Hi everyone! Can I ask you something, with the same look as the puss in boots: pleeeeeeaaaaase if you read my fiction, let me a review!
When Hermione woke up, the day was already raised. She heard the gnomes sneering in the garden, the voice of Molly and Ginny down and regular pounding on the roof indicated that it was raining. She felt the caress of her curls defeats on her back, the heat of the sheet covering her shoulders, probably the work of Ron, and the emptiness of the place next to her.
She eventually opened her eyes, and couldn't help smiling. Ron had his back turned and was struggling to pull on a sock, hopping and grumbling. She blushed at the memory of that night when she saw slight red traces on the muscular back of the young man. Feeling observed, he turned and gave her a dazzling smile, his damp hair falling on his front. Her heart was packing. How was it possible to love a man at this point?
"Hi!"
"Did you sleep well?" inquired the young woman by switching on the back without leaving her lover's gaze.
"Better, thanks to you..." replied the young man with a suggestive and proud smile.
Hermione let out a small laugh and stretched before sitting so that he could embrace her. She spent both arms around his neck to deepen their kiss and lure him to her, but Ron eventually moved away, his eyes were darker, and his ears were burning.
"Don't play with me, I have to go. Get dressed so that I can recover… Please..."
Hermione feigned innocence but had a satisfied smile. She would never become used to the power which she had on him, it was intoxicating. She was too small, too round or too thin, not pretty enough, but the eyes of Ron had the power to make her feel incredibly beautiful. She donned a shirt with the effigy of the leader of the Chudley cannons on the front of it.
"Ragmar Dorkins has the right place, lucky man!" commented Ron, smiling even more.
Hermione threw him a pillow, amused, which bounced gently on his head. He burst out laughing.
"Idiot! Where are you going?"
Ron immediately regained his seriousness, his eyes covered by a conscious veil, and the young woman regretted almost for asking the question.
"I have to meet the others at the HQ… We have to conduct questioning and I 'd like to accelerate things to find the bastards..."
"Ron!" Hermione protested, frowning.
"The Death Eaters, said Ron, rolling his eyes, those who attacked you... I want to know what they want..."
He had slightly faded in saying this. His fear of the night before came back, stinging, invasive, paralyzing.
"Right, well, I come with you!" announced the young woman, pushing away the sheets from her legs.
Ron froze, one arm halfway pressed in his sweater. His ears again took a scarlet hue. From annoyance this time.
"It's out of the question! You're going to stay here, safely, pending that we know more!"
Hermione stood up, facing him.
"Ron, don't be ridiculous, I have to go to work! I have a conference in a few days in Edinburgh, everything must be ready!"
"You're going to work from here!"
The tone had risen without they realized it.
"Ron! I'm going to the Ministry! I won't live recluse! I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not!» exclaimed Hermione with anger.
She was certainly smaller, and seemed scrawny compare to Ron, but she wasn't impressed.
"Certainly not! The debate is closed!"
"RONALD WEASLEY! Don't you dare to stop me from going anywhere! If you don't want me to come with you, fine, I'll go alone! I'm not asking you for your permission, I'm informing you, that's all!"
They were staring each other, she, livid, fists tight, him with an angry face, eyes throwing lightning bolts. He finally sighed, resigned, mechanically passed a hand through the hair. Hermione knew that the part was won, for the moment.
"Ok, fine, but it's out of the question that you leave the Ministry by yourself, we get back together! I'll go retrieve some clothes and stuff at home in the afternoon, I shall ask two Auror to be placed in front of your office."
Hermione wanted to replicate that two Auror would certainly be more useful elsewhere, but she decided otherwise and bit her bottom lip. Ron seemed really anxious, it was going beyond his usual concern, it was useless to provoke him more.
He went out, leaving her to prepare, and crossed her sister down the stairs.
"You're really noisy this morning, I've almost missed your rows! But strangely, it's definitely not the same sounds as this night", she teased him.
Ron blushed as he had rarely blushed, and was tempted to curse her with a Silencio for the rest of the day.
