When Ron invited Harry and I to his house over the winter break after exams this is not what I had been expecting on arrival. I was currently being hugged by an excedingly hyper Ginny. She had my hand in a vice grip and went around introducing me to everyone, though I already knew them all
"and this is Percy! He works at the Ministry. And..." In the corner I saw Fred and George grinning. Probably at there handiwork. Mrs. Weasley walked in and observed the scene for a total of thirteen seconds before she turned her gaze at the twins. I swear I saw George wince at her look before Ginny halted in her rant about Charlie, who was looking at me with sympathy, and turned on them as well. "I told you two not to try anymore of your stupid products on me anymore!" Her face was positivly red with rage. She nearly attacked Ron, who was standing in the corner trying not to laugh. "C'mon Hermione! Leave the prats!" She once again seized my hand and stomped out of the room and up the stairs to her room with me tailing at her side. I gave one final smile to the guys and Molly.
"Oh C'mon Ginny! It was funny!" I said after she sat on her bed in a huff. "C'mon. Laugh. You know you want to!" Her facade broke and she laughed along with me.
"So how has your year been so far?" I asked her when we settled.
"Pretty good. Got good marks on my exams. Specially in Potions. You?"
"Good. I'm still a little upset about Ron and Lavender, but I'm gettin' there." I said. Even around Ginny, who knew most of my secrets, I still turn pink at the mention of myself and Ron. I felt Ginny put her hand on my shoulder in a comforting gesture. I looked up at her and smiled a small sad smile before perking up and starting in on her about herself and Dean. We talked for nearly hours up in her room about everything.
"So you really can't swim?"She asked, a bewildered look upon her face.
"No." I answered. "Never had the need to."I smiled sheepishly and looked down.
"That's okay. This summer Ron and Harry can teach you and me how!"
Ginny was full on about having Harry to herself this summer. To bad they couldn't teach me before I really needed it.
"Girls!" We heard Mrs. Weasley call from downstairs. "Time for dinner!"
"Alright Mum! Be down in a second!" Ginny yelled back.
She got up and went to the door. With her hand on the doorknob she turned back and saw I was still seated on her bed. "Coming?"
"Ah yeah but .. Could you not metion that I can't swim? I think they'll torment me 'cause of it." I asked hopfully.
"Yeah. Sure. I've been here all my life so they already know I can't. I understand completely." And I knew she did having been tormented by her brothers her whole life.
Arriving at the kitchen entrance we noticed we were the last ones seated. "Sorry" We apologized at the same time.
"No problem dearies. We were just putting dinner on the table."
While everyone ate and talked I remained silent. I kept thinking of Ron and Lavender locked in each others arms, snogging all the time.
"Hey Hermione! Wha'd you get on your Potions exam? Hermione? Hello! Hermione!" Someone set there hand on my soulder and I jumped nearly a foot in the air. I looked around and everyone was looking at me. I turned beat red.
"I'm sorry, what were you asking?"
"What did you get on your potions exam?" I looked at Ron, the speaker and said in a meek voice, "Oh ..um ..112.".
Mrs. Weasley's eyes looked like they would pop out. "My dear! Thats wonderful!" She exclaimed between Fred and George.
"Thank you." I said and returned to silence. After dinner Ginny, Fred, and George went off to talk (Ginny yelling at them about earlier) about something.
I remained in the kitchen with Mrs. Weasley to help clean. "Oh dear you don't have to do that." She said as I picked up the plates around the table. "It's alright Mrs. Weasley I want to help." She smiled at me and washed the dishes while I dried and put them in the cupboards.
"So Hermione," She said while washing a plate, "What do you plan on doing after school is over?"
"I don't know yet honestly." I said truthfully, taking the plate and drying it.
"Well, theres plenty of time to decide."
"I know I'm smart, get called a bookworm all the time, but I'm not sure how it will help much in the real world to know when this or that happened or what herb is this one and what is that one."
