(Disclaimer: Here is the disclaimer for the entire story: I do NOT own Harry Potter, it's characters, setting, or anything else you might recognize. The plot and the plot only are mine.)

CHAPER TWO: HEAVY AIR

Weeks had passed and no other problems with Harry had occurred. The Trio eventually fell back into their usual routine; old habits from holiday slowly faded and the start of term activities filled their place. It had been one month into term and Hermione was already fussing over N.E.W.T.S., regardless of the fact that they were eight months away.

Quidditch resumed and both Harry and Ron played their usual positions of Keeper and Seeker, Ginny Weasley joining the team for the first time as a Chaser; replacing Katie Bell who had graduated Hogwarts last year. Harry, the person with the most experience on the team, was naturally made captain. Ron had told Hermione two weeks after school had started again, that Harry made an excellent coach when it came to drills, play tactics and strategies. But he suffered in the organizational department, especially lately.

Though it had been two years since Sirius had died, Harry had never quite been the same after his Godfather's death. The beginning of sixth year, Harry isolated himself, as predicted, from as many people as he could. As the year went on, he eventually eased out of the phase, but there was that quietness about him every now and then that had remained.

As for his organizational skills, Hermione graciously helped him out; spending her free time coming up with a calendar of practices and many other useful handouts for Harry to give to his team members.

So the day had begun this morning.

"I wrote down three to five o'clock. I wasn't sure exactly how much time you needed for tomorrow's practice." Hermione said brightly, sliding a new calendar across the table to Harry.

"It's fine. Thanks" Harry said, barely looking it over. Hermione didn't notice.

"Here I took your play book and looked up some of the terms and defined them for the team, in case they didn't know what you were talking about. We do have a lot of new players this year" She continued adding more papers to the pile in front of Harry, Ron looking at Harry with wide eyes wondering why the bloody hell anyone would spend their time defining terms like that. Harry simply shrugged.

"And I also talked to Madam Hooch and booked Gryffindor the Quidditch Pitch all of next week from five to nine o'clock." Hermione concluded, pulling a small piece of paper that had Madam Hooch's signature on it and handing it to Harry who put it in his robe pocket.

"Gee Wiz Hermione. You really went all out this week" Ron said, eyes still wide, staring at the enormous stack of papers that covered Harry from his view across the breakfast table.

She shrugged. "I had some extra time on Sunday while you two were finishing up your Charms essays. Ron eat your eggs"

"Hermione!" He whined

"Honestly Ron, why do we have to go through this every morning! It's not like I don't notice you pushing them under your toast to hide them!" She exclaimed

"They're just eggs 'Mione." He smiled, knowing exactly what she would say next. In fact, Ron could recite the whole ordeal by heart. It was simply routine, part of every day, and secretly, Ron looked forward to it each morning.

"Fine, if you don't want to have your energy for Quidditch this week, then don't eat the eggs. I've told you before that protein helps you concentrate in class better and--"

"Okay, okay I know. I'll eat my eggs Mum" Ron pacified, trying hard to hide the smile his face wanted to make.

"Good. I swear I'm acting more and more like your Mum each year." She said, and then to herself she muttered, "You would think he'd get the message after I tell him every day..."

"Well um thanks for all the stuff for Quidditch Hermione. I appreciate it." Harry said "But I better get going to class."

"Your welcome Harry. But you do know that we're going to the same class this morning don't you?" Hermione said slowly not wanting to push him.

"Yea mate, just give me five more minutes to finish my breakfast and then we can head out to the Greenhouses together"

"No, it's alright. I um... don't want you to rush your food Ron"

Ron just stared at Harry opened mouthed. "What kind of an excuse is that?" He demanded

"It's not an excuse," Harry said, looking around the Great Hall. "But I forgot my Herbology book in the common room. I'm going to go get it and I'll meet you two in class," He said quickly, not waiting for a response from his friends, and hurrying out of the Great Hall.

Hermione sat back down and sighed. "He hasn't been the same since that night"

"I know" Ron said sadly

"I wish there was something we could do..." she said wistfully

"There's nothing we can do" Ron mumbled "Except be his friends"

"Why doesn't he just wake up and realize that we can help him?! He doesn't have to shut us out. We want to help!" She cried passionately

"Deep down he knows."

"Can he not see that we'd do anything for him?!"

Ron sighed, "C'mon 'Mione we've been through this before. Don't get yourself all worked up now"

"I am not worked up, Ron, I'm just--"

"Yes you are worked up and stop being so stubborn"

"Would you please stop calling me stubborn every time we disagree?" She snapped

"Alright, Alright I give up" He cried, putting his hands up in the air "You win"

"You don't have to give up Ron. It's not a battle or anything" She said, clearly surprised

Ron smiled "Of course it's not. I know that." When Hermione scowled at his sarcasm he laughed "C'mon, I better get you to class before you bite my head off" He said, standing up.

But before he exited, he bent down and whispered in Hermione's ear, "And just for the record, you are stubborn."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest when his next comment silenced her.

"But I wouldn't have it any other way"

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"Ron mate c'mon! Trelawny's going to have our arses!"

