Being Watched While Being Ill

Summary: You'll never know that your best friend loves you back, until he's making you soup and holding your hair back as you throw up. A Ron and Hermione Story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I don't own Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup either.

Chapter Three: The Porcelain King

Hermione woke up, sneezing. The ibuprofen had kicked in, but her head was still pounding. She pressed the palms of her hands on her eyes, trying to make the headache go away. When that didn't work, she removed her hands from her eyes, and laid still. She began listening to the soft snores coming from her midsection. That's when she realized that Ron was asleep, his head resting on her stomach.

Smiling softly to herself, she tried sitting up slowly. She gasped in pain, as her head felt like it had exploded.

Ron woke with a start, the gasp being the loudest thing he heard since he dropped the pans in the kitchen. He quickly looked up at Hermione, staring at her. "Are you okay?" He began getting up, and paused on his knees. "Do you need anything?"

Hermione was about to shake her head, when she thought better of it. "I don't feel good." She said, summing up her aches and pains in four words.

"I know that." Ron said. He got up the rest of the way. "Lay back down. You've only been asleep for," He glanced at the clock on the wall. "two and a half hours." He said.

"I'm not tired anymore." Hermione said, sniffling.

Ron put the back of his hand on her forehead. "You're still running a fever." He said. He began walking to the kitchen. "You need a cup of orange juice, and we have to try and break this fever."

"I'm not thirsty." Hermione said. She attempted to run a hand through her hair, but her hair was basically one big not. She, instead, bit her bottom lip.

Ron came back into the living room, holding a huge cup of orange juice. He handed it to her, and watched as she held her cup in her hands. "Hermione," He began. "You need to drink this."

"I'm not thirsty." Hermione said. "Leave me alone."

"Hermione-"

"You're the one in my house, you have to listen to me." Hermione snapped. She was getting frustrated now. "If I don't want something, then I don't want it. If you can't handle that, then leave." Hermione was near shouting now. She wasn't feeling good, and she was trying to get this through to Ron.

"Fine." Ron said. "I'll leave." He was getting frustrated, and he couldn't stand the fact that Hermione wasn't listening to him! If she didn't want any help, then she could fend for herself, and he'll go back to work.

Ron reached for his cloak, which was lying on an empty chair. His wand was in his cloak, and he pulled it out. He was about to apparate away when-

"Wait!" Hermione said, realizing that he was about to leave. "I'll drink it." And she lifted the cup to her lips, and began taking baby sips. She didn't really want Ron to leave. She just didn't want to listen to him. She hated being babied, especially when she thought she was capable of doing things on her own.

Sadly, she hadn't realized that she wasn't.

Ron watched as Hermione drank her orange juice. He couldn't help the smile that was tugging at his lips. Unconsciously, she had determined that she needed him there!

Ron took his cloak off, and set his wand on the small end table. Then he sat on the arm of the couch and looked at the back of Hermione's head.

"Why are you so stubborn?" He asked. "You know you need my help—"

"I do not need your help." Hermione said, turning slowly to look at him.

"Don't lie. It makes you look bad. You know you need my help," Hermione made a noise in protest. "why can't you just accept me and my help?"

"I do accept you." Hermione said. She took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. She wasn't going to admit it out loud that she needed help. Maybe just internally…

"You would have suffered alone and hungry if I hadn't of gone to the store for you." Ron said.

"Shut up." Hermione said in return. She leaned her head back on the couch. She closed her eyes tightly. "Why isn't this headache going away?" She asked.

"I don't know." Ron said. He slowly slid off the arm of the couch, and sat down next to her. "Maybe it's part of the fever or something."

Hermione slowly turned her head towards Ron, but she didn't open her eyes. After a moment, she opened them, but she was squinting. Ron looked at her in return. "Are you awake?" Ron asked, thinking she had fallen asleep.

Hermione shook her, and then she said something underneath her breath. Ron could have swore, that Hermione had just sworn under her breath.

Before Ron could confront Hermione about her alleged crime of swearing, she had shifted and leaned her head against his chest. Totally taking him by surprise, Ron could have sworn he stopped breathing.

"I think I should tell you something really important." Hermione said, into his chest.

"And what's that?" Ron asked.

"I lo-" Hermione began, but she quickly changed her wording and said, "I have to throw up." She quickly removed her head from Ron's chest, and before she had realized what he was doing, Ron had picked her up, and was running towards the bathroom.

He set her down by the toilet, and lifted the seat. Hermione leaned her head over it, and Ron grabbed her hair and held it back.

Ron began rubbing Hermione's back, as she was emptying the contents of her stomach.

