A/n: Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them. Here's chapter two, the last chapter, the end of this random thingy. BTW, Jedi Knight Bus, I did what you told me to (you'll know what I mean when you read it) and moony's number one, I fixed the bad sentences you fixed in my notebook. Thanks dudes. Enjoy!

Chapter 2

Hermione lifted her head and quickly wiped her eyes. She couldn't let Ron see that she'd been crying. It'd only upset him. She cleared her throat and blinked rapidly to dispel any trace that she had indeed been crying.

She sighed a moment later and her eyes dropped to the lovely yet simple gold and diamond wedding band around her left ring finger. She smiled reminiscently, thinking about seashells, blue water, brilliant flowers, grinning and teary guests, tasty food, funny or embarrassing speeches, and fun on the dance floor. It been a wonderful, perfect wedding...

"Oh, hello Hermione!" Healer Walgenbach emerged from Ron's room. "Good to see you. He'll be alright. Probably going to go to sleep shortly, I think."

Hermione stood. "Good news." she smiled politely at the Healer who smiled back, but not without a touch of knowing. He could tell she'd been crying. He gave her a small pat on the shoulder and then walked past her.

She gathered her things up quickly, checked in nearby mirror that she wasn't too red and puffy eyed, took a deep breath, and entered Ron's room.

There were no other occupants as Ron's care was best done when he was alone and there was only one other bed in the room anyways. For occasional overnight stays, Hermione would use the extra bed. The room smelled strongly of disinfectant and other hospital materials, with the faintest smell of chocolate.

"Morning sunshine." Hermione quietly sat in the cushy chair beside Ron's bed, placing her things on the floor.

Ron turned wide, vacant eyes to her and said nothing. His hair was not the flaming Weasley red it used to be. Instead, it was mostly gray with strips of a dull rust color here and there, giving the appearance of a dye job gone wrong. His skin was more pale than it used to be. His face was far less full, and his freckles somewhat faded. All together, it only added to the appearance of a ghost. He looked at least ten years older than he really was.

Hermione reached down to the objects she'd brought with her and produced a chocolate frog. By his reaction to the chocolate or object she gave him, she could sometimes gauge how good or bad of a day it was going to be.

"Chocolate, Ron?" she held out her hand and offered it to him.

His wide, dim eyes slowly moved from Hermione's face down to her hand. He stared at it for a moment and Hermione's heart sunk. Then he slowly took the package and moved it to his lap.

With his mouth slightly open, Ron turned an unblinking gaze back to Hermione, as though he was quite unsure of what to do next with the colorful package in his lap. Hermione was used to this and no longer burst into tears when he didn't know how to open his favorite candy.

"You open it, sweetie, and eat it." Hermione said and reached over to open a corner for him. "You'll like it, trust me."

He seemed to finally understand and began opening the chocolate frog carefully. Hermione watched with her heart low in her chest. Today was either going to be a difficult day or a very short visit.

Ron coughed loudly and fully unwrapped the chocolate frog. He ate it slowly as if he'd never tasted it before, though he seemed to very much enjoy it.

Hermione reached down into her pile of things and produced a juice box. "Saw Lavender Brown in the grocery store yesterday. She asked me how you were doing." Hermione opened the plastic that bound the straw and then poked the straw into the silver hole on the top of the juice box. "I told her you were improving." she handed the juice box and smiled weakly.

Ron took the juice box gingerly and made a quiet, indistinct noise that sounded somewhat like "Lav-der". He blinked the slowly began sucking on the straw, seeming vaguely surprised when liquid entered his mouth from the straw.

"Do you remember Lavender?" Hermione studied Ron for a moment and he made no indication that he even heard her let alone recalled in his sixth year when his favorite hobby had been making out with Lavender. Hermione sighed. "She said to tell you she's happy and that she will try to come visit someday."

Ron blinked again, and when he blinked, one eye was slower than the other, making him look very odd indeed. He sucked the juicebox dry then handed it to Hermione. She toseed it into the small recycling bin in front of the might table beside the small garbage can.

"Apparently Parvati and Dean finally got engaged. About time, really. They've been dating, what, seven years now?" she paused and looked at Ron for confirmation though she expected none. "Yes, seven years seems about right. Neville and Luna got engaged a week after Parvati and Dean started going together." Hermione handed Ron a colorful plastic ring to play with, though at the moment he seemed quite pleased just to listen to Hermione talk.

