That afternoon, when all his classes ended, he walked straight back to his girl. It was almost four, so something must have happened to her by now, but he heard nothing. She was still deep asleep.

"When will she wake up?", asked Ron Madame Pomfrey.

"Whenever her body is ready to."

Now he got even more worried. He just laid down next to her again and pressed his nose against her cheek.

"Please, wake up", he whispered softly and closed his eyes. Her smell was so unique that he would notice her out of a hundred people.

"I'm here to protect you now!", he continued and grabbed her nippy hand. Her tiny fingers didn't wrap around his, but to hold her just like that was enough.

He began to think about her. About how much she meant to him and that she owned his heart with every fiber that formed it. She gave him so much. So much Power. Every morning, she was the reason he found the energy to get out of bed. He knew that he never wanted anyone else in his life.

Her kisses made him feel like he could actually float off the ground. When he was younger, he always thought that kisses should taste like his favorite sweets, but she tasted even better than all the food in the world.

Her look made his head spin. Her wavy dark brown-blondish hair, those deep brown eyes. Her body, formed like an angel.

He was so full of tickling feelings that he couldn't picture a day without it anymore.

She should be the mother of his children, for sure. When he first met her, he felt something. They were young kids, so he couldn't think of something to compare it to, so he just ousted it.

The older they both got, the harder it was to ignore it.

He loved her. He realized it, when she sat down by the fireplace in the common room about a year ago. She laughed with Harry about something. The dimmed light of the fire reflected in her eyes and made her shimmer in a deep orange shine.

His heart twitched for a second when a flash of realization run through his body, and set free the swarm of butterflies in his stomach.

The try to get rid of his feelings by poorly dating Lavender didn't work, and so he just had to commit it to himself.

He never wanted to be with anyone else in his life anymore. Never wanted to kiss someone else again, besides his kids, that she would give him one day.

"Hermione…", his eyes opened and looked into her face. She still breathed flat and didn't show a sign of awakening.

"Mister Longbottom!", Poppy announced and stepped next to him. He opened his eyes, frowning because of the bright light.

"How do you feel?"

He just mumbled something that didn't really sound like English in the first place. "Want to drink something?", Pomfrey asked as he just nodded.

He took a zip from the cup she handed him and tried to look around.

"What happened?", now Ron and the nurse finally understood him well.

"You've been poisoned. How do you feel?", she explained and repeated her question from earlier.

Still, Hermione just laid there. Ron squeezed her hand, and hoped she would speak to him again.

"Headache. And it's so bright in here", he noticed and placed his hand on his forehead.

"I'll bring you something. Do you wish to see someone?", Poppy asked and smiled at him for a second.

"Luna. Have you told Luna?", he rushed his eyes opened.

"I think Harry did, mate", Ron answered when Neville noticed him for the first time.

"Ron?", he asked weak, trying to move his head to the side. His eyes met the young couple.

"Hermione!", he remembered, "yea.."

"What were you two up to yesterday?", Weasley asked him.

"Dunno mate. I think we wanted to stop by the library after dinner. She wanted to help me with my homework.", he answered, "who did this to us? And why?"

"It was Draco. He's jealous because he fancies Hermione… I guess. He wanted to hit me and her, so he could take care of her while she was here. That little evil idiot!", Ron explained and felt the anger in his body again.

There was no way, ever, that he could understand the Malfoy son. Maybe in another dimension, but not in this life.

"What?", Neville whispered and closed his eyes again cause of the bright light in the room.

"I guess you had wrong timing. I am sorry"

"It's fine. Gosh, I feel like I've falling down my broom for at least 20 times.", the boy took a deep breath when Madam Pomfrey came back with a little potion and Luna behind her.

"I heard you've been sick?", she smiled, which made him smile a bit too. He fancied her. Everyone knew that. Even a blind one would see, but she somehow didn't. Maybe she knew, but didn't want to break his heart. Maybe she liked him back, but wasn't brave enough to tell him. No one knew.

"I dreamed about it actually", she spoke calm and clear.

"Bout me?", Neville asked back and blushed.

"About something unusual happening. They told me", she answered and sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Who told you?", Neville opened his eyes just a tiny bit to see her.

"The voices in my dream. Hope you'll be okay soon.", she answered and grabbed his hand for a moment of comfort, but let it go again soon after.

Neville blushed even more, which made Ron giggle a bit.

"How's Hermione?", she looked over and moved her mouth corners up.

"She'll wake up too...", Ron nodded confident and started stroking the back of her hand.

"I know she will", Luna smiled a bit, looked back at Neville and tilted her head.

"Sometimes I wonder what's up in your head. Is it so crowded like mine?"

"Sometimes..", he nodded and held his eyes fixed onto hers. "Right now it just hurts, really.."

"Sleep helps.", she answered and stood up again.

"I slept for approximately a whole day..", he almost smiled as well and eyed her particularly.

Ron just laid there and watched his two friends like he was in a theater play. Hermiones hand still in his, when suddenly she twitched. Her fingers moved and let him glance down.

Her eyelids started trembling a bit, when she opened them.

"Hermione" it was the only thing he was able to let out. Her fingers closed around his hand.

"Hey.", his other hand found her cheek and cupped it gently.

„Ron..", she nearly let it out without a sound. Her eyelids still seemed pretty heavy, so she just blinked. The lights must've been too bright for her as well.

"I am here, darling", he whispered and smiled softly. He was never more relieved than right there at that moment.

"I'm so tired", she mumbled.

"Water?", he asked his girlfriend, who seemed weaker than Neville in the first place.

She nodded a bit.

Madam Pomfrey meanwhile rushed to her bed too and handed Ron the cup. He gave her support when she tried to push up her upper body. She seemed so faintly, but managed to get a good zip of water.

"I was so afraid to lose you", Ron admitted when she laid back down.

"No, I am here", she muttered and squeezed his hand tighter. Her eyes closed again, but she wasn't asleep.

"I know, love.. I know", his voice got softer and more quiet syllable by syllable.

Luna left after a while, but Ron stayed with Hermione past curfew.

"Mister Weasley…", Poppy slowly walked up to her bed, "it's curfew"

"I know…", he answered, knowing that he could get into serious trouble for that.

"You should leave."

"But…", he began, but instantly remembered Ginny's words.

"Yeah.. I should..", he said feeling disappointed but couldn't really tell why.

"Just give me a minute, please."

Pomfrey stepped away, and Ron turned around to Hermione once more.

"Mione? Are you asleep?"

"No.", came back, thin and quietly.

"I have to go now. It's late"

"No, darling please", was the answer he got.

"I have to. I'll be back as soon as I can.", his heart almost broke seeing her like that longing for his presence.

"I love you"

He gave her a brief kiss onto the lips, whom she returned to a bit.

"Sleep Well", he answered and stood up from her bed.