'To Sleep No More' Part 5
by Ginny :)
Usual stuff. Bits in italics are Jacqueline's POV, unless it isn't [:)]! Spacer is still the Muggle word for a witch or wizard. This is rated PG for language. I figured that after 2 years of believing Ron was dead, people might be a bit more explicit then 'gosh, I didn't know you were still alive!' :) Apologies for if the characters seem at all out of canon or whatever the terminology is. It's kinda hard to write something like this part with everyone completely in character or whatever.
How about someone reviewing this part for a change? ~_^
Oh yeah... Everyone in this except Jacqueline belong to JKRowling-- NOT Warner Brothers! :p
Ginny :)
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Over the next couple of days, life returned to it's now 'normal'
state of affairs. Harry, Hermione and Ginny scraped by as best
they could, just as they had done before they knew they were in
immediate danger. There was no going anywhere with Harry in the
state he was in.
He showed few signs of improvement, and was barely able to walk.
For all Hermione's charms and potions, there was little anyone
could do. In this time of trouble, there was nowhere to get medicines
or cures from. It was like being stuck in a time warp.
All 3 vowed to stay together, to stay strong against this new
opposition, and to keep hope.
Ginny and Hermione buried Draco's body before it could go bad.
They were not above taking his robes from him. As Hermione pointed
out, he had no need of them, where he was now, be it in Heaven
or in Hell.
She set to wash the blood out of them in an old rain tub, full
of stagnant water.
"Urgh, how can you touch them?" Ginny wrinkled her nose
at the idea "I feel awful, taking them from him."
"He doesn't need them," Hermione pointed out, scrubbing
at the dingy material.
"I know, but--"
"Ginny, I feel as bad about it as you do. But we need these
robes, and, let's face it, Malfoy won't give a damn now."
"It's corpse- robbing. Like those Muggles. Er, Burke 'n'
Head. Or someone."
"Burke and Hare. And no, it isn't. They dug up dead bodies
and sold them; there's a difference."
"Lovely," Ginny sat down, and watched Hermione's hands
working in the bloody redwater, the skin on them too cracked and
dry for a 25 year old.
"Why don't you go and find something to do?" Hermione
suggested, matter- of- factly.
"Fine," Ginny scowled, and got to her feet, "I'll
go and annoy Harry instead, then."
"I wouldn't," Hermione frowned, "he's asleep."
"Bloody typical. No one ever wants to talk or anything interesting
any more."
"Because this isn't the time. I'm busy. Now, go and--"
"Hi," said a voice from the doorway.
Ginny's eyes widened. She gasped.
Hermione dropped Malfoy's old robes into the water, gaping, her
mouth opening andclosing like a fish's.
Ron Weasley stood in the doorway, putting an abrupt end to their
argument.
"Ron..?" Ginny managed to say, weakly. She sat down
slowly on the edge of the rain tub,because her legs would no longer
hold her.
"Yeah," he gave a brusque nod, "it's me."
Hermione still didn't say anything.
"So..." Ron seemed to be searching for something to
say, "isn't anyone gonna welcome meback?"
Ginny and Hermione both stared at him. Neither of them were sure
what to make of him just turning up like this, 2 years or so since
his apparent death.
"Ginny... Hermione," he walked over to them, and both
noticed the tears in his eyes"Ginny, it's me... Hermione,
it's me. Aren't you happy? Please... look, it's me. You know me.
At least make me glad to be back."
Ginny watched his hopelessness, not daring to believe it for a
few more seconds, before she decided. It was him! It had to be!
She found herself half laughing, half crying, and she grabbed
Ron in a hug.
They were both crying together, Ginny and Ron, hugging, glad to
have found each other after so long. Although there was still
the tiniest doubt sitting at the back of Ginny's mind,she didn't
care. She just had to believe him- if only for now. Questions...
well, they could wait! Joy rose inside her like a bubble.
Hermione watched their reunion, staring.
