The Morning Sun Lights Your Face.
Disclaimer: (Insert funny Disclaimer) I do not own Harry Potter nor its charaters or places or any of that kind of Jazz.
"Ron!" Molly nudged Ron. He opened his eyes but they closed almost immediately. "Ronald wake up!" She nudged him again, he opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Hermione. Hermione gripped his hand and turned around, her head rested on his chest she mumbled his name sleepily. He focused on her face, the way the afternoon sun lit her hair and highlighted her smile.
Ron tucked a stray curl behind her ear and gave her a kiss on her cheek. "Love wake up, Mum's here." Molly put a hand on Ron's shoulder, put on a smile and blinked back her tears. Hermione and Ron looked so happy, as if nothing ever had happened. Hermione rubbed her eyes, it hurt you could tell. She winced but tried to be strong, Ron took her hand away and gently rubbed her eye with the tip of his finger careful not to hurt her.
"Good morning Mrs. Weasley. How are you?" Hermione sat up running her hands through her unruly hair trying to get it to lay straight. She looked so much better today, she was not as pale, the look of defeat replaced by euphoria. She almost glowed and so did Ron.
"I'm fine Hermione dear, thank you for asking. How are you two this afternoon?" Mrs. Weasley Smiled sweetly, she sat down next to her children. "I was thinking after lunch we could go to St. Mungo's and have the Healers try to figure out the spell he used and then I will send Errol to the children and bring them home. What do you two think?" Her hand was resting on Ron's knee and both Ron and Hermione had a hand under the blanket, Molly glowed she was so happy for the two.
"Sounds good Mrs. Weasley." Hermione nodded.
"Yea mum, sounds great." Ron nodded to Hermione.
"Well I will go get lunch started, go wash up." She walked out of the room shutting the door. Hermione got up and went over to the window throwing open the curtains blasting the room with sunlight.
"Look love, the sun came to see us!" Hermione said, Ron threw himself on the bed and hurled the blankets over him dramatically, "No!! The sun!! It burns!! Ahhh!!" He yelled. Hermione flung herself on top of him "Oh no!! I will save you!!" She laughed and tickled him, they were laughing and rolling around for 10 minutes before Molly called for them to come down for lunch.
Ron got out of bed and untangled Hermione from the bed sheets. Hermione sat on her knees to be at Ron's height, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Ron never imagined he would be kissing the girl of his dreams like this, soft and sensual. He put all the love he could into that kiss.
He wanted to make sure if she came to her senses and realized what she was doing or if this was just some dream he would be able to remember every second of this, of her.
She smiled up at him and brushed the hair out of his eyes. Her giggle brought him back from his thoughts, he glowed. Ron kissed her again and picked her up in his arms and threw her over his shoulder and ran out the door screaming lunch, with her laughing.
They entered the kitchen and he sat her down gently in a chair next to him. Molly and Arthur looked at Hermione in surprise this was nothing like the girl they saw yesterday. She was smiling and had the sparkle in her eyes again. Ron and Hermione's giggles were like music to Molly's ears, it brought a small tear to her eyes. She did not think she would hear that for days, Mr. Weasley dropped his newspaper and watched the two grinning like a fool.
Hermione found Ron's hand sitting on his knee and took it in her small grasp, his eyes sparkled at her. They were happy, or so it seemed.
Both still were dealing with demons that haunted them in every minute of being awake, every second of restless sleep.
For now though the two teenagers will be happy, they will be together and live as if everything, everything bad that had ever happened, never happened. They were determined to live life.
" Well children, after breakfast we will go to St. Mungo's and see what we can do about this." Molly looked between Ron and Hermione. Ron looked at Hermione gave her a comforting smile and squeezed her hand.
"Yes Mrs. Weasley that sounds like a good plan" Hermione said giving Molly a forced smile. Hermione was never good at hiding her feelings of being scared or worried.
Ron and Hermione finished their breakfast and Molly rushed them up the stairs to get changed. The Healers at St. Mungo's they were bound to know how to get rid of the bruises and cuts, they have seen everything.
What Hermione was worried about was having to tell them how she had gotten them and how they were going to react to the news of rape, she was not even sure if that sort of thing happened in the Wizarding world.
