Hi everybody! I hope you all like this; it's placed in 6th year at Hogwarts, after Ron got poisoned, and for all those who heard about the Hospital scene reformed for HBP, I swear I wrote this way before the spoilers were out, and in any way, it's not like the movie. Enjoy it and leave some reviews!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the following characters or related scenary; it all belongs to JK Rowling -- and I'm glad, because I don't want to be that rich ;)

Beta-ed by hot-for-harry (Alyssa) - Thank you a lot!

Get Well

Hermione left the get-well card against the water jug on the side table, next to Ron's bed. The card had the Chudley Cannons on it, and only read 'from Harry and Hermione.'

'So … has he waken up at all?' she heard Harry was asking Madam Pomfrey.

'Oh no, not yet. He's still unconscious, but I reckon he has to wake up soon. Either that or I'll have to make him,' Madam Pomfrey informed them. 'He'll have to eat.'

'Are you sure he's not in any danger?' piped up Hermione, concerned.

'Of course he is. But it was a potent poison and despite the fact that he's completely safe, it's got some post effects.' replied the nurse reassuringly. 'Remember, I'm allowing the two of you to stay only because he can't realize of anything and because you're friends of him, but if you bring more people besides his sister …' she warned Harry and Hermione menacingly.

'We won't,' promised Harry as the nurse left to her office.

He and Hermione stayed there watching Ron sleeping quietly and slightly snoring.

'Poor thing,' said Harry at last. 'It's like it hadn't been his birthday at all. He could enjoy, what? Twenty minutes?'

'How did you say you ended up at Slughorn's study?' inquired Hermione.

'I … didn't,' remembered Harry, surprised. They had discussed all that happened after they arrived to the study, and how Ron could've gotten poisoned until the exhaustion, but nobody had wondered why the boys had came there. 'Remember those chocolate cauldrons filled with love potion Romilda Vane gave me?'

Hermione wide-opened her eyes.

'He ─ he ate them?'

'Aha. He thought they were a birthday present.'

'He ate one and ─ you realized it and took him directly to Slughorn,' assumed Hermione.

'Not exactly …' replied Harry sadly. 'He ate almost all the whole box. You know him. And you should have seen ─ you shouldn't have seen him,' corrected himself Harry quickly, deciding it was better to skip the details in respect for Ron. 'So I took him, yes, for the antidote, and then…'

The rest was well-known story. Hermione was biting her lip.

'Well … I have to get going to the Quidditch pitch now. Otherwise McLaggen will already be training the team before I get a chance. Are you ─ leaving, or ─?' Harry asked her cautiously.

'I'll stay. Just a little longer. Just in case ─ just in case he wake up and ─ he will want to know ─' added Hermione in a voice that sounded like she was making up excuses, and faintly blushing.

'All right. Will you be fine?' said Harry, looking at his friend. Hermione limited herself to nod, so Harry waved her and left with his broomstick over the shoulder.

Hermione drew a chair a sat down close to the bed, but still keeping a prudent distance.
What would have come of Ron if Harry hadn't found the bezoars in time? She didn't dare to think about that, but she couldn't seem to get it away from her mind. The fact that she would have still been hating him, and he …

Hermione rubbed her eyes and buried her face in her hands. She could not bear the idea. However much it hurt, she had been friends with Ron for all those years … and she still wanted to. Even when she had to bear "the other" snogging him in her face, or calling him with stupid, childish names he didn't deserve. Bah, he did deserve just that. Prat. That's what he got. But she had to shake those thoughts off her head; hadn't she just decided to forget all that business? One thing was for sure, she wouldn't call him like that, ever. Of course she wouldn't, she would call him Ron forever, how else could she; honey, love? Sweetie-Wonnie-Pooh? No way. Much less being his friend.

'Well, Granger, I think you should go now. There's school tomorrow, don't you remember? You need to rest, and so does your friend here.'

Hermione jumped, startled at the sound of Madam Pomfrey's voice, who was walking towards the bed with a flask and a spoon.

'How ─ how are you going to give it to him?' asked her Hermione.

