Chapter 9:

'No Matter What'

disclaimer: i do not, i repeat, do not own any of the characters below (though since i made up anne and eric...not the point). they are all owned by the wonderful JK Rowling.

here is my late christmas present to all my reviewers!

enjoy!

Hermione's eyes opened but immediately she wanted to close them again. It hurt so much to do that simple task. Her eyes felt like they had been punched shut and her ribs broken in and exploding with unbelievable pain. She tried to sit up against the wall, but that even took too much effort that she did not possess.

'Hermione? Please be there! I can't go through this on my own!' Ginny's voice murmured to the right of her. What was going on? Go through what? Hermione's thoughts went into a worried frenzy.

'I'm here,' Hermione just managed to get out of her swollen mouth.

'Oh thank God!' Ginny hugged the older girl, before Hermione cried out in pain.

'My chest!' Hermione rolled over in pain, squeezing her eyes shut. This felt worse than death. 'Where are we?' she gritted through her teeth.

'Some dungeon. We were dragged down here yesterday……'

'You won't be needing this where your going,' Bellatrix hissed as she broke Ginny's wand into splinters right then and there. She set off walking towards Knockturn Alley, dragging Ginny along the ground behind her.

Rodolphus hauled Hermione down the alleyway in the wake of his sinister wife. Hermione felt her self bump against the dead bodies and knew she couldn't do anything about it. They hadn't made it to the Portkey Point. Their hopes were gone. What would happen to them now? The Death Eaters now had them. Their lives were on the line.

Once they reached Knockturn Alley, Hermione had stopped counting the bruises that now covered her entire body. She ached with pain and wondered how Ginny was going. She couldn't see her best friend but feared for her life.

Rodolphus laughed above her and she tuned into what he was saying to his wife. 'Kick the little bitch,' He cackled. Hermione winced as she heard a foot connecting with Ginny's body. It was obvious that Ginny was letting the Weasley fiery red temper get the better of her and was struggling with all her might against Bella.

It was horrible. So far they had only afflicted physical pain on them, but it wouldn't be long before they went beyond that and began using curses to inflict mental pain, or to specific the usage of the Unforgivable Curses. Hermione wasn't sure how she would endure that. Ginny had unlimited strength and could fight, but after the curse from Donlov last June, Hermione's had evaporated into everlasting fear. It was horrible as her mind slowly slipped into blackness. She had no strength to fight.

She barely held onto her consciousness as she hit her head on a doorframe. Spots flashed everywhere in front of her eyes. She had to hold on. If she didn't, it would be the end of everything. There was her future, Ginny's future, the Wizarding World's future and most importantly Ron's future.

Hermione felt her body go limp as Rodolphus dragged her along the hard stone floor of the shop. Where were they taking them? She soon found out part of the answer as her body took a severe bumping down the steep stairs to the cellar. Her eyes felt heavy and were hard to keep open. But she knew that she had to stay awake. Her life depended on it.

The only thought that was keeping her awake was a redheaded one. He was worth fighting for. Worth fighting for the chance to see him, be with him, to love him. She needed him. Like Harry needed Ginny. And that was when Hermione saw what she had to do. She had to make sure, above all, Ginny escaped alive. The fate of the Magical World was on Harry's shoulders, but without Ginny, he wouldn't get out the door.

She landed with a thud on the floor. As she did so, her head went back and hit the stair. Suddenly, her mind went blank. Who was she? Where was she? Who were they? Who was screaming?

It wasn't until a few minutes later it all came rushing back to her. She was Hermione, where she didn't know. But they were Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, and the girl screaming? Ginny Potter. Her mind came back, but a blistering headache plagued her as well as a nasty stomach ache that seemed awfully familiar.

Hermione found herself propped up against a wall, and that she must have been placed here in the few minutes she was rendered unconscious. She looked around and found that she was in a dingy dungeon that was all of a cold hard stone and equipped with an iron barred door. She was next to Ginny, though the red head was seated a few inches away. Hermione looked up to see Rodolphus and Bellatrix locking the door with click. It appeared they had done their job for now and now it was up to someone else to deal with the girls.

The couple then turned to abandon the two prisoners and trudged up the stairs back to the real world.

It was then Hermione started to nod off from the pains of her head and elsewhere on her body.

It all came flooding back to Hermione like a horrific nightmare. She couldn't believe she and Ginny had gone through all that and were still alive, though not perfectly. Ginny didn't look too worse for wear, though her beautiful hair was matted and purple spots decorated her body. Hermione on the other hand wasn't ok. Her eyes had been severely punched in and she imagined that had come in her few minutes of unconsciousness. Her body was littered in black, brown and purple bruises from the bumping against the dead bodies in Diagon Alley.

But where were they? It was definitely a dungeon of some sort, as depicted by the iron bars. Nevertheless, this could be anywhere. At first it was obvious that they were in the dungeon of some shop in Knockturn Alley, for example Borgin and Burkes. But then, knowing the Death Eaters and the mastermind of Voldemort, she knew it wouldn't be some place east like that.

No, they must have been taken someplace else.

