(I hope you enjoy this chapter!)
Chapter 3 – Visiting
Hermione awoke to find darkness surrounding her. She could see faint outlines of things in her surroundings, rows of beds told her she was in the hospital wing. Then she remembered what had happened. She could also make out the form of someone on her bed, their head was lying by her side and their hand was woven into her own.
She gently tapped their head and they jolted awake. Ron's face became visible to her and she smiled. She hoarsely let out, "Hey there."
Ron looked at her and his eyes widened. "Hermione are you okay? I'm so sorry! I knew I shouldn't have left you."
She smiled, "It not your fault, I told you to go." She was silent a moment and spoke again. "What time is it?"
Ron looked at her watch on the bedside table, "A little past two."
"Wow, I've been asleep most of the day then."
"Almost two days actually. It's Monday morning."
"What!" She tried to sit up but fell back down again, her head whirling. Ron quickly got up and poured her a glass of water.
"Here this will help." She took a sip from the cup, "Thanks." She said.
It was when he was standing that she got a good look at him. He was still wearing his swimming trunks and shirt. "Ron…have you been here this whole time?"
Ron looked down at himself and grinned shyly. "Uh…yeah…I didn't want to leave in case you woke up."
She smiled, "That's sweet but…wait! So you haven't done any of your homework…what have you had to eat?"
He laughed, "Don't worry, Harry brought my homework and we did it in here and Ginny brought us food."
She looked somewhat relieved, "That's good, I would hate to think that you didn't do it because of me."
"Come on I think you're more important then homework." He said as he sat down again.
"No no no, what are you doing? You have to go." Hermione said as she put her hands up to signal him to stop.
"What? Why?" He looked bewildered.
"You need proper rest before classes today."
"I'm fine here, I slept pretty good last night."
"No go, I won't hear of it."
"Hermione I'm not leaving you again!"
"Ron I'll get Madam Pomfrey if you don't . I don't want you to do poorly in class today."
The thought of Madam Pomfrey made Ron give in. He looked hurt, "Fine, but I'll check on you in the morning."
"It-It's not that I don't want you here, but I don't want you to be tired either. I really appreciate you staying here this whole time, but I think Madam Pomfrey would like to know I'm awake."
"Okay." He said with a sigh, "I'll see you later then." He left the hospital wing, but once he was gone she didn't summon the nurse. She turned over on her side and smiled at the thought of Ron and fell asleep.
Ron was true to his word and checked in on her in the morning. Harry had come along hoping to talk to her, but they found her fast asleep. They left to have breakfast and soon they were sitting in the middle of a horribly boring history of magic class. Ron was avidly writing down everything he heard while Harry lay half asleep by his side. Ron continued this unusual behavior of copying notes through every class they had that afternoon. Finally he and Harry plopped down in the squashy armchairs in front of the fireplace.
"My hand feels like it's going to fall off. I wonder if this is how Hermione feels after classes." A large roll of parchment lay beside him, all the subjects divided by lines.
"I wonder why? You should have just brought a tape recorder."
"A wha'?" Ron asked with a perplexed look on his face.
Harry shook his head. "Never mind."
They sat by the fireplace talking when the subject of the tryouts came up.
"I never got the chance to tell you since you've been in the hospital wing. McGonagall came and found me when I was talking with Ginny on Saturday. I've been made quidditch captain."
"That's great! Man you're so lucky."
"Well you know, I wanted to ask you if you'd be…you know co-captain. Help me pick the new team and strategies."
Ron sat there looking surprised, "Of course I will! Thanks mate." He grinned.
"I also wanted to ask how good Ginny was? She was a pretty decent seeker last year, I've just been thinking how different a beater position is."
"Don't worry. She's great, she's just about as good as Fred and George were together."
"I can't wait to see her," Harry said thinking. Ron gave him a look. "You know…she'd be great as a teammate I mean."
Just then someone came stomping down the girls staircase. Ginny came into view before Ron could say anything back. The boys just sat there in silence. Ginny gave them an odd look.
"Were you guys talking about me?" She said, her eyebrows rose.
Ron and Harry looked at each other, "No." They said in unison. Ron cleared his throat when he saw the look on her face. "Anyways…come on Harry, let's go get these to Hermione." They both got up; Ron had his parchment tucked under his arm.
Ginny spoke up before they could leave though, "Harry could you wait for a sec, I want to talk to you."
