"Ron, catch — and GO!" Harry yelled, throwing one of the wands. Ron caught it and, without a moment to think, disapparated away. Keeping his eyes shut, he concentrated on his destination.
Bill and Fleur's... Bill and Fleur's...
He tried to push away his worst fears about Hermione's well-being. All he needed to do was get her to safety, and she would be okay. Shehadto be. He focused on the image of Shell Cottage in his mind. When the solid ground finally materialized beneath his feet, he staggered and dropped to his knees in the sand, still holding Hermione in his arms. With her face pressed tightly against his chest, he carefully shifted her onto her back, sweeping her hair away from her face.
"Hermione? Hermione?" he muttered repeatedly, his voice cracking each time. There was no response. Her eyes were shut, and her body felt lifeless. He saw blood on his arm but wasn't sure from where on her body it had come from. Gripping her firmly, he sprang up and ran toward the house.
"Bill!" he shouted, his voice hoarse with panic. "BILL!"
He saw Dean out front, motioning for someone inside. Bill appeared in the doorway and rushed to meet Ron.
"Ron, what—" Bill began, bewildered, but Ron cut him off.
"Hermione," Ron gasped, the rest of the words caught in his throat. He pushed past Bill and into the house. Bill's voice followed him. "Upstairs. Fleur is already up there." Ron heard a loud cracking sound from outside and knew that Harry had arrived. He allowed himself a brief moment of relief before refocusing on Hermione's still form in his arms.
"Ron, over 'ere," Fleur called from the top of the stairs, directing him to a room with an empty bed. Luna was sitting on the other bed, her eyes widening as they entered. Ron quickly placed Hermione on the bed. Fleur began frantically examining her but didn't ask any questions yet. He stood there, feeling utterly helpless, his heart pounding in his chest as he waited for Fleur to speak.
"She eez alive," Fleur said softly.
Ron's knees buckled at those words. He collapsed into a chair in the corner, burying his head in his hands. His body shook with silent sobs, tears streaming down his face. He felt a hand on his shoulder and knew Bill was behind him.
"I'm going to check on Harry," Bill murmured before heading downstairs.
Ron tried to take a deep breath, feeling like it was the first time he had breathed properly in ages. He needed to pull himself together for her. He looked up and saw Fleur applying various ointments and potions. Luna had come over to help. He noticed Fleur's eyebrows furrowing as she examined Hermione's arm. That was where most of the blood had come from—her forearm. As the blood was cleaned away, Fleur took a sharp inhale and cursed under her breath.
"Wha—," Ron started to stand up to see what Fleur saw, but he stopped when he saw the word carved into Hermione's arm.
Mudblood
He felt sick.
"I swear, I'll kill her," Ron said, his blood boiling. He promised himself he would make Bellatrix pay for this. He would make all of them pay. Rage surged through him, and he didn't know how to release it. Fleur glanced nervously at him, as if wanting to ask who did this, but she refrained.
Ron placed his hands on the back of his head and paced around the room while they continued their work. He tried to calm himself down. He couldn't believe this was all real. He had thought he lost her. Even though she was alive, he needed to make sure she wasokay. He couldn't help but think of another of Bellatrix's victims—Neville's parents—and their fate. He was beyond grateful Hermione was alive, but he knew she would rather be dead than live like that. The thought of her brilliant mind lost forever in a shell of a body made him panic.
"Luna, I need to check on Grip'ook. I will be back," Fleur said, giving Ron a sympathetic smile before rushing out.
Ron stopped pacing and walked over to help Luna. She handed him a bottle of dittany and explained what Fleur had told her. He began applying it to the cuts on Hermione's arm. There was now a bandage covering the word on her forearm, but there were still scrapes and cuts from the shattered chandelier glass. He expected Luna to be more talkative but was relieved when they worked in silence. She must have been exhausted from her time at Malfoy Manor. He wondered how she would react if she knew her dad had tried to turn Harry in to secure her release. His mind wandered, imagining how he would react if Hermione had been captured and missing, and a chill ran down his spine. He began to see Mr. Lovegood's actions in a new light, even if he had tried to betray them.
Suddenly, Hermione's arm twitched. Ron froze, his eyes locked on her face. Luna paused too, glancing at Ron. They both waited, barely breathing, for any further sign of movement. After what felt like an eternity, Hermione's brow furrowed, and she let out a small groan.
"Hermione, it's okay," Ron whispered, gently brushing her hair from her face. His fingers lingered, caressing her cheek as he waited for her eyes to open. Luna quietly retreated to her bed, giving them space.
Hermione's eyelids fluttered open, confusion and fear flashing across her face as her gaze darted around the unfamiliar room.
"Hey, hey," Ron gently squeezed her shoulder and said, "It's okay." She didn't seem convinced at first, so he continued, "It's okay, I promise." After a few seconds, her eyes found his and softened. She looked at him with relief, and her eyes began to well with tears.
"Ron," she mouthed, her voice strained and almost inaudible. He felt a wave of relief that her mind was still intact.
"Yeah, I'm here. I'm right here," he assured her. "You're at Bill and Fleur's place. Harry is here too. We're safe now." She gave him a soft smile and then looked around to confirm her surroundings. Her body was still tense, and it pained Ron to see her so afraid. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms, but he was terrified of hurting her.
"Do you want to sit up?" he asked gently. When she nodded, he carefully positioned the pillow behind her back, offering his arms as support as she slowly sat up.
Luna stood up. "I'll let Fleur know she's awake," she said, giving them both an understanding smile as she left the room.
Ron appreciated the moment alone but knew Fleur would return soon. He moved the chair closer to the bed and sat down, taking Hermione's hand in both of his. In any other situation, this would have made him feel embarrassed, but right now, he didn't care. All that mattered was that Hermione was safe.