"Tsss, think of my patients, I'm leaving for the hospital!"
Ginny accelerated the not to disappear on the first floor laughing.
The Auror HQ was located at the second level of the Department. Ron insisted to accompany the young woman up to her office, at the other hand. On the door step, he kissed her under the dreamy look of the secretary.
"Don't move from here!"
"Ron, I'm not a child!"
Ron ignored her.
"I'll ask that your mail is inspected before it's delivered to you! I pick you up at the end of the day!"
Hermione sighed. She felt ridiculously made childish.
"Ron, you are overreacting..."
The young man, annoyed, took her by the shoulders.
"It's not a game Hermione, they could have kidnapped you, or worse... It's about your safety..."
He turned around and walked away while muttering. Hermione shrugged. She was obviously concerned, but it was essential that she advanced rapidly in her research, what happened yesterday was clearly a sign that something was brewing. Hermione went back into her office, closing the door behind her.
Daphnee protested.
"You could at least wait until he turns down the hall!"
The young woman burst out laughing.
"Can you please stop eyeing my boyfriend?"
Her secretary grinned, pleased to have hunted the small minded 'v' which formed too often between the eyes of Hermione. She was aware of the attack, but there was no need to rub salt in the wound. She handed him a stack of paper to the young woman, who grimaced out his wand.
"Fine, let's go back to work! "
Ron, leaned to the two-way window of the interrogation room, observed the death Eater who faced him. Small, puny, his face of a deathly paleness betrayed no emotion. He answered no questions, persisted in a silence that seemed unshakable.
But Ron was an Auror, a very excellent Auror. Query criminals was part of his daily life. He smiles.
"I see... You refuse to cooperate... Did you just realize that your crimes are vain? Voldemort has been reduced to the status of ashes, and you're there, as morons, while the vice tightens around you... You have no idea the number of your classmates that you'll join in Azkaban...This name tells you something, doesn't it? "
The face of the death Eater remained impassive, but Ron saw his fists tighten almost imperceptibly. Since the rallying of the Dementors to Voldemort, they had been banned, and now, a dozen of giants, including Hagrid half-brother Grawp, stood guard. Hermione work for their rights was there for something. They were incredibly efficient and ruthless in case of escape attempt.
But suddenly, the attitude of the death Eater changed. He let himself go against the back of his chair and glowering down upon Ron with an amused smile.
" By the way, Weasley, how's Granger?"
The reaction was immediate. The death Eater fell over behind under the power of the shot, nose dripping blood. Fists always tight, Ron by-passed the table and grabbed him by the neck to stick him to the wall.
"Don't dare to pronounce her name… What do you want from her? What do you know?"
His voice was low, threatening, the death Eater tried to disengage, but the grasp of Ron left him no chance.
"Ron, what's the hell are you doing!"
Harry popped into the room, followed by another Auror. His friend looked at him, stunned.
"Ron! Relax him! Have you lost your bloody mind?"
"He knows something about the attack, Harry!"
His tone was both something desperate and enraged.
"Relax him immediately!"
Ron kept him against the wall a few minutes longer, before finally release the prisoner, pushing him against the ground. The man got up laughing.
"You can't do anything Weasley, you'll see her dying, and you can't do anything to save your Mudblood whore! spat the criminal.
They had to gang up to bring out Ron of the room, while the death Eater sniggered even harder.
_You are no longer on the case Weasley!
Said that Kingsley was furious would have been an euphemism. The Director of the office of the Auror was pacing, gesticulating, his wand from time to time sending sparks under the impetus of his gestures. Harry, sometimes, dropped his head, affraid to take a bad spell. But Ron, on the other hand, didn't stop being angry, no matter what his boss said.
"You can't do that! We have to find who wants to kidnap Hermione, and why! We must act, or otherwise the massacres are going to continue, and Hermione..."
He was unable to finish his sentence, and swallowed with difficulty. Kingsley paused a moment, looking carefully at the young Auror.
"Harry is still on the case! You are not in condition Weasley!" he said with softness.
