When he awoke the second time, Ron found himself back in the same hospital room. There was now a clear plastic tube jutting painfully out of the back of his left hand, held into place by white tape. Hermione later told him it was there to give him fluids intravenously and keep him hydrated. He blinked his eyes in the bright sunlight bursting through the window. It was then that he noticed Harry and Hermione standing off to one side. He could see they were speaking to each other but to his mounting dismay, he still couldn't hear.

Hermione noticed his eyes were open and she tapped Harry's shoulder to interrupt him and alerted him to Ron's being awake. When Harry turned round, Ron decided they were both wearing hopeful expressions so he mustered a smile.

Hermione sat on Ron's bed her his hip and placed her hand gingerly on his, careful not to touch the tube that snaked from his hand up to a bag on a pole next to his bed. Ron traced the tubes' path up the pole with his eyes. The bag was filled with a liquid, pale pink in color. Ron watched it drip into the tube. He was a little afraid but also fascinated.

"This must be the way Dad feels when he sees Muggle stuff." He thought to himself

Harry had pulled a chair to the bedside opposite Hermione and placed a hand on Ron's knee. Ron turned his head saw Harry smile. Harry started to speak but turned to Hermione, who had tried to casually point to her ear to remind Harry. It was clear to Ron that he wasn't meant to see this exchange when Hermione blushed and pretended a little too late to be playing with her hair.

Ron grunted. He swallowed hard and his ears felt blocked. He thought if he could just blow his nose and change the pressure in his head, he'd be able to hear again. He started to plug his nose and Hermione jumped to stop him, shaking her head. He watched her mouth "Don't do that". He screwed up his face and groaned out loud.

"Why the fuck not?"

Hermione reached out to Harry, who handed her the pen and notepad from the nightstand. She wrote-

Your eardrums are both ruptured from the accident. They are giving you antibiotics-

Hermione paused thoughtfully and crossed out that last word, replacing it with "a healing potion".

Ron rolled his eyes and chided her in his gruff voice-

"I know what bloody antibiotics are, Hermione! When will I get my hearing back?! Why am I in a Muggle hospital and when can I get the fuck out of here?!" He turned to Harry, a little more forcefully than he intended and felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder.

"And you" he said pointedly "what the fuck happened? Why weren't you on the sodding bus with me? Where's Griselda Dionne?" The name had flashed in his memory but he couldn't remember why it was important.

Harry and Hermione both appeared to apologize and held their hands out in front of Ron trying to get him to settle down. Ron sighed heavily, resigning himself. He nodded and his shoulder began to throb.

"Sorry." He said. "But I need some answers."

Hermione tapped his hand to draw his attention. She had written:

The hearing loss isn't permanent but it'll take time to heal. You might not get it back completely, but they're quite hopeful.

Ron let that sink in.

"How long until I heal?"

Hermione wrote as he watched.

2-3 months, hearing should return while you heal.

Ron groaned, it might as well be an eternity. Why was Muggle medicine so slow? As if she could read his thoughts, Hermione started writing again.

All injured passengers from the accident were brought here- you're in good hands. When they discharge you, I'll sort out your shoulder and your arm

"Or we'll go to St. Mungo's – " Ron interrupted, laughing a little. He didn't want the future of his wand arm to be in Hermione's hands, however capable she was she wasn't a trained Healer. She cracked a smile and nodded.

"Can't they fix my ears faster at St. Mungo's?"

To Ron's further disappointment, Hermione shook her head. She wrote, her lips pursed, clearly searching for the right words.

They've already started treating you here. I contacted St. Mungo's and they said the Tinnitolus potion for your ears wouldn't work now you've been taking a Muggle treatment. The tympanic membrane is very delicate, they said to go forward with Muggle medicines and see a Healer if your hearing doesn't come back fully. They might be able to fix that.

Ron watched as Hermione finished writing. Even reading it wrong way up, he got the gist of it. She shook her hand out, tired from writing so fast.

