Chapter Fifteen - Clearing Your Head
"Wake up Ronald," the voice said, "wake up and come with me."
Ron opened his eyes and sat up. He saw the silver shimmering form of a man he knew, of Dumbledore and wasn't really surprised for some reason.
"Where?" he asked the man who was smiling down at him.
"Not far I promise. It's time I repaired some of the damage I have inflicted on you."
Ron shivered, he didn't dare to hope.
"You're going to make it stop?" he whispered desperately.
"I'm going to make it all stop Ronald. I'm going to heal your troubled soul and preserve your precious mind."
The wizard looked as if he was waiting to unload a massive burden from his own shoulders by doing this for Ron and extended his hand to him as he waited for him to join him at the opening to the cavern.
"Come."
Ron got to his feet and walked toward the light that Dumbledore's silvery form was framed by. He felt something knock against his foot but kept his focus on his old headmaster until he reached the opening and found himself held back by the magical barrier of the bond of blood.
"She's stopping me," Ron said quietly as he pushed gently against the invisible force with his hands.
Dumbledore's smile widened.
"And who could blame her after the terrible night you've had my dear boy."
Ron frowned at him and shivered again.
"You were there?"
"I am always there Ronald. I cannot come to your aid until you are in the deepest of sleeps and the night terrors you were experiencing all last night prevented me from coming to your assistance I'm afraid. I had to stand by and watch your mind attack itself."
Ron realised that all his nightmares were conjured up by his own psyche. That thought seemed to make him feel even worse about them.
"I never realised my mind could be so vicious."
Dumbledore was almost glowing as he leaned forward to stare him hard in the eye.
"Your mind is incredible Ronald, truly remarkable, and I couldn't be more proud of the fight you put up to hold on to it and keep it intact."
Ron felt himself smiling despite the news that he had it in him to torture himself to such a degree.
"Now it is time to alleviate some of that pressure you've been under," Dumbledore said as he straightened up again, "it will be my great pleasure to assist you and give you some well earned relief."
Ron let out a sigh and noticed that Dumbledore was looking to either side of him with a silent chuckle. He frowned at the spirit questioningly.
"Harry and Hermione are with you Ronald. I know you can't see them but I assure you that they are right beside you now."
Somehow Ron already knew this. He had been able to feel Hermione's presence at his side as soon as he woke up.
"I believe you," he nodded.
"You must tell Miss Granger to allow you to go outside, only as far as the edge of this beautiful pool and no further."
Ron nodded and began to address the bright morning light and the blues and greens forming a blurry landscape ahead of him.
"Hermione I need you to let me go outside, just as far as the lake. Please."
Something was squeezing Ron's hand tightly. He lifted his arms and pushed against the barrier, it wasn't weakening, he wondered if he had asked her properly. Maybe he hadn't spoken out loud at all. What if she was still asleep in her sleeping bag?
"Are you sure she's there?" he asked Dumbledore with a frown.
"She is indeed Mr Weasley," looking incredibly amused for some reason, "in fact she has just worked out I can see her and that I am telling you she is standing to your right and blowing a raspberry into your ear."
Ron found himself laughing at the image now planted inside his head of little miss ever-so-good blowing a raspberry at him. That didn't sound like Hermione Granger at all, and yet it kind of did at the same time.
"Hermione are you blowing a raspberry at me?" Ron asked the space ahead of him.
Dumbledore was chuckling quite audibly now.
"She seems exceptionally pleased at having made you laugh now, so is young Harry, he is standing on your left side just for the record."
Ron groped around himself blindly with his left arm.
"I don't feel him," Ron frowned.
Ron suddenly felt his left hand being lifted and rested upon something solid. He saw some kind of shadow beneath his hand but nothing else. He stared back at Dumbledore in some confusion.
"What was that?"
His hand dropped back down to his side as Dumbledore answered.
"That was our mutual friend Mr Potter."
"Oh," Ron said, a little disorientated by his best friend being invisible to him, "hi Harry."
"Now Ron you need to persuade Miss Granger to let you go outside."
Ron nodded before realising he had no idea where Hermione was supposed to be.
"Where is she? Is she here?" Ron asked as he turned to his right.
His outstretched hand brushed against something soft and warm and he shivered and pulled away.
What had he just touched?
"There Ronald, she's right in front of you," Dumbledore smiled and gave him a nod of encouragement.
Ron turned to look at the blank space beside him where he thought Hermione was standing. He had nothing to focus upon so set his eyes on what looked like a protruding rock on the cave wall and hoped he was looking at her face.
