A/N- Sorry for the long wait! I have tons of exams to revise for and I've been super busy!
Chapter Six
Things were blurry for a second ot two when Ron finally opened his eyes. At first, he thought he might be lying in his dorm bed, but then the pure whiteness of the room he was in hit him and he gave a groan.
He was in the Hospital Wing. Again.
"Ron!" a voice shrieked.
Ron gazed to his left to see a pale and tearful Hermione. Her dark brown eyes bore red rings from the tears she had shed.
"'Mione?" he croaked, trying to push himself up the pillows. "What are you doing here?"
Hermione wiped a stray tear from her cheek and sighed.
"Colin told me he had seen you and Harry heading up to the Hospital Wing," she sniffed. "She said you looked terrible!"
Ron sighed.
"I'm okay, 'Mione," he said in a voice that hoped would convince her, but Hermione wasn't convinced. She just looked even more worried.
"Ron, you COLLAPSED!" she screamed. "YOU'VE BEEN ASLEEP FOR HOURS, YOU SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH WITH WORRY, AND YOU CAN NOT TELL ME YOU ARE OKAY AFTER ALL THAT!"
Ron gazed at his girlfriend. He had no idea that she had meant so much to him. He tried to speak but no words would come out. There was only one way for him to show her he was okay.
Slowly, he leant forward, cupped her chin in his large hands and kissed her softly on the lips. He pulled back and wiped her tears away with his thumbs.
"Does that show you that I'm fine?" he whispered.
Hermione looked up at him and smiled with a small nod, leaning forward and enveloping him a loving hug.
Ron returned it.
Madam Pomfrey appeared from her room in the Wing, looking annoyed about all the shouting, but seeing the couple smiling, she knew that the scene had been sorted. She didn't want to disturb such a heart-felt moment, but Ron was still her patient.
She gave a small cough.
Hermione and Ron broke apart in surprise.
"I'm sorry for disturbing you, but Mr. Weasley is my patient and he needs his medicine," she said.
Walking forward, Madam Pomfrey poured some green potion into a glass, and gave it to Ron. The strange thing was that she wouldn't gaze up at Ron. There was something in her actions that worried him. It was like...she was...frightened of him.
"Are you okay, Madam?" he asked slowly, worry creeping into his voice.
"Yes...yes, I'm fine," she said quickly. "Now Miss Granger, I think visiting time is over, you and Mr Potter can visit tomorrow."
Hermione gave a pleading glance at Ron.
He knew she didn't want to go and leave incase anything bad happened to him, but what could he do?
"Please Madam, can't Hermione stay for a bit longer? I need someone to talk to!" Ron said, looking up at the nurse.
Madam Pomfrey hesitated, keeping her gaze still on the ground. She sighed.
"Fine, but only for fifteen minutes! No more, no less!"
Ron flashed her a grin and smiled at Hermione as the nurse left for her quarters.
"The Weasley charm does it again!" he said.
Hermione rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide the smile on her lips. She sat on his bed and gently kissed his forehead.
"What am I going to do with you?" she said. "I leave you for one second and you end up in the Hospital Wing!"
Ron put on a look of mock-hurt.
"I'm didn't meant to," he said, pouting. "It was only a little accident!"
Hermione laughed.
"Falling off a broom from a large height is NOT a little accident, Ronald Weasley!" she said. Her tone changed as she gazed into his ice-blue eyes. "I was worried about you!"
Ron slipped his fingers through her own and looked at her.
"I know," he whispered, stroking her fingers with his thumb. "And I'm sorry! I promise it won't happen again!"
A sigh came from his girlfriend.
"You're going to give me an early death, you know that?"
Ron gave his famous lop-sided grin.
"Is that your way of saying you love with all your heart and now I want to snog you senseless?"
"Yes," Hermione replied, kissing him softly on the lips.
Hermione left Ron to sleep, but deep down inside, she knew that she didn't want to leave his side again. By his side was where she felt most protected, but now he was injured, the mysterious attacker become more forceful.
She shivered from the thought.
Was if it was watching her right now?
Putting her arms around her body, she walked down the suddenly dark corridor, her pace quickening so she could get to the Common Room and safety quicker.
Hermione...
"No!" Hermione thought, trying to ignore the hissing voice. "I'm not listening!"
Oh, but you are and I KNOW you want to listen!
"I don't!" she muttered, a sob escaping her lips.
Who was she talking to? No-one was even there! Yet she heard a voice. As clear as if it was inside her own...NO!
