A.N: I know I have been away for a long while, so i won't keep you from this next chapter for long. to make up for my absence, here's a very long chapter...ENJOY! :)
Ron sat on the wall of the court yard, admiring the many joyous faces of students and teachers alike, all celebrating that the war had finally been won. Fireworks of all shapes and sizes, lit up the night sky, like an explosive rainbow. Beneath them, old and new friendships and romances between pupils were rekindled, and they happily displayed and exchanged all forms of embracing. But this, did nothing for Ron.
It was over, their years of turmoil, hardship and heartbreak, was finished. There were no more adventures needed to find lost magical objects, no more heroic battles to be had, no more, anything. For the first time in years, things were about to be normal. Yet normal, seemed as if it had been within touching distance, only hours before.
He had finally overcome his fears and doubts, the girl he adored, and had done from the moment she had first irritated him on the Hogwarts Express, he had finally kissed her. Finally known that she was, The One. The one to spend the rest of his life with.
Yet, in an instant, it had all disappeared. Hermione had flung herself onto the heartless murderer, Bellatrix Lestrange, and disaparated. The woman who had killed her own cousin Sirious, the woman who had hunted down her own niece, tortured Hermione and killed his brother Fred and attempted to kill his sister and mother. Hermione, had chosen to save this woman. To Ron, this was unforgivable.
A pair of arms suddenly flung around his neck, a familiar voice rang in his ears. " C'mon Ron, join the celebrations, it's over, we did it!" Ginny smiled, releasing her grip.
"No WE didn't. Harry did it. WE just helped him do it." He said gruffly. "No one will know our names ten years from now. No one will know our story. No one will care." He rose to his feet, not bothering to look at her.
"I'll care." Said a solemn voice.
Ron froze, "you being the only one Harry." He buried his hands in his pockets.
"I'm not, and I won't be. Not ever." Ron felt a hand grab his shoulder and give it a small squeeze. "I know you're hurt but-"
"You don't know anything!" Ron roared, turning around to face Harry square on. "You're alright! You're the hero! People remember you, worship you! You saved the day and got the girl! What have we got...What have I got?!" He gestured wildly to their surroundings. Several faces had now begun turning towards them, curious to see what the shouting was about.
Harry and Ginny shared a guilty glance at one another, but said nothing.
"What have I got, huh!? Nothing! That's what!" Ron's face was a burning red and his voice was beginning to break, he looked close to tears, but sniffed loudly and wiped his nose on his sleeve.
"Hermione wouldn't-" Ginny began, but Harry shot her a warning look, as if gauging his friends reaction. But Ron just sniffed again.
"We've been thinking about her too, Ron." Harry said calmly.
"And we don't think she would ever, Ever have done that, without a seriously good reason behind it." Ginny blurted out. It was clear that they had both given this a lot of thought, before coming to find Ron.
"Yeah, maybe she was under the imperious curse. Think about it mate, this is Hermione we're talking about, and Bellatrix isn't exactly the kindest witch in the world, it's likely that Bellatrix would do something like that to her, you know, to get close to us or something." Harry could tell that Ron was thinking hard on what they were saying, it seemed that this possibility, had never occurred to him and that he had taken Hermione's actions as betrayal.
"If she was under the imperious curse, she would have been acting...Different." Ginny began a little more cautiously, "think Ron, you were the last person to speak to her, was there anything...Off, about her?"
There was a short pause, as Ron went over the events of their last conversation together in his head.
"Come to think of it, I wasn't the last person to talk to her." He said, unable to hide the slight sound of surprise.
"Who else spoke to her?" Harry asked eagerly, his eyes widening.
"Well, when I came out of the Great Hall, she was, well from a distance it looked like she was beating up Draco." They all shared a worried glance.
"But Draco...He's gone. Him and his family left before the war even ended." Ginny spoke with a sigh of defeat.
Once again, there was a stunned silence amongst them.
