Hello! Here I am again! I'm gonna answer a few questions I'm sure some of you have/have expressed to me via review (which I appreciate)!
1. Why the focus on the Ron/Lavender situation if the main plot will follow Hermione being taken?
Well first and foremost, I think Lavender or no Lavender, if Hermione was taken by a Death Eater Ron would be devastated. The fact that they hadn't properly sorted out what's been going on only increases the anguish on both ends, raising the stakes, something important to do as a writer! Also, if you haven't noticed, the Ron and Lavender storyline has yet to even be wrapped up. I'll tell you this, eventually Christmas Holiday will end and they'll have to return to Hogwarts where Lavender will be, the question is, will Hermione be there as well? Stay tuned to find out, but not to worry, there will be no Ron/Lavender relationship, he's completely done with that.
2. Why didn't Ron and Hermione just talk to each other earlier?
They're teenagers. They're in love. And they're very stubborn. Also, the story would be no fun if they sorted everything first chapter would it?
3. Why Rated M?
Well for one, Ron has a filthy mouth, for another, there will be darker chapters ahead so for cautions sake, the fic is for mature readers.
Hope I was able to clear some stuff up! If you have any question don't be shy to PM me or leave a review and ask! Also I'm open to hear any ideas/theories!
Enjoy & Review
With unsure nods, the pair vacated the kitchen and back into the living room. There was a mix of weeping family members and those out doing something. Searching the area, thinking of where Hermione could've gone.
Ron soon decides he's done being in the mourning category. He needs to remain strong and vigilant, for no one else but Hermione.
"Some needs to get Dumbledore here." Ron's shaky voice says, commanding all eyes to him.
"Albus?" Arthur asks curiously, his eyes a little glassed over as he rubs Molly's back.
The youngest Weasley brother nods, "You-Know-Who he wanted," he inhaled, trying to keep his voice leveled, "he wanted Hermione."
Eyes widen in shock. Bill's mouth hangs open as Lupin furiously paces the room, tapping at his temple.
"What would that bastard want with Hermione?" George grumbles lowly, but it's loud enough for everyone to hear.
"We don't know," Harry finally spoke, "that's why we need Dumbledore. Now." His tone left no room for argument.
"I'll do it." Lupin tells the group, stalking off to the kitchen.
Everyone was rather astounded by the proclamation, they were expecting Remus to push Ron or Harry to divulge what happened.
"I got it." Tonks announced, suddenly appearing from the back door.
Everyone whirled around to face her, "her wand, I have it. It's Hermione, isn't it?" The woman's voice became softer.
Ron stepped forward and gently took it from Tonks hand.
'Not so brave without our wand, are we muddy?'
He shivers as the cold wood caresses his hand.
"She hasn't got a wand," Ginny moaned behind the veil of hair she had been hiding behind, "she'll die."
"Oi Ginny!" Ron said angrily, no one had ever seen him this mad before, his sister flinched.
"Don't you say things like that." Molly told her daughter, hugging her to her chest.
They were all interrupted by a soft rapping on a nearby window.
"Dumbledore already?" Charlie said aloud.
Instinctively, Ron pocketed Hermione's vine wood wand and drew his own. Arthur lurched to the window, ready to strike, when he stopped.
Breathing a sigh of relief he turned, "it's your owl Harry."
"Hedwig?" He asked suspiciously as he stalked toward the bird.
Tied to her leg was a rolled up piece of parchment. Giving her a nice pet first, he soon untied the contents and noticed it was addressed to Hermione.
"Who is it?" Bill asked.
He sucked in a breath, "it's for Hermione, it's from her parents." His voice dropped at this.
Molly suddenly let out a small cry, completely forgetting that her own parents were to be told that their child, their only child, was gone.
"What's it say?" Fred piped up from his spot on the arm chair.
Harry's eyes fell on Ron's, "I'm not sure if it's my place to open it."
Wordlessly, he passed the envelope over to Ron, whose mouth was agape at being trusted with such a thing.
Ignoring the gazes from his family, he peeled open the thing and let his eyes fix on the page. He skimmed every other line as certain sentences stuck out.
Merry Christmas!
We'll send your gifts as soon as we're home.
I hope you're being kind to the Weasley's.
