Chapter 3...

After what felt like only minutes, Hermione began to hear what was going on around her. Her eyelids fluttered before finally opening. She looked around to find herself in the hospital wing of Hogwarts. Ron was sitting in a chair next to bed her hunched over with his face in his hands. She smiled slightly and felt the happiness grow slightly through her as she stared at him. She tried to say ask him why he looked so sad, but she could only muster up a little groan. Ron's head shot up out of his hands and he looked at her with a tear-streaked face. She looked surprised at his tears. He looked at her with huge eyes and a giant grin creeping upon his face.

"Hermione! You're awake! Madame Pomfrey! Come quick! Hermione's awake!" Ron shouted with glee and relief.

Madame Pomfrey quickly waddled over to Hermione's bed, looked at her and smiled. "Oh my goodness! My dear, we thought we'd lost you! Poor Ron here has been sitting with you all night and all morning convinced you would wake up any second. Oh, bless my soul, I must go get the headmaster!" And with that, She left the room, leaving only Hermione and a very happy looking Ron.

"Oh my gosh, Herm, do you need anything? How are you feeling? Do you want me to get you some water? What about Harry, do you want me to go get him? What about your parents? Should I call them and tell them you are awake? Herm, I'm so happy you are okay; I've been so worried about you. Madame Pomfrey said we should give up on you, but I wouldn't let them, I made them keep trying, I made them let me stay here. I told them I wouldn't leave until you are well again. So, do you want anything, anyone?" Ron said in what seemed like one breath. Hermione smiled and tried to hold up her hand to silence him, but pain shot through her and she decided it would be better not to move.

"No, Ron, I'm fine." Hermione said in a weak whisper. "Please just stay with me, I don't want anyone else here. Ron, how did you know where I was? How did you know what was happening, how did you save me?"

"Shh...that's enough right now. It was nothing. Now go back to sleep, you need rest. Don't get too excited. It was nothing." Ron said modestly.

"No, Ron, I want to know what happened or I won't go back to sleep. Tell me how you knew where we were and everything. Tell me what you did to him." Hermione begged. Her eyes met Ron's and he knew he couldn't deny her.

"Ok, fine. Well, the truth is, I was kind of eavesdropping in the Great Hall when you told Malfoy that you wanted to meet him outside of Gryffindor Tower at 7:00 and then you would walk up to the Astronomy Tower together. I noticed that you seemed kind of scared or hesitant or something. So, I told Harry I wanted to go down to sit by the lake near the Astronomy Tower for a little while and talk.

"So, we got down there at like 6:30, and I could just feel that something was wrong, that something was going to happen. We sat and talked for a while about...well, it's not important about what we talked about, when I saw you on the ledge of the Astronomy Tower. You looked really lost in thought and I looked right at you and you didn't even acknowledge me. Then I saw Malfoy come up and hold your hand and you hugged him, so I just figured you guys were going to...do whatever it is that you do every time you go up there." At this, Ron averted his attention back to the floor.

"I told Harry I wanted to walk back alone and that I was going to bed. When I got inside and headed for the common room, I felt like I'd been hit really hard...I mean, I got this really sick feeling, but it seemed like...a far away feeling. Anyway, I just kind of figured that my hunch had been right and that Malfoy was going to...you know? I ran up to the Astronomy Tower and heard you screaming and the door was locked, so I unlocked it, and I saw you lying there, and I don't know what happened after that, I just remember jumping on Malfoy and then nothing. I do remember picking you up and thinking you had choked on all the blood in your mouth, so I sprinted with you in my arms to the hospital wing and we've been here ever since."

As Ron finished his story, Hermione noticed for the first time that Ron's face was bruised almost as badly as her own. "We've been here? You mean you haven't...Oh my gosh Ron! Did Pomfrey check your face out? Are you okay? Oh my gosh, this has been so awful for you!"

"Hermione, don't worry about me, I'm fine." As he said this, he extended his hand to her face and caressed her cheek. She winced and his hand shot back down into his lap. "It's you Pomfrey needs to worry about, and you don't need to worry about anyone." He looked into Hermione's eyes with the look of utmost care and adoration. Why had she not noticed it before? He'd given her that look a thousand times.

"Ron, I-" Hermione started. He put his finger gently to her lips to silence her.

"Sleep now. Talk later. I'll be right here when you wake up. Then you can tell me everything that happened between the two of you." Ron assured her with the brotherly look she had come to know and love from him.

"Wait, where is Draco? You didn't...oh Ron, you didn't--"Hermione stuttered.

"No, no, I didn't. Snape went up to get him after I refused to leave you. He wasn't hurt as badly as you were; I only roughed him up enough to let me get you out of there. He's in his dorm. I didn't know if you would want me to tell anyone who did this to you, so I just said I thought I someone leave the tower and I found both you and Malfoy all roughed up."

"Thank you so much Ron...I don't know how I'll ever repay you." Hermione began to tear up again.

"Hey," he wiped the tear from her cheek, "no more crying. Besides, you are my best friend. What are friends for?" His smile lessened a little at this.

"Oh, right, best friends...Yeah. Do you promise to stay with me?" She looked at him with a look of disappointment and pleading.

"You know I will." He gave her one last smile before kissing her lightly on the forehead. She closed her eyes and fell asleep in seconds.