Back again! I think this chapter is what a lot of you have been waiting for! Also thank you so much for all the reviews I'm nearly at 150! So amazing :)
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Greyback's nails sliced their way across Hermione's throat as she yelled Ron's name in anguish.
" !" Someone hissed.
Ron ignored and leapt to catch Hermione's crumbling body.
"Weasley! Get up!"
"No Hermione please don't." He whimpered, too distracted by her lifeless body to notice anything else.
"Wake up!"
At the booming voice Ron sprung up. Panting from the aftershocks of his dream. And he must still be dreary because he swears McGonagall is leaning over his four poster bed.
"Ron, come on." Harry whispered from his other side.
His best mate's voice grounded him as he soon realized he was fully awake and that his professor was truly in his dormitory.
And you'd think he'd ask why they were here, what's going on. But he doesn't need to.
He already knows.
"Hermione." He practically moans as he throws back the covers.
At the word, Harry and McGonagall also jump back into action, heading for the door. The older woman is halfway out before Ron stops them.
"Wait." He calls, making the pair turn, "Neville. He should come too." The ginger says in a strangled voice.
After a moment McGonagall agrees, " " He nods to the bed.
Harry complies, shaking a confused Neville awake. Like Ron, he seems to know what it's about and is instantly on his feet.
"Let's go." She whispers to the trio.
Worlessly they all scamper down the stairs with a haste like no other. By the time they crawl out of the portrait hole Ron can't find it within himself to remain silent any longer.
"What's going on?" He hisses to the professor.
"There's no time." She calls from in front of him as her dressing gown billows behind her.
The ginger grunts in frustration and wills himself to catch up to McGonagall. "Wait, please, just tell me, is she-is she alive?" He stutters out.
At the cracking of his voice the old woman feels her chest tighten and stops. "Yes, she is." Is all she can manage before running off again.
At her words Ron feels a weight he didn't know was pressing down on him release itself. Harry looks to Ron like he's expecting him to say something, but instead, he just follows behind McGonagall again.
Soon enough they reach her office. The three boys stand silently as she retrieves what seems to be a bowl of floo powder.
"Here you are." She says passing it into Harry's awaiting hands. "St,Mungo's. This will take you right to the Spells Damage entrance." The professor said whilst nudging Harry into her fireplace.
The dark haired boy fisted a handful of powder as he got ready to throw it down. Until Ron stopped him.
"Wait!" He yelled, making Harry pause as all eyes found him.
"There is no time to waste." McGonagall scolded
"They found her didn't they?" The hope in his voice was like nothing else.
She sighed in defeat and nodded, "yes, they did. I heard your brothers found her."
A small swell of pride bubbled up deep within Ron. He knew The Order was raiding the Manor tonight, but the fact that Bill and Charlie played such a hand in getting Hermione home safely means the world.
"And she's alright?" He asks next, voice shaking over every word.
McGonagall's lips pulled into a tight line, "She's in 's."
"But she's alright?" He presses.
"Look Weasley, I know just as much as you do. If you'd like that question answered I suggest you do as I say and Floo over there now, yes?" She said a little testily.
Repressing the urge to roll his eyes, Ron simply nodded to Harry as he did as she instructed. As the green flames engulfed his best mate, he nodded Neville to go next.
"You need to tell Ginny." It wasn't up for debate.
She nodded, "I figured you'd rather not wait for me to retrieve your sister and head over there yourself. I Plan on retrieving once you're on your way."
"Right." He whispers, stepping into the fireplace and gripping the powder.
Just as he opened his mouth to be whisked away, McGonagall spoke again, "You take care of her." Never in all his years has he heard this woman sound so choked up.
Ron looks her in the eyes and nods with so much confidence that no one would dare question him.
"Always." He assured before being engulfed by green.
After his body felt squeezed and pushed, he finally feels his feet land firmly on solid ground. Ron stumbled a little before his gaze finally fell on an equally anxious looking Neville and Harry.
"Come on, this way." Harry says, gripping Ron's shoulder to tug him along, hoping it'll help ground him to reality. To assure this was actually happening.
However, Harry's touch offered little assurance. Ron was terrified that this time was like so many others. The minute he laid his eyes on Hermione, the world would transform into a nightmare. Bellatrix cursing her, Greyback clawing at her. And Ron, he could never save her.
