AN : Firstly I want to thank fanglessphysco for my first ever review   made me very happy  to everyone else- please review. Every comment, good and bad, is appreciated. Also if you have a story you want me to read, tell me about it and I shal return the favour.

Disclaimer : Why would I post this on a website called fanfiction if it was all mine…

Chapter 3 : A Call for Back Up

As daylight began to spill through the large arched windows of the hospital wing, shafts of light fell upon Hermione's delicate face. Blinking sleep away from her eyes and cursing the sun for rising so soon she awoke to the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Good morning," Madame Pomfrey sang, clearly in much better spirits today than the previous night, "Are we ready to return to being Head Girl?"

"I think so…" Hermione hesitated, "how long have I been asleep for?"

"Roughly seven days," Madame Pomfrey sighed, "You're friends will be quite relieved to find you awake finally."

"Have they been to see me…" Hermione asked in what she hoped was a casual tone of voice, though still thinking about the dream. She was so sure that Ron had been there, and yet if he had been there, she couldn't even begin to think about what it meant…

"Every night without failure," replied a rather exasperated Madame Pomfrey, "I think if I had found them one more time trying to shrink each other in order to fit inside the flower vases I might have really lost my temper."

Hermione suppressed a giggle at the idea of Harry and Ron squeezing themselves amongst the flowers. "Were they here last night?"

"Every night. Although last night I did feel sorry for them, so I let one of them stay with you. I'm surprised he isn't here… did Ronald go back to the common room to get Harry?"

"R-r-r," Hermione took a deep breath, "Ron was here?" she asked in a much higher tone than she wished for.

"Yes, Mr Weasley couldn't bear to be parted from you. He looked thoroughly heartbroken at the idea of it. Maybe you should go and find him, he's probably worried sick," suggested Madame Pomfrey, seizing the moment to finally remove Hermione from her care. She enjoyed looking after ill students, but when they were part of an inseparable trio it was barely more than she could stand!

Without a word Hermione rose from her bed and let her aching legs carry her towards the Great Hall. From what Hermione gathered from the light streaming from the windows and the crowds gathering and yawning in the corridors, it was time to have breakfast. Hermione wasn't at all hungry, even though she had not eaten for a week, but was drawn to the food, because wherever you found food, you found Ron.

As Hermione entered the Great Hall her nostrils were filled with the usual aroma of eggs, bacon, sausages and fried bread. Some things never change, Hermione mused as she stumbled over to the Gryffindor table to find a seat with her best friends, sitting next to Harry and opposite Ron.

Harry didn't seem to notice Hermione until she had seated herself beside him taking a piece of toast to nibble in order to look casual, as if she didn't need any other reason but breakfast to be there. Harry's expression immediately erupted into a smile and he pulled Hermione into a hug that seemed to last much longer than any they had shared before. "I'm so glad you're ok," Harry whispered.

"You're cutting off my air supply!" Hermione chocked.

He quickly let her go with a muttered, "sorry."

Hermione looked over to see Ron's reaction to her arrival, hoping that it would be at least as comforting as Harry's. However Ron didn't seem to notice her at all. In fact he didn't acknowledge her presence whatsoever until Hermione had called his name for the third time.

"What? Oh… hello Hermione…"

"Is that it?" Hermione blurted out before she had time to think.

"What!" Ron yelled back.

"Don't you care at all that I have been asleep for seven days!"

"What do you want me to do? Leap for joy because you finally stopped being so lazy?"

"I wasn't in bed because I was being lazy Ronald – I was hit by a spell."

"Either way, you're up now – whoopidoo. Can I go back to my eggs?"

"You, Ronald Weasley, are an insufferable git." And with that she rose dramatically from her chair and stormed out of the Great Hall, forcing her aching limbs to move much more vigorously than they were willing.

Her eyes soon began to feel as if they were burning inside her skull. She could feel tears beginning to prick the corners of her eyes, but would not let them get the better of her until she was out of his sight. He really didn't care. She had been so sure. Of course she had tried to convince herself that it was definitely a dream, even though it had felt so real, but the hope that her might reciprocate her feelings had still remained in her heart. But now, it was all too obvious that Ron didn't.

Ron watched her go, feeling more and more empty with every step that she took away from him. It had to be done, he convinced himself, I have to act normal, we always argue, we can't change that, if I change she'll know, and she can't ever know, because if she ever knew… that would be the end.

Harry watched Ron continue to gaze at his plate, refusing to go after, or even look at Hermione. However the way Ron was absentmindedly etching the initials HG using his knife into a dollop of ketchup gave away his true feelings.

Harry had not managed to get Hermione to confess, they were back to bickering as usual, it was time to call in back up. Harry needed to team with someone who knew Ron well enough to manipulate, who Harry could talk to easily and who was a good friend of Hermione's. Well that narrowed it down… the answer was simple and at that very moment walked right past him.

"Morning Harry."

"Morning Ginny," she smiled back then quickly rising to walk in step beside her, in what he hoped was a casual way, he leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, "I need a favour…"