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Previous Chapter 1
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Hermione’s mind was spinning with controlled alarm and cursing herself as she stared at the wands pointing at her. How could she and Ron have been so mistaken? She could see Ron was equally as furious with himself, and could see his eyes were trying to find a way out, looking for an opportunity.
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It was only minutes ago that Ron and Hermione Apparated down the lane from Malfoy Mansion. They were at least 20 minutes early, but Ron didn’t want to chance letting Harry go it alone.
The great house was indeed imposing. Though it didn’t look as magnificent as Ron had often imagined, it looked solid and cold, nothing like what a house, a home, should be.
“The windows are dark,” Ron said as they crept steadily towards the front walkway. “Wait.” They were in the last stretch of hedgerow that would conceal them before they made a dash to the front entrance. He turned and looked down at Hermione, every feature visible in the moonlight. Her expression was no longer playful as it had been a short time ago in Diagon Alley. It was now serious, as he’d seen it so often during the war. He had gotten used to seeing her look happy in the last months since Voldemort had fallen, and he hated to see that grave look in her once again.
“You are always so beautiful - you know it?” he said as he pulled her into a brief kiss, and then pushed a loose curl out of her eyes, still holding her close.
“You stopped just for that?”
“Yeah, well, no. We’re going in there together for Harry, to finish this. But this is the last time, right? We’ve been through so much I don’t want to keep taking chances something will happen to you.”
“Oh Ron, stop it.”
“No. I’m not trying to be a prig, here. It’s got nothing to do with how smart and capable you are. You are stronger than I am, I admit it. I’m weak when it comes to you. So much that I can’t bear the thought of you getting hurt…or worse.”
Her look softened and she stood on tiptoes to kiss him lightly on the lips, then on his jaw, finally settling on his neck as she stood down again.
“I think I’ve had plenty of this kind of excitement for a lifetime. As you said, tonight is just for Harry, then we’re done.” She spoke with confidence, reminding him of the many battles they had already faced together.
He smiled at her and gave her one last squeeze and released her.
“Right,” he said running his hands through his hair and wiping his palms dry on his trousers, rearranging his grip on his wand. “Ready?” They took a deep breath, “go!” and they both sprinted the 25 meters from their hidden spot behind the shrubbery to the columns on the front landing of the mansion.
They smiled at each other across the small distance between the two pillars they were hiding behind. Making it this far without any curses flying at them was the first triumph.
Ron glanced around the landing quickly, before motioning to Hermione that he was going to go up to the entrance, she nodded her acknowledgement. He ran up to the side of the large, two door entrance, pressing himself flat against the wall by the side of the doorway. Hermione followed and took the same spot opposite the large pair of doors.
“Ron, I don’t think there are any wards on the entrance at all,” Hermione said, running her wand along the cracks of the door.
“Reckon that means Harry’s already broken them? Or that Malfoy didn’t set any?” Hermione only shook her head in response.
Ron peered into the foyer through a narrow strip of stained glass that outlined the door. “I can see movement in there, light and shadows on the walls. I knew it! I don’t think we even need Alohomora, it’s not even locked.” And he carefully touched the ornate door handle and pressed the lever. It opened easily and through the crack in the door they could already hear the muffled sounds of commotion.
They were both certain Harry was already inside now, and they rushed into the foreboding house without another thought. The two quickly made it to the end of the large foyer and through the doorway of the study off to the left. They were more than ready to enter the fray with Harry. But that wasn’t going to happen.
“Shit!” The whispered profanity escaped Ron the instant he realized they had made a terrible mistake.
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Their mistake was that Harry had not gone in ahead of them. Harry’s mistake was that Draco Malfoy was not alone. In fact, there were several people inside. Malfoy had a small gang with him, and for only a second they looked just as shocked to be intruded upon as their intruders felt.
Ron and Hermione both cast hexes as they dodged in opposite directions from the curses that were already speeding towards them.
It happened quicker than either could have imagined. They dodged. They got separated. They fought. They got surrounded. They were stripped of their wands, and all too suddenly, caught.
When the fog of adrenaline cleared their eyes, they didn’t think it could have been worse. Four men were holding Ron to the floor. When he lost his wand, he resorted to what he really knew best, fisticuffs. His captures were bloodied and breathing heavy but their sheer number overpowered him in the end.
