"Always the tone of surprise, Hermione."
She was in no mood for the joke. She turned quickly away from him, placing her back to the three others in the room. She closed her eyes and suppressed the tears, her mind working through a dozen of different scenarios. What now? How do we get out of this now? She let out a loud huff of frustration.
"So sorry to disappoint, Hermione," Ron said angrily. She heard a clatter and knew he had thrown the sword to the floor. "But if you haven't noticed, I'm the best you've got right now."
She chanced a sideways look at him over her shoulder and watched as he sunk to the ground, resting his back against the wall of the room and cradling his head in his hands. He looked tired and Hermione thought through each of the tests she and Ginny had gone through, realizing how much he must have faced this evening. Oh Ron, she thought bitterly, why did it have to be you?
"So, what's new with you guys?" Ginny asked sarcastically, obviously trying to break up some of the awkwardness. Harry gave a short laugh at his girlfriend's attempt. He stopped as he realized no one else was going to make any effort to talk.
"It's been unbelievable, hasn't it?" Harry asked seriously. "Did you two have to face that hydra?"
Hermione saw Ginny nod and the redhead began recounting the terror of it, of seeing Georgiana disappear before their eyes.
"Tell me about it," Harry agreed. "You should have seen…when Krum went over that rock..."
Harry was cut off by Hermione's gasp as she whipped back around, facing them fully once again.
"Viktor, h-he was here?"
Harry nodded cautiously and Hermione watched something dark pass over Ron's face.
"We thought he might be here," Ginny said softly. "Parvati saw him running for us but…what happened to him?"
"He fell," Ron said at last. "Over one of the rocks."
Hermione shuddered, imagining it. She placed a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out.
"I'm sorry Hermione, I know he was your friend," Harry said quietly. "If it's any consolation, he was trying with all his might to get to you."
"He was coming after me?" Hermione asked thickly. It didn't make sense to her and the confusion was hitting her in waves. "How do you know?"
"Well," Harry said delicately, as if regretting saying the words, "there was…fighting."
The word hung in the air. Fighting for what? How could a fight prove anything?
"There was only one key," Ron said, looking straight at Hermione. That's when Hermione noticed a gold key hanging from a chain around Ron's neck. "And we both wanted it."
"Actually, there were four keys. But only one led to Hermione," Harry said, an amused smile on his face. "Neville got Lavender's by the way."
"Neville? He was here?" Ginny asked suddenly. Neville. Hermione hadn't even considered it. She had known someone would have been sent there for Lavender, but all this time she could only think of one person, internally torn over whose side he would end up on.
"So, you weren't…you didn't…" Hermione trailed off.
"I didn't jump in after Lavender Brown?" Ron finished for her. His face was set in restrained frustration, as if he couldn't believe the question would be asked in the first place. "No."
Hermione looked him over, taking him in fully for the first time since he had arrived. He looked so earnest, so sincere. It took her breath away. Her gaze drifted over him, looking at the frayed edges of his shirt. There was a hole in his right trouser leg, just over the knee, and she wondered how he had got it. His face was dirty and streaked with something, either sweat or tears. She couldn't tell.
"What happened to your hands?"
Ron looked down at her question, as if he hadn't noticed before. His hands were bloodied and blistered, gashes around the knuckles. He flexed his fingers, as if making sure they still worked.
"Boggart."
Hermione shivered. The boggart had definitely been the worst of the three tests. But boggarts were a psychological terror, they weren't actually violent. How, then, had Ron been harmed? Ron looked up at her, as if sensing her question. He answered her softly before she had the chance to ask.
"Malfoy Manor."
Hermione closed her eyes at the declaration, knowing exactly what had happened to his hands. They had looked that way the last time, too. It was like being immediately transported back to the scene. She remembered the pain, the horrible curses, the way the blade felt against her throat. More than anything, however, she remembered Ron. The way he had dropped to his knees in front of Bellatrix, pleading for Hermione's life. The way he had screamed for her, shouted her name as if to tether her to Earth, the sound becoming the only thing keeping her clinging to life. It had been as if his calling her name was a promise that he would come for her, if she could just hold on a little longer.
A few renegade tears spilled past Hermione's closed eyes as she imagined Ron reliving it, imagined him trying to claw his way out of that tunnel to get to her, scraping until his hands had become bloodied and raw. He was doing it again, now, even though he didn't know it. And if she wasn't careful, he might actually get the chance to step in and take the punishment for her. She couldn't let him know he had that choice.
"Ron," she whispered, opening her eyes up at last.
"Doesn't matter, we're here now," he said gruffly, looking away from her. "Let's get this over with. You reckon we can all climb out the way we came?"
The question was meant for Harry but Ginny shook her head at him, letting him know it wouldn't work.
"Hermione can't leave."
"What do you mean?" Ron asked quickly. His stare darted to Hermione, his eyes slitting in suspicion. "Why haven't you moved from that spot?"
Hermione shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. This was the part she had been dreading and she didn't know where to start.
"She's stuck," Ginny explained for her. "It's like she's in a box, she can't move out of that square."
Ron eyed her again, worry written plainly across his face. He moved to come closer to her and her hands shot up, warning him off.
"Don't," she said forcefully. "If you get closer you'll be stuck in here, too."
Harry took a small step toward her at that, concern beginning to grow and spread amongst the group.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
Ginny shrugged, letting the boys know she was just as confused as them. Hermione crossed her arms across her chest, wishing she could will all three of them away from her at that moment.
"We do have a theory," Ginny said reluctantly.
"Ginny." Hermione cut her off, telling her silently to stop talking.
"Hermione, if we get it all out in the open, maybe we can solve this," Ginny replied urgently. Hermione shook her head no, wishing she could telepathically communicate with her friend just then. Why had she never studied legilimens?
"Someone has to take her place."
Hermione's eyes shuttered closed at Ginny's confession. It felt like she'd just been given a death sentence, which was ironic, given the situation. Hermione rested her back against the wall behind her, sliding down along the invisible barrier until she sat on the cold floor. Every instinct in her wanted to give in to a good, long cry. But she couldn't, this was too important to mess up.
"Well, that's easy," Harry said brightly. "Hermione, one of us walks in there and you're free? That's fine, it's not a problem…"
Hermione shook her head fiercely at him. She looked at Harry then, his grin fading from his face. She knew he suddenly understood there was something more, could tell from looking at her that she was hiding something. He knew her that well.
"What is it?"
Hermione fought with herself. On the one hand, revealing this information would make the three of them more frantic to help her, would make Ron…oh God, I can't even think it. On the other hand, she couldn't let them think there was no sacrifice in taking her place, one of them just might try it. It was too risky.
"Hermione," Ginny urged. "Is there something you're not telling us?"
Hermione chanced a look at Ron. He was standing closer to her now than he was before, watching her intently. She could tell he was scared for her; this news wasn't about to help matters at all. She looked away from him quickly.
"It seems," Hermione said calmly, her hands on her hips, "that I am having a bit of trouble breathing."