~*Love and Rumors: Part 5*~

A/N~ Here's part five! If your still willing to read this story, kudos to you. I am simply horrid for taking so long when ya'll have been so helpful in reviewing and such. Thanks once more! Oh, and I'm not really into damsely girls, but the one "damsely" part was written during a thunderstorm at three in the morning. Anyway, I have a feeling I may get hit if I don't thank Lizzy Rouseau again. Have fun reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. If I did, I'd be a millionaire writing books not "short" stories for a website. Although Cassie, Lizzy (No she isn't named for you), and Bria are figments of my own cogitations.

* * *

Ron had been grading tests for Professor McGonagall for the past hour. Finally finishing, he walked into her office, set the stack of parchment on her desk, and sarcastically told her, "You'll never guess who got the highest grade."

She smiled her rare trademark half-smile, "She loves you, you know? Well, that's all for now. Run along." Ron barely suppressed his laughter at her seriousness as he exited, and began the walk to Gryffindor tower. Pausing outside the portrait hole, he heard the sound of distant thunder and driving rain.

"Uh oh," he muttered, and quickly went in. Hermione was on the couch closest to the fire, looking pale and slightly sick. She was gripping the arm of the sofa so hard that her knuckles were snow white. Her eyes, although pointed at a thick muggle mystery in her lap, were unfocused and glazed with terror. She was deathly afraid of storms.

"Are you all right?", Ron asked, his voice full of concern. He noticed she was shaking like a leaf in a high wind.

"Y-Yeah. I-I guess," she replied very softly, her voice quavering and teeth chattering though it was quite comfortable in the room.

"No, you're not," he said firmly, noticing that aside from a knot of fifth years in the opposite corner, they were alone in the room.

"I'm just being stupid," she said, trying to sound brave but having the affect of a lost three-year-old. Another clap of thunder roared, and Hermione dropped her book.

Ron picked it up, but, rather than giving back to her, he laid it on the table. He sat down beside her and enveloped her in a tight embrace. She was still shaking like mad.

"It's OK. Calm Down. I promise, it's OK," he murmured reassuringly into her hair.

In his arms, Hermione felt considerably safer. It was to her as though nothing bad could possibly happen while she was there. She stopped her shaking eventually, but her teeth still chattered slightly as the storm raged outside. Ron continued to whisper comfortingly. She let him just hold her, and in the warmth of his embrace, she almost completely forgot her fear of the storm. Soon, she found herself drifting off into a very pleasant sleep.

Ron waited awhile, carefully picked her up, and carried her up to her room. He laid her head down on her pillow, placed a feather-light kiss on her cheek, and started to tiptoe out. But before leaving, he conjured a dozen pale pink roses and put them on her bedside table. Somehow he got out without awakening any of Hermione's roommates.

* * *

Ginny woke up the next morning with a plan forming in her mind. All she needed was a little help. Not wanting another confrontation with Cassie, Lizzy, or Bria, she dressed quietly and went down to the common room to figure out what she needed to do. She sat down in a chair, briefly noticing the brilliant pinkish blue of the sky outside before going over the first stage, which was clearing her own name.

She needed to get Colin to confess to Ron and Hermione.

"But how?", she said to the deaf ears of the walls around her. She was startled when she actually received an answer.

"How what?", asked a voice coming down the stairs. Harry came into the room, taking the armchair next to Ginny's. His emerald green eyes sparkled as he stifled a yawn while attempting to smile.

"Oh, nothing. Why're you up so early on a Saturday?"

"I've got detention at 7:30 for beating up Malfoy. Although, seeing him like that was almost worth it. Unfortunately, I'm stuck dicing some poisonous roots for Snape," Harry replied, rolling his eyes. He looked at the clock over the fireplace, and saw it was only 6:55.

"Ick! Sounds like fun!", Ginny said playfully, making a face.

"Doesn't it though? So, what were doing before I came down?", he asked inquisitively.

