I know! I know! I've been terrible… I know it has been about two months since I updated and I really hope I still have readers left! I have been dreadfully busy lately. I work about 30 hours a week and college ain't what it used to be. And by that I mean easy. Once again I am SO sorry. I hope this chapter sort of makes up for my truancy. I will really try harder.

Nerd and 1/2

Ron's fingertips brushed the oak door to Hermione's room, grazing against the tiny imperfections etched into it. He hesitated slightly, holding his breath before releasing it slowly. He didn't want this to turn into a fight. He turned the knob to her room bracinghimself for a possible confrontation.

"Hermione…" He said pushing the door open, lightly. BAM! Ron was knocked backwards immediately. Ropes wound themselves around his wrists and ankles. Ron felt his head crack against the hallway wall and everything swirled around him. He tried desperately to maintain consciousness and failed miserably. His eyelids felt weighed down and his body was rendered immobile by the ropes that held him. Hermione, was his only thought as everything around him faded to black.

Hermione had tried to cry out when she heard Ron coming. She tried to shake enough, kick enough, struggle enough, just so he would hear her. Just so she could warn him that there was danger but her attempts were useless. She could not move a millimeter. The ropes were bound around her so tightly that she knew that she would later have bruises from struggling against them. That is, if she survived this.

"He really went down hard!" Thomas laughed mirthlessly. Hermione glared at him, hate blackening her eyes. "Oh God, you are so much more fun when you can speak." Thomas flicked his wand at her allowing her to speak once more.

"You bastard!" She croaked. Her throat felt sore and dry from screaming silently for so long.

"That was harsh, Hermione." Thomas put a hand on his chest in mock outrage. "Don't be so rude because I have a feeling you won't like your punishment." Hermione pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes, lapsing into a momentary silence.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked after a minute.

"We all serve our purpose." Thomas stated, confusing Hermione. He flicked his wand at Ron and floated him into the chair next to her. Hermione looked at Ron, terrified. His head was bleeding profusely. Thomas' eyes flicked toward her.

"Ugh. Don't worry. We won't let him die. He's of no use to us dead." He sneered, looking disgusted.

"Use?" Hermione squeaked.

"Yes I know that the idea of Weasley being useless is a pretty common occurrence but at this point in time we need him for information."

"We?" Hermione croaked.

"Oh come on Granger. Did you think this was some sort of lover's quarrel? I was jealous so I wanted to torture the two of you? Please." Thomas rolled his eyes as he set to work retying Ron to the chair.

"He won't tell you anything!" Hermione spat.

"I really would not be so sure about that…"

"I am! Ron won't talk! It doesn't matter how much you torture him! He'd rather die." Thomas smiled wickedly at that comment and pressed a finger to his lips. Hermione felt sick. Those fingers had once touched her. She squeezed her eyes at the thought. She had almost slept with someone who was absolutely heartless.

"But would he rather you die?" Thomas finished binding Ron and kneeled before her. He caressed her cheek lightly. "You see, I am pretty sure Ron will do absolutely anything to keep you safe. Wouldn't he?"

"What would be the point? You'll kill me anyway!"

"He doesn't know that and neither do you. Besides, we all know there are worse things than dying." Hermione shivered involuntarily. She could vividly remember when Bellatrix Lestrange repeatedly used the Cruciatus Curse on her. She could barely stand afterward but Ron had been wonderful. He had helped her walk around and had carried her back to Shell Cottage. She wasn't even sure she had ever thanked him.

"This isn't you." Hermione whispered. "I know you. Why are you doing this?"

"You don't know me at all."

"How can you say that?"

"I can say that because it's true." Thomas pursed his lips and stood up again. "I loved you Hermione. But you didn't love me back. I would have done anything for you and you betrayed me."

"I betrayed you?"

"You were a spy!"

"And you were committing illegal acts! At least what I did was legal!" Thomas rolled his eyes at this.

"That's not much of an apology Hermione." He turned his back on her and they fell into silence. She turned to Ron who had blood streaming down his face.

"If you don't want him to die you better stop that bleeding." Hermione said as calmly as she could. Inside she was terrified. What if Ron died? She couldn't stand it. This was all her fault. She had gotten them into this mess. And she would get them out she thought with more confidence than she felt.

