A/N: I hope that posting this and the following chapter doesn't turn out to be more of a tease than helpful in anyway. But I have just, after all of this time, found that the version of this story is missing the last two chapters written all that time ago. It only seems fair to post them here, so that all readers have equal access to the story as far as it was written, and can take heart in one thing. 'Endangered' as an unfinished epic has been bothering me more and more of late. I've been looking at it and re-reading, hoping the urge to finish it will speak to me. I'm not willing to make any promises because I hate even more to possibly break them later on, but let's just say…there is hope now where there once was none. And oddly enough, the piece below contains the final two sentences posted in the A/N all that long time ago, so since they seemed so fitting once more, I've left them:

For those of you who've been told that good things come to those who wait...

They do. ^_~) Enjoy.~NZ~

~ Chapter 27 ~

The Writing on the Wall

Chapter 26 Summary: Dr. Null, purposely ignored in the camp of his own scientific study with the arrival of Dolores Umbridge that day, throws himself into his work to compensate. While he and Hermione are involved in a working lunch, Ron and Harry draw Hermione away and tell her that her cabin had been ransacked while Harry and Ron were out keeping watch on her. At the very least Ron's leather jacket was taken - and the motorbike key. Hiding in the Post Room to discuss what to do next, they overhear Umbridge's discussing that she knows 'other children' are at Trapperton. Hermione is still determined to get the burning food shipment to the Ministry that evening, so Harry, Ron, and Hermione decide to try and get to the habitat as a place to hide for the day since the Yeti have been quiet. On the way to the lab building, Hermione takes off to try and discover why else Umbridge is at Trapperton. Umbridge speaks vaguely about 'Him' building armies and that they should be out to impress him with their work – also, that after lunch, she will be wanting to'hunt children'. Hermione, Harry, and Ron head for the lab building to sneak through into the habitat, but two handlers catch them in the act. The handlers chase them across the center of camp as the Trio heads for the habitat gates. After some trouble with the wards, Harry and Ron jam a branch into the opening so they can slip through one at a time. Harry gets through into the habitat, but the dogs and the two handlers arrive at the same time, before Ron and Hermione can. A wand duel ensues between Harry and one of the handlers after another is hit with a Full Body Bind. The branch is burning away from the ward energy, in danger of falling and letting the gate close completely. Ron wraps his arms around Hermione to protect her as the two have to go through together just before the branch falls to the ground. Ron sustains bad burns on his arms, but since Voyde and her men are organizing a search party, they decide to head for a place to hide 'with friends'.

RR

It had taken a bit of work to convince Trey it was a good idea to let young wizardfolk into his humble abode once more. Ron, Harry, and Hermione had spent what seemed like a good long time plastered against the inside wall of the cave entrance, with Trey staring them down sternly and relentlessly. The deep scowl on the Yeti's face had told Ron the three of them should have found some way to ask permission to enter the cave even if the handlers and the dogs had been on their trail and not far behind.

"Whatever you do, the two of you, don't look down," Hermione had whispered tensely, staring unflinchingly at the dirt floor. " – Or smile."

Smiling had been the last thing on Ron's mind. "Not much chance of that, I reckon. You, Harry?"

Harry had stared straight ahead, frozen in place. "Hadn't even considered smiling," he mumbled. "These Yeti are big when you get closer. But - why don't we want to look down?"

"Looking down is for females - subservience," Hermione answered. "But you're males. You have to save face but not be threatening. Trey doesn't know you or you could get away with more, like Leif does. But if Trey sees your teeth bared in any way, he might think you're challenging him."

Ron was mildly alarmed at that idea and wondered if he could still whisper to his friends while keeping his lips over his teeth at all times. He concluded he simply wouldn't open his mouth at all. "No, we don't want that," he mumbled. "Er, so what exactly do we do now?"

"Nothing," Hermione answered. "We wait for him to decide. It's his home – his territory. With any luck, he'll let us in. Next best is he'll just chuck us out."

"If that's next best, what's worse than that?" Harry asked suspiciously. "Or do I want to know?"

There was a quiet pause from Hermione. "You probably don't want to know."

Simultaneously, a rustle came from somewhere deeper in the cave and a yell came from one of the handlers, outside and not too far away.

Apparently startled into action, Hermione had then moved the toe of her boot very slowly in front of her and had started dragging it through the dirt to draw some sort of pattern Ron didn't recognize. Trey had watched her guardedly, but curiously.

"What's that?" Harry asked. He was trying to see it from the corner of his eye without moving his head.

"The 'help' symbol from the cards they used to communicate with us," Hermione answered softly. "It's hard to draw it upside down with my foot, though – and Trey was never one of our better students. He had rather more important things to attend to, like managing the tribe. All I know is that the handlers probably wouldn't think we'd be inside one of the Yeti caves, at least not yet – but I think they would still be able to see us here where we are from outside. We need to convince Trey that he needs to let us go on into the cave - soon."

Luckily, the rustle they'd heard from deeper within the cave had been Starr. She had stepped up next to her mate, first looking curiously at Hermione and then more curiously at what the girl had drawn on the ground. She'd glanced at Ron—and then she'd noticed Harry.

Starr had gazed unabashedly between Ron and Harry for at least a full minute, then back at Hermione.

