A/N: Okay, okay since the public demanded it lol, here is chapter 4 of Lonely! Some random lady on the train saw me writing chapter 5 of this in my notebook on the train and started asking me if I was writing a book and I really didn't know what to say because I was in the middle of a good writing part and I wouldn't really call it a book. Whatever, here's your chapter 4, finally finished. OMG I just dug up a mistake, or rather a major glitch in the fic. Don't worry, I hope it'll be fixed. Update: I forgot what the mistake was…damn…okay it's taking me forever to get around to this fic…

Chapter 4: Awakening

Beep…beep…beep…beep…

Ginny sat in the hospital room next to Ron's bed, listening to the heart monitor, dreading any change. She sighed then looked down at her belly. Pregnant, Jesus fucking Christ, sixteen years old and pregnant. And the father of the baby is dead. He had saved the entire world but died, leaving Ginny alone with a baby. She had hardly begun to show at all since she was only two months along but everyone, at least most of the people she cared about, knew about it. She had let her whole family, save for Ron and Harry, know and they had been shocked and joyful of the news despite her young age and the fact that she still had one year of school left. It was a relief to have any good news during the perils of war. Her mum had asked, "Who's the father?" and the room went silent

"Harry's the father, mum," Ginny had said.

Ginny had made everyone promise not to tell him anything because the world needed him to battle more than she did for comfort. Ginny sighed in sadness when she felt someone's hand touch hers. She looked up to see a very tired looking Ron Weasley peering up at her through his shaggy hair. Ginny gave him a small smile.

"Hey, you're awake," she said.

"Hmm," he replied groggily as he smirked. "I would have never guessed."

"How are you feeling?" Ginny asked.

"Well," he began. "I feel like total shit that I was such a prat and I have a splitting headache. But enough about me, I want to know how you're doing."

Ginny's smile faded as a vision of Harry flickered behind her eyes.

"I'm…okay…right now. I've hand some rough moments, especially with the baby and all."

Ron's eyes traveled down to Ginny's belly and began to open his mouth but Ginny cut him off.

"It's Harry's," she said.

"What!" Ron whispered loudly and Ginny nodded.

"Oh, Gin. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," Ginny said firmly. "I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Ron."

Ron didn't seem so convinced…Ginny knew damn well how to mask her emotions and make everything seem like it was all okay when it wasn't. Ron knew her way too long to be fooled by this. However, he let it go and leaned back onto his pillows.

"How long have you been…pregnant?" he asked.

"Two months—look, can we talk about something else?" Ginny suddenly changed pace.

Ron winced and muttered a soft apology. He dreaded an uncomfortable silence but fortunately Charlie chose that moment to walk in.

"Hey, Ron," he said. "I've got something to show you. By the way, Ginny, your Healer want s to see you."

Ginny sighed and Ron remained silent wondering what Charlie could possible have for him. Charlie gave them a weird look for a moment and motioned for Ron to follow him. Ron pushed himself out of bed, walked past Ginny, and followed Charlie out. He was led into a wind of the hospital he hadn't bothered wandering to. Ron spotted a sign that said Comatose Patients and sucked in a breath. They went into a dimly lit room and Ron spotted Hermione lying still in a bed, her eyes closed.

"She's getting better," Charlie said, startling Ron. He'd forgotten he was there. "Occasionally we get finger movements. Not much but that's a great improvement…but on some days she might not move a muscle."

Charlie stopped talking when he saw Ron staring intensely and sadly at Hermione's sleeping figure. Charlie cleared his throat.

"Do you need some time alone?" he said.

Ron looked up at him and nodded. Charlie quietly exited and shut the door. Ron sat on Hermione's bed and held her hand but she just slumbered on. He decided to talk to her. Maybe, just maybe, she could hear him and at least stir. He'd give anything to have that moment right now.

"Hermione," Ron said. "Maybe you can hear me, maybe you can't, but I really hope you can because I want to let you know that I'm such a coward for telling you this when you're in a coma. It would break my heart to see your reaction to what I am about to tell you. Out there, during the war, that Crutacius Curse you were hit with was from, —it was—I did it. I aimed it at Malfoy and he deflected it a—at you. Do you know how terrifying and horrible it was to hear you scream like that? That moment, I felt my life end. That moment I felt I was finished, done. You screaming in pain was too much to handle and the fact that it was my fault made it worse, so I panicked. I was shaking so much and I was just so fucked up that I couldn't even lift the curse. I tried to hold you but you were writhing and screaming so I Stupefied you, praying that you wouldn't be able to feel the pain through unconsciousness. The only other way I knew to stop the curse was to kill myself. And I would've done it, I was ready to die…for you. I had my wand pointed at my chest and was halfway through the Killing Curse when Harry spotted me and Disarmed me. He ran over to me and saw you. He asked me if you were alive and I said yes. He just said, 'Don't do it, she needs you,' and he tossed my wand to me and ran off.