"Listen, I know that I've crossed the lines...But Harry and I are your best elements, together we are your best chance to stop their actions and find out who is the instigator..."
"Ron is right..." intervened Harry.
The look of Kingsley went from one to the other for a few minutes which seemed an eternity to the young man. He knew them for so many years, they were then only poorly insured teenagers, and yet they had accomplished feats...Together...
"Fine, he sighed. But be careful, Weasley, a single gap and I withdraw you from the case! Meanwhile, Miss Granger is going to have bodyguards, I'm going to make sure of it as soon as possible..."
Ron nodded, relieved. When Kingsley was released, wishing to complete the questioning in person, the young man turned to his friend.
"Thank you mate!"
"Ron, Hermione is my best friend, I want to protect her as much as you do, but if we make the slightest misstep, the entire investigation can derail, so calm down your bloody nerves!" replied Harry, fairly irritated.
Ron shook his head, puzzled.
"I know Harry... But... Hermione is my weakness, just like Ginny is yours, put yourself in my place..."
Harry laid a hand on the shoulder of his friend. He easily understood what was experiencing Ron.
"Listen, go to your home to pick up some stuff before it's sealed, I follow the rest of the interrogation, and we will point to your return."
Ron nodded but didn't respond. He apparated. Earlier he would be gone, earlier he would be back.
_Merlin, I need to get out of this office!
Hermione sat up and blinked several times, almost blinded by the light of the lamp that dominated her office. It was more than two hours that she had been fully focused on an old book of magic spell, taking notes on her parchment. She gave her afternoon off to Daphnee, the Edinburgh conference was ready, and it was an opportunity to move forward on her work. She was happy to have been able to keep all of her books, they were safe, in her purse, at the Burrow. Hermione knew that Ron would certainly not leafing through one of these "pavers", as he called them with a frightened mine.
The young woman smiled, dreamy. Ron, Ronald Wealey was hers. Four years that he was her official boyfriend, and yet, sometimes, she couldn't believe it. He was tall, handsome, incredibly attractive, funny and such a kind person... How could she blame other women for being hypnotized when he was in the same room ...As long as they contented with looking!
Then her gaze went again on her notes. She needed a book. She didn't know exactly which one, but she knew where to find it. She folded the parchment and slipped it into her pocket before getting quickly out of her office. She found with relief that close monitoring had not yet been implemented.
She hastily walked to the second level. The Aurors, in their dark blue uniforms, came and went, but once arrived at HQ, Hermione knew she didn't have the right to make one step further. She waited that the receptionist had finished with the person before her.
"Hermione! Hi! Looking for Ron?"
Neville came out of HQ, donning his cape.
"Hi Neville! Yes did you see him?"
"He isn't there, I don't know where he has gone! Harry is currently questioning if you want to wait for him! Maybe he could tell you where is Ron?"
"Thank you Neville, say hello to Luna and the kids for me!"
The Auror waved to her and walked away. Hermione hesitated. Ron was formal, she shouldn't go out alone. But at the same time, she held there an opportunity to freely do her research. She went out of a decided step to the ground floor and towards the exit.
Ron hastened to drop their suitcases into his teen room. He didn't like the idea whether Hermione was far from him. Even though he knew that the Department was one of the safest places that exist, he had a bad feeling which crushed his heart to suffocate sometimes, like in this very moment. He tried hard to breathe calmly
"RON! RON! Hurry up!"
The young man suddenly dropped the bag that he held. His mother called him, with an unusual urgency in her voice, an anxiety which reminded him of bad memories, something was wrong. The young man swore, took out his wand and immediately apparated in the kitchen. Molly twisted herself hand with concern, lit by a halo of light floating in the middle of the kitchen. She looked at her son, who opened wide eyes. The halo of light turned to him. A deer faced him! More exactly, Harry's patronus. The blood of Ron froze, if his friend sends his patronus in emergency, it had to be serious.