We're sorry to tell you this way, please don't be too upset.
Grandma Jean passed last night, on Christmas Eve.
It was peaceful.
She thought of your grandpa.
She thought of you.
Don't disappear on the Weasley's.
Stay where you are.
We're fine.
You have Ron and Harry.
We love you.
See you soon.
He let the parchment flutter to the ground. He hadn't had it in him to read the entirety of it, but what he read was enough.
The phrases like 'don't disappear', 'stay where you are', and 'see you soon' reverberated around in his head.
"Ronnie, what is it?" Bill probed gently from his spot next to Fleur.
He swallowed the bile in his throat, "her grandmother, she passed. She's gone." A few gasps filled the room, "their daughter, she's, she's gone too. How are we gonna tell them? How am I gonna tell them? It's all my fault."
Despite not knowing what entailed, no one, besides Ron himself, blamed him for what happened.
"Ron," his mother swiftly budged in, ready to console her son.
However, he was having none of it, he didn't deserve it, "her parents they don't know, about any of this."
Late at night in fifth year, he found Hermione in the common room. She was working mercilessly over a piece of parchment as tears pooled on the pages. When he asked what was wrong, she finally let it out and admitted she'd been living a lie. Telling her parents Hogwarts was lovely and the only thing on her mind were exams. No dark lord, no death eaters.
For a brief moment, he wondered if Harry knew too.
"Not about You-Know-Who, not about Cedric, the department of mysteries, not even about prejudices against Muggleborns." He admitted to everyone in the room.
And by the look on Harry's face, this was news to him.
"Did you know?" Ginny dared to ask Harry.
At this, the chosen one shook his head. Suddenly feeling guilty, Harry had been wallowing so much in his own problems he failed to be there for Hermione, who was fiercely loyal to him.
"Why would she lie about that?" Fleur butted in, not judgmental, but just trying to understand.
"She was scared they'd take her out of Hogwarts." He told everyone, Tonks nods in understanding, her dad being a Muggle.
"Because of me." Harry said without missing a beat.
"No," Ron protested.
"Yes, she wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for me. She wouldn't be gone, she wouldn't be lying to her parents." He stated, sure that was the case.
"You'd also be dead without her." His best friend stated with conviction. Ron was already lost in self wallowing, the last thing he needed was for Harry to drown in it too. "We both would be." He couldn't help but add, despite the situation being so close to home.
"Ronnie," Fred's voice, sounding the most gentle he's ever heard it broke through the air, "can you tell us what happened? Please." He pleaded. After all, everyone here cared for Hermione too.
A few times Ron open and closed his mouth, not really knowing what to say. After fumbling like a fish for two minutes, he settled for something, "I'm not," I'm not strong enough.
But, the words never came, a crack sounded outside, and for a sickening moment he imagined Bellatrix Lestrange to waltz through the door.
Instead, he was meant by his fathers shouts, "it's Dumbledore!" He exclaimed opening the back door.
In a moments notice the Headmasters looming six foot frame is towering in his doorway and at the sight, Ron knows somewhere within him he has to manage to be strong enough.
"Albus." Molly said relieved at the sight of him, "we're sorry to do this to you on Christmas and all." She stood wiping at her eyes.
The old man didn't have the heart to tell everyone here that Christmas had long gone, it was nearing two in the morning.
"Of course Molly. I've had Remus go collect Alastor and Kingsley. Nymphadora, do you mind getting Minerva for me?" He asked kindly, annoyingly calm if you ask Ron.
Dumbledore, being one of the only people to get away with calling her that, Tonks just nodded to him as she stalked out to the backyard.
Ron gulps, it's just now hitting him how serious this all is. The Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful Wizard living, someone with their own bloody chocolate frog card is in his living room. But there's no time to marvel at it or even feel shocked, because he knows why he's here.
He's here because Hermione's gone.
Next, the white haired man found a spot on the sofa and surprisingly plopped down. "Now, I need to know everything if I am to help."
Ron's still reeling from telling Harry and because of the owl from Hermione's parents. And by the looks of it, Harry's feeling the same as he stands stock still and paler than usual.
