A/N: Next chapter as promised. Though, this might come a little later than I intended. Apologies, my meds are troubling me still and I rewrote almost the whole of it again because I wasn't happy with the previous version.

All Characters belong to JKR

Chapter 46: The Horcrux's Revenge – Part 2

She woke up to an overcast, gloomy morning and found Harry sitting on the couch, stooping low and watching the Snitch that fluttered softly in his palm. The moleskin pouch he wore around his neck was on the circular table in front with its items scattered around it. With dark circles around his eyes and unshaved, scratchy stubble on his cheeks, he looked worn out as if he hadn't slept the night.

"Harry?" she called softly, taking in his form more closely. He looked up and she was almost shocked at the amount of hurt that floated in his green obs.

Pushing away the covers quickly along with her notes that were still spread all over the bed, she made her way towards him and sat herself down on the arm of his couch.

"What's wrong, Harry?" she asked pulling the Snitch away from his hand and placing it on the table.

Harry's eyes moved from the Snitch to her face. He looked genuinely hurt and she wracked her brains to think of a reason good enough.

Finally, he shifted a little and pulled out the broken locket and placed it on her hand.

She paused open mouth for a while looking at the object on her palm to him and again before a smile broke through.

"HOW?! I mean, wow! You destroyed it! How?" she asked excitedly turning the object around in her hands. In response, he pulled out the sword that was so far concealed under the cushions next to him.

She took it wordlessly, running her fingers over the sharp edge and the bejewelled hilt. It was heavy. It must have taken a great deal of strength to crush the locket as it had been. She let out a sigh of relief feeling like a burden she had been holding on for days, months perhaps, was lifted off. She pulled herself off the couch and moving over slumped down heavily on the bed.

Ron would be so relieved.

She knew he hated it and after Harry's outburst she knew, it effected Ron too even if he didn't say it aloud. She was not so sure because rarely did she handle it all by herself like the boys, but if her doubts were anything to go by, she presumed it enhanced her doubts regarding her support of the Order. But every time that happened, she thought back on the image of her cursed down home. Hermione found that was highly effective in getting her perspectives in place.

"Wow," she sighed happily before remembering something, "Where did you get this? And why didn't you wake me up? And where the hell is Ron?" she asked looking around. In all honesty she was feeling a little miffed at being left out now that the excitement was beginning to settle down and more important things began to get into focus.

Harry seemed even more stern than before; his unshaved jaw was more pronounced and eyes looked away from her towards the empty balcony.

"I need some tea, do you want some?" he asked diverting the topic before picking himself us and walking away briskly.

"What's wrong with him?" she thought aloud. The grey masses outside were getting denser and chilly wind blew through the open balcony door making the curtains sway frantically and cause her lose parchments to scatter all over the floor.

Grumbling softly under her breath she closed the door and proceeded to collect all her notes back, wondering where on earth her wand was.

It was only after she had changed into a warm pair of denim and jumpers that originally belonged to Ginny that she trudged down the stairs towards the kitchen. She was sure she would find Ron there with a plate of whatever little they could have for breakfast. But he wasn't.

Harry was sipping on his cup, a plate consisting of two lightly buttered toasts and another steaming cup placed in front of a chair she usually occupied.

She picked it up and took a long sip relishing the warmth it spread through her body. The storm outside had intensified so much that even with all the windows boarded up she could still make out the wind and the rain howling.

"Horrid weather," she stated simply as she sat down.

"Yeah," he replied without looking at her.

"Where is Ron?" she asked taking a bite off the toast, "And by the way, have you seen my wand?"

He pulled it out from his jeans pocket and handed it over to her wordlessly.

"Thanks," she smiled, "And where is Ron, Harry? I've checked his room as well as the library, he isn't there."

"I donno," he replied simply but she could easily see the stiffening of his jaw.

"Did you both get into a fight?" she asked confused, her annoyance peaking when he refrained from responding.

"Come on, Harry! What's wrong? I wake up in the morning with a destroyed Horcrux, Ron is probably sitting alone in the Bell Tower again in this storm and you are annoyingly quiet! Why can't you just tell me what is happening?" she exclaimed haughtily.

He finally turned at her.

"Why didn't you tell me anything?" he asked slowly, the pain she had sensed earlier radiating out of him.

"I-" she began," What are you talking about?" she asked softly, thoroughly confused.

