Chapter two
Ron lay on his back in bed listening to the rain slashing against the window. How was he supposed to sleep when the wind outside was howling like a wild animal? He punched his pillow and turned on his side.
After a few minutes of tossing and turning in his bed,he grunted in frrustration and sat up. Swinging his feet out of bed, he slipped on his slippers and thought about how some warm milk would help him to sleep.
He was just about to get up when something moving outside his window caught his eye. As curiosity got the better of him, Ron moved to the window to get a better look. It was funny how looking out into a storm like this seemed to calm him.
It seemed to be a figure in the rain that caused him to narrow his eyes so he could make it out better.
Who the hell in the right mind would walk in this? he thought, shaking his head.
No, it can be, pressing his face to cold glass.
Even she wouldn't be that mad.
He could just make out a female form walking away from the Burrow. It looked like Hermione,with her white night dress soaked to her skin, long curly chestnut hair clung wet down her back and she didn't even have shoes on.
I always thought she was mental, but never this mental, he thought shaking his head.
He jolted away from the window, grabbed his cloak and pulled his shoes on. Whatever it took he had to get her to come back inside.
Thundering down the stairs he bolted out of the back door, forgetting on the way to close the door. Her figure was blurring away in the distance. The rain poured down against his skin and his hands were red from the cold.
I'm frozen already, so god knows how cold she must of felt.
Mental, mental, he thought.
He was getting a bit closer to her and with the large strides he took it didn't take long until he was right behind her.
He thought she would have heard him but was surprised that she hadn't turned round.
"Hermione, wait," He gasped.
She didn't turn round she just kept on walking.
Great, what have I done now? He thought.
"Hermione, wait!" He shouted
He was panting from the cold and from the physical exertion he had made to catch up with her. His hand reached out and touch her on the shoulder but she carried on walking. He ran in front of her so he was facing her.
"Hermione, what do you think your Doing?" he panted.
She didn't answer she just stared straight through him, her eyes glazed over as she carried on walking. Her whole body was shivering, her skin had turn slightly blue and her feet were bleeding.
If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn she was sleepwalking and and it would have explained a lot.
"Hermione? Can you hear me? He asked, as he grabbed her shoulders a little harder than he meant to do.
"Hermione speak. God damn it, this isn't funny. I can't let you walk in this." He bellowed at her.
She just stared right though him, he knew what he to do.
She didn't respond to him as he took his cloak off and throw it around her. He lifted he delicate frame off the ground and threw her over his shoulder.
Her head tipped back, her body felt weak against him and Ron caught her muttering something under her breath.
As he stumbled into the Burrow with Hermione over his shoulder, he ran into to his Mum. His dad was hooving behind her, while Ginny was standing on the stairs.
"What do you think your doing thrashing about in the middle of the night and leaving the door open too! What do you think you're doing going out in that storm? You'll catch your death, Ronald." She stopped dead in her rant and gasped at the sight of Hermione's wet form over his shoulder.
"What has happened, Ronald Weasley? I demand you tell me what has happened? She screeched.
"Hermione, she's not wel," he muttered as his mothers face turned white. She gasped and put her hand over her mouth.
"Oh my, get her on the couch. Oh Arthur, look at her she's frozen and covered in blood." She sobbed tears camedown her face.
Ron laid her gently down on the sofa and stepped back to give his mum and dad some room. Ginny came in the room rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and looking at the scene in front of her with confusion.
"Mum what's happened? Where's Hermione? She wasn't in bed so…" Her mum cut her off.
"Ginny, go and get some blankets!"
"What… what's happened?" She questioned, trying to look over their shoulders.
"Go and get them now!" Molly Weasley bellowed.
Ginny turned on her feet and ran up the stairs.
Ron stood there in the corner not knowing what he should be doing to help her. His heart felt like someone had stuck a knife in it and was twisting it around. Tears filled up in his eyes He glanced over at Hermione as tears filled his eyes. Her body lay motionless on the sofa, her nightdress wet, filthy and covered in blood. Who would do this to her? He tried to hold the tears anymore as he noticed the cut on her leg. He could't help thinking about why she was out in that storm, what was she playing at?
What will I do if I lose her he thought with his head in his hands.
He loved her so much but hadn't had the guts to tell her. Now, he was going to lose her and she will never know how he felt.
With tears down his face, he looked up at his mum who was doing some spell he'd never heard of before over Hermione. Ginny had arrived back with the blankets and was helping Mum put them around her.
"She's in a deep sleep," Arthur said, putting a reassuring hand on his wife's shoulder.
"She'll be fine. She just needs to sleep."
"I'll just take that choker off so she can breath better," His mum said as her fingers reached out and fiddled with the choker.
"Why these young girls wear these things I will never know?" She pulled the choker off her neck her eyes widened.
" Oh my! Arthur look!" She gasped as she jumped back.
Ginny, Arthur and Ron ran forward to get a better look.
"What…what is it!" spat Ron, fear spreading cross his face.
"Oh Molly. It's a vampire bite. "Ron could hear the fear in fathers voice.
"A what!" screeched Ron and Ginny together.
Molly was sobbing uncontrollably. " Poor Hermione. Oh Arthur, what can we do? This is all my fault" Her head in her hands. "How will I tell the Grangers? It was under my care too!"
"No dear, we will figure something out. I'll owl Moody. He'll know what to do," He said reassuringly.
"Hermione's been bitten!" screamed Ginny. "I didn't even heard her get up"
Realisation swept over Ron, It made him realize why she was walking out stand in the storm.
