wl_mods (wl_mods) wrote in wizard_love, @ 2010-02-26 23:45:00 |
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Entry tags: | *fic, 2010, hermione, ron, rose, scorpius |
Special Delivery for nahimana, Part 1
Title: Dreams and Anguish
Author/Artist:
Recipient's LJ name: emerald_dragon8/nahimana
Pairing(s): Rose/Scorpius, Ron/Hermione
Rating: NC-17
Summary When a tragic attack makes Rose into a victim, will it be too familiar for Hermione and Ron to handle?
Word Count: 16,500
Warnings/Content: Rough sex, torture (unrelated to the rough sex), some fluff, flangst, violence
Disclaimer:
Author's/Artist's notes: Hey there, Emerald Dragon! I agree with you on not liking to see Harry in Het, but to deviate from canon in such a canon story would take even more words than this already long fic! I’m also sorry that there isn’t more of your specific likes here. Lately, I’ve been a serious victim of the plot bunny, and once again this got away from me. I’m hoping there’s enough to this to make it enjoyable to you.
“Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together.”
-Eugene Ionesco
Why did it always end up this way?
Today was the first day of Rose's internship with the Ancient Artefacts department at the Ministry. Her uncle Bill had been putting her through the motions to become a Curse Breaker, and this was the last qualification she needed before she was put into the training program at Gringotts. She put herself together impeccably well, wearing her best robes, and arranging her long hair in an elegant twist. She was filled with excitement and promise as she opened up those double doors.
Her excitement dissipated the moment she walked through the doors.He was there, talking happily with the curator of the department, and laughing loudly at some sort of snide joke the man had made. Her face burned red. All through school they competed, trying to get the better of the other, only to almost always finish out as equals. This internship was supposed to be her last step to finally coming out on top. She was going to best him, and it was going to taste sweet.
So why, by the time the supervisor had left and they were told to close up the department, did Rose find herself slammed up against the wall, his tongue plunging into her mouth with such an intensity that her entire body melted?
Because it did always end up this way, and Rose was too weak to ever stop it. They were enemies, competitors, and nothing near lovers…but every time they were alone, it was like something was forcing them together. It had been going on since the summer after their last year of Hogwarts, and every time Rose thought she had escaped, she'd see his haughty, aristocratic face and fly to him once more. His hungry gaze when he looked at her made her quiver until neither one of them could hold back. It was always, rough, quick, and the best sex she had ever had.
Scorpius Malfoy pressed closer to her, grinding his erection against her as he began to nip and suck at her neck. She ran her nails over his clothed back, wrapping her legs more tightly around his waist and groaning with need. His hand went up her skirt, warm palms pressing against her thighs and toying with the lace top of her stockings momentarily. He pulled back, his deep blue eyes gazing at her with intensity, before covering her mouth with his once more. One of his hands tangled in her hair, pulling her head to the side and exposing her neck before he sucked her skin into his mouth roughly. Rose thrust her hips against his with need.
"Merlin, you're gorgeous," Scorpius growled. Her robes had been shed long before, and now he tore at the buttons on her simple white dress shirt. Scorpius' grip slipped, and so Rose finished tearing off her shirt, lifting his over his head. She knew this was a one off against the wall of a back office, but she needed to see that pale, thin, and cut chest move against her own freckled skin. Scorpius nipped at the top of her rounded breasts, and held out his hand, his wand flying into it. All of a sudden, Rose felt weightless.
"That's better," Scorpius murmured, taking both of his hands out from under her skirt and pulling her breasts out of the top of her simple white bra. When Scorpius' teeth pulled at one of her pink nipples, Rose wrapped her long, thin legs around him. She barely even touched the wall anymore, his weightless spell allowing her to hold herself up on him. His hand grabbed her arse again, clawing at her underwear until they could be pulled off of her in shreds.
He reached down and ran his fingers over her folds. He groaned as she cried out, and soon two of his fingers were thrusting slowly in and out of her. She kicked her heeled feet against him, urging his hips forward. She needed more. She was desperate to be filled…and only by him. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anyone, but she would never tell him that. She couldn't seem weak. His fingers left her centre and she heard the clanging of his belt.
Soon, she felt the head of his cock rub over her clit, and she thrust forward to try to take him inside of her. Her nails dug into his bare shoulder, and he cried out in a mixture of pain and pleasure. Rose thought she would explode if he didn't fuck her right in that moment.
"Say my name," He growled, lightly biting her earlobe.
"Malfoy," She gasped, smirking slightly.
"Say it," He groaned, letting his cock get painfully close to entering her.
"Scorpius," She whispered.
He entered her swiftly, and she threw her head back. He ran his tongue up her throat as he thrust roughly in and out of her. She tried to rock against him, but the spell had taken away a lot of her leverage. Her back kept slamming against the wall in time with Scorpius' movements, and Scorpius grabbed her hair, pulling it out of its elegant twist to hold her head steady and kiss her. This kiss was surprisingly gentle as Scorpius started thrusting less rhythmically and a little more slowly. He was moaning in the back of his throat as their tongues danced languidly around one another. He reached down and began to run his hands slowly over her clit.
"Gods, Scorpius, I'm so close," Rose groaned, bringing her head down to his shoulder.
