A/N: Hi friends! Just want to say thanks for the reviews so far. This is a shorter chapter, but I should have the next one up fairly quickly. Let me know what you think and enjoy!
Chapter 11: Day 15 Evening—Ron
Later that night, Hermione's heart was still racing from everything that had happened earlier as she walked out of the hospital. She had spent hours running tests on Sirius and checking his vitals and asking him questions. Apparently he could remember anything from the time he had left Remus's apartment the night Remus had turned him away until he was brought to the hospital. He said for the weeks he had been in the hospital he had felt trapped in his own mind. He told Hermione, Harry, and Remus that he had spent those weeks reliving the day he was arrested and the thirty years that he was in prison. Occasionally, he had remembered good times before the arrest, and he said sometimes he could hear Remus's voice talking to him, but he thought it had been apart of his memories.
Although he tried to convince Remus over and over that he had not triggered his fugue state, neither Sirius nor Hermione could pinpoint what had caused his situation, nor what had brought him out of it. Hermione had asked him if he could remember walking by anything as he left Remus's or thinking of anything that might have triggered a psychotic episode, but Sirius could remember nothing. Hermione asked if he could remember hearing or thinking anything before he "woke up," but still, he couldn't remember. Although he could remember thinking about his time in prison and the arrest, the thoughts were all jumbled randomly in his head.
It was a complete mystery to all of them, and Hermione had brought other doctors in to consult, but no one could make any definitive judgments. The best one of her colleagues could come up with was that Sirius had seen something to trigger the psychosis and one of them had said something to trigger the end of it. Hermione had decided against telling her colleague that she had already considered and said all of that.
After she had called Harry last night, she had made a second call.
Ron.
At the moment, Hermione was leaving the hospital to head to a date she had made with Ron. She knew she'd made the date hastily, and she was probably using Ron to get over whatever she felt about Malfoy, but she told herself it was okay because under any normal circumstances, she would absolutely say yes to a date with someone like Ron.
She had been given the night off, but she had told Remus or Harry to call if anything changed with Sirius. She had changed into a tight-fitting, brown tube dress that complimented her eyes before leaving the hospital. She had also brought a white cardigan to wear over it, but the night was so warm that she was currently carrying it in her hand, while her small, beaded bag was draped across her body. Her gold heels clacked along the pavement with each step she took, and despite what had happened with Malfoy the day before, she was excited for her date with Ron. She hadn't dressed up and felt sexy in months, and when Ron got out of his car that he was waiting in in the parking lot of the hospital and his eyes went wide for a moment when he saw Hermione, she was happy with the decision she'd made.
"You look incredible," Ron said in a slightly awed voice as he held the door open for her.
"Thanks," Hermione said with a smile. "So do you."
As they pulled away, Hermione didn't notice that in the foyer of the hospital entrance, a tall, blonde man stood staring out the window after her.
A bit later, Hermione was sitting across from Ron watching his mouth move but hardly hearing a word he was saying. He was talking animatedly about something, and Hermione would smile occasionally or laugh when he laughed or nod when he seemed to be saying something a bit more serious, but other than that, if he asked her what he had just said, she wouldn't have been able to respond if her life depended on it.
She knew it was stupid, but she couldn't stop thinking about Malfoy. She barely knew him, and it wasn't like they'd been dating or anything, but still… The kisses they'd shared, the coy looks, the subtle touches… It was all she could think about. She wanted to forgive and forget. Really, she wanted to go back in time and never find out about the bet. She wanted to believe that Malfoy had real feelings for her. She wanted to believe that every touch, every smile was meant especially for her. When she'd left Boston, Hermione had promised herself that she wouldn't make the same kinds of mistakes that she'd made there, but then she'd met Malfoy and she had broken all her vows that she had made to herself. The fire he had ignited in her had forced her to forget, and now she wished she hadn't.
But she was here with Ron. And he was sweet. He had told her how beautiful she was more the five times already tonight, making Hermione blush. He had talked so energetically about his work and his family, and Hermione wished that she could listen. He seemed so kind and so sincere. If it had been a different time or a different place, Ron would be perfect. But all she could see was a pair of pale grey eyes swimming in her head.
"Hermione?"
Hermione jumped a bit when she heard Ron say her name. She sucked in a breath. "Yeah?"
"You haven't been listening to anything I've been saying, have you?" he smiled when he said it, but Hermione could see the hint of hurt in his eyes.
