A/N: Please Read and Review…it's getting quite depressing that only a few generous people are reviewing. I need encouragement to keep going.
Disclaimer: JK etc etc…
Chapter 14 – Where There's Hermione...
Ron sat on his bed looking at Hermione next to him, she had remained in the same spot for almost an hour now without saying a word. He had tried to think of something to say to make her understand how he felt but when he thought of her looking at him with only pity in her eyes it prevented him to think coherantly.Hermione continued to stare at the opposite wall deep in thought, Ron wondered whether he should try reading her mind but decided against it since he wasn't sure that he wanted to know what she was thinking, and not to mention the increasing guilt he had began to feel whenever he heard someone else's private thoughts. Ron's eyes rested on Hermione's small hands in her lap, every now then they would wipe invisible lint from Hermione's skirt before returning to her lap. Ron sighed shifting his gaze away from Hermione, he moved his body to lean his body against the headboard.
His attention diverted from Hermione his thoughts wondered on other things such as his dreams. The dreams though not as violent as they were at first were still disturbingly realistic not to mention frustratingly abstract. He tried to cast his mind back to his most recent dream, in it he had found himself once again lying on his back staring up at the night sky. Ron closed his eyes and took some deep calming breathes as he tried to recall the details of the dream. He tried the meditation exercises that Jessica suggested and he gradually felt his heartbeat slowing and his breathing become more even.
Ron opened his eyes and looked around him, he was no longer in his dorm room but lying on the ground, his tried to focus his foggy head. He groggily looked around him trying to pinpoint the exact location. When his eyes refused to focus, he closed his eyes again and took a deep breathe, allowing the smells around him tofill his lungs.
"Daisy's?" Ron smelt the sweet flowery smell fill his lungs.
"Daisy's?" Hermione's voice echoed.
Ron opened his eyes, he was back in his dorm room and Hermione was staring at him a surprised look on her face.
"Did you say something Hermione?"
Hermione shook her head, "You did, you said 'Daisy's', can you smell it?" Hermione lifted her wrists up to her face, "Maybe I put too much on this morning."
"What do you mean?" Ron stared at Hermione in confusion.
"My perfume isn't that what you were talking about," she lifted her wrists for him to smell.
Ron looked down at her wrists than back at Hermione.
Ron couldn't stop himself from grabbin her wrists and pulled her to him, embracing her in a tight hug. He bent his head down to rest in the crook of her neck. He breathed in the flowerily scent and recognized it instantly as the smell he had smelt in his dream. He wrapped his arms around Hermione's small body.
Hermione sat frozen where she sat, she looked down at Ron's head resting on her shoulder, and she lifted a shaking hand and rested it on his head.
Ron released Hermione from his embrace when he felt a warm tear trickle down his neck. He looked at Hermione's tear stained face and felt his heart tighten at the sight.
"I'm sorry, I made you cry," He lifted a hand to tenderly wipe away the tears on her face.
Hermione's looked startled lifting her fingers to touch her wet face, "I didn't realize that I was."
Ron let his hand drop onto the bed, but the instant he did, Hermione grabbed it and lifted it to her face, she held his hand to her cheek.
Hermione closed her eyes and tried to memorize the feel of his hand. More tears began to fall from her eyes, and Hermione felt Ron's hand wipe them away.
"It's not fair!" she cried opening her eyes to look at him, "We've only just told each other how we feel and now I'm going to lose you."
"No. It's not fair," Ron agreed. "I'm sorry."
Ron sighed removing his hand from her face, "You deserve more, you deserve better."
Hermione lifted Ron's downcast face so that they were eye to eye, "There is no one better than you, Ron. You," Hermione struggled to find the right words and she couldn't help but feel the irony of being speechless for the first time in her life.
"Ron. You are my life, my heart," Hermione began to shake as she looked at Ron's face, "I love you so much, it hurts!"
Ron held Hermione to his chest when she began to cry again.
"I love you too, Hermione. But, you don't have to say these things out of pity."
Ron felt Hermione shake her head into his chest.
"It's not pity, it's all true. If you die I-I…" Hermione tried to continue but the tightness in her throat prevented her.
"It's not all bad," Ron said trying to lighten the mood, "We still have plenty of time."
Hermione shook her head before lifting it to look at him, "I can't survive without you."
Ron's jaw tightened as he felt his tears fall from his own face.
"I'm cursed! What else can it be? Why else would I be given the love of my life and than…"
Hermione sat up suddenly as she realized what Ron had just said.