"Going to make you come so hard," Scorpius whispered, increasing his speed again until he was pounding into her fiercely.
Rose let out a keening cry, leaning down and biting hard on his bare shoulder as her nails dug into him. Her body tensed and she could feel her walls grip him tightly as pleasure rippled through her over and over again.
"Oh Rose…Rose…" Scorpius whispered, burying his face in her neck, where her hair was currently bunched wildly, half falling out of its styling. Her body began to go limp, and she hung boneless under the spell. "Finite."
Rose began to sink toward the floor, her legs falling off of Scorpius' hips. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly to him for a moment as their breath caught. She wound her long arms around his neck. They stood there, forehead to forehead, foe to foe, catching their breath. They were even equals in height and general size, though if Rose were honest with herself, he was much more muscular, while she was just ridiculously thin in her mind. Rose found herself revelling in his touch and he drew lazy circles on her back. She quickly snapped herself out of it.
She silently gathered up her clothes, casting various repairing charms until they looked presentable again. She put her clothes on with surprising speed, slipped on her heels and her work robes, and went over to the mirror. She ran her wand over her wild, red, curly hair until it was back and tamed in its twist. Then, she quietly walked back out to the main room, trying to keep the smile from her face and her hips from swaying back and forth. Scorpius didn't need to know the hold he had on her…not when she meant nothing but sex to him.
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Scorpius' heart was still pounding wildly in his chest as he began to gather up his clothes and redress. He kept glancing up at Rose surreptitiously, and every single time he watched the swing of her hips or the cascade of her hair, he wondered how he had found himself at this point. Every time he saw her, his body lit on fire. He wanted her, every inch of her, along with every fibre of her being. However, when they repeatedly found themselves at odds in ideology while at the same time attempting to accomplish the same goals, the apparent animosity grew. Scorpius would rather forget it all. The bitterness and competitive nature of their relationship wasn't the best part, and if it meant he got to touch her like that whenever he wanted, Scorpius would let it all go.
In school, he and Rose were always up for the same honours. They had both become Heads, and fought hard to get the 'Top of the Class' distinction. In the end, they ended up getting the exact same scores, and that seemed worse. They were in every one of the same NEWTs classes, and when career day came about; they both indicated a desire to go into Curse Breaking. His father and her father and uncle also had an infamous rivalry, often saying snide remarks about one another to their children. Couple this with the fact that Scorpius was from a pure-blooded family that valued society and name, while Rose was from a big, loud, 'everyone is welcome' sort of family, and you had a stark reminder of how different they were.
Scorpius didn't care. He just didn’t care anymore. All of it seemed pointless. All of the money, the power, the values…they meant nothing when he looked in those haunting blue eyes.
However, he could never say any of that to Rose. Their worlds were so different, and their lives were set to parallel each other in every way. To bridge over those separate lines would take such a leap of faith that Scorpius feared he would lose himself in the process. They couldn't deny the attraction though, the tangible need to touch, feel, and claim the other. The only way they could even go on as they had was to indulge in the hasty, emotion free encounters as they had just experienced.
Rose walked out of the back room first, and Scorpius' heart sank a little bit further when she didn't even spare him a look back. As long as he lived, regardless if he ever told her how he really felt or not, he'd always remember the look on her face when she thought he wasn't paying attention, or the way her hands gripped his shoulders with a need that almost silently spoke "Please, don't let go." She was everything to him, and she would never know it because they both feared the consequences of letting down your walls for just one moment.
Scorpius fastened his impeccably designed work robes, the kind that would cost more than three months of what Rose's parents made, and spared one last glance in the mirror before he made his way out of the back room. He ran his hands through his smooth, blond hair, attempting to get it back to its original style. He adjusted the collar of his shirt over his robes, rubbed his hands over his face in a futile gesture intended to snap him out of his current thought process, and returned to his latest internship.
Rose was currently waving her wand over various artefacts, updating the preservation spells and verifying the security spells. Scorpius decided to pick up the checklist and do the nightly check to ensure that everything that was there at the opening of the department would be there at the closing. He heard Rose call out a cheerful greeting as the charm sounded the arrival of someone, but didn’t glance up from his work.
"Expelliarmus!" Someone suddenly shouted, and before Scorpius could even register what was happening, his wand flew out of his hand. He dashed over the desk to stand in front of Rose as the two men began to approach them with menacing grins and their wands twirling in their fingers. One man was very tall and large; his broad shoulders making him look more like he was made of stone than he was flesh and bone. The other man was small and mousy, gray hair and thin build coupled with buck teeth made him look more rat-like than any man Scorpius had ever seen. Both men were wearing long black robes and crooked, vengeful smiles.
"What is the meaning of this? This is a Ministry Department! Spells of that nature are not to be used," Rose said, grabbing at her wand. Scorpius could hear her voice shaking, even as she tried sounding sharp.
"Where is the Orb of Isis?" The small man shouted.
"I've never heard of such a thing," Rose said, breathing in and looking taller as she did so.
The larger man grabbed Rose's robes and shoved his wand roughly against her neck. Scorpius jumped at the larger man without even thinking, and was promptly thrown against a wall. When the stars cleared from Scorpius' eyes and his ears stopped ringing, he saw the large man dragging Rose around the room by her hair. He rose in an attempt to assist her again, but found a wand pressed to his temple.