Somehow her answer seemed to anger him all the more. He banged the empty cup on the table and pushing his chair back roughly, stood up to tower over her. Had it been Ron she would have felt very different, scared and aroused at the same time, but this was Harry- she realised she was just curious and confused.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME WHAT HE WAS DOING TO YOU? WHY COULDN'T YOU TRUST ME, HERMIONE?"

"Harry- I , I seriously don't know what you are talking about," she replied.

"IS THIS WHAT HE TOLD YOU TO SAY IF I EVER FOUND OUT?" he yelled banging his fist on the table, causing the china to clutter as a result.

"Are talking about Ron?" she asked bewildered.

Well, Ron was causing her quite an amount of grief by being aloof after his proclamation of love but Hermione could hardly relate that with Harry's outburst. Unless, he was angered by it? She groaned internally. No- that wasn't possible. He was like her brother, and as far as she knew, he felt the same sibling kind of affection for her.

She picked herself up from her chair and moved away to stand next to him. Harry was not as tall as her favourite Weasley but was still a head taller than her. As she got closer, she could see the vein throbbing at his temple and she braised herself for an angry outburst. Tentatively, she placed a hand on his shoulder to cool him down. His stance changed suddenly and surprising her all the more, he pulled her into his arms in a brotherly sort of way. If she could guess right, caught as she was against his chest, she felt rather than heard his quiet sobs as he ran his hand soothingly on her back.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Hermione..." he said in a hoarse voice. "Gosh, I'm so sorry!"

She pushed herself off him because, honestly, he wasn't making any sense. Harry brought his hands up and cupped her face and held it between his palms.

"I know I'm not you brother by blood but I always thought of you as my sister," he breathed slowly and she fought a lump in her throat at his words.

"I know," she replied with a small, teary smile.

"Then you should have known that I'd so anything to keep you safe even if it was from my best mate, Hermione," he announced, not hiding a fair bit of anger.

She was about to ask what he was talking about when there was a sound of footsteps and clearing of a throat.

Ron walked in looking worse than Harry. His clothes were wet and shoes were muddy. He glanced once at the two of them and then averting his eyes moved closer to the table and placed the two articles in his hand on it- his wand and the Deluminator.

"I- just came here to fetch some tea," he said to no one in particular and Hermione, surprised by this strange behaviour turned towards Harry. He removed his hands from her face and she was all the more confused to find his eyes shooting daggers at his best mate.

"I'll-" she began but was stopped by Harry's firm grip on her arm.

"Harry?" she inquired trying to get her wrist free but he did not loosen his grip. She turned towards Ron to find him pouring out a cup for himself from the hot kettle. He turned once to watch Harry's grip on her and a strange sort of emotion floated in his eyes before he looked away and walked briskly to pick up his wand.

"I'm planning to stay at the cottage," he announced without looking at them and she felt Harry snort next to her.

"Call me if you need me," he added in a quieter voice before moving out.

"Ron! Wait!" she called but he didn't look back, neither did Harry let he go.

...

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" she snapped turning around at him. Harry let her arm go and collapsed on the chair. A part of him was questioning his behaviour as well as hers. If all that he found out the previous night was true then why was she still so concerned about Ron? He pushed that thought aside. Ron had practically accepted his crime, and even his demure today suggested the same.

"I know what he is doing to you, Hermione. He won't hurt you again. He might be my best mate but that doesn't give him the right to play with you," he declared firmly. He hoped he would not have to word it out explicitly for her and she would simply figure it out herself.

Hermione however, gave him a bewildered look that made him all the more exasperated. To his surprise, she even seemed to blush a little. His temper was already close to the surface, it increased all the more as he remembered the images from the previous night.

"I don't know what you are talking about," she replied softly and he saw red.

"OH, YOU DON'T, DO YOU?" he yelled back regretting immediately as he saw the shock and hurt in her eyes.

"I know... I know he is forcing you to sleep with him..." he stuttered without meeting her eyes, the words felt like acid in his mouth, leaving a foul taste behind once they were said aloud.

"Why would you say that?" she cried after letting out a small gasp.

He looked up to find Hermione looking pale and quite a bit shaken and uncomfortable by his words; he couldn't blame her.

"Because I know..." he replied, uneasy himself, "Ron practically accepted it himself last night," he finished grinding his teeth.

"But that's not true!"

He met her eyes and let out a bitter chuckle, "What did he threaten you with, to make you lie? I told you he admitted it himself."

She rolled her eyes and banged down with her palms on the table. "I AM TELLING YOU, THAT'S NOT TRUE!" she yelled and he could not help the slight ray of hope that glimmered at her words.