"Plotting and planning against my current nemesis," she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Now that's the Ginny I know and love!", Harry said, laughing, wondering if the person against whom she was planning had any idea what they were in for. He stood up, gave her a quick kiss, and turned to leave.

"Bye, Gin. See you later." She waved him away, and got back to her plans.

* * *

Harry diced the roots of some unpronounceable plant for three hours under Snape's loathing eyes. Finally, the professor nodded reluctantly, Harry removed his gloves, and grabbed his bag.

"Were any points taken from Gryffindor yesterday?", Snape inquired coldly.

"15. That's the norm for fighting. Besides, I was provoked," Harry replied steadily.

"I'll be speaking with Professor McGonagall about that," Snape said, the ever-present malicious edge back in his voice.

Harry mouthed wordlessly, then snapped his jaws shut.

"You're dismissed," Snape said, eying Harry mercilessly.

* * *

Hermione awoke to sunlight pouring into her room. She sat bolt upright, and realized both Parvati and Lavender were gone, and she was back in her room.

"How'd I get in here?", she asked quietly to herself. She remembered the storm, then falling asleep in Ron's arms. She smiled at that memory, then looked at her bedside table to see what time it was. She first saw a bouquet of roses. They were pale, pale, shimmery pink, her favorite color.

"Wonder where these came from?", she asked Crookshanks, who was purring at the foot of her bed. Hermione was searching for a card when she heard a tap on the door.

"Come in!", she called cheerfully.

"I can't," Ron said teasingly, opening the door, and leaning on the frame. "So, Sleeping Beauty, are you ever planning on getting up?"

"Yeah. Just as soon as I find the card in these. Aren't they gorgeous?", she declared dreamily

"There isn't a card. I didn't have time for that. Sorry." He said in mock apology, a gleam in his eye.

"Oh, Ron! You shouldn't have! Where'd you get them? Thank you!", she cried ecstatically, jumping out of bed to throw her arms around his neck, smiling broadly. "I'll be down in a few minutes," she said, shoving him gently out the door. She dressed, pulled her hair into half-pigtails, and tucked a tiny rosebud into one. Smiling, she went downstairs. Noticing that the clock read 11:50, she grabbed Ron's hand and dragged him to lunch. Afterwards, they were headed back up to the common room. But on the step most students knew to jump, Ron forgot, and fell through, wrenching his ankle, and howling in pain. Hermione shrieked in terror as he fell. She grabbed his hand.

She managed to get him out of the hole, but Ron's ankle was already swelling nastily.

"Ferula," she said anxiously, and instantly his foot was wrapped in bandages.

"Thanks," he said through gritted teeth.

"Well, how are we going to get you to the hospital wing?", she said, thought a moment, then added, "Wait a sec. I'm going to get a little bit of help." She ran through the portrait hole, and gave a mental sigh of relief as she saw just the pair she was looking for.

"Dean, Seamus! You've got to help me! Ron's on the stairs, and I think his ankle's broken!", she said through dramatically conjured tears.

The two got up, and she once again noticed how short she was. She led them to where Ron lay on the stairs. Dean and Seamus half-carried the grumbling Ron to Madam Pomfrey, who was quite near hysterics anyway.

"Over there!", she cried, pointing to the empty bed on Colin's left. They dropped Ron onto the bed. He uttered an embarrassed thanks.

Hermione called, "Thanks!" to Dean's and Seamus's retreating backs. She looked at Madam Pomfrey who was struggling to get Draco Malfoy to take some gooey orange stuff.

"I'll be back in a little while. Just be cooperative. Love you!", Hermione said as she hurried off to the Owlery to send an owl to Fred and George in Hogsmeade. She felt that, other than Ron, they were the only Weasley's she could talk to at the moment. On a spare piece of parchment, she scrawled:

Fred and George~

Ron's hurt. Write to your mum because she's not too happy with me right now. Neither is Ginny for that matter. See you next visit!

Love From,

Hermione

She sent the letter with Pigwidgeon and went back to keep Ron company.

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A/N~ Well, that's all for now. Enjoy! R&R, Please!