleep "Ginny will be alright now that she's here."

"Have you talked to her yet?"

"Oh bloody hell I did! I refused to go to bed until I did. She was a mess 'Mione. Crying and stuff. A lot more happened than she's telling us though. Fred and George ushered her out of the room quickly. I've got a feeling it's bad."

"Ron?"

"Yea?"

"Why aren't you with Ginny then? Comforting her. Making sure she's alright" Hermione asked

"Because 'Mione." Ron said simply, "She's not the girl I love. Ginny lost Harry. That's something that'll always haunt her, there's just no getting around that. Made me want to appreciate you more now that I know about my family. I really am lucky to have you."

Hermione turned around to face him. He was smiling. She wasn't.

"You know what started the fight?" She asked softly

"No. Tell me." Ron said

"You"

"My two favorite girls fighting over me?" Ron teased

"Wish it were that." Hermione mumbled miserably. "I woke up and thought…well I thought you were dead."

"Dead! Didn't you think my family would have told you that as soon as you woke up!"

"I wasn't thinking straight Ron. I was scared. So scared." She whispered, moving closer to him so she could feel his hot breath on her face. "I heard someone grabbing you before someone grabbed me. I didn't know if it was a Death Eater or not."

"No. It was an Order member. He brought me straight here."

"I didn't know that" Hermione said in a small voice

"It's okay love, I'm here now."

"I know" She sighed, as he pulled her close

"Try not to think anymore. We should get to sleep."

"Okay. You're staying here right?"

"Of course. You think I could go back to my own bed now?"

"Won't your mother mind?"

Ron shrugged, "Who cares? I'll simply tell her that you were in no condition to be left alone."

Hermione smiled and accepted his answer. He was right.

"Ron?" She whispered

"Yea?" He whispered back

"I love you," She said, smiling into the darkness

Ron grinned (though she couldn't see him.) "I love you too Hermione."

"Thank you" She said so softly it was almost inaudible.

"For what?" He asked, confused

Hermione intertwined their fingers together and brought them up to her lips. Smiling she whispered, "For loving me"

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(A/N: Tell me what you think!)


	34. Chapter ThirtyFour: Surprises

(A/N: Well I'm back! It's so nice to be home again! Four hours after coming home I started writing this chapter, I had a week of writing madness to get out of me! Anyways, I was quite surprised I finished it in a day but then again, that's what happens when you take pen, paper, and a computer away from me. I'm not quite sure how much I like this chapter, I originally had planned for this chapter to be an extremely long one filled with a lot of drama, but I decided that a shorter and lighter chapter would be better so that I can really work on the drama coming up. Anyways, I hope you all like it well enough and the next chapter should be up soon! As always, I'm constantly amazed with the responses I receive from you all and this past chapter was no different! There are a lot of new reviewers out there so I'd just like to give a shout out to all those people and then of course to the never ceasing, unbelievably amazing reviewers that review with so much enthusiasm…This story would have never gotten so far if it weren't for you all! Anyways, this chapter is about ten pages, not as long as usual but I'll try to make it up to you all by making the next update quicker! Good things are ahead, I'm quite excited for them! But we'll simply have to see how things turn out since I lost my folder with all my plot diagrams and notes last week and it still hasn't turned up! I know where I'm going through luckily and I know the plot by heart so hopefully I'll be okay. Anyways, Thanks again for all those reviews and I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Hugs, Haystack)

4evernissa83: I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! Yes, I'm afraid I didn't have the heart to kill off Ginny, she's one of my favorite characters and I just couldn't do it! Lol, Thank you so much for reviewing! It's so nice to meet new reviewers! Hopefully I'll hear from you again! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Sequoia: Aw, Yay! I'm glad you're enjoying it! I've really surprised myself with how much longer it's turned out to be, but I'm loving every minute of writing it! I'm just so lucky that I have people willing to read and review it! Thanks so much for reviewing! Enjoy!

vacant xpressi0ns: Sliced bread and apple butter you say? Lol Well what else can I say to that then Yay! It is an honor I must say! Lol….Thanks for reviewing, you're reviews always make me laugh!

Jdcrmn: Ah yes, poor Ginny. Emotions were pretty tense last chapter weren't they? I'm so glad you thought it was believable though….it's a hard line to walk, because how exactly do you make fantasy believable? Anyways, I'm glad you liked it and hopefully I"ll hear from you again! Enjoy!

Snub: Aw, I must agree with you. Ron/Hermione moments are by far my favorite! They work so well together and…they're just so cute! Lol, anyways, thanks so much for reviewing! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

doublelily: I'm glad you liked the ending! As for another story once this one is done…the thought hasn't really crossed my mind as of yet, though I think I've mentioned that I'm toying with the idea of an original piece. But that's still in the workings. Part of me wants to branch out and try my hand at other couples, but I've enjoyed Ron/Hermione so much that might not work. No matter what though, I'm quite positive that I'll be working on some story or another for the rest of my life. Writing has brought me something I need to have in my everyday life. Anyways, glad you like the story and thanks as always for reviewing so faithfully!

EWlookalike: Aw you're so sweet! I'm thrilled you like my story! I know that feeling when you simply can't get enough of some book/story and you end up spending the whole day simply reading. It's a great feeling isn't it? I'm sorry if the update was a little long, I always feel guilty if it's been a week or longer! But hopefully the next update won't be so long, and I'm quite excited for what's to come! Anyways, thanks for reviewing and hopefully I'll hear from you again!

AmyChris: Oh well I'm glad you thought it flowed well! I'm always really self conscious about my writing and if a chapter isn't the best I think it can be I tend to be a harsh critic of myself. But I am glad it worked for you! Sorry about the update but I'm home for three weeks now…I suppose I get a few chapters in during that time don't you think? Lol, thanks as always for reviewing so faithfully! It means so much! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

suckr4romance: haha, I like that. 'Fluffy as war can get' It's very true. But I do believe that love can happen anytime and anywhere and that does include war. Yes, Ginny….She was part of what I wanted to address in this chapter but it'll simply have to wait. Ginny has her own story….not a very happy one I'll tell you and yes rape is involved. Rape is actually one of my very worst fears but it seems fit in war---worst fears are realized. War is a nasty nasty thing and Death Eaters are nothing short of monsters. Anyways, thanks so much for reviewing and hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter!

RainDateChick: haha you're review made me laugh! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so much and as for the cliffie, you're welcome. But now that you mentioned it I realized I haven't had a really nasty cliffie in a while so look out for that in the next few chapters! Mwahaha…;) lol, I'm sorry about the update though, I got to work as soon as I got home! Hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks sooo much for reviewing!

mie-chica07: Aw I'm sorry, I really do wish I could just update and update and update, but life gets in the way too much. This whole stop-start thing is hard to deal with I know. Thank you though for mentioning my typos, I've caught a few when I've gone back and read chapters over again. I made sure to double-check this chapter though, so hopefully there aren't any typos there. Thanks so much for reviewing and hopefully I'll hear from you again!

Bhekie: Aw I'm glad you liked last chapter! Lol yes my stories tend to be a little on the overly emotional/dramatic side but I suppose that always spices up a story. Extreme situations extreme emotions! Thanks so much for reviewing and hopefully you'll like this chapter!

dancerrdw: I'm sorry about the update! Summer's are hard to work through with vacations and the like but I have three weeks of nothing planned so life should be nice and easy on me! Lol, thanks so much for reviewing and hopefully you'll like this chapter! Enjoy!

Princess Storm: Oh I'm glad that you think my writing is fluid but if you only knew how many run-through's of each chapter I go through. There have been many cases where I simply give up and post it choppy. I was flattered that you said my writing style was grown-up. Since I'm only a teenager that was a compliment that made my day! As for Ginny…yes her full story will be revealed soon. As for Hermione's wanting to give up, it does seem out of character for her, but it was an ultimate low for her and as a human being I believe that if any of us hit rock bottom like she has especially with the guilt of Lavender and Seamus hanging over her, we'd want to give up. But alas that is where our wonderful Ron steps in and makes things better. Thanks for pointing that out though! Hope you enjoy this chapter and Thanks for reviewing so faithfully!

nattieb: Ah I don't know, something about the chapter didn't seem right to me. But I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yes Ginny….poor girl. We'll see some more of her coming up! Glad you liked the Ron/Hermione part, that was an add in. lol yes you always seem to catch the foreshadowing details of my story. Most ppl never mention them…but yes, Dumbledore is coming. I'm excited to see if your theory is correct or not, hopefully I'll be able to throw you for a surprise but I guess I'll have to be extra clever! Lol Thanks for reviewing!

Also a big 'Thanks for reviewing' for all of you who reviewed two chapters ago and who never received a reply to their review! Thanks so much!

And now…

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CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: SURPRISES

Ron hadn't heard it in what felt like years, but he recognized it instantly. The familiar tapping of his Mum's foot had been the sound he'd woken up to for years, and although the sound indicated that his Mum was in no cheerful mood, the sound was comforting. Smiling, Ron snuggled deeper into the covers--a gesture that had always enraged his Mum, but something that had become tradition.

"Ronald Weasley!"

Slowly opening his eyes, he found his Mum standing over him, her cheeks a furious red.

"What?" Ron whispered, a mischievous smile on his lips. Molly Weasley glowered.

"Don't you 'What' me Ronald! Get out of this bed at once!" Mrs. Weasley hissed motioning towards the bed Ron was currently sprawled upon.

Confused at such vicious reaction; especially after all the attention and love she'd showered on him the day before, Ron followed his Mum's gaze and…. it all made sense.

Though Mrs. Weasley tried to keep an iron gaze upon her son, it was obvious that she couldn't. Her eyes kept flickering back and forth between Ron and the sleeping girl next to him.

Hermione.

Her dark brown curls were spread out on her pillow like a sort of halo around her and her eyes were closed; breathing deeply. It was apparent that she was sleeping soundly and that familiar rush of love Ron had grown accustomed to feeling when looking at her, hit him hard. Her small hand was curled up into a little fist and she seemed quite comfortable underneath Ron's arm, her legs wrapped around Ron's.

Though Ron smiled at the positions they were in, he groaned inwardly, hoping and praying that his Mum hadn't jumped to wrong conclusions. Because if she had…Ron would be in for it. For even though Molly Weasley was a strict and loving mother, Ron knew since Hermione first spent the summer with them back in Third Year that his Mum was as protective of her as she was of Ginny. And that was saying something.

Knowing he was in for a long battle, Ron sighed and smiled, trying his best to make his Mum see the humor in this situation; for there really was some---but unfortunately, a sleeping Hermione made matters much more complex. And perhaps the worst aspect of this scenario was that Hermione was completely unable to help him, probably dreaming peacefully while Ron battled hell with his Mum. He needed Hermione's brains and quick thinking on this one.

"But Mum, I don't want to wake her" He whispered quietly

Mrs. Weasley's eyes popped out and her cheeks continued to grow redder. "Wake her!" She cried, trying her best to keep her voice quiet. "You will get out of that bed right this instant and explain to me why you are here instead of in your room!"

"Mum calm down, you're thinking its something its not!"

"I don't care what it is Ronald! The matter is that I sent George in to wake you up and you weren't there!"

"Fine, hold on. Let me--"

"Mrs. Weasley?" A soft, small voice asked.

Ron grinned. Salvation.

Flustered, Mrs. Weasley said, "Oh Hermione dear, I'm so sorry. I hope we didn't wake you. I--"

"This isn't what it looks like" Hermione said immediately, firmness in her voice that surprised even Ron.

Startled at her boldness Mrs. Weasley only nodded her head, her cheeks red, "Oh of course. I know that sweetie. I was just coming for Ronald."

Hermione looked at Ron for the first time since waking, catching his eye. Ron raised his eyebrow at her. She had the reins on his Mum…. and they all knew it. Hoping for once Hermione would use her superhero powers for good, he tried to communicate with his eyes that she needed to set the record before Ron had a chance to fumble through words and make up something that would land them both in trouble. He wasn't sure she understood however as she quickly looked away from him and up to his Mum where she met Mrs. Weasley's gaze with a steady look of her own.

"We didn't have sex" She said, her voice strong and truthful.

Without meaning to, Ron found himself coughing back laughter as he saw the look his Mum gave them both. His Mum was never direct about things such as this, though she had no problem doing so if the situation called for it. She liked to at least pretend to have no say in her children's relationships. One of the many reasons his Mum had been so light on her interrogations of whom he fancied as a boy, Ron believed, was that his Mum always knew he liked Hermione. And even better, his Mum adored Hermione. She was intelligent, sensible, responsible, independent, and was always there to keep Ron in line when she wasn't around.

"Ron came in to check up on me. And it was probably a good thing he did, because I was having a hard time." Hermione said, never breaking eye contact with his mother. Ron was impressed. "He offered to stay with me and I agreed. He must have just fallen asleep. Don't be mad at him, he was only trying to help."

Apparently, Hermione Granger had managed to render Molly Weasley speechless.

It took her quite a while for Ron's Mum to regain her voice but when she did, the only word she seemed able to say was, "RON!"

Ron sighed. Not even Hermione could save him now. She'd given it a shot. But he was on his own now, with his Mum definitely thinking about possibilities that Ron didn't want her thinking about.

Hermione shot him an apologetic look and mouthed, "I'm sorry" to him as he wearily got out of bed and followed his Mum out the door.

Shuffling his feet as he closed the door behind him, he turned around to face his Mum who was pacing the empty hallway with furious speed. She had one hand on her head as though she had a headache and was muttering to herself under her breath. Ron simply stood there, waiting for the torture to begin.

When finally his Mum was able to stop pacing to face him, he looked down at her expectantly. Her eyes were narrowed dangerously. "I want you to tell me honestly Ronald," She began, her voice low and menacing, "Why were you in Hermione's room?"

Already defensive, which was not the way to begin a row, Ron tried to take a deep breath and calm himself. In a strained voice that probably didn't sound calm at all, he said, gritting his teeth, "She already told you. I wanted to check up on her."

"We already told you she was fine" Mrs. Weasley snapped

"Yes Mum," Ron sighed, "But I wanted to see for myself. There are some places she could have been hurting that she wouldn't have allowed you to see."

"And what places would those have been!" Mrs. Weasley cried shrilly

Ron cringed at the double meaning of his words. He was going to have to be extra careful about what he said so that his Mum didn't assume anything. Bloody Hell this was going to be impossible!

"I meant her feelings! Her emotions! You didn't check those I'm sure."

Molly's face twitched into a soft smile and she relaxed a little. "Ron, it's natural for you both to be overwhelmed. But I could have told you she was reacting normally."

Anger appeared within Ron like lightning. He narrowed his eyes and was about to challenge what the bloody hell she meant by 'reacting normally' when he remembered that he was trying to get off the hook for being caught in Hermione's bed. "No you wouldn't have been able to." He snapped, not exactly calmly, "Because you don't understand. You don't understand what we've seen and what we feel!"

"I've fought a war too Ronald! Don't think I've never seen this sort of thing!"

"But I understand her Mum. I understand her far better than you or anyone else will be able to!" Ron shouted, "I know what she thinks and how she feels when she doesn't say a word! I know what she wants and what she needs! I know what makes her feel better and what makes her more upset! I know how to take care of her!"

"Are you saying I don't know how to care for Hermione!" Molly asked, clearly offended in the deepest way.

"What I'm saying," Ron said, calming down "is that you shouldn't be upset with me for wanting to help her or comfort her."

Molly was quiet for a moment in which she searched her son's face. Finally, she looked down at her hands and said quietly, "I'm not, Ron."

Surprised, Ron looked down at his mother. "What?"

"I'd never be upset with you for wanting to help Hermione. I want the best for her too you know."

Ron took a moment before responded slowly, "I know"

"But I don't want you spending the night with her again, do you hear me?" Molly said as a statement, not a question.

Ron opened his mouth to protest. "What! But Mum! You just got done saying--"

"I know what I said Ron." Molly interrupted. "And I'm saying this for Hermione's sake. She's too fragile for you to be messing around with her heart. She needs rest, and rest only right now Ron and I don't want you distracting her from getting better."

Ron could only stare at his Mum in shock. She didn't understand. She didn't understand at all.

"She's better!" He cried, "She's completely healed! Go check her if you want to!" He said, motioning towards the closed door. "It's her heart that's not right Mum! You don't seem to understand what we've lost! What we lost in one night! A single night and we lost our best friend! I need to help her! I need her to help me! We need each other! We've learned already that we can't do this alone!"

"You're not alone Ron. We're all here to help you!" Molly protested.

"I need _Hermione_!" Ron shouted, on the verge of breaking down. "She understands me in ways you and Dad and Ginny will never be able to! I'm all she has left now! You can't take that away from us!"

"I'm not taking anything away from you Ron! I'm just asking you not to sleep in the same bed together!" Molly shouted, "Is that so much to ask! I'm not asking for you two to never see each other again!"

"It shouldn't matter if we sleep in the same bed if I'm helping her!"

"I WILL NOT HAVE IT UNDER THIS ROOF!"

"YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO ANYMORE! I'M OF AGE NOW AND I THINK I'VE PROVEN MYSELF ADULT ENOUGH TO MAKE MY OWN DECISIONS!"

"THIS ISN'T ABOUT YOU RON! I'M WORRIED ABOUT HERMIONE!"

"AND I'M TELLING YOU THAT I'M THE ONE WHO CAN TAKE CARE OF HER PROPERLY!"

"AND HOW EXACTLY DO YOU KNOW THAT!"

"BECAUSE I LOVE HER!" Ron screamed in a voice that shook the walls around them.

Only silence followed.

Finally, Molly Weasley backed away from her son, a look of fear in her eyes. She continued to shake her head, as if she was trying to tell herself she hadn't hear correctly as she backed into the wall. Eventually, she managed to choke, "You don't know what you're talking about."

Of all the responses his mother could have given, this was the one Ron was not prepared for.

He simply looked at his mother, who suddenly looked so small and…old, with an unbelievable look in his eyes. After all he'd told her…had she still not gotten the message?

"You don't know what you're talking about" She repeated, looking Ron dead in the eye. This time, Ron rose to the challenge.

"Yes, Mum. We do."

"No Ron…You…You can't"

"I can't what? I can't love her?" Ron asked, taking a step towards his Mum, "Why not?"

"B-Because" She choked, tears welling in her old eyes.

"Because why?" Ron asked,

"Because…" Mrs. Weasley paused, wiping at her eyes before meeting Ron's with a look of only sadness. "Because it wasn't supposed to happen this way."

Ron was taken aback. Happen what way? Had there been some sort of alternative he had never known about? Because if there had been, Ron would give anything for the opportunity to go back and change the way things happened.

"Happen what way?" He asked

Mrs. Weasley was now fully crying. Sniffing before another huge set of tears rolled down her face she cried, "Oh Ron! Why did you wait until now! Of all the times in the world, why now!"

Ron wasn't quite sure how to answer. "I…I don't know. I always knew I guess, but the prospect of loosing her was too much."

Mrs. Weasley nodded and wiped at her eyes like she was listening to a romantic novel. "Have you told her yet?" She whispered, putting a hand to her son's young healthy face.

Suddenly uncomfortable, Ron shifted his weight and avoided his mother's eyes. "Uh Yea…I did."

"And…" Mrs. Weasley egged on, her face still sad looking with the trace of tears still on them, but her eyes alight with excitement. Apparently this had been something she'd been waiting a long time to hear. "What did she say?"

If Ron could have wished for anything at that moment, he would have wished for Hermione. If only she could be the one to deliver this news to his Mum instead of him, or hold out her hand to show her the ring, or even just hold his hand to reassure him, he would have been grateful.

But as he looked around him, Ron realized that he was alone. Sighing, he mustered up all the courage he had to look his Mum in the eye. "Mum," He said slowly, taking a deep breath "We're engaged."

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Mrs. Weasley looked like she had just swallowed her tongue. Ron watched her carefully for any signs of fainting, since she'd gone rather white in the face. Sincerely worried for his Mum, Ron cursed timing and seriously considered calling for help.

Hermione would be furious with him. They'd agreed not to share their news until the time was right and even Ron, who was terrible with analyzing situations, could see that this was not the right time.

Taking a step towards his mother, Ron put a hand on her back and started leading her towards the nearby chair, unsure of what else to do, when suddenly something inside Molly Weasley must have snapped. She shrieked and threw her arms around Ron.

She was jumping up and down and crying, and yet at the same time punching Ron in the back. Frightened for his Mum's sanity and confused, Ron tried to pull away from her but it turned out that she had him in an iron grip.

"Mum?" He managed to grunt

"Oh Ron! I…I don't know what to say!" She cried, breaking apart and wringing her hands together.

Not sure if this was a good or a bad thing, Ron moved his head to look at her. "A-Are you…mad?" He asked timidly

"Mad! I'm furious! But so happy! So happy! Oh Ron! I just can't believe it!" She cried, smiling broadly, "I had been wondering for years…you both were always so cute dancing around each other for so long!"

Running a hand through his hair thoroughly relieved that his Mum wasn't going ballistic, Ron only shrugged. Why was it that the whole world seemed to have known about him and Hermione for years? Where had he been all this time?

This movement seemed to inspire a moment of nostalgia however as Molly tilted her head to look at her son, tears glistening in her eyes. "Oh Ron!" She whispered, putting a hand to his cheek, "My baby boy getting married! I just can't believe it!"

"It was a spur of the moment kind of thing," Ron admitted, his face flushing a lovely shade of red

Molly clicked her tongue disapprovingly, "Nonetheless, It'll be lovely to make Hermione part of the family."

To this, Ron had to smile, "Yea" He agreed, "I think she could really use a family right now."

At the mention of this, Molly seemed to suddenly remember Hermione lying in bed and with an, "Oh the poor dear!" dashed into the room, Ron following slowly behind her.

As he walked through the now open door and watched as his Mum raced to Hermione and embraced her, he smiled to himself and softly closed the door.

"Um…Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked, confused as his Mum held her in a tight hug.

"Oh Hermione dear I'm just so happy for you both!"

"For us both?" Hermione repeated, looking up at Ron with a look that clearly demanded an explanation.

"Yes! Ron told me!" Mrs. Weasley explained enthusiastically, "I will admit I was a little shocked, with you all being so young and just arriving here and all…. it was a bit much to comprehend; but you've known each other forever and I have no doubt in Ron choice."

"What exactly did Ron tell you?" Hermione asked slowly, shooting Ron a fearful glance. Ron's stomach twisted and he prayed he'd done the right thing.

"I must say it is quite unusual for the youngest boy to be the first one engaged but I suppose--"

"He told you WHAT!" Hermione shouted, looking fearfully between Mrs. Weasley and Ron.

Ron took this as his cue. Walking briskly up to Hermione, he put an arm around her waist. "I told her we were engaged." He said, trying to sound confident in his decision.

"Ron!" Hermione hissed in his ear as Mrs. Weasley simply beamed, "Why would you do something like that without me!"

"I couldn't help it. It sort of just came out," He admitted, his ears going a bit red

"No Ron!" Hermione whispered, pulling him aside and talking quietly so that Mrs. Weasley wouldn't hear. "There was a reason we agreed not to tell anyone! Do you remember what that was!"

"Not really" Ron confessed

Hermione made a frustrated sound in the back of her throat and sighed, "We agreed it wasn't the right time. We wanted the war to be over, we wanted things to be settled down. You can't bring up an engagement in the middle of a war!"

"But that's when it happened!" He protested

"It doesn't matter Ron! It's not right to be celebrating while people are dying!"

"But what if we don't get the chance to announce it 'Mione? What if something happens? I don't want my family to die not knowing that."

Hermione looked at him intently, studying him and apparently looking for some kind of resolve. Whatever she was looking for however she seemed to find as she smiled softly to herself and shook her head. "Well we are safe now," She whispered

"Exactly" Ron said, grinning

Turning to his Mum, Hermione said, "If you don't mind Mrs. Weasley, would you not tell anyone else? I think Ron and I will want to do that."

"Of course dear, why don't you do it tonight? I'll cook a big feast to celebrate!"

Hermione looked uneasy. "It's alright. You don't need to do that."

Mrs. Weasley waved her hand, "Nonsense! At first it does seem unnatural to have something as wonderful as an engagement in a war, but I think this is exactly what everyone needs! Something to celebrate! We haven't had something good happen in days, it'll do everyone some good!"

For some reason, that seemed to make Hermione feel a lot better as she smiled and nodded her head. "If it'll help everyone."

"Good, glad that's settled then!" Mrs. Weasley said briskly as she began heading out of the door. Pausing at the doorframe however, she turned around, smiling, "I'll leave you two alone then, and…. Ron?"

"Yea?" He asked,

His Mum smiled. "Forget what I said about the sleeping arrangements."

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(A/N: What'd you think? Let me know! Much love, Haystack)


	35. Chapter ThirtyFive: Scars of Eternity

(A/N: Hopefully there are still people out there interested in this story even though it's been more than a MONTH since my last update. Ducks as objects are thrown I'll apologize over and over again if I have to…I feel so bad! But unfortunately this chapter proved very difficult to write in the week before I left for my trip to Russia. I was gone for two and a half weeks and when I came back, my room was being painted and my computer taken apart. Once the painting was done and I put the computer back up, it took me a day to get the internet back up and running. So, madly in the past two days, I've written you all a 23 page chapter which I hope might make up for those two weeks I was gone! It's a long shot I know but I at least you all know I'm alive! I was beginning to worry there…I kept thinking "Gosh I hope they don't think I've abandoned the story!" Which by the way I'll never do! Anyways, responses for last chapter (it feels like eternity ago) were AMAZING as always and guys…we got to 400 reviews! That's a record for me! Thank you Thank you Thank you! I would respond to all of your fantastic reviews but its rather late and I'm utterly exhausted so let's see if I can just answer some questions you all had. Firstly, I'm so glad you all enjoyed last chapter and Mrs. Weasley. She's quite a fun character don't you think? Everything she does, she does passionately. People like that are fun to have on your side but unfortunately for poor Ron not so fun to have against you. Ah alas, poor Ron. I also received quite a few lol's regarding the last line. Again, so glad you all enjoyed it! I also received two questions regarding the number of chapters I'm planning for this story and luckily I can fully answer this question now because after eight weeks I've finally found my folder of notes and plot diagrams! So now that I have my notes back I can estimate much better. As a rough estimate (don't hold me to this!) I'd say about nine chapters left. And will there be a wedding somewhere in those nine chapters? I'm afraid I honestly can't tell. It wasn't in my newly recovered plans but then again, the engagement part wasn't in my original plans either I kind of just threw that in. We'll just have to go with it and see what happens. Anyways, again, thank you all sooooo much, you all have put up with so much recently I just hope that this chapter is good enough! Thanks! Much love, Haystack)

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CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: SCARS OF ETERNITY

By lunch, Ron was convinced, the entire world knew of his engagement to Hermione. Fred and George, bloody brothers, had practically tackled him after breakfast and…well it had all been downhill from there.

"Let me go! Merlin I'm sore there! What in bloody hell do you think you're doing!"

"Don't let him go till he confesses!" Fred had cried, holding Ron's feet together.

"Confess what!" He had asked desperately

"You know _what_! Why Mum was so happy during breakfast!" George had said very loudly into his left ear.

"Maybe she's just happy I'm back" Ron had tried

"She was singing under her breath and beaming at you! She gave you three extra helpings!"

"I was hungry!" Ron insisted

"That doesn't matter!" Fred said seriously, "What matters is that she knows something and it's got to do with you! We need to know now so we can avoid whatever it is by all costs…or find some way to get whatever it is you've got"

The twins had been rendered speechless when Ron finally told them. And unfortunately, been so excited at the prospect of Ickle Ronnekins getting married to Hermione Granger that they'd proceeded to shout it as they ran around the makeshift house. All in all, it had taken the rest of the Order a total of five minutes to figure it out.

And in response, all had searched out Ron or Hermione, everyone beaming and laughing at the good news. It had been an hour since Fred and George had announced their news for them and Ron had yet to see Hermione. Praying she wasn't too angry with him for telling the twins, he took a deep breath before knocking softly on her door.

"Who is it?" A small and tired voice asked.

Ron decided not to answer as he opened the door to find his fiancée sitting on her bed, looking at some book. "Hey" he said quietly, shutting the door behind him and walking over to her.

"Hey" She said distantly.

Sitting down beside her, Ron took this moment to study her; hoping to find only happiness on her face. What he found instead made his stomach clench unpleasantly.

Though her face was free of tears, the remains of them were evident on her cheeks. Her eyes were red and puffy and Ron could tell her nose was runny. Shocked, and unsure as to what could have made her cry so, Ron instinctively reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers.

Surprised, Hermione looked at their hands and then up at Ron.

"What's wrong?" He whispered, trying to see through her with his eyes.

Hermione simply shook her head and closed the book, placing it on the nightstand.

"It's not about the engagement is it?" Ron asked gently, praying that she wouldn't respond with a yes.

Again, she shook her head. "No Ron." She whispered, "That's all fine."

Surprised, Ron's eyes widened. "Really? I would have thought you'd be furious with me"

Hermione shrugged, "There's no point trying to keep it a secret. We should want to share this with your family."

Sensing something hidden in that sentence, Ron challenged it. "What about your family?" He asked as softly as he could

Hermione looked at him directly, "What about them?"

Ron ran a hand through his hair, "Well I mean…engagement. That's kind of a sort of thing you'd want to share with your parents."

Hermione's eyes bore into his. "I can't afford to be too picky Ron. You're family is like mine. I'm just glad we have the chance to celebrate this with them."

"Then 'Mione," Ron said, taking both her hands in his own and looking into her eyes. "What's wrong?"

Instead of responding, Hermione simply looked at him sadly and then reached over for the leather bound book she'd been looking at earlier. "Your Mum just gave me this." She explained.

Curious, Ron took the book from her and opened up to the first page. What he saw made his heart constrict.

There, a picture of a baby Ron with his parents waved up at him. And then, a non-moving picture of Hermione and her parents. And then…Ron choked back the rush of emotion he felt. A baby Harry with Lily and James smiling and waving up at him.

His eyes snapped to Hermione's who was staring sadly at the pictures. "Your Mum said she was making this for the three of us. For graduation."

"B-But you and H-Harry?" He asked, motioning towards the baby pictures.

"She said she'd gotten Harry's pictures from Order members and Dumbledore. Apparently, she'd talked to my parents as well. Ron, it follows through our lives."

Transfixed, Ron began flipping by page after page. Pictures of their first year at Hogwarts began to fill his brain, and then second, and third, and fourth, and….Ron stopped. Knowing what he was looking for, he flipped immediately to the last page. There.

Standing outside the Burrow, Ron had one arm around Harry and the two of them were laughing. Harry had his other arm around Hermione who was smiling brilliantly, her eyes shining with happiness. Ginny was in front of them, grinning overdramatically at the camera. The four of them were decked out in their Hogwarts robes, about to embark on their last year at Hogwarts together. But then again, these carefree people in the picture didn't know that how true that statement would become.

Shutting his eyes painfully, Ron shut the book loudly, breathing hard. It…It hurt too much to look. Hermione had one hand on his shoulder and was rubbing his back comfortingly. Wanting something physical to hold, Ron reached out for her, relieved when she willingly hugged him tightly. His eyes were still closed but the images wouldn't go away. Harry's first Quidditch match, Harry and Dobby at Christmas, Harry and Hermione dressed and ready for Hogsmeade, the Yule Ball….the images all haunted him.

"It hurts doesn't it?" Hermione voice asked, not letting go.

Ron could only nod, his voice too clogged with emotion to manage words.

"We were so close Ron." She whispered, "We only had a few more weeks. A few more weeks and this album could have been filled with happy memories."

Her words cut at him. He needed to communicate to her that that it was Harry that hurt him the most.

"…H-His face" He managed to say

Hermione let out a shaky breath and ran her fingers lightly through his hair. "The blank pages hurt more than his face. It's the knowledge that we'll never get to fill them. That the story ends here."

"I-It doesn't feel right without him here does it?" Ron asked

Hermione pulled away from him, looking at him sadly. She shook her head. "I know he was supposed to be your best man."

"Y-Yea…" Ron said, fighting back tears "He was"

"I just still can't believe what's happened. It seems like a dream. Those people seem like strangers now."

Ron could only nod in agreement. She was right. It was hard to remember a time where everyone was together and happy. Sure they'd had problems then, but they were trivial…well at least they seemed trivial now. Why hadn't they cherished the time spent together more? Why hadn't Ron told Harry how much he meant to him? Why hadn't he told Hermione he fancied her? Why hadn't he been more understanding and kind to people like Seamus and Lavender? Why had he complained about Ginny so much? Ron, Harry, and Hermione had had the heads up that the war was coming. They knew what to expect and had been trained accordingly. Shouldn't they have, of all people, treasured every moment of peace before the war broke out? Why hadn't they taken the cues they'd been given?

Ron tried not to let his mind wander into the possibilities of what life would be like now, had he lived life knowing that things would change, but it was hard.

"Ron," Hermione said quietly, propping herself up on her elbow, "There's something else too. We have a bigger problem on our hands then I thought." She sighed.

Immensely tired, Ron laid on his back. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with anything else right now. "What is it?" He asked

Hermione scooted over to him, and leaned over him, supporting herself with her left arm. She was biting her lip. Immediately recognizing that as a sign of trouble, Ron reached out and moved some curls from her forehead, trying to comfort whatever stress this news would bring.

Hermione kissed his hand, but brought it down from her face. Looking at him with sad eyes, she whispered, "Ron, your Mum doesn't know about Harry"

It took Ron a moment to figure out exactly what that sentence meant. But after a few seconds, he felt his heart constrict. He knew what this meant…

"But how?" He asked, "How could she not know?"

Hermione sighed, "I guess Lupin didn't tell them. He probably wanted to wait for a better time."

"But the two of us came here together. Doesn't that seem strange that we'd leave Harry out there?"

Hermione shrugged, "I guess they don't understand that we'd never leave Harry. We came in here a mess, so they probably thought we were in a battle or hurt or something. They were all so happy to know we were alive I suppose they didn't think"

"What about that book? Surely she would have asked about Harry after giving you that."

Hermione shook her head. "She said she thought we'd appreciate the pictures since all of ours got destroyed in Hogwarts."

Rubbing his head, Ron let out a slow breath. "And the others? The Order? Dumbledore?"

Hermione shook her head slowly, "No one knows"

Knowing what they needed to do, Ron felt a massive headache coming on. This wasn't going to be easy. "Well then…I suppose, we need to tell them"

Hermione smiled sadly, "Yea…we do"

Groaning, Ron put his arms up to his head. Hermione scooted closer beside him and snuggled against his side. "It'll be okay" She whispered, "We'll have to appear strong though. The moment we start crying is the moment everyone will panic."

"I know" Ron said quietly, putting his arm around Hermione. Both were silent for a few moments. "'Mione?" He asked

"Yea?"

"Are we going to tell them everything?"

Hermione sighed, "I don't know."

"They'll want to hear every detail"

"I know"

"You know I'm not very good at lying."

"Ron," Hermione said sternly, "We're not going to lie. We'll tell them the truth. Just maybe not the whole truth"

"Well which parts do you want to leave out?" He asked

Hermione thought for a moment, "Viktor" She said finally

"Viktor?" Ron said surprised, "Why?"

"Because" Hermione said reasonably, "If there's a mole here, I don't want Viktor getting in trouble for helping us"

"'Mione" Ron said comfortingly, "There's not a mole here. Don't you think Voldemort would be here by now if there was? We're safe now, we don't have to worry."

