I thought once Hermione woke up we'd be able to go home and relax. I thought we'd have peace for her to recover emotionally and be strong enough to confront Ron.
I didn't expect reporters in the waiting room. The Healers ran their last tests and confirmed Hermione was ready to go home. The vultures had amassed and shouted out as one once we entered the lobby. I glared angrily at the receptionist who merrily waved her autograph in the air. Light bulbs flashed and the crowd pushed in around us. Hermione gripped my hand tighter as they tried to pull her away. I could feel her falter and was relieved when Ginny pushed her way through. She shielded Hermione and helped us force our way out to the street.
I knew the reporters wouldn't follow us outside, at least at first or even all at once. Too many restrictions and I'm sure enough of them had been fined before. I expected to be able to cross the street peacefully and finally return home.
Again my expectations were thrashed. Fate was having a field day with me and Hermione, laughing her arse off.
I closed my eyes and counted to ten. I heard Hermione gasp and Ginny growl before I opened my eyes again. I had thought Skeeter or even normal reporters were bad enough. Ron was standing in the street, blocking our way forward. Waiting, his hands shoved in his pockets and his head hung.
I saw red and it wasn't Ron's hair. Before I could even shout one thought at him though, Ginny flew in front of me and slapped him as hard as she could. I whistled through my teeth, stunned. Hermione gently squeezed my hand and I turned to look at her.
She was deathly pale and on the verge of collapsing. I took her in my arms quickly and apparated home, but not before I heard Ron groan in pain.
Once at Grimmauld Place, I settled Hermione into her old bedroom. I tucked her into bed, kissing her forehead and leaving a glass of water on the table next to her. I found Ginny in the kitchen nursing a butterbeer. I raised my eyebrows and she grinned.
"What was that all about?" I jerked my head back.
She smiled wryly. "Let's just say a sensitive part of Ron's anatomy had an appointment with a rather sharp part of mine."
I couldn't help but wince.
~*~
During the next week we settled into a routine. Hermione had been given leave from St. Mungo's until she was up to dealing with daily drama. She spent her days either in the garden or the library. I went back to work twice in one week, only to find more paperwork than ever. I was given good news though; I had been assigned to protect Hermione as an official Auror escort to the proceedings. Ron's trial was set for mid-June and she only had a few weeks to prepare and protect herself.
I'd watch her when I didn't think she was looking. She was thinner than she'd ever been and her eyes held little spark, even when she was explaining something to me. She constantly shivered and still flinched from personal contact. She was heartbreaking and still had a long way to go. I was doing the best I could to support her, but it killed me to watch her like that.
A week before his trial I came home to a dark house. Immediately I assumed the worse. I began calling for her and turning on all the lights in the house. I hoped to find some trace of her, a ransom note, Hermione, something. I was starting to feel hysterical until I walked into the library. It was lit with a single candle. Hermione, her head on the table surrounded by books, was sleeping. It took everything I had not to scoop her up in my arms and hold her until I wasn't worried anymore. Instead I paused, just looking at her. I sighed wearily and shook her shoulder gently to wake her up.
She looked at me bleary-eyed as I slid into the chair next to her. Before I was even settled she threw herself into my arms and on my lap. Stunned, I just patted her back until I heard a sob. I pushed her gently back and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"What is it Hermione?"
She shook her head and sobbed, clutching me closer. I smoothed her hair and rubbed her back until she stopped shaking. I tried to gently push her back to see her face again but she burrowed closer. I sighed. "Hermione…"
I felt her take a deep breath. She began speaking, a little muffled but it was better than nothing. "I had a dream. I dreamt that Ron and I were fighting and yelling and he hit me." I sucked in a breath. "He just kept hitting me. I saw you out of the corner of my eye; you launched yourself at him. He stopped hitting me and went after you, only he was still yelling at me. He hit you so much and you fell down the stairs, like I did. Only…" She started shaking again. "Only you died. And Ron came back to me and started hitting me again." I held her close as I thought of what she had said. I shuddered to think what would have happened to her if I had fallen. "Harry," she said in a small voice. "I'm so scared Harry. I don't want him to hurt me anymore. I don't want him to hurt us anymore."
My jaw clenched. Seeing Hermione so weak was killing me, hurting me worse than waiting in the hospital for her to wake. I held her close and kissed her hair as I rocked her back and forth. The sobbing and shaking subsided, then I felt her breathe evenly. I knew she was asleep but I was afraid if I left her she'd have another nightmare. I tried to get as comfortable as I could in the chair and went to sleep myself.