What would happen, will they inform her mother? Will they arrest David? Will everyone know? Will they inform Dumbledore? The questions burned her mind, they brought tears to her eyes and made her heart race.
Ron's hand guided her up the stairs and he could feel Hermione's breath quicken, he watched her for several more steps than stopped her.
"Hermione? Love what's wrong? Calm down." Ron stood in front of her, tilting her head up to meet his eyes.
He could see the tears now, waiting to fall. She blinked her eyes pushing back her tears, putting on her fake smile.
" Come on Hermione, don't put the fake smile on with me. You don't have to. I am here to be strong for you, you not to be strong for me. Please just talk to me and tell me what has you worried?" Hermione's smile fell, she looked Ron in the eyes and told him everything on her mind, she collapsed on his chest crying, shaking.
" Hermione, I don't know what's going to happen. I really don't and I am so sorry. But I do know this, you are the strongest and bravest and smartest person I know and I know you can get through this. We are all here for you, Mum, Dad, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ginny, Harry, Dumbledore. I swear to you we are all here and will never let anything happen to you ever again. I promise. Ok love?" Ron looked her in the eyes and she smiled a real smile and stepped on her tip toes and kissed Ron on the cheek.
"Let's go get dressed, I am sure Mum will know the answer to some of the questions if you want to ask her, she always has the right answers." He gave her a smile, the one that always made Hermione weak at the knees. It helped calm her nerves some.
Ron cupped his hand on Hermione's face and stroked her cheek with his thumb and leaned in and kissed her lips softly. His eyes sparkled at her, he let his hand fall from her face to find her hand. Together they walked up the stairs to his Ginny's room.
He left her to go to his room and get changed. When he came back to Ginny's room he heard crying, the door was opened slightly, Ron peered in through the crack that was when he saw his mother comforting Hermione. Ron wondered if he should go in and make sure everything was alright, but his father put a hand on his shoulder to tell him to let them be.
Hermione needed a mother right now, she was scared and hurt. She needed the comfort only a mother could give, one that had all the answers even if she didn't have all the answers she could at least give her reassurance that she knew of someone that did have the answers to all of her questions.
Arthur put his arm around his son and led him downstairs to wait for the girls.
"Ron, son, Listen. Hermione is really going to need all the support she can get from all of us, but she is going to need you the most. The Department of Ministries are going to have to get involved. The second we tell the healers at St. Mungo's about David and what he has done than they will have to start an investigation. That means she will have to tell the story more than once, she has to say it repeatedly and it will wear on her. Her nightmares might get worse, her mental state might worsen, paranoia might become a factor in her, she will become depressed, she will lose sleep or might sleep too much, her appetite might be lost.
My point is son, this is going to hard and Hermione is going to need all of us. The Department will inform Dumbledore so he can inform the teachers to keep an extra close eye on her, I know you don't like the idea but Ronald, she is going to need all the help she can get and you too. This is going to wear on you and everyone equally. I know you don't believe me now but eventually you will understand. Just know that your mother and I are only a owl away and you can write to us and we will be right there for you.
The Healers are going to take good care of our Hermione, they will fix her up and make sure she is ok, but when the Ministry comes in, that is when it will get complicated. They are going to ask her a lot of hard questions, a lot of the answers are going to be hard to hear and she might not want you in there to hear them Ron so please be understanding of that. I just want to prepare you for what might becoming next, I am sorry I know this is hard. Believe me Ronald I am going to do everything in my power to set this right for Hermione, I am going to do everything I can to watch David fry for what he has done." Arthur was watching his son visibly shake from holding back his sobs.
He grabbed his son and brought him into his arms holding onto him. His own tears falling down his face and onto his sons shirt. It pained Arthur to a new extent to see his son and Hermione in this much pain. He felt helpless, he felt so much anger towards David and even Jean, Hermione's mother.
"Come on now son we have to get Hermione to St. Mungo's. Let's get the girl's robes." Arthur helped Ron up off the couch and walked him towards the kitchen, Arthur looked his son over once and nodded. Ron's eyes were red and puffy, his face was flushed white and needed something to perk him up, Arthur had just the thing for this kind of situation.