Hermione didn't respond. Ron hoped she understood. It was a hard concept to grasp after days of running from the enemy…there were very few people you could trust. "I-I'd just feel better if we left Viktor out of it" Hermione's soft reply came.

It was hard for Ron to argue with Hermione when she was curled up at his side and spoke in hushed whispers. It made her seem like a child…a child he loved and wanted to protect. "Fine," He agreed, "We'll leave Viktor out. Anything else?"

"Yes" Hermione said slowly, "I don't want you telling them that you left me with Aragog."

"Why not? It doesn't make you look bad…just me. Mum'll hit me over the head if she finds out."

"I-It's a bad memory. I don't really feel like explaining it."

"'Mione… If you use that excuse then we won't be able to tell them anything, because the whole damn thing's a bad memory for me."

Hermione was silent for a moment, but then Ron felt her soft hands sliding up the side of his face. "Oh Ron." She whispered, kissing the tip of his nose. "I'm sorry. I don't want to do this either"

Touched at her tenderness, Ron wrapped his arms around her, pushing back her hair. "I'm just glad that if I do have to do this…that I'm not doing it alone." Ron said honestly, "I'm glad you're here"

Hermione smiled softly and kissed him again. "Me too" She whispered in his ear as she planted kisses along his jawline, "I'm glad you're here with me"

Unable to stand a moment longer without a proper kiss, Ron reached out and guided her face towards his own. It felt like forever since he'd kissed her and it never got old. In fact, the kisses got better as his love for her grew.

Most kisses they'd shared in the past had been fiery and passionate, desperate attempts to display their love before time ran out. But now that they were safe, Ron felt an overwhelming sense of peace. He didn't have to worry about showing to Hermione one last time that he loved her. She knew, and he could take his time.

This kiss was simply loving. It was comforting in more ways than he could imagine. Just the intimacy…being so close to Hermione…was enough to make even his darkest troubles disappear. And that's what Hermione did for him. She drove his demons away and provided comfort in times when he was unable to do so himself.

Sure, he was dreading tonight on different levels, but the fact that Hermione would be there feeling the same emotions and thinking the same thoughts, made him feel better. And the fact that he could now reach out and touch her for reassurance made things different.

But the fact still stood that he would have to announce to his family that Harry was dead.

It wasn't so much announcing the death of his best mate that made Ron so scared. It was more or less the questions that would come afterwards, and the story he and Hermione would have to share. Of all people's reactions, he feared Ginny's the worst. She was so sick…so fragile right now, he wasn't sure how much more she could handle.

"Mmm…Ron?" Hermione moaned, as Ron continued to kiss her.

"What?" He asked, in between kisses, his mind now in reality.

Breaking apart, Hermione paused to catch her breath. Ron smiled at the deep breaths echoing from both their bodies as their chests rose and fell in unison. Hermione's gaze was soft but firm and Ron knew that she was serious again.

"Ron do you think Seamus and Lavender are really dead?" She whispered, the words obviously paining her to say

Caught off guard, Ron stared at her for a moment. Seamus and Lavender…as selfish as it seemed he really didn't want to think of them right now. The pain that came with thinking about them was too fresh…and it hurt too much. "I don't know" Ron said seriously

"Do you think there was any way they survived?" Hermione asked, her eyes seeking a certain answer.

Ron tried to remember. He remembered the sudden horror he'd felt as he realized the mistake they'd made, but after that things were kind of a blur. Seeking into his brain, Ron tried to remember how things had been the moment before the portkey had taken him away.

"_Lavender! Help me out! Quickly! Come on!" Seamus cried out, looking in the same direction she was. _

_Snapping back to look at Seamus, Lavender grabbed his hands and pulled. Seamus's torso was now over the edge and he was crawling out. _

"_Hurry Seamus Hurry!" Lavender screamed, standing up and grabbing his hand. _

_Once he got up on his feet, they were sprinting across the pile of flaky ashes, sending remains flying into the air as they sprinted for their lives._

"_LAV HURRY THEY'RE COMING!"_

"_I'M TRYING!" _

_Suddenly, 'they' were revealed at the top of the pile, walking with a sense of power and maniac glee. Lord Voldemort himself, followed by his Death Eaters were slowly surrounding Seamus and Lavender, approaching from all sides. _

"_H-Hermione…" Ron choked_

"_RUN OVER THERE! TRY TO GO BACK! TELL THEM TO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" _

"_SEAMUS, WE'RE TRAPPED!" _

"_NO, THERE HAS TO BE A WAY OUT!"_

"_SEAMUS…" Lavender sobbed, "WE'RE TRAPPED!"_

"_WE CAN'T BE! THERE HAS TO BE A WAY OUT!"_

"_Hello" An ice cold yet amused voice echoed. It was Voldemort. He had Seamus and Lavender trapped. They were of no use to him. He would kill them. This was the end. Lavender and Seamus were going to die. _

_Screams were heard echoing from the pile of ashes, but soon that faded away as Seamus and Lavender disappeared from him forever as the world went black._

Ron slowly was brought back to the present as he looked Hermione in the eyes.

Frightened at the clarity of the memory, he tried to hide his shaking hands. Shaking his head slowly he tried to keep himself under control. "No 'Mione" He said, his voice thick, "I don't think they survived at all."

Tearfully, Hermione slowly nodded her head. The room was silent for several minutes.

"What about my parents Ron? Do you think they're dead too?" Hermione quiet voice asked

Ron wasn't quite sure how to answer her. He had heard nothing of attacks on the Muggle World but then again it did make sense to assume Hermione's parents had been targeted. "I honestly don't know." Ron said truthfully, "I can ask Dad tonight."

"Would your Dad really know of that though?" Hermione asked

Ron shrugged, "Then I'll go to the Order. I'm of age now, they have no right to disclose information to me. Especially when it concerns my fiancée." Ron said as he took Hermione into his arms again. She leaned into them comfortingly.

"Thanks Ron." She said

"Your welcome" He replied, kissing her hair like he used to do back in Hogwarts

Hermione smiled at the gesture. "We've got a full night then don't we?" She said

Ron sighed, "Yea we do. We better get some rest if we're going to be up for any of it."

"Okay. But Ron?"

"Yea?"

"I-I really think you should go see Ginny before tonight."

"Why?" Ron asked, concerned

"Because" Hermione said, "She never came to see me or you I'm assuming. I saw her face in the hallway Ron. It looks like she's taking our engagement harder than anyone thinks. And there's some stuff…a lot of stuff…I have a feeling, she's been hiding from everyone."

"You think she's okay though right?" Ron asked, worried

"No" Hermione replied slowly, "I don't think she's alright at all. She doesn't want anything to do with me right now and she trusts you more than anyone. I just think you should talk to her."

"Alright, I'll go once you're asleep." Ron said, his mind on overload

Hermione smiled into the dim light, "You don't need to do that"

"Oh but I do" Ron countered, kissing her lightly on the lips, "Good night 'Mione"

"Good night. And Ron?"

"Yea?"

"I love you"

"Good" Ron said running his hand through his hair, "Because I'll need every ounce of that love tonight."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ron closed the door silently behind him. Walking as quietly as he could, he turned left and began heading towards Ginny's room. Not really sure what he would find, Ron tried to mentally prepare himself for whatever story Ginny would share with him. It was a hard thing to prepare for, he decided as he made a right and started down a long hallway; war held endless possibilities. Ginny's room was the second to the end on the left-hand side and as he approached this door, he took a deep breath.

Knocking three times, Ron took a step back, waiting for the door to open ….but it never did. Knocking again, Ron waited. When he didn't hear movement within the room, Ron gripped the doorknob and gave it a fierce turn. The door swung open easily.

Expecting his sister to shriek at the sudden interruption, Ron furrowed his eyebrows together with suspicion when he heard no such sound. He looked around the room and saw no one either.

His heart beginning to race with paranoia, Ron slowly stepped into the room, his wand lifted. The room was dark.

"Lumos" Ron whispered, his wand magically creating a dim glow of light around the small room.

Ron looked around the room. He couldn't find anything out of the ordinary, but then again…he couldn't find Ginny either.

Images began racing through his mind as he thought of his sister lying dead somewhere. His hands began to shake as his clammy hands gripped his wand tighter. Ginny was fine. There had to be some kind of explanation. Yet, Ron couldn't help the surge of brotherly love he felt that sometimes got in the way of his thinking.

"What are you doing?" A sudden voice asked him. Ron spun around to meet the confused face of Ginny.

Letting out a long breath, Ron hastily shoved his wand into his pocket. Going red and feeling quite stupid, he looked at his shoes for a moment.

"I said, what are you doing here?" Ginny snapped

Ron lifted his face to look at hers, which was a mess with dark circles and bags underneath her eyes "I-I came to check up on you" He said quietly

"Check up on me?" Ginny repeated, spitting out his words "Why would you do that?"

Hurt, Ron stared at her with confusion, "Because you're my sister," He said calmly. Ginny gave him a scathing look and pushed her way into the room, turning on the lights. Unsure how to handle this new Ginny, Ron chose his words carefully. "And" He added, "Because I think there's some stuff you need to tell me"

Ginny spun around to face him. "Stuff I need to tell you!" She cried, "You know what happened Ron! There's nothing more to say!"

"Ginny there's a lot more!" Ron explained, "I want you to tell me everything that happened."

"You don't want to know Ron" Ginny said, looking Ron in the eye

Leaning forwards so that his eyes were only a few inches away from her own, he said firmly, "Try me"

There was no denying that Ginny had changed drastically since Ron had last seen her. She was bitter and cruel about everything and she kept to herself. When Ginny saw him for the first time…for a moment he'd forgotten there was no war as he saw her face light up. She'd thrown herself on top of him and hugged him as if he were going to leave her. Mrs. Weasley had smiled but as he felt Ginny's shoulders begin to shake, he knew she was sobbing. And that was something very un-Ginny like.

But that glimmer of her old self seemed to be all Ron was going to get to see. Now, he was staring a stranger in the face and although she looked a lot the old Ginny…she was nothing like his sister.

Ron challenged her with his eyes. _C'mon Ginny_, he thought, _Tell me what's wrong_

"Get out Ron" Ginny said deep in the back of her throat

"Gin, I'm not leaving until you tell me," Ron said, making sure to keep an even voice.

Ginny's face twitched, as if she were suppressing tears. She sighed, "Why are you doing this Ron?" She asked softly, her edge gone. Now she just sounded…tired.

Jumping upon this a sign of her façade crumbling, Ron reached for her shoulders so he could turn her to face him. "Because Gin I--"

"Don't touch me!" Ginny cried, twisting out of his reach.

Neither spoke for a few moments, Ginny breathing hard as she stared at Ron in fear and shame, and Ron staring at his little sister crouching away from him like he was some kind of monster.

The silence stretched into minutes.

And as Ron stood, still frozen, all the pieces of the puzzle seemed to fit together. Pained, Ron finally managed to croak, "W-Was it really that bad Ginny? Was it bad enough to turn away from me? I'm your brother, I'm not going to hurt you."

Ginny didn't say anything. She only looked down at her hands. Ron waited.

When Ginny finally did look up, he could see tears in her eyes. All she had to do was nod before the tears began to leak onto her face.

Without a word, Ron sat down on the bed and motioned for Ginny to join him. As soon she sat down, Ron put his arms around her the way he used to do when they were kids. Ginny grabbed onto him so tightly Ron's heart ached…she hadn't cried about this with anyone yet. And then suddenly, Ron was angry. How could his family…his mother…not realize how traumatized Ginny was? That she had probably suffered more than Ron and Hermione, though it seemed hard to imagine. How had his mother not sat Ginny down and made her talk? Fred? George? His Father? Anyone in the Order? Why had no one bothered?

Holding her closer to him, Ron rubbed her arms comfortingly. "Sh…it's okay." He whispered, "I'm sorry, so sorry"

Holding onto him, Ginny wiped at her eyes, "It's okay." She said through her tears

"I should have been there," Ron said, feeling guilty as he said it.

"You're here now," She whispered

"I missed you Ginny. I was so afraid. I thought you were dead," Ron confessed

"I wish I was" Ginny said so softly it was almost inaudible

Ron sucked in a breath and closed his eyes, cringing. That one hurt. Normally, Ron would have been angry and demand that she never say that again. But Ron knew now…Ginny didn't say those things. She was serious. And with that knowledge, the comment had an entirely different meaning.

"Tell me about it" He said trying to sound calm, his heart racing

Ginny sniffed. "I was alone Ron. Everything's worse when you're alone."

"What happened to the others?"

Ginny stood up, wrapping her arms around herself as she walked over to the dresser, her back to Ron. She was silent for a few moments, picking at the wood in the empty dresser before finally spinning around to face Ron.

"Who do you want to know about Ron?" She said suddenly, a fire in her eyes. Taken aback, Ron opened his mouth, thinking. "Because whoever you say, I'll tell you all I know. I'm not going to leave anything out and I'm not going to dance around the shit. You either want to know or you don't."

Startled, Ron stared at her for a moment or two. What was he supposed to say? Ron tried to think of a response, but he couldn't. There were so many people… "Dean" He said, his voice shaking a little. Dean had been the one person Seamus had wanted to find, the one person Seamus was hanging onto. It felt right to ask about him first, since now Seamus would never get the chance to.

Ginny took a deep breath, "I was with Dean when we first went out," She said slowly, "Some of us went to the right when the doors opened, some of us went to the left. I went to the left, he went to the right. I didn't see him again until Hogwarts was collapsing. I saw him carrying some girl in his arms, trying to outrun the dust. I was in the forest by then, hidden underneath some bushes. I could still breathe. I watched the dust come up on him and eventually swallow him up. That's all I know Ron. There's a chance he could have survived, but I doubt he made it."

Shaking, Ron nodded slowly, trying to process what he'd heard. A chance… Chances didn't seem to end up going their way in war. To Ron, it was as good as saying she'd seen his body. Putting his fingers to the bridge of his nose, he sighed.

"Anyone else?" Ginny asked, her face blank of emotion. Ron looked up at her. Ginny stood before him like some kind of automatic machine, ready to spit out information with no feelings or emotions attached to what she was saying.

Angry at her detachment, Ron blurted out, "You"

Ginny blinked a few times, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me" Ron said, his tone serious, "I want to hear about you Ginny. Tell it all from beginning to end."

Ginny gave him a pained expression, "You're acting like this is some story book! Maybe the reason I haven't said anything is because I don't want to talk about it!"

"You _have_ to talk to someone Ginny." Ron snapped, "And it looks like I'm the only guy willing to listen. So talk"

Ginny studied him, tears sparkling behind her eyes. Ron felt a pang of guilt but brushed it aside. He was going to hear this from Ginny herself, even if it meant playing hardball to do so.

"I'm trying to move on Ron" She pleaded, "I told myself I wouldn't remember what happened. Don't make me do this"

"It's for your own good," Ron said reasonably, trying his hardest to appear disconnected to her cries.

"You don't know what I've seen Ron! I don't want to go back there!"

"You'll drive yourself insane if you don't say it aloud!" Ron cried, "I don't want to see you in St. Mungo's!"

"I can handle it Ron! I've taken care of myself all this time haven't I! While you ran off with the golden trio, I was left alone! But I survived didn't I!"

Ron cringed at her hurtful words but tried to put them out of his mind. She was bitter…she didn't know what she was saying. "Ginny please just tell me. I'm offering you help."

"Help? _Help_! How can you help? You still need help yourself!"

"Just tell me"

"Why do you want to know so badly Ron! Do you _want_ to hear all the details of how I sliced my back open and broke the bones in my hand! Do you want to hear about Harry's death! Do you want to hear a play-by-play of how I got raped! I don't think so Ron so just back off!"

Ron was quiet for a moment. "What about Harry, Ginny?"

Taken aback, it took Ginny awhile to respond, but when she did she sounded distant, as if caught up in another world. "I was fighting Death Eaters on the east side of the castle." She said quietly "Nothing had really happened yet, besides people dying around me. But after a while, these two Death Eaters grabbed me and picked me up. I tried stunning them but I couldn't hold my wand steady enough to aim right."

"Who were they?" Ron asked immediately

Ginny paused and gave him a look. "Ron, if you're going to make me tell you then you have to listen." She said, sounding much older than she really was.

"Sorry" Ron mumbled

"I couldn't tell you who they were but I recognized their voices." Ginny continued, "They took me through the battleground to where Harry and Voldemort were fighting. Harry saw me, and his eyes got all wide and scared. Voldemort followed his gaze to me and laughed. He'd made the connection that the Death Eaters had apparently made; that I was Harry's girlfriend."

"But Gin you weren't. You two--"

"Met secretly." Ginny finished for Ron, "It wasn't a big long term kind of thing. We both knew it had to be the kind of relationship that could be stopped if needed to be. We knew the war was coming and that whatever 'we' were would complicate matters entirely when the time came for war. I knew what I was doing and so did Harry."

What was Ron to say to that? How could he look down upon a relationship that kept his best mate happy for the remaining months of his life?

"I'm sorry," He finally said,

"It's okay Ron" Ginny said

Ron waited several seconds for Ginny to continue the story. When she didn't, Ron looked at her and said, "Sorry I interrupted. Keep going."

Ginny took a shaky breath, "R-Right. Um…where was I?"

"The Death Eaters brought you to Harry and Voldemort."

"Oh yes…t-that part." Ginny said nervously, twisting her fingers together, "Well Harry couldn't very well come get me without Voldemort hitting him with something so the Death Eaters started to do things to me to tempt him over. It was pure torture….for both of us" She said quietly, her hands shaking.

Ron noticed and quickly put one of his own hands over hers, quieting them. Looking into her eyes Ron asked quietly, "What did they do to you?"

Ginny hesitated, tears welling in her eyes, "T-They started to take my clothes off." She whispered.

Ron sucked in a breath. The statement created such a mad swirl of emotions within Ron that he almost didn't want to acknowledge it. Almost afraid to meet Ginny's eyes—afraid of the vulnerability he'd see within them---Ron slowly lifted his eyes to hers.

Ginny was crying. That alone wouldn't have been so bad, but it was the fact that Ginny was so desperately trying _not_ to cry that broke Ron's heart. Voice cracking with emotion, he said, "O-Oh Gin"

With that invitation, Ginny found her way into her older brother's arms where she finally began to cry.

"I-It was so terrible Ron!" She cried, teardrops zooming around her face, "T-They didn't hesitate at all. They were animals and they just attacked me! Ripped my clothes…touched me. One of them would hold me down while the other one had their fun with me. I was sobbing and screaming for Harry to help me b-but he couldn't" Ginny sniffed, her eyes and nose now red, "He couldn't come and save me. At least not in time. They were laughing as the first one took my virginity away. Laughing!"

"G-Ginny…I don't know what to say. I'm sorry," Ron babbled, tears of his own clouding his vision, "I'm just so sorry."

"I've never felt so small. So vulnerable. I grew up in a house full of older brothers so I was used to rough handling b-but I couldn't believe the hatred they had towards me. One would hit me while the other slammed himself into me. That was the one Harry killed first. Stunned Voldemort for a moment long enough to kill the bastard. The other one was dead in a matter of seconds." Ginny said, her tears never ceasing, "But then I had two dead men around me. I was naked and exposed and I was weak. All I could do was cry."

Ron wanted to say something. To find some words of comfort to offer his baby sister. He wanted to find some way to make all these memories escape from her mind forever, but the fact that he couldn't seem to do anything only increased his anger of the world.

"But then…I don't know how, but somehow, Harry found enough time to race over to me. He picked me up and put me behind a fallen tree where he said I'd be safer. He just wouldn't stop apologizing and kissing my face. He never even glanced down at my barely covered body, he just kept trying to kiss away my tears." Ginny recalled, the water leaking from her eyes only increasing as the memory progressed. "He cradled me in his arms and brushed back the hair on my head. I clung to him so tightly I must have strangled him. He never stopped to tell me anything except that he was sorry and that he loved me. Kept repeating that over and over again until finally Voldemort approached him, angrier than before, since Harry had killed three of his Death Eaters. The next thing I knew, Voldemort threatened me and Harry jumped up and began fighting him again. That was the last time I saw him," Ginny said, her body shaking as silent tears streamed across her freckled face.

"He realized though, that he wouldn't be able to keep me safe." Ginny said hollowly, "So he started shouting for someone…anyone to come and protect me. Luckily, Colin and Dennis Creevy came running from the lake. Harry asked them to take me, and keep me safe and without a word Colin picked me up and we ran into the Forbidden Forest."

"Seamus and Lavender told us that" Ron said emptily, sounding like a robot.

Ginny nodded and wiped at a tear, "Did they tell you about Dennis?"

Ron nodded numbly, remembering that conversation he and Hermione had had with Seamus and Lavender in the makeshift cave, only hours after escaping from prison. It felt like ages ago. "All they knew was that they'd come across his body in the forest."

Sniffing, Ginny used the back of her hands to try to wipe away the tears. "Yes well we were running, looking for shelter more than anything else. I was clinging onto Colin for dear life and he was holding me so tightly…I could tell he was petrified."

"And Dennis?"

"The fire in Hogwarts had just started. There was a crash and people started screaming as they realized that Hogwarts was burning. People started fleeing away from the castle and we lost Dennis in the crowd, after all we were still looking for somewhere safe to hide as Death Eaters too swarmed into the forest."

"Eventually we just flung ourselves into some bushes and waited, hoping Dennis saw where we'd hidden. Poor Colin look so tortured…I mean, you know how close they were."

Ron nodded knowingly, Colin and Dennis had seemed even closer than Ron was to his own brothers….and that was saying something since the Weasley blood ensured a strong family bond between all its members.

"Soon though we heard a Death Eater voice challenging Dennis. He was only a foot away from us. Dennis saw us peeking out through the bushes, shot Colin a sad look, and drew out his wand. It took only a few minutes for Dennis to fall."

Ron closed his eyes. He'd never really known Dennis and admittedly, had found both the Creevy brothers to be extremely annoying as first and second years, but over time Ron had found to respect them, for they represented much of what Ron couldn't seem to do.

Ron would have thought that by now, deaths of his classmates would somehow bounce right off him in a numb sort of way. He would acknowledge them but not really understand the entirety of the news. However, Ron found that Dennis' death brought a fresh wave of pain, one that Ron was surprised would ever be related to the youngest Creevy brother.

"Colin must have gone crazy" Ron mumbled, not wanting to picture Colin's reaction.

Ginny's misty eyes gave him all the answer he needed. There was silence for a few moments as both tried very hard not to think about the pain Colin had endured as he watched his little brother die.

Finally, Ginny made a little sound in the back of her throat and looked at Ron. "We just stayed in the bushes for hours. Colin refused to look at me. I was still so weak I didn't move, I just cried w-wanting you or Harry to come find me. I waited and waited, but no one came."

Ron's stomach tightened guiltily. Ginny's anger and pain all basically came down to one point. She felt like she'd been abandoned. And as hard as it was for Ron to admit that, he knew deep down it was true. They'd all left Ginny alone in the middle of a war.

"Gin--" He said with difficulty, "It wasn't like we didn't want to come for you"

"Then why didn't you come?" Ginny whispered, her eyes reflecting only pain

"We couldn't." He said lamely, "There was so much going on. We all had to focus on saving our own necks."

Ginny studied him for a moment, as if judging his sincerity. Ron gulped under the pressure and tried to convey to her through his eyes that he was being honest, but it must not have worked because then, without a word, she turned away.

Hurt, Ron moved towards her, "Ginny" He said, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

Ginny whipped around so fast, it took Ron by surprised. "I don't buy it!" She cried suddenly, her eyes flaming. "You're lying to me Ron! I've always been able to tell when you're lying!"

Stunned by her sudden anger, it took a moment before he could yell, "What are you talking about!"

Standing up, Ginny turned to face him, "I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me that you honestly tried to run looking for me!" She cried

"Ginny I--"

"I don't want you feeding me this shit about you being so torn to find me when you didn't even make the effort!"

"I TOLD YOU THAT WE TRIED!" Ron screamed, his anger getting the best of him, "STOP PUTTING ALL OF THIS GUILT AND SHAME ON ME, I TOLD YOU WE TRIED! I MEAN, BLOODY HELL, DO YOU HONESTLY THINK I WASN'T FREAKING OUT ABOUT YOU? DO YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO GO FIND MY LITTLE SISTER! I WAS GOING CRAZY GIN, BUT I'M TELLING YOU THAT I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO RUN OFF AND SERACH THE FOREST FOR YOU!"

Ginny said nothing as she examined Ron face, which was now as red as his hair. Ron was breathing heavily, looking down (as he had stood up) at Ginny waiting for her to scream at him in return. But she never did. Instead, she said so softly it could have been a whisper, "You had time for Hermione"

Ron's sucked in a breath as the words stuck him. Ginny couldn't possibly be suggesting …she couldn't honestly…Ron's brain simply shut down with the effort of trying to understand the full meaning of the sentence. All he knew was that Ginny had stuck below the belt with this one….and it was hurting. All he could manage to say through his pain was, "Don't go there Ginny."

"Why?" Ginny challenged, "Because you know that it's true? I'm not stupid Ron; I've always known that you loved her. I've known since the moment you came home for Christmas holiday after first year, raving about her and how she drove you insane."

"You couldn't have known that! You were only ten!"

"We always hate what we love most." Ginny said simply, "Mum used to tell me that even when you said you hated me and wished I'd leave you alone, that you really loved me and only got upset with me because you loved me so much. I'd heard that for ten years…it wasn't hard for me to assume you loved Hermione more than me when you came home that Christmas."

"Gin you know that's--"

"And I turned out to be right didn't I?" Ginny said quietly as she smiled to herself in a strange sort of way and shook her head. "First year, you purposely sacrificed your life for Hermione and Harry. From that point onwards I knew that there'd be nothing you wouldn't do for her"

"That's not fair to--"

Ginny waved her hand at him, "Don't worry about it Ron. I've known it for years, it shouldn't upset you—it doesn't upset me anymore. But," Ginny turned around to face him squarely, "I had secretly always believed that when I was in danger, you'd come save me. You wouldn't hesitate and you'd do everything you could to get to me. You and Harry trying to save me in the Chamber of Secrets while Hermione was left behind in the hospital wing only made me believe that more. Daily, you'd love Hermione most, but when it came down to it, I'd be the one you'd save first."

Struck, Ron tried to open his mouth and say something, but he found that words had failed him. He couldn't seem to believe she'd thought all of this for so many years…it was all wrong! But then, as he thought about it a little, he realized that what Ginny said was partly true. Knowing he needed to say something to break the silence, Ron tried to search his brain for something to say…anything to make Ginny know that he loved her just as much as he loved Hermione.

Ginny however, saved him from saying anything as she continued. "I waited for you or Harry to come for hours. Finally, once the coast was clear enough and we moved out of our hiding spot to look for better shelter or refuge, we met a Death Eater. He pulled his wand out on Colin. Colin barely tried at all….he shot me an apologetic look and simply gave up. I ran and hid as Hogwarts collapsed. From then on, I was alone and I….I-j-just gave up on you."

A terrible silence fell over the two siblings as Ginny finished, her face dry but her eyes holding more emotion than Ron could bear to look at. His head rang with Ginny's final words and his heart ached as he understood the meaning of them. Ron had known when he'd come looking for Ginny that it wouldn't be a happy talk, but he'd never expected….

He'd known, looking back, that the way he'd brushed Ginny off in first year hadn't been nice and sometimes he even felt bad about it; but apparently Ginny had taken it much more seriously than Ron had, and even after all these years…the feelings of resentment were still there. He'd known that it had taken Ginny a few years to really warm up to Hermione but bloody hell…he'd had no idea how deeply Ginny's feelings ran towards his fiancée.

And within that thought, lay the problem Ron could see was tormenting his sister. For a moment, he sat in the silence, quickly running through all Ginny had told him and trying to see it through her perspective; and when he was done, a reasonable pile of guilt landed in his stomach.

Ginny had realized, the moment he and Hermione had appeared here, that Hermione had been the one Ron was protecting; the one he had taken care of while she was alone in the Forbidden forest for five days, two of which she'd spent starving. And with the news of their engagement, he supposed it was only fair for Ginny to have assumed that Hermione was now the one he loved most.

For a moment, Ron found it strange that he was dealing with Ginny's jealousy of Hermione at a time like this when bigger problems like Ginny's raping, the war, and Harry pressed upon them. But the numb apprehension of actually discussing Harry or the war with Ginny brought him back to reality, and he'd found that the moment had passed.

Knowing he had to say something now, Ron sighed and looked wearily at his baby sister. "Gin, you know if I'd known you needed help I'd have been there right? I hadn't seen you since McGonagall took us from the common room. I had no idea where you were or who you were with. You're not being fair. I was scared for you Ginny, but I was also scared for Harry, Hermione and all the others too."

"But you were with Hermione" Ginny said, not meeting his gaze.

Ron took a deep breath, trying to be patient. "Yes," He said, "But that doesn't mean anything Gin. We were looking for Harry…our parts in the war were by Harry's side. It's always been that way….you know that. We were fighting the whole time to get to him."

"But somewhere in there you got engaged!" Ginny pointed out, "It obviously wasn't all war and bloodshed. There were enough moments for you two, who weren't even going out before the war started, to somehow make the leap to marriage."

"Ginny…" Ron groaned, running his hand through his hair, "I love Hermione. I do. But I also love you too…it doesn't have to be one or the other. You're acting like an ex-girlfriend that Hermione's replacing. Trust me, you're my little sister…no one can replace that!"

"You make it sound so bad" Ginny said quietly, "Like the idea isn't reasonable"

"Because its not!" Ron cried, "Gin, I see why you're upset. I mean I had no idea that you disliked Hermione so much before--"

"That's not fair!" Ginny suddenly cried, "I love Hermione like a sister! You can't say that!"

"Well how do you want me to say it?"

"That I didn't like what Hermione stood for. I still don't like it."

"And what is that exactly?"

Ginny hesitated, her whole body on defensive. "That" She said in a voice barely above a whisper, "Hermione will be the one to take you away. She'll take you away from me."

Ron paused before he spoke, "What do you mean?" He asked softly

Ginny eyes filled with unshed tears, "We'd been best friends for my entire life until you went off to Hogwarts. I didn't mind Harry being your best mate because you both were blokes. But I always knew I was your girl best friend. Until…well until Hermione."

"Gin--"

"And I knew that with Harry now gone, you'd get closer to Hermione. But there'd always be that wall between you two that you and I never had as siblings."

"And now that we'll be married that wall will be gone." Ron finished for her

"Yea" Ginny said quietly. Silence followed. "And with you two married and H-Harry gone I'll--"

"Be alone" Ron finished again,

Ginny only nodded, tears now slipping out of her eyes. And as he rocked his sister while she cried, Ron suddenly realized how much this war had affected them all….and how much it had cost Ginny.

He wasn't sure what to say to comfort her but he did his best, telling her that he loved her, that he'd never leave her, that Hermione in no way replaced her, and that she wasn't really alone but they all sounded like empty words. For they both knew, even as Ginny quieted down that the scars war had left on their lives would never be fully healed.

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(Whatcha think! Let me know! Hugs, Haystack)


	36. Chapter ThirtySix: Bonds of Forever

(A/N: Wow, I can't believe I'm finally updating! It's been five weeks….a terrible, terrible, record for me to have set. Though two of those weeks I had family business to attend to, and school to start, I must admit this chapter was a killer to write. Though it's not one of my favorite chapters, hopefully you'll all enjoy it and it'll be worth the wait (though five weeks is pretty hard to justify). Anyways, there are several matters at hand that need to be addressed. First off there has been talk that fanfiction has now forbidden authors to reply to their reviews. Yes, I know. I'm not 100 sure if this is true but I don't want to risk having my story pulled, so for now if you have a question that you want answered you can either give me your e-mail address, or if you have a story I can answer it in a review, or if it's a popular question I can make a general announcement about it. It sucks but we'll just have to play it by ear until I know I'm not going against any rules here. I'm sorry! Secondly, I don't think I've addressed HBP. If you haven't finished it yet don't worry (Amazing book!) but I just want to let you all know that this story won't change because of anything that has happened in HBP (including the character who died). Thirdly, because of the classes that I'm taking this year, I really need to devote some serious time towards school. So from now on, I'd probably expect an update anywhere between 2-4 weeks. That's pretty much the speed I've been updating anyway, so that shouldn't change anything. Fourthy, THANK YOU! You all have been absolutely AMAZING! I'm blown away each chapter by the amount of support I receive from you all! New reviewers and reader, welcome! Thanks for taking the time to read this fic! This story wouldn't have gone past a few chapters if it weren't for you all. So thank you, you've all put up with a lot from me. Thank you Thank you Thank you! This chapter is 20 pages, so it's extra long for you all! Hope you enjoy it! Much Love, Haystack)

….and so the story continues….

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CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: BONDS OF FOREVER

For the first time in Ron's life, he wasn't hungry.

There were mountains and mountains of food, stretching all the way down the magically enhanced table, but all he could do was pick at his pudding while his stomach was busy doing flip flops. Of course, Ron had been forced to eat _something,_ he was after all sitting next to his mum, but his mind was miles away.

Ron had returned to Hermione's room after his talk with Ginny, his mind numb and eagerly looking forward to a long nap only to find a frantic Mrs. Weasley wondering where he'd gone. He'd then had 15 minutes to get ready before dinner, enough time—in Ron's book for a quick nap, as he'd told his Mum who had then given him a disapproving look. However, it appeared that everything ran on Mrs. Weasley's time schedule tonight as dinner appeared exactly at six—a time Ron had made by two minutes.

He'd slipped into the chair next to Hermione who looked particularly beautiful tonight just in time to hear his Dad make the toast. Hermione didn't ask where he'd been.

Ron watched with a familiar kind of awe as Hermione smiled and laughed throughout the meal, playing her part perfectly. If Ron hadn't known any better, he would have believed her to be as carefree and blissful as she led everyone on to believing. Ron however, knew she was petrified.

Announcing to your family and closest friends that your best mate was dead was frightening in more ways then one but the fact that he and Hermione hadn't even discussed how they'd go about doing it added another level to Ron's fear.

He'd watched Hermione carefully throughout the whole meal to see if there was any way she was trying to pass along a message to him, but she made a pretty good point of avoiding his eyes throughout the dinner.

In addition to watching Hermione, Ron also kept a close eye on Ginny. She, like Ron, had come in late, slipping in and sitting in the corner where no one paid her any attention. It was beyond Ron, how his parents could sit through a whole dinner without looking at their daughter, who had once been the center of every meal.

"Attention!" Mrs. Weasley cried, raising her glass into the air. All conversations simmered down as everyone turned to Mrs. Weasley, who was beaming. "Yes, well, Arthur and I had something to say" Molly said, giving her husband a look that got him up in a second.

"Firstly, I just would like to thank you all for celebrating with us tonight. This engagement means a lot to m—us. I-I don't think it could have come at a better time, and well…I'm just so happy." Molly said, looking around the table fondly. Everyone was smiling….everyone except Ginny.

His mum continued with her little speech but Ron didn't hear another word of it as Hermione's hand found his under the table. Sensing something was wrong, Ron looked up at her.

Hermione was smiling at him, but Ron could tell it was a fake smile; to throw everyone off. Her eyes were filled with fear and sadness and the way her hand gripped his own convinced him that something was indeed wrong.

Quickly tuning back into what his mother was saying, he heard, "…so glad that everyone is here, together and safe. Well—of course not everyone, but anyways…thank you all!"

