A/N: Sorry that it's taken so long to get this out, but last week I was in Cancun, so I had no time to write. But just be thankful for this because I am completely and utterly stuck on my Draco/Hermione story... I think I'm gonna try to work on it next b/c so many people are asking! Ah! I need to get unstuck quick!
PLEASE review this! I thank you all who read and reviewed the last chapter! You guys are wonderful!!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story except for the plot and the children.
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Hermione glanced in her rearview mirror at her children. Both of them were fast asleep, and she was thankful. The rain was pounding down loudly on the car as she drove through the narrow England streets in the darkness. Her own tears were making it even more difficult to see, but she continued the drive unceasingly. The memories of the hours before kept replaying in her mind over and over like a bad song that invades your mind and refuses to leave.
Tom had come home quite shortly after she had returned, much earlier than he was supposed to. He had been angry, and he had immediately demanded to know where she had been because he said he had telephoned earlier, and Mrs. Bennett had answered the phone. Hermione had stumbled around her excuses and finally managed to say that she had been shopping. He had seen through this, of course, and said that Mrs. Bennett had said she'd been in London. He'd then demanded to know what she was doing in the city, and Hermione had said she'd been shopping for new school clothes for Emileen. Tom had then requested to see the clothes, and when Hermione had been unable to produce them, he had gotten violently angry. He'd hit her right in the head at first, knocking her to the ground in a heap. He had then proceeded to kick at her in the worst way he ever had, and he yelled at her, accusing her of going to the city to see a man. He'd called her a whore and a ton of other names as she'd begged him to stop before he woke the children up. It hadn't worked. She had no choice but to cry out in pain as he continued to beat at her and yell at her until she passed out. When she had awakened, Tom was nowhere in sight, and she had known immediately that she could not risk waiting for him to return. So, she'd run upstairs to Emileen's room and gotten her out of bed after packing her a small suitcase. She'd then packed Kyle the same sort of bag and carried him out to the car. With that, she had put them both in the back and started driving.
At first, she hadn't been sure where she was headed to, but after awhile she had realized that there was only one place she could go. And so her journey to London had begun. That's where she was headed now with both of her children fast asleep in the back. She was still crying, but the pain in her head had ceased to hurt so badly. She wasn't sure what she was going to say when she'd arrived at her destination. It had been only hours before when she'd shown up on Harry's doorstep prepared to face her past only to run out again. And now she was returning for the second time in one day.
And she didn't know what to do.
When she finally pulled onto the street that Harry and Ginny lived on, she started trying to wipe the tears on her face away. She didn't want anyone to feel sorry for her; she just needed a place to stay for the night until she could sort things out. She pulled the car in front of his townhouse and glanced once again at her children. Both were curled up against each other fast asleep, and she opted against waking them at that moment. So, she quickly locked them in the car and raced up the front stairs of the house as the rain pounded down all around her, soaking her completely.
She rang the bell without even stopping to think twice. To her surprise, though, it was not Harry, Ginny, or any of their children who answered the door. It was Ron.
He stared at her, and for a moment, she was afraid that he was going to slam the door in her face. He could obviously see that she was freezing and soaking wet, though, so he opened the door and motioned for her to come inside. She stepped gratefully into the house as he spoke.
"What are you doing here?"
She couldn't straight away tell him what she was doing there, so she answered his question with her own question. "Where are Harry and Ginny?"
Ron stared at her again. "They're out. I'm watching their children. What are you doing here?" he repeated.
At this, Hermione burst into tears. She wasn't sure why she was crying, and she wasn't even sure she had a real reason to be. She was just crying, and she couldn't make herself stop.
Ron looked on uneasily. It was obvious that he had no idea how to make her stop crying, and he had no idea what to do about it. Finally, he just asked her what was wrong.
Hermione couldn't find the words to tell him what was wrong; nor could she find the words to tell him why she had shown up on this doorstep twice in one day. All she could do was say, "My children are in the car."
Ron looked at her in shock, and several emotions covered his previously cold face all at once. "Children? You have children?"
She looked down and nodded, her tears slowing gradually. "Yes. Two. Will you help me?"
Ron looked as though he were going to say no, but then he relented and nodded once. He helped her out to the car which she unlocked. Ron peered in at the sleeping children, and he stared at them silently for a moment before reaching for Emileen. He lifted her easily out of the car, and to both Hermione and Ron's surprise, Emileen wrapped her arms around Ron's neck and rested her head on top of his shoulder in her sleep. Ron's eyes connected with Hermione's, and she found that watching this scene was almost too much for her to handle. So she quickly reached into the car and pulled out her toddler son. Together, Ron and Hermione hurried back into the house where they stared at each other.
Finally Ron spoke. "Crystal's got an extra bed in her room for when Alyssa gets scared. We can put them there."
Hermione nodded and followed Ron up the stairs to a small room at the end of the hall. She saw the oldest Potter child fast asleep in one bed and an empty bed across the room. Ron walked over to it and gently laid Emileen on it. She wouldn't let go of his neck, though, and she snuggled even tighter against him, mumbling something that neither adult could make out. Ron looked helplessly at Hermione as the little girl tightened her grip on him, so Hermione quickly laid Kyle down and turned to remove Emileen from Ron's neck. When she had finally managed to untangle the two of them from each other, Emmy's eyes fluttered open and she stared at Ron groggily.
"Who are you?" she asked in a sleepy sort of voice.