"Ginny I said we have to go. Come on Harry."
"Ron why don't you go? Harry will catch up in a second."
"No come on!" Ron headed for the portrait hole.
"Stop being thick! Go and talk to Hermione. I'm sure she'll be glad to see you have work for her."
"I'll catch up Ron, it's okay." Ron looked at him. He straightened the stack of notes in his arm and sighed heavily. "Fine!" He walked out without saying another word.
"Didn't seem to like that, did he?" Ginny asked.
"No but that's Ron for you. So what did you want to say?"
"Oh I just wanted to know what you guys were saying about me." Harry's eyes strayed away from hers. "That's what I thought, I'm not oblivious. What did you guys say?"
"I just asked Ron what he though of your beater skills."
"Didn't you trust what I told you?" She paused and crossed her arms, "What did he say?"
"No it's not like that, it's just I asked Ron to help me pick during tryouts and asked how you were was all. He said brilliant and I just wanted to see you fly."
Ginny's expression lightened, "Okay well…as long as it wasn't anything bad. I'm surprised though he was so easily ticked off if he was just talking about quidditch." She shrugged and was silent a moment and then smirked. "So…you want to see me fly?"
Harry's face turned a light red, "Well yeah, you were good as seeker last year. It'll be interesting to see you as a beater."
"Then I hope I don't disappoint you with my moves." She smiled.
"I'm not sure you could ever disappoint me." It was Ginny's turn to blush.
"Oh…well." They both smiled, "Let's go." They turned and walked out of the common room.
As Ron reached the hospital wing the door flew open and Malfoy came strutting out. He smiled at the sight of Ron.
"What're you doing here Malfoy?" Ron said nastily.
"Oh no reason…just looking around." He said smiling evilly.
"I suggest you clear off. Shouldn't you be writing your father or something?" Ron paused, "Oh yeah, I forgot prisoners don't get mail in Azkaban." Malfoy looked like he would have cursed him right there on the spot, but instead he kept a steady gaze on the door to the infirmary.
"I'd watch your back Weasley, you wouldn't want anything unexpected to happen to you…or your friends." He gave Ron a venomous look and strode away.
Ron glared after him and entered the hospital wing. He saw Hermione propped up in bed, a book in her hands. She must have gotten bored because the title read, "A Healer's Guide to Unusual Emergencies."
Ron shook his head, "Hey Hermione, even in the hospital wing you can't help but read." He grinned.
Hermione closed the book with a smile, "What else can I do in here?"
"Oh I don't know…rest perhaps."
"I've had enough rest. Madam Pomfrey is only making sure I am okay. She said I swallowed a lot of water and sometimes that can lead to complications."
Ron shook his head and walked over to her. "I just saw Draco outside and seeing as you're the only one in here I suppose he came to see you. What did he say?"
"Oh you know the usual. Pity I hadn't drowned, it would be quieter in class without me. Stupid things really. The idiot actually thinks I care about one word he says."
"I swear I'll get him one day. How sweet would that be?"
Wanting to get off the subject of Malfoy, "What's that you've got?"
"Oh I took notes for you today. I know you hate to fall behind." He handed her the parchment.
Her eyes widened in surprise, "Really? But we had History of Magic today. I've never seen you awake in that class." She smiled as she scanned his writing. "This is so sweet."
"Yeah well, I can be nice sometimes…and I have kept my eyes open in class."
"Sleeping with your eyes open doesn't count." She laughed.
"You think you're so funny. I should just take these away then." He made to grab the notes but she quickly pulled them back.
"No no, I'm sorry." She grinned. "Thank you."
"That's what I thought. So how are you feeling?"
"Perfectly fine, but unfortunately Madam Pomfrey said I can't leave until tomorrow afternoon. She also said…" she paused for a moment, "if you hadn't given me CPR…I probably wouldn't be here right now." He froze halfway through sitting down.
"Well…I did the first thing I could think of." He said lowly.
"Come here." She patted the spot beside her. Ron slowly stood back up and sat on the side of her bed. She reached up and pulled him to her. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a tight hug. He was surprised at first but slid his arms between her and the pillow she was lying on. "Thank you." She whispered in his ear. It sent a shiver through him and he leaned back slightly, hovering a few inches above her. He looked longingly into her eyes and she back into his. He leaned in until their lips were centimeters away when he heard the knob on the door turn. He flew back into his seat as the door opened and Harry and Ginny came in. "Hey guys." They said and they looked at Ron and Hermione. Ron was looking very determinedly at the floor and Hermione at her hands. "You guys okay?" Harry asked.