"To Ron and Hermione!" Arthur said, cutting his wife off and raising his glass

"To Ron and Hermione!" Everyone echoed.

Ron followed Hermione's lead and took a sip of pumpkin juice, lifting the goblet up with both hands. But as the sweet liquid slid down his throat, Ron felt sick. For he knew that within a few minutes, no one would be smiling, and the war would once again set itself upon those he loved…tearing them apart or destroying them completely.

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Everyone was to retire into the sitting room after dinner. As guests mingled and chatted with each other, slowly the table was emptied and Ron was left with Hermione, as his Mum continued to whisk dishes off the table—using magic of course.

It wasn't much time, as Fred poked his head in the room, telling them both to hurry up and get down there, but it was all Ron needed.

Pulling Hermione's elbow to get her closer to him, he leaned in and whispered quickly, "What's the plan?"

"I don't know." Hermione whispered back, her eyes alert "I fell asleep before I had time to think about it. And when I woke up your Mum hurried me away to dinner."

Ron nodded his understanding but couldn't help feeling disappointed. Hermione usually was the one to come up with the foolproof plans Ron loved to follow. He'd have paid quite a lot for her to have one prepared for tonight.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, "What's the best way to go about this then?"

Hermione bit her lip and shrugged, "I honestly don't know Ron. I-I mean we could just wait until it comes up but--"

"Harry's not going to pop up in conversation tonight 'Mione"

"I know that" She snapped, "I meant the war. Surely people will ask us how we survived and such. We can just tell a brief overview and drop the bomb within that."

"But that doesn't--"

"Finally! All done!" A beaming Molly Weasley exclaimed, her voice coming out of the kitchen.

"Let's go" Ron said quickly, steering Hermione out of the room

"Oh are you two still here?" Molly asked, poking her head through the kitchen doorframe.

"No Mum we were just leaving!" Ron called out over his shoulder as they disappeared through the doorway and down the dark hallway.

"Ron! What are you doing! We still have to figure out what we're going to do about Harry!" Hermione cried, as she hurried up to catch up with Ron's long strides.

"We'll just have to play it by ear. Like you said. Just make sure you stay by me the whole time." Ron said, pausing outside the sitting room's doors. It was a short walk.

"Well I would have done that anyways" Hermione said quietly, blushing a little as she said it.

Ron smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "You ready?" He asked, one hand on the doorknob.

Hermione took a deep breath and nodded her head. And with that, Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and pushed open the door.

"AH THE NEWLYWEDS!"

"THE HAPPY COUPLE!"

"AH HOW SWEET FRED! LOOK! THEY'RE BLUSHING!"

"RIGHT ON GEORGE! LOOK AT HOW THEY'RE BEAMING!"

Ron shot a quick glance at Hermione. He wasn't sure what Fred and George were playing at but her face didn't look happy at all…in fact it looked an awful lot like what Ron's face felt like. If grimacing at the sudden explosion of noise and attention counted as beaming…then well, he supposed they were beaming.

"Ron! Hermione! Over here!" An overly excited Tonks said, waving her arm dramatically to motion them over to the couch where she and some others were sitting.

Walking over to Tonks who was sitting with a gloomy looking Ginny, Ron distantly noticed how much Tonks was glowing. He supposed her glittery bubble gum pink hair and her sequined outfit had something to do with it, but as Ron got closer he noticed just how alive Tonks looked. Her smile said it all.

Remus Lupin was sitting on the couch opposite Tonks and looked much worse than the last time Ron had seen him. However, the old Professor managed to conjure up a genuine smile for the 'happy couple' as they sat down next to him.

"Tonks! Wow, it's been a while!" Ron exclaimed. Hermione smiled warmly.

"How are you Tonks?" She asked

"Oh I'm doing all right. Much better since I found out you both were alive. And getting married! That was the happiest news." Tonks said, her face bright and happy.

"Yes, we all were quite surprised by the news but it was by far the best we've heard." Lupin said sincerely.

Exchanging looks, Ron and Hermione smiled at the two. "We weren't sure if people would think it rash" Hermione finally said, looking around at the other people seated on the couch; Mr. Weasley, Fred and George, Kingsley, Mad Eye Moody, and some other Order members.

"Oh rubbish! I always had a feeling…never quite sure…but the feeling was always there. You've known each other long enough and you're practically adults now! Both of age….there's no reason why you should have waited. Especially in times like this." Tonks said

Ron grimaced. Once ….just once, he wished he could have an ordinary conversation. Like the ones he used to have before the war. Even on a night like tonight…their engagement dinner…the war always lurked. The unhappy guest that pouted in the corner and ruined the evening.

"Yea…" He said, not really wanting to go in the direction this conversation was heading, "Nasty times."

"You're not hurt or anything are you? Lupin didn't mention exactly what happened to you." Hermione asked, concerned. Ron wished she hadn't asked.

"N-No, I'm not hurt" Tonks said slowly, apparently not interested in going down this path either. "I was on the battlefield though. Saw enough to give me nightmares for life. I was one of the Order members trying to put out the fire in Hogwarts. After it collapsed, I was summoned back to Headquarters to help with the wounded who were coming in."

For a long minute, no one spoke. Finally, it was Hermione who broke the silence.

"Have any of you heard anything about Neville?" She asked timidly, sensing the tension in the air. "We'd heard he'd been injured or something but we weren't sure."

"We saw him" Fred said, his eyes downcast. "It didn't look like anything real serious. Just a couple of scratches, maybe a few bones broken."

"Came across him in the forest. That Loony girl was with him." George said,

"Luna" Ron corrected

"Yea her. I think he's okay. I wouldn't worry too much about either one of them. Apparently Hagrid was with them."

"Is Hagrid here?" Hermione asked curiously

"Not right now," Mr. Weasley said "But he should be coming with Dumbledore tomorrow."

Hermione nodded.

"So what is Dumbledore doing?" Ron asked, trying to keep his tone casual.

Mr. Weasley hesitated, looking around as if to seek permission. "Go on Arthur. We're all in the Order here." A middle-aged witch said, whom Ron recognized as Hestia Jones.

"Been trying to locate students. Sent out some emergency notices to the Ministry and to families. He still is Headmaster. Even if his school is burnt to the ground." Arthur said

"and…" George coaxed dully, as if this was routine.

"And well" Arthur's face turned red, "looking for Harry."

It was as if time had stopped. The world and everything in it had suddenly and miraculously frozen; leaving Ron mobile while everyone else was not. His heart had stopped yet his mind raced miles and miles ahead of himself. Hermione's grip on his hand tightened and Ron knew she was frozen as well.

Looking for Harry! How could Dumbledore (the greatest headmaster Hogwarts had ever known) not know that Harry was dead! How had he not heard! How had he not seen! And most importantly, why had Lupin not told him!

"W-w-what!" Hermione stuttered, her eyes wide and fearful.

"He and Hagrid had been searching for a few days under invisibility cloaks. They never found a body so they've been assuming he's alive." Mr. Weasley continued, confused at their reactions. "But when they heard you both survived, they decided to come back. They want to ask you both some questions about where you think he might be. He is, after all, our hope."

_No! No! NO!_ Ron's mind screamed. _You're hope is dead! Harry's dead_!

"Hermione? Are you okay?" Tonks asked, concerned. Ron turned to look at her.

Hermione simply had her head in her hands. She was shaking. Not really thinking about what he was doing, he reached out to her, grabbing her hand. Taking that as an invitation, Hermione leaned onto Ron's shoulder.

He couldn't believe it. Searching for days…haven't found a body….well of course they hadn't found a body! Harry was still in their prison cell! He was sick…this made things much worse.

Finally having the courage to look up, he was met with ten perplexed and confused faces.

"What's going on?" Fred asked slowly, his eyes darting between Hermione and Ron.

"Do you know something about Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked slowly, comprehension dawning on his face.

Ron scanned each face quickly. Tonks, her face twisted into a mix of concern. Mad Eye and Kingsley's emotionless but all business faces, Mr. Weasley's suspicious face, Fred and George's faces much like their father, and Ginny…she was looking at Ron….but he could tell she wasn't really seeing him. She'd crawled back into that protective shell and her face was as blank as anyone's. Ron sighed and nodded.

His dad's eyes grew wide. "What is it?"

Desperate, Ron turned to Lupin. The man only looked up at Ron with sad eyes. He wasn't going to help.

Hermione, who had sat up now, looked him in the eyes. There was no denying the panic there but Ron also saw a firm determination and he knew that she'd made his decision for him. They had to tell them.

"What is it?" Mr. Weasley repeated, his eyes urgent

Taking a deep breath and trying to disconnect himself from the words and their meaning, Ron cleared his face of all emotion and said, "Harry's dead."

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It was as if everyone had been slapped in the face. No one moved, no one spoke; it appeared that everyone had also forgotten to breathe. All were staring straight at Ron and Hermione, tears welling up in some eyes and anger brewing in others.

"No…no that can't be true!" Emmeline Vance, an Order member cried. "Dumbledore would have known!"

Ron shook his head, "Obviously he doesn't. W-we saw it with our own eyes."

"Ron…" George said weakly, "It can't be true."

"Why not?" Ron asked, reminding himself of the eerie way in which Ginny had spoken about Dean.

"Because" Fred finished for his twin, "It can't be"

"It's true" Hermione said quietly, "We wouldn't say something like that about Harry if it weren't"

All color drained from his face, hands shaking, Mr. Weasley leaned forwards, "H-How?" He breathed

All were silent, waiting for the answer.

"I would have thought that'd be obvious." Hermione whispered, "Voldemort."

Several Order members gasped. The others simply stared, their eyes wide and fearful. "No!" Mad Eye growled, "That would mean that Voldemort…"

"Won?" Hermione finished for him, "He did. He has."

"This can't be true. How are we supposed to beat back Voldemort without Harry?" An Order member asked, shaking with the reality of it

Ron and Hermione looked at each other sadly. "I don't know" Ron finally said.

"Are you sure Ron?" Mr. Weasley asked slowly, "Maybe it was a trick of the light or something. Maybe he was transported somewhere with the spell. You said you saw it?"

_Here we go_, Ron thought bitterly.

"R-Ron and I were in that makeshift prison when it happened." Hermione said quietly

"You were?" Kingsley asked, apparently shocked. "No one came out of there alive! How did you…?"

"Escape?" Lupin finished for him. He sighed, "I've had a lot of questions for these two myself. Perhaps maybe it might be easier to start from the beginning?" He suggested

Ron nodded slowly and took a deep breath. "McGonagall pulled the three of us out of the common room right after the attack started." He said, "Took us down to see Dumbledore. After that, Harry told us he wanted to go out alone, didn't want us to be near him in case Voldemort captured us or killed us."

"Ron put up a fight, b-but we eventually let him go." Hermione said resentfully, "Once the war really started, Ron and I…we…we were separated." She finished lamely

"What do you mean separated?" Kingsley asked

"I mean…" Ron looked nervously at Hermione. She had asked him not to mention Aragog but how could he explain it without…

"Ron left me with Aragog." Hermione suddenly said

"Who's Aragog?" Mr. Weasley asked suspiciously

"Hagrid's old spider. Harry and I met him in the Forbidden Forest second year." Ron said

"Is he dangerous?" Mad Eye asked, his eyes darkening

"No…well yes. He was. But he agreed to keep Hermione safe until I came back for her or the war was over"

"No you didn't!" Tonks cried, horrified, "You were going to leave her there alone!"

"You were going to leave her with a potentially dangerous animal?" Kingsley asked, "Ron, that was a very stupid thing to do. It could have gotten Hermione killed."

"I know" Ron said guiltily, "But we got reunited"

"How?" Fred asked shocked, "I couldn't find anyone. I can't imagine trying to find someone _again_."

"W-Well um…she kind of came to me." Ron admitted

All eyes went to Hermione. She blushed. "I-I realized I had some things left to say to him." She said softly

"You loved him!" Tonks shrieked, "Oh that is so romantic!" Hermione blushed a scarlet red and shifted her weight uncomfortably. Mad Eye snorted.

"Yes well anyways," Ron said, trying to steer the conversation back to Harry, "Once Hermione dug me out then we started looking for Harry."

"Dig you out?" George repeated, "Dig you out of what?"

"A building collapsed on me while I was dueling Pettigrew."

"Peter!" Lupin suddenly cried, his eyes alert and his face red with an anger that surprised Ron. "Did you get him? Is he gone?"

Ron shook his head, "He got away before the building collapsed."

"What building collapsed!" A sudden high-pitched voice cried. Ron internally cursed because standing in the doorway with her hand on her hips stood Mrs. Weasley, her face stern.

"A building collapsed on top of Ron." Mr. Weasley explained, standing up and offering his wife his seat on the couch.

"Are you alright!" Molly asked, coming closer to examine Ron.

"I'm fine"

"A whole building Ron?" She asked weakly

"Part of one," He admitted.

"Goodness! You should have told me that when you first came in! I would have checked you more thoroughly!"

"I'm fine Mum!" Ron said, annoyed, "That's the least of your worries" He added under his breath

"What was that Ronald?" Ron cursed. His mother always had acute ears…always knew everything that was said.

No one said anything. Flustered, she said in a discipline manner, "Why are we talking of such things on such a happy occasion? Hermione why don't you tell us your ideas for the wedding!"

All eyes went to Hermione. "No Mrs. Weasley. Ron and I are telling everyone what happened during the war."

"Hermione dear there's plenty of time for that later. We can--"

"Harry's dead" Hermione said quickly, staring her future mother-in-law in the face.

Slowly, all eyes went to Mrs. Weasley—the woman who had been most like a mother to Harry, the woman who'd taken him in and treated him like her own son—all eyes went to Mrs. Weasley, but slowly the eyes returned, the look on her face too unbearable to watch.

Molly had frozen, not understanding; but slowly realization dawned on her face. It was as if her face was shrinking; her eyes were closed, her trembling lips pressed together….it was as if she was shrinking away from the news, the world…reality.

And maybe, Ron thought, that was what they all were doing. Hiding down below the ground, celebrating and having a jolly time while people were still dying above them; while Harry's corpse lay (rotten by now) forgotten and now just another face. His face, the face that had been both a blessing and a curse to him from the age of eleven, was now unrecognizable. He was one of many; Harry had not been the immortal hero many believed him to be. He was dead wasn't he?

When Molly did open her eyes again, they were shimmering with tears. Whispering in a choked voice, all she said was one word, "H-How?"

Ron looked down at his hands. "Voldemort killed him, Mum," He said softly

Nodding, Molly Weasley sank heavily onto the couch and began to cry. Big, fat, tears made their way down his mother's face and although Ron had seen his Mum cry before, it had always been large wailing sobs. This…it hurt him to watch, because he knew that his Mum was hurting. Hurting in a way she'd never hurt before, even after everything she'd been through, the two wars she'd seen…Molly Weasley had never lost a son. And suddenly Ron realized just how deeply his family's love for Harry had run. It was beyond the point of pretending. Harry really had been a part of his family.

"Why don't you two pick up where you left off?" Lupin encouraged gently, looking somber as he said it.

"Um…yea. Okay" Ron said quietly, his voice sounding strange over the silence. He turned to Hermione. "W-Where were we?"

"Why don't we just skip to the important part? With Harry." Hermione suggested softly, her eyes locked on Ron's. Turning back to his audience, he noticed all eagerness had left their eyes, and only despair and sadness remained.

Ron sighed, "Why don't you pick it up?" He asked, turning to Hermione.

Hermione nodded her agreement and even though it had been her suggestion, she found herself at a loss of words. Closing her eyes for a moment, she thought back…it seemed so long ago….to the moment that changed everything; the worst moment of her life.

_Harry was levitated into the air, his hands to his neck and his legs kicking wildly about. He looked as though he were choking, his face was a reddish purple. His eyes darted around, terrified and completely at the mercy of the monster who ruled his life. _

"_THERE YOU HAVE IT!" Voldemort's voice boomed "HERE FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE IS THE-BOY-WHO-LIVED, THE HERO, THE SYMBOL OF STRENGTH FOR DUMBLEDORE AND HIS LITTLE ARMY! TAKE A GOOD LOOK EVERYONE! REMEMBER HIM AND THIS LAST MOMENT WHEN LORD VOLDEMORT HAD HIM CORNERED AND BEGGING FOR HIS LIFE! THIS BOY MAY BE A HERO TO SOME BUT HE IS HUMAN! HE IS SIMPLY A HUMAN WHO HAS NEVER STOOD A CHANCE AGAINST ALL THE POWERS OF LORD VOLDEMORT! SO NOW MY FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS, HERE IS THE GRAND FINALE TO A WONDERFUL SHOW TONIGHT! SAY GOOD-BYE TO HARRY POTTER!" _

"_No…" Hermione breathed, grasping Ron's hand so tight, his knuckles turned white. _

_The world went silent as Voldemort's wand tossed Harry into the air. His body rose gracefully, reaching its peak, and falling back towards the ground, where Voldemort shouted something inaudible to Hermione, and Harry, her best friend, disappeared into thin air as a brilliant gold flash of light blinded her. _

"Hermione?"

"Is she okay?"

As Ron looked over to Hermione, he found her crying. Her eyes were squeezed shut painfully and a hand was covering her mouth. Everyone else was looking at her, concern and confusion in their eyes. No one but Ron understood. A sudden wave of tenderness washed over him and silently, without a word, he gathered her up in a hug. Melting into his arms, Hermione held on tightly, her face buried in his shoulder, her tears wetting his shirt.

"Shh…" Ron whispered, kissing the top of her head like he used to do back in school, "It's okay."

Pulling back, Hermione sniffed and wiped at her puffy eyes. "I-I'm sorry…" She said, to the group. "It's just that…"

"We understand dear," Mrs. Weasley said softly

"W-Was it really that bad?" George asked quietly

Lip trembling, Hermione bit it to stop more tears from coming. She could only nod.

"'Mione you want me to--"

"No. It's fine." She whispered, trying her hardest to give him a smile,

"Are you sure?" He asked protectively. He hated watching her like this.

"Yea" She said, wiping at the remaining tears on her cheeks. "I'm fine."

"Alright" He said, unsure. He still held her hand.

Everyone waited for her to begin. "H-Harry…." Hermione said, voice trembling "was in trouble." She paused, waiting for a reaction. When she got none, she continued, her voice growing steadier, "Dean came and told us so. Ron and I were running towards him when we got stuck in the debris from Hogwarts. By the time we got there, Voldemort had him at wandpoint. His glasses broke and--"

"I always told him not to wear glasses during battle" Mad Eye Moody growled

"Yes well, he probably should have listened." Hermione said sadly

"Why?" Lupin asked

"Because…" Hermione said slowly, "the glass pierced his eye. It was bleeding all over the place. He was screaming…wouldn't stop screaming."

"What did you do?" Tonks asked breathlessly,

"We tried to run." Hermione exclaimed, "but I screamed to him and all these Death Eaters came out of no where. They captured us and brought us to that prison"

Mr. Weasley and Kingsley inhaled quickly. Mrs. Weasley, who had been absent for this part of the discussion, gasped.

"B-But…how?" She sputtered

"Our cell had a window." Hermione continued ignoring Mrs. Weasley's question, "We heard a scream and ran to it. We saw Harry."

"What was he doing?"

"He couldn't breathe." Hermione said, her voice sounding particularly strained, "Voldemort had him up in the air. He was kicking his feet about trying to escape. Voldemort said a speech and…he was gone."

"He was gone?" Mr. Weasley repeated

"Yea." Ron said quietly, "Fell to the ground. He was dead."

"B-But how do you know!" Fred exclaimed, "Maybe he's just 'gone'!"

"No" Hermione said softly shaking her head

"Why not?" George challenged

"Because we know," Ron said

"How!" The two twins cried out together

"Because we saw him," Ron said

"We know that!" Kingsley snapped

"No. You don't understand" Hermione said sadly, "We _saw_ him. We touched him."

"What do you mean?" Mr. Weasley asked

"Voldemort put Harry's body in our cell" Ron said hollowly. His response was met with silence.

It was several minutes before anyone was able to speak again. But the first to speak was Mrs. Weasley, "What!" She cried out, horrified, as if it was a delayed reaction.

"You can't be serious!" Tonks exclaimed

"We are"

"B-But why! Why would he do something like that!" Mad Eye shouted

"Punishment. He knew it would drive us insane. Almost did" Ron replied

"We escaped once. We were being tortured in this torture chamber and--"

"You WHAT!" Mrs. Weasley cried

"That's impossible" Kingsley said

"Why?" Hermione asked

"Because no one comes back alive from there. That's been a proven fact. In the first war, all torture chambers were death chambers." Mad Eye growled

"Well we did" Ron said stubbornly, "They tortured us pretty badly, but we managed to kill them. We ran for it of course, but got caught."

"What did Voldemort do?" Tonks asked breathlessly, shaking as she thought of the possibly answers

"Put Harry's body in there for one" Hermione said, "Then I was to come to Voldemort's room the next night to…you know"

"But you didn't! Right?" Tonks gasped, understanding what Hermione had meant.

"No" Ron shook his head. "Because that night Seamus and Lavender came for us and got us out. There was a hole in the bottom of our cell and he enlarged it since he still had his wand with him."

"So you escaped…" Mrs. Weasley breathed

"Yea we did." Ron said quietly

"Did they go with you?" An Order Member asked, "Seamus and Lavender"

"Of course" Hermione said

"Then…where are they?"

Ron choked on the lump in his throat. He hadn't thought they'd be talking about Seamus and Lavender tonight. It was almost worse than talking about Harry; because Ron knew he and Hermione were responsible for their deaths. That guilt…knowing he'd killed off the only other two people…the two people who rescued them when it could have meant their own lives, who saved them from death and Hermione from worse things…he was sure he'd never ever forgive himself. He'd been surprised by how easily he came to love Seamus and Lavender. Lavender had annoyed him back in Hogwarts with her pettiness and obsession with looks, and Seamus…he'd shared a dorm with him for seven years and he'd never really bothered to get to know him that well; been annoyed beyond imagination by him. And now, he was in pain from their deaths. Life could be ironic in the cruelest ways.

"T-They're dead" Hermione said, trying to disguise the pain in her voice, but not succeeding.

"Oh" The Order member said, shrinking away from her question because she no longer wanted to hear the answer.

No one said anything but Ron could tell by the tapping of some feet and the twisting of some hands that everyone was itching to know what had happened to their two friends. He sighed, "Do you want to know what happened?"

"Only if you want to tell us" Mr. Weasley said

Ron stole a glance at Hermione. Did they want to tell them? Hermione's watery eyes told him that she wouldn't say a word. It was too personal for her to share. It had been her idea after all. Sighing, Ron settled himself in for a long story.

"We'd come back to England and were looking for you all." He began "We were trying to think of where the Order would base its Headquarters. We decided to try the huge pile of ashes that had once been Hogwarts, figured it was a pretty clever idea of yours. We decided that two of us should go up and look, while two of us stayed behind."

"Let me guess, you two stayed behind" An Order member said with a sad expression on his face

"Yea" Ron said quietly, "They began digging through the pile and we lost sight of them. Then suddenly they came up screaming and trying to run away, but something had Seamus's foot caught. By the time Lavender got him out and they tried to run away, Death Eaters popped up out of the ashes and had them surrounded. Voldemort himself appeared moments later. But two of you had Hermione and I, even though we were fighting to try to get to them. We heard their screams as we were transported here."

"Wow" Tonks breathed, her face contorted into one of shock

"I-I didn't know that," Lupin muttered quietly, "I'm so sorry. They were good people."

"Yea" Ron said, his voice thick with emotion, "They were great"

A soft response from their audience was heard, everyone quietly saying their apologizes. But for some reason…all of the, 'I'm sorry's' only made Ron feel worse. _Don't apologize to me! _He thought,_ I'm the one who killed them! _

It was quiet for a few moments afterward before Fred asked, "Where did you go when you all escaped?"

"Bulgaria" Hermione said, exhaustion evident in her voice

"But how!" George asked, stunned, "How did you get all the way to Bulgaria!"

"We ran to Kings Cross and took a train there."

"Why Bulgaria?" Kingsley asked, confused

"Because," Hermione said reasonably, "It was far enough from England, Voldemort wasn't likely to suspect it, and….well….I had a friend there that we stayed with."

"Wh--" Mr. Weasley started

"Krum!" George shouted triumphantly

"Krum!" Fred grinned broadly, staring at Ron "Ronnie and Hermione in a house with Viktor! I can't believe it!"

"Shut up" Ron mumbled, his ears turning red as Hermione gave a look to the twins

"Yes well as a matter of fact, Ron and Viktor ended up being friends" Hermione said, sticking her chin up in the air, "I don't understand what you Weasleys have against Viktor. He's a perfectly nice--"

"It's because Ron's been insanely jealous of Viktor for three years!" George cried,

"Yes! Because he was madly in love with you the whole time!" Fred agreed, waiting for Hermione to give some kind of reaction. When she gave nothing but a small knowing smile, Fred's face fell. "Bugger! He's already told her! You told her all that Ronniekins!"

"Um…yea. I did" Ron mumbled, his ears and face bright red. Hermione smiled at him.

"Bloody Hell! We've waited years to share that little piece of information with you, and now when our shining moment comes, you already know! I swear, we tried everything! Even had Harry in on it but…." Fred trailed off, his face now serious. Everyone noticed and fell silent.

"It's okay Fred," Hermione said softly. "It's hard to get used to."

"Yea…" He said quietly, "It is"

"I just can't believe it" Mrs. Weasley mumbled to herself, "I always believed we'd win"

"I know what you mean," Tonks said, her face somber "I can't comprehend evil winning over good. That just doesn't happen."

"I feel so helpless," Hestia Jones said, "What are we supposed to do? Just hide forever?"

"I don't know," Mr. Weasley sighed, "There are still people alive that need to be rescued."

"You think so?" An Order member asked

"There has to be" Mr. Weasley said, trying to sound sure of himself. Ron could tell he wasn't.

The conversation went on for a few more moments, all words spoken in a quiet whispered tone, when Ron saw Ginny leave. Startled, Ron simply sat and watched as his sister walked to the door and shut it behind her without a second glance back. She hadn't been crying or anything.

Hurt and confused, Ron rose from his seat. Hermione automatically stood up as well…she'd seen Ginny leave too.

"You're leaving?" Mrs. Weasley asked, surprised

"Yea, we're a bit tired. Going to head off early. Thanks for dinner Mum" Ron said as he kissed his mother on the cheek. "Goodnight everyone"

"Goodnight" came the mumbled reply

"Yes, thank you Mrs. Weasley, it was lovely" Hermione said trying to sound cheerful, as they left their guests practically in tears.

Now in the dark and deserted hallway, Ron let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. The worst was over now. Hermione turned to face him.

"We made it," She whispered, putting her hands on his face and pressing their foreheads together.

"Yea" He breathed, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off the ground so that their faces were level. "We did."

"How are you doing?" Hermione asked, running her hand through his hair

"Eh…I'm feeling better now that that's over with" He said honestly,

"Yea…me too" Hermione replied,

"It was such a question answer thing. Bloody exhausting" He said

"I feel bad for them though. That wasn't an easy way to find out."

"Better that way then the way we found out"

"I suppose you're right" She sighed

"Haven't heard those words in a while" Ron smiled softly

"Well I don't want to spoil you do I?" She teased, dropping her head onto his shoulder and hugging him. "Wouldn't want you getting full of yourself"

"You don't have to worry about that," He whispered, breathing in her scent.

"Good. I like you just the way you are." She said sweetly

"Just like? I thought you loved me," He teased

Hermione laughed softly, a sound that literally made Ron's heart leap. It had been so long…

"I do love you, you pompous git." She laughed

"Really? I might need to hear you say that again, didn't quite catch all of it."

This time, Hermione smiled a full smile. One of those smiles that had entranced him as a young boy, one of those smiles that still had him trapped in wonder all these years later. It was the smile he'd fallen in love with. And seeing it now made Ron feel like everything was right with the world again. "I love you," She said seriously, staring into his eyes

Ron felt his body tingle as he saw the love pouring through her eyes. It was amazing that those words still held just as much meaning as the first time he'd heard them. "Good." He whispered, "Because I'm crazy about you."

Hermione kissed him then. A soft and gentle kiss that couldn't be described as anything but loving. When they broke apart, they both were smiling. "Come on" Ron said, putting her back on the ground and taking her hand. "Let's go to our room"

"Wait Ron. Not yet" She said, pulling on his hand, "We still have to find Ginny"

"She probably went to her room for some alone time. I'll talk to her tomorrow when she's more calm."

"Ron! I want to see her too!" She cried, "I want to make sure she's okay" She added, much more quietly

"Fine but this will probably end in another full blown drama. I'm warning you ahead of time." Ron said, sighing

"Please, I've roomed with Ginny for six summers in a row. She's one of my best friends. There's nothing I can't handle with her"

"Whatever you say 'Mione. Or need I remind you that you two currently aren't speaking"

Ron didn't say a word more as Hermione shot him one of her famous, I-can't-believe-you-just-said-that looks, as they began walking towards Ginny's room.

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As Ron lifted his hand to knock on his sister's door for the second time that day, he sighed, remembering his last visit here. He knocked three times and then stepped back from the door.

No one answered.

Hermione shot him a concerned look. "What do you think is wrong?" She asked

Ron shrugged.

Her face still twisted into one of concern, Hermione bent down and pressed her ear against the door. "What are you doing?" He whispered, confused

"Shh!" She said, pressing a finger to her lips.

"What are you listening for?" He asked, still confused and slightly annoyed by her brush off.

Without another word, Hermione slowly opened the door to the room and stepped inside. "Ginny?" She asked softly, approaching the bed in the middle of the room.

The moment Ron stepped foot into the room, he understood what Hermione had been listening for. He could hear clearly now the sobs of his little sister, echoing a bit off the hollow walls.

"Oh Ginny" Hermione whispered, as she sat lightly on the edge of the bed, next to Ginny whose face was buried in a pillow, her back to the world. Hermione instinctively reached out her hand to rub her friend's back as she cried.

"Shh….it'll be okay" Hermione whispered sweetly as she rubbed Ginny's back. Ginny hadn't said a word yet, but Hermione's clear presence seemed to make her cry even harder. "What's wrong? Please tell me. Sh….it's okay. Don't worry" Hermione whispered, wiping a stray piece of hair off Ginny's face.

"I---I--- feel so---bad" Ginny said through broken sobs

Hermione looked up at Ron who was still standing in the doorway as though asking him to decode what his sister meant. Once again, Ron shrugged. He had no idea.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked patiently

It took Ginny several moments to quiet her sobs enough to talk. But when she did, she at least turned her head to face Hermione. "I-I'm sorry," She said, choking back another sob.

This time, Hermione didn't try to hide her confusion. "For what?" She asked, not understanding.

This only seemed to make Ginny feel worse as her shoulders started to shake again, and the sound of her weeping filled the room. Hermione looked up at Ron again, this time her eyes begging for him to help. Taking another step into the room and closing the door, he sat in a nearby chair. Leaning forwards, close enough to Hermione to smell her hair, he said in a quiet voice filled with intensity, "Gin, tell us what's wrong"

Ginny, seemingly unaware that Ron had been in the room at all, whipped her head around to face him. He tried to give her a small smile but to him it felt more like a grimace. Ginny closed her eyes, as if his smile/grimace was the most painful thing she'd ever seen, and took a deep shaky breath. "I-I'm sorry" She repeated, her face screwed up as tears still ran down her face, but her voice much more steady.

"Why?" Hermione whispered, taking a bit of her sleeve and dabbing at some of the tears on Ginny's face

The gesture seemed to make Ginny want to cry all over again, but taking another deep breath she managed to make it through the lump in her throat to talk; though the lump had grown increasingly bigger. "I-I didn't know…" She choked, "I didn't know"

"Didn't know what?" Ron asked, quietly, trying his best to be patient

Ginny's eyes welled with tears, "I didn't know what you went through," She whispered

"That's understandable, we never told you" Hermione said

Ginny shook her head ferociously, "No, no…I was acting like--like I was the only one. You went through worse. Much worse."

"Oh Ginny don't say that" Hermione cried

"Why? I-It's true. At least I didn't see….didn't see him die" Ginny whispered, her eyes closed as though the words cut at her.

"G-Gin…" Ron began, his voice thick "Don't be--"

"I never saw Voldemort Ron. I wasn't in that horrid prison."

"Yes but Ginny, I wasn't raped." Hermione said softly

"You were bloody well close to it at times" Ron growled

Hermione shot him another one of her famous, You're-not-helping-the-situation looks and Ron shut up.

"Ginny…Ron and I had each other. And we escaped. We'd been living like kings for days at Viktors. You were out there alone the whole time."

Ginny kept shaking her head. "No…you're not listening…I-I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…the way I treated you--" Ginny couldn't finish her sentence as another wave of tears hit her and she succumbed into them.

"Shh…it's okay. It shouldn't matter anymore. We're safe now,"

"D-do you think there's a-any way h-he could have sur-vived?" Ginny sobbed

"No Ginny," Hermione said her voice pained, "He's never coming back."

As Ginny dissolved into her tears, and Hermione reached out and hugged her, Ron stopped for a moment, watching the two girls who hadn't been talking in days, hug and cry together.

And suddenly, Ron understood the impact Harry's absence would have on the rest of their lives. Besides the fact that he wasn't here, Harry would forever bond the three of them together…despite everything else. The Order, their friends and family…they would forever be connected by the sacrifice of one life. Of the Boy-who-lived and now the Boy-who-died. Harry was supposed to have been the hope for the world. Now, even though he was gone, he seemed to be the only thing still holding it together. That even in times like these, when nothing in the world seemed right, ultimately things righted themselves out and forgiveness always won.

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(A/N: What do you think? Let me know! Hugs, Haystack)


	37. Chapter ThirtySeven: The Beginning

(A/N: Hey everyone! Well we seem to be having some difficulties. Apparently, while away this month, fanfcition changed some of their settings and for some reason, it claims that I have not written any stories in my login area. Now, when I search for the stories, they're all there with me as the author. I just can't see them in my login box to update! So I'm trying to figure it out but in order to update, am updating all of my other chapters into a new story. There will be no differences between the two stories. I hope I can get this figured out but until then hang in there with me! Well, new chapter is here and I'm very excited about where the plot's going! Yay! First of all, let me just say again how absolutely marvelous you all are! The reviews I got were absolutely amazing! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Secondly, This system of updating about every 4-5 weeks is working out great for me with my school schedule and everything. I'm sorry it's such a long time in between updates but hopefully you'll still stick with me, some good stuff's coming up! Thirdly, I have not heard any news regarding the review thing so if anyone's heard anything could you let me know? Thanks. That's about it right now. I hope you all enjoy this chapter; it's a nice long 16 pages for you! My treat! Much love, Haystack)

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CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: THE BEGINNING

It took Hermione a moment or two to figure out where she was when she woke up the next morning. Strong, muscled arms encircled her waist and drew her close but Hermione felt alone. Opening her eyes wearily and looking around their vacant and darkened room, she was only acutely aware of the tapping at their door.

Too comfortable to get up, Hermione instead turned her attention to Ron, shaking his shoulders to wake him up. The man didn't budge.

Sighing, Hermione laid on her back for a moment, temporarily ignoring the tapping at their door. It was still early…the person would probably assume that she and Ron were asleep and go away. At least she hoped so.

Hermione wasn't sure why exactly she was so tired. Sure she'd been under a lot of stress lately, but nothing compared to what she'd endured during the war. She was with Ron and the Weasleys and they were safe. What more could she ask for?

