Chapter 23 – I'll keep you safe

The letter addressed to him was very short.

Ronnie,

please come home. I'm sure we can solve the problem.

Mum

Ron turned the letter and wrote on the back.

I'll get back to you. But I'll be gone for a while.

Ron

Ron tied the parchment to the leg of the owl and sent her back to the Burrow. He put the letter to Hermione on the living room table.

It was about time. Ron had promised Kingsley to take the Portkey at 5pm at the Ministry of Magic to go on his last mission. He knew that it was dangerous and he hadn't been on a mission without Harry for a long time. Secretly he hoped to return soon to reconcile with Hermione.

11th October - evening

Hermione was nervous. It was 6pm and a part of her was hoping that Ron was home. The other part was still angry. Ron's jealousy had embarrassed her so much in front of all those people at the Leaky Cauldron. She stepped out of the fireplace and saw the flowers on the living room table.

"Ron? Are you there?"

She went to the table and saw the two parchment rolls. She recognized there were from Molly and Ron, so she took Molly's letter and read.

Hermione, dear,

no matter what Ron has done please remember that you're part of our family. You can always come to the Burrow, to Ginny's or Fleur's. We would also come by if you need someone to listen.

Molly

Hermione sat down in the kitchen and although she was deeply sad, she knew that she never had to be alone if she didn't want to be. She made herself something to eat, because she had hardly eaten all day.

The letter from Ron remained untouched.

After dinner she went upstairs to take a shower and to slip into something comfortable. When she opened the cupboard after showering, a sweater fell towards her. She buried her nose in the big maroon sweater with the capital "R" on it and soaked in Ron's smell. She wished he was there with her.

Then both could scream out their anger and then make up again. That's what it was like… usually... wasn't it? Hermione reached for the vial of the sleeping draught and drank it. She lay down on Ron's side of the bed and covered herself with his blanket. Once again, silent tears ran down her cheeks as she closed her eyes.

When Hermione woke up the next morning, her body felt rested. But her heart and soul hurt. All of a sudden she remembered the letter from Ron, which she had completely forgotten the night before. She ran down the stairs, grabbed the letter and went back upstairs to bed. After she had read the letter, she just sat there and stared out the window.

Suddenly Hermione realized that Ron had really left. She got dressed quickly, grabbed the letter and her bag and took the Floo-Network to the Burrow. She stumbled out of the fireplace and yelled: "Molly, Arthur, he's gone!" Molly came out of the kitchen, slightly startled. "Hermione!? Good morning dear, but what do you mean he's gone?" she asked.

Hermione held the letter out to Molly and Arthur, who had just come back into the house from the garden, and both read it at the same time.

"Alright.. I take the Floo-Network to the Ministry and speak to Harry and Kingsley. May I take the parchment with me, Hermione?" Arthur said.

"Of course! But I'd like to keep the coin here." Arthur nodded and went to the fireplace. Hermione was glad to be back at the Burrow and so she told Molly what happened from her point of view. Around noon Arthur returned with Harry.

Turns out he didn't know anything about a mission and he was worried. Especially since Kingsley has not wanted to be found since that morning either. Molly could guess why he did so! Kingsley knew to beware of Molly when it came to her family.

After dinner, Harry went back to the Ministry, to hopefully get some more information. Hermione also made her way back to Shell Cottage, but promised to come for dinner the next day.

Back home, Hermione tried to concentrate on one book, but that didn't really work. She kept looking at the coin... but nothing happened. Nothing in the evening, nothing at night. Nothing the next day. Also Harry hadn't heard anything new either.

13th October

When Hermione went to bed in the evening on the third day, she honestly didn't know how she would get through tomorrow's first day of work. She fell into a fitful sleep. The next few days were terrible. She tried to pull herself together at work, but it was hard for her.

It was the 17th of October and it had been a week since they had their fight. After her day at work, Hermione took a shower as usual. As the water pelted down on her, she suddenly became dizzy and her heart cramped. Could one really die of the Broken Heart Syndrome? She had read about it. But should she really be among the 3% who died of it? She had no previous illnesses or similar. Hermione turned off the shower… Suddenly she heard a noise and wondered where it came from. She tried not to think about it, when she heard it again.

She took her bathrobe, grabbed her wand and carefully opened the door of the bathroom. The noise was coming from the bedroom. She went to the door and looked into the bedroom carefully. The buzzing sound came from the coin. Didn't Ron write that it was just gonna glow? The gold coin pulsed strongly and was very bright and bounced up and down while a buzzing sound kept coming out of it. Hermione's heart sunk and she could hardly walk. She took her wand, tapped the coin and spoke in a shaky voice.

"Draconis excitat."

Hermione heard a low hiss and she had the feeling that something was wrong. She dressed quickly and all of a sudden she heard the voice she loved and missed so much.