"Yes!" They said together a little faster then they should have.
"O…kay, I'm so glad you're up Hermione I was so worried about you." Ginny said as she came forward and hugged her.
"Thanks for the concern." Hermione looked at Ron over Ginny's shoulder. He looked up and looked back at her. He blinked and looked at Harry.
For the next hour they all sat talking, discussing ways of cursing Malfoy, quidditch, cursing Malfoy and classes. Soon they left Hermione to go to dinner. Ron was last out the door and said, "I'll be back after classes tomorrow when you're allowed to leave…and…you're welcome." He smiled and left leaving Hermione speechless.
Classes went fine the next day. Harry took notes though saying, "I have to do something." Ron gratefully let him. "Thanks, I don't know if my hand could've taken it." So after the long day Harry remained in the common room with his cramped hand as Ron left to get Hermione.
"Wait Ron!" Ginny came running down the stairs. "Here, I'm sure she'll want these." Ginny handed him some clothes and he left as Ginny sat by Harry.
Ron reached the infirmary and entered to find Hermione walking around.
"Hey." She smiled, "Finally I can leave now. It's been so unbelievably boring in here. Madam Pomfrey isn't exactly the most talkative of people."
He laughed, "Well you're free, here I brought some clothes for you."
"Thanks." She walked over to him. He held out her clothes and she took them and walked behind a curtain and started to change. Ron stared at the curtain until her dressing gown was flung over the top of the bar. He cleared his throat and turned around.
"You okay over there?" She said.
"Yeah, yeah fine." His voice cracked.
She smiled as she stepped out wearing jeans and a white button up blouse. "Good to hear."
"Let's go shall we?" They exited the infirmary silently as they headed to Gryffindor tower. Halfway there Hermione tried to ask him a question, "Um Ron…about last night wha-" but Ron interrupted her. "Hey how about we go over the notes Harry took today?"
"Oh…sure." They reached the common room shortly after. Harry had no desire to go over the notes so soon again so he sat and talked to Ginny. After they had finished with reading over half of the notes, they left for dinner. At the table Hermione leaned toward Ginny and whispered in her ear.
"I need to talk to you after dinner." Ginny shook her head as the boys looked at them. They smiled at them and continued eating. After dinner Hermione and Ginny excused themselves from the common room and went up to Hermione's dormitory leaving the boys to talk about…well they really didn't care.
"So what's so urgent we had to come up here to talk?" Ginny asked as they sat Indian-style across from one another on Hermione's bed.
"I think Ron was going to kiss me." She said so fast the words blended together.
"What!" Ginny yelled causing Hermione to cover her mouth with her hand. "Mmmmm!" Hermione put her finger to her lips.
"I don't want everyone to know."
"Sorry," Ginny said quietly. "Where, when, how did it happen?"
"Well you know yesterday how you and Harry came into the hospital wing and we were acting…weird." Ginny shook her head hurriedly. "He was so close I could feel his breath on my lips and then you guys came in."
"Oh my God! That's why you guys were acting so guilty! I can't believe it!" Then she closed her eyes. "I'm so sorry.'
"For what?" Hermione asked puzzled.
"Well if it wasn't for us…well you know."
"It is my luck that you guys chose that time to come in, but it doesn't matter. I think he may regret trying." She said sadly.
"What? Are you insane?"
"No honestly, I tried to talk to him about it and he changed the subject as fast as he could."
"He was probably just embarrassed, that's the way Ron is. You know that better then almost anyone. Maybe you should be the one to…you know kiss him first."
"Yeah, that'll happen." She said sarcastically. "I could never do that. What if he pulled back?"
"Oh please Ron wouldn't dare. He's liked you for the longest of time and you him."
"I don't know…" she paused, "He has?" She said lightening up. "But why doesn't he ever show it?"
"Like I said before, that's just him. You know if you do decide to try something, I'll keep Harry busy for you." She said devilishly.
Hermione smiled, "I've noticed you too were getting pretty friendly…you think he likes you back?"
Ginny got up with another grin and walked to the door. "I plan to find out for sure if I make the quidditch team." With that she winked and left the room.
(REVIEWS galore would be appreciated! XD)