Chapter 15

Hermione's POV

"Hermione! Hermione, wake up hun! Open your eyes!" I heard someone whisper. I opened my eyes slightly.

"Katie, it's still dark!" I mumbled.

"It's Ron! Ron was in an accident! A few hours ago!" I sat bolt upright at that. The photo album fell off of my blankets and onto the floor. I picked it up, and held it tight to my chest.

"What? What happened?" I asked, truly freaked out. I rubbed my eyes and got out of bed. I grabbed a pair of jeans a green long sleeved shirt, and a white v-necked zip-up jacket. I threw them on, having trouble because of how upset I was. Finally, when I got my socks on my feet instead of my head, I ran to the car with Cassidy, Lindsay, Katie, and Harry behind me.

Cassidy's POV

My head was spinning almost as fast as the tears were falling down my face. I kept wiping absent-mindedly at them, but I could care less whether or not anyone was watching me or thought I was a baby.

"Hun, are you okay?" Lindsay asked, leaning toward me in her seat.

"No. I barely just met him! What if he dies? What then?" I shrieked.

"Calm down! What happened to him anyway, I bet it's not horrible, right?" Linds asked.

Umm…well, he was a-attacked. By a-a death eater." Katie said, turning onto the street where St. Mungo's Hospital.

We got inside, and walked up to the desk.

"Excuse me, could you tell me what room Ronald Weasley is in?" Mum asked, running her fingers through her hazardous looking hair.

"Yessss ma'am. He'ssss in room ssssix sssseventy sssix." Said the witch behind the counter in a nasally voice. It seemed like it took her a century to say it.

"Thank you!" Harry yelled as we ran to the elevator and rode up to Dad's room.

Lindsay's POV

We ran up to Ron's room and knocked on the door. Suddenly, I felt someone knock into me and I fell backwards.

"Ronny! Honey! Baby! Are you okay?" A woman who looked about Hermione's age ran into the room.

"Parvati!" Hermione exclaimed. Then I understood. That was Parvati Patil, Ron's girlfriend. Cassidy pulled me up, glaring hard at Parvati.

"Sweetheart, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave if you gonna keep bein' loud like that. The patient needs his sleep." Said a kind looking witch; a healer. She was crouching over a bed in the corner, tucking someone in. As she moved away, more people dashed inside. Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Fred, George, Percy, Bill, and Mrs. Weasley.

"Ronald, darling, is he all right?" Mrs. Weasley croaked.

"Now, really, I'm gonna have to send all you away if you don't shut your mouths! The patients need quiet!" The healer exclaimed. Mrs. Weasley turned, looking around blankly. She looked very lost.

Cassidy's POV

"Grandma?" I asked, quickly wiping the tears away from my face, trying to look un-worried.

"Cassidy, darling, hello, Hermione. Lindsay. Harry, Katie." She pulled us all into hugs. Everyone else made their way over and we exchanged hugs, with Parvati hovering in the background awkwardly.

On any other circumstances, this would have been wonderful. I looked up at Aunt Ginny, and she stroked my cheek and hugged me again.

"Are you all right? He'll be okay. It's okay." She said, looking lost.

"Charlie is coming now…" Mr. Weasley trailed off, and at that moment, Uncle Charlie came hurrying into the room.

"Am I too late? Where is he?" He said, his eyes flashing.

"That's it, all you got to get out!" The witch hissed. She pushed us outside, and said we could come in four at a time. The first were Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie.

Parvati just sort of leaned against the wall, and then jerked away from it.

"Hermione, you tell Ron I went home to get some sleep. I'll call you in a little bit to talk to him. I can't handle this." She patted Hermione's hand and hurried away. At the same time, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George snorted.

"She doesn't deserve him. She's just started out as a girl he had to guard, but then they got to know each other. Of course, she's just wonderful around him. He won't believe any of us. He'd believe you, Hermione." Said Fred, turning toward her.

I turned toward mum, who was looking at a photo album in her arms. It was red, with a picture of Harry, Dad and Mum in the middle of the cover. Below, in purple letters it said:

Best Friends For Life!

Harry's face broke into a smile for just less than a few seconds. He leaned over, and looked at the picture Mum was studying.

"Next four!" The witch yelled. Percy, Fred, George and Ginny walked forward. Harry and Mum looked through the book while Linds and talked nervously.

"You five the only ones left? All right, come on in." The nurse said, and as we passed Aunt Ginny, she squeezed Mum's hand and said:

"They expect him to be out for a few weeks." I gulped, and followed Mum, Harry, Katie, and Lindsay into the hospital room.

Harry's POV

My heart stopped as I looked down at my best friend in the hospital bed. I heard Cassidy take a sharp intake of breath as she approached the bed. Ron was out cold, with his eyes half closed and blood trickling uncontrollably from the corner of his mouth. His arm was bandaged, and he had a large bruise in the middle of his forehead.

"Ron." Hermione breathed, taking his hand and sitting on the chair beside his bed. I turned to Katie, who had her hand over her mouth. Lindsay had her arms wrapped around Cassidy, and was whispering: "It's okay, Cassi, calm down, he'll be all right."

After 20 minutes, the nurse came back in.

"A few of you can stay." She said, bustling around.

"Harry, Lindsay." Katie said, nodding toward the door.

I nodded, and we went to the car.

Hermione's POV

Harry, Lindsay, Bill, Percy, Fred, George, and Ginny left, so Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Cassidy and I could stay. It was 11:30pm before Cassidy finally dozed off and Fred and George came to pick her up so Ginny took her place.

"Is he improving?" Ginny asked me as she came to sit down. Mr. Weasley put an arm around her looking ashen faced.

"He's a bit better. The bleeding stopped." I replied.

"Good." Ginny said, stroking his hand.

"Hang in there, Ron." She added.

Ron's POV (December 24)

I opened my eyes slowly. It was dark, so I guessed it was at least midnight. I tried to sit up, but something else caught my eye. It was Hermione. She was holding my hand tightly, and was fast asleep, slouching over the chair next to my bed with her head on my chest.

"Hermione? Mione. Wake up." I whispered, shaking Hermione slightly. She moved her head a fraction of an inch, and opened her eyes.

"Ron? Oh my God, you're awake! I have to get your parents, and Ginny, their worried sick! We've been taking turns by your bed. I'll be right back." Hermione said, letting go of my hand and standing up. I grabbed her hand again, looking up at her.

"Wh-where's Parvati?" I asked.

Hermione's POV

"Erm…she…she left. 2 days ago." I said, wringing my hands nervously.

"Why?"

"She said she couldn't handle being here. She told me to call her when you woke up so she could talk to you over the phone." I whispered.

"She didn't care that I was half dead? Where's Harry?"

"He wanted to stay, Ron. But he had to take care of Katie and Lindsay."

"But you stayed. Cassidy?" Ron asked; I sat back down.

"Yes, I stayed. Cassidy wanted to, but I had Fred and George take her to their house. She was too tired. Fell asleep and I didn't want her to have to lie on one of those cold benches." I replied.

"Oh."

"I'll go get your mum now. She'll want to see you." Hermione said, heading for the door.

"Hermione?" Ron asked. I turned.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for staying with me. It means a lot." Said Ron, grinning.

At that, I smiled my first real smile in two days.

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