Ok- this is a big chapter. There's actually a plot! I know- fascinating.
This entire story is dedicated to Baci, for her help in posting it. You
should all go read her fic- it's great!
Disclaimer: I'm not feeling particularly witty at the moment. I'm not J.K Rowling. If I was, Ron and Hermione would have gotten together long ago, and this would be written much better than it is.
Chapter 3
Ron's mission in Hampshire took most of the night. Another group of U.A.s had gotten stuck in a death eater's mansion there. When Ron arrived the rest of his team was already waiting outside the house. Inside, they launched a bloody battle, which lasted for hours.
Ron's leg was broken by a ricocheting spell, and Simon (who was also a healer) had to mend it on the spot. Ron knew it would be sore for days. By dawn the death eaters of the house had been captured. Not without sacrifice, though. Two members of the original U.A. team were killed.
~~~
Ron slept for most of the following day. It wasn't a peaceful sleep, however. It was full of nightmares, and images of the two wizards that had been killed the night before. Ron knew that he was one of the best aurors on his team, but McGrath had been too, and he was one of the men killed.
Ron couldn't imagine the shock on his family's faces. The pain that Harry and Hermione would have to suffer. He would never want to put his family through that. They were so innocent, so unsuspecting, and if Ron was killed they would be devastated.
He tried to shake off these nightmares by reminding himself of all the successful missions he had been on. It didn't work. He knew that he would have to spend the next day at the park. His mind needed clearing. It always did, after something like that happened.
~~~
Hermione couldn't imagine what had happened to Ron on Friday. He had just disappeared! She'd ended up going out for a late tea with Andrew, but nothing he said could get her off the subject of Ron's disappearance.
She was so worried about him that she visited the Burrow on Saturday. Mrs. Weasley had told her that Ron was sleeping. That worried Hermione, since it was three in the afternoon. Now, as she walked through the streets of Hogsmeade, she again reflected on his strange behavior. Maybe he had disappeared because of Andrew.
Hermione knew that Ron didn't like him, no matter how much he pretended. She sighed. Everything had been going so well between the two of them until Andrew had showed up. Not that Andrew couldn't come visit her or anything, it was just that she and Ron hadn't been able to hang out a lot lately. Like they used to. Well, that had been her excuse to Andrew, anyway.
Looking up at the people around her, she saw a familiar red head walking out of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. "Ron! Hey, Ron!" She cried.
He looked up, and gave her a halfhearted wave. "Ron! I'm so glad I found you, I was wondering- "
"Where's Andrew?" He cut her off.
"I. I don't know, actually. Where did you go on Friday? I turned around, and you were gone!"
"I wanted to leave you and Andrew alone- I guess I just didn't want to be in the way." He hated lying to her. He just hoped she wouldn't be able to tell that he was.
"Oh, Ron!" No, she was too clouded by emotions. "You're never in the way. You're my best friend, Andrew is just going to have to deal with that."
He mumbled something that was completely inaudible, but he was smiling, which Hermione guessed was a good sign.
"Did you hurt your leg, Ron? You're walking kind of funny."
"Oh. Yeah, I. . . fell out of bed."
"Ron!" She patted his head while laughing. "Are you telling me that you're still the clumsy, lanky Ron I grew up with? I thought you were growing out of that phase."
"Me too." He said, under his breath.
~~~
A week later Ron was back to his normal self. He had gotten over the deaths (he always did), was back to normal with Hermione, and was even fighting with his mum again. Wednesday morning an owl found him, with a mission for that night.
He spent the day at the park, getting himself ready. He stopped by his office and received any supplies he might need. At six he arrived in Surrey. He and Tonks laid out the mission plan. There were seven death eaters in the house. That was one for each member of the team. Two were the well-known Crabbe and Goyle (the parents, not the kids).
