Chapter 18:

A/N: How many years has it been? Almost 3, I believe. Wow… Doesn't time fly when you're having fun, eh? I won't say I'm back for good, because those who have been with me since the beginning of this, my first ever story I published on this site: I am neither reliable nor punctual in my updates. However, I am feeling nostalgic, and I feel like I should give my versions of these beautiful characters at least a little more of their lives. And who knows: maybe, just maybe, one day, I'll finish the damn thing and be done with it. So thank you for coming back, or welcome newbies, well done for getting this far, rereading past chapters has made me realise that at 14 I was not that good of a writer, despite my best efforts. Anyway, onto the story.

Hermione's POV:

"Hello beautiful."

Okay, so, shit, what do we do. Come on Hermione, think fast. We'd done so well, how did we get this far to just be…. Visiting Lovegood was my idea, stupid, what a stupid idea. Stupid stupid stupid!

Oh stop arguing with yourself Hermione. We have to go, now.

"Well, don't hang about! Snatch 'em!"

Just keep going, how fast can they really be? Oh yes, I forgot: they're Death Eaters! For Merlin's sake, get it together woman!

And so we ran, as all heroics do: for our lives. Throwing back a spell here or there, but nothing seemed to slow them down! I knew that unless Harry was concealed, we'd all be done for.

Woah, one flew straight past my ear: I could practically feel the wind as it shot past me.

Ron was of course the first man down, being hit with a foot-binding curse we had certainly never been taught at Hogwarts. Harry and I reached a clearing, but I wasn't leaving Ron, and I knew Harry wouldn't want to either.

"Harry," I shouted at him, making him turn around. And then I hit him, square in the face with a Stinging Jinx. At least then our full identity may be something of a mystery, just maybe.

Ron's POV:

Runnin' was never my thing, so this was a lost cause from the start. I knew I'd be first to go, always am ain't I.

The Snatcher hauled me up and dragged me down a hill to where they had the other two held up, wands to their throats same as me. Harry looked a bit odd; didn't know exercise made him look that tired. I looked across as her, fidgeting to get away but the Snatcher holding her down just tightened his grip. It was too tight.

"Don't touch her!" I called out to him, which earned me a shove to the head that made my eyes go out of focus for what felt like hours, but I just about heard her.

"Leave him!"

I knew exactly where we'd end up, because where else would they take us? You-Know-Who doesn't have a house, but we all knew the people he was living with.

Hermione POV:

I saw his head lol just as the Snatchers Apparated us to the entrance of a rather large house. A large, dark mansion with gargoyles on every centimeter of rooftop and grounds that looked overly kept yet unused. As of yet I had no idea where we were; and things that I am not aware of scare me senseless.

My fear of the unknown did not last long, as we were greeted at a tall iron gate by a woman we had had the pleasure of meeting before. That fear was very quickly replaced with a fear I have never known, and will never know again. This wouldn't end well for us: this could be it. Bellatrix Lestrange would know us instantly. But if she's here, then who's house was it?

Two words left her lips, which answered all of my questions.

"Get Draco."

All was fine. I thought perhaps Draco wouldn't rat us out. We went to school together! Surely he couldn't believe in somebody that evil, that much, so as to hand over someone he had known for seven years! That was, until she found the sword.

Ron POV:

"Put the boys in the cellar!"

"Wait what? No, no you can't take us, you can't split us up. No, get your bloody hands off me! Hermione! Hermione! Please, Hermione!"

"That's quite enough from you" well no, no it isn't you damn thing, take us back upstairs!

"What're they doing up there?" I asked, but regretted it instantly. It was as if Bellatrix heard me, because as soon as I finished my question, we heard a loud shriek. It was the loudest and most un-Hermione sound she had ever made, but I had no doubt who had made that noise, and the thing that made that noise happen was upstairs with our Hermione, my Hermione. I'm not having that!

"HERMIONE! HERMIONE! PLEASE, YOU CAN'T DO THIS! SHE HASN'T DONE-"

"Ron, you have to calm down-"

"NO HARRY, I WONT FUCKING CALM DOWN. You do realise that's Hermione up there: Hermione who has saved our arses more times than either of us can count. We have to do something!"

And do something, we did.

Hermione POV:

All I saw was black and white shapes moving above me. I could hear her, shouting, screaming, demanding answers. Answers I gave, but the truth was denied. Of course.

And there was pain. Much less now than then. But still, pain. Black, white, pain, over and over until suddenly the new pain faded and was not replaced. She had stopped.

I was swiftly picked up then my familiar arms. Familiar but now cold, cellars are cold places.

Where was I being taken? Who is this? I began to thrash about, trying to escape, thinking I must get back: must get back to the boys, must save them; when a hand was brought up to my cheek, and my head gently turned. And there he was, all blue eyed and ginger hair, staring down at me. I think I saw the faint outline of tears on his cheeks, but I did not question them as I felt the familiar movement of Apparition.

A/N: So: you made it! Congratulations. Reading back, I feel like this chapter needed a lot of feeling and soul for it to be done to justice. I hope I have delivered that: I'm trying my best. Happy reading (R&R and all that if you will be so kind) xox