Shaking a little at the horrible thoughts, he shook his head and willed himself forward. Soon enough mops of red hair entered his vision as Bill's eyes snapped to his.
Maybe this was real.
"Ronnie." His eldest brother breathed out before engulfing him in an embrace.
Finally, he allowed tears to stream his face, "Thank you Bill. Thank you." He cried into his shoulder.
After a few moments Bill pulled away, shaking his head. "Don't thank me. I didn't do anything."
Ron's brows scrunched in confusion as he noticed Charlie joining them.
"What do you mean? McGongall, she said my brothers saved her."
"It wasn't us Ronnie." Charlie spoke.
This did nothing but further his bewilderment, "What? But you were-"
"It was the twins." Bill cut off.
His mind was spinning. That can't be right. The twins were all the way in Diagon Alley.
The sickening feeling that this may be another dream was slowly creeping over him.
"The-the twins?" Ron stuttered in disbelief.
Charlie nodded in confirmation as Bill continued to speak, "When the raid started, they all started disapparating. We didn't have anyone."
"But it didn't matter," Charle cut off, "That wasn't what we were there for." He reminded.
"Right." Bill nodded, "Anyway, after they left, we searched the whole place, The dungeons, the bedroom, and Ronnie, you were right."
"Huh?" He mumbled.
"About Draco. I was the one who raided his room, it really was their house."
While this was something they all knew, the direct confirmation made Ron squirm. Malfoy was a foul git, but the fact he could be involved in something so gruesome, his own classmate. It made Ron see red.
He knew that now wasn't the moment to focus on that, not when his mind was racing a mile a minute. "How did she get to Diagon Alley then?" He whispered.
Charlie began to speak, "We don't know, we haven't-"
"Ronnie." He heard George breathe from behind him.
Whirling around he met the twins' eyes, which were rimmed red and bloodshot. Before he could even question it, the pair was engulfing him in a hug. And Merlin, he doesn't think he's ever hugged them, either of them.
"You found her?" Ron asked through tears into Fred's shoulder.
He felt one of them nod, "yeah."
At this, the three broke apart. The youngest wiped at his eyes with his hand, trying to pull himself together as he searched for answers
They seemed to know what he needed to hear, "We were just walking home, Fred, he found her in an Alley." George began.
"But how did-"
"Ronnie, we think she apparated." Fred told him quietly.
"A-apparted?" He stuttered.
George nodded, "Dad went to the Ministry to check the records. Look, we found her with a wand, there was no one around. There can't be another explanation."
"A wand? Whose?" His voice rose, demanding the truth.
However, the twins remained calm, "We don't know." Fred answered, "Dad went to look into that too, about an hour ago. Told us to wait." He informed.
Ron eased a little, there was no one he would trust more with this than his father. But the sense of calm was short lived as another thought crawled its way into the forefront of his mind.
"And you saw her?" The words caught in his throat, "She's real?" More tears streamed his cheeks.
And after a moment. One that felt like it lasted hours, days, even. The paid nodded.
"She's real." They confirmed.
At those two words, everything he was trying to hold in poured out. Ron nearly collapsed in sobs before Fred caught him.
"She's home now Ronnie. She's home." His brother whispers gently into his ear. The soft words calmed him.
Once he calmed a little he spoke, "She's really back?" He had to be sure.
"Yeah Ronnie, she is." Fred promised, his green eyes piercing into his brother's blue ones.
"Thank you." He chokes out, then averts his gaze to George, "thank you both so much. I can never-"
"Hey," George begins, "we didn't just do it for you. Hermione's as good a sister to us as Ginny is. She's family. We'd do anything for her." He tells him.
Ron opens his mouth to respond, though unsure what to say. The statement held so much weight, yet somehow made him feel light at the same time. His emotions were running rampant.
However, an unfamiliar voice cut them off before they could go any further, "Are you the party here for the young woman brought in earlier?" An old man asked in Healer's attire.
Ron rounded to face him, nodding fiercely.
The man didn't look convinced, "you're her family?" He questioned reluctantly.
"Yes." Ron answered harshly.
The short old man still wasn't convinced. The teen was ready to explode at the evident doubt until a soft hand gently squeezed his shoulder.
"Yes we're her family." His mother's kind voice assured.
At this, the man finally relented and nodded to Molly. Ron turned gratefully to his mother who offered him a small smile through her misty eyes.
