Chapter 6.
AN...Just a short chapter...
The next day, Fred, George, Harry and Ron went to the hospital wing to see Hermione. Madam Pomfrey was persuaded to let them in, but insisted that they don't stay too long and that she "Really doesn't need visitors at the moment...she needs sleep!".
They approached her bed, Ron's face fell when he saw her. It wasn't Hermione...the lifeless, slightly blue body lying on the bed...it wasn't the bright and warm Hermione he knew and loved. She looked empty and cold...things she just...that just didn't fit. The four slowly approached the unconscious girl's bedside as Madam Pomfrey fussed round her, straightening her pillows and tucking in her sheets.
"You've ten minutes, boys." She told them. The twins and Harry smiled at her thankfully, as Ron sat down beside Hermione and took her hand.
"She...she's so cold." He said, and his face crumpled. "Oh Hermione!" He clutched her hand to his chest and kissed it. Fred put his hand on his shoulder.
"How...how is she?" Harry asked Madam Pomfrey.
"I found a spell to remove the water from her lungs quite succesfully...her body's re-adjusting now, It's up to her now. Don't worry...she's a fighter, she's going to be ok. We got her just in time...but she should make a slow, but full recovery." She said, smiling sympathetically at them, and shuffled over to fuss over another patient at the other side of the ward...a broken leg, Harry saw. How simple, he thought.
The boys stayed by her side for a while longer, until Madam Pomfrey ushered them out. Ron was reluctant to leave her, and grasped her hand tightly one last time and kissed her forehead before he left.
They returned the next day, as soon as Madam Pomfrey allowed them, and resumed their positions by her bedside. Some of Hermione's colour had returned, and she looked a bit more 'normal' than the day before.
"It's horrible," Ron started, "But she looks so peaceful."
"Yeah." Harry replied simply, staring at her.
After half an hour or so, Ron rested his head on the edge of her bed, still clutching to her hand, and shut his eyes. Harry smiled at him, and he was sure he saw a single tear escape the corner of his eye. He looked over at the twins, who were looking down at the floor, occasionally lifting their head back up to check on her.
Harry turned his head, for Ron had lifted his head sharply.
"Her hand...it moved!" He whispered. They all looked to her hand, her fingers were wriggling slowly between Ron's. He put his other hand over it too. "Hermione!" He whispered to her. A sigh of relief sank through the four boys as her eyes flickered open. They weren't Hermione's eyes though, they were grey, and empty looking, not the vibrant pools of brown that they usually were, so full of love and warmth.
"Hey, Hermione!" Ron beamed at her.
"Hey..." She croaked.
Harry couldn't help it, he beamed at Ron and, without warning, tears flowed softly down his cheeks. She was alive, she was going to be ok! He sniffed and looked round at the twins, they were smiling and crying too. He looked back at Ron, who was looking at Hermione with tears in his eyes.
"We thought we'd lost you...you scared us, Hermione!" He sniffed.
Hermione attempted a small smile, but her face recoiled and she crumpled her nose and forehead in that cute way that Ron loved.
"My head..." she breathed, slowley pulling her hand to her brow.
Madam Pomfrey rushed over. "Hermione, dear! How are you feeling? Does your head hurt? Aah, I expected that. Now...you boys...off with you. Miss Granger needs sleep."
"But she's just woke up!" Ron protested, wiping his eyes.
"Out!" She said, and the four reluctantly left her, in a slightly better mood than when they had left the night before. Harry put his arm round Ron's shoulders as they trooped back to the common room.
"She's going to be all right, she's going to be all right." He smiled.
"Yeah, she is, isn't she?" Ron smiled back, and they entered through the portrait hole, Fred and George behind them.
AN...Just a short chapter...
The next day, Fred, George, Harry and Ron went to the hospital wing to see Hermione. Madam Pomfrey was persuaded to let them in, but insisted that they don't stay too long and that she "Really doesn't need visitors at the moment...she needs sleep!".
They approached her bed, Ron's face fell when he saw her. It wasn't Hermione...the lifeless, slightly blue body lying on the bed...it wasn't the bright and warm Hermione he knew and loved. She looked empty and cold...things she just...that just didn't fit. The four slowly approached the unconscious girl's bedside as Madam Pomfrey fussed round her, straightening her pillows and tucking in her sheets.
"You've ten minutes, boys." She told them. The twins and Harry smiled at her thankfully, as Ron sat down beside Hermione and took her hand.
"She...she's so cold." He said, and his face crumpled. "Oh Hermione!" He clutched her hand to his chest and kissed it. Fred put his hand on his shoulder.
"How...how is she?" Harry asked Madam Pomfrey.
"I found a spell to remove the water from her lungs quite succesfully...her body's re-adjusting now, It's up to her now. Don't worry...she's a fighter, she's going to be ok. We got her just in time...but she should make a slow, but full recovery." She said, smiling sympathetically at them, and shuffled over to fuss over another patient at the other side of the ward...a broken leg, Harry saw. How simple, he thought.
The boys stayed by her side for a while longer, until Madam Pomfrey ushered them out. Ron was reluctant to leave her, and grasped her hand tightly one last time and kissed her forehead before he left.
They returned the next day, as soon as Madam Pomfrey allowed them, and resumed their positions by her bedside. Some of Hermione's colour had returned, and she looked a bit more 'normal' than the day before.
"It's horrible," Ron started, "But she looks so peaceful."
"Yeah." Harry replied simply, staring at her.
After half an hour or so, Ron rested his head on the edge of her bed, still clutching to her hand, and shut his eyes. Harry smiled at him, and he was sure he saw a single tear escape the corner of his eye. He looked over at the twins, who were looking down at the floor, occasionally lifting their head back up to check on her.
Harry turned his head, for Ron had lifted his head sharply.
"Her hand...it moved!" He whispered. They all looked to her hand, her fingers were wriggling slowly between Ron's. He put his other hand over it too. "Hermione!" He whispered to her. A sigh of relief sank through the four boys as her eyes flickered open. They weren't Hermione's eyes though, they were grey, and empty looking, not the vibrant pools of brown that they usually were, so full of love and warmth.
"Hey, Hermione!" Ron beamed at her.
"Hey..." She croaked.
Harry couldn't help it, he beamed at Ron and, without warning, tears flowed softly down his cheeks. She was alive, she was going to be ok! He sniffed and looked round at the twins, they were smiling and crying too. He looked back at Ron, who was looking at Hermione with tears in his eyes.
"We thought we'd lost you...you scared us, Hermione!" He sniffed.
Hermione attempted a small smile, but her face recoiled and she crumpled her nose and forehead in that cute way that Ron loved.
"My head..." she breathed, slowley pulling her hand to her brow.
Madam Pomfrey rushed over. "Hermione, dear! How are you feeling? Does your head hurt? Aah, I expected that. Now...you boys...off with you. Miss Granger needs sleep."
"But she's just woke up!" Ron protested, wiping his eyes.
"Out!" She said, and the four reluctantly left her, in a slightly better mood than when they had left the night before. Harry put his arm round Ron's shoulders as they trooped back to the common room.
"She's going to be all right, she's going to be all right." He smiled.
"Yeah, she is, isn't she?" Ron smiled back, and they entered through the portrait hole, Fred and George behind them.