'Waking him up, of course, so he'll have dinner too. But I insist. You have to go. If you don't, it will only stress my patient out' she responded while gesturing at Ron.

Hermione hurried to obey. She didn't want Ron to see her first when he wake up, despite what she had told Harry. Before closing the door behind her, she threw a last glance to the pale face framed with a mop of red hair lying on the bed, stirring and moaning at Madam Pomfrey's whisper of 'Ennervate.'

The first sensation Ron felt was that his throat was burning bitterly.

'What happened?' he asked hoarsely, opening his eyes as a white figure bent over him to examine his face.

'You've been poisoned.'

'What?'

'At Slughorn's office. You have been poisoned, by chance, with the mead you drank,' explained Madam Pomfrey.

'But I don't remember … it's my birthday, and I was just ─' mumbled Ron who was clearly puzzled.

'Your birthday was yesterday, you've been unconscious until now. Potter will be able to explain it better, now you must drink this,' advised the woman, sticking the overflowing spoon into Ron's mouth. He drank, choking, and the fiery sense relieved.

'Harry, where's he?'

'How can I know? My job is to take care of the patients, not their friends,' pointed Madam Pomfrey, despite the pity she felt of the boy's obvious discomfort, so she added, 'A lot of people visited you yesterday, Weasley. Your parents, your sister, the twins, Professor Hagrid, and of course your friends Potter and Granger ─'

'Her ─ Hermione's been 'ere?' said Ron faintly.

'Well of course she has; I asked her to leave just minutes ago. Now stop questioning and I'll ask the house-elves to bring you something. But you're pale, boy, take it easy or I'll see myself forced to calm you,' said Madam Pomfrey firmly, turning away to her office.

Ron dropped himself on the pillows. Hermione had come to see him. Had she forgiven him? Would they be friends again? Friends, just friends, it was true, but nothing else was possible. But she had been there. What had she done when she saw him, lying there? Did she cry, or did she glare at him? Did she think he could be dead, or fighting for his life, and so threw herself over him and shook him in despair, or did she weep in a corner? The last one looked more like Hermione. The one he had been dreamt of, and which idea made him shiver. But she had been there, no matter what she had been doing.

Hermione went straight into the library, as she had planned on staying there a little longer before going to bed, advancing on her stock of homework.

As she wandered through the shelves for Charm books, she didn't spot somebody else rushing after her until it seized her stretched arm halfway the bookshelves in a brusque manner and shouted at her, 'What were you doing with my boyfriend?'

Hermione shrieked when she was forced by the arm to face Lavender; it was obvious she had come running, since she was panting, and her hair flew out of her bow, but her eyes were out of her orbits and she was red-faced.

'Tell it, what were you doing with him?' she repeated.

Hermione released from her grip and stepped backwards, staggering.

'What are you talking about?'

'Don't pretend! I saw you! You've just been with him ─'

'No, no, I ─' tried to defend herself Hermione, but Lavender kept yelling, and from everywhere, students were starting peering from behind the shelves.

'I've just seen you, Hermione Granger, don't dare to deny you haven't been with him!'

Hermione was starting to feel ashamed of being there, but she couldn't give up.

'Yes, I was, but ─'

'So you admit it!' said aloud Lavender, looking maniacal. 'He's my boyfriend, and besides the fact nobody gave a damn in informing me about his face-to-face with death, I'm not allowed to see him, and you are!'

Hermione blinked. Hadn't she just told her to admit she had visited Ron?

'I have no idea of why Madam Pomfrey doesn't allow you, but the thing is that she lets me, and I'm friends with him, and ─' Hermione tried to explain as kindly and appeasing as she could.

'You want to steal him from me, you're jealous!' attacked her Lavender.

