Ch 12- Pain and Late night talking
A/N: Thank you to each and every person who has reviewed my story, and double thanks to those who reviewed it more than once! You guys are the greatest! I'm SO sorry it took me this long to update! I've been really busy and I've had testing all week, and I have more next week and another mid-term the week after that! I'll try my best but it's going to be a bit slow.
A cool night breeze passed over the grounds of Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry. Four young adults lie on the grass on their backs, heads forming a circle, staring at the starry sky. January had come and gone, and February was at the last of its' days.
A girl with long red hair sighed as she continued to stare up into the night sky. A boy with raven hair and emerald eyes spoke quietly.
"It's a beautiful night." He said softly. The others murmured in agreement. The boy next to him with crystal blue eyes too sighed and said,
"The start of Quidditch again will be here before we know it."
"Yeah. We're gonna win, I can feel it." Said Harry. A girl with brown curly hair and matching eyes, inhaled deeply.
"Spring is coming. I can almost smell it." She said.
"I can feel it." Ron said next to her. They sat in silence for several more minutes, just starring up at the gorgeous royal blue sky. They all jumped as Hermione took in a sharp breath and shot sitting straight up.
"Hermione!" Ron said sitting up and looking worriedly at her. She took in two more sharp breaths and clutched her rib with one hand.
"Hermione, are you ok?" Ginny asked. Hermione took a deep breath.
"Yes…yes, I'm fine." She said relaxing now.
"What happened?" Harry asked her. Ron looked expectantly at her.
"It's…it's nothing." All three of them looked at her with a 'we-know-it's-not-nothing-so-just-tell-us-already' look and she smiled ever so slightly at their expression. But, her smile vanished as quickly as it came.
"It's…it's just…ever since last year at the Department of Mysteries, it…does…that once in a while." She explained.
"You should go see Madam Pomfery-" Ron started, but Hermione cut him off.
"No-no, she knows, she said it was going to happen every once in a while. Besides, it rarely ever happens." She said honestly. She looked at Ron, he looked extremely worried. "Really, I'm fine." She assured him. He didn't look completely convinced but he respected her word and nodded.
"We should go in, it's getting a bit cold." Ginny said. The others agreed and they headed into the castle. It was getting late and the common room was only occupied by about five other people. Settled down on the floor by the fire with his Quidditch model that Tonks had gotten him for his birthday, and propped up the Quidditch strategy book Hermione had gotten him on a pillow. After all, there was only one week until their match against Slytherian.
"Ron, come here and help me start making some plays! I already made all the players!" Harry told him excitedly. Ron merrily hopped off the chair he was sitting in and laid down on the floor across from Harry. They excitedly flipped through the pages of Quidditch from A-Z and chatted excitedly about strategies and plays they could use against Slytherian the following week.
Ginny was sitting in a chair, curled up in a ball, writing in her journal. Hermione sat on the couch 'reading'. She often found her eyes drifting casually across the room to a certain red-haired boy. Although I'd never admit it, Hermione thought, I've grown to love Quidditch. I'd never play it of course, for I'm deathly afraid of heights…although I'd never admit that to anyone either of course. But I like to watch it. Not all teams though. I love to watch Gryffindor play of course. Mostly because I love to watch you fly. She thought, still staring at Ron. Actually, I really don't like Quidditch, yet I do. The Quidditch world cup was alright, only because I was with you though. If anyone else had asked me to go, I would have denied it. I love how your so passionate about it though. It's like me and books. Well…sort of. I love to read, don't get me wrong, but once in a while, it gets boring. I don't think Quidditch ever gets boring for you. I mean look at you over there. I like Quidditch only because you like Quidditch, and it makes you happy, and I love to see you happy.
Ron looked up and saw Hermione staring at him. She saw him, quickly looked down and blushed. I hate it that you're the only one who can make me blush. But I love it at the same time.
Harry raised his eyebrows at Ron. Ron glared at him.
"Shut. Up." He said quietly, but sternly. Harry smiled.
"I told you she likes you too." Harry said. "I told you I've seen her staring at you sometimes with that almost Luna Lovegood look." He said just as quietly so Hermione wouldn't over hear them.
"Harry, she doesn't like me ok? Now just drop it before I get angry." Ron told him Harry sighed but obeyed. The last few stragglers of the common room had now departed to their dorms. Ginny stretched and yawned.
"I'm going to bed." She stated and got up.
"Yeah, me too." Harry said standing up also. "Coming Ron?" Harry asked.
"Nah, I'm not really tired yet. Besides, tomorrow is Saturday. Can I could borrow your book?" Ron asked nodding towards the book propped up on pillows.
"Sure." Harry said. He kissed Ginny on the cheek and said goodnight and they both went to their dorms.
Ron settled himself into a squashy armchair and began reading. Hermione shifted herself into a laying position on the couch she was sitting on. They sat in silence for about three minutes while Ron deciphered whether or not to break the awkward tension in the room. If it even is awkward for her. He thought, I mean, why would she feel uncomfortable in a room with me, her completely platonic friend? He glanced up at her again.
Hermione had situated herself that so she could look at her book and use her peripheral vision to see Ron. She shifted uncomfortably. That's the fifth time he glanced at me. Why does he keep looking at me? She asked herself. His glancing made her feel as if he was taunting her in a way. This wasn't the first time she'd caught him doing it either. It was starting to irritate her and she couldn't keep wondering.
"What Ron?" she said as un-snappyish as she could manage. Ron's ears turned instantly red.
