Ron's POV
Fear coursed through my veins as the burrow came into view and the process of dissaperation ended. I instantly sprinted to the door leading into the gravity defying house when i realised the girl i have always loved wasn't in my arms anymore. I instantly ran as fast as I could back into the garden. She had to have made it. She just had to have. Desperately i ran towards a limp form that I spotted almost as soon as i entered back into the garden. Harry was close behind me having also been flung off a little way as a result of the dissaperation. I once again picked her up and for the first time really realised how light she was. I could practically be holding a small doll. In fact it was exactly like holding a small doll. I let the thought leave my head as i banged on the door with all my might and began yelling at the top of my lungs "help me! Please! I need help". In less than a second the door was ripped open by an extremely scared Ginny. Taking one look at Hermione and then at me she ran inside screaming mums name. A slightly confused Molly stepped into the room before instantly running towards me and the rest of the golden trio. "W...w..what happened" she stuttered, her eyes never looking away from Hermione's pale face. "No time to explain! Please just help her…" i urgently replied trying to fight off sobs. Molly immediately took Hermione from me, who I reluctantly let go of, and carried her up to Bill's old room. Incapable of holding it in anymore i burst into violent tears, collapsing onto the nearby couch in both pain and distress.
George and Fred instantaneously ran toward me peppering me with questions and concerns about the current event. I didn't want to answer. I couldn't answer. I wouldn't answer. I just wanted to know whether she would be alright. Whether she will ever tell me and Harry off again. Whether she will ever be able to help us do any last minute studying. Whether..whether "Ron….", Harry was trying to speak to me. "Do you want me to explain everything that happened or skip anything…..? I sighed. "I don't care" I practically spat. Taken back from my tone Harry just nodded and led everyone into the other room to explain the tale. I sighed again hopelessly before breaking back into a series of whimpers and sob.
After an hour of this taking place Harry along with most of my brothers and my sister walked back into the living room giving me many sympathetic glances before Harry finally sat next to me and clasped his warm hand in mine before giving it a comforting squeeze. I looked up into his piercing green eyes that were full of unwept grief. It was then I realised he was trying to stay strong for me. Before i had the chance to apologise for completely breaking down he whispered in a sympathetic tone "it's ok Ron…. We've all been through a lot tonight. We'll be ok….I just know it. I gave him a small forced smile in reply. Nothing was ok right now. Nothing….
Minutes past with nothing but silence filling the air until a distressed women's voice could be clearly heard from the top of the stairs. "Ron"! My mum called fear clearly etched into her normally so controlled voice. I instantly sat up and began to make my way up to the extremely tall house to my brunette friend. I couldn't help but imagine the worst as a result of my mother's fear filled tone. What if she's dead? What if she's gone insane"? What if she's blind? Deaf? Please be alright was all that followed these horrible thoughts as i ascended the rickety old staircase. "Ron" she began "I have done everything i could possibly do to help her as of right now and i don't know the condition of her mental state". She tried to stay calm as she said this but it was obvious she was close to tears. It must be really bad I thought to myself in dread. I nodded my head quickly with tears streaming down my bony cheeks as all i wanted to do was run into the room and clasp her small hand in my own. Realising my urgency my mother dipped her head and opened the door to one of the many rooms our house contained. I instantaneously sprinted to the side of the bed to check the condition of the girl i have always had feelings for. Matted, tangled,blood stained, bushy, brown hair fell unevenly on her frail frame. Clumps were easily noticed to be removed from the tangle and it looked more unkept then I have ever seen it. Cuts and bruises littered her porcelain white skin like some sort of sick decoration. I turned my gaze to her left arm which was still heavily bleeding from the brand i had carved onto it. Her throat still had the angry red slit across it. What if she's mute? I thought to myself as i finished my assessment of the girl by taking in account all her clearly broken bones. Two ribs, a nose and her collar bone. The anger i felt for Bellatrix that moment could never be matched my anyone; not even Neville whose parents had been tortured to insanity so many years ago. Instinctively i gently clasped my hand in hers to be horrified at the temperature that met me. Ice cold. Almost the moment we touched she began unconsciously trembling violently in the used to be light blue bed. With my free hand i began to gently caress her scarred cheek while whispering words of comfort that i hoped would put a stop to her obvious terror.
Hours that felt like moments passed with nothing but the weak rise and fall of Hermione's chest to give me any sort of comfort or hope. Her shaking had only increased with no sign of it ever stopping. "Ron it's time for dinner" I heard a small voice say at the door. I turned my head to find Ginny just outside the door frame beckoning me to come with her. I gave another look to the still girl on my bed before turning my gaze to the worried ginger. I curtly shook my head, dismissing her, before once again letting grief fill my sorrowful face and my expression turn to face Hermione. "Ron"! Ginny persisted with a lot more demand in her tone while actually walking in and grabbing my arm "you have to come! there's no option! I gave her a hurt look, trying to guilt her into letting me stay with the unconscious girl but just like Hermione she was defiant as hell. Making it clear she was in no way going to give in she grabbed my shoulder and ripped my arm away from Hermione's before turning my head to face her and speaking "mum says your having dinner now whether you like it or not. There is no reason for you to starve yourself. What would Hermione say to you right now if she knew that you were refusing to eat because of her. Now let's go"! I reluctantly unclasped my hand from the freezing one that now lay limp on the bed and got up to follow my year younger sister out of the smallish room. Stealing one last look at Hermione i realised something that made my heart almost stop. The minute our hands had detached her shaking had stopped. Was she… Could she… be afraid of me. I sighed trying to let the thought leave my head as I descended the long staircase. She wasn't scared of me. She couldn't be scared of me.
Dinner went extremely fast as all i did was consume my food as quickly as humanly possible and refuse to talk to anyone. I immediately excused myself from the table as soon as my plate had been emptied and swiftly ascended the stairs for the second time that day, with the concerned looks of my entire present family plus Harry left looking up at me from the dining room. I had to test out my theory. Cautiously, as not to startle her if for some miracle she was awake, i cracked open the door to the dimly lit room. With the realisation her state had not changed i turned the light on and once again resumed my position next to her. At the present time i took note that she wasn't shaking at all and overall seemed as relaxed as a not so long ago tortured person could possibly be. I sighed before once again clasping her deathly white hand in my own. Almost instantly she began trembling once again and to add to it this time she unconsciously curled herself up in a tight ball apart from her arm that was being held up by me. I then tested what would happen if I separated our two hands and to my horror she seemed to calm down shortly afterwards. This can't be happening I thought aloud while watching the now peaceful girl unravel from her ball. It just can't be.