Ron just stared at her, and then Hermione laid her daughter down on the bed as well and said, "Goodnight, Emmy."
Emileen just continued to stare up at the stranger in front of her, though, and very quietly, she said, "Who are you?" again.
"Shh," Hermione coaxed her daughter back into a sleep, and when she was quite sure that both of children were slumbering peacefully, she kissed them each on the tops of their heads.
Ron stood up and beckoned for her to follow him out of the room, and she did so nervously. They walked back into the sitting room where Ron turned to her and said, "How old are they?"
"Kyle is three, and Emileen's ten." Hermione looked up at him.
It took Ron a moment to piece the ages together, but when he caught on, he looked extremely hurt and betrayed. "Ten? So that means...." Ron just shook his head in disbelief. "So, that's why you decided to run away."
Hermione knew that she was definitely about to be expected to offer up some explanations. "Ron, please let me explain," she pleaded quietly.
Ron simply rolled his eyes. "Explain what, Hermione? I think the explanation of everything is sleeping upstairs in my niece's room, now isn't it?"
"But you don't understand..."
"Who's her father?" he asked suddenly. "You owe me that much information at least."
"Ron..."
But Ron interrupted her as he furiously glared at her in realization. "The hair... the eyes... MALFOY?!" Ron looked as though he could have killed her, and, for a brief moment, Hermione feared him. She soon realized, however, that Ron was not Tom and that he would never hurt her. Ron's anger quickly disappeared, and the most painful look covered his face as he repeated the name much quieter this time. "Malfoy?"
Hermione didn't even have time to anticipate the tears that started to fall from her eyes as she nodded slowly and shamefully. "Ron, I'm so sorry," she managed to whisper.
Ron just stared at her silently before speaking. "Why Malfoy? You could have cheated on me with anyone... but with Malfoy?" He looked as though he, too, might start crying at any minute.
"It's not like that," she whispered, her eyes pleading with him for belief. "I didn't cheat on you with anyone."
To this, Ron laughed a cold, joyless laugh. "Oh, you didn't? You obviously did something, Hermione. I think the proof of that is upstairs!"
Hermione couldn't take Ron believing that she had betrayed him like that. It was just too much for her to handle. "Ron, he raped me!" She hadn't meant to just blurt it out like that, but she couldn't take anymore of his disgust directed at her.
Ron's face immediately froze into what appeared to be a stone-cold expression of shock. He didn't even seem to be breathing for a good two minutes of deadly silence. And then all at once, Ron started to cry, too. "Hermione... I'm... I'm so sorry..."
Hermione just shook her head as tears continued to fall down her cheeks as well. "Shh...You have nothing to apologize for."
"But... But I had no right to be angry with you, and I was so cruel to you..."
But Hermione just shook her head again. "I should have told you before I left..."
"Why didn't you, Hermione?" He looked at her with sad eyes. "I would have helped you; you know I would have."
She nodded. "I know... But I was so ashamed, and I just felt so dirty... And I was scared."
"You were just a little girl," Ron timidly reached out and took her hand. The moment this happened, it was as though ten years hadn't passed, and they both felt as though they really were just children again.
She clutched his hand tightly and prepared herself for what she knew was a dam about to burst; everything was about to come out, and she was totally ready to tell Ron everything. "I felt ruined. I knew you wouldn't want me anymore, and I didn't want you to feel obligated to stay with me for any reason."
Ron looked hurt at her words, but he spoke to her gently and soothingly. "Hermione, I would never have felt that way. I was in love with you in a way I can't even explain; I've never felt that way about anyone but you. There's nothing in the world that could have made me not want you."
Hermione just stared at him, and she felt emotions she hadn't felt in years flooding over her entire being. She knew that she was exactly where she needed to be, and she wasn't about to leave again. Without even thinking, she flung her arms around his neck and pressed her face tightly against his shoulder, soaking his shirt with her tears. She felt Ron's hand move to her back as he gently soothed her as he would a child; he had stopped crying, and now he was focusing all of his attention on her. They stayed like that for a few moments until Ron ran his hand up to her neck to one of the exact spots Tom had hit her on, and she gasped in pain.
Ron immediately pulled away and stared at her, concerned. "What happened?"
She reached under her hair and tried to soothe the pain that was burning on the back of her neck. "Nothing," she murmured quietly, looking down.
Ron didn't believe her, though, and he moved her hand away and looked for himself, lifting her hair and peering at the spot. A purplish blue bruise was glaring back at him, and he studied it for a moment before turning back to her. "What happened?" he asked again.
She just shook her head. "It's nothing. Really."
Ron always had a way of seeing right through her, though, and he shook his head. "Just trust me. Please." Hermione was silent as Ron implored her to confide in him. It took him only a few more minutes to notice the ring on her finger. "You're... you're married?"
Hermione nodded slowly. She still did not dare to meet his eyes.
"Did he... Did your husband do that?" he asked in an extremely quiet voice.
Hermione made no movement; nor did she give any verbal answer. She just let her tears speak for, and Ron translated them correctly. He shook his head at first in disbelief before growing extremely angry and slamming his fist onto the table beside them. Hermione jumped at the noise.
"Damn it!" he shouted furiously. "Who is he?" he demanded. "Tell me because I'm going to kill him!"
Hermione shook her head rapidly, though. "Please, Ron! Just calm down!"
"Calm down?! Calm down, Hermione? I should have been there to kill Malfoy when he hurt you ten years ago! I'm not going to stand by while some other bastard hurts you, too!"