Molly dropped her plate in the sink and looked at me. "Hermione Granger! You are more that just smart! Your beautiful, talented, unique, and so much more. And yes smarts will help!" she turned back to the sink and resumed with washing.
"Sometimes it comes in handy when you know what happened when and what is what."
We went back to the dishes in silence while I tried to register everything that had been said.
When finished with the dishes I strode past Ron and Harry who were just outside and up the stairs after a quick "Good Night" to Molly. I heard footsteps following after me but whoose they were I didn't know until the grabbed my arm at the entrance to Ginny's room where I was to sleep for the next two weeks.
"What was that all about with Mum?" Ron asked clearly worried his mum had said something about himself. His ears turned red when I didn't answer for a minute. I love torturing him.
"Nothing. Just givin' me a bit of advice." I smiled while I said this and closed the door with another "Good Night" to Ron.
I crawled into the bed me and Ginny would share for the night untill Molly got one of the boys to bring up the cot.
Bringing the covers to my shoulders I shut my eyes and tried to sleep. When I finally did get to sleep all I had were nightmares of Ron. He was being poisoned again and this time he wouldn't wake up. I would scream his name over and over but he wouldn't respond.
I felt someone pulling me from Ron's side and screamed no over and over with his name. I opened my eyes to Ginny shaking me, trying to wake me. Fred, George, Ron, Harry, and Molly were crowded at the door. I looked away.
"Alright you boys. Go to you rooms." Molly shooed them away and while she and Ginny hugged me I apologized repeativly. The guys lingered for a little before leaving. I couldn't look at their faces. Especially Ron's.
"Don't worry yourself Hermione. Tell us what happened." I explained my dreams to them and by the end they were crying too from remembering Ron's scare.
"I'm sorry now I've you all crying too." I hugged Molly tightly for a while before we all calmed enough to part.
"Goodnight girls. Feel better Hermione." She gave a small smile at me and closed the door. Ginny and I hugged for another minute and pulled the covers up to go to sleep.
"Ronald Weasley! Go to sleep now!" We heard from outside.
"Yes Mum."
There was scurrying outside the door and when all was still, Ginny said, "He's worried you know. They all are. The guys are I mean. We consider you family and to them your a sister. Not to Ron though. He loves you more that a sister." I smiled.
"Thanks Ginny." She drifted off to sleep but I didn't for the next few hours before I passed out from exhaustion three hours later.
In the morning I heard a ruckase downstairs.
"Leave her be! She's had a hard night and I'm not telling you what happened. That's Hermione's buissness!"
"But Mum! I'm just-" Ron tried.
"No!"
I groaned and sat up. I could hear Molly shooing them out of the kitchen. I tredded over to my suitcase that remains unpacked and took out my outfit for the day, jeans and a white t-shirt with my favorite red sweater. I can't really call it red anymore though, it's more like a faded dark pink. After brushing my hair and washing my face I made my way downstairs, dreading what was coming. Upon entering the kitchen there was silence 'cept Molly cleaning a mess that I'm sure was the result of one of Fred and Georges experiments.
"Hello dear. Did we wake you?" Molly asked kindly.
"Um..no..Where is everyone?"
"The lot of them are down at the lake and Ginny's up the hill from them picking strawberries from the green house."
"Thanks. Guess I better go set 'em at ease." She gave me a encouraging smile and I walked through the door and made my way down the path to the lake.
Fred and George were nowhere to be seen but Ron and Harry were sitting on the dock that led to a boat and alot of fishing poles.
"I don't see why there are poles here. There ain't no fish. And it's winter!" I heard Ron say.
"Who knows!" Harry replied. He turned and saw me standing there. "Hermione!" Ron swivled around to and moved over so I could join.
"Hi. Whatcha talking about?" I asked casually hoping to avoid the conversation of last night.
"Hermione, what happened last night? Molly wouldn't tell us anything. Said it was you buisness alone." Harry asked.
"I know. I heard this morning." I took a deep breath to calm myself. "It was nothing really. Just a bad dream."
