A/N: I will be posting two more chapters within the next week. Also, I will be posting quite a bit of my artwork (mostly Romione) on tumblr the 23 of June 2018. The link is on my profile. Enjoy and please review.

Hermione slowly became aware of the steady heartbeat thudding in her left ear. A comfortable warmth surrounded her. She looked around, seeing the moon stream into the bedroom of Shell Cottage through the small gap between the curtains. Ron was lying on his side next to her, his chest against her side. His head was somewhere above hers and his left arm was draped loosely over her midsection. She could feel his chest rise and fall against her cheek. His breathing wasn't as deep as it usually was when he was asleep.

"Ron, are you still awake?" she whispered.

She received a grunt in response. She moved to sit up, but fell back as a searing pain shot through her torso. The top her head narrowly missed Ron's nose. She hissed and hugged her arms around her ribs and stomach. Ron sat up, looking at her with concern.

"Is the pain worse again?" he asked.

She nodded and shot him a weak smile. "I'm fine"

Ron gently placed a hand over her left one, moving his thumb over her knuckles. "Should I go get Fleur or Bill?" he asked, sounding worried.

"No" she said, shaking her head. "The pain will go away eventually"

"Where were you going anyway?"

"To the bathroom" she replied in a small voice.

"I can help you if it's urgent" said Ron, thankful for the darkness so she couldn't see him blushing.

Now it was Hermione's turn to blush. Had it been any other day she would've declined, but she really had to go and the pain wasn't loosening its hold. "If you don't mind"

*#*#*#*

Ron stood with his back to the loo, trying not to think about what was happening behind him. He could've waited outside, but Hermione was feeling dizzy and he was afraid she might fall if he left her alone.

"Okay, I'm done" she said from behind him.

He turned around and made sure to look just at her eyes. Gently he helped her up and kept her stable while she pulled up her knickers and pyjama bottoms. Her body felt tense from the pain. As Ron took a step back, he noticed the blood on her shirt. It was still wet.

"You're bleeding" he said worriedly.

She looked down and saw the red mark decorating her light blue shirt. "You have blood on you as well" she said, observing the red streaks on his arms and clothes.

He took her left wrist and turned her arm carefully. Blood trickled down her forearm. Her eyes glazed over. Ron took a step closer and placed his hands under her elbows.

"I'm fetching Bill. Just lie down in the tub, I'll be right back" he said, helping her lie down. As soon as she was settled he ran down the hallway to fetch his brother.

They both returned seconds later to find a ghostly pale Hermione in the tub. "Her arm's bleeding again, and the clenching pain in her torso is back. She's feeling dizzy as well. She couldn't get up but had to use the loo. I only noticed the blood now" Ron explained, words coming out in quick succession. "I think she scratched herself in her sleep again"

"Again?" Hermione asked softly.

"I've been suspecting it for a while now, but this time you have blood underneath your fingernails"

Bill, who had been looking at her arm, placed it down next to her. He then pressed down on her abdomen, just a little under her belly button. Hermione squirmed and grimaced, letting out a moan of discomfort. Bill's eyebrows knotted and his lips were in a straight line.

"Have you flushed yet?" he asked Ron, who shook his head. Hermione was taking deep breaths to recover. Bill lifted the toilet seat and peered in.

"Thought so" he said, turning back to the tub.

"What?" Ron asked.

Bill lifted Hermione's arm above her head and used his wand to wet a flannel. "There's blood in her urine. Her abdomen is rock solid, the curse can cause her muscles to contract again periodically a few times some time after if it went on for long enough. The pressure is causing blood to leak into her urine" he explained, summoning a bandage to wrap her arm in.

Ron's eyes filled with concern but Hermione just looked dead tired. "Will she be okay?" Ron asked.

"She needs rest, and we'll keep her as comfortable as possible" Bill answered.

"I told Harry not to push her. She shouldn't be doing research and planning. It's only been two weeks" Ron exclaimed, running his hands through his hair.

"Harry has nothing to do with this, the effects of the curse are just worse than we anticipated" Bill said calmly. "Are you doing okay?" he asked Hermione.

"I've been better" she replied.

"Harry's not here, there's no need to pretend" Ron muttered.

Bill bent over and gently scooped her up in his arms. Her body resisted the movement, but after quite a few grunts and moans, Hermione was back on her bed. Bill quickly cast a silencing spell in Luna's direction before sitting down next to Hermione.

"I need to feel something, and it's going to hurt" he told her. She nodded and lifted her shirt.

"Is this high enough?" she asked.

He nodded, placing his hands down flat so his palms were just above her pubic bone. "Exhale and then hold your breath, okay?" he said.

Ron could see her flat belly rise under his brother's large hands. She looked petite. She closed her eyes and exhaled. His brother suddenly lifted his weight off the bed. The mattress dipped under Hermione's lower back. He could see her squeezing her eyes shut and pressing her lips together. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she didn't scream. Her stomach caved in under Bill's hands.

It was over in an instant, but it had felt like an eternity. Bill sat down again, slowly easing his hands off her. "Are you okay?" he asked. She merely whimpered in response. Slowly he began rubbing large circles over her tummy. She took deep breaths through her nose.

Ron was furious. He slapped Bill hard on the arm. "What the bloody hell was that for?" he asked.

"I had to make sure she wasn't bleeding internally. I know there's a spell for it, but I don't know it. The muscles are tense but luckily the area underneath gave way and felt soft enough that it shouldn't be a problem" Bill explained. "I'm sorry" he said to Hermione.

Ron took her hand and squeezed. She gave him a weak smile and thanked Bill.

"Will you be staying with her?" he asked Ron, who nodded earnestly. "Let me know if she feels or looks worse" he instructed before leaving.

As soon as the door was closed, Ron curled up on his side next to Hermione. She was asleep within seconds, but he continued to rub soft circles on her tummy.