Disclaimer: You know the drill, I'm not brilliant enough to think all this stuff up on my own. I leave that to Jo.
Ron hit the ground hard, screaming in pain as one of his ribs broke with a loud snap. Gasping deeply, he gazed in Hermione's eyes, tears sparkling in their earthy depths. I'm sorry, he thought weakly as the Death Eaters pulled him off the ground, hitting him ruthlessly with each feeble attempt at escape.
His legs trailed behind him as they roughly led him deeper into the trees, the darkness of the night swallowing him into oblivion. His breath was coming in sharp painful gasps against his aching ribcage, and his eyes watered from a throbbing bump on his head. Ron felt an inescapable dread curling around his heart, clenching tighter with every passing moment. He had failed. Failed to protect Hermione. Failed to save his family. Slowly reality was sinking in; the reality that they probably would not survive the night. He realized it was the hand of death wrapping around him so tightly, preparing him for his bloody fate.
Somewhere in the distant corners of his mind, Ron heard Hermione shout in pain. Anger slowly began churning in his stomach. The flames of his resolve had nearly been extinguished in the hopelessness of their plight, but now they were flickering again. He rounded up, hitting one of his captors hard in the face, the man toppling to the ground with a heavy groan. The other Death Eaters retaliated harshly, blows crashing down from every angle, but Ron was beyond the pain. He wanted them to realize he wasn't broken yet. No matter what happened to him tonight, he would not be backing down. And no matter what the cost, they would not take Hermione away from him…
Silent tears streaked across Hermione's pallid face, her body aching with every rushed step through the trees. She could feel her hands purpling under the pressure of her bonds, itching to scratch away the tickling warmth of a small stream of blood creeping down her forehead. She watched in awe as Ron continued to fight, four Death Eaters flanking his body to still his raging limbs. Even in the most desperate of times, he wasn't giving up. She took solace in the knowledge that she wouldn't have to face this alone.
Stumbling unceremoniously, Hermione landed in a thicket on brambles, shouting out in pain as the nearest Death Eater laughed at her misfortune. Hermione mumbled a variety of insults under her breath as she pried herself from the thorns, refusing to let anyone assist her off the ground. Quickening her pace to stay out of their reach, Hermione suddenly found the world before her illuminated in eerie green light.
Her eyes stung horribly in the glow, squinting in the brightness. For a moment she feared the worst, expecting to see the symbol of a slithering serpent and a deadly skull hovering in the air as they entered the clearing. She had a brief moment of relief upon exiting the copse of trees, though it was short lived. The powerful green light was not coming from the air. It was, in fact, coming from each captive in the Death Eater camp. Hermione gasped in despair as she approached, the faces of her friends swimming horribly in her eyes.
A band of green light was wrapped tightly around each member of the Order and the Weasley family, holding them at bay, their faces distorted in the emerald glow. Hermione had heard about these bonds before. It was a clever, yet cruel trap recently employed by the Death Eaters. Each person tied to the green light was also bound to the others, the fate of one affecting the rest. It even one member of the group attempted to escape from their prison, the bonds of the others would tighten until they squeezed the life out of them. Naturally Voldemort would think of something so cruel, Hermione thought to herself sickly as she approached the ring of captives. There was no hope of helping them now. The bonds could only be lifted by the castor, or by someone locked within the chain itself. Any other interference would be a death sentence, for everyone involved.
A large Death Eater shoved Hermione along as she passed the Order. Kingsley Shacklebolt lay frighteningly still in the center of the group, his eyes closed firmly, as though he were merely in peaceful slumber. Of the rest, Tonks and Lupin met Hermione's eye first, each emitting a great deal of courage in their piercing stares. Mr. Weasley nodded his head slightly, an odd look of pride swelling his features as he watched the Death Eaters bring she and Ron forward. Hermione averted her eyes from Mrs. Weasley's face, her lip trembling menacingly at the sight of Molly’s flowing tears. The rest of the captives sat together, gazing as one at the latest warriors to fall in the struggle.