"Must've been one Hell of a nightmare, you were screaming so loud!" Ron put in. I turned red again and mummbled a sheepish "Sorry"
"What was it about?" There was the question I was dreading. Stupid Harry! I don't really think he's stupid but I really don't want them to know.
"Um. N-Nothing really! Just the normal!"
"Normal?"
"Yeah!" I said. more confident after thinking a second for an excuse. "You know like everybody has!" Ok I didn't say it was a good one.
"That didn't sound normal." Harry proded. Alright I give! I took a deep breath readying myself. I gusse Fred and George thought it meant I wanted to go in the water. Next thing I knew I was sinking. The water was murky looking when I opened my eyes. I saw a fish swim by and nearly screamed underwater. I hate fish. I kicked my feet and spread my arms like people say your supposed to do, but I didn't move. I could hear the guys laughing up above me. Why didn't I tell them I couldn't swim earlier?! I kept sinking and a feeling of panic washed over me. The water was freezing and I kept struggling underwater for who knows how long. I was losing air and knew I had to make my way to the surface. I struggled harder as the little air I had left in my lungs diminished and the water overtook me. I choked and the water made it's way into my mouth and filled my lungs. Ginny's paniced voice yelling, "Hermione! What did you do?! Hermione swim up!" Was the last thing I heard before everything went black.
~Earlier~
Back on the dock Fred and George were just making their move.
"That didn't sound normal." They heard Harry say. They crept forward, silent as mice and when Hermione breathed in they sprang. They gripped her by the shoulders and pushed. The splash from an unexpecting Hermione could be heard up at the house. The boys erupted with laughter.
"Nice!" Was what Fred said, trying to breath. Up on the hill, in the green house Ginny listened. She too had heard the splash and was curious about who fell in. She heard the laughter of four men but no feminine laugh. She went pale and dropped all the strawberries she collected in her basket. She ran hard and fast as she possibly could but when arriving she was to late. She fell to her knees on the edge of the dock yelling, "Hermione!" at the water. She turned her icy stare on the four of them and screamed "What did you do?!" Before turning and yelling at the waters surface again, "Hermione swim up!"
"What is it Ginny?" Harry asked genuinly worried.
"Relax Harry. It's probably nothing. Just scared we messed up Hermione's hair." Was Georges reply. Ginny turned on them once again, with tears in the corners of her eyes this time as Hermione hadn't come up in a while.
"She can't swim!" Was all she had to say before Ron was in the water.
It was freezing and made his limbs stiffen. The dark water made it harder to spot Hermione's long hair, but peering through the water he caught a glimpse of it near the bottom of the lake. He dived deeper and deeper until he could almost reach her hair. He pumped his legs harder and reached as far as he could. Taking hold of her pale hand, he pulled her up with him and held on tight as if afraid if he let go she would disappear. Kicking and spliting the water with his free hand he made it to the surface and breathed deeply. Looking over at Hermione's face he noticed her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted. Her still form was pale and lifeless and by what he could tell she wasn't breathing. Trying not to let the panic slow him he swam to the dock were Harry was holding a sobbing Ginny and Fred and George were kneeled down at the edge with their hands outstreched to take hold of the two of them.
When close enough he thrust Hermoine's body into their hands and pulled himself up. Harry ran up to the house with Ginny to get Molly and calm Ginny.
Down on the dock they were attempting to wake Hermione. Fred patted her cheeks lightly, clearly feeling guilty. Ron caught his breath and hovered over her with the water from his hair joining the water on her face. Harry ran down and told Fred and George, Molly needed their help. The two stood and ran up to the house while Harry remained with Ron and Hermione's unconcious form.
"Ron, she isn't breathing" He said with his cheek to her still parted lips, trying to feel air coming from her lungs.
