I just remembered something. Dolohov's mind got wiped by Hermione in Deathly Hallows...

Too late to change things. Let's just say that Voldy returned his memories or something lol.

Anyways, back to the fic.

Chapter 25: In All Actuality

January 1, 2006, 12:00 AM Ron's Flat

The four turned their heads quickly to see Antonin Dolohov holding a squirming and silently screaming Tatiana in his arms, and Viktor Krum pointing his wand straight at them.

Ron felt as if he was about to burst into flames. He ran towards Dolohov, but Viktor stopped him dead in his tracks pointing his wand directly at Ron's face.

"Make one wrong move and I'll kill you right in front of your precious little Weasley." growled Viktor as he moved his hand from Ron's face to his neck.

"VIKTOR PLEASE!" yelled Hermione, quickly sobered by the shock.

"Ah, my Mudblood! I see you made it to her!" said Viktor in condescending amusement. "And you have my beautiful pure blooded wife with you as well. And...Potter? I thought the rumors were just that. Back from the abyss I see."

"Enough of this chit chat, Krum." said Dolohov as he tried to restrain the still silently screaming Tatiana. "We got the bloody girl, now kill this lot and be done with it so we can go."

"You're not going anywhere with my daughter, you son of a bitch!" snarled Ron.

"Actually I think we are." smirked Viktor. "She is needed by the Dark Lord and what he needs, he gets. Besides, when have you ever been a father? You didn't even know the child existed."

"Viktor please let her go." cried Hermione. "I'll do anything you ask. Kill me if you need to, just please let her go!"

"Wish granted" said Viktor as he whipped his wand towards Hermione.

"AVADA KA-"

*POW!*

You could hear the bone in Viktor's jar crack as Ron punched him as hard as he could, knocking him out instantly. Harry grabbed Parvati's wand from her pocket as Ron grabbed Viktor's, each one pointing it at a now paranoid Dolohov.

"Put her down." growled Ron as he pointed his wand at Dolohov's forehead.

Dolohov did as he was told. As soon as Tatiana's feet touched the ground, she ran over to Hermione, who gathered her up tightly in her arms.

Dolohov reached for his hand, but Ron and Harry were already on him, wands pointed at his head.

"Make a move and I swear to Merlin you'll die here tonight." said Harry as he moved Parvati's wand closer to Dolohov's head.

Ron quickly snatched Dolohov's wand from his pocket with his other hand, breaking it over his knee.

"HOW DID YOU FIND US?!" yelled Harry.

"Tortured his blonde friend." he said shakily. "She wouldn't budge, so we stole her memories before killing her."

Hermione, and Parvati gasped loudly. Ron felt as if he had been hit by the Knight Bus. Hermione passed Tatiana to Parvati, telling her to leave the room.

"You heartless bastards." said Ron, now pushing Viktor's wand into Dolohov's face. "I should kill your sorry asses right now."

"Let me." said Hermione, wand in her hand, pointing it at the unconscious Viktor, her brown eyes looking as if small flames were lit inside of them.

"Mione..." whispered Ron, almost afraid of what the witch would do.

"Don't." said Hermione. "This man has been a bloody thorn in my side for seven years Ronald. Seven! He's raped me, beat me, tortured me. Thank Merlin for Tatiana being strong even in the womb because I was hit so many times with the cruciatus curse while I was pregnant, I should have lost her! He allowed his Death Eater cronies to do the same, Ron! I hate him! He deserves to die!"

Hermione cried as her wand trembled in her hands, still pointing it at Viktor. Harry quickly hit Dolohov with an imobilus charm, freezing him in mid sentence. The boys walked over to Hermione's shaking form and each one put an arm around her.

"Hermione, don't do this." whispered Harry, carefully.

"You're not a killer, love."

"Think of the consequences, Hermione."

"Think of our daughter. You don't want to kill someone while she is in the flat, do you?" asked Ron as he gently pushed Hermione's arm to her side.

Hermione shook her head, tears running down her cheeks as she gazed upon Viktor, hate coursing through her veins for the man. She turned and ran into Ron's room to be with Tatiana.

Harry and Ron looked at each other and blew out breaths that neither one knew they were holding. They bonded both Viktor and Dolohov together and Ron broke Viktor's wand.

"With all Hermione has been through, why didn't you let her do it, Ron?" asked Harry.

Ron rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't want her to become a killer. That isn't Hermione. She wouldn't want that. I would rather kill for her a thousand times before I would ever let her kill once. That's not in her nature."

"Not in yours either." said Harry.

"Yeah, well, I have a family to protect now. I'll do anything for them Harry. Anything."