"Seven years... has it really been that long?" She looked at Ron tenderly. He had a vague smile on his face. "We graduated from Hogwarts seven years ago. Wow. Its amazing how times flies." she sighed and continued. "So then that means its been five years since we got m - er, I mean, since we got my ring. And a little over four years since you - since we moved you here, I mean."

Ron blinked that funny slow blink and then pushed his chocolate frog wrapper and remains off his bed. He abruptly went from a sitting position to a snuggled down laying position on his left side, his back now to Hermione.

Hermione sighed again. "Short visit today, then, huh?" she said quietly.

Ron grunted and shut his eyes.

Hermione nodded to herself and scooped up the discarded wrapper and half-eaten chocolate from the floor. She tossed it into the garbage can and gathered her things together.

Some days he just wasn't in the mood for a visit, and it seemed today was one of those days. Although slightly disappointing, because she knew she'd be bored at home, it was perfectly fine. Today was a Friday and she'd be back tomorrow.

"See you tomorrow, Ron." she said and headed for the door. When her hand was on the doorknob, she heard something that made her stop dead in her tracks.

"Someday... when I'm awfully low..." Ron sang in a sort of whispery tune. His eyes were still shut, and he still had that vague smile on his face. "I will find a glow... just thinking of you... and the way you look... tonight." The rest of the song he hummed quietly to himself.

It wasn't that he had sung nor that he was humming the rest that had made her freeze. Sometimes he would suddenly sing a few lines and hum the rest of a song, just for no reason at all. And it wasn't that the song was basically the theme in the movie "My Best Friend's Wedding". Part of what made her stop dead was the song Ron had chosen: "The Way You Look Tonight" by Tony Bennett.

It was their wedding song.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears but she blinked them away quickly. She had to be strong. 'And besides,' she thought. 'It's not as if he has any idea the significance of that particular song. He's just singing a song.' Somehow, that didn't give her any comfort.

She left the room with no trace of extra moisture in her eyes, briefly chatting with some of the nurses and leaving things to keep Ron busy when he woke up until her next visit.

It wasn't until she was back in her home, surrounded by memories and pictures that she collapsed on the couch and let her tears slide silently out. Some days were like this, where she felt exceedingly sad or frustrated or whatever. She looked absently over her shoulder at a large picture of a brunette in a flowing white dress kissing a flaming red-head in a stark black tux as they danced to a certain Tony Bennett song. He may not realize the significance of the song, but she did.

And it truly broke her heart to know there was little chance he ever would.

She knew the nurse rotation as well as anyone who actually worked there. To anyone in the hospital who didn't know her personally, they just assumed she must work there, for she was there so often.

"Morning Kathy." Hermione greeted the nurse at the front - the Saturday morning front reception nurse.

"Oh, hello Hermione!" she said enthusiastically as usual. "Hope all goes well!"

"Thanks!"

Hermione reached the floor she was looking for and headed down the same hallways as yesterday, still not interested in any of the same old portraits.

"Hey Hermione."

"Hello Sue." Hermione addressed a tall, broad woman who had been at the hospital for the last month and a half. "How's Barney?"

"Not bad, not bad at all." she said in a croaky voice that was quite expected to come with her very white hair. "Still got tests to do on him. But he's over the pox, anyways."

"Good to hear! Where are you off to?"

"Ah, just headin' to get a bite to eat. Got here at seven, and its ten now, and I haven't eaten yet." Sue paused briefly. "How's Ron?"

"Don't know yet. I was juts on my way to see him."

"Ah, well, good luck then!"

"Thanks. See you later Sue. Say hi to Barney for me."

"I will. And same to Ron." Sue winked. "Bye then."

Just as she was in front of Ron's door, Healer Walgenbach emerged, just like yesterday, though this time he had not been in Ron's room administering shots.

"He's looking chipper today, Hermione."

"Glad to hear it." Hermione smiled widely with relief.

"Have a nice stay - oh!" Healer Walgenbach had just begun down the hall to see his patient when he stopped and turned around. "Lunch special in the cafeteria today is lasagna. AND, at our combined, heartfelt requests, Myrna has agreed to serve bread sticks this time as well as the plain ol' garlic toast."

"Ooo!" Hermione rubbed her hands together and her tastebuds cheered at the thought. "Sounds exquisite!" she laughed. "I'll be sure to check it out. Thanks Neil."

"You're welcome." He winked and saluted her in a friendly manner and continued on his way.

Hermione walked straight to her chair beside Ron's bed and sat down, greeting him usual fashion. "Morning sunshine." she smiled brightly and Ron turned his face to hers and blinked. As Healer Walgenbach had said, Ron appeared more "chipper". It looked like there was color in his face than the other day, his eyes didn't seem so excruciatingly wide or dim, and overall he just seemed more alert.

