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Chapter 32

"You know…you should probably shut your mouth before you say something that you're going to regret."

Ron looked down at Hermione. She looked like she might start crying. But as he stood their thinking back on the hour he had spent watching Hermione being groped by Edgar Whitman, all he could do was say, "You're probably right." He then looked off down the hall and crossed his arms firmly over his chest.

Although he wasn't looking at her, he knew that she was gaping at him. Suddenly, Hermione turned sharply before stalking off down the hallway. As Ron turned to watch her, he thought he saw her wipe at her eyes, but he wasn't sure. His insides were screaming. Part of him wanted to run after her and say, 'I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I'll forget about Whitman!' But then there was a very large part of him that knew he could not easily forget Whitman's actions toward Hermione.

Was he just completely overreacting? Ron hated second-guessing himself, but Hermione's exasperation at the mere notion of the guy flirting with her made Ron doubt his assessment of Whitman. But…referring to someone with pet names, winking at them, placing your hands on them…weren't these all forms of flirtation?

Harry suddenly emerged from the classroom, and Ron attempted to look casual and unbothered. He really didn't want to discuss any of his worries with Harry.

"Hey!" Harry said cheerfully. Ron attempted a smile, but it apparently wasn't good enough, "What's wrong with…wait…where's Hermione?" Harry asked worriedly.

"She…uh…wanted to go on ahead. Something about studying." Ron replied lamely. Harry really didn't look convinced so Ron turned from him and began the walk down the hall.

"Oh…um…" Harry began, following Ron's lead, "I really like this Edgar fellow." He stated casually. Ron knew that Harry was trying to quickly change the subject from Hermione. Man, had he taken the wrong direction in cheering him up…

"Why's that?" Ron asked blandly.

"Well, for starters he seems to know his stuff." Harry began. His words created a shiver down Ron's spine, "And, he's not making me the guinea pig of the class, you know? Sometimes I just get sick of being singled out…that's actually what he wanted to talk to me about."

Ron cast Harry a curious look as a signal for him to continue. Maybe Ron couldn't stand Whitman, but he was still interested in knowing what he'd said to his best mate.

"He told me that Dumbledore had informed him of the additional training I received last term to kind of forewarn him, I guess. Just so he would know why I might appear to already know some of the things he teaches us." Harry said, talking rather quickly. He stopped to take a quick breath before continuing, "Anyway, Edgar wanted to tell me that he noticed how many bull's-eyes I got on my target, but that if he didn't praise me any more than anyone else, it was because he knew what it was like to be singled out in a class."

As Harry paused again, Ron tried to remember how many times Whitman had complimented his work. Ron grudgingly admitted to himself that it had been quite frequently. If he didn't presently hate the bloke, Ron would've probably enjoyed the confidence boosting he provided.

Harry took another breath, "He said that he was always the top student in his Defense classes, and the teachers would always get him to demonstrate and whatnot. He said he knows the kind of ridicule you can get from special treatment like that. I told him I appreciated it."

Ron nodded and tried to look pleased, but he really didn't know what to say. He couldn't respond with, 'Well, I'm glad Whitman knows how to treat you…even though he doesn't know how to treat Hermione.' …or… 'He seems like a great guy. Too bad I hate him.' And the thing was, Whitman really did seem like an overall great guy. There was just the one exception of him not respecting Hermione's boundaries. Or rather, Ron's boundaries…

Fortunately Ron didn't have to do more than nod and smile at Harry because they were now approaching the doors to the Great Hall. Would Hermione be here for lunch? Ron highly doubted it. Whenever she got upset, she usually went up to her dormitory. It had always been thus, why would she change now? To Ron's displeasure, there was no bushy-haired brunette sitting in her usual spot at their house table.

Harry and Ron sat across from each other and began filling their plates with steak and kidney pie. "So…Hermione went to study, huh?" Harry asked suddenly.

