Waiting and Hoping

Chapter 10

Ron, Harry, Ginny, Molly, Arthur, Remus, Tonks and a few other members of the old Order sat nervously on the spectators area of the court room, it was just over a month after Harry and Ron had raced into Umbridge's office and the trial date had finally approached. Umbridge was sitting next to Rufus Scrimgeour, Minister for Magic and Kingsely Shacklebolt. She shuffled her papers in a business like manner and called across the courtroom,

"Bring in the prisoner"

The doors opened and the temperature of the room dropped dramatically as two dementors entered carrying a diminished Hermione. Ginny squeezed Harry's hand in comfort. They placed Hermione in the centre of the room and left, the door closing automatically behind them.

"Hermione Jane Granger, you have been brought from Azkaban to be interrogated regarding the death of your parents, do you understand?"

Hermione looked up at Umbridge, she face shining in a cold sweat, her eyes more haunted than the last time Ron had seen them, although there was more colour in her cheeks

"Yes" she whispered

"It has been brought to our attention that you claim that your parents received the dementors kiss prior to their murder, can you describe their state before you killed them?" this time it was Kingsley that spoke, his voice was softer than Umbridge's,

"They were just lying on the floor crying, shaking, screaming, they kept shouting, their eyes they...they had this look, like they were in pain, I couldn't let them live like that...it was my fault that they were involved in the war...I had to kill them...I loved them" she was still shaking and had tears running down her bony face,

Ron felt his heart breaking as he looked down at her, she was staring at the floor shivering despite the warmness of the room, he wanted nothing more than to comfort her.

"Why didn't you leave them for the appropriate authorities to deal with?" asked Umbridge with the air of one asking whether someone wanted sugar in their tea,

"The Death Eaters were coming, they knew that my parents were muggles and wouldn't hesitate to use the Cruciatus curse on them, they had already suffered enough, a fate worse than death, I couldn't let them suffer anymore, they weren't involved in this war, it wasn't their fight"

"Why didn't you tell us before you were sent to Azkaban?"

"You didn't give me chance, and even if you did I wouldn't have taken it, I still killed them, you can sugar-coat it if you want but I still uttered the curse, I'm still a murderer"

"Ok, lets have a vote shall we, I have more urgent matters to deal with today" said Scrimgeour with an air of impatience

"Very well, all those in favour of a continued conviction?" Umbridge raised her hand along with a very old looking wizard on the back row, who Ron knew had been asleep during most of the trial, when he saw that he was in the minority his hand dropped down.

"All those in favour of immediate release?" called Kingsley; everyone with the exception of Umbridge raised their hands, including Minerva McGonagall who had succeeded Dumbledore as a member of the Wizengamot,

"Fine, cleared of all charges" shouted Umbridge loosing her sickeningly sweet manner and she quickly exited the courtroom.

Ron breathed a sigh of relief and ran down to greet Hermione,

"Hermione?" he asked upon approach

"I should be in Azkaban, I killed my par..."

"No Hermione, you saved them" he interrupted, Hermione looked up at his face and fainted into his arms

"Lets get her back to the house" said Molly quickly "She'll need looking after for quite a while before the returns to her full strength"

Ron nodded and followed his companions to the Atrium, and eventually to the Burrow, cradling Hermione.

He laid her carefully on the sofa in the living room; his mother had told him that she needed food before going to bed. He went into the kitchen where Harry, Ginny and Arthur were sitting at the table and Molly was preparing some food.

"I can't believe Umbridge wanted to send her back there," exclaimed Harry

"Well at least everyone else has a heart, they way she described how they were, its what anyone would have done" replied Ginny

"Umbridge doesn't believe in love, or emotion," Ron added and Harry nodded.

Molly handed her son some bread, orange juice and a vial of potion, probably for dreamless sleep,

"Make sure she has it all" she said pushing him through the door.

He knelt down next to her and gently shook her awake,

"Hermione, you need to wake up, I've got some food for you"

She stirred and opened her eyes Ron helped her sit up,

"Thank you" she said quietly taking a sip of the orange juice "I'm cold" she added with a slight shiver. Ron pulled a blanket from the cupboard which also housed his mothers knitting equipment and wrapped it around her, whilst also taking a seat next to her and putting his arm around her, at first she tensed before relaxing into him, she drank her orange juice and began on her bread.

"Mom says you've got to eat it all, you know what she's like"

"It's hard to remember, it's like I knew this place and these people in another life" she said finishing her bread, she drank her potion, before Ron asked her,

"You remember me don't you?" he asked uncertainly

"Yes" she said, her eyelids drooping, "Your Ron, my Ron" and she fell into a dreamless, peaceful sleep.

Ron carried her upstairs and placed her on Ginny's old bed, he stopped and turned round at the door before whispering "My Hermione, one day, my Hermione"

A/N Wow that chapter was quite hard to right, now the angst is fading its time to start on some romance. Please keep reviewing I really love reading them!

Love you all

Laura

xxx