So here's the next chapter! Sorry about the cliffhanger on the last one, I now realise that that was a bit cruel, sorry! Thank you all so so much for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

Ron sat alone on his orange bed. His knees were drawn up to his chin, as he angrily kneeded his forehead with his fist while hot tears of sadness and guilt dripped down his face. He felt as though his heart had been ripped into two and then thrown under a car. It had been a whole week since he had heard her voice, a whole week since he had felt her small arms wrap him in a strong hug, a whole week since she had even moved, a whole week since he had been able to look her parents in the face... 'the worst part is that it's all my effing fault!' Ron thought, beyond furious with himself. The guilt was unbearable, he didn't think he could survive it for much longer; even the news that Dolores Umbridge had been sentenced to at least five years in Azkaban for her horrendous discrimination against Muggle-borns hadn't cracked even a smile on Ron's face.

Using his sleeve to brush the tears from his face, Ron looked up from his knees and stared at the photo of himself, Harry and Hermione that was on top of his old chest-of-drawers. It had been taken by Colin Creevey just after Gryffindor had won the Quidditch final in their fifth year. Harry and Hermione were laughing and smiling as Ron standing in the middle, grinning from ear to ear, held up the Quidditch Cup. Ron stared at Hermione, her smile, the way her eyes crinkled as she threw her head back and laughed; his heart ached, a whole week since he had heard her laugh...

A soft knock on his bedroom door startled Ron out of his thoughts. He more vigorously brushed the tears from his face and took a deep breath, 'Come in' he said. Harry appeared from round the door, looking tired and concerned.

'Hey Ron, um I just thought I'd check on you, you've been up here a while...' Harry tailed off, avoiding look at Ron directly.

'You hate me don't you Harry?' said Ron thickly looking down but not bothering to hide his tears.

'What?' No Ron I don't hate you!' Harry replied shocked.

'Well you bloody well should! It's all my fault, my fault, that she's, she's...' Ron couldn't bring himself to finish or to say her name.

'No Ron it's not' said Harry firmly, sitting down on the edge of Ron's bed. 'You did what you had to do, what Hermione wanted you to do. Like you said before, you wouldn't be able to forgive yourself if you hadn't tried, but you did try and there's no more you could have done mate' said Harry, looking at Ron to try and emphasise how much it wasn't his fault and how he didn't blame him.

'But now I can't live with myself for trying' said Ron quietly, looking directly into Harry's eyes.

'Well you have to, you don't have a choice' said Harry sternly. 'Now are you coming or not?' he asked.

'What? Where?' said Ron confused for a second.

'To the hospital you idiot, come on Ginny's waiting down the stairs' replied Harry exasperated.

'Right, yeah' Ron said as he got up from his bed.

Harry and Ron met Ginny at the bottom of the stairs. She gave Harry a look as if to say 'what took you so long?' but Harry discreetly shook his head, he'd tell her later. They grasped hands to Apparate and with a loud CRACK, they disappeared.

The sunlight hurt their eyes as they appeared outside St. Mungos. They entered in the building and didn't bother waiting in the queue for the receptionist, they knew where they were going. They were back at the Lancelot Hinkley Ward on the Fourth Floor, but instead of going to a consultation room, they went straight to a private room. There was a tall, solid looking wizard outside the door who looked at them intimidatingly as they drew nearer.

'We're here to see Hermione Granger' said Harry. 'I'm Harry Potter and this is Ron and Ginny Weasley' he said nodding to each of them.

'I know who you are' he said coldly before he nodded to say that they could go in.

'Why is there a guard?' whispered Ginny.

'Just in case of dark wizards, or Rita Skeeter' replied Harry.

'Same thing' Ron muttered as he pushed open the door.