"So, basically – I'm fucked for a bit then." Ron said resolutely.

Hermione laughed a little and sympathetically nodded her head. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek and then the mouth. She cuddled into his chest as Harry reached out for the notebook. Ron breathed in the comforting, soft scent of Hermione's lotion as Harry wrote.

I was on the bus. Don't you remember?

Ron shook his head lightly. He lifted his eyes to the ceiling in concentration. He breathed deeply and tried to relax his mind. It was proving to be slightly easier than expected since he couldn't hear any ambient noises that would have ordinarily distracted him. He remembered watching the woman's shiny black hair swaying behind her as she walked down the street ahead of him. It was the height of the summer and very hot that day but she was dressed as if the temperature was at least 20 degrees lower. It was very easy to follow her because of her distinctive appearance amongst day trippers and students who were much more seasonally dressed. He kept at least 20 paces behind her and feigned window shopping, careful to not be observed. This went on for a while. He didn't remember Harry being around at all; all he remembered was keeping her hair in his peripheral vision as he followed her, then everything went to black.

Ron recounted this to Harry, who frowned. He opened his mouth to speak when he jumped out of his chair.

"Fuck, is that the time? I was supposed to be in the Minister's office 15 minutes ago." He patted his pockets in search of his wand, which he discovered had slipped under the cushion of the chair he'd been sitting in.

"Everything alright?" Hermione asked.

"It's fine but with Ron out of commission, I'm falling a tad bit behind in the investigation."

Hermione nodded her understanding.

"I'll try to get back tomorrow." Harry said as he waved goodbye. He Disapparated, leaving Ron feeling confused and depressed.

"I need out of this place, Mione." He said. "I've got to get back to work, I'm going to go mental." He said once he read Hermione's explanation of why Harry had to leave.

Another day and a half passed before Ron's hearing began to return. A few hours after it started, Ron yearned for silence. His ears were ringing so badly, he clamped his hands over his head and moaned.

"This is intolerable, Hermione. I can't go on like this." Hermione frowned and kissed him sweetly.

"I'm sorry, love. The doctors said this might happen- but it means you're healing!" Ron caught some of what she had said, but her voice was nearly drowned out by the clanging of bells that only he could hear.

Thankfully, the ringing didn't last very long and slowly, Ron was able to understand most of what was said to him. Harry continued stopping in to visit in the afternoons and tried jogging Ron's memory about the events leading up to the accident.

Three days after his hearing began to return, Ron interrupted Harry mid-sentence.

"Mione – answer something for me" he said.

"Hmm?" Hermione replied absentmindedly from behind a book.

"I've been eating and drinking but I haven't…been." He said stressing the last word. Hermione peered at him from over the top of her book.

"What are you asking? Do you not…feel it?"

Ron blanched. Harry sunk down in his chair and suddenly became deeply invested in memorizing one of the hospitals smoking cessation brochures.

"I'll be sorry I asked this. But feel what?" Ron asked apprehensively.

Hermione's eyes drifted casually from his eyes to his groin. Ron's face drained of all remaining color as he lifted the bedsheets and moved his hospital gown aside.

"Oh what the sodding Muggle fuck is that?! Get it out! Get it out!" he yelped.

Harry continued to hide his face and was turning purple to suppress his laughter.

"Don't! Don't touch it! Let me get a nurse!" Hermione jumped up to stop Ron.

"I'm on it!" Harry said leaping up from his chair and out into the corridor.

"Hermione, let me be extra clear;" Ron said through gritted teeth. "Get this fucking thing – the fuck-out of my bell end."

Harry returned with a nurse a second later. She smiled at them all pleasantly. She had a fair complexion and light brown hair secured in a long, neat plait down her back. She was younger and better looking than Ron would have preferred in light of the sensitive topic.

"Well now, Mr. Weasley, your brother here says you'd like the catheter removed."

Ron's ears burned red with embarrassment.

"Erm – yes please."

