Ron took Hermione's hand into his own and pulled her close. His wife was inconsolable and he felt helpless as he searched for words to make her feel better. He wound his hand into her hair and felt her head sink into his shoulder, her tears soaking through his shirt. "It's all right, love. Everything will be all right." For some reason this response only made Hermione sob harder.

After a long time, Hermione's tears began to subside and she stepped back from her husband's arms. "Everything is not all right and you know it," she said accusingly.

Ron froze as his mind began to spit out possible responses. Hermione had always been a touchy sort and Ron had never been the most tactful person in the world, but now with Hermione seven months pregnant every moment was like walking on eggshells. Added to that, the danger they were currently in, his wife was a ticking bomb waiting to explode at the utterance of a single wrong word.

When Ron didn't answer, Hermione continued, "It's all my fault. Everyone must hate me and the baby…" she trailed off as more tears overwhelmed her.

Ron put his arm around her shoulder, his hand finding her swollen stomach. "It is not all your fault," he said fiercely. "It is a matter of unfortunate circumstance and the baby will be fine. This matter will be cleared up in no time, you'll see."

Hermione laughed. "You would think that after all you have seen and been through, you would have lost some of your naiveté."

Ron bristled, feeling the desire to defend himself rise up inside of him. He wasn't naive, he was just trying to make his distraught wife feel better and she was laughing at him? Besides, he had seen a lot, he had been through a lot, both of them had and they were still alive. He wasn't about to let some bloody ring and a lunatic tear his family apart. If Voldemort hadn't succeeded in killing him off, he would be damned if one of his lackeys would succeed.

"The best the ministry has to offer is looking for Lucius Malfoy, it will only be a matter of time before he is caught."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you say so, Percy."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron shouted.

"Really, Ron, the best of the ministry have been looking for that blonde pretty boy for years and he isn't yet behind bars. Do you think just because he wants me and your sister, they are suddenly going to find him?"

Ron narrowed his blue eyes and nodded. "That's exactly what I think, Hermione. Malfoy was laying low before, but now he has a goal. He is out in the open and it will only be a matter of time."

Tears sprang to Hermione's eyes again. "I should have destroyed it."

"It's a bit late for those thoughts now, isn't it? Besides, how do you even know you could have destroyed it? You tried didn't you? The damn thing is indestructible."

"I could have destroyed it! If only I had more time…"

"Well, you'll have plenty of time to figure out how when we are in hiding."

Hermione nodded as she returned to the task of packing her office. She would find a way to destroy the ring and end this disaster.

Ginny opened her eyes when she felt her feet once again land on firm ground. She was in a sparsely decorated sitting room, dusty from disuse. She turned and surveyed her surroundings, ignoring Harry's presence as she strode around the room. There was a sofa and an armchair, a fireplace and bookshelf, a couple of lamps and a threadbare rug. She turned back to Harry and saw him watching her. If she felt a tingle in her stomach she ignored it.

"Is this where we will be staying?" she asked Harry.

"As long as it remains safe, yes."

"And how will we know what is going on? How do we communicate with people?"

"You don't, I do."

Ginny stiffened. So this was how it was going to be? She had to rely on Harry for everything. She couldn't even talk to her mum or dad? That wasn't right! She didn't deserve to be treated like a prisoner! How dare he?

As if he sensed her anger, Harry quickly spoke again, "It's for your safety, Ginny. No one can know where you are, you know that."

She did know that, damn it, but she hated the loss of freedom she felt. She hated not being in control. She hated being in this bloody room with him! "I'm going to look around the rest of the place."

"Fine. I'm going to check the wards around the place an make sure it is secure."

Ginny spun on her heel and fled the room. She found herself in a hallway and entered the door right across from the one she just left. It appeared to have been a study or perhaps a library, but all that remained of the furnishing was a dusty desk and a single lamp. The bookshelves were bare and she could make out the discoloration on the walls from paintings that must have hung for a long time, but had recently been removed.

She moved to the window behind the desk and pulled aside the curtain to peer out. Nothing. She was in the middle of nowhere. The garden immediately surrounding the house was well tended, shorn with a few plants here and there and a single large tree off to one side. The garden was contained by a drab wooden fence and beyond the fence was endless prairie with no identifying features. Never had she seen so much nothingness. Even from the Burrow, one could make out the small village in the distance, but here were just endless grasslands.

She moved back from the depressing sight outside the window and left the study to continue down the hall. The next room was a small, functional bathroom, which she quickly bypassed. The opposite side of the hall contained two rooms, both identical bedrooms with a single bed and dresser in each. Finally at the end of the hall was a kitchen with an ancient Aga stove, bare refrigerator and cupboards and a small wooden table. Ginny frowned, what were they supposed to do for food? Order out? She supposed Harry would know, apparently he had all the answers.

Ginny left the kitchen and backtracked to the first bedroom she came to and claimed it as her own. She removed her shrunken bag from her pocket and set in on the floor, withdrawing her wand she enlarged it. She couldn't bring herself to unpack because it seemed so final, so decided. As if placing her belongings in the dusty drawer and placing her slippers by the bed would make this reality all the more real. She left her bag on the floor and headed back to the sitting room.

