A/N: Well, this chapter's going to bring another "Huh?" moment. But the next two chapters will start answering a lot of questions, I promise! Thanks for reading!

Ron banged his head on the metal bar behind him, the clanking sound and the pain it inflicted on his skull a welcome distraction. He had never been in this part of the Ministry before. His business usually found him in the questioning rooms they brought prisoners to early on or in the court rooms where it was all decided afterward. Ron had been sitting on the floor just outside the bars of that cell for about an hour now, waiting for Harry to return with something, any information he could gather.

Ron banged his head a second time for good measure.

Turning over his shoulder, he spied Hermione sleeping soundly on a cot in her cell. They'd hit her with a sleeping charm after they'd brought her in, the front secretary had told him. Apparently, she'd become frightened and started screaming and lashing out, and the guards didn't know what else to do. Ron shuttered, thinking about Hermione in that state. He'd never seen her so scared as he had these past few hours, even back at the burrow when they were just eating dinner. She seemed so… guarded. Like something was coming for her. What it was, Ron couldn't fathom. But he knew he wasn't moving from that spot until someone gave him some answers.

Behind him, Hermione began stirring in her bed. It sounded like she was moaning and then he heard whimpers. Ron reckoned she was having a bad dream. He stood to look at her and watched as creases appeared on her forehead. She began mumbling something in her sleep.

"Nooo," she said quietly. "No, please…Ron."

Ron? She'd said his name, and not in a good way. Ron pointed his wand at her, chanting a calming spell and watched as the magic hit her, easing away the furrow in her brow as if Ron himself had caressed her. Satisfied, Ron smiled slightly, happy to have provided at least a little comfort. Remembering something, he dug in his pocket and retrieved a small stuffed bunny. Rose had dropped it when Ginny had snatched her down to the basement, and Ron had bent to pick it up. He'd meant to hand it to Ginny but she was gone too quickly, and Ron had pocketed it instead. He wasn't sure why.

Now, he floated the small toy through the air using his wand, carefully guiding it until it landed just on top of Hermione's left arm. Almost instinctively, Hermione turned in her sleep to cradle the bunny, moving her face in close to its ears and inhaling deeply.

Hermione looked so peaceful, it was almost easy to forget the turmoil she and everyone around her was currently in. During the time between Hermione being taken from the burrow and Ron and Harry finding her cell after much arguing with several Ministry heads, Hermione had been scanned, treated and admitted into the holding ward. Upon arrival, one of the younger officers on duty, a guy Harry and Ron had trained themselves, informed them of a peculiarity they'd found during scanning.

Officer Smidgehorn, aware about the element of the unknown child in the case, informed Ron and Harry that a maternity charm had been given to Hermione. The charm told the attendants on duty that Hermione had never given birth to any child before, that there was no way she could have borne Rose.

Ron was at once baffled and furious. Whatever this meant, whatever it was, it would only give the Ministry more ammunition against Hermione. She was looking more suspect by the moment. And as each moment passed by, Ron found himself caring less and less. She could lie to him all she wanted, rip his heart out and walk on it as often as she liked, so long as she was alive and healthy and he could get her out of this godforsaken cell.

"Hey." Ron turned quickly with his wand raised, realizing immediately that it was only Harry.

"What'd you find out?" Ron asked urgently, skipping to the point. Harry shook his head.

"They won't let her go until a formal trial," Harry said, holding up a hand to keep an exasperated Ron from interrupting. "Fortunately, I've used my pull to get that moved to tomorrow morning."

"And that's good, right?"

"Well, it's good if they let her off, she'll be out of here by tomorrow afternoon, but…"

"What is it?"

"If they find her guilty, she'll be moved to Azkaban… tomorrow."

Ron turned from Harry at that, throwing two hands into his hair and rubbing vigorously. This was a nightmare, the blood in his body was screaming at him to start throwing a fit, start yelling, start shouting hexes until somebody came to their senses and let Hermione go.

"Ron," Harry whispered, moving closer to his friend. "We just have to make sure that doesn't happen. I did some talking, and I've gotten Trottle assigned to this. He'll be presiding over tomorrow, and you know we have a good relationship with him."

Ron nodded.

"We'll all be there, ready to step in if things get… out of hand"

"Right." Ron took a long pause, as if making his mind up about something. "Harry, I won't let them take her."

"I know, Ron," Harry said with a sigh. "I won't either."

The two men nodded, both agreeing and understanding the other with no further explanation needed. Harry had no confusion over the depth of Ron's feelings for Hermione, however angry with her he may be at the moment, and Ron certainly knew Harry looked on Hermione as a real sister. No one would harm her if they were nearby.

"There's more," Harry said quietly. Ron nodded for him to go on.

"They think this might have something to do with Shraxen and Willigsbee, they think Hermione might be in cahoots with them."

"What? That's insane."

"I know, but look at the evidence. This all began just before you and I were about to start a full scale mission to track them down. And tonight, Ministry got word the two of them have been spotted in Diagon Alley. The last we heard of them they were in Wales. They're getting closer."

Ron shuddered, imagining what the two of them could do if they got anywhere near the Ministry or the auror department. Jefferson Shraxen and Damius Willigsbee were two of the most wanted death eaters from Voldemort's time. Following the war, account after account mounted concerning their involvement in countless tortures and murders, and they'd been part of more than one conspiracy to bring down both Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic on several occasions. The night they'd cornered Ron one year ago, all by himself coming home from a pub in the dark, it had been as if they were waiting for him, like they'd known just where he'd be.

"Tell us where they are," Shraxen had hissed, his foot on Ron's throat.

"Who?" Ron had croaked out.

"Your family," Willigsbee had whispered maniacally.

They'd tried without success to get information out of Ron, throwing the Cruciatus Curse at him so many times he'd lost count. Thank goodness for his auror training, or he might have succumbed. Finally, the two left him, like they'd lost interest. Before flying off, Shraxen had inspected Ron's left hand, dropped it, whispered to his partner It's not time, then disappeared. Ron didn't come to for another twenty-seven hours.

"Harry," Ron said now. "What was the nature of that mission going to be? What were we going after?"

"I can't tell you much, but the Ministry believes some of the death eaters got their hands on a particular prophecy some time ago, before the Department of Mysteries was destroyed. They think Shraxen and Willigsbee are looking for something related to that prophecy, to fulfill one of Voldemort's last, dark plans."

"Do you know what the prophecy was?"

"I know some of it," Harry said, looking at Ron with weary eyes. "Not many people do, the fewer the better. Remember, a prophecy only has as much power as you give it."

"But obviously this one's important, if the Ministry's making such a fuss over it, and if they're bringing Hermione in on charges in connection to it."

Harry nodded, looking over his shoulder to stare at Hermione, then turning his gaze back at Ron.

"The best thing to do right now is get some sleep," Harry said finally.

"I'm not leaving."

"No," Harry said, "I didn't figure you would."

Harry turned to go as Ron settled back down on the floor outside the bars. Ron watched Harry walk toward the exit, before his friend stopped and looked back at him with one curious glance. Whatever was on Harry's mind, Ron figured he could use a calming spell as well.

A/N: Thanks for reading and please vote and comment!