"Ron how do you know that Seers can only live to their twenties?" Hermione asked as the cogs began to move around in her head.
"Jessica told me. Why?"
"From my basic knowledge of Seers that lived in Ancient Greece, several of them lived to quite old age, of course a large number of them didn't but that was mainly due to people killing them, rather than natural causes. If that's the case than why can't you live a full life?" Hermione jumped off the bed and pulled Ron with her, "Come on, we're going to the library."
"How do you figure? It's a lot different now than it was back then, the training for one is intense."
"Haven't you talked about this with Harry?" Hermione questioned beginning to feel irritated by the fact that he seemed resigned to dying.
"A little," Ron answered unsure as to why she was asking.
"Think about it, Harry was cursed by Voldermort when he was a baby, and ever since than it's been one person after another that's tried to kill him. And yet he's with Ginny. He hasn't given up hope and I won't let you either," she said stubbornly pulling him along with her.
"Alright, I promise I will go with you to the library, but I'm exhausted. I need some sleep before I collapse."
Hermione stopped trying to pull Ron toward the door, "Oh, of course," she released his hand and watched as he walked back to his bed. She stood in the middle of the room indecisive as to what she should do. On one hand she wanted to stay with Ron and on the other she wanted to get started on researching as soon as possible.
"Hermione, can you stay for a bit?" Ron asked from his bed,
"Of course," she answered moving over to his bed, he shifted over on his bed giving her some room to lie down next to him. He hugged her to his body when she had made herself comfortable.
"I love you, 'Mione," Ron said sleepily.
"I love you too," Hermione said pulling his hands tighter around her body, 'I can always research later.'
Ron looked down to see he was waist deep in cold water, he looked over to see Hermione dancing around in the water grasping at the air.
"Look!" she said grabbing his hand and pulling him deeper in to the water.
Ron pulled his eyes away from Hermione's face that was glowing in the moonlight to see little green sparkly creatures flying around them.
"Fireflies?"
"No silly," Hermione laughed beside him.
Ron looked back at Hermione but he she was no longer beside him.
"HERMIONE!" Ron shouted.
"Wahh…" Hermione cried in shock when Ron sat up suddenly and hit her in the face.
"What the?" Ron wondered aloud looking around to see the dorm room come into focus around him.
"Ow," Hermione said while rubbing her sore nose.
Ron smiled at Hermione, "You were watching me sleep?"
She rolled her eyes at him throwing him his robes then walking off, "Get over yourself, for your information I just came back from the library. I wanted to talk to you but if you're going to being an idiot than I guess you can just starve."
"What do you mean?" Ron wondered genuinely interested.
"Dinner starts in 10 minutes I came up here to get you," Hermione explained looking more annoyed than she actually felt.
"Oh, why didn't you just say so?"
Hermione scoffed at him before walking out the door.
Ron quickly followed her, the last thing he wanted was for Hermione to avoid talking to him again but to his surprise she was standing just outside his door waiting for him. He flashed a quick smile before walking with her down to the common room.
Harry held Ginny's hand tightly as they walked beside the lake.
"Okay, I cant take it anymore," Harry stopped walking and pulled Ginny toward him, "Why does it bother you so much that Jessica and Snape had history?"
"You can't tell me that it hasn't once crossed your mind that they might be plotting something together," Ginny released Harry's hand and walked toward the lake. She crouched down and picked up a small pebble off the ground.
Harry continued to stand, he wasn't quite sure how to reply, because he the thought had crossed his mind, several times in fact.But the look on Snape's face when Jessica had walked away, it humanized him in Harry's eyes. He heard Ron's voice in his head, 'I pity him'.
Ginny turned back and looked up at Harry. She saw the confused and frustrated expression on his face, she pulled his hand causing him to look down at her. Harry moved to sit down beside her and put his arm around her shoulder.
"What do you make of her?" Ginny asked as she leant against Harry's chest, gazing at the night sky as the stars began to appear.
"Jessica? Honestly, I don't trust her," Harry contemplated this for another moment before continuing, "There's something that she's not telling us."
"I agree with you there. And her and Snape?"
Harry intertwined Ginny's fingers and his before answering, "How bout we just keep an eye on them for the time being. I don't think we should tell Hermione or Ron though, with all that's going on I honestly don't think they could deal with it."
Ginny chuckled at his words, "You are talking about Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, right?"
"Gin, I'm serious," Harry pulled Ginny away slightly and looked into her deep blue eyes, "Hermione looks strong but she's fragile, you know it's true. And Ron," Harry paused as the disturbing images of Ron crying and hurting himself flashed through his head, "You didn't see him after he had received Jessica's letter, he was a complete mess."
Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding her head, "Alright, we won't tell them, for now."
Ginny pulled Harry's face down to kiss him quickly on the lips before pulling away, she jumped up and gave him a playful smile before running off.
"Why you cheater!" Harry laughed running after her.
He caught up with her sooner than expected though, she had stopped abruptly and turned toward the lake. The next moment she was walking toward the water. He grabbed her arm to stop her.
"Ginny, are you crazy? You'll get sick if you swimming now."
Ginny pulled simply pulled him with her into the water.
"Look!" Ginny said pointing into the darkness.
"I don't see," but when Harry focused on where she pointing tiny specks of green began to appear from the darkness.
"Fireflies?" he questioned walking over to where Ginny was standing.
"No silly," She laughed at him. She lifted her palm up into the air and some of the little green specks floated onto her hand.
"Here, look," she moved her hand for him to see.
Harry placed his own hands under hers and leaned over to look at the little creatures in her hand.
"Fairies," Harry realized when one of the little creatures flew up to his face, "I've never seem them glow before."
"Hmmm, no me neither but Ihave seen them around the lake often. I think they come from the dark forest, I've seen similar lights within the forest."
"WHAT! When did you go to the dark forest!" Harry exclaimed loudly causing the little fairies to fly off in a panic.
"Don't take that tone with me," Ginny warned, "When I was walking in the forest one night…"
"ALONE? Are you completely mad?"
"…one night…I saw them floating around in the trees," Ginny continued ignoring Harry's interruption.
"Ginny!" Harry grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around to look at him, "Promise me that you won't ever go in there."
She brushed his hands off her shoulders and gave him an annoyed look, "What do you take me for! Don't you even remember that we were all there that night we went to the Ministry of Magic!"
Harry realized how stupid he had been, "Oh."
"Beware the wrath of Venus."
Harry and Ginny looked away from each other toward the lake where the little fairies were flying.
"I thought they couldn't talk," Harry wondered aloud.
"Beware the wrath of Venus," the faires repeated flying above Harry and Ginny's heads.
"They can't…normally," Ginny's eyes analyzed the little fairies carefully. Unless they aren't ordinary fairies. She stretched her hand out again hoping to catch one of the fairies. But just as the fairies moved toward her hand, their attention was diverted and they all turned around to look across the lake and the next moment they flew off into the darkness.
"Looked like someone was calling them," Harry noted looking over at Ginny.
"Yeah, it did, didn't it," Ginny agreed before sneezing.
"We'd better get inside," Harry grabbed Ginny's cold hands leading her out of the lake. Having stepped out of the water he quickly dried their clothes with a hot-air charm before they turned and walked back to the school.
"Sorry about before," Harry said when Ginny didn't say anything.
"I wish I could be mad at you, because you're still treating me like a little kid..."
"It's not that, I just don't want anything to happen to you. I care about you too much," he attempted to explain.
"I know."
"You do?"
"I said I wish I could be mad at you," Ginny shook her head, "Sometimes you're as bad as Ron."
"What's that mean?" Harry questioned not sure as to whether he should be offended or not.
"Hermione's always saying how she can't stay angry at my brother for long because he'll always do something to make her forgive him. It's annoying really when you can't help from loving someone even when they're being a daft prat."
Harry chuckled and leaned over to kiss her on the lips.
Hermione glanced over at Ron when their hands touched for the tenth time since they had left the common room, she usually could tell what Ron was thinking but for some reason she found that his face was completely blank of emotion. The only thing she did notice was that he was much paler than usual and his eyes were slightly bloodshot and dark bags were under his eyes given the impression of many sleepless nights. She remembered him mentioning having nightmares but the tired look in his eyes stopped her from questioning him about them. Hermione felt her heart flutter in her throat when she felt Ron's large hand over her own. She didn't look up but simply smiled shyly and continued walking toward the Great Hall.
Ron tightened his hold on Hermione's hand when they reached the Great Hall, something was telling him to turn around and walk away, perhaps a desire to be alone with Hermione. He stopped in front of large doors for a moment causing Hermione to turn round, a confused look on her face.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah, perfect," he replied shaking the uncomfortable cold sensation in his chest.
Hermione opened one of the doors leading Ron through the door. The instant they stepped inside however, she knew something was wrong, she felt Ron's hand go slack in her own. She turned around to see Ron collapse unconscious onto the floor.