"What? Oh…yeah." Ron said quietly. Harry rolled his eyes at him and nodded down the table, to his right. Glancing in that direction, Ron saw Hermione sitting with Ginny and her friends. She was sitting on her bench so that her back was to him, but she had her hair pulled up in a high ponytail, which revealed the sides of her splotchy cheeks. Tear-stained cheeks…Ron thought with a stomach pang.

"You two had a row while I was meeting with Whitman. I can tell." Harry said.

"Yeah, well…I don't want to talk about it, alright?" Ron said shortly, "We've got that Charms homework and that Potions essay…not to mention Snape's detention."

Harry looked a bit uncomfortable, but he said, "Fine."

Ron wondered if Harry were slightly bothered by his and Hermione's first true lover's quarrel. These quarrels were, in fact, different than those they had before their courtship. Their old rows were usually settled by Harry separating them and trying to keep the peace until they could each overcome their seething. However, lover's spats were much more intense and personal. Harry couldn't help them mend these rifts; it was up to them.

"May I sit here?"

Ron turned around to see Ginny standing behind him. She had a frown lining her face, but her gaze was on Harry. Ron's stomach began squirming. He didn't know if he could handle any 'advice' from Ginny at the moment, which was undoubtedly why she had just appeared above him like a vulture. Glancing down the table, Ron saw that Hermione must have left for the Tower.

"Of course you can." Harry said a little impatiently. Ginny sat down hard beside Ron on the bench.

"Don't give me that, Harry." She spat, "I have to ask your permission, don't I?"

Before Harry could answer, Ginny turned to Ron. He closed his eyes as she began, "Ron, what have you done?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her with exasperation, "What have I done? Why is it always me? Do you think that, possibly, Hermione could have done something to me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Ronnie," Ginny said in a sarcastic comforting tone, "What did big, bad Hermione do?"

Ron gritted his teeth and looked down at his plate, "She…she didn't actually do anything."

Ginny made some sort of a high-pitched, "Hmm," sound that clearly said, 'I knew it.' It sent shivers down Ron's spine. "I wasn't finished, Ginny." Ron said sternly, "Neither one of us actually did anything. We just disagreed on something."

"Well why don't you go agree with her then?" Ginny asked smartly.

Ron gaped at his sister. "So you're telling me that if you and Harry had a disagreement, you would want him to just agree with you even if he didn't mean it?" Ron said too low for the prospect of eavesdroppers.

"No." Ginny said and Harry actually chuckled a bit, which he tried to cover up with a cough. She turned to Harry then with a tiny smile, "Oh, shut-up Harry." Harry looked up at her and smiled, which Ron was thankful for because it seemed to soften her a bit.

"Listen, Ron," Ginny began quietly, "Hermione wouldn't tell me what you two rowed over, but she doesn't really seem all that angry. She just seems upset. I think you should just-…"

"Excuse me."

Ron and Ginny turned to see Luna standing behind them. Her protuberant grey eyes were locked on Ron. She was wearing large, carroty earrings in the shape of orange slices.

"Um…yes, Luna?" Ron inquired. Luna immediately took a seat to Ron's side, where she turned to stare at him again.

"Might I take a look at your hand?" She asked softly. Ron furrowed his brow in confusion and glanced at Harry, who was frowning at her.

His hand? Did she want to read his palm? "Um…" Ron began uncertainly, "Why?"

"I wanted to see if it were injured." She replied calmly. Ron was just staring at her in confusion, but Ginny grabbed his hand and held it up to her own face. Luna's eyes got a bit wider as she looked at Ginny, but she then grabbed Ron's other hand and held it up to her face. Ron looked across the table at Harry, who was now wearing a confused smirk.

After Ginny released his hand and shrugged, Luna placed his other hand down gently on the table and replied wistfully, "Hmm. They look all right, don't they? Maybe you should just be careful with them…" Luna then quickly stood up from the table and turned to leave.

Ron turned to Harry and raised his eyebrows. But then he heard, "Oh, and Harry, you should be careful with yours, too." Luna called before traipsing off to the doors of the Great Hall.