"But-" he began only to be cut off by her.

"Yes, he is a jerk. He has complicated things between us by his pigheadedness but- " she coloured sharply and averted her eyes shyly, "-it's not like you said. He never forced anything, it was all very much consensual," she finished in a shaky voice.

"What even gave you this idea, Harry?" she asked as he felt horribly back-footed.

"The Horcrux," he replied softly trying to untangle the facts, desperate to filter the truth from the lies.

He pulled the chair and sat next to her standing form and haltingly told her the events of the past night, how both of them had followed a Patronus which lead them to the sword and the events that followed. He told her how they found it buried in an enchanted wood but did not give details.

"And then... Ron stabbed it." He finished a little lamely still unable to give her the graphic details of all that the Horcrux had shown and she scrunched her brows.

"Wha-... just like that?" she asked unbelievingly but Harry remained quiet, not forthcoming with any other information.

She let out a small sound of impatience and plopped down on the chair.

"Look, Harry, it doesn't make sense, okay? Firs,t both of you leave the Chateau to follow this Patronus without even knowing who cast it! You both could have been killed for all we know! And then you say it led you to the sword? Just like that? We've been here months and we never found this earlier, how did it get here? And the Locket? Ron just stabs it and the Horcrux –it-it dies, just like that? You want me to believe that? And how does this even relate to what you told me about Ron? Stop lying..."

"Me? No, Hermione, I'm not lying. Just keeping the bad facts away." He said finally and she paused to look at him.

"Look you've got to tell me, okay?" she said pushing back her chair and kneeling down in front of him; he looked at her inquiring eyes and released a heavy breath. This would be hard. He didn't wish to repeat it but he had for her sake and for the sake of truth... and for the sake of his friendship with Ron or whatever was left of it.

He told her everything, the images and the words and Ron's silent acceptance of it all. When he finished he found tears rolling down her cheeks which she hastily wiped off her face with the back of her arm. She pushed herself back in the chair and buried her face in her hands and cried, and he pulled himself closer and sat next to her with an arm around her shoulder.

"They are lies, all lies, Harry!" she whispered softly after a while, biting between words to cut out her whimpers. "That foul, evil object has been playing with his head!" she snapped pushing his arms off and standing up.

"Oh my God! Was he possessed?!" she shrieked and he slumped back because the words hit so hard.

"I don't know..." he replied feeling the bubble of guilt getting bigger.

"He was a little disturbed and angsty, wasn't he, all these days and I never realised," she muttered almost to herself. "But it was the Horcrux, wasn't it?" she added in almost a whisper as her eyes focused on a spot above his head, "Yes... even that day...he ..." she stopped, blushing for a minute before appearing to shake herself off her thoughts.

"Yes, yes! It has to be the Horcrux! It made you spew those things at Ron that day. He had been disturbed since we found it, yes, it all sums up! He was wearing it that day! Yes, it all makes sense now!" she muttered on, her eyes glazing the familiar way when she solved a problem.

"The Horcruxes, Harry! Don't you see?" she cried and continued without giving him a chance to speak.

"They are evil! Yes, the Diary tried to kill you. Riddle that came out of its pages told you that it wanted to finish you, not the Muggleborns like it was supposed to do... The Ring... the ring... You saw Dumbledore wearing it, and his hand, remember? It got cursed...why would he wear it if it was a Horcrux?" she spoke aloud and Harry realised she was not talking to him exactly but voicing her solutions and thoughts aloud.

"Unless, you were right all along... it's the stone... The Resurrection stone... Maybe... maybe Dumbledore wanted it too? He lost his family, didn't he? He must have wanted to see them again... who wouldn't want to..." she whispered softly and Harry realised, the thought went deeper, almost like an undisclosed, forbidden desire.

"It was the stone that made him wear it... And the Horcrux once again harmed the one who was destined to finish it. So that is what these evil objects are capable of... Detecting the threat and harming him or her the most... It all fits... That's why the locket targeted Ron... and it played it till the end... by pitting you against your best mate, Harry."

Harry was stumped. There was no other word for it.

"Why didn't you believe him, Harry? Why didn't you trust him?" she asked softly, "Don't you know, Ron of all the people can never do any such thing? Even the thought of it will make his enormous guilt eat him alive..." she said adding to his remorse.

...

Once she was out of the Chateau, walking underneath the canopy of vines that lead to the Cottage, she finally allowed herself think, slowly processing everything she had discovered and the implications of it all.

