Chapter Four
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A few minutes later, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, and Ron were in the hospital wing.
Hermione held onto Ron's hand as he complained of the growing pain in his side.
"Miss Granger!" came Professor McGonagall's shocked voice.
"Indeed." came a familiar voice with anger.
"I wish a word." he said. Hermione's eyes widened in terror, but she nodded and did as she was told and followed Professor Dumbledore out of the wing.
"Miss Weasley. Mr. Potter." Professor McGonagall was saying.
"Yes, Professor." Harry answered.
"Perhaps you should be going on to Gryffindor common room now."
" But Professor." Ginny said in an urgent tone.
" Yes, Miss Weasley. I will see that you may stay for this night only." Professor McGonagall read her mind.
" But," she added. "Mr. Potter must go back to his dormitories in no less than half an hour." With that she left the wing.
" I need to...get some air." Ginny started.
" Take a break." Harry told her.
She quietly got up and walked to one of the windows for a better view of the Hogwarts grounds.
" Hey Ron." Harry said.
" Hey Harry." Ron grumbled.
" How is...everything."
" As well as can be expected I guess."
" So, um, what exactly happened? Up on the roof?"
" She was going to jump it looked like and I - I tried to save her. Some hero..."
" But, what happened to you up there? Usually I'm the one trying my hand at the heroics."
" Yeah and you're a hell of a lot better at it than I am. But I, well I was going to stop her and then, well I don't remember much after that."
Ron looked up at Harry with concern in his eyes. They all needed answers, but none of them were available.
" Ron?" came Ginny's timid voice.
" Hey Gin." Ron said.
" How are you feeling?"
" Like I got hit by the Hogwarts Express." he joked.
" Don't joke like that Ron." Hermione had just re-entered the room.
" Can you, um, give us a minute." she asked.
" Sure." Harry answered for himself and Ginny.
They walked out of the wing.
" What did Dumbledore want?" Ron asked.
" To know if I was out of my mind or not." she teased.
" Well are you?" Ron teased back.
" It doesn't really matter, does it? What happened to you up there?"
" It's like I told Harry, I don't really remember. I remember seeing you and thinking that I was seeing an angel, but I was wasn't I?" Hermione blushed, " But then it was like spiraling back down again. An aching that I wouldn't have you in my life anymore. It was like a reality check that came at the right time, like you. You came at the right time for me."
" But- but you saved me in all of the pain you were going through.?"
"I had to Hermione." he said weakly.
" Ron, I- I am sorry about those things I said this morning, but I have to remain true to my feelings. I hope that you understand."
" Then what is meant to be Hermione?" he pleaded to her.
" I-I don't know. I don't have that answer." Her spirits broken.
" One day I will prove to you that my love is only for you and that we are meant to be, just as I know and you know it too, Hermione Granger. I will love you forever."
" I know you will Ron, but it just doesn't seem likely. I mean...you can't go through life living from one dream to the next!"
" And why is that? Why, Hermione!"
" Because it doesn't work like that." she stated flatly.
" What Harry and Gin have, is that love?" he asked, " Well, is it?"
" I - I don't know!"
" Damn it Hermione, it's eating me up inside and I want to know that some one loves me. I need to know that you loved me."
Hermione backed away from the bedside.
" I- I can't!"
" Why not! I could die here today and you wouldn't tell me."
" Because, Ronald Weasley. And you're not dying!" She said slapping Ron across the face. She looked at Ron very puzzled and quivered.
" I have to go now." she spoke quietly catching her breath.
Ron didn't ask her to stay either. Hermione ran half up to the Gryffindor common room and stopped by an distorted looking statue. She leaned against the wall.
" Because it is breaking my heart to love you, and tearing me apart...not to love you, Ron." she thought quietly to herself as hot tears rolled down her checks. She sank to the floor in horrible sobs. Thoughts of the morning's events ran through her head. Ron had saved her putting his own life in danger, but that was nothing new to either of them. But, dying? That was something else all together. Was he really dying or was that for sympathy? But the more Hermione thought about it the more unlikely it seemed that he would joke about something like that.
' What if he is telling the truth?' Hermione pushed the thought from her mind quickly.
She slowly got back up and walked to the common room, through the portrait hole and up the stairs to the girl's dormitories.
* * *
Next chapter ASAP...
