Chapter 4

Harry and Ron had been alone for the past two days. Ginny was to be released from the Hospital that evening, but they still had a little more time. The Gryffindors and Slytherins were in Transfiguration right now, getting their homework five minutes till the bell. "Tonight, please write an essay on how an Animagus transforms. 2 rolls of parchament, tomorrow on my desk. Mr. Malfoy, four rolls of parchament by this evening! You all may go to dinner now." she said, sitting down at her desk. Harry and Ron left the classroom laughing. "Ha! Double the rolls, and due by tonight! Man, I never thought I'd say this, but go Professor McGonnagal!" Ron exclaimed. "Yeah! Malfoy deserves it! And the good thing is, he's not allowed to rag on us anymore!" Harry commented. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle passed them, all glaring. When they were at dinner, a letter had come from Mrs. Weasley to Harry.

Dear Harry,

I do hope you're alright. That young Draco Malfoy can be such trouble sometimes. I wish he'd learn how to behave himself while in school. I just received an owl from the school this morning, informing me about you, Ginny AND Hermione. Do take care of them, especially Ginny. How's Ron? Is he good with the two of them in the Hospital? Give him my love, would you? Oh, and please have Ron send me an owl as soon as humanly possible! I need to hear from him. Oh, and if he doesn't, I'll send him a howler!

Love,

Mrs. Weasley

Harry stared longingly at Mrs.Weasley's letter, then handed it to Ron to read. "Oh, so she's gonna send me a howler, is she? Well, we'll justsee about that!" Ron exclaimed. He stormed out of the Great Hall, the letter still in his hands. "Is he still bugged about Hermione?" George asked, looking over at Harry. Harry nodded. He, too, got up from his seat and followed Ron out of the Great Hall.

Ron was sitting up in Gryffindor Tower. He was sitting at a table, possibly writing to his mother. Harry went over to him, and sat down next to him. "Hey, Ron." he said. "Mmm." he said. "Ron?" came a sudden whisper from over by the portrait hole. Ron looked up from his letter, to see Ginny, standing there with a smile across her face. Ron sprang up from his chair, ran over and took Ginny up into his arms. (If this were a movie, the music from the Parent Trap (Lindsay Lohan) would be playing. When the parents kiss (this is right before the credits) at the end :-).) Ginny was crying into Ron's shoulder, hugging him as tight as possible. Ron hugged her as tightly as possible around the waist, never wanting to let go of his younger sister. "Oh God, I thought I'd never see you again!" Ron exclaimed. Ginny tightened her grip around her older brother's neck, but not so much as to letting him suffocate. Harry kept quiet over at their table. He knew that Ron and Ginny had never been separated for this long, except for when Ginny was taken into the Chamber of Secrets in her first year. Ron had been very upset, but very happy to be with Ginny once Harry had rescued her. Ginny had made a commitment to him that she would never again seperate herself from him. Ron finally let his sister down to the ground. They walked back over to Ron's table, hand in hand. Ginny leaned down and planted a kiss on Harry's cheek. "How's Hermione?" he asked, as Ron and Ginny sat down. "In the same condition I was in when she was admitted to the Hospital. I asked Madame Pomfrey when she could be released, and she said tomorrow night." Ginny said. A smile spread qickly across Ron's face. "I knew that would make you happy 'cause I know that you're anxious to see her." Ginny said, placing her hand on Ron's thigh. Ron smiled and ruffled her hair. "I've been doing regular homework during my last three days, so I'm still on schedule, like I need to be, with my schoolwork." Ginny said. Ron smiled and Harry nodded.