'How hurt are you?' Hermione managed to mumble to Ginny. She spoke out side the corner of her mouth as it ached so much to do anything, let alone talk. It was like an entire war on a foreign country had taken place inside her. There were bruises everywhere, along with dried up blood scabs that had bled and dried while she slept fitfully. Her dreams had been haunted with terrifying thoughts of Ron. They ranged from him being told she was dead to him dying him self. It was horrible.

Ginny looked liked she hadn't slept well either. Her eyes were bloodshot from as if they had bawling. She held Hermione at arms length to decide what to do with her. Somehow, even though Bella had kicked Ginny, Hermione had managed to sustain the most injuries. It had to be from the stairs that Rodolphus dragged her down, whereas Bella had levitated Ginny down in front of her. They mustn't have known who the more important girl was then. They obviously thought it was 'Potter's Girl' and that Hermione was just another victim. How wrong they were.

'Oh I'll survive. Really the only thing hurting me is my ankle that got twisted as I was dragged, but that's the worst. I don't believe the same for you. You can barely talk! They mustn't know who you are, though I'm sure Voldemort does,' Ginny shuddered at the name. Sure, she had gotten used to saying it, but that didn't make her like it anymore. He was still a murder that was to blame for her Harry's heartache and this war that was raging all around them.

'I'll be fine,' Hermione knew she was lying. It would be a very long time until she was okay if she had to heal the Muggle way. And by the looks of things, that was the only option they had at this present time. Bellatrix had broken their wands before dragging them away. Too bad they didn't have the parts of the wands, like Hagrid did in his pink umbrella……

'Ginny! You didn't happen to grab your broken wand before we were pulled down the Alley?' Hermione silently prayed in her head that she did; it was the only chance they had.

The younger of the two put her hands into her pockets and rummaged around for a few antagonizing minutes as Hermione closed her eyes in hope.

'Well I did, and I did grab more than this but the rest must have fallen out. Bella had dropped the remains rite next to where she dragged me by, and as this wand was my first and only, I couldn't bear to part with it or leave the remains on the Alley that was littered in bodies. No, I picked up what I could and pocketed it,' Ginny held out her small right hand that was littered in little splintered parts of a dark wood. The remains of a once beloved item, no longer in its former glory. But thankfully the remains were here not any where else. Because this meant Ginny and Hermione would be able to use these remains to hopefully help heal the medical ailments that covered them.

'Oh Thank God!' Hermione smiled a small smile as that was all she could manage, though she urged to grin ear-to-ear. There was hope. 'Now since it was your wand, I think it's best you use it. Do you remember any healing spells?'

Ginny though back to last year's teaching and finally came up with it. She whispered the incantation to her hands that held the remains, before pointing them at Hermione. Instantly, Hermione felt her left leg warm up and then cool down, and there was then no pain. A smile came across her face. She didn't care if it hurt. They had magic.

'Again!'' Hermione whispered to Ginny, who did as she was asked. Soon Hermione felt no bruises at all. The spell managed to leave them still appearing black, purple and brown, but Hermione had decided that was a good thing as that way Bella and Rodolphus, or any one for that matter, wouldn't get suspicious.

Ginny then did it for her self. She could tell the magic that was left in the wand's remains was diminishing. There was only enough left for one last thing.

'Hermione…… There isn't enough magic to get us out of here. We can only do one more spell,' Ginny looked down as if she had disappointed her.

'Then we'll just have to send a message to Harry and Ron the Order of the Phoenix way,' Hermione smiled over at Ginny's perplexed face. Harry had told her all about this the moment he found out.

'The Order of the Phoenix way? What the hell do you mean by that?' Ginny felt confused and out of depth as if she was expected to know what Hermione was saying.

'No no, I only found out a couple of days ago. You send your Patronus as a message carrier as it is much more reliable and cannot be interpreted by none other than the one you intended it for,' Hermione deftly explained.

'Oh ok. Do you want me to do it?' Ginny asked politely because honestly she had never been that good on Patronus, even though Harry had been her teacher.

'Usually I would say yes, but seeing as it is your wand anyway and is now almost been sapped dry of its power, I think it's best you use it,' Hermione smiled encouragingly at the girl she thought of as one of her best friends and as the sister she never had.

'All right, well keep your fingers crossed,' Ginny nodded at Hermione. She concentrated on the happiest thought she had. Harry. Harry. Harry. Harry. Harry. Harry. Harry……

'EXPECTO PATRONUM!' Ginny whispered as loud as she dared into the wand remains as a white creature came out. It sat before, licked its paws and then jumped through the walls and into the world beyond. She had done it. She had conjured up a Patronus that would carry a message to Harry and Ron that would hopefully reach them and that they would then reach their girls.

'You did it, Miss Cat!' Hermione hugged Ginny. She was so proud of her! The patronus had been so real, that she knew what Ginny had been thinking of and knew there was no happier thought.

'It was a cat?' Ginny asked dumbfound. She had been so surprised that she got it right on first try that she didn't even realise what animal it was! But a cat was wonderful. It suited her perfectly fine.