Smile! You are loved! : )
* * *
A few minutes later, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, and Ron were in the hospital wing.
Hermione held onto Ron's hand as he complained of the growing pain in his side.
"Miss Granger!" came Professor McGonagall's shocked voice.
"Indeed." came a familiar voice with anger.
"I wish a word." he said. Hermione's eyes widened in terror, but she nodded and did as she was told and followed Professor Dumbledore out of the wing.
"Miss Weasley. Mr. Potter." Professor McGonagall was saying.
"Yes, Professor." Harry answered.
"Perhaps you should be going on to Gryffindor common room now."
" But Professor." Ginny said in an urgent tone.
" Yes, Miss Weasley. I will see that you may stay for this night only." Professor McGonagall read her mind.
" But," she added. "Mr. Potter must go back to his dormitories in no less than half an hour." With that she left the wing.
" I need to...get some air." Ginny started.
" Take a break." Harry told her.
She quietly got up and walked to one of the windows for a better view of the Hogwarts grounds.
" Hey Ron." Harry said.
" Hey Harry." Ron grumbled.
" How is...everything."
" As well as can be expected I guess."
" So, um, what exactly happened? Up on the roof?"
" She was going to jump it looked like and I - I tried to save her. Some hero..."
" But, what happened to you up there? Usually I'm the one trying my hand at the heroics."
" Yeah and you're a hell of a lot better at it than I am. But I, well I was going to stop her and then, well I don't remember much after that."
Ron looked up at Harry with concern in his eyes. They all needed answers, but none of them were available.
" Ron?" came Ginny's timid voice.
" Hey Gin." Ron said.
" How are you feeling?"
" Like I got hit by the Hogwarts Express." he joked.
" Don't joke like that Ron." Hermione had just re-entered the room.
" Can you, um, give us a minute." she asked.
" Sure." Harry answered for himself and Ginny.
They walked out of the wing.
" What did Dumbledore want?" Ron asked.
" To know if I was out of my mind or not." she teased.
" Well are you?" Ron teased back.
" It doesn't really matter, does it? What happened to you up there?"
" It's like I told Harry, I don't really remember. I remember seeing you and thinking that I was seeing an angel, but I was wasn't I?" Hermione blushed, " But then it was like spiraling back down again. An aching that I wouldn't have you in my life anymore. It was like a reality check that came at the right time, like you. You came at the right time for me."
" But- but you saved me in all of the pain you were going through.?"
"I had to Hermione." he said weakly.
" Ron, I- I am sorry about those things I said this morning, but I have to remain true to my feelings. I hope that you understand."
" Then what is meant to be Hermione?" he pleaded to her.
" I-I don't know. I don't have that answer." Her spirits broken.
" One day I will prove to you that my love is only for you and that we are meant to be, just as I know and you know it too, Hermione Granger. I will love you forever."
" I know you will Ron, but it just doesn't seem likely. I mean...you can't go through life living from one dream to the next!"
" And why is that? Why, Hermione!"
" Because it doesn't work like that." she stated flatly.
" What Harry and Gin have, is that love?" he asked, " Well, is it?"
" I - I don't know!"
" Damn it Hermione, it's eating me up inside and I want to know that some one loves me. I need to know that you loved me."
Hermione backed away from the bedside.
" I- I can't!"
" Why not! I could die here today and you wouldn't tell me."
" Because, Ronald Weasley. And you're not dying!" She said slapping Ron across the face. She looked at Ron very puzzled and quivered.
" I have to go now." she spoke quietly catching her breath.
Ron didn't ask her to stay either. Hermione ran half up to the Gryffindor common room and stopped by an distorted looking statue. She leaned against the wall.
" Because it is breaking my heart to love you, and tearing me apart...not to love you, Ron." she thought quietly to herself as hot tears rolled down her checks. She sank to the floor in horrible sobs. Thoughts of the morning's events ran through her head. Ron had saved her putting his own life in danger, but that was nothing new to either of them. But, dying? That was something else all together. Was he really dying or was that for sympathy? But the more Hermione thought about it the more unlikely it seemed that he would joke about something like that.
' What if he is telling the truth?' Hermione pushed the thought from her mind quickly.
She slowly got back up and walked to the common room, through the portrait hole and up the stairs to the girl's dormitories.
* * *
Next chapter ASAP...
Smile! You are loved! : )