"Well, that wasn't at all peculiar." Ron said sarcastically. Ginny simply shrugged as she stood from the table.

His sister sighed and looked to Harry, "I think I'm going to go work on some Herbology homework." She said suddenly, unnecessarily stressing the last two words. Harry looked up at her rather quickly and gave her a small smile before looking back down at his plate.

"See ya." Ron said, surprised, yet glad, that Ginny wasn't going to finish reprimanding him. With one last smile at Harry, she walked off toward the exit.

Once she had disappeared beyond the doors of the Great Hall, Harry stood from his bench. "Sorry, mate." Harry said, "But I've got to run."

Ron squinted his eyes, and asked suspiciously, "Herbology homework, is it?"

With a sheepish grin Harry leaned over the table toward Ron and muttered; "Herbology homework is code for, 'meet me in your room.' She'll be going to fetch the cloak right about now. Don't let her smile fool you, though. I'm going to get what for over these new eating arrangements."

Ron nodded in comprehension. "I thought you'd already received the 'what for."

"Well, Ginny can be very…" Harry twisted his mouth in thought.

"Stubborn?" Ron offered, Harry didn't seem to want to respond, but Ron knew he agreed, "Determined? Strong-willed? Hardheaded?"

Harry chuckled faintly before clearing his throat, "Just wish me luck, alright?"

"Good luck." Ron said with a wave of his hand.

Harry nodded and then added with a slight frown, "You too." He then walked off, leaving Ron alone with his remaining sprouts and kidney pie. Ron no longer had an appetite. Where had Hermione gone? Most likely the dormitory… Was she truly not angry with him, as Ginny had said? Was she merely upset at Ron's severity outside the door of Whitman's classroom? Was she crying?

Ron rose to make his way to the dormitory. This was Ron and Hermione's third day as an actual couple…And they were already in the midst of an intense disagreement. Maybe he really wasn't ready for this type of relationship with Hermione… Maybe he would only make them both miserable…

The famous hag, Malodora Grymm, used a Beatification Potion to conceal her true form, married a king, and then created an enchanted, talking mirror to reinforce her self-image. She became jealous of the most beautiful girl of the land and fed her a poisoned apple to get rid of her.

Ridiculous… Hermione thought as she dipped her quill into her inkbottle to put the finishing touches on her Potions' essay. She moved her head from one side to the other, as her neck was quite sore from peering over the library table at her paper all evening. What kind of a person would become so jealous that they would result to murder? Oh yes, she thought as she wrote out a conclusion, Ronald Weasley…

"Oh bother!" Hermione whispered as she poked a hole through her parchment with the point of her quill. With a sigh, she took out her wand and uttered a Paper Mending Charm.

Hermione knew that Ron would never actually result to murder over his jealous tendencies, but he might come close. She definitely wouldn't put it past him to give someone a good slug in the face. But she better not catch him trying to slip a silent hex on Edgar Whitman, because the man honestly hadn't done a thing! …Had he…? Stop second-guessing yourself! Her insides screamed. Ron had shaken her thoughts and emotions until she was unable to think straight. In fact, she was thinking in circles.

Glancing at the time, she saw that it was nearly ten o'clock! She had hidden away in her dormitory until it was time for Ron and Harry's detention. Only then had she come to the library to work on her assignments. She just did not want to see him at the moment. Yet, there was a part of her that wondered whether or not he was still in detention, and if he weren't, why hadn't he come looking for her? Well, no matter if he were back in the dormitory or not, Hermione was going to turn in for the night.

She rose slowly from the table and began loading her school bag with all of her strewn belongings. Then, with a sigh, she heaved the satchel over her shoulder and picked up the copy of Beautification: An Art to return it to its shelf. This report had given her more insight to the extreme vanity of some people.

Using magic to enhance one's appearance. Preposterous! Lavender or Parvati might use one in an attempt to woo Edgar, Hermione thought. Even though neither of them needed to be more beautiful. They were the type of girls that boys turned to look at in the hallways. Hermione had never been one of those girls, and she didn't want to be one, either. Which was one of the reasons Hermione found it hard to believe that a young man like Edgar Whitman would 'fancy her,' as Ron had said. Surely he would be more attracted to Lavender or Parvati.

