Disclaimer: I'm running out of snappy comments on this disclaimer, but I'll try anyway. If I were J.K. Rowling I would be making a million dollars. Instead I'm sitting on my computer and spending my free time on letting my imagination run free for people who enjoy my story. By the way, Harry Potter does not belong to me.
CHAPTER XV: AN UNEXPECTED TWIST
"You look terrible Hermione," Ginny commented upon seeing her best friend's exhausted face.
"You don't look so good yourself," she criticized, glancing up and down the disheveled girl.
Ginny grimaced. "You're right. I've been awake for a week, sitting next to Harry, but I just can't leave his side."
"I know what you mean," she agreed running her fingers idly through Ron's hair. His bruises were healing and his breathing was becoming better, but he still wasn't waking up. Yet, she would never want to leave him despite the fact she hadn't seen Kelly and Jason for a while.
"Hermione," Ginny began, breaking her out of her reverie.
"Mmm," she muttered, halfheartedly turning away from Ron.
"I'm going to go get some coffee for myself. I think I'm going to fall asleep any minute. While I'm gone could you do me a little favor?"
"Do I have a choice?" Hermione replied, stifling a yawn.
Ginny smirked kindly. "Not really. While I'm gone could you stay with Harry," Ginny pleaded.
She sighed. "Sure Gin."
"Thanks and do you want me to get you anything from the canteen?" Ginny inquired pleasantly.
Hermione thought for a moment before answering, "A cup of coffee would be great."
"Okay." Ginny gave Harry one long look and left the room, leaving Hermione as the only conscious person in the room. Reluctantly leaving Ron's side, she approached the Boy-Who-Lived and stared at the brother she'd never had. His scar was hidden under a mass of jet-black hair, while his other bruises were healing rapidly. He wasn't the same 17-year-old boy she had known five years ago; the boy she had agreed to look after his girlfriend.
"Oh Harry," she gushed, squeezing his hand firmly. "Why aren't you here with me? Don't you know we need you?" She sighed heavily, trying to swallow the huge lump in her throat that was starting to form. She lifted her hand and wiped away his hair from his forehead, revealing his prominent scar. She stood there watching his expressionless face, when she saw something move.
Blinking her eyes quickly, she gazed at him. Was she imagining things or had she just seen him make an attempt of opening his eyes? But, there was no change in his appearance. Scolding herself for thinking such a thing, she resumed her watch over him, occasionally glancing at Ron. She seemed to be nodding off to sleep, when someone gripped her hand firmly. Shocked, she glanced at her hand and was surprised to see Harry's fingernails digging into her hand.
"Harry," she gasped quietly. And very slowly his eyes opened revealing green light.
"Hermione," he rasped.
"Harry, can you hear me?" she asked hoarsely leaning towards him.
"Oh Harry," she sobbed, giving his hand a kiss. His head gave a slight nod. "Where's Ginny?" he inquired huskily.
"Ginny?" she repeated dumbly, when just then Ginny entered the room, completely unaware of what was happening.
"Hermione, there wasn't any coffee so I brought you some-" Ginny broke off from her sentence, when she saw Harry awake.
"Harry," she choked, rushing to his side, causing the plastic cups to fall from her hands and to the ground. He limply wrapped an arm around her as she called, "Mum! Dad! Sirius! Come quick!"
There was a sound of pounding feet as the entire Weasley clan burst in through the door.
"What is it?" Sirius questioned urgently.
"Harry's awake," Ginny announced tearfully.
"Oh my lucky stars!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked running towards Harry, everyone following suite, as they welcomed the lucky hero.
Throughout this entire time, Hermione had backed away slowly against the wall, her face strikingly pale and impassive. Charlie looked up from his brother's best friend and locked eyes with her. She seemed to be looking right through him rather than responding to his questioning gaze. For a few seconds she didn't move a muscle, when she whipped her head around and stared at Ron. Then she ran out the room, without telling them where she was going.
"Go after her," Bill instructed his younger brother while Dr. Murdock ordered them to back away from Harry, since he needed to rest. Charlie exhaled noisily and followed after her, but she was nowhere in sight. She had apparated to Heaven knew where. Sighing again, he started his search for her.
The minute Hermione had left the hospital, she had apparated to the Leaky Cauldron. The inn was swarming with wizards and witches who were coming for their dinner. Fighting against the crowd, she pushed her way through the crowd she reached the bar of the Leaky Cauldron. Wrapping her coat tightly around her, she approached the counter.
"Hi Neville," she stated, seating herself on the chair.
"Hey Hermione," Neville returned warmly placing his hands on the counter. "Haven't seen you in a while," he remarked.
"Yea, well, I've been busy," she admitted, taking off her coat and placing it around her chair.
"So what can I get you?" Neville inquired, attempting to make a friendly conversation.
Hermione rubbed her eyes wearily. With Harry finally awake, a huge weight of anxiety had been lifted off her shoulders. She hadn't even had a chance to welcome him back properly. Instead, she had ran out of the room to shocked to realize that he was awake and Ron was. Ron…Ron was still asleep and to her Ron was all that mattered.
She sighed. "A cup of coffee would be great, right now."
Neville grinned. "Coming right up."
"On second thought, Neville, how about some whiskey?" She had heard that when someone was extremely depressed or troubled, he or she would drink whiskey to clear his or her mind. Right now she needed some rest. Neville, however, had a different thought.
"Whiskey," he repeated dumbly.
"Yea," she answered firmly. "Some of Ogden's Whiskey would be just perfect."
