Author's Note: I'm really sorry! I know I promised to be very quick with
this new chapter. But things pop up. I'm really sorry! I should've known
better and made time to write. It was horrible of me to not keep the
promise of a quick update.
"Ginny," Hermione said slowly, but speaking calmly. "Go inside. Get Ron. Owl your dad or someone else that could help. And get some chocolate and my wand. Both should be in my trunk."
Ginny nodded, crying all the while. She ran up the path and into the house. The door shut with a slam as she rushed into the house.
Averting her gaze from the frantic Ginny still visible from the windows, Hermione opened the gate to the garden hesitantly. She padded through the dirt quickly, then knelt beside Mrs. Wealsey.
"Mrs. Weasley?" she whispered.
There was no answer. The woman didn't even move.
"Molly?" Hermione tried again, this time raising his voice a bit. She gave Mrs. Weasley a cautious poke.
When there was still no answer, she started to cry and laid her head in her hands. Her calm exterior was gone now. She couldn't hide her fear. But she had to gather herself up and quit crying before Ginny came back with Ron. It would only make everyone more nervous.
Ron came out of the back door, pulling Ginny gently by the arm. The rushed down the path and stop at the edge of the garden. Hermione wiped away her tears and quickly tried to compose herself.
"Mum..." Ron hung behind the gate. "Is she...?"
"No." Hermione shook her head. "She can't be."
Ginny handed Hermione the wand and the chocolates. Hermione slid a chocolate into Mrs. Weasley's mouth, making sure she wouldn't choke but would still be able to digest the chocolate. She then picked up the wand and pointed it at Mrs. Weasley.
"Don't!" Ginny cried.
"I have to do something. We can't leave her like this." Hermione took a breath, then yelled, "Ennervate!"
After a few seconds, the woman's eyes fluttered open. She murmured inaudibly for a bit, then suddenly seemed much more awake.
"What are you all doing here?"
Ginny was the first to answer, though her voice quivered throughout her explanation. "We found you out here, Mum. You must've passed out."
"Passed out?"
"Maybe from the heat," Hermione suggested.
After more explaining and a bit of talking, the kids helped Mrs. Weasley into the house. She changed into a nightgown and crawled into bed. She obviously needed rest about the ordeal.
Ginny was quite shaken by the whole thing. For a while she disappeared into her room after thanking Hermione.
Though Ron was shaken, he didn't leave the room once they got to the living room. After a moment a silence, he sat down on the couch, gently pulled at Hermione's arm, and motioned for her to sit down.
"I'm... really sorry, Hermione," he said. "For yelling and all. I know you don't think that." He reached back and scratched the back of his head uncomfortably, not knowing what to say after that.
"It's fine, Ron. Really, it is."
"No, it's not. I mean, Hermione, you wouldn't think that and I know you wouldn't and you're really..." Ron tried to continue but was abruptly cut off by Hermione's hand over his mouth.
"Really, it is." She removed her hand and gave him a quick kiss on the check. "It's been a long day. I think I'll go to bed early."
Ron seemed dazed. "What? Oh... sure. G'night, 'Mione."
"Ginny," Hermione said slowly, but speaking calmly. "Go inside. Get Ron. Owl your dad or someone else that could help. And get some chocolate and my wand. Both should be in my trunk."
Ginny nodded, crying all the while. She ran up the path and into the house. The door shut with a slam as she rushed into the house.
Averting her gaze from the frantic Ginny still visible from the windows, Hermione opened the gate to the garden hesitantly. She padded through the dirt quickly, then knelt beside Mrs. Wealsey.
"Mrs. Weasley?" she whispered.
There was no answer. The woman didn't even move.
"Molly?" Hermione tried again, this time raising his voice a bit. She gave Mrs. Weasley a cautious poke.
When there was still no answer, she started to cry and laid her head in her hands. Her calm exterior was gone now. She couldn't hide her fear. But she had to gather herself up and quit crying before Ginny came back with Ron. It would only make everyone more nervous.
Ron came out of the back door, pulling Ginny gently by the arm. The rushed down the path and stop at the edge of the garden. Hermione wiped away her tears and quickly tried to compose herself.
"Mum..." Ron hung behind the gate. "Is she...?"
"No." Hermione shook her head. "She can't be."
Ginny handed Hermione the wand and the chocolates. Hermione slid a chocolate into Mrs. Weasley's mouth, making sure she wouldn't choke but would still be able to digest the chocolate. She then picked up the wand and pointed it at Mrs. Weasley.
"Don't!" Ginny cried.
"I have to do something. We can't leave her like this." Hermione took a breath, then yelled, "Ennervate!"
After a few seconds, the woman's eyes fluttered open. She murmured inaudibly for a bit, then suddenly seemed much more awake.
"What are you all doing here?"
Ginny was the first to answer, though her voice quivered throughout her explanation. "We found you out here, Mum. You must've passed out."
"Passed out?"
"Maybe from the heat," Hermione suggested.
After more explaining and a bit of talking, the kids helped Mrs. Weasley into the house. She changed into a nightgown and crawled into bed. She obviously needed rest about the ordeal.
Ginny was quite shaken by the whole thing. For a while she disappeared into her room after thanking Hermione.
Though Ron was shaken, he didn't leave the room once they got to the living room. After a moment a silence, he sat down on the couch, gently pulled at Hermione's arm, and motioned for her to sit down.
"I'm... really sorry, Hermione," he said. "For yelling and all. I know you don't think that." He reached back and scratched the back of his head uncomfortably, not knowing what to say after that.
"It's fine, Ron. Really, it is."
"No, it's not. I mean, Hermione, you wouldn't think that and I know you wouldn't and you're really..." Ron tried to continue but was abruptly cut off by Hermione's hand over his mouth.
"Really, it is." She removed her hand and gave him a quick kiss on the check. "It's been a long day. I think I'll go to bed early."
Ron seemed dazed. "What? Oh... sure. G'night, 'Mione."