"But I left, Ron," she told him hurriedly. "I took my children, and I left. He won't hurt me again."
Ron calmed momentarily, and he stared at her seriously. "If he ever touches you again, I'll kill him. I swear to God, I will."
Hermione nodded slowly, knowing full-well that he was being completely serious. Ron's wrath had been one of the main reasons she had never told him or Harry about Malfoy- besides her own embarrassment, of course. She knew that Ron would have killed Malfoy with his bare hands, and she couldn't bear to see him forced to deal with the consequences of such an act.
Ron stared at her for just a second before saying, "Have you left for good?"
She pondered this question for a moment. How many times had she told herself that she was going to leave? How many times had she dreamed of picking her children up and just running away? And now that she'd done it, what was to happen? She knew that Tom wouldn't just leave her alone. He'd find her and beg her to return; he'd tell her he loved her and that he was sorry. He'd tell her the same things he told her every time she threatened to run away after he'd given her the latest beating. She'd never actually done it before, though, so how would he handle it? Even if she really did stay adamant about her decision to stay away from him, he wasn't going to give up that easily- especially not on Kyle. That was what scared her the most. Tom was a powerful attorney; he knew every loophole that British law had to offer, and she had no doubt that he would be out for custody of their son. He had no legal holding over Emileen- not that he cared about that too much; he'd always been rather cold toward her daughter. No, he'd never abused her or even yelled at her too much; he'd simply always chose to ignore her. Kyle, though, was a different story. He wasn't going to allow his son and only heir to just be taken from him peacefully.
Hermione relayed all of this to Ron and told him about her fears that Tom would manage to take her son from her. Ron had been so angry when she was done that he had jumped up from his place on the couch and turned to face her. "I'll be damned if he ever gets his hands on that child! Hermione, you can hide here with us, and no one will ever know!"
Hermione thought it rather sweet of Ron to offer to hide her, but she knew that Tom Winston was not going to be so easily foiled. Living in the wizarding world or not, he would track her down and make her life hell.
"Ron, I don't know what to do. He'll find me; I know it."
At this Ron got down on his knees in front of her and took her hands gently in his. They both stared at their hands for a second before looking into each other eyes. Seriously and softly, Ron spoke. "He won't ever hurt you again, Hermione. I swear it."
She didn't know why she believed him, but she did. And all the while, she was dying on the inside. Being this close to Ron Weasley was doing wonders on her self-control, and she was more than a bit surprised at this. Yes, she was more than aware that she had spent nearly every night for the past decade dreaming of the way it would be like to run back into his arms and let him tell her that everything would be alright. She wasn't going to pretend that she hadn't spent night after night in her bed thinking of the way it would feel to have him next to her, kissing her, holding her, just protecting her.
But she was a married woman.
Acting on these impulses would be breaking the law, and if Tom were to find out, he would certainly use this against her in court if a custody battle were to pursue. She knew she should listen to the sensible part of her brain.
But he was so close... So close, and all she wanted to do was dip her head down just a few inches and capture his lips under her own. She wanted to know if actually kissing him would be as good as she remembered it. She looked into his eyes and knew he wanted it, too. He was staring back at her so intensely; his blue eyes seemed to be tearing into her soul, and she could hear his breathing pick up slightly as he moved closer to her.
He was leaning up to her, and she realized it felt as though a magnet was pulling them together, as she seemed to be leaning downward. Their eyes caught each other when their lips were merely centimeters apart, and then...
"We're home!"
Ron and Hermione immediately pulled back from each other, and Ron stood up quicker than she would have thought possible as his sister and brother-in-law entered the sitting room together.
Harry and Ginny stared at the pair in front of them curiously for only a second before Harry said, "You came back!" He seemed so happy, and he rushed forward to capture his long-lost best friend in a tight hug. "I thought you'd run away again."
Hermione hugged him back, but she wasn't sure what to say. Her breathing still seemed a bit irregular after being so close to Ron. And honestly, she wasn't prepared to launch into all of her explanations again for Harry and Ginny at that moment, so she was happy when Ron saved her. She saw him whispering to his sister and heard him say, "Just hold off on the questions for awhile."
Ginny nodded understandingly and placed a hand on her husband's back. "Harry, let's go check on the children," she said kindly. She turned and smiled at Hermione. "I'm glad you decided to come back," she told her in a tone that let Hermione know she wouldn't be asking any questions until the older witch was ready to talk.
Hermione smiled appreciatively. Then she remembered something. "Oh! Emmy and Kyle!"
Ginny and Harry stared at her, confused, but Ron explained. "Hermione's children are in the extra bed in Crystal's room."
It was obvious that the fact that Hermione was a mother was a bit shocking to her best friend and his wife, but neither of them asked any questions. They just glanced at each other, and then Ginny nodded in Hermione's direction. "That's fine. We'll check on them as well."
Hermione was grateful for the lack of interrogation, and she sighed a relief when the Potters headed up the stairs to kiss all of their children goodnight. When they were gone, Ron turned back to her.
"Do you want to say here tonight? Harry and Ginny won't mind," he looked away quite suddenly. "Or if you want to, you can come with me. Emileen and Kyle can stay here; Ginny won't care to watch them until tomorrow. You know, I mean if you just want a bit more privacy, so you can rest better."