“Hermione!” he called out, panic was rising in him. Being pinned to the floor he couldn’t see where she was.
“I’m here,” he heard her small voice answer. Then he heard a sneering laugh, one that he hadn’t heard in years, but knew instantly who it belonged to.
“Bring him,” the voice said. Ron received a swift knee in the stomach as he was pulled to his feet, knocking his breath from him just as he prepared to struggle again. He was lead unsteadily across the room and forced upright. He was released from their hold, knowing it was only because wands were aimed at him again.
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Hermione thought Draco Malfoy looked like something out of a Muggle music video. His pale blonde hair was short and spiked up at odd angles. He was as pallid as he ever had been, but now actually looked ill from of a life of too much decadence, elicit potion use and hiding. Holding a bottle of liquor, he hardly looked like he could be one of their peers, his recent life of depravity and darkness made him look so much older now.
“I am really shocked at you, Weasel,” he said with a cold laugh, “still rutting the Mudblood?” He was advancing towards Hermione, his wand aimed at her, as he was looking her up and down in a most indecent manner. Ron could feel himself begin to shake with anger and smell his own scent as he began to sweat.
“I mean, I could see why you were tickling that at school, who else would have you, really? But after all this time, you still can’t get a witch of pure blood to shag? Hmm?” Ron tried to keep his composed, but rage was building. Hermione just looked at Ron calmly. Malfoy’s spiteful comments had ceased to faze her long ago when they knew him in school. Her eyes claimed Ron’s and she somehow managed to communicate a reassuring smile and shook her head in objection. She was keeping him cool, and he obeyed. Her brown eyes could always stop him in his tracks.
“Still, she must do something right to keep you around - yeah?” Malfoy continued now standing close to Hermione. He blatantly surveyed her curves, bating Ron.
“Maybe we should find out exactly what kind of talents the filthy whore really has?” He touched her leg with his wand, and trailed it from her black knee-boot up her thigh, raising the hem of her skirt just an inch. He looked at Ron with a smile and licked his teeth. Hermione jerked away. Malfoy’s followers laughed and one of the group,‘cat-called’.
“You’ll not touch her,” Ron said threatening, taking a small step forward. Malfoy pointed his wand at Ron quickly and walked around behind the desk that Hermione was backed up against. She mused only for a moment that he still seemed afraid of a fight with Ron, even when Ron was unarmed and he had the wand.
“Oh you’re absolutely right Weasley. I wouldn’t degrade myself by touching your filthy bint…. I’ll let you do it” - and with those words he uttered the Imperius Curse so quick, neither Ron nor Hermione had any time to react.
“No! Ron!” Hermione saw Ron’s body stiffen and his facial expression go neutral. She searched his eyes for some recognition but saw only a glassy stare. Her Ron was gone, and she was alone. As her own panic now started to rise now, she turned to Malfoy.
“Please, Draco, don’t do this. Using an Unforgivable Curse will make things so much worse for you. There are a lot of people who believe that it wasn’t your fault - what happened with Dumbledore - that you were taken advantage of because of your father. We can help you!” She was desperate to try to find a personal connection with him, to reason with him. He only looked angrier and disgusted.
“Don’t dare talk to me like we’re friends, you filth!” he sneered and flicked his wand in Ron’s direction, “shut her up Weasley!”
At Malfoys’s command, Ron’s body took a few long strides across the room towards her. Hermione turned to see him approach just as his hand raised and came down hard against her face. His backhand slap nearly knocked her down and made her vision swim for a moment.
“Ron,” Hermione whispered looking back up to him, searching his eyes. She held her sore cheek with one hand and put her other against his chest. She wanted to cling to him, to shake him, to make him see her.
At once a memory flooded back to her. Back to the spell practicing Ron and Harry had done while searching for Horcruxes. She found out that they were practicing the Imperius curse on each other. She had been furious with them when she found out and made them swear to stop. Ron could never hold Harry under it for more than a moment though his curse did get stronger with practice. Ron certainly never broke Harry’s Imperius curse on him, but after time he had learned to clear his mind and to see and hear what was happening around him. Ron didn’t particularly object to her demand to stop. Although he trusted Harry completely, he had confided in Hermione later that he really hated it. He went along with it for the sake of helping Harry become stronger, but he couldn’t stand not being in control of himself, it was violating.