"What do we do?" Ron looked desperate. He resumed patting her cheek, mummbling " 'Mione" over and over. Harry stood on his knees, put his hands together and pushed on her chest five times. Ron, catching on, tipped her head, plugged her nose, and blew air into her with two steady breaths. He felt a electric shock when his lips touched hers but now was no time to think about that. They repeated the same action hoping to get a different result.
'C'mon 'Mione! Breath!' Ron thought this while blowing his air into her body once again.
'C'mon! Breath dammit!' Again.
'Breath 'Mione! Don't leave just now! We still need that brain of yours! C'mon' Once more Harry pushed and Ron breathed. After the first breath though Hermione started to cough and choke on the water flowing from her lungs. Harry, thinking fast, leaned her over on her side where she coughed out most of the water. Ron was sure she was shivering but also that she was shaking from the scare. They helped her to sit up where she breathed deeply and the tears started to flow. Ron wrapped his arms around her in a hug and held tight. Harry stood and said "I'm going to let the rest know she's okay now but to have the bed and all ready." Ron nodded and turned back to Hermione when Hary was halfway up the hill. She was still shaking and shivering so he just held her tighter. He noticed her lips were tinted blue and was pretty sure his might be too, seeing how the water would turn to ice soon. Burrying his face in her hair and breathing deeply he mummbled " 'Mione" over and over while rocking the two of them. She turned her glazed eyes on him and the tears flowed harder.
"Oh 'Mione!" He held her closer and whispered comforts into her ear. A tear fell from his own eye and he hugged her even tighter.
"R-" Hermione's voice cracked and Ron shushed her. Nevertheless she continued "R-Ron. Your s-sopping wet." She made out through her shivers. Ron glanced down as if just noticing himself that he was soaked. "Yeah. I jumped in after you, so I got a little wet too." He smiled at her and rubbed her cheeks with his thumb to clear her tears. She made an attempt at a laugh but failed and Ron shushed her again. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips to her forehead, tangling his hand in her long, soft hair. A breeze swept up and Hermione shivered even more.
"C'mon we'd better get up there before we both catch pnemonia. Can you stand?" Ron asked while standing. Hermione nodded and gripped Ron's outstreched arms to pull herself up. With some difficulty Ron and herself managed to get her up and with her leaning on Ron heavily they staggered off the dock and started up the hill. Slipping and sliding they made it halfway up the path before Hermione collapsed. Ron hit his knees next to her and gripped her elbow. "Can you walk any further?" Hermione looked down and shook her head, ashamed at being so weak. He tipped her head up and said, "That alright. I can carry you the rest of the way." Hermione's eyes widened and before she could respond he swooped down ahd hooked his arms under her knees and shoulders. She hooked her arms around his neck as tight as she could and held on. Ron continued upward like she weighed nothing. Upon reaching the house Fred and George burst through the door, both taking in her pale complextion and now light blue lips.
"Were so sorry Hermione!" George said.
"Yeah. We wouldn't have pushed you in had we known you couldn't swim." Fred agreed.
"Yeah! We would of pushed Ron in instead!" George grinned.
"It's ok-kay. I s-should of t-told you guys I couldn-'t sw-swim." Hermione shivered through.
"Still."
"T-Thanks for that G-George. I can f-feel the love." Ron said through shivers of his own. Fred, seeming to have just noticed Ron's own blueish lips, opened the door to let them through. Stepping through the door let them witness an extremly worried Molly and a sobbing Ginny in Harry's arms in the corner of the room. Upon entering Ginny's eyes made their way to the two of them and she got up, ran to them and wrapped her arms around Hermione's frozen body. Hermione managed to hug her back with one arm while still in Ron's. Molly intervined after hugging Hermione herself. "Take her upstairs to Ginny's room. Fred and George got the other bed ready for her." Ron nodded and started for the stairs with Molly and Ginny tailing. Ginny ran ahead to open the door for them. Hermione was leaning her head heavily on Ron's shoulder trying not to fall asleep. Making their way into Ginny's room Ron set her down on the bed closest to the window. "Thank you." She whispered in his ear and gave a tiny smile. "Your welcome." He wispered back, kissing her head before Ginny and Molly came in and ordered him out.