Hermione considered the offer. Truth be told, she would be able to rest at all if she were staying in the same flat with Ron. She was sure to be plagued all night of urges and thoughts about what she wished would be happening. But the thought of staying with Ron was a lot more appealing than the thought of staying with Harry, Ginny, Crystal, Elliot, Michael, Alyssa, and Brandon; not to mention the fact that she could definitely use a night away from her own children for once. She could handle herself for one night.
"That would be great, but only if you're sure," she added quickly, praying that yes, he was, in fact, sure.
"It's no problem," he told her gently. "Do you want me to tell Ginny?"
She nodded, "Yes, please."
Ron disappeared up the stairs, and she said a quick plea that she would be able to force herself through this night in a somewhat respectable manner.
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"It's a bit small." Ron turned the key in his door and turned to her sheepishly before opening it for her. "And it's probably also messier than you would like..."
Hermione laughed a little. It certainly didn't surprise her that Ron's place would be messy; she knew him a little too well to expect anything different. "It's fine," she assured him.
Ron nodded and pushed the door open, holding it for her to enter. She walked in and heard Ron switch a light behind her. He, the same as Harry, had obviously decided that living in Muggle London sounded appealing. She saw a television set, a radio, a DVD player, and several other Muggle electrical appliances lying around the front room. The place wasn't actually as untidy as she had expected. Rather, it simply had the look of a man's touch. At least it didn't stink.
"I know it's not much," he said from behind her. "But you know, it's just me."
Hermione turned around and offered him a smile. "It's cute, Ron. And it's not as messy as I would have thought," she teased. "You've obviously learned at least a few cleaning skills since I last saw you."
He rolled his eyes a bit and smirked. "Funny, Hermione. I wasn't that messy, you know."
This made Hermione laugh. "Oh, no, Ron. Never you." Sarcasm was present in her voice.
Ron just grabbed her hand and pulled her across the room. "Shall I give you the grand tour?" he asked regally.
Hermione laughed again and followed him. "Sure."
"This," he said, waving to the room they were standing in, "is the sitting room. This is the couch; this is the chair; this is the coffee table; and this is the entertainment center." He pointed to each object as he explained them in an overly-exaggerated tone. He pulled her through a door and into what was obviously, "The kitchen," he supplied. "This is my favorite room, obviously. This is the table; this is the counter; this is the refrigerator; this is the stove; and this is the microwave." He turned to her at this time and said, "And I would like to ask you exactly why you never bothered to tell me how delicious microwave dinners are. I don't know how I survived for so long without them."
Hermione laughed. "I'm sorry," she apologized playfully. Ron was making her feel happy and childish, and she was thrilled with these emotions because she'd felt neither in far too long of a time.
"It's okay, but next time you come across such a wonderful invention, be sure to let me know."
"Okay, I promise."
Ron nodded and dragged her through another door. "This is the bedroom," he offered when they entered a pretty good-sized room. "Bed, dresser, and closet," he swung his hand in the direction of each item named. "You can sleep in here, and I'll take the couch." He spoke rather forcibly in this room, much less jokingly than he had in the previous rooms. Hermione found herself blushing slightly as well as she glanced around the room and her eyes fell on the bed. She knew it was silly, of course, but a thousand thoughts flooded her brain at the moment and actually made thinking rather difficult.
She nodded quickly in answer to his offer and said, "Thanks."
He nodded as well and motioned toward a door at the other end of the bedroom. "That's the bathroom, so if you want to take a shower or whatever, go ahead." He didn't offer to show her the inside of it; instead, he walked over to his closet and pulled out some extra blankets and a pillow. "You're probably pretty tired, aren't you?"
She smiled a bit and nodded. "Yeah. It's been kind of a long day."
Ron gave her a half-smile. "Yeah," he said quietly. The awkwardness between them was suffocating.
They were quiet for a long moment before she finally said, "Well..."
This seemed to snap him from his silence as he said, "Oh! Yeah. Well... Goodnight."
She stared silently at him before saying, "Goodnight."
Ron waited around for only a second before giving her an uncomfortable smile and leaving the room. Hermione watched as the door closed and she exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She was suddenly very aware that her left leg was shaking in an almost twitching fashion as she turned around and looked at the bed where Ron had placed her bag. She'd packed it hurriedly, and she wasn't sure what exactly she'd thrown into it. Reaching in, she pulled out a nightgown that she'd bought the month before on one of her trips to London. It was navy blue color, and it's thin spaghetti straps and silken material made it appear much more like negligee than a simple nightgown, but seeing as it was the first thing she had grabbed, she had no choice but to don it.
She really was tired, and without taking a shower, she climbed onto Ron's large bed and snuggled under the down comforter that covered it. She inhaled deeply, taking in the scent that she had recognized earlier that day when she'd hugged him for the first time in ten years. It was all too familiar to her, and she was scared. She was scared that she was not going to be able to deal with everything that was surely going to be facing her in the very near future, and she was scared that she was not going to be able to deal with her still-existing feelings for the man who was loaning her the use of her bed.
With all these thoughts and fears, she drifted into a light sleep.
She was awaken later that night by the feeling of someone staring at her. She didn't open her eyes, but she knew that there was the definite figure of a body beside her, and she knew that it was Ron. She was too frightened to open her eyes, so she pretended to be asleep. And when she felt his hand on her face, she was a bit afraid that she was going to stop breathing, and when she felt his lips brush against her forehead, she was sure that she was going to stop breathing.
"I'm going to take care of you, Hermione."