She stopped, her dark brown eyes widened.
It was speaking inside her mind. It was USING TELEPATHY!
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Hermione suddenly cried, breaking into a fast run. "YOU'RE NOT REAL!"
But I am and I will do everything within my power to hurt and eventually KILL YOU!
With these words, Hermione ran as fast her legs would carry her, her breath coming out in quick, painful gasps. She tried desperately to keep herself on track to the Gryffindor Common Room.
Around her, candles flew at her, trying to hit her, HURT her, but Hermione was able to make them change course with a flick of her wand.
Suits of armour fell to the floor with a crash and a breath. Anything nearby was being used as a weapon against Hermione and all she could do was flick them with a charm. Tears were now burning her eyes.
You can't escape me, Hermione Granger! You NEVER will!
With a flash of hope and relief,Hermione suddenlyspotted the Fat Lady in the far corner of the shadowy corridor..
"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!" shegasped, her legs suddenly feeling light.
The Fat Lady opened up with a look of fright and let the sobbing girl stagger into the Common Room.
"Hermione!" came a cry as Hermione's legs gave way from underneath her.
Someone caught her as she fell.
Looking up, Hermione stared into a pair of bright, emerald eyes. Harry.
"It tried to k-kill m-me!" Hermione said, tears nowstreaming down her already raw cheeks. "It wants to HURT ME!"
With that, she knew she couldn't hold in her terror and found herselfsobbing with all her heart into Harry's chest, neither feeling embarrassment or anything.
Tight arms folded around her and held herprotectively, letting her cry all the fear and anguish she had felt in the last weeks.
"It's all right, Hermione, you're safe now," Harry whispered, trying his best to comfort her (while feeling incredibly awkward). "No-one will hurt you while Ron and I are around!"
Harry's words were said with firm, yet gentle tone and filled they Hermione warmly, yet some small part of her still worried about the oncoming attack.
What if someone was hurt while trying to protect her? It would be all her fault!
Hermione shook her head.
She couldn't let that happen. No one would be hurt just because she was scared of something. Hermione mentally scolded herself. She was meant to be the smartest witch in all of Hogwarts, so she was perfectly capable of protecting herself... against something she couldn't see?
"Hermione?" whispered a voice.
Harry was staring her, his eyes fighting between fear and concern.
Pulling herself together and slowly beginning to notice that the Common room was full of shocked Gryffindors. Hermione blushed slightly.
"I-I'm alright," she announced, trying to put on her usual annoyed tone.
"Let's head up to the dorm," Harry whispered, noticing his friend's embarrassment.
She nodded, her face a picture of relief.
Harry slowly guided Hermione up the boy's staircase and into his dormitory. He closed the door behind him and quickly cast a silencing and locking charm on it in case anyone tried to come in and listen.
With a sigh, Hermione sat on Ron's bed and put her head in her hands. She felt Harry sit beside her.
"I was so scared," she said in a small voice, in a way she was talking to herself more than to Harry. "It brought back memories of our second year when the Ba... when the Basilisk petrified me."
Harry's eyes widened slightly.
She had never spoken about her experience with the Basilisk and they had never asked in case it was too painful.
"W- what was it like?" he asked gently.
"I thought I was imagining it at first. I thought because I'd just read in the a book that it was just me thinking it over, but when I was standing next to Penelope and SHE heard the hissing, it felt like my heart just stopped beating."
Hermione shuddered, but managed to carry on.
"When I put my mirror around the corner and I saw the yellow eyes reflected in it, I could feel myself freezing and I couldn't do anything to stop it! My heart was stopping, my breath was slowing and I could feel myself grow numb! I was so scared because that I was going to die!"
Tears were now flowing steadily down her cheeks, leaving small tearstains. The images were flashing back now and she was able to remember the voices as she lay petrified.
"You don't have to tell me anymore!" Harry said, his hand going on hers. "Just don't tell me anymore!"
Hermione looked up quickly.
"But I saw him, Harry!"
Her hand suddenly went up to her mouth when she realized what she had almost said.
Harry looked her, his breath drawn in sharply. He slowly brought his hand from hers and gazed her.
"Who did you see, Hermione?" he said in a low voice. He knew it was a stupid question because he already knew the name she was going to say.
Fiddling with a piece of tissue, she finally looked up and mouthed the words to him.
((You'll have to review if you want to find what she saw! Muhahaha!))
((Thanks to all my great reviewers! huggles all))