Ron gave a large shrug of his shoulders and kicked the ground hard. "Well, guess we're still fucked!" And he turned on his heel and stormed off.
Bellatrix marched forwards towards the Castle, that was still little more than an orange glow in the distance, with only the North Tower turret just becoming visible through the tree line. Hermione found herself having to jog every so often to keep up with the older witches brisk pace, tripping up occasionally on large roots that jutted out of the ground.
"I still don't understand why we can't just disaparated back to the castle." Hermione said, catching up to walk beside the older witch, choosing to ignore the distinctive growl of irritation from Bellatrix's throat.
"Because, stupid girl, the Castle is protected by specialized wards, which alert the current Headmaster of anyone, who is not student body, that disaparates into Hogwarts." She heard Hermione breath in, preparing for another question, so she continued. "While the battle was commencing, there was nearly a constant stream of people disaparating here and there inside the Castle, therefore making it impossible for the Headmaster to locate or identify, that Witch or Wizard. Now however, according to you, it's over!" She stepped through several closely sown trees, while Hermione followed, deliberately letting them ping into the girls face. "Everyone that planned on evacuating or fleeing the Castle will have already done so. If you and I were to disaparate in now, we would be noticed immediately. It would be like walking into a trap."
Hermione's left cheek burned from the whiplash that the branch had caused, and she could already feel a welt begin to swell up and slightly close her watering eye. Bellatrix turned around to look at the girl in the darkness, illuminating her features with her wand tip.
"Hmm, shame." She stated coldly, rubbing her thumb lightly over the red welt. "Guess you'll just have to be more careful, won't you?"
"How's yours then?!" Hermione spat. Bellatrix instinctively raised her hand to her cheek. To her surprise and disdain, a welt of equal size, had appeared across her own cheek and was growing more painful by the second. "I told you, hurting me only hurts yourself." Hermione said smugly, as she vanished the angry red sore with a wave of her wand.
Bellatrix was about to argue back, when she heard it. At first, she thought it was only a slight wind rustling through the trees, but then it grew louder and clearer. Until it transformed from breezing wind, into a voice. A voice, that called her name.
"Bella...Come...Come, to me, Bellatrix..." Its deep, husky tones, billowed through the trees like an echoing whisper and she gasped violently in recognition.
"What?" Hermione snapped, unable to hide the slight worry in her voice.
"Can you hear it!?" Bellatrix snapped, but Hermione merely stared back at her in confusion.
"That voice, cant you hear it!" Bellatrix took several steps backwards, until her back was pressed firmly against a tree, her chest rising and falling faster as realization was overpowering her mind. Yet it was impossible, it completely contradicted what the girl had told her.
"Come...Come to me Bellatrix." It chanted again.
"There, right there! That voice!" She was practically in hysterics, as Hermione's eyes grew wide and she shook her head slowly, giving Bellatrix the distinct impression, that Hermione thought she may explode at any moment.
"Bellatrix there's nothing, I cant hear anything." Hermione said slowly, tightening the grip around her wand.
Bellatrix began to chuckle, at first quietly, but then as the voice called to her again, and she erupted into a maddening cackle, that shocked Hermione, so much so she stumbled over a hidden root and fell to the ground with a CRASH.
Lying on her back in the darkness,Hermione felt a sudden weight lean onto her hips and straddle her, grabbing both her wrists and immobilizing her in an instant. Inches away from her face were the two black orbs, staring down at her with a merciless grin.
"You lied, muddy!" She chuckled darkly into the girls ear, unable to stop the glee penetrating her words.
Hermione began to shake under the dark witch, the vulnerability of her situation becoming apparent.
"He's alive. I can hear him." She purred, releasing one of Hermione's arms and tracing the outline of the girls mouth with her nails. "If I can hear him, then your pal Potty, FAILED!" She screamed, in what could only be pure delight.