~*~
"Are you sure you're up for this?" I glanced over at her. Our hands had been clasped since we apparated to the Ministry. Hermione was calm and polished with her hair tied at the nape of her neck. She's still too thin but she's regained some color. I have newfound respect for her as I looked at her cool exterior. I could feel her shaking through our hands but I knew she's trying to be strong, at least until we are at home.
We'd been running through the Ministry to get to Ron's trial on time. She's been so scared recently that I'm glad it's finally here and we can get it over with. Ginny has been really supportive in coaching Hermione to relax. She still flinches slightly at some contact but she's done really well in suppressing that.
I heard her sigh before she answered me. "Yes, Harry, for the last time. We are here to do this and I am ready." She stopped in the hallway and turned me to face her. "I want Ron to suffer as much as he's made me suffer, but this has to be done right. He needs to be punished for what he's done to me." She paused to cup my face in her hands. My breath catches. "I want to hurt him like he's hurt me, us." She pulled her hands abruptly away. "That's why we're here. To take vengeance out of our hands." She grabbed mine again, automatically. "Harry I'm proud of you for not giving into your anger that night. He needs to see justice, but not at your hands." She gave mine a squeeze.
We stopped in front of the lift. She turned to face me slowly, then pulled me into a hug. She's fierce and I could feel her sobbing against me. I smoothed her hair back, then kissed the top of her head. She pulled back smiling. I wiped her tears away with my thumbs and she leaned into my hand, her eyes closed. The lift opens and we entered silently, waiting for our floor.
The courtroom is cold and unwelcoming, like they didn't believe our allegations even before we had entered the room. It's really hard for me to watch my former best friend tell the court that he's the innocent party and Hermione is a whore. Ginny sat next to Hermione and took her hand at this. I'm as far from Ron as I can get and still I'm not far enough away. I tried to take deep cleansing breaths but all I could see was Hermione's face as she cowered in fear and fell down the stairs. Hermione volunteered to testify under Veritaserum and was brilliant. She couldn't remember much of before her hospital visit because of Ron's memory charms, but what she does recall is startlingly perfect. It's horrific and I can barely relive it. I saw Ron's jaw clench and his ears turn pink as he heard his wife testify against him. I'm allowed to leave the courtroom for a quick break before my turn. I, too, will testify under Veritaserum. I hope I have the same composure Hermione had. Once I was finished, we were dismissed for deliberations.
After all the evidence was gathered and deliberations ceased, we entered the courtroom again. As the Auror in charge of her protection, I was allowed to sit by Hermione for protection after the verdict. We both held our breath as Ron stood. He looked over at us with such hatred and jealousy that I snapped back in my chair, shocked. I could not believe that my best friend of almost eight years could feel that strongly against me. Hermione had finally broken down and was sobbing quietly next to me. She had been strong for so long and I was proud of her poise. I put my arm around her, pulling her closer. I handed Ron's wand to the clerk, who snapped it in front of Ron. He was sentenced to life in Azkaban for the attempted murder of Hermione Weasley.
I wasn't satisfied. Ron deserved to be thrashed, tarred and feathered, stoned, anything. My own godfather escaped Azkaban; Barty Crouch Jr escaped Azkaban. Hermione put her hand on my arm before I could jump out of my chair. She leaned over and whispered, "Ron's not an animagus, nor will his parents help him." I stared at her.
"But…"
"It's okay Harry. He can't hurt me anymore. They are taking him away."
"Hermione!"
"Look," she said harshly. "There is nothing we can do or say that will change minds. You and I both know what he's done and what he deserves. He is being punished the best way the Ministry knows how. We can only accomplish one thing at a time, Harry." She touched my shoulder, her voice softer. "He won't escape, he won't come after me and he can't hurt me anymore. That's all that matters now. I want to put this behind me as soon as possible and you aren't helping. I want to never look back; I want to move on with my life."
I still envisioned hanging Ron from a noose or breaking out a guillotine, but Hermione's words made sense in a small part of my brain. We could be better people and accept what was dished out or we could fight and not get anywhere. I sighed. I didn't have to like it. Hermione was the victim. I chose to leave Ron's judgment to her because I knew I wouldn't handle it properly. If she was satisfied then I needed to be.
Except for one small thing. "Are you still married to him then?"
Her jaw dropped. "I forgot all about that, honestly. He is no husband of mine."
We walked over to the nearest clerk, who was efficient enough to find a better person for us to talk to. Hermione filed for divorce on grounds of being forced into marriage and the fact that her husband had tried to murder her. Unfortunately, divorce proceedings in the wizarding world take much longer than sessions in court.