Arthur reached for the cupboard above the stove and reached into the back, he pulled out a bottle of firewhisky and poured him and his son a glass each. Immediately Ron felt the burning sensation run from his mouth to his toes, it warmed him from inside, out. He closed his eyes and let the feeling take over him, the feeling of the fire burning inside his toes instead of his heart.
Ron was brought out of his thoughts when he heard the door to the kitchen open. Hermione looked like a little puppy that had been kicked one to many times, she looked scared and lost. She walked straight to his side and wrapped her arms around her middle. His arms found their way to her and he leaned down to kissed her forehead.
"Well come on Children lets get going." Molly Said as she was walking to the fireplace to pick up the canister of Floo Powder, she held it out for Ron and Hermione.
"Remember to speak loud and clear!" She told them. Ron took a handful, Hermione next to him, they stepped into the fireplace together. Ronald threw his powder onto the flames and shouted "St. Mungo's!" and off they went.
They saw glimpses of others homes as they zoomed by them, but the firewhisky began to make Ron dizzy so he gripped Hermione tighter to him and closed his eyes waiting for this crazy ride to stop. At last they began to slow down, Ron slowly opened his eyes to see the lobby of St. Mungo's.
They stepped out of the fireplace, somewhat wobbly. Ron looked around looking at the various witches and wizards. Hermione turned her head to watch the fireplace for Mrs. and Mr. Weasley. She seemed so anxious, But Ron was too, he wished for nothing more than to have this day be over.
At once the fireplace behind them turned bright green and appeared Ron's parents. Mr. Weasley led Ron and Hermione to the front desk, while Mrs. Weasley put her arm around Hermione and stayed with her children.
"Yes we have a appointment to see Healer McIntosh. For Hermione Granger." Arthur checked them in and than sat his family down to wait for their turn.
Hermione was growing more anxious by the second, he leg began to jiggle shortly after that she began to wring her hands nervously, her eyes darted to each door waiting for something to happen, anything. Ron's nerves were beginning to become uneasy as well, but he tried to steady Hermione. Molly watched them, watched Ron become scared and uneasy but still tried to comfort Hermione, that made her happy, she knew she had raised her son right.
"Hermione? We are ready for you dear." A kind looking woman stood outside a door labeled, Exam room 1. Ron's hand squeezed Hermione's and when she looked at him he gave her the best smile he could. Hermione and Ron stood up and began to walk to the room, Molly and Arthur not far behind them.
" Please have a seat, I am Healer McIntosh. Ms. Granger what is it I can do for you today?" Hermione looked to Molly to answer, she was not quiet sure what to say. I mean she could just use her eyes and look at Hermione and she could tell why they were there, to have her take theses cuts and bruises away.
"Yes, well Hermione here has some bruises and cutts my husband and I have tried all the spells we could think of and nothing has worked. We were hoping that you could help us." Molly said rather quickly.
The Healer left her chair held her hand out to Hermione and led her to the exam table, she took her wand out and tried a few simple spells, ones that Molly and Arthur had tried. Hermione had her eyes closed, holding her breath willing the bruises to go away.
"Mrs. Weasley what is your relationship to Hermione?" She looked to Molly.
"Well she is my children's best friend." Molly stuttered, shocked by the sudden question.
"Hmm, Where are her parents?" she looked to the Weasleys for an answer.
"My parents, Healer McIntosh are in London." Hermione spoke up rather confident, But Ron could see the nervousness in her eyes.
"Well we are going to need your parents here, or do Mr. and Mrs. Weasley have guardianship over you, or a note saying I can treat you?" She was looking at Hermione,
"Well no they don't. Why do you have to have my parents?" Hermione's voice began to quiver.
"Well you are not of age yet am I correct? Well since you are not yet 17 I must have your parents permission to treat you. What happened? Why Do you have all these bruises and cuts?" Hermione's face paled instantly, her eyes darted to Molly.
Ron started to get out of his chair but Arthur put his hand on Ron's shoulder to stop him, Molly rose to her feet and walked to Hermione's side. Hermione was beginning to shake and Molly had to force back her tears and steady her voice before she began to speak.
"Healer McIntosh, Hermione's step father…. Hermione's step father David…. He …raped and beat Hermione 2 days ago." Molly said in almost a whisper, her voice failed her several times as it has done now.
