Chapter 7...

Ron awoke in the morning before anyone else in the dormitory. He saw the sun's pale beams begin to fall on the floor and the morning chill crept in through the windows. He would tell her today. There was no getting around it.

When he finally realized he wouldn't be going back to sleep, he got out of bed, got dressed silently, and left the dormitory for the common room.

No one was in the common room when he got down there. He checked his watch, "6:45am on a Saturday. No wonder." He shoved his hands in his pockets and exited the common room.

The halls were completely empty, devoid of all students, teachers, even Peeves wasn't up and about yet. Ron knew he would tell Hermione today...just not at 6:45 in the morning. He decided to walk the halls until 7:30. Then he would go to the hospital wing. Then he would tell her. Make that 8:00. At 8:00, he would definitely tell her; or maybe 8:30.

No, Ron said to himself, at 7:30, I will go. Even if I have to wake her up. Ron looked at his watch again. 6:50. 40 minutes to go.

He walked past the Slytherin dormitories and seriously contemplating trying to get in and strangle Malfoy. No doubt their password would be something like 'Die, mudbloods, die' or something of the sort. How could Malfoy treat her this way? The most wonderful girl in the whole world, and Malfoy abused her and treated her like dirt. He would never treat her that way. He would be so good to her that she would never think of leaving him.

What am I doing...I need to tell her now. Ron broke into a run down the hall toward the hospital wing. By the time he reached the doors, he was much less sure of himself. He checked his watch. 7:05. "Close enough," he said to himself. He expected Hermione to still be the only person in the hospital wing, just like she was the whole time he was allowed to stay with her. He expected her to still be sleeping. He expected to gently shake her awake, engage in small talk for about 10 seconds, and then tell her what it was that is so important that he needed to wake her up at 7:05 in the morning on a Saturday.

But Hermione wasn't asleep...or alone.

Ron quietly opened the doors, and peeked inside. The sight he saw was enough to make him fall over from shock: Hermione...and Draco...embracing. She was crying and he was whispering something in her ear that looked suspiciously like, "I'm so sorry" over and over and over. Ron realized that he had stopped breathing and exhaled loudly. Hermione looked toward the doors.

They were swinging slightly at the hinges, but no one was to be seen.

"Draco, you'd better leave. If Pomfrey sees you in here..." Hermione warned Draco as he kissed her fingers, one by one.

"But if thou love me, let them find me here. My life were better ended by their hate than death prorogued, wanting of thy love." Draco looked up at her and gently kissed her hand.

"Draco...I love it when you quote Shakespeare...you really are too good to me." Hermione said in a swoony voice. "I have missed you so much Draco." She said and pulled him up to her and embraced him again. She felt safe once more in his arms, like a child with its father. She kissed him softly. He didn't need any more convincing and he deepened the kiss, pressing hardly on her lips, which were still very bruised. She gave a small yelp of pain and he quickly back away.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Hermione! I can't believe I have done this to do. Even under the Imperius Curse, who would want to hurt such an angelic being as yourself?"

Ron, who had crept in and was hiding behind one of the other beds, overheard this and nearly shot up in rage. THE IMPERIUS CURSE?! Why you lying sack of--

"But I forgive you Draco. I don't blame you at all. It was your father's fault, not yours. He had you under the curse. I still can't believe he would use you to hurt me. Even after you told him how in love we are." Hermione met Draco's eyes and rubbed his earlobe between her thumb and index finger...something she knew he loved. Draco closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation Hermione was giving him. He purred slightly before taking her hand from his ear and kissing it.

She's eating up this entire lie? Hermione is too smart to fall for this. Ron could feel his ears were red with fury. Just then, Ron felt a lurch and flutter in his stomach, something not entirely known to him, like it wasn't his own feeling, but someone else's. Oh no, Ron cried to himself, tears beginning to appear at the corners of his eyes, She loves him. She really does love him. Ron buried his face in his hands and sobbed quietly to himself.

He didn't dare listen to another thing that was said between the couple, and he slowly crawled out of the hospital ward, leaving all of his hopes for him being with Hermione there, never to feel hope for it again.