"He couldn't have!" Hermione squirmed beneath the witch, who giggled tauntingly at Hermione's feeble attempts to free herself. "We destroyed all the Horcruxes'! Harry was the last one! Harry is still alive so..." She trailed off, as she felt a hand stroke the top of her thigh.
"Oh so what muddy!" Bellatrix clenched her nails into the top of Hermione's thigh, and she heard a gasp escape from the girl beneath her. She leaned forward, until she was practically resting on top of Hermione, their lips millimeters apart, the scent of the girls perfume and warm pepper-minted breath, caressed the dark witches skin, tingling the minute hairs on her neck. "There's more than one way to live, forever." She cooed, so quietly it was nearly inaudible.
"Now, up!" She snapped, releasing Hermione and jumping to her feet, clearly listening for the voice of her fallen master. "C'mon, UP!" She ordered sharply. Hermione felt like a broom stick as she rose obediently to her feet, to stand once again, beside Bellatrix.
"Where exactly do you intend to find him." Hermione questioned, brushing off dead leaves that clung to her jumper. There was a pause, and she watched as Bellatrix closed her eyes, clearly listening to the invisible voice that only she could hear.
The dark witches eyes flew open, glimmering like silver pools in the wand light. A smile etched across her cheeks. "I do believe, we have to go to the Boat House."
Ron let each leg fall in front of the other, watching his feet take each step, thinking about nothing else but the sound of his shoes shuffling across the floor. The thought of Hermione's betrayal, if it was done intentionally, weighed heavily on his mind, and his heart.
What if, Hermione had been under an Imperious? What then? What could he do? Whenever they had been in trouble, it was always Hermione who had the answers, she had always seemed the one prepared for any situation, always with a contingency plan, always had the antidote. But now, she was the one in danger, the one who needed saving and he was so unprepared, that all he could think to do, was walk away and hope the answer would fall into his lap.
Suddenly, his thoughts were brought back to the present with a bone breaking crunch, as his legs caught on a solid mass, hurtling him to the stony ground. Out-stretching his hands, he could feel the cold, slimy stones beneath him, and for the first time, he noticed the stench of mold and stagnant water.
Groaning slightly, he pulled himself onto his knees, he winced in agony as his right wrist buckled under his weight. Looking at it under the silver gleam of the moon light, he spotted the first signs of severe bruising, forming around the swollen tissue. The heat of the sprain caused him to hold his arm tightly to his chest, the feeling of annoyance at his own clumsiness and lack of healing skills. He cursed under his breath.
Glancing around, he looked at what had caused him to fall. The object was large and dark, at first he thought it was some sort of tree trunk draped in black cloth, but then his eyes fell upon the paled flesh, and soulless eyes staring up at him.
Ron lept away with a sudden gasp, his heart pounding, at the sight of the dead potions masters body. He had witnessed his murder at the command of Voldemort, even seen his last living moments, but still the image in front of him, shook him to the core.
For several minutes he stayed there, staring back at the lifeless body, the sound of the wooden boats, gently rocking into the stone walls of the boat house, echoed like distant drums. It saddened him, more than he thought it would, that the body of the former potions master had not been moved, it almost felt as if he had been forgotten.
He knew of course, that Harry would eventually tell McGonagall or someone else, of Snapes unfortunate end, but even so, it pained him that the body still remained. Pulling down one of the unused boat canvases off of a dusty shelf, Ron shook off the beetles and earwigs that had made it their home, and laid it carefully over the body, hoping to give the deceased some final dignity.
He sighed heavily, his breath white against the coldness of the evening. He buried his hands in his pockets and he felt something cold and smooth, slide across the tips of his fingers. Pulling out the object, he smirked, as Dumbledores Deluminator glimmered in his hands. With the increasing darkness growing around him, he flicked the cap over with his thumb and pressed on the small lever. With a click, a ball of blue light emerged in front of him and hovered in the air.