_Harry_, her brain said almost automatically. She closed her eyes and grimaced…she hadn't meant to think that. She didn't want to think about Harry now. She'd had about all she could handle last night.

But despite her wishes, memories and thoughts of Harry shot through her mind. It had only been a few days since she'd last seen Harry; last spoke to him, last hugged him…but it felt like a lifetime ago.

She still couldn't seem to wrap her mind around the fact that Harry was gone for good. That even when this whole mess was over and done with, when life returned to normal…he wouldn't be there. And that was another thing…normality. She couldn't imagine Voldemort ruling the world forever, but at the same time, how were they supposed to beat Voldemort without Harry?

Tired, she tried to push her thoughts away. Ron snuggled closer to her right shoulder; and despite everything, she smiled. Leaning over, Hermione kissed his forehead and ran her fingers lightly through his hair. But before she could do anything else, the knocking got louder.

Grumbling to herself, Hermione got out of bed and put on a dressing robe; making her way over to the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming…" She mumbled to no one in particular.

Wondering who exactly would wake her up in such a manner, Hermione opened the door slowly. All thoughts were gone however, as she stared in mixed wonder and shock at the stranger outside her door.

She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to collapse onto the floor…but for the moment all she could do was stare with an open mouth as the man turned around to face her, a widespread grin on his face.

"Hermione" Was all he said, but it was all that was needed. Hermione shook, as if coming out of some sort of dream, and stepped into his outstretched arms, where her tears soaked his shirt through and through.

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Hermione's brain was racing…she couldn't comprehend everything at once. How could he be here? Wasn't he supposed to be dead? But as he hugged her tightly back, Hermione threw all thoughts to the wind. It didn't matter right now…

She held onto him tightly, but he pulled away, holding her at arms length to check her over.

Hermione gave a tear strained laugh, "I'm fine." She said, understanding what he was doing.

A smile somehow crossed his face, "Sorry I just…I can't believe you're all alive. It's…. indescribable"

"I know how you feel," Hermione said, wiping at her tears. Neville watched her, a grin on his face the whole time. She smiled back warmly, unable to hide the joy in her smile. "I can't believe you're here" She said honestly, "How did you survive all this time? I-I just can't believe it. How are you? Have you seen the others?"

Neville's face was somber almost immediately. "It's bad Hermione…really bad"

Hermione's heart sped up and panic gripped her, "What do you mean? Have you seen the others?"

Neville nodded slowly. "Some of them."

"Who?"

"Earlier on in the battle I saw Luna, Hagrid, Ginny, and some of the others. But the past few days have been…." Neville looked away, unable to finish.

Hermione touched his shoulder, "It's okay," She said quietly her own voice filled with feeling, "Come on in, I'm not exactly proper but you don't care do you?"

Thankful for the change of subject, Neville shook his head, "You look lovely."

Hermione smiled at him, "Come on in, I'll wake Ron up."

"Ron?" Neville's eyes went huge, "He's here?"

Hermione nodded. "Yea he is." She said as she closed the door behind him. Neville looked frozen to the spot as his eyes fell on Ron.

Slowly, he turned to Hermione, "You both are really okay?"

It was all Hermione could do not to cry, so not knowing what to say, she nodded.

"And you two…you share a room?" He asked as he looked around their small room.

Hermione blushed as she walked over to the bed, her back to Neville. Shyly she looked over her shoulder at him. "We're engaged." She said slowly, watching his reaction.

Hermione would have expected Neville to be confused or shocked, even worried for them…but there he stood, a smug look on his face. There weren't many times in her life she'd seen Neville looking smug.

"I knew it," He said simply,

Hermione shook her head. Had _that_ many people really known? She smiled, "Yes well we finally figured it out." She said. Leaning down so that she was eye level with Ron, she shook him gently. "Ron, wake up"

"mmm" Ron mumbled, turning away from her, but then realizing she wasn't in bed, opened his eyes. "What's going on?" He asked groggily

"Someone's here," Hermione said, unable to hide the happiness in her voice.

Ron sat up in an instant. "Who?" He asked, scanning the room. His eyes fell on Neville.

"Hey" Neville said, approaching the bed.

Ron's face flickered for a moment. But soon, a grin crossed over his face. "Hey" He said back, getting out of bed to hug Neville.

As Hermione watched the boys embrace, she caught herself wanting to cry. But not out of happiness. For a split moment…just a moment…she'd thought it was Harry that had come to knock on their door. The back of a black head had stopped her mind from working properly. And as badly as she'd worried about Neville, missed him…she couldn't help wishing that Harry and Ron were the ones re-uniting.

However, pushing her thoughts down for later, she managed to conjure up a smile for the two. "Does anyone know you're here?" Hermione asked Neville, who sat down on the bed with Ron.

Neville nodded. "I came in late last night. Lupin was there. He's the only who knows. He told me that everyone was here and I just assumed that didn't include you two. After all, I figured you'd be with Harry…"

Ron and Hermione made eye contact. She sighed, and pulled up a chair._ Here we go again_, she thought. How many times in their life would they have to re-tell this story? How many times was she going to have to pretend to be strong about this?

Back in school, Hermione had been a pillar of strength. She pushed emotions aside and focused on the task at hand, whether that meant her studies or keeping the three of them alive. But it seemed as if all of that time spent pushing her emotions away had caught up with her. It was exhausting to pretend to be strong, even for just a few minutes. Distantly, she wondered if this was permanent. Was she always going to be a blubbering mess?

But for now, she took a deep breath, reeling in her emotions. Once she knew she had them under control, she turned to look at Neville who wore a mixture of pain and shock on his face. Ron had already told him. Silently thanking Ron, she made a mental note to do something special for him later. He was too good to her.

"How can he be gone?" Neville choked, sounding more like his old self.

Hermione was stricken by how much Neville seemed to have changed. He was somber and wiser…less frightened of the world. But that didn't make sense did it? How could Neville experience war and be less afraid of the world? His voice was deeper…he sounded older. Dark circles were under his eyes, and he'd lost a lot of weight. _Too much,_ Hermione thought,_ he'd been skinny before_. But perhaps the biggest difference in Neville was the way he carried himself. She'd noticed it when he walked those few feet from the door. Before, he'd usually walked with his face looking at the ground, and his shoulders up. Sometimes with his arms crossed in front of his body. Now, his shoulders were back, his face was up, and he walked with a strange sort of confidence.

_Confidence looks good on him_, Hermione thought as Ron continued to answer Neville's questions.

"H-how will we defeat V-Voldemort with Harry gone?" Neville asked to no one in particular.

Ron and Hermione could only shake their heads.

"It's not fair…" Neville continued, rubbing his head as though he suddenly had a headache. "After all this time…all that pain."

Ron cast Hermione a worried glance and she returned it, coming over to the bed to sit next to Neville. "It's okay," She said hoping her voice sounded soothing. "It's okay"

But suddenly, Neville looked up to stare her in the face—something he'd never really done before—"No" He said quietly, "It's not okay. Y-You don't know what I've seen…these past few days have been--" Neville took a shuddering breath to control himself. Hermione's heartbeat quickened. They'd gotten an idea of what life was like right now on the battlefield (now just a target zone) but Ginny hadn't spoken much about it. "And now…after all I endured…I endured it knowing someone was somehow safe; that we'd manage to beat this back. And I wanted to help. It was the only thing that kept me going…at times I just wanted to die."

Neville stopped, his voice too clogged with emotion to continue. Neither Ron nor Hermione said anything; they simply waited for Neville to continue, which he did soon enough. "And now after all that, to find out that Harry's dead. That we've lost for good…" He drifted off, and Hermione got the sense that he'd said all that he wanted to say.

"Dumbledore's coming" She said quietly, hoping Neville would see the importance of this. "Surely he has a plan."

"Dumbledore's alive?"

"Yea" Ron said, "He's coming today."

Neville gave them both a weak smile. "W-Who else?" He asked,

"My whole family's here" Ron said, "And then Hermione, Lupin, Mad Eye Moody, some other Order members…"

"What about Dean and Seamus?" Neville asked, going through the checklist of the five boys who had shared a dormitory for seven years.

Ron shook his head and Hermione noted the glimmer of pain that shot through his eyes. "No" was all he said, but it was enough for Neville who silently nodded his understanding and said no more.

Hermione looked at her hands for a moment. _It's strange the way things worked out, _She thought. Amidst all the sufferings and pains, little miracles continued to occur. It had been no coincidence that all nine Weasley members survived…not with the death toll as high as it was. Ginny and Neville miraculously surviving, Seamus and Lavender coming to their rescue the night before their deaths, Dumbledore surviving, Hagrid's dog surviving while Hogwarts lay in ruins, Harry dying. It was all so fickle. Hermione wasn't sure if she believed in any sort of God, but sometimes…she couldn't help but hope there was. Picturing Harry in a better place than the one he had left was certainly easier on her. After all, religion worked for people all around the world. There may not really be a city in the clouds, but dreaming of it could sure enliven the spirit.

Yet in the back of her mind, Neville's words played through. How _were_ they supposed to defeat Voldemort? The prophecy had fulfilled itself…there was no changing it now. It had said that one must kill the other. That part was completed. The rest described Harry, and how they could be sure that it _was_ Harry and not Neville. The only phrase of interest was the 'power the Dark Lord knows not'. But even with her necklaces, that hadn't been enough.

Her brain pounding, she sighed and looked at Neville and Ron who looked just as exhausted as she felt. Trying to smile, she touched Neville's shoulder. "Why don't you go lie down for a bit? I'm sure Mrs. Weasley will be dying to thoroughly examine you." She said softly, "Ron and I can walk you down if you want."

"No it's alright," Neville said, standing up. "I didn't mean to wake you two up earlier. It's just that…"

"Don't worry about it" Ron cut him off, "We're glad to see you. We were worried about you, you know. It's another thing to be relieved about. Thankful too."

Neville mustered up a small smile, "Yes well I could say the same thing about you two. Tell Ginny if you see her, that I'll come by her room later on today."

"Okay" Hermione said, "We will"

"Thanks," He said, walking out of the door. A tense silence fell over the room as soon as he left.

Sighing, Ron flopped down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Hermione mimicked him.

"Interesting day so far don't you think?" Ron finally said, his voice running on the line between humorous and exhaustion.

"Very…" Hermione said distantly, her mind chalk full of thoughts.

"Seems surreal doesn't it?" Ron spoke,

"What?"

"Him just showing up on our doorstep like that."

"Yes…I couldn't believe it when I opened the door."

A comfortable silence stretched between them.

"Can I confess something?" Ron said suddenly, breaking the silence

Interested, Hermione propped herself up. "Of course." She said, leaning towards him.

"You see…" Ron looked pained, "When I opened my eyes and saw him there…I couldn't see real well since I was just waking up. And all I really saw was his outline. Nothing specific." Ron took a breath, "And for a moment…I just—I thought it was Harry"

Hermione closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, Ron was staring at her, waiting for some kind of reaction. "I thought so too," She whispered, the memory splashing through her mind. "All I saw was the back of his head. He's got the same hair. It just---" Hermione trailed off, unable to articulate the intense emotions that had surged through her body then. She'd thought for a moment that everything would be okay. Harry would fix everything. They could win the war, Ginny could tell Harry again how much she loved him, Ron would have his best mate back, Harry could be the best man at their wedding, the world would have its hope back. There would be no more war, no more raping or torture, no more suffering and death…no more evil.

"Sh…" Ron said gently, taking her into his arms. She hadn't realized that she'd been crying. "I know. It—He never goes away from my mind."

"I'm sorry…" She said, wiping at her tears furiously, "I don't like being weak."

Ron just shook his head. "You've been strong for as long as I've known you. Almost too strong" He teased, "It's about time you let yourself be weak. Let someone else take care of you for a change" He said as he wiped some hair from her face and then kissed her forehead. "Merlin knows you've deserved it."

"I want to take care of you though. You need me."

"I'll let you know when I'm being neglected okay?" Ron said gently, "For now just cry. I'm not going anywhere."

And with that invitation, Hermione cried. She cried about anything and everything. She cried about Harry, she cried for Ginny, she cried for Ron, she cried for those still on Hogwarts ground, she cried for Seamus and Lavender, she cried for Dean and the others, she even cried for Dumbledore. But most of all, she simply cried. Cried for a world that she'd once known, that now was no more.

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"Hermione!" Ginny cried, as she opened the door and spotted Hermione lying on her bed, a book in her hands.

Surprised by the urgency of Ginny's tone and the way her eyes were flashing, Hermione put her book down. "What's wrong?" She asked, trying to calm the way her stomach was flipping.

"I've been looking for you everywhere!" Ginny exclaimed, stepping into the room. "Mum sent me…you and Ron are wanted."

"By who?" Hermione asked, her mind trying to think of who would call them like this. Her mind gave her only one answer…

"Dumbledore's here!" Ginny smiled. "He wants to see you and Ron. It was the first thing he said."

At Ginny's words, Hermione couldn't help but smile as well. Dumbledore was here…she let out a sigh of relief. Everything would be okay now. Dumbledore always had a plan; he would fix this whole mess up. Life would be able to return to normal.

"Come on" Hermione said, her face alight, "Let's go"

And with that thought, Hermione followed Ginny out of the room.

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By the time Ginny and Hermione had reached the end of the hallway, they were running.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked Ginny as they turned a corner

"Parlor" Ginny said over her shoulder.

They continued to run, ducking people and objects in the hall. Hermione felt so light…so free. She felt like a kid again, with no troubles or worries, relying solely on adults to take care of things. Although however unreasonable it was to depend on Dumbledore in this manner, she couldn't help it. And judging by the way Ginny's face had lit up back in her room, she felt the same. Dumbledore would pull them out of this.

"Sorry!" She shouted as she and Ginny trampled by an already confused looking Hestia Jones. Hermione turned to catch Ginny's eye and the two girls laughed. _It feels so good to laugh,_ She thought.

Finally turning the final corner, Hermione and Ginny slowed down to see a nervous looking Ron pacing outside the parlor door. Coming to a stop, Hermione grinned at him. He hadn't noticed her yet. "Thanks Ginny" She said as she put a hand to the girls arm. Ginny squeezed her hand.

"Good luck" She whispered

Hermione smiled, "Thanks. I'll let you know everything once we're done"

"You better" Ginny said. And without another word, Ginny turned around and walked away.

Walking up to Ron, he finally noticed her presence. "Hey" He grinned, walking up to her and giving her a quick kiss.

As they broke apart, Hermione smiled. "Any new news?"

Ron shook his head. "No"

Hermione tucked a curl behind her ear and wrung her hands together nervously. "So what do you think he's going to say?"

He shrugged. "It's a shot in the dark, really. I mean he'll probably tell us his plans and what we think and such."

"You're probably right." She said absent mindedly, staring at the door in anticipation.

"You nervous?" Ron asked humorously,

Hermione turned to him and bit her lip. "Honestly?"

Ron smiled. "No, falsely." Hermione rolled her eyes and smacked him but she couldn't hide her smile. This was a sign…everything was going to return to normal. Ron laughed. "There's my 'Mione I've been missing. Never stops being a know-it-all" He teased.

She laughed, "And you never stop being an insufferable--"

"Prat, yes we've all heard that line before." A strange voice said. Hermione and Ron both spun around.

Dumbledore stood in the doorway, his blue eyes twinkling. Those eyes…Hermione fought back tears…there had only been one time in her life Hermione had known those eyes without that twinkle. It was more powerful and reassuring than anything else Hermione could think of. If his eyes could stay…. Hermione _knew_ that everything would be all right.

Caught up with emotion, and not even thinking twice, she approached her Headmaster, and hugged him tightly. Dumbledore was surprised, but obviously touched as he hugged her back much like a father would hug a daughter. "Ah Ms. Granger," Dumbledore said, "So good to see you."

"You too Professor" Hermione said as she stepped back and wiped at a tear that had somehow managed to leak from her eyes.

"Professor…" Ron said as he approached Dumbledore, his hand outstretched.

"Mr. Weasley" Dumbledore said fondly, accepting Ron's handshake and placing his other hand on top of their hands. "I'm afraid it has been much too long since I've seen you both."

"I agree" Ron said, giving Hermione a sideways glance. She nodded.

"Ah yes well, why don't you two come in? We have much to discuss I'm afraid."

Hermione looked nervously to Ron, who took her hand and led her inside. Dumbledore followed and shut the door behind them.

The wide parlor had somehow been transfigured into a study…one that looked so similarly like Dumbledore's office back at Hogwarts, Hermione had to wonder if maybe somehow they'd been magically transported back to Hogwarts. It took her a moment to remember that Hogwarts had collapsed. That knowledge made being in the room almost painful.

"I find certain things very comforting in these troubled times." Dumbledore said as a way of explanation, as he crossed the room to his desk where he sat behind it. "Please, sit down" He said, gesturing to the two chairs that were opposite his desk.

Pushing down the lump in her throat, Hermione nodded and sat down into the chair on the left.

Dumbledore nodded at them, as if approving the situation, and then sighed, taking off his half-moon spectacles and rubbing his head. All this he did in complete silence, and Hermione suddenly wondered if maybe this wasn't going to be a happy discussion after all. Putting his glasses back on, he looked at directly at Ron and Hermione who couldn't help but stare at him expectantly. They had no idea why they were there.

"I'm sure you both are wondering why you're here." Dumbledore said, trying to keep his voice casual and light but failing miserably. "But I'm surprised that you two aren't used to it. For years, you both have been called to my office to discuss certain…issues. And tonight is no different."

"Unfortunately, the things we must discuss are of grave importance and your answers could change this war…and the outcome of many lives. So before we begin I want you both to promise me that you will answer all of my questions honestly and with as much information as you can provide." Dumbledore said this all with such a serious tone, it made Hermione uneasy. Looking to Ron, he looked just as nervous and…scared as she felt.

Dumbledore paused, as if to give them the opportunity to say something. Hermione wasn't quite sure what to say. Apparently, Ron had nothing to say either. Sensing this, Dumbledore continued.

"First of all, I'm not sure what you've been told, but for the past two or three days, Hagrid and I have been out in invisibility cloaks searching for Harry. We have yet to actually find a body. But when word came in that you two were safe, and very much without Harry, I thought it would be wise to talk to you, to see if maybe you knew anything."

Hermione could actually feel her stomach dropping to the floor.

"I don't need to explain to you how important it is that we find Harry." Dumbledore said quietly, "I also want to find him for personal reasons…besides the obvious. I believe Hagrid and I will be able to use any information you two can give us. I know much you both care for him."

Hermione's head spun. This was getting so old…she hated having to be the one to crush people's hopes. She hated having to tell this horrible story over and over again. She hated watching people crumble, their hearts crushed. She hated to be the one who was challenged as to why Harry had to die. Didn't people realize that she missed him just as much as they did? Maybe even more? She missed Harry with every fiber in her body and would give anything for him to come back. But he wasn't coming back, and there was nothing for anyone to do.

She turned to catch Ron's eye. He was withering inside…

"Professor…" Hermione paused, taking a deep breath, "We know more about Harry than you probably want to know."

Dumbledore smiled, "I was hoping so Miss Granger. Please, tell me everything."

Hermione hesitated, and looked to Ron for support. One look in his eyes gave her all the reassurance she needed. And with that, Hermione took a deep breath and looked Dumbledore straight in the eye. "Professor, Harry's dead"

Dumbledore appeared to have not heard her correctly. He simply sat there, not blinking, not responding…Hermione wasn't even sure if he was breathing. Utter silence filled up the reasonably vacant room, and it ate away at her. All she felt right now was pity for the man Harry had thought of as father for so much of his life.

But finally, Dumbledore closed his eyes, as if in retaliation to the heartache Hermione's words had given him. When he spoke it was a hoarse whisper, a voice Hermione had never heard Dumbledore use before. "And…you're sure of this?" He asked

Hermione nodded slowly. "We saw it Professor. Ron and I were that makeshift prison. Our cell had a window and we had no choice but to simply watch."

"V-Voldemort?" Dumbledore seemed to sink even lower into his chair with each word she spoke.

She nodded gravely. "Yes. He had Harry up in the air, he could hardly breathe…then he said an incantation, there was a flash of light and he was gone."

Dumbledore's eyes flashed. "Do you think it was possible--"?

"For Harry to have gotten transported somewhere?" Ron finished for him. Hermione could only stare at him in shock. Interrupting the Headmaster like that? "No" Ron said, completely unfazed. "Because much later on, Voldemort put Harry's corpse in our cell with us as means of torture. We checked him thoroughly. He was as dead as dead could be."

"I see" Dumbledore nodded his understanding. He was quiet for a moment or two. "I trust you both wholly, so I believe everything you are telling me is indeed true."

"We wouldn't lie about Harry like that, Professor" Hermione said quietly

At that, Dumbledore's eyes seemed to fill up with tears instantaneously. "I know Miss Granger…I know"

Silence filled the room again. Dumbledore wiped at his eyes and then began to pace.

"I-I'll admit that wasn't the news I was expecting to hear. Now the task at hand is--"

"Defeating Voldemort--" Ron interrupted again.

"Without Harry" Dumbledore finished. "Well, now that finding Harry is no longer an issue, I must confess, I have another reason for calling you both here. I'm not sure how this will come into play with what we must do tonight, but it regards some of your friends."

If Dumbledore had ever wanted their undivided attention, he had it now.

"Who?" Ron asked, his fingers clenched, preparing for the worst.

Dumbledore leaned against his desk so that he was facing the two directly. "Three of them to be exact."

"Who?" Hermione echoed Ron, her heart clamoring.

"I believe that before you two were transported here, you left two very good friends behind in Voldemort's hands."

"Seamus and Lavender! Are they alive!" Ron asked, jumping to his feet instantaneously, a grin stretched out along his features.

Unlike Ron, Hermione sat still. She barely moved. Seamus and Lavender…. but they were dead! They had to be! There was no way they could have survived! Her heart was aching, she needed to know and she needed to know now. If they _were_ alive…that would mean…

"No Mr. Weasley, I'm afraid they are no longer alive," Dumbledore said quietly

Ron's face crumbled, and his body shrank back. It was a horrible thing to watch, as Ron wore his expressions on his sleeve for them to see. "They're not?" Ron asked weakly

"No, I'm sorry. I hadn't meant to get your hopes up like that." Dumbledore said apologetically

Ron simply shook his head, too caught up in his thoughts and pain to say much more.

"Professor, what about Seamus and Lavender?" Hermione asked trying to keep her voice even. She didn't want to give away how crushed she was. How her heart was bleeding all over again for their two good friends. And guilt once more, settled down into the pit of her stomach.

"While invisible, Hagrid and I saw them trapped on top of the pile of debris that used to be Hogwarts. We snuck closer to have a better look. Voldemort was challenging them, asking them to confess who they were with, because he and his followers had definitely seen two others with them."

"Oh God…" Hermione shut her eyes painfully

"They wouldn't confess and refused over and over again. Voldemort and the Death Eaters tried anything short of death to get _any_ information out of them. Tortured them time after time--"

"Stop" Hermione found herself whispering, "Please stop"

Dumbledore gave Hermione a sad look and said no more on the subject. "Finally, Voldemort had no choice but to extract their memories, and then he killed them both." He said softly

With Dumbledore's final words, Hermione found herself shaking. That was more than she wanted to know. Sure, she'd played over through her head, how Seamus and Lavender might have died but that…. she wrapped her arms around herself… it was too much.

_They actually died for us,_ She thought, _they died like Neville's parents did. Even Lavender didn't say a thing_. And with these thoughts, the deepest kind of grief came washed over Hermione. _They're heroes, _She thought, liking the idea of Seamus and Lavender one day being rallied as such.

"As tragic and awful as their deaths are however, the crisis on hand is that Voldemort now has their memories. He now knows that you both are alive and probably safe, and he knows that there are other students still alive to help you. The price on your lives has never been higher. Remember, he knows now that you escaped." Dumbledore explained; his face contorted into one of great urgency.

"Uh Oh…" Ron's voice came, hoarse but scared.

"Yes, Mr. Weasley, things are bad. And now, he also knows that Professor Lupin and myself are alive. Hagrid too. Your family. But most importantly, he knows that there is still an Order trying to fight him. He's angry. Very angry. And will do anything to get revenge on us."

"Do we know what he's planning to do?" Ron asked

Dumbledore nodded gravely, "We know that he took a day yesterday to re-evaluate with his Death Eaters how to wipe us out. And tomorrow they're leaving."

"Leaving?" Hermione asked confused, "But where are they going?"

Dumbledore gave her a look, and suddenly it all made sense. Her heart began to pound and she felt herself go weak. "Of course." She whispered, despite herself, "Bulgaria"

"Bulgaria!" Ron cried, obviously surprised, "But why!"

"Viktor..." Hermione replied, her mind recoiling against her own words, "He's going to kill Viktor"

Ron's face went white. "No…h-he can't! B-But what does that accomplish!"

"I believe he thinks you foolish enough to come rescue him. And if not, Viktor is an easy target. One that he knows will weaken you both. Either way, Voldemort sees it as a perfect opportunity to strike."

"B-But Professor! We can't let him do this! Viktor's in a Muggle neighborhood! He'll be killing hundreds of Muggles…"

"Precisely, Ron" Dumbledore said sadly, "And when he returns, he expects we'll give him a battle to fight. Voldemort is no longer going to stop terrorizing the Wizarding World. Remember his goal is world conquest. He's stopping at nothing now with Harry out of the way. After Harry, defenseless Muggles are a piece of cake. "

It was Hermione's turn to go white. "Professor…we can't let this happen!" She said, her thoughts resting on the Muggles and Viktor. _Not Viktor_…her mind screamed, _He helped us when we needed him most. Not him._

"Of course we'll try to stop it Miss Granger. That has always been our job. But I just don't know what to do without Harry. If we have any shot at taking Voldemort by surprise, then we'd need to attack tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Ron echoed, not believing his ears

"Yes," Dumbledore said sadly, "Otherwise we'll have the lower hand to begin with. And with our numbers, we frankly can't afford it."

"But Professor, what about the prophecy? Is it even worth it to try to fight back now with Harry dead?"

Dumbledore looked at her for a moment, and Hermione wondered if she'd said the wrong thing. But then, Dumbledore chuckled to himself and the twinkle returned to his eyes. Hermione relaxed.

"Not fight back you say?" Dumbledore smiled, "Miss Granger, we've all suffered terrible losses in the past few days. Our hope is dead with Harry dead. He of all people fit the prophecy. But you are forgetting that he had a power the Dark Lord knew not. Harry himself looked over this line many times.

Frankly, I do no know what power he possessed that we're not aware of, but I believe its fair to assume it's still with us. With or without the prophecy, I believe you agree with me that we need to fight this battle. But I also believe that this is our last chance. Life rarely grants a second chance at things, and I do not think we would want to miss this.

Our only hope in restoring the world back to normal is in defeating Voldemort and his followers. The world is counting on us to fight back again. Without this, evil will indeed take over the world. And in that, I dare not think about what would happen.

So yes, Miss Granger, I do believe it's worth it to fight tomorrow. It's worth it because this war is personal now. You can fight for Seamus and Lavender, You can fight for Harry. I believe _they_ will be the ones to bring us to victory. Their sacrifices will bring peace to this world.

But of course, the real question here is, are you willing to fight again? Are you willing to face the fears you've made in the past few days? Are you willing to face death in the face after only just leaving him? Willing to sacrifice your life and join those who have already? It's all up to you. This is our last chance. We have to put everything we have into it, or else…. the world as we know it will be no more."

Silence followed.

And then…

"We're willing" Ron and Hermione said, looking at each other

Dumbledore smiled. "I knew you would be"

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(A/N: teehee…and we have another war on our hands! Let me know what you think! Hugs, Haystack)


	38. Chapter ThirtyEight: The End

(A/N: Hey everyone! Wow it's really been a long time! Gosh life has just been crazy this past month. My activities and teachers leave me exhausted every day so writing has taken a backseat although that doesn't mean I won't continue the story or that I've lost my enthusiasm for it! I'm actually really excited for what's to come! Hopefully you'll all like it as much as I do! Anyways, this chapter was rather hard to write and I expect next chapter to be even more difficult but I'm up for the challenge! I don't really have much to say other than one) I'm starting back up my individual responses to each review, which has been something I've missed a lot! I love talking to you all! And two) Because of the material that this next chapter covers, expect about a month between the updates. I know, it sucks majorly but I simply don't have the time! I'm sorry. Anyways, THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Hope you all like this chapter! Much love, Haystack)

Also note that even though this chapter is titled 'The End' it does not mean that this is the end of the story

Bhekie: haha heck yes! I'm rather looking forward to that part myself! Thanks so much for reviewing! Enjoy!

Ginny-Weasley4: Aw I'm sorry about the update, they just take too bloody long! Anyways, thanks so much for reviewing! It means the world!

Captain Annie: Aw I'm sorry about getting your hopes up but for some reason I felt like that part needed to be included. Neville's return was never a part of any plans for the story so I wasn't entirely sure what I was doing, just kind of going with the flow! Very glad that you though that part, and the Dumbledore part was believable though! Thanks so much for reviewing!

doublelily: I'm sad that the story will end too! I'm not really sure what I'm going to do once it's done…I suppose I'll have to start another story. I can't imagine life without a HP story going on. Thank you for letting me know about the responses, I've rather missed talking with you all! Anyways, Thanks for reviewing as always!

cumbacksirius: Yay! I'm glad you liked the chapter! I've got much more coming for you all! (Can you tell I'm excited? Lol) Anyways, thank you so much for reviewing, it's so nice that some of you continually review; one of the best parts about these kind of stories! So thanks! Enjoy!

Natural-181: Aw you're so sweet! Thank you! It is a rather emotional story isn't it? I suppose that's just part of how I see things, but if you think about it war is really such an emotional thing isn't it? Of course never having experienced war in this sense I have to use my imagination a bit, but hopefully it comes across as believable! Thanks so much for the review! Enjoy! 

BexyLou: Another thought-Harry-was-back person? Lol I'm sorry about that, it was a bit cruel now that I think about, but I couldn't resist. It may seem a bit repetitive for me to keep pulling on the Harry heartstrings but I suppose in real life, someone wouldn't get over a death like that that quickly. Ah well, I promise to leave poor Harry out of the next chapter! Thanks so much for reviewing! Enjoy!

merebear77795: Aw, you're so sweet! Thank you! I must say I'm touched, it means a lot to have someone give you a compliment like that! As for your story, I would love to read it! I'll hopefully have time sometime this week to check it out! Thanks so much for reviewing! Enjoy!

LovePadfoot5867: Unfortunately I've decided not to work in any HBP stuff simply because this story was started before HBP came out and if I tried to add it in now, it would throw some things off. I would love to work with the sixth book sometime in the future though, maybe that'll be my next project…hmm…lol anyways, thanks so much for reviewing! Enjoy!

suckr4romance: Aw did you believe Neville was Harry? Beautiful, I was rather self-conscious about that part, I'm glad some people fell for it as awful as that sounds. Thank you for mentioning the punctuation errors, I made sure to double-check this chapter, hopefully there aren't any! Those have no place in a story…take away from the magic! You live near New Orleans? I'm so sorry about Katrina…that must have been so hard although I am very glad your house and family are all right. For thanksgiving, my family and I are heading down to Louisiana (Lake Charles area) to help re-build and stuff so it'll be interesting to see it firsthand compared to the news. I hope everything is starting to return to "normal" for you! And thanks for reviewing! Enjoy!

QuEEnSeRb716: Aw well I'm glad this story update could brighten your week! Oh yes the next war…winks I'm so excited for it I'm like dying trying to keep from telling you all what's to come! I suppose I'll just have to write about it won't I? Lol Thanks so much for reviewing and telling me about the responses thing! I've missed you all! Enjoy!

dancerrdw: Yay! I'm glad you liked this past chapter! Hopefully you'll like this chapter as well! Thanks so much for faithfully reviewing! Sorry about the updates though! Enjoy!

Greenpluff: Yay, I'm rather glad some of you believed Harry was back as mean as that sounds. But yes, Neville is back now. As for the prophecy, all I'm allowing myself to say is we'll see! Lol but yes, you are right about that. This war will be the end. The very end! Dramatic eh? Alright well thanks so much for reviewing! Enjoy!

Fidelian: You had tears in your eyes? Aw yay! I'm not sure if I've said this recently but I must confess my ultimate goal in writing is for every reader to cry. Sounds strange but its true. Crying is so vulnerable in that you expose your true emotions so to get a reader to cry means that they're truly touched! Anyways, I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! Thanks so much for reviewing! Enjoy!

Orchid6297: I'm glad you liked the last chapter! Ah yes well I can say now that Harry won't be coming back, hopefully maybe that fake Harry coming back moment made it more real despite its cruelties on my part! Lol anyways, Thanks so much for continuing to review! It means so much! Enjoy!

AmyChris: Blew you out of the water? Aw Yay! That's a good sign! I'm so glad you enjoyed it and found it inspirational! I tend to always find any scene involving Dumbledore to be inspirational so hopefully the same relates in this story. I'm glad that you think I grab the reader's attention, it's funny because I'm always so self-conscious about my writing so things like that really make me feel better. Thanks so much for reviewing so faithfully! It really does mean a lot! Thanks and Enjoy!

nattieb: lol your review made me laugh! Yes, it really is Neville and not a Death Eater; I'm not quite that cruel! As for your theory about Harry, I'm so sorry to crush any ideas but Harry is really, truly and utterly dead to put it plainly. Even though I brought Harry back in my other stories I've found it's much more powerful for him to remain dead as it relates more to life, in that people can't come back from the dead in real life. This story unfortunately, was not meant to be a happy one although I get much joy from writing it! Anyways, Thanks so much for updating so faithfully and enjoy!

…And so it continues…

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CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: THE END

"No…" Ginny's soft reply came, her eyes unfocused as she looked past Ron and Hermione who were sitting on her bed. "H-How can we? There's no way we can win"

"Yes there is!" Ron's said in a loud voice. "There has to be! If Dumbledore thinks it--"

"Ron" Ginny interrupted quietly, shaking her head "Dumbledore's been wrong before. Just because he thinks we can win, doesn't mean that--"

"It's not a matter of choosing to fight or not. It's a matter of timing. And the time is right" Ron said, his face alight.

"No Ron…" Ginny whispered. "We don't need to fight anymore. We're done."

"We're not done Ginny! There are still people out there dying!"

"They're going to get Viktor" Hermione said hollowly, speaking for the first time since they'd arrived at Ginny's room. As soon as Dumbledore excused them, giving them a few final directions, she and Ron had immediately headed for Ginny's room; where Ron proceeded to explain to Ginny in full detail this sudden new war that would be fought tomorrow.

Tomorrow…. the thought made Hermione want to be sick. Tomorrow they would be out fighting Death Eaters, something Hermione had never wanted to do again. Tomorrow she would watch as those she loved were killed. Tomorrow she herself might be killed.

It wasn't something she could process right now.

Before the first battle, Hermione had been scared. Scared of the unknown. This time however, she was petrified. Petrified because she knew what was awaiting them, petrified because she knew this was it. They had no savior to save them anymore.

"I know they are" Ginny said sadly, facing Hermione. "But it's not worth risking all of our lives for."

"How can you even say that Gin!" Ron cried, "Of course it is!"

"No, it's not" Ginny said firmly, "Ron, we've all been out there. We know what can and what _will_ happen. If we all put our lives on the line every time someone was in danger, we'd all be dead!"

"But that's what you have to do in war!"

