Disclaimer: It's so curious; one can resist tears and 'behave' very well in the hardest hours of grief. But then someone makes you a friendly sign behind a window, or one notices that a flower that was in bud only yesterday has suddenly blossomed, or a letter slips from a drawer... and everything collapses. -Colette

"Look," Ginny whispered. The family turned to the bed to see Ron stirring. Opening his eyes he looked around confused.

"Ron-"

"Was it a dream?" was the first thing that came out of his mouth. Everyone glanced at each other uneasily and then back at Ron. Ginny shook her head.

"Ron-"

"Where's Hermione?"

"Ron you need to calm down," A Healer advised, popping up at the side of his bed and trying to check his pulse. He pulled away from the woman, glaring at her.

"Don't you tell me to calm down! I just saw my daughter die! Now WHERE THE HELL IS HERMIONE?!!" he yelled. He looked around wildly, searching everyone's faces for answers. Harry stepped forward, his eyes bearing unhappy news.

"Ron... Hermione wasn't there when we arrived..." A heavy silence fell upon them when Ron's face went completely emotionless. Shoving the Healer away he got out of bed and pushed his way past objecting family members and opened the door.

"Ron wait! You're not well!" Mrs. Weasley screamed.

"Let go of me!" he screamed at the Healers, taking a threatening step towards them. They backed off, not wanting to cause more stress to him. He started off staggering down the hall.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked, trying to catch up.

"To find Hermione!"

"DADDY!" Ron froze the sound of the scared voice. Little Lorel came stumbling up to him on her small feet, grabbed hold of his leg and continued to cry. Her head had a huge bandage on it and her legs and arms were scratched. Ron just stared at her for a moment then completely broke down on the ground. Sitting down crosslegged on the floor, he put his hands in his head and just cried. Lorel tugged on his arm and he grabbed her, pulling her into a feirce hug and the two just cried.

The Weasleys and the Grangers just watched, their hearts all twisting painfully as they watched Ron sob. The head Healer, a greying man in his fifties shook his head sadly.

"No man should have to watch his kid die..."

Ron carried the small child into a room Mrs. Weasley had prepared for them. Ron hadn't wanted to go back to his house. Laying her down, he tucked her in, sitting at the edge of the bed as she slept. The moonlight reflected off of her red hair as she slept peacefully. The Healers had given her a dreamless sleep potion. Ron had refused to take one, for reasons no one could figure out. Her little shirt was still blood stained, but Ron was to drained to change it. It hurt just to look at her. Her bandage. Her face. She looked so much like her sister.

Triniti, he thought. There was a painful pang in his heart at the thought of his eldest daughter. He closed his eyes, his mind going back to the events only a few hours earlier. Hermione's screams. Triniti's cries and Lorel's begging for her sister to wake up. Then the laughter. The malicious laughter of Draco Lucius Malfoy. Ron's fingers curled into a fist as his hatred for the man grew inside of him. The deep loathing and desire for the man's blood overcame him in a passionate lust for the man's blood. Gasping, Ron looked over at his sleeping daughter. His mind wandered back to the words of the Aurors. They had said something about some curse that had happened. The reason for Hermione's disappearance as well as the disappearance of all the other deatheaters, including Malfoy. They had said that she might still be alive. Ron closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had to do it. He had to. Looking back down at Lorel he leaned over and kissed her.

"I promise I'll find your mother. I prormise I'll get Malfoy for what he's done," he whispered. He smoothed back the hair from his daughter's face watching as she breathed. Getting up he walked to the door and looked upon his daughter one last time. "And I promise I will return to you..."

A/N: ...