"Oh dear," Hermione had muttered, sounding as if she'd understood the problem. "Two males."

"What?" Harry had asked.

"I was here with only Ron before," Hermione said, blushing a bit. "And we sort of implied – well, she probably thinks Ron and I belong... you know, together."

"Hmm," Harry replied dryly. "Fancy that."

Though Ron fully understood the reason why Hermione had said that now that he was savvy to the 'mates' thing – and that it was very necessary for them to keep up whatever charade would get them some help – Ron couldn't help feeling just a bit surprised and chuffed to hear her say the words. And she didn't even sound like she minded the thought of it so much...

"So she doesn't know why you're here," she said to Harry. "Or why Ron's putting up with you."

Quickly, Hermione reached out again with her foot and roughly scratched out another cryptic picture in the dirt, pointing afterwards at Harry.

"There," she said. " 'Family'. I've just made you my brother, Harry."

"Fine by me," Harry said, watching Starr's reaction. "Is she buying it?"

"We'll know in a moment," Hermione said, also staring at Starr and smiling.

Starr was still balking a little, eyeing Harry suspiciously, and Trey was still standing firmly in place.

It was taking long enough that Hermione seemed to be worried and suddenly flung her hand out to the right. "Hand, Ron."

Ron rolled his eyes in spite of himself. At least I'm not the brother, but... "Please – the romance here is killing me."

"Would you give me your hand?" Hermione demanded through clenched teeth. "Unless, of course, you'd rather have Trey throw us out the door to Spyder. You and I can take this up later if you have some problem with it, but now is not the time!"

"All right, all right," Ron said, bridging the gap between her arm and his to grasp her outstretched hand. "But the only time you-" he grumped, his arms stinging and the crankiness getting the better of him. One sidelong glance at Hermione and her expression made him hold his tongue. He knew he sounded like he was whining, but he was hurting and couldn't help it just now. "-Never mind. But you could have just asked nicely, you know."

"Remind me next time," Hermione said. "Assuming we make it to a next time."

Then finally, with that movement, Starr had spied the wounds on Ron's skin. She walked up much closer to the two of them now, leaning down to inspect the still-oozing burns on the forearm that was now suspended between him and Hermione. Starr acted for a moment as if she was going to touch the wounds, then she drew back and held her long finger to her chin a few moments as if in thought.

Starr had turned to Trey and in Yeti-speak, had begun what must have been a plea to let the three humans into their home. Some argument from Trey and some impassioned-looking counter-arguments from Starr took place during which, oddly enough, Trey kept nodding and gesturing at Hermione as if she was the problem. Eventually, Trey made one final remark, turned calmly, and walked deeper into the cave, while Starr stayed to motion them to follow her.

Harry let out the breath he must have been holding the whole time. "Finally. I wasn't sure he was going to back down there for a moment."

"A lot of it's the whole male territorial issue," Hermione explained as they walked deeper into the darkness of the cave behind Starr. "But it actually was rather strange. There was no subservience between Trey and Starr. She didn't defer to him or back down, and he didn't expect her to. He let her try and reason with him – she looked straight into his eyes - and he even let her have her way."

Ron was thinking that all sounded rather familiar. "Maybe the Yeti are a lot more like us than the zooliwizards ever thought."

Hermione turned to him at her side and looked at him oddly.

Bugger, did I just say that out loud? he thought. "Er, I mean...you know... in general," Ron stammered. "Maybe the big bloke listened once and found out how smart the lady one was and how good her ideas could be, so he decided it couldn't be a bad thing to listen...once in a while."

Hermione had grimaced and rolled her eyes at that and Ron decided not to pursue the matter. He knew he certainly wasn't in a stunning mood and apparently, neither was Hermione, so he decided just to keep quiet. His arms hurt him anyway, and the requisite fire in the middle of the large cave room they'd seen before made it positively stifling.

Starr turned once Harry and Hermione had entered the more spacious room and appeared to be waiting for Ron. As soon as he stepped through the door, Starr pointed at his arms.

Momentarily, he thought something else had happened to them – that maybe his arms had begun to bleed or got worse since their meeting with the warded fence wire. But after checking, he thought they seemed pretty much the same – ugly, oozing, and even more disgusting the closer one looked. But Starr kept pointing as if he ought to understand. Oh no...She can't be thinking what I think she's thinking..

"Hermione," Ron said a bit nervously, keeping his eyes glued on Starr just in case. "What is it she's doing, Hermione? What does she want?"

Hermione wheeled around and moved to look in Starr's eyes. Starr squatted down and with one huge finger, drew something in the dirt for Hermione to see.

" 'Help', she drew- like I did," Hermione said. "Help..." Hermione muttered as she watched Starr carefully; the Yeti again pointed at Ron's arms. Hermione turned to him excitedly. "Oh, Ron! She wants to heal what the wards did!"

"Heal -? Oh no. Hold on, hold on," Ron said in resistance. "I know that Yeti ki—" Ron didn't want to be scolded again for not using the young Yeti's name – especially when he was trying to make a point. "I know Leif put your elbow back in place when it was dislocated, but that was different. As much as I hated him doing it, at least it was all inside the skin. He didn't have to put his giant, grubby hands on any open wounds or anything –"

Hermione said calmly, "Her hands are no grubbier than yours probably are and I know Starr. She wouldn't ask to heal your wounds if she didn't know she could do it. I'm sure it will be fine. Trust her."

