Note: Arthur is Minister, it's been a few weeks since Voldemort has been banished from the realms of the living, Ron was fatally wounded in the process but surprise surprise just managed to hang on in there until he was rescued.
As You WishHermione woke up, her cheeks damp with salty tears. She was remembering the Last Battle. She felt guilty. All of his family and friends had visited him and she hadn't. She had only set eyes on Ron in St Mungos two times before she could bear it no longer. Whenever she walked into the room, the conversation hushed then suddenly spun away from him. She recalled earlier that day:
"Molly, it'll have to happen soon!"
"Arthur don't worry; she's nearly there."
"Well that's good, I can't keep pulling strings at the Ministry for ever."
Her mind cast back to when they brought him in. He blearily opened one eye. She smiled, her eyes devoid of their bright sparkle. "We're all here for you, get well soon." It had seemed such an inadequate thing to say, like he had a cold or something his secretary would say when he just called in sick to work. His tongue wet his cracked and bloody lips as his voice rasped, "As you wish." He shut his eye again and years fell away as his mother tucked the edges of his bed in.
The second time, she walked through the door two days later clasping Mrs Weasley's hand tightly. She didn't know who was more nervous. As they scrutinised his face for any traces of scarring each held a heart-felt worry. His eyes flickered beneath his eyelids. Hermione out her other hand to his brow and pushed his hair back. While his mother fetched a cool flannel, his once loud and plentiful voice croaked, "Er – my – ne," He sucked in a dragging breath, then fell silent. Thinking he had slipped back out of consciousness, she pressed her face into her other palm and muttered, "Just come home, Ron." His voice almost too weak to hear managed a feeble, "As you wish." The next day they were told he had regained full consciousness, but would be moved out of the temporary ward. Hermione couldn't bring herself to face him; thoughts of Frank and Alice Longbottom lingered with the association in her mind of…more…homely wards.
Emotions pouring over her like a waterfall, she decided she had to see him today. Hermione made her way over to her wardrobe. In it she found a tore of beautiful clothes, but one outfit stood out in front of her. She knew it was Ron's favourite; he never said so, but his eyes gave him away. A white cotton mini-skirt that had wavy loose pleat-like frills that fanned out straight when she twirled around, together with an off-the shoulder coffee coloured top that she pulled the sleeves down to furl in her hands when she was nervous was his epitome of perfection.
Now in the permanent ward, Hermione stared around at the Chudley Cannons posters surrounding Ron memories flickered as the photos beamed and waved at her, welcoming her back. Seven photos were arranged in a line with a circle of a collection of family and friends captured in pictures around them. After briefly glancing round the circle, Hermione started at the left hand side of the line; they were in Hagrid's hut in their first year, she was watching Ginny was modelling her "new" robes in her second year. In third year she was siting awkwardly on Buckbeak's back with Ron and Harry either side of her waiting to catch her if she fell off; she remembered that bet well – it was probably the only time Ron had completed all of his homework on time without assistance. Her face had matured and her figure developed as Lavender and Parvati helped her into the beautiful blue dress that had impressed not only Viktor, but also the rest of Hogwarts. She recalled telling them, "Just because I'm clever doesn't mean I can't be pretty as well." How did Ron get that picture? Her curiosity had moved onto fifth year when she was casting a glance around to make sure nobody saw her reaching up on tip-toes to straighten a piece of tinsel in Grimmauld Place that had been irking her for days. In their penultimate year of Hogwarts, Hermione was expressing a bemused look, trying not to laugh as she helped Ron struggle through potions while Harry was in a world of his own staring "subtly" across the top of her head at Ginny who was entertaining Dean. A year later, the last picture in the line was of solely herself, proudly pinning her Head Girl badge to her pristine robes. The line displayed her years with Ron in order, the only common factor between them being herself.
At the top of the circle next to the newspaper clipping of Ron and his family in Egypt, there was a shot of Ginny and herself winning a snowball fight against the boys; Hermione watched mesmerised as Ron threw himself on the ground to dodge a tirade of snow. She lifted the picture off the board; a cough interrupted her. She glanced guiltily at Ron her voice stammering as he raised a quizzical eyebrow, "Can I have this one?"
"As you wish." His voice was back to its musical tones that were so used to exclaiming profanities at the slightest provoking comment, exasperatedly telling her that house elves liked work, explaining his laughter when she used to frown at a test with the words "top mark, well done, 19/20". Hermione realised what he was saying to her. "I love you too, Ron." He smiled and hopped out of bed to encircle her in his arms. She pulled back, startled to realise he was fit enough and actually wearing jeans and a dark t-shirt. He laughed at her and explained how, when he recovered, told his family to pretend he hadn't until Hermione visited him. He described how Arthur had to keep bribing his co-workers at the Ministry and St Mungo's not to say anything. He told Hermione how he had waited for her to realise what he had been saying to her all along for years.
She laughed at herself – she was supposedly the cleverest witch of her year and yet she had missed the one thing she so desperately wanted to see that was staring her in the face. She put her arms around his neck and smiled as he finally kissed her.
"Coming home now?"
"As you wish."
Reviews would be appreciated xXx