"Well if it isn't the Malfoy heir. Tell me, you rich poncy son of a Death Eater, do you know where the Orb is?" The rat-faced man said, digging his wand into Scorpius' scalp painfully.
"I have no fucking idea what you are talking about, you filthy jackass!" Scorpius shouted.
He barely finished his sentence before the man's heavy steel-toed boot connected to Scorpius' jaw. Pain rang through him and he struggled to bring himself back up on the ground.
"Every piece of information we have says the Orb is right here, stop being the Ministry's bitch and let us have it! We promise we won't hurt you…much," The man sneered before snapping his fingers.
The large man dragged Rose over to them, her whimpers echoing through the large room as his oppressive fist gripped her hair tightly.
"Why don’t you let her go? She doesn't know either. If you have a quarrel, have it with me!" Scorpius said, still dizzy from the hits, but thinking only about getting Rose out of what was quickly turning into a deadly situation.
"Crucio!" The hulking man growled. Suddenly, Rose's body began to thrash, going limp and she hung grotesquely by her hair in the man's grip.
Scorpius leapt forward, ignorant of the wand threatening to harm him, and tried to grab for Rose. He had no other thoughts than making it stop, to keep her protected, and he didn't care what that meant for him. He managed to reach her flailing leg before something flung him back against the wall. Another flick of Rat Man's wand, and Scorpius was gagged.
"Had enough, Sweetie? Wanna tell me where it is now?" The Rat Man sneered at her as the Hulking Man's wand danced over her twitching body mockingly.
"Please," Rose cried, her voice catching in her throat and her face covered in tears.
"Where the fuck is it, you fucking whore!" Rat Man shouted in her face.
"We're just interns, we don't…"
"Crucio!" The Hulking man yelled again, and Rose's screams invaded Scorpius' ears.
Scorpius managed to raise his broken body enough to grab the Rat Man by the back of the neck and bring him down. The distraction ended Rose's cries, but now all attention was turned onto him. Scorpius was lost in a barrage of kicks in the stomach and punches to his face, the pain overwhelming him. He wanted to be sick, but the constant movement wouldn't allow him to. Soon, the violence ended, but Scorpius couldn't even see through his black and blue eyes…he couldn't even breathe without feeling like his ribs were piercing his lungs.
"We'll stop if you tell us…but if not…we'll just keep going until she dies of it. She'll give up on her own soon enough," Rat Man sneered, snapping his fingers while never taking his beady eyes off of Scorpius. The Hulking Man shouted the curse again, and Rose's screams threatened to rip Scorpius apart from the inside. He had no idea what this Orb was, or what they wanted with it. But at this point, Scorpius was desperate to give them the Elder Wand itself if it meant Rose would stop screaming.
The cries of pain stopped again, and Scorpius felt a swift kick in his stomach. "Do you think the little woman has had enough, or does she want more?" The smaller man asked in a falsely sweet tone.
"You're a fucking coward. You think torturing someone is a show of strength. You're just afraid to fight like a real man," Scorpius spat, bloody mucous covering the smaller man's boots. Suddenly, his head was slammed hard against the wall and he heard a sickening crack.
As he tried to move his body, he heard Rose's screams recommence and his entire world went black.
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Ron Weasley wiggled his toes happily as he settled his feet on the red velvet ottoman in his living room. His feet ached from another long day at The Ministry, and he was glad to be off duty for a few days. Hugo was coming home tomorrow for the summer after his final term at Hogwarts, and Ron was looking forward to seeing his son for the first time since Easter Holidays. He sighed as the evening cross breeze from the open windows whipped across his worn out body, cooling his exposed neck.
Hermione came in, sighing at the breeze as well as she sat down on the sofa next to Ron. She sat two glasses and a bottle of her favourite port on the table in front of them. She had changed out of her Ministry robes and severe heels and into a gauzy white top and very short khaki shorts. Ron loved the caramel colour of her skin, and seeing so much of it caused all the blood to rush south. His wife remained the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Her hair was beginning to fall out of its charm, and Ron smiled at the knowledge that soon it would be a massive mane of curls he could get his fingers lost in.
"Want some, sweetie?" Hermione said, tucking her bare feet underneath her and reaching out to pour herself some wine. Ron nodded. He didn’t really like the taste of wine, but he loved the look of Hermione drinking it so much, he always found himself achingly thirsty once she started in. When taking her first sip, she would always close her eyes and let the liquid drop slowly down her throat, dipping her head back so that Ron could see the muscles in her neck move. Today was no different, and he felt his mouth water as he watched his wife enjoy her wine, her scrumptious neck exposed and begging to be ravaged.
Ron sat his untouched wine on the table and latched his lips on to Hermione's exposed pulse point. She whimpered a little, reaching back to place her glass on the end table before entwining her hands in Ron's hair. Ron loved it when her hands were in his hair, even after all these years; her touch always sparked something inside of him. He worked his way up to the back of her ear, pausing to whisper in it.
