Disclaimer: No, not mine. Nope, nada, never.
A/N: Well, here's another chapter for you. I think there will be one more after this one, unless I get especially inspired. When Ginny mentions working at the store, I envisioned her working at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to pay for her tuition. I'm sure Fred and George will need a trained healer on staff (one in training anyway) to fix all of their "mistakes" while testing new items. The chapter title is from the Crowded House song of the same name. One of my all-time favorites!
LJ Fan: I'm dedicating this chapter to you, my dear. Thank you for your constant support during the writing of this little ficcy. Here's to all us saps!
Weasley: I appreciate your patience. I totally don't support the "good girl" thing though. Cause a little mischief and mayhem - it's good for you :)
Michelleywelly: I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, I like her pretending to be his wife too. He obviously didn't mind, now did he?
Chapter 6: Don't Dream It's Over
Hermione's breath was caught in her throat. Ron just had to be alright, he had to be. "What happened, is he ok?"
The healer's face broke out in a smile. "Yes, he's going to be just fine. He came through surgery beautifully. We've moved him into the recovery suite. Follow me and I'll take you there."
Hermione looked at the relieved faces of Harry and Ginny. "Can my friends come as well? She's his sister and this is Ron's best friend."
"I'm sorry, but only one person is allowed in at a time. Once he's moved into a regular room, then they can visit, unless you would prefer one of them visit first"
Hermione was feeling a little guilty. Ginny really should be the one to be with Ron. After all, she was his family. Then Ginny spoke, "No, I think my brother would much rather see his 'wife' first then his sister." Hermione gave her and Harry a hug, promised to give Ron their best, and followed the Healer to a large room with many beds in it. The room was entirely white and each bed had a small wooden chair next to it. As they walked past the rows of beds, Hermione saw family members comforting their sick loved ones. Close to the end of the row, the Healer slowed down in front of a bed where a shock of red hair was visible.
"He hasn't woken up yet, but he should any minute now. He will probably be quite groggy and shouldn't attempt to get out of bed. His surgical site has been magically healed, but he could still re-open it and he will be sore for a week or so. If you need anything, please let one of the mediwitches know." The Healer then took off for another part of the ward.
Hermione looked at Ron's sleeping form. Even though he was over six feet tall and quite muscular, somehow he looked small lying in the bed. Hermione held onto his hand and brushed a few stray strands of hair off of his forehead. His color was still pale, but there was at least some pink in his cheeks now. She felt his forehead and it was finally cool. No signs of the fever that had ravaged his body before was present. He had been so sick. If she hadn't called for help, his appendix could have burst and he could have died.
Ron eye lids fluttered and a patch of blue was trying to make an appearance.
"Ron, can you hear me?" A muffled noise was all he made as he fought to regain consciousness. "Ron, I'm here, just like I promised."
Ron's eyes slowly opened to look in the pretty brunette's face. "Hey", he whispered.
Hermione smiled at him and then conjured a glass of water. She helped him to raise his head so that he could take a sip. "Thanks. That's better"
Ron's head felt as though it were attached to a long string, floating somewhere high above his body. The world seemed somehow out of focus and far away. The only thing he was aware of was the girl of his dreams sitting next to him and smiling at him. That smile that told him that all was right with the world.
"How are you feeling Ron? I was so worried. Don't do that again, or you will have to face my wrath." She was only half joking.
"I'm ok. Pain's much better. Stomach feels funny." Ron rubbed a hand over the spot where his appendix had been. "Tingles".
"That's probably from the painkillers they gave you. The Healer said you're going to be fine, but you can't get out of bed yet and you may have some pain for the next week. I really am glad you're feeling better." She smiled warmly at the red head. "Um, do you remember what happened, um, between us before you went in for surgery?"
Ron tried to think, but his brain was still asleep. What had happened? It seemed like a blur, a dream really. Had he dreamt about Hermione being his wife and kissing him or was that real? Oh, how he hoped it was real. If he had been able to think straight, he would not have said what he thought. But it was hard to think when your head was floating up there near the ceiling. "Said you were my wife and we kissed."
"Yeah. How do you feel about that?" She had to know. The poor man had just gotten out of surgery and she shouldn't have pressed him. But darn it, she needed answers now.
"Best day of my life" he said with a dopey grin on his face. "Think we need to go on that second date."
Hermione beamed back at him. "Yes, definitely. But you need to get well first." Ron just nodded his head.
A mediwitch came round and exclaimed "Oh good. You're awake. I'm here to move you to your room." With a flick of her wand, Ron was situated in a new bed on the surgical ward. Hermione had also been transported directly to Ron's new room. "You have a couple of friends out here who'd like to see you."