It was a simple whispered statement, but those few words were enough to send Hermione's whole heart into overdrive.
This was going to be much more difficult than she had originally planned.
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PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!
PLEASE review this! I thank you all who read and reviewed the last chapter! You guys are wonderful!!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story except for the plot and the children.
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Hermione glanced in her rearview mirror at her children. Both of them were fast asleep, and she was thankful. The rain was pounding down loudly on the car as she drove through the narrow England streets in the darkness. Her own tears were making it even more difficult to see, but she continued the drive unceasingly. The memories of the hours before kept replaying in her mind over and over like a bad song that invades your mind and refuses to leave.
Tom had come home quite shortly after she had returned, much earlier than he was supposed to. He had been angry, and he had immediately demanded to know where she had been because he said he had telephoned earlier, and Mrs. Bennett had answered the phone. Hermione had stumbled around her excuses and finally managed to say that she had been shopping. He had seen through this, of course, and said that Mrs. Bennett had said she'd been in London. He'd then demanded to know what she was doing in the city, and Hermione had said she'd been shopping for new school clothes for Emileen. Tom had then requested to see the clothes, and when Hermione had been unable to produce them, he had gotten violently angry. He'd hit her right in the head at first, knocking her to the ground in a heap. He had then proceeded to kick at her in the worst way he ever had, and he yelled at her, accusing her of going to the city to see a man. He'd called her a whore and a ton of other names as she'd begged him to stop before he woke the children up. It hadn't worked. She had no choice but to cry out in pain as he continued to beat at her and yell at her until she passed out. When she had awakened, Tom was nowhere in sight, and she had known immediately that she could not risk waiting for him to return. So, she'd run upstairs to Emileen's room and gotten her out of bed after packing her a small suitcase. She'd then packed Kyle the same sort of bag and carried him out to the car. With that, she had put them both in the back and started driving.
At first, she hadn't been sure where she was headed to, but after awhile she had realized that there was only one place she could go. And so her journey to London had begun. That's where she was headed now with both of her children fast asleep in the back. She was still crying, but the pain in her head had ceased to hurt so badly. She wasn't sure what she was going to say when she'd arrived at her destination. It had been only hours before when she'd shown up on Harry's doorstep prepared to face her past only to run out again. And now she was returning for the second time in one day.
And she didn't know what to do.
When she finally pulled onto the street that Harry and Ginny lived on, she started trying to wipe the tears on her face away. She didn't want anyone to feel sorry for her; she just needed a place to stay for the night until she could sort things out. She pulled the car in front of his townhouse and glanced once again at her children. Both were curled up against each other fast asleep, and she opted against waking them at that moment. So, she quickly locked them in the car and raced up the front stairs of the house as the rain pounded down all around her, soaking her completely.
She rang the bell without even stopping to think twice. To her surprise, though, it was not Harry, Ginny, or any of their children who answered the door. It was Ron.
He stared at her, and for a moment, she was afraid that he was going to slam the door in her face. He could obviously see that she was freezing and soaking wet, though, so he opened the door and motioned for her to come inside. She stepped gratefully into the house as he spoke.
"What are you doing here?"
She couldn't straight away tell him what she was doing there, so she answered his question with her own question. "Where are Harry and Ginny?"
Ron stared at her again. "They're out. I'm watching their children. What are you doing here?" he repeated.
At this, Hermione burst into tears. She wasn't sure why she was crying, and she wasn't even sure she had a real reason to be. She was just crying, and she couldn't make herself stop.
Ron looked on uneasily. It was obvious that he had no idea how to make her stop crying, and he had no idea what to do about it. Finally, he just asked her what was wrong.
Hermione couldn't find the words to tell him what was wrong; nor could she find the words to tell him why she had shown up on this doorstep twice in one day. All she could do was say, "My children are in the car."
Ron looked at her in shock, and several emotions covered his previously cold face all at once. "Children? You have children?"
She looked down and nodded, her tears slowing gradually. "Yes. Two. Will you help me?"
Ron looked as though he were going to say no, but then he relented and nodded once. He helped her out to the car which she unlocked. Ron peered in at the sleeping children, and he stared at them silently for a moment before reaching for Emileen. He lifted her easily out of the car, and to both Hermione and Ron's surprise, Emileen wrapped her arms around Ron's neck and rested her head on top of his shoulder in her sleep. Ron's eyes connected with Hermione's, and she found that watching this scene was almost too much for her to handle. So she quickly reached into the car and pulled out her toddler son. Together, Ron and Hermione hurried back into the house where they stared at each other.
Finally Ron spoke. "Crystal's got an extra bed in her room for when Alyssa gets scared. We can put them there."
Hermione nodded and followed Ron up the stairs to a small room at the end of the hall. She saw the oldest Potter child fast asleep in one bed and an empty bed across the room. Ron walked over to it and gently laid Emileen on it. She wouldn't let go of his neck, though, and she snuggled even tighter against him, mumbling something that neither adult could make out. Ron looked helplessly at Hermione as the little girl tightened her grip on him, so Hermione quickly laid Kyle down and turned to remove Emileen from Ron's neck. When she had finally managed to untangle the two of them from each other, Emmy's eyes fluttered open and she stared at Ron groggily.
"Who are you?" she asked in a sleepy sort of voice.
Ron just stared at her, and then Hermione laid her daughter down on the bed as well and said, "Goodnight, Emmy."