Let's see, Hermione thought, tilting her head slightly to read the spine as she realized that she had been standing in the middle of the library, staring off into space. Authored by Sacharissa Tugwood. Hermione quickly made her way to the shelving for T's. Q…R…S…

"Oh!" Hermione said in slight alarm as she turned down the proper aisle. There was someone standing on their tiptoes, tracing their finger along the spine.

"Oh, hello Hermione!" Neville whispered brightly. He glanced down at her book. "I see you're getting a head start on Snape's essay on Appearance Altering Potions."

Hermione nodded with a small smile, "Yes. I've actually just finished…what are you doing in here this late? The same?" She asked curiously.

Neville's face blushed slightly and he began twiddling with some of the buttons on his robes, "Well, actually…I've been researching Potions' ingredients."

"For the essay?" Hermione asked, not quite sure why this would make Neville blush.

"Not exactly." Neville twisted his mouth slightly before saying almost too quiet for Hermione to hear, "I haven't told many people, but…well…I've been working on creating my own potion."

"Your own potion?" Hermione asked slowly, taken by surprise, "Neville…is that legal?" Where's Ron when you need him, Hermione thought… He would probably be able to state the exact Article and whatnot.

"Well, not unless you have a permit, which I've gotten from Professor Sprout." He said happily, "Apparently she has a relative on the Ministry's Committee for Experimental Potions."

"That's great, Neville!" Hermione replied, trying her best to sound excited rather than skeptical. She couldn't help wonder if Neville would actually be able to create a potion. "What type of potion?" She added inquisitively.

Again, Neville blushed, "Actually, I'd like to create a Memory Potion. It's taken me a while, but my samples actually work quite well. There's only one thing that I can't seem to-…" His eyes suddenly went wide. "Hermione! You're just the person I need!"

"Me?" Hermione asked apprehensively. Did he need someone to experiment on?

"Yes! You're the brightest witch at Hogwarts! You might be able to help me find the missing ingredient!" He stated eagerly. His eyes looked a bit wild. "I'm using the stinksap from my Mimbulus mimbletonia, leaves of Ginkgo biloba, root of Angelica, and a few other things… The only problem is…well…the stinksap just frankly…stinks. I've tried everything I can think of, but nothing takes away the smell. Makes it a bit hard to swallow, you know?"

"Oh! Well there's a simple solution to that." Hermione said brightly. Neville's eyes were shining with excitement. "You simply need to add a bit of Bundimun Fungus secretion. I'm almost positive that will eradicate the odor!"

"Bundimun Fungus…" Neville repeated with a faraway look in his eyes.

"Um…yes." Hermione added slowly. She'd never seen Neville like this before. "Their powerful secretions can actually rot away thick woods and metals, but once diluted, they are commonly used in cleaning solutions to scourge the-…"

"That's it!" Neville breathed suddenly. "We studied those in our Greenhouse Three, didn't we? Oh why hadn't I thought of it? Hermione, you're the greatest!"

Neville suddenly flung his arms around Hermione and hugged her. She froze in slight shock. Beautification: An Art was smashed in between them, but Neville didn't seem to notice. He finally pulled away from her, smiling broadly when his expression suddenly fell and the color in his round face left him.

"Neville?" Hermione asked worriedly. He was looking over her shoulder. Hermione's heart began to beat madly. Oh no…she thought…please don't be Ron…please don't be Ron. Hermione spun around.

"Ron…" She whispered. He was standing at the end of the aisle; frozen in mid-stride, staring at her and Neville with his mouth partway open. She approached him and reached her hand in his direction, but he took a step back.

"Ron, please don't fly off the handle." Hermione began rapidly, "Please just let me explain. You don't understand what-…"

"Neville…" Ron said low in his throat cutting her off. Hermione turned to see that Neville's eyes were wide with fear, "Could you walk with Hermione back to the common room? She really shouldn't be out this late alone…" He then turned to look at Hermione with an intensely pained look.