"Harry and Ginny are here. They came and waited with me. I oweled your parents too. Hopefully they'll get the message soon."
"Better kiss me quick before they come in then." Ron said sheepishly.
Hermione laughed. She leaned down and touched her lips to his soft, full lips. It was as if one of Fred and George's fireworks had gone off in her stomach. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute as she deepened the kiss to which he responded in kind. They broke apart just as Harry and Ginny approached the bed.
"It's about time you two got together. Honestly, we've been waiting for this for years. Guess all we needed to do was hurt Ron bad enough for you two to realize what you meant to each other." Ginny teased the new couple as Harry draped his arm around her waist, laughing.
"Very funny. Glad we could amuse." Hermione said, swatting the red headed witch on the arm.
Ginny turned to Ron, a more serious look on her face. "We were worried about you, you know. Gave us all quite a fright." She leaned down and embraced her brother into a huge hug. "I love you, big brother. Don't know what I'd do without you."
"Sorry 'bout that. Won't do it again, honest." Ron said as he patted her back. Ginny released him.
"Any pain now? Nausea?" As Ron shook his head no, Ginny lifted his gown and poked and prodded around the incision site. Before he could protest to put his gown down and leave him alone, Ron winced as she hit a sore spot. "Looks like they did a good job of putting you back together again. But did you know some things are, shall we say, missing down here?"
Ron's eyes widened in terror. "What?!!"
Ginny's evil grin returned. "Just kidding! I mean your appendix is missing, that's all. What did you think I meant?" Ron glared at her but she only ruffled his hair. "That's for scaring us half to death and ruining two perfectly good dates tonight, your and mine. Anyway, I spoke with the healer. He said you could go home tomorrow if someone will be there with you during the day. You are under no circumstances to move around except to use the lavatory. I've got to work at the Diagon Alley store all day tomorrow. But I can come by in the evening. Harry, can you be around tomorrow?"
Harry shook his head. "Sorry mate. I've got an assignment for the next 3 days. I'd cancel it except with you out, they really can't spare me too."
"Yeah, I know. That's ok."
"I'll stay with him. It's no problem." Hermione offered.
"You sure?" Ron asked, hoping that she would say yes. He craved spending time with her.
"Absolutely. You don't think I would leave you in here any longer than you had to be, do you?"
"Thanks. I owe you so much."
"Don't you forget it." Hermione said as she kissed him on the forehead.
Just then, Fred, George, Charlie, Molly, and Arthur Weasley showed up. Molly rushed over to her son "Oh Ron! Are you alright dear?", she asked as she enveloped him into one of her famous hugs.
"Fine now, mum."
Molly turned to Hermione and wrapped her arms around the younger woman. "Oh thank you for getting him here, Hermione. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't taken care of him. And it is wonderful to see you again, dear. We've missed you terribly."
The boisterous Weasley clan did their best to cheer up Ron. However it was evident on Ron's face after half an hour with his family that he was exhausted. His eyelids drooped and he fought to stay awake. Molly gathered up the visitors and told them to say their goodbyes as Ron needed his rest. As everyone began to head out, Hermione called out to Harry and Ginny that she would be right along. Soon it was just the two of them left. "I'll be back to get you in the morning, Ron. Sleep well tonight." She leaned down to kiss him again.
"Hermione, I love you."
"I love you too, Ron. More than you could ever know."
"Someday, I'm going to make an honest woman out of you." He said through hooded eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"You told the healer that you were my wife. Someday I'm going to marry you, Hermione Granger, and then you really will be mine."
"Oh yeah, and just how do you know that? We haven't even finished our first date yet."
Ron yawned, unable to hide his fatigue. "You don't think I spent all those years in divination without at least picking up a thing or two, do you?" The last thing Ron remembered was the feeling of her lips pressed into his. He thought 'I definitely could get used to this' before he drifted off to sleep.
A/N: Sorry about that guys. I know this is the same chapter I uploaded yesterday, but a couple of you pointed out a mistake (I truly appreciate it LJ Fan and AnonymousPHancock) that I felt should be corrected. In the scene where Hermione tells Ron that he has other visitors, I said that Ron was there to see him instead of Harry. Oops! And I read this several times before posting. Ah well, this is my first fic and I'll learn as I go. If anyone is interested in being my beta, I would grovel at your feet. You can contact me at rottie2bad@yahoo.com if you want to help out this struggling fan fic writer. Thanks for reading.