Ron fell to his knees due to Hermione's weight as he Apparated in front of Shell Cottage. The only instinct he had was to get Hermione help…he needed to know she was going to be alright…

"HELP! BILL!" Ron shouted at the top of his lungs, despite the fact that he knew that Bill and Fleur couldn't hear him. He couldn't bare to look at Hermione, her limp form was in his arms and she was so deathly pale that she could've died without him knowing…

Don't think that, his brain reminded him. She must be alive…she had to be…

Ron was able to make it to the door of Bill and Fleur's, and let go of Hermione's legs to knock frantically on the door. Bill answered right away, his eyes widening at the sight of Hermione. "Ron, what - ?"

"I can't explain!" Ron shouted. "She needs help, and you're the first person I thought of! Please, I need someone to tell me she's going to be alright!" Ron knew he sounded desperate, and at this point, he was. The tears that were swimming in his eyes were threatening to fall, but Ron refused them.

"Alright, I'm sure Fleur can figure her out, but you need to calm down, Ron." Bill led Ron upstairs to a small bedroom with a view of the sea. Ron placed Hermione's limp form on the bed, and she stirred, but did not wake. He gripped her hand, mostly to make himself feel better. Fleur came bustling in shortly after and started poking and prodding Hermione. After a few moments, Ron became impatient and almost yelled at Fleur, "Is she going to be alright?"

Fleur raised her eyebrows at his tone and responded. "She's going to be fine. I'm going to clean up ze injuries, and when she wakes, I'll ze what else she needs."

Ron nodded solemnly and silently thanked her. He watched as Fleur cleaned up the injuries, especially the cut made by Bellatrix's knife on her neck, and waited until Fleur left to kneel back down by her side.

"I can't believe how close that was, Hermione," he said to the unconscious form. "I felt so useless down in that cellar. I broke my promise again, and I'm sorry." He put his face down on the bed by their entwined hands and finally allowed himself to sob.

After a few moments, he felt Hermione's body stir under him. Slowly, he looked up to see Hermione opening her eyes. He had never seen her look more defeated.

"Hermione?" he said breathlessly. "How are you feeling?" He felt her hand tighten around his and he moved his so it was more intertwined with hers.

She ran a hand through her unruly hair and mumbled, "Ron..."

Ron thought there was nothing better in the world at that moment than hearing her voice. "What is it, Hermione? I'm right here, what hurts?"

Hermione made to sit up, and blinked rapidly, seemingly seeing stars. She collapsed back onto the pillows and muttered, "My head."

"Your head? Right, I'm going to get Fleur –" Ron stood up and made to leave when Hermione's hand caught his. He whipped back around with his eyes widened, worried to franticness. "What's wrong? What d'you need, Hermione?" But he already recognized the expression on her face much too well. It was the same face he had seen on Hermione much too many times. Without warning, she burst into tears.

"Oh, Hermione." Ron gathered her in his arms and she cried freely. Once she had stopped, Ron stayed kneeled at her bedside and kept his hand linked with hers.

"It was horrible, Ron, I thought I was going to die. I…" Hermione trailed off and tears started to swim in her eyes again, so Ron squeezed her again to his chest and said, "Don't talk about it. That's not helping."

There was silence as Ron stared at Hermione with a new fascination. She looked exhausted. Her brown eyes had purple shadows under them, and her face was deathly pale. Her expression was empty, almost dead. The only live part of her face was in her eyes. Ron's heart immediately went out for her. She had been so close to death and him so far from stopping it…

Hermione caught him staring at her. "Ron, m' fine, I just...need to rest." Her eyelids were slowly sliding shut.

Ron squeezed her hand tighter. "That was much too close."

Hermione's eyes flew open. "I can't believe I'm alive."

"I was about to die myself," Ron said. "I heard you screaming and I couldn't take it. I was willing to do anything to get to you."

Ron stood up and started pacing in front of Hermione's bed. "I felt so useless in that cellar!" Ron said stressfully. "You could never imagine the pain I was going through."

"Bet I could," Hermione muttered. Her expression was still dead-looking, but Ron still could see the slight spark in her eyes that he loved.

Ron continued. "But I'm sorry I broke my promise…again."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione said furiously, suddenly much more alive than before. She threw back the covers and got up to face Ron, still in the dirty clothes she had been tortured in. "You never broke your promise tonight! You were there with me for every second you could be, and if you had refused to go down to that cellar, you would've been killed!"

"Then I should've chosen that!" Ron yelled. "If I really wanted to protect you, I should've been taken instead of letting them torture you!"

"If they had killed you, they would've tortured me afterward anyway!" Hermione said. "And is that the kind of pain you want to put me through? D'you want me mourn over this one night for the rest of my life because you died on it?"

Hermione drew in a rather large breath and looked as if she couldn't breath for a moment. Ron's eyes widened at the look on her face before she fainted on the spot, Ron catching her before she hit the floor. He returned her to the bed, knowing that this sudden incident was due to overexcitement after the Cruciatus Curse.

When Hermione woke, Ron grabbed her hand again. "Hermione, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to get you so worked up, but what happened to you really got me upset."

She looked at him and Ron saw real love in her eyes. Suddenly, they filled with tears and she was crying again, hiding her face in her hands. Ron thought about what she had said before fainting and took one of her hands. "Hermione, I need you to listen to me."

Hermione recognized the seriousness in his voice and looked into his face. "I need you to know that no matter what happens, I never want to hurt you when we argue. I fight with you because it's what we do, I suppose. But I'll never hurt you on purpose. I hate to see you cry, and every time I do, I want to throw myself into the nearest black hole."

Hermione sniffed. She started to sit up for the first time that night, and she seemed to see stars. "Ergh, my head." Ron immediately decided to go get Fleur.

"I'm going to get Fleur," he told her. He started out the door when he heard her calling him. "Ron."

He turned in the doorway where her voice had stopped him and turned around to face her. "Thank you. For saving my life tonight." She smiled at him. He shrugged modestly. "You know I always will." With that, Ron escaped the room to fetch Fleur, with something like a smirk on his face.