"I…uh…" Neville began in a strangled voice.

"Thanks." Ron said quietly, his gaze moving back to Neville. Hermione opened her mouth to, once again, make an attempt at an explanation, but Ron turned quickly and left the library with his long strides.

Hermione just stared after him. She noticed as she watched him leave that his right hand was bandaged with thick, white gauze. What in the world had Snape made them do, anyway? She felt a small twinge of anger at her Potions Master.

Oh who cares right now? Hermione thought desperately. Why was this happening to her? Now Ron thought she had been snuggling with Neville Longbottom in the middle of the library! Tears immediately sprang into her eyes, and she covered her face in her hands.

"Hermione, I am so sorry." Neville whispered from behind her. "I'll talk with Ron, alright? We can leave right now, and I'll try to put it right."

Hermione lifted her face from her hands and wiped at her eyes. "No…no…don't bother. It's not your fault. I just…want to go to the Tower. You don't have to walk me, I'll be fine."

Hermione shoved Tugwood's book onto a random empty spot on the shelf, which said, 'Don't put that here! She's one row up!' Hermione ignored this comment and gripping tightly to her satchel made her way out of the library. Although she'd told him not to bother with escorting her, Neville was right behind her. They made the trek to the Tower in near silence. The clicking of their heels and Hermione's sniffs were the only sounds in the corridors.

Ron made sure that he was already in bed with his curtains closed by the time Neville returned from the library. What was happening? It was as if he had been hit with a 'Nothing-is-going-to-go-right-for-you-today-so-just-give-up' Hex!

First, Hermione wouldn't even consider the fact that Whitman might be flirting with her, and now! Now he had just stumbled upon her and Neville in some sort of embrace! Ron was beyond confused. Neville had always been considerate and shy. Did Hermione think him a fool? How could he believe that Neville Longbottom would be hugging her tightly and grinning ear to ear without that meaning something? Plus, Neville never hung out in the library, especially this late at night when he was normally in bed.

But what was confusing Ron more than Neville's behavior was Hermione's. Ron knew that she would never two-time him. So what was going on? Had he driven her away with his jealousy of Whitman? Had he driven his girlfriend into the arms of another man…Neville Longbottom? It was almost laughable! In a morbid, not-at-all-funny kind of way.

"Goodnight, Harry." Came a rather tired and despondent voice. It was Neville, and apparently he and Harry had just entered the dormitory.

As soon as Snape released Ron and Harry from detention, they had made a trip to the hospital wing for treatment to their wounds from their rather tedious punishment. Harry had then come straight to the common room to finish a History of the Dark Arts essay due for tomorrow's class. Ron, on the other hand, had gone straight to the library after Ginny informed him of Hermione's whereabouts. He had planned to reconcile their differences. Their separation was eating him up inside. Unfortunately, Ron's plan had fallen through.

Harry must have finished his essay; Ron could hear his friend climbing into bed. He could also hear Neville writing something, and mumbling, 'January 1997, Bundimun Fungus secretions.' Ron had no idea what this could mean, and he didn't really care. What he did care about, all of a sudden…was sleep. Closing his eyes Ron realized just how tired he was. It had been an awfully long day…

"Hey, Weasley! Are you going to mate with that thing?"

"What thing?" Ron didn't know what Malfoy was talking about, nor did he know why Malfoy was glued to a large, blue target, which was spinning him around in circles.

"That thing!" Malfoy pointed behind Ron. Ron turned around and actually burst out laughing. Malfoy was pointing at a gigantic wingless owl. It was about the size of Hagrid!

"You're mental!" Ron shouted between laughs. Turning back around to Malfoy, Ron yelled, "Stupefy!"

A bright red light shot toward Malfoy's spinning form. Upon impact, Malfoy's face turned a bright green.

"Ha!" Ron burst out laughing once more.

