Hermione's stomach clenched like a fist as she climbed the stairs to the hospital wing, the afternoon sun streaming through the narrow castle windows like great pale fingers. Under her arm, was a wrapped box of Honey Duke's Triple Deluxe Chocolate Fudge, a popular confectionary whose decadence she knew only particular person could handle.
It'd been months since she'd last talked to Ronal Weasley, her estranged best friend, and the encounter had been anything but light hearted and friendly. Both of them were in the throws of their most passive-aggressive fight yet, with enough cold shouldering and malice to shame even Draco Malfoy and his Slytherin friends. At root of the conflict, were unresolved feelings they had towards each other, which despite having mounted over the years to such a point of obviousness, they were still too stubborn to admit. Having hurt each other and unwilling to reconcile their friendship, it wasn't until Ron had been mysteriously poisoned and was nearly killed, that Hermione had decided to end their stalemate and apologise.
Entering the hospital, she was greeted by the Madame Pomfrey, a kind middle-aged witch with a no-nonsense approach to healing or unscheduled visits.
She was sitting behind a large wooden desk, quill in hand as she scratched away at a piles of parchment. The scene reminded Hermione of her own study habits and how she'd most likely be attacking paper work in her later years like the Matron.
"Miss Granger," Madame Pomfrey exclaimed, pushing the papers aside. "Right on time as usual. I suspect you've heard the news? Mr Weasley woke up yesterday."
This was enough to send Hermione's heart pounding, even though she'd been told multiple times by friends and staff of Ron's recent consciousness. She would've liked to seen him sooner, but as usual homework and assignments had seemed to flood in at the most inconvenient time.
"Yes, it's wonderful," she said, "especially after all the uncertainty last week."
Madame Pomfrey, shook her head in dismay. "Poor boy. It still shakes me to think who could've done such a thing. Alas, Dumbledore and the Aurors' are investigating and I trust no one better than that great man. I digress...Mr Weasley should be ready to see you now, however I encourage you no to overwhelm him."
"No, of course."
"Mr Weasley has also just eaten, so I'd advise no outside food."
She eyed Hermione's package suspiciously.
"This?" She said, forcing a laugh. "T-This isn't food, it's a birthday present. A board game-Wizard's chess-Ron's favourite."
"Very well," said Madame Pomfrey. "I trust he'll enjoy that very much. I told him he was expecting a visitor, but was discreet in mentioning who, as you requested. He'll be overjoyed to see you."
We'll see, Hermione thought as thanked the Matron and shuffled through the hospital's set of enormous oak doors.
The medical wing, spread out before her like a vast chasm, with a high vaulted ceiling and tall slender windows that bathed the chamber in light. Hermione wondered how patients could sleep with the sun blazing in like that, as she strolled past the rows of vacant beds, towards the last one that had a curtain drawn around it.
Every time she saw that pale blue material, it reminded her bitterly of the night Ron had been hospitalised, with Madame Pomfrey trying to screen him from a cluster of curious students who had followed Slughorn up from his dungeon, where the incident had occurred. By the time, Hermione had been allowed through to see him, he was in a ghastly state; his skin milk white and tinted blue, whilst his chest barely rose from his short and shallow gasps. Over the past week however, Ron's corpse-like appearance had improved only fractionally, so when she entered his cubicle, she was stunned to find him reading the Quibbler and looking a picture of good health.
"Ron!" she exclaimed dropping the fudge at the foot of the bed and throwing her arms around him. "Y-you look...I-I've been so worried!"
When she pulled away, his expression was that of bewilderment.
"Hermione? What are you-? I mean, Madame Pomfrey said I was expecting someone, but I didn't...I never thought."
He made a blind grasp for his Quibbler, which had fallen to the floor.
"Here," she handed it to him. "How are you?"
"Not brilliant," he admitted, "I meant not because you're here...I feel good that you're here."
He continued to stare at her in disbelief, as if she were some kind of exotic magical creature.
"I was so relieved," she began, "when I'd heard you'd woken. We were all worried and I'd felt awful, I hadn't spoken to you since..."
She trailed off, the awkwardness growing like a gaping hole between them.
"Anyway, I got you this," she grabbed for the package and placed it on his lap. "It was last one on the stand, I had to fight Pancy Parkinson for them."
Ron smiled and tore off the wrapping.