"But you didn't even know the Yeti could do those things before," Ron protested. "What if it's unbearably painful or something and I pass out and I'm absolutely no help to anyone and I become a burden to you and Harry here instead of helping you two get this taken care of and get out of here?"

That scenario was too eerily familiar - too much like the night at the Department of Mysteries: being a burden, unable to help fight and get out. It was exactly what he'd been trying to fend off since then- to face it down and prove he was better than that – both to Hermione, and to himself.

A searing pain shot through both of Ron's arms and his brain, sending shock waves through his system. Even though the feelings from the thought scars were different from the surface ward burns, they were familiar; yet they startled him with their intensity and he shook his head for a moment to clear it. His vision blurred and he squinted, trying to focus and fight off the pain before it forced him to sit down.

"Ron – " a fuzzy female voice said from far away. "Ron, are you quite all right?"

It took him a minute or two to collect himself, but he managed. "Yeah – I'll be fine. Damned pains in my head...thought scars..."

"From the thought scars?" Hermione asked curiously. "That's odd. It's been some time since that's happened, hasn't it?"

Ron grimaced. "It's been a while since I thought of what happened that night at the Department of Mysteries, yeah." He looked up to see Harry and Starr staring at him curiously, then turned back to Hermione and spoke low. "Why...why can't you just heal them as best you can? I can put up with some pain - just the regular burns anyway."

"Don't be silly, Ron," Hermione scoffed. "Why be in pain when you don't have to be? Look, I'll stand right here – and if it looks like she's doing something that hurts you too much, or if you start to fade, I'll stop her. I can do that – she'll listen to me."

Ron still wasn't too excited at the prospect and sighed, turning determinedly to face Starr. "All right," he said, beginning to move his arms forward. But what if... He panicked a moment and looked back to Hermione. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure," Hermione said comfortingly. "And I'll be right here."

Wincing, Ron held his arms out straight in front of him and nodded. Starr looked to Hermione for confirmation just in case and she nodded, too.

Starr stepped closer to Ron, reaching out and gently pushing his left arm aside. Without thinking, he looked up to watch the expression on her face as she worked and caught her eyes with his. Immediately, she looked straight down at the ground and physically drew away a bit.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded quietly. "You can't look at her like that—"

Ron knew what he'd done before Hermione even said anything. " – Because I'm a male. I know. Sorry, sorry. Just reflex on my part, I reckon. I'll – not do it again."

"It's even worse when you're not...well...her male," Hermione said.

Ron was horrified. "Ergh! Thank you for that thought," he said. "You know, all of this male/female stuff is driving me mad! It's impossible enough dealing with the wizard rules without having to start on the Yeti ones next!"

He heard Hermione mumble something under her breath that sounded great deal like "fancy that", but when he asked her to repeat herself, she simply shook her head to dismiss him.

Looking ahead at the enormous furry hands beginning to gently wrap themselves around his forearm, Ron braced himself for the worst and decided he'd rather not watch. His attention focusing more on the sensations once he closed his eyes, he noted that Starr's hands felt the slightest bit leathery, but not at all unpleasant, even where the burns were the deepest. Within moments, he would have sworn that someone was dribbling a single trickle of very warm, but soothing water under his skin somehow. Then it felt like that water pooled and spread, moving into every inch of his forearm that had taken the brunt of the ward burns. For a moment, it felt like the worst pain was going to flee into his upper arm and shoulder, but Starr somehow sensed this. She let go of his forearm with one of her hands and softly grasped his shoulder, dragging her wide fingers ever so slowly down his arm until the pain there quite simply disappeared altogether. Ron opened his eyes just in time to see the glow from the Yeti's hands subside.

"They're – they're...not stinging so badly any more," he said in amazement, but still was afraid to look. "She...sealed the wounds?"

Hermione was in a position to see Ron's arm first as Starr slowly removed her great hands. She smiled. "Yes! You ought to see what she did. You know, I don't think Dr. Null has any idea they can do this and I never got the chance to tell him..."

Ron finally looked to see that, even though the thought scars were still apparent, the ward burns were virtually gone. He was left with a very hot feeling on his skin, much like a bad sunburn. God knows, it seems I've survived a thousand of those...But he could live with that, as long as the bleeding and open oozing was gone.

Quickly, Ron offered his other arm; Starr made quick work of that as well.

"Told you," Hermione sniffed.

For once, Ron was very glad to have been wrong.

Harry had been watching the entire healing process in silent amazement as the Yeti performed it. "Wow. They'd be dead useful at St. Mungo's, don't you think? Maybe your Dr. Null could work his way back into the good graces of the Ministry by pointing that out."

Hermione thought for a moment about that. "I suppose that is a possibility. Though I can't imagine the Yeti and any kind of hospital would mix."

"First off, they'd have to rebuild the places to get them through the door, then..." Ron trailed off. He was going to make a joke about the pungent Yeti odor again, but since one of their species had just performed something close to a miracle on him, he thought better of it. "They'd all have to talk in pictures, though."

