The Price of Love
Chapter 1: The Secret Itself Becomes Irrelevant
"With a secret like that, at some point, the secret itself becomes
Irrelevant; the fact that you kept it does not."
~ Sara Gruen
"Wait," Bellatrix said. "All except…except for the Mudblood."
Beside her, Ron stiffened. "No! You can have me, keep me!"
Hermione ground her teeth together, attempting not to flinch. Ron's head twisted to the side from the force of Bellatrix's slap. A wand arched over Hermione's head, her neck snapping when Bellatrix yanked her hair forward. The light flashing off the dagger as she cut Hermione free.
Hermione bit her lip to keep herself from screaming. Her body cracking against the marbled floor. Weight pressed down on her.
"Where did you get the sword?" Bellatrix pressed the knife into Hermione's arm. Dragging the blade down her forearm near the elbow.
Hermione screamed. Attempting to jerk her arm away, but unable to fight off Bellatrix.
"I'm going to ask you again! . . ?" Spit hit Hermione's face. "Where?"
Tears streamed down her face. Her arm burned. How many cuts had Bellatrix made?
"We found it," Hermione choked.
"Don't lie!" Bellatrix shrieked, pressing the knife into her arm. "Where did you get it?"
"We found it…PLEASE!" Hermione shrieked, jerking her head back and forth. Her legs tangling in something.
Hermione yanked her legs, throwing her body off the couch she was sleeping on. She crashed to the floor. "NOTHING!" she screamed. "NOTHING!"
"Hermione!" someone called. Was it Ron? It must have been Ron…but he was trapped in the dungeon. Greyback took him there.
Her eyes were still closed. Her knee cracked into the table as she tried to fight of Charlie, who had fallen to his knees in front of her. His hands were on her shoulders.
"NO!" She tried to jerk away. Her fist clamming into his chest, her knee hitting his leg. Her eyes opened, but they were glassy.
Charlie lightly gripped her wrist. The sudden freeze in momentum caused the sleeve of her robe to fall down to her elbow. MUDBLOOD stood out white, and raised, against her dark skin.
"Charlie," Bill whispered, "let her go."
Charlie frowned. He was going to point out her flailing would only continue to hurt her.
"It's a night terror," Bill said, whipping a hand across his face. "I'd gather to do with that scar on her arm."
Charlie sighed, letting Hermione's hand go. His eyes flickered over her body. He gently lifted his wand and pointed it at the sheets around her legs. The sheet disappeared, and Hermione's legs twitched, almost as if she were being restrained by someone sitting on top of her.
Charlie looked over his shoulder, surprised Fleur hadn't come running. He turned back to Bill.
'Silencing charm,' Bill mouthed.
Charlie turned his attention back to Hermione. Her limbs twisted. Tensed. Charlie flinched when she screamed. Her voice sounded hoarse. It occurred to Charlie that perhaps Hermione had erected a sound barrier to prevent anyone hearing her scream.
Eventually she whimpered, curling into herself, shaking. Through a crack in the curtain sunlight arched toward her head. Her eyes crinkled before blinking open. Her hair was a nest of tangled curls. She groaned.
Then at his slight shift she froze. Her eyes snapped up and she tried to back away from them. Charlie slowly extended his hands, palms out to show he wasn't armed. Hermione's brows knitted together.
He could see he brain working feverishly. "What was the name of the dragon we smuggled to the astronomy tower in nineteen-ninety-one?"
Her eyes darted for her wand. She extended her hand. Her forehead wrinkled in concentration.
"Norbert," Charlie said. "Renamed Norberta after she was brought to the dragon reserve in Romania."
Caramel brown eyes swiveled to Bill. "What color were my dress robes at your wedding?"
After several minutes her wand moved in a straight line as if her energy were pulling it toward her. Her fingers trembled as she raised it toward Bill.
"Scarlet," Bill said. "You wore a pair of shoes with a three inch heel."
The details they added didn't make her heart rate slow. But, she leaned back, wrapping her arms around her knees.
"Hermione," Charlie said carefully. "Is that….," he trailed off. "Is that scar why you didn't go back to the Burrow with Harry and Ron?"
She nodded her head.
"They don't know," Bill said from behind him.
Her shoulder's tensed. "No," she finally said. "Of course I haven't told Harry. Could you imagine? He might even feel guilty about it."
Charlie could tell Bill was shocked. Though he disguised it better than Charlie did.
"What? You think I tell them everything?" She scoffed.
Charlie frowned. "No…but didn't they witness what happened?"
"Ha!" She shuddered, dropping her head onto her arms. "They heard it alright." She took a moment to get the impression right. "Leave her alone. Take me instead."
"That isn't fair-" Bill began.
"Fair?" Hermione said. "No, it isn't. How dare I feel angry that Ron would have suffered instead of me? Or be angry that Harry ignored me when I told him You-Know-Who's name was taboo?"
Her voice broke. Tears streaming down her cheeks. She wiped them roughly. And Charlie thought for a moment how right Bill was. This wasn't fair. Charlie traded another look with Bill and shook his head.
Bill bit his lip, realizing that this had been a long time coming. Hermione had been going through the motions for weeks. This was the first time she had talked about anything to do with the Horcrux hunt.
There was nothing either of them could say to her statement. This was something she'd have to work out on her own.
Charlie cleared his throat. "You're right. You're allowed to feel how you do, Hermione."
At the sound of her name, she finally met his gaze.
"But," he said slowly. "Please don't isolate yourself. We're…we're here for you."
Behind him Bill nodded. He rose slowly. With a quick flick of his wand outside noises slowly returned to them. He headed toward the kitchen.
Hermione tracked him with her eyes. Then, when Charlie rose, she whispered. "Is there…can I borrow some clothes?"
Charlie nodded. "I believe Fleur left some clothes for you in the guest room."
Hermione pulled herself to her feet. She put more weight on her right leg, than her left. Her gait uneven as she followed Charlie from the room.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: 465-467: Arthur A Levine (An Imprint of Scholastic Inc) 2007.
Disclaimer 2: The plot of this story is my own. I don't give permission for this piece to be reproduced or posted to other sites without my permisson.
Disclaimer3: I have accounts on: Archive of Our Own: Jazzelyn Emory Roisin, DeviantArt and Tumblr: E.H. Indigo and FaceBook: E.H. Indigo Fan Page where I will post this story.
I'd love to hear your thoughts, and hope you enjoy my work.
~ E.H. Indigo