"Thank you Ron, now go change out of those clothes before you catch pnemonia. We'll help Hermione." Molly said while shutting the door. She came back over and rummaged through Hermione's suitcase for something to sleep in. Pulling out a pair of baggy pj pants and a t-shirt that said "Kiss me, I'll turn you into a frog." that came from Diagon Alley. Between the two of them they sat her up and managed off her sweater and shirt. She nearly fell off the side of the bed because she was swaying with exhaustion. "Come on now Hermione, stay awake a little bit longer." Molly said while standing her up. There was a knock on the door and a voice saying "You need anything?"
Molly looked to Hermione's blue lips and still shivering self and felt her icy arms then replied. "Bring lots of blankets! She's positivly frozen!" Continuing with their work they managed off the rest of her clothes and replaced them with her warm, dry ones. Setting her back on the bed Molly noticed her still wet hair that was begining the freeze at the tips. "Fred! Could you bring me my wand please?"
"Yes Mum!"
Ginny sat next to her and held her. "I'm sorry Herms! I should have run faster!"
"It wouldn't of m-mattered how fast you ran G-Ginny. I was already in the w-water by the time you heard. There was n-nothing you could have d-done. I'm just glad you made it when you did." It took everything out of her to say all that. But she smiled at Ginny nontheless. There was another knock on the door. "Is it safe to come in?" The girls heard Fred's voice outside the door.
"Yeah these blankets are getting heavy!"
"Quite complaining!"
"Easy for you to say! Your only carrying Mum's wand!"
"Come in boys!" Molly said over their bickering. The door opened to reveal Fred grinning as he clearly won the fight. George was seen behind him carting four blankets and a pillow. He dropped it all on Ginny's bed and breathed a sigh of releif.
"Thankyou boys. My wand?" Fred handed over her wand and turned to Hemrione muttering a spell that defrosted, dried, straightened, and brushed her hair. Now that she was completely dried and into new clothes they laid her down in bed and covered her with two thick blankets and one thinner one. "Warm enough?" Hermione nodded faintly and whispered a thank you as that was as loud as she could go. "Your welcome dear. I'm sorry that this happened." She shot a pointed look to the two boys and they backed away a little.
"Yeah Hermione. Like we said, we would of pushed Ron instead!" Fred said while George nodded his agree.
"Oh! That's not any better you two! Now go! Out!Out!Out! Let her sleep some!"
She pushed the two of them and Ginny, who put up no fight, out and shut the door with one final smile. Hermione fell asleep and didn't hear the small knock and the door opening once more nearly five minutes later. Ron peeped his head in and saw her still form. His lips were no longer blue and he had changed out of his soaking clothes into a pair of fresh ones. His hair, that was only partialy dried, was wild. It tangled and poofed. He entered and shut the door behind him. He pulled a chair over from Ginny's desk in the corner of her room and up to the side of the bed Hermione was currently dozing on. He took her hand in his and nearly dropped it a second later. Her hands were freezing still and her lips were still tinted blue. He took her tiny hand and rubbed it between his own larger ones, trying to restore some warmth. Once satisfied that her hands were warm enough he let himself rest his head on his arm. Still holding onto Hermione's hand he drifted off to sleep.
Upon waking up Hermione was quite shocked to find a sleeping Ron at her side. Taking her free hand she poked his shoulder and croaked out "Ron? Wake up Ron." He mumbled something in his sleep along the lines of killer spiders and stirred a little but soon fell back into his deep sleep. Hermione gave a smile and poked him on the shoulder again. Upon recieving no indication that he felt it she poked him in the nose this time and finally he stirred to wakefulness. Sitting up staighter in his chair he mummered through sleepy eyes, "G'mornin' 'Mione"
"Good Morning Ron. How are you feeling?"
He looked up and adressed her normally. "Certainly better than you, I'm sure."
