Chapter 4 Hermione's Help

Disclaimer ~ I don't own the characters, only the plot and that isn't very original anyway!

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Hermione stretched out in her bed. A persistent knocker at the door was rudely interrupting her from her sleep. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" She looked at her muggle clock.

"9:00 am? This better be pretty damn important. This is my week off."

She walked down the hall to the door at the end. The knocking wouldn't stop. "I said I'm coming." She swung the door open. And her face softened at the sight as she gasped.

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Ginny sat at her kitchen table with Angelina. "Are you hungry?" She asked while making tea for them both.

"No thanks. Harry at work?"

"Yeah. I wish he'd be more careful. I don't like the idea of him or Ron being Aurors. It's such a dangerous job."

Angelina nodded. "Yes. Take Neville Longbottom's parents for example. The poor couple is stuck in St. Mungo's for the rest of their lives. It's a pity. They don't even recognize their own son."

Ginny nodded. "I worry about the two of them all day long. I wish they chose a job more safe. Hermione was wise not to become an auror like them. Then I'd be stuck worrying about three people." She set the two cups of tea on the table.

"Hermione always was wise beyond her years." Angelina said taking a sip of her tea before setting it on the saucer.

"She's an excellent doctor. The best the wizarding world has. Probably the best they'll ever see."

"What are we going to do about Hermione and Ron anyway?"

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Hermione opened her door widely. "Harry! What happened?" She asked as Harry carried the bloody redhead into her flat.

"Something attacked him. I don't know what it was!" Harry said in a panicked voice.

"Why didn't you bring him to a hospital?!" Hermione asked angrily. "You're putting his life into danger!"

"Hermione, you're a doctor!"

"These aren't hospital facilities, Harry!"

"I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking! I just panicked. I didn't know where to bring him."

Hermione sighed. "Put him in my room." Hermione said leading the way. Harry followed her down the hall into a large room. He set the unconscious Ron down on her bed.

Hermione hurried out of the room, and came back with her wand. Harry paced back and forth in her room. She walked over to the bed and sat down next to Ron.

"Is he going to be okay?" Harry asked looking over her shoulder. She glared at him. "Maybe I should wait out there." Hermione nodded at him.

After Harry left, Hermione began to work. She slowly unbuttoned his shirt. "Ron, you're so stupid. I warned you this would happen." She sighed and lifted him off the bed slightly pulling his shirt off his shoulders.

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Harry apparated to Ginny's apartment. He ran into the kitchen where she was sitting with Angelina.

"Harry! What's wrong?" She rushed to him.

"Ron!" He choked out.

"Is Ron in trouble? Where is he Harry?" She asked grabbing onto Harry. Tears began to slip out of the corner of her eyes. Angelina scurried over.

"He's at Hermione's. I didn't know where to bring him. It was so big!"

"What was big? Harry! What was big?"

"We have to go help him, Ginny!" He said.

Ginny turned to Angelina. "Go to the burrow. Tell mum what happened. We're going over to Hermione's." Angelina nodded and apparated out.

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Hermione slowly pulled Ron's pants off over his ankle and dropped them onto the floor. She pulled off his boxer shorts and set them in the pile. She ran her fingers down his body. Her eyes fixed on a big open wound in his stomach.

She picked up her wand and muttered a spell. She got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom. She opened her cabinet and started pulling all sorts of bottles out, carrying them down the hall into her bedroom.

Harry and Ginny stood above the bed, looking down at Ron. She pushed past them setting the bottles onto her nightstand. "I need a cup." Hermione said as she opened a bottle. Ginny nodded and hurried out of the room.

"Will he be okay?" Harry asked quietly.

Hermione put her fingers onto his neck to feel for a pulse. She put her ear to his mouth. "His breathing is very irregular."

"Is that bad?"

Hermione nodded, "He has 8 cracked ribs, and two broken ones. He has a severe open wound on his stomach. He also has a high fever. Did you see what happened?" She asked turning to him.

"I was too far away. It was something big though."

Hermione nodded as Ginny entered the room with a large glass. "Thank you." She said taking the cup from her. She poured a thick green liquid into the cup, and set it on the stand. She cradled Ron's head and tilted it up. She put the cups to his lips, and tried forcing the liquid down his throat. The fluid dribbled out the corner of his mouth.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't get him to take anything until he becomes conscious again. I don't know how long that could be."

"Should we take him to the hospital?"

Hermione shook her head, "No, we shouldn't move his body."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Harry asked hugging Ginny close to him.

