Ron glared at Bellatrix, not allowing the panic he felt to show. This woman. Something about her made him angry beyond belief. He couldn't understand how people like her thought. Did she just not care about the lives she was ruining?
George's hand slipped back into his own and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Ron gratefully squeezed back. This was one of the many reasons he loved George so much. He always knew exactly how to make Ron feel better, even at a time like this.
"But then," Bellatrix drawled lazily, "what's to be expected from Weasleys?" She snarled the name as if the very sound of it disgusted her. "An entire family of filthy blood traitors. And just when we thought you could sink no lower..." She laughed cruelly. "This. How's baby Potter?"
Ron had never hated anyone as much as he hated Bellatrix Lestrange in that moment. First, she had insulted his family and mocked the love he and George shared. Now she had the audacity to ask about Harry, whose godfather she had murdered only a year before? Sirius had been the only true family Harry had left!
It must have taken all of Harry's strength not to end her life then and there. And this was how she repaid him. Ron wasn't sure he possessed that kind of strength. He reached for his wand with his free hand.
He felt George's hand on his arm and looked at his brother, feeling more guilty than surprised. "But George..." he began.
George shook his head and gave Ron a meaningful look. "Don't provoke her," he said, not quietly enough.
She laughed again, a cold, harsh sound, clapping her hands together in a wicked parody of delight. "Look at him! Telling his baby brother what to do!" The evil cackling stopped suddenly and she glared at George. "I always hated bossy family members." She raised her wand and pointed it at George. In a sickening sing-song voice she said, "Crucio!"
Suddenly the hand in Ron's was gone and screams filled his ears as George writhed on the floor. The hatred overcame Ron, coursing through his veins and making his blood boil. He pulled out his wand and screamed the words of the unforgivable curse, letting the rage take control.
Everything happened at once. As the words of the curse left his lips, Ron's wand flew from his hand and he was propelled backward through the air. The echoes of George's screams faded as someone burst into the room. Bellatrix's hateful face stood out though the room behind her was spinning. Someone was shouting. He seemed to have found a wall and sank to the floor beneath it. Were the lights dimming? It was getting hard to see...
"George! Ron!" His mother's voice brought him back to reality.
"'s not Fred, I am..." Ron heard George mumble from somewhere to his right.
"Tha doeshn't even make senshe ya idiah," he said, his speech obviously slurred, though he couldn't think why. Red sparks hit the wall above his head, showering tiles down onto him. He blinked.
As his head cleared, Ron saw to his surprise that there was a duel going on. Red and green sparks shot back and forth as the two witches battled. Even more to his surprise, he discovered that he was in a lot of pain. "Oww," he moaned, realizing what the sticky wet stuff on the back of his neck must be.
His mum narrowly escaped an untimely death as she ducked yet another blast of green sparks. With a tremendous effort, Ron pulled himself to his feet to help her out. George attempted to do the same, but his legs gave way, unable to support him.
"George, it's fine!" Ron shouted, his speech returning to normal. "We've got it!"
Bellatrix smiled at Ron unpleasantly. "Did you tell Mummy about what you and Big Brother have been up to?" she asked, evading a spell.
"Stupefy!" Ron shouted in response, sending sparks flying in her direction.
"Ron, what's she talking about?" his mum asked, aiming another curse at the Death Eater. "What's going on?"
Bellatrix cackled. "Oh, yes," she said, shooting green sparks at Ron, who dodged just in time. "You and your ickle babies have a lot to talk about!"
"Ron?" she asked without turning her eyes from Bellatrix.
"I'm sorry, Mum..." he said. "I wish you didn't have to find out like this." Bellatrix continued to cackle with glee. "Expelliarmus!" Ron yelled.
"Ronald?" his mother asked, finally turning to look at him.
It was just the opening Bellatrix had been waiting for. "Avada kedavra!" she cried, pointing her wand at Molly Weasley.
"Mum, no!" Ron screamed, rushing to her side as she fell to the floor.
George had managed to get to his feet as well. "Mum!" He ran to stand next to Ron, who stared transfixed at the sight of her.
Ron shook his head in disbelief. George's voice reached his ears as though underwater. The words were meaningless. Strong arms encircled his waist in a way that was probably supposed to be comforting, but all Ron could see was his mother's unseeing gaze. This couldn't be happening.
He jerked back to reality roughly for the second time that day by a nasty voice behind him. "You killed her. If it weren't for you, she would still be alive."
He broke free of George's protective embrace and spun around to face the devil incarnate that called herself a witch. "Avada kedavra!" he shouted, attacking recklessly.
She dodged his curses easily, making no effort to fight back. Ron knew she was letting him waste all his energy on useless attacks, but he didn't care. He was angry.
Unbeknownst to either of them, George had retrieved his wand from where it lay on the ground. Somewhere behind him, Ron heard his brother shout, "Stupefy!" Bellatrix was sent flying.
"Avada kedavra!" he screamed again. The green sparks that shot from the tip of his wand this time hit the witch squarely in the chest. Her eyes wide, she froze for a moment before falling to the floor, the look of shock frozen onto her face forever.
Ron sank to his knees next to his mum. It was over. The other Death Eaters were badly outnumbered and would soon be defeated. The victory was theirs.
But at a great cost. A tear rolled down his cheek as he looked at his mother's confused face. Why did she have to die? It should have been me, he thought miserably. It should have been me!
Ron felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw George standing next to him. He stood and put an arm around his brother's waist. George put his arm around Ron as the two young lovers stood together grieving the loss of their mother.
Things would be different after this, Ron knew. They couldn't keep their love a secret from the rest of the family anymore. They would have to tell everything. They owed Mum that much, at least.