Disclaimer: I don't own HP.
Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live. -Dorothy Thompson
Three weeks had passed and Draco Malfoy had done nothing.
The Ministry had not been attacked and Hogwarts had remained quiet as evil brewed within its depths.
There had been no contact between either parties and the Order was growing uneasy. A lapse after such a mind-boggling attack was unnatural.
Hermione, however, was not aware of any of this having been in the hospital for the three weeks.
She had survived the night and had eventually been taken out of critical care and put into a private room. Though she was getting better and receiving physical therapy for her spine, which had been severely damaged during the process, she was allowed no visitors for the purpose that she might get sick.
It had been a miserable three weeks for Hermione as well as Ron, who had fought hard to be able to see her, but the Healer had stayed strong.
Finally, the Healer had declared Hermione well enough to leave and she was now getting ready to go. Mrs. Weasley was there, putting some of Hermione's things, mostly books, into a bag.
"Are you sure you're ok?" Mrs. Weasley asked, worried.
Hermione smiled. "I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley. I'm just glad to be alive," she told the concerned woman.
Mrs. Weasley set down the bag and went over to where Hermione was standing. "Because if you're still in pain, Healer Grossman says that you can stay for another week."
Hermione shook her head. "I'm sure. Healer Grossman said I'll feel a little pain in my back for a while, but other than that, I'll be fine," she insisted, taking Mrs. Weasley's hand.
Mrs. Weasley gave her hand a squeeze. "Ron and Harry have been working themselves sick over you. Harry's been spending a lot of time at Sirius's house, helping Remus with some plans for Hogwarts and Ron's been at the Ministry for the past four days without rest."
Hermione sighed. "I've been away for so long…"
The matriarch smiled and pointed to the door. "Well, let us go back to the Burrow and let everyone say hello to you."
"Harry! Harry! Hermione's here!" Neville called from the living room.
Harry, Seamus and Dean immediately got up from the table and raced into the living room.
"Harry!" Hermione squealed when he pulled her into a bone-crunching hug and swung her around. The other boys gather around her, watching as Hermione gathered her wits before beaming. Mrs. Weasley smiled and left the room, going up the stairs.
"I heard you all nearly died when I almost did," she whispered.
Neville pointed to Harry. "He almost did," he said with a smile.
Harry went red but Hermione smiled, kissing Harry on the cheek. "I'm glad to see you guys," she said. "How did you make it back?"
Seamus smiled. "Tonks appeared right before we were all about to charge."
"What?" Hermione exclaimed, "you were about to charge?!" She rounded on Harry, obviously expecting an explanation.
Harry looked to the others for help, the Hermione everyone knew coming out. The others grinned and quietly backed out of the room quickly. Harry turned back to Hermione.
"Look Hermione… We needed to give you more time so we were going to make a stand. We were going to protect you," he told her hastily.
"But you would have died!" she shouted.
"Tonks came!" Harry defended.
Tears started to form in Hermione's eyes. "You would have died."
"Then we would have kept our promise to your father," Harry shot back, hating to see Hermione start to get all emotional about this.
Immediately she launched herself at him, burying her face in the crook of his neck, sobbing. Harry smoothed her hair down as he held her, rocking her back and forth as she cried into his shoulder.
"It's ok, Hermione. We're here so let's not think about it," he whispered to her.
Hermione nodded, pulling away slightly. Harry chuckled and wiped away her tears.
"I promised the Healer I wouldn't stress myself with emotions," she whispered.
Harry snorted. "A little late for that," he commented and Hermione rested her forehead on Harry's shoulder and laughed.
They stayed like that for a while until Harry shifted. "You know, Ron's upstairs," he told her.
She pulled away from him, wiping her eyes. "What's he doing upstairs?" she asked softly.
"Sleeping. He's been at the Ministry all night. He tried to stay up but fell asleep," Harry explained. "I'm sure he'd like to be woken up."
Hermione nodded and mounted the stairs, leaving behind a grinning Harry. When she reached the landing, she stopped herself from knocking on the door. Her mind raced back to the last time she'd seen him. She steeled herself and then knocked on the door. When no one answered she knocked again. Hermione sighed when he didn't answer and opened the door herself, peering in.
Her eyes adjusted to the light and then she looked over to Ron's bed. She spotted him sleeping on top of the covers, his chest going up and down slowly. Hermione bit her lip and slipped into the room and closed the door behind her.
She walked over to his bed slowly, unable to bring her gaze from him. She stopped at the bed and hesitated before kneeling down on the bed beside him.
"You're treading dangerous water, Bellatrix," Draco said to her, coming out of the bathroom.
Bellatrix looked up at him from a chair and snorted. "You're the one who hasn't made a move since the Hogwarts Express. The Death Eaters are thinking you've run out of ideas. The younger ones are starting to mock us."
"By younger, you mean my age," Draco muttered ruefully.
Bellatrix rolled her eyes and got up and went over to him.
"I hope you realize why I'm doing this Draco," she hissed, taking hold of his arm.
"I understand," Draco responded, looking up at her through cold eyes.
"Good," she said, releasing him. "Then do not question me," she growled.
Draco glared at her for a moment before turning back to the dresser, fiddling around with the cologne that was there.
"I do have ideas," he told her.
Bellatrix smiled. "What is it?"
He moved over to her, pulling her flush up against him.