"Ron! Ennervate! Ennervate!" she screamed over and over pointing her wand at his chest, she threw her wand aside when he didn't move. Grabbing him by the shoulders she began to shake him, willing him to wake up. She looked around her to see the students in the Great Hall crowd around them, "Harry! Harry! Ginny! Where are you!" she cried holding Ron's body close to her's to protect him from the stares of the crowd.
"What is the meaning of this? Get back to your seats this instant!"
Hermione felt relief wash over her when she heard the authoritative voice of Professor McGonagall. The air around them instantly thinned as the students walked away whispering to each other.
"Hermione!"
Hermione turned to see Harry and Ginny running toward her along with some other Gryffindor students.
"We must take him to the Hospital immediately!" A hurried voice ordered.
Hermione turned to see Jessica and professor Snape standing in the doorway breathless.
"It's beautiful here," Hermione said walking in front of him sending some white mist up into the air.
Ron gazed at her lovingly she looked beautiful in the flowing white dress.
"I could love you till the day I die," Ron stated as he continued to watch her.
She turned her head slightly to look back at him, "But you won't."
Ron looked at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"
Hermione walked further into the white mist and spread her hands out, she let her head drop back slightly.
The next moment the solid ground beneath them vanished, Ron looked down and saw that they were floating high above the ground. He saw some people on the ground looking up at them and they were suddenly falling toward the ground. The wind whipped around them, Ron looked around him and struggled against the weight pushing on his chest.
"Hermione!" he tried to move forward to catch her, he reached for her outstretched arm and pulled her toward him. He held her tightly in his arms.
"You won't," she laughed her eyes still closed.
"What!" he screamed loudly as they plummeted towards the earth.
Ron woke with a start. His heartbeat was racing and sweat was dripping down his face. It was dark, he could barely see a thing, he had thought he was still dreaming until he heard some hushed voices.
"Absolutely not!"
Ron heard his mother speak, "I insist upon it! He will not survive the night let alone…"
"Stop talking about him as though he's going to die any second!"
Ron recognized the angry voice instantly as Hermione's.
"Hermione dear, we all care about Ron but you can't honestly expect him to stay here when he is clearly unwell," Ron's mother spoke in a soothing voice.
'Don't patronize me! If you weren't Ron's mother…' Ron held back a laugh when he heard what Hermione was thinking.
"Mrs. Weasley, with all due respect you don't have the power to stop him from attending school," Hermione said in a restrained voice.
"I am his mother."
"Miss Granger is correct. Lleaving school is simply not an option for Mr. Weasley."
Ron practically fell out of his bed when he heard Professor Snape's voice.
"He is perfectly capable of finishing his training in the short time that is left," Jessica agreed.
'What does she mean by that?' Ron heard Hermione wonder.
"But since he's awake we might as well ask him ourselves what he wants to do," Jessica continued.
Ron heard doors opening and footsteps approach his bed. The light filled the hospital wing around him and Ron sat up slowly in his bed, he felt someone's arms support him he grabbed their hands gratefully as he made himself comfortable in the stiff hospital bed. He saw Hermione back away but he quickly grabbed her hand when he realized that she was the one that had helped him. She squeezed his hand and moved to stand beside him as the adults crowded around his bed.
'Where's Harry and Ginny?' Ron wondered. He heard Hermione gasp, she gave him a surprised look.
'I heard that!' Hermione thought.
'Oh, cool!' Ron noted.
'Honestly Ronald, concentrate. Harry and Ginny are waiting outside, don't worry about them.'
"Are you two done?" Jessica's voice interrupted them.
"I'm not leaving school mom, how could you even think that," Ron said before his mother had a chance to even open her mouth, "This is not a negotiation," he added the next moment.
Mrs. Weasley stared at her son in suprise.
"I can hear what you're thinking so don't even try any mind tricks on me."
"But tonight you almost…" his mother tried to argue but Ron cut her off again ignoring Hermione's thoughts telling him to stop being rude to his mother.
"That had nothing to do with my training…it was something else," Ron looked up at Jessica hoping that she would explain the details.
"Mrs. Weasley, a word privately if you wouldn't mind," Jessica spoke leading Ron's mother away.
Snape stood looking at Ron and Hermione for a moment longer but he soon turned and followed Jessica out of the room.
"Sever…Professor if you don't mind," Jessica said pointedly.
Snape rolled his eyes before opening a side door and leaving the room.
Jessica placed a charm on the room to prevent Ron from hearing what was being said, she returned her wand to her pocket and turned round to an unimpressed Mrs. Weasley.
"What is this about exactly?" Mrs. Weasley asked when Jessica didn't speak.