"I'm coming! Slow down will ya? Merlin, the way you're running, it makes me think you actually want to get to class!" Ron shouted, finally catching up to Harry

"I'm just looking forward to two hours where I can catch up on my sleep" Harry said, as he began to climb the ladder that led to the heavily perfumed classroom.

"Didn't sleep again huh?"

Harry gritted his teeth and climbed higher. "No"

"Mate you can't keep doing this to yourself! It's not healthy!" He called from below

"Now you just sound like Hermione"

"Well you do know that all the useless information she sometimes gives us, she gives us for a reason! Most of it is actually pretty useful"

Harry smirked, climbing the final rung on the ladder and turning around, arms crossed over his chest, waiting for Ron. "Okay now who are you and what have you done with my best friend Ron Weasley?"

"Oh shove it!" Ron smiled, pretending to smack him; to which Harry laughed, dodging Ron's blow anyways and ran into the classroom.

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It was Ron's theory that if you took an empty vial and filled it with the air from the Diviniationclassroom, you would have your own dreamless sleeping drought. Harry laughed at this theory and Hermione rebuked it, saying that it was his boredom that drew him to sleep, and to try paying attention in class, but Ron still held tightly onto it. Of course it had never been tested, but maybe one day when he was older if he ever ran into a tight spot with money he could bottle a bunch of it up and sell it. Who knows? Maybe he could possible become as rich as the Malfoy's! But there he was again...letting his mind wander not even ten minutes into class.

Ron stole a glance at Harry who had his head on the table, peacefully snoring quietly.

Poor Bloke he thought to himself. He's been staying up all night because he still thinks he'll try to kill Hermione and me. He's been through too much...it's not fair.

Well he corrected himself I suppose the three of us have all been put through too much.

His thoughts already deciding the route they would take his mind with him this afternoon, acknowledged the fact that they'd been down the same path many times before. Why they'd been down it just yesterday!

His memories started as early as age five; when his Mum would tuck him in bed and tell him of a boy his age named Harry Potter that had defeated a really bad wizard. But for some reason, his mind decided to skip the next ten years of his life, where they finally settled on a more recent memory.

White was the first thought to occupy his mind. So much white.

As Ron blinked several times, his eyes readjusting to the light, all he saw was white. Looking around the room he noted a white bed, a white nightstand; white sheets, white pillows, a white floor, ceiling, and walls. White blankets were wrapped around his body and white curtains blocked his view of the other beds. Though it was nighttime, the white-ness of the room still glowed.

He immediately knew where he was; Ron Weasley had been in the Hospital Wing enough time to associate the color white with this place where Madam Pomfrey was an all-powerful dictator. After all, he spent the most time in the hospital wing out of everyone in Hogwarts, well, everyone besides Harry.

At the sudden thought of his best friend, he sat up in bed abruptly. Pain seared through his back and made its way along to his chest, shoulders, and stomach. Falling back onto his cot, his whole body aching with pain, Ron looked himself over. Long red scars trailed his arms, deep black looking ones graced his chest, and putting his hands to his face, he felt enough dried up blood to know he would have marks there as well.

Panic began to arise inside his stomach. How the bloody hell had he gotten these?? What had happened?

And then it hit him. It hit him harder than anything he'd ever experienced, including a passionate punch from Hermione, that he had joked about not hurting.

He'd never tell her it bruised.

Memories of the night before washed over him, making Ron suddenly wish for company. Umbridge...Hermione had tricked her, riding the threstrals, the prophecy, and that spell he'd been hit with...then the brain flying towards his outstretched hand. That was it. That was all he could remember.

Had the Death Eaters gotten a hold of the prophecy? Who had died? Where Luna, Neville, Ginny, Harry and Hermione okay? Were they dead? More questions than his brain could handle were zipping through his mind, each fighting for control. Finally unable to take it, he slid off his cot, wincing as he did so, and stepped out beyond his curtains in search of his friends.

Looking at the sky through the open window, Ron was surprised when he saw no moon. Only a handful of stars twinkled brightly in the midnight black sky.

Luna, Neville, and Ginny all appeared to be fine. Each had only minor cuts or bruises, Ginny's leg was in a splint, but other than that, he felt confident they would be fine. Approaching the bed that was normally Harry's, Ron's heart momentarily stopped beating when he noticed that it was empty.

Already frightened, Ron felt sure that he was about to go crazy with worry. He ran to the only person he could think of that would understand. He ran out in search in of Hermione.

He found her cot easily. It was lying next to his own, but he had somehow skipped over it before. Slipping behind her curtains, he paused a moment to catch his breath. But with one glance at her, Ron suddenly wished that he had not gotten out of bed at all.

Hermione's face was paler than Ron had ever seen it before, her skin taking on an almost blue like glow in the nighttime light. She sported a black eye and minor cuts and bruises just like the others, but something was different. There, it was the way she was breathing—wait a minute, she wasn't breathing! She looked almost...dead.

Tears sprung to Ron's eyes as he stared at Hermione's body. Harry and Hermione dead...what was to become of him??! They were his joy in life, what he woke up every morning for. They kept him level headed and focused and had an incomprehensive amount of ways to cheer him up. What was he to do?

