Chapter Four: The Inevitable Discovery
"Enervate." Within seconds Hermione's eyes blinked open and she let out a frustrated groan.
"Why did I have to go to sleep again!" She screamed as she sat up in her bed and looked at Harry and Snape who were looming most uncharacteristically around her bed.
"You fainted." Harry said and then frowned.
"So, you tell me that Ron was okay. Where is he?" Hermione asked ignoring their worry. "I want to see my fiancé."
"Uhm…" Harry was once again speechless. "Ron's uhm…"
"He's fine. You told me this." Hermione was getting upset with worry but knew that there had to be a justifiable reason why he wasn't with her. "Answer me Harry, please. How long has it been?"
And of course, this was the time that Dobby decided to poke his head into the room and drop of a bowl of steaming vegetable soup before bowing low to Harry and disappearing into thin air. Hermione sneered at the bowl of soup, not feeling at all hungry at the moment.
"You should eat your food, Miss Granger." Snape said curtly before he pulled back on Harry's collar. "When you are finished, we will return." He yanked Harry out of the ward ignoring the protests from Hermione.
"She doesn't know she's been asleep for nearly a month!" Harry said in frustration as soon as Snape put a silencing charm on the Hospital doors. "And worse of all, Ron isn't here and I don't even know to go about explaining his behavior."
"Rest assured that it could be worse, Potter." Snape sneered and Harry glared at him.
"Yes 'rest assured' indeed. I don't know about you, but I happen to have a clue what it feels like to wake up and discover that someone no longer loves you!" Harry started to pace, as was his normal stressed behavior.
"I am not about to divulge my personal life to you, Potter, but at least little Miss Know-it-all is not dead!" Harry paled at the words.
"I don't honestly know which I would choose; death or heartbreak, but if Hermione is the way I remember her being, it is going to devastate her." Harry sat on a long bench just outside of Hospital wing. "Why do you care anyway!" Snape glared at him, hating the fact that he asked the one question he didn't know the answer to at the moment.
"Miss Granger saved my life during the war, it is the least I can do." Harry gaped silently at Snape and they sat in silence waiting a while to re-enter the room until they decided she must be finished.
"I've eaten the bland soup and I feel fine. There has got to be an explaination for all of this and I want it now!" Hermione glared at the two people before her curiously.
"You've been asleep for the past three and a half weeks." Snape said immediately, feeling obliged to answer her. Hermione gasped loudly and Harry winced, wishing that he did not have to experience her wrath.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THREE WEEKS!!" She threw her empty soup bowl across the room. 'Gryffindors', Severus deduced from her actions.
"Hermione." Harry said soothingly, going to her side to comfort but when he got within arms reach, she smacked him away. "Wait!"
"I have been asleep for nearly a month and I have no idea why, how it happened, and where my soon-to-be husband is and you want me to wait?" Hermione's voice was low with rage. "I expect you get his arse in here now!" Harry whispered something inaudible to Snape and he left the room on the search for Mr. Weasley.
"Hermione, you have got to trust me." She scoffed lightly. "Ron was worried when he found that you were hurt. He couldn't handle it much longer."
"That explains absolutely nothing, Harry. Now why don't you actually tell me what happened that night!" Harry sighed and frowned.
"Well, after the death eaters were wrangled up and you were put in the hospital wing, we realized that you weren't waking up. Madame Pomfrey tried everything. The wizarding world has been celebrating since then. Uhm…" He paused to ruffle his hair, "Me and Ron were by your bedside-"
"Ron and I-" Hermione interjected, hating the use of grammar.
"Yes. We were with you the first week and then Ron stopped coming because he couldn't handle it. Madame Pomfrey said it was all up to you to wake up and we didn't know if you would." Harry had tears forming in his eyes again. "I was so worried." Hermione leaned over and hugged Harry tightly and sighed into his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Harry." She cried softly, trying to think of why she was asleep for so long, when they were interrupted by the opening of the door. "Ron!" Hermione screamed in joy at seeing her fiancé come into the room. He smiled awkwardly at her. Followed closely behind Ron was Lavender Brown and Snape.
"Hey He-Hermione." He stood a few meters away from her bed. Hermione noticed the severe scowl on Harry's face at seeing Lavender and wondered why.
"Come here." Hermione said, spreading her arms to accept a hug. "I missed you." Ron took a few steps forward her and then looked back towards Lavender. Hermione noticed this and dropped her arms.
"Hermione-"
"Ron, what is wrong?" She could see Harry shifting uncomfortably and Lavender stepped around Snape to stand closer to Ron.
"I had to move on." He said as Lavender wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled. Harry looked towards his feet and Severus was boring holes into Ron's head with his eyes. Hermione felt the hurt welling inside of her stomach.
"I-I," She took a few calming breaths, the tears falling from her face, "You," finding the words was a bit difficult for her. She looked skeptically at Lavender and then to Harry's solemn face.
"You gave up on me." She stated sadly and looked away from Harry, Lavender and Ron to see the unusually sad face of Severus Snape. That was when she lost it.
AN: Hope you are enjoying, I know I am... I'll try and update soon.