"We'll see who has the last laugh, Weasley!" Malfoy said, although he suddenly looked more like Snape than Malfoy.

Snape-Malfoy began waving his hands in front of him like a conductor until suddenly, Ron and Malfoy switched places. Now Ron was on a target…spinning.

The world was going from being right side up to upside down in a sickening twirl. A long line of people were walking by his spinning form and laughing. It was a group of Slytherins, but at the very end of the line was a couple holding hands.

"Hermione?" Ron asked the girl. The boy answered.

"Yeah, Ron. You weren't good enough for Hermione. You should have listened to everything you'd told yourself over the last six years. Oh well. Don't worry about it. I'll make her a great husband."

The girl suddenly spoke, "Hermione Jane Granger Longbottom Whitman…I like it."

"Hermione…no." Ron said quietly, but she was ignoring him. She was now in an embrace with her fiancé. "No Hermione…please no…"

"Ron! Ron wake up!"

"…Hermione…"

"Yes, Ron. It's me…Ron!"

Ron's eyes flew open. "Hermione?" He asked into the darkness. One cool hand clasped his own, and another was resting on his cheek. Gradually, two brown eyes and a bushy mane of hair came into focus.

"Hi." She said softly. Ron sat bolt upright, as she continued. "I think you were having a nightmare."

Ron ran his free hand roughly over his face. "Yeah…yeah I was." He said remembering the horribly wacky and disturbing dream he'd just had. Then turning his gaze back upon those brown eyes he whispered, "What are you doing here? What time is it?"

"May I come inside the curtains first?" She asked almost timidly. As if he could refuse her anything. No matter how perturbed he became at this beauty, he would never be able to say no to her.

"Sure." Ron released her hand and scooted himself back against the headboard. Hermione climbed in and then sat facing him.

"Lumos." She whispered, and a particularly dim light emitted from her wand. She laid her wand on the mattress. It cast a lovely golden glow upon her face as she sat there across from him picking at the nail on her middle finger and biting her lower lip.

"It's about two AM. I had a nightmare, too. It woke me…" She said quietly.

Ron frowned at her. "Was it Dolohov again?" Ron asked gently. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"No." She said before swallowing and whispering, "It was you."

"Me?" Ron asked, his chest constricted painfully.

"You were yelling at me…calling me names like floozy and harlot, and then you just left me standing alone in the middle of a large stone room." She said quietly and then a pitiful sob came forth from her, shaking her small body.

"Hermione…" Ron said softly reaching for her. She pulled back from his hands.

"No…wait." She said wiping at her eyes, and then between sobs she continued very quickly, "I don't know if Edgar fancies me or…or not, but I don't fancy him so…so I don't think you should get angry with me. I don't want his hands on me if he's doing it because…because…of my assets! And Neville doesn't f-fancy me, he was just happy because I help-…helped him think of the Bundimun Fungus…He didn't know how to get rid of the smell and I told him and he gave…gave me a hug and then you w-walked up and then you…you…you just left!"

Tears were now streaming down her face. Ron's heart felt as if it were breaking. "Hermione…" He breathed as he hastily pushed the covers off of him and then leaning toward her, grabbed both of her hands and coaxed her forward.

Ron leaned back against the headboard as she began scooting toward him. He pulled her into his arms so that she was sitting across his lap. Still sobbing, she buried her head into the curve of his neck.

"I'm sorry, love." Ron whispered as he rested his head upon hers, stroking her hair.

"Ron…do you really th-think that I want Edg-… Professor Whitman touching me?" She breathed against his neck.

He squeezed her tightly against him, rubbing one hand over her back, "No, love…Hermione, I was just angry and shooting my mouth off like a git. I know you don't want his hands on you like that."

She kissed him on his neck then, sending chills over his body. Taking one of her hands in his, he brought it to his lips for a tender kiss. She lifted her head and gazed at him with a small smile, her tears had ceased. Ron interlocked their fingers as he leaned forward slightly to kiss her lips. Sliding his hands under her shirt he rubbed his left palm against the soft, warm skin of her back…his right palm he kept in a tight fist at the small of her back.