"Caw! Honey Duke's Triple Deluxe Chocolate Fudge! Wicked. Thanks, Hermione!"
She knew that sweets were far from the apology that he deserved, but for once she was glad to see him in high spirits again. She took a moment to appreciate this, studying the way his freckles bunched up when he smiled or how his hair was a mixture of different reds; copper, auburn and amber when illuminated by the afternoon light.
"I'll have to hide this from Madame Pomfrey," Ron added, stashing the box under his bed. "I swear she's like a Dementor when it comes to sweets, she confiscate anything unless it's pumpkin juice or sprouts."
"I should've got you chocolate," Hermione noted. "That usually deters the affects of Dementors."
"Of course. I never thought of that."
He sighed. "It's really nice to see you Hermione. Ginny mentioned you'd been coming to see me nearly every day, even when I was sleeping. Sorry, I must've been horrible company."
Damn Ginny, Hermione thought, going red. I thought we had a code of secrecy.
"You did the same for me when I was petrified," she replied. "I can't imagine it was any different. Besides..." She tentatively took his hand. "You're my best friend."
She applied the last words lightly, afraid of how he'd react. Out of all fights they'd had in their relationship, their most recent one stood to challenge the term 'friend,' the most.
"Are you sure?" Ron murmured. "I mean I'm relieved to hear it but considering how much of a prat I was to you...well, I was beginning to think the word would become taboo for us."
He gazed at their fingers threaded together and entwined his closer.
"It was a grudge," she replied. "Unfortunately, I'm good at holding them and I never should've alienated you like I did. You're poisoning-when you almost..." she felt a lump rise in her throat. "I realised then how foolish I'd been, that our friendship was infinitely more important."
"That's right," Ron reflected, slightly amused. "I nearly died, if it weren't for Harry and the bezoar. He always gets the fun, saving people. Y'know poisoning has to be the dullest of my near death experiences to date."
"Poisoning? Dull? Ron, you were unconscious for more a week! Dumbledore even brought Healers over from St Mungos. None of them were certain how you'd recover!"
"I know," he said flatly. "I know, because I've been told loads of times, by everyone. Told how lucky I was that Harry was there to save me and how it's a miracle I survived after it. And I'm grateful. Truly. All I'm saying is, of all the things I'm fortunate to have come away with...my health and life...making up with you has to be the most satisfying. The one thing I care about the most."
Hermione tried to speak but he continued.
"Since I woke up, I've been thinking of what happened between us- a lot. Truth is, I treated you like crap because I was a jealous prick. I was hoping to apologise before all this happened but I was too proud and scared to say so. I feel awful now and it's been eating at me, so much so that it's been popping up in my dreams. Do you know how many times, I've dreamt of apologising to you?"
Hermione tenderly recalled the moment where Ron deep in sleep, muttered out her name when everyone had come to visit, shortly after his poisoning.
"It's fine Ron," Hermione said, squeezing his hand. "You're forgiven and if anything, I should take most of the blame too, I wasn't exactly a saint either."
She glanced at his arms, that still bore faint scars from her bird attack. "For our sake, I just want to put this behind us."
Ron pulled himself into a sitting position. "But we can't."
"What do you mean?"
"Hermione, for as long as I've known you, we've always bickered. You're not going to just forget..." his ears went red,"...blimey, the reason we keep fighting, our thing."
"Thing?" She knew what he was eluding too but was too terrified to acknowledge it.
"Everyone knows it. Even Ginny and Harry, but we keep dancing around it and I don't want to do that anymore. Not after the way we hurt each other last time. I don't want to lose you as a friend again."
He stared at her, his blue eyes earnest. Yet despite his sincerity, she suddenly felt incredibly uncomfortable.
"I didn't think it was appropriate timing," she said, something around his neck catching her eye. "I thought you'd want to wait a little...I mean you're still dating Lavender."
Ron groaned when it came to his attention that he was wearing the horrid, 'Sweetheart,' necklace, his girlfriend had got him for Christmas. Tempted to rip it off, he grudgingly made the effort to unclip it and cast it on a neighbouring bed.
"I keep taking that damn thing off, but it always finds its way back to my neck! I suspect she puts it on when I'm asleep, I swear she's trying to strangle me!"
"Or she still has strong feelings for you," Hermione said quietly."I think it's something you need to address with her."