Thankfully, Bill notices the boys expression and takes over as much as he can, "it all started we were all in here, opening gifts, and then,"
"I was in the garden, we," he swallows the lump in his throat, "we were in the garden." Ron almost whispers.
A little awkwardly, unsure what to say, Bill just nods and goes on, "we were opening gifts and we heard a crack, appartion." Dumbledore nods at this.
"Two cracks." Charlie interrupts, earning a slanted look from Bill.
Doing his best to not get frustrated by the multitude people butting in, he ignores it. "So we went outside. We heard her first..." he trailed, not wanting to say it.
"It is crucial you tell me everything that happened, everything that was said." Dumbledore reminded at his uncertainty.
"Bellatrix," Harry's shaky voice said, "she was saying about how she killed Sirius."
Everyone, Bill included, waits for Harry to continue the story on, but instead the dark haired boy offers the eldest Weasley a nod.
"Greyback was with her too." Bill added, "She didn't say much honestly, nothing out of the ordinary. Recognized the lot of us, Tonks, Lupin, Harry, called us blood traitors, remembered Hermione from the ministry." At the mention of her name the room tensed, "then she casted incendio around the Burrow and skipped away, literally."
Neither Ron or Harry made a move to fill in the gaps.
Bill sighed, "Harry, he ran after her, Hermione followed, so did Ronnie. By the time they were all gone, the fire it blocked anyone's path."
At the admission, the chosen ones eyes bulged, "it's all my fault. She ran after me."
"Harry," Ron tried weakly.
Sensing the lack of energy, Fred surprisingly jumped in, "if one of you went all three one of you would've. You know that just as well as I do."
"Mister Weasley is correct, now I know this may be difficult but I'm going to need one of you to please tell me what occurred. This is the only way I'm able to help your friend." The old man eyed Ron and Harry who had found themselves standing side by side against the window.
"I can't say much, I was running before I stunned Greyback. Hermione and Ron were with them longer." Harry was able to speak, mustering any courage he had left.
Ron stared blankly at his headmaster.
"Ron." His mother said gently, "please." She sounded like she was crying.
Sucking in a shaky breath, he hoped to some higher power this would be the last time he ever told this story. He knew he would be reliving it for the rest of his nights, whenever he fell asleep.
"I didn't hear Bellatrix say much, not the first time at least," this made the room shudder, "all I could see was her wand pressed to Hermione's throat, Greyback was eying her like a meal, so I tried to disarm her." His voice dropped, "it didn't do anything, I couldn't use any spells, I couldn't hurt Hermione." Ron's eyes glew glassy, "then Harry came."
Seeing Ron needed a minute, the dark haired boy jumped in, "I stunned Greyback. He fell to the ground. It surprised Bellatrix, Hermione was able to get away. Next thing I knew, I was running." His eyes flicked back to blue ones.
"So were Hermione and I. She started going, going," he's stuttering, "going on about how Lestrange told her that You-Know-Who, he's been talking about her."
Small gasps filled the room, even Dumbledore's eyes grew wide, "about Miss Granger?"
Ron nodded stiffly, "she was certain they wouldn't kill her, said they needed her for, for something. Bellatrix, she said she wasn't here for Harry."
It was Harry's turn for answers. His eyes pleaded Dumbledore's for any piece of wisdom, practically begging to know what game they were playing at. However, for once, the old man didn't seem to know, any answers now, they laid with Ron.
The youngest Weasley brother sensed his responsibility and thought of Hermione, using her to be strong.
"We stopped, by the old oak tree to catch our breaths, we knew we had to go after Harry, but before we could we heard the two of them. She thought we were Harry, when she said as much, Greyback asked why it had mattered, they were on strict orders not to kill him."
"Why?" Harry's voice broke, he needed to know. Bellatrix had ample opportunities to end it but she hadn't.
Dumbledore shook his head, "I can't say for certain Harry. It sounds as if Voldemort," the Weasley family shivered at the name, "wants you for himself. Tom has always been one for theatrics, anything for an act of defiance. What I can't understand is why they didn't attempt to apparate you." He voiced aloud.
Slowly, the Boy-Who-Lived nodded in acknowledgment, but certainly not in understanding.
"What happened next Ron?" The man asked softly.
