Hermione winced and took a step backwards as she felt the Imperius Curse wash over her with a soft swishing sound. Krum was glaring at her testily, watching the curse begin to take effect.

I've got to fight, Hermione told herself firmly as the blissful empty-headedness began to cloud her thoughts. I couldn't fight it back in Moody's class last year, but this time I have to…for my own personal integrity…for Mum and Dad…for Ron.

The final thought seemed to strengthen her, as Krum's suddenly extremely seductive voice echoed peacefully in her mind, telling her to remove her robe.

The Curse was now seeping rapidly into her mind, fogging all rational thought, but Ron's image, firmly implanted in there, took control.

"Take off your robes, Herm-own-ninny…"

"No way!" Hermione shrieked, ridding herself instantly of the dreamy effect. She was back in full awareness of where she was, the time, the place, and the full meaning of that fathomless merciless gleam of cold fury in the Bulgarian's eye as he glared at her in half-shadow.

Krum seized her throat in one hand and in one powerful gesture pulled her to him. Struggling for breath and more terrified than she'd ever been in her life, she saw his wand arm rise. Hermione closed her eyes, turning her head away from him and waited for Krum's curse…

"WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!"

Hermione kept her eyes shut tight. Through the darkness, she could hear the swooshing sound of a large heavy object rising into the air in an arc, followed by the thudding crack of it colliding with a hard surface, a groan of someone losing consciousness and a tremendous crash as several heavy bodies collapsed on the thin carpet in front of her. In her state of confusion and terror, it took a moment for her to realize Krum's hand had left her throat. A powerful light in front of her shone through her closed eyelids and slowly, gathering all the strength and courage she could muster, she turned her head opened her eyes.

Krum was lying in a heap face-down on the dusty red carpet in front of her, a large reading table laden with heavy books splintered over his head. He seemed unconscious. His wand rolled out of his relaxed hand and disappeared into the shadows. Hardly daring to move, she raised her eyes slowly from the Bulgarian's limp form to her rescuer.

Standing at the top of the aisle between the two long bookcases walling her from either side, the tip of his wand alight, was the only person it could possibly be…the only one whose cue was so perfect for the script… standing firmly and impressively with his large feet wide apart, his wand arm raised in the exact same position it had been four years ago when he had last rescued her… his denim-blue eyes were narrowed in pure undiluted hatred for his quarry, his red hair gleaming in the bright wandlight…

"Ron," Hermione breathed inaudibly.

Ron glared down his long freckled nose at Krum, and bared his teeth in a sneer of such loathing that even Malfoy had never seen. He was breathing heavily, an avenging fury burning in his eyes, as he stood there, trying to determine the best possible punishment for the hideous crime committed.

"How dare you," he hissed venomously at the unconscious Seeker. "What's Hermione ever done to you, eh? Only been a good loyal friend! She stood up for you, she liked you, and you just….You don't deserve to live, you know that? You sick, perverted Blast-Ended Skrew -"

Hermione let out a small cry – somewhere between a gasp and a moan, and Ron looked up at her. His furious expression melted instantly into one of shocked concern.

Hermione, the girl he'd loved loyally and ceaselessly for four and a half years, the girl who was his whole world, the girl he idolized, worshipped and respected, the girl he loved more than love itself, was standing in a bar of moonlight, trembling from head to toe. Her face was ice-white, standing out clearly against the gloom, her thick hair falling over her eyes and cheeks in a messy array, her eyes were wide and fearful and she appeared to be on the verge of tears. Her robes had sagged drastically in the absence of her belt, and she was clutching them tightly to her with quivering hands, fighting to remain modest. If there was one thing Ron admired above all about Hermione was her modesty. The sight of her standing there, humiliated and abused like that, broke his heart.

"Oh Hermione, what's he done to you?" Ron muttered quietly as he walked over to her and stood by her side. He gazed into white face anxiously, but she seemed unable to look at him. Her terrified eyes stared blankly at Krum's unconscious form, as she trembled uncontrollably. Ron wished he could put his arm around her, but he'd never attempted such a thing before and considering her shoulders were bare, this didn't seme like the best time to try… the last thing Hermione needed was for him to appear to be twisting the situation to his own advantage.

"Hermione?" he began gently. "Are you okay?"

Hermione, still struggling to catch her breath, just stood there shaking in silence for a few moments. When she eventually spoke, her voice quivered like the rest of her and tears began rolling down her cheeks.

"H-he used me," she choked quietly. "I t-trusted him…I thought w-we were f-friends...I thought he truly c-cared about me. But he lied. Everything he said since last year…about how he'd never felt this way about any other girl…about how I was the only one...it-it was all a lie. All he was interested in was my body. Wh-when he asked me last year to visit him in Bulgaria over the summer…I'll bet that's what he would have done to me there…"

Ron gazed at her with deep compassionate concern in his eyes, his expression sorrowful, as he felt her pain himself.

"He tried raping me, Ron," Hermione said quietly, turning her tearful eyes to his. "He probably would have killed me, too…"

Ron could fight his impulse no longer. Seeing his beloved Hermione in such a state was too much for him. He draped his arm around her trembling shoulders and held her to him in a warm comforting hug, as she sobbed into his shoulder. Hermione wrapped her arms slowly and gently around his neck, continuing to weep quietly in his arms, his natural pessimism assuring him that in her state of shock, she wasn't fully aware of her actions.

"It's okay, Hermione," he assured her soothingly, placing a pacifying hand gently on the back of her head. "You're safe now…I'm…I'm here. He can't do anything to you now."

Ron cautiously removed his arm from her shoulders and drew his wand. With a flick, the limp Hogwarts belt on the carpet climbed back into place and Hermione's sagging robes hitched themselves up to fit her again.

"Thank you," she whispered tearfully into his chest.

Ron looked down at her and gave her a small warm squeeze.

"Come on, Hermione," he said tenderly. "You've been through a lot tonight. Let's get you back to the common room."

She gave a small nod and broke away from the embrace, drying her eyes on her sleeve, while Ron bent down to pick up her library book and the photo of Harry and Ginny. As he crouched down near Krum's head, he hissed, "This isn't over yet, Vicky! If you ever come near Hermione again, I'll be giving you a dose of some Unforgivable Curses myself!" He tapped the Avada Kedavra library book threateningly. "Believe me, the lifetime in Azkaban I'll get for it, will be well worth it!"

Then he stood up and joined Hermione. As they made their way towards the exit, she cuddled up to him, and inevitably, Ron's arm found its way back to her shoulders.

I'm okay now, Hermione thought, collapsing internally with relief. I'm with Ron…I'm okay…