"Last night with the house to ourselves before Hugo gets home," He said, his hand teasing the bottom of Hermione's flowing shirt. Sure, Rose still lived there, but she always got home so late from her job that Ron and Hermione found themselves enjoying a lot of alone time. He slowly moved his hand up her shirt, running it over her smooth skin and enjoying the little shudder that ran through her body. While his other hand tangled in her hair, he took the hand that was up her shirt and slowly snaked it up her thigh. When his hand went high enough to brush along her dripping wet centre, Ron thanked whoever it was that had invented small khaki shorts.
He slowly pushed until she was laying back on the couch, and proceeded to lavish kisses on her neck again, licking softly every now and then for good measure. She always tasted amazing, and Ron let out a groan of want against her skin.
"Oh Ron," Hermione moaned.
Suddenly, someone clearing their throat made Ron leap up off of the couch immediately, clasping his hands in front of him to hide anything embarrassing.
"There are four bedrooms in this house, you know. Not to mention a library. But please, stay away from my room, and I need the library tonight," Hugo said, standing in the doorway next to his trunk with another heavy canvas duffle slung over his massive shoulders. He had a wide grin on his face, which seemed to widen as Ron's face began to turn bright red.
Hugo cast an impressive shadow. While he wasn’t nearly as tall as Ron, he more than made up for it in build. Ron had to chuckle at the memory of how thin he was when he was Hugo's age, looking like he was stretched too far. While he had definitely filled out and was quite proud of how cut he was, Ron used to be almost painfully lanky. Rose definitely got that from him. Hugo, on the other hand, had massively broad shoulders, well defined thick arms, and a solid roundness to him that would fit well in the Beater position on the Quidditch pitch. He was the spitting image of Hermione's father, right down to the deep brown hair and matching eyes. Dr. Granger also had an impressive and intimidating musculature, coming to him naturally despite his less than physical job.
Sometimes Ron would daydream about his muscular son rising to Quidditch fame, but he knew better than to expect that. Hugo was a quiet young man, more apt to spend his free time in the library and deep in thought. If it weren't for the quiet part, he would be very similar to his mother. As a matter of fact, Hugo rarely even spoke up, let alone spoke at all. He was a sharp contrast to Rose. Both of their children were intelligent and ambitious, but Rose added a distinctive Weasley fire and assertiveness to her spirit, while Hugo simmered subtly like a Granger.
"Oi! This is my house and this is my wife! I will ravage her where I want!" Ron said mockingly as Hermione leapt off the couch to give her son a hug. She looked even more petite than usual as Hugo wrapped her up in a warm hug.
Just as Hugo's slight smirk was about to turn into what was likely to be a scathing and witty retort, the Floo flared up very suddenly.
"Ron! Hermione!" Seamus Finnigan shouted, looking grave. Ron was panicking in an instant, fearing something may have happened to Harry on the mission tonight.
"Seamus. What is it?" Ron said, leaning close to the fire and Seamus' suspended head.
"There's been an attack…in…in the artefacts department," Seamus said haltingly. "You should come…"
Hermione let out a choked gasp, and Ron's stomach seemed to fall to the floor. He willed his legs to keep working and stiffened his spine. He had to get to Rose as soon as possible. Regardless of what was going on, he knew more than anything she needed him. She may have been her own woman now, but that didn't mean he wasn't still Daddy on occasion. Ron's jaw shook with the effort to stay calm as he slipped on his boots and guided Hermione with him toward the fire. She stiffened her spine as well, but her body trembled and her face was wet with tears. Ron grabbed a handful of Floo powder, trying to remember how to speak again.
"Ministry of Magic!" Hugo shouted, and Ron had no time to be surprised that he was accompanying them before he dropped the Floo powder and the green flames encased them.
Ron was barely aware of his surroundings when they spun out of the Floo. He clutched at Hermione's hand desperately, hearing Hugo's heavy footsteps on the other side of her. They were running, but it didn't feel like running. Ron's body was absolutely numb with worry. Seamus didn't elaborate, but he didn't have to, it was written all over his face. If anything had happened to his little girl, Ron knew he'd fall apart. He was thankful Hugo was there. Ever the strong and stoic one, Hugo would make sure Hermione was okay once Ron lost his mind.
The lift doors opened automatically as soon as they began to approach them.
"Sixth Floor," Ron croaked as the doors closed.
The lift jolted into action, pulling them backwards before shooting them up. Hermione turned to Ron then, burying her head in his chest and sobbing openly. Hugo had a calming hand on his shoulder as Ron wrapped his arms around his wife. The lift seemed to move on and on forever, though Ron knew from experience the ride could be no more than thirty seconds. The seconds stretched on to eternity as he frantically waiting to get to his daughter.
When the lift opened, they were met with an eruption of noise. It seemed as though the entire Auror Department was there, casting revealing spells, questioning witnesses, and even taking some photographs. Every head seemed to turn in Ron's direction, and his heart was racing in fear. He looked around frantically for Harry, for something to ground him back and tell him what was going on, but he saw nothing. Suddenly, a deafening wail could be heard from the artefacts room, and Ron thought he would be sick. Hermione ceased to move, and Hugo had to take her by the shoulders and push her gently forward.