There was a silence in the room as every eye was on Healer McIntosh, waiting for her reply.
"Oh," She said in a strained voice, "I see. Well umm… in that case I need to consult another healer. Hermione, Mrs. Weasley I am so sorry. I know how terrifying this must be for you. I assume Mrs. Weasley that you know that I have to call the Ministry and her parents. I don't want to but it is part of protocol, I am so sorry." You could hear the sincerity in McIntosh's voice.
Hermione seemed scared, Molly must have told her that this might happen.
"You will need these Healer McIntosh." Molly fished in her handbag and pulled out a bag with Hermione's clothes in it, the one's from the night that David attacked Hermione.
"Mr. Weasley, I am going to have to ask you and your son to wait outside. I am going to have to examine Hermione." Ron Stood up and went to Hermione, he held her and kissed her forehead.
Hermione was being so strong, she was fighting her tears and taking deep breaths, she was holding it together better than Ron. She could feel his tears fall from his eyes and into her hair, he leaned down to her ear and kissed her temple.
"Hermione I love you, remember that. I am so proud of you, you are being so strong. God Hermione I love you so much. I will be right outside if you need me, I will be here in seconds, I swear on Merlin's grave." She had brought her hands to his face and pulled is eyes to hers,
" Ronald I love you too. Now go I will be ok, Molly is going to stay with me and I know where you are. I love you." She kissed him and let her hands fall form his face. He closed his eyes at the loss of her touch, Arthur took his son in his arms and led him out of the exam room.
Together Ron and Arthur sat anxiously waiting for a familiar face, either it be someone from the Ministry or one of Hermione's parents. That was the one they were most anxious about, David.
Ron was scared of what would happen if he saw him, so was Arthur. Both of them wanted to hurt him, wring his neck make him feel as much pain as he had caused Hermione.
Another female healer walked into Hermione's exam room with a cart full of instruments Ron had never seen before, that had scared Ron. The only other time Ron remembered seeing instruments being used was in Madam Pomfrey's Hospital wing, But that was only for incidents that were bad enough to where magic was just not simply enough.
He did not think Hermione was that bad, a few bruises and cuts, Why would they need those? His heart beat grew faster, and he was getting more nervous by the second.
"Oh Patrick, good they sent you. Are they sending anyone else?" Arthur got up to talk to his colleague.
"No Arthur it's just me. What's going on? They said that the Granger girl was raped? By her step father, is he coming here?" Patrick O'Connell whispered to Mr. Weasley.
" I don't know Patrick. I don't know if the Healer's have called her parents or not. If they called you, they probably have. But yes your information is right Hermione came to out house two nights ago, she has been raped and abused by that bastard for over a year and not one of us ever caught it. I feel terrible. I want nothing more than to wring his neck, Patrick. I don't know what to do, I feel so helpless I am so glad they sent you." Patrick patted Arthur on the back and led him back to his seat.
Patrick began his investigation questioning Mr. Weasley and Ron. Mr. Weasley more so than Ron since he had been sleeping when Hermione arrived but he still asked questions about what Ron had observed of Hermione when she would return back to Hogwarts after a holiday, what Hermione would say about David. That was all O' Connell could do till the healers were done with Hermione or when her parents arrived.
The three men sat and waited for any word on Hermione,
"Dad? What are they doing with Hermione?" Arthur looked at Patrick O' Connell Not sure how to explain to his son what the healers were doing with his Hermione.
"Well son, umm you see son, With had has happened to Hermione, they have to check certain things out. They have to make sure there are no other injuries other than the ones we can see." Arthur cleared his throat and looked to Patrick for some help in explaining.
"Ronald," Patrick took over, "Hermione was raped, she has been hurt in ways that need special care. They have to look her over to make sure he did not do anymore damage than … they have to make sure she is ok, they have to make sure umm… Ronald they have to make sure that he did not get her pregnant… and other things. They also have to ask her details of the events, all the details of the incident." Arthur put a hand on Ron's shoulder and he whispered to Ron.
"I'm so sorry Ronald. I promise everything will be ok."
"I was told my daughter was here, Granger, Hermione Granger. Where is she?" Ron heard Hermione's name being spoken by a man he looked up with fire in his eyes, ready to pounce.
