Disclaimer: I don't own it.

Special thanks to: First Year for helping me with rewriting and editing this story.

Ron walked back to the house with his mind running in circles, sighing when he got to the back door of his old home. He wiped away the tears with the sleeve of his favorite button down blue shirt and put on a fake happy face. Harry was waiting for him, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed against his chest, his. legs crossed making himself comfortable. His wand stuck out of the front pocket of his jeans which he was toying with as he gave Ron a confused look.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"What do you mean? I didn't do anything. I wanted to be alone when she came up behind me and started talking and that lead to an argument."

"That's not how she said it. Ginny's up in her old room now with Hermione. We sent Viktor home." Harry looked at the ground, and then at his best mate. "What's gotten into you Ron?"

"Me? Why does everything have to be my fault?" Ron looked at Harry; not happy with the turn of conversation.

"Why did you kiss her?" Harry asked.

"She told you that?" Ron's cheeks turned as red as his hair as he shrugged.

"I wanted her to remember what we had. You would have done the same thing if it were Ginny."

"Yeah, you're right, but I wouldn't have done that on her birthday. You confused her Ron. I could tell it in her eyes."

"I know. She asked why life was so hard. I admit, I said something I shouldn't have which is probably why she's even more upset at me." Ron looked away from his best mate.

"You said that she should know why life's so hard."

"How'd you know that?" Ron was surprised with Harry's answer.

Harry shrugged. "Educated guess, plus we both know she's a bookworm. But you're right. You shouldn't have said that, and especially on her birthday." He looked at Ron and smiled again and then they both started to laugh.

Just then, Ginny came down the stairs looking worn out. The duo looked at her and covered up the laughing with fake coughs.

"I don't know what you're laughing about, but you can cut it out. She's highly upset at you Ron." Ginny stated in a warning tone, making Ron stop laughing and blushing deeply.

"I know she is. I didn't want to talk to her tonight. In fact, I wanted to be alone."

"Well that's not how she put it." Ginny snapped.

"It's the truth! What's with women always twisting whatever we say?" Ron hissed, saliva hitting Ginny's face which she wiped off angrily and glared at him.

"I think it's best if you leave, Ron."

Harry he stepped in between them, pushing his arms out separating the two. "I've always heard of the famous redhead's temper, and seen some of it, too, but I think between the two of you it's the worse!"

"I better go; I can tell when I'm not wanted," Ron insisted.

"Brilliant idea, mate. That's the best idea you've had all night." Harry said.

"Well you're certainly not wanted around here." Ginny snapped without thinking.

Ron stared at Harry. who he though was getting an attitude when they have been getting along so nicely only a short time ago.

The next day, when his family hadn't heard from him, Molly said someone should go after him to make sure he was alright. Ginny volunteered because she felt bad for getting into that argument with him. She found him sprawled out on his couch, passed out with a bottle of fire whiskey in his hands and two more empties at his feet.

Ginny shook him gently, kicked away one of the bottles and being the little sister she was, started cleaning up. She put the bags of food her mother had given her for Ron in to the refrigerator. When she was done, Ginny sat down on the chair in front of the fireplace and reached into her bag, bringing out her knitting. With a flick of her wand, she lit a fire and waited for Ron to wake up.

Ron awoke later that morning with a huge headache. He wasn't a drinker and was not used to the effects of strong drink. He saw that his sister was fast asleep on the chair with her knitting needles on her lap and getting up he quietly put aside the needles.

"Morning." she said.

"I didn't mean to wake you. I was going to carry you to the guest bedroom and let you sleep."

"That's okay. I need to wake up anyways. After a cup of coffee I will be fine." She smiled.

"Since when do you drink coffee?"

"Since Harry and I started living together."

"Well I don't have a coffee maker."

"Yes you do. We put one in for you as a house warming gift when you first moved in." Ginny busied herself looking for the coffee maker which Ron did not even remember when he had moved in.

"Why are you here, Ginny? I thought you were mad at me about Hermione," Ron said, standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

"I came to apologize. Things got heated up last night and after Mum and Dad found out they wanted someone to keep an eye on you. So I volunteered because I wanted to talk." Ginny said finishing up the coffee.

"Mum and dad found out?" Ron felt sick, knowing that now everyone knew he kissed Hermione on her birthday.

"Not about you kissing her, but about our fight."

"Oh, do they know why Hermione was upset and why Viktor was sent home?"

"Harry filled them in, but left the part out of you kissing her. They wouldn't have agreed with that."

"Yeah you're right. I don't agree with it myself. I had to do what I had to do for the sake of love," Ron replied.

"Harry would have done the same for me." Ginny smiled at him as noises came from the living room. Ginny and Ron looked at each other then went into the living room.

Half way across town, Hermione Granger sat in the loo at of the god forsaken hell hole that Viktor Krum had led her to against her will. She stared at the diamond with a glum look, and as she sat on the germy floor facing the toilet Hermione started to cry. What had she gotten herself into?

A door opened to the bathroom stall she was in. "Someone's in here," she replied not bothering to turn around. Her captor pulled out a black cloth sack and covered her head with it. She tried kicking him but he forced her to stop. She screamed, crying for help, until she was silenced by her captor hoping, to no avail, that someone would hear her.

"Harry, what are you doing here?" Ron and Ginny said in unison as Harry walked out of Ron's fireplace.

"I thought you were at work." Ginny added.

"I was till someone sent me an owl. Ron, you should take a look at this." Harry handed him the note.

"It's about Hermione. Oh dear God, she's gone missing." Ron slumped back in his chair and let the note fell to the floor.

"WHAT?" Ginny screamed her back sliding against wall.

"Let me see that note." Ron picked it up and handed it to her, his knees shaking so badly that he sat back down, terrified of what might have happened to his bookworm.

"It doesn't say who it's from."

"I bet Vicky knows exactly what happened to her," Ron snarled, gritting his teeth.

"Who is Vicky?" Ginny asked.

"His nickname for Viktor Krum," Harry said.

"We need to get to the ministry. Kingsley will want to know about Hermione's disappearance. Ginny, go to your mum's house and let them know what's going on."

Ron felt grateful as Harry took charge. He found he could hardly breathe, talk, or know where to start. All he knew was that Hermione was gone and the didn't know where she was. He had to find her.

Author's note: Well that's the end of chapter two. I know it's shorter than the first chapter, but I have plans for the third one that will keep everyone waiting for more. And to my readers who think I'm being harsh to Ron, trust me it will all work out. Thank you for reading it. Kayla, thank you for being a great beta reader and friend.