A/N: Okay, I must apologize for the short chapters, hopefully this one will be a bit longer than the others, but you see, I don't have a lot of time, so if I update, usually the chapters are short, but I'll try to make them longer! Alright, here's another chapter, enjoy!

Disclaimer: Erm . . . what's the term again? Oh yeah. DUH.

Chapter Three: Familiar Face

Glad she may be that Fred was with her, he could do nothing but dull the pain. Hermione had a hard time keeping her mind off the throbbing pain in her chest; from time to time she'd glance around the dungeon, as if searching for a miracle, something to aid her . . . to no avail. She couldn't help to think, think of the laughter, the joy . . . the life she had once enjoyed.

Day broke, though you could hardly tell in the dank dungeons that held them captive; and dry lettuce was thrown into the cells to pass for breakfast.

'Ugh.' Hermione thought as she shifted her glance to the shriveled greens. Nonetheless she forced it down her throat, leaving half for Fred when he awoke from his slumber. She again slumped against the wall and contemplated what she could accomplish today. She silently laughed at herself.

'Only you Hermione, would look for something to accomplish in prison.' Her laughter continued in her head as she thought this, it was several minutes before she realized that someone was trying to get her attention.

"Hermione." A gentle hand shook her shoulder. "Hermione!" Her eyes opened and she stared blankly at Fred.

"What?" she asked, slightly annoyed, she after all, had only closed her eyes for a few moments. A look of relief passed over his face.

"You've been out for hours, I was starting to wonder if I'd lost you!" he smiled, and Hermione could see the old Fred, the one she knew from Hogwarts, shining out of his eyes. She wanted to cry.

"Wait- h-hours?" she posed this question in confusion, it had only been moments-

Fred nodded his head. "When I woke up you were shaking and— " Their conversation was interrupted by a commotion from the stone passage in front of their cell.

"Oh hell no you lot of rotting Death Eaters! There is no way in—" the voice was broke off by the sounds of a scuffle. Hermione dashed to the cell bars and peered out onto the scene in front of her; she couldn't believe her eyes.

Four Death Eaters surrounded one struggling person, their robes were torn, and their flaming red hair was tousled as they delivered blow after blow to the faces of the Death Eaters. Hermione's heart swelled with happiness.

"RON!" She screamed, her happiness conveyed itself in her voice. "RON! Over here!" The fighting red head stopped and turned to her.

"Hermione!" Ron shouted, sprinting to the bars that separated them. He embraced her through iron bars. Tears were sliding down both of their faces. "Fred!" He then yelled. Fred looked up apparently he hadn't been paying attention.

"Ron?" he asked, incredulously. "Bloody hell!" It was then his turn to hurry towards the bars. "What're you doing here?" Excitement flooded his voice as he clasped Ron's hand.

"I'll be damned if I know, this lot," he gestured over his shoulder to the Death Eaters strewn about on the floor, unconscious. "Tried to come fetch me this morning for something." He grinned and Hermione couldn't help but grin back.

"Where are the others?" She asked, dreading the answer. What if death had found them? What if she'd never see them again?

"Ginny, George, and Padma Patil are in my cell . . . but I dunno where the others are." He looked questioningly at Hermione. "Don't you know—" he was cut short though by the echoing of voices at the end of the stone passage. Hermione leaned forward to catch a glance of what was happening. Two Death Eaters, one with black hair, the other silver blonde, was walking towards them, and it seemed they were heading towards Ron.

Ron leaned forward and hissed. "It's Malfoy, bloody twit, and McNair, I think I'd better go if I want to stay free." He leaned forward and hugged her through those damned bars. "I'll come back." He told her and Fred, and was gone.

Hermione was immensely happy. Ron was alive. Her best friend, the one she'd known for seven years, was alive. Her happiness quickly vanished as the meaning of Ron's words sunk in. Malfoy. Coming towards her cell. She quickly tried to hide herself behind Fred as the footsteps neared.

"Shit." She heard a gruff voice say. Not Malfoy's, so it had to be McNair's. Hermione found the courage to peer around Fred's shoulder and she saw McNair leaning over an unconscious Death Eater, one with platinum blonde hair.

He chuckled. "Looks like someone got the better of old Lucius, eh Draco?"

"So it does." Another voice replied, this one undoubtedly Malfoy's. Hermione could almost hear his smirk. Malfoy's glance shifted towards her cell and she quickly re-hid herself behind Fred.

"Question is, who?" McNair's gruff voice said. Malfoy smirked.

"I think we can find out." He turned towards their cell. "Oy, Granger." She shuddered and stepped out from behind Fred, last bit of courage thriving.

"What?" her voice was dripping with venom. He took a step towards the cell door. It took every bit of self-control to keep Hermione from stepping back.

"I wonder," his smirk reappeared. "If you could tell me who did this?" he gestured behind him to the four Death Eaters on the stone floor.

"I wonder," she replied, mirroring his smirk. "If you could tell me why I would answer a ferret?" Fear flared inside Hermione as she looked into his rage filled eyes. 'It was worth it.' She thought before flashing him an innocent smile. He took out his wand and opened the cell door, Hermione wasn't aware of anything but her own thumping heart and his hate filled eyes. She backed up until she hit a stone cold wall, Malfoy advancing every step.

"Surely, Mudblood, you would not make us go through all the effort of a cell check, when you could simply reveal the answer?" Amusement played across his features. He was enjoying this. He was enjoying her fear and her discomfort. Oh was he in for a surprise. She raised her had to his face and made to slap him, he caught it midair, he however was not ready for her other hand to come whipping around with all its force and make painful contact with his opposite cheek.

Hermione was stunned, her handprint was red and inflamed on his cheek. A look of triumph passed over Malfoy's face before saying.

"Ron Weasley."

He turned and strutted out of the cell, Hermione stuttering to come up with a reply.

"No, it was, it was J-Justin! Justin Finch Fletchey, yeah, that's it, he came and was just, pushing all your Death Eaters around!" She struggled to find words, to find an excuse, to keep Ron safe. His smirk just widened as he nodded to McNair, and the two disappeared from sight. "Malfoy, Wait!" Hermione slumped against the wall, drained. The echoing of footsteps faded and she let out a dry sob.

Fred embraced her. "Everything is so wrong!" Her sobs were no longer dry, and her the cut in her chest was throbbing once again.

And the worst of it . . . it wasn't even noon.