Once he saw the man he instantly recognized him as Hermione's father, her real father. Jarred Granger, a tall man.
Arthur went to Mr. Granger to explain to him what had happened, Ron could only imagine how hard it was to hear the news. He knew how hard it was for him, so he knew that it was just as hard if not more for Mr. Granger.
Ron watched Mr. Granger for his reaction, if his father needed his help but Patrick had already stood up and walked to the two other men. Mr. Granger took it surprisingly well. Better than any of them had expected.
Arthur had taken it harder than Mr. Granger did, and Hermione was his own daughter, his own flesh and blood. Ron stood up, he knew if Mr. Granger was here than her mum and David should be here soon enough. Ron began to pace the halls looking at anything he could to distract his anger.
"Jarred what are you doing here?" Ron heard …him. He could hear David talking to Mr. Granger like he deserved to be here more than him.
Ron's blood boiled over, forgetting his wand Ron ran towards David. He jumped on top of David from behind.
They were on the ground Ron had turned David to face him in one swift move and slugged him in his jaw, and again and again. David punched Ron in the ribs but that did not faze Ron in the slightest, he was a man full of love for the girl he hurt and rage for the man that had hurt her.
Ron grabbed David's long scraggly hair and balled up his fist and hit him again and again, Ron was seeing red, there was nothing to stop him from hurting David. Ron felt arms on him trying to pull him away he heard Hermione's mother scream, he could hear his father telling him to stop but he just kept hitting David as hard as he could.
As Ron was being pulled off of David his grip on David's hair never faltered and brought him up with him, Ron kicked David anywhere he could reach, David got out of Ron's hold and went after him, punching Ron's left eye, hit Ron's jaw. Patrick grabbed David and pulled him back away from Ron.
Ron let the blood pool in his mouth and spit it at David.
" You slimy, sick BASTARD!! What the bloody HELL do YOU think you are doing here?!! YOU FUCKING BLOODY GIT, YOU DON'T BELONG HERE, LEAVE. ROT IN AZKABAN, ROT IN HELL." Ron tried to get out of his father's grasp.
Kicking at David, Arthur dragged his son down the hall and outside.
"Why isn't Patrick arresting that son of a bitch! Why was he allowed to come here?!" Ron screamed, he felt tears begin to form in his eyes.
He was so angry that he began to cry, angry at David, angry at Patrick for not arresting him and taking him to Azkaban like he deserved, angry at his father for pulling him off of David.
Arthur let his son go, Ron cried and screamed and punched at the walls.
Arthur let his son do what he needed to do, Merlin only knows how much he wanted to do the same thing that Ron was doing.
"Why Dad?" Ron whispered, "WHY? WHY HERMIONE? WHY DID HE COME HERE? WHY?" Arthur watched his son and racked his brain for any answer he could give his son. Hot tears brimmed Arthur Weasley's eyes his breath came in short quick spurts, he let his anger and fear come to a head,
"I DON'T KNOW RON. I DON'T KNOW WHY HE IS HERE, WHY HE HURT HERMIONE. I DON'T KNOW." He screamed, the tears flew from his eyes, Ron stopped and looked at his father.
He had not heard his father that angry and helpless before and it scared Ron.
"Ronald I don't know why, You have no idea how much I wanted to do what you did, how much I want to give you answers but I can't. Damn it Ron, my heart stopped when I heard his voice, I don't know what is going on in there. Now I am scared that something is going to happen to you because you hurt him."
Arthur and Ron talked and cried together waiting outside to hear about Hermione. Laying on the bench Ron had cried himself to sleep.
"Patrick, Come here. Look I need you to stand here and watch Ron while I do something ok?" Arthur went into the lobby and grabbed the floo powder, he threw the powder into the fire screaming "Hogwarts!"
"Dumbledore, I need you." Arthur said as he entered the headmaster's office.
I do hope you liked this chapter, it is a little longer than my other ones but you know how the flow goes once you start if you stop you lose it so I just kept going and I thought all of you would enjoy a chapter like this.
Now I must leave you so I can start on the next Chapter of My other story (Don't Look At Me) and Start on the next chapter of this story, it should be up in a few days.
Please review!! I will give you Tea and Biscuits!!
Love always
Maggie