"I need you to let me out Hermione."
He waited for her response to be given to him via Dumbledore, keeping his eyes fixed on the cave wall while he listened.
"She has just instructed me that you are not to be taken anywhere without her," Ron smiled at this, "Please inform her that she is welcome to join you at the lakeside as this is as far as we will be going this morning."
He nodded and began to address the shadow that he could vaguely see moving around in front of the dark cave wall ahead of him.
"I'm only going as far as the water's edge; he said you're welcome to join us if you want."
Dumbledore was suddenly laughing and shaking his head. Ron looked back out onto the fuzzy-looking lake and frowned at the old man.
"What?"
"Could you please inform Mr Potter that we only have eighteen minutes left before I am forced out and now is not the time for that?"
"For what?" Ron was well and truly confused now.
"Just tell him and join me at the lakeside," Dumbledore said as he turned and made his way over to the bank.
Ron pointed back to his left where he had previously felt the shadow that was supposed to have been Harry.
"He's still there yeah?"
Dumbledore didn't even look up as he answered.
"No he's in front of you now."
"Oh right," Ron said and continued to address the same patch of wall he had used to talk to Hermione, "I've got to tell you that we've only got eighteen minutes left..."
"It's seventeen now Ronald." Dumbledore called from beside the lake.
Ron huffed and continued while shadows darted back and forth in front of him.
"...seventeen now, and then I'll force him out and...and..." Ron couldn't remember the rest of the message now and looked back out to Dumbledore.
"Now is not the time," the old dead wizard reminded him patiently.
"...and now is not the time."
Ron looked back at Dumbledore for further instruction and saw the spirit looking quite tickled at something.
"Say you're welcome," he smiled.
Ok I'm not even in this conversation anymore!
Ron looked back at the cave wall in bewilderment and delivered the message with a bemused shrug.
"You're welcome."
"Now come and join me Ronald, time is running short."
Ron turned to try to step outside again but the barrier was still up.
"Um, Hermione? Please?"
He felt a sudden pull and found himself drawn out of the cave and over to the lake by his right arm. It was a strange sensation but he trusted the dark shadow that he supposed to be Hermione and let himself be guided to face Dumbledore willingly. On reaching the spot where the blue and the beige blurs met he looked out at Dumbledore who seemed to be several feet away and standing upon the smooth blue surface ahead of him.
"Sit Ronald."
He did as he was told. Dumbledore sat down and crossed his legs. He rested his hands upon his knees and straightened his back.
"Cross your legs and position yourself as I am doing."
"What exactly are we...?" Ron began.
"Just follow my instructions and trust me Ronald. You do trust me again don't you?" Dumbledore almost looked unsure of himself for a moment.
Ron nodded and saw the old man relax again, he realised that things must have been quite bad between them after the night of the coffin. He remembered Harry telling him that he had shouted at the person who visited him the following night.
"Good, now straighten your back a little more and hands on knees," he nodded as he saw Ron silently obeying him, "Now take a deep breath in through your nose..."
Ron inhaled deeply through his nose and watched as Dumbledore did the same.
"...and let it out slowly through your mouth as if you were blowing out the candles on a birthday cake."
The two of them did this together and Dumbledore smiled serenely at him.
"Good Ron, very good, now I want you to close your eyes and do that again for me," Ron did so, "Keep going and listen to my voice, my voice and the sound of the waterfall and the sound of your breathing. Feel each breath as it enters your body Ron. Feel it as it gives you oxygen and feel it take all the toxins from within you and leave you as you blow them out."
Ron felt as if Dumbledore's voice was coming from inside him as well as in front of him now. The voice was all around him and the air was flowing through him in a way it never had before.
"Feel the goodness and purity of life flow in...and the weighty impurities of death flow out. In...and out...in...and out...do you feel it cleansing you yet Ronald?"
He wasn't able to stop to answer, he didn't want to stop, and all he did was nod and keep on breathing.
"You should be feeling lighter now, your burdens lifting away and your limbs should be limp and relaxed no stress, no tension, no rigidity, and no pain. In...and out...in...out..."
Ron wasn't aware of his body at all now; he couldn't tell if his limbs were loose or not, it was as if he wasn't tied down to his body at all anymore. He was taking a break away from it and floating away. Ron felt Dumbledore moving, he was approaching him slowly, but he didn't feel the need to open his eyes. He just kept on breathing and listening to the sound of his voice.