Ron smiled as the ball of light began to drift away from him, like a cloud in a gentle breeze. However he had only taken a few steps, when he noticed the light began to pulse and change colour to a ruby red.
'That's new'. He thought, as the ball stopped abruptly and dropped to the water level and glided along, until it was placed in the centre of the miniature harbour, glowing brighter and brighter, until Ron had to look away. Wincing and shielding his eyes with his good hand, he tried to watch as the glowing ball of red light, suddenly dove into the black water, without even a ripple.
But then, something strange took over his body. He felt no fear or anxiety, as he began walking towards it. Like the ball or something, was leading him, beckoning him to follow. The water still held an orange glow, where the ball had sunken in the murky depths, but oddly, he felt a strange sense of calm. He felt his feet fall into the icy water, but still he trudged forwards, the water rising up his body with every step, until his whole body was submerged apart from his head. Just as he was taking his last, deep breath in preparation for his dive, the light vanished.
Confused, bewildered and utterly freezing, Ron gasped for air as his lungs constricted. The stabbing cold from the water felt like a thousand knives penetrating him all over his body, making it painful to even move, but by sheer will, he turned and tried to run as fast as he could back to the shore.
"Ron...Ron...Come...Come to me" Ron froze, as a dark whispering voice, called from behind him. Looking back to where the orb had disappeared, the water began to bubble and ripple. Panic ensued and Ron struggled to find his footing. The sludge of mud beneath him seemed to be slipping backwards. Every step he made, he was pulled back several more, as a great current began to pull him further out to the depths of the lake.
He cried out in fear, hoping anyone would hear him, but he was alone. He was now out of his depth and paddling for his life. Turning around, to face whatever it was that was pulling him out, he yelled as a great whirlpool was only feet behind him, spinning larger and larger, sucking everything down into a black abyss.
He paddled with all his might, but the shore began to turn away from sight, as he was sucked further and further down. He gasped for air, but instead his lungs filled with icy water, shocking his body. Choking and spluttering, Ron paddled and kicked his legs furiously, water splashed and stung his eyes and he could feel the gravity of the whirlpool dragging him further and further down.
He let out a final pleading yell, that was drowned out by the thunderous sound of rushing water. Then he felt his head plunge below the surface, his final breath of air bubbled away from him and everything, went black.
"So tell me muddy, whose the main man in your life?" Bellatrix teased the questioned from her lips, bored of the on-going silence between them, as they walked down the final three flights of steps, the boat house in clear view below them.
Hermione seemed surprised by the sudden outburst and unusual question, as she let a small smile creep across her cheeks. "Why do you care?" She replied indignantly.
"I don't." The dark witch said abruptly, looking across the still waters of the lake beneath them. "Just thought it would be more interesting than silence."
"I don't have one-"
"HA!" Bellatrix interrupted. "That hug with red head didn't look like you were just friends." She winked playfully, clearly noticing Hermione's cheeks flush with colour.
"Friends hug each other all the time, I'll have you know!" Hermione said defensively, "but I wouldn't expect you to know that. How many friends do you have again..? Oh wait.." She couldn't hide the sarcasm in her voice.
Bellatrix whipped around to face the girl on the final steps, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Friends don't hug other friends the way he hugged you."
Hermione bent her head so her lips were beside the dark witches ear, refusing to be intimidated by a woman who could not harm her without hurting herself, she whispered coolly, "is that jealousy I hear?"
In an instant Bellatrix's hand flew around Hermione's neck, in surprise the brunette dropped her wand, as Bellatrix's slender fingers, began to clench around her throat. Hermione spluttered for air, instinctively trying to pull Bellatrix's hand away with her own. But as the dark witches grip tightened even more so, Hermione noticed the outline of invisible fingers gripping Bellatrix's own neck.
The raven haired witch clung onto the girl until her vision began to blur and only when she finally saw it, that small glint of fear in the girl eyes did she finally release her. The two witches stood quietly for a moment, gasping in the air and stroking their throats.