She paused just beyond the entrance to the Cottage, water dripping down of the leaves was soaking her as she had forgotten the wand at the table. But getting wet was the least of her concerns at the moment. A shudder of a breath escaped her without conscious thought.

He was possessed... that time when they were together... Ron was possessed by the Horcrux...possessed by the Dark Lord...

She felt bile rush up her throat and forced herself to take deep breaths. He had seemed different, more seductive almost like the dark arts themselves, enchanting and alluring. He had seemed to radiate power she could not resist despite her heart asking her to flee. And he had not kissed her, not till she had removed the Locket off him.

But one thing still did not make sense- Why would Ron accept being guilty of forcing her into it even if he had been possessed? She had been completely complaisant...

Realising that no one but the person beyond the wooden door held her answers, she took in a deep, steadying breath before turning the handle and pushing the door open.

...

"Ron?" she called softly. The small, un-stocked kitchen that also doubled up as the dining area was empty and dark. It was hardly mid-morning, but the terrible weather made it look like late evening. She moved over to the lone bedroom and then finding it empty as well moved towards the living area.

Ron was sitting on the couch, his back reclined and long legs stretched in front of him crossed at the ankles. His eyes were closed and Hermione noiselessly moved behind him to move the long fringe off his eyes.

He was up in a flash and she found his wand pointed at her chin before he relaxed and removed it. One look at her and he moved over to collapse on the couch again before he spoke.

"Why are you here?" he asked in an emotionless voice.

"Why are you here?" she asked him back.

"Because that's the best for all of us." He replied just as blankly as before. "Go back."

Hermione debated if there was a fine trace of hurt behind those words. She had specifically asked Harry to let her talk to Ron first and she knew the younger boy had agreed a little grudgingly. However, she wondered now if an open discussion between the three wouldn't be better. But she had made a conscious decision. Things she needed to ask Ron were too personal to be discussed in front of Harry.

"I know what happened last night," she whispered but the sudden movement, making him turn towards her told her he had heard her alright. He looked at her for a little while before his shoulders slumped and he looked away.

"Then you shouldn't have come here at all," he whispered softly.

"That gives me all the more reason to come here, Ron," she said firmly, moving over to stand in front of him. She bent and sat on her knees to be able to look into his downcast eyes.

"You didn't do anything. You know that. What are you blaming yourself for?" she asked softly as she placed a caring palm on his cheeks. He gently moved her hand away.

"You don't know everything," he replied and she almost cried at the amount of self-loathing the words carried.

"Oh, I think I do!" she exclaimed softly. "It was that blasted Locket, wasn't it Ron? It twisted everything that happened... You didn't force me at all... A-And you know you didn't go all the way..." she added, her cheeks colouring sharply as she looked away.

When Ron remained quiet she turned around to find silent tears dripping down his long nose. But before she could walk over to him and pull him in her arms, he wiped off the tears with the back of his hand and sniffed before speaking,

"There is more..."

"That you were possessed?" she answered for him. She was ready to tell him that was not his fault either if that evil object used her to get to him. She would not let him take the blame and feel guilty no matter how sick she felt about it.

"I was not possessed, Hermione,"

His words stopped everything that was at the tip of her lips.

"I was not possessed," he went on, "I knew what I was doing. The locket made my emotions all worse, my doubts and my-my lust, but ... I was not possessed."

"Oh," she replied. His confession confused her. On one hand, she was glad that it was not the evil but Ron who took her that night but she could now figure the cause of his distress. She remembered the way he had approached her, there was something predatory there, and something that triggered her instincts to flee.

"Were you aware of what was happening?" she asked.

"Did I know how I was affecting you? Yes, I guess I did...it was like I was a fucking blood thirsty predator trapping my prey!" he screamed moving up and pacing around the room furiously.

"I know what I was doing, Hermione! I know what I would have done if you had not thrown that locket away... Just because I stopped doesn't mean that I wasn't planning to take you, against your will if need be..." he cried banging his fists against the wall.

She didn't know what to say or what to think. This was getting way more complicated than she had previously imagined it would be.

"But you stopped, and that matters..." she said realising that her voice sounded strange, almost strained and he laughed bitterly.

"It does?"

She took a deep breath and licked her parched lips. Turning towards the tall figure that stood with his back towards her, she whispered the rest slowly but confidently.