"This valley channels positive healing energy into this very spot Ronald, it's like a funnel for purity and goodness and strength, and I am about to help you tap into that life force."
Ron felt Dumbledore sitting right in front of him now, their knees almost touching, and then he felt the ghostly hands moved up to hover either side of his head. Something began to glow but his kept his eyes closed and kept his focus as Dumbledore spoke again.
"I need you to chant with me Ronald, I want you to breathe in and exhale the word vivificus and then breathe in again and exhale the word corroboro. Do you understand?"
Ron didn't nod, open his eyes, or even try to speak. He simply made a sighing noise at the back of his throat.
"Good, you are ready. Now breathe with me and join me with the incantations. In...vivificus...in...corroboro...in...vivificus...in...corroboro..."
The brightness grew larger around Ron's head as they went on with this together. Soon his inhalations were taking in the white energy, little by little, and his exhalations were expelling a foul tasting smoke from deep within him.
"Good Ronald, good, keep going." Dumbledore said sounding encouraged himself.
Every inhalation seemed to elevate his mind and clear each and every crippling fear and negative emotion that had been crowding his brain. As he exhaled his body felt lighter, as if he was going to float away at any time, and the feelings of confinement and pressure were drawn out of him. He was open and free and light as a feather. It was like a fresh shower on his skin but not quite the same. He was cooling the burn of anxiety from his soul with every breath in and out. The light glowing and swirling around his head and the vile toxins that he purged with every breath out grew more intense as if they were feeding off of each other and Ron was growing stronger with every new breath in.
"Our time is almost up Ronald," Dumbledore was saying while Ron felt as if he was breathing deeper than he ever knew he was capable of, "I am so glad I was able to be of help to you at last, now I will leave you to get some rest. You have earned it."
Ron's eyes opened and Dumbledore was only inches before him, beaming as he had never seen him before. The wizard was swallowed up in a swirl of dazzling white light and Ron felt an overwhelming pull on his eyelids to close. He was now no longer able to hold his own head up. He felt the light disappear and a heavy blackness fall upon him. The weight was too much for him after feeling so light he thought he was going to float away and it pushed him backwards to the floor. His last thought was that there seemed to be something soft and warm waiting for him before he hit the ground.
Then there was nothing.
Ron groaned and turned over. Something was touching his leg.
Gimme a break, just five more minutes mum.
"Ron, are you awake?"
He tried to ignore whoever it was and hid his face in the pillow, blocking morning out for just a little bit longer. What harm did it do to let him lay in he asked himself, why were his family such early birds anyway? It wasn't natural. He moaned into his pillow and willed sleep to come back and smother him for just a little while longer.
"Oi Ron, come on mate, we're starving here!"
Now that was Harry. He must be at Hogwarts. As soon as he thought this a pillow bounced off the top of his head.
Oh shit did that mean he had to get up for class?
"Sod off," Ron grumbled before opening his eyes a fraction and seeing cave walls all around him.
Oh shit it was the cave. That was even worse than class.
"Morning," he mumbled.
He yawned and his eyes closed again. He wondered if they would let him get away with snuggling back into his sleeping bag for a quick snooze. He soon realised that they wouldn't when Harry pulled the sleeping bag off him. Ron sat up with a grumpy huff. Harry and Hermione were both grinning at him in that smug way they always did after waking him up on a weekend, or during the summer holidays when there really was no excuse at all for getting out of bed until dinner time as far as he was concerned, and he scowled at the pair of them. He reached around for his wand to hex Harry with a gingivitis curse so he'd leave him alone to go and brush his teeth for the next hour and a half.
"Oh I've got that hidden, sorry," Harry said, getting to his feet and wandering off to the back of their shelter somewhere to retrieve Ron's wand.
Ron yawned and stretched before noticing that Hermione was watching him with an unusually delighted smile on her face. He wondered if she'd just been awarded honorary N.E.W.T. qualifications by the ministry for being the best student at Hogwarts despite her not actually being there.
"What's up with you?" Ron asked, amused but suspicious all the same.
"Nothing, it's just good to see you fully rested for once."
Ron snorted.
"You're just buttering me up because you want me to make you breakfast. No good morning Ron, no allow me to get you some toast for a change, I'm beginning to think you only took me back for my cooking skills."
"That and your scintillating company," Hermione teased, "and for the record, Harry and I have been without breakfast and lunch so we expect something more than toast y'know?"
I slept through lunch?
He shook his head to make sure he had heard her correctly.
"Wha...? Wait, what time is it?"
Harry called across from the cave where he returned with Ron's wand.