"I never said I didn't want him to die. I just said I would let him live, for now, at least."

"Either way he's going to die if you don't fix him soon!" Hermione clenched her teeth. Thomas looked bored as he strode over to Ron roughly yanking his head and murmuring healing spells over him.

"What are you getting out of this exactly?" Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"I don't know what you mean." Thomas turned his back on her and poured himself a glass of water.

"You could have started over and had a new life."

"You know as well as I do, once you are in, there is no going back. I saw that after I talked to Roberts. I was lucky that he took me back instead of just killing me. But I believe that handing in a world class Auror and a traitor should be enough proof of my loyalty."

"Thomas. It's not too late to turn back. Everyone relapses."

"I am evil, Hermione not an alcoholic."

"But-"

"Enough. I am tired of talking. To you, at least." He pointed his wand at Ron. "Enervate!" Thomas yelled. Ron groaned as he came to. He shifted uncomfortably against the ropes. He opened his eyes slowly, his vision slightly hazy. The first thing he saw was Thomas standing in front of him smiling horribly at him. He flinched away from him.

"Wha-What happened?" Ron asked tiredly. His face felt wet and his head was pounding.

"You were knocked out." Thomas looked at him if he were the stupidest thing he had ever seen. Ron looked around him and saw Hermione looking at him with a mixture of relief and panic. She was tied up too. God damn it! I should never have let her leave! How long had she been here?

"Why am I tied up?" Ron looked down at the ropes and feeling slightly more alert at the sight of Hermione.

"Why is anyone ever tied up?" Thomas asked, annoyed.

"You want to have your way with me?" Ron asked in mock outrage. He could taste blood in his mouth when he spoke and Thomas smirked.

"Good one, Weasley. I hope you keep up the jokes. It might make this whole thing much more pleasant."

"Maybe you could be a bit more specific as to what exactly, 'this whole thing' is?"

"As if I could tell you… I will explain once my back-up gets here."

"Thomas, what are you doing?" Ron breathed, struggling against his bindings.

"You didn't honestly think I'd changed? You are suspicious of everyone."

"I thought-" Ron started, ashamed.

"I wasn't aware that I was such a great actor. I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks Ron." Ron's cheeks flushed with anger. He looked at Hermione again. He tried to focus on the situation at hand but in his mind he was terrified for Hermione. Whatever happened to him, he could deal with but if anything happened to her? He shut his eyes at the thought. We are going to make it through this. We've been through worse. He chanted this over and over in his head.

"Thomas. You don't have to do this…" Ron said as calmly as he could.

"That's what you're girlfriend was trying to tell me."

"Then maybe you should listen! This is a dumb choice!"

"Who are you to decide my choices for me?"

"Thomas, please…"

"Are you begging for yourself? Or for her?" Thomas pointed his wand. Ron opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Hermione.

"Thomas, you're not going to get away with this!" Hermione screamed. "You of all people should know that there is surveillance. The officials should be here any minute."

"It has been an hour since this started Granger. Don't you realize I take my work very seriously? I've never been anything but thorough."

"But how-" Ron started.

"The Imperius curse really does wonders." Ron scowled.

"You aren't going to get away with this."

"Enough!" Thomas shouted. "I have some things I need answered and I want them now!"

"I won't tell you anything!"

Just as he said this a very large man walked though the door. His hair was like oil. The long curtains of grease were tied back in a ponytail and he cracked his knuckles menacing. Hermione would have laughed if she didn't know what exactly he was capable. She wanted to vomit.

"I don't think that's exactly true." His voice resonated like an echo.

"Who are you?" Ron sneered.

"Didn't they tell you?" The man looked between Thomas and Hermione. "I'm Salvador Solano. But most people just call me Sal." Ron looked between Hermione and Thomas, searching for an answer and then it hit him. What felt like a distant memory flooded into view. "I told Sal that I thought something was wrong with you. After that day you went for a walk, which I can only assume was not a walk, you acted strangely distant. I didn't know what had happened. It seemed like an innocent concern to voice at the time. Had I known Sal was going to go to Roberts, I never would have told him." Sal, the torturer had just joined them.

"Now, let's get some answers, shall we?"