Harry nodded, understanding what he meant. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Parvati were like family as well. He would do whatever it took to keep them alive.

"So, what do we do with this lot?" said Harry, pointing to the Death Eaters on the floor.

Ron walked over and spat in Viktor's face. "More where that and that jaw came from you bitch." he sneered. "I guess we call up Zabini and Malfoy and tell them we have two more to stash with that bastard father of his."

"And then?"

"Then we go hunt us down a snake and its wizard."

January 1, 2006, 2:06 PM Verona, Italy Zabini House

After restoring Tatiana's voice and spending hours reassuring her that the bad people would never come for her again, Ron and Harry apparated over to Blaise's hideaway house, anxious to get some answers. Kingsley, Draco, Blaise, and Bill were already there.

"Got the Veritaserum?" asked Ron.

Kingsley held up a small vial. "These two are giving us a hard time, I'm afraid."

"Pity." said Ron in mock concern. "Guess we have no choice but to get our information the hard way, yeah?"

The two men walked the long stairway down to where they were holding Lucius, Viktor, and Dolohov. As soon as Viktor saw Ron's face he sneered.

"Ah Krum! How's that jaw, mate?" asked Ron mockingly.

"Fuck you Weasley." spat Viktor.

"Not my type, I'm afraid. Now you and your mate here are going to answer our questions. The quicker you answer, the quicker your glass of water and crust of bread comes. As Malfoy all about it."

"Filthy blood traitor." grumbled Lucius.

Bill, Blaise, and Draco came through the door, helping Harry hold down the Death Eaters as Kingsley poured the potion down their throats.

"Your full names gentlemen?" asked Kingsley.

"Viktor Yveteski Krum." said Viktor.

"Antonin Mercutio Dolohov. said Dolohov.

"Where is your Dark Lord? And do not speak of his name. We know about the taboo." said Bill.

"We don't know. Last we seen of him, he was walking out of the Ministry, asking for his snake to be retrieved." said Dolohov.

"Where is the snake Nagini?" asked Kingsley.

"She was in a secret house located in Africa, however, she has probably been retrieved and brought back to England by now." said Viktor.

"Is there any secret places that you will tell us about that Riddle would go to?" asked Harry.

"An old mansion in the hills of the London countryside. Gold's Place." said Dolohov, wincing. He knew that he was done for, he was never to tell the secret.

"Many thanks, old chap." said Draco laughing. "I'll be sure to tell your boss you said it personally."

"Tell him after he wipes out your whole family, Malfoy." sneered Dolohov.

Draco stopped laughing. "Is that a threat?"

"The Dark Lord plans to wipe you, your mother, your blood traitor wife, and your pathetic children off the face of the earth." said Dolohov.

Draco apparated off immediately to check on his family. Dolohov tried to make a break for it. Blaise however, tripped him up quickly.

"Where are you going?" laughed Blaise. "You have no idea where you are, and your wand is broken. You have no way of getting away from here, so you may as well make yourself at home."

"I thought she was mine." said Viktor, still under the influence of the Veritaserum.

"What did you say?" asked Ron.

"Tatiana. I thought she was mine. The Dark Lord told me she was yours. I didn't hate the girl. I actually really wanted to show that I liked her. I didn't even hate Herm-own-ninny."

"Don't you speak on-"

"I had no choice, Weasley." said Viktor, seeming like he was trying to get something off his chest. "I haven't had a choice since months after my last year of schooling. He would have killed my mother and brother. Karkaroff chose me. He told the Dark Lord I was useful. I was forced to take the mark. To do his dirty work. And I was forced to hurt people I never wanted to hurt. Herm-own-ninny. Every time I struck her, raped her, swore at her, I felt guilty. And when she had the baby, I felt even worse. I wanted to properly love that baby, but I couldn't. The Dark Lord still has his hold over me."

"Kingsley, how long does that shit last?" asked Ron, not believing what Viktor was saying.

"An hour, Ron. He's telling the truth." said Kingsley.

Ron felt conflicted. He wanted to pummel this bastard for the shit he put Hermione and Tatiana through. But if he really didn't mean to, he would be wrong to punish the man.

"Where is your family?" asked Ron.

"They are with the Dark Lord. At least I think they are. I haven't seen them since I was 19." said Viktor.

Dolohov sneered at Victor's admission. "I always knew you weren't built for this." he snarled. "I had told the Dark Lord to allow me the pleasure of the Mudblood, but he felt that you should be the one. You are weak. You are pathetic. You are nothing!"

"And you're a fucking half-blood. Tell the Dark Lord that!" spat Viktor, causing the room to gasp and Blaise to laugh.

