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Ron lay there, unsure of where he was as he drifted back into consciousness. He could feel the warmth of a blanket on him and he heard Luna's sweet voice in the distance. It was dark where he lay still, his eyes not yet open and he listened carefully to the sounds of Ginny and Luna talking amongst themselves while Neville mumbled.

Thinking back, Ron tried to remember what happened as he lay there in the dark, listening to the chatter of Luna and Ginny and trying to catch bits and pieces of it.

"Dey killed Siriuth."

"It's horrible, Harry must be taking it rough."

"Did they get the prophecy?"

"Boken."

"It broke? That's inconvienant."

"I boke it. Tipped on my gown."

The prophecy was gone, broken. Sirius was dead. Why couldn't Ron remember any of this? Why couldn't he remember the battle they were discussing. Dumbledore hadn't been there. Tonks hadn't, or Professor Lupin. He couldn't remember Neville tripping, breaking the prophecy and he didn't understand why Neville's voice sounded muffled, like he had something in his mouth. What had happened? Why couldn't Ron remember these things? Surely he hadn't been Obliviated, otherwise he wouldn't recognize Neville's voice, or Luna's, or his sister's but where was...

Suddenly, Ron's stomach dropped. Where was Harry? Where was Hermione? Harry was obviously alive, otherwise Luna wouldn't have mentioned him taking Sirius' death rough. They wouldn't have said anything about it but no one had even said Hermione's name yet. No one had mentioned where she was.

Fighting, Ron tried to open his eyes. He had to wake up, he had to see what had happened to the two of his closest friends. He pushed, forcing his eyes open to figure it out.

"Ron?" He heard his sister ask and then a shuffle as the light blurred into his eyes. He saw her red hair, still a blurry cloud around her head, on the other side of the Hospital Wing. He recognized that much as Luna ran over to him, her own blonde hair distinguishing her from the others as his eyes cleared up, focusing on her beautiful face. She had a bandage wrapped around her head and her face was bruised lightly, a slight cut in her lip.

"Don't move Ronald," She said softly, her voice a soft mourning tune to his ears. "The Death Eaters attacked you with Nargles. They entered your brain and caused you to hurt yourself."

"Hurt...myself?" Ron asked, looking at Luna confused.

"You called for a brain in one of the rooms." Ginny answered, "Foolish really but when it came to you, it wrapped it's tentacles around your head."

"Tentacles?" Ron asked again, now even more confused. What had happened? Where was Hermione? Why were they saying he was attacked by a brain? "Brain?"

Luna nodded softly. "It was quite astounding. It came after you, attacked you and you fought it off. I think with the Nargles, it was a bit too much though. You are fine now."

"I am?" Ron asked before looking down at his body. He didn't have a scratch on him, not even a bandage around his own head. Instead, he just looked the same as he always did minus a slight headache. He assumed that was from the pressure of the tentacles these brains supposedly possessed though. "What about Harry? Hermione?"

"Harry is fine." Ginny tell him. "He has been in and out of here checking on us for the past couple of days. Hermione got hit in the head but has already been released. We see her every once in a while but mostly she spends her time studying now."

"Studying?!" Ron exclaims as if the thought were rubbish. "But...we already took our O.W.L's."

Ginny shrugs, almost to herself. "You know Hermione." She says as if that explained it all. "She said that she had a study partner who was ready to see her. Wouldn't mention his name though. She said she just had to let him know she was okay."

"HIM!?" Ron answered furiously. He didn't have feelings for Hermione, not that way at least, but the thought that she was keeping a guy from Ron and Harry did bother him. The three of them didn't keep anything from each other.

"I don't know anything about him!" Ginny snaps back quickly. "So don't even ask me! All I know is what I hear!"

The next day, the four teens were released from the Hospital Wing, giving Ron a chance to talk alone with Luna. Neville had pulled Ron aside in the Hospital Wing, whispering to him what all he had confessed to the group of them. That he was 'Looney for Luna Lovegood' and how he was 'In love with a Lovegood' as Ron's face turned bright red with embarrassment, nearly causing his face to match his hair in color. Now he needed to talk to Luna, he needed to explain himself and he knew exactly where to find her.

Making his way down the hill from the castle, Ron saw Luna sitting there on the side of the the lake. She sat there staring at a group of ducks swimming across the lake distantly, as if the battle in the Ministry had never occurred, as if Sirius had never died. Ron couldn't help but have more respect for her for that. It had happened and from what Ron had heard, since he didn't remember any of it, Luna had fought bravely but she seemed to know that grieving over everything wouldn't change Sirius' death. It wouldn't change Ginny's broken ankle or Neville's broken nose. It was pointless.

Trying to discreetly catch Luna's attention without startling her, Ron cleared his throat causing her to turn around.

"Oh, hello Ronald." Luna said softly, facing him. Ron quickly stuck his hands in his pockets to try to hide the fact that they were shaking.

"Hey," He answered softly before looking down at his feet. "Ummm...what are you doing?"

"Watching the ducks." Luna replied, her voice dancing delicately into his ears. He loved how carefree her voice sounded, how innocent and pure it really was. "Sometimes the Threstrals like to eat them as a snack, but I hope they don't this time. The ducklings are having so much fun. You can sit down if you like." She said, patting the spot of grass next to her.

"Thanks," Ron answered, sitting down. "Threstrals, huh? Why would they eat ducks?" He couldn't argue the fact that they were real anymore. Even though he didn't see them for himself, he had felt one. He had rode on it from Scotland to London. There had to be something realistic in that.

"They are meat eaters of course. They like steak and birds. But I suppose as long as the ducks don't wander off too far, they should be safe." Luna told him with a smile.

"Right." Ron whispered, looking down at his hands again nervously. He didn't know what else to say to Luna. How to tell her that he was unsure if he really did love her. He thought he did, but couldn't be positive. Instead of asking her, he leaned in quickly and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you Ronald," She answered, her eyes looking no more shocked than what they always did. "You really are a great kisser."

"Really?" Ron asked before feeling her lips on his, her mouth exploring his. Her kisses had a sweet taste, almost like honeysuckle and her hair smelt beautifully plain, like springtime and cinnamon. He couldn't help it as Ron reached back, placing his hand on the back of her head as he lay her back in the grass as if he were setting her delicate head on a pillow. Leaning over her, he kissed her like he had never kissed before. Their embrace was filled with passion, her lips were his newest addiction. Better than butterbeer or his mum's cooking. They overwhelmed him.

He felt as Luna's hands glided along his back, pulling his chest closer against hers until he could feel her heartbeat against his own. Her fingertips toyed with the bottom of the back of his shirt until her hands were under his shirt, against his bare skin. Ron knew where this was headed and quickly pulled his head away.

"We don't have to." He whispers softly, brushing Luna's hair out of her face.

Luna looked up at him, having never been this far with a guy before. She was nervous but knew deep down inside she wanted it. "I will Ronald." She answers, her eyes gazing into his. Ron took the answer, quickly taking of his own shirt to expose his bare chest. He was more gentle with removing hers, kissing her bare skin after every button he undid, although he couldn't hide the fact that his hands were shaking so much that it took twice as long as what it was probably supposed to just to remove her shirt.

With the tall grass being the only barrier between them and Hogwarts, the only thing stopping them from being spotted, Ron continued to explore Luna and right there by the lake, with only the ducks as their witnesses, the young couple gave each other the one thing they could never take back.