"It's stupid…its not worth it" Ginny said quietly under her breath, looking at her hands.

"Ginny--" Hermione interjected, "You have to understand. I-I don't like it either but we have to fight. We would have had to fight back sometime…we can't just hide out and let evil take over the world."

"But why!" Ginny cried, throwing her arms up in the air, "Why must we? We don't always have to save the world! You two are just as bad as Harry!"

Neither Ron nor Hermione said anything. Then finally Ron said softly, "Good." Hermione smiled.

Ginny looked at them with wide eyes.

"Look Ginny, I'm scared too." Hermione said softly, taking the girl's hand in her own. "This is the last thing I thought I'd being doing again. I don't like the idea of going through it all another time. I don't know if I'm strong enough yet, but you see…it doesn't matter. Because if we ever want a shot at a normal life again, we _have_ to fight tomorrow, despite everything."

Ginny's brown eyes watered up, and she looked away. Ron scooted closer and said, "She's right Gin. We can't let Harry's death be one in vain. We have to fix this mess up."

This only seemed to make Ginny sadder, as tears began to fall from her eyes. Without a word, Ron put his arm around her and she clung to him tightly. "Sh…" He whispered, rubbing her back. "It's going to be okay"

"I-I'm just so s-scared" She choked, her words coming in sobs. "I don't want to face it all again. I don't want to hurt anymore. I don't want to lose anyone else. I couldn't handle it."

Ron shot Hermione a look that made her heart ache. His blue eyes were piercing her skin, aimed right at her soul, and in one glance she knew what he was thinking. She was feeling it too. Ginny was right about one thing…how much more _could_ they take? Would Hermione be able to handle it if she lost Neville? Ginny? Lupin? Dumbledore? _Ron_?

She shook her head feverishly at the thought. She wouldn't start thinking like that. She'd been living with the fear of losing Ron for about a year now, she wouldn't go back to that…she just couldn't. But yet, the fear had returned. She looked desperately over to Ron who was now cradling Ginny in his arms, and a surge of panic accompanied the love she felt while looking at him.

"We'll all be fine…don't worry" Was what Ron was whispering to Ginny, but Hermione could tell his whole heart wasn't in it. _He knows it too_, She thought to herself, _He knows we're back to worrying about each other. We're back to living with that fear. _

After a few minutes, Ginny seemed to quiet down and all that was heard was Ron's continual reassurances. "What time tomorrow?" She asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

Hermione looked at her hands. "Early. At daybreak."

Ginny nodded her understanding and said no more. No one spoke; they just looked at each other. Ron's excited and brave demeanor was rapidly falling; Hermione could almost watch the doubt flood into him. Suddenly, with Ginny's outburst, he seemed less sure that they were in the right…that they had to do this at all.

_But of course we have to do this!_ Hermione thought to herself. _We have to save Viktor!_ Yet, even as she thought the words, she knew she was lying to herself.

It had been foolish of her to get her hopes up —to believe that the worst was over and that from now on she would be safe at Headquarters. That being engaged to Ron somehow made things right again.

Viktor was the primary objective but the world was at stake here. She had been a best friend of Harry Potter for most of her life—great things had _always_ been expected of her. But this…. this pressure she felt to win the war from people she hadn't even met yet—who possibly hadn't even been born…it was enough to make her want to hide away forever.

_I_ _don't envy Harry in the least_, She thought bitterly, _if this is what it felt like. _

"What if one of you dies?" Ginny whispered, as if to no one. Hermione slowly pulled out of her thoughts.

Ron sighed, weary with all this talk, "What do you mean Gin?"

"You know what I mean," Ginny whispered, eyes clouding over again. Her brown eyes begging him to give her an answer she wanted to hear.

He sighed again, "I don't know. I don't know what you want me to say." His response screamed at Hermione to help him and without really wanting to head off in this direction she obediently stepped in.

"We won't die," She said, trying to make herself believe what she was saying.

Ginny just looked off into the distance and shook her head. "Yes we will. Some of us have to. I-I don't know what I'll do if you die…."

There was a stretched silence, and Hermione knew Ron—like herself—was desperately trying to think of something comforting to say to the trembling red headed girl in front of them. Just watching her, apprehension in her eyes and grief displayed on her face, made Hermione want to take her friend into a hug and never let go.

Sighing, tears springing in her eyes, Hermione took a shuddering breath. "I-I suppose if Ron and I both die, then it'll be up to you to help restore the world." She whispered

Ginny closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself. The answer seemed to hurt her. "I won't want to go on without you" She whispered, emotion clogging her throat.

"You'll have to Gin" Ron whispered, "Just like we'll have to if you die. Someone's going to have to take lead, someone who remembers Hogwarts before everything. Someone who knew Harry…. we can't let it all die with us."

Ginny was looking at her hands now, crying again. Since when had Ginny cried so much? Just remembering the old Ginny…. the feisty hot tempered red head who had had such a handle on everything…and watching this new Ginny crawl into herself, spent, as if an old woman, was shocking. It made Hermione want to cry herself.

And before she knew it, she was. Ron looked at her with soft, watery eyes and without a word he was able to communicate with her. _I know_, his eyes said, _I know_.

Pulling her self up, obviously wanting to be alone Ginny said quietly, "You better go."

Hermione nodded weakly and leaned over to give Ginny a hug. Ginny hugged her back tightly. Wiping at her eyes, Hermione sniffed and then stood up to go. Ron kissed his sister on the cheek and squeezed her hand. "Love you," He said

Ginny looked at him and whispered, "Love you too"

Standing up, Ron placed his hand on the back of Hermione's back, guiding her out of the room. "Come on" He said as they crossed the threshold of the doorway.

"Wait!" Ginny suddenly cried from inside the room. Ron stuck his head back inside.

"What?" He asked

Ginny bit her lip nervously and said, "You'll come for me tomorrow won't you? Make sure I'm up alright and everything?"

Ron nodded solemnly, "'Course we will."

Twisting her hands, Ginny nodded. "Okay…thanks. Goodnight."

"Night" Ron said quietly, as the door shut behind him with a soft click.

Ron didn't move as they stood in the dark hallway and neither of them spoke. Once the door was shut, he leaned against it and closed his eyes. He was tired, that much was evident. But there was something else…something greater and far more important that was bearing on his soul now.

Hermione wasn't sure what she was waiting for, but she stepped closer to him. Far enough away to give him his space yet close enough that she could feel his hot breath on her face. When he made no protests, she inched her way closer to him, still hesitant to kiss him as she wanted to. And for several moments, she just stood there; she was so close now that their bodies were just barely touching, the sensation making her go mad with desire.

Ron chuckled softly to himself and with a smile, finally looked up, staring straight into her eyes the way she always loved. "What are you waiting for?" He teased, raising his eyebrows at her.

And with that, Hermione rushed into his arms and buried herself in him.

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"Ron" She breathed, attempting to scold him as they stumbled into their room, Ron nearly breaking the door in the process.

"Mm?" He grunted, pressing his lips more firmly against hers and he walked her backwards the room.

Hermione could no longer remember what she'd meant to say. Instead, she buried her hands into Ron's hair as they fell onto their bed, not able to stop the sigh of contentment that escaped from her lips. It had been so long since they'd been like this!

Shifting positions, Ron pinned her underneath him, concentrating on planting kisses all over her. As Ron began to fumble with the buttons on her shirt, Hermione giggled. He looked up and blushed. "Sorry" he mumbled, and then paused "Am I going too fast?"

Hermione smiled lovingly. "Maybe a little"

Ron nodded and re-buttoned her shirt. Hermione only loved him more for it. He planted a kiss soundly on her lips but just as Hermione leaned up for another one, he pulled away, a look on his face.

"What?" She asked quietly

Ron simply shook his head, staring at her. "I love you," He whispered, leaning forwards as if to bury himself in her hair.

Touched, she reached up a hand to the back of his head, slowly running her fingers through his hair. Ron took a deep shuddering breath and Hermione felt concern spread through her. "I love you too." She whispered back

Ron leaned back and softly, slowly, _lovingly_ kissed her. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as Ron's hands snaked around her waist. It was a long kiss…. but without a doubt in Hermione's mind one of the best they'd shared.

When they pulled away, Ron had a strange look on his face. The concern she'd felt for him earlier reappeared, and while tracing her finger down his cheek she whispered, "You know, you don't always have to be so strong."

Ron's eyes flickered. "I'll never let anything happen to you," He whispered back, kissing her hand. "I promise"

Hermione frowned. "I don't need protecting Ron. I'm worried about you."

Confusion spread across his face. "Me? Why are you worried about me?"

"Because," she said, "We're headed into a war and for the past two days all you've done is listen to Ginny and I."

"That's not true," He said

"Tell me what's wrong Ron," She said, leaning her forehead against his and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I want to help you."

Ron breathed in her scent and looked at her wearily. "I-I'm just scared." He said honestly, his ears turning red. "About the war. I'm scared of losing you."

Hermione was quiet, re-playing his words again in her head. Finally she said, "I'm scared of losing you too."

"Makes me wish we'd gotten married earlier," He said softly, tucking a loose curl behind her ear.

Hermione smiled at the gesture, "Being married wouldn't change anything though; at least not now. We'd still be as in love as we are now."

Ron sighed, "I guess you're right. I-I just wish we'd had more time together. Every day I kick myself for not confessing to you earlier."

Hermione's eyes welled up, "Me too Ron"

"Just think," He whispered, "How different things would be. We would have had at least two years of going to Hogsmeade together, sitting by the fire in the common room, going to Quidditch matches, and spending time kissing in the library."

Hermione's heart ached. It sounded so good….

"And I bet you that if we'd gotten together, Harry and Ginny would have realized their feelings much sooner. Just picture it! The four of us could have taken walks down to the lake together of Sundays, eaten all our meals together, gone everywhere together!"

Hermione bit her lip, fighting back the tears she wanted to cry. He needed to stop this….

"The whole Lavender scenario wouldn't have happened and you would have never gone out with that McLaggend prat."

Hermione didn't correct him.

"I bet the Department of Mysteries would have turned out differently too, had we all been more united. Maybe if that were true, then Sirius wouldn't have died. And then--"

"Ron, stop" She said suddenly, sitting up. Couldn't he see how this was making her feel? Ron was describing a world that didn't exist, a world that she would give _anything_ for right now. The guilt that accompanied his scenario was too much to bear.

"What?" He asked, confused

"D-Don't talk like that," She replied shaking, "It's just too…too much"

Ron stared at her for a while and Hermione avoided his eyes, looking down at her hands. Finally, he cleared his throat and said, "I wish it could be true."

Hermione nodded and he leaned closer but said nothing. Finally, he whispered, "I'm scared that this is my last night with you."

Hermione looked up at that and saw the raw emotion that his eyes held. He was truly scared and she shivered at that. "R-Ron," She choked, "I love you." She leaned forwards into him, "I love you, I love you, I love you" She said, unable to stop the tears that began to fall.

Moved, Ron brought her closer to him, holding her petite body as tight as he could against his own. "I k-know" He said passionately, "I love you too."

They just sat there for a few moments, desperate to get closer to each other, wanting nothing but to remain in this position forever.

The war was frightening on many levels. But this…losing Ron was something that had the power to destroy her. It had been hard to imagine losing him before the first war, but back then…they'd only been friends. Now, they were engaged.

Ron symbolized the future, to Hermione; the family that would be possible to have after the war, the home she might have, and the friend she would have…. Ron was the only other person in the world that understood what Harry's absence in her life would mean. Ron was the only other person now, who understood everything. Ron was everything Hermione had of her old life. With Ron there was hope, with Ron there was purpose and a future. And the prospect of surviving the war and heading into a new life without him or Harry by her side was unfathomable.

Hermione hated thinking so negatively. She wished she could will her brain to think of all the reasons why she and Ron would make it. After all, they'd survived the first one, what was so different? _We don't have Harry_, her brain said, a_nd we're targets this time. More so than we've ever been._

Hermione wished she could believe in such fantasies as "Our love can work miracles" but when it came to life, she couldn't see how they fit in. She didn't believe in miracles anymore…she believed in luck. But luck was unpredictable…a fickle thing of its own. She couldn't depend upon it. She was heading into a war without miracles or luck on her side.

"But that won't save us will it?" Hermione soft voice finally came

Ron leaned down and wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs. He took a shuddering breath. "No 'Mione. I don't think it will"

Hermione moaned and lowered her head; acting like the answer physically hurt her. Ron's eyes watered up. He brought her to him again and kissed her head, fighting back his own tears. "It can't be the end!" Hermione cried out, "We fought so hard to get here!"

"We're Harry's best friends" Ron said hollowly, "We escaped from Voldemort. No one's ever done that before. He wants us dead 'Mione."

"No!" She flung out; her mass of curls flying everywhere. She began to cry furiously now. "No! It can't be the end! It can't be!"

"Shh…shhh" Ron said, pulling her towards him despite the fact that she was fighting against him. "This is war 'Mione! It was stupid to expect us to survive it!"

"But we did survive it!" Hermione cried, still fighting Ron "I don't want to die Ron! I want to live!"

And for the first time in a long time, a tear escaped Ron's startling blue eyes. He sniffed and wiped it away. "Me too" He said hoarsely. Hermione stopped and stared at him.

And almost as if the past few moments hadn't happened, Hermione lifted her hand to Ron's face.

The gesture sent off a wave of tears in Ron he hadn't known were possible. At the outburst, Hermione simply wrapped her arms around him and held him close, her own tears falling and mingling with his.

And no more was said. They just sat like that, holding each other and mourning the loss of their futures. Words were beyond the moment, after all, how could you describe the emotions that came with meeting death?

Before long, Ron dozed off, Hermione still in his embrace and she soon followed suit. But as they slept, drifting off into worlds without war, neither of them noticed the sun rising a deep, and painfully bloody red.

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	39. Chapter ThirtyNine:Leaving Refuge Behind

(A/N: Hello all! Well I have to admit I gave into temptation here. I've had these pages written for weeks now but wanted to wait until I wrote more to post them, in order to give you all a complete chapter. However, I know it'll take me a while to get the rest of what would have been chapter thirty-nine done, and I wanted to surprise you all with a little bit of an earlier update (although I know it's been a while anyways). Besides, Christmas is coming and so are my finals and I know it would have been an extra long time before I could have posted. So anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter (This chapter holds a special place in my heart) and thank you again for your continual reviews! They really do mean so much to me! So thank you! And Enjoy! Much love, Haystack)

(A/N: p.s. as I'm sure all of you Harry Potter fans have already seen the new movie can I just say AMAZING! And if you haven't seen it, I _highly_ recommend it! ;)

suckr4romance: Isn't that a cool omen! I'm rather fond of it as well. Glad you found it powerful and somewhat freaky. Yes, cliffhangers are very fun. I'm a big fan of them as well, although I try not to make mine too horrible because even though I write, I'm also an avid reader and hate coming to the end of a chapter with a mega cliffhanger! Cliffhangers and I have a love/hate relationship! Lol Thanks so much for reviewing!

KaiserMonkey: Aw thanks, that's very nice of you to say! Yes, unfortunately I had to make the decision earlier on in the story whether I would update frequently but make my chapters short or update rarely and make them long and more complete. With my other two stories, I'd chosen the latter but I find that although I hate the times in-between updates, it seems to draw people into the story more. But I will make it my personal mission to try to get these chapters out there much faster because I can understand how waiting can get quite annoying! Thanks so much for reviewing!

Krissy-Jane: I am very lucky that I have readers that will put up with my lack of updates! I'm going to try updating more frequently but the flip side of that is that the chapters will be shorter, but that seems to be the popular demand. Ah yes, the red sky…lol one of my more favorite cliffhanger. Glad you liked it though and Thanks for reviewing!

dancerrdw: Aw I'm glad you liked it so much! Your review made me smile! Last chapter really was chalk full of emotions wasn't it? As for writing after this fic, that seems very likely—it's hard for me to imagine life without a fic going on as I've always had one for the past two years. I have no ideas at the present moment and am fully concentrating on ending this fic with a bang but I'm sure it will be a Ron/Hermione as I've grown rather fond of them! Lol Thanks for reviewing!

niem: Chills? That's great! Your review also made me smile! Lol Thank you so much for reviewing and enjoy this chapter!

Bhekie: Aw I'm glad you liked last chapter! Hope this chapter lives up to your expectations! Thanks for reviewing and enjoy!

cumbacksirius: Aw I'm glad you like the story so much! It started out going to be a short little drama piece but it really has turned into a big story hasn't it? As for surviving the war, you'll just have to read and find out I'm afraid! Lol Thanks for reviewing!

Captain Annie: Watery eyes? Aw that is a good thing! I was actually a bit worried making the title 'The End' because the end of the chapter could have worked for the end of the story I guess (definitely not my kind of ending) but I was worried people would fall for it! Glad you saw my A/N! And thanks for reviewing!

BexyLou: I'm glad you liked the chapter! As for who will die and who will not, my lips are unfortunately sealed! I'm quite excited for the ending and would hit myself in the head later if I gave even the slightest bit of it away! Sorry! Thanks so much for reviewing!

QuEEnSeRb716: Aw you're so sweet! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes I find depressing things actually quite comforting because it makes you think about things you might not have before and a lot of times that's when the truly brilliant thoughts come to mind! Anyways, thanks so much for reviewing and enjoy!

Liz: Ah I felt so bad! No, chapter 38 was NOT the end of the story! Trust me there is more to come, no worries! I would never end a story with a cliffhanger like that. That's just downright cruel! So yes, don't worry, there is much more to come! We've still got a whole war to get through! Thanks so much for reviewing and enjoy!

sweetiepie1019: Well I barely snuck myself in the one month margin so hopefully you'll remember my effort! Lol Ah you have no idea how much I'd like to respond to your review regarding the end of this story but unfortunately I can't. Sorry! Thanks so much for reviewing though and enjoy this chapter!

Princess Storm: lol your review made me smile! Ah well first things first. Firstly, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Secondly, unfortunately I can't speak regarding the potential death of any characters! Sorry! Thirdly…lol this is getting ridiculous. Making boys—especially someone so strong like Ron—cry is a very powerful tool I've come to find. It's the same in real life as well. The scene outside Ginny's door…lol I'm glad you liked it! With all the drama going on, I think we all needed a little fluff! As for you having no clue where the story is going, to that I say brilliant! So many people have theories of what's going to happen but a clean slate is much easier to work with! Makes me feel less bad when I prove theories wrong and less stupid when they figure me out! Lol Thanks so much for reviewing and enjoy!

…And so it continues…

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CHAPTER THRITY-NINE: LEAVING REFUGE BEHIND

Ron was awake, but he refused to open his eyes.

Feeling around, his hands almost at once came in contact with soft silky hair and despite himself, he smiled, running his fingers through it. Hermione stirred and he stopped immediately. He didn't want her waking up just yet.

He hadn't wanted to open his eyes; to face this new day that would bring such loss and devastation to everyone he cared about. The last coherent thought he'd had before drifting off into sleep was to remain asleep for as long as possible, in order to savor the last threads of his old life. And that was what this truly was. Today marked the beginning of a new life, whether that meant the end of his, or the start of a new one with Hermione.

Yet as the sound of hurried footsteps in the hall reached his ears, it all sank in. They were leaving this place—this refuge—and heading back out into the war, for one last time. There was no point in hanging onto old threads now. He had face this. And so slowly, Ron opened his eyes.

_Hermione_ was what he thought as he took in his surroundings. Nothing about the room had changed but it all felt different. Hermione was the only thing that didn't.

She lay there peacefully, ironic given the circumstances, with her chocolate curls spread out above her like a halo. She was lying on her side facing Ron, her legs intertwined with his, but Ron felt like she wasn't close enough. His heart constricted looking at her like that, and it was all he could do to restrain himself from kissing her and waking her up.

Scooting ever so closer to her, he slowly—as to not wake her—wrapped his arms around her, bringer her to his chest. When it appeared she was still asleep, he took the liberty to bury himself in her hair, breathing in her scent until his lungs felt ready to burst. He wanted to remember everything about this moment, not sure if he'd have any more. This one had to be great…it had to last forever.

He ran his hand gingerly along her back, craving more. But a tiny sound stopped him. "D-Don't" It said.

Ron froze, realizing he'd been caught. He wasn't quite sure what to say so instead he said nothing. "I-It'll only make it that much harder to leave" Hermione whispered

In his heart, Ron knew she was right. Why bring emotions back up again when they'd spent the better half of the night crying them all out? Why ruin moments with words? Why whisper, "I love you" when the simple words were his undoing?

Legend portrayed warriors as heartless; but Ron knew better. Warriors were focused, so utterly focused that everything else disappeared. Warriors isolated themselves, so focused on the task at hand that relationships were of no importance. No friendship epics or romance classics had been written about war. Warriors had no friends, they had no family, and they had no soul mate. Love was their undoing.

The war had been going fine up until he and Hermione confessed their love. As Ron looked back upon it, really everything terrible sprung from that moment of magical bliss. That moment transformed them both from Harry's best friends, and capable warriors; the war suddenly wasn't the most important thing, _each other_ were.

Silently, Ron wondered if Hermione had stayed with Aragog as he had intended, and they had never confessed to each other, would they have won the war? Would they be celebrating with Dumbledore and the others back at Hogwarts, with Harry's picture on the front page of paper? If they had just stayed by Harry's side, would Voldemort and evil be gone?

Slowly, Ron nodded his understanding. This time had to be different. He loved Hermione with every fiber of his being but he and Hermione were the leaders this time around. They both had to fill Harry's shoes as heroes. They couldn't let personal feelings get in the way of their focus. They just couldn't. Too much was at stake.

Looking down, Ron's eyes met hers, blue on brown. Both pairs of eyes were vulnerable; this was a measure of connection. _She understands_, He thought to himself, _She knows what we have to do. _

And in that instant, they understood each other perfectly.

Without another word, they broke apart, and grudgingly got out of bed. In silence, they both began to get dressed.

Ron pushed up the baggy sleeves of his shirt and got out his wand. He had to think. Taking a deep breath and reeling in his concentration, Ron closed his eyes.

The next moment when he looked down, he was dressed in the same outfits Lupin had advised he and Harry wear before the first war. Personally, Ron had laughed at the pictures Lupin had showed him. He rather thought he looked like a medieval pompous knight in the getup. Harry had grinned at him and teased, forever afterwards calling him Knightly.

As Ron surveyed himself in the mirror, he still agreed with his previous thoughts; but for some reason he didn't mind the costume anymore. Maybe it was the memory attached to the outfit that made the difference. Because when Ron looked in the mirror he saw Harry, as if Harry was sewn right into every stitch.

And suddenly his heart swelled and emotion threatened the silence. Harry was still with him. Harry was inside of him. And it was Harry he needed today most of all. _Stay with me mate,_ He thought, _you have to help me. I'll need every ounce of that bloody courage you had. _

And almost as if he had no control over his muscles, Ron watched with wonder and amazement as his face twitched into a smile only capable of a Potter.

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As Ron opened the door and stepped into the hallway, the smell of his mother's cooking immediately overtook his senses. Taking a deep waft in just like he always had, he made his way to the kitchen, with Hermione following right behind him.

"Ron" Molly Weasley said softly as all conversation died in the kitchen. Everyone looked up at them and there was a moment of silence, a moment in which everyone looked at each other. No one needed to say anything; everyone felt it.

Clearing his throat, Lupin stepped forward with a fake smile pasted on his face. "Why don't you two eat up and then we can talk." He said

Ron nodded thankfully and led Hermione over to the small stove his mother had prepared breakfast on. Conversations started up again but much more quietly than they'd been carried before.

Ron and Hermione didn't eat much, their minds more concerned on the conversations or lack of occurring around them. Mr. Weasley was talking in a low voice with Fred and George about charms; Ginny was engaged in a debate with Bill that—given different circumstances—would have been a lively one. Mrs. Weasley talked with Tonks and Lupin about breakfast, not wanting to think much further into the future. Neville was there, conversing with Mad Eye Moody and another Order member who was demonstrating for Neville how to properly dismantle a Death Eater.

It was a strange sight to see, Ron thought, to watch people prepare themselves for death. They could talk about last minute charms or spells, but no one dared to talk about the war; no one dared to make last minute promises, or share a few last minute confessions. It seemed as if everyone had left their personal baggage with them last night…acting as if this was a one-day mission that would soon be over with. Ron found it both unsettling and admirable.

Finished with breakfast now, Ron turned to Lupin on his right and said under his breath. "So what's the plan exactly?"

"Dumbledore should be here any moment." He said, his face solemn. "He'll give last minute instructions. Do you have everything you need?"

Ron nodded yes. He had his wand.

"N-Now Ron, I'll have to warn you, the Order talked it over last night and we've all come a decision that I'm not too sure you'll be fond of."

Ron stared at the man. "What is it?" He asked,

"You have to promise not to try to resist it. The Order voted unanimously."

Ron's heartbeat started to pick up…what was he getting at? "Just tell me what it is," He snapped. Lupin looked taken aback and Ron regretted being so short with him. "Sorry" He said quickly.

Lupin didn't appear fazed; "The Order has decided that you and Hermione will be covered with invisibility cloaks until the time is right."

At first, the words didn't register in his head. Invisibility cloaks…what was the big deal? He'd been under an invisibility cloak since before his voice had changed. Why did Lupin think he'd be u—then it hit him. "What about the rest of you?" He asked suddenly, looking at Lupin intensely.

The man hesitated and Ron knew what he was about to say. "Don't! Lupin we don't need to be covered up and protected anymore! You lot have tried to protect us since we were eleven-years-old! I would have thought we'd proved ourselves by now!"

"You have," Lupin said firmly "But this isn't one of your twelve-year-old schemes Ron. This is war. You and Hermione are our hope; we can't take any chances. You both need this protection!"

"We don't _need_ anything Lupin! I mean bloody hell just look at us! We're not kids anymore!"

"Would you stop acting like one and listen like an adult then!" Lupin cried, banging his fist on the table.

Lupin's words hurt, but Ron wasn't backing out of this. He couldn't let this happen. He had to change tactics.

"We're going to be out there fighting with the rest of you." He said with intensity, although his volume had decreased considerably which was a start. "Of all people you should put someone like Ginny under that cloak!"

"No Ron" Lupin hissed, his eyes glowing. Ron stopped; he'd never seen Lupin like this. "I told you, this isn't up for discussion. You and Hermione will be under the cloak and the rest of us will not."

Ron was getting desperate now. "Lupin I'm begging you. This is craziness. What good will this do? What purpose will it serve?"

"Are you not thinking Ron?" Lupin cried, "Voldemort wants you dead! He wants you both dead! Does that mean nothing to you!"

"IT DOES MEAN NOTHING!" Ron cried, his voice much louder than he had intended. All conversations stopped immediately and Hermione looked at him with concern. Shit. "Voldemort wanted Harry dead for years." He whispered to Lupin, avoiding all of the pairs of eyes that were now on him and his old Professor.

"And Harry is now dead." Lupin said gravely, looking Ron square in the face. "You of all people should now understand what Voldemort is all about. No matter how long it takes, he makes it his personal mission to follow through with his threats."

Ron felt trapped. He couldn't let this happen! He couldn't stand on the battlefield, wrapped in an invisibility cloak and watch his friends and family die and do nothing! He just couldn't!

Ron looked up. All conversations had died away, and everyone was now looking onto this exchange with interest or sadness in their eyes. Ron's eyes found Hermione's and he looked away quickly. She was reading his mind again and he couldn't let her do that.

Facing Lupin again, he tried to reel his emotions in; he had to act like a man. "So maybe the cloaks would buy us a few minutes. What good will those do? Hermione's one hell of a fighter, with our numbers we need someone like that out there! What good will it do if she's wrapped up in an invisibility cloak!"

In the corner of his eye, Ron saw Hermione smile faintly at his words.

Lupin sighed, and stood up, placing two hands on Ron's shoulders. "Because" He said honestly, lowering his voice. "If anyone can destroy Voldemort it's you two. None of us have a clue what the 'power the Dark Lord knows not' is but our guess is that it has something to do with you. I don't think I need to tell you that this is our only shot. We need to keep you both alive until the very last moment when you can find Voldemort. Ron, I know you don't like the idea but it's our only hope." Ron looked up at the man's face. He'd lost so much to be so young, and yet…he was still able to be so strong. How was that possible? Noting that he held Ron's undivided attention, Lupin repeated himself. "It's our only hope."

At his words of closure, Ron lowered his head. This was it; he had no choice. He couldn't refuse words like that. But as Ron raised his head to look around the room at the faces of those he loved, he felt tears prick his eyes. He blinked furiously, he couldn't cry. He'd left his emotional baggage behind him hadn't he? He and Hermione had agreed to not think thoughts like the ones racing through his head. He couldn't show weakness like this, not right before…

"Shh…" Ron heard a familiar voice soothe him as he felt a pair of timid arms hug him. "It's okay. We're all going to be fine."

Ron almost laughed at that; that such simple words and such a small gesture could make his reserve break down. Hugging Ginny tightly, Ron put his head on her shoulder and breathed deeply. He wasn't going to cry…he wasn't going to cry.

As he pulled away from his little sister, Ginny gave him a small smile that Ron returned. He looked up at their audience. All of the women had tears in their eyes, and some of the men as well. Yet no one was crying.

"R-Ron. You're doing the right thing." Tonks said softly.

"We want you two to survive." Neville agreed quietly.

"If there's any question that you can be the ones to defeat Voldemort, then we're going to do everything in our power to help you." Kingsley said honestly.

The other Order members nodded.

"We couldn't save Harry, but we're going to do our best to save you both." Bill spoke tenderly, "We have to let the Golden Trio survive."

The Weasley family nodded enthusiastically at this.

Ron found himself choked up. "I-It's just that--"

"We're willing to die for you!" Fred cried out suddenly.

"This isn't just about you Ronnekins" George smiled faintly, "This is about the cause. We're all fighting for the same thing here. It's just that some of us might be more useful as corpses."

That statement sent a chill through Ron that even Ginny's warm hand on his shoulder couldn't chase away.

Hermione, who hadn't said anything, rose slowly and walked over to Ron; facing these people they loved. "We're willing to die too," She said without a waver in her voice.

There was silence, broken only by the quiet sobs of Mrs. Weasley. Ron looked around the room, most everyone was on the brink of tears themselves, but not another tear was shed. If this was any indication to their strength, then Ron felt reassured.

Everyone in this room had lost somebody. Many people still didn't know exactly what they'd lost or how many loved ones were now lying dead. They'd faced war in all its ugliness and brutality. But they'd survived. And as if that weren't enough, they were all _willing_ to go back and do it all over again.

And it was in this moment that Ron Weasley realized what kinds of people he had in his life.

They were all heroes.

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Dumbledore provided no words of wisdom, no food for thought, no last minute pep talks. What he had to say was brief and to the point.

"This portkey will transport you back up to the surface." He produced a small toothbrush from his cloak pocket. "From there on, you are to follow the person in front of you as quietly as you can. Based on inside information, the Death Eaters have set up camp in the most secluded part of the Forbidden forest. We will go there and attack."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Dumbledore continued. "Tonks had selflessly volunteered to act as a distraction to the Death Eaters right before we attack. She'll be under the influence of a polyjuice potion previously prepared to appear like Ginny Weasley."

At this, Ron whipped his head around to face Tonks and Ginny who were smiling slightly to themselves. Ron's heartbeat had quickened. How could Tonks do such a thing? And why of all people did she have to appear as Ginny?

Ginny caught his eye and must have read the expression on his face because she whispered to him, "Anything I can do to help," before focusing her attention back on Dumbledore.

Too numb now to respond to anything, Ron simply turned his attention back to Dumbledore as well, amid the thoughts zipping through his mind.

"I'm afraid that's all I have for you. Lupin, if you don't mind, the invisibility cloak please." Dumbledore said politely as Lupin brought back the shining cloak. "There we are. Now Ron and Hermione you two are under orders to stay under this cloak until you come face to face with Voldemort, do you understand?"

All attention turned to them and Ron felt himself go red with the sudden attention. "Yea" He mumbled,

Dumbledore's gaze seemed to linger on his a moment longer, but then he nodded and turned his attention back to the toothbrush. "Alright then, one by one, grab the portkey. Alastor, I believe we discussed that you would go first."

"That's right" Moody said gruffly, pushing himself to the center of the room, where the sacred toothbrush lay on a levitated stone. In one fluid motion, he grabbed the toothbrush, and with a sound, disappeared.

Silence was all that was left. For a moment, no one moved, each examining the others to see who would go next. Without a word, Fred and George stepped up to the plate.

"See you all up top!" George said enthusiastically, although Ron noted a tremor in his voice.

"Good luck all!" Fred said with a soft smile, and with that the twins disappeared.

One by one the room slowly emptied until finally Hermione's eyes found his, and with a nod they stepped up. Heart pounding, Ron looked at Hermione, her nervous brown eyes darting back and forth. "You ready?" He asked,

She bit her lip and nodded. And with that, they both gripped the toothbrush and felt a familiar tug as they left their refuge and landed with a hard thump onto the very floor of hell.

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(A/N: What'd you think? Let me know!)


	40. Chapter Fourty: The Cries of the Dead

(A/N: I'm sure many of you were rather surprised to receive an update from me, and to be honest with you all, I was rather surprised that this never-ending project of a chapter was finally completed! As I'm sitting here typing this I do realize that I probably have lost readers and reviewers due this abnormally long update (Can you believe it's been 3 months!) but I completely understand. One of my biggest pet peeves is when authors don't finish stories. So I can completely understand if many of you simply gave up on me ever updating this story. But for the record I would like to reassure those of you who have asked me before if I'd ever abandon this story: I will NEVER abandon any story! That said, this chapter has probably been not only the hardest to write but also the most complicated. I realized as I began writing this that I had never written out detailed plans of what was to happen! So basically it was back to the drawing board for me again and with the life I have I'm afraid to say there were many, many other things that took priority to my writing. But I'm absolutely thrilled to be back and can't wait to hear from you all again! I estimate probably only three more chapters of this story sadly but I can't wait to write the ending! Anyways, thank you again for being so supportive and understanding and here for you is the longest chapter I've ever written: a smacking 22 pages! Enjoy! Much love, Haystack)

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CHAPTER FOURTY: THE CRIES OF THE DEAD

_Gray _was the first thought that hit Ron as he looked around himself. Slowly, as if in a trance, Ron got up and brushed the dirt off himself and examined his surroundings, never taking his eyes off the horizon…or what was left of it.

The trees were all bare, their barks stripped off and their leaves gone. The sky was an ugly smog color and the ground mirrored it. Gone was the lush grass he and his friends had laid upon, dirt replaced it all.

Everything was dirty and covered in a thick layer of debris; the air was thick and hard to breathe. The place was unrecognizable and it hurt Ron to know that this was the place he'd called home for most of his life.

The group, led by Mad-Eye began to move; walking into the Forbidden forest. Suddenly remembering the invisibility cloak, Ron looked around him frantically.

"Hermione!" He called out in a harsh whisper. "Hermione, where are you?" The group had moved ahead, he was losing sight of them. He had to find her! "Hermione!" He repeated, his eyes darting everywhere for her.

"Sh…I'm right here," She whispered, taking off the invisibility cloak just enough for him to see her head. "Come on, get under!"

Breathing a sigh of relief, he walked towards her and ducked underneath the cloak. "You scared me," He admitted as they began to catch up with the group.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, taking his hand in hers. Ron looked at her for a moment, then brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it.