The sound of a steady thump reached their ears, Hermione's heartbeat, amplifide so that the Healers could easily hear it. In the middle of the room was a bed, upon which lay Hermione Granger. She looked exactly the same since Ron had last visited yesterday afternoon. She was dressed in a hospital gown that drowned her, making her look even more fragile. Her left arm was heavily bandaged and her mouth was open where a breathing tube connected her lungs to a large glass sphere that contained oxygen was suspended unaided in middair near the ceiling. At the crook of her right arm a drip tube had been inserted that was connected to a floating bag. Ron noticed that her eyes were open slightly, just a slit. He rushed thinking that she was opening them, but stopped disappointed when he realised that her eyelids and the white of her eyes underneath weren't moving at all. He sighed, took her limp hand and sat down on one of the visitors chairs. He noticed that Mr Granger's jacket was draped over the back, 'crap her parents must just be getting a drink or something' he thought; he wasn't particularly keen to bump into them here. Harry and Ginny also sat down and they all stared gloomily at their unconscious best-friend.

'Hey Hermione, it's Ron, Harry and Ginny...' Ron said gently stroking her hand with his thumb. He had no idea whether she could hear him but it was comforting to him at least.

'Ron, can you tell me what happened after you started the cure again?' said Ginny slightly timidly. Ron sighed and without looking away from Hermione he began to repeat what he had told his parents, her parents, his siblings, the Healers, Kingsley and the other Ministry officials.

'She fainted for the first time when we'd done the first two or so letters and then woke up. We started again and then she almost immediately fainted again, only this time she didn't wake up. I tried to wake her up but she didn't, that's when I yelled for Harry and Andromeda. I carried on and even though she was unconscious, she kept screaming and fitting and..and, and Andromeda sent for the Emergency Healers and I had about two, maybe one letters to go and she-she stopped screaming and stopped moving and then, once I'd finished she stopped b-breathing. That's when the Healers arrived and brought her here and well, you know the rest' he said gesturing to Hermione. The Healers had been able to re-start Hermione's heart but her body had shown no other signs of life since then, she couldn't even breathe unaided.

At that moment a Healer came in and began to administer Hermione a series of potions.

'What do those do?' enquired Ron.

'Mr Weasley isn't it?' she asked. Ron nodded. 'Well Mr Weasley hopefully they'll stimulate her to wake up, however we've tried them all week to avail, but you never know' she said rather helplessly in Ron's opinion. They watched in silence as she administered the many, colourful potions. Suddenly, the thump of Hermione's heartbeat that filled the room sped up. Ron glanced at the Healer who was smiling.

'What what is it?' said Harry jumping up from his seat.

'It's just that that's the biggest response from her we've had all week! Maybe, maybe it's working afterall, just more slowly than usual, I'll just go and get-' but she was distracted by the opening of the door. Ron's stomach plummeted as Mr and Mrs Granger walked through and stopped in shock when they saw Harry, Ron and Ginny.

'What are you doing here?!' shrieked Mrs Granger angrily, pointing an accusing finger at Ron.

'Mrs Granger, we're sorry we were just visiting Hermione...' began Ginny but she faltered under the scorn Mrs Granger gave her.

'I've told you all I don't want him here with her' she said as Mr Granger tried to calm his wife down.

'Jean, he was saving Hermione remember? It's not his fault-'

'Her?!' whispered Ron angrily standing up. 'That's Hermione you're talking about, your daughter, not just a random 'her'!'.

'I know who Hermione is thank you very much Ronald! I suppose you're trying to be helpful again but look what happens when you try!' she said angrily gesturing to her daughter.

'Hey! Ron successfully got rid of the curse!' said Ginny fiercely, defending her brother 'Without him Hermione would be dead by now!'

'Well, if this is what help looks like, maybe you shouldn't have tried!' screamed Mrs Granger.