Rose's cries could be heard all the way from the other end of the hall, and Ron was now finding it difficult to breathe. If he didn’t touch her, look at her immediately, he thought he would cease to exist. He whispered her name and ran faster still, leaving Hugo and Hermione behind in hopes of getting to Rose. As he pushed open the ancient wooden doors, he could hear her whimpering and crying.
"Please, please no more. Don't touch me! Don't touch me!" she was pleading over and over again. Ron found her lying in the centre of the large room. Her long body was curled in on itself, and she was laying on her side with her back to him. Her figure was trembling and crying. Harry was sitting in front of her, his hand hovering over her and his lips close to her ear.
"Rose, love, it's Uncle Harry. You know me. I'm not going to hurt you," Harry said gently as Ron rushed over to them. Harry's hand fell softly on her arm.
"Noooooo! Please stop!" Rose said, curling up into a tighter ball. Harry looked up and met Ron's eyes, his own eyes wet and his face lined with worry. Ron wanted to drop down beside her and cry, but he needed her to know that she wasn't in danger anymore.
Ron dropped to his knees behind Rose and leaned over, so that his body was arching over hers, with his legs against her back and his arms parallel to her front. He leaned his face really close to her head, trying to ignore her cries to keep himself calm.
"We need to get her examined. We can't put her down with spells because we don’t know what type of damage the curse has done," Harry explained, as Ron tried to figure out the best way to get his daughter coherent and off of the ground.
"What curse?" Hermione asked from behind Ron, her voice shaking.
"Cruciatus," Harry whispered.
Ron suddenly felt dizzy with memory. Seeing Rose, trembling beneath him, her sobs wracking her body, only served to make him remember the last time someone he loved was tortured like this. He could almost hear Hermione's screams; almost feel her limp body as he carried her up to Shell Cottage. He remembered how she clung to him, sobbing, for hours once they got there, Ron in tears as well. By the way Hermione had fallen to the floor next to him and grabbed at his leg and Harry's gaze was locked on Hermione's neck, Ron knew his thoughts weren't unique.
"Rose," Ron said as gently as possible. Rose whimpered in response but her sobbing seemed to have stopped. "Rose, it's Daddy. I'm not gonna hurt you, baby. You're safe now. Everything is fine," Ron was speaking very softly, right into her ear. He took the chance of touching her lightly, brushing some hair back from her forehead.
Looking at her face made Ron feel like his entire body was made of lead. Her eyes were puffy and red, with bruising around both of them. There was blood trickling from both her nose and her mouth, and there was a huge gash along the side of her face. He ran his hand over her head and down her arm, trying to calm her down enough to move her. She turned to look at him, her blue eyes filled with fear.
"He hurt me, Daddy. He just came in here and he hurt me," She cried. She sounded so young, like a little girl again instead of the strong woman she is, and Ron was once again struck by the familiarity of her condition.
"No one is going to hurt you now, love," Ron said. He slowly slid his hands underneath her shoulders and knees, and lifted her up onto his lap, like he used to when she was very small and she had fallen asleep in the playroom. She curled up into his chest, her long body fitting awkwardly against him. Ron closed his eyes and sat there, holding her tightly, and rocking her gently back and forth.
"Apparently, these two came in," Harry said gesturing over to the bound unconscious men on the floor.
"No, Harry. Not now…not right now," Ron murmured, pressing his face against his daughters hair as Hermione knelt down and wrapped her arms around Rose from the other side.
"Which one did it," said Hugo quietly. Ron and Hermione both looked up quickly at the tone of his voice. He was always soft spoken, but the menacing and growling tone of Hugo's voice sent chills down Ron's spine. He had never heard his son even remotely angry, and it was frankly frightening. Harry's eyes widened and he pointed out the larger man as the one who took his wand to Rose.
Hugo walked resolutely over to the unconscious man and drew his wand. Ron managed to swear lightly under his breath.
"Ennervate," Hugo whispered, and the man came to. "Finite." he said a little more loudly, and the man's bindings fell. Seamus looked to Harry, and Harry gave a very slight nod in his direction.
After Harry's confirming nod, Seamus had turned around and pulled his attention to something in the far corner. The other three Aurors in the room also turned their backs, drawing attention away from the man. Harry kept his eyes and wand trained on the offender. Ron had a pretty good idea what Hugo had in mind, and a very large part of him was glad for it. The hulking man stood, and while Hugo was a rather large young man himself, he looked to be no match for the villain.
"What's your name?" Hugo growled.
"That's none of your business," The large man hissed, shrugging off the remainder of his bindings.
"Well that's of no consequence," Hugo said quietly.
Hugo dropped his wand, and Hermione cried out, clutching her hand to her chest. Ron knew what was going on; it was the same thing bubbling inside of him. And if Rose didn’t need him right now, he'd be joining his son. Ron kept holding onto Rose tightly, his eyes never leaving the putrid man's face.
"Let's see how you fare picking on someone who isn't rendered powerless by a cruel spell, hm?" Hugo said, narrowing his eyes and crouching low.
"Hugo, no!" Hermione shouted, jumping to her feet and running toward him. Ron didn’t know what she had hoped to accomplish, but when it came to her kids, Hermione would have gone to hell and back over and over again. Harry wrapped his arms around Hermione in time to hold her back. He pulled her wand out of her pocket, handed it to her, and she and Harry stood watch on Hugo's endeavours with their wands drawn.
