A/n: Okay, okay, so if you hate me I'm sorry!! I know it's been almost a month since I last updated but after I heard many of you pleading for me to get the next chapter up, I decided I should. The thing is, I've been through a lot this past couple of weeks, mostly stress due to something I would like to ignore but can't right now. But that's no excuse to leave you guys hanging. So I'm gonna write the remaining chapter diligently. I'm gonna finish this story in a couple of more chapters and I'm gonna write a new one after we all read the Order of the Phoenix...speaking of which, only 2 months and 12 days left!!!! Yay!!!!!! Again, I'm sooooo sorry…but here it is!
Disclaimer: If I owned the rights to Harry Potter…oh the possibilities.
Chapter 17: And So We Meet Again…
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Hermione had felt everything as the world seemed to freeze. Time didn't matter. Nothing mattered. She was still feeling this. Nothing mattered. Just the fact that Ron was kissing her. Ron Weasley. Kissing her. Hermione Granger. She was kissing him back. Ron Weasley of all people!
It was like nothing she had ever imagined. Her tears went unnoticed as the rain had started to fall, steady, like the beat of her heart having Ron so close to her. She could somehow feel his own heart. She could feel the tears on his face as he worked up the courage to make all of those desires true.
When he had leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against hers, it took her breath away. And it was enchanting. Her heart stopped but beat frantically at the same time. She was numb, but not with cold, no, with warmth, if that was truly possible. And then it hit her.
Oh lord. Ron Weasley. Loved her. He loved her.
Wait, how was that possible? How did she ever manage to captivate someone like him? She didn't have much time to dwell on this, though.
She was too busy concentrating on Ron's lips.
His lips were so soft it was unbelievable. The fact that he was merely touching her lips was the sweetest part about that kiss. She never wanted to leave this moment; it was all she could taste, he was all she could feel, and she wanted it to stay like this forever. Forever. She never wanted to return to all the trouble and pain she was being forced to face with. All she wanted was to stay like this with Ron until the ocean dried up and all stars disappeared from the night sky, until the end of forever.
One of the strangest feelings of the kiss, however, was a strange tugging just behind her navel. She had felt it only a few moments after having Ron's lips resting against hers, but she felt it all right. Her eyes had fluttered closed as soon as Ron had leaned in, so she had no idea what was happening. She did feel the wind pick up and swirl around her. She wanted to know what was happening, wanted to open her eyes and look around. But she didn't dare to break the magic of this kiss, this first kiss. She wouldn't. She couldn't.
After what seemed like hours, the wind around her was howling madly into her ears. Panic was starting to seep into her, and she felt it somehow coming from Ron too. All of a sudden the wind stopped. Her hands still on Ron's cheeks, her feet touched the ground roughly.
The scary part was that she never realized they had left the ground.
Slowly, she opened her eyes. She saw Ron's face, his lips still on hers, and slowly she pulled away from him. Just a few inches, but she broke the kiss. Ron stood for a moment with his eyes closed, his eyelids quivering, his lips red. Hermione blinked rapidly and brought a hand to her lips. They were warm, and they still tingled from the sweetness of Ron's lips.
Ron's eyes suddenly snapped open, and they stared at each other for what felt like a lifetime. His eyes were the clearest of blue, and they seemed to hold possibilities beyond reason. He was gazing at her; it was intense, frightened, and adoring at the same time. Hermione blinked twice and then she looked away.
And for the first time she realized where she was, and she gasped.
Ron looked about him and he, too, let out a frightened gasp. Hermione started mouthing incoherent word. No. It wasn't possible. Not now. No. This was a dream. Yeah, it had to be. I mean, come on, didn't her dreams usually consist of her kissing Ron? Yeah, this was just another dream. Well, a dream that was starting to turn into a horrible, horrible nightmare.
She wanted to wake up. Now. Because this really was a dream.
The times she had heard of this place. Harry. Oh, how Harry hated this place. After he'd mumbled in his sleep about this terrible place, Ron had told her, and she'd had her fair share of nightmares about it. Like this one. This was a nightmare. Like those others. Nightmare. Nothing more.
"Hermione…" Ron's single word had come out strangled, choked; he knew where they were too.
Hermione shook her head. "Just wake up. It's okay. Wake up. Now." She looked at the floor and let out a stifled whimper. "Please…" The next thing she felt was Ron's hands on her shoulders. She shivered and looked up at him. "I want to wake up, Ron."
Ron sighed. "You're not gonna. This isn't a dream."