"Okay, well I'll make a note in your chart so when your doctor comes round today, he'll discuss it with you. Don't worry if he doesn't say yes straight away. Dizziness and problems with equilibrium are quite common in patients with injuries such as yours. We can't have you fainting on the way to the toilet." She sounded altogether too cheerful as she said this.

"Erm – all right then." Ron said grimly.

"If you feel any discomfort, let me know and I'll give you something to take the edge off. Can I get you anything now?"

Ron lifted his chin to look at the ceiling. He thought he'd die of embarrassment, but he couldn't think of other words to use in rephrasing his question.

"Will it – erm, work? I mean – um…my…you know…"

The nurse smiled, mercifully, she understood.

"You'll be just fine. You'll have total function, there's only a slim chance of any sort of lasting erectile issues – it's very rare. You'll need to take it easy for a bit, but you'll be full steam ahead before you know it." She smiled and shot a quick wink to Hermione before she left the room.

Ron thought for a moment that his hearing had gone again. Harry cleared his throat and broke the silence.

"Well. That is officially the longest conversation that I ever want to have about your penis" He said.

The three laughed heartily, until Ron raised his hand to quiet them. His facial expression changed rapidly from laughing to horror.

"Oh no. Oh fucking hell…no…" he said quietly.

"What's wrong?" Hermione yelped.

"Harry – she called you my brother…"

"We had to tell them he was a relative so he could visit." Hermione explained, sitting on Ron's bed facing him.

"Yeah we figure because of this, they reckon I'm adopted" Harry joked ruffling his black mop of hair.

"And anyway, Harry and Ginny are talking about getting married and then he'll be your brother." Hermione was looking at him quizzically. She couldn't understand why he'd brought it up.

"I have brothers." Ron said

"What are you getting at?" Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, slightly annoyed.

"Harry. Hermione." Ron said looking at each of them. "George can never, never know about this."

Harry and Hermione both chuckled and exchanged looks.

"Oh God, of course not!" Hermione laughed.

"I wouldn't even joke about telling George! Shit – he'd never let you hear the end of it. Ever. My god. For the rest of our lives, it would be nothing but cocks and tubes…" Harry said sounding serious.

Shortly after lunch that day, the doctor came in holding Ron's chart and pushing a machine on wheels that Ron recognized from previous hearing tests.

"How are we feeling today, Ron?" he said cheerfully. He was a rotund man of about 45 years old. He stared at Ron over the top of his wire-rimmed glasses. Hermione thought he looked rather like a young Professor Slughorn. He rested one of his hands on his paunch as he spoke.

"Very ready to get this thing out of my cock." Ron said bluntly.

"I don't blame you, it's not very pleasant is it?" the doctor replied jokingly, the apples of his cheeks turning rosy. Ron shook his head.

The doctor pushed his glasses up on top of his head as he spoke.

"The only concern I have is for your equilibrium. We'd have taken it out as soon as you woke up but with these sorts of inner ear injuries, you run quite a risk of getting lightheaded and falling down. You've already got quite the collection of broken bones and a concussion, I don't believe adding a subdural hematoma from a fall would be good for you. But quite honestly, I've never seen a ruptured tympanic membrane heal as quickly as yours. Let's take a look and see about getting you on your feet."

Ron wiggled up in bed to sit up taller as the doctor approached him with an otoscope and sat patiently while the doctor checked both sides and made notations on the clipboard. He didn't say much other than to click his tongue and say something under his breath that sounded like "remarkable".

He then handed Ron a set of earphones and proceeded with the hearing test. Ron concentrated and raised his hands to indicate on which side he heard a series of beeps. A few minutes later, the doctor removed the headphones and nodded, making more notes.

"I have to say Ron, you're doing extraordinarily well. I've never seen anyone heal as swiftly as this. I'm going to have you stand and walk a bit. If you don't get lightheaded, I don't see why we can't remove it. Sound good?"

"That's a plan" Ron said smiling nervously.

The doctor asked Harry to stand on Ron's right.

