Disclaimer: I own the storyline and nothing else.

A/N: This is a short drabble on the torture scene – mostly based on thoughts, rather than speech, and largely based on Ron and Hermione. I was disappointed with the film – well, only this bit – how they downplayed the scene; Ron wasn't nearly half as distraught as he was in the book. So, this is mostly based on the book version.

Please review.

~ Saving Me ~

Ron banged on the door of the cellar, screaming her name over and over again, tears rolled down her cheeks as he screamed for her. His throat already sore, his fists bleeding as he slammed his hands over and over again against the bars. He looked at the already formed bruises, not moving to wipe the tears from his eyes as he heard Harry behind him. He knew it was no good, but that didn't mean he would just give up fighting for her, for the person he loved.

He screamed her name once more, before sliding down the door, sobbing. He couldn't stand the screams coming from her, he couldn't believe that he was expected to just listen to her without being able to do anything – he couldn't believe there was no way out of this mess they had found themselves in. The screams coming from the girl he loved hurt – each piercing scream was like a knife being twisted in his heart.

He slammed his fists against the door once more, sobbing harder when he heard the painful curse being shouted once more by the woman – if he could call her that, at the moment, he preferred demon – he hated more than anything, more than anyone. He wanted to scream, he could feel his heart literally being ripped out of his body with every scream and every curse coming from upstairs. He couldn't bare it. He couldn't think about the pain Hermione was in. He could only wish he was in her place.

There was hope, when Dobby came, there was some hope – and he found himself cursing the house elf for not being there sooner, for not being able to save Hermione from the excruciating pain she was in right now. He was thankful but he was bitter.

He ran up those steps faster than he thought possible, ready to fight for the girl with everything he had, he was prepared to die if it meant saving her. He glared at Harry when he pulled him down, so they could look at the scene in front of them – he saw Hermione's seemingly lifeless body laying on the ground, blood dropping from a wound he couldn't make out on her arm. He heard her whimper when Bellatrix grabbed her, slamming her back down against the floor before her wand pointed towards the girl once more.

He saw red; the next few moments were a blur as he found himself running, shouting towards them. Curses were shouted from both sides – good and evil – and then he found time slowing down as Hermione was grabbed, pulled up against the evil death eater. He noticed the blade pressed against her pale neck, the blood already dripping down onto her collar as he threw his wand onto the floor. He still couldn't believe something like this was happening to his Hermione, she was so amazing, she didn't deserve this.

Time seemed to speed up again as Dobby dropped the chandelier, he grabbed Hermione in one movement and ran to Dobby, and before he knew it, the Malfroy Manor was no more. He looked around, taking no notice of their surroundings as he scrambled towards the girl who had somehow being flung from his arms, her still body laying on the beach. He bit down on his lip, scooping her up in his arms in one swift movement, ignoring the cries coming from Harry as he made his way towards the house.

He couldn't care about anyone else right now, the girl he loved could be dying and he had to do everything he could save her. How could he possibly care about Harry's problems when he had his own? How could he possibly pretend to care about the elf when he had someone he loved to care about? He turned around to look at Harry, biting his lip before quickly going inside the house, screaming for his brother and his wife.

It wasn't long before he found himself sitting in the guest bedroom he had slept in not so long ago, holding Hermione's hand as she slept, whimpering every now and then as a nightmare took place. He squeezed her hand every single time he heard her cry, reassuring her he wasn't going anywhere, wanting to show her that he was there for good this time.

He knew the risks – she could be driven insane by the curse, she could die but he also knew she could live, she could just be left with the mental scars of being tortured and he knew she was strong enough to get through it. He knew that his Hermione would be strong enough to get through anything.

Ron closed his eyes, trying to stop the tears falling as he thought about it; he tried to stop himself from blaming Harry, but he couldn't help himself. He couldn't help thinking about how it was Harry's choice to do this alone, he didn't want to blame his best friend, but he couldn't stop the thoughts – he was angry, he was angry at everyone for not being able to prevent this, he was mad at himself for not being able to get to her sooner and he was mad at Harry for putting them in that position in the first place.

He squeezed her hand as she awoke, whispering sweet words as she looked around, scared of the new surroundings she found herself in. He found himself comforting her as she trembled, all the shyness around her leaving as he wrapped his strong arms around her tight, smiling when she wrapped her own tiny arms around him, too. "You're going to be okay, 'Mione." He whispered, kissing her hair, pulling away a little to look her right in the eyes, smiling a little when she nodded.

"You're safe now, nobody can hurt you.." He rubbed her back, holding her for hours before she finally fell back asleep, her trembling body ceasing in his grip as his words began to comfort her, when she finally realized she didn't have to worry because Ron – the boy she loved more than anything else – would keep her safe.

She'd never tell him that beyond her own screams, she could hear him calling her name, she heard the way he screamed for her, his fists banging against the door as he cried for her. She'd never tell him that her screams were not only out of pain but fear – fear of losing him, fear of losing the only person she had that was worth living for right then. She had lost her parents, Ron was the only person she had left. The only person she loved.

She smiled at his comforting words, relaxing in his embrace; that feeling of compete safety taking over as she closed her eyes. She loved him so much and she knew, he loved her too. She'd find comfort in that fact alone, she'd find life out of that. Bellatrix was nothing, the pain was nothing, her love for Ron was everything.

She thought about the pain, about he flashed up in her mind – he was her reason to live, he was the one thing she could think of that was enough to cling onto. Ronald Weasley had saved her life and she would never forget that. Ronald Weasley was her life.