Emileen just continued to stare up at the stranger in front of her, though, and very quietly, she said, "Who are you?" again.
"Shh," Hermione coaxed her daughter back into a sleep, and when she was quite sure that both of children were slumbering peacefully, she kissed them each on the tops of their heads.
Ron stood up and beckoned for her to follow him out of the room, and she did so nervously. They walked back into the sitting room where Ron turned to her and said, "How old are they?"
"Kyle is three, and Emileen's ten." Hermione looked up at him.
It took Ron a moment to piece the ages together, but when he caught on, he looked extremely hurt and betrayed. "Ten? So that means...." Ron just shook his head in disbelief. "So, that's why you decided to run away."
Hermione knew that she was definitely about to be expected to offer up some explanations. "Ron, please let me explain," she pleaded quietly.
Ron simply rolled his eyes. "Explain what, Hermione? I think the explanation of everything is sleeping upstairs in my niece's room, now isn't it?"
"But you don't understand..."
"Who's her father?" he asked suddenly. "You owe me that much information at least."
"Ron..."
But Ron interrupted her as he furiously glared at her in realization. "The hair... the eyes... MALFOY?!" Ron looked as though he could have killed her, and, for a brief moment, Hermione feared him. She soon realized, however, that Ron was not Tom and that he would never hurt her. Ron's anger quickly disappeared, and the most painful look covered his face as he repeated the name much quieter this time. "Malfoy?"
Hermione didn't even have time to anticipate the tears that started to fall from her eyes as she nodded slowly and shamefully. "Ron, I'm so sorry," she managed to whisper.
Ron just stared at her silently before speaking. "Why Malfoy? You could have cheated on me with anyone... but with Malfoy?" He looked as though he, too, might start crying at any minute.
"It's not like that," she whispered, her eyes pleading with him for belief. "I didn't cheat on you with anyone."
To this, Ron laughed a cold, joyless laugh. "Oh, you didn't? You obviously did something, Hermione. I think the proof of that is upstairs!"
Hermione couldn't take Ron believing that she had betrayed him like that. It was just too much for her to handle. "Ron, he raped me!" She hadn't meant to just blurt it out like that, but she couldn't take anymore of his disgust directed at her.
Ron's face immediately froze into what appeared to be a stone-cold expression of shock. He didn't even seem to be breathing for a good two minutes of deadly silence. And then all at once, Ron started to cry, too. "Hermione... I'm... I'm so sorry..."
Hermione just shook her head as tears continued to fall down her cheeks as well. "Shh...You have nothing to apologize for."
"But... But I had no right to be angry with you, and I was so cruel to you..."
But Hermione just shook her head again. "I should have told you before I left..."
"Why didn't you, Hermione?" He looked at her with sad eyes. "I would have helped you; you know I would have."
She nodded. "I know... But I was so ashamed, and I just felt so dirty... And I was scared."
"You were just a little girl," Ron timidly reached out and took her hand. The moment this happened, it was as though ten years hadn't passed, and they both felt as though they really were just children again.
She clutched his hand tightly and prepared herself for what she knew was a dam about to burst; everything was about to come out, and she was totally ready to tell Ron everything. "I felt ruined. I knew you wouldn't want me anymore, and I didn't want you to feel obligated to stay with me for any reason."
Ron looked hurt at her words, but he spoke to her gently and soothingly. "Hermione, I would never have felt that way. I was in love with you in a way I can't even explain; I've never felt that way about anyone but you. There's nothing in the world that could have made me not want you."
Hermione just stared at him, and she felt emotions she hadn't felt in years flooding over her entire being. She knew that she was exactly where she needed to be, and she wasn't about to leave again. Without even thinking, she flung her arms around his neck and pressed her face tightly against his shoulder, soaking his shirt with her tears. She felt Ron's hand move to her back as he gently soothed her as he would a child; he had stopped crying, and now he was focusing all of his attention on her. They stayed like that for a few moments until Ron ran his hand up to her neck to one of the exact spots Tom had hit her on, and she gasped in pain.
Ron immediately pulled away and stared at her, concerned. "What happened?"
She reached under her hair and tried to soothe the pain that was burning on the back of her neck. "Nothing," she murmured quietly, looking down.
Ron didn't believe her, though, and he moved her hand away and looked for himself, lifting her hair and peering at the spot. A purplish blue bruise was glaring back at him, and he studied it for a moment before turning back to her. "What happened?" he asked again.
She just shook her head. "It's nothing. Really."
Ron always had a way of seeing right through her, though, and he shook his head. "Just trust me. Please." Hermione was silent as Ron implored her to confide in him. It took him only a few more minutes to notice the ring on her finger. "You're... you're married?"
Hermione nodded slowly. She still did not dare to meet his eyes.
"Did he... Did your husband do that?" he asked in an extremely quiet voice.
Hermione made no movement; nor did she give any verbal answer. She just let her tears speak for, and Ron translated them correctly. He shook his head at first in disbelief before growing extremely angry and slamming his fist onto the table beside them. Hermione jumped at the noise.
"Damn it!" he shouted furiously. "Who is he?" he demanded. "Tell me because I'm going to kill him!"
Hermione shook her head rapidly, though. "Please, Ron! Just calm down!"
"Calm down?! Calm down, Hermione? I should have been there to kill Malfoy when he hurt you ten years ago! I'm not going to stand by while some other bastard hurts you, too!"
"But I left, Ron," she told him hurriedly. "I took my children, and I left. He won't hurt me again."