Hermione sighed. "I'm sorry, Ron…" she looked down at her barely eaten food. "I just have so much on my plate right now. It was unfair for me to come out with you when I can't even clear my head."
"Hey," Ron said gently, making her look up. He smiled. "Do you want to talk about it? That might make it better," he said with a shrug.
Hermione smiled. He really was so sweet. And it wasn't just Malfoy she was stressed out about. It couldn't hurt to talk to him about some other stuff that was on her mind. "I miss my family," she said after a pause.
"They're all in Boston, right?"
Hermione nodded and looked down again. "I'm not one of those girls who is best friends with her mom or anything, but I'm an only child, so I'm pretty close with my parents. Whenever I would have a stressful day in Boston, it would be nice to just go to my parents' house and watch TV with my dad or help my mom cook dinner." Hermione smiled at the memories but she suddenly felt overwhelmingly sad. She looked up at Ron. "I just miss them a lot."
"I understand that," Ron said.
"It must be nice to have such a big family so close to you," Hermione said with a smile.
Ron nodded. "It is. I mean, we're all older now, so we spend a lot of time apart, but we always have Sunday dinners at my mom and dad's. Even if we're fighting or we hate each other that week," Ron said with a laugh. "We always come together on Sunday nights. Mom always says 'leave all your problems outside. None of that in my house.'" Hermione smiled. "You should come sometime," Ron said suddenly. Hermione just smiled wider and tilted her head to the side a bit as he continued. "Yeah, you should. Ginny would love to see you. My whole family would love to."
He sounded so hopeful. And although the grey eyes flashed in her mind again, Hermione simply said, "I'd love to."
When Ron smiled, he reached across the table to put a hand on top of Hermione's hand on the table. Hermione turned her hand over so she could grip his. "I'm so happy you called me," Ron said.
"Me, too."
"Dorinda!"
The pretty, brown-haired, big-nosed nurse nearly jumped out of her skin. "Yes?" She turned around to face Draco. When she saw it was him, a blush immediately crept up her neck and face. "Dr. Malfoy, yes, what can I help you with?"
"Where's Granger?"
"She… She has the night off, sir."
"Don't call me 'sir,' Dorinda," Draco said. He paused for a moment before he continued. "I know she has the night off, but I saw her leave. Where did she go?"
Dorinda got even redder and she looked down at her hands. "Uh…"
Draco narrowed his eyes. "Dorinda, look at me."
Dorinda looked up slowly, and if it was even possible, she got redder.
"I'm not supposed to tell anyone," she said.
Draco regarded her for a moment. "You mean you're not supposed to tell me." Dorinda looked at him, but she didn't say anything, which effectively gave Draco an answer. He knew it wasn't supposed to, but the fact that Granger cared enough to tell Dorinda specifically not to tell him made Draco incredibly smug. She still felt something for him, and he wasn't going to let that go. But still it made him sad and angry, although he wouldn't admit to the former. He wanted to know where she was. He wanted to get her and bring her back from whomever she was with, and he wanted to hold her in his arms, smell her hair, and kiss her neck. He wanted her.
Draco sighed. "All right," he said. "I get it. I know I have no right to ask… I just…" Draco shrugged, offered Dorinda a small smile, and turned to go.
"Wait!" Dorinda called after him with a slight desperation in her voice. When Draco turned back, he noticed how torn she looked. "Look…" She sighed. "I shouldn't be saying any of this to you, but… Hermione is sad. She's been sad so often since yesterday, and it's your fault." Dorinda looked like she regretted the last part of what she said. "I'm sorry," she said.
Draco chuckled. "No, you're right. I'm an asshole. Go on."
Dorinda smiled weakly. "She went out with Ron Weasley—"
"Ginny's brother?" Draco remembered the bumbling idiot from a few days ago when he had stupidly asked Hermione out, and she had said no, followed not long after by a heated make-out session between him and Hermione. He could feel a burning sensation in his stomach at the memory.
Dorinda nodded. "She likes him all right, I think, but… but I know she still likes you, although I don't know why."
"Hey!" Draco said, laughing.
Dorinda looked horrified. "I'm so sorry. That slipped out."
Draco continued to laugh as he shook his head. "It's fine. I like this honest side of you. Please, by all means, continue. Tell me what's on your mind. I need to hear it."
"I shouldn't say anything else," Dorinda said.
