Disclaimer: I do not own anything which you recognize from the books or the movies.

Author's note: I'm so, so sorry this took so long, I've been having writers block in this story and I've been working on my other story as well. I'll try to finish this one though; there shouldn't be too many chapters left. I hate unfinished stories, and I have loads of them. But I'll do my best.

Chapter 9 – A Bouquet of Flowers

The pain woke her again, and she was now lying on a bed in the Hospital Wing. She moaned weakly and thereby told Madam Pomfrey that she was awake again.

"Oh, dear," she said. "Don't worry, you'll be just fine."

"My... my stomach," Hermione groaned.

"We have to get you to St. Mungo's," was the last words Hermione heard before she blacked out again.
The next time she woke up, she was facing the white walls of St. Mungo's once again. She had this strange feeling in her body and especially her stomach, it felt kind of... empty. She managed to turn her head to look around in the room, and caught sight of a female healer, standing in the opposite end of the room, changing the water in a vase with flowers.

Like if the healer felt that she was being watched, she turned around and saw that Hermione now was conscious.

"Finally!" she said. "Can you speak?"

The healer was an older woman, slightly overweight and with rather short, curly hair. She reminded Hermione a little of her own grandmother, even though it was several years since she saw her.

Hermione tried to speak, but her throat was all dry.

"Thirsty," she managed to hiss.

"Of course," the healer said. "I'll get you some water."

She grabbed a glass from the bedside table and poured up some water from a water bottle which stood there as well. She held the glass in front of Hermione's mouth and let her drink.

"I'm healer Watson," the healer said and smiled. "But you can call me Barbara."

She put the glass of water back at the table.

Hermione managed to smile weakly back. "What happened?" she whispered.

Barbara didn't say anything but sat down and looked back, suddenly very worried.

"It's gone, isn't it?" Hermione said suddenly. "The baby."

"It's not your fault," Barbara said quickly. "It just happens sometimes, there was nothing you could have done."

Hermione bit her lip.

"But you were still lucky," Barbara continued. "You got here in time, and you will probably be able to leave in a couple of days."

A silence fell between them.

"I'm going to let you rest a little," Barbara said and rose from the bed, where she had been sitting on the edge.

Hermione looked around in the room and her gaze fell upon the flower bouquet.

"Where are these from?" she asked.

"Oh," Barbara said. "I forgot to mention, there was a man here to see you, he brought them."

"Who?"

"He didn't say who he was. I recognized him, though, I'm sure I've seen her somewhere, but I can't tell... god, it's really annoying me..."

"Was he old, or...?" Hermione asked.

"No, about your age, I guess. But I'd better be going. I'll check upon you," Barbara promised.

"Yeah, thanks."

"You're welcome," Barbara said before exiting and shutting the door behind her.

Hermione looked at the beautiful bouquet. It was wild flowers, just the kinds Hermione loved. She liked wild flowers over all, but this person had managed to find just her favourites. Suddenly her eyes caught sight of a flower that wasn't really matching the others, stuck in the middle. It was a simple red rose.
Flashback

"They'll see us!" she said and they broke apart.

He took her hand and hurried away, pulling her with him.

"What are you doing?!" she whispered, giggling.

"Just follow me," he answered in a whisper and continued pulling her.

She stumbled after him. "Stop, it's dangerous being alone out here," she protested.

He didn't care, though, just continued pulling her with him. They walked in the edge of the woods, and finally they reached a glade with a small, rippling creek. She took a deep breath.

"God, it's beautiful," she whispered. "Look at the roses..."

In a corner of the glade there was a couple of beautiful red roses. She walked over there and bent down to look closer, pulling him with her since their hands were still joined.

"This is amazing," she whispered, afraid to break the beautiful silence there was as well, before turning to her company.

They stood, merely inches away, holding hands. She looked up, deep into his eyes that were sparkling in the moonlight. She was like hypnotized.

