Ron waited outside Dumbledore's door. He had his ear pressed up to it, trying to hear what was going on, but couldn't hear anything He was startled when Hermione slammed the door open and flew passed him. He was even more surprised when Snape followed a few seconds later and didn't even notice Ron standing there, dumbfounded. He quickly snapped out of it and quietly followed them. He followed them through two different hallways, up and down stairs, getting caught on a stairway that changed, which threw him off course for a little bit. He soon found Snape running to the closed portrait that led the way into the Gryffindor common room and dorm rooms.
"Hermione!" Snape screamed at the portrait. The lady on the portrait was red in the face.

"Why Severus Snape, why don't you leave the child alone for once, you make enough kids cry as it is and you certainly don't need to press the child on any longer." Snape was shocked as he looked into her angry eyes.

"Open up, winch." He gritted his teeth as her mouth dropped open.

"Not when you speak in a tone like that to me, young sir, I suggest you go back to manners school. Never speak to a lady like that." Ron walked up behind the two and kindly cleared his throat.

"Weasley, open the picture."

"Why was Hermione crying?" Ron tried not to show any sign of nervousness in his voice, or posture.

"That can wait, right now you need to open up this painting if you know what's good for you."

"You'll go away if you know what's good with you." The lady in the painting was now standing up, getting ready to leave.

"No, no, don't go, wait!" Snape begged. Ron held back a laugh, he'd never seen anyone give professor Snape as much trouble as the lady has.

"Nacatia Duflorie." Ron finally said. Snape bent his knees and quietly whispered a 'yes,' before jumping through the now open portrait hole and rushing over to the figure in the chair by the fire place. Ron took one last look at the lady in the portrait.

"You didn't have to do that." She said. Ron nodded his head.

"I know, I know, it's just that we've lost so many points already, I figured that we best not make him take any more off." Ron didn't let the lady answer before stepping through the portrait hole and slowly walked up to where Professor Snape was hovering over Hermione.

"Please understand, Hermione." He said, she didn't look up. Ron continued to walk over to where they were, deciding whether or not to say something.

"Is….Is there something I can do." Ron finally said. Snape stood up and turned to him.

"I don't think there is anything that can be done right now." Snape looked back at Hermione.

"What happened? Hermione ran out of Dumbledore's office so fast--"

"Maybe she better explain that to you. I'm going to be in the dungeon now, if you need me for any reason." Ron watched Snape glide back over to the portrait before he turned around again.

"How's Potter?" Snape's voice sounded softer and different.

"He's-He's good." Ron didn't know how to answer that question, Snape had never taken any of their well-being into consideration before. Snape nodded before taking one last look at Hermione and leaving the room. The portrait swung closed and Ron walked over to Hermione.

"Hermione, please tell me what's wrong. Snape's gone, please tell me." Ron knelt down in front of the chair and put a hand on Hermione's arm.

"Hermione?" Slowly she brought her head up. Her eyes were red from crying, soon she sat up. Ron brought her into a tight hug, she kind of laughed.

"You know, it's funny." She said, coming out of the hug and bringing a Kleenex out of her pocket to blow her nose.

"What's funny?"

"How we think we know our family, just to find out that for fifteen years, they could have betrayed us, or lied to us in one way or another."

"What do you mean, Hermione?"

"They think they can fool us because they think we're stupid kids that don't know anything…that, that we're still 'wet behind the ears' and can't understand the truth." Hermione looked at Ron.

"You lost me."

"Do you know what they told me back there?" Ron shook his head.

"Will you tell me?"

"They told me that the mother and father I had grown up to believe were mine, that I thought were my real parents actually weren't my real parents."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm adopted Ron! Adopted! And for fifteen years, my parents didn't want to tell me."

"They would have occasionally."

"No, Ron, they wouldn't have."

"How do you know?"

"Ron, think about it! We had to have a conference in which my 'mother' started crying."

"What mother wouldn't?" There was a slight pause. Hermione took a deep breath.

"Why do you think Snape was there?"

"To turn them into slugs if something went wrong? How am I supposed to know?"

"You aren't using your brain, are you Ron?" Ron laughed.

"I'm serious, Ron." Ron quickly lost the smile when he noticed she wasn't kidding.

"Snape was there because…I don't know." Hermione shrunk back into the sofa, curling up into a little ball before speaking again. Ron noted that she was slightly crying.

"Ron, I don't know how I'm supposed to tell you this. Anyone this for that matter."

"Say it real fast, it's not as hard that way." Hermione snuggled even further into the chair.

"Ron, Snape is my uncle."

*****************************************

Harry groaned. He was in pain and didn't want to move very fast, heck, he didn't want to move at all. Someone must have heard him, though because something wet was being pressed against his lips. He drank it, noticing his pain was slipping away with every sip he took. When his vision became regular, probably after the person who gave him his drink, put his glasses on as well, he noticed that the room was full of flowers and candy. Sitting at the foot of his bed was Hermione, Ron and Dumbledore. They were talking and didn't notice he was looking at them. He saw Madame Pomfrey walking out the door and he figured that she was the one that gave him the stuff. After a few seconds, they noticed someone watching them.

"Harry! So nice to see you finally up and about." Dumbledore said, walking around the side of the bed and giving him a smile. Ron walked around the other side, followed by Hermione.

"Hey guy's." Harry spoke slowly. It had been a while since he spoke last and the words felt foreign in his mouth.

"How are you feeling?" Hermione felt his arm, he smiled.

"I've felt better….how long was I out for?"

"Almost a week and a half." Ron decided to say. Harry tried to sit up, but found he was still too weak to support himself, so he settled for lying there, looking up at his headmaster and friends. Snape came walking into the room at that moment and walked over to the bed.

"Ah, he's up." He said, nodding his head at everyone in there in a polite hello. Madame Pomfrey walked into the room to fluff Harry's pillow's at that moment and Harry looked at her.

"How much longer am I going to have to stay here?" He asked, ready to go that day if she'd let him.

"Oh, dear, that all depends. That potion I gave you is a self-help remedy I decided you were ready for. As long as you want to get better, I'm sure it wouldn't be more than a few hours you'll start to feel you can walk on your own." She turned around and left. Harry smiled as he looked at Ron and Hermione, who was curiously eyeing Snape. He looked over at Dumbledore and Snape and noticed that Snape was looking at Hermione also. At that moment, Harry noticed he was missing something. Something had happened while he was passed out, and it looked kind of fishy from his perspective.