'I don't want to steal anybody, why should I?' frowned Hermione, getting upset and wanting to leave at once. 'Excuse me, but this is pointless and absurd, so I'm ─'

'You've got the heats for my boyfriend, and you know he'd never be with a girl like you, that's why you should. And you're jealous because we're happy together, and you think just 'cos you're a know-it-all ─'

'Stop!' cried out Hermione. Her eyes were full of angry tears, but she would say a last thing yet. 'I have nothing against you. I don't give a damn about how much saliva you two exchange, but if there's somebody having the heats, that's you. I've been friends with Ron for more time that you could imagine, and shared things that you would never understand, and I don't want your stupid Won-Won, but you certainly don't deserve the real Ronald!'

Hermione turned away faintly shivering, ready to leave running, when she felt a burst and a blow on her face, and fell unconscious.

By the moonlight, warm in his blankets, Ron ran his thumb over and over again on her signature. Just his friend's signature on a get-well card, but the mere detail that she had signed it herself was enough. Her calligraphy drawn by the same hand that had once hurt him, not so long ago, with a horde of killer canaries.

The hospital wing door flung open and there appeared McGonagall, wearing her Scottish sleeping gown and pointing with her wand to an seemingly unconscious body floating in the middle of the air, with a bushy, long hair hanging from it, visible through the darkness.
Ron sat up immediately at the same moment McGonagall settled down the girl on the next bed, and Madam Pomfrey turned up as well.

'What's happened with her?' asked both the nurse and Ron, who was already drawing back his blankets to get up.

'You stay there, young man,' prevented Madam Pomfrey, forcing him to stay still with her wand.

He looked to Hermione. Her face was covered in angry purple boils, making it swollen and distorted, and she had fainted.

'She received an ill-performed Boiling Jinx, which was when Madam Pince called me shrieking,' informed McGonagall. 'I reckon she had not even time to defend herself, otherwise she would have been able to divert it. Heaven's sake, in the middle of the library, Poppy, she will explain why soon ─ oh, and here she is,' added the teacher, stern.

Ron got that she couldn't be referring to Hermione anymore and looked towards the spot in the doorway where the witch's eyes were glaring.

'What was going on in your head, Brown? Attacking a very fellow of your own house with no reason? Shameful behavior! 20 points will be deducted from Gryffindor, and you've got a detention!'

Lavender looked embarrassed, but tried to meet Ron's sight in apology. Ron, however, avoided making visual contact with the girl, feeling outraged and angry.

Finally, Lavender said, 'I'm sorry, Professor, I know I shouldn't have done it, and I ─ deserve to be punished.' She glanced at Ron. 'I hope ─ she's gonna be all right.'

'That's better,' replied McGonagall. 'Now come with me, Brown, and I shall tell you your punishment ─'

'Can I ─ have a word with Ron first?' asked Lavender imploringly.

Ron merely stuck his sight up on the ceiling and said, 'Will Hermione be fine?'

'That's for sure,' replied Madam Pomfrey, who had been bent over Hermione, 'I'm spreading diluted Bubotubers pus on her face and that will make it.'

'Please, Ron,' begged Lavender.

'Do you want her to stay, Weasley?' asked McGonagall. 'You have only five minutes, in that case.'

'All right,' said Ron, indifferently.

Madam Pomfrey, though she could grant that much time and left Hermione, whose pimples were slowly deflating, before following out McGonagall, she told her, 'Don't disturb him, or you'll have to leave!'

Lavender nodded and went up straight to Ron's side, covering her mouth with her hands.

'Won-Won, I'm so, so sorry! I didn't mean to do that, I just ─ couldn't see you!'

'And what has Hermione to do with it?' asked her Ron in an icy tone.

'That she was allowed! She wasn't even your friend anymore; she was nasty with you, Won-Won ─'

'Stop calling me like that, ok? I'm not your pet,' snarled Ron. Lavender half closed her eyes in dislike of Ron's attitude.

'Look, Ron, if we're going to have an argument because of her ─'

'Yes, we are, what the hell did she ever do to you?' said Ron, raising his voice.

'Merlin's beards, Ronald, can't you realize it?' retorted Lavender snapping her tongue. 'And I thought she had the heats for you, but I'm starting to see you have the heats for her too!'

'What the ruddy nonsense are you talking about?' Ron's ears were boiling, but he was more than annoyed. 'She's still my friend, and what do you care?'

