A/N: Please let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is MORE THAN WELCOME!

Chapter 3

Before today, Ron had pictured how he would die. He knew that would seem very morbid for most healthy 17-year-old boys, but how could he not? Not with the chance of dying creeping over him, his family and his friends every single day like a fog that never faded.

He had nightmares. Terrible, awful nightmares that he would wake up from in a cold sweat, with his heart pounding in his chest. He had nightmares of Harry dying, hit by a killing curse at the hands of Voldemort. Then there were the nightmares where Ginny died, at the hands of one of the many death eaters who now had access to Hogwarts. And there was the recent nightmare, where the death eaters tortured all five of his brothers to find out where he was.

It was interesting that he never had a nightmare where Hermione died. It was almost as though his subconscious wouldn't let him fathom that happening to her, as if his subconscious knew he physically could not take it. But regardless, the nightmares lead to daytime musings, and he had pictured how it would happen to him.

But in his head, his death always involved something heroic. He would jump in font of the killing curse to save Harry or Hermione. He would die so that the wizarding world could be safe. So that Harry and Hermione would be safe.

He didn't want it to happen like this. He didn't want to die alone. And his last words to Hermione… "I get it, you choose him." His last time talking to Harry would be in anger. "You have no family." That was wrong. Harry did have a family. Harry had him. They were brothers. He would die to keep Harry safe.

Well now he would die, but it wouldn't be to keep Harry safe. It would be because he ran off on them and found himself alone and in the hands of Death Eaters. "How bloody typical" he thought.

Runcorn dragged him up the steps to 12 Grimmauld Place. It was a place he knew very well. The entranceway was exactly the same as it was when they left it the morning of their ministry plan. He was so nervous that day, but even when he thought of that morning and how scared he was, he had still never been to this house with this much anxiety and this much dread as he was feeling now. His chest still had the pulsating pain, but it was almost as though Ron's terror had blocked it out temporarily.

It was over run by death eaters. The fears the trio had when Hermione accidently brought Yaxley into the fidelius charm were correct. It had become a hideout for them. If Siruis saw this he would have had a melt down. Harry too. Death eaters in the home of his beloved godfather, defying everything Siruis stood for. It was awful, really. "I guess Ms. Black must be happy though" Ron bemused.

"Master Weasley!" Kreacher shrieked as Runcorn dragged him through the hallway and into the sitting room.

"Quiet you useless rat!" Runcorn screamed, aiming a kick at Kreacher who sulked back into the corner. Ron tried to smile at him, remembering how things had changed and how kind Kreacher had been in the month leading up to their invasion of the ministry. He wanted to reassure Kreacher with a smile, or at least thank him for the kindness he had showed earlier that year.

"Accio Chair" the larger man yelled, and a chair flew out of the corner of the room and into the middle. Runcorn push Ron into the chair, cast a quick binding spell and Ron was tied to the chair, unable to move. Other death eaters now, aware that something had happened were coming into the room.

"Weasley? Is that, the Weasley boy?" One asked with venom in his voice. "Arthur Weasley's son?" Ron felt a pang of fear for his family. Did the death eaters still think he had spattergroit? He had no way of warning them go into hiding.

The death eaters poured in the room curiously. "Should we call the Dark Lord?" One whispered and he could hear them discussing.

"No" Runcorn said, with such a certainty in his tone that Ron knew the others would listen. "We are forbidden from calling him except for Potter himself" Runcorn made a sharp movement and before Ron knew it was coming, he was being grabbed by the hair, Runcorn a mere inches from his face.

"But this one. He knows where they are." Ron felt sick he was so scared, but not for himself. He knew he would never tell willingly, but what if they gave him veritaserum? What if they used legilimency on him? While mind was racing with all the ways that they could get him to talk, it became almost a relief when he heard the next words out of Runcorn's mouth.

"Crucio"

The pain was incredible. That was the word to describe it. He knew Harry had been subjected to it before in there fourth year, when Voldermort had returned, but Harry didn't talk much about it afterwards. He knew, obviously, it was going to hurt a lot, but nothing prepared him for this.

He could hear himself screaming, but it didn't feel as though he had any control over it. It felt as though the person screaming was not actually him.

He felt as though he was being ripped apart.

Just when he was sure he was going to pass out from the pain. It stopped suddenly.

"I hope you enjoyed that warm-up, Mr. Weasley." Runcorn said, voice dry and emotionless. It clearly caused him no personal torment to torture a 17-year-old boy. "And let me assure you, that was just a warm up."

Ron tried his best to meet Runcorn's eyes; he wanted to show him that he was not beaten and not afraid. His head felt heavy, it was difficult to lift it up.

"This can be very easy. You tell us where Harry Potter is, and we will let you go. You can go back to your family, and we will even leave them alone." Runcorn moved closer to Ron, lowering himself to look Ron in the eyes.

"Or, we can kill you. Then we will kill your family. And eventually, we will kill Harry Potter too." He paused possibly for dramatic effect, "the way I see it, you really only have one option."

"Go. To. Hell." Ron spit back at him.

"Crucio"