I like the morning

Because the day is new;

because new strength is given

Agnes Davenport Bond.

Chapter 3

Ron stared at the house where the once vacant lot had been. He hadn't realized how hard it would be to get the house to appear, but as soon as he focused on the location it did just that. The whole time Hermione stood holding his hand, tightly squeezing it, filling his heart with her reassurance that all would be well.

"Hermione, why are you still here?" Kingsley Shacklebolt, the head auror in charge asked as he approached the couple. " I told you to leave, you don't need to see this."

"I haven't needed to see half of what I have in my life Kingsley. I didn't need to have my husband locked up and tortured by a crazy man for five years. And I didn't need to be told to go home like a little girl. I'm staying here for this so get used to the idea." Hermione retorted.

He moved in front of Ron, placed a hand on his shoulder and looked him dead in the eye. "Ron are you sure you want to be here? Are you sure you want her here to see this?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life." Ron replied, his voice strong and even as he met Kingsley's eyes. He put his arm around Hermione and pulled her close to him to make his point clear. They would both be there when Lestrange was pulled from the house and would watch as he was arrested. Nodding to Hermione and giving Ron's shoulder a squeeze Kingsley moved over to the now assembled aurors to finish giving orders. As Ron continued to stare at the house, memories of what happened in it flooded his mind. Finally a soft voice broke through his memories drawing him back to the present.

"Ron," said Hermione, her voice soft with concern; her big eyes looking up at him.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

He looked down into the concerned brown eyes that were searching his for some understanding. He wanted to lie to her and tell her everything was fine and he was okay, but he couldn't do that. Not to her. "Hermione, you don't know what it was like for me in there. It wasn't pleasant. I was tortured on a daily basis. They gave me scraps of food to eat and do you know how they feed me? They threw them on the floor so I had to fight the rats to get it. The rats Hermione! They invaded my mind, twisted my thoughts, and worked to break me down as best they could. They made me think my brothers and father were dead, and that they were coming after you. You have no idea what it was like. I lived in a nightmare for five years and that nightmare only ended today. So no, Hermione, I'm not fine, but it is something I have to do. " As he looked down at her he saw her eyes fill with tears.

"Ron," she started quietly grasping his left hand tighter and bringing her right hand up to his face, "I did know what it was like. Each time you felt pain, I felt it too. Each and every time you were broken down I felt it. I always knew when you were hurting. Remember? I feel it just like you do." She moved her hand to wipe the tears from her eyes and moved away from him her wand drawn.

He closed his eyes as she distanced herself. He knew that she would never truly know what he went through. He had blocked her from most of his pain for the majority of the years. The first year of course he barely knew who he was and that helped. The other years though he had remembered what it took to close her off and he had made sure that whenever he was able that his wife did not know what he was going through.

Opening his eyes he looked over to see Crusitux Lestrange being led out of the house by a single auror, that is strange he thought to himself. Why would they only send one auror in to guard this Death Eater? Instinctively he started to move towards Hermione. He was not going to let her face him. They were wrong earlier. All that mattered is that they were together now and the person responsible would be thrown to the Dementors. His feet seemed to become as heavy as ten pound blocks as he watched the auror hand Lestrange a wand. Before he could get a word of warning out to Hermione or any of the other aurors, Hermione was on the ground screaming in pain as Lestrange stood over her, his wand pointed at her heart.

Hermione and Ron flooed back into their house, from the Burrow. Ron tightly holding on to his wife, as if he worried she would disappear when he let go. She looked around the house wondering where it would be best for them to settle in. Finally she led him over to the couch where she had shed so many tears since his disappearance. He laid his head in her lap and cried releasing all that had been built up in him since that moment he saw Crusitux

Lestrange with his wand pointed at Hermione.

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Hermione did not know how many hours had past since they had arrived home. She really could care less. Ron needed her, he needed to know she was safe and with him. She would do that too, even if that meant she had to sit there with his head in her lap stroking his hair for the rest of her life. She would never leave him, ever. She watched as he tilted his head in his sleep, listened to his mumbling and she knew exactly what he was re-living over and over again.

She lay on the side walk staring up at the man over her, his wand pointed dangerously at her, her wand drawn and pointed at him. She could hear Ron yelling and trying to get to her. But a shield was up around the two of them. It was just her against Crusitux Lestrange. Her mind quickly went through all the spells she knew, the ones that would really hurt but not kill the man who had nearly ruined her life. Finally deciding upon one she had helped develop in her early years at the ministry. It was never approved but it was perfect for what she had to do. All she needed was to watch and wait for the perfect moment.

"Oh so we finally meet. Mrs. Weasley. I must say if what I have seen in your husband's dreams is true, you do know how to keep a man happy."

"Then if you have seen so much you would know it would be wise to let me go." She said calmly, her wand pointed up at him.

"No, I don't think I will. Really I'm tired of the games." He raised his wand and began to speak the spell.

It was this moment Hermione had be waiting for. While it wasn't her practice to use unapproved spells, desperate times called for desperate measures. She quickly raised her wand and spoke the spell "derma-inferno" and watched as his skin quickly burst into sizzling flames. Hermione knew this spell would cause pain so intense it would force him to break the concentration needed to hold the shield up. She also knew it would burn but not consume him because she had helped developed the spell.

Hermione came back to the present when she heard Ron calling out her name. She realized then she had stopped stroking his hair and her hand lay still on him. She saw the sweat beaded up on his brow as he called her name.

"Hermione, no Hermione." his body started shaking again as the tears seeped out of his eyes.

"Shhh, Ron. I'm here. Shh." She brushed her hand over his brow. She saw the relief wash over his tense face as he opened his eyes and looked up at her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down to him.

"I was seeing it all again. I was so scared. I saw what he was about to do to you. I saw him hurting you. I saw it all."

"I'm fine Ron. He didn't hurt me, I promise you. No one has hurt me. I know you won't let anyone hurt me ever again. You promised me that a long time ago." She kissed him lightly on the lips after this, and her heart leapt as he leaned in and kissed her back. It was brief but it was a moment that was almost like life used to be.

"It's been a long day Ron, we're both tired let's go up to bed and then in the morning we'll talk about this. We'll have to go back to explain things to your parents too. I promised them we would, I also made them promise not to come here. I agreed that we would go there."

"Thank you" he said as he stood up and walked to the stairs and then up to bed.

She watched him walk away from her and she took a deep breath before following him. How was she ever going to explain what she did to his parents, would they understand? They would have to, that was all there was to it. But she knew now wasn't the time to think on such things. Her husband needed her to be in bed beside him, so he knew she was still safe.