'I'm your girlfriend, and she's trying to steal you from me!'

'Steal me?' repeated Ron. 'I think I'm a free and old enough person as to not be stolen from anybody, and the only thing I can see here is that she's fainted 'cos you've just jinxed her!'

'She was attacking me!' lied Lavender, infuriated.

'Hermione doesn't attack people for nothing! What were you trying to do, turn her less pretty? Did you think I wouldn't pay her attention if she was ugly?'

'No! I just ─'

'You were wrong then, 'cos she would never be ugly, and you couldn't have gone so far in your rubbishness,' Ron lashed out at her in a disdaining voice.

'I'm your girlfriend, Ron!' shrieked Lavender.

'I don't think so.'

Lavender went out of breath, gaping, outraged.

'You're ─ you're ditching me?'

Ron raised an eyebrow in a clear gesture that didn't leave a doubt. Lavender kicked the leg of Ron's bed and threw an assassin look to Hermione; then stormed off.

Madam Pomfrey entered again seconds after.

'Well, Weasley, now you're going to sleep because it's very late and you've gotten over excited; I knew I didn't have to let her in. I'm confident Granger is already sleeping. Good night,' she said at last, after giving Ron a last spoonful of rue essence, and she lead to her office turning off every light.

Ron punched his pillow and dropped himself again on it, wrapping better with the blankets. He felt agitated, and the bitter sense had come to his throat despite of the brew, but he felt relieved some way.

'Ron?' called him Hermione's voice with shyness from the next bed.

'Hermione, you're awake?' asked her Ron in surprise, lifting his head a bit to look at her, but shadows covered her spot.

'How ─ how are you after ─ you know ─ the poison?' asked Hermione.

'Surviving,' replied Ron in a dramatic voice. 'How are you? You fainted, did you know?'

There was a silence before Hermione mumbled, 'Actually, I've waked up while you and ─ Lavender were shouting. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to listen ─'

'Never mind.'

'I'm ─ sorry,' said Hermione with a great effort, struggling with her pride, 'you had to break up with her because of me. Anyway, I ─ thank you for ─ upholding me.'

'It wasn't your fault; I ─'

'I didn't say it was "my fault", I said "because of me",' Hermione corrected him.

'Ok, it wasn't because of you, then. She can't go hexing people for her stupidity,' retorted Ron. 'In any case, I ─' Ron had been about to say 'I should thank you,' but he thought that was foolish, so changed of subject. 'Why did she do it?'

That wasn't something Hermione wanted to clear, either.

'Nothing, really … It doesn't matter.'

'She said the stuff she was yelling out here too, didn't she?'

Hermione turned to where he was looking, and Ron could see her in a beam of moonlight: her marked visage was almost completely repaired, but in the glint that entered through the window pane, it seemed to glow. Their eyes met for a split second, before she turned her sight away, staring upwards.

'I don't know what she said.'

'You said you were awake, Hermione, c'mon. She said you ─'

'I'm tired, Ron, will you let me sleep?' sighed Hermione, closing her eyes and leaving Ron immersed in confusion and the words he wanted to say, those which hurt his battered throat like the poison.

'About what she said, Hermione, and what I said, you have to know ─' he carried on.

'Ron, you need to rest! Can't you leave me alone?'

Ron stared at her shape outlined in the darkness, but her face was concealed again.

'Hermione ─' began Ron, attempting to sit up.

But Madam Pomfrey's door had opened again, and with a stern voice, the nurse said, 'Weasley, stop talking and get back on the bed right now! For God's sake, you do need that sedative potion, and you're getting it.'

When Ron woke up the following day, it was noon. He remembered what had happened the previous night and his eyes focused the bed beside him, but Hermione had surely left hours ago.

He lay down again, frustrated. He had been determined to tell her, after all … and it couldn't be, once more. Something slightly harder was there, though, between his head and the pillow. Ron took it: it was the Chudley Cannons card. He gave it a glance, and when he did so, he made out a line more had been added to the brief dedication. "I did hear you. Get well."