Prompt: I loved year 6 part 2 ! But it made me a lil sad for Ron :( could you maybe write about when Hermione is like fawning over him? (Like how Ron says he deserves a girl who's nice to him)

Written because Completely Mental Chapter 8 was a lil rough for Won-Won!

Era: Half Blood Prince
Rating: K+

The Best Birthday Present

I lied when I told her I didn't remember saying anything when I woke up. I remember saying her name, it was very intentional. I had been so surprised that she was there, by my side, holding my hand, that I had to say it just to be sure that I wasn't dreaming.

We hadn't spoken in months, and I was beginning to think we never would. I had been planning an apology for most of that time, but could never actually get myself to say anything. It had become my only chance to talk to her again, so if she turned me down, I'd be shit out of luck.

That's why I was so excited that we made up in the hospital wing. I was hardly conscious, I remember saying her name, and mumbling some other stuff, and before I knew it she was hugging me. I'd have never thought I'd be better at apologies unconscious, but I've also been known to surprise myself.

She deserved a true apology, so I tried again a few days later. I was just finishing up the dinner that she had brought from the Great Hall, and she was sitting next to me reading a book.

"Hermione," I said, before putting my plate on the bedside table and turning to look at her.

"Yeah," she replied, folding down the corner of the page in her book. She closed it and turned to look at me.

"I'm so-,"

"I'm sorry!" she interrupted. I was taken aback by her apology.

"You're sorry?"

"Yes!" she put the book on the table beside her and inched her chair closer to mine, before reaching for my hand. "For not talking to you. For not being supportive of you and Lavender. For the canaries. For assuming you had taken Felix Felicis that one time-,"

She stopped talking when I tugged on her arm, to pull her to my side. She wrapped her arms around my waist, and rested her head against my chest. "I'm sorry for making fun of you that one time in transfiguration. I'm sorry for kissing Lavender in front of you. I'm sorry for...well, kissing Lavender in the first place."

She looked up at me in confusion, before settling back against my chest. "You had every right to," she protested softly, although it was muffled by my shirt.

"But I really shouldn't have," I repeated more firmly.

"I was so awful to you," she said, her voice breaking slightly. "And then I almost lost you."

"It's ok," I said. I took a risk, and gently brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. I felt her relax even more against me when I did.

"Well, if we ever stop talking again, it's not going to be my choice," she said.

I smiled. "I hope that never happens."

"Me too."

At that moment the door to the hospital wing opened, and I must have jolted a little too abruptly. Hermione sat back up in her chair, and I whipped my head toward the entryway, breathing a sigh of relief when it was just Madam Pomfrey returning from her break.

"Worried Lavender was going to catch you in a compromising position?" she asked with a smirk.

'Yeah…," I said. So far, I'd been pretending to be asleep every time Lavender came around. It wouldn't look very good if she came by and I was awake with Hermione's head on my chest.

"Does she come visit you a lot?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"Not really, no," I told her. "Things haven't been going very well, actually."

She looked as though she was trying to hide a grin, but her rosy cheeks gave her away. "Well, she should," she said, shrugging innocently. "You deserve a girl who visits you everyday."

Now I was blushing, when I responded, "You're right. I do."

She smiled back before settling her head against my chest again. "I'm sorry that I didn't get you a birthday present."

I simply chuckled, because little did she know, she already gave me the best birthday present.