As Time Ticks Away

Chapter Twelve

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Ron had just gone up the stairs. He needed a few moments to think this over. It was a hard idea to grasp. Hermione knew he needed some time. She was thankful however, that Harry stayed with her. She didn't want to be fully alone quite yet.

"Thank you for staying," she whispered slowly to Harry.

Harry gave her a small smile. "There's no need to thank me. You've always had my back. Now it's my turn to have yours." He wasn't sure what else to say. There was so much he wanted to ask but was afraid to in fear of upsetting Hermione.

"Do you think you and Ron will be okay when…" she couldn't bear to say the words.

Harry's smile disappeared from his face. The answer was obvious but he couldn't just blurt it out. That wasn't what she wanted to hear. "It'll be hard," he began as he looked down. "I can't imagine my life without you. Heck, if I didn't have you in my life I would have failed out of school. I'm sure Ron feels the same way." He looked over at Hermione. He noticed tears welding up in her eyes. "We'll never be the same without you." He paused. "If you weren't friends with me this never would have ha—"

"Don't you dare say it Harry Potter!" Hermione interrupted. "That's rubbish and you know it. I wouldn't be the same if I never met you or Ron. I wouldn't want things to be any different than they have been."

Hermione stopped abruptly. She knew that she did wish that this one thing was different. She wished that she wasn't dying and that she could continue her great life with her friends. But that just wasn't in the cards for her anymore.

"I have a favor to ask you," Hermione said shyly.

"Anything," Harry responded.

"Ron's up there reading, trying to figure out how to stop it. He wants to find a cure," she said to her best friend, looking at the ground.

Harry was a little confused. "I want to find a cure too Hermione."

"I'm not saying you don't Harry," she sighed. "I'm saying I don't want you to try to."

Now he was even more confused. "I can't promise that. And I especially can't promise that from Ron. You know that he's driving himself mad right now trying to think of ways to help."

Her eyes looked directly into his, pleading. "I've done everything I could. I've searched everywhere. I even tried talking to Malfoy. There's nothing that can be done. All I want to do is enjoy the rest of my life with my best friends. I can't do that if you two are constantly researching and reading. I know it's going to be hard to do that but I really need this from you guys."

Harry looked away from her, contemplating the situation. "But Hermione," He started, trying to fight back.

"No but's Harry," the young witch interrupted. "This was hard enough to handle on my own. I need you to trust me on this. If you waste your time looking then you'll waste time that we could have together. I am begging you to not do that to yourself or me." She paused. "You need to make sure Ron knows this. He'll fight, he'll be mad, but I don't care. I really need this from him and you."

As Harry looked back into his friend's eyes he saw the pain that plagued her both mentally and physically. He didn't want to give up on her, but all he could do was nod in agreement as he said, "Anything for you Hermione."

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The boys had only known about the curse for a few hours, but the fighting was taking its toll on Hermione. All she wanted was for everyone to just be by her side and as happy as they could be. Instead, everyone was fighting and she was left alone. This is exactly what she wished to avoid but knew it was inevitable.

As soon as Harry and Ron started bickering, Hermione began to shake. At first she believed it to be nerves but soon she began to cry tears of blood. It was then that she understood that the fighting was making the spell stronger. The logistics of the spell were foreign to her, but she knew there was no other way that this could be happening.

Not too long after the boys left, Hermione sat up, grabbed a few tissues, and wiped the bloody tears from her eyes. The spell not only sensed and caused physical pain, but emotional pain as well, causing her more trauma then she had thought. She wasn't prepared for this by any means. She knew this was going to take its toll on her physically, but affecting her mental state meant that it would become even harder to fight the pain.

With every thought she had she felt it harder and harder to stay awake, pain consuming her mind, body, and soul. It was then that she decided to let it consume her, just for a short while, to let her gain some strength back and talk with Ron. Little did she knew that closing her eyes would cause her to see more than she ever had before.

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A/N: So sorry for the long delay! So much has been happening in the past two months for me with school, health, and a new kitten. But no worries because I have in no way, shape, or form given up on this story. I know exactly how I want this story to end and I will let you know it. Just not yet. I'm also sorry this chapter is a little short, but I felt that I needed to post something to let everyone know I'm still here! Please enjoy the latest update and Happy Halloween!