"I want you right here the whole time" He whispered, "Never leave my side,"

Hermione looked at him with sad eyes, "I won't," She agreed.

"Good, Let's go," He said, breaking into a brisk walk.

"Careful!" Hermione said, "We're not supposed to make a sound remember?"

Ron slowed down the pace and looked down at his feet. There were so many twigs; this was going to be impossible!

Yet somehow, they managed to catch up with the group without cracking a twig. They were entering the forest now.

Ron looked up at the former trees and felt his stomach tighten. They were going to have another battle, probably worse than the first. Trying to keep his mind occupied, he looked around him as they walked along the dirt path he and Hermione had traveled more than anyone else they were now following.

But the browns and the grays soon molded together; and Ron found that the scenery could no longer hold his attention as they forged ahead deeper into the forest. Tonks (disguised as Ginny) and the real Ginny were right in front of them and that was the way Ron preferred it. He'd failed at keeping his little sister safe last time around, this time he would die before he left her in a similar position.

But suddenly, the group stopped. Unknowingly, Ron continued to walk, bumping into Ginny. "Oi!" He hissed under his breath, but Ginny didn't respond. Instead, her eyes were glued to the forest floor. Tonks let out a gasp. "What?" Ron whispered, trying to see around them. No one answered.

Thoroughly annoyed and a little scared with the way people were acting, Ron turned to Hermione. Hermione was breathing very fast; her eyes were huge, and she was staring at something on the ground as if it was a Dementor.

Slowly, due to a sudden surge of fear that swept through his body, Ron looked down.

It was so unnoticeable at first that for a moment, Ron panicked; believing everyone was seeing things. But then he saw it, trickling slowly and surely around his feet.

He was standing in blood.

Sudden drums pounded as Ron's breathing increased as he looked up to see where the blood was coming from. He didn't have to look very far.

With a plopping sound, something landed on Tonk's arm. She slowly put her hand to it, the unmistakable red color staining her hands. With a gasp as she realized what it was, she whipped her head above her.

There, hung by the neck, swinging gently in the wind was the corpse of Draco Malfoy.

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Ron's ears buzzed. He'd never been more confused in his life. It couldn't be Malfoy. Not the boy who'd wanted to be a Death Eater since birth! Not Malfoy, the boy who'd worshipped the Dark Arts and loved evil. It didn't make sense…

But there was no denying it. Draco Malfoy was swaying in the trees, dead. His blond hair whipped around his face in the wind, his once aggressive body, now limp, his eyes wide open and his face contorted into one of utmost torture. Ron quickly looked away, his breath picking up speed. He was shaking. He shut his eyes tightly, wishing to forget that image for the rest of his life.

A soft hand was placed on his shoulder. Ron opened his eyes weakly to look at Hermione but she wasn't looking at him. A look of repulsion was clearly written on her face and something else that was hard to place. After a few moments, she looked away, meeting Ron's glance. Her brown eyes were dull and it was then that Ron understood what he was feeling. He could see it mirrored in her eyes; it was guilt.

"What does it say?" Ron heard Ginny whisper

They both heard Ginny's words and they both internally grimaced. _No more_, Ron thought desperately. Hermione took a deep breath and it was plain to see his thoughts were echoed in her mind.

But the mere thought of what was to come, gave Ron enough courage to break eye contact with Hermione. He'd have to look if he had any shot at facing the next few hours. Hermione appeared to take his hint and turned her head around as well to see where Ginny was pointing.

The word _traitor_ was written in blood.

_Traitor…traitor…_the word echoed in Ron's brain. Malfoy was a traitor? How could that be? Nothing was making sense anymore.

Ron looked around him. Everyone else looked confused as well. Ginny looked saddened, "All this time and he really had some good in him" She whispered, "Doesn't seem possible."

"What a way to die…" An Order member whispered sympathetically

"If only he'd given some kind of indication that he wasn't on their side…" Another member said

"He couldn't have done that," Molly Weasley said, "Not with the father he had."

"Why did he wait until the last moment?" Mad Eye Moody asked gruffly. "He was so far in, there was no use in turning back for moral reasons. He should have just played it out to the end."

"Because," Hermione said, in that simple voice she had. "It's obvious he was asked to do something he couldn't. I bet he figured it was better to be praised as a martyr than as a villain for all of eternity."

Ron tried to swallow but there was a lump in his throat. A lump in his throat? Why was getting so upset about Malfoy's death? He himself had wished for death to claim the arrogant Slytherin many times during school! Shouldn't he be happy? Shouldn't he be pleased that his wish had come true?

But he was never really on their side

He felt sick to his stomach; guilt penetrating through it. Standing up proved difficult and he grabbed desperately onto Hermione's arm. She turned around at the contact.

"Ron are you alright?" She asked concerned, her statement gathering everyone's attention.

Ron paled at the sudden attention. He couldn't be honest with an audience like this. "Y-yea" he stammered, "I'm fine."

His words were enough to convince the group as most turned around. Hermione, Ron knew, didn't believe a word of it.

"I feel bad too," She whispered, as she placed both hands on top of his arms. "All that time spent--"

"You were better than Harry and me!" Ron suddenly snapped. "I was the worst! You have to admit it! Think of all the times you had to hold me back from pounding the creep!"

Hermione looked taken aback by this sudden outburst. Yet for some reason unknown to him, she stepped closer to him and laid her hand on his chest. "You were loyal to me and Harry." She said softly, "He threatened both of us at times and you loyally stepped in front of us. I threatened him before, but I never physically attacked him because I knew I could count on you to protect me. You always had Harry's best interests and mine at heart, and that's why I've always loved you. But you shouldn't beat yourself up about it--especially going into this—because we didn't know. If we had, we'd have acted differently I promise. I know the kind of man you are Ron Weasley and no matter what you might think, you are not a killer or a monster at heart." She smiled up at him and Ron couldn't help but feel better at her words.

He took her hand into both of his, "Have I ever told you how brilliant you are?"

Hermione smiled, "Once or twice."

Ron chuckled slightly "Let's go," he said, as they turned around to face the disapproving face of Kingsley.

"I hope that's the last display of affection we'll see from you two." He said sternly. "There can be no more of that. I thought that was clear when we left."

Ron blushed and nodded, the mood shifting from humor to one of utmost seriousness. "We're sorry," Hermione said "And we understand."

Kingsley nodded curtly and walked away, motioning for the group to follow him yet again. Ron stole a glance at Hermione as they began to trudge along the dirt path of the forest. She was biting her lip; the lighthearted comment of a few moments ago now just a memory as the reality of what they were about to do suddenly came crashing down.

They'd meet Voldemort tonight.

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Ron was reviewing spells in his head. There hadn't many times in his life Ron had actually done this, but as his brain counted off four more charms, he found the exercise as calming as it was stimulating. It gave him confidence in his magical abilities, yet at the same time provided reason for panic. What if he couldn't remember spells needed to save Hermione if she got hurt?

After all this time, Ron was becoming accustomed to that feeling of dread and fear building up in his stomach, yet as they kept walking deeper into the forest new feelings suddenly arose. For the first time, he was struck by a sense of bitter irony.

They were traveling their way through the Forbidden forest, once _forbidden_, now a haven and hiding place. Draco Malfoy who had once been rumored to be the heir of Slytherin himself, the next obvious Death Eater, and a man as cold and heartless as his father, had turned to the very side he'd loudly described many times before as foolish and unwise and the predictable losers. Harry had once subjected to the name The-boy-who-lived, yet now was The-boy-who-died. In the end the Ministry officials had come crawling on their knees to Dumbledore--the very man they had helped to ruin. Ron and Hermione had danced around their feelings for years, partly to avoid losing Harry; yet in the end it hadn't mattered, they lost Harry anyways.

Ron shook his head, the realizations too much to comprehend. It was _bitter_ irony all right; in the end no one had been right, and everything was turned upside down.

So caught up in his thoughts, Ron hardly noticed that the group had stopped and an eerie silence had fallen upon the whole forest.

They were there.

Just a few precious feet away, Death Eaters sat around a campfire eating, talking, and just sitting around. Some were fighting, others were sleeping, but overall it was clear that they were all gathered there for a purpose. And Ron knew only one thing that could be.

Ron looked around, as he watched with a sickening feeling as the Order and other members made eye contact with each other. It was a silent goodbye and an even more silent good luck wish. His eyes fell on his Mum. _I love you,_ they said, _please be careful and come back to me alive. _Ron nodded, ignoring the pounding of his heart. _I'm proud of you,_ his father's eyes said, _Watch out for yourself. We love you even if we didn't say it,_ Fred and George's eyes said, _Good luck_. _You're ready for this_, Lupin's eyes said. Ron nodded his head once to show he appreciated the encouragement despite the squirming in his stomach.

He scanned the crowd trying to catch certain people's attentions but everyone was busy looking at other people. But one pair of eyes distinctly caught his, as if they were waiting for them_. T-Thanks for everything_, Ginny's eyes said, _I love you_. A lump rose in Ron's throat, he wanted to hug his sister one last time, wanted to say a million things he hadn't ever thought of before but all he could manage to communicate was a simple, _I love you too_. But Ginny seemed appreciate that more than anything as she blew a kiss to him and then quickly turned away in order to prevent herself from breaking down in tears.

Ron took a breath, steadying himself before he turned around to face the hardest pair of eyes yet. Hermione was waiting for him patiently, her eyes brimming with simple love. The intensity of her gaze caught him off guard and made his heart ache. He searched for words to communicate to her, but nothing summed up what he was feeling right now. _I have no regrets_, Hermione's chocolate eyes said, _and I'm not afraid to die. If we stay together, we'll be fine and we'll…be together, either in life or death. _Ron wanted to shake her for saying such things, but instead he said, _Nothing will keep us apart, I love you more than anything in the world and will give my life for you in a second. You're never leaving my side until this thing is over._ Hermione nodded and after one last longing look, looked toward the Death Eater encampment.

Kingsley motioned with his finger and Tonks (disguised as Ginny) began walking around the camp so that she was caught somewhere far away from where the Order was. At the sight, Ron was struck by her bravery. She walked with her head held high despite the fact that everyone knew she was marching to her death. Her knees shook a little but she never faltered.

He felt something cool brush his skin and realized that Hermione had thrown the invisibility cloak around them. He scooted closer to her so that the cloak covered himself completely, his heart beginning to pound as he heard Hermione's shaky breaths….it was really beginning. This was it.

Ron's eyes were glued to Kingsley who would give them the signal. He tried to slow his breathing but it didn't seem to be working. He was clenching his fists together as tightly as he could, his knuckles white with anticipation. Finally, Kingsley turned to them and gave the signal, also putting a finger to his lips to remind them they couldn't make a sound.

Ron had forgotten about that part of it.

Standing up slowly, his knees weak, Ron and Hermione began walking—going the opposite direction Tonks had gone.

_Not a sound, not a sound,_ Ron reminded himself in his head. How were they going to do this? There were twigs and rocks and branches everywhere! _Go slowly, _his mind said, _very, very slowly. They'll wait till you're in position._

With that settled, Ron looked down at his feet, determined not to look up until they were there. Things were going relatively well; they hadn't snapped a branch or anything although the shifting of dirt was heard a couple of times. They'd made quite a bit of progress—the walk hadn't been that far to begin with—and were nearing the Death Eater encampment.

_Slowly,_ he reminded himself. _Don't panic, don't rush, just go slowly._

But no matter how slowly Ron's feet were moving; his heart just seemed to be picking up speed. He could see the Death Eaters now. They would have to cross over into the camp for a few feet before going back into the woods. This would be the most dangerous part.

He paused and spared a look at Hermione. Ron couldn't place the look she gave him before they took a deep breath and began the walk into the camp. They were invisible, but that didn't mean someone couldn't run into them. They had to watch the sounds they made, as well as other Death Eaters.

Ron devised a system that seemed to be working. He'd look down for three seconds and look up for one to quickly scan where the Death Eaters all were.

_Just a little more,_ Ron thought eagerly, anxious to get this part over with. _Just a little more and we should be home free. _

But the sound of commotion in the camp made Ron quickly snap his head up.

"Who is that?"

"What the hell?"

"She's just walking through the forest?"

"No you idiot, she's running. She's trying to escape!"

"Let's get her!"

Within moments, most of the camp had emptied as Ron watched, horrified, as the Death Eaters charged after Tonks. They swooped down upon her and grabbed her, despite all her struggles.

"Let me go!" She screamed in a voice so like Ginny's it made Ron wonder if it really _was_ his sister.

"Bring her over there boys, we'll have some fun with her!"

"NO! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! HELP! HELP!" Tonks voice echoed throughout the forest.

The Death Eaters easily brought Tonks back to camp and sat her down in a chair in the middle, four Death Eaters holding her down.

"Who is it?" One Death Eater asked

"Ask Lucius, he'll know!" Another asked excitedly as he scanned the crowd of Death Eaters that hadn't run after Tonks. "Lucius! Over here!"

Lucius Malfoy took his time, relishing in the fact that he held superior knowledge over the majority of the Death Eaters. When he arrived, the Death Eaters split for him and he approached Tonks with a wicked smile on his face. "My, my, what do you boys have here?" He said in a lazy tone

"Who is she?" The first Death Eater asked,

Lucius chucked, "You don't know! Isn't it obvious? Red hair, freckles, reckless determination and stubbornness…boys meet Ginny Weasley"

An audible gasp was heard from most of the group. "Potter's girl?" One asked

Lucius nodded and leaned in towards Tonks so that he was eye level with her. "Miss Weasley I'm afraid you've landed yourself in quite a spot of trouble." Tonks only replied with a look of anger in her eyes. Lucius laughed to himself, "Do you know who I am?"

Tonks paused for a moment before spitting in Lucius' face. It took a moment for the action to register with the group as they let out a loud yell. Lucius slowly wiped the spit off his face, his anger now plainly evident. "I know who you are you sick bastard!" Tonks said quietly, but loud enough for Lucius to hear.

Lucius spun around, his face close to purple. "CALL THE DARK LORD!" He shouted

"What? Why can't we just kill her now?" A Death Eater asked

"Because you fool," Lucius hissed, "She obviously has been hiding somewhere, probably with others. She can lead us to her brother and the Mudblood."

As Hermione lost her balance, Ron quickly held her in place, both breathing hard. _Thank Merlin for Quidditch_, Ron thought to himself. They were frozen in place, the senior Malfoy's words echoing in their minds. _So they really are looking for us,_ Ron thought as his heart sped up even more, _they're hunting us like they Voldemort hunted Harry all those years. _

_If only they knew how close we were now. _

That thought suddenly grounded Ron as the sound of hurried footsteps was heard. Voldemort was coming, they were going to torture Tonks, and the war would break out soon. They needed to get out of here now!

"Look my Lord! Evanston found her!"

"Shut up!" Voldemort snapped. Silence descended upon them. He was thinking. Finally deciding on the easiest method first, he approached Tonks.

Ron nudged Hermione, cocking his head in the direction of the forest. "Let's go!" he mouthed.

But Hermione didn't respond, instead she put up a finger telling him to wait, and stepped a little closer.

Ron kept trying to catch her attention, but she wouldn't budge.

Tonks raised her chin (although not as defiantly) and wiped her face of emotion. She'd prepared for this moment and had studied Ginny enough to know how she would respond to things. She obviously had done her homework. If Ron hadn't known any better, he would have thought she'd met Voldemort before. But no matter what Tonks did, there was no hiding the terror in her eyes. Voldemort saw that…and he began to feast.

"Well well…we meet again Miss Weasley." Voldemort said in a low lazy voice, "Perhaps you don't remember the last time we met. You were quite smaller then, a mere child. Yet look at you, you're a woman now! A woman with curves as well I see…" He said as he reached out a hand to touch "Ginny's" breast.

Ron stepped forward, anger boiling in his veins and steam coming out of his ears. This thing was responsible for the death of his best mate, his classmates, his professors…and countless others. He'd destroyed lives forever, torn families apart, and evoked fear in the hearts of people everywhere. And now he was touching his sister's breast! Well, technically it wasn't his sister, but Voldemort didn't know that.

But Tonks wasted no time in slapping his hand away…hard.

Voldemort withdrew his hand but he was smiling, amused by her retaliation. "Yes well, I have changed too haven't I? You witnessed me in a form that few can remember existed. Most people forget I was once Tom Riddle, student of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry."

If Ron wasn't intrigued before, he was now. Hermione and he moved even closer, needing to hear every word.

"You haven't changed, you're still just a man." She gritted through her teeth

Voldemort chuckled, "That is where you are mistaken. You see, after I killed Harry Potter, I claimed eternal life. No one can harm me, only Potter had the chance and he blew it."

Ron's hands were clenching.

Tonks was breathing heavily, getting worked up at the mention of Harry.

"Yes it hurts doesn't it? It hurts to know that I killed off your precious boyfriend slowly and painfully. That the coward backed off, didn't give me the fight I'd prepared all these years for, and gave up. It hurts to know you weren't enough to keep him alive doesn't it? You weren't worth surviving for. That--"

"DON'T YOU SAY THAT YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" 'Ginny' screamed, trying to stand up but the Death Eaters holding her back. She flung her arms out as if they were claws and she was trying to scratch him.

"Smack him!" Hermione whispered under her breath.

Ron's rage hurt to keep under control.

"Ha, ha, ha" Voldemort laughed, as he continued to watch his Death Eaters struggle to hold 'Ginny' back. Then, uncharacteristically he stopped. He leaned forwards to the livid Tonks and said quietly. "Do you know what I'm going to do with you Miss Weasley?"

Tonk's eyes grew wide. Ron stiffened.

"I'm going to ask you one time where you've been hiding all this time." Lucius nodded approvingly. "Then I'm going to ask you where your brother and the Mudblood are. That's all you get, two tries to answer me. Are you ready?"

Hermione's grip on the cloak was making her knuckles turn white.

"Where have you been hiding Miss Weasley? I want a place, and I want names."

Tonk's eyes darted around. It appeared that she was trying to come up with a lie._ Don't do it, _Ron's mind screamed. She looked down and bit the insides of her cheeks.

"No?" Voldemort drawled, "Alright then. Tell me _Ginny_, where are Granger and Weasley?"

At this, Tonks distinctively met Voldemort's eyes, a somber expression on her face. "They're dead," she whispered.

_Damn!_ Ron thought internally. Voldemort could see through lies…there was no way he'd believe it. She'd be worse off than before if she…

Voldemort searched her face for a moment, as if the correct answer was written upon it. Tonk's was spectacular; Ron could see no giveaways on her face, even in her—

"YOU LIE!" Voldemort suddenly screamed as he struck Ginny across the face and she fell onto the floor. Voldemort seized upon her like a hawk on prey, grabbing her by the neck and pulling her onto her feet. Tonks couldn't breathe, her face turning a deep shade of red.

"No!" Ron heard Hermione whisper.

"CRUCIO!" Voldemort screamed as he suddenly let go of Tonk's neck, letting her fall the ground as the curse hit her body.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" She cried in agony as the insides of her body were set on fire.

Hermione cringed and covered her ears. Ron's grip on her was tight, trying desperately to block out the sounds of her screaming. This was it; they had to get out of here, to a safer place. He began to move, holding onto Hermione's arm as he did so.

"No Ron, no!" She whispered fiercely, fighting him back, tears welling up in her eyes.

"AHH!" Tonk's screams were in the background

"Hermione come on! We need to get out of here!"

"Please Ron…" she said weakly, fighting him as he dragged her along. "S-She's--"

"--dying, I know!" He snapped, pulling her still, "We need to be far away from here when she does!"

"Stop! Ron stop!"

"No! Hermione come on!" He said as he stepped over some smaller twigs. They were making too much noise!

"Please don't---"

"Ahhh!" Ron cried out as his foot caught on the root of a tree and he fell down onto the ground, dragging Hermione with him.

And as Ron felt the slippery material slowly slide off him, the world and everything going on stopped.

Voldemort and his Death Eaters stopped what they were doing, staring at the couple in shock. Tonk's screams stopped and sudden fear exploded in her eyes. Yet no one moved, everyone stayed exactly where they were.

Ron winced and froze, praying _maybe they don't see. _Maybe they could just slowly get up and yank the cloak back on. Maybe if they were careful…

"WHAT THE HELL!"

"IT'S WEASLEY AND GRANGER!"

Ron's eyes snapped open and as quickly as he could, jumped up onto the ground. The two looked back as the group of Death Eaters began charging after them. Whipping their wands out, Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and began sprinting into the woods; not caring if he was going the right direction or not.

Hermione was right behind him, her breathing urging him on despite his spinning mind. The only going through his head right now was "SHIT!"

"GET 'EM!"

Ron pushed harder. Leaping over a tree log, Ron turned a sharp right making Hermione shout with surprise. What had they done! The whole plan was ruined…what were the others going to do?

"STUPEFY!" A familiar voice sudden screamed.

Ron whipped his head to see his mum running towards them, a few others following her.

The confused Death Eaters stopped running for a moment, watching as suddenly the war erupted into a madhouse of confusion and fear. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" One Death Eater shouted as an Order member quickly dodged the curse.

"STUPEFY!" Mad Eye shouted, jumping into the air to avoid a curse aimed at his lower body.

"RON! RUN!" Kingsley yelled, throwing a curse over his shoulder.

Grabbing Hermione's hand Ron began sprinting as Kingsley and the others battled the Death Eaters who (after Kingsley's comment) suddenly remembered who they were trying to kill.

"AHHH!"

"WATCH OUT!"

"GET THEM!"

"HELP!"

"NOOOO!"

"AHHHHH!"

The sounds of war…the sounds of the dead suddenly exploded into the dusk. Flashes of light lit up the forest, the screams that had haunted Ron were back…his nightmare had returned.

Ron could faintly hear the fighting in the background as he and Hermione continued to run, and as the screams of the dying met his ears, Ron suddenly felt weak. He looked at Hermione who had tears already streaming down her face. They both knew what was happening.

Looking at where he was going, Ron realized he had no idea where they were. Trees met their sight in every direction. The camp was no longer visible, and even Kingsley and the others had escaped his sight. Realizing that for the moment they were safe, Ron slowed down his pace, Hermione mimicking him. Quickly, Ron scanned the area and without much thought, pushed Hermione onto the forest floor.

"Ah!" She shouted as she fell to the ground. Ron threw himself onto the ground next to her. For a moment the two just laid there, desperately trying to slow their breathing. Finally Hermione hissed, "What the bloody hell was that for?"

"Shh…" Ron just said, as he waited several moments to make sure no one was coming. "Follow me"

They needed to find cover, at least for now. They needed to stay low, avoid the Death Eaters, and then somehow find Voldemort.

With the coming of footsteps, Ron's heart, which had just slowed down, began to race again. Quickly looking around him, his eyes locked on a particularly thorny bush. Without much thought, Ron pushed through the thick brush to the clearing by the tree it was in front of. Inhaling sharply at the pain, Ron silently cursed himself for this idea. The thorns ripped his clothing and scratched at his skin, piercing it until he emerged on the other side a bloody mess. Hermione wasn't in much better shape.

"Where are they!" A raspy voice shouted, his words echoing throughout the forest, catching Ron and Hermione off guard. The Death Eaters were here.

"I think they must of turned left!"

Ron held a firm grip on his wand. The most important thing was cover right now…he knew as much, resolving not to fight unless needed.

"Don't be stupid!"

"They can't be too far off!"

"Which way?"

"Over here!"

It was hard to hear over the pounding of Ron's heart but after a few moments the voices, and their owners slowly faded away, the footsteps no longer audible.

Hermione let out a long whimper as Ron turned to look at her. Her brown eyes met his and in that moment, Ron had never known such a low. Her eyes were putting his thoughts in bright blazing lights for the entire world to see: It's all our fault. Slowly crawling over to her, Ron put his hand underneath her head as she clung to his ripped shirt with desperation.

"It's all our fault," He whispered hoarsely

"I-I know" She trembled against him before letting her tears flow

For a moment, Ron just held her, clinging to her for support. In his mind he was desperately trying to sort through what to do, but his damned guilt kept interfering.

"What are we going to do?" He whispered, his lips hovering above her ear

Hermione finally lifted her head up, "I don't know." She whispered back, "We need to end this as soon as possible."

"I know" Ron said sadly, simply staring at her.

"Which means we need to--" Hermione

"—find Voldemort" Ron finished with a sigh.

Slowly crawling off and offering her his hand, he stood up, making sure he looked around for Death Eaters. Hermione took it and got up onto her feet shaking her head to get some of the dirt out of her hair. "If people are dying now, this whole thing needs to happen very quickly." She said softly, ignoring the snapping of a twig nearby

"We're skipping ahead to phase three, you do realize that" Ron whispered

Hermione sighed, "I know, but we have to. We screwed this whole thing up, we can fix it." Hermione's hairs stood up on the back of her neck…something wasn't right.

"Alright," Ron said, "let's go" When Hermione didn't follow him, Ron looked back, Hermione's expression one he'd seen before. "What's wrong?" He asked quickly

Hermione's eyes darted around them, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She looked like a cat trying to follow a bird around. Ron took a step closer to her. "Hermione…."

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"DOWN!"

Ron just barely had enough time to narrowly miss the green jet of light that whizzed over his head. Snapping his neck up, he saw a group of Death Eaters suddenly charging after them. Where the bloody hell had they come from! Ron thought to himself before beginning to run.

"Hermione!"

"Just run!" Hermione shouted to him, jumping over a rock as she said it. The Death Eaters were dangerously close

"Where did they come from!"

"I don't know!"

Weaving in between two trees, Ron looked over his shoulder. Seven Death Eaters….Ron's mind spun, calculating what that meant. Together they could take at most about five Death Eaters which, up until now he'd thought to be an impressive number. But suddenly it seemed incredibly small. There was no way they could handle seven. They needed backup.

Following Hermione, Ron took a sharp right deeper into the woods. Good, Ron thought, she's trying to confuse them.

Looking behind him, the Death Eaters didn't appear to look confused. In fact, they looked amused, small glance towards each other completed with secret smirks. But why would they like the fact that they were headed deeper into the forest? Their camp was miles behind them, unless….and then Ron understood.

"Hermione!" Ron shouted, trying to get her attention. She wouldn't look back, "Hermione! Stop!"

"Just a little more boys!" One Death Eater cried out "Almost got em!"

Ron's eyes grew and his heart began pounding furiously. They were headed for a trap!

"HERMIONE!" Ron shouted, desperate now. Instead, she took another sharp right turn, running down between two large rocks and disappearing from Ron's sight.

Ron began sprinting; determined to get to her before the Death Eaters did. Running as fast as he could possibly go, he took the same sharp right turn, almost losing his balance as he did so. And then he heard the scream.

"AHHHHH!"

Ron came to halt as he looked down at the scene in front of him. At least ten other Death Eaters surrounded Hermione who was furiously throwing curses at them. They were grabbing at her and trying to drag her away. "NO! STOP IT! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

It was as if something had gone off in Ron. Running full speed, wand at the ready, Ron took his aim at the Death Eater whose hands were holding Hermione's left arm. "AVADA KEVARA!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, watching to make sure the bastard fell to the ground. Hermione managed in that second to rip her arm away from the surprised Death Eater on her right and run towards Ron who continued to scream the killing curse at the advancing Death Eaters.

But the Death Eaters who had been chasing them had arrived now. They began to run to join their fellow comrades, slowly isolating Ron and Hermione in a circle of black. Out of ideas, Hermione pushed her back to Ron's, using the technique that Harry had taught them all the way back in sixth year. They'd be able to fight more this way but as the fifteen Death Eaters continued to advance Ron knew it'd be a lost cause. They'd been caught. They'd finally been caught.

"Good work" One Death Eater said, apparently the ringleader of this little group. "These two have cause almost as much grief for the Dark Lord as Potter did. He will be very happy to have them in his grasp."

"On three?" Hermione breathed, ignoring what this Death Eater was saying.

"Yea" Ron whispered

"One"

"Two"

"Three"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" They screamed in unison, both of their targets falling to the ground. "AVADA KEDARVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA!" Slowly moving around the circle they were making progress.

The Death Eaters, understanding now, whipped out their wands and just as the words "AVADA--" were raised on the lips of one, the ringleader shouted above the curses, "THE DARK LORD WANTS THEM ALIVE!"

He was killed by one of Hermione's curses but the others had understood. "STUPEFY! STUPEFY!" they chorused

Hermione's reflexes had been built over a long time of intensive training…voluntarily submitting herself to a harder schedule than the boys, who had both gotten their reflexes from Quidditch. These had saved both Ron and Hermione's lives more than once, and they did so again as Ron dodged a curse that Hermione jumped over.

Soon, only six Death Eaters were left, Ron feeling quite impressed with this number especially since they'd been so reckless and been so against the odds. They just needed to finish the job and make a run for it. If only they could—Ron doubled over in pain, the now familiar feeling of a Crucio spell hitting his back and knocking him to the forest floor. His body spastic and on fire, Ron curled up, the pain too much. It felt like a million knives ripping at his skin, like lying in a bed of coals, or walking through a fire…and then he heard the sound of screaming…

Snapping his eyes open despite the pain, Ron frantically looked around him, watching with a horrified expression as he was slowly being dragged away from a screaming Hermione who had been thrown over the shoulder of a Death Eater.

"STOP IT! PUT ME DOWN! RONNN!"

Ron wanted to call out to her but found he couldn't as sudden panic seized him. Hermione was being taken somewhere by Death Eaters, they were being separated; Ron's worst nightmare had come true.

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As Ron's unconscious body slowly disappeared from her sight, tears burned at Hermione's cheeks. How had they gotten there? Hermione didn't bother wiping them away, kicking her capturer again. He grunted and slammed her body against a nearby tree in response. The pain made Hermione's head spin and the whole world go blurry. If only she could lose consciousness too…

She was alone with a Death Eater in the middle of the Forbidden forest heading for Voldemort. But the only thing she could think of was getting back to Ron, who for all she knew could be dead by now.

Stomach churning, Hermione kicked again, this time with every once of energy she had left in her. Just enough to get her feet on the ground…the Death Eater yelped in pain as Hermione fell unceremoniously to the ground. Whipping her wand out of his pocket, she stumbled to her feet shouting, "AVADA KEDAVRA!" without the slightest hesitation.

He fell without a sound.

Breathing heavily, Hermione stood frozen for a moment. _Killing is becoming too easy,_ she thought, _I need to be more careful. _

Looking all around her for Death Eaters, Hermione slowly approached the body of her capturer. The man had been big…his mere size indicated that. The Death Eater robes he wore didn't hide this. Kneeling down beside him, Hermione was surprised at the remorse she felt. _Hadn't he only seconds ago been slamming me into trees?_ She wondered

Tempted to whip the hood off, she knelt at his side, silently debating with herself. Finally deciding, she shook her head and slowly got up. _His face would haunt me for the rest of my life,_ she thought sadly.

Brushing her hair out of her face, Hermione looked around her, trying to remember the way they'd just come. Walking in a small circle, Hermione suddenly realized that she was lost. With no clue as to the right direction, she began to panic. How was she supposed to get to Ron!

_Breathe in; breathe out,_ she reminded herself. _Don't panic, use your head…think! _

Finally deciding on the direction to her right, she began to run. Tall, brown trees towered over her and as Hermione felt the day start to slip away, fear at spending the night alone in the forest began to consume her.

No sign of life was around her. Only distant screams reached her ears. The silence was beginning to make her worry. Keeping a steady pace, she tried to keep her mind occupied. _Think of Ron,_ she repeated over and over, _think of Ron._

But even Ron's face couldn't drive away the fears that were calling for her attention. Images of being surrounded by Death Eaters, meeting Voldemort alone, and stumbling across Ron's body ate at her soul. She shivered. The night air was getting cold.

Pushing farther and farther ahead, Hermione began to question whether or not she was going the right way. She hadn't covered this much difference with her capturer…she should have come across Ron by now, or at least seen some kind of sign as to where he was.

The branches of a bush to her left began to shake.

_Calm down, Don't overreact_, She told herself, _you're hearing things._ Subconsciously though, her pace quickened.

The definite snapping of twigs met her ears next.

_It's alright, just stay calm and use your head. Keep running_

Heart thumping, head spinning, at the sound of footsteps behind her, Hermione paused and stopped.

Silence. Neither person moved.

The seconds drawing out, Hermione squeezed her eyes shut. _This isn't happening!_ She screamed at herself.

And without warning, Hermione began to run.

Feet pounding the dirt, the obvious sound of a second contradicting pair of feet reached her ears and Hermione began to think.

Suddenly turning left, Hermione began weaving between the trees. The person was having difficulty keeping up. Inspired, she began to weave even further, pushing herself further and further away from the path she'd so deliberately chosen.

She was ducking limbs, branches were scratching at her arms and legs, but she never stopped. She was reaching a clearing, the sunset spreading light throughout the forest._ I hope it's not another Death Eater camp_, she thought. But Hermione was suddenly frozen where she was.

There a man sat. Tranquil and peaceful in his posture, looking out at the sunset. He didn't move. Not a single bit.

Something familiar called out to Hermione and she slowly began to inch closer. She knew him…she knew she did! Gaining more confidence as soon as she noticed his normal clothing apparel, Hermione went up to him. "Hello, I--"

The words were stuck in her throat.

The eyes of Argus Filch met hers, eyes turned bloody red and yellow.

His face was the most distorted Hermione had ever seen; chunks of flesh missing where they shouldn't be, burn marks all over his body, and the most horrific of all; hands chopped off and placed artistically in his lap. As Hermione, transfixed with horror, looked down, she saw that this was a trend. The hands held his toes, his lips where his heart should be, and the gap in his chest leaking.

Backing away, hand covering her mouth, she began screaming in gasps. Eyes never leaving the unrecognizable face of Hogwarts' caretaker, Hermione began to run like she never had before.

Falling over a log, she fell to the forest floor. Shaking uncontrollably she sunk to her knees. But as she began rocking back and forth, she had the eerie sense of someone…

She let out a scream as the corpse of Angelina Johnson met her eyes.

Getting up and running again, tears splashing down her face, she turned left, then turned right, falling, and tripping over herself. This isn't happening! She screamed

But suddenly they were everywhere.

Penelope Clearwater's eyes stared her down as she tripped over Michael Corner's body. The two were covered in blood, their eyes pleading, their faces haunting. Hermione began to scream. She couldn't stop.

She was in the land of the dead.

She kept on running, she had to keep running. Spinning around, Blaise Zabini's corpse lay on the forest floor.

Air coming in gaps, body shaking, Hermione leapt over it, her foot coming in contact with a rock. She fell hard onto a branch, sending pain shooting up her shoulder. Sobs racking her body, she squeezed her eyes shut, only to realize that she was lying on something squishy…

Zacharias Smith's arm was bent backwards, his organs visible through his skeletal body. Teeth protruding, ribs poking out, sunken eyes, he'd starved to death. He was someone she didn't know. He was a monster. He was out to get her.

But they all were. They'd come back from the dead. She was walking among the dead.

She couldn't breathe. Even as she began running as fast as she could she couldn't breathe. Clay in her hair, sobs escaping her fragile body, she hobbled along, utterly unaware of where she was.

And then like a slap in the face the footsteps were back. The footsteps that had sent her spiraling into this personal hell, this place where innocent people died, where her friends and classmates were tortured, starved, killed. A place where she now belonged.

They got louder; they were coming closer. Using every bit of strength left, she tried to run faster; tried to ignore the fire in her lungs.

She was going to die now. She knew it as her body collapsed around her. Knew it as she felt herself trip over the body of Cho Chang, whose sharp eyes were the only things Hermione saw as she felt herself slip into obscurity.