"Oh this is too rich! You're a half-blood? And you have the nerve to belittle Muggleborns when you are half of them?" laughed Blaise.

"Birds of a feather, mate." said Harry. "His Dark Lord is a half blood too. Tom Riddle Sr was a muggle. His mother gave him a love potion. Ask Tom about it."

Blaise looked highly amused while the three Death Eaters in the room looked dumbstruck. "It's not true." angered Lucius.

"You know it is." said Harry. "Don't play stupid. All your talk about pureblood supremacy and your leader has muggle blood in his veins."

Viktor couldn't help but smirk. Lucius and Dolohov looked absolutely disgusted, but no one could tell if they were disgusted in Voldemort, or themselves.

"Lock em back up." said Bill.

"Wait!" yelled Ron. "I have one more question before the effects wear off. Viktor, did you really kill the blonde witch, Lavender Brown?"

Viktor looked Ron straight in the eye. "I didn't. I merely stunned her and extracted her memory of knowing where you lived."

Ron sighed, relieved. He nodded then walked out the door with Harry.

Blaise conjured up some food and water and walked out the room with the others, putting up every locking charm he could think of. Bill threw up some of Gringotts strongest ones just in case.

The men flooed back to Grimmauld Place. They planned on attacking tomorrow, having Lee and Blaise case the place first, as they were the best at stealth. Ron went and checked on Lavender. She was shaken and bruised but otherwise okay. She had felt horrible about what had happened, but Ron assured her that everything was fine.

Draco had checked on his family and seen that they were fine. However, Narcissa, Ginny, and the children were moved to Shell Cottage immediately, as well as Tatiana, who wanted to be close to Ginny and the new baby. Hermione and Parvati stayed with Harry and Ron at Grimmauld Place.

January 1, 2006 9:16 PM Grimmauld Place

Ron and Hermione laid in the in Ron's room in the house, Ron holding Hermione close to him, stroking her hair.

"Hermione?"

"Yeah Ron?"

"Krum said he didn't mean it." said Ron.

Hermione looked up as Ron, annoyed. "And you believed him?!"

"Hear me out." said Ron calmly. "He was under Veritaserum when he said it. No Nose has had his family hostage since 1995. That's how he's been manipulating him."

Hermione didn't know how to feel. On the one hand, if he was being forced, she couldn't very well blame him. She would do anything for her family as well. However, it still didn't take the pain away.

"He also said that he wanted to like Tati, and that Riddle told him she wasn't his." said Ron.

"Wonder how he knew that. Maybe because of her powers? She's very strong for her age." said Hermione, laying her head back on Ron's chest.

"Possibly. She does have two very magically strong parents. Especially the mother." said Ron, kissing to top of Hermione's head.

"Maybe."

"Can I ask you something?" asked Ron.

"Sure."

"Do you still love me?"

Hermione raised her head up and looked at Ron as if he were stupid. "What kind of mental question is that?" she asked as she sat up.

"It's not mental, it's a question. It's been seven years, Hermione."

"Yes it has. And I think the question should be do YOU still love ME."

"Okay, who is the mental one now?" laughed Ron.

"I mean it." said Hermione. "I've always thought about it. I'm a scarred woman now. Viktor raped me, Dolohov logic raped me, a few others... I feel like such a whore."

Hermione pulled her knees into her chest, hugging her legs, trying to make herself as little as possible. Ron sat up and gently grabbed Hermione's face.

"I don't ever want to hear you refer to yourself as a whore ever again, do you understand me? You are no one's whore. They stole from you. They did that to you, not the other way around. And you're strong, still beautiful, and still the best witch that I know. And I would be a fool if I didn't love you. I've loved you since before I knew what love was. And that's never going to stop."

Ron leaned in and kissed Hermione's lips. He felt Hermione smile under his kiss.

"I love you too." said Hermione, missing him back.

"AND I LOVE YOU THREE!" yelled Harry, newly busting into the room, Parvati behind him giggling.

"OI! YOU FUCKING WANKER!" yelled Ron, laughing.

"Language Ronald!" said Hermione, hitting Ron with a pillow.

"But I just love you guys so much!" said Harry and he leaped onto the bed, hugging his best friends to him. The trio laughed as they threw pillows at each other.

"Jump in Parvati, we love you too, girl." said Ron, chucking a pillow at Parvati, which she swiftly caught and launched back.

The four friends pillow fought and laughed the hour away. It was like being back at Hogwarts, where the only thing they had really worried about was Professor McGonagall's tests and the only war that was happening was in Quidditch with Gryffindor against Slytherin.