Ron and Ginny let go of each other, and he turned to Hermione,
while Ginny wiped her eyes on her sleeve.
"Hermione," he stared into her eyes, "God, Hermione,
don't you recognise me or something?" He leant forwards,
and kissed her on the mouth.
"Don't!" She pushed him away, blinking back tears, "Please
don't. This is a really sick joke. You're not Ron," she shook
her head, "You can't be."
"I promise, I am."
"Liar," she replied very softly, her eyes were full
of hurt.
"But I am. Hermione--" he tried to take hold of her
arm, but she ducked away, "You're not him. Ron's... Ron's
dead!" she screamed the last word, "He's bloody dead!
You're not him! My God, you heartless, selfish, complete and utter
bastard! Get the Hell out of here!" She made to hit him,
but he ducked out of the way.
Ginny backed away from them. She'd never seen Hermione like this,
she was always so calm, and-
"Hermione-" Ron began cajollingly again.
"Don't you bleeding well 'Hermione' me! You lousy, bloody,
sodding, heartless, idiotic,cruel, selfish, stupid... whoever
you are!" between each word she aimed a blow at Ron, who
eventually grabbed her arms and pinned them to her sides, so that
she was forced to stop hitting him.
She broke down sobbing, her face full of a mixture of hatred and
hopelessness.
"I... er, I'll go and, um, talk to Harry..." Ginny decided
to make herself scarce, and left the room quickly.
"Hermione, I promise you, I don't want to hurt you. Please,
just listen. I won't try and do anything... Please?"
"All right. I'll listen. But that doesn't mean I believe
you for one second."
"And that's fine for now. Look, why don't you calm down,
and I'll explain everything later, yes?"
She nodded. Her eyes were red from crying, and her hair was falling
all over the place.
"If you are Ron," she whispered, "I'm sorry. I
want to believe you, but..." she broke off hopelessly.
"All right," he replied, sighing, "I should have
guessed this would have been a bit of a shock. I expect you've
been through a lot since I've been gone."
"Yes. I have. I think I'm going mad."
"We're all a bit mad, you know," he gave her a smile,
"impossible not to be, in times like these. I'm sure I am,"
he paused, as Hermione stared at him, as if trying to figure him
out, "Where's Harry?" then he saw the look on Hermione's
face, "he's not-?"
"No, no, he's... just a bit ill. He's in the room opposite."
"Probably wondering what's going on," Ron gave a thin
smile "after all that ranting andraving."
"I expect he's asleep."
"Ah, all right," as they made to leave, Ron caught Hermione
again by the arm, "Hermione," he stared into her eyes,
which were so like a little child's, wide, scared and innocent,
"I've missed you. I just want you to know that."
"Yes, well, I don't see how that's possible, seeing as you're
dead."
"You're cruel, you know that?" he put his head on one
side.
"Excuse me? I'm cruel?! I'm not the one impersonating a girl's
dead boyfriend!"
"Well, I'm not impersonating anyone either."
"Oh! You always were impossible!"
"So, you do believe I'm Ron?" he gave her a sideways
grin.
"No."
"You do."
"I do not."
"OK, let's go and find Harry. And you do."
"I don't! Goodness sake! If you are Ron, you haven't matured
one bit since you were eleven!"
"See, you do--"
"I could hit you so hard right now!"
"You already did."
"I despair of you, really."
"Feeling's mutual."
"You are so annoying!"
"So are you!"
"If you feel that way, why don't you just leave?" Ron's-
was it really Ron?- face fell.
"Do you really want me to?" Hermione didn't answer.
She looked away. Ron stared at her, "Because if you do..."
"No. I don't. I don't believe you even for one second, but
it'll be nice to imagine. Come on, Harry's in here."
Harry was asleep, as Hermione had prophesied. Ginny smiled when
she saw Ron, and theyhugged again, tears still in both their eyes.
Hermione watched with pursed lips.
"Shall I wake Harry?" Ginny suggested after a moment,
smiling at both of them. Her faceshone as though illuminated by
a candle.
