OK people. This chapter isn't the a very eventful one but let me assure you that it is necessary and will lead to greater things. Ha! I've got you pondering now haven't I. No? Oh well.
Hermione spun round, eyes wide open. Ron was moving! He was alive!
She jumped up from her chair and flung her arms around him, kissing him on the forehead.
"I thought you were going to die!" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes.
Ron opened his eyes sleepily, then, taking in his surroundings, sat up so suddenly, Hermione was almost knocked from the bed. Hermione watched as he looked around the room, at the clock, at the dying flowers, at the gown he was wearing, then, finally at her. His eyes were bloodshot but still that same ever penetrating, sky blue. He gazed at her for a moment and she took the opportunity to stare at him. His face was for the first time in half a year, animated and, well, alive. His hair hadn't been cut and was falling over his right eye and irritating him but he did not move it.
"Where am I?" he asked quietly.
"St. Mungos." She replied softly. She had never stopped to think what to say to him when, or if, he woke up. How could she explain to him that he had missed half a year of his life and that the war was over?
" Fuck! We can't stay in here!" he yelped, starting to push back the sheets.
"Why not? Ron calm down!" She pushed Ron firmly back against the pillow and pulled the sheets back up, holding each corner down so that it pinned him to the bed.
He looked at her as if she was mad.
"What in Merlin's name are you doing?" he asked incredulously.
"We have to go and find Harry, Voldemort could kill him! He needs our help!" he was shouting by this point. A single tear ran down Hermione's cheek. Ron stopped struggling under the sheets.
" He isn't dead is he?" his voice was cracked and she could see tears starting to build in his eyes.
"NO!" she exclaimed running a hand through her hair.
"No, nothing like that but Ron listen to me ok?"
Ron nodded before prompting, "What's going on Hermione?"
She took her hand from her dark curls and brushed away his fiery red hair from his eye before resting her hand on his shoulder.
"Ron," she took a deep breath.
"The war's over. Voldemort is long gone. Harry defeated him thanks to you. A death eater shot for Harry but you jumped in and you took it for him. You saved him."
More tears were starting to stream down her cheeks as she watched Ron try to comprehend what she was saying. She took another deep breath and continued.
"It knocked you unconscious. You've been in a coma for six months Ron. It's September 16th."
Ron blinked and looked away, but not before she saw a tear run down his freckled face.
" I don't understand," he choked, looking back at her, obviously deciding it was hopeless trying to hide his tears.
"How, how can one minute, I be, be running around a graveyard flooded with death eaters on a dark evening in February and wake up in a bloody hospital in September?!? How can it all be over? How can, after all the years I've put into helping Harry destroy Voldemort, I have missed the end of the war and Voldemort's death?" Hermione brushed a tear from his face.
" I thought you were going to die Ron," she whispered.
" Your family, Harry and I visited you almost every week of that coma and you did nothing every single time. I'd just about given up hope. I can't believe you're awake."
Ron stared at her. "Where are the rest of them?"
"Huh? Oh they've all gone home. It's after one in the morning."
"How come you stayed?"
Hermione began to ponder how best to answer this but was saved the bother as Ron retched into a bowl at the other side of his bed.
"Oh shit. Here." She handed him some tissues.
"Thanks," and for the fist time in half a year, Ron smiled.
"I'll go and get your family." Ron spat another bit of vomit into the bowl. Quickly she poured him a glass of water before leaving the room.
All the way to the apparating area, she couldn't wipe the smile off her face. He was back, he was back, he was back! Quickly she stepped into the designated area and appparated to the burrow.
Everything in the burrow was quiet but as soon as she appeared in the kitchen she began to yell, while running up the stairs, banging on doors.
"RON'S AWAKE AND HE'S OK!!!"
By the time she reached Arthur and Molly's door, they were waiting outside and Mrs Weasley grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her firmly.
"Are you sure? Is he really moving and, and talking?" she asked.
Hermione nodded and a smile exploded over Mrs Weasley's face. Soon the whole house was cheering and within minutes, was assembled in the kitchen. All were smiling and Harry was the third person that morning that had tears in their eyes.
They were just starting to file out into the yard when the flames in the nearby fireplace suddenly turned to green.
"Hemi-o-ninny?"
Everyone stopped and turned back towards the doorway.
Hermione suspected from the moment she heard the voice, whose it was and, sure enough, as she watched, Viktor Krum's head appeared, floating in the flames.
" I is sorry to hear about Ronald."
His voice wafted across the kitchen and Ginny turned and glared at Hermione. When Ron was hospitalised, Ginny had voiced to Hermione her concern that Viktor would try and toy with her now fragile emotions to his benefit. Hermione, not wanting a confrontation at the time had lied and said that she and Viktor no longer contacted one another and had not done so for some time. However, as Ron continued to sleep, she had needed to vent her emotions to someone and had started to write frequently to Viktor. Of course, she only told Viktor half the story. She said that Ron was one of her best friends. She could not bring herself to tell him that she felt more for Ron than friendship.
Quickly, before Viktor said anything else, she turned to the Weasleys and Harry.
"You go, I'll catch up."
No one argued, as they were all desperate to see Ron, so left without protest. Ginny gave a frown as she closed the kitchen door.
Of all the times he could have contacted her why now? She sighed and walked over to the fire, sitting down on the rug. She smiled at him and he smiled back. Although she they had written back and forward often the two had not met face to face for over a year and they took a moment to study each other. Hermione did not see much of a difference except he looked tired and had more stubble than usual.
"How are you Viktor?" she leaned forward, then back as she remembered she had rather a low cut top on.
" I is keeping average."
"Well I have some good news." She smiled again and his eyes widened as they did when he was pretending to be interested.
"Ron has woken from his coma. He is recovering." Viktor frowned. Taking this as a sign that he did not understand she tried again.
" He is better, he stopped sleeping, he…"
"I understand what you is saying," was it just her or did he sound rather snappy.
"You are looking beautiful." At his words, she forgot her concern.
"Thank you, you don't look bad yourself. What was it you wanted anyway?"
She did not wish to be rude but she was curious and anxious to get back to Ron. Viktor looked offended and his smile flickered but he answered.
" I is coming to Britain in two weeks to play quidditch. I was wondering if you would wish to meet?"
Now it was Hermione's turn for her smile to falter.
"I would like to …" Ginny's words were ringing in her head;
Viktor could try and toy with your fragile emotions to his benefit.
"…but I am very busy." She concluded quickly.
Viktor did not speak and the silence was becoming awkward and possibly… hostile?
"When and where was it you were thinking of meeting?" she tried to ask casually.
His face lit up again at her words.
"The first of October. The pixie palace for dinner at 8 at the evening. Then perhaps you could stay the night, I would book us both rooms and we could have breakfast also in morning."
I would love to Viktor but…" Hermione trod carefully, not wanting to offend him again.
"…as I said, it could be difficult. Do you understand? I am very busy."
Viktor nodded.
"I will talk to you in a week OK?" She was anxious that he was annoyed with her but he seemed to understand and he smiled.
"I hope you will come. Goodbye Hermi-o-ninny." Before she could reply, the flames had returned to their normal colour and he was gone.
TADA! Wasn't that boring? Never mind. It is relevant to the plot. All will be revealed in good time...