The first blow hit Hugo square across the jaw. Ron cringed, but thought he should give his son enough credit to not look away in fear. Hugo stumbled back, but in the next moment, came at the man again. He suffered another hit to the face, one that spun his entire body around. The main raised his fists again, waiting for Hugo to come back to his senses and smiling menacingly.
"Too bad the Aurors came when they did, she would have made a decent piece of arse. Though she is a might skinny, I'd probably have split her in two!" The man leered at Hugo. Ron's stomach turned, and his entire body clenched with the need to get up and hit that smile off of the man's face. As soon as he moved though, Rose started shaking again and gripped his shoulders tighter. Ron wrapped his arms firmly around his daughter and whispered soothing words in her ear.
Ron would have probably been in the way if he joined the fight anyway. Because now, Hugo's entire face was bright red. While Rose and Ron tended to turn colours at the slightest emotion, this was a new look for Hugo. Ron hadn't seen him that puce since he was born. As Hugo took a deep breath, he seemed to grow and expand to someone of a much greater size. A right hook hit his sister's attacker in the face, and knocked him back.
Instead of waiting for the man to come to, however, Hugo hit him in the face again. He stumbled back and hit the wall before regaining his balance and growling. He ran at Hugo, but the young wizard remained like stone. When the villain approached him, Hugo clenched his fist and his arm pumped like iron against the man's stomach. While he was doubled-over, Hugo took the chance to hit him a few good times in the kidneys before taking his fist and upper cutting against the man's jaw. The hulking, beast of a man, fell limply to the floor at the hands of Ron's son in a matter of minutes. Ron was impressed and worried at the same time.
Ron broke out of his daze when he heard Harry say, very calmly, to stop. Hugo was kicking angrily at the man, causing him to repeatedly double over on the floor. There were angry tears running down his face, mixing with the blood from the first hits he took. He suddenly looked ten years younger than he had just a few seconds ago. Harry approached Hugo slowly, putting a hand on his shoulder. Hugo stopped immediately, and Harry leaned down to heal the man (poorly from the looks of it) and rebind him while he was unconscious. Hermione healed Hugo's nose, the bruise on his jaw, and his painful looking knuckles.
When she was finished healing him, Hermione reached up and put a hand on Hugo's cheek. He broke down in tears and fell into her embrace.
Ron stayed frozen on the floor, holding Rose tightly against him, and trying to calm her shaking sobs so that they could treat her. She was still a complete wreck, and her body convulsed with each heaving cry, but Ron could feel her beginning to relax in his arms. He kept talking to her throughout everything that had happened, hoping to keep her with him…hoping to keep her mind intact.
"He's awake!" Seamus shouted, and Harry rushed over to the far corner behind the desk.
Ron knew that Scorpius Malfoy was the other intern in the artefacts department, but he didn't even realize anyone else was there until that moment. He could only imagine what Scorpius' condition was.
"Rose! Rose! Where is she? What have you done with her?" Scorpius shouted, a level of maniacal panic in his voice that took Ron right back into that familiar and dark memory.
"Scorp," Rose whimpered, crying louder.
"Calm down, mate. She's with her parents. You're in the Ministry of Magic, the Magical Artefacts department. It's Friday, June 6th. There has been an attack, and the men have been apprehended," Seamus' lilting Irish brogue was calm and gentle while he was speaking, and Ron thought it was a far cry from his loud and bawdy dorm mate.
The Mediwitch that Ron hadn't noticed standing to the side immediately rushed forward to the throng of Aurors in the corner. Ron saw the flash of spells and heard a barrage of general injury questions being thrown at Scorpius. Mere moments later, Scorpius was being levitated out of the room. He was barely recognizable, with cuts and bruises swelling his face, and blood staining his normally bright blond hair. Ron looked down at Rose, noticing that the blood was still steadily dripping from her wounds, and knew he'd have to move from their safe little spot.
Ron managed to wedge his feet underneath him, and rise up fully onto his knees. Hugo and Hermione caught the movement and rushed over. Ron moved to hand Rose into Hugo's outstretched arms, but she let out another desperate wail.
"Don't let them take me, Daddy!" She cried, and Ron felt like he was going to be sick. She hadn't called him daddy since she was 10 years old, and tonight that's all she saw him as. Furthermore, she was so paranoid that she didn't realize the situation was different.
This didn't bode well for her mental state. Ron tried to think about getting her to St Mungo's before he approached that line of thought. Hugo took a struggling Rose so that Ron could get up, and she eased a bit when she was placed back in his arms. The way he was holding her, the way she was speaking, the tears on her face…they all made him think of how she was as a small child. Ron swallowed hard and fought back the tears in his eyes as he and his family made their way to the Floo.
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It took 3 days for Rose to wake up. After they rushed her to St. Mungo's and she was treated for her injuries with healing charms and pain potion, they put her into a dreamless sleep to heal. Rose must have needed a lot of healing, because she remained still as death for three agonizing days. Ron and Hermione never left her side, taking offerings of food from family members and showering in the loo attached to Rose's room. When she finally woke up, Hermione held her breath.