They invaded the house, and everything was going normally. Tonks easily bagged a death eater in the kitchen. The bloke had been stupid enough to throw a knife at her. Ron ran upstairs, to the second level in the house. On his way he passed Bridget Morgan and a death eater dueling on a coffee table.
Upstairs he passed a room with KB and Arthur dueling with two unfortunate death eaters who, by the looks of it, were sadly losing. He was running into the last room when he heard it. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
"McHale." He whispered, under his breath. When he entered, he found two death eaters hoarding over the dead body of Drew McHale. Not even stopping to think Ron pointed his wand at one of them and shouted "Rictusempra!" The person flew back into a wall. The other one pointed his wand at Ron.
"Crucio!" Ron writhed and cowered in pain, until all of his strength overpowered the curse. The death eater pointed his wand back at Ron. "Avada Kedavra!"
"Protego!" Ron shouted, and the spell bounced back. The death eater tried again, but this time, Ron was ready. "Petrificus Totalus!" He shouted at the other death eater. When the first one used the killing curse again Ron shouted "Reflecto!" It reflected and hit the other death eater, who couldn't move.
"No!" The death eater shouted. "You'll pay, Weasley. IMPEDIMENTA!" Ron couldn't move- he was finished. He closed his eyes, when-
"Stupify!" He heard Simon yell, from behind him. "Finite." Ron felt the curse being lifted. "Ron- we have to go. Tonks set the house on fire."
"Watch out!" Ron shouted. The death eater had overcome the curse, and with one wave of his wand he sent Simon crashing into a wall. The death eater moved his wand again, and Ron felt like a blade had just been thrust into his stomach. Looking down, he saw that he was bleeding profusely.
"Silencio!" Ron shouted, to lessen the power in the man's curses. He flew backwards into a wall. The man performed a cure on himself, and walked over to Ron.
"Crucio!" He shouted. Ron felt his whole body twitch, but he didn't have enough energy to break through the curse. 'Hermione.' He thought to himself. 'I have to live, for Hermione.' The death eater was standing over him once more.
"Avada ked- " Ron flicked his wand, and the chandelier on the ceiling of the room came crashing down on the death eater's head. Ron could smell smoke now. He crawled over to Simon.
"Simon- Simon, run!" Slowly the man stirred, before getting himself up. He reached for Ron's hand, but Ron shook him away. "Go!" He shouted. "I'll see you outside- just go!"
Simon shook his head, so Ron took out his wand. "Simon, this whole place is about to go down. Get your ass out of this building or I'm going to curse you in ways you've never even heard about."
Slowly, Simon turned and ran. Ron was crawling for the stairs. He had to get out of the house, and he had to see Hermione again. Not surviving wasn't an option. He was moving very slowly, the smoke was really starting to get to him. As he reached the stairs, he heard a voice from behind him call out. "Going somewhere, Weasley?"
Groaning, Ron turned. There was a death eater at the end of the hall, in the direction he'd just come from. The man raised his wand. "Now you'll die." As he said those words, the whole house collapsed from under them.
~~~
Hermione couldn't sleep. She hadn't been able to sleep for three days. It had been that long since Mrs. Weasley had called to ask her if she had seen Ron. He'd left one night at around five and hadn't come back since.
No one had seen or heard from him in three days. Hermione knew that something was wrong. Ron wouldn't just disappear and not tell anyone. He was more considerate than that. She bit back the sob threatening to escape from her throat.
What would she do if something had happened to him? How would she be able to survive? The sob found its way out. Soon the tears in her eyes did too. Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door. "Hello?" No one responded.
Grabbing her wand, she made her way to the door. Thrusting it open, she pointed her wand at whoever was standing there. With a sigh of relief she realized that it was. . . Ron? She let out a cry. His body was covered with severe burns, and he was covered in blood.
He fell into her arms. "Hermione," he whispered. Then he collapsed.
~~*~~**~~*~~
Ooh. How was that for a chapter? Now the story has a little bit more of a plot, I'm happy to say. Please- this was a hard chapter to write (I don't do fighting scenes well). Let me know what you think about it in a review!