He then made a trail of kisses up her cheek and to the side of one eye and then the other. She cupped his face and kissed him lovingly before turning his head gently and kissing him on his cheek and then his ear. He heard her gasp and she quickly pulled away.

"Ron!" She whispered urgently, "Let me see your hand!"

Ron had been very caught up in the moment, and it took his mind a minute to work through what she'd said. He was at first utterly confused, then he was reminded of Luna asking him the same question at lunch, and then he felt the effects of dawning comprehension.

"She knew…" He said vaguely.

"What?" Hermione asked curiously, while reaching around behind her and pulling his right hand out from underneath her shirt. She then brought it up to her face and squinted at it with intense scrutiny. Ron kept it in a fist.

"Hey…how did you know?" He asked curiously.

She continued to scrutinize his hand running her finger across the surface, "I don't know anything except that you had a huge bandage on earlier. I only just remembered." She began prying his fingers away from his palm.

"Ron!" She gasped as she turned his hand over and got the first glimpse of his palm and undersides of his fingers. She looked up at him worriedly. He glanced down at his hand; it actually looked better than it had earlier…before the bleeding had stopped fully. There was one long cut down the length of his palm from the base of his thumb to the base of his smallest digit. His fingers were red with shiny, white blisters along them.

"What did that monster make you do?" She asked in angry apprehension.

Ron scowled at the memory of his detention with Snape. "Have you ever heard of a Volitan Lionfish?" Hermione's mouth dropped open.

"Snape made you de-spine a lionfish?" Hermione asked in disbelief. Ron flexed his hand and nodded.

"But," Hermione began, "But…their spines are venomous!"

"Yeah…" Ron said blandly, "And they're sharp, too."

"So this gash is a cut from a lionfish spine?" She asked taking his hand in hers again and lightly touching his wound with her fingertips. Ron nodded. She looked up at him then with deeply concerned eyes.

He couldn't contain a small chuckle. "It's alright, Hermione. Harry and I went to Madam Pomfrey after we finished. She gave us a salve to apply twice a day for a week. She says it'll heal right up." Those definitely weren't her exact words. But Ron didn't want to trouble Hermione with the details.

"Does it hurt?" She asked softly.

"Like hell." He replied truthfully with a weak smile.

Thinking back on his detention, Ron was truly surprised at Snape's ruthlessness. Of course, Snape had always been cruel, but he had actually watched he and Harry de-spine the lionfish without telling them the danger of what they were being made to do.

He had taken them to a room in the dungeons that Ron didn't even know existed, where there was a large tank full of live Volitan Lionfish. They had to scoop them out with their hands, smash their skulls with a mallet, and cut the spine out without gloves. Snape had not informed he or Harry that the fishes' spines were poisonous, but it had not taken them long to realize that they weren't harmless. They stung to the touch, similar to jellyfish, leaving white blisters.

That would have been bad enough, but Ron had managed to get hold of a rather aggressive one that squirmed around until it slashed Ron's hand open with its caudal fin. Madam Pomfrey had been aghast at the state of his and Harry's hands when they had arrived at the hospital wing shortly after Snape released them. She said the venom in his and Harry's wounds could have caused them to lose their hands if they hadn't gone to her for treatment and received the Poison Antidote Salve.

"Why don't you have it bandaged, Ron?" Hermione asked, bringing Ron out of his reverie. She was still scrutinizing his wound.

He shrugged. "It was cumbersome." She looked at him sternly and sighed.

"Do you have your healing kit?"

"Yeah. It's on my cabinet, there. I drank a bit of that Pain Relief Potion earlier. Helped quite a lot."

Hermione abruptly slid from his lap and out of the curtains. She looked extraordinarily delightful in her long, flannel pajamas. When she reentered she was holding his kit, which he had already enlarged from pocket size to its original size to retrieve the Pain Relief Potion.