Hermione closed her eyes. "It has to be! This is impossible!"
Ron put his arms around her comfortingly. Resting his chin on her head he said, "I know. But it's real. I don't know how the hell this happened. Or what's going to happen." He rubbed her back gently. His eyes were darting from shadow to shadow, squinting, trying to see anything that might harm them. No, this was definitely not a dream.
They were in a graveyard.
It didn't take a genius to figure out just which graveyard it was. Harry had never told them what had happened that night on June 24, but he had mumbled restlessly about it. Not full sentences, but things like "Graveyard…noo, Cedric…Please, no…Tom Riddle…the tombstone…Tom Riddle…stop, please…don't…" When Ron had told her about this, it had frightened Hermione, and she prayed that she would never have to find herself in that place.
Yet here she was. And she was with Ron.
What was gonna happen to them?
Horrible tombstones surrounded them, a terrible darkness pressing in on them.
Hermione dug her face into Ron's shoulder as he kept rubbing her back, softly, gently. "I don't know what the hell is going on, but I'm here, okay?" Hermione simply nodded. A moment later, however, she pulled away, and looked at Ron seriously.
"Ron…did you mean what you said to me? I mean, before…" She blushed a little. Ron smiled. He opened his mouth to answer.
But someone answered for him.
"Of course he meant it, Mudblood," a cold, high-pitched voice said, before letting out a horrid malevolent laugh.
Ron narrowed his eyes and hugged Hermione closer to him. Hermione closed her eyes and waited, holding her breath. "What the hell is going on?" Ron said, in a deep voice Hermione hadn't heard him use before. She could feel him trembling slightly, but there was no tone of fear in his voice.
The cold voice chuckled. "Yes, I should have known you were to stupid to figure it out, Weasley. I'm surprised the Mudblood couldn't put two and two together. But then again I can plainly see you both are pathetic scum."
"Where are you?" Ron said, glancing around again, feeling cold dread sweeping over him.
"My, my, anxious are we?" He laughed again. "Fool. Do you really want to face me? Do you how powerful I am?"
Ron looked away. Of course he did.
"Mudblood! Your little boyfriend won't be able to protect you now. And as for your best friend, the mighty little hero…well, who knows what could be happening to him at this very moment?"
Hermione froze as he addressed her. However, when he mentioned Harry, she let herself go of Ron's protective arms and stood glaring at the darkness. "Where is Harry?" she screamed.
The voice cackled yet again. "Well, aren't we a brave little Mudblood? Silly girl. You and your stupid boyfriend don't dare face me!" Slowly, agonizingly slowly, the bearer of the voice stepped out from the shadows. "I am Lord Voldemort."
Hermione's eyes went wide with fear as she gazed upon the single most evil creature she had ever come to know about. Her eyes darted from the wretched, wicked red eyes to the horrible slits for nostrils. He had an atrocious skeletal appearance and a foul smirk on his face that made Hermione shudder. She felt Ron come stand at her side. She looked at him and saw that he was looking about as terrified as she felt.
Voldemort advanced upon them, until he was about two feet away from them. "You've yet to understand my wrath. Fools." He spat the word at them. "You weren't willing to admit it to yourselves, but you were sure that being friends with the famous Harry Potter would bring your deaths. How wrong you were." He walked around them in circles and continued to speak. "For it is you who will bring your own deaths! And of course, Potter's as well."
Hermione was breathing rapidly now. She saw Ron looking horror-struck at the mere mention of their and Harry's deaths. Voldemort stood in front of Hermione and his smirk widened.
"You, Mudblood, always believed Harry Potter to be so courageous. Deep down, you feel that Harry will always be there to save the day. Well, where is your damn friend now?" He glared at her. Hermione said nothing. "Answer me!" Voldemort looked at her as if she were a repulsive creature and spat, "Stupid girl. Stupid, silly little Mudblood girl." Hermione watched in horror as he grabbed her chin with long, white fingers. "Answer me," he commanded.
Hermione swallowed her tears. "I don't know where Harry is," she choked.
"Of course not! He is not here to save the day! He never will be…you were too damn ignorant to see that from the very begging. For that, you will suffer the consequences."
"You better stay the hell away from her, you fucking bastard!" Ron yelled suddenly. Voldemort looked sharply his way and roughly let go of Hermione's chin. He walked towards Ron and muttered, "And you Weasley…if possible, you will suffer more than your pitiful girlfriend." Hermione saw Ron's fists quaking in anger. She could see the spark of fury in his eyes as he glared at Voldemort, never blinking.
