"No," said Ron slowly, "I want to stay."
"You don't have to, Ron," said Sirius.
"I want to," Ron replied, still not looking up.
Sirius looked at Ron with a mixture of pity and admiration. Harry personally felt that Ron was being very brave.
"Very well," said Sirius, standing up. "There is a meeting of the Order soon. Professor McGonagall will send for you. Tell Hermione about it when she wakes up."
Harry and Ron nodded vaguely. Sirius left quietly, closing the door with a pained look on his face. As soon as the snap of the door was heard, Ron let out a small moan.
"Ron?" said a voice to Harry's left. Hermione had woken up.
Ron didn't answer. He had buried his face in his hands.
"Ron, are you okay?" asked Harry.
Hermione sat up and rubbed her eyes. She pushed her hair out of her face and looked at Ron with concern.
"What's wrong?" she whispered to Harry.
"Er-" Harry began, trying to decide how to tell her, but Ron cut him off.
"Why would they want her?" he moaned through his hands.
"Who? What's happened?" said Hermione urgently.
Harry couldn't tell her. He couldn't, but he had to. Ron was too upset. Harry took a deep breath and looked at her carefully.
"Hermione," he said gently. "The forest - we found-"
He couldn't continue. His throat constricted. He swallowed and tried to continue, but the words wouldn't come. Hermione looked at him, terrified.
"Who was it?" she asked in a choked voice.
Ron sat up and pulled his hands up to his forehead. His eyes were very bright.
"Ginny," he said, so quietly that they barely heard.
Hermione's lip trembled. She got out of bed and tried to walk over to Ron, but couldn't get past Harry's bed because she was so exausted and weak. Harry stood up and helped her over, trying not to let her see him upset, but the fact remained that he had tears in his eyes.
Hermione sat on Ron's bed and put an arm around his shoulders. Ron looked at her for a second, then leaned into her, and threw his arms around her neck. Hermione patted Ron's back while she hugged him.
"Why are you out of bed? What's going on?" said Madam Pomfrey from her office.
She strode over to them and looked, startled, at Ron and Hermione, hugging and shaking. Harry wiped his eyes and tried to avoid her gaze.
"What's going on?" she repeated, trying to make Harry lie back down.
As if in answer to her question, the door burst open, and in walked Lupin. His lip was bleeding and his eye was bruised, but he was standing tall and looking upset.
"Poppy," he said softly, with a quick glance at Ron, Harry, and Hermione. "I need a word."
He led her out into the hall and closed the door. Ron tried to collect himself and let go of Hermione, who then turned to Harry and hugged him, too.
"I never got to apologise," said Harry in her ear.
"I know," she said. "It's okay."
"No, it's not," said Harry.
She hugged him tighter, then let go, looking at him. Harry's eyes were brimming. Hermione's face was soaked with tears, and Ron kept rubbing his face.
"It's okay, Harry," said Hermione soothingly in his ear, though her voice shook.
"It's not," said Harry again.
She hugged him again and went back to Ron, who had turned over so that his back was to them.
"She's gone," said Ron in numb disbelief. "She's gone."
Hermione looked at Harry, lost for words.
"You don't have to, Ron," said Sirius.
"I want to," Ron replied, still not looking up.
Sirius looked at Ron with a mixture of pity and admiration. Harry personally felt that Ron was being very brave.
"Very well," said Sirius, standing up. "There is a meeting of the Order soon. Professor McGonagall will send for you. Tell Hermione about it when she wakes up."
Harry and Ron nodded vaguely. Sirius left quietly, closing the door with a pained look on his face. As soon as the snap of the door was heard, Ron let out a small moan.
"Ron?" said a voice to Harry's left. Hermione had woken up.
Ron didn't answer. He had buried his face in his hands.
"Ron, are you okay?" asked Harry.
Hermione sat up and rubbed her eyes. She pushed her hair out of her face and looked at Ron with concern.
"What's wrong?" she whispered to Harry.
"Er-" Harry began, trying to decide how to tell her, but Ron cut him off.
"Why would they want her?" he moaned through his hands.
"Who? What's happened?" said Hermione urgently.
Harry couldn't tell her. He couldn't, but he had to. Ron was too upset. Harry took a deep breath and looked at her carefully.
"Hermione," he said gently. "The forest - we found-"
He couldn't continue. His throat constricted. He swallowed and tried to continue, but the words wouldn't come. Hermione looked at him, terrified.
"Who was it?" she asked in a choked voice.
Ron sat up and pulled his hands up to his forehead. His eyes were very bright.
"Ginny," he said, so quietly that they barely heard.
Hermione's lip trembled. She got out of bed and tried to walk over to Ron, but couldn't get past Harry's bed because she was so exausted and weak. Harry stood up and helped her over, trying not to let her see him upset, but the fact remained that he had tears in his eyes.
Hermione sat on Ron's bed and put an arm around his shoulders. Ron looked at her for a second, then leaned into her, and threw his arms around her neck. Hermione patted Ron's back while she hugged him.
"Why are you out of bed? What's going on?" said Madam Pomfrey from her office.
She strode over to them and looked, startled, at Ron and Hermione, hugging and shaking. Harry wiped his eyes and tried to avoid her gaze.
"What's going on?" she repeated, trying to make Harry lie back down.
As if in answer to her question, the door burst open, and in walked Lupin. His lip was bleeding and his eye was bruised, but he was standing tall and looking upset.
"Poppy," he said softly, with a quick glance at Ron, Harry, and Hermione. "I need a word."
He led her out into the hall and closed the door. Ron tried to collect himself and let go of Hermione, who then turned to Harry and hugged him, too.
"I never got to apologise," said Harry in her ear.
"I know," she said. "It's okay."
"No, it's not," said Harry.
She hugged him tighter, then let go, looking at him. Harry's eyes were brimming. Hermione's face was soaked with tears, and Ron kept rubbing his face.
"It's okay, Harry," said Hermione soothingly in his ear, though her voice shook.
"It's not," said Harry again.
She hugged him again and went back to Ron, who had turned over so that his back was to them.
"She's gone," said Ron in numb disbelief. "She's gone."
Hermione looked at Harry, lost for words.