"Thanks," she said shakily.
"Of course," he responded, squeezing her hand.
He racked his brain, desperately searching for the right words to say. But the adrenaline rush had faded, and he realized how exhausted he was. His thoughts swirled in a jumbled mess. He wanted nothing more than to comfort Hermione, to tell her how terrified he had been, how his heart had nearly stopped when he heard her screams. But the words stuck in his throat, tangled with emotions he couldn't quite express. His eyes locked onto hers, and he began to feel the courage he needed. Then, Fleur walked back in.
"She eez awake? 'Ow eez she feeling?" Ron turned toward Fleur. "She's awake but in a bit of pain, I think," he said, recalling her winces when she sat up. Fleur offered Hermione some water, and Ron reluctantly let go of her hand.
"Thanks," Hermione said quietly as she took the glass and began drinking. After the first gulp, she put her hand up to her throat and winced again.
"You okay?" Ron asked with concern as he reached for her shoulder. Hermione nodded. He could tell her throat was sore from all the screaming. He removed his hand from her shoulder and balled it into a fist in his lap. He was furious at Bellatrix for everything she had done, but he tried not to let it show for her sake. He wasn't sure how to eventually tell her about the word carved into her arm and hoped to Merlin that it wouldn't scar.
"Here, drink zis. It will help wiz ze pain," Fleur said, handing Hermione a glass of pale pink liquid. Hermione exchanged it with the empty water cup. She gave the potion a brief glance before starting to drink it. When she was finished, Fleur took the glass back and walked away. Hermione gave Ron a soft smile, and he returned it. He reached for her hand again. Fleur returned with a fresh glass of water and placed it on the nightstand.
"You may feel a leetle sleepy. You will feel better after some rest and giving ze medicine time to work." Hermione nodded. "I will check on you again," Fleur added with a gentle smile before turning to leave.
Hermione turned to Ron and squeezed his hand. They shared a look of mutual understanding, though Ron could sense an unspoken connection between them. Despite her exhaustion, Hermione's eyes still burned with fierce determination. Ron wanted so badly to spend more time with her, but he knew she needed rest.
"Would you like to get some rest? I can close the curtains for you," he offered. Hermione nodded in response. "I'm going to check on Harry, but I'll be back, I promise," he said. She squeezed his hand once more in agreement. Ron gently stroked her hand with his thumb before letting go. He then stood up and walked toward the moonlit window. He drew the curtains and went to head downstairs. He took one last look at Hermione before heading down.
She'll be here when I get back. She's gonna be okay, he assured himself. But for now he needed to check on Harry.
Dean and Bill were talking downstairs. They paused their conversation when they saw Ron come down.
"He's outside," Bill said but with a defeated voice. "The elf—," he paused, finding his words. "He didn't make it".Damn, Ron thought. Bill continued, "he's finishing up his grave right now".
"Thanks, I'm going to help him," Ron said.
"I'll come with you," Dean replied. Bill told them where to find him and they headed out into the darkness. They eventually found him deep inside the hole he was digging. Harry looked up at them and paused digging.
He caught his breath and asked, "How's Hermione?"
"Better," Ron said. "Fleur's looking after her."
He could see Harry take a deep sigh of relief hearing that. Ron and Dean then hopped into the hole and helped Harry complete Dobby's grave. They worked in silence for a while. Once it seemed big enough, they stopped and hopped out. Harry covered Dobby in his jacket. Ron had an idea and took off his shoes and socks. He then placed his socks on Dobby's feet. He wanted him to be buried as he lived — a free elf. Dean gave harry a woolen hat to put on Dobby's head.
They could hear people approaching through the darkness. They turned to see the others coming to pay Dobby their respects. Bill and Fleur were accompanied by Hermione and Luna. Hermione was wrapped in a borrowed dressing gown and was walking shakily. Ron bridged the distance between them and put an arm around her. They proceeded with the funeral. They all said their goodbyes and there wasn't a dry eye among them. Hermione leaned her head onto Ron's shoulder as she cried. When it was over, they gave Harry some alone time with Dobby to say goodbye as they all headed back toward the cottage. Hermione was still unsteady on her feet and Ron let her use him for support as they made their way back. As they got closer, she began walking slower and slower. She then lost her balance completely and he caught her fall.
"Whoa, I've got you," he said, helping her back to her feet. She nodded in thanks, but something seemed off. Her eyes were squeezed shut, as if she were in pain.
"Hermione..." he asked, his voice laced with worry.
"I'm—" She took a few shaky breaths. "I'm okay."
She didn't seem very convincing, but he wanted to get her back to bed, so he nodded and they continued. Before they could reach the door, her legs gave out, causing her to collapse. He caught her fall, but they crumpled to the ground.
"Hermione—" Ron gasped. He repositioned her so her legs weren't pinned awkwardly beneath her, brushing her hair from her face in a panic. Her head lolled, and her eyes remained closed.
"Hermione," he repeated, his voice now tinged with more anxiety. "Hermione, hey. Can you hear me?" Her eyes fluttered open halfway, and he continued talking to keep her awake, trying to find out what was wrong.
"Hey, hey, I'm right here. I'll get you inside, okay?" At this point, the others inside came back out. Fleur hurried over and knelt beside them.
"What ees wrong?" Fleur asked, her face etched with concern.
"I don't know, she just fell," Ron replied, fear evident in his voice. "I th-think she's just tired. I'll carry her back upstairs." His voice was becoming increasingly panicked, and he couldn't help it.
Fleur nodded, though her eyebrows remained furrowed. Placing her hand on Hermione's forehead, she said, "She 'as a fever. Let us get 'er inside."