Hermione's nose scrunched up like it usually did when she was laughing or concentrating on something and her head tipped to the side the slightest bit. Observing her face Ron's ears turned red. "What do you mean by that?" Hermione asked after a minute her voice still hoarse.
"Well I think anyone who nearly drowned would feel a little bad the next day."
At the mention of yesterday's (was it yesterday?) events Hermione's face darkened and her eyes got a little misty. Ron, noticing the change stood and wrapped one arm around her shoulders."I'm sorry. I shouldn've known that would be a bit of a sore subject."
He said as Hermione's eyes moistened a little. Rifling through the things on Ginny's bedside table he spotted a handkercheif and dabbed at the corner of her eyes. "I's okay." She said through the cloth. "It's my own fault for being so stupid."
"You are not stupid." Ron said firmly staring at her determinedly. "You were just a little unintelligent for not telling us you couldn't swim while we were sitting on a dock above water thats fifteen or so feet deep." He said and went back to dabbing her eyes when he relized she had no reply. He let out a gasp of shock when he felt Hermione's arms encircle his center from her place on the bed. She burried her head in his chest and mummbled something that Ron couldn't identify but was too red to ask. Setting the handkercheif back on the table he wrapped his own arms around her and crawled up on the bed to sit beside her. He felt something wet sinking through his shirt and looked down startled to see teartracks along her face. He hugged her tighter and she whispered what sounded like the same thing she had mummbled. "I was so scared. I just kept sinking and when I couldn't hold my breath any longer I just-" she broke off and burried her face back into his chest. He held for what felt like hours while she cried and they ended up lying with Hermione's head still resting on his chest and one of his arms around her shoulders, the other toying with her hair.
"Would you really turn me into a frog if I kissed you?" Ron broke the silence and looked down at her with a grin on his face. Hermione looked up at him with the confused face she had on earlier. "What are you talking about?" She aked in return, blushing a deep shade of red. Ron, seeming to be enjoying this pointed to her shirt and asked again: "Would you really turn me into a frog if I kissed you?"
"What does that have to do wi-" Ron cut her off by swooping down and pressing his lips to her no longer blue ones. If possible she turned a deeper sheade of red. She let out a gasp of surprise, allowing Ron a chance to slide his tounge through her lips into her mouth, which he took with great eagerness. Exploring her mouth he heard her let out a little moan that encouraged him even more. Hermone responded after a minute just as enthusiastic. After what seemed like hours they broke apart and Hermione looked down still red. Lifting her chin up as he did just yesterday Ron said with a smile "Guess not." Answering his own question. Hermione smiled and leaned forward to kiss him again. Seeing as it was nearly lunchtime Hermione detached herself from him and untangled her arms from his center and tried to stand. Ron also getting up took her hand and helped her to stand and walk across the room to the door where he kissed her one last time and opened it. Walking down the stairs still supporting Hermione they received the stares of Molly, Fred, George, Ginny, and Harry. After successfully making their way down the stairs they sat down on the couch close together and looked at everyone else. Molly, looking absoulutley thrilled at this new event statted that lunch would soon be ready and walked out to the kitchen. Hermione was sure she heard the word 'finally' as she walked away. She smiled to herself and gave a little wave at Ginny who was positivley beaming.
"Finally! Geez Ron! What took you so long?" Ginny seemed to speak for everyone as she sat next to Ron, after hugging Hermione in congradulations.
"Oh bugger off Ginny. We all know you and Hermione will talk about it all night." For this he recieved a double smack as Ginny smacked his left arm and Hermione his right and a couple of sniggers from Harry, Fred, and George.
"Ow." He mummbled but smiled at Hermone nontheless, taking hold of the hand that he previously received a smack from.
"Guess you got those swimming lessons sooner then you thought huh Herms?" Asked Ginny.
"Yeah. But I'm glad." She smiled up at Ron and rested her head back on his shoulder.
End
Disclaimer: I own nothing REVEIW!!