"Ron, said the deer with Harry's voice, two Aurors went to protect Hermione and they found her office empty, we don't know where she is, we just know that she went to Diagon Alley, we are going there right now, join me there."
Once his message is issued, the patronus evaporated and left a terrible silence, a deafening silence, whereas Ron lost any color, his heart beat so hard that he coulnd't hear anything else, the bewilderment making way for the fear.
"Ron, my boy, fire away! said Molly with a trembling voice.
He immediately apparated. Diagon Alley wasn't very busy in this day of the week. Students were at Hogwarts, people worked, passers-by were few, and crowded to escape the rain.
Ron immediately spotted his colleagues, busy to query the storekeepers.
"Ron!"
Harry rushed to his friend. The sallow redhead looked around him, terrified.
"Ron! There are 3 Aurors who are covering this side, come on, we are going to the other side!"
Harry entailed him in his suit, on the side of booksellers, if Hermione had to be somewhere, it would necessarily be in a place full of books. The two friends rushed the perpendicular streets, incoming and outgoing in each shop looking for the young woman. No one seemed to having seen her.
"Hermione Granger, believe me, you are going to pass in a hard time" grumbled Harry leaving empty-handed another Bookstore.
He glanced at Ron, who followed him in a creepy silence. His hair, drenched by the rain, had taken a darker tint and stuck on his front, his face was tense, and his restless eyes scouring each face, each showcase, Harry could see his hands tremble. Ron was an Auror of a rare courage, of flawless composure in mission, he was far from being the explosive redhead he was in the everyday life. But as soon as it was about Hermione, nothing else counted, and then his soul was bared, his deepest fears were exposed. Harry laid a hand on his shoulder.
"We are going to find her, don't worry, you know her, she probably came to buy a book and she found herself the nose plunged inside!"
He tried to use a reassuring tone, but he was scared there either. The examination of the second Death Eater was more successful, they learned that the death eaters had the order to capture her alive, for what reason and for whom, the death Eater himself had no idea. This went beyond the crimes committed for the sake of "purification", there was something else. Harry considered preferable to keep silent about these revelations, not as long as they haven't found Hermione safe and sound. Ron felt that his friend wanted to reassure him, but he was only strengthening his concern. She had nevertheless promised, well, not really, it was implicit, but he had been clear. Why did she care so little about her safety? In what had she stuck her nose so that DeathEaters take her for target?
"Ron! Look!"
His stream of thought broke off, his gaze followed the direction indicated by Harry. She was there, a package hugged against her, the obliging step. She raised her eyes and met Ron's.
Surprised, she paused, hesitated to smile but his anger face dissuaded her. She hastened step towards her friends, the sulky pout, her hair frizzing in all directions.
Ron was the first to see him. A man, alone, the face in the shadow of a hood, who walked quickly behind the young woman. Hermione saw Ron's face lose any color, she saw his eyes fill with terror, ranging from her to this man she had not noticed previously.
She lives the man dip his hand in his pocket and instantly, she saw his friends wield their wands. She heard the blast before feeling it. The hot, stuffy, heat pain that came from all sides, in each tiny part of her body, a hammering in ears. Her head heavily hit the ground. She barely perceived terrors cries that sounded around her, the sounds of the race of people fleeing. She heard a heartbreaking cry and took it with her by sinking.
"HERMIONE"
Ron got up painfully, covered with dust and gravel. Next to him, Harry tried to compose himself, disoriented, his wand still tight in the hand. The blast had thrown them a few metres away where they were. A mist in the smell of sulphur lingered around them, making the scene of panic even more unreal.
"HERMIONE!"
His roaring dominated all the other cries of terror. He picked himself up, ignoring the pain radiating to his ankle, ignoring the panicked people who ran around him. His soul was bleeding, torn, broken. The fear ploughed his belly, his brain was like paralyzed. Hermione was laying ashore. She was injured, unconscious, he felt his heart breaking. Once near her, he dropped to his knees, began to sob, his trembling hands covered by soot approaching her face, without daring to touch her.
"Hermione, no, don't leave me, no, don't, stay with me…"