Sorry!! Oh, I'm sorry it took so long. My internet was being a wanker so I couldn't update. That's what I get for going with Optus, I suppose… Bastards. Also, I've had a fair bit going on lately. And still very few reviews. Makes me sad! Anyway, here's the next instalment. Just a warning, though. This chapter has mentions of attempted rape. I don't know if it's bad enough to merit a warning but I just thought I would. Just in case, you know? Anyway, hope y'all like it!!
Hermione flew to Ron's side. Her heart, which had stopped at the Death Eater's killing curse, was now beating so hard she was sure it would burst from her chest.
Dropping to her knees beside his motionless body, Hermione tried desperately to clear the tears that were flooding down her cheeks yet still managing to very effectively blur her vision.
Wiping her shaking hands hurriedly across her eyes, Hermione placed them on Ron's chest and shook him gently, at first. "R-Ron?" she sobbed, her voice shaking almost as much as her hands.
Receiving no reply, she grabbed his shoulders and doubled her efforts until she was shaking him so roughly that his upper body actually left the ground. "Ron!" she cried louder. He's not dead, she told herself determinedly, even though she knew she was wrong. He can't be! "Ron! Wake up!" she moaned.
Squeezing her eyes shut in a futile effort to once again be able to see, she fixed her watery gaze on his face. It looked like he was sleeping, he was so calm and still.
With a sob, she lifted his head and shoulders and rested them on her knees, wrapping her arms around him. Cradling his head to her chest, she gave in to her tears.
What would she do now? She needed him to save her! She'd always been so stubborn and so self-reliant, but now she knew that she had only ever be so confident because she'd had him to back her up if she'd failed.
And now she didn't.
She had to save herself now. As she pulled back from him, she was sure it would be the hardest thing she'd ever have to do. Pressing a kiss to his forehead, Hermione gently lowered him to the ground, tears still coming in full force.
"I'm sorry, Ron." she whispered, gently cupping his cheek. "I'm sorry I didn't get to tell all the things I wanted to." Sniffling and withdrawing her hand, she sat up. "I never even got to say goodbye." she moaned, dropping her head into her hands.
"Don't worry, my little Mudblood. You'll get your chance soon enough!"
With a gasp, Hermione spun around only to come face to face with the Death Eater. Rage swirled through her veins and churned in her stomach.
With a savage cry, Hermione launched herself at him, well aware of the fact that she had no wand and not caring in the slightest.
The Death Eater was caught off guard and so Hermione's attack sent them both sprawling. "You killed him!" she screamed, straddling his waist and punching every bit of him she could with strength fuelled by her grief and rage.
He recovered quickly. With a growl, he grasped her wrists and rolled so he was on top of her. "Well, now this is more like it!" he grinned as she was easily overpowered.
Oh crap, Hermione thought as she realised that she had grossly misjudged his recovery time. Struggling with all her might and not loosening his grip an inch, she realised that she didn't stand a chance against him.
This is it, she thought in dazed resignation. With a defeated sob, she lay in his grasp, panting at her exertion. "That's right, just calm down." the Death Eater murmured almost soothingly. "We don't you to wear yourself out just yet." Hermione just glared up at him, the few tears she had left trickling down her temples and into her hair.
Grinning, he raised her hands until they were above her head and transferred both her wrists into one hand, while the other he slowly and deliberately trailed down her cheek.
Chuckling lightly as she flinched away, the Death Eater let his hand continue its southward journey. He drew his fingers gently down the side of her neck, letting them linger there, relishing in the feeling of her pulse beating violently against his fingertips.
Keeping his eyes on her screwed-up face, he sighed in contentment as he moved his hand lower, across her collarbone. "No need to rush now, my dear. We have all the time in the world." he whispered, lowering his mouth to where his fingers had rested a moment ago.
Pressing his lips almost tenderly to the skin just under her jaw and feeling the way her breathing hitched in her throat, he smiled again.
"I can feel your filthy blood pounding away." he purred, "I can't wait to see more of it." Sighing again, he began to move his hand again.
When it met her breast, however, Hermione began to struggle again. "Ah!" he reprimanded sharply, tightening his grip on her wrists until she cried out. "I think we've already established that you're not getting out of this. Stop struggling. We don't want you tired out, remember?"
With that, he continued. Down over her stomach, then back up and down her side until he finally came to rest on her hip. "Now, remember. This is happening, whether you want it to or not." he warned as he trailed his fingers across the waistline of her jeans, coming to stop at her belt buckle.
Hermione! her mind screamed at her. Fight back, for God's sake! Don't let him do this, or Ron will have died for nothing!
With a gasp, Hermione snapped out of whatever state of shock she was in and with all her strength, pulled her knee up to meet the Death Eater's groin.
She felt savage satisfaction and an almost painful flare of hope in her chest as she heard his howl of pain and felt his grip loosen enough that she could wrench her wrists free.
Struggling from underneath him, she began to crawl away from him. Hearing him curse and feeling his hand close over her ankle and begin to pull, Hermione screamed. Kicking blindly, as hard as she could, she grinned as she felt her foot connect sharply with his face.
As his grip loosened again, she scrambled to her feet and made a mad dash for the door. Almost there! she thought with mounting hope.
That is, until she heard the heavy footfalls behind her and felt the Death Eater's considerable weight crash into her. With a scream, she hit the ground, once again pinned under his body.
Flipping her roughly onto her back, he raised his fist and drove it into the side of her head. Stars burst before Hermione's eyes as pain exploded in her skull.
Blinking rapidly and trying to focus, Hermione was vaguely aware of the Death Eater fumbling with her belt. "No," she moaned weakly, trying in vain to push his hands away,
Just as she felt her belt loosen, the Death Eater's weight suddenly vanished as though he had been pulled off her. Through her stunned haze, she could hear what sounded like a scuffle, punctured by grunts of pain multiple thuds that sounded like fists meeting flesh with immense force.
Suddenly, with one final thud, the sounds stopped and there was nothing to be heard but laboured breathing.
Hearing heavy footsteps making their way unsteadily towards her, Hermione struggled into an upright position but with her head swimming the way it was, she couldn't maintain it and found herself falling back to the ground.
Bracing herself for impact, she found her landing halted by a pair of arms.
"Hermione? Hermione, just hold on!"
Struggling to focus on the person holding her, Hermione couldn't keep her eyes open any longer and she felt herself sink gratefully into unconsciousness.
And there we go. I'm not sure whether this was any good or whether it was too intense but, you know. And who is the mysterious savoir? We'll find out in the next chapter!! Anyway, please review!! Much love!! XOXO