~ Sugar High
Disclaimer: I'm not feeling particularly witty at the moment. I'm not J.K Rowling. If I was, Ron and Hermione would have gotten together long ago, and this would be written much better than it is.
Chapter 3
Ron's mission in Hampshire took most of the night. Another group of U.A.s had gotten stuck in a death eater's mansion there. When Ron arrived the rest of his team was already waiting outside the house. Inside, they launched a bloody battle, which lasted for hours.
Ron's leg was broken by a ricocheting spell, and Simon (who was also a healer) had to mend it on the spot. Ron knew it would be sore for days. By dawn the death eaters of the house had been captured. Not without sacrifice, though. Two members of the original U.A. team were killed.
~~~
Ron slept for most of the following day. It wasn't a peaceful sleep, however. It was full of nightmares, and images of the two wizards that had been killed the night before. Ron knew that he was one of the best aurors on his team, but McGrath had been too, and he was one of the men killed.
Ron couldn't imagine the shock on his family's faces. The pain that Harry and Hermione would have to suffer. He would never want to put his family through that. They were so innocent, so unsuspecting, and if Ron was killed they would be devastated.
He tried to shake off these nightmares by reminding himself of all the successful missions he had been on. It didn't work. He knew that he would have to spend the next day at the park. His mind needed clearing. It always did, after something like that happened.
~~~
Hermione couldn't imagine what had happened to Ron on Friday. He had just disappeared! She'd ended up going out for a late tea with Andrew, but nothing he said could get her off the subject of Ron's disappearance.
She was so worried about him that she visited the Burrow on Saturday. Mrs. Weasley had told her that Ron was sleeping. That worried Hermione, since it was three in the afternoon. Now, as she walked through the streets of Hogsmeade, she again reflected on his strange behavior. Maybe he had disappeared because of Andrew.
Hermione knew that Ron didn't like him, no matter how much he pretended. She sighed. Everything had been going so well between the two of them until Andrew had showed up. Not that Andrew couldn't come visit her or anything, it was just that she and Ron hadn't been able to hang out a lot lately. Like they used to. Well, that had been her excuse to Andrew, anyway.
Looking up at the people around her, she saw a familiar red head walking out of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. "Ron! Hey, Ron!" She cried.
He looked up, and gave her a halfhearted wave. "Ron! I'm so glad I found you, I was wondering- "
"Where's Andrew?" He cut her off.
"I. I don't know, actually. Where did you go on Friday? I turned around, and you were gone!"
"I wanted to leave you and Andrew alone- I guess I just didn't want to be in the way." He hated lying to her. He just hoped she wouldn't be able to tell that he was.
"Oh, Ron!" No, she was too clouded by emotions. "You're never in the way. You're my best friend, Andrew is just going to have to deal with that."
He mumbled something that was completely inaudible, but he was smiling, which Hermione guessed was a good sign.
"Did you hurt your leg, Ron? You're walking kind of funny."
"Oh. Yeah, I. . . fell out of bed."
"Ron!" She patted his head while laughing. "Are you telling me that you're still the clumsy, lanky Ron I grew up with? I thought you were growing out of that phase."
"Me too." He said, under his breath.
~~~
A week later Ron was back to his normal self. He had gotten over the deaths (he always did), was back to normal with Hermione, and was even fighting with his mum again. Wednesday morning an owl found him, with a mission for that night.
He spent the day at the park, getting himself ready. He stopped by his office and received any supplies he might need. At six he arrived in Surrey. He and Tonks laid out the mission plan. There were seven death eaters in the house. That was one for each member of the team. Two were the well-known Crabbe and Goyle (the parents, not the kids).
They invaded the house, and everything was going normally. Tonks easily bagged a death eater in the kitchen. The bloke had been stupid enough to throw a knife at her. Ron ran upstairs, to the second level in the house. On his way he passed Bridget Morgan and a death eater dueling on a coffee table.