"You never quite actually believed that Potter could save you. But that was because of your never-ending jealously. You were a fool too, though. You thought that you would never have to face me. You thought Potter would always be the unfortunate one who would have to deal with me. How terrible wrong you were…you are nothing but a brainless Muggle-lover who chose to trust Potter…oh, how sorry you will soon be to ever have done that."
Ron and Hermione both stared in disbelief. No. This wasn't happening. It just couldn't be. Hermione wasn't all that afraid about what was coming for her, really.
She just didn't want to see Ron and Harry get hurt.
Harry. He was her best friend. He hadn't been like Ron in the beginning. Honestly, he hadn't been nasty in any way towards her in their first year. He would just go along with what Ron said, and Hermione was pretty sure it was only because Harry was trying to make Ron his good friend. But he never really insulted her like Ron did. And Harry was so strong. She treasured this about him because it gave her strength. She was amazed at how Harry hadn't gone mad from losing his parents and being the center of this awful war. If it were her, she would have simply lost her mind, first at the prospect of living without her parents and then at the fact that she would have to deal with this, be plagued with nightmares about loved ones dying. Harry didn't have someone who understood him wholly. Yes, Ron and Hermione were always there for him, but they didn't understand what it was like to be an orphan, to hear their mum be murdered, they weren't haunted by her screams, they weren't expected to save the world quite like Harry was. Hermione loved Harry very much, for he was her best friend and would always hold that certain place in her heart.
And then there was Ron…
Oh, Ron had more than one place in her heart. He was the one person who could make her absolutely livid one minute and make her legs feel like butter the next. He was the only one who succeeded in teasing her about her passion towards school and making her laugh about it herself. He was the total complete opposite of her. And she loved that. He was her best friend as well, but in a different way. He was the only other person who understood what it felt like to be Harry Potter's best friend and who loved Harry in much the same way she did. He was the only person who was there to comfort her the night of the Third Task when she was scared to death. He was the only one who cared enough about her to hate his Quidditch idol just because he had gone on a "date" with Hermione. So she loved him for being her best friend.
But she loved him for being so much more than that. She was amazed at how many nights she had spent imagining what it was like to have her lips graze against his, what it must be like to spend forever in his arms, what it must be like to have him gaze at her and tell him he loved her. She couldn't believe that someone who could make her cry, whether it was out of anger or sadness, and could make her laugh through those tears, would hold a place in her heart for her first love. Because, yes, she definitely loved him in a way other than love for a friend. It was ironic how she had her life planned, mapped out, when she had started Hogwarts. She was sure that she was going to fly through school, maybe make a few friends, and nothing more. She had never planned on Ron, though. She hadn't meant to fall for him, but the heart works in mysterious ways sometimes. She couldn't help it.
And in all reality, she really didn't mind.
But if anything were to happen to them now, she would never be able to forget it. She would never heal. How do you heal something that can literally make holes in you heart that can never be replaced?
A dull yell in the distance made Hermione start and forget about her thoughts. Ron's eyes widened and he muttered something that made Hermione's blood freeze. "Harry."
Voldemort cackled once again and walked forward. "Come forth, my servants! Bring him to me!" And from the shadows came a mass of…something, something so black it made the darkness around them gray. Hermione realized suddenly that they were dementors. Dozens of dementors. And in the midst of them was—
"HARRY!" Ron screamed and dashed toward the group of dementors. However, from around them came masked, cloaked figures Hermione recognized as Death Eaters, and seized both her and Ron.
Ron had his teeth clenched in rage as he yelled. "Let go of him!"
Hermione was too shocked to speak. Harry was pale and his eyes were half closed. Of course, dementors were carrying him along, so that explained it. All Hermione wanted to do was snatch him from the horrid creatures and lead him to safety. She knew, though, that it wasn't going to happen soon.
The dementors threw Harry down next to Ron and Hermione. Harry groaned and his eyes opened slightly. "Harry…" Hermione murmured. She knelt down and touched Harry's forehead. "Are you all right?"
From behind her, Hermione heard Voldemort say, "Tie them up." Then he made a horrible hissing sound and a huge snake appeared at his side. Hermione's throat closed up as more Death Eaters appeared out of the shadows and rushed to them, ropes in their hands. Hermione was dragged to a large tombstone with Harry and Ron. Her hands were tied tightly and roughly behind her back, and she saw the Death Eaters were doing the same to Harry and Ron. One of them laughed and said, "Aren't you sorry now for being little brats towards Draco?" Ron growled slightly and muttered, "You and your son are nothing but more shit in the wizarding world." Lucius Malfoy furiously tightened the ropes that were binding Ron's hands.
