Chapter 1 – The Need to Know
"They're taking Ron to the hospital wing!" shouted Seamus as he burst into the Gryffindor common room.
Hermione and Ginny looked up from the books they were reading. Shocked expressions exploded across their faces as they leaped to their feet.
"What happened?" cried out Ginny, beating Hermione to the question as the two them bolted toward the door.
"I don't know," he replied as they raced passed him. "But the people carrying him looked very concerned.
The two of them covered the distance down from the Gryffindor Tower and up into the rooms in the Hospital Tower in record time. As they dashed into the room, they saw Madam Pomfrey and a couple of other people tending to Ron as he lay unconscious on a bed. Harry and Professor Slughorn were standing by, watching the proceedings.
"What happened?" gasped Ginny.
"He drank some poisoned mead," responded Harry.
"What?" said Hermione, trying to catch her breath. "How did that happen?"
Harry explained the situation starting with Ron eating the love potion-laced chocolate cauldrons and ending with them going to Professor Slughorn's room where he drank a potion to break the spell, then took the first sip from the poisoned mead meaning to wind down from the love potion. A few seconds different and all three of them might have been poisoned.
By the time he finished, professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Slughorn and Snape had arrived. They all watched with great concern. Ginny pulled a chair up to the left side of the bed to be near her brother. Hermione assumed a similar position on the right side of the bed.
As the professors talked about what happened, Lavender Brown burst in, having heard of the situation. She was at first very concerned about Ron, then became upset that Hermione was sitting next to him as her jealous side jumped up.
The commotion between Lavender and Hermione caused Ron to begin stirring, moaning and then beginning to mumble. His mumbling was incoherent at first but quickly became coherent enough that he was clearly saying "Mione—Mione—Her—mione—Hermione.
Lavender burst into tears and ran from the room. Hermione took Ron's hand, as Ginny tried to suppress a grin. Her heart grew three sizes, and so did the smile on her face as Dumbledore dismissed everyone from the room to allow her to tend to Ron in a peaceful setting. Madam Pomfrey gave him a potion she said would help him rest before she went off to tend to patients in other parts of the hospital.
Time passed, and Hermione stood her vigil into the night. Ron awoke in the morning, feeling reasonably good considering what had happened the evening before. Hermione also woke up. She was particularly cheerful. At Ron's suggestion, she went down to breakfast.
Ginny and Harry were just finishing when she arrived. They had planned to head up to Ron but stayed with Hermione. She told them Ron was awake and feeling much better.
"Madam Pomfrey said he should be okay to rejoin the world by lunchtime," reported Hermione. "He seemed to be feeling good."
"You seem to be feeling good this morning, too," said Ginny to Hermione. "I thought you would be a frazzled wreck from staying up there all night."
"No, I feel pretty good. I slept well once I laid down and went to sleep."
"Great," said Harry, standing up. "Should we go up to see him?"
"If you want," replied Hermione, finishing a light breakfast. "I am going to get cleaned up. I will meet you up there in a little while."
Harry and Ginny walked hand-in-hand up to the room where Ron was still resting, as Hermione headed off to the showers in the girl's dormitory. They arrived as Madam Pomfrey was serving him a modest breakfast along with a potion to help him regain his energy.
"How are you feeling, mate?" asked Harry.
"Are you okay," inquired Ginny.
"I feel pretty good. But that was weird. I don't remember much anything after drinking that mead. I must have been really boggled."
"You were definitely boggled," said Harry. When you collapsed, I thought you were a goner. You gave us a real scare."
"Hermione said you saved me with a bezoar. Thanks."
"You would have done the same. It was a scary few minutes."
Ginny sat, smiling at Ron as he ate his breakfast. First George almost got killed last year. Now Ron had skirted death. She was counting her blessing, wondering how they could walk this passed their parents, especially their mom. Their mom didn't need more of this type of drama in her life.
After he finished eating, Ron said he felt ready to go back to the dormitory and get cleaned up, so he could rejoin the regular world. He got dressed behind the curtain and they walked out of the hospital feeling grateful for having averted the tragedy.
Ron inquired about Lavender, wondering why his doting, smothering girlfriend had not been up to see him this morning. As they walked, Ginny told him that they had broken up last night but was short on any of the details. Harry kept quiet about it, as well.
Hermione had just finished her shower and was brushing her hair when they got back to the Gryffindor common room. Ron left to take his shower while the others chatted. Ginny told Hermione she had told Ron he broke up with Lavender, but that Harry and she had not spilled any of the details. They figured that was more of a talk for the two of them.
After Ron returned, they went outside to relax and enjoy the day. Since it was the weekend, they could pretty much do as they pleased. By the time they returned inside for lunch, Ron was getting curious about the details of why he had broken up with Lavender, even though he was delighted it had happened.
Lavender was sitting across the room from the four of them staring with a hurt, anxious face. Ron could see the breakup was not sitting well with her. He wanted the facts of the matter.
Hermione was only slightly more forthcoming about the breakup than Ginny and Harry. She only said they had spoken briefly and that they had broken up. She didn't give up any hint as to what was said.
"You really don't remember anything about last night," Hermione said in a half questioning voice.
"No, I don't. Well, I feel like I remember something, but it couldn't be. I was really boggled.
"Yes, boggled," replied Hermione, in a voice that seemed almost disappointed, but also relieved he could not recall the night. It made Ron wonder if there was more to the night. He wondered if he was missing something he should not be missing.
The rest of the afternoon passed, and Ron and Hermione found themselves sitting by themselves in the common room. Harry and Ginny had gone for a walk and most of the others were preoccupied with study or other activities.
"What else happened last night after I broke up with Lavender?" he suddenly asked out of the blue.
"Nothing," said Hermione, keeping her voice low to avoid drawing the attention of the others in the room. "Why would you ask that? What makes you think anything happened?"
"I don't know. I just feel like something else must have happened. None of you have given me any details about anything, how we broke up, what happened after that. It just seems weird."
Hermione sat, not saying anything. It was clear she was stuck in deep thought. The truth was there, laying inside her head, but she was not ready to give it up. What was she hiding?
"I know something happened," he said. "What else happened last night? I can tell you are hiding something."
"I don't know what you – what I – uh – what to say. It's too – well – it's too – embarrassing. And you might get mad and well I – well I – uh – I –uh – I just couldn't stand it if–" Hermione sputtered and stuttered, her face getting redder and redder as she tried not to look at Ron.
"I want to know what happened," demanded Ron in a very insistent voice. "I just want to know."
Hermione looked at him in a rare display of high, inner emotional turmoil. Her face was twisting and her lips quivering. She wanted to speak but could not find the words. This inner conflict was threatening to cause an implosion.
"Hermione—" insisted Ron, once again. His voice was a mixture of upset and the desire to know this inner secret she was withholding from him.
"—OKAY!" she blurted, causing the others in the room to jump and look at them. "I'll tell you. But I cannot do it here."
Hermione stood up. After a moment she gave Ron a look that easily translated to "Well, are you coming, or not?" She started toward the exit to the dormitory in a crisp, stiff gait.
Ron jumped up and followed. Now that she was apparently ready to spill the details of her secret he was having second thoughts. It was clearly more than some trivial item. What had happened while he was unconscious? Did he really want to know?