Hermione shook her head. "We'll wait outside then." Ginny told her. The two left the room shutting the door behind them.

Hermione picked up her wand and got to work on Ron again. She began rambling off dozens of spells, and the results slowly began to show.

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Ginny and Harry sat on the couch in Hermione's living room. Harry held his head in his hands. "It's all my fault."

"No Harry. You did the right thing bringing him here. He's going to be okay."

Angelina apparated into the room followed by her husband, and their parents. "Where is he?" Mrs. Weasley questioned. Her eyes were red, as if she'd been crying.

"He's in the bedroom, mum. Hermione's working on him."

"I have to see him."

"No! Sit down Molly. Let the girl work." Mr. Weasley set her down on the couch by Ginny and motioned for Harry to follow him. The men went into the kitchen. "Is he alright, Harry?"

Harry shook his head. "Hermione says he's in bad shape."

"He'll be okay, won't he?" Fred asked biting his nails.

"I hope so. Ginny's sure that Hermione will get him to pull through, but Hermione's not so sure."

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Everyone turned his or her heads to the door where Hermione stood. Mrs. Weasley shot up. "Is he okay?"

"His stomach wound is taken care of. I can't fix any of his bones until he wakes up, and is ready to take medicine for it. His breathing has returned to normal somewhat. The fever is increasing though. That's my main concern."

"Can we see him?" Fred asked.

"Not yet. You're all welcome to stay as long as you want though." She walked further into the room. "Does anyone need anything?" she asked.

"No. You've done enough for us."

She smiled at the Weasley family. The sweet, caring people she used to love so much. "Is that all Ron's blood?" Mrs. Weasley asked looking at Hermione's clothes.

Hermione looked down at her blood stained pajamas. She blushed realizing that her clothes weren't really appropriate. "Yes. It's not as much as it looks like. He didn't actually loose that much blood. It's a miracle really."

The group nodded. They lingered on her every word. "Is he going to be okay?" Ginny piped up.

Hermione sighed. "I can't really say. Things are beginning to look up compared to earlier though."

Ginny smiled. "He's going to be okay."

"I hope so." Hermione sighed under her breath.

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Hermione sat at the edge of her bed, staring at Ron's pale face. "Good Morning." Ginny said from the doorway. Hermione turned and smiled faintly as the redhead walked to the bed and took a seat next to her. "How is he?"

"He's doing very well." Hermione said putting her hand to Ron's forehead. "His temperate is almost normal."

"Oh, That's great!" Ginny squealed, throwing her arms around Hermione's shoulders. "I knew you could do it! Everyone else doubted you, but not me!

Hermione frowned. "Oh, No! That's not what I meant. Okay, so maybe it is."

"'scuse me, Ladies." Harry said stepping into the room, and kissing Ginny on top of her head. "How's Ron doing?"

"Hermione said he's doing much better!"

"That's great! How long do you think it'll be until he's on his feet again? I need a partner." Harry said smiling at the reaction from Ginny.

"Harry! Your best friend and partner, not to mention my big brother, was just attacked. Could've been killed, and you want to go back to working on that case again!? No! I won't have it."

"Ginny, it's my job. I owe it to Dumbledore and all that he's done for me, to go back and help. We can't have it attacking anymore students. There was another attack on some fifth year Hufflepuffs last night. They were serving Night Detention."

"No. You listen when I tell you something Harry Potter!" Ginny screamed at him. Harry laughed, "Do not laugh at me!"

"Relax, Ginny. I'm a trained professional auror!"

"So was Ron, and look where it got him!" She said pointing to the body lying on the bed.

"Ginny. We can't let this thing kill anyone, especially not Hogwarts students. I promise I'll get another partner to work with."

Ginny sighed. "Fine. I want to meet this partner first. He better be good."

"How about a she?" Harry asked looking at Hermione.

"What?" Ginny asked following her eyes to where Harry was looking. "Oh! Yes, a female partner would be just wonderful!"

"So, how about it Hermione?" She looked up at the two. "Will you help me? You know you want to find out what's behind this, just as much as I do."

"No. I can't." Hermione swallowed. "What about him?" She asked pointing to Ron.

"I can watch him!" Ginny piped up. "Mum, can help too!"

Hermione sighed. "Alright. I'll help as much as I can."

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A/N: More to come. I hope you have been enjoying my story. I don't know if ya'll like it or not, but I'm going to continue it anyway!