Voldemort walked forward, the horrible snake hissing softly at his side. "So, Potter, we meet again." Harry was still feeble but he managed to glare up at his greatest enemy. "I guess you're wondering just how you and your friends got here, aren't you, Potter?" He cackled and continued, circling around the tombstone. "Well, you see, in case you haven't noticed, these two—" he pointed at Ron and Hermione "—completely love each other. How grotesque. In other words, your best friends kept this a secret, Potter. Did either of them ever tell you how they felt? No. They betrayed you, Potter. Had they mentioned how they felt, they could have prevented this. And that's why I'm thankful for your friends' stupidity Potter. Very thankful."
"What the hell does that have to do with this?" yelled Ron hotly.
"You mean you still haven't figured it out, Weasley? My, my, my, you are slow. It was a Portkey, you git. A Portkey. That tender, sweet kiss was a Portkey." The sarcasm was not missed.
"What? So everything was just a spell?" Hermione asked, feeling stung with hurt and realization.
"No. If it had been a spell, I would have gotten that idiot to kiss you sooner…so I could do away with all of you sooner. But no. Weasley was a little chicken shit and that is why my plan has been delayed. Not anymore, though. As you probably have already realized, Mudblood, the Portkey activated when he kissed you. But you're probably wondering how Potter got here. Well, that's simple. I'm powerful enough to create such a complex Portkey. When Weasley and you activated it, Potter was also transported here." He smirked and his red eyes narrowed. "Aren't I clever?"
"No," Harry muttered. Hermione was surprised that his voice, like Ron's, was steady. "You're nothing but the piece of shit that's too scared of Dumbledore to face him. Instead you face me and my friends, and it shows how brave you are. Three fifteen-year-old wizards against one fully grown one, huh? That's the only way you'll fight this war? It shows how brave you are. You're just a killer with no purpose."
Voldemort glared at Harry. "You have no idea what you're saying, Potter."
"Yes I do!" Harry screamed. "I know perfectly well what I'm saying! You killed my parents when they weren't expecting it instead of being a man and giving them a fair chance. You were scared! You're after Dumbledore but you won't face him because you know he's stronger than you! And now you've tied us down instead of giving us a chance to defend ourselves, because after Priori Incantatem you're too fucking scared about how powerful we might just be!"
A startled look flickered across Voldemort's ghastly features. Hermione wondered now more than ever where Harry found his strength.
"All right, Potter," Voldemort said after a moment. "Untie them." The Death Eaters rushed to do as their master commanded, while he sneered at the trio. "You asked for it."
When the Death Eaters cut their bounds, Harry rose to his feet, and Ron and Hermione followed. Harry was glaring at Voldemort with an intense look of hatred in his eyes that Hermione had only seen once before—the day after he had heard the story about Sirius and his parents…the fake story anyway. It was a look of pure and utter hatred, so much hatred that in a way it sent him into despair. Ron and Hermione stood beside him now but didn't look up at Voldemort.
"Well, then, let's have some fun, shall we Harry?" Voldemort reached into his robes and pulled out his wand. Before Harry could do the same, Voldemort screamed, "Crucio!" Immediately, Harry sank down and began twitching uncontrollably, his limbs bending horribly.
"HARRY!!" Hermione screamed. She ran forward towards him but Ron threw his arms around her waist and held her there. She struggled as tears of anger made their way down her cheeks. "Let me go, Ron! Harry…Harry…"
Ron looked like he was in worse pain than Harry. "No, Hermione. We can't do anything. I'm sorry." He blinked rapidly and Hermione got the feeling he was trying not to cry but only to keep her somewhat calm.
Finally, after what felt like agonizing hours of seeing Harry twitch and scream, Voldemort stopped the spell. As soon as Harry stopped twitching, Hermione released herself from Ron's grasp and threw her arms around Harry. "Oh, Harry, this is so horrible, I don't want this done to you, ever!" She sobbed into his shoulder. Voldemort rolled his eyes and pointed his wand at Hermione. Instantly, she was pulled away from Harry and set beside Ron. Then he pointed his wand back at Harry and made him float away from his best friends.
"You decide to defy me, Potter, and this is what you get!" Voldemort barked at him. Harry neither backed away nor ran, but he threw his hand in his pocket and withdrew his wand. "We're not bowing this time. I have no reason to bow to scum like you and your bowing to me is too insignificant." The insult made Voldemort narrow his eyes and lift his wand. "Relampago!" he screamed. Harry had no idea what the spell did.