Ron calmed momentarily, and he stared at her seriously. "If he ever touches you again, I'll kill him. I swear to God, I will."
Hermione nodded slowly, knowing full-well that he was being completely serious. Ron's wrath had been one of the main reasons she had never told him or Harry about Malfoy- besides her own embarrassment, of course. She knew that Ron would have killed Malfoy with his bare hands, and she couldn't bear to see him forced to deal with the consequences of such an act.
Ron stared at her for just a second before saying, "Have you left for good?"
She pondered this question for a moment. How many times had she told herself that she was going to leave? How many times had she dreamed of picking her children up and just running away? And now that she'd done it, what was to happen? She knew that Tom wouldn't just leave her alone. He'd find her and beg her to return; he'd tell her he loved her and that he was sorry. He'd tell her the same things he told her every time she threatened to run away after he'd given her the latest beating. She'd never actually done it before, though, so how would he handle it? Even if she really did stay adamant about her decision to stay away from him, he wasn't going to give up that easily- especially not on Kyle. That was what scared her the most. Tom was a powerful attorney; he knew every loophole that British law had to offer, and she had no doubt that he would be out for custody of their son. He had no legal holding over Emileen- not that he cared about that too much; he'd always been rather cold toward her daughter. No, he'd never abused her or even yelled at her too much; he'd simply always chose to ignore her. Kyle, though, was a different story. He wasn't going to allow his son and only heir to just be taken from him peacefully.
Hermione relayed all of this to Ron and told him about her fears that Tom would manage to take her son from her. Ron had been so angry when she was done that he had jumped up from his place on the couch and turned to face her. "I'll be damned if he ever gets his hands on that child! Hermione, you can hide here with us, and no one will ever know!"
Hermione thought it rather sweet of Ron to offer to hide her, but she knew that Tom Winston was not going to be so easily foiled. Living in the wizarding world or not, he would track her down and make her life hell.
"Ron, I don't know what to do. He'll find me; I know it."
At this Ron got down on his knees in front of her and took her hands gently in his. They both stared at their hands for a second before looking into each other eyes. Seriously and softly, Ron spoke. "He won't ever hurt you again, Hermione. I swear it."
She didn't know why she believed him, but she did. And all the while, she was dying on the inside. Being this close to Ron Weasley was doing wonders on her self-control, and she was more than a bit surprised at this. Yes, she was more than aware that she had spent nearly every night for the past decade dreaming of the way it would be like to run back into his arms and let him tell her that everything would be alright. She wasn't going to pretend that she hadn't spent night after night in her bed thinking of the way it would feel to have him next to her, kissing her, holding her, just protecting her.
But she was a married woman.
Acting on these impulses would be breaking the law, and if Tom were to find out, he would certainly use this against her in court if a custody battle were to pursue. She knew she should listen to the sensible part of her brain.
But he was so close... So close, and all she wanted to do was dip her head down just a few inches and capture his lips under her own. She wanted to know if actually kissing him would be as good as she remembered it. She looked into his eyes and knew he wanted it, too. He was staring back at her so intensely; his blue eyes seemed to be tearing into her soul, and she could hear his breathing pick up slightly as he moved closer to her.
He was leaning up to her, and she realized it felt as though a magnet was pulling them together, as she seemed to be leaning downward. Their eyes caught each other when their lips were merely centimeters apart, and then...
"We're home!"
Ron and Hermione immediately pulled back from each other, and Ron stood up quicker than she would have thought possible as his sister and brother-in-law entered the sitting room together.
Harry and Ginny stared at the pair in front of them curiously for only a second before Harry said, "You came back!" He seemed so happy, and he rushed forward to capture his long-lost best friend in a tight hug. "I thought you'd run away again."
Hermione hugged him back, but she wasn't sure what to say. Her breathing still seemed a bit irregular after being so close to Ron. And honestly, she wasn't prepared to launch into all of her explanations again for Harry and Ginny at that moment, so she was happy when Ron saved her. She saw him whispering to his sister and heard him say, "Just hold off on the questions for awhile."
Ginny nodded understandingly and placed a hand on her husband's back. "Harry, let's go check on the children," she said kindly. She turned and smiled at Hermione. "I'm glad you decided to come back," she told her in a tone that let Hermione know she wouldn't be asking any questions until the older witch was ready to talk.
Hermione smiled appreciatively. Then she remembered something. "Oh! Emmy and Kyle!"
Ginny and Harry stared at her, confused, but Ron explained. "Hermione's children are in the extra bed in Crystal's room."
It was obvious that the fact that Hermione was a mother was a bit shocking to her best friend and his wife, but neither of them asked any questions. They just glanced at each other, and then Ginny nodded in Hermione's direction. "That's fine. We'll check on them as well."
Hermione was grateful for the lack of interrogation, and she sighed a relief when the Potters headed up the stairs to kiss all of their children goodnight. When they were gone, Ron turned back to her.
"Do you want to say here tonight? Harry and Ginny won't mind," he looked away quite suddenly. "Or if you want to, you can come with me. Emileen and Kyle can stay here; Ginny won't care to watch them until tomorrow. You know, I mean if you just want a bit more privacy, so you can rest better."
Hermione considered the offer. Truth be told, she would be able to rest at all if she were staying in the same flat with Ron. She was sure to be plagued all night of urges and thoughts about what she wished would be happening. But the thought of staying with Ron was a lot more appealing than the thought of staying with Harry, Ginny, Crystal, Elliot, Michael, Alyssa, and Brandon; not to mention the fact that she could definitely use a night away from her own children for once. She could handle herself for one night.