"Well, that's only the very first attempt, Ron. Dr. Null's system is very rudimentary, yes – he may come up with something more advanced later when they're ready. Obviously, their own language is much more complex. But...speaking of teaching them to communicate..." Hermione said, scanning the wall for the paintings, finally spotting them, and turning Harry in that direction. "Look, Harry. Remember when we told you about the paintings the handlers made in their caves to brainwash them into killing? They're right over there."

Shaking his newly-healed arms out a little, Ron watched her cross the room with Harry. She squinted and a concerned look crossed her face. "Ron. They're different – and there's loads more of them. The handlers have been in to change them."

Ron was distracted by a movement to his right and he noticed that Starr was trying in vain to get their attention and motion them to follow. She appeared anxious to lead them down another short, dark rock corridor, but she turned to look back and seemed very uncomfortable again when she saw where Hermione was headed.

Harry and Hermione crossed the large room, Ron following with an ever-increasing sense of dread. Hermione was right. The pictures had been changed – and not for the better. The closer he got in the dim light, the more clearly he saw that the first "Yetis kill" pictures had been left as they were. But the rabbit, or whatever it was that had been a shapeless mass before, had been replaced.

Hermione gasped loudly, and ahead of him he saw her draw her clenched fist to her mouth in shock as she stared at the wall. She fell off-balance a little, bumping against Harry; he grabbed her elbow to gently set her back upright and hold her steady.

In the place of the proposed victim now were a number of larger pictures, crudely drawn pictures that had horse's bodies – and human-like heads. Centaurs. Of course!

"How could I not have thought of it before?" Hermione said numbly. "Horses...and Umbridge. She's - they're - trying to train the Yeti to kill horses so they can wean them to Centaurs."

"That's what all that means?" Harry asked quietly.

Ron felt queasy – even more so than he had from the pain of his arms. "Those people are just so – mad – and sick." He thought he ought say more, but he had no idea what.

Stunned, Ron wandered down the wall a few meters, looking more closely at the grotesque drawings until he saw it. Instantly, he gagged; for a moment he was thankful it had been so long since he'd eaten, because had it been recently, he would have lost every bit of it then and there. He turned back quickly, retracing his few steps, and tried to hustle Hermione and Harry away from the wall.

"Come on," Ron said. "I think the Yeti female...er, Starr, is it? – She's waiting for us over there." He grabbed Hermione's free elbow and tried to steer her away.

"How many are there?" Hermione asked, still looking down the wall and pulling free of Ron's grasp as if she'd never heard him.

"A bunch, Hermione," Ron said, trying to sound casual. "You don't need to see them all. You've seen enough."

Ron tried to give Harry a look over Hermione's head that was sufficiently meaningful to gain his help. Of course, Harry had no idea what the problem was, but Ron knew he could always depend on his best friend, no questions asked.

"Er...yeah, Hermione," Harry said uncertainly, drawing his questioning eyes away from Ron's expression. "Let's leave this now. I think we've all had enough for the moment."

Both boys tried to gently yet insistently lead Hermione away.

"But I need to see if they've left any other symbols – other clues," Hermione said, reversing back to face the wall. "What if there's another part to the message now? The pictures go so far, but it's too dark to see them all from here."

Ron didn't think it would work, but this wasn't working either. "Let's go, Hermione. You don't need to see any more. You're just torturing yourself," he said firmly, grabbing her wrist.

Suddenly she looked into both of their faces. "What's going on with you two?" she asked, her demeanor changing instantly.

She didn't wait for an answer. In defiant response to Ron's firm tone and grasp, Hermione pulled her clenched fist up between them, Ron's hand still holding around her wrist. Her eyes flashing, she stared long and hard into his and he knew precisely what she was looking for. He also knew she'd find it. Damn! He could never hide anything from her. Her glare still drilling into him, Ron tried not to anticipate defeat – then he saw Hermione find her prize deep within him and the momentary glint of triumph in her expression.

"You're hiding something from me, aren't you?" she demanded knowingly. "What is it? It was down here, wasn't it?"

She wheeled around, trying to twist her wrist from his grasp; it wasn't easy, but he hung on. "Hermione – leave it – please! You don't want to see it – trust me!"

Snapping her arm forcefully in the air to dislodge his grasp, her glare returned to its target in his eyes. "I'll decide what I should and should not see. Do not treat me like a child!" Tears of fury were welling in her eyes. "You have no right!"

Ron exchanged looks with Harry once more. It was over. There was only so much one could do with Hermione when she was like this, aside from a Full Body Bind.

Studying the drawings as she moved down the wall, it took a few minutes before they heard a half-gasp, half-sob that told them she'd found what Ron had seen. Walking to her side to at least lend support, Ron watched Harry grimace in disgust at the sight on the wall before him. Hermione stood staring and trying to blink back tears.

Among the centaur herd that had been sloppily painted on the wall and interspersed with several more "Yetis kill" symbols was the lone figure of a girl. It was poorly drawn, it was crude, but it was definitely taken from the picture card the Yetis knew her by. The message was unmistakable: "Yetis Kill Hermione. Kill Hermione Good."

Hermione had made no noise after seeing the drawing. She stared blankly and in shock at what was before her, apparently in horror at the meaning it was to portray.