A short way ahead, Hermione saw Ron kneeling on the ground, flanked by robed guards on all sides. Before him stood a tall figure, rather like a judge at an execution, moments away from pronouncing his sentence. Just to their right, Hermione gasped to see Ginny emerging from the darkness, struggling in the clutches of a sole Death Eater. Their eyes met briefly, and Hermione saw something that looked miraculously like hope and defiance glinting in Ginny's eyes.
Swelling in the strength of Ginny's resolve, Hermione dropped to her knees at Ron's side, gazing boldly into the masked faces before her.
Ron cringed at the dazzlingly bright green light that illuminated the darkness as he was pulled ungracefully from the woods. A frantic search of the sky calmed his fears; everyone else was, apparently, still alive.
Hearing a stifled sob in the distance, Ron turned his head to find his family bound together in bands of emerald light. Every last one of them looked the worse for wear, most sporting broken limbs and bloodied faces. A tinge of pride swept Ron’s heart, knowing the fight his family must have shown in the face of their capture.
His father smiled at his weakly, his face shining with loving support. His mother openly wept, her head turned away, unwilling to look at her battered son. Ron then met each of his brother’s eyes in turn, acknowledging them all, and, truthfully, saying goodbye. He could see no way out of this; he had no way to help them break the spell that bound them together. Their only hope now was Harry, and Ron could only pray he was still alive.
Moments later Ron found himself kneeling painfully before a very formidable Death Eater. Ron stared in loathing for quite some time, until the sound of an approaching scuffle met his ears. Inclining his head slightly, he gasped in shock. There before him was Ginny being escorted out of the woods, held roughly in the hands of another Death Eater, her robes ripped obscenely; her body looking like it had been through hell and back. Anger rolled through Ron’s muscles. If he lived through this, he swore right then and there to kill the bastard Death Eater clutching his little sister so ruthlessly.
Ron was torn from his thoughts as Hermione was brought to his side, her eyes blazing in dazzling defiance. Ron’s heart leapt at her determined features, sensing that she, too, was more than willing to sacrifice herself to protect the others. For the briefest of moments she met his gaze, her eyes flashing all the things she was unable to say.
“Is this it then?” the tall Death Eater standing just before Ron asked grimly, staring hard at he, Hermione, and Ginny.
“This is the last of them,” the man standing behind Hermione replied, satisfaction dripping from his words.
“It’s one of these two, I reckon,” a third man spoke, indicating Ron and Hermione. “Saw them disappear earlier, standing right beside Potter.”
“So did I,” chimed in another Death Eater, a woman.
“And what about this one?” the first Death Eater spoke, stepping towards Ginny and lifting her chin. Ginny jerked her head away angrily, snapping at the man’s hand with her teeth. He slapped her soundly, chuckling at the shout emitted from her lips. On instinct Ron lunged forward, attempting to topple the man who had struck his sister. He was simply kicked back into place, the towering Death Eater swarming closer with menace.
“I don’t understand why we don’t just kill them all now,” the female Death Eater spoke, frustration ringing in her words. “Why keep them alive?”
“Because those are our orders!” the head Death Eater snapped in reply. “The Dark Lord commanded we keep them all alive until we were sure we had Potter.”
“Yes, but what of these others?” the woman retorted angrily. “They’ve been here for hours. Polyjuice Potion would have worn off ages ag-.”
“Bloody woman, hold your tongue!” he raged in response, cutting her off. “Snape told us there are other ways to maintain the appearance of another. We can’t kill anyone until we are sure!”
“I think it’s this one,” the Death Eater to Ron’s left sneered, pulling his head back hard by his ruddy hair. “Didn’t like it when he hit your little girlfriend, did you?” the man leered evilly in Ron’s face.
At that moment, time seemed to slow down. Ron was being presented a chance to potentially help the others. If he claimed to be Harry they would take him away, leaving the rest alive until they could prove his confession. Maybe in his absence help would arrive; maybe everyone else could still be saved. It was a small ray of hope, but it was all he had left.
