Chapter 9! I didn't think it would get this far. I love this story with a passion. I have gotten some suggestions from you, the readers, and I have to figure out where I'm going to throw that in… But for now, keep reading and reviewing! : ) Thanks, and enjoy.

"You were with her when we were in school?" Ron roared, swinging the door so hard it swung back into him. He shoved it back and let it slam as he stepped into the room.

"It's none of your business what we were doing when she was in school!" I roared back, jumping out of bed and swiftly brandishing my wand.

"Where did you hear that?" Hermione asked timidly.

"Does it matter? You… you whore! I thought you loved me! You said you loved me!"

I dug the tip of my wand into his throat.

"Call her that again and I'll make sure you can never talk again."

"Ginny!"

Luna, Charlie, Harry and Mum ran in, and the latter three were trying to pull me away.

"Ginny, please…" Hermione cried, "You're going to kill him!"

Her words were foggy; I was blinded by rage. My hands trembled with fury and I curled my lip into a snarl.

"Gin, come on, I mean, we can talk about this," Ron mumbled nervously.

"Coward," I hissed, "you always were a coward!"

"Ginny Weasley," a serene voice said softly, pulling me from my angry state.

I looked up to meet Luna's silver eyes.

"Let go of him," Luna said softly.

I hadn't realized I had my left hand wrapped around his shirt, holding him in place. I loosened my grip and let him go. Tears of rage were welling up in my eyes. I couldn't deal with this anymore; I ran out of the room, shoving Ron aside.

"Ginny!" Hermione called after me.

I ran and ran, my tears blinding me, and the only reason I stopped was because I couldn't breathe. I collapsed onto the floor, my chest feeling tight and my head spinning. I felt like I was fading, but someone lay my head on their lap. Warm droplets of water fell onto my face and I blinked, startled.

"Ginny, are you okay? Please, answer me!"

"He… Hermione?" I asked.

I felt weak, and I couldn't breathe. I was gasping for air, wondering what was wrong with me. Did I run too much, and perhaps tired myself out? What was going on?

"Ginny, please, talk to me, love! Please!"

I felt my eyes closing slowly.

"Ginny!"

A new voice. Luna's.

"Luna…"

I forced my eyes open to see Luna's concerned silver eyes looking down at me.

"What's going on, Ginny?"

I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. My eyes rolled into the back of my head and all I could see was black.

When I woke up, my vision was blurry. It took a while for things to come into focus. The surface under me felt stiff and itchy. There was a warm sensation across my torso. I looked to my left. A body was lying against me, and my neck felt wet. When things finally did come into focus, I realized the body against me was Hermione. I looked around. I was in a hospital room.

Damn, I thought. What the bloody hell is going on?

"Ginny?"

I looked to my right. Luna sat beside my bed, eyes red and swollen.

"Luna…" I said hoarsely. It hurt to speak.

"Shh, love, don't talk. It's all right now…

I looked at her, trying to ask with my eyes, what was wrong with me?

"You have a magical form of what muggles call "asthma. It--."

"Ginny?" a groggy voice asked.

I looked to my left, where Hermione was lying.

I smiled weakly.

"Can you… talk?"

I shook my head. Hermione kissed my lips gently.

"It's all right, love, everything is okay now. I'm here," she murmured. Her eyes were also red and swollen, and she had tear stains running down her cheeks.

I turned to Luna, to hear the rest of her explanation.

"Your airways closed, and you've been out for a couple of days. You could have died, Ginny…"

Luna's eyes filled with tears again, and she turned away. I reached for her, and gripped her hand. She laid her head against the bed, and silently cried.

"'s okay…" I said hoarsely. "'m okay…"

I touched her face softly and wiped away her tears. My eyelids felt heavy.

"Rest a bit… we'll be here when you wake up, all right? I should go and tell your family you've woken up, if only for a few moments." Luna said, her voice breaking.

My eyes closed, and I slept. I don't know how long I slept, only that when I woke up, it was light outside. I woke up to loud talking, and Mum complaining about the quality of food the hospital was trying to feed her only daughter. I opened one eye sleepily, and immediately, everyone clamored over me.

Hermione, I noticed, was glaring at Luna, who was gripping my hand tightly. My mouth felt dry, and my eyelids still felt heavy, but I managed to keep them open.

"Oh, Ginny! Are you all right, dear? Do you need anything? Shall I call the healers for you?" Mum asked, brushing my hair away from my eyes.

"Did… I miss school?" I asked.

"No, dear, school starts next week," Mum replied, taken aback.

"Is there water around?" I asked. It didn't hurt to speak anymore.

Mum handed me a glass of water, and Luna helped me sit up. I was still weak, and felt a little dizzy. I drank the water nonetheless, and turned to Hermione when I had finished.

"Hermione, what's wrong?"

She had a look of pure spite in her eyes, but her expression softened when she looked at me.

"Nothing, love… Everything's okay."

"Are you…"

I followed her gaze when she looked away. She was watching Luna fix my pillows for me. I was curious as to why Luna would upset her. Luna couldn't harm a fly. A death eater, maybe, but not a fly.

"Um, can I have a word with Hermione alone, everyone?"

Everyone wished me well as they exited the room, and Luna kissed my forehead softly before departing.

"Hermione, what's going on?"

"Nothing," she replied stubbornly.

"Hermione, please… I'm on my deathbed here---."

"Don't say that! You're fine, you'll be fine!"

"Sorry… I just want to know what's bothering you."

"I just feel threatened… Luna is Merlin knows what to you, and I want to be your everything. I want to be the one you love, and I feel like I'm not…"

"Hermione…"

I lifted her face to meet her eyes with mine.

"I love you. What me and Luna had, whatever it was, it's over now. I've waited so long to be able to call you my one and only. Please understand that. You're the only one for me. I love you, and only you."

"It's just the way she looks at you, Gin, and the way you look at her."

"I love her, Hermione, but not the way I love you. You're my world. You have my heart. That, I promise you. Luna is just a friend to me, my best friend."

I looked into her eyes sincerely. She looked back, I suppose to see the truth in my eyes. What she found, she wasn't satisfied with, for she had gotten up from my hospital bed and paced the room.

"What if you develop feelings for her? What if she develops feelings for you? What if everything goes horribly wrong?"

"Hermione… stop listening to your brain. Turn it off, all right? Listen to your heart, for once. Please believe me when I say I love you."

She stopped. Her eyes met mine again and she walked over to me.

"Kiss me?" I asked.

She leaned down and pressed her lips to mine softly. I felt the spark, the fireworks that only she made me feel. My stomach erupted with butterflies and my heart pounded a steady, rapid beat in my chest. I kissed back eagerly, and pulled her down into the bed with me.

"Hello," she whispered, holding herself above me.

"Hello," I whispered back.

We shared a smile and another kiss before she lay down beside me. Her arms slid around my waist and I snuggled into her. This is how it should have been. I thought it would be bliss from there on, but I was wrong…