Hermione dug into her coat pocket just before taking it off and produced a purple package. "Here Ron. I thought we'd try something new today." she pressed the package into Ron's already outstretched hand. She didn't give him candy every day, of course, it just happened that he got it two days in a row this week. "I bought them in a Muggle candy store. They're called 'Skittles'."

Ron immediately tore open a corner of the package and let a pink candy fall into his hand. He glanced at the candy and then at Hermione, though it wasn't like yesterday when he wasn't sure what to do. It seemed more like he was waiting for her to have one too.

Hermione reached over and tipped a blue one into her hand. "Just pop it into your mouth and chew." she said unnecessarily as she popped hers into her mouth.

Ron followed suit. He pulled out another pink one, a ed and a green and ate them altogether, delighted by the taste sensation in his mouth. Midway through chewing the candy, Ron stopped and dipped his head so low his chin rested against his chest. He shut his eyes.

"What is it honey?" she asked softly.

Still with his eyes closed, Ron's forehead crunched up in concentration or frustration - she didn't know which - and he let go of the Skittles package in his hand to clench and unclench his fists slowly.

Suddenly he started to cough loudly and harder than normal and Hermione didn't know what was going on. Was he choking? He was coughing violently and she thought maybe she ought to call for a nurse or healer. As soon as she stood to push the emergency button to summon a nurse, however, Ron's coughing stopped abruptly.

She sank back down in her chair and saw his hands holding onto his bed covers for dear life. He breathed heavily and she said nothing for several seconds. He swallowed hard a few times, and then his eyes fluttered open as if he was just waking up.

"R-ron?" Hermione's voice quivered and she tentatively reached her hand out towards him.

He stared down at his half-open Skittles package. "Her...bi...nee?" he said her name slowly, his voice cracked and raspy like he had spoken in a very long time, like he had a stuffed nose, and like he had finally remembered something he had been meaning to say for a very long time.

"Hermione?" he said again, the stuffed nose sound gone, but the rest the same. He turned his face towards Hermione as he said her name the second time.

"W-what...?" she said, her whole body trembling.

His eyes were no longer wider than usual. There was color tinting his cheeks. The vague smile had been replaced by a normal, curving mouth. His eyes had a special warmth and sparkle to them, a warmth that told her immediately she had her Ron here with her now.

"Hermione!"

"Oh Ron!"

Without further hesitation they kissed and embraced in a bone-crushing forever loving hug. Tears of joy streaked down Hermione's cheeks. Moments like these were so few and far between that almost always nearly forgot what they were like until they happened again. She couldn't even remember the last time this had happened.

Ron stroked her hair. "Oh Hermione... I missed you so much."

She knew exactly what he meant. "I missed you too."

"Everyday, I can see you... but it's like I'm a spectator. I can't even control my own pinky finger. You can't know how horrible it is to see you there hurting underneath your cheery mask and be completely unable to do or anything about it."

She squeezed him tight. "I know." she whispered, though she of course did not.

"Let me look at you properly..." They broke apart but still held hands. Ron's eyes ran over every detail of her face, and although once this action had made her uncomfortable, it did not now. He swallowed and she could see the shine of tears suddenly appear in his eyes. "I don't know why you keep coming." he said.

"Oh, Ron! How could you not know?" she held up her ring finger for him to examine.

He stared at it hard, and it was apparent he was trying desperately to ferret out the meaning of the ring on her finger from his foggy memory. He stopped trying and grasped her hand instead, clearly disappointed he couldn't understand the meaning of the ring. "You can't leave, you know. You don't have to keep coming back. You could go have a life instead of seeing me every day."

"Oh, Ron! How could you think such a thing? I would never, ever even consider leaving you!" She could feel her own tears rising to the surface. "I never would. I said 'for better or for worse', Ron. I said it and I meant it."

He nodded, squeezed her hands and then glanced at the night stand where there a lay a large picture frame face down. "What's that?"

Hermione let go of one of his hands to set the picture up properly. "Us."

Inside the frame was a younger version of Ron, still sporting the famous flaming red Weasley hair, grinning from ear to ear and looking very handsome in a pressed black tuxedo. In his arms was a younger version of Hermione, her hair done up in a flowery up do, smiling as wide as her cheeks would allow. Her white dress was hanging over Ron's arms and still nearly touching the sandy ground. The ocean behind them moved slowly in and out as Ron twirled Hermione around, and she laughed animatedly, her veil swirling neatly behind her.

