Note: This story takes place during the sixth movie, not the book. I thought the scene could be elaborated on. Enjoy!

Love's Keen Sting

I sat anxiously in the hospital wing, clinging firmly onto Ron's left hand and staring tentatively at his unconscious figure. Both Harry and Ginny were beside me, my look of concern reflected exactly on both of their faces. Madame Pomfrey hovered near us, occasionally reaching over me to check his temperature and feel his pulse, reassuring us that his vitals were okay, and that we could all leave now, please and thank you. "No," I said softly but assertively. "I want to be here when he wakes up, thank you."

Dumbledore, McGonagall, Slughorn, and Snape were also in the room, a slight distance from the bed, standing and discussing the situation at hand. "The bottle," Slughorn said to Dumbledore gingerly, with a note of fear in his voice, "the bottle was meant as a gift to you."

Slughorn was speaking, of course, about the bottle of wine he had given to Ron after being cured of a horrific love spell. The bottle had been poisoned, almost killing Ron, who had been saved by Harry at the last minute. "You should be very proud of your student…" Dumbledore was saying to Slughorn, praising Harry's quick thinking. But I wasn't concerned about this. I was more worried about Ron, his condition, and what would have happened if he had died. I'm not sure I would have been able to forgive myself, as it were.

Ron and I had always had a rocky relationship, even from the start. We fought and bickered, his "here-nor-there" attitude clashing with my own "positive perfectionist." Nonetheless, I appreciated the way he leveled me out, helped me see things clearly, and made me laugh. But lately…things hadn't been good between the both of us. His new girlfriend - (a positively dreadful, idiotic, self-absorbed piglet by the name of Lavender Brown) had made me realize the feelings that I had for Ron were not just friendly and platonic. That understanding, however, and my inability to control my or Ron's feelings, had escalated into an episode of – well – irrationality. Needless to say I hadn't spoken to Ron in quite sometime, eager to avoid his new hip-attachment and, above all, his indifference to me. It pained me more than anything to be away from him, and now I knew that I couldn't be angry. If he had died and I hadn't been speaking with him, I wasn't sure what I would have done, and I didn't want to think about it.

Suddenly, the doors to the hospital wing burst open, revealing none other than the infamous Lavender. Her eyes were immediately focused on Ron and his condition, until she saw what was beside him.

"What's she doing here?" she asked the lot of them, pointing disgustedly towards me. There was no need to let any of them answer, I was already bursting with anger at her very appearance.

"I might ask you the same question!" was my only retort.

"I happen to be his girlfriend!" she yelled indignantly.

My heart dropped upon hearing the title, and I froze, stammering silently. "I happen to be his…friend."

She snorted, emphasizing her ugly, pig-like nostrils. "Don't make me laugh. You haven't spoken in weeks! I suppose you want to make up now that he's suddenly all interesting!"

Suddenly all interesting? Really? Was she mental? I felt my courage rising, my inhibitions retreating as I suddenly screamed: "He's been poisoned, you daft bimbo!" I took a breath, looked around, and saw everyone's surprise at what I had said. I didn't regret it one bit. In fact, I smiled inwardly, adding: "And for the record, I've always found him interesting." She looked at me, repulsed, and finally decided she was done with me, that she had more important things to attend to – her Won Won.

Suddenly, as if he became aware that she was near him, he began to stir. My mouth turned dry, my teeth clenched, and my stomach dropped. See, I thought to myself. She's right. He doesn't want you. He wants her.

As if she heard my thoughts, she started to call out with her high-pitched cackle: "Ah! See. He senses my presence." She leaned closer to him, even closer than I happened to be, which made me inwardly vomit. "Don't worry Won Won! I'm here. I'm here."

Ron groaned, shifting his weight, his eyelids fluttering. My hand was still clasped around his, much to Lavender's distaste. He began mumbling, I was sure it would be something like "Ohh….Lavy…" or whatever stupid, childish nickname he had for her.

"Ugh….Hermione…Her…my…oh…neee." He leaned closer to me, squeezing my hand that grasped his, ignoring his "girlfriend." Lavender turned to me, horrified, understanding his words and stammering wordlessly. I smiled viciously at her, my moment of triumph sweeter than a perfect score on a final exam.

She ran from the room, sobbing hysterically, bursting through the doors and far, far, away from the both of us. I couldn't have been happier at her sorrow, no matter how awful it sounded. Suddenly, I remembered there were others in the room. Harry and Ginny were both laughing, and the professors were still looking in the direction Lavender had left, looking baffled and as if they had never seen such a spectacle.

"Oh, to be young and to feel love's keen sting," remarked Dumbledore jovially, turning to his comrades. "Well, come away everyone... Mr. Weasley is well tended." Harry and Ginny both looked away from Dumbledore and back to each other, laughing silently. Ginny got up from her seat first, and I heard her whisper: "About time, too. Don't you think?"

Harry beamed at her and then back at me, getting up from his chair and saying a "Thank you," to Madame Pomfrey for the drink she had set out for Ron when he awoke. He kept at it, beaming at me, until I finally had to say: "Oh, shut up," and turn to Ron to get him to leave. He winked, finally letting us alone, when Ron began to stir once again.