Malfoy was taking another long drink on his bottle, delighting in the fear he saw on Hermione’s face. She saw the faintest flicker of movement that no one else saw. Ron’s eyes blinked and she saw the fog fade away and Ron’s true gaze returned her own.
“Well, let’s get moving along - come on Weasel King, show us what she’s got that you just can’t seem to resist?” he said flicking his wand at Ron once again. Ron’s hand reached to the front of her dress and deftly ripped it open, sending the little silver buttons flying. Hermione gasped, grasping at her dress while trying to back away from Ron. She was trapped between the desk behind her and Ron’s unyielding form in front.
Now fully understanding that Malfoy was beyond approach, Hermione thought wildly. She closed her eyes, and began muttering quiet charms, trying to concentrate on wandlessly assaulting her captors. She began to send objects all around the room, sending books, candles and ornaments flying at Malfoy and the others. They shouted and ducked, dodging the dangerous items, even as a few made contact with their targets. Malfoy held one arm over his head, ducking and swatting away the offending missiles.
“Enough!” he yelled as he waved his wand at Ron. Hermione opened her eyes when she sensed Ron’s body shift in front of her. Ron leaned forward and from the assortment of desktop items retrieved a long silver letter opener. She watched in horror as his arm reached across his own neck and began cutting into the skin there, blood tricking down from the two-inch line that was already visible. She saw his eyes widen registering pain and fear, but he had no power to stop the action.
“No! Please no!” Hermione screamed as she put both of her hands over Ron’s to still his action. Every item that was at that moment flying through the air instantly fell to the floor. She was using all of her strength to pull Ron’s hand back and the letter opener away from his own neck, as her torn dress fell open again.
“Please Draco, stop this! Please don’t hurt him! I - I’m sorry.”
“Ahh - that’s it then isn’t it?” Malfoy said as he stood again and rounded the front of the desk to stand next to her and Ron’s frozen form. “You understand, don’t you Mudblood? You’re in my house now! You don’t control things here. I control things here. Yes?”
“Yes, yes,” she whispered, fighting back her tears as she only focused on Ron’s eyes, which were also on hers. Malfoy moved his wand as she felt Ron’s grip on the letter opener slacken, and she released his hands. Malfoy took the blood stained letter opener and turned it towards Hermione. He rotated the sharp implement close to her face, threateningly.
“Now if you try anything like that again, I’ll let the bloodtraitor finish the job next time. He’ll slice his own throat and you can watch him choke on the blood for as long as it takes for him to die.” His voice was so cold and smooth, almost as if he were ordering tea rather than threatening death. She nodded her submission as she put one hand over Ron’s bleeding neck wound. It wasn’t too deep. She looked for help in Ron’s eyes, but he had nothing to give back. Just the meaningful distress as he looked at her.
“Well, let’s have some entertainment then!” Malfoy yelled, setting the letter opener on the desk, taking a step back from them. The fire flared in the hearth and the rest of the room dimmed, while wild music suddenly blared from a Wizard Wireless somewhere across the room. His group of hangers-on all cheered as they might have at a Quidditch match, while Malfoy tilted his head back taking another long drink from his bottle. Hermione knew he must be high on Dark Magic and potions to be wielding this much power. Ordinary Firewhiskey should have dulled his abilities.
Hermione continued to look only into Ron’s eyes. She wouldn’t acknowledge the rest of them in the room again.
“So then, what has she got?” Malfoy asked as he waved his wand again. Ron’s body suddenly launched forward. His hands slid into her torn dress and around her waist, pulling her up into a forceful kiss. Hermione’s mind reeled. It was Ron’s lips against hers, his tongue in her mouth, but this wasn’t Ron’s kiss. He’d never be so rough and unfeeling. There was no passion, no love. This was just hard and clumsy. She instinctively turned her head and tried to shove against him. Her eyes caught sight of the gleaming letter opener on the desk, still dripping Ron’s blood. She knew the threat against Ron if she protested. She closed her eyes against the laughs and lewd comments from Malfoy’s cronies, as she felt Ron’s mouth placing empty kisses and licking down her neck. She could only pray for Harry to arrive soon.