Rose turned her head, looked at them, blinked, and then the healers were rushing in. They questioned her about anything even remotely medically relevant, and she answered them as quickly and as quietly as she could. Her voice barely rose above a whisper, and when she spoke, it was barely more than two words. Hermione could feel the sting of tears at seeing Rose look so thoroughly defeated, but held them in as best she could to appear strong for her daughter.
As her recovery wore on, Rose still hadn't spoken much. A mind healer came in, but told an anxious Ron and Hermione that Rose was still woefully monosyllabic about the whole experience. They couldn't even get the exact story from her, and had to wait until Scorpius' concussion was healed and he was fully alert before he could even understand what had happened to them and how. Scorpius was still confined to his own bed, on another floor, not as close to the Janus Thickey ward.
Rose was now one day away from release, and Hermione could feel pleading drop off of her tongue. She wasn't above begging her daughter to talk if that's what it took. Ron was trying to keep them both patient, but she could tell by the look on his face that he was about to fall apart all over again. Suddenly, she cleared her throat, causing both of her parents to startle slightly.
"He dragged me by my hair first. He kept pulling me from case to case, demanding me to show him where that orb was. I felt like my skin was going to rip off of my head! I had no idea what he was talking about!" Rose said, her voice shaking. Ron reached out and took her hand.
"I heard Scorpius yell for me, and I saw him running at us, but then he was stunned and…and…they flung him against the wall. I could hear something break. What did they want us to do? How were we supposed to know where that thing was?" Rose said, trying to keep her voice strong.
"You weren't. They were looking for an ancient Egyptian music box that was supposed to be renowned for raising the dead. Another person trying to circumvent death and gain power over other witches and wizards," Ron explained wryly. Rose nodded sagely, looking down at her clasped hands.
Hermione was relieved to realize that Ron's fears didn't come to fruition. Rose hadn't reverted back to her childhood self. Obviously her behaviour when they had first come to her was an instinctual reaction to her trauma and not something that would last. But Hermione knew that they weren't out of the woods. She knew that all too well. Only Rose was going to be better. Rose was going to talk about it. Rose wasn't going to have the nightmares and build the walls of fear around her own mind.
"I wanted to die. I was hoping they would kill me!" Rose said, shaking.
"It's okay, love…" Ron started.
"And then I heard Scorpius fighting. Whenever he stopped, I could hear the cracking and smashing of Scorpius in the background. I couldn't die yet! What if they killed him?" Rose's tears fell freely from her eyes, and Ron was handing her a tissue.
At that admission, Hermione could feel her whole body twitch slightly with the memory of pain. The numbness would come next…it always did when she remembered that horrible night in Malfoy Manor. Ron was fighting for her too, she could hear him screaming. She knew Harry and Ron were somewhere below her. She wanted to die, was close to begging for it, but she could hear Ron and she knew Harry needed her to lie. They needed her to keep going. It was so much pressure! There was the overwhelming need to give in, to let go of her mind. But there was also a determination to make it through long enough to keep Harry and Ron safe.
Hermione could feel herself closing up, trying to fight the memory with dominance. She wouldn't let that woman win; she would never give in. Hermione began burying all the fear and doubt as deep inside of her as she could, making her physically and emotionally numb. Hermione felt power in her ability to remain impervious to this aspect of her past.
She never wanted to lose control again.
"Have you ever wanted to give up? Have you ever wanted to die?" Rose asked her parents. Ron looked at Hermione with that look he only reserved for very special moments. A look that clearly said "I'd give everything to you."
"I've offered my life up a few times before," Ron said quietly, running his thumb over Rose's hand. "I know we don't talk much about the war a lot, but it's happened."
"But that was for a bigger cause! You guys were fighting; you guys were saving the world! I was just…weak," Rose said, wilting against the pillows of her bed.
"You're here though, you've made it," Ron said, kissing her hand.
"You don't understand, Dad. You don't know how it feels to want to die. To give up everything you love if it means solace from pain. Do you even know anyone who's been tortured?" Rose asked quietly. Ron looked at Hermione for just a fraction of a second, and she shook her head very slightly at his inquiring look.
They had decided to keep some things from the kids. She, Harry, and Ron had sat down one day and went over what they thought their children could know, and what could be kept between them. Hermione had quickly said her torture should never be talked about again. If she was honest, it wasn't because she was protecting her children, but out of self-preservation. She built walls around that moment, and she wasn't about to take them down and feel that way ever again.
"Well, you could talk Harry. He's been through it all," Ron said, casting small glances over at Hermione. She hated the way his eyes always penetrated all of her defences. He could see right through her.
"It's not really the same! Uncle Harry's cause was noble! He was dying so that other people had a chance," Rose said, looking out of the window forlornly.
"Rosie…" Ron said, using her childhood nickname. He leaned in close to her and hugged her tightly, pulling back to try to read her face they way he always read Hermione’s.
"It'll be okay, Dad," Rose said, smiling sadly.
Hermione felt sick to her stomach with the realization that she had failed her daughter.
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Rose's body stiffened as the painful spell washed over her yet again. It seemed to go on forever, and by the end, she was begging to die. She was begging them to end it all. Rose was offering up anything she could just to be granted the mercy of death.
