a/n: Hey there my faithful readers. I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to update, but I was experencing some writers block. This chapter really gave me a run for my money, I hope you do enjoy it. Thanks again for all the reviews, they motivate me to give you more.
disclaimer: still broke so i must not own anything.
Chapter 7
The sound of the pounding foot steps steadily grew closer. Ron rolled over, his back now facing the door, his eyes closed in mock sleep. He hoped his captor would let him lie, let him rest. His hopes came to a thundering halt as a foot came crashing into his knee caps.
"Rise and shine sweetheart" came the cold, cruel voice of Crusitux Lestrange. "I've brought your food for the day."
Ron sat up and painfully stretched his legs in front of him. He looked at the plate now held in front of him. Four partially eaten slices of bread and four tiny scraps of meat were all that graced it. "You really are to generous, I see you've allowed for a snack today. Your kindness astonishes me."
"Don't get used to it Weasley, we just wanted you extra strong for today's interrogation. Eat up now", and with that he threw the plate scattering its contents across the floor.
Ron looked at the food and nearly vomitted. Today he was not going to degrade himself and eat like a dog. I am better than that, he told himself. He watched a mouse scamper out and begin nibbling on one of the bread pieces, I am not going to fight a mouse for food, I won't.The loud rumbling from his stomach filling the room was all it took for him to drop to his knees and hurridly gather the tiny pieces of food onto the plate. He moved back to his mattress, leaned against the wall, picked up pieces of the bread and meat, and slowly began to chew. As he ate he tried to conjour up a pleasant thought to help him through. All he could see was her, his Hermione. "Oh, 'Mione. don't give up on me. You are what keeps me alive." Still chewing slowly, he closed his eyes and lost himself in one of his favorite memories.
Flashback
One of her soft curls lay gently across her face, he hesitently reached over and brushed it gingerly aside. She snuggled closer to him at his touch, his arm around her, tightening. He had been watching her sleep for the past hour. Ron had awoke with a start when Hermione had rolled into him and her hand brushed across his bare chest. He at first was a bit confused when he found her there in bed with him. Soon, though, he remembered the events of last night, their wedding night, he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face.
So now he lay watching her, concentrating on the way she smelled, memorizing the sound of her breath as she slept. How was he so lucky that she loved him enough to become his wife? He couldn't help but to once again reach out to caress her angelic face. This time, at his touch, a smile crossed her face as her eyes fluttered open.
"Good morning, Beautiful."
"Good morning, Handsome."
She kissed the tip of his nose and said, "Oy, I'm hungry. Lets get some breakfast." She made to move to get out of bed but he pulled her back into him.
"I'm hungry too. but my breakfast is already here." With those words he rolled her over, pinning her with his body.
"Oh, really Mr. Weasley?"
"Mmm hmm." He was now kissing her, moving his hands over her body. Slowly memorizing her with his lips and fingertips.
end flashback
Ron looked down at his plate and realized while day dreaming he had eaten all the food that had been brought to him for the entire day. "Oh bloody hell!"
He tossed the plate across the room and watched it shatter against the wall. He stood up and moved over to the window. He stood there just staring at the tree, willing Hermione to be there so he could yell out to her he was still alive. He pressed his head against the glass, trying to think of a way to break the glass. He had already tried everything, his knuckles had the bruises to prove it. He took one last attempt at the glass with his head, throwing it back and then as hard as he could into the window. He bounced backwards off the window and as he sank to the floor he couldn't help but think what a bad idea it was as he blacked out.
flashback
"Hermione." came Ron's voice. They were on their walk and had yet another row. "Hermione, you are being ridiculous. Where are you?" He had been searching for her for about fifteen minutes and was starting to get worried.
"I'm over here Ron." Hermione snuffed out. She was sitting leaning against a tree by the lake absent mindedly picking at the grass.
"You had me worried, I didn't know where you were" he said as he slid down beside her. He moved to take her hand in his but she moved it away before he could.
"Well I had thought about going back to the castle but decided I would rather have you come and find me."
"You knew I would. I can't stand when we row."
"Then why do you bring so many of them on?"
"Mione, I don't know. But I know this much, you are beautiful when you're mad" as he said this he inched his hand back towards hers, joining his pinky with hers.
She turned and he saw the glistening tears on her cheaks in the moonlight. "Why do you fight him? Why? I've asked you not fight for me."
"Hermione, I know you have asked me not to, but I love you and I am not going to stand by and let someone insult you the way he does. You weren't there you didn't hear the things he said. You can't feel what I feel when I hear him talk about you in that way. Cause I know it would hurt you to hear it, so I hurt. I never want you to hurt ever, you are too wonderful and too beautiful to ever have to feel pain. So I figure if I beat his face in enough, he'll stop. Or get so disfigured he'll stop coming out in public."
"You are too good for me."
"No, I'm not good enough for you and I consider myself lucky each day you let me be with you."
"Ronald, that is simply absurd. Now, why don't you wrap those arms around me and lets see what we can do with the remaining hour we have."
"Hour? It will be one in ten minutes, our prefect duties will be over."
"Hmm, all quite true. But did you not notice that I sat my bag down behind the statue in the garden? What do you think might be in there?"
"Harry's invisibility cloak?"
"You are a smart one Mr. Weasley. Now will you just shut up and kiss me?"
end flashback
"You know I will never see what thrill you get in kissing those dirty lips." The cruel, cold voice of Crucitux Lestrange woke Ron. "Of course if she always kisses like that, it might be worth visiting you're trashy wife."