Harry sounded as if he didn't really wish to speak, but pushed himself to try and comfort her nonetheless. "Maybe...Maybe they only painted it in this cave – and these two Yetis obviously aren't going to hurt you, you can see they've already decided against it."

Beginning to shake her head, Hermione swallowed hard to keep her composure but her answer was definite. "No. No. They paint all of them...in all of the caves...even Spyder's. That's how he learned to kill horses. That's why Trey was looking at me so strangely...why he was so worried about letting us in. The word is out. I'm one of their targets. I've come to help them and they've been told to..." Another half-sob stopped her brave response when the cold scientific mentality gave way to the burning flood of feelings.

Ron watched her beside him, the tears sliding down her face bathing him in more pain than anything his own wounds could have possibly caused.

"Hey," he said softly, moving a hand to the middle of her back and gently rubbing his fingers back and forth there to comfort her. Ron noticed Harry had moved closer to her on the other side. That's what they did as friends and the way they were – the way it had been for years now. "They know, Hermione. The ones who count know you came to help. And you're safe - for just now, anyway."

"Yeah," Harry said, equally gently. "I think we're all a bit on edge here. Let's go take a break from all of this. I know I could use one."

This time Hermione allowed Ron and Harry to guide her away from the wall, but their calm strength and gentle understanding seemed to have shoved the flood gates wide open. Ron felt her body relax into great heaving sobs and it took both him and Harry to support and lead her across the room to where Starr stood.

Seeing the deep sadness in the Yeti's lovely eyes, Ron couldn't for a moment believe that any of these creatures would possibly follow the orders posted in their homes. Starr seemed to understand that Hermione's tears meant hurt and sadness. As they approached her, the Yeti started to reach out and gently touch the girl, but drew back just before she connected. Starr had no reason to be ashamed of something that had been just as brutally forced on her as it had been on Hermione, but the Yeti acted as if she was saddened that something causing so much pain had happened in her home.

Ron felt a particularly nasty twinge in his brain. He couldn't tell if it was his burn pain returning or their situation or the fact that he had come all this way to save Hermione from being hurt that was hitting him the hardest. He had come to Trapperton to be her hero, after all, and there she was in terrible pain, even if it wasn't physical. How could he have let this happen? As soon as we can, as soon as we're alone together, as soon as we get a chance and Harry's...otherwise busy... Instinctively, he wanted to fold his arms around her and protect her like he had with the fence and tell her he wouldn't let anything hurt her, no matter what kind of monster came and what instructions from what wall the thing intended to follow. But the reality was that they needed to hide somewhere soon, in case Trey came back and changed his mind, or in case handlers returned and charged their way in, or if Spyder decided to make a social call again. How could there never be time at the moment she needed help, when he wanted so desperately to prove he was there for her?

Starr turned and took Hermione, Ron, and Harry to a little rock anteroom at the end of a short, narrow corridor. The space was quite small by Yeti standards; in fact, Starr was too tall to crawl in comfortably and stayed in the main corridor. But the room was somewhat lit and ventilated by a shaft in the rock near the ceiling that led up and out to the open air. The sun could be seen shining brightly through the leaves of green foliage that hid the half-meter opening on the surface from anyone casually passing by. The floor of the room was only soft dirt, but it was much too clear of rocks and debris to have occurred naturally.

"Thank you, Starr," Hermione sniffed, beginning to calm a bit now. She reached up and patted the Yeti's fingertips, wiping her eyes and her face with her other hand. "Thank Trey, too," she said, obviously hoping Starr understood enough of her words to pass the message along in Yeti-speak.

Starr gently touched the top of Hermione's head and stroked her hair briefly, as one might do with a child, then she turned and walked off toward the larger main room.

Ron and Harry led Hermione to an especially well-lit spot opposite the opening in the rock and the three of them sat down on the dirt, their backs against the cool rock wall. None of them said anything for a time, choosing instead to simply sit close to lend support and let Hermione calm herself down.

The sobbing had stopped before Starr left, but the sniffles took a bit longer to subside. Then the three friends slipped into a solemn silence.

"Sorry to be such a baby," Hermione said finally, still wiping at a troublesome eye.

"A baby? You?" Harry said. "Come on, Hermione. We know better than that."

"And even if we didn't, you'd have every right," Ron added. "Anyone would be upset when they find out someone's been told to, uh, do away with them. But you already know that won't be happening- ever – if we're around."

"It's not even just that, though," Hermione said. "I mean, we've faced all sorts of times when we knew we might not survive. Mostly those had to do with V-Voldemort and everyone knows how evil he is. But it's just – how can regular wizards and witches be so cruel – to other creatures – and to one another?"

She sounded on the verge of tears again and Ron reached over to lay his hand on top of the rather damp one in her lap. But he certainly had no answer for her question.

The silence took over again for a few minutes.

"Sorry to have to bring this up – but where do we go from here?" Harry asked.

"Well...we've made it this far into the habitat," Ron started. "We could try and get you to Fred's broom at the very least, Harry—"

"Shut it, Ron," Harry interrupted. "I'm not leaving you two behind – certainly not with Umbridge here and after what we've just found out."