Upstairs he passed a room with KB and Arthur dueling with two unfortunate death eaters who, by the looks of it, were sadly losing. He was running into the last room when he heard it. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
"McHale." He whispered, under his breath. When he entered, he found two death eaters hoarding over the dead body of Drew McHale. Not even stopping to think Ron pointed his wand at one of them and shouted "Rictusempra!" The person flew back into a wall. The other one pointed his wand at Ron.
"Crucio!" Ron writhed and cowered in pain, until all of his strength overpowered the curse. The death eater pointed his wand back at Ron. "Avada Kedavra!"
"Protego!" Ron shouted, and the spell bounced back. The death eater tried again, but this time, Ron was ready. "Petrificus Totalus!" He shouted at the other death eater. When the first one used the killing curse again Ron shouted "Reflecto!" It reflected and hit the other death eater, who couldn't move.
"No!" The death eater shouted. "You'll pay, Weasley. IMPEDIMENTA!" Ron couldn't move- he was finished. He closed his eyes, when-
"Stupify!" He heard Simon yell, from behind him. "Finite." Ron felt the curse being lifted. "Ron- we have to go. Tonks set the house on fire."
"Watch out!" Ron shouted. The death eater had overcome the curse, and with one wave of his wand he sent Simon crashing into a wall. The death eater moved his wand again, and Ron felt like a blade had just been thrust into his stomach. Looking down, he saw that he was bleeding profusely.
"Silencio!" Ron shouted, to lessen the power in the man's curses. He flew backwards into a wall. The man performed a cure on himself, and walked over to Ron.
"Crucio!" He shouted. Ron felt his whole body twitch, but he didn't have enough energy to break through the curse. 'Hermione.' He thought to himself. 'I have to live, for Hermione.' The death eater was standing over him once more.
"Avada ked- " Ron flicked his wand, and the chandelier on the ceiling of the room came crashing down on the death eater's head. Ron could smell smoke now. He crawled over to Simon.
"Simon- Simon, run!" Slowly the man stirred, before getting himself up. He reached for Ron's hand, but Ron shook him away. "Go!" He shouted. "I'll see you outside- just go!"
Simon shook his head, so Ron took out his wand. "Simon, this whole place is about to go down. Get your ass out of this building or I'm going to curse you in ways you've never even heard about."
Slowly, Simon turned and ran. Ron was crawling for the stairs. He had to get out of the house, and he had to see Hermione again. Not surviving wasn't an option. He was moving very slowly, the smoke was really starting to get to him. As he reached the stairs, he heard a voice from behind him call out. "Going somewhere, Weasley?"
Groaning, Ron turned. There was a death eater at the end of the hall, in the direction he'd just come from. The man raised his wand. "Now you'll die." As he said those words, the whole house collapsed from under them.
~~~
Hermione couldn't sleep. She hadn't been able to sleep for three days. It had been that long since Mrs. Weasley had called to ask her if she had seen Ron. He'd left one night at around five and hadn't come back since.
No one had seen or heard from him in three days. Hermione knew that something was wrong. Ron wouldn't just disappear and not tell anyone. He was more considerate than that. She bit back the sob threatening to escape from her throat.
What would she do if something had happened to him? How would she be able to survive? The sob found its way out. Soon the tears in her eyes did too. Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door. "Hello?" No one responded.
Grabbing her wand, she made her way to the door. Thrusting it open, she pointed her wand at whoever was standing there. With a sigh of relief she realized that it was. . . Ron? She let out a cry. His body was covered with severe burns, and he was covered in blood.
He fell into her arms. "Hermione," he whispered. Then he collapsed.
~~*~~**~~*~~
Ooh. How was that for a chapter? Now the story has a little bit more of a plot, I'm happy to say. Please- this was a hard chapter to write (I don't do fighting scenes well). Let me know what you think about it in a review!
~ Sugar High