“Ron,” she whispered desperately into his ear as his mouth sucked on her collarbone, “please try to fight it darling, please come back to me.” Fearful tears welled in her eyes but she resisted letting them fall. She could feel Ron’s shirt was damp, clinging to his back. She knew that he was cold sweating with torment as he fought against himself, trapped in his own body.
She felt Ron’s hand snake around to her front and reach for her bra. She instinctively wrestled with his hand to stop its action.
“Now, now, none of that.” Malfoy scolded. Ron’s hands grabbed both of hers and forced them behind her back. He held both her wrists together with one of his large, strong hands as his other found its way to her bra again and with little effort unsnapped the tiny clasp that held it together. Malfoy howled as he held his bottle out and upturned some of the liquid over the front of her body. As one side of her bra fell open, Ron’s mouth covered her exposed breast. Malfoy and the others cried with laughter, and the fires in the room flared once again.
Hermione curved into Ron’s body, trying to shield herself from the others’ view. Malfoy was only a few feet away, and she continued whispering into Ron’s ear.
“Please fight it, I need you to resist the curse Ron, please try. Stop it please.” He could hear her plea, and see his own vile assault of her body under his, but he was powerless to still his actions.
She cried out in pain as Ron’s unwilling teeth bit the peak of her breast he had been sucking, and then again on the swell above it. She flailed against him again getting her hands free of his grasp. She couldn’t help but try to push him away but she had no leverage. Ron’s hands now reached under her arse as he lifted her and sat her roughly onto the desk. Ron’s reluctant body forced her legs apart as he pushed himself against her as he returned to kissing her neck and shoulder. Hermione quit fighting against Ron, and just clung to him instead. He was too strong. She buried her face into his shoulder to hide her shame and fear. Trying to feel some sense of the Ron she loved inside the body that she knew so well.
Ron rose off of her little and their eyes met again, and she saw his were wet with sorrow, begging her forgiveness. His expressive eyes always conveyed so much more than what he spoke and they were screaming with anguish. His hand began to reach under dress, which was already forced up to the tops of her legs.
“No!” she screamed and she put her hands on the desk, trying to push herself away from him, but Malfoy’s reaction was quick enough and used Ron to stop her. Malfoy scolded sarcastically again, but she didn’t comprehend his lascivious words. All she knew was that Ron’s hands had pulled her back into his strong reach. Pressing one of her shoulders down with one hand, with the other he swiftly grabbed onto her knickers and pulled at them. Her hips felt the burn as the thin pieces of cotton pulled apart at the seams and were torn away from her. It was happening so fast. Her mind raced for some way to stop this, but the blood dripping from his slowly bleeding neck wound reminded her why she couldn’t.
Ron’s body lay partially on top of her and he pushed closer into her, forcing her legs to part further around his waist. She felt as his fingers fumble up her thigh and near her entrance, and then force into her she tried to stifle her scream and shut her eyes tight against the nausea. Her interior was tight and dry and she could feel only tearing pain as Ron’s wayward fingers ravaged her pitilessly. She futilely pushed against Ron’s shoulders, while trying to block out the sounds of the pack chanting encouragement. She heard her own voice cry out again as she felt some tender tissue inside of her give way against the force of the abuse. She barely sensed the dampness of tears running down her face.
Mercifully his hand withdrew from her and she felt him pull away slightly as his mindless hand fumbled to open his trousers. Darkness closed in on her mind, and she heard nothing but the pounding of her own heartbeat as she relented, accepting that she was powerless; believing she was about to be raped right here on this desk, by her own unwilling lover and friend, surrounded by these taunting monsters. She welcomed the darkness coming in from the edges, trying to let her mind dive into the hole that was growing in her conscience.
Then there was a sudden change in the air. Behind her closed eyelids she saw a flash of light, and opened them. There in the doorway was Harry, Harry Potter, looking every part the powerful wizard he had grown into, and nothing like the little boy she had known.
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Harry didn’t need more than a second to survey the scene before him. Without even thinking about the incantations he uttered, the crowd of thugs were suddenly disarmed, immobilized and bound. The blaring music was silenced and every candle burned bright.