"About half past two in the afternoon."
"What?" Ron said, sitting upright as his wand was tossed into his lap.
Hermione laughed and rubbed his arm.
"You've been asleep for eight hours."
That didn't make any sense at all to him. He knew his maths wasn't all that great but he knew that he went to bed before midnight.
"Wait, no that's not right, I know I was up and down all night long but...eight hours?"
"We're counting from half six this morning when you passed out mate," Harry smiled.
Ron's face fell, he had actually forgotten to wake up and feel immediately stressed.
"Oh so they came back did they?"
"No Ron it was brilliant, they really helped you and...and they spoke to us as well," Hermione said as she gripped his arm and quivered with unsuppressed joy.
Ron blinked.
"You saw them too?"
"No, they spoke to us through you, the spirit or whatever he is can see us even if you can't, he got you to talk to us," Harry grinned.
"And it's a he Ron, we know that much, and he really helped you. You helped yourself too, you were brilliant!"
Hermione threw herself at Ron and hugged him tightly. He was kind of thrown by her doing this in front of Harry. They may have got their relationship all out in the open now but this was a bit full on first thing in the morning wasn't it?
Oh yeah, it's not the morning.
"Blimey Hermione, what the hell?"
She ignored this protestation of embarrassment and pulled back far enough to look him in the eye.
"So how do you feel? Inside I mean," she began examining his face with the same scrutiny as his mother, "you look so much better on the outside but we've both been waiting for you to wake up and tell us how you feel in...in your head."
"He's only just woken up Hermione, give him a break," Harry said as he squatted down beside them.
She took a calming breath and released him with some reluctance. Ron tried to think about how he felt inside. He couldn't really tell, he'd never paid much attention to his feelings unless they were bad ones, and then he realised that the bad feelings didn't seem to be there. They weren't screaming out at him. He tilted his head and listened for any unwelcome little voices, there were none. There didn't seem to be any tangents threatening to take his mind off in the opposite direction he wanted it to go. He seemed to be doing noticeably better from the last time when he had woken up. Blimey that time he had...
Oh fuck!
He had lost his marbles big time hadn't he? He had cried like a total woman all over Hermione. Then he remembered the time before that one and felt another wave of horror at the state he had got himself into during the night. He had actually stopped breathing during that nightmare about all the dead people wanting to use him.
"Oh Godric I had a bad night last night didn't I?"
"Is that what you're worrying about?" Harry seemed quite relieved that Ron's guilt was the most of his problems at the moment.
"Well I must have been a right pain, keeping you both up all night like that."
Hermione took his hand and smiled.
"You didn't, Harry was awake anyway weren't you Harry?"
Harry nodded and Ron gave him a look that told him he wasn't a total idiot and didn't need them to patronise him.
"Oh come on, I've woken you often enough with my nightmares haven't I?"
Ron smiled and picked up his wand. He twirled it between his fingers.
"Well what do you fancy then? I've been thinking of trying to do pizza for a while now, that sound ok to you?"
"That sounds brilliant Ron," Harry said, looking suddenly as if he had been dying of starvation and offered a crust of stale bread.
"Shall I do the mushrooms or do you want to have another go at it?" Ron said as he sent a wicked grin Hermione's way.
Hermione punched him in the arm and he and Harry laughed before Ron remembered back to another upsetting moment from the night before.
"Oh and I'm sorry again about what I said last night, I really wasn't thinking y'know? I honestly didn't mean it that way."
"I don't know what you're talking about mate," Harry said with a grin.
I love selective memory.
Ron was floating on his back and looking at the reddening sky, the sun was setting and they would have to swim back to the shore and light a fire to dry their wet clothes. Hermione had dismissed his and Harry's idea to swim in the nude and they had gone diving into to fresh waters of the lake fully dressed.
Well Harry had gone diving in fully dressed. Ron had actually chased, caught and carried Hermione in fully dressed much to her ear piercing horror. She had soon forgotten how annoyed she was with him when they had raced three times and she had won all three. Harry had grumbled about her being on something called steroids, he said it was like muggle gillyweed, and she had taken such offence at that slur that she had started a splashing war. Now Ron might not be as fast as Hermione in a race but he could definitely out splash her. He'd been given long legs and huge feet for a reason and he intended to use them.