Hermione sat down, cross-legged, in front of him, their knees touching, and opened the kit slowly, so as not to make too much noise. She then removed the impermeable gauze, the no-sting cleaning solution, and Madam Pomfrey's salve.

He just smiled at her as she took his hand and placed it in one of her palms. She began dabbing at his cut gently with the no-sting cleaning wipes. It felt cold, and actually pleasant. As she worked she kept making small sighing and puffing noises of displeasure. When she was finished cleaning the wound, she held his hand up close to her face and scrutinized it fully. Then, very gently, she kissed his fingertips.

After opening the jar of salve, she removed a liberal amount with two of her fingers. She then gently applied the salve along his cut and blisters. His hand looked so large lying open in her palm.

"Now." She said tilting her head to one side and peering down at his hand. The gauze came next, which she unraveled and snipped with a pair of surgical scissors. With great care, she lay the gauze across her lap and then brought Ron's hand to rest on the gauze, palm facing up. She wrapped his hand, just as good, if not better, than Madam Pomfrey had. Hermione's wrap wasn't near as bulky.

"Okay." She said, replacing everything back inside the kit. "That should do until tomorrow afternoon, at least. Then I'll need to clean and rebandage it." She then leaned outside the curtains slightly to return the kit to the cabinet.

"Thanks, Hermione." He said as she sat back down in front of him. She smiled at him.

"Hermione…" Ron began somewhat tentatively, "Would you…I mean, I'm not trying to be cheeky, but…would you like to lie down with me a spell?"

Her eyes widened a bit, before she cleared her throat. With feigned casualness she asked, "You mean…underneath the covers?"

Ron felt himself blush. His request was too forward. Hermione was a lady, why had he asked her that? "I'm sorry, Hermione. I shouldn't have-…"

"I'd love to." She said biting her lower lip again.

"You'd…love to?" Ron said croakily, he cleared his throat. Hermione answered by moving the covers back and slowly crawling beneath them. She then laid her head down on one corner of his pillow, her hair splaying wildly about her porcelain-skinned face.

Ron slowly scooted his way back beneath the covers. Lying on his side, he propped himself up on one elbow. Hermione was lying on her back, but looking up into his face. Ron knew that she had absolutely no idea how beautiful and alluring she looked at the moment, which made her even more so.

As their gazes locked, Ron lightly brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. She smiled sweetly and rolled onto her side so that her body was facing his, which beckoned him to lie down fully by her side. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her tightly against him until their noses…and bodies…were touching.

"We can't fall asleep, Ron." Hermione said quietly against his lips. She sounded very drowsy as she closed her eyes and placed her hand upon his chest.

"I know." He said softly before kissing her to the side of her mouth. She turned her head slightly so that his lips moved over hers and locked.

"You called me 'love." She whispered softly after pulling away from their kiss.

"Yeah." He stated, feeling his face grow warm. It had just fallen from his lips naturally.

"I liked it." She said, sounding drowsier by the minute. Her breathing was becoming deeper.

He hated himself for what he was about to say, "Hermione…maybe you should go on back. You're about to fall asleep, I think."

"No I'm not." She said, clearing her throat and opening her eyes wide and blinking. He smiled knowingly at her. "Can't you hold me a bit longer?" She added.

Gazing at her he moved his hand under her shirt to caress her waist and back, "Yeah…a bit longer." He whispered as he felt chills surface along her skin.

"I love you." She whispered sleepily.

"I love you, too, Hermione." He replied kissing her on her forehead.

Hermione sighed softly as her breathing deepened even more. She was definitely asleep. Ron thought. The idea of waking her was immensely unappealing. For one, she seemed to be so content and comfortable, and for two, he was extremely content and comfortable. But he had to wake her…what would Harry think?

Ron felt his own breathing becoming a bit heavier…Yes…what would Harry think? Or Nean…or Seville…or Deamus… Oh well…now that everything was becoming black and fuzzy…it didn't really matter, did it?

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you reviewers and readers! As always, your comments are well appreciated! I don't have much to say about this chapter other than... AWW...

Lol...well, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! 33 awaits me!