Fury whipped through Ron and he stared at Hermione's mother in utter shock and horror. 'Did you just say you think that I shouldn't have tried, that you'd rather Hermione had died from the curse?' he said in a low, furious whisper. 'HOW CAN YOU THINK THAT?! HOW ARE YOU EVEN HER MOTHER IF YOU CAN SAY STUFF LIKE THAT?! HOW COULD YOU BE SO-SO...' he exploded. He couldn't believe the person who bought Hermione Granger into the world could be so..so-

'Come on mate let's go' encouraged Harry after watching Ron struggle for words to express his fury. Harry was furious himself but he refused to make the situation any worse. Ron glared at Mrs Granger before moving to leave.

'S-stay' croaked a small soft voice. At first Ron thought he had imagined it but then Ginny gasped and pointed to Hermione. Ron spun round and what he saw sent relief flooding through him like he had never experienced before. Her eyes were open slightly, squinting at the bright light. Everyone rushed towards the bed.

'Hermione!' Ron whispered as he rushed to kneel by the side of her bed, gripping her hand tightly.

'R-ron' she breathed, barely audibly.

'Yeah, yeah it's me I'm here!' he whispered excitedly.

'W-w-why s-shouting?' she gasped. Ron looked guiltily up at Mrs Granger who was looking equally guiltily back at him.

'It doesn't matter 'Mione it was nothing important' he said smiling at her.

'Where am I?' she said as the Healer started to bustle around her, recording her body activity.

'You're in St. Mungos' he whispered back, still in shock that she had woken up.

'What?! Why? What happened?' she started, a few tears leaking from her half-closed eyes.

'Y-you don't remember?' he asked, scared.

She slowly, stiffly shook her head as her light breathing became more ragged.

'Ssh, ssh, it's okay, it doesn't matter, you're going to be fine Hermione, I promise' Ron whispered, kissing her hand lightly. He watched as Hermione looked around the room, slightly dazed as she took in everyone who was standing around her. She felt..awful. Her head was throbbing, she felt weaker and more exhausted than she had ever been, her throat was dry and raw and she kept wanting to gag on the thing that seemed to go down her throat like a-like a snake! She began to retch and cough, why was there a snake down her throat?!

'Miss Granger please remain calm' said a person who she didn't recognise dressed all in green. 'I'm going to pull it out in three okay? One, two, three!' The Healer pulled and Hermione retched as the snake was pulled out. Taking deep breaths that hurt like hell she calmed down and her vision became clearer. She looked at the thing the Lady in Green was holding and realised that it wasn't a snake, it was a tube! Hermione looked around the room again and saw the people who had just been blurs earlier, in clarity.

'Harry? G-ginny?' she whispered as she turned to them. They nodded and smiled, holding hands, both beyond happy that their best friend was back. She turned to the people standing next to them.

'M-mum! Dad!' she croaked, her voice hoarse. Her parents nodded and suddenly, her mother burst into tears and reached foreward to gentle take Hermione's left hand. Tears of relief. 'Mum? What's the m-matter?' she asked, very confused.

'I'm sorry darling, it's just I thought, we thought we'd l-lost you' Mrs Granger managed to choke out between sobs.

'Lost me? Lost me where?' But then suddenly all the memories came back; the Carnuficina Curse, the article, saying goodbyes, starting the cure and Bellatrix Lestrange.

'Bellatrix!' screamed Hermione as much as she could in a whisper, 'Where is she? She's going to find me shes-'

'Hermione! Calm down, you're safe okay?' said Ron brushing the hair from her forehead. 'Lestrange is dead.'

'Dead?' Hermione echoed. She saw Ron, Harry and Ginny nod. She was dead, she couldn't hurt her anymore, ever. Hermione looked down slowly to her heavily bandaged arm.

'Ron, did..did you cure the curse?' she looked up at him, terrified for the answer. His broad smile said it all.

'Yes, yes I did' he whispered back, unable to stop the grin spreading across his face. Suddenly, Hermione felt an incredible sense of freedom, like a huge weight that she didn't even realise she had been carrying had been taken off her. Ron had cured the curse! She had survived! The curse nor the cure had killed her and now? Now she had a lifetime. A lifetime with her family, her friends and a lifetime with Ron.