"No," Ron grinned "let him wake up on his own.
I'll stay here and wait for him. Give him a shock for when he
wakes up, eh?"
"Better not, he might see you and think he's died,"
Hermione objected.
"He's not that much of a nitwit," Ron argued, grinning,
"although it would have a certain comedy value if he was..."
"That's sick! Well...shall we wake him?"
"Nah, I think--"
"Wha'?" Harry sat up, groggily, "'choo all arguin'
'bout?" he was obviously still half asleep. He rubbed his
eyes, groggily.
"Hi, Harry!" Ron said, obviously trying to sound as
though he'd just got back from popping down the street to the
off-license.
Harry sat up, stared at Ron for a long moment, muttered something
inaudible, and lay back down again with his eyes shut tight.
"Harry! Wake up! Ron's here!" Ginny was practically
dancing. She shook Harry by the shoulders, her face fixed with
a grin that would have had a sane man running for cover.
Harry sat up, and opened his eyes again, "I've died, haven't
I?"
"Not yet!" Ron laughed, and hugged Harry, "I'm
back! You haven't died! Nor have I!You're not going mad yet! I
really am back!"
Harry swore, and immediately began to ask Ron questions about
what the heck he'd been doing for the last 2 years.
"That's something we'd all like to know!" Hermione interrupted
"I mean, people just don't disappear for ages, then turn
up right as rain. It doesn't happen."
Suddenly, the expression on Ron's face changed. He had suddenly
realised why he was where he was-- not to join his friends again,
but to spy on them. Hermione's question brought him to his senses.
His face suddenly became very sober, especially compared to the
grinthat had been there formerly.
"Ron? Are you all right?" Ginny hugged him "Was
it really that awful?"
"No, I, er," Ron began, then changed track "I mean,
yes. It was awful. I managed to... escape the Muggles after they
attacked..." he spoke slowly, as if recounting something
that his that memories were dim and painful of, even though he
was lying through his teeth, "but I was wounded. I ran...
they chased me... and they caught me. They took me somewhere...
tried to kill me... I escaped again, but I didn't know where I
was. I've spent every day since then looking for you. For my friends..."
he put his face in his hands.
There was a long moments silence.
"You've found us, though," Ginny reassured him, beaming
"You did it. So try and forgetthat. I know it must have been
horrid, but everything's OK now, right?"
He nodded, "Right. You're right. But now I'm here,"
he looked at Hermione, who refused to meet his eye, "I'm
not so sure I'm welcome."
"Of course you are," Harry reassured him, "It's
the best thing that's happened in these two wretched years, I'll
tell you that for certain. Ow," he added, "My leg's
killing me. Some bloody idiot shot me," he added, by way
of an explination.
"If you want us to go--" Ron began.
"No way! This is too great," Harry beamed emotionally,
"We've got loads to talk about.Hermione, how come you're
so quiet?"
"No reason."
"I suppose she's shocked," Ron put in quickly, "still,
got to bash on, that's what I say."
But Hermione had stopped listening again. She stood there, as
the conversation flowed over her, not hearing a word. She wanted
to believe Ron so much, but something inside her was ringing warning
bells. Something wasn't right. It couldn't be Ron...
could it?
That night, she lay awake, her mind working ceaselessly. She missed
Ron, even though he was there. Why couldn't she just be like the
others, and accept the story?
She must have fallen asleep eventually, because the next thing
she knew, morning had broken, and bright light filled the dusty
air.
If it had been a few years ago, birds would have been singing,
but now there was nothing but a forbidding silence, like the lull
before a storm.
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Read & review! Also, thanks to my beta reader, hermione potter, as always! If you review, tell me what way you would like romance to go in this... I was originally gonna do R/ H, but I think hermione potter would kill me. :) So... what do you guys want? Tell me, and whoever gets most votes, them I'll do. I draw the line at R/ G [Ron/ Ginny], though... :)
Cheers
Ginny :)