Draco raised an eyebrow and looked stern. "Dorinda," he said.
She sighed again and continued. "You… Dr. Malfoy, you're a great doctor. You're amazing with your patients, and your surgical record is fantastic. You're very charming and handsome…" Dorinda blushed again.
"But?" Draco said, smiling.
Dorinda waited a moment before continuing. "The way you treat the women in this hospital is despicable! You wine them and dine them and charm them until you get what you want, and then you dump them. And none of them seem to care, and I don't understand why because it's gross what you do. And I know this is how it's been since… before… but you can't keep doing this—not to Hermione, anyway. She doesn't deserve it. She likes you, I can tell, but you can't do to her what you do to every woman in this hospital. You can't. But she's so terrified that you will, and I don't blame her because I've seen you do it a million times." She paused to take a quick breath. "It was stupid of you to make that bet, and even though I can tell you like her, too—I see the way you look at her—you have to prove it. She's not going to forgive you easily, so you have to prove that the way you acted to her was about more than the bet. You… You have to prove it."
Everything had tumbled out of Dorinda's mouth so quickly that Draco's mouth was slightly agape when she finished. Dorinda didn't even look embarrassed anymore. She looked more indignant than Draco had ever seen her look.
"If you want her, and if it really was about more than the bet… then prove it."
And with that, the shy nurse that Draco had known for years but who had barely spoken more than two words at a time to him in all that time, walked away defiantly, head held high. Draco couldn't help but smile.
Hermione and Ron were walking down a street in her neighborhood after they had finished dinner and dessert. A few minutes earlier, Ron had slipped his hand into Hermione's, making her smile.
"I always wanted a twin," Hermione was saying to Ron as he walked her home. "I was an only child, so I wanted siblings period, but I especially wanted a twin. They have this weird and amazing bond that no one can understand. I always wanted that."
"I know what you mean," Ron said, nodding and smiling. "My brothers Fred and George are twins, and I was always jealous of them."
"Which one is Fred?" Hermione asked with small head tilt.
"Oh, he died six years ago."
"Ron." Hermione stopped walking but kept her hand in Ron's so he stopped and looked at her. He had a small smile on his face, but Hermione knew she had to have a look of shock on her face. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have…"
"It's fine," Ron said. "I brought it up, not you. I miss my brother every single day. I miss his stupid grin and his stupid jokes and the stupid way he always called me 'Ronoold' instead of 'Ronald.' But it was a long time ago. I can talk about it."
Hermione knew that tears were stinging her eyes. Ronoold, she thought. That had to be the sweetest thing she had ever heard. She squeezed his hand and continued walking again. "What happened to him? If you don't…"
"I don't mind at all," he said. "He was in the army. He was killed while he was doing a tour in Iraq. Stupid idiot. I told him not to enlist, but of course, he never listened to Ronoold."
Hermione couldn't help but laugh as they turned down her street. She covered her mouth to try and hold back the laughter.
"No, don't cover it up," Ron said with a smile as he reached up pulled her hand away from her mouth. "I love your smile."
The laughter faded away and only a light smile remained as Hermione stopped walking and moved to stand in front of Ron. She looked at him for a moment before she slid a soft hand onto the back of his neck and pulled him down to her for a kiss.
His lips were urgent when they found hers, and she put her other hand lightly against his chest to perhaps tell him that she wasn't going anywhere. His hands slid around her waist as her head tilted to the side to meet his lips more fully.
The kiss was so sweet and so was he. And while her heart fluttered a bit, she didn't have that same burning, maddening, torturous feeling when she had kissed Malfoy. His lips had formed to hers as if he had known exactly what she wanted. He had taken control of the kiss and made her feel helpless in the best way possible. She didn't want to compare it, but when she opened her eyes and thought for a second that Ron's hair was blonde in the moonlight, she had to pull away from him gently.
"I had a great time tonight," she said as he kept his eyes closed and rested his forehead against hers for a moment. She smiled and pulled out of his arms. "This is me right here," she said, pointing to the apartment building a few steps away. He led her to the front door and turned back to her.
"I can call you, right?"
Hermione smiled. "Of course," she said.
He smiled and leaned in to place another chaste kiss on her lips.
"Thank you for an amazing night," Ron said. Hermione smiled as he turned to go.
If only she could get her mind off him.
Next chapter:
Draco takes Dorinda's advice, and Ginny comes to see Hermione.