“No, I didn’t appreciate it,” Ron finally replied, his voice steady and firm. At Hermione’s right, Ginny started, turning to Ron anxiously. She was about to say something when the Death Eater at her back shook her harshly, silencing her words before they were even spoken.
The head Death Eater stepped forward, grasping Ron’s face roughly in his hand. “You claim to be the boy, then?” he said in a deadly tone, squeezing his hand painfully into Ron’s cheeks.
“Yes.”
“No!” Hermione shouted. “Ron, I won’t let you do this! I won’t let you take my place...”
Oh no, Ron thought desperately, Hermione, please don’t do this! Ron struggled against the grip of the Death Eaters, desperate to meet Hermione's eyes.
“I’m the one you want,” Hermione continued, staring bravely at the Death Eaters all around her.
“Hermione, stop!” Ron said angrily, gazing sideways at her face. “It’s over! They’ve caught me, now let them take me!”
For a moment she met his eyes, her face firm, unwavering. “No, Ron,” she said softly. “I won’t let you take the fall in my place.”
The world slowed down as her words reverberated through the night, a weight the size of a dragon's egg dropping soundly in Ron's stomach. This was it. Either him... or Hermione. Whatever the Death Eater decided, Ron knew the next words from his lips would kill him. On one hand he'd be sacrificing himself. On the other... he'd be losing Hermione.
He hardly noticed when they stepped forward and grabbed Ginny, her face completely at a loss as she gazed at Ron and Hermione. He didn't consider Ginny and the rest of his family, bound together in wicked green light just behind him, waiting in terror for the Death Eater's decision. He only registered the looming Death Eater before him, awaiting his word with baited breath.
“I think it’s this one,” a Death Eater posed to the others, gripping Ron’s face angrily to Hermione’s left. “Didn’t like it when he hit your little girlfriend, did you?” Hermione cringed as the man whipped Ron’s head back harshly, his mask hovering inches above Ron’s face.
“No, I didn’t appreciate it,” Ron answered, his voice defiant.
What? Hermione roared in her mind, her heart racing rapidly. Ron was going to take the fall, sacrifice himself and face the next step alone. Beside her, Ginny jumped in alarm. Hermione could almost hear the words that begged to tumble from her lips, the plea for her brother to stay silent.
“You claim to be the boy, then?”
No, Ron. Please!
“Yes,” Ron replied, sealing his fate.
Unbidden, the image of Ron standing strong with his wand held firmly in his hand flashed through Hermione’s mind. When she’d fallen, he’d stayed with her. Fought for her. Now it’s my turn, Hermione thought boldly, no matter the cost.
“No!” she screamed, a sense of bravery she’d never known sounding clearly in her words. “Ron, I won’t let you do this! I won’t let you take my place...” She paused as Ron struggled for a moment beside her. “I’m the one you want.”
“Hermione, stop!” Ron bellowed. “It’s over! They’ve caught me, now let them take me!” Hermione’s heart ached as she looked in his deep blue eyes. The last words he’d spoken were a plea, a request to let him lay down his life to possibly spare her own.
“No, Ron,” Hermione said softly. “I won’t let you take the fall in my place.” They gazed at each other for a moment, Ron fixing Hermione with an agonizingly desperate stare. Unable to look in his eyes any longer, Hermione turned away, the pain behind her decision weighing heavily on her heart.
He loves me she thought, a sob begging to escape her throat. She saw it in his eyes, the look of pain at the prospect of losing her. She wanted to say it back, to shout it, but it was too late for that now. She only hoped he'd seen it in her eyes.
Silence settled around them. Everyone seemed to be staring at the leading Death Eater, awaiting his decision. He stood before Hermione, mere feet away, unmoving and silent.
“Fine,” he finally said, his voice chillingly cold. “We'll take them both.”
Senses by Gryffinpuff
Chapter Notes: “Nothing truly valuable arises from ambition or from a mere sense of duty; it stems from love and devotion…”
-Albert Einstein