With All My Strength

          Hey guys I've been so busy! I have been working hard and I haven't had really any time to update, so please forgive me. This chapter is a bit longer than the other ones, just because you guys have been waiting so long! So here we go!

Disclaimer- I only own the plot. I don't own Harry Potter.

 …………………………….

Part 3

          I woke up on the ground of a small room. They must have knocked me out. I felt alone and scared, but then when I looked to my left, Ron was laying a couple inches away, so I didn't feel so alone any more. He was tattered and beaten up, and our room had brown-red walls and two small mattresses and a table. It had no windows, and one closed door with bars around it.

          Ron groaned and I looked over at him but he didn't move at all. I sat up and struggled to get to my feet, pulling his limp body on top of the mattress. There were two small bowls, plates and cups, over in a corner along with a small washcloth. So this was treating us well? I walked over and picked up the washcloth, and stood by a water pump that dripped droplets of water into a bucket beneath it. I pushed down on the pump and the water streamed out into the bowl I placed beneath it. Then I took the washcloth and dipped it in the water, returning to Ron where I wiped it softly over his cuts, dabbing them clean.

          All Ron did was twitch a bit and then lay relaxed, moaning when it hurt so much he couldn't bear to be quiet. When I was finished, I walked over to a spoon and looked at my face in it, cleaning my cuts as well. Then I brushed through my hair with my fingers, and fell on top of the musty, hard mattress, falling asleep.

………….

          He was sitting up when I woke again. He was looking at a wall, chips of paint peeling off of it and dark blood stains around the bottom. A tally was near the bottom, scratched into the paint, listing the days as they followed before the person was put to a never-ending rest.

          Ron was counting the tally, mouthing the words to himself and as he reached the end he sighed out the number sixty-two and looked over to me.

          "Your awake?" He asked.

          I nodded and crawled over to him, resting against his chest and wrapping his arms around me for a sense of comfort.

          "I'm glad you're all right." He said finally.

          I smiled weakly. "And I, you."

          There was a knock on the door and it opened, revealing a man who stood behind the bars staring at us. He unlocked a small door just big enough to slip food under, through the bottom of the bars.

          "Here is your food you damned things. Questioning starts in two hours. We need to know where that Harry Potter boy is. Don't worry, he will be safe." He said gruffly.

          I laughed a bit. "Bull shit." I whispered so he couldn't hear me.

          Ron looked down at me and then looked back at the man, "All right." He said.

          The man left the room.

          "They haven't found Harry yet…" I said getting up and walking over to the table where I put my hands to hold my shaking body.

          "We can thank god for that." Ron said standing up. "Nor have they found Ginny. They must have been together, maybe when Dumbledore warned him? Then they ran off to hide until he is ready to fight and save the rest of the captives?"

          I shrugged. "Maybe… but maybe something awful happened."

          Ron came up close behind me. "I doubt that, Hermione." Then he put his hand on my cheek and turned me to face him.

          I looked deep into his eyes and whispered, "God, Ron. I'm so confused."

          He brought his face closer to mine and said, "I don't know anything Hermione. All I know is that I love you."

          I looked deep into his eyes, losing all my fears and worries, and then I whispered, "I love you so much, Ron Weasley."

          He kissed my lips softly, and then moved against me harder, pushing me against the wall as my back slid down, our lips never breaking their contact. Then I realized what I was doing. I was kissing Ron.

          The thought had never occurred to me, that maybe, I was only doing this for a comfort deep down inside. To know someone was there to hold me. But I had experienced these feelings for him before. Was he kissing me out of comfort? But no… he said he had loved me hadn't he? Was it all really love?

          I noticed about halfway through my thoughts, which we began to get more into our kisses, with long deep moments, and sooner or later I wouldn't be able to stop. Pushing Ron up from on top of me, I saw his deep caramel eyes smile down on me.

          "Hermione…" He whispered.

          "I wont be able to stop, Ron." I said.

          He laughed, "You're right," He said sitting up.

          I could tell he was feeling what I was feeling, as he lay with his legs spread out loosely in front of him. He was feeling a small twinge of guilt. Had we really wanted this? Then he sighed and closed his eyes, leaning against the wall.

          "You know what, Hermione?" He asked quietly, "I was thinking, and I really do."

          I looked over out of the corner of my eye. I pushed my hair back and lifted my shoulders slightly. "Really do, what?"

          Ron smiled and without another word he rolled onto one of the musty mattresses. Then, after about five minutes of silence he murmured, "… love you."

          It was the end of our conversation. He fell asleep, leaving me there to think about what it all meant. I had meant it. I knew I had. I just had this feeling he hadn't… but he admitted he did. I crawled on top of his back and lay overtop of him silently. I wasn't tired, and I was waiting for that man. The one who was coming to question us.

………………………

          He came. He had a long red, rusty beard with hard, cold brown eyes in which he used to peer at us and deep into our souls. He took out his wand, jet black as night and thin, with an added silver handle and an imprint of Voldemort's symbol on the side.

          I had awakened Ron as I heard the door open, and I pretended to be on the other side of the room, sipping for a cup full of water. He came in just as Ron pulled his weary body up. No one spoke. We were waiting for the man in front of us to first.

          "I'm you friend." The man finally said. "Me name is Walter. I'll be question'in you for today." His accent was strong, yet his voice was rough. He wanted us to believe that he wouldn't tell anyone what we said? Fat chance. He came close to my face and his breath poured over his fat lips, with a beer soaked pungent smell.

          Ron was on the other side of the room, and he jerked a little when Walter came close to me. He wanted to grab the man and ring his neck. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the white sheets, which had lost their colour and turned to a spilled yellow and brown colour.

          "Ye gonna tell me whuts goin' on?" He asked.

          I let a smile pour over my lips. "What on earth are you talking about?"

          He frowned. "Little miss, ye eyes dun' deceive mine." He laughed. "Ye know, and ye gonna tell me by the end of it all."

          I rolled my eyes. "Okay, so when the end of it all supposedly comes, are you going to tell me what the hell you're talking about?"

          He paused and came unbearably close to me. "Ye know. Ye know the name of the boy. He's yer friend, yes?"

          "Okay, so this boy is a friend? Like you are? You know, one of those people who walk into rooms, plop down beside you and talk about something you have no clue about, and then expect you to tell them your life story?" I asked.

          The man moved away from me. "It ain't gonna be as easy to get this out of yer mouths, I see?"

          I clenched me teeth. "If I knew what you wanted me to say, then you would be a bit farther along now wouldn't you?"

          Finally the man drew a long breath of air and let it out slowly. I could still smell his breath, filling the air. I felt the back of my lungs tingle. The smell was revolting.

          "Yer friends name is, Harree Potter." He growled.

          Ron and I said nothing. Walter said nothing. There was nothing to say, and the room grew dead quiet like souls from the outside of our closed doors were swimming through the room. How many more classmates had to die? Harry had ro come soon… he had to save everyone.

…………………………….

…………………………….

…………………………….

          Again, I am sorry I haven't reviewed in a while, and I'm sorry this chapters a bit short. I have tons of homework to do. Please review and tell me your thoughts!

          Your friend, Kit