The next instance Draco Malfoy was relieved of his wand. The moment the source of his power was gone, Ron’s hand was around his throat. Malfoy was nearly dangling against the wall behind him, turning pink under Ron’s grip.
Harry walked past Hermione, intentionally avoiding looking at her, and stood next to Ron while he watched his enemy struggling to breathe at the hand of his best friend. A wizard doesn’t die easily at the hands of another wizard. A dark place inside Harry had waited years to see Draco Malfoy suffer, he wouldn’t have a sorry cell in his body to witness him die. People change after fighting in a war. Malfoy’s arm struck in vain against Ron’s chokehold. He made a wheezing sound. He was turning a deeper shade of red.
“Ron.”
“Turn away if you need to, Harry.” Ron’s voice was raw and atypically cold. “I’m going to kill him.”
“We need him, to testify.” Harry could hardly believe he was now playing a part of Malfoy’s defense, but he knew Ron was serious about killing him. He fully understood why, and didn’t blame Ron at all.
“Did you see?!” Ron shouted and his fingers tightened around Malfoy’s neck as he glared at him.
“Yes. I did, and he’ll pay I swear, but you have to stop.” Malfoy was now turning a shade of purple and no longer made any sound. His eyes were watering.
“Let go Ron.” Ron’s hand only tightened.
Harry raised his wand and pointed it at Ron.
“I’m telling you to release him now…I’m giving you an order. We need his testimony. I will stop you if you don’t.” Harry hated himself for acting the part.
The pressure Ron had on Malfoy’s throat remained steady. Malfoy’s eyes were glossing over and his arms now hung heavily at his sides.
Harry, admitting defeat from his unwavering friend, lowered his wand and stepped closer to Ron, putting a diplomatic hand on his arm.
“Please don’t make me use magic against you, Ron.” Harry said quietly. The threat of magical force controlling his actions again seemed to be enough. Ron regretfully released his grip and Malfoy slumped onto the floor. Harry flicked his wand at him, grudgingly muttering “Anapneo” to ensure he started breathing again.
Ron took his own deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. Then, glancing down at himself, he set his jaw as he shamefully reached down to close his still opened trousers, avoiding looking at Harry.
Harry looked away from Ron and turned to Hermione. She was standing in front of the desk behind them, barely able to hold her torn dress over her bosom, staring coldly at Malfoy’s collapsed form. Harry stooped quickly to retrieve what he assumed to be her torn knickers off the floor and Acciod the scattered buttons of her dress, stuffing them all into his pocket. He removed his black cloak and wrapped it around her, completely covering her from the neck down. He put his arm reassuringly around her shoulder.
There was a shout from the entry way and Harry called out to them, and a moment later Lupin, Tonks and Kingsley entered the back of the study.
Ron took a deep breath before turning to face them.
“ ‘Mione,” he said softly as he held his hands out to her. When he took a step closer she flinched backward and cried out, turning to bury her face into Harry’s shoulder. Harry had never seen Ron look more hurt, crushed, and Harry looked apologetically at him. Ron, horrified, ran fingers through his hair and choked back his own tears while stepping back. He turned around back to Malfoy’s seated body. Taking two strides forward, releasing an anguished yell, he deftly brought up a knee in force, colliding with Malfoy’s face, blood burst from his nose and mouth.
He turned back to Harry, who was holding Hermione the way he wanted to be doing. Without words, without using Legilimency, Harry understood Ron’s silent request. Take care of her. Harry nodded acceptance of his charge. Ron grabbed his wand from the desktop, and rushed from the room.
“Harry, is everything all right here?” Lupin asked cautiously from across the room.
“Yes. Can you all confine them to the Ministry? I’ll get back to you later, alright?”
“That will be fine, we can manage.”
Harry summoned Hermione’s wand, tucked it into his back pocket, and he escorted her out of the room, her face still buried into his shoulder. She made it out of the room and into the foyer before giving into the darkness and Harry caught her in his arms when she fainted.
~^~^~^ Continue to Chapter 3
A/N To Good Ship lovers everywhere, I’m sorry. The chapter that follows is my favorite.