Hermione woke slowly, shaking off odd dreams. She was conflictingly angry, confused and happy. She shivered, a vague recollection of Ron covering her body with his and kissing her passionately. She looked around the dormitory; everyone else was sound asleep.
She showered quickly, borrowing some of Lavender's coconut shampoo because her bottle was empty, then dressed hastily. She had some studying she wanted to get done, since had elected to knit socks last night in lieu of studying.
When she walked into the festively decorated common room, and was surprised to find Ron there, talking quietly with The Bloody Baron.
"Ron?" Hermione asked, confused.
Ron turned towards her at the sound of her voice, grinning lopsidedly, and The Baron dissipated with a scowl.
"You're right on time, as usual." Ron said, looking at his watch.
"Huh?" Hermione said, what was he talking about? She set her book bag down on one of the chairs and sank into it, and pulled out her Arithmancy textbook. Ron walked over and sat across from her.
"Happy Halloween," Ron said to her.
"Happy Halloween." She said to him, trying to sound casual, trying not to remember her dream from that morning. But her skin was tingling, prickly and hot just sitting there, so close to him. Did her voice always sound that breathy when she talked to him? Why was he staring at her? She could feel herself blushing.
"Ron, you're up early...?" She inquired, striving to sound relaxed. Hermione peeked a look up at him, and was relieved to discover that he was staring, not at her, but into the fire.
"I dunno, couldn't sleep." Ron shrugged, still staring into the fire.
That reminded her of her dream. "Bad dreams?" Hermione asked weakly, her voice sounding unordinary husky even to her own ears.
He turned and looked at her, searching her face. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason, really." And that was the truth - she wasn't sure why she had asked, actually. The thought had just sprung into her mind. "You said you couldn't sleep..." She finished lamely.
"Well, yes, actually...I guess you could say I was having a nightmare." He said.
"Like the one where Malfoy-" Hermione started. Then stopped, what was she saying? Where had that come from? She frowned looked up at Ron who looked stunned.
"Like the one where Malfoy did what?" Ron asked in a strangled voice, now kneeling in front of her, an odd look on his face.
"I don't know." She said weakly, "I'm not sure. It was like the thought was in my head, then it was poof - gone. I don't even know why I said that."
"Hermione. Are you remembering things" Ron asked quietly, taking her hands.
"Like what?" She asked, feeling like she was teetering on the edge of something, some great revelation.
Suddenly the common room erupted into a lush beach oasis, shimmering turquoise water lapping at there feet, palm trees swaying, sand hot beneath her bare toes. Bare toes?
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, pulling away from him and walking around. "Where are we? We can't apperate..." This was shocking, beautiful and suddenly frightening. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. Something was nagging at the edge her mind, tugging at her memories. She had been here before, hadn't she?
"It's an oasis charm." Ron said quietly, looking at her face closely.
"An oasis charm." Hermione repeated and looked down at the sand. She could just barely see the outline of the common room beneath the beach charm. "I've been here before." She asked, confused and looking at Ron. "How did you do this spell?"
Suddenly the charm was dropped, and Ron was standing in front of her, putting his wand away. She ran a hand through her hair haggardly and sat down. "This is all so...so..."
"Hermione, this is very important. Tell me what you remember..."
She closed her eyes and had vivid flashes of being pressed up against the Quidditch stands and kissing him, studying with him in the library, crying in McGonagall's office, slapping him. But these visuals didn't mean anything. She felt emotions churning inside her chest, as if these images were actual memories, but she didn't really remember them. She didn't remember doing any of those things! She had the worst headache, it felt like her head was splitting open.
Hermione looked up at his face, he was standing close and shaking her slightly. She couldn't remember ever seeing him look so severe, not even during the Department of Mysteries incident.
"I don't know. It's the strangest feeling." Her voice caught and she found herself in his arms, he was hugging her fiercely. "I remember things that I've never done before, Ronald." She whispered.
"I know." Ron said, "But I'm so happy. I've been so lonely...I've got so much to tell you." Ron pulled away and looked down at his watch. "We'd better get out of here quick, Parvati will be coming along in two minutes."
She looked at him oddly, but he took her hand and pulled her towards the door. "Don't worry, I'll explain everything."
"What did the Baron want?" She asked, all of a sudden remembering seeing Ron talking to him.
"Err...he was looking for Sir Nicholas." Ron answered, tugging at her hand. "Hungry? We can head down to breakfast early if you want."
Hermione shook her head wryly; that was one thing about Ron that would never change. Always hungry.
***
They sat side by side in the Great Hall. Ron filled her plate up with some eggs, a slice of bacon and some toast; exactly what she felt like eating, even though her stomach was still rolling. She looked up at him curiously, but he just grinned lopsidedly and said, "Later."
They ate in silence for a few minutes. "Okay, you have to tell me. Now. I can't wait anymore." She said, putting her fork down, and pushing her plate away.
"Hermione...it's really complicated." Ron turned and looked down at her. "And I've got the feeling this is almost done. We've just got to get through today's classes, I'll skip Quidditch practice and tell you everything..."
She didn't know what to think. Her mind was still reeling and she still had a splitting headache. If anything it felt worse that before. And she kept remembering things.
"I don't want to get expelled..." She asked faintly, holding her head. "It's hard to concentrate. I have the worst headache, Ron."
"What? Why didn't you say something?" He look alarmed. "I'm taking you up to Madam Pomfrey."
***
Hermione was laying in the hospital ward; she could smell the faint odor of antiseptic and mint that always seemed to pervade the bed sheets. Why had she woken? A sudden wave of pain, followed by nausea hit her; the headache was even worse, if that was possible. What was the matter with her?
She could hear a muffled conversation nearby. She strained to hear it.
It was Ron, she thought, and he's angry, arguing with someone.
"This is all your fault, really." A smug voice said.
"You never said this could happen." Ron said, angrily.
There was a pause.
"Really, Weasley...? I thought I had. Did I not tell you these days weren't completely without consequence?" The voice said coldly.
"I'm really sick of your half-answers and bloody allusions to truths. Give me some damn answers, now! How do I fix this? Fix her?" Ron yelled, his voice trembling with fury.
"Temper, temper, Weasley." The voice said softly. "Although I am glad to see you frightened. You have never taken this predicament seriously. And your friends life is in danger."
"Please..." Ron said, his voice pleading. "I don't want her to..."
Hermione tried to turn her head to see who Ron was talking to, but her vision started to blur and she had a hard time concentrating on this moment. It was as if her mind would slip into these bizarre half-memories if she only let it, they tugged at her consciousness unrelentingly.
"Her mind is being pulled apart...In fact, everyone here at Hogwarts...has this future to look forward to...living minds can only hold so much..."
"But why isn't this afflicting me as well?" She heard Ron ask.
"Because you are the one doing the sifting. You have stepped out of the timeline. Time is not effecting you. That is the crux of your problem. But time is effecting them...it is killing them. Her mind and body cannot exist in the multitude of realities that you've created. You're wasting my time and you're killing theirs."
There was a long pause.
"Wait- no. Don't go." Ron sounded anxious. "How...please, can we finish my Temporancy lessons."
Another long pause, and a scraping noise.
"Very well. But I have a favor to ask of you in return. And we should seek out a more private chamber. Your Ms. Granger is listening."