"Hermione?" his eyes opened as he finally uttered my name coherently, smiling at my presence. "Yes," I confirmed, my face turning red from the look of appreciation he gave me. He looked at me and I looked back at him for a long while, until he finally asked "You aren't mad at me anymore?"

"No," I said quickly. "No, I acted irrationally and I'm – "

Unexpectedly he pulled me towards him and embraced me, until I was lying with him on the cot.

I pulled away from him, suddenly anxious.

"Ron?" I asked. "Ron? Are you all right? It's me, you know…Hermione." I looked tentatively at him; both of our faces were beet red. He rubbed his eyes, smiling at me and turning redder, if that was even a possibility. It was, I had to admit, quite adorable.

"I know who you are," he replied, pushing my hair from my face and laying me next to him, his arm around me. With a bleary eye he spotted the end table, and then asked if I could hand him the glass of water that Madame Pomfrey had just brought. I quickly complied with his request, and he gulped it down in what seemed like two swigs. He made an "ahhh" noise of refreshment, throwing the thin cup on the ground and sitting up as well as bringing me closer to him in one sweep. "Feeling better?" I asked cheerily. I sure was.

"Yes…" he said, yawning, obviously still tired. "But I feel a bit…drugged. Like I'm still half asleep." His words came out slightly slurred, but only a little, and I brought myself closer to him. "Well, you had quite a brush with death," I said, looking up at him worriedly. "I don't know what I would have done if anything had happened to you."

"Oh, quit that talk, Hermione," he replied. "I'm too pretty to die." He smirked; looking at me with…was that adoration? I could hardly make myself believe it, but there it was. I felt like I was dreaming as well. "Listen…" I started again. "I'm sorry about the way I acted, and – "

"Stop, Hermione," he said, cutting me off. "I don't want to hear it, not a word. I was a jackass. A complete, utter jackass, and I'm sorry about that. Listen to me, apologizing to you…and you know I'm the one that's never wrong."

He smiled at his own joke, shutting his eyes as he began to lie back down a little. I could tell he was still very weak, so I brought myself up to get ready to leave.

"No," he grabbed me gently, bringing me towards him once more. "I don't want you to go."

Butterflies enveloped my stomach, and for the first time in my life I was completely speechless. Only for a moment, though. "I thought…Lavender…"

"Lavender is a daft bimbo," he said, looking at me with amusement and beginning to laugh. "Did I dream you saying that? I had to have. Little-Miss-Proper could never call someone a bimbo." I began laughing, not bothering to correct him.

He lay down completely and pulled me against his chest, closing his eyes once more. I pulled myself up, looking at his freckled face and feeling resurgence of complete and utter happiness. I moved closer to him, inching slightly forward. He grabbed my cheek with his hand gently, pulling me nearer. He kissed me again, softly. "I wish you could stay," he murmered, smiling to himself. "I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay, 'Mione?"

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ron," I whispered, smiling and making my way from him and out the door. I hovered for a moment, watching him drift off to sleep and thinking to myself wistfully. I was so shaken that all I could think to do was return to the Gryffindor common room, maybe go to my dormitory and take a nap. I hugged the door handle; I didn't want to let go, but finally I closed the door and it bolted shut with finality – visiting hours were over.

The next morning I sat bleary eyed next to Harry and across from Ron, eyeing the Prophet as to keep my mind and eyes off of the latter. Unexpectedly and delightfully, Madame Pomfrey had declared him well almost immediately. Harry was eyeing that dreadful potions book again, paying no attention to his surroundings. I heard him murmur: "Sectumsempra – for enemies…"

I saw that Ron was absently staring at Lavender, twirling his wand and looking confused. I saw a snowflake fall onto his nose.

"Ron. Stop. You're making it snow," I said, slightly amused.

"Huh?"

Ron looked up and noticed that snow was falling exclusively on the three of us. I placed my hand on top of his almost instinctually; I immediately felt my cheeks turn red and my heart began to pound. He turned his head toward me and blinked.

"Tell me again how I broke up with Lavender?"

Harry turned from the soup he had begun eating and exchanged looks with me. I carefully withdrew my hand from his.

"Um, well, she came to visit you in the hospital, you see, and you talked – I don't believe it was a long conversation –"

"Don't get me wrong," Ron said, interrupting me and turning his eyes back and forth to Lavender. "I'm bloody thrilled to be shot of her. It's just she seems...a bit put out."

As one, Harry, Ron, and I turned our heads slowly to face Lavender toward her seat at the Ravenclaw table. We were met with a lethal squint.

"Does, doesn't she? And don't you remember anything from last night? Anything?" I stared at him hopefully, waiting for something, anything –

"Well... there is... something…"

I hung motionless for a second, not daring to breathe –

"But no. It can't be. Besides, I was completely boggled, wasn't I?"

I frowned, sinking back in my seat. I watched as Harry smiled in amusement. "Right…boggled…"

I sunk my bowl distastefully into my porridge, brooding over the answer. I heard a mild commotion, and then my attention was averted from Ron –

"That's Katie! That's Katie Bell."

Our relationship would just have to wait a while longer.