It was a year and a half after Ron had left when Hermione got the call.

Ron had stopped writing. He had told her in his last letter that it was better to stop writing because the Death Eaters had begun to track the Aurors' families by their mail for sabotage.

The doorbell rang early on that fateful day. Hermione heard it from upstairs while waking Rose and Hugo. She wrapped her bathrobe tighter around herself and cautiously walked downstairs.

Through the oddly distorted design of the glass on the door, Hermione could see a tall, muscular figure standing outside. It couldn't be…

She whipped open the door, and there standing, looking scarred but very much alive, was Harry.

"HARRY!" She flew into his arms and squeezed him tightly. She had never been so relieved to see him before. "Oh Harry, I've been so worried! Where's Ron? Is he alright? Is –"

She stopped dead when she glanced at Harry's face. "Harry, what's happened?" she asked, her voice now quite quiet.

"Hermione," Harry said, his voice deadly serious, "I need you to sit down."

Hermione's knees went limp when she realized why he was here. "Harry, what's happened?" she repeated, her voice shaking as she ignored Harry's request.

"Hermione, Ron's gone missing."

It was as if the world had released a thousand dementors on Hermione to suck out her soul. All breath left every part of her body as she collapsed into the nearest chair.

"When?" she managed to ask, when words blessed her with their presence.

"Just a few days ago. They sent me to come tell you. A few Death Eaters took him in the night." Harry's voice shook, and he fell silent. Hermione looked up and saw that like hers, Harry's eyes were filled with unshed tears.

"He's going to come back," Hermione said, trying to be hopeful, but the tears were threatening to fall. "He's Ron, he always comes back!"

"Hermione," Harry paused and shook his head. "I don't think there's much hope –"

"Don't say that!" Hermione snapped at him. "He has to be alive; he can't just die and leave me alone after TWENTY BLOODY YEARS!"

She finally broke down into sobs; heartbroken, true sobs. She was only vaguely aware of Harry wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly and sobbing with her.

Finally, Harry faced her and said, "He'll turn up again. He will." Hermione nodded, and hoped to every powerful force she could think of that what Harry said was true.

She hoped more than anything that Ron was somewhere in the world, still alive. She had to.