The dead were peaceful now.

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	41. Chapter FourtyOne: Till Death do us Part

(A/N: Hey! I realize it's been another ridiculously long update but I'm very excited for this chapter! Things are nearing the end and I can't wait to get to the juicy parts! One general announcement however is that I've made the decision to shorten the lengths of all my chapters and update more frequently. I'm sure it must get tiring waiting so long for an update and I get annoyed with myself for fighting the length battle. So therefore the next chapter should be shorter than most previously and expect a much quicker update! Thank you all for being so patient and staying behind this story! Enjoy! Haystack)

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CHAPTER FOURTY-ONE: TILL DEATH DO US PART

When Ron came to, he was unaware of where he was. But it didn't take long as Hermione's terrified face flashed before his eyes for Ron to kill the three Death Eaters and start this stupid idea of running around the forest.

He felt like he was running in circles, never recognizing anything yet recognizing everything. One thing he knew was that he had to get back to Hermione and that they had to get to Voldemort fast.

_We fucked this thing up_, he thought violently. _Harry would have never acted so rashly. _

But just as quickly as the thought occurred to him, Ron took it back. No, Harry would be right next to Ron. Hadn't Harry always been the one who'd gotten them in trouble with his heroic midnight adventures? Ron found himself smiling slightly at the memory. It'd been a while since he'd been able to think about Harry without feeling weak in the knees as reality slammed into him.

But right now, Ron pushed all thoughts of Harry aside. He needed to think about Hermione. Not knowing who had taken her or where, Ron felt utterly hopeless. Turning left and starting down an all too familiar dirt path, Ron looked at the identical rows of trees. How big was the Forbidden Forest really? Ron felt like he'd spent half of his life in here. Realizing that Hermione would know the answer, Ron felt despair clutch hold of him as he wondered if he'd ever be able to see her again to ask. Tears pushing from within him, Ron swallowed the lump in his throat with difficulty. When he got her back…_if_ he ever got her back…he'd make sure to ask her. That and a million other things that only Hermione would know.

Pushing himself harder forwards, Ron stopped in his tracks. Ever since he'd come to, the distant sounds of the battle had been audible. But suddenly everything had stopped. There wasn't a sound to be heard; everything was deathly silent.

Heart pounding, Ron moved quickly towards a nearby rock and crouched behind it. Something was going to happen…something bad.

It took barely twenty seconds for the explosion to occur. Far off in the distance Ron saw it coming, that red fireball headed towards him. It landed far enough away and gave Ron just enough time to squeeze his eyes shut as he grabbed hold on the rock with all the strength in his body. Even sheltered from the blow, the cool dirt pressed to his stomach, Ron could feel the heat. It was more than Ron had ever experienced; like standing in a furnace or burning hot coals covering his whole body. He screamed out in agony as the fire ate away at his hands that were clenching the rock.

Once the initial fire died out, the debris and smoke came, as if they were scavengers coming for the rest of those who had somehow managed to survive. Face buried deep in the grass and mud, Ron tried to breathe in all the fresh air he could, knowing that if he moved his face a mere centimeter up, his lungs would be filled instantly with deathly gas and smoke.

It took several minutes for the smoke to clear out enough to breathe. His eyes still squeezed shut, Ron concentrated only on breathing; something, Ron decided, he'd taken for granted too often. His lungs felt like they were on fire and Ron longed to suck in a deep breath, one that quenched his dire thirst for air.

Finally, desperate for any air he could get, Ron let go of the rock and stood up. The smell of smoke was still evident but it was thin enough to breathe. Slowly opening his eyes, what Ron saw almost made him fall back with shock.

Where Ron had been walking around the forest, not a soul in sight, suddenly there were people everywhere! Goblins and Giants, Elves, and Wild Creatures from the forest, Witches and Wizards and Death Eaters galore. For the time being, not much fighting was going on, everyone trying to escape the fire. Dead bodies lined the outskirts of the fire and Ron felt sickened as the hungry flames advanced over them; slowly eating them, alive or dead. Deathly screams filled the air, creating a musical sound of its own- a tune that would never leave Ron's head. Standing there with his burnt hands and smoke filled lungs, Ron immediately snapped out of his trance and began running towards the flames.

As he approached, he started recognizing people he knew. Ministry Witches and Wizards shouting orders at each other, some fighting off Death Eaters, some pulling victims from the fire. It was one big chaotic mess. As he continued walking, he felt a pull at his leg. Looking down he yelped in horror.

"R-Ron…" Its hoarse voice pleaded. "Help me p-please!"

Eyes bulging, Ron knelt next to the boy and cradled his head with his hands. "Ernie mate…what the hell happened to you!"

Ernie Macmillan's leg was cut off and there were scars of all sorts over his body. His body…looking more like a skeleton than anything, was obviously deprvied of food. It was a wonder Ron could recognize him…he looked more like a monster from a horror book than the friend and classmate he was. His other foot was on fire.

"Merlin!" Ron shouted as he did the first thing he could think of and began stomping on Ernie's foot to get the flames out.

"Don't worry 'bout it" Ernie said weakly, "I can't even feel it"

As the last ember died, Ron stopped, panting as he looked at his friend. Funy how Ron thought of him as a friend now. _My friends are dying_ Ron thought bitterly, _I don't have a ton of choices. Anyone from Hogwarts is my friend now._

"C-can you just get me away from here?" Ernie asked as his eyes darted back and forth

"Sure thing" Ron said as he grabbed Ernie under his arms and began dragging him away. No one was looking at them, no one was noticing. It was safe enough.

"Where've you been all this time?" Ron grunted as he continued dragging Ernie away.

Ernie winced in pain as his leg hit a branch, "I honestly can't remember everything. It seems like so long ago."

"Tell me about it" Ron said gruffly

"I went out with Hannah and Justin but we got separated real quickly. Next thing I know I'm watching Cho Chang being raped and then killed."

Ron felt a shiver run up his spine. "T-that's horrible"

"Yea… I'd rather not talk about it"

"No that's fine." He said quickly. _That's three_, Ron thought, _three girls I know who've been raped._

"Then suddenly my leg's being cut off by Draco's father who--"

"Lucius?" Ron cut in, anger boiling in his veins.

"Yea him, because I watched him kill Draco."

Ron shut his eyes as his stomach tightened. He hadn't been expecting that. "Y-You saw Draco die?" The words sounded foreign on his tongue, having never referred to Malfoy as Draco before.

"Yea. Ironic but he was on our side the whole time. Can you believe that?"

"Yeah…"Ron said softly, "I can believe that."

"Well anyways, they were going to kill me for what I saw. But at the last minute Zacharias Smith steps in and kills them."

"Smith killed Lucius Malfoy!" He asked, disbelief evident in his voice.

"Saved my bloody neck." Ernie said appreciatively.

"Wow…" Ron said as he let go of Ernie. They were in a secluded area with lots of bushes and trees. They could still see the fire…

Then suddenly Ernie began grabbing at his leg. Unsure at the sudden change, Ron looked up at Ernie. "Ernie mate you okay there?"

Shaking his head back and forth, Ron began to panic. "What's wrong? What hurts?"

"M-m-my leggg!" He stuttered, holding onto the stub with a violent panic

"Your leg?" Ron repeated, kneeling down to look closer at it

"Aaarghhh! Make it stop!" Ernie cried out in pain

Taken aback, Ron looked around for help, "I-I don't know what to do mate!" He cried out. Ernie gasped as his chest began heaving in and out heavily. "Ernie can you breathe!"

Shaking his head miserably, Ron leapt up from where he was kneeling and propped Ernie up. Having no clue as to what he was doing, he took out his wand to conjure up some water. "Hold on" Ron said, as he turned away to perform the magic.

"D-Don't bother" He heard Ernie manage to choke out before he began coughing uncontrollably.

"Just hold on! Here's some water…do you think you can drink it?"

Ernie could only reply with more coughs, coughs that sounded painful coughs that were—Ron dropped the water.

"Y-You're spitting out blood!" Ron cried, his eyes looking at the unmistakable sight of blood all over Ernie and himself. Red splotches covered the dirt surrounding them.

"I know" Ernie said weakly

"You mean this has happened before!"

"Yea, I-I've been real sick ever since--"

"Ever since what!"

"I-I" Ernie moaned, his eyes looking to the skies.

"Ernie! Ernie!" Ron shouted, shaking the Hufflepuff

And with a final roll of his eyes, Ron felt Ernie's body go limp.

Too scared to say anything, words stuck in his throat, Ron sat perfectly still, hoping against all hope that he wasn't really dead.

A sob was preventing him from breathing, his eyes burned with the water built up behind them. But with that final shuddering breath Ron felt his own body weaken as the tears rushed from his blue eyes onto Ernie's body. Slowly gathering it up to his chest, Ron clung to him desperately; cursing everything he could think of to curse.

He hadn't known him that well but he was there. Harry wasn't, his family wasn't, Hermione wasn't…but Ernie was. But now he was gone and Ron really was alone. There were no more shining moments of hope in store.

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"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Hermione whispered, clutching Luna tightly to her as the girl began to sob.

Stepping back and wiping at her tears, Luna offered a watery smile. "No it's okay. I-I just haven't seen anyone since--"

"Here" Hermione said gently, searching in her pocket for something to wipe the mud off Luna's face. Pulling out a blood-soaked tissue she began wiping the mud slowly off the girl's face.

"T-Thanks" Luna said. "I didn't even realize I had something on my face. I don't think about things like that in times like this."

Hermione nodded, agreeing. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen herself in a mirror. The only clues she had as to her appearance were her being pale and skinny from Viktor and beautiful from Ron, which she was sure he was just saying. There was the one time she'd seen her reflection in the puddle of water when she and Ron were before Voldemort but that was so long ago…

"I couldn't believe I found you. I haven't seen anyone _alive_" Luna paused at the word, "for a long time."

Looking around her, Hermione did notice now that there was an unhealthy amount of silence surrounding them. "How long have you been here?" She asked

Luna shrugged. "Probably a few days, I'm not even sure."

Nodding, Hermione looked around them some more. There were the bodies, the debris from Hogwarts lining the ground, the absence of life…it didn't appear too different from other places Hermione had been in the forest.

"Have you been alone here?" Hermione asked, the question striking her. How had Luna survived this unbearable silence? The gazes of the dead?

Luna shook her head feebly. "No…Angelina Johnson was with me for a while. Neville too. But one day he went out looking for water and never came back. Angelina died soon after that. Ever since then, I've been alone."

"Neville's safe." Hermione said softly, "He came to us. Found the Order's hideout somehow."

"Are you sure?" Luna breathed, holding her breath with anticipation.

"Yes he's fine."

Luna let out a long breath and Hermione could almost visually see the relief sweep through her. "I-I was so worried. Angelina and I practically went insane."

"I didn't get to talk with him much" Hermione said quietly, suddenly regretting not spending more moments with Neville before the second war was sprung upon them.

Luna only nodded good-naturedly, almost like old times. She appeared to not have heard, or simply didn't care. Knowing Luna, Hermione guessed it was the latter.

But even despite that, Luna's change was dramatic. Hermione almost felt like she was a new person. Her innocent world of corksharnkers and wizzlebees was gone. Reality had finally gotten a hold of her, the one person Hermione would have never expected.

And with the realization, longing for the past swelled up in her almost immediately.

It was almost a painful aching. Change was one thing, Hermione had known that things would change once she, Harry and Ron were out of Hogwarts. But this…the changes made in such a short period of time. It hurt to reminisce.

Luna apparently had been thinking along those same lines as she asked softly. "Do you know what happened to Harry and Ron?"

Hermione looked to the ground trying her best to keep her face free of emotion. She didn't want to think about that right now. Recalling times of Hell simply took away from Luna's miraculous appearance.

"I almost didn't believe it was you. Not without Harry or Ron. I honestly can't recall a memory of you where you were without one of them. Except in the library of course." Luna said gently, a small smile gracing her lips.

The last comment at least got a sad smile out of Hermione as she looked up to face Luna. This wasn't going to be easy. How was she to go about this? _Better quick and straightforward_, she thought, _Luna of all people can handle that_.

"I'm looking for Ron right now. That's why I was wandering around. We got separated."

"So he's alive then?" Luna asked, trying not to press her for details, but obviously desperate for news.

Hermione soaked in the comfort of delivering good news. "Yes. He's very alive."

"And Harry?"

Hermione made sure to look her straight in the eye. Taking a deep breath to steady herself she said, "Harry's dead."

Why was it that the silence seemed so loud now? As Hermione carefully watched Luna's reaction she was surprised to see only a flicker of pain flash through Luna's eyes. Then a somber expression crossed her face as she nodded slowly, obviously trying to comprehend what Harry's death meant now.

Hermione thought she'd spare her. "Voldemort killed him. Ron and I saw. That's partially what this second war is about. We don't know who can defeat Voldemort now without Harry but we're giving it everything in hopes that something does."

Still nodding, Luna's eyes were darting along the ground. "T-That's good." She seemed unable to form complete thoughts.

Hermione, with nothing more to say looked at her hands, hating the silence. Luna was taking the news better than anyone so far. Maybe it came from her previous encounters with death, or maybe it was her simplistic view of the world; crafted by her constant belief in things others couldn't see, a lifetime of observations. But whatever it was, Hermione was grateful for it especially as Luna whispered, "I'm sorry" before taking her into a hug.

Hermione actually smiled as she hugged the dirty girl. Here was finally someone else who understood.

Backing away Luna's face was urgent. "But what about Ron?"

Hermione bit her lip, her emotions now turning their attention to the old panic and fear she'd felt earlier. "I lost him a while ago. I don't even know where to start looking, I keep getting lost."

"Who took him?"

"Death Eaters"

Luna paled. "He may not have much time then."

Hermione felt her heartbeat quicken having her fears spoken like that. "I-I know."

"Do you have your wand?"

"Yes"

"Good then. You keep a look out. I lost mine a couple hours into the first war."

And with that, Luna grabbed Hermione's hand as she began to run. Shouting over her shoulder she said, "I know the forest well now. If we hurry we might be able to find him."

Hermione breathed a small sigh of relief as she followed close behind.

She wasn't alone anymore.

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Ron could feel the war picking up speed. It was as if a new level had been achieved. Both sides were beginning to get frustrated and a new kind of killing was being evolved. It no longer mattered if you were fighting a Death Eater; you simply killed all of them in your sight. Unfortunately for the outnumbered Order members, that mentality worked both ways.

The screams as well reached a new level of intensity. They were louder, more anguished and there certainly were more of them.

Running in a crowd of Witches and Wizards, Ron cut through them fearing anything that could slow him down.

He'd left Ernie's body and the fire behind him. It had taken several minutes but as the fire approached, Ron knew he'd die if he stayed with Ernie. So using every bit of strength he had, he placed Ernie's head on the ground and began to run away, never once looking back.

And that was where he found himself now. Searching for Hermione. He was still running _for_ something, but he was running _from_ something as well.

With the screams and sudden panic of the crowd behind him, Ron looked back to find Death Eaters chasing them. Moving off the dirt road Ron tripped as he ran into the trees and bushes, landing with a hard thump on the forest floor. People were fleeing all around him. Pressing his face down, yet keeping his eyes open, Ron refused to move as he heard the crowd passing him by followed shortly by the sounds of Death Eaters catching up to them. Playing dead was the best way Ron had found in the past few hours to escape possible slaughter.

Hoping that they'd moved on, Ron cursed inwardly as he listened to the sounds of bodies hitting the floor and the dying screams of some of the Witches he'd been running alongside only moments ago. The Death Eaters had been too fast. Only a precious few feet away, Ron's now whole existence depended on his acting abilities. Holding his breath, Ron stifled a groan as a body landed a mere inch or two away from him, the man's leg whacking Ron's back.

Ron could hear the Death Eater's ragged breathing above him and his insides turned to ice. Where was his wand? Remembering that it was in his pocket Ron tried to locate it in his mind exactly, should the Death Eater lash out and Ron need to defend himself.

Instead he heard the Death Eater laugh as he walked away, shouting to his fellow comrades, "Look's like we got twins over there"

Waiting until he was sure the Death Eater's footsteps were retreating, Ron dared to skim his eyes along the forest floor. What had he meant? Who were twins?

"Where?" A gruff voice asked

"Over there" The same Death Eater replied casually, "Twins or something. Two bastards look alike."

Ron's heart was pounding uncontrollably. Twins…

"Dead?"

_No, _Ron's mind screamed._ No, No, No!_

The Death Eater laughed as his voice began fading away into the distance, "Dead as a mudblood."

Ron felt his stomach drop at the Death Eater's words. No, they couldn't be! Sitting up, Ron's eyes scanned around him. He couldn't believe what he saw.

The Death Eaters were gone all right. But the forest…it was almost unrecognizable. There were bodies all around him, in the road, on the other side of the road. Everywhere! Ron hadn't realized there were that many people in the crowd…

Standing up shakily, Ron began searching the faces of those dead around him. He had to find Fred and George!

It took only a few seconds for Ron to understand.

He stood paralyzed above him, a sob stuck in his chest, pain only matched by Harry's death searing through his body, through his _heart_ as he stared at the body of his brother.

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Luna hadn't been kidding. She knew the forest well. Weaving and turning in places Hermione never would have guessed, she helplessly followed her, trusting her with this.

_Ron,_ she prayed, _please be alive for me_

She didn't want to think about what would happen if her prayer didn't come true. Didn't want to go down that path…she'd been down it for what felt like most of her life. She couldn't go back there quite yet, not when there was hope.

But Luna had stopped. Hermione almost hadn't noticed. "What?" She whispered

Luna held a finger to her lips and breathed as quietly as she possibly could, "Death Eaters'll be here soon."

Confused Hermione looked around them. She didn't see anything or anyone. How did Luna know? "What?" She repeated "Why?"

Luna shook her head and grabbed Hermione's hand. "Come on, we need to go the other way."

"Wait no!" Hermione whispered, pulling on Luna's hand. "You said this was the fastest way!"

"It is." Luna said, "But it won't be safe."

"Luna…" Hermione said urgently, "We need to get there as soon as we can!"

"I know" Luna nodded sympathetically. "But we can't do that if we're dead now can we?" she asked, looking pointedly at Hermione.

Sighing she said, "I-I suppose not."

Luna smiled warmly, "It'll be okay. Its not that much longer. We'll take the main road. Much more scenic."

Hermione allowed herself to be dragged away by Luna but she couldn't shake off the feeling that the former Ravenclaw wasn't telling her something.

And Hermione had a hunch that it had everything to do with what was about to attract those Death Eaters.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Shaking, Ron dropped to his knees. Reaching out his hand, he touched the familiar hands, robes, freckles, eyes and…

The tears came with simple touch of Charlie's red hair.

Shoulders shaking, Ron gently picked Charlie's head off of the ground, cradling it to his chest. Charlie here? Dead? No it's couldn't…they couldn't have…he couldn't be—

Charlie's blue eyes stared him in the face.

Ron crumbled to the floor, everything gone from his mind, every last trace of his old self, vanishing in a moment. He began to rock. Random thoughts pushed through the despair his brain had turned into. No…it's couldn't have gotten to that point. _His_ family couldn't be dying. Not after everything…

Ron's tears burned his cheeks. He had never cried quite like this. Even with Harry it'd taken a while. Nothing had ever prepared him for this immediate surge of water that was seeping from his eyes. Certainly nothing had prepared him for the throbbing pain of his heart.

"No…." He moaned, pulling Charlie's body even closer to him. "No…"

It had been one thing when classmates died. Quite another when Harry died. But this—Charlie?

Ron's mind was flashing back to every memory he had of Charlie. Every fight, every Christmas, every Quidditch match, every…what was the last thing Ron had said to him? Ron cried harder. He couldn't even remember!

Lifting his head up to the sky Ron's body shook. "NO! NO!" he screamed

Somewhere above him lightning flashed. Ron didn't care, opening his blurry eyes to look onto the face of an earth he no longer knew.

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It was like a horror movie. Both girls frozen where they were they walked cautiously, avoiding fingers, toes…heads.

Smoke was rising from the ground, the smell of burnt skin lingering in the air. Tortured faces flashed in front of Hermione's eyes but the only thing she was aware of was the furious pounding of her heart.

They'd barely walked away from the previous route when they stumbled across this. Bodies unlike Hermione had ever seen…simply strewn across the ground, for as far as she could see in every direction.

_It's like being lost in the ocean,_ she thought bitterly, _an ocean full of corpses._

Luna's eyes were wide as she slowly led Hermione around the bodies. Hermione was sure, even in all of the days she'd spent in the forest that the young girl had never seen anything like it.

Looking down, the face of a young wizard met Hermione's eyes. She stifled a scream.

Catching up to Luna, Hermione tried to calm herself down. The man had looked like Ron…

The moment Hermione had seen the bodies the fear took over. _There's no way_, her head kept screaming at her, _not with these odds. _But that damn stubborn heart of hers just wouldn't listen, searching the faces of every victim they passed just to make sure her fiancé wasn't one of them.

_Oh god Ron_, she pleaded, _please don't be here!_

Wishing there was a survivor they could talk to, Hermione searched the horizon. Nothing. No one. Except…

"Luna" She breathed, trying not to get her hopes up. The girl didn't notice. "Luna!" she hissed, motioning for her to come over.

"What?" Luna whispered, not moving and sounding distant

"D-Do you see that person?" She asked pointing, her hand shaking

Attention grabbed, Luna made her way over to Hermione to look in the direction she was pointing. "Not really…"

"Over there" Hermione pressed. Maybe she was imagining things. Maybe she was going insane. Maybe she was so desperate that she'd resorted to—"Hey? Where are you going?" Hermione asked suddenly as Luna began to run off towards the man. "Luna! Luna! Come back!"

Following behind, Hermione ducked under thin branches, which got tangled in her hair. Cursing, she stopped to swat them away as she kept running, tripping over bodies and yet trying to ignore them at the same time, which proved impossible. Luna was far ahead of her…

What had the girl seen? What had been so important, so urgent to run off like that? Praying that they weren't running straight into another trap, Hermione never took her eyes off Luna, unable to see the person any longer, which was a concern.

Breathing heavily, Hermione jumped over a body to the right almost losing her balance. Balancing on her toes to regain her balance, she paused a moment to look up at Luna.

The girl had stopped. Still a good ten feet away from the person, who was obviously a man, Luna had simply stopped in her tracks. Unsure and confused as to why, Hermione looked at the man.

Squinting in the distance, the first thing Hermione saw was the vibrant red hair. And with that, Hermione's breath swirled around in her lungs no longer available for breathing. Ron! But the man wasn't alone…he was holding something…someone. Someone who also had vibrant red hair.

It was as if someone had kicked her in the stomach. Gasping at the harsh reality, the cruel twist of fate, the unbearable pain it all meant, Hermione felt herself growing faint.

Two Weasleys were there. One was dead. Who was Ron? Was Ron even one of them?

Now understanding Luna's dilemma, Hermione stood indecisive for a moment. Then suddenly making up her mind and running as fast as she could, Hermione leaped over bodies, tearing through the forest. She didn't want to play these games with her mind anymore. Her heart had to know.

Slowly down, Hermione could feel Luna's eyes bearing a hole through her back but she didn't care. She needed to know quickly, before she lost herself completely.

The man was hunched over the body, both heads concealed by him. Hermione's heart was pounding in her head. She knew she was shaking. The man was crying.

Looking away, Hermione mustered up the last once of Gryffindor courage she had left in her. With a small timid tone, she heard her voice break through the absolute silence that had been eating her away all this time. Slowly, she turned to look at the huddled man, "Who are you?" She whispered

Any answer would be better than the silence.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ron had heard someone coming. He'd turned away.

Gathering Charlie in his arms, Ron simply hunched over his older brother, prepared to die this way. What was the use? Hermione was gone, Harry was dead, Charlie's body was in his arms…no, he'd given up. The rest of his family would surely die, evil would surely win and Ron wasn't going to wait around for it.

With this decision, Ron almost couldn't stop the sobs anymore. His tears were wetting Charlie's face, and Ron could feel them burning his skin. Funny how tears burned more than fire…

Closing his eyes as the footsteps became hurried and rushed, Ron cringed, waiting for the blow. But as he waited his memories wouldn't let him go. He would never be able to escape from these goddamned memories till he was good and dead.

He was getting his Hogwarts letter…

He was kissing Hermione for the first time…

He was celebrating his first Quidditch win in the common room…

He and Harry were trying to find dates for the Yule Ball…

He and Hermione were consoling Harry over Sirius…

He and Harry were saying goodbye…

Seamus and Lavender were screaming their death screams…

Ginny was falling apart recalling her own memories…

He was losing Hermione…

Charlie's eyes were staring at him…

NO! He sobbed, his mind going insane. MAKE IT STOP! The memories were eating him alive, each one filled with pain. Even his Hogwarts letter…even the memory of a fucking letter sent the voices off inside his head. The voices inside his head…

They wouldn't stop; they were going in circles. He held tighter onto Charlie, his one sense of reality. But the voices were more powerful, egging him on, pulling him back, in control of his every move. Calling his name they came from everywhere. They were everywhere!

"Who are you?" The voice cut through them all, sending Ron tumbling back into himself. He knew that voice…knew her very presence. But the idea of her here, here while he committed emotional suicide…no she couldn't be here.

But the fear was in him now. Slowly lifting his head up from Charlie's, Ron turned around knowing only that he had to know…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The man flinched at the sound of her voice. Hermione held her breath. But he began to move, turned around and opened his eyes.

The two simply stared at each other, blue eyes on brown, Hermione taking in his face and the face of the man in his arms. Charlie's face…

Ron was alive.

And without a sound, Hermione began to cry.

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(A/N: …and! )


	42. Chapter FourtyTwo: Finalty

(A/N: Hi. I'm sure most of you probably thought I'd died or given up on the story or something but here it is, the last chapter, the end. I realize I had promised shorter chapters and quicker updates but I like this last chapter being it's ridiculous length and I suppose it messes with your mind more and has a more dramatic effect. But anyways, I just want to say thank you for making this story such a success. It's challenged me in ways I haven't been challenged before (which is a good thing) and the response I've gotten from it is absolutely astounding. I've been so very impressed and inspired by all of you, especially when I've pushed the envelope and not delivered updates when promised. Thank you all for caring, otherwise I would have ended it back about 20 chapters or so ago like I originally had planned. I really hope you all have liked it, it's been so much fun to write. So yea, that's it, enjoy this last 27 paged chapter, and it's been fun! Much love and Thanks, Haystack)

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CHAPTER FOURTY-TWO: FINALTY

Clutching herself, Hermione was losing all control. The reality was slowly sinking in, and she was at a loss of how to process it all. Sobs choking up her throat, her knees trembled as if they were about to give way.

Ron was alive. Charlie was dead.

Hermione looked down at Ron through blurry eyes, only to find him still staring at her in shock. His expression hadn't changed, he hadn't moved since he'd opened his eyes.

Oh God he was alive!

Without thinking, Hermione threw herself into Ron's arms, kneeling on the ground next to him, closing the gap between them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ron's mind was blank. In the back of his mind, he was acutely aware that his face must be reflecting it but for now he didn't care. It was Hermione after all.

Hermione.

Before he had time to comprehend what her being there meant; she was in his arms.

Ron had almost forgotten what she'd felt like. It was like a return to his soul. Slowly, he raised his arms to wrap them around her waist. And the moment his hands made contact with her flesh, it was if something went off inside Ron.

Hermione, the girl he loved was safe. She was safe and wholly here in his arms. She wasn't dead or hurt or suffering. She was with him, just like she'd always promised. Just like she always had been.

A fresh wave of tears escaped him as he clung to her as tight as he possibly could. Tears full of despair, of suffering, of love…they poured out of his blue eyes, into the frizzy mass of hair his face was buried into.

"Shh…" He heard her whisper, her hand reaching up to the back of head, stroking his hair gently. The mere tone of her voice made Ron want to cry forever. "I'm here. I'm here."

Words couldn't express the emotion attached to her words. That she really could be here, when just moments ago he'd been about to give up his life because he was alone, made Ron's tears run with irony. He held onto her tighter.

But Hermione pulled away, looking at him intently. Ron searched her eyes, bringing his calloused hands up to her face, running his thumbs over her tears; making sure she was okay. She laughed at his gesture, placing her hand on top of his. "I'm really okay," she whispered, looking deep into his blue orbs.

He held her eye contact for a moment before letting his face break into a small smile strained with tears. The muscles in his face twitched as he did so; it had been a long time since he'd smiled. "I-I can't believe you're here" He said quietly, his hand still to her face.

"I know" Hermione said softly, looking to the ground, "I thought you'd be dead"

The comment made something in Ron go off. Almost as if it was a reminder to Ron of the reality faced before him, Ron tore his eyes from Hermione to look down at Charlie's head, which was still in his lap. Hermione's eyes followed him there and Ron could almost feel her chocolate eyes spring back up to watch him. "R-Ron…" Her voice broke, tears evident not only on her puffy red face but also in her voice. "I'm so sorry."

Hearing her say that made something in Ron's stomach drop. To hear her acknowledge his death like that made it real on a different level. Tears still flowing Ron wiped at them ashamed. Hermione, who'd temporarily stopped crying, began again, taking him into her arms, almost as if she were his mum. Letting her gather him up, Ron buried himself in her scent, holding onto his last sense of sanity; listening to her speak through her own tears. Hearing her cry made Ron feel better. She'd known Charlie; he wasn't alone in his grieving. Hermione understood.

"I'm so sorry Ron. He didn't deserve to go like this." Hermione managed to say,

Ron continued to cry, burying himself in her. He felt better crying like this.

"I-I thought he was you" Hermione said so quietly Ron had trouble hearing her.

"What?"

She twisted to look at him, her brown eyes filled with grief, pain, and guilt. "I thought you were the one dead."

Ron was quiet for a moment, understanding. Looking up at her, she was biting her lip, guilt obviously taking control of her. "I'm sorry Ron" She cried, "But I just…I know it's horrible but I'm so glad you weren't the one dead" She said tearfully, leaning down to kiss him softly. "So glad…"

As she kissed him again, Ron's mind was on overload. For a moment or two he was angry with her for suggesting such things. _He_ deserved to die. Not Charlie…

But after a moment the anger vanished and he began to kiss her back, thanking anything that came to mind for her safety.

When they broke apart, Hermione looked at him nervously, obviously unsure as to how he would respond. Ron looked at her and said, "N-no…I understand."

Hermione took his hand in hers whispering, "I'm going to miss him too"

And as they hugged, Ron knew that somehow he was going to make it through this.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hearing a soft cough, Hermione turned to look at Luna, suddenly remembering that she was there. Slightly embarrassed, Hermione looked down, her cheeks a soft pink. "Ron, " she said gently, "Luna's alive."

Ron's eyes had widened, taking in the dirty girl's appearance. His face broke into a smile as he gingerly got up to embrace the Ravenclaw who had always stood by them.

As Hermione watched, her heart lifted with hope. Things would be all right if they could just stick together. Maybe it was possible to come out of this thing alive…

Luna was crying as Ron let go of her. "I can't believe you're alive." She said

"You too" Ron said, holding her at arms length to look her over. "Where have you been all this time?"

"In the forest." She said calmly as Ron's eyes widened again. "But I wasn't alone all the time."

Ron nodded, looking around them, feeling irony all around him. How was it that continuously, despite the horrors, goodness could find him? That life could thrash him around, kill his brother and best friend yet still deliver Hermione to him again and again, completely unharmed? How was it fair? How had Luna survived almost a week in the forest alone when others were dead within five minutes of stepping onto the very same soil? It didn't make any sense….

A resounding boom in the distance however, broke his train of thought as all three former students jumped.

Hearts beating, each looked at the other. "What do you think that was?" Luna asked softly.

"I don't know…" Ron said, not seeing anything but a red glow in the distance.

"Let's go" Hermione said, moving closer to Ron and Luna. "Someone will be coming soon"

"Where do we go?" Luna asked, "I can't think of a safe spot for miles."

"W-well, let's just go away from where that explosion happened." Hermione said as she began walking away.

Ron, who hadn't said anything for a few moments remained still, his senses heightened. Hearing the screams, smelling the smoke, knowing the death that was occurring only a precious few feet away from them…he shook his head, knowing what they had to do but not wanting to do it.

"Hermione stop" He snapped as Luna and Hermione froze where they were. He sighed at their expressions. "Do you have your wand?" He asked in a somber voice

"Y-yes…" She replied, hesitant at where he was going with the question.

Running a hand through his red hair, Ron walked over to Charlie's corpse in silence. Dragging it along the leaves and dirt, he placed it under a strong looking tree where he piled thin dirt and rocks over the body, coating Charlie's body with black and brown. Kissing his brother's cheek, he stood up.

To do what they had to do, he had to put Charlie behind him. He couldn't be weak any longer.

"Come on" He said quietly, not looking at the two girls who were watching him. And with that he began to walk the opposite direction, towards the fire.

Hermione wanted to speak, wanted to shout out how they couldn't do this, how it would be an automatic death sentence, how _scared_ she was. A million different thoughts were pounding in her head as she watched him walk away but the only one she could hear was 'He's walking alone'

In all her years with Harry and Ron, they had never left each other alone. Not if they could help it.

And with that, Hermione looked at Luna's frightened face. They didn't say anything but Luna knew what her decision was with one glance. Slowly taking her wand out of her back pocket, Hermione, without a glance back, began running towards Ron.

As she fell in line with Ron, she snuck a glance at him. His jaw was set, his eyes stared straight ahead, and his muscles tense, holding out his wand. Hermione leaned beside him, taking his free hand in hers. Ron continued to stare straight ahead but there was a soft smile on his lips, and Hermione knew in that instant that despite his battle persona, Ron really and truly loved her.

It was a strange feeling to be walking towards her death with a smile on her face and happiness in her heart.

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Neither Ron nor Hermione said anything as they made the walk towards the fire, hearts beating, and senses working on overdrive. Hermione looked around her, smelling the burning, smelling the smoke, and blinking her eyes so that her eyes wouldn't water over.

It was a strange way to approach such a situation. The closer they got, the more people they started seeing, some running right past them. They were no longer holding hands, both on absolute alert. Things were boiling down to this moment, and they couldn't risk anything distracting them from it. Hermione was currently crouching behind a tree as a Death Eater ran screaming towards the fire, killing people as they ran from it.

"AAAARRGHHHH!" He screamed, preying upon a person who Hermione couldn't see. Their shadowy figure twitched as they fell to the ground. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, looking around for Ron just to verify that he was where he'd been a few moments ago.

Ron's face was contorted into one of agony as he looked down at the body of the latest victim of Voldemort, hiding behind a tree several feet away.

Feeling more at ease knowing where Ron was, Hermione turned her attention to the corpse that had so attracted Ron's attention.

It was a child.

Hermione gasped, looking more closely to be sure she was seeing correctly. A child? But…where had he come from? There hadn't been any kids who'd made it safely to Order headquarters…

And as Hermione heard a rustle in the bushes behind her she understood. This little boy was from Hogwarts. Whipping her wand out, she approached the bushy silently and slowly. Peeling back the leaves, she prepared the curse she'd use at the first sign of danger.

A pair of blue eyes belonging to a little girl with brown curly hair met Hermione's menacing looking face. The little girl yelped, backing away on her hands and knees, crouched as far back as she could go without leaving the safety the bush provided. Hermione stepped back, shocked as she looked around and saw three other little bodies in the fetal position lying near the curly haired girl.