"But Ron's got a point, Harry," Hermione chimed in. "I know we've got no key for the motorbike, but since they've no doubt discovered you're gone by now, you could get out. You could fly to alert the Order and send someone—"

"No," Harry said adamantly.

"But before, you said that we could get one of us out—" Hermione pleaded.

"Yeah, and that was before we knew what we do now about Umbridge – that she's got more than revenge on you – or us- in her plans. If I don't deal with this here, I may have to deal with it on a much larger scale in the years to come. Right now we stand a chance- who knows about then? I won't be going," Harry said stubbornly. "If you want someone out, then you go. Or send Ron. He's hurt."

Ron looked affronted. "Not so hurt any more. And how'd I get into this? You already know where I stand."

Hermione turned to Ron with a pleading look on her face. "Ron, talk some sense into him. We can't let Harry get caught in this – after what we know about the prophecy now - he's too important to the rest of the world."

"Harry..." Ron wanted to back her up and to some extent, he thought she might be right. But he also knew his best male friend well enough to know Harry would only be angry if he was pushed, now that he was dead set on staying and nipping Umbridge's chances of success in the bud. "Harry can make up his own mind."

Obviously frustrated, Hermione turned back to Harry for one last try. "Harry, please –"

"Didn't you hear me tell him to shut it, Hermione?" he said in exasperation. "That discussion is over."

Ron watched Harry's glare dissolve the hopeful look on Hermione's face.

Hermione had seemed gladly accepting of Ron's hand the few minutes it had been there, but she suddenly stopped clinging to it and pushed him away. Oh, here it comes...

Sure enough, her frustration with Harry turned on him... "If only you hadn't dragged him into this, he'd be back at his aunt and uncle's, safe and protected by the Order and Dumbledore..."

"And miserable," Harry added. Suddenly Ron felt much better about the whole thing.

"But what if she –" Hermione closed her eyes in frustration, acting as if she knew any further protests would do no good. That didn't, however, keep her from flashing a nasty scowl at Ron.

The ensuing silence between the three of them gave them too much time to think of what was to come. Ron knew none of them wanted to speak up and say the obvious, but it had to be done.

"Harry's right. We've got to do it now, haven't we?" He wouldn't have to clarify – the three of them understood – perfectly.

Harry sighed. "Yeah, especially now that we know what they intend to do with the Yeti against the Centaurs. And just who they're trying to impress with that."

Hermione made a noise of frustration. "Oh, that woman! You'd think she sat around all day trying to think of mean, evil, sadistic things to do to people and creatures who have no reason to wish her any harm."

"Until after they get to know her methods," Harry said. "I know I'd wish her plenty of harm now."

"Maybe she wasn't totally barking when they sent her to the psych ward in St. Mungo's," Ron offered. "She seemed mad enough in the hospital wing at school, but maybe she just wanted a vacation to rest up and plan her revenge."

"Is there anything we need to do before it gets closer to the food delivery time?" Harry asked, stifling a yawn. "Aside from making sure we stay together, of course – especially now that we know there might be even fewer here on our side. We're right lucky to have a place to hide out until then, really."

"Yeah," Ron agreed. He knew she'd be angry at him for what he was about to say, but...What the hell? She already is. "Hermione, I know you don't like it when we tell you what to do. But you're just going to have to put up with us. Before, we thought we stood a better chance out here in the habitat, but now we find out we're as much in enemy territory as we were in camp. No going out of our sight – at any time. Now it's almost like you have a price on your head... You're an endangered species now, too. I mean, you could hardly blame some of the ones with starving Yeti kids and the like for hurting you if they think they might get more food...but things are definitely more dangerous for you too - now."

"Most dangerous for Harry," Hermione groused, then loudly sighed. "This was hardly what I had in mind for a summer internship to study the Yeti."

"When does the Ministry food delivery come in again?" Harry asked.

Hermione held up the wizard watch strapped to her wrist. "Early evening – but I have this. I set it the night I first saw them burning the food – in case I ever got the chance..."

"So how long have we got, do you think?" Harry asked, yawning again.

Studying the watch for a minute, Hermione replied, "Three or four hours, I suppose."

"It's really stuffy in here – I'm really feeling how tired I am," Harry said, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "I think I'll try and find a few hours of that sleep we lost last night. Maybe we all should. We'll need to be able to think fast to pull off Hermione's plan, I'm afraid. Starr will wake us if anything happens, won't she?"

"I'm sure she will – unless something or someone prevents her from it," Hermione said.

In spite of the uncertainly of that statement, Ron watched Harry cross his arms and fold his legs, shifting into as comfortable a position as one could on a dirt floor in a rock room. He leaned into a spot where the rock sank in, then jutted out just a bit. It wasn't long before they could hear him breathing deeply and evenly.

Ron and Hermione looked at one another for a long moment, then both laid their heads back and turned to stare at the wall straight ahead of them.

There just wasn't much more to say. The waiting was always the worst part. Sometimes Ron liked it better when they simply fell into the dangerous situations they'd dealt with over the past years. No anticipation, no worrying how dangerous it could become, no concerns that he was once again going to become much more the problem than the solution... The adrenaline borne of thinking on your feet, dealing with the moment, and putting out whatever fire was in front of you was so much better than this...this...feeling of dread eating away at you ever so slowly. In weariness, Ron finally felt his own eyelids growing heavy and the last thing he remembered was his head falling onto something much softer than he expected from a rock wall.