He also had another great gift that seemed to only befall every other member of the Weasley family, the gift of natural buoyancy. Bill, Percy and Ron could float on their backs for ages; Bill had once bragged that he fell asleep like it for a hour one summer; while Charlie, the twins and Ginny sunk like stones unless they kicked their legs constantly. It used to petrify their mother though. She had once seen Ron laying perfectly still, face down, floating on the surface of the pond in the woods behind the Burrow when he was ten years old and screamed herself hoarse until his brothers had come crashing into the water to help their poor drowned little brother only to be stopped by Ginny who was floating in a barrel not far away. She told them that he was looking for her lucky Knut which she had dropped on the bottom of the pond and had to have back otherwise awful things would happen. They watched him float for three minutes apparently before he plunged down and came back up clutching the bronze coin and gasping for air.
His brother's had been mightily impressed but his mother had forbidden him to do it again, telling him that one day he really would be drowning and nobody would jump in and save him because they would think he was just messing around. The boy who cried wolf always was her favourite tale of warning when they were kids.
"I can't believe you don't even have to kick just a little bit," Hermione said as she swam over to him, "you just...lay there. It's very disconcerting."
He chuckled, this was getting too eerie now, she seemed to be turning into his mother.
"Don't you start as well."
"As well as what?" she frowned.
Ron lowered his legs and began to tread water.
"Never mind."
"All I was saying was that it looks sort of supernatural that's all, it's like you're made of wood or something."
He sniggered at the rude joke he wouldn't let himself tell that just flashed through his head and swam over to Hermione. He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her up onto his stomach as he lay on his back again and began to kick his legs, propelling them both towards the bank.
"Oh now you're just showing off," she giggled
"Huh, I'll just throw you overboard and you can swim yourself then."
Just as Hermione was about to tell him she was quite content to sail on the good ship Ron he rolled, sliding her off of him with a splash and swimming for the bank before she could surface and drown him in revenge. He forgot that she was a faster swimmer than he was and she caught up with him before he could wade out of the water. She pulled him back into the lake and ran on ahead, splashing out and jumping up and down in celebration while he sputtered the water out of his mouth and kicked some at her which she deftly avoided.
"We're on dry land now Weasley and on dry land I rule!"
Ron shook out his wet hair before bowing deeply.
"Yes your majesty."
"Now that I could get used to," she said as she picked up her shoes and strolled back into the cave with a mischievous glint in her eye, "now stay out there until I tell you that you can come in, I'm getting changed."
"I hope you're going to send Harry out before you do!" Ron almost choked with his eagerness to get the words out.
He heard her laughing.
"He went for a walk ages ago you Wally."
"Wally, I'm a Wally now," Ron mumbled to himself as he peeled off his sopping wet t shirt and wrung it out, "in the water I'm a supernatural marvel, on land I'm a Wally."
"Talking to yourself is supposed to be the first sign of madness not the first thing you do when you're sane again."
He looked up to see Hermione leaning against the cave wall, wearing a dry shirt and pair of shorts, drying her hair on a towel. She was smiling but not really joking with him as she spoke.
"Well my first sign of madness seemed to be not talking according to you," Ron said as he squelched over to get out of his waterlogged tracksuit bottoms and into something a little less drenched.
He passed Hermione and flicked his wet t shirt at her with a grin but paused when he saw her looking back at him and frowning.
"What's up?"
She dropped the towel and looked away from him and over to the waterfall.
"Nothing, I'm just relieved that's all."
Ron took a step towards her and took her hand.
"You always look this unhappy when you're relieved?"
She finally laughed and shoved his bare chest, not letting go of his hand while she did, and heaved a sigh that she may have been holding in ever since she first found out about the curse of the oracles.
"I just hated seeing you like that, so hopeless and lost, and I'm so glad we found a way...I'm so glad we got you back the way you were before," she smiled and threw the towel at him.
He caught the towel and pulled it around his shoulders.
"A Wally y'mean?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and a suppressed smirk.
"Exactly," she laughed.
The three of them were settled into their sleeping bags and talking around the fire. The topics covered all kinds of meaningless things but Harry had mentioned Ginny in a not so subtle passing way and had become a little quiet ever since. Ron decided to give him something else to think about.
"So do you want to try that thing and get it over with straight away then?" he said to Hermione who was resting her head on his shoulder and running her finger around the edge of the silver hoop that floated around his arm.
She lifted her head to look up at him before nodding.
"Yes, let's see if it does any good, at least that way I won't be kept up all night waiting for you to get it over with."
Harry cleared his throat and they looked across the campfire at him.
"Harry missed that whole conversation; I'll explain it when we're done ok?" Hermione said as she reached for her wand.
"When you're done with what exactly?" Harry said uneasily.
