To End the War
Author: LVB
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JK Rowling.
Summary: Ron and Hermione deal with the fallout after Hermione returns from studying Dark Magic at Durmstrang. Angst.
A/N: This was written for the Checkmated Movie!Quote Challenge.
Prompt: "Life has ended for me...How can you stand here beside me and pretend not to remember? Not to know that my heart is breaking for you?"-Wuthering Heights
It had been the longest six months of Ron's life with the promise of six even longer months. He and Harry had been roughing it during what they had dubbed the "Horcrux Hunt". During those excruciatingly long six months, he and Harry had only been able to locate two Horcruxes and destroy one—the cup of Helga Hufflepuff. It had taken a lot of harsh, dark magic to destroy the Cup and Harry had nearly lost his arm in the process. Regardless of what had happened, they had to keep concentrating at the task on hand.
Right now that was proving to be very difficult for Ronald Weasley. Not only was he supposed to concentrate on the task at hand, but he had to do it with a very conspicuous absence in the group—Hermione. After their disastrous visit to the Dursley's and Bill and Fleur's wedding, they had come to a mutual understanding. They loved each other but things would have to wait until after the war. Love had its time and place but duty took precedence.
It was that decision that had landed Ron in his current Hermione-less state. In the name of research of the Dark Arts, the Trio, along with the subtle guidance of Remus Lupin, had suggested Hermione go to the source of the Dark Arts itself: Durmstrang.
The last thing in the world Ron wanted was Hermione to be away in Bulgaria with Viktor bloody Krum but as Harry reminded him, desperate times called for desperate measures. So six months had passed by and while he and Harry had been up to their armpits in Death Eaters, Horcruxes and bloody nature, he had barely heard a word from the girl he loved. Most nights he stayed up wondering about her: what she was doing, if she was alright, if that greasy git was keeping his dirty Bulgarian hands away from her. Before she had left with Krum after Bill and Fleur's wedding she had promised him one thing—that her heart belonged to him. He had kept those words close to his heart and Harry was a constant reminder that what she was doing was for the good of all of them.
It was this thought that haunted Ron to this very moment as he waited with his best mate at Godric's Hollow. Only two hours ago they had finally received word from Hermione saying that she would be returning from Bulgaria. Ron could barely contain his excitement…she was finally coming home.
"Ron can you please stop pacing, you're giving me a headache," moaned Harry as he watched Ron pace the long hallway of Godric's Hollow. "Hermione's not going to get here any quicker with you walking around like a blazing idiot."
"Sod off, Potter," Ron retorted and glanced at the newly-connected Floo. Any minute now she would come through the fireplace and run towards him. Any minute now…
As if on cue, the perfunctory whoosh came through the fireplace and out stumbled a very dirty, very tired looking Hermione. But instead of running towards him and enveloping him in a hug, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed to the floor. He barely heard Harry mutter "Shit!" and watched on as Harry ran to her, frozen in his spot. "Ennervate!"
Although Hermione had not been hit by a Stunner, she miraculously sprung back to life. Ron felt his pulse return and the icy feeling that had settled over his body dissipate. He breathed a sigh of relief and ran towards Hermione. He didn't care that Harry was watching. He didn't even care if Hermione was going to hex his bits clean off but at that moment all he wanted to do was kiss her and so he did.
--
It was much later before Ron got the chance to talk to Hermione. Harry had to butt in and so his noble adoptive big brother thing and sent Hermione straight to bed. She had been sleeping for a few hours now and he had found himself just sitting there and watching her. They had all been through hell and back these past few months and it certainly showed. Yet somehow, even though he and Harry had been hiding from Death Eaters in the middle of forests, Hermione still looked much worse than the two of them put together.
As she slept, he had been taking note of her injuries. She wore a long cloak and even with the blankets pulled up he could still see the scars as her arms fleetingly showed themselves as she tossed and turned. Her face had a variety of healed and fresh bruises. Her arms had long, deep scratches on them. Some looked like they had only recently been stitched up and blood stains still remained. For some reason her hair was darker and Ron could have sworn as she had come tumbling out of the Floo that there was a malicious black gleam in her otherwise soft eyes. Whatever had happened to her at Durmstrang was obviously awful and the moment this war was over, Ron was going to go over there and beat Krum personally.
A soft "Ron?" pushed Ron out of his reverie. He gently placed his hand on Hermione's arm.
"Yeah 'Mione. It's me. You're back at Godric's Hollow."
Hermione opened her eyes and surveyed the room she was in. While it wasn't the most luxurious, it was probably the safest she'd been since she left. Ron smiled as slowly she began to wake up. All he wanted was for her to be okay and never, ever leave him again. He went to help her get up, but she slapped away his hand.
"I can do it," she said stubbornly. He was not surprised. He let her stand up on her own, her dark cloak still covering most of her. The hood still stayed down and her darker hair spiralled down her back in the curls he loved so much.