RR

It wasn't that hot and stuffy. It wasn't even that uncomfortable. If only she could stop all of these thoughts from charging their way through her mind, over and over and over...

Ron had fallen against her shoulder in his sleep, and while she was actually enjoying the warmth and intimacy of him being so relaxed and so close, she didn't like sitting still for so long in one position so as not to awaken him – not to mention he was heavy. She knew he was still putting up with pain in his arms, even after Starr had healed the burns. He held them oddly for Ron, who usually had both long arms askew and in motion at whatever angle suited him that moment. But now he treated them gently, gingerly, held them protectively stretched in his lap – he certainly deserved some rest after what he'd gone through and what they'd be undertaking later on.

She wanted to sleep so she could be alert and energetic as well. Like Harry had said, no doubt it would come in handy. But try as she might, even in the silence and with her two favorite companions fast asleep on either side of her, she couldn't do it.

Without looking at her watch, Hermione could tell from the way the light had shifted that time had passed since they'd arrived. About an hour... she thought. A small patch of green-filtered light had fallen across one of Ron's arms and she noticed the green tinge subdued the reddishness left by Starr's healing. But the thought scars were still there – much more faint now, but still visible – a thus-far permanent testament to just how far Ron would go for one of his friends, for any of his friends, or his family. It gave her an odd, yet lovely feeling that she was among those he cared about enough to...sacrifice so much for. Ron's always acted as if his own pain meant nothing as long as it kept those he loves from having to bear it. She smiled softly and listened to the words echo through her mind and her heart. Those he loves...

She found herself daydreaming about that fondly-remembered early evening at the Burrow when they'd been sharing their scars. Ron had been embarrassed to let her see his. But how can he not know that the scars mean nothing to me? Nothing on the outside can change what I know and feel about him, as a friend or... whatever we are. Scars made no more difference to her than the color of his shirt or if he'd combed his hair. He was still Ron inside. She'd felt close to Ron then, too, that night –as close as she felt to him now.

Ron suddenly jumped in his sleep, and to her horror, she realized she'd been gently tracing his forearm with her fingertips as she sat deep in thought, feeling the areas of taut new skin interspersed with the whorls and swirls of the thought scar tissue. Feeling guilty and embarrassed to be caught, she decided to pretend she was asleep herself and knew nothing. But that was before he lifted his head a few inches from her shoulder; his blue eyes blinked open and stared straight, if sleepily, into hers.

"What?" he asked quietly and with what seemed to be great effort.

"What?" she replied, hoping she sounded innocent.

"You all right?" he said, fighting his eyelids for control.

"Yes."

Apparently, he'd awakened enough to notice he'd been sleeping on her shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry – I'll move if you—"

Hermione smiled a little. "No, you're fine. I don't mind."

He paused, looking perplexed, but then seemed determined to try again. "I mighta been dreaming, but...were you just...touching my arm?"

She tried to look appalled. "No." But he was on to her – she could see it in his face. "Well... maybe a little."

He sat in thought a moment. "Is something wrong?" Suddenly very concerned, he straightened and tried to shake his head to clear it. "Wait. Are they coming? I mean – are they here?"

"What?" she wondered aloud, confused as well until... "Oh! No! Nothing like that. It's just – well – how do your arms feel? Any better?" Hermione inwardly rolled her eyes at herself. How lame was that?

Ron sat there scowling for a moment before he answered, apparently wondering if he was processing everything correctly or if he might still be dreaming. "They still hurt. You – woke me up—to ask me that?"

She winced and ignored the last bit. "A little or a lot?"

Ron half-shrugged. "Haven't got that much to compare to, it's like a bad sunburn -but I'd say quite a lot."

She was worried he'd say that. "Oh... I wish I could get potions ingredients. Then I could make a nice soothing salve that would help. They haven't got much here – even in camp – and it's all under Dr. Voyde's lock and spell."

" 'S all right. I'll live," Ron said. "Not to mention I'm thinking it's a bad idea to head back into camp for potions ingredients." Then he peered at her closely, which wasn't difficult since he'd slumped down near her shoulder again. "Hermione. What is it? You didn't wake me for that. What's really wrong?"

Bugger. How did he do that? How did he always know? "Actually, I couldn't sleep because I was thinking."

"Surely that's not a first," Ron said. "You mean about – the picture on the wall?

She looked down at her hands in her lap. "A bit, I suppose. But there's not a right lot we can do about that, now is there? We'll just stick together – and we'll do what needs to be done – and then we'll all leave together when help arrives. Simple. Not much more to think about."

He was looking at her a bit oddly. If she wasn't mistaken, she saw wonder, and empathy, and even a little bit of pride. She wasn't really trying to be brave, just...logical...about it. Yet she already knew that her logic wasn't always the first thing Ron appreciated about her. I've no clue how to go about this casually...she thought.

"So...what, then?" he asked especially softly after he looked across her and noticed Harry stirring in his sleep. "Thinking about...our plan?"

Hermione considered. "No. Though maybe I should have been."