Hermione moved away from Ron who as he took a deep breath and lay down. He closed his eyes and waited for her to try the new spell on him.
"Ready?" he heard her ask.
"Go for it," he nodded between slow deep breaths.
"Sopor!"
His consciousness was sucked away in a purple flash.
"Well that was a marvellous idea of Miss Granger's I must say but come now Ronald, wouldn't it have made so much more sense for you to do this in the morning after a good night's sleep?"
Ron found himself remembering his earlier conversation and meditation with Dumbledore and wondered if that meant he would remember when he woke up too.
"Ah that's logic and we don't go in for that kind of thing," Ron smiled as he sat up.
"Tell Miss Granger to do the spell in the morning in future," Dumbledore said after listening to something and smiling.
"Hermione you're to do the spell in the morning in future, he wants us to get a good night's sleep before dragging us off far and wide."
Dumbledore was listening again and gave a sigh before looking back to Ron.
"Tell Harry that I only need to take you for the night Ronald but thanks to the bond of blood I can't take you anywhere without Miss Granger's permission and I doubt very much that she would allow you to accompany me alone."
"Why are your messages always so bloody long?" Ron grumbled.
Dumbledore's eyebrows lifted and he stared down at him with surprise for a moment.
"I see that two visits from me in a day seem to produce the same result as two within the same night Ronald, you remember our conversation this morning...most interesting. But back to the point; please pass on my message to Harry."
"Ok," Ron sighed, "Harry he doesn't need to drag all of us with him, just me, but because of the bond of blood he can't take me anywhere without Hermione's permission and he doesn't think that you'll let me go alone Hermione."
"Now Ron I think you should come with me," Dumbledore said as he took a step out of the cave.
He tried to wriggle out of the sleeping bag but found that he couldn't move, his arms were pinned to his side and something warm was wrapped around his body, he guessed that this was Hermione's doing.
"I would but I can't move," Ron frowned.
"Ask Miss Granger to release you and come along, I have no time to stand and argue with the two of them over you."
"Hermione let me go," Ron tried to say in a no-nonsense way, although he'd never got his own way with her when she was in a determined mood before so he didn't know why Dumbledore thought he'd be able to do it now.
Dumbledore sighed and his shoulders dropped.
"Ron please persuade her to let you come with me or accompany us both at the very least."
"Is this..." Ron hesitated to ask Hermione along if this was going to be another perilous mission, "...will this be dangerous?"
"Not that I am aware but Lord Voldemort has now been alerted to our search so the risk is somewhat heightened, although this particular horcrux is as elusive to him as it would be for the three of you without my assistance."
Ron thought about this and made a decision, he didn't want her to go with him. All he had to do now was convince her to let him go alone. He took a deep breath and went for it.
"Hermione are you there?" he asked as he looked around in the darkness for her shadow, he felt his head being turned and tried to find something to focus his eyes on while he spoke to her, "I need you to take off the hoop. I need you to let me go alone. Please Hermione."
Something gripped him hard and tickled his neck, he knew she was holding on to him for dear life and probably calling him several names all meaning idiot.
"I trust him ok? I trust him to look after me, please let me do this without you," the hold on him was as tight as ever, "Do you trust me?" he asked with a sigh, "I'm asking for you to do this, not him, he says you can come but I'm asking you to trust me and let me go."
Ron hoped that was going to be good enough, he didn't have anything else, he felt his shoulder growing damp and knew that he had made her cry. He was getting way to good at making women cry he thought to himself. He looked across to Dumbledore who was also watching and waiting. The old wizard seemed to give a sigh of relief and soon afterwards Ron felt the silver hoop sliding down his arm and floating away into the shadows.
"Thank you," Ron sighed before getting to his feet and walking towards the opening in the rock face.
As he reached Dumbledore the wizard put a hand on his shoulder and looked behind him with great sadness.
"Ronald please tell Miss Granger that I promise."
Ron looked back into the cave; all he could make out was the glow of the fire.
"He says he promises."
Ron looked back at Dumbledore who lead him away while planting the image of a beach and a huge Elephant shaped rock in his head.
"Take us here my friend."
Just as Ron was about to apparate Dumbledore gripped his shoulder hard and whispered into his ear.
"And I will keep my promise."
Ron nodded, unsure of what had just been agreed between Hermione and Dumbledore but trusting them both, and disapparated.
A/N Well my Ron vengeance has lessened today, I only got shat on by a bird! (I'm serious Scrib; watch out, he's coming after us evil fic writers)