He found out next second.
It sent a shock throughout his body, made him feel like his muscles were on fire and like his bones were breaking apart. Hermione, from across the graveyard, saw this and screamed. Ron hugged her again and softly said, "Shh…this will be over soon…I hope."
Hermione looked up at him. "Ron, please tell me it wasn't a spell. Tell me that what you said was the truth and what you did was what you wanted to do." There was an urgency in her voice, an urgency that she was feeling.
Ron leaned his forehead against hers. "I definitely meant it. And of course that's what I wanted to do."
Hermione gave him a small smile. "I'm sorry we had to end up here…but…Ron, I used to think people could fall in love…but I really never thought it would happen to me, and—and I didn't know it could be this strong."
Ron returned the smile. Then he stared at her for one long moment before leaning forward. When she felt his breath on her lips, she heard Voldemort scream "NOO!" She was suddenly being thrown backwards away from Ron. She closed her eyes as her back hit a tree trunk and she slid down to the ground. Ron was staring at Voldemort in disbelief. Voldemort was pointing his wand at Hermione, a furious look on his face. "You are not going to activate the damn Portkey, Mudblood!" he screamed at her. Hermione had her head in her hands.
How were they ever going to get out of here?
"That's it Potter! The game ends here!" Voldemort was yelling. Harry was on his knees, holding his head, rubbing his scar. "See how you like this!" Voldemort turned towards Ron and yelled, "Crucio!"
"NOOO!!" Hermione screamed, looking up. Ron had fallen and it was he who was twitching uncontrollably. Harry managed to stand and walk towards Hermione. He knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't look, 'Mione," he said—it sounded more like a plead. "It'll be over soon. Just don't look." Harry had his eyes closed and it looked like he could feel what Ron was feeling. Hermione laid her head on her arms and closed her eyes. When Ron's screaming finally stopped, Hermione looked up and saw him rising, still wincing. She stood slowly, as if she too were numb—and in a way she was—and walked towards him. Harry followed her.
Hermione reached Ron, took his hand, and mouthed, "I love you." Ron nodded and squeezed her hand. Harry took Hermione's free hand and the three of them faced Voldemort.
"How very touching." He laughed once again, this time colder than ever. "Mudblood, do you think Potter has suffered enough tonight? Have you?" Hermione merely glared at him but said nothing.
"Well, I think I should be amused some more."
Hermione tightened her grip on Ron's hand.
"I'm going to hit you and Potter where it will hurt you the most," Voldemort hissed. Hermione looked at Ron.
He was going to hurt him.
Voldemort raised his wand. "Remember this one Harry? Should be quite vivid in your memory." He narrowed his eyes and pointed his wand at Ron.
Ron didn't move. His eyes clouded up. He stared blankly ahead. He squeezed Hermione's hand again.
Hermione felt like someone was wringing her heart. No. He couldn't. He just couldn't. Time slowed down. This couldn't happen. Not to Ron. Not now. No. It wasn't happening. But the first word made realization dawn on her.
"Avada…"
Now Ron closed his eyes. Hermione gasped. She felt Harry's hand drop from hers. Hermione didn't feel tears in her eyes. This was so beyond tears. If Ron—if Ron died, she died with him. Of course she would.
Because how do you live without your heart?
What could she do? She wasn't going to lose him. And now of all times! Just when they were finally being open about their feelings, after years of wondering. She wasn't going to let go of this warm hand. She wasn't going to see those clear blue eyes close forever. She wasn't going to have to live without seeing those freckly cheeks blush. She just couldn't. She wasn't going to hear that heart stop beating.
She saw Voldemort's mouth forming the next word, the word that would take away her entire world, like Harry had been forced to deal with for so long. This couldn't happen to him again. She was sure that this time he would never recover from it in any way.
And then it hit her.
She tightened her grip on Harry's hand. Then she swiftly turned Ron's face towards hers and pressed her lips against his.
"NOOOO!!!!" she heard Voldemort scream as the wind picked up around the three of them. The Portkey was activated.
Hermione opened her eyes slightly—she hadn't even realized they had closed!—and saw Voldemort disappear in a whirl of color.
They were safe…for now.
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So??? I'm really sorry for leaving you guys hanging!!! But I hope that made up for it. I'm actually quite proud of this creepy little chapter. Review please!!! I will try to update the next chapter as soon as possible. Thank you all so much for your great support and loyalty. I love you I love you I love you!!!!