"I-don't-get." Bellatrix swallowed hard, to try and relax a lump that felt lodged in her throat, "I don't get jealous Granger, because I always get what I want." She finished, righting herself and continuing down the final few steps, walking as if nothing had happened.
"Why'd you kiss me then?" Hermione called faintly, still massaging her neck.
"I knew you'd come with me, and I could use..." She twirled her hand as if trying to grasp the word from the air.
"The Help?" Hermione finished with a sigh. The dark woman made a scoffing sound, as she knelt down and ran her hand across the mossy ground.
"I was thinking more along the lines of, live bait." Hermione opened her mouth to argue, when Bellatrix raised her right hand, beckoning her forwards.
As Hermione approached, slipping as her foot made contact with a slimy surface, Bellatrix held up a single strand, of flame-red hair. "I think, someone made it here first. Wand out girlie." She warned, getting to her feet and making no attempt to hide her excitement, though it was clear her hooded eyes were scanning the area intently.
"What is it?" Hermione whispered, hoping that playing ignorance as to whom the hair belonged, would make it anyone else's except Ron's.
Bellatrix didn't answer as they drew nearer to the boat house. She didn't understand it, this was where the voice of her master, had told her to go, had called to her and only her. Yet there was nothing, then it crossed her mind, what if Weasley found whatever it was first. What if the blood traitor had been called too? Yet why? Why would the Dark Lord, hater of things impure, call to that?! It didn't make sense.
She felt Hermione place a hand to her arm and squeeze it, but she got the distinct impression it was for the girls own reassurance more than hers. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards, as she lowered her wand slightly.
"Bellatrix, I...I don't think there's anyone here." Hermione stuttered, as the cold air began to chatter her teeth. Again the dark witch remained silent, but she strained her ears for any sign of her masters voice calling to her. Nothing. With a sigh, she turned on the spot and ushered Hermione back the way the came.
Not wanting to remain by the waters edge any longer, Hermione began to climb the stairs. "Where to now then?" She asked, a slight anxious edge to her voice.
"I still want to find the body." Bellatrix climbed the steps, so that she was now beside Hermione. "As I said, there's more than one way to live forever." She said smugly.
"What on earth do you plan on doing, resurrecting him through mouth to mouth!?" Hermione half laughed at the idea.
"Through what?" Bellatrix said, still climbing, now ahead of the young brunette.
"Its a muggle thing-look it doesn't matter!" Hermione snapped, getting slightly out of breath the higher they went. "My point is, the body will probably have already been moved, burned even, and there will be soo many people at the Castle. We'd be spotted in minutes." She whined, seeing only the cons of attempting to find the corpse.
Bellatrix was just about to respond, when she felt it. Something was crushing her stomach like a constricting snake, coiling and tightening around her body. She fell to her knees, gasping for breath as the air squeezed out of her lungs. She looked back to try and see Hermione, but the girl had gone from behind her.
Then she heard a deafening scream. She followed its direction and spotted Hermione, held at least forty feet above the water, by what looked like a great tentacle wrapped around her waist. It was obvious the girl was fighting a losing battle, unable to reach for her wand, as her hands were bound by the ever tightening tentacle.
Forgetting about even using the steps, Bellatrix leapt onto the railings and slid down at racing speed. She stumbled as she jumped off, still feeling as though she was being crushed from the inside, she could only imagine the agony Hermione was under, if not the same as hers. Looking up at the girl, whose mouth now hung open in a silent scream, her face becoming paler. Bellatrix looked at her opponent.
At first glance, Bellatrix thought it was the colossal squid that lived in the lake, but then she noticed that the tentacle was not that of a squids. Instead of a slimy wet flesh, dotted with circular suckers, this creatures body was covered in black and red scales, like a giant serpent.