Ron couldn't help himself—he had to kiss and now. He leant forward and was mildly shocked when Hermione quickly drew away from him. "What's the matter?" he asked hurriedly. Surely she hadn't gone back on her word? Suddenly the worst occurred to him. What if she had left him for Krum? He found the rage that he expected to be inside him with this revelation substantially subsided. Instead, an aching sort of pain and an icy fear had taken over him instead.
"Hermione?"
She didn't respond. He watched as she walked slowly around the room they were in, touching the walls. She took her time and looked at nearly everything in the room. Ron was starting to worry and get impatient.
"Hermione?" he tried again. This time she turned around and he was able to take a real look at her. She looked terrible. "I missed you."
For the first time since she arrived her features seemed to relax. Relaxing was good. Relaxing was definitely a step towards snogging.
"I know Ron," she replied, making her way towards him. "I missed you too, believe me. I don't think you'll ever understand how hard these past few months were for me." She took hold of his hands and for the first time since she arrived looked directly into his eyes. He saw that strange gleam in her eyes again.
"Hermione, what happened to you?" Ron demanded, his voice raising an octave as he looked at her.
"A lot of things happened while I was gone Ron. And there a few things I need for you to know and to understand before this," she gestured towards them both, "...goes any further." He dropped her hands.
"What do you mean?" he demanded his voice getting a little louder. Hermione sighed and opened her cloak.
Ron gasped. Her entire body was covered in those gruesome red scars he had seen earlier on her arms. There was a particularly large one that went from her navel, down past her underwear, to the top of her knee. It glowed an eerie red and Ron knew it was the result of Dark Magic gone wrong. Hermione went to close her cloak in embarrassment but Ron stopped her.
"Don't," he whispered hoarsely. "I need to see."
He gently traced the scar down her body and felt her shudder beneath his touch. Her stomach also had a variety of multi-coloured bruises. He knew that if she could, Hermione would have healed them long ago. Sure, he had a few mishaps over the past six months but nothing to this extreme. Someone had deliberately hurt his Hermione and that bastard was lucky he was in Bulgaria.
"Who did this Hermione?" Ron asked, his voice drenched with emotion. Hermione had tears in her eyes and pulled back and closed her cloak.
"That is what you need to understand Ron. This is the result of things I had to do over there. I can't lay the blame on anyone, especially not Viktor. He only ever did what I asked him to."
Ron was feeling that familiar rage settling back into his stomach. "Did what you asked him to?" Ron bellowed. "And you asked him to beat you and cast Dark Magic all over you, scarring you for life? You asked him to give you a magical scar that will never heal? Why didn't you just ask him to kill you?"
"You find me and my scars so disgusting do you Ron?" Hermione screamed back, hysteria tainting her words.
"You know that's not bloody true!" Ron yelled back. "I love you and I wouldn't care if you came back with your legs missing and an extra head! I want to know why you felt the need to go to Viktor sodding Krum and let him...no, no, make him do this to you!"
Hermione had begun to cry now but she wasn't going to back down. "I had to Ron! You have no idea what it is like over there. There is no such thing as weakness at Durmstrang. Their methods of teaching are harsh. Dark Magic isn't something to be taken lightly and this was the only way!"
"The only way? Whatever happened to reading it in a book?" Ron was livid now. He really hadn't wanted for Hermione's return to end like this, but he refused to back down until he had his answer.
"That's what I need you to understand Ron. The Dark Magic has marked me, changed me in a way that I can't predict," she pleaded through her tears. He could see her in eyes the sheer desperation as she tried to make him understand. "I did what was necessary. It was brutal, it was ugly but I have what we need now. I have a way we can finally beat him. I just had to sacrifice some of myself in the process." Hermione finally dropped to the ground, hysterical.
Whatever she had done, Ron knew that it had obviously been traumatic enough for her. He dropped to the ground and she crawled to him, putting her arms around his neck and crying into his shoulders. "Life has ended for me," she moaned into his neck. Ron forcefully held her by her shoulders and looked into her eyes.
"I can't listen to you say that, Hermione. Don't give up."
"It's true," she moaned again. "I have nothing left if you won't stand by me because what I've done. I can't do it Ron. I won't be able to!"
"Life has ended for me! How can you stand here beside me and pretend not to remember? Not to know that my heart is breaking for you?" Ron asked her, tears in his own eyes now. "How can you not remember that promise we made before you left, that your heart belonged to me? I have your heart here, 'Mione," Ron pointed to his own chest. "I'm not going to destroy it. I love you and I need you, and whatever parts of you were destroyed by Dark Magic, I can bring them back. I know it."
Hermione looked up at Ron and kissed him. Ron felt all her troubles melt away in that one kiss and he placed his hands on either side of her head.
"I can help end the war Ron. I just need to be able to rely on you to be with me all the way. Harry needs us but I need you too, if we're going to survive."
Ron leant her head forward and placed a kiss on her head. "We're going to end the war Hermione, and then, life begins."