"Our wedding..." Ron breathed and memories and realizations seemed to suddenly bombard him. "The ring..." he said and looked at Hermione's hand, then back at the picture.

Hermione nodded and her tears finally spilled over. Ron brushed them away with his thumbs. "Don't leave me here. Don't go where I can't follow." Hermione choked.

"Oh, gosh, Hermione. I wish I wouldn't... I wouldn't if I could help it." he placed his hand on her cheek and she put her hand over his. "You know that."

"I know."

They kissed.

"I love you more than anything and know that I will always come back to you from time to time. I will come back as often as I can." he swallowed the emotion clogging his throat. "Know that you are the most beautiful woman in the world and I wouldn't trade our time together for all the Galleons in the world."

"Me neither!" Hermione interjected quickly, the tears rolling across her cheeks.

"Know that." he whispered, then softly began to sing. "Someday... when I'm awfully low... I will feel a glow... just thinking of... you. And the way you look... tonight..."

They just held each other for a second or two before Ron suddenly began to cough. "It's c-coming back..."

Hermione hiccoughed. "No, Ron... don't..."

"I love... you..." He slowly moved back away from her and his left hand fell to his lap. He coughed and blinked and his eyes moved in and out of focus. "Love..." He started clenching and unclenching his fists.

Hermione sat back towards her chair, but first put her hand on his chest. "I will always be here, Ron. I love you too. I'm never leaving."

He shut his eyes and his throat briefly constricted. He gri this teeth and then moved his head, low enough that his chin was resting against his chest. He began coughing violently and Hermione knew he was leaving for a very long time. She hurriedly sat back in her chair and wiped all the tears from her face. She took several steadying breaths, holding the memories of what had just happened vividly in her mind, alongside the knowledge that it was it over for the time being.

Ron opened his eyes and they were unusually wide. His whole body relaxed and the vague smile crawled back onto his face. The color that had been there before was suddenly non-existent. He returned to eating his Skittles as if nothing had happened, seeming not even to notice Hermione's presence. He munched on several Skittles contentedly before Hermione spoke.

She put the picture on the night stand face down and smiled as best as she could. "I that good, sweetie? Well, I'll be right back. Don't you go anywhere."

Ron seemed somewhat surprised to see Hermione and watched her back as she left the room before making a shrugging motion and returning to his Skittles package.

Hermione fairly dashed out of the room, almost bumping head on into Healer Preece, the afternoon healer. She mumbled a quick apology and sped walked quickly for the nearest women's washroom.

What she didn't see, hear or notice about the Healer she had just narrowly missed colliding with, was the small sympathetic smile and quiet comment. She was already too far down the hall.

"Well," Healer Preece smiled. "If there isn't hope after all."

Healer Preece told no one of the scene he heard seconds before Hermione came bursting from Ron's room. He had heard everything from Ron and Hermione's first real embrace all the way to Hermione's hasty exit, and he felt two things strongly. The first being that there was hope after all, and the second being, that there was no greater love that he knew of, then the one he had just witnessed.

He stared at his clipboard and the hand written text underneath the name, "Ronald Weasley" and the words "Condition: Insane". The text under these two things read, "Tortured to madness. No chance of medical recovery, nor recovery of memories, life, proper speech, etc."

"You alright?" June, the afternoon Saturday nurse asked as Healer Preece walked dreamily past.

"Oh sure." he smiled as tears glazed his eyes. "I just never thought I'd witness a miracle."

June glanced at the oddly behaving Healer, shook her head and returned to work.

In the women's bathroom, Hermione let herself cry quietly and the whole scene with Ron just moments ago seemed to echo in her mind. After her tears had stopped, she leaned against the side of the bathroom stall and somehow felt the need to whisper to the stalls as if her Ron was somehow listening.

"For better or for worse, Ronald Weasley. I said it and I meant. I will always be here, waiting for you to come back to me."

Some time later, she returned to Ron's room, her eyes no longer red and puffy from her crying. She would treasure the rare moments with her Ron that she was granted and use them to keep her going until he could come back again.

For better, or for worse...

THE END

A/n: Ok, so it kind of turned into a "The Notebook" rip-off. It just sorta happened that way. You know how it is. Anyways, hope everyone liked it. Leave me a review, tell me what you thought, and I don't even care if all you write is "good", "bad" or "meh". Its a review, I'll take it. Lol.

For my regulars: Hermione's Parallel Universe is being updated right next (as in five minutes if possible and if not then tomorrow morning for sure) and after that is If Diggory Hadn't Died, which is nearly its final chapters.