The Poisoned Mead

This is the story of what happened to Ron after he drank Professor Slughorn's mead. I do not own Harry Potter, I do not make money from this, I do it because it's a fun hobby.

Ron didn't remember falling to the floor, or Harry shoving the bezoar down his throat, or being carried to the hospital wing. These things he gathered from the people talking around his bed, the only problem was that he couldn't open his eyes, speak or move a muscle.

He had been quite frantic when he first came to and realized that he couldn't see or move, he thought he had been paralyzed and blinded in some accident. Then he heard Madam Pomfrey telling his parents that she had given him a sleeping draught and that he would stay unconscious until the remains of the poison were out of his system. Ron could hear his Mum sobbing. 'It's ok Mum! I'm not unconscious, I'm right here! Mum, stop crying, I'm fine!' Ron shouted out, but as no one stopped talking to come to his side, they could not have heard him. 'HEY! OVER HERE!'

"He doesn't feel a thing and he'll be completely unaware until he wakes up." Madam Pomfrey assured his parents. "There's nothing more to be done until then. The Headmaster has had a room prepared for you. This way if you please." There was the sound of three pairs of feet as they walked away.

'The hell I'm unaware! What kind of potion did you give me any way? When will I be able to move?' Ron shouted, frustrated. He couldn't remember ever feeling so helpless. Ron stopped struggling with himself when he heard voices approaching. 'That's Harry and Hermione! Hermione's here, is speaking to me again? Hermione!'

The conversation between Harry and Hermione stopped for a moment and then resumed.

'Did they just hear me? They did! Hermione! Hermione!' Ron shouted but to no avail. 'Bloody hell, now what am I supposed to do?' Ron could hear Ginny's voice now as well. 'Merlin, I hope Lavender doesn't show up! The last thing I want is her in here prattling on. How am I supposed to get rid of her? I wish she'd walk in here to see Hermione holding my lifeless hand or something. Then she could have a fit and end it herself and I'd be free… it would be nice if Hermione would hold my hand, I've missed having her around. I should never have started messing around with Lavender; I'm not even interested in her. I wish I'd gone to Slughorn's party with Hermione, I could be dating her now instead of Lavender'

Ron's thoughts continued to race around his head. Having never spent so much free time with his thoughts, he was surprised at how many he had, or that most of them seemed to center on Hermione and Lavender. He was actually a little disgusted with himself that he was snogging someone whom he had no real interest in. 'Well, be honest with yourself mate. You were interested in her that first night when she was sitting on your lap with her tongue down your throat, but you've been using her to make Hermione jealous ever since. Merlin, I'm a pig!'

Ron realized that there were no more voices next to his bed. 'Hey, where did everyone go? What time is it? How am I supposed to eat, I'm starved!' In his mind Ron crossed his arms across his chest and brooded. 'Great, just bloody great!'

Ron must have fallen asleep within his sleep because he suddenly became aware of himself again. He could smell the unmistakable combination of shampoo and parchment and knew that Hermione was there. A contented sigh coursed through him. He could feel a small warm hand in his and tried to squeeze it but couldn't. He could also feel the cool silky material of Harry's invisibility cloak against his wrist. 'It must be past visiting hours, probably past midnight, and she borrowed the cloak so Madam Pomfrey wouldn't kick her out and she could stay here with me for the night. She's got to be the greatest girl I've ever known. I treated her like I did and she's still here next to me.'

Hermione's thumb began to gently graze the back of his hand. Ron allowed himself to stop thinking and just enjoy the fact that Hermione was there and was holding his hand, something she'd never do under normal circumstances. Ron wished he could hold her in his arms; he longed to know what it was like to kiss her. He began to fantasize about being Hermione's boyfriend. What her lip gloss tasted like, about being able to touch her all the time, making love to her. Ron and Lavender hadn't gotten that far yet but Lavender was pretty forward and Ron suspected that if he continued to see her, they would come to that point very soon.

After some time he heard the ward door open and soft footsteps approaching his bed. Hermione withdrew her hand and backed away from Ron. The cloying smell of Lavender's perfume overwhelmed him. 'Oh no, not her! What is she doing here? Aughh! How did I tolerate that perfume for this long? She smells like the gift shop at St. Mungo's.'

"Oh WonWon," she crooned softly, "look at you." She sat on the edge of his bed and took up the hand that Hermione had just let go of. "You know, in muggle fairy tales, they say that the sleeping princess will awaken from her enchanted sleep with a kiss from her true love." She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. Predictably, Ron didn't wake up.

"Looks like it didn't work." She said disappointedly.

'Maybe, it's because I'm no princess.' Ron thought sarcastically. 'Now go away so Hermione and I can be alone.'