A minute later, she stood on her tiptoe and he was bending down towards her. The couple simply continued where they had left of. His lips gently touching her, her arms wrapped around his neck while his were slowly sliding down her back.

It was simply a casual moment in the world around. But there, in that glade, it was not a casual thing. It was the deepest feelings of them all.

End of flashback
Sunday morning she was discharged from the hospital, three days after she woke up. Maybe surprisingly, she didn't feel very happy leaving. It had been kind of a security. Now she had to start her new life, she had to start from zero again, and it wasn't going to be easy. She was almost losing her apartment since she because of her unemployment couldn't afford to pay full rent.

But she couldn't lie and say that she didn't feel well enough to leave, because the healers had patients enough anyway. She had to take care of herself on her own now, but before, there was something she knew she had to do. She both dreaded it and looked forward to it, it was a whole blur of mixed emotions.

When she waved at Barbara to take the elevator, she didn't press the button for the entrance floor, but another button, more exactly the button to the floor where she had been the previous time she had been there.

The elevator went upwards two floors, before stopping and sliding its doors open. She hesitated before exiting; what if she was wrong? That would be so embarrassing. But she couldn't be wrong, could she? It must have been a sign.

She wandered about aimlessly along the corridor, not knowing where too look, before a young female healer stopped her.

"Can I help you, Miss?" she said.

Hermione hesitated. Tell her no. You don't have to do this, tell her no and walk out of here.

"Yeah, I'm looking for... Ron Weasley? If he's in?"

"Yes, do you have an appointment?"

Hermione stared at her.

"Does he know you're coming?" the healer repeated.

"No," she said weakly. "I-I'm a friend of his. Do you know if he's got a break or something soon?"

The healer looked curiously at her.

"I'll check the schedule. Wait here," she said and disappeared into a room situated close to where they were. She appeared out of the room a minute later. "Guess what? It's your lucky day. Mr. Weasley's got a break right now."

"Oh," was the only thing Hermione could say.

"He's probably in the staff room," the healer continued. "Come on, I'll show you."

Hermione followed her quietly to a door in the opposite end of the corridor. The female healer unlocked it with a key and stuck her head in.

"Ron? There's a visitor for you," she said before pulling her head back into the corridor. "You go in."

Hermione hesitated, but then took the dreaded step into the room. The bang as the door was shut behind her seemed to echo in the room.

Thankfully, Ron was alone, sitting on a couch reading some kind of Quidditch magazine. When he looked up and saw whom it was, he immediately laid the magazine away and stood up.

"Hermione?" he said surprised. "What-what are you doing here?"

"I thought I might step by... since I was here already," she rambled.

"Yeah, I knew you were... here again," he finished lamely.

"I wanted to ask you..." she began but her voice faded away.

"Ask me what?"

"If... if you gave me those flowers," she said and stared blushing down into the carpet.

"How did you guess?" he asked quietly.

Relieved she looked up again. "Barbara told me it was a man about my age, and then it was that rose that didn't exactly match the other flowers."

"You remembered."

"Yeah," she said and silence was laid between them for a couple of minutes before she spoke again. "I also wanted to ask you if... you might... would... let me see you some time," she finished quickly.

"You want to?" he said.

"Er... if you don't mind."

"No, of course I don't. Maybe... we could have lunch or a cup of coffee some time when you're available."

"I'm available... always. I quit work. You decide."

"How about... a cup of coffee or something, maybe. Friday, this upcoming week?"

She smiled. "Yeah, great."

They decided to meet at a small Coffee Shop in Diagon Alley at four o'clock.

"Thanks," Hermione said, "for the flowers."

"I just wanted you to know that... there's someone who cares about you," he said quickly and looked away, blushing.

"I'd go. See you Friday, then," she said before exiting the room, celebrating inside.

Author's note: Found the optimal soundtrack for writing this fic; Mariah Carey. Her song 'Hero' is just so beautiful. sobs

Happy for every single review,

Megafreak