"That would be great, but only if you're sure," she added quickly, praying that yes, he was, in fact, sure.
"It's no problem," he told her gently. "Do you want me to tell Ginny?"
She nodded, "Yes, please."
Ron disappeared up the stairs, and she said a quick plea that she would be able to force herself through this night in a somewhat respectable manner.
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"It's a bit small." Ron turned the key in his door and turned to her sheepishly before opening it for her. "And it's probably also messier than you would like..."
Hermione laughed a little. It certainly didn't surprise her that Ron's place would be messy; she knew him a little too well to expect anything different. "It's fine," she assured him.
Ron nodded and pushed the door open, holding it for her to enter. She walked in and heard Ron switch a light behind her. He, the same as Harry, had obviously decided that living in Muggle London sounded appealing. She saw a television set, a radio, a DVD player, and several other Muggle electrical appliances lying around the front room. The place wasn't actually as untidy as she had expected. Rather, it simply had the look of a man's touch. At least it didn't stink.
"I know it's not much," he said from behind her. "But you know, it's just me."
Hermione turned around and offered him a smile. "It's cute, Ron. And it's not as messy as I would have thought," she teased. "You've obviously learned at least a few cleaning skills since I last saw you."
He rolled his eyes a bit and smirked. "Funny, Hermione. I wasn't that messy, you know."
This made Hermione laugh. "Oh, no, Ron. Never you." Sarcasm was present in her voice.
Ron just grabbed her hand and pulled her across the room. "Shall I give you the grand tour?" he asked regally.
Hermione laughed again and followed him. "Sure."
"This," he said, waving to the room they were standing in, "is the sitting room. This is the couch; this is the chair; this is the coffee table; and this is the entertainment center." He pointed to each object as he explained them in an overly-exaggerated tone. He pulled her through a door and into what was obviously, "The kitchen," he supplied. "This is my favorite room, obviously. This is the table; this is the counter; this is the refrigerator; this is the stove; and this is the microwave." He turned to her at this time and said, "And I would like to ask you exactly why you never bothered to tell me how delicious microwave dinners are. I don't know how I survived for so long without them."
Hermione laughed. "I'm sorry," she apologized playfully. Ron was making her feel happy and childish, and she was thrilled with these emotions because she'd felt neither in far too long of a time.
"It's okay, but next time you come across such a wonderful invention, be sure to let me know."
"Okay, I promise."
Ron nodded and dragged her through another door. "This is the bedroom," he offered when they entered a pretty good-sized room. "Bed, dresser, and closet," he swung his hand in the direction of each item named. "You can sleep in here, and I'll take the couch." He spoke rather forcibly in this room, much less jokingly than he had in the previous rooms. Hermione found herself blushing slightly as well as she glanced around the room and her eyes fell on the bed. She knew it was silly, of course, but a thousand thoughts flooded her brain at the moment and actually made thinking rather difficult.
She nodded quickly in answer to his offer and said, "Thanks."
He nodded as well and motioned toward a door at the other end of the bedroom. "That's the bathroom, so if you want to take a shower or whatever, go ahead." He didn't offer to show her the inside of it; instead, he walked over to his closet and pulled out some extra blankets and a pillow. "You're probably pretty tired, aren't you?"
She smiled a bit and nodded. "Yeah. It's been kind of a long day."
Ron gave her a half-smile. "Yeah," he said quietly. The awkwardness between them was suffocating.
They were quiet for a long moment before she finally said, "Well..."
This seemed to snap him from his silence as he said, "Oh! Yeah. Well... Goodnight."
She stared silently at him before saying, "Goodnight."
Ron waited around for only a second before giving her an uncomfortable smile and leaving the room. Hermione watched as the door closed and she exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She was suddenly very aware that her left leg was shaking in an almost twitching fashion as she turned around and looked at the bed where Ron had placed her bag. She'd packed it hurriedly, and she wasn't sure what exactly she'd thrown into it. Reaching in, she pulled out a nightgown that she'd bought the month before on one of her trips to London. It was navy blue color, and it's thin spaghetti straps and silken material made it appear much more like negligee than a simple nightgown, but seeing as it was the first thing she had grabbed, she had no choice but to don it.
She really was tired, and without taking a shower, she climbed onto Ron's large bed and snuggled under the down comforter that covered it. She inhaled deeply, taking in the scent that she had recognized earlier that day when she'd hugged him for the first time in ten years. It was all too familiar to her, and she was scared. She was scared that she was not going to be able to deal with everything that was surely going to be facing her in the very near future, and she was scared that she was not going to be able to deal with her still-existing feelings for the man who was loaning her the use of her bed.
With all these thoughts and fears, she drifted into a light sleep.
She was awaken later that night by the feeling of someone staring at her. She didn't open her eyes, but she knew that there was the definite figure of a body beside her, and she knew that it was Ron. She was too frightened to open her eyes, so she pretended to be asleep. And when she felt his hand on her face, she was a bit afraid that she was going to stop breathing, and when she felt his lips brush against her forehead, she was sure that she was going to stop breathing.
"I'm going to take care of you, Hermione."
It was a simple whispered statement, but those few words were enough to send Hermione's whole heart into overdrive.
This was going to be much more difficult than she had originally planned.
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