"Perhaps I just need to try harder." She leaned over and kissed him, thrusting her tongue deeply into his mouth. The combination of her tongue and perfume cut off Ron's air, making it difficult for him to breath.

'Are you trying to kill me woman? Get off me!' Ron struggled and wondered if he would become the first bloke to die of suffocation due to involuntary snogging. 'Damn it Hermione, stop her!' Ron shouted.

"Perhaps something a little more drastic" she whispered as she lay down next to him.

'Whoa! What are you doing!?' Ron was incredulous.

"I really want you to wake up WonWon." She whispered in his ear, brushing his hair from his forehead and stroking her hand along his chest. "When I heard what happened, that you nearly died, I was overcome by the fact that we never got to make love to each other. A girl knows that her first time should be with someone she's in love with, and that person is you. If you wake up now, I promise that won't be an issue anymore. We could have the rest of the night to show how much we mean to each other." She started to nibble lightly on his earlobe, still grazing his chest with her hand.

In his own head, Ron was speechless. 'She actually wants to have sex with me here in the hospital wing? She thinks she's in love with me and that I'm in love with her? What is wrong with this girl? Hermione get rid of her, I don't want her here!'

"This might wake you up" she whispered huskily, nipping at his neck. Then her hand made a slow procession down his chest, across his stomach, straight towards his groin.

Ron was instantly sickened by her abrupt actions. 'HEY! Don't touch that!' He shouted as she grasped his manhood and gave him a healthy squeeze. 'Do not respond!' He bellowed at his treacherous member. 'Hermione, don't watch!' he begged.

Ron was frantic that Lavender was going to do whatever she wanted to and Hermione was stuck in the corner forced to watch the whole lewd spectacle. Lavender had one leg draped over his own and was rubbing herself against the length of his body while she continued to nuzzle his neck and fondle his most sensitive of body parts. His groin did not care that it was Lavender and not Hermione that was paying such lavish attention to it as it started to stir.

'TRAITOR! I said do not respond!' Ron's mind was struggling desperately though his body remained quite still. 'Merlin, I don't want this! Not from Lavender!' he pleaded.

The ringing sound of the metal water pitcher hitting the floor made Lavender cease her ministrations. Lavender sat up but was too slow to leave the ward as Madam Pomfrey, dressed in her nightgown and robe, came bustling into the room.

"What do you think you're doing here?" She demanded of Lavender.

'I'm saved!'

"I…I was…" she stammered feebly, knowing she'd been caught in a very compromising position.

'Ha ha, you're in trouble now.'

"The hospital ward is off limits to all visitors after eight. As it is after three in the morning, you are in a serious breech of school rules. Twenty points from Gryffindor and you will come with me to Professor McGonagall's quarters Miss Brown." Madam Pomfrey stated sternly.

Ron was doing a victory dance in his head.

Madam Pomfrey led Lavender away and when the ward door closed, a small quivering hand took his own.

"I'm sorry Ron" Hermione whispered as she sat back down in her chair. "If you want to be mad at me later for knocking over the water pitcher, that's fine. I just couldn't let her do that to you, not when you're in this state and unable to have any say in the matter." She paused.

'What is it Hermione?' Ron was desperate to hear her tell him that she felt something, anything, for him. That he didn't destroy those feelings she did have for him when he started dating Lavender.

"Ron, I…" she stammered. "We…"

'Yes, come on Hermione. Say you still want me.' He prayed.

"Ron, maybe when you're well again, and if you've stopped seeing Lavender, we could talk, like we used to. I've missed having you around, having you bug me to help you with you're work, telling jokes. Harry misses you too. Our fighting is hard on him, and he has enough on his plate without his two best friends acting like children. I'm sorry if I've behaved badly but you hurt my feelings, brutally. All I'm trying to say is, when you wake up, can we be like we were before? Can we be friends again?" She whispered so softly that Ron almost didn't hear her.

'YES! YES! Oh Hermione, I've missed you too. I want to be friends, I want to be your boyfriend, I never want to touch Lavender again. Say that there's a still a chance for me.' If Ron could have got down on his knees and begged her forgiveness, he would have.

"The sleeping draught will wear off soon Ron and you'll wake up. Hopefully I'll be here when it does, but if I'm not, know that I'm sorry that I almost threw us away. Our friendship is too important." She paused for a moment. "But I promise you that if Lavender throws yours and hers relationship in my face one more time, I swear that I'm going to curse her into jelly." She brushed the hair from his forehead and straightened the bed sheets. "Good night Ron" and she gently kissed his forehead and walked away.

'Good night Hermione. You've got a deal' Ron would love to see Hermione curse Lavender, she wouldn't stand a chance.

The End.