Here's the next chapter. Review please, and I hope you enjoy it.
Ron couldn't figure out if it was late at night, or really early in the morning. It was dark
and the curtains in the hospital wing were closed. He was about to shut his eyes again,
when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. It was Hermione.
Was he dreaming? Was she really there? He had to see if it was for real. Ron turned over
on his side and brushed his hand across hers. he felt her soft skin. She really was there
with him. A smile spread across Ron's face.
"Maybe you don't completely hate me afterall," he whispered to the sleeping Hermione.
Ron just stared at Hermione' he watched her sleep, listened to her breathe.
After a few minutes Hermione started to move a bit, a moment later she was awake,
rubbing her eyes.
"What time is it?" she asked herself.
"Really early, or really late," Ron said quietly, grinning.
"You're up," she whispered. "Thank God," she said, standing up and turning around.
"You're not leaving already, are you?" Ron asked, getting up to follow her.
"No, I'm not going," she said softly.
"So why aren't you looking at me?" Ron asked gently, turning her to face him, forgetting all the
months they had spent fighting and ignoring each other.
Hermione wipes her face quickly.
"Hey," Ron said nervously. "Why are you crying?"
"You almost dies, Ron," she said quietly. "And we weren't even on speaking terms," she sighed.
"Forget about that, okay?" he said.
"It's not an easy thing to forget, Ron," she told him.
"If you can't forget, do you think we can at least try to go back to the way things used to be;
before you started to hate my guts," he asked, looking at the ground. "I missed you "Mione."
"I missed you too," she said, hugging him.
Almost immediately, she pulled away from him.
"What do you think you're doing?" she asked.
"What?" Ron said, confused.
"Get back in your bed. Madam Pomfrey will kill me if she sees you walking around,"
Hermione said bossily.
Ron just laughed.
"Are you going to make me drag you back over there, or are you going to do it
yourself?"
"I'm going. I'm going," Ron chuckled.
He got back into the bed, and Hermione sat back down on the chair.
"So, what's new with you, besides being stuck here?" Hermione asked, in a calmer tone.
"Nothing really. Lavender is really starting to annoy-" Ron decided not to finish his sentence.
Hermione didn't show it, but she was laughing on the inside.
"What about you Hermione, anything new?"
"No. Everything is is pretty much the same as usual," she said.
"How's Cormac?" Ron asked, with a hint of disgust in his voice.
"I don't know, and I don't care how 'Mr. Can't keep his Hands to Himself' is doing. He was a
creep," Hermione said, without thinking how Ron would react.
"What did he do? He didn't-"
Hermione cut Ron off.
"Don't worry about it. He didn't do anything," she said quickly.
"Good. But you know, if something did happen that night at Slughorn's party, something you
might not have been able to handle alone, you could've always come to get me," Ron said,
quietly.
"I can take care of myself, even though without magic I may be at a slight disadvantage,
physically, where males are concerned," Hermione said, sounding annoyed and grateful at the
same time.
"I didn't mean anything by what I said. I know you can take care of yourself. Your brains can
probably outmatch any guy's brawn. I'm just saying, if you did need help, you could have come
to me."
"That's nice of you to say. I always used to know if worse came to worse, I could go to you for
help, but that night, if I really needed you, you wouldn't have been there for me," Hermione said,
almost whispering.
"Of course I would have," Ron told her.
"You were too busy with Lavender to think of me that night," Hermione said, sounding hurt, and
remembering Ron and Lavender's very public display of affection. Suddenly Hermione felt like
she was going to cry.
"Damn you, Ron." she thought. Look what you do to me," she thought.
Ron actually looked like he was quite ashamed of himself.
"It doesn't matter, though," Hermione said, hoping her voice didn't sound too
shaky. "Everything is okay now."
Ron smiled a bit, and so did Hermione.
"Mione?"
"Yeah?"
"Regardless of Lavender, I swear, if you ever need me, I'm there. No matter what," Ron
said sincerely.
Before Hermione could respond, Lavender came running into the room.
"Speak of the devil," Hermione muttered.
"Won-Won," Lavender squealed.
Hermione cringed and Ron looked positively annoyed.
As much as Hermione disliked Lavender, she thought she should give her some time with
Ron; that was before Lavender opened her stupid mouth.
"Why didn't anyone tell me you were here?" Lavender pouted. "Why is she here? I'm the one
who's your girlfriend?"
"I'm here because i wanted to make sure he was okay," Hermione snapped.
"And because I want her here," Ron said. "It was nice of you to come down, Lavender, but
why don't you head back upstairs. I'm fine really," Ron said, desperately wanting Lavender to
leave.
If he was being honest, he had trying to avoid her for awhile now. He started to find her
annoying, and just wished that she would some how leave him and find another guy.
Hermione stayed quiet, just listening to Lavender and Ron. She had to hide her smile when
Ron told Lavender to leave. Maybe he really didn't want to be with her anymore. Maybe
Hermione wouldn't have to put up with much more of Lavender.
"Why should I leave if she's still here. Who the hell is she? I'm your girlfreind, remember? Plus,
if I go, who's going to take care of you?" Lavender said rudely.
"Shut up Lavender. You're way out of line," Ron said angrily.
Hermione wanted to get up and dance, but decided on some choice words for Lavender
instead.
"Ron's a big boy, Lavender. he can take care of himself. Plus, Madam Pomfrey is here too."
"But-" Lavender objected.
"If you're so worried about taking care of him, leaving would probably be the best way to do
that, because I think you're giving him a big headache," Hermione said, in a falsely sweet voice.
"How rude!" Lavender exclaimed.
Ron was watching the two girls in amazement. 'Maybe Hermione will get her to back off of me,'
Ron thought hopefully. 'I hope Lavender leaves me.'
"A minute ago you asked who the hell I was. Well, I'll tell you. I'm the girl who's known him for
the past six years. I'm the girl who knows his family. I'm the girl that's always been there; the
one that's not going anywhere now. Let me put it to you like this Lavender, 3 months- girlfriend
or not, has nothing on six years," Hermione hissed.
Lavender was momentarily speechless, and Ron was still gawking at both girls.
'What's wrong with me?' Hermione thought. 'I'm fighting Lavender for Ron. What happened to
waiting for him to figure things out? I've said enough to Lavender. If Ron is really done with
Lavender, and wants to be with me, he can do some fighting of his own. I've done enough
already,' she thought.
Lavender glared at hermione, who returned the glare gladly.
After this, Lavender got up and walked to the door. "I'll let you rest now, but I'll be back later,"
she said, leaving.
Ron got up to close the door behind her.
"Get back in that bed," Hermione ordered.
"I thought you said I could take care of myslef," Ron smirked.
"I only said that to get Lavender off your back. Now lie down," she said. "We both know you
don't take the greatest care of yourself."
Ron laughed. "How do you know that?"
"Gee, maybe because I have been taking care of you and dear Harry since our first year here,"
Hermione said, trying to sound serious and hide her smile.
Ron grinned. "You should probablt head back upstairs too," Ron said.
"Oh. You want me to leave?" she said quietly.
"No, but I know you've got work to do. I don't want you getting swamped because of me."
"That's very considerate of you," she smiled. "As long as you're feeling okay, I guess I can go."
" Hermione, could you do something for me?"
"Okay."
"If you've got some time when you finish your homework, would you come back and see me?"
"Sure," she said happily.
"Okay, I'll see you later," Ron grinned.
"Bye Ron."