The pain continued to grow and Bellatrix used the remainder of her breath to cry, "Reducto!" A red light flashed from her wand tip, and collided with the serpent-like arm. It instantly recoiled, releasing Hermione, who fell into the water and began paddling weakly back towards the dark witch.
Ripples in the water indicated that the creature had more than one arm to spare. Bellatrix cast a constant wave of curses into the water surrounding Hermione, in an effort to keep them at bay as the girl swam back towards her.
Bellatrix found herself instinctively walking into the waters edge, outstretching her free arm for Hermione to grab, and blasting the water with her wand in the other. Hermione felt a hand close around her wrist and yank her to her feet. The two women stood beside each other, Bellatrix still firing curses wordlessly into the water, while Hermione drew out her wand, preparing to face whatever emerged from the lake.
Suddenly everything went calm for a moment. The only sound came from the ripples of water, splashing passed their legs and breaking onto the small beach beside the Boat House. Neither woman dared make a sound.
Slowly, Bellatrix began backing out of the water, Hermione following suit. The water remained calm.
"What, was that?" Bellatrix asked, exasperatedly, but she never took her eyes off the lake.
"I think it was..." Hermione jumped, as a boat knocked into the side of another. Bellatrix relaxed at this and Hermione saw the corner of the witches mouth twitch upwards. "That's not funny!"
"No no, course not!" Bellatrix said, "boats can be very dangerous." She nodded mockingly.
"Non of this would've happened if you hadn't, 'followed the voice!' " Hermione retorted. "You nearly got us killed!"
"I saved you didn't I?"
"Only because you had to! Im just live bait, remember?" Bellatrix put her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed.
"Were going to have to work on that temper of yours, muddy. One day, its going to get you into trouble." The dark woman threatened, taking a step towards the brunette. She watched as Hermione opened her mouth, and then closed it again, clearly thinking better of it. "Better." Bellatrix nodded in satisfaction, "now tell me again. What was that thing, in the lake."
Hermione took a deep breath. "I think it was Ron."
Bellatrix raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?" A single bubble, popped the surface of the lake. Both Hermione and Bellatrix turned sharply towards it, wands poised. "Quickly now, we don't have all day." Bellatrix spat.
"When it, when it grabbed me-" Another larger bubble, erupted in the water. "It ermm-" Yet another bubble rose and popped. Panic rose inside Hermione. As yet more began to gurgle the lakes surface.
"If you don't speak now, I'll kill it before it kills us!" Bellatrix warned through gritted teeth.
"When it grabbed me, I could hear Ron. Like he was in my head. Only it didn't sound like what Ron would say..." A red bolt of light, escaped Bellatrix's wand and hit the centre of the bubbles.
"AND?" She spat.
"He said, something about Voldermort. Something about the darkness shall rise again, and every witch, wizard and half-blood would bow before his power, for he had..." She trailed off, as the now small eruption of bubbles, began to glow a fiery red.
"He had what!? What has he done!?" Bellatrix shouted, sounding more panicked than ever.
"He has, returned. Voldermort has returned..." Before Hermione could even react, Bellatrix hugged her so tightly it was almost painful. Then suddenly, she felt as if she was being twisted down a small plug hole, her gut churning. She heard a faint pop, and the feeling was gone as quickly as it started. They had disaparated. But to where, only made Hermione wish she was back by the Boat House.
"Welcome muddy, to Lestrange Manor!" Bellatrix said so gleefully, she was almost laughing as she bounded forward i. Her toes and yelled, "OPEN!" And the two wrought iron black gates, with the head of a snake as the padlock, swung open, to reveal the largest and most sinister manor house, Hermione had ever seen.
A.N: Well there you have it my lovely readers! Voldermorts returned, *gasp! Thank you for being so patient with me, next chapter up by Wednesday next week, if not sooner. Let me know what you all think of Ron...He's a little evil in this fic I know, but try to remember this isn't the Ron we all know and love...Voldermorts being evil again -.-