She could feel the warmth of his gaze on the side of her face, and she wished she had the courage to tell him and look into his eyes at the same time. But she didn't – not yet. "But I was mostly thinking about the fact that...I never got a chance to tell you I was...grateful. You went and did all that...You saved me."

Ron half-snorted softly. "Then you saved me too. I couldn't get off any spells in that condition right then and you and Harry were ready to go before that big dog came. I reckon we...saved each other."

"But you got hurt for it," Hermione insisted. "And you knew it was probably going to happen – and you did it anyway. When I was younger I... never dreamed anyone would ever do something like that – for me. That felt... really nice." She glanced over to see him blushing even in the dim light.

"Psh. What else was I going to do? Leave you out there for the dogs and those right nasty men to fight over? No, I don't think so," he said, shrugging it off. "It was nothing really."

"It was. It was something to me." Hermione could feel herself blushing as she took a great breath and swung her gaze level with his. She quickly doubled her legs underneath her and rolled up to face him. Courage, Hermione.

"Thank you." She leaned over and gently touched her lips to his cheek, pausing a moment, then pulling back, determined to keep looking in his eyes.

Ron's ears went red immediately; he gazed back, looking at once bewildered and thrilled.

"Oh...uh...then I reckon...I should thank you." He haltingly leaned to her side and finally left a warm, lingering, and oh-so-lovely kiss on her cheek as well.

She had tried looking at him after that, but the pressure was too much for the both of them; they quickly looked down. Her heart was pounding, her stomach a writhing mass of fluttering creatures. The tension was perfectly terrible. Hermione had no idea what to do next to fix that, but then Ron took over just before the adrenaline did.

"You know what?" he said quietly, an odd, deep tone to his voice. "I...really didn't mean to do that that time either."

Suddenly the fluttering creatures turned surly and she started to rise onto her knees. "Oh, of all the - don't you dare start with that again! What – sleeping some more, were you? Once I find my wand, I'll show you sleeping-"

It halted there. With one deft movement, Ron's right arm was around her, pulling toward him and yanking her off-balance. He caught her with his left as she fell, at once turning her and drawing her closer. The swift movement made her dizzy enough to grab him round the neck, but she had no real desire to stop the spinning - not here, not now, not when she'd just focused and found herself suspended right below the source of that delicious grin. But there was no grin now – only an oddly serious look that made her the slightest bit afraid, yet demanded she pull him closer. Their faces a breath apart, Ron studied her in awe.

His heart pounded into her side and it was wonderful, but she wasn't sure she had room to breathe with the creatures pummeling her ribs. It took what felt like several hours for him to say something, to do something.

His arms holding her were shaking, his breathing was rapid and shallow, and the first time his lips barely brushed against hers, she could feel them trembling. But the jolt she felt through her body told her one gentle touch wasn't enough. She wanted more, and the instant she wondered if he felt the same, the answer came. His lips on hers came strong and sure this time, warm and demanding, no longer filled with fear and nerves but with love, and with the urgency of someone determined to pour as much pent-up feeling into one kiss as was wizardly possible.

Then after some period where time meant nothing, heaven was gone and she realized he'd lifted his head.

"What I meant to do...was that," Ron said bravely, then was immediately unable to look her in the eyes any longer and began blushing furiously.

She didn't want to move her lips for fear it would erase the feeling, make her forget the luscious physical memory of his mouth on hers. It took her a minute, but she finally breathed out "oh".

"Well, that - and we couldn't have you waking Harry with your complaining about me," he said softly. Teasing he could do. Teasing made them normal and comfortable and pushed them back into that place for friends that they were used to – not that wondrous, yet terrifying place for lovers that they'd just been. He could better deal with the friends place and he swung his gaze and his mischievous grin back on her.

She tried to look a bit irritable at his remark, but under the heat of that smile, there wasn't much chance. "No more complaining. I promise."

"Not dreaming that time, though," Ron said impishly. "You reckon?"

There were no words for how he'd made her feel – perhaps they had both been dreaming. The best she could do was shake her head 'no'.

"Shall... I let you up now?" he asked softly.

Tweaking a ginger curl playfully that she'd found at the nape of his neck, she felt the smile bursting from inside her slowly slip to the surface. Immediately, he returned it, stirring the fluttering creatures from their shock and sending them even more determinedly and deeper into her. As scary as it was to be there with her best friend, she wasn't yet ready to leave that lover's place behind. And as she looked as deep into his eyes as he would allow, she was thrilled to see he was no more ready to leave there than she was.

She shook her head 'no' once more, and with a brilliant lopsided grin and a half-chuckle of delight, Ron pulled her to him and kissed her quite thoroughly again.

Finally, they parted.

"Never said I was going to let you up, but I thought it'd be polite to ask." He smiled shyly.

She noticed his eyes were especially shiny, but she couldn't be sure what from. He very gently lifted her back into a sitting position beside him, but she was worried that maybe she'd done something wrong.

"Oh - are you all right? Did it hurt your arms to hold me up when we – " Too late she realized that she'd started into something she was too embarrassed to finish.

Ron's ears had turned a very deep tone in the semi-light, but he probably would have been happy to know it was hard to tell they were red.

"Er, probably," he said sheepishly. "But I didn't notice."