When Hermione was finished, she flushed the toilet. Ron again, reached over and got the glass of water. He handed it to Hermione, after filling it up again, and she swigged her mouth and spit it out.

Hermione turned towards Ron, and he let go of her hair. He noticed that she was crying, and suddenly, her arms were around him, and her head was buried in his chest.

"Why does it feel like I'm dying?" She asked.

"You'll get better Hermione." Ron said. "I promise. I'll stay here until I don't have to hold your hair back, and you can walk around the flat on your own."

"I don't feel good." Hermione sobbed. She hugged him tighter, and finally, Ron wrapped his arms around her. He knew Hermione was having this breakdown because she was ill.

After a few minutes, Hermione stopped, and she slowly removed her head from his chest.

Ron couldn't help notice the way her face turned pale, and was blotchy red after she cried. Her nose was shiny too.

"Are you better?" Ron asked.

"I don't feel better." Hermione said. She sniffed, and tried to get out of Ron's lap, but his arms were still around her.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that." Ron said, quickly letting Hermione go. She smiled at him, and the redness on Ron's ears seemed to increase.

Ron stood up abruptly. He reached down, and grabbed Hermione's hand, and helped her onto her feet.

Hermione felt an extreme rush, and as she stood up, she wobbled on her feet. Ron held her steady, and then the two of them walked back into the living room. Hermione got back onto the couch, and squirted some more hand sanitizer on her hands. Ron covered her with the blanket, and then went into the kitchen, bustling around to reheat Hermione's bowl of soup.

After two minutes and forty-five seconds, Hermione's soup was done, and Ron brought it back out to her.

Hermione gladly took the bowl, and hate a little more than she had the last time. Ron made sure that she ate at least seven spoonfuls, before taking her bowl, and cup back out to the kitchen.

Hermione sniffed, and afterwards, she sneezed. She tried reaching for her Kleenex, but she couldn't reach it. Ron came into the room, and watched in an amused manner, before getting her the box, and giving her the tissue. Hermione smiled at him gratefully, before blowing her nose.

Hermione closed her eyes, and sniffed.

"Hermione, you need to rest." Ron said. "If you get some rest, this cold thing will go away."

"It would go away if I had the proper medication." Hermione said. She sighed and patted the spot next to her. "Come sit." She said.

Ron sat down next to her. "You know, I'm going to get this, and I'm going to get it worse than you."

"If that's possible." Hermione stated. She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder.

It was quiet for a few minutes, and Ron had thought Hermione had fallen asleep. He stared at her for a moment, and then her eyes opened. "I never finished my sentence from before." She stated quietly.

Ron looked at Hermione. "I know." He said, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"Do you want to know what I was going to say?" She asked.

"I guess."

Hermione took a deep breath. "I love you." Hermione said quietly.

Ron was quiet a moment, staring at Hermione. At first, when he heard her say this, his eyes opened real wide. He couldn't believe that she said this out loud.

"I think it's the fever that's talking." Ron said quietly. "You need more sleep."

"It's not the fever talking!" Hermione said angrily. It had taken her a long time to say this, and she happened to be sick when she said it, and now he thought it was the fever talking.

"Okay." Ron said simply, believing her, because she was getting mad that he wasn't believing her.

"Okay?" Hermione said, slowly lifting her head off his shoulder. Her head was now pounding from her nearly yelling at him. "Is that all you're going to say is 'okay'?" She asked, a bit calmer, but her skull still feeling like it was going to explode.

"I was going to kiss you, but seeing how you're sick, I'd rather not."

"Oh." Hermione said, putting her head back on his shoulder. She felt like someone had just dumped a bucket of ice water on her head. She was scared that Ron didn't like her.

"Aren't you going to ask me if I love you?" Ron asked. He looked at her closely.

"Do you love me?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Of course I do." Ron said simply. He kissed Hermione on the forehead and said, "Now sleep. You need your rest."

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BB/N: Should there be another chapter? Or is this finished? Hmm…

Demi: I really enjoyed reading your review. Hopefully you're feeling better, and yes, I know the feeling of boredom. It's almost as bad as writers block. I'm glad that I'm your second favorite author, and that I'm not your first! It's too much pressure! LoL. Throwing up is the worst. On Monday I went to the doctors, and they told me I have a sinus infection and a pinched nerve in my back…so yeah.

Hopefully, everyone is having a Nice Day or Evening!

And Amanda Skeen, how dare you go and get suspended? Now you have a record.

Yes Chrys, my internet is finally on!

And for everyone who ever gets sick: Ibuprofen is the cure for every cold or flu in the world. :)

Forever More,

Bob Bennit