Now as long as everything went fine with their message, they would be fine too.

Miles away, two boys were sitting on a sofa, both with their heads in their hands. It had been yesterday morning since they had last seen Hermione and Ginny. Tonks had returned home last night with her robes in rags, bloody gashes across her face, and a limp in her leg. It was a horrendous sight made complete with the absence of the two girls.

'I lost them. An explosion happened as soon as we walked out of the salon at around 7. There was no sign of any foreboding as we walk out onto a peaceful scene. But then a there was a bang. It was as if they were just waiting for us to step out of there. I did was I was trained to do, I protected the girls. I yelled at Ginny to use the sunglasses to get them home and tell you lot what had happened. That was the last I saw them, Ginny nodding back at me with a grim smile and Hermione rummaging looking through her bag looking for something. I'm not sure what it was.'

Suddenly Tonks smacked her forehead, 'She didn't have her sunglasses! I remember her walking out of the quill shop without them! And Ginny! She didn't have them either as we walked out of the…….their wands! Hermione didn't have hers! Someone must be on the other side inside that lady's spa. I can't believe I didn't notice anything suspicious!'

Tonks began hitting her head repeatedly as her hair to tinge an even more depressing taint.

'Don't blame yourself,' Mrs Weasley hugged Tonks, while ignoring her own searing pain. Her baby was out there somewhere. Somewhere she couldn't help her. Somewhere she didn't know.

Anne walked in then, on the tearful scene, with not a clue that her own baby had not returned either.

'Molly, have you seen Hermione? I was sure she'd be home by now,' Anne smiled, unaware. The entire room directed their attention to Mrs Weasley's reply.

'They aren't here. We don't know where they are. There was an attack on Diagon Alley, and they got separated from Tonks with no means of return and may not even have wands,' she hung her head. Ron and Harry sat in the corner, overhearing everything and taking it all to heart. Just when everything was going so well…..

'What do you mean they aren't here? Isn't there something you can do? You're wizards! Cant you just say a spell and find them?' Tears began streaming down Anne's face as she took her uncertainty out on them in the form of anger.

'We all wish we could, but they can do magic too. It won't do us any good. If they have captured them, which I am quite sure is what happened, where ever they took them will most likely be unplottable, like here. And therefore can not be found no matter how much magic is attempted. Only those who are allowed to know the location know it,' Mrs Weasley calmly explained. She enveloped the hysterical Anne and comforted her.

Ron watched his mother in amazement of how calm she was. He would have expected her to be just as hysterical, if not more. But then he took into consideration this was not the first time her children had been in mortal peril, especially Ginny. He could tell that inside his mother she was lost but she had put on a calm front to help Anne.

12 hours later, the house was still deathly silent with tears. It reminded Harry of last Christmas. He still felt just as lost this time, but even worse because it was his Ginny in trouble and this time he didn't know where she was. He wanted to know so badly. She meant the world to him but yet there was hardly anything he could do. He couldn't just go and get her because that would be irrational.

Suddenly Harry looked up. That was his only option. He had to be that irrational.

'Ron?' Harry whispered at the sleeping form of Ronald Weasley. He had been unable to keep his eyelids open all day due to the amount of weight that had been added to his shoulders and had finally lost his battle, and fell deeply asleep. So deeply that it took Harry several attempts to wake him before Ron even stirred.

'What?' Ron muttered. He had been enjoying his dream of being with Hermione in a world free of danger, free of treachery and most of all free of Voldemort. But he was back in a world full of those and without Hermione.

'We're going to go after them,' Harry explained while looking around to make sure no one was to over hear them.

'W-w-what!' Ron exclaimed flabbergasted.

'Shhhhh! I said, us two have to go and save Ginny and Hermione,' Harry said, still fervently checking the surroundings.

'Yea I heard what you said, but you must be bloody crazy! I know you're Harry Potter and the amount of stuff we have gotten up to before, but we can't do this! Imagine if something happened to us as well! Think of how distraught Mum would be then!' Ron replied.

'I've thought of all that. But honestly who else is better to go get them back? Would you rather stay here, feeling helpless? Or would you rather come with me and do something about it?' Harry dragged Ron up the stairs towards their rooms.

Ron stopped mid-track as a thought ran through his head. Last night when Hermione came to his door, she was distraught with tears. He didn't know what to do, but when he hugged her it felt right and that it was helping her in someway. He didn't want to lose her, not after everything that had happened. Last night he told her 'It'll be all right', and it will be after he finds her.

'We are going to do something. Something right now and something together. We can't come back here without them no matter what ok?' Ron determinedly said.

Harry smiled at his best friend, 'No matter what.'

A/n: omg! I have finally updated since the summer. I can't stay away from my story! I've been writing little bit after little bit even after I said I might stop. But alas I love writing too much. But really why I am finally posting is to all my reviewers who keep saying 'Update! Update!' It was actually reviewer lurver with the comment 'do you mind updating?' that made me snap out of it and finish this chapter. So who ever you are, thanks!

Review please! I can't believe I have over 200 reviews! Thanks sooo much!

Luv Manda xoxoxo