Harry was there when she arrived; his outer robes removed revealing simple Muggle clothing similar to her own. He was sitting in the armchair staring at the cold fireplace, his expression blank. She walked quietly into the room and cleared her throat to avoid startling him.

He looked up at her and Ginny felt a wave of heat as his eyes met her. She beat it back and spoke, perhaps more abruptly than intended, "What are we supposed to eat?"

"The ministry will be sending supplies along any moment."

Ginny was caught in a moment of indecision. Part of her wanted to go back to the little bedroom and curl up on the bed until all of this went away. Another part was crying out for companionship. She hadn't really been able to talk to anyone about what had happened.

Harry spoke again, "Why don't you sit down?"

Ginny moved to the sofa and sat on the side farthest from Harry. "So, what are we supposed to do?"

Harry propped his legs up on the footstool. "Wait. For now, that's all we can do."

Ginny nodded, but remained silent. She didn't know what to say to Harry and somehow that made this situation all that much more unbearable. There was a time when she could have said anything to him. A time when she wouldn't have been sitting on the opposite side of the room, she would have been in his lap, running her hands through his hair. Now, she felt like they were strangers.

"You sure managed to get yourself into a lot of trouble, Gin," Harry said, still staring at the fireplace.

Ginny wasn't quite sure how to take that remark, so she let it pass in silence, but she could hear almost as an echo trailing after his sentence, again. She was in trouble again and Harry Potter was charged with saving her, again. Would her life forever be a loop of peril, followed by Harry her savior, followed by more peril and then more Harry?

Harry spoke again, this time quietly, "Do you want to give me your story? I have been briefed of course and Ron told me a little bit more than what is in the official report, but I'd like to hear it from you."

Ginny studied Harry's profile wondering why he refused to look at her. She wanted to tell him everything, but would he be in more danger if he knew the truth? "I don't know how much I should say, Harry."

"I want to know everything. No, I need to know everything." He turned and met her eyes for the barest of seconds before averting his gaze.

"Why? The information you have is plenty to do your job. Do you really need to know more?"

"Yes."

Ginny decided to stall for time, since she wasn't quite sure how much was safe for him to know. "Why don't you tell me what you already know?"

Harry's tone was blank when he began reciting the information he was given, as though he was giving a report to his superior. "While you and Hermione were conducting independent research you came into possession an artifact of a mysterious nature," he trailed off leaving room for Ginny to jump in.

Ginny shook her head and gestured for him to continue.

Harry grimaced but continued speaking, "Knowledge of the unknown artifact became known to Lucius Malfoy at which time he plotted to obtain it from Hermione's office. He attacked both of you while you were at work, bound you and proceeded to search the premises for the object."

The way Harry said it made it seem so cold and factual. He summed up one of the most terrifying moments of her life in barely a sentence. She shuddered, but didn't interrupt him.

"Ron arrived on scene during his lunch break and interrupted Malfoy, who immediately Disapparated. Ron was unable to follow his trail. At that time it became known that Hermione developed the joint Fidelius that allowed both of you to become secret-keeper for the object in question. In order for anyone to learn the whereabouts of the object, they would need both of you to impart your share of the secret. Likewise, in order to break the Fidelius Charm, they would need to kill both of you."

"That's pretty much it," Ginny said, her voice sounding rusty as she choked back the emotions Harry's speech had wrought within her.

Harry turned on her quickly. "No! That's not it, Ginny. What the hell is the artifact and why does Malfoy want it so much?"

Ginny could hear the anger in his voice and was quite frankly more than a little confused by it. She hadn't asked for any of this, she hadn't asked for him. Why would he be angry with her? "I didn't mean for any of this to happen." She had intended to sound as angry as she had, but she knew it had come off wrong. She sounded pitifully sad and hated herself for it.

Harry sighed. He stood and walked over to the sofa, taking the cushion at the opposite end. "I know you didn't, Gin. Just tell me everything."

"Aren't you in enough danger just being with me, Harry? Wouldn't you be better not knowing?"

"That's exactly why I need to know. I am in danger by just being with you, don't I deserve to know what you are willing to die to protect?"

And there it was, plain as day. Their history dragged out into the forefront. Harry hadn't forgiven her for her actions in the final battle when she had placed her life on the line to protect his own as he battled with Voldemort. She had taken a curse meant for Harry right in the chest and had nearly died as a result, but her actions had given Harry the chance to kill his nemesis. It had also given him the strength—the anger he needed to cast the killing curse. Seeing her lying there all but dead had filled him with the necessary rage, his love for her and hers for him resulted in the death of the most powerful dark wizard ever. Harry had never forgiven her for risking her own life, he hadn't forgiven her for coming to the battle that day, and he hadn't forgiven her for loving him.

Ginny could feel tears stinging her eyes as she stood and ran from the room. She wouldn't cry in front of him, not again. This was a mistake, all of it. They should have assigned another auror; she couldn't go through this again. She ran into her bedroom and slammed the door, before throwing herself down on the bed and letting the tears fall.