Another week, another missing moment. This week's takes place at Shell Cottage, the same night that Part one took place. Let me know what you think! If anyone has any ideas for a moment, please let me know. I have some other stories lined up, but I would love to hear any and all of your ideas :D

Keep reading and keep reviewing!

Missing Moment: Shell Cottage Part 2

"I didn't take it!" Ron heard someone shout from where he lay on the pullout sofa. "Please! I didn't take anything! No!" He clearly recognized Hermione's terrified voice.

He jumped out of bed and raced to the room she shared with Luna. Pushing the door open, he sat down at the edge of her bed. "Mione! Wake up! You're alright! It's me, Hermione. Wake up! It's just a nightmare. You're safe" he repeated, shaking her shoulders. Finally her eyes snapped open, bright with terror.

Ron helped her sit up, and wrapped his arms around her, rocking her gently as she closed her eyes and wept. He felt her shaking hands claw onto his t-shirt and ball it up in her fists.

"Hey, you're alright" he said again. "You're safe, Mione."

"Promise?" she murmured, her voice thick.

"Yes. Harry and I aren't going to let anything happen to you. Not now, and not ever again. Not while we have breath in our bodies."

After a few more minutes, when Ron noticed Hermione's eyes starting to droop, he pulled the blankets up over her, and got under them next to her.

She tentatively laid her head on his chest, and snuggled into the bed as he wrapped his strong arms around her. She closed her eyes, sighing deeply.

But she couldn't sleep. "Ron?" she asked ten minutes later. "You still awake?"

"Yeah. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just can't sleep."

"I can't either. Weird- we know that we're safe here, and yet I'm always looking over my shoulder, and I don't want to sleep."

"I know. What happened today probably didn't help."

"Probably? I know it didn't help."

"I was trying to put it lightly, Ron. Don't know why- it's not helping."

"What do you think will help?"

"It's almost as if I need to talk about it to someone."

"Talk to me, Hermione."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." He was never more sure of anything in his life. "Just let it out. It's going to help."

"Well, alright. If you're sure."

Ron nodded.

Hermione took a deep breath and then began to speak. "After we got separated, Bellatrix had Greyback drag me to the floor and hold me down while, she well, you know."

She felt him nod and tighten his arms around her.

"That wasn't the bad part though, Ron. Greyback, he… he… threatened to… to rape me" she said in a small quivering voice.

"He didn't right?" His voice shook as he asked the horrible questions.

"No- but I thought he was, I really did. And then Bellatrix was torturing me, and carving that awful word onto my arm. I blacked out for a minute, but they brought me back. I could kind of hear them saying something about it being more fun for them that way. And it just kept happening, and happening and I was trying to think of something to distract me, and I couldn't Ron. It was like my mind had frozen, and the only thing I could do was react to the pain. I didn't know I'd made up a story about the sword until Harry told me. And then it all stopped! I guess they were getting Griphook. It stopped long enough for me to start comprehending what was happening to us."

She grew quiet for a minute. "I didn't think we were all getting out alive. Not the three of us. And then I heard her," she spat the word like a disease, "say that Greyback could have me. And I started thinking of any ways that I could end it before it came to that. Then I heard you. I just knew, when I heard you and Harry coming up the stairs that we were all going to make it. And the rest… you saw all of that."

"I am so sorry Hermione."

"So am I."

"No one should have to go through all of that, Mione. No one."

"Why me, Ron?"

"I don't know. All I know is that I would have taken your spot in a heartbeat if it would have meant you staying safe."

"Ron, would you really do that?"

"Yes, I would. I would do anything to take back what you had to go through. Anything."

"The past is the past. We can't change it. Thanks for letting me talk, Ron. It really helped."

"Good. Whenever you want to talk, I'm here."

"I know you have" she replied. "You always have been."

Ron looked over at the other bed in the room for the first time all night- he'd completely forgotten that Luna was also in the room. Strangely enough, Luna was still asleep.

"Now I have a question. Why is Luna still asleep? We were talking way too loud for her to not wake up."

"Fleur gave her dreamless sleep" Hermione answered. "I didn't want to wake her up if I had nightmares, so I put a silencing charm around her bed. You know how I hate taking dreamless. I get dependent on stuff way to easily, and that stuff scares me."

"I know. I hate the stuff too" Ron replied, as Hermione yawned noisily.

"Tired?" he asked.

"Yeah. I think I can finally sleep" she said. "As long as… can you stay with me tonight? I don't want to be by myself."

"I'll be right here. Sleep. I'm not going to leave- I shouldn't have let you sleep alone tonight in the first place."

"Thanks, Ron. Night" she said, laying her head softly on his chest again, and closing her eyes.

"Sweet dreams" he murmured, gently kissing the top of her head. He couldn't believe he'd just kissed her, at least in a way, but she hadn't noticed- she was already sound asleep.