The next morning at breakfast. everyone was acting normal except for Ron. He was reading Hogwarts, A History. He was apparently trying to replace Hermione's body figure by doing what she usually does at breakfast: read. Ginny was obviously still very tired from her long "journey" without memory, so she rested on Ron's shoulder, while Harry spoon-fed her breakfast. He was in the middle of putting a spoonful of porridge into her mouth, when Ron suddenly sat straight up, causing Ginny to shake, and Harry's spoonfull of porridge to fly over and hit Hannah Abbot's, a Hufflepuff, hair. She wasn't very pleased. "Excuse you! Mind you keep your food where it belongs: on your plate." she snapped, and turned back to her own food. Harry turned to glare at Ron. "Sorry. I must've been off in a daze 'er something." he said, and went back to his book. Ginny turned to Harry. "Well, I guess since I'm awake, I can feed myself now. But thanks, snook-ums." she said, tickling Harry under the chin. "Engorgio!" Ron exclaimed, bringing his book back into focus, now that he could read the print on the page better. "Ron, there's no use in trying to hide it. We all know that you really miss Hermione." Harry said. Ron apparently had really taken in these words, because tears were streaming down his face, and going onto the page of the book. Ginny put her arm around him and rubbed his back. "Ron, it's okay, really. It's okay to miss Hermione, we all do." she said, kissing him on the cheek. Ron put his forhead on her shoulder and cried into it, while Ginny rubbed the top of his head, muttering sympathetic things to him in his ear.

Later on that evening, Ron, Ginny, Harry, Fred, George, Collin and Dennis Creevey, Oliver Wood, Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, and Angelina Johnson all waited for Hermione in the Gryffindor common room. The person who was most anxious was Ron, considering that they were together. All of the sudden, the portrait hole burst open, and a very excited and happy Hermione came flying in towards them all. Ron ran over and took her up into his arms. (If this were a movie, the music from the Parent Trap (Lindsay Lohan) would be playing. When the parents kiss (this is right before the credits) at the end :-).) Hermione cried happy tears into Ron's shoulder, hugging him as tightly as possible and never wanting to let go. All of their friends watched in silence, knowing they needed this moment to themselves. Ron sarcasticly swung from his waist up side to side, holding Hermione in his arms. Harry came over as Ron put her down, and once again picked her back up. Hermione kissed him on the cheek, as she was put back down to the ground. "I'm glad that you're okay." Harry said. Ginny came over and gave her a quick hug, and they all went over to the rest of people. Everyone was very glad that Hermione was back from the Hospital Wing, and were eager to hear about how Malfoy was doing with his punishments. They all sat down, Harry and Ron on either side of Hermione on the couch, the rest of them on the floor in front of her. "Well, Professor McGonnagal told me that Malfoy's not allowed to play Quidditch anymore, can't visit Hogsmeade anymore, and has to have double assignments in her classes. And he has three detentions, all at night with Mr. Filch." Hermione said. "Yeah. And he's already had one nasty assignment from her." Ron said. Everyone then went off to dinner, but Ron stayed behind. He put his forhead to hers, as she put her arms around his neck. He put his arms around her waist, and they embraced in a deep kiss. Hermione's face became all hot, as a tingling sensation went through her body, right down to her toes. When they finally broke apart, Ron put a stray lock of her golden brown hair behind her ear, and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "I'm very glad that you're okay." he said, still rubbing her cheek. Hermione suddenly looked away from him, and burried her face in her hands. "Ron, do you know what I had to go through while in the infirmary?" she asked. Ron moved closer to her, putting his arm around her waist and rubbing her back. "What?" "Chemothearapy." she said, looking up at him, tears streaming down her face. "Madame Pomfrey and two of her assistants had to help me learn how to do everything all over again! It was awful!" she sobbed, putting her head against his shoulder. Ron pulled her close, as she burried her now wet face into his chest and cried for the next ten minutes. "If only I'd known." he said to himself.

The next day, Saturday, all the students were allowed to visit Hogsmeade. The third years and above were slowly making their way out towards the black carriges that were to transport them to Hogsmeade. Ginny, Harry, Ron and Hermione all had a carrige to themselves. As they all climbed into it, Ron could see friends of Malfoy's climbing into a carrige near theirs. "Not as much fun without your master around, huh!" he shouted. "Ron, please!" Hermione exclaimed, closing the door behind him as he sat down next to her. "What? It's no fun if we can't tease them." he said, giving her a sarcastic-puppy-dog-pout. Hermione giggled at this, and rested her head on his shoulder. They started off. "So, what do we want to do today?" Harry questioned, looking down at Ginny, then over at Hermione and Ron. "Let's go to to Honeydukes, first. I need some more chocolate frogs." Ron said. Hermione, Ginny and Harry all rolled their eyes at this. "What? They are my favorite wizarding sweet, you know." he said. "Well, I would like to make a purchase at Dervish and Banges. I've been meaning to purchase some new quills and parchament. The quills I purchased back in Diagon Alley're all worn." Hermione said, sitting up.