"That Locket was foul. It made everything that troubles us worse. It just aggravated y-your desires and made you act in a way you normally never would. Your guilt proves it, Ron... You would never have forced me into sex. Even if I hadn't removed it, you would have still stopped." He turned towards her watching her with a strange mix of emotions in his eyes and she pulled out every bit of strength to continue.

"And-And I don't blame you... I was there with you of my own will..." she added softly looking at her feet, rubbing her toes on the carpet.

She looked up because she heard him chuckle, but those eyes looked haunted.

He walked towards her and stood barely a foot away.

"You don't realise it still, do you, 'Mione? I-" he gulped audibly and looked away before meeting her eyes with his tired, guilt ridden ones.

"-It wasn't about making love to you that night..." he whispered and she could feel her heart throbbing madly. Something told her this was getting bad, worse than everything so far.

"That blasted thing made me doubt all I know, about myself... about you, about Harry... And I fell for it...I-I was not planning to make love to you, not initially... I was ... checking on you..."

She remembered suddenly, the way he had seen the rip on her sleeve, the way he had asked if she had been with Harry when that happened. She remembered the way his eyes took her in and she had felt like he was searching for something, the way his fingers touched and probed to see... He had been checking on her... checking her body... for marks... for signs of betrayal...

The realisation hit her like a boulder knocking the air from her lungs and her arm shot up of their own accord to land sharply on his face- the sound of the slap echoing off the walls around them.

He did not flinch. It was like he was prepared for this.

"You thought I was sleeping with Harry?" she whispered hoarsely because anger and pain were rendering her speechless.

She could have even accepted Ron taking her under the influence of the locket- she was from the elite purebloods. Men in their families often treated women like their belongings and, as her mother had said, it was the natural way. There was nothing called marital rape in their society; the wife's body was the property of her husband to use as he pleased. She was not exactly for the idea, but like many other beliefs that had been ingrained in her, she had made her peace with it long ago. She had heard stories from her married cousins and it had been a common consensus that if the man was at least gentle in his approach, it was a fair deal.

But here, he had doubted her very loyalty towards him and her love, something that she had given him wholeheartedly. And he had allowed the Horcrux to manipulate him into thinking that she had been sleeping with- Harry! Had he not known her at all? How could he have fallen for that deceit when he knew the conservative world she belonged to? How had he even allowed the Horcrux to make him think that she would betray him in such a degraded manner?

She turned away and pulling the first door she could reach, walked out into the rain. He followed calling for her and she speeded her pace, not caring that she was walking towards the forest in the downpour.

He caught up with her and pulled her by her elbow and she tried shoving him off.

"Get away!" she screeched.

"I will but after you get inside," he screamed back.

"Well...Well... Well," came a bone-chilling, sneering voice from somewhere close by and within seconds, four bulky, dirty men surrounded them. Ron pulled her to himself and she could feel him trying to Apparate when one of the goons came forward and separated them. Her captor smelt of dirt, filth and blood. With mounting horror, she realised that they were out of the point of enchantments.

"Get away from her!" yelled Ron struggling against the hold of the beefy man who was holding him. Even as she watched, he stamped on his captor's foot and elbowed him in the ribs, making a dash at her when two men, this time, pulled him back and hit him back equally hard on his face and ribs.

Up in the Chateau, one young man watched the scene unfolding from the balcony and ran as fast as his legs would carry towards the exit. Little did he know that the safety protocol had been trigged with the capture of Ronald Weasley and he was now locked inside while his friends were being taken away to one of the darkest places in the Wizarding Britain.

A/N: Oh, finally we are here. More angst, I know! Can't help! I can't wait to know what you guys think of this chapter. Did it go as you expected or was it a letdown? Please let me know.

I do have one clarification to make. I know, Hermione's monologue about being okay with Ron taking her by force is not in character. I didn't intent it to be. I have said this before that I picture the elite Purebloods a little medieval in their thoughts and customs and that is what her character here is based on. That is why I felt she would be more hurt about his trust issues. Marital rape is still rape according to me but I am not sure, even today, how many countries consider it to be as grave a crime. My country doesn't although now we have quite a few groups coming out and asking the laws to be changed.

Thanks to each one of you for those reviews. I can't tell you how much they mean to me. I feel terrible not replying but I'm still undergoing medication which is cutting down my time on the laptop. And whatever little time I am able to squeeze out, I am using it to work on the story.

Thanks for all your support. Love you guys.

Btw, if you wish, you can follow me on tumblr. Look for azaleablueme and send me all your asks there.