Ron awoke to the pitter patter of feet in the hallway of shell cottage. Assuming it was nothing he turned in his bed and began to fall back asleep again. It wasn't until a few minutes later that he heard faint sobs coming from the room across from his. He silently got up from his bed, making sure he didn't wake harry, opened the door, and walked into the hallway. The sobs were louder now and Ron gently knocked on the bathroom door that was opposite his and Harrys bedroom. Upon hearing no response he slowly pushed the door open. The bathroom was small with walls the color of violet and ver bright lights. Ron's attention wasn't drawn to either of those things though. He was only looking at the girl who was sitting on the white linoleum floor with her back against the tub crying her eyes out while she scrubbed at her wrist viciously with a green washcloth. It was Hermione. His Hermione. He walked into the room alerting her to his presence. She looked up at him with big brown eyes, red from weeping. Her hair was long and tangled and her face pale. She looked tired and vulnerable. And so sad. Ron wanted to run and hold her so he could comfort her until all the tears stopped rolling down her cheeks. But he didn't.
"It won't come off Ron" she whispered "I've tried everything and it just won't come off "She started to scrub at her wrist once more. Ron walked over to her and sat down beside her gently taking both her hands. He looked down at her wrist. The first time he saw what was there he was furious that someone would carve this filthy word into her porcelain skin. He was in such a rage he almost that he almost dissaperated n the spot back to Malfoy manor to kill Bellatrix for what she did to her. The word was now bloody and raw from all of Hermione's desperate scrubbing. He took the cloth from her other hand and started to gently dab at the scar rubbing away all of the blood and pain. When he finished he lifted her wrist to his mouth and kissed it. Ron heard her intake of breath and looked up to meet her brown eyes with his blue ones. The sat there for a moment just staring until Hermione asked
"Why won't it come off Ron?"
He had already asked fleur this question and really did not want to give Hermione the answer. But he did anyways. He couldn't lie to her. "It was put on there with dark magic. So I'm afraid it's impossible to take off. I'm so sorry 'mione"
His heart sank when he saw the look of utter despair on her face. "I hate it" she stated with tears running down her face. "I hate how this word reminds me of what I am"
"Hermione" Ron said so softly he wondered if she heard him. He tucked a strand of hair gently behind her ear. "This word does not define you. What you're born as does not define who you become. Whether you're a muggleborn or a pureblood. It doesn't matter. You should be proud to wear this word." She gave him a look that said he was crazy "no I mean you should be proud show that even with people constantly kicking you down and calling you this word you still rose above and became the wonderful, talented witch you are today. You should be proud because I know I am."
Hermione looked up at him with a soft smile on her lips "really?"
Ron smiled back "really"
"Thank you Ron. You don't know what that means to me" she said as she put her arms around her neck and embraced him. He circled his hands around her waist and hugged her close to him, smiling into her hair. Pleased with the fact that for the moment Hermione was safe and happy.