"Being youre her family," he said the word awkwardly, "I'm here to give you an update about Miss-"
"Granger. Hermione Granger." Harry spoke up.
For a minute the healer's eyes went wide, seeming to have noticed the Harry Potter in the flesh. And if Molly's assurances weren't enough, he wouldn't dare question the Boy Who Lived.
"Well I am Miss Granger's healer, Pike Jamison, and I'm afraid I don't come bearing the best of news."
Everyone went stalk still at his words. Healer Jamison took note and suddenly felt guilty.
"We've stabilized her." He cleared up quickly, making them all slump in the tiniest bit of relief.
"But?" Charlie asked, knowing it was coming.
"But," he began sadly, "Miss Granger, she shouldn't even be alive, we don't know how-"
"Then why?" Ginny asked suddenly.
And while Ron didn't exactly like the question he was wondering the same.
Jamison shrugged, "after the first war, research on unforgivable curses slowed considerably. Even today we have trouble understanding their true extent. I do know this though, the residual dark magic in her system is unlike anything I've ever seen before. I've seen a fraction of that kind of magic killing even the most capable witches and wizards instantly."
"I still- I don't understand." Molly admits, voice riddled with sadness.
"I'm afraid I don't either. Once Miss Granger awakes, I'm hopeful of getting more information on her condition and how to tackle her treatments. Until that time things are rather...complicated." He settled for.
"Complicated?" Bill repeated.
"As I said, the residual dark magic in her body is like nothing I've ever seen. The concern right now is that even the slightest bit of magic may send her over the edge. Sometimes if there's enough dark magic in one's system it can consume any amount of magic and turn it dark. The cruciatus for example, attacks the nervous system at such a rate that the body can't keep up to regenerate. She can't afford to fight off anything else at the moment."
"So no magic? You can't heal her?" Ron questioned bitterly. It wasn't fair. Nothing was fair anymore.
Jamison shook his head, "I'm afraid for now no magic, healing or otherwise, can be used on Miss Granger. I'm worried so much as a drop of dittany may be a risk at this time."
"Dittany?" George questioned.
"It has magical properties. That's what sews the skin together." Bill answered for the healer.
He nodded, "right you are young man. Until then, we've taken a more, uh, Muggle route to healing her. Myself, as well as my team, are trained in non-magical healing as well as magical healing of course. Miss Granger is very weak, malnourished, she has multiple fractures, some internal bleeding, cuts, bruises, you name it. And her mind-" he sighed sadly, "we won't know more until she wakes. Her scans show small trace amounts of cruciatus in her brain, but it isn't enough to do any long lasting damage."
"That's good though, isn't it?" Fred asked when no one spoke.
"It's hard to say son, the magic, it moves through the body, it could've already attacked her mind and moved on. We just won't know until she wakes. I'm sorry." And at least he sounds sincere.
Everyone seems to nod in acknowledgment at his words, but that doesn't make it okay.
After, everyone stands silent, unsure where to go from here.
"Can I see her?" He asked so abruptly it made everyone stare at him. He squirmed under their gazes, "I just- I need to see her, please." He almost whined.
The healer shook the look of confusion and soon nodded, "Of course, right this way."
The door was nearby as the old man opened it and waved his hand for Ron to head in.
As he walked into the white, sterile room, he felt his stomach sink. The feeling only grew as his eyes fell on the bed.
There, laying in it was Hermione. She was real.
But, he couldn't will himself to focus on the prospect. Not when she looked so pale, sickly, and lifeless.
Now he's sure this is one of his nightmares.
Even though she's back, it can't all be smooth sailing! I hope the explanation satisfied you I'm obviously not magical or not a healer, so I made do to fit the story.
Now we have a glimpse into Ron finally seeing Hermione, I can promise from here on out it will be packed full of Ron and Hermione scenes. Here's a preview!:
"Harry, I need to be honest with you right here, right now. I promise on my last breath that I will kill them. Bellatrix, Greyback, Malfoy, Dolohov, all of them. I'll do it, or I'll die trying." He said with so much conviction, eyes never leaving Hermione's battered form.
"Ron-"
"Don't give me that crap. Nothing you say will convince me otherwise. You may be the chosen one mate, but no one, and I mean-"
"Ron," Harry said harshly, "I was going to say I'm with you."
Until next time! Keep reviewing!