He cleared his throat nervously, "Bellatrix, she said if she found me, that she'd, she'd kill me." Nearby, Molly moaned in pain, falling into Ginny, "that I was just another blood traitor. But for Hermione, she said," he shut his eyes tightly, "said she'd be a perfect gift for him."
They all knew who 'he' was. Fleur was trembling as the story continued, Ginny had the urge to clamp her hands over her ears, Charlie was fully engaged, and the twins nervously eyed the floor.
"Said she was the brilliant one and all that, that she must know something and they'd get it out of her." He released a breath, "Merlin, she's so stupid, so stupid." He began to cry.
"Ron, you need to tell them. For her." Harry reminded in an equally as broken whisper, clapping a hand on his shoulder to give him strength.
"She knew they wanted to kill me and she knew they didn't wanna kill her..." he trailed, wiping at his eyes.
"No." Fred said aloud, before he could help it, dropping his head in his hands, putting together what happened.
"She casted the stunning spell on me and a disillusionment charm, there was a crack and she was gone." Ron said it rushed, sloppily, unable to even get through it before collapsing against the wall.
Molly stood up, sat down and embraced her son.
"Did Bellatrix perform any spells or curses on Hermione?" Dumbledore asked the sobbing boy.
"Albus." Missus Weasley scolded.
Ron shook his head numbly, "expelliarmus, that was it."
The old man paced around the room before directing his attention to Harry and Ron, the latter now calming in his mother's embrace.
"Did she know something?" He asked flustered. Harry's never heard the professor sound so rushed, so panicked. It worried him to the core.
Frantically, Potter shook his head, "I dont know, maybe, no? I dont know." He's panicked now too.
The white haired man turns his attention to Ron, "she wouldn't have to me anything, she wouldn't." It broke his heart even more, it's just now hitting him that Hermione's gone and he can't remember the last thing he said to her. Just what he wanted to say.
"Has she been fixated on anything? Talking, asking, reading?" He lists off, Harry hasn't heard him use this tone since his name was pulled from the goblet of fire.
The boys look at each other and think, but nothing comes up, they can't even see straight.
"That book." Ginny states in a crisp voice, "she's been reading the same book for weeks. Writing notes on it."
He rounded to the young girl, "what book?"
Ginny shook her head unknowingly, "I don't know. She puts it away whenever anyone comes around." Her voice is uneven, but it's evident she wants to help anyway she can.
"The cover is black, there's gold trim. There's no title, very old looking." Fleur speaks for the first time, recalling their time under the tree.
"Do you know where it is?" He seemed determined to find it, Harry sensed realization in his eyes.
Fleur shook her infadictly, Ginny shrugged, "her trunk?" She suggested.
"Please take me there." He said to no one in particular.
Over his large frame, Ginny's eyes found Harry's, she nodded at him, signaling it was his duty.
"Follow me." Harry stood from the floor and rushed to the steps.
Dumbledore's robes flew behind him as the old man climbed the steps with fervor. When he reached Hermione's trunk, he flung it open unceremoniously and ripped through its contents like a mad man.
Harry had half the heart to scold him and be more gentle with her things. And he was just about to say as much, until the headmaster stopped moving.
In his old, shaking hands, was that old thing that had been attached to Hermione for weeks.
Harry had asked her about it a few times, she just said it was for 'light reading' and brushed him off. He chose not to mention it, reading was ordinary for her.
Next, a brown journal was being pried open by Dumbledore. By the looks of it, the pages were spelled as he whispered a counter incantation to it as the witches neat scrawl filled the pages.
"Hey, it's just her diary! That's private." He scolded.
And for the first time since they got up here, Dumbledore turned to him, eyes wide as saucers.
"This is no diary Harry."
Cliff hanger! Because what would this story be without them? Any ideas what Hermione might've found? Let me know!
Here's a preview that might help you out:
"This is about what you needed from Slughorn? Isn't it?" His voice is stronger than he thought was capable with all the guilt wracking his mind.
"No one can know." The white haired man says.
"Hermione does."
"She shouldn't." Dumbledore says sharply, "I don't even know how."
What could it be? What does it mean for Hermione? Until next time!
Please review! I'm thinking if I can hit fifteen reviews I'll post earlier then intended!
Thank you for reading!