She could hear Scorpius screaming her name, but every time her tear-streaked eyes could focus on him, they were taking a huge knife to his bare flesh. Whenever he raised his voice, another piece of him was cut away. As she begged for death, begged them to let him go, he yelled until he had lost an arm, a foot, and his own head. Still, the pieces of his torn up body were calling out to her in desperation. She couldn’t save him now, and she wasn't even going to bother saving herself.
She knelt in front of the large, menacing man, naked and shaking, kissing his boots. She asked him again to kill her. He grabbed her hair roughly and pulled her to her feet. He smiled, licking his lips at her, and Rose shrank away from his lecherous gaze. He yanked her hair until her head snapped back and she met his eyes. Then, he lifted his wand in between them.
"You want it, you do it," The man sneered.
Rose pressed the wand point hard against her temple, even as the sword swung down and cut off Scorpius' lips.
"Rose!" Scorpius yelled, but Rose just concentrated on dying.
"Rose! Rose!" He yelled again, though now he sounded so close to her, she spun around frantically.
"Wake up!" Scorpius yelled, and this time it came to Rose like a flood.
She could smell the clean, chemical scent of St. Mungo's. She could hear the charms clicking away to monitor her vital signs. She didn't hear her father's snores, but remembered that he and her mother had gone to do her discharge paperwork and to get her old bedroom ready. It was all just a horrible nightmare…well…this time. The memory of the pain, of the need for death, still weighed heavy in her bones like iron. A warm hand ran down the side of her face, and Rose couldn't help but sigh at the comfort.
"Scorp," She tried to finish, but her throat burned like she had been screaming for some stretch of time.
A cup of water was pressed against her lips and she tilted her head back. She attempted to focus her vision, and soon the room came back in to view, along with Scorpius' haunting light blue eyes looking back at her with worry. She gasped for a moment at the sight of him, shocked when she realized she hadn't really looked at him since the encounter in the back room all those ages ago.
There were faint pink marks all over his arms and face from where healing charms had just been cast. There was a bandage on his right arm, and a faint stain of blood could be seen blossoming on the white gauze. An angry red burn cut across his forehead, shining like it had been covered with a kind of salve. Both of his eyes were also black, as though someone had hit his face repeatedly. He wasn't cut into little pieces, but the reality was just as jarring.
"Oh Scorpius," Rose whispered, reaching up and cupping a hand to the side of his face. He leaned into it and put his hand over hers. "What did they do to you?" She asked, fresh tears threatening her.
"It's just some curse burns, one really bad gash they can't heal with magical means, and some bruises. The healing is just taking longer because it was done by magic," Scorpius said, not moving his hand from hers. "It's nothing compared to what happened to you."
Rose just looked away, unable to acknowledge how close she had come to death. Even more difficult was the fact that Scorpius was what she thought about, what she wanted to die thinking about, in those pathetically weak moments when the pain felt like too much.
She could never tell him. How would they work? How would two people so different ever be able to be in love? Sure, they could be lovers, but beyond the passion, Rose was convinced Scorpius could never cherish her like that.
"Gods, Rose, I almost lost you," He whispered, and Rose looked over to see his eyes begin to water. She couldn't help herself and ignoring all doubt, she let him pull her against his chest, and she buried her face along the smooth, warm skin of his neck. She felt warm and safe in an instant, and she felt for a moment like things might be okay. That feeling was dashed when the nightmare image of him in small pieces invaded her mind again and she flinched.
"Is everything alright," Scorpius asked, reacting to her sudden movement.
"How could anything be alright, Scorpius? I was ready to give up! I was ready to beg for death! I thought it was never going to end, and I wasn't strong enough to make it through. He had complete control over me…my life isn't my own at all," Rose said, her voice cold and biting to hide the abject despair rising in her chest.
"But you made it, you're here, and you're stronger than anyone I know. Who wouldn't want to give up when faced what you faced?" Scorpius said, stroking a soothing hand down her back.
"Uncle Harry has survived worse apparently. He came into the ward earlier and tried to help me through all of this. But…fuck! He was facing Voldemort! He had the fate of the Wizarding world to consider! I just had myself, and apparently it wasn't enough," Rose said, sobbing now.
"You had me, Rose. You'll always have me," He said quietly, his voice shaking. Rose pulled back from the embrace to see so much sincerity in his eyes that her heart raced. She doubted it immediately however, chalking it up to such a harrowing experience.
"Come on, Scorp. You and I would never work. You're just relieved I'm alive…and I can take that as compliment enough," Rose said flippantly, though her heart was breaking to pieces inside of her chest, puncturing her lungs and rendering her nearly incapable of speech. "Get serious."
"I am serious," He croaked.
Rose looked up in to his eyes and she just couldn't fight it, couldn’t deny it no matter how badly she wanted to. He put his hands on the sides of her face and kissed her gently. He had kissed her many times before, but this time was different. This time, Rose knew there was more to it, and their lips seemed to spark when they touched. He ran a tongue along her lips and she opened her mouth, relishing in the sweet taste of his tongue on hers. He hands moved up and down her back, exploring whatever they could reach, and Rose tangled her fingers in the hair falling on the nape of his neck.
They pulled away breathlessly just in time for her parents to walk in and take her home.
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On to Part 2