"Huh?" he said lamely.
"Do you want something? You keep looking at me." Then seeing a look of worry on his face she asked, "What's wrong?"
"What? Nothing. Nothing's wrong." He said
"Are you sure?" she asked him sympathetically.
"Yeah…I was just wondering what…book you were reading."
"Oh." She said. "It's a muggle book called Tuck Everlasting." She told him.
"Oh. Cool." He said and he returned to reading as did she. One tense minute in the common room passed. Two minutes passed. Three, then four, five, six. Again, Ron was feeling he had to do something to break the silence. It was too painful. Suddenly, Hermione sat straight up for the second time that night and took I a sharp breath. Ron's head snapped up to her as she continued to breathe heavily.
"Hermione?" he asked. She continued breathing rapidly. "Hermione!" he said and he abandoned his book and ran to her side and knelt beside the couch. She clutched her rib in the same spot she had only hours before.
"Are you sure you don't want me to get Madam Pomfery?" Ron asked anxiously. She nodded.
"I'm…fine…it's…just," she said gasping for air. Ron put a hand on her leg to comfort her.
"It's just…it's…never…been…this bad…before." She gasped, tears swelling up in her eyes. She was terrified. She clutched her rib tighter. Ron saw the tears in her eyes starting to form and sat behind her on the couch and rubbed her back soothingly. Her breathing died down some but was still sharp and painful. She let off all her weight and leaned on Ron. She stopped breathing. Ron froze.
"Hermione?" he asked. She didn't answer. He got up and turned around and shook her shoulders roughly.
"Hermione!?" Still no answer. He put two fingers on her neck. She still had a pulse. Then Ron saw he chest rise and fall once. He had the time to take three breaths before she took another. Her eyes were still closed, and she was breathing, but very, very slowly. She's fainted! He thought. Not wanting to leave her side for life, he pulled himself up and sprinted as quickly as he could to the boys' bathroom. He filled up a large cup with ice cold water, grabbed a washcloth and sprinted back to Hermione. Her breathing was better but still no where near normal. She was still unconscious. He put the washcloth in the cold water, pulled it out and squeezed it on her neck and face. Then he took her shoulders again and shook her.
"Hermione! Hermione! Come on get up! You've just fainted! Your fine!" he said, trying to convince himself more than anyone that she was fine. Her eyes slowly opened. Ron let out the deep breath he had been holding. Hermione started crying and Ron hugged her tightly.
"It's ok." He told her. "You're ok."
"I…hate…Dolohov!" she sobbed into his arms.
"I know." He said. "I hate him too."
Hermione pulled away and wiped her eyes.
"Don't tell Harry about this." She said weakly.
"Why didn't you tell us Hermione?" Ron asked her. Hermione had calmed down now and had stopped crying.
"Because." She said. "You guys already worry about me as it is with me being muggle-born and all and I didn't want to be another burden." She said wiping her eyes once more.
"Hermione." Ron said seriously. "Don't you dare ever think that you're a burden to us Hermione. Don't you dare. You know damn well that that is not true."
"I know." Hermione said trying her hardest not to cry again. "But-"
"No, no buts Hermione."
She calmed down again and sat there staring at her hands.
"I still have a scar." She told him. He looked confusedly at her. She lifted her shirt to her belly button and turned slightly to the side. Ron's heart broke as he saw a thin purple line across the side of her stomach. He was so hurt he wanted to kill Dolohov himself.
"Does it hurt?" He asked her. She pulled down her shirt.
"No. Well, only when I get those…attacks and if I make a really sharp movement." She told him looking at her hands again. She couldn't look him in the eye. She couldn't stand to see him so worried and upset over her.
"I have scars too." He said quietly. She looked up. He pulled up his sleeve. Hermione gasped. One long red line spiraled down from his forearm to his elbow, about an inch wide.
"Does it hurt?" she asked him. He shrugged.
"No. Only when I spend too much time in the sun, or get sunburned or really hot water touches it." He told her.
"Oh." She said. They sat silently for a few seconds until Ron spoke up.
"'Mione, you…you scared me. I thought…I thought you were dead." Tears started welling up in Hermione's eyes to much discomfort of Ron. He was shocked though when she jumped off the couch to where he was kneeling beside her and threw herself around him. He hugged her back and tried as hard as he possibly could not to start crying too. He didn't know what he would do without Hermione. He'd probably die himself. What if she did die? Ron thought. And I didn't even tell her how I really feel about her? He held her tight as she cried softly. He pulled her into his lap and rocked her back and fourth. She quieted down, only sniffing occasionally. He rocked her for five more minutes until she gently escaped his arms and stood up. She looked at him. He looked hurt.
"It's just…it's getting late and if I don't go up now, I'll fall asleep…on you…again. Um…Ron?" He looked at her. "Thank you…um…again…um…bye." And she turned and walked up the girls dorm stairs, stopping only when he was out of ear shot. She sobbed and sniffed quietly. She couldn't bear to let him see her cry again. She couldn't stand him holding her, thinking that he didn't feel the same way about her as she did he. It was so painful. Unbearable. Hermione didn't bother changing into her pajamas, but silently crawled into her bed and cried to her Teddy.
He knew he had to tell her soon. He was going to explode if he didn't.
"Tomorrow." He said to himself. "Tomorrow."
A/N: ooo little bit of a cliffy there...not really, but sort of. Hehe you guys are going to love the next chapter. And remember, the more reviews I get, the faster I'll update! So review! Please!