"So this whole thing is my fault. My fault you're in here and my fault you're in a coma and that we're all frightened that you might not see daylight again."

Ron finally stopped and closed his eyes against his tears but could not prevent them from spilling out. He sat silently crying for a while when he thought he felt Hermione's hand tighten on his for a split second. Ron gasped then shook his head. It must have just been his imagination and wishful thinking. But then he saw her mouth twitch and heard a tiny moan, but a moan nonetheless, sound in her throat.

"Oh my God!" Ron croaked. "Hermione?"

There came the tiny moan again but this time her mouth opened slightly and it sounded more like, "Ron." Ron tried to get up and call for Charlie but discovered that Hermione was holding tight onto his hand.

"Charlie! Charlie, come quick!" Ron cried out.

The door burst open and Charlie appeared.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing's wrong! Hermione is waking up!"

Charlie's face lit up as he said a quick, "Wait here!" and ran out. Ron caressed Hermione's face as she began to move her fingers. Ron's heart soared.

"My Hermione, my sweet Hermione. I almost lost you but now you're coming back," Ron whispered to her.

Hermione's hand tugged at his and her eyes suddenly fluttered open. Her brown eyes bore into Ron's blue ones and filled with tears as she launched herself at Ron, wrapping her arms around him.

"Hermione!" Ron gasped.

"Ron!" cried Hermione tearfully. "What's going on? Is it over?"

"Yes it's over, Hermione. Everything is safe now."

"Is Harry alright?"

Ron averted his eyes and didn't answer fast enough. Hermione had never taken Ron's silence as a proper answer.

"Ron," Hermione pressed suspicious of Ron's behavior. "Is Harry alright?"

"Harry's dead," Ron finally whispered.

Hermione went rigid and began sobbing. Ron clung on to her as she cried. Once again he was filled with the sadness of losing his best friend.

"How? Harry defeated Voldemort! You said so! The prophecy said—"

"The prophecy had empty spaces," Ron cut in. "Harry defeated Voldemort and was the last one standing. However…the blast of both attacks left him living for only about two more minutes."

"Ginny! What about Ginny? Is she okay?"

"She's taking it really hard. She's pregnant and really screwed up right now. Her emotional state is taking a nosedive."

"Oh, dear," Hermione said sadly.

Just then the door opened and Hermione's parents, the Weasleys, and a Healer burst through. Ron let go of Hermione so her parents could get to her. He went to sit with Ginny who was staring blankly at a wall. She looked so young and fragile, yet so aged at the same time. Ron wished he could just snap his fingers and bring Harry back for her, if not for the rest of them. When Ron sat down, Ginny looked at him and for a moment Ron saw her. For the first time is so long he saw who she was but then the empty shell shut over her again and she turned away and slouched in her seat, cradling her belly. Ron frowned and watched as the Healer bustled around Hermione.

"Ginny—" he began.

"Ron, don't" she interfered.

"Don't what?" Ron almost snarled. "Don't tell you to wake up and see that your life is going to be okay?"

"My life is absolutely not going to be okay," Ginny snarled right back. Half of my life is gone because he's dead! I don't want to go through this unless he's back here with me!"

"You are going to have his child! That is the best you can do because you cannot bring him back!"

Ginny turned her head so Ron wouldn't be able to see her tears. He immediately felt extremely guilty. He hadn't meant to make her cry, only for her to see that she needed to start moving forward before grief consumed her entire being.

"Ginny," Ron started again in a softer voice. "I'm sorry that Harry is gone, you know that. But it couldn't be helped, it had to happen."

"It didn't have to happen, he didn't have to die."

Ron wrapped his arms around Ginny. "We couldn't have prevented it."

'Maybe not,' Ginny thought, 'But I think I know how to put everything back to normal.'

A/N: OMG! I'm back! I did it! Bad news though. I somehow lost the book I was writing this fic in so it's most likely going to take a path that I hadn't originally planned. OH WELL! This is how it's going to be. Too bad this is a cliffhanger mwahaha!

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