"Hermione. I hope you're there. I'm so sorry about everything. I love you! You're the love of my life, I want you to know that. It's is cold and dark where I am, but the thought of you keeps me warm. I love you so much, Hermione."

The pulsating light became weaker and weaker until it was suddenly completely off. Hermione ran to the fireplace. It was late, but she didn't care. She had the feeling that Ron was in danger. She did not suffer from Broken Heart Syndrome. What had happened in the shower was her connection to Ron. The Love for him.

Arthur startled when Hermione rushed out of the fireplace. He sat in his chair and read the paper.

"Merlin's beard, Hermione! What happened?" he asked her.

"It's Ron, he spoke through the coin, I'm afraid he's in danger!" The noise in the living room made Molly come down the stairs. Hermione told her what had happened. Meanwhile, Arthur sent his Patronus to Kingsley. 2 minutes later Kingsley was standing in the kitchen at the Burrow, but always making sure that at least the kitchen table was between him and Molly.

"Molly, I'm sorry." Kingsley immediately apologized.

"You're lucky you're the Minister of Magic or else… How dare you?"

"Molly, I've sent Ron the best aurors to help him. What Ron and you don't know is that I can always locate him. I modified his coin so that I'll always know where he is." Kingsley tried to calm Molly down.

"The best aurors? I hope for your sake, you didn't send Harry on that mission! If anything happens to them, I'll be in Azkaban tomorrow because I killed you!" Molly yelled angrily.

"No, Harry has another mission going on. And I know he's like your son and that Ginny would probably kill me too."

Molly and Hermione hugged to calm each other down. Suddenly a Patronus in the shape of a stag appeared at the burrow and Harry's voice could be heard. "Five Aurors were send to St. Mungo's. I don't know yet if Ron is among them."

Since Harry was the highest Auror, he was informed when the Aurors under his supervision were taken to hospital. Hermione and Molly looked at Kingsley angrily. They ran to the fireplace and went to the hospital.

"Well, Kingsley, I think you should be afraid of Hermione too. I'll be on my way to St. Mungo's now. I'll see you later!" Arthur said and vanished in the green flames.

When Molly and Hermione, closely followed by Arthur, arrived in the waiting room of the hospital, Harry and Ginny were already sitting there. The three women fell wordlessly into each other's arms. But Hermione was restless and said: "I'll see what informations I can get." She went to the healers' room and opened the door.

"Hi, Betty."

"Hermione, what are you doing here?Didn't you call it a day?"

"I would like to know if my boyfriend Ronald Bilius Weasley is among the Aurors that have been send in today."

"Sorry, Hermione. I don't have names yet."

"Betty, please go and ask. Ron has ginger hair, you can recognize him everywhere."

"All right, Hermione. Please go back to the waiting room. I'll let you know."

Hermione was just about to go into the waiting room when Betty came running at her from the other side.

"Hermione, he's in, he's got a couple of cuts and an arm in a sling, but he's fine. He's in room 215."

"Thank you, Betty. I owe you one!" Hermione opened the door to the waiting area.

"Ron is fine, probably just a broken arm and a few scratches. He's in room 215." Hermione told everybody and all of them relaxed visibly. They went to Ron's room together when Hermione suddenly said: "Please go without me, I need some time." When the door opened, Hermione could catch a glimpse of Ron. He looked terrible but after all he was alive.

She knew that Ron would probably ask for her, but she wanted to talk to him alone. After about ten minutes the door opened again and Molly, Arthur, Ginny and Harry came out. Molly took Hermione in her arms. "Ron is asking if you would please join him?" Hermione nodded, released herself from the embrace, took a deep breath and entered the room. She closed the door and went over to the bed where Ron was lying with his eyes closed. She looked at him silently and did not know what to say or do. Eventually Ron was whispering: "Do you hate me?"

Hermione sat down on the chair beside the bed and put her hand on his. "If that were the case, I wouldn't be here, would I?" she answered silently. Ron shook his head. He turned to Hermione, opened his eyes and looked at her.

"I've missed you, Mione, and I'm so very sorry."

"Everything you did… It was stupid!"

"I know. Will you give me. . . us. . . another chance?"

"We have a lot to talk about when you get home. You know that, right?"

Ron closed his eyes and nodded, the tip of his ears had turned red.

"This was really my last mission, Mione. I don't want this anymore."

Hermione bent over, gave him a kiss on his cheek and ran her hand through his hair.

"Get some sleep now, Ron. I'll head home now. But I promise you, I'll be back in the morning. As your personal healer, I have to take a close look at your therapy plan. You know…'I'll keep you safe'."

Ron started smiling.

"Thank you for forgiving me. I love you,Hermione!"

"I love you too, Ronald Bilius Weasley. So much!"