All four were wearing their pajamas, covered in filth, looking more like skeletons than anything else and Hermione was overcome with the biggest urge to cry. Knowing she had to say something, she looked around her making sure the coast was clear before kneeling down and crawling into the bush.

The eleven year olds squealed with fear as they heard her approach, all of their eyes squeezed shut.

"I'm not going to hurt you." She said softly as she continued crawling in. One little boy opened his eyes. "Shh…." She said as approached him, offering him her hand. "It's okay. I go to Hogwarts too."

With that, all four opened their eyes, looking at Hermione with a hard glance that only one accustomed to war would use. Analyzing her every potential motive for coming here, the curly haired girl sat up, followed by the little boy. The others soon followed suit and Hermione could see the relief in their faces as they approached her.

"You go to Hogwarts?" The boy whispered

"Yea I do. Well I did. I'm a seventh year."

"You're Hermione Granger aren't you?" The curly haired girl asked softly

"Yea I am. How did you know?" Hermione asked, surprised

"I'm a Gryffindor." She said plainly, "You saved our lives"

With the girl's innocent comment, Hermione was suddenly hit was a million different emotions so powerful they threatened to knock her over. She remembered running into a burning Hogwarts, cutting down the door, telling the kids to run for the Whomping Willow…

"Y-You didn't make it to Hogsmeade" She said somberly, grief eating away at her. It wasn't a question. How many kids had survived? Had she single-handedly killed off six years of Gryffindors with her advice? Who knew what she'd done…

"Some did," A blond haired boy, said, "We just didn't."

"W-Why not?" Hermione asked, voice strained

"Death Eaters," They said simply.

Hermione closed her eyes, picturing the scenario. Of course that many kids together would have attracted attention, the Death Eaters would have swooped down and killed them all in one sitting, only a few able to escape, only a few able to make it to safety…

Tears of anger threatened to bubble over. With great difficulty Hermione managed to ask, "How many?"

The kids all looked at each other thinking hard. Hermione waited in the silence that was broken by a sudden hand reached into the bush grabbing Hermione's arm. The kids screamed as Hermione used her free hand to burn the intruder's hand. Standing to her feet immediately, she was met by an angry looking Ron who was holding his hand with pain.

Grabbing her arm, he ripped her away from the bushes, pushing her to the ground where he fell to the ground a moment later. "Where were you?" he hissed

"I'm sorry I--"

"Never mind it. I was just scared." Ron said, his voice breaking a bit and Hermione was immediately regretful of leaving him.

Looking around her briefly Hermione realized suddenly that the war had moved. There were people everywhere. The tree she had been hiding behind a moment earlier was burned.

People were screaming, Death Eaters were laughing, and loud and clear a voice rang through the commotion. "KILL THEM ALL! GET THEM, TORTURE THEM, AND LEAVE NO ONE ALIVE. YOU KNOW WHO WE NEED TO FIND, TAKE THE ONES WHO KNOW AND BRING THEM TO ME!"

Insides cold, Hermione began to shake. "W-what?" she whispered

"Voldemort" Ron whispered back, the fear evident not only in his voice.

"When? H-how?"

"Just now" Ron breathed, looking around them. "'Mione, everyone's here."

"What do you mean?" She asked in disbelief.

"I mean my family, Ginny, Neville, Mad Eye, Lupin, the Order, everyone"

"I-" Hermione was cut off by the ear shattering boom of another explosion. Debris and fire burning her skin, she pressed her face to the ground, not able to breathe, in excruciating pain.

"Hermione!"

Hermione felt herself being pulled up to her feet as the smell of Ron met her senses. Opening her eyes to find the smoke clearing, she looked around her, as bodies were everywhere.

The children in the bushes lay dead, burn marks on their bodies as Hermione felt the wind get knocked out of her and tears choking her up.

"We have to fight him now" Ron said urgently, looking around them

Hermione nodded numbly as Ron lead the way and they began to run towards the loud booming voice that echoed across hell.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! GOOD WORK! NOW BRING THE TRAITORS TO ME AND WE SHALL CONTINUE OUR SEARCH FOR POTTER'S FRIENDS!"

Hermione felt her mind cease to exist as the words 'Potters friends' echoed through her mind. This…all this was because of her and Ron.

"MY LORD! THERE THEY ARE!" she heard a voice behind her scream

"KEEP RUNNING!" she shouted to Ron who was in front of her. They could out run Death Eaters for a while, they just needed to get to Voldemort.

"GET THEM! THERE THEY ARE!"

"C'MON BOYS!"

"KILL THEM!"

Hermione felt her heart squeeze in fear as she heard the footsteps behind her. She didn't need to look to know they were there.

The fire was eating away the bushes and trees and the dead bodies were so numerous Hermione couldn't help but step on them, feeling guilty with each step. She knew she didn't want to look at their identities but she couldn't help it.

The familiar faces of her past were all coming back to haunt her in one horrifying moment. She looked around her at the obvious faces of a dead Mad- Eye Moody, Bill, and Kingsley and felt her whole being begin to crumble.

"HERMIONE THEY'RE COMING THIS WAY!"

They turned and she lead the way, running and jumping over the bodies of Mr. Weasley, Hestia Jones, and Lee Jordan.

Hermione didn't have time to react before turning again. The Death Eaters were circling around them just like Seamus and Lavender before they died. Pressing her back to Ron, she looked desperately around for some kind of exit as the white hooded figures closed in on them.

"Ron…" She whispered

"I-I don't know what to do,"

"There has to be a way to get out of this"

"Hermione look around, we're trapped"

"No we're not. Ron it can't be like this!"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" She heard herself scream as the Death Eater nearest her fell to the ground with a loud thump.

There was one moment of silence before the Death Eaters began screaming.

"WHO IS IT?"

"VAISEY!"

"SHE JUST KILLED HIM!"

"GET HER!"

"SHE'S GONNA PAY FOR THAT!"

"Hermione…" Ron said with horror

Hermione was speechless; staring at the corpse of the man she killed knowing full and well what she'd just done. This would anger them, they would be ruthless, she, in one moment of panic, had just sentenced her and Ron to death. NO NO NO, she screamed internally.

The Death Eaters came then, taking a hold of Hermione and ripping her away from Ron.

"HERMIONE!" She heard Ron scream as she lost sight of him, the eight Death Eaters surrounding her, throwing curses at her body.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried not to scream as the fire ate away at her body. Feeling the combination of the eight curses her body began to twitch involuntarily, her mind turning to mush, losing all recollection of everything.

But suddenly it stopped. Hearing loud noises of commotion, Hermione gingerly opened her eyes, only to be scooped up into the arms of Neville.

"Are you okay!" Neville asked her as he blocked her body from the curses being thrown at them.

"I-I" Hermione didn't know what to say as she looked around to see the blurry forms of Lupin, Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, Hagrid, Justin Finch- Fletchly, Amos Diggory, Ludo Bagman, Cormac McLaggen, Alicia Spinnet, Luna, Ginny, Fred, George, and Dumbledore battling Death Eaters.

Gaining strength back just from looking at them, Hermione managed to pull her aching body upright and onto her feet, Neville still blocking her. "Take it easy," He said to her gently, helping her onto her feet

"I-I think I'll be okay" She said

"IMPEDIMENTA!"**"**

"CRUCIO!"

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

"AVADA KEDAVRA"

"Yes, yes, I'll be fine"

"STUPEFY!"

People were falling, battles were being won and lost. And as Hermione watched as Fred Weasley fell to the ground she couldn't help but scream out. "FRED!" She shrieked, running towards his limp body, leaving Neville behind.

"HERMIONE! HERMIONE COME BACK!"

Kneeling beside him she placed a frantic hand on his forehead and reached for his arm in order to find a pulse. "No, no, no, come on! Come on Fred! Damn it!" His body never moved.

Tears that had been welling up for a while somehow managed to push through the strong fortress Hermione had put up. She hadn't wanted to cry anymore, she _couldn't_ cry anymore…

But she was.

She was leaning back, her hands covering her face as the tears racked through her body. "No…" She moaned as Fred's piercing blue eyes gazed at her still.

And as she sat there sobbing in her grief, she didn't seem to sense the person behind her until their voice, their icy breath of voice cut through the grief in a way Hermione had never known.

"Funny, I never fancied seeing the great Hermione Granger abandon her fellow comrades to sit and cry about a boy" Voldemort said lazily

Hermione froze upon hearing his voice, slowing lowering her hands from her face and sitting upright.

"It's always interesting to see how things work out" Voldemort continued, the taunting edge of his voice not lost on her. "Here I am thinking to myself that this mudblood and blood traitor must be as powerful as Potter himself in order to have escaped my prison and disappear to a place where I can't find them."

Hermione's breath quickened. Putting pressure on her fingers, she felt her wand beneath them, the only thing keeping her sane and free of terrifying fear.

"You can imagine how frustrating it was. I travel to the Muggle world, burn your house and kill your parents and--"

Hermione froze. "You killed my parents?"

Voldemort chuckled, knelt down and pushed his face into Hermione's. She backed away, disgusted by the red eyes and the slits of an excuse of a nose. Voldemort breathed in her face, taking his time to answer. "Yesss" He drawled, sounding like a snake, "After what you and the god-damned Weasley boy did to me, it was the _least_ I could do."

Standing up as he began to walk lazily around her, Hermione felt her body threatening to collapse. 'No no no no…. they can't be… I--' Hermione gasped as she tried to deny what her mind was saying, "I wasn't there to protect them like I always promised…'"

It was as if Voldemort had kicked her in the stomach. She felt empty as she could almost feel her heart bleeding. Her breaths were coming in loud wheezing gasps as she put her wrists to her forehead.

'They're gone. They're gone and I didn't get to say goodbye. I didn't get to tell them how much I loved them. I'll never hear their voices, smell Mum's perfume, I'll never see them again!'

She just couldn't stop the tears from gathering in her eyes.

'They won't be at my wedding…t-they' Hermione felt a tear slide down her cheek 'didn't even know I was engaged… they won't be here for--'

"NOOO!" A sudden scream sounded, instantly breaking Hermione of her thoughts. "GEORGE, GINNY, WATCH OUT! AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

She didn't need to hear it twice to know it was Mrs. Weasley's dying scream.

With a hand to her mouth, Hermione closed her eyes and looked away, unable to watch as the woman who had been her mother for seven years fell to the ground.

The Death Eaters surrounding Mrs. Weasley were laughing and for some reason, Hermione hated the sound more than the death scream.

Still looking away, Hermione couldn't help the three tears that slipped from her eyes. It wasn't an open sob, it didn't make any sound, but the silent kind was always the worst.

Her mind was reeling. Her parents and Mrs. Weasley, all in a few split seconds? No, she couldn't accept it, she couldn't fathom, she didn't _want_ to imagine…

Voldemort looking on, laughed, and began to applaud the creamy skinned, red haired corpse now lying on the ground, looking at Hermione for her reaction. Biting the insides of her mouth as hard as she possibly could, a loathing and hatred she had never known for the man before her suddenly took over her body.

Still laughing, Voldemort turned to her. "You see? Two Weasleys down in the past ten minutes." He paused, suddenly serious again. "It shouldn't surprise you that I won't rest until every single Weasley's head is on my desk."

Looking on in the distance, Hermione watched as George and Ginny Weasley ran to their mother's side, frantically trying to revive her.

"Ginny! Find her pulse!" George ordered, panic obvious in his every word

"I'm trying! I can't find it!"

"Well try harder damn it!" George yelled desperately

"George" Ginny sobbed, "It's not here!"

It was the most heart wrenching thing she'd ever experienced, watching as a defeated George and Ginny began to cry over their dead mother, the one who'd held everything together for them all their lives. The scene hit Hermione harder than anything so far as more tears seeped from her eyes down her face.

"Ah yes, losing a mother is one of the worst experiences of life. What a shame it had to happen." Voldemort said with obvious sarcasm in his voice. "I must admit I was quite surprised to see you here by Fred Weasley's side and not by the side of, I do believe the correct term is fiancée now isn't it?" He spat each word with disgust. "Don't look so surprised" He hissed, at her expression "I have my ways of knowing and I know all about your sickening little romance."

Hermione whipped her head to look at him, finding a courage she didn't know existed. "Took you long enough though didn't it?" she muttered through her tears

"DON'T TOY WITH ME MUDBLOOD" Voldemort suddenly raged. Hermione backed away, on her hands and knees, looking up at the monster in fear as he approached her and grabbed her neck, pulling her to her feet. "Tell me, how did you escape my prison?" He hissed, his rage evident in every word. "How did you escape when I had Death Eaters positioned all around! How did you manage to outrun my Death Eaters, weak as you were!"

Unable to breathe, Hermione clawed at Voldemort's hands. "TELL ME!" He roared, before throwing her onto the ground.

Weak from the lack of oxygen and dizzy from the sudden availability of it, Hermione didn't bother covering herself as she fell to the ground, hitting her back on a small rock. "AHH!" she cried

But Voldemort was on the warpath and he immediately approached her again shouting, "Do you have any idea what you have done to me? My Death Eaters won't look at me the same anymore! Harry Potter's death means nothing with you and the Weasel running around still somehow fighting me! How can I command the world if I can't stop the pitiful resistance you two lead!"

Hermione was lifting herself up, weakly getting to her feet as she staggered backwards. Voldemort wasn't attacking her anymore, he just screaming in her face, a rage unlike any other Hermione had seen spewing towards her.

"Who would have thought! I certainly wouldn't have predicted that Potter would fall before you both, everyone assumed you two would be the easy ones to kill, that Potter would be the challenge. Well let me just say this, I didn't have to kill this many people to get to Potter!"

Hermione's mind was going numb with all the information being thrown at her, what did he mean kill more people?

"You and Weasley are the last bit of business to take care of." Voldemort laughed uncertainly and weakly" Yes, once I'm through with you, I'll continue my plans. There will be no one to stop me, no one to resist me. Thankfully, Viktor Krum provided me with all necessary information so I will destroy everyone involved with this _Order_!"

She froze. 'Viktor…'

"What? You didn't know? You didn't know I had one of my most faithful Death Eaters go to his house, tie him up and throw unforgivables at him until his blood ran down the sides of the table? That I had him begging and pleading for death, his screams echoing all throughout the house, with no one to hear him, no one to come rescue him?"

Her hands were at her head, her breaths coming in labored gasps, her eyes squeezed tight. She was going insane; she was literally being driven insane. Her brain couldn't handle it anymore, her mind couldn't process it, her heart couldn't take it.

'He died because of me.' She repeated over and over again in her head, 'He died alone, he died helpless and afraid, he died protecting us. He died innocent. He died because of me, he died because of me…'

"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" Viktor's voice rang in her ears

"Stop it, stop!"

"HERMIONE!"

"Stop!" she panted

"HERMIONE!"

"Leave me alone!" she pleaded

"HERMIONE!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed as she felt someone grab her shoulders.

"'Mione, you okay?" Ron's voice cut through

Hermione opened her eyes to see a sweaty, burned, and bleeding Ron duck a curse that was heading in their direction.

"Come to save your beloved Mudblood have you Weasley? Afraid she couldn't take the heartache?" Voldemort taunted, a sick smile playing on his lips at he looked in Hermione's direction

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Ron screamed as he quickly pulled Hermione to him for a quick hug.

"You okay?" He asked, looking at her briefly

Shaking still from earlier, Hermione looked around her to get her bearings and to collect herself. 'How could I let myself do that?' she thought angrily 'I was completely at his mercy! He could have killed me then!'

Things were getting darker, a smoky sky mirroring the dried mud they were battling on, people all around them fighting and suddenly Hermione realized that this was it. Ron was here now; this was their chance to kill Voldemort once and for all.

"I'm fine," She said, looking up at Ron's dirty face and loving the contrast of his stunning blue eyes. He nodded at her, and even though there wasn't time for loving words, they both felt it.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Voldemort shouted

"Duck!" She cried as the curse came towards them both

Ducking quickly, both of their reflexes working magically, they crouched together, Hermione feeling the heat of Ron's body and feeling his blood drip onto her skin.

"You're hurt." She said simply and urgently

"I'm fine" Ron said, putting a hand on his wounded arm. "Just a little accident with a particularly nasty giant"

"Furnunculus!" Voldemort yelled and missed

"Hermione" Ron said urgently, turning to look at her and making eye contact, "Mum's dead"

Hermione looked away and bit her lip, "I know…" She said softly

"I-I saw George and Ginny by her side and I just--" Ron stopped mid sentence, the tears already building up in his eyes

Hermione looked at the ground for a moment before whispering quietly, "My parents too."

"What?" Ron looked at her as if he'd heard wrong.

"Voldemort killed my parents."

Understanding, concern, pity and sadness all flashed across Ron's face before he said, "'Mione I'm so--"

"Viktor too you know." Hermione said, breezing over the words in hopes that they wouldn't have such an effect over her. "Same with Fred."

A thousand different emotions were painted upon Ron's face. Speechless, Ron luckily was saved the task of responding when Voldemort suddenly screamed, "AVADA KEDAVRA!" which made them both jump to their feet.

Attempting to put everything aside, the two shared one look before turning their attention to Voldemort. He needed to die, once and for all.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" they cried in unison as the curse hit Voldemort square in the chest.

The impact threw him off his feet as he landed on his back, unmoving. Hermione let out her air in a shaky breath, not saying a word, not wanting to ruin the moment. Had they just killed Voldemort?

She looked at Ron who looked just as uncertain as she was, as the inched closer. Why hadn't Voldemort moved yet? Was it possible for the most evil wizard to have ever walked the earth to be dead just like that?

"Oohh" A low icy moan suddenly sounded, followed by Voldemort gingerly sitting up as Ron and Hermione's eyes widened as wide as they possible could.

"Hermione…" Ron said as he began to back away

"Yea…"

"H-He's not dead."

"I don't know Ron,"

"'Mione if we can't kill him with the killing curse, t-then what do we kill him with?"

"I-I don't know Ron."

Voldemort was on his feet again. More cautious than before, but much more dangerous.

Hermione looked around her. People were in sight, but no one was near. What were they supposed to do? Keep on fighting until they died? They were out of a plan; there was nothing more to fall back on. Hermione Granger was completely out of ideas.

"Just keep fighting?" She asked tentatively

Ron shook the hair out of his face as he raised his wand in the ready position. "I suppose…"

Hermione mimicked him, raising her left arm into the air to balance herself as well. 'This is foolish' she thought to herself 'We're going to die.'

But before she could think of anything else, Voldemort had shot a jet of purple light towards them; so fast neither one had heard what the old Slytherin had murmured. The light was coming directly towards Ron, but before he had time to react, the curse had hit him in his shoulder, where he let out a scream before crumpling to the ground.

Hermione didn't remember screaming, all she remembered was suddenly being by Ron's side as Voldemort walked slowly, ever so slowly towards her, that evil fang toothed grin on his face, his red eyes blazing with delight.

"Ron! Ron! Wake up!" She cried as she shook him. No response. She felt his head with her hand, cold as ice.

At this, she quickly withdrew her hand, her body shaking. He couldn't die on her, not here, not now.

"Ron, please wake up for me! Please!" She cried, not able to help the build up of tears in her eyes.

He couldn't be dead. He just simply couldn't be. Not after everything, not after all of the numerous close calls, all of the narrow escapes, not after all the 'I love you's' and the proposals and the plans for the future. He couldn't leave her here alone, alone of this battlefield with the most evil man in the world.

But he wasn't stirring.

Hermione traced her hand over his red hair, his freckles, his pale skin, all of the features that made up her childhood, all of the features that defined who she was. She knew who she was in the world according to Ron Weasley, but without him, she was simply Hermione.

"Ron! Ron!" She began to cry, "Ron…"

"What's wrong Granger? Is he not waking up?" Voldemort shouted from afar, a laugh in his tone. He was taking his time approaching her.

Ignoring his words despite the stabbing feeling they'd created in her heart, she turned her attention back to the lifeless form of Ron. "Ron," she whispered, lying down next to him, "Please don't leave me. I need you. You promised me, you promised me…" She softly kissed his cheek and wiped at her tears. "I can't live without you, you know that you incredulous git! Come back to me, I don't want to beg." She stared at his unmoving body. "N-No…" She choked before she began to cry.

"Oh poor little girl lost her boyfriend? How sad." Voldemort's voice broke through her tears. She lifted her puffy red eyes to gaze at the man responsible for the death of Harry, Fred, Viktor, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, her parents, Seamus, Lavender, Padma and Parvati, Dennis, Colin, Snape, Madame Pomfrey, Ernie, Draco, Angelina, Filch, Michael Corner, Cho, Penelope Clearwater, Zacharias Smith, Blaise Zambini, and now Ron. She wouldn't let him get away with it. Not without a fight.

"You, You MONSTER!" she screamed, jumping to her feet and tackling Voldemort to the ground.

"DON'T TOUCH ME MUDBLOOD!" Voldemort screamed as Hermione began punching him as hard as she possibly could, having been trained by Fred and George.

"YOU'VE KILLED OFF EVERYONE I'VE LOVED! I DON'T CARE WHAT EVERYONE SAYS, I'M -- KILLING --YOU --MYSLEF!" She sobbed

"GET OFF OF ME!" He cried in pain as Hermione felt his nose crack underneath her fist. She was no longer simply punching him; it was a full body attack now, complete with kicking and scratching.

"GET ME OFF YOURSELF! YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH! YOU CAN KILL MY PARENTS, KILL MY FRIENDS, TEACHERS, AND CLASSMATES, YOU CAN EVEN KILL HARRY. BUT I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH KILLING RON!"

Her tears were mixing with sweat and blood, not knowing or caring what belonged to her and what didn't. She didn't care that this wasn't rational, that this was going to make things worse, that no one in their right mind would voluntarily tackle Lord Voldemort but she was beyond sane. He'd pushed her over the edge and he was going to pay for it.

"I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU FEEL EVERY BIT OF PAIN THAT I'VE FELT! YOU SAY YOU'RE IMMORTAL BUT THAT'S COMPLETE BULLSHIT! YOU ARE HUMAN, YOU ARE THE MOST TWISTED, SICK, MOST EVIL MAN I'VE EVER MET, BUT YOU ARE HUMAN!"

"I'M GOING TO SEE THIS THROUGH TO THE END, I WANT TO WATCH HOW YOU SCREAM IN DEFEAT, HOW YOUR BODY GOES LIMP WITH DEATH. I'M GOING TO WATCH IT SO THAT I CAN BE CERTAIN THAT YOU NEVER EVER COME BACK AGAIN! YOU'VE HURT TOO MANY PEOPLE, ENDED TOO MANY LIVES, I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT ENDS RIGHT NOW! RON WILL BE YOUR LAST VICTIM, AND IF I GIVE YOU ANYTHING, I'LL GIVE YOU MY WORD ON THAT!"

But before Hermione could throw her last and final punch, she felt a pair of arms holding her back. She froze, as did Voldemort, who was a bloody heap now. "You idiot." The person breathed in her ear as they pulled her to her feet.

Ron Weasley gave her a soft smile as she stumbled to her feet, her hand almost certainly broken in more than one place, Voldemort's black and silver blood staining her clothes and hands. Hermione simply stared at him as he came towards her, wrapping his arms around her in a way that made her crumble with relief, tears soaking his shirt as his body heat enveloped her, reminding her once and for all that for this moment at least, she was safe.

"I-thought you were dead" she whispered

"Shh…I'm here." Ron said gently, kissing her on the forehead, rocking her back and forth slowly. "I'd never leave you like that."

Hermione couldn't stop crying; stop the relief from overwhelming her. Here she was thinking she was alone in the world, when once again a miracle happened and somehow fate brought him to her again. The world could take away everything she loved, yet for some reason, the world couldn't seem to deny her Ron, no matter how much others wanted them separated.

Ron leaned close and tilted her chin up, placing his soft lips on hers. The kiss was breathtaking, everything Hermione felt and needed. There was desperation, there was gratefulness, there was passion, and there was love. Ron's calloused hands ran up her lower back, pulling her tightly to him, wanting her as close as possible. Hermione sighed deeply into the kiss and ran her hands through his dusty red hair. She had everything she needed right here.

Ron broke off the kiss suddenly, looking almost panicked, his eyes staring behind her. "Hermione" He said roughly, moving her to the side so that they could now both see Voldemort approaching them, wand in hand. "Hermione" he said again, this time taking both her hands in his and looking deeply into her eyes. "I love you"

Hermione opened her mouth to respond when an earth-shattering scream sounded from behind them. All three turned to look as Alicia Spinnet gave her last breath and crumbled to the ground.

Snapping her head to meet Ron's gaze they shared a long look as screams and commotion suddenly surrounded them. "I love you too," she whispered.

And with that they both took out their wands, as Voldemort now stopped in front of them. "You both have battled impressively well. But now my time of fun and games is over." Voldemort seethed, rage evident in his every movement. "Death is in the air in case you haven't noticed and nothing would give me greater pleasure right now than to see the both of you join your families and friends!"

Neither of them said a word, just simply stared back at Voldemort, much stronger than before, memories of the dead fueling them with passion.

More screams echoed across the forest to where they were, tempting Hermione to look to see who Voldemort's newest victim was. Death Eaters, Giants, Elves, Trolls, Werewolves, and other magical creatures were all around now, rounding up the last Witches and Wizards. Battles were raging, people were screaming, people were dying. The moon was rising and darkness had already settled in. The only thing she could see were the tips of wands, Voldemort's glowing brightly.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" He suddenly screamed as the jet of green light headed towards her.

"CRUCIO!" She cried, sending the curse in Voldemort's direction, as she avoided the killing curse

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Ron shouted moving closer to Voldemort

"STUPEFY!"

"CRUCIO!"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"CRUCIO!"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Voldemort screamed. Hermione, who had jumped up in the air in order to avoid it, fell with a hard thump, her body hitting a nearby rock.

"Hermione!" Ron cried

Moving slightly, she realized that she was fine. Looking up to tell Ron so, the words got stuck in her throat as only a few mere feet from her, Tonks was screaming as Remus Lupin was being tortured.

She was being held back by a Death Eater, while another was standing over Lupin's twitching body laughing. Tonks' clothes were torn as if scratched by a large cat, her hair, usually so vibrant, was a dirty brown, making her appear much paler than she really was, blood from an open head wound gushing down the sides of her body.

"STOP IT! LET HIM GO!" She screamed, fighting the Death Eater that was holding her back. She was clawing at him, kicking, fighting, and desperately trying to get to Lupin whose clothes were burnt and whose body kept twitching.

"Hahahaha! How bout another round of it eh pretty?"

"NOOO! STOP IT! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" She sobbed, tears streaking down her face.

"What do you think Derrick? You think he's had enough?" The Death Eater holding Tonks back asked

The Death Eater named Derrick laughed and shook his head. "I think it's time for this pretty lady to get a taste of what he's been experiencing don't you think?"

The other laughed heartily, "I think so. Give it to her!"

"CRUCIO!"

"AHHHHHHH!" Tonks screamed as she fell to the ground, the torturing curse eating away at her body.

"HERMIONE WATCH OUT!" Ron suddenly yelled

Snapping her head, Hermione realized that the killing curse was headed right towards her. Jumping to her feet, she narrowly missed it.

Brought back to her reality suddenly, Hermione watched as Ron and Voldemort continued to duel. Hermione's blood was boiling, and as she grabbed her wand, she ran towards them, never meaning the killing curse more.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ron watched as Hermione fell and for a moment he panicked. "Hermione!" He cried

But the sound of Voldemort shouting "AVADA KEDAVRA!" brought his attention back to the Dark Lord and the duel they were currently having.

He leaped to the left to avoid the curse. Breathing heavily now, he looked over his shoulder to double check on Hermione again. She was sitting up and appeared fine but she was focused on something in the distance. Squinting to see what it was she was so intently staring at, Ron missed Voldemort hitting him on top of the head. Luckily though, Voldemort had chosen the wrong way to attack Ron Weasley, one of six brothers. If there was anything he knew how to do, it was fight.

Quickly elbowing Voldemort in the chest he was able to get the snake like man's arms into a gridlock position in no time. Suddenly with no resistance from Voldemort, and Ron without a next move, they stood like that for a moment, neither one with access to their wands.

"AHHHHH!" A scream from the direction Hermione was looking at sounded. Ron shut his eyes and looked away. He knew who it was instantly. Tonks.

Ron could feel Voldemort's chest rise and fall as he let out a slight chuckle. "This may continue you know" He said lazily, "But the longer you wait to give in, the more people will die."

Anger overcoming him Ron slammed Voldemort into a nearby tree.

"Oh boy you really have no idea what you're doing do you? If you really were smart you would all retreat back into hiding. There's so few of you left. Save your own skins, who's dead is dead, no one and nothing is bringing them back."

"You killed Harry" Ron gritted "I'm willing to risk everything to get my revenge."

"Even your family? Your parents are both dead now, two of your brothers also. What about your sister? Are you willing to hand her over to me, to watch her die? And what of your precious mudblood? Is revenge worth all that?"

"Hermione and I have always been behind Harry, all of our--"

"REMUS!"

"TONKS RUN!"

Ron snapped his head to look as a badly injured Tonks tried to drag an almost dead Lupin across the forest floor to safety, Death Eaters at their heels.

"Nymphadora, please just leave me!" Lupin begged, too weak to even resist Tonk's hold on him.

"Remus stop, you know I can't!" She cried, using every ounce of strength she had to continue dragging him.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" A familiar voice suddenly screamed, as Hermione approached them, a jet of green light shooting out of her wand at Voldemort.

Ron let go as the curse hit Voldemort in the back, knocking him over, but not killing him.

Hermione was crying, but there was a red fire in her eyes he had never seen before. "They're going to kill them" She said simply, the dark circles under her eyes making her look dangerous.

Ron didn't say a word, only looked back out as the Death Eaters circled around Tonks and Lupin, two of the best fighters in the history of Aurors, now beaten and upon death.

"Remus…"

"I know it. It's over."

"Maybe we can still…"

"Hush. Stop crying" Lupin said gently "We are from the Order. We don't die crying. We die heroes deaths."

Ron looked around them. Hermione was biting her lip, her eyes burning with hatred, firey tears slipping from her eyes. Voldemort lay still on the ground, in the process of getting back up. The forest was on fire now, only a few feet away from them now. The sky was black and smoky. But behind him, Ron heard more screams and as he spun around he saw Ginny in the distance, Ginny being protected by none other than Neville Longbottom.

"BOYS LET'S GET THEM ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

"GINNY STAY BEHIND ME!"

"NEVILLE LET'S RUN FOR IT!"

"WHERE? WHERE DO WE GO? WE'RE TRAPPED!"

"NEVILLE…"

Ron was running before he even knew it, his legs magically carrying him the short distance to where they were, avoiding flames as we went. Wand out, he was almost there when--

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

--three Death Eaters simultaneously shouted the killing curse, where the once timid boy, too afraid to go to Potions class, crumbled over backwards, trapping Ginny's lifeless body underneath him.

"NOOO!" Ron screamed, as he looked down at the bodies of his little sister and Neville. The Death Eaters looked confused, and without a word, Ron killed them all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hermione watched as Ron ran off and was suddenly caught up in the impression that this was the end of the world.

Tonks was holding Lupin's hand now, chins up, pride saved.

So, with nothing more to save, Hermione closed her eyes as she let the screams of Tonks and Lupin wash over her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Roughly shoving their bodies out of the way, Ron moved Neville's body over to expose that of his little sister.

Ginny wasn't moving. And as Ron lifted her head to cradle it in his arms, blood gushed from it, soaking not only the wet grass but also Ron's hands.

Eyes darting around, body and mind numb, Ron knew only one thing. Ginny was dead. Ginny, his baby sister, his best friend was gone. And there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Body shaking, tears escaping, Ron slowly got up. He didn't want to see this Ginny anymore. So with a final kiss, Ron began to run. He had a duty to do. He was going to end this war, this war that could have been finished a long time ago. Ginny and Neville couldn't be saved. And to Ron, there wasn't a whole lot more he could lose.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Voldemort was on his feet again. It had taken a while but he was better for it as was apparent in the maniac way he was approaching Hermione. Ron was almost there and Hermione, all effort and energy gone, still hearing the screams of Tonks and Lupin in her ears, prayed that he got here soon. Because if she wasn't careful she'd give in right now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The fire was out of control now and Voldemort was ready for more; that much was obvious. Seeing nothing but Ginny's broken body, Ron came to a stop next to Hermione wand at the ready.

"Neville" was all he said

Hermione turned to look at him with a beaten look, her wand up and ready.

"Ginny too" He mumbled before turning to look at Voldemort.

"Tonks and Lupin" Hermione breathed

Ron nodded, the anger building up. "Let's rip him to shreds."

"It's not going to work." Hermione said softly

"What do you mean?" Ron asked

"Not if we kill out of anger. That's what they do." She said motioning over to where Dumbledore, Pansy and Cormac McLaggen were dueling a group of Death Eaters.

"Then what the hell am I supposed to kill out of?"

"I don't know." Hermione said, "All I know is that Harry wouldn't have wanted us to turn into one of them."

A big gust of wind picked up the fire, now surrounding them, Voldemort's face flickering in the flames. He laughed evilly.

"EVIL HAS CONQUERED THE WORLD, IT HAS BEAT THE ODDS, AND IT HAS WON! I HAVE DONE THE UNTHINKABLE! THERE IS NOTHING MORE YOU CAN DO TO STOP ME!

Ron wasn't listening to Voldemort anymore. All he was thinking about was the way his Dad's face lit up whenever he found a Muggle devise, the way his Mum's eyes danced when she laughed, Fred and George's mischievous all-knowing grins, Charlie's calloused hands, the way Bill glowed when he married Fleur, Ginny's laugh as he or Harry would tickle her, the goofy grin Harry got on his face after every Quidditch match and after every mention of Ginny.

XXXXXXXXXX

"AVADA KEDAVRA DOESN'T WORK! I AM IMMORTAL! I HAVE WON! YOU SILLY CHILDREN WHO HAVE OH SO VERY FOOLSIHLY TESTED ME ALL THESE YEARS WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS THE ENEMY!"

Hermione saw them all. The ghosts of the dead. There were so many now. Voldemort was talking but Hermione only saw them, their smiles, their encouraging glances, their winks. Only heard them, their laughs, their comforting words.

In the distance she saw Amos Diggory and Ludo Bagman fall to the ground. Death Eaters raised a terrified Justin Finch-Fletchy up on the ground before exploding him. George and Luna fell side by side as George tried to save Luna from being raped. And Dumbledore, one of the most powerful wizards of all time, fell gracefully as he protected a group of young Hogwarts students, Fawkes rising into the air, filling it with a sad, lonely song.

"Go on" The ghost of Lupin said softly

"Now's the time" Dumbledore winked

"Give 'em hell for us!" Fred and George grinned

"We love you" Mr. And Mrs. Weasley said

"Be brave" Neville said gently, with a shy smile

"Have courage" Viktor said overdramatically

"Remember where you came from" The Grangers whispered

"Do this for us" Seamus and Lavender said in unison

"You're doing this for everyone" Ginny said

"Go on, NOW!" Harry said

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Voldemort raised his wand.

Ron looked at Hermione. 'One,' he thought 'Two, THREE!"

And without another word, Ron and Hermione lifted their wands and nothing more was heard except three desperate curses, one after the other, "AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was nothing but a single flash of light. And then there was nothing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

THE END

(A/N???? Luckily for you all an epilogue is coming!)


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Harry Potter, Drama, Romance