She would've gladly sabotaged Lavender's attempts with Ron for her own pleasure, but she was tired of doing things out of spite.
"I know," he sighed. "She's a greater snogger and all, but she's impossible to talk to. You thought trolls were dim, well Lavender is..."
Hermione cleared her throat.
" .Too much detail," he said sheepishly. "Can I ask though...you and Cormac?"
He frowned, trying to mask the disgust in his face.
"Ah Cormac," she relented. "What a novelty he was. No, nothing happened."
"Even at Slughorn's party?"
She would've said no, had the memory of that night not come rushing back, like a Bludger to the head.
The two of the them had shuffled to a shadowy corner of the Professors large dungeon, trying to escape the crush of people forming around the lead singer of the Weird Sisters. Despite the frenzy, Cormac had continued his sermon on Quidditch, convinced that Hogwarts didn't use regulation approved Quaffles, which affected the Keeper's defence abilities due to the aerodynamics of the ball. Hermione nodded mechanically, her mind drifting to Ron who'd most likely be in the Common Room tangled in the arms of Lavender, tasting each other's tonsils before a group of horrified first years.
Although the image made her ill, she was also overcome with sadness. He was someone else's now and there was nothing she could do. Not even dating the heinous Cormac out of revenge, could rouse any jealousy from him or even get his attention. He'd began to fade away leading her to think that maybe he did really love Lavender.
'Hermione, look.' Cormac was gazing up at the vaulted ceiling where a peculiar bush with red berries hung, suspended in air. 'Mistletoe.'
'Oh,' she said, feeling his arm snake around her waist. 'You know, I prefer to avoid them. They have Nargles in them.'
'Nargles?' He said with a smirk. 'Aren't they something that Looney Lovegood girl made up? Y'know the crazy one Potter brought, with the radish earrings?'
'Luna,' Hermione corrected. 'And no, they're real. I learnt about them in Care of Magical Creatures, they're similar to Doxies only more mischievous.'
Cormac didn't seem to be listening and instead drew her against his body, his hips and other parts grinding into her.
'I'm feeling a bit mischievous Granger, aren't you?'
She tried to pull away but he planted his wormy lips on hers, his mouth a foul taste of vomit from his earlier drinking exploits. In sheer desperation, Hermione stomped on his foot, the heel of her shoe enough to cause Cormac to howl in pain and for her to make a hasty escape.
"I regret taking him to Slughorn's party," she said, finally. "I couldn't stand to be in his presence for more than an minute, his manners were appalling and all we talked about was Quidditch. Honestly, he doesn't have half the great qualities you have Ron, for instance he could never make me laugh."
He seemed pleased. "Thanks. I'm glad it didn't go further. I always thought you were too good for that over grown troll. I hope he treated you right though, I mean the way he talks about girls after Quidditch practice...it makes my blood boil."
Ron made a fist and Hermione was suddenly relieved that she'd left out the part when Cormac seized her under the mistletoe- it'd only add insult to injury.
He scratched his head. "So...what do you want to do about us?"
Silence fell between them, as they both considered it for a moment.
"For now, I think it'd be safe to do nothing," she suggested. "As much as I'd like too, we can't afford to get distracted. We both have OWLS to study for and you'll have Quidditch practice to attend at some point. I'm glad we've mended our friendship but-"
"-you don't want to jeopardise it. I understand, maybe it's best to see how it plays out."
She nodded, just as Madame Pomfrey's head popped out from behind the screening curtain.
"Miss Granger," she said, briskly. "Your visiting time is over, Mr Weasley has to rest now."
"Thank you Madame Pomfrey, I was just about to leave."
Once the Matron was out of sight, Ron turned to her.
"Please don't go," he pleaded. "Just stay a bit longer. I feel ."
Despite his claims, he looked exhausted and rubbed his face wearily.
"I promise I'll come back," she assured him. "I'll need a study break at some point. But for now get some sleep."
Touched by the way he was fretting over her departure, she kissed Ron on the forehead, smoothing his tangled red hair.
"Can't wait til' you give me a proper one. I mean you can, whenever you want."
She laughed. "You concentrate on getting better first, Weasley. Besides, you have to earn your snogs from me."
"Right," said Ron, raising his eyes brows. "Well, I better get onto breaking up with Lavender."
With that, she left him to ponder his next challenge and smiled to herself knowing everything was soon to work out.