She leaned down and kissed his brow and then began to kiss his face. He moved around and then his eyes opened. At fist they just stared at each other, Ron amazed at the beauty that graced him with her lips.
"Hermione…" he whispered, his voice hoarse and small.
She smiled down at him and brushed her lips against his gently, an overwhelming need to be near him suddenly present within her. She gasped when she felt his strong arms go around her waist and pull her down so that she was completely on top of him. She could feel her mind go fuzzy as they continued to kiss, not able to focus on anything but his touch.
Hermione broke the kiss, breathing deeply and her eyes closed. Ron reached up with one hand and brushed the back of his hand against her cheek, still amazed at how beautiful she looked.
"I missed you," he whispered.
Hermione opened her eyes and gazed into his, a smile appearing on her face. "I heard rumors that Tonks had to save you from the Death Eaters," she murmured.
Ron rolled his eyes. "We didn't need rescuing. We were doing fine."
Hermione repositioned herself so that she wasn't completely on him, propping herself up with an elbow. "If by fine, you mean about to charge the bad guys because you'd run out of ideas, then yeah, I'll agree with you," she said.
"Bloody Seamus, can't keep his mouth shut," Ron grumbled, watching her carefully.
"I hear it was your idea."
Ron shrugged, leaning in and kissing her exposed neck. "I'll take credit for Harry's idea, sure," he mumbled into her skin.
Hermione hit him in the arm and pushed his head away. "Ron… you could have died."
"You could have too, so we're even," he told her calmly. Hermione was about to say something when she stopped herself and looked away from him.
"You want to know my idea?" Draco asked into her skin, moving his lips up and down her neck.
Bellatrix smiled and nodded. "I'd appreciate it," she muttered.
Draco pulled away from her neck and looked at her. "I don't trust you," he whispered.
Bellatrix's eyes flashed with a momentary anger then she smiled. "I don't trust you either, now we're even."
Draco leaned in and kissed her jaw lightly. "The Ministry will not see it until it is too late," he told her.
Ron took her chin in his fingers and forced her to look at him.
"Hey… we're alive," he whispered before kissing her fully and deeply.
Hermione gasped into his mouth when his hands began to glide along her skin gently, caressing her in ways that drove her mad. Her hands went down his chest and found their way under his shirt, her mind reeling at how tight his abs were. She sent a silent prayer of thanks to whoever thought of Quiddich. She stopped kissing him though when her hands ran over raised areas on his stomach. She pulled away and frowned.
"What?" Ron asked, watching her carefully.
Hermione met his gaze for a moment then looked down at his stomach, raising the shirt so she could see. She gasped.
Three long thin scars were on Ron's side. They all started from his back so Hermione couldn't see the origin, but she could see that they ended on his abdomen, jagged red lines reaching out from the main scars.
"Oh Ron," Hermione sighed, her eyes watering as she ran her hands over the scars with trembling hands. "You could have-"
Ron kissed her passionately, catching her off guard as his lips moved against hers fervently, trying to convey the feelings he wasn't capable of saying. Hermione was about to move her hand to his face when he stopped her, grabbing her hand and placing it over his racing heart. He then pulled away from her.
"I'm alive, Hermione," he said firmly.
Draco rolled off, lying down on his back, breathing heavily. Bellatrix propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at him, smiling.
"So that's your plan," she whispered, watching as his eyes began to droop.
He nodded sleepily, one hand running up and down her back as he drifted off. Bellatrix watched him sleep for a moment then reached up and brushed a lock of blonde hair out of his eyes.
He was learning.
She leaned down and kissed his neck reverently.
Hermione watched Ron sleep, running her hands over the raised scars again. They were still lying on the covers, but after a rather heated snog, Ron had drifted off to sleep, leaving Hermione to watch him in silence.
Over the passed few days, she had had time to think about her relationship with him and about what he had almost said at the Shrieking Shack. If he was going to say what she thought he was, she wouldn't have been able to continue on.
If Ronald Bilius Weasley loved her, she prayed that the worst was over.
The fact was, when she had admitted to loving Ron, she had hoped that it had been a dream and that no one would remember. She was so scared she hadn't thought over what she was about to say. Now she hoped that she would have a chance to tell Ron how she really felt without being afraid…
Bellatrix ran her hands over Draco's naked chest, feeling his powerful abs and smiling.
Her mind went back to a moment.
"You will protect the boy," he hissed.
"I will do what you command, Dark Lord," Bellatrix whispered, bowing.
"The boy is to be my heir."
Bellatrix looked up in surprise. "The Dark Lord will prevail over the wretch, Potter. You will conquer," she groveled.
Voldemort glared at her. "OF COURSE I WILL PREVAIL!" he screeched. Bellatrix fell to her knees, her face to the ground as she felt evil's presence draw near.
"Bellatrix… get up," he whispered silkily, causing her to quake as she stood, eyes down. He leaned in, his tongue flicking out to cheek and finding its way down her jaw. "You will protect him. He is to be my Heir."
Bellatrix had kept her promise, though she had allowed her physical needs to get the best of her, landing her in the position of Draco's woman.
No matter. Through Draco she would gain the power she desired.
Hermione kissed Ron's brow and sighed.
A bad feeling went up her spine and shrouded her with a feeling of foreboding.
A/N: I love this story!