"You keep your randy hands away from my wife." It was then that Ron was hit with a spell he had never heard before and was immediately writhing on the floor in pain.
"Come now Weasley you really must learn to watch that temper. Well, up and at 'em, you have work to do." He lifted the curse off of Ron and pulled him up to his feet by his hair and thrusted him forward. "Now, walk."
He continued to push Ron forward, out the door, and down the stairs into the large front room of the house. There were several hooded individuals who all stopped talking as Ron and Lestrange entered.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the trash loving Weasel." Ron immediately recognized the voice as that of Draco Malfoy.
"If it isn't the amazing bouncing ferret." Ron deflected.
"Watch it Weasel King, remember I can curse you, yet you can't curse me. I do wonder where your wand can be" After this comment was made Ron could see Draco twrilling his wand absentmindedly in his hand.
"Sit in the chair" Lestrange barked, throwing Ron towards the wooden chair that sat in the middle of the room, the death eaters encircling it.
"Start talking."
"I won't talk. I'll never tell."
"Where is Harry Potter hiding."
"I. Don't. Know." Ron said through clenched teeth.
"Very well then, Weasley."
Draco Malfoy then threw a curse at Ron causing him to cry out in pain.
"You bloody prat. You'll never find him, " Ron said, his temper flaring.
"Temper, temper Ronald." Another hex was put on Ron from a hooded death eater, as they all laughed.
"Now, Weasel since you won't tell us where Potter is, why don't you tell us what the weapon was that he used to kill the Dark Lord?"
"HELL NO!! I WON'T TELL YOU THAT."
Ron once again was hit with a painful curse. This one causing him to fall out of the chair and onto the floor writhing and twitching in pain.
"Very well, Crabbe, return him to his room."
Crabbe pushed a weakened Ron out of the room and back up the stairs, kicking him whenever he fell. Finally, Crabbe picked him up by the back of his shirt and tossed him into his room and onto the mattress he had come to know as his bed.
Ron lay on his back staring at the ceiling, panting, trying desperately to catch his breath. The curses they had put on him he had never heard before, he knew they were painful and almost effective. He was certainly glad of his auror training now. He tried his best to focus on something other than the pain that was throbbing through every inch of his body but it was too great. He knew they only thing that could take the pain away now was not a thing but a person, Hermione. "I need you NOW, Hermione." He closed his eyes and picked his favorite memory of her, hoping to ease the pain.
flashback
She was sitting in her fluffy, well-worn reading chair. The sun coming through the window highlighting her hair, making her look more beautiful than he has ever seen. He couldn't tell what book she was reading and it didn't matter. He leaned against the door way and watched her.
She was twirling a curl on her index finger and her other hand glided across the book, one she had probably read before. After finishing a page she would gently turn the next as if it held the secrets of the world. She hummed when she read, something he had always found humerous, but he didn't dare tell her. She finished the book with a sigh, closing it and holding it close to her chest. Looking up she said, "Oh, hi Ron. I didn't hear you come in."
"You never do when you are reading 'Mione. What were you reading today?"
"You'll laugh if I tell you."
"Well judging by the size and the sigh at the end I'll guess Hogwarts, A History " Ron said with a chuckle as he walked over and sat down on the arm of the chair she was seated in.
"Yes, it was. What of it?" She asked as she poked him in the side, a place she knew him to be ticklish.
"Now do you really want to start that?" As he gave her a poke in the same place she had him.
"Yes, I think I do." She jumped up and tossed her book into the chair and ran as he began to chase her. She hid behind the couch knowing he would soon catch her. He grabbed her from behind and rolled her on to her back, pinning her down with his body.
"Now do you really. Lets see if i can remember where you are tickleish. Is it here?" he asked tickling one spot on her body. "Or is it here?" He asked tickling another spot. The whole time Hermione laughing uncontrolably.
"Ron, stop. No, really Ron stop. Stop now."
"But 'Mione you wanted to do this. I remember me asking you."
"Please Ron stop."
He finally stopped tickling her and grabbed her hands and laced his fingers through hers raising them above her head. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. "Do you know how much I love you Hermione Jane Granger-Weasley?"
"Um...I think I do but you can tell me again if you wish."
"Well" he said kissing each eye in turn. "I love the way you make me feel like I am the strongest man alive. I love how you make me smile when I want nothing more than to scream or hit something. I love how you are the most compasionate person I know. I love how everything is important and everyone matters to you. And as silly as it sounds, I love the way you love me."
"Ron," was all she could say as she leaned up and wrapped his lips in a passionate kiss.
end flashback
The room had grown dark, Ron had no idea how long he had lay there. The pain had subsided some. He sat up on the bed, his head in his hands, his legs aching.
He decided he needed to stretch his legs. He rose up and walked over to the window placing his hands on it to help hold himself up. He looked out, staring at the willow tree by the sidewalk. "What is it about that tree? Something is so familiar about it?"
It was then he saw a small figure walking along the sidewalk. "It can't be her, it can't be. That would mean..."
He watched her walk over to the tree and touch it. She dropped down onto her knees, he could tell she was crying. "HERMIONE!! NO!!"
He watched her sit there she was sobbing and there was no way for him to get to her. "I'm getting out of here no matter what I have to do."