"If you say so," Neville agreed rather worriedly. He eyed her curiously as he popped open the bottle and poured into her glass. He waited expectantly as she fingered the glass in her hands. Then she gave him a watery smile. "Cheers," she pronounced and started to drink her troubles away.
***
CHAPTER XV: AN UNEXPECTED TWIST
"You look terrible Hermione," Ginny commented upon seeing her best friend's exhausted face.
"You don't look so good yourself," she criticized, glancing up and down the disheveled girl.
Ginny grimaced. "You're right. I've been awake for a week, sitting next to Harry, but I just can't leave his side."
"I know what you mean," she agreed running her fingers idly through Ron's hair. His bruises were healing and his breathing was becoming better, but he still wasn't waking up. Yet, she would never want to leave him despite the fact she hadn't seen Kelly and Jason for a while.
"Hermione," Ginny began, breaking her out of her reverie.
"Mmm," she muttered, halfheartedly turning away from Ron.
"I'm going to go get some coffee for myself. I think I'm going to fall asleep any minute. While I'm gone could you do me a little favor?"
"Do I have a choice?" Hermione replied, stifling a yawn.
Ginny smirked kindly. "Not really. While I'm gone could you stay with Harry," Ginny pleaded.
She sighed. "Sure Gin."
"Thanks and do you want me to get you anything from the canteen?" Ginny inquired pleasantly.
Hermione thought for a moment before answering, "A cup of coffee would be great."
"Okay." Ginny gave Harry one long look and left the room, leaving Hermione as the only conscious person in the room. Reluctantly leaving Ron's side, she approached the Boy-Who-Lived and stared at the brother she'd never had. His scar was hidden under a mass of jet-black hair, while his other bruises were healing rapidly. He wasn't the same 17-year-old boy she had known five years ago; the boy she had agreed to look after his girlfriend.
"Oh Harry," she gushed, squeezing his hand firmly. "Why aren't you here with me? Don't you know we need you?" She sighed heavily, trying to swallow the huge lump in her throat that was starting to form. She lifted her hand and wiped away his hair from his forehead, revealing his prominent scar. She stood there watching his expressionless face, when she saw something move.
Blinking her eyes quickly, she gazed at him. Was she imagining things or had she just seen him make an attempt of opening his eyes? But, there was no change in his appearance. Scolding herself for thinking such a thing, she resumed her watch over him, occasionally glancing at Ron. She seemed to be nodding off to sleep, when someone gripped her hand firmly. Shocked, she glanced at her hand and was surprised to see Harry's fingernails digging into her hand.
"Harry," she gasped quietly. And very slowly his eyes opened revealing green light.
"Hermione," he rasped.
"Harry, can you hear me?" she asked hoarsely leaning towards him.
"Oh Harry," she sobbed, giving his hand a kiss. His head gave a slight nod. "Where's Ginny?" he inquired huskily.
"Ginny?" she repeated dumbly, when just then Ginny entered the room, completely unaware of what was happening.
"Hermione, there wasn't any coffee so I brought you some-" Ginny broke off from her sentence, when she saw Harry awake.
"Harry," she choked, rushing to his side, causing the plastic cups to fall from her hands and to the ground. He limply wrapped an arm around her as she called, "Mum! Dad! Sirius! Come quick!"
There was a sound of pounding feet as the entire Weasley clan burst in through the door.
"What is it?" Sirius questioned urgently.
"Harry's awake," Ginny announced tearfully.
"Oh my lucky stars!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked running towards Harry, everyone following suite, as they welcomed the lucky hero.
Throughout this entire time, Hermione had backed away slowly against the wall, her face strikingly pale and impassive. Charlie looked up from his brother's best friend and locked eyes with her. She seemed to be looking right through him rather than responding to his questioning gaze. For a few seconds she didn't move a muscle, when she whipped her head around and stared at Ron. Then she ran out the room, without telling them where she was going.
"Go after her," Bill instructed his younger brother while Dr. Murdock ordered them to back away from Harry, since he needed to rest. Charlie exhaled noisily and followed after her, but she was nowhere in sight. She had apparated to Heaven knew where. Sighing again, he started his search for her.
The minute Hermione had left the hospital, she had apparated to the Leaky Cauldron. The inn was swarming with wizards and witches who were coming for their dinner. Fighting against the crowd, she pushed her way through the crowd she reached the bar of the Leaky Cauldron. Wrapping her coat tightly around her, she approached the counter.
"Hi Neville," she stated, seating herself on the chair.
"Hey Hermione," Neville returned warmly placing his hands on the counter. "Haven't seen you in a while," he remarked.
"Yea, well, I've been busy," she admitted, taking off her coat and placing it around her chair.
"So what can I get you?" Neville inquired, attempting to make a friendly conversation.
Hermione rubbed her eyes wearily. With Harry finally awake, a huge weight of anxiety had been lifted off her shoulders. She hadn't even had a chance to welcome him back properly. Instead, she had ran out of the room to shocked to realize that he was awake and Ron was. Ron…Ron was still asleep and to her Ron was all that mattered.
She sighed. "A cup of coffee would be great, right now."
Neville grinned. "Coming right up."
"On second thought, Neville, how about some whiskey?" She had heard that when someone was extremely depressed or troubled, he or she would drink whiskey to clear his or her mind. Right now she needed some rest. Neville, however, had a different thought.
"Whiskey," he repeated dumbly.
"Yea," she answered firmly. "Some of Ogden's Whiskey would be just perfect."
"If you say so," Neville agreed rather worriedly. He eyed her curiously as he popped open the bottle and poured into her glass. He waited expectantly as she fingered the glass in her hands. Then she gave him a watery smile. "Cheers," she pronounced and started to drink her troubles away.
***