"If this goes tits up Harry, you'd better catch me." Ron laughed.

Hermione helped Ron move the sheets aside as he swung his feet to the floor. He flexed his feet and stretched his calves. He wiggled his toes as they hit the cold floor. He rotated his good shoulder as his straightened his back. Hermione edged back to the window watching nervously.

"Slowly now, whenever you're ready, give it a go." The doctor said, folding his arms across his chest.

Ron pushed himself up and with Harry's help he stood and wobbled slightly.

"There you are," the doctor said. "Slowly now, shuffle your feet."

Ron nodded and slowly shuffled a few steps, Harry standing very closely, ready to grab him if he lost balance.

"Any dizziness at all?" the doctor asked. Hermione had made her way around the edge of the room and was standing behind the doctor near the door.

"Just a little shaky in my legs, my head's fine." Ron said, shuffling closer to the bathroom door.

The doctor nodded knowingly. "That's from disuse, I believe. Very well done. Now carefully turn round and come back this way. We'll get that out for you."

Harry stepped in a bit closer to help Ron turn without getting tangled in any of the wires or tubes he was attached to. Harry averted his eyes as Ron's hospital gown was open at the back and his bottom was in full view.

"I'm warning you Harry, you breathe a word of this to Georgie or anyone else, and you're dead where you stand." Ron said threateningly. He was still shuffling slowly toward back the bed.

Harry winked at Hermione over his shoulder and made a show of sneaking a look at Ron's bottom and gave it a pinch.

"I've always wondered what you saw in this moody, freckled, ginger git, Hermione. Now I know. It's quite a cute bum isn't it?" Harry joked. Hermione tossed her hair back and laughed.

"Get fucked, ya specky tosser." Ron replied.

Harry laughed again. "Blimey, Ron you've got freckles everywhere, mate. I don't remember seeing all of these in the shower room at school…"

"Now, now boys, settle down." The doctor laughed. "I'll take it from here."

Harry stepped back as Hermione helped Ron get into bed. "I'll let you handle this next bit." He kissed her on the cheek and waved to Ron before leaving.

Hermione rang him later that night from the hospital and thanked him for his help.

"Well of course, Hermione. Any chance to see Ron's bare arse and give him hell about it…" Harry joked.

Hermione laughed and after a moment said, "So, this investigation." She felt Harry's mood change.

"Yeah. It's not going well at all. To be honest with you, I need Ron. I can't do this without him." Harry replied.

"Well that's a lovely sentiment, Harry but I'm sure there are other Aurors in your office who can stand in until he'd well enough." She replied.

"No, it's got to be Ron. He needs to recover his memory from before the accident." Harry said seriously.

"Harry, he's got a concussion – a brain injury – he might not ever remember exactly what happened. It might be beyond even magic to get that memory back."

Harry grunted. "We've got to try. Did they say when he's coming home?"

"He's well enough to come home in the morning. I managed to find a Ministry building with a fireplace connected to the Floo Network a few blocks away but Harry, he's not to return to active duty any time soon. His arm is in very bad shape, he can't hold a wand very well, let alone use it. We're going back home so he can rest." Hermione said defensively.

"Hermione – " Harry started to say.

"Absolutely not, Harry." Hermione said, trying to keep her voice hushed. "The Minister himself can show up in our flat to demand Ron return straightaway and the answer would still be no. He could have been killed in that accident."

Harry tried to think of an argument but he saw no point in getting Hermione worked up, he could hear that tone in her voice that meant she wasn't going to relent. He'd have to concede the point for the evening. They said good night and Harry paced the four walls of the Ministry safe house in Belfast where he'd been staying with Ron while they followed Griselda Dionne and the crime syndicate she was a part of. He got a shiver and wrapped himself in a blanket on the bed. If Ron didn't remember what happened before the accident, Harry had no idea how far back they'd be set. He opened his notebook and reviewed his notes for the hundredth time, hoping that by some miracle, Ron would remember something during the night.