Part Four

Hermione landed on her back some thirty feet away. She spit out the water that had entered her mouth and said, "Is that it?"

Her question was answered when realized she heard a large amount of water hitting the floor, like a waterfall. She also heard choking. She sat up and looked across the floor. To her horror, she saw Ron on his back, looking like he was being pinned down by the water while it also crashed down on him like a wave. It kept receding and then forming a wave to fall on him, giving him only seconds to gasp for air and then close his mouth before the next wave came.

"Ron!" Hermione yelled. She ran over to him. He was stretching his neck up and turning his head away as much as he could to get away from the water. She grabbed his hand to pull him up or at least out from under the falling water, but couldn't, the water was holding his arms and legs down.

She had to do something. She quickly assessed the situation. She looked back towards the cup and saw that their wands had been washed away, but she didn't have time to look for them. She did still have the fang though and if the water came from the horcrux as a defense, if she destroyed the horcrux, it should get rid of the water.

"Hold on Ron!" She ran over to the cup, which stayed rooted in spot despite the blast of water, and raised the fang up again.

Before she could bring the fang down and stab the cup, it spoke, "If you destroy me, he dies."

Hermione froze at what the cold voice said. Could it be true?

"Lyin—"Ron started to say before water filled his mouth.

"If you kill me, you will also kill him. If you let me live, he has the chance to live as well."

Hermione didn't know what to do. Destroying the horcrux should mean that the water would go away, but what if she stabbed it, and it's last act was to drown Ron? Horcruxes are very complicated objects that she knew very little about. Was she willing to take such a chance?

"Stab i—" Ron tried to shout.

"Ron, don't talk! Just hold on!" She told him as she frantically tried to make a decision.

"Hermi—" Ron started to say in a pleading voice and more water filled his mouth.

She looked at him even though it hurt to see him like that. He was choking and running out of time. She had to choose; either try and find another way to save Ron without destroying the horcrux, or destroy it and hope that it was lying.

Even if she did try and save him another way, she didn't have much time to do that with the waves continuously pummeling him, and he could drown before she found the answer. Though the horcrux belonged to Voldemort, who would have set up precautions that would have included lying, to prevent it from being destroyed. And logically, if she stabbed the horcrux, it wouldn't have the power to control the water anymore. Maybe the horcrux is just trying to scare and confuse her. It was her best option after all.

She exhaled and looked back at Ron. Their eyes met momentarily and tried to say what each of them couldn't. She tried to tell him that she was doing this for him and that she was sorry if she was wrong. She also tried to express how much she loved him.

She closed her eyes, lifted the fang, and then brought it down with all her might.

The cup shrieked and then shriveled up until it looked like a crumpled ball of metal. Hermione quickly looked over to Ron and saw the whole wave fall to the ground and disperse along with the water that was holding Ron down.

Hermione dropped the fang and ran over to him. He continued to cough up water as she helped him roll over and get rid of the remaining water in his mouth.

Once he was breathing normally, he sat up and looked at her, "You did it."

"Please don't ever make me do it again."

"I completely understand, but it is another one down." Ron said optimistically.

She smiled and then hugged him, overjoyed that he was alive and not seriously hurt.

They separated and stood up, smiling at each other. They walked over to the mangled horcrux.

"I knew you could do it." He told her.

"Well, thanks for believing in me."

"You've always believed in me; like with quidditch when I—"

"You're thinking of quidditch at a time like this? And you once told me that I needed to sort out my priorities."

My point is, I knew you could do it, I believed in you, and Hermione…" He looked into her eyes, "I trust you with my life. Otherwise, I wouldn't have practically commanded you to do it."

Hermione's heart skipped a beat at what he said and it hit her that she would say the same about him. She trusted him with her life and believed in him. She felt things about him that she had never and probably will never feel with anyone else. He meant the world to her and she wanted to let him know that before it was too late.

The mentioning of quidditch and commanding reminded her what used to be chanted at matches about him and she met his eyes and automatically started saying, "Weasley is my king. Weasley is my king."

Ron grinned, took his hand, and moved a lock of her wet hair behind her ear. He cupped her face and had a longing look in his eyes, "He's always loved Hermione's skin."

And before she knew what she was doing, she leaned in and they were kissing.

She tried to put so many feelings and words into that wonderful kiss. How she couldn't resist him any longer. How much she needed him. How good it was to finally let him know how she felt. How much she loved him.

From what she could tell, he was trying to say the same, and it was the greatest feeling in the world.

She wished they could kiss for forever. Eventually, they had to break apart to catch their breath, though their foreheads continued to touch.

"Weasley is my king." Hermione repeated.

"Granger is my queen." Ron replied and smiled.

They went in for another kiss, but there was a rumble from above that caused dust and pebbles to fall from the walls and ceiling and brought Ron and Hermione out of their blissful moment.

"We should get back up there and find Harry."

"Ron, I don't want to. Can't we just stay down here where it's safe?"

Ron looked torn, "I wish we could, but we have to help Harry. We have to rid the world of this nutter so we can live in peace." Ron paused, "You can stay here."

"While you go back up there? We've been through this, I'm not leaving you! Besides, you're right, Harry needs us."

"Okay, fine, but promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise, IF you promise me you'll be careful,"

"I promise." He assured her.

Hermione gave a tight-lipped smile and took his hand, "Weasley is my king."

Ron squeezed her hand, "Granger is my queen."

"Together we will always win."

"Together we will always win."

The End

Author's Note: So that's it! I didn't plan on it being this long, but I think it worked out nicely with the four chapters, with four being the number of people in the Weasley-Granger family.

As for the actual plot, to be honest, I don't completely like the water part, but I couldn't think of anything much better. I would be interested to hear what you would have done with the water. I did like using "Weasley is our King" and I hope you liked it too! Feel free to let me know in a review!

On a side note, I went into New York City for the DH Part Two Premiere, and I saw Emma Watson close up (!) at the Today Show, and everyone looked so pretty and I am so sad it is ending!