"I must have your word that you will not repeat anything you hear here today," when Mrs. Weasley nodded her head, Jessica continued, "I don't know if this will be good or bad news to you but either way, I'm here to inform you that your son, Ron and Miss. Hermione Granger are bonded by Jupitor's knot."
Mrs. Weasley's covered her mouth with her hands to stop herself from screaming.
"I can only assume that the any bouts of fever or health problems Ron may have in the future will be somehow related to this," Jessica tried to explain hoping that Ron's mother wouldn't curse her to oblivion when she realized that she was lying. Luckily for her Mrs. Weasley seemed satisfied with the explanation.
"I understand, but the instant he says so, I will take him out of this school," Mrs. Weasley warned.
"I have no doubt of that," Jessica said as she lifted the spell from the room and opened the door for Mrs. Weasley to walk through.
"What do you suppose their talking about?" Hermione asked Ron.
He shifted over to allow Hermione more space to sit comfortably on the small hospital bed. Since she had insisted that he no longer read her mind or transmit his thoughts into her mind they were now talking normally.
"No idea," Ron yawned letting his head drop onto Hermione's shoulders.
"Awww so cute!" Ginny said in a sweet voice.
Harry laughed when he saw the blush on his friends faces, "You gave us a scare there Ron."
"Well now you know how we feel whenever you make your weekly visits to the hospital," Ron joked.
Hermione jumped off his bed suddenly, and when Ron saw his mother and Jessica approaching he guessed the reason why.
Harry unconsciously released Ginny's hand and took a step towards Ron when Mrs. Weasley approached. Ginny didn't look too pleased by this but remained quiet.
"Ron, the instant you feel like leaving, you just owl home, do you understand?"
"R-right…of course," Ron answered confused at how Jessica could persuade his mother to let him stay.
"I better be going then," Mrs. Weasley stated giving each of them a hug in turn.
Ron didn't fail to notice that she hugged Hermione far longer than the rest of them, Hermione gave him a questioning look but he simply shrugged his shoulders at her. When his mother finally let go, Hermione gave her a weak smile.
"Have a safe trip," Hermione said uncomfortably.
"Bless you, dear," Ron's mother said giving Hermione another quick hug before leaving.
'What was that about?'
'She's always been a little off-centre,' Ron replied.
'Ron! I told you to stop doing that!'
'Look who's talking.'
Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and pulled her hand out of his.
'Fine! I promise I won't anymore but it is hard to block you out,' he grabbed her hand.
"What's with them?" Harry whispered to Ginny when he saw the exchange of looks between Hermione and Ron.
"No idea," she said before turning and leaving.
"Uh…I'll see you guys later," Harry said hurriedly running after Ginny, "Bye Professor."
"Bye," Jessica waved she then turned back at Ron, "Get your rest, tomorrow we're going to work on Shield spells."
Hermione watched Jessica leave, her silky black hair flowing behind her. She still wasn't sure what to think of the teacher but she still had her doubts about her.
"Sorry I scared you," Ron spoke bringing her out of her thoughts.
"Who said I was scared?"
"You mean it was Harry thinking 'DON'T DIE! DON'T DIE!' when I collapsed in the Great hall?" Ron imitated Hermione voice.
"Oh shut up," Hermione said before kissing him.
Harry caught up with Ginny as she left the hospital.
"What'd I do?" he questioned genuinely confused.
Ginny whirled around angrily, "You actually have to ask!"
"I'm really confused here Ginny, I thought everything was fine between us. And now I'm back to being confused again."
"Just forget it!" she cried angrily before storming off.
He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back, "NO! I will not 'Just forget it'! Tell me what's been going on with you? Ever since you saw Jessica and Snape arguing you've been acting weird.
Harry was taken aback when Ginny hugged him, "I don't want to lose him, Harry. He may be a stupid prat most of the time but he's still my brother."
"I know, I don't want to lose him either."
"We won't lose him."
Hermione's voice startled the couple and they turned round to see Hermione walking toward them.
"I've been doing some research and there may be a way to stop him from dying."
Harry and Ginny stared at Hermione in disbelief as her words sunk in.
A/N: Please Read and Review! I've read that 'Ennervate' can only be used on someone that's been stunned but I thought this would apply to anyone who's unconscious. Is this wrong? My apologies if it is.
Not-So-Sour-Lemons: I was going to have Hermione in hysterics but decided that having her head to libary would be more accurate to her character and I think there's been too much drama between her and Ron lately soI decided to give her a break. Thanks for the constant support and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.