Desperately wishing it to be a dream, he approached her bed. "M-Mione?" he whispered, his voice breaking as he did so.

No response.

But then he heard it, "mm?" Hermione said, rolling over to her side.

Relief like Ron had never known washed upon him. He sighed contently and smiled softly. "Just glad you're alright 'Mione" he said, planting a quick kiss atop her messy brown hair; planning to let her sleep and exit quietly.

Moving slowly so as not to disturb her, he finally made his way to the curtains, ready to fall back into his own bed, (completely forgetting about Harry) and fall into slumber. After all, his back was really hurting him. But just as he was about to leave, he heard so quietly he almost mistook it for the whisper of the wind, "Ron?"

He stopped where he was. "Ron?" he heard a little louder, the voice sounding more frightened than before.

He slowly turned around. Hermione was sitting up, chocolate eyes alert and worried, staring intently at Ron as though she'd never seen him before. "Hey Hermione" he said

As though his voice provided clarification to his identity, she returned his feeble attempt at a smile, her eyes clouded with some emotion he could not decipher, but he noticed she looked close to crying. "Hey" she replied. "I've been calling for you." She added quietly.

"Oh?" He teased

"They kept saying that you hadn't woken up yet." Hermione answered, not changing her emotion, despite Ron's teasing. "They won't tell me a god damn thing"

"Language Miss Granger" He sighed, "Do you know about Harry?"

She looked surprised, "Harry?"

"That's what I came in here to ask you about, before--"words failed him

"Before?" Hermione egged

"Before I saw you." He admitted

"You've seen me plenty of times, don't know why that would stop you now from waking me up" She joked, her face curving into a kind of smirk

"Don't you joke about that!" Ron snapped. The smirk died on her lips instantly. "I-you-you looked dead" he stuttered hollowly

"I really look that bad eh?" She smiled

"I'm not laughing 'Mione." He said angrily

She sighed, "I know. I'm not that bad, honestly. You're worse off than me"

"Liar"

Ignoring his comment she motioned for him to sit on the bed. He obliged. "Let's take a look at those scars. They look pretty bad," she said, placing a hand on his forearm. He automatically pulled away. 'Do they hurt?" she whispered, eyes wide with sadness.

"Yea" he mumbled

"Mine hurts too" she said softly

"Y-yours?"

Hermione nodded. Pulling down the high collared hospital gown, only a bit below where a normal Hogwarts uniform would go, Ron saw the beginning of a deep scar, much deeper than his were. "It continues" she said, tracing it with her finger slowly "all the way down to here" Her finger rested right below where her right ribcage ended.

Ron sat transfixed, his eyes wide. He tried to say something of comfort to her, but nothing came out.

"Don't tell Harry," she whispered, readjusting her gown.

"Harry?" He asked, suddenly remembering his original reason "He's alive??"

Hermione gave him a confused look, "Of course he's alive."

"He wasn't in his bed" He clarified

"He never was in 'his bed' Ron"

"What do you mean?"

"Harry's never been to the hospital wing since we returned from the Ministry"

"But how?"

She shrugged, "He wasn't as badly hurt as the rest of us. He blames it all on himself though"

"Like usual" he mumbled

"Yes. But it's worse this time. Dumbledore talked to him all day yesterday. Made him pretty upset. Lavender came in to bring us make-up work and she said that Seamus said that Harry barged into the dormitory and started destroying everything. He and Dean were up half the night trying to repair it all."

Ron sighed and rubbed his head. "Do we know what it was about?"

"Partly. But I expected this."

"How the bloody hell do you expect something like this? I never have a bloody clue"

Hermione threw him another confused look. Then it melted away and realization was evident on her face. "Oh Ron" she said sadly "You don't know"

"Know what?"

"It's Sirius—he"

"what happened?"

"Ron, Sirius is dead"

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He had cried then. Cried for Sirius, but mostly cried for Harry, because Ron knew good and well what Sirius's death would do to his best friend. And he had been right. Last year had not been an easy year.

As class commenced, and Ron allowed his thoughts to return to reality, he poked Harry in the ribs.

"Wake up mate" he said

"Hmm what?" Harry mumbled, rubbing his eyes

"Class is over. Let's get going."

Harry grunted but followed Ron out of the room. "Boy I needed that," Harry said brightly, once normal cold air reached their lungs.

"You really should try sleeping at night."

Harry's features darkened and he stared at Ron, eyes narrowed. "How can you even suggest that?" he snapped

"Harry..."

"He's got power of me at night Ron. At night I'm a murderer. I can't afford to let something like that happen again"

Emotionally exhausted from his memory Ron just sighed and threw his hands up in the air, "Alright mate, whatever you say. But you should at least try."

"You wouldn't understand" Harry mumbled under his breath, as he ran to catch up with Ron.

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(A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed, the reviews are so dearly appreciated!!! I'm going on thanksgiving vacation this week so there will be no updates this following week, but expect one very soon after that!! Review and tell me what you thought of this chapter! Thanks, Hugs, Haystack)