Someone To Watch Over Me

Ron stepped out of the shower just as Hermione had shoved Harry out the front door by part force and part persuasion. He rubbed his damp hair with a towel and frowned at her suspiciously.

"Harry's just gone to visit Ginny at the Burrow," Hermione smiled.

Ron still displayed an expression that made it absolutely clear that he didn't believe Hermione's carefree attitude one little bit. She swallowed and almost skipped across the room to curl her arms around Ron's wait and rest her chin upon his chest. She stared up at him and smiled sweetly, blinking her huge brown eyes innocently. Ron almost laughed as he pulled away from her.

"What?" she said, a little hurt that the idea of her being sweet and passive was so ridiculously out of character for her.

Ron tapped the side of his head with his thumb and wiped his hand over his upturned palm before making a movement from his mouth towards Hermione. Hermione dropped the act immediately and her shoulder slumped.

"Yes Harry did tell me what happened today. He told me and I'm glad because you wouldn't have would you?" she snapped at the redhead who was now a little more relaxed with this 'recognisable' Hermione he was now sharing a room with.

Ron rubbed his knuckles against his chest and then tapped his head before making a gripping motion towards his chest with both hands.

"It isn't your problem Ron, it's our problem, do you really think I like hearing that you're just dropping like a stone randomly for no reason whatsoever?"

Hermione tried to stop herself. This wasn't supposed to be what this evening was all about. Neville told her to just put all that aside, all her worry and anger at being protected from it, and let Ron relax for a few hours.

"Look, I don't want to fight with you about this," she said as she moved towards him again and snaked her arms around him, "I didn't get rid of Harry for the night just so we could argue with each other in peace. I understand you're coming to St Mungo's with me tomorrow morning," Ron nodded and shrugged half heartedly, "well I'll fuss and worry and drive you crazy then okay?"

Ron laughed and curled his own arms around his girlfriend to hug her back. He kissed the top of her head before releasing Hermione to sign something. He pointed to himself and then flicked the tip of his nose with his thumb before shading both his eyes with his hands.

"It could very well be your lucky night," Hermione answered wickedly, "but the night is young so come and sit down on the sofa with me."

Hermione took Ron's hand and led him over to the comfortable but ugly as hell sofa and dropped herself down upon it, pulling him with her. They kissed for a minute or two before she withdrew her wand and flicked it at the fireplace, igniting a roaring orange fire and swishing her wand towards the kitchen to summon a large brown paper bag into her waiting arms.

Ron twirled his index fingers and pointed to the bag with a shrug.

"A treat for us," Hermione smiled as she plunged her hand inside the bag and felt around for something.

Ron banged the sides of his fists together while extending his index fingers and then gesturing between the two of them before waving his hand from left to right over his open palm.

"I always share Ronald Weasley!" Hermione pretended to be offended as she withdrew a large bag of thumbnail sized chocolate spheres and poured some of them into her cupped hand.

Ron's eyes darted from Hermione's wickedly twinkling eyes, to the raging fire and then back down to the chocolate marbles that were rolling around in her hand. He arched an eyebrow. He held up a closed fist and opened it before tapping his chin with the tips of his fingers, and then he pointed his finger into his cheek and twisted it before tapping the side of his cheek with it and grinned.

"Free food and a pretty girl," Hermione nodded as she picked up one of the chocolate marbles and tossed it up into the air and tried to catch it in her open mouth.

The chocolate bounced off her nose and fell into her lap, which Ron found greatly amusing. He took one and demonstrated how it should be done. He was being very cocky Hermione thought, and she was glad to see it. She'd rather spend the evening with a cocky teasing Ron then a moody stressed-out one that was for sure.

Ron tried to teach Hermione to juggle the tiny spheres before giving up and throwing several of them down the font of her blouse with an aim that suggested keeper wasn't his natural quiddich position. Hermione fumbled down her top in an attempt to fish them out but Ron decided that he put them there so it was his duty to retrieve them. He looked very serious and pointed at himself before bringing his fingers together and pointing them down Hermione's top.

"What do you mean you're going in?" Hermione said as she clutched her blouse closed around her neck with a fearful giggle.

Ron pointed at Hermione's top and made a gripping motion towards his chest with both hands to inform her that 'they belong to me'.

"You threw them down there!" Hermione squealed as Ron began to play fight with her to retrieve his missing chocolate, "It's your hard luck if they're lost forever isn't it?"

"Harry," Percy said stiffly while giving him nothing more than a nod as he passed.

"Percy," Harry said in a similar manner.

"Boys," Mrs Weasley warned them, "I don't want any of that grudge holding in my house thank you very much. Now Percy has said sorry for his misguided loyalties during the war and Harry has nothing to apologise for Percival Weasley. He saved your brother's life plenty of times when you weren't around to see it..."

"It's hard to see anything with your head up Cornelius Fudge's arse," Fred muttered and Harry and Ginny smirked.

"So there will be no more guilt laden on this poor boy for something that was never his fault to begin with!" Mrs Weasley finished.

"Whatever you say mother," Percy said darkly as he cast a sideways glance at Harry and Ginny pulled her boyfriend into the living room and away from any more unpleasantness.

"Really Harry, you've got to learn to just shrug him off like the rest of us do," Ginny said as they settled down in front of the dying embers that smouldered in the fireplace.

"So how d'you think it's going back at your place then Harry?" George said from the doorway where he was leaning casually.

"What?" Harry feigned innocence.

"Oh come on!" Fred scoffed as he jumped into the empty armchair and put his feet up on the coffee table, "the only people who aren't here are Charlie..."

"Budapest," George said, explaining his brother's absence from supper that evening.

"...Bill and Fleur..." Fred added.

"Married and therefore having their own family night," George said with a waggle of the eyebrows.

"...and ickle Ronniekins and his girlfriend," Fred said as he folded his arms smugly.

"Now I can't imagine what they're doing while you're stuck here with bossy boots over there," George sighed before ruffling Ginny's hair into a messy haystack on top of her head.

"Oi! I'll show you bossy if you don't knock it off, both of you," Ginny snapped and waggled a warning finger wildly while straightening her hair again.

Fred lowered his legs from the coffee table and sat forward in his chair while George sat down on the armrest beside him.

"Seriously Harry, what's going on with Ron these days?" Fred said with a frown.

"Remembering that we know a lot more than you'd have us know that is," George said with a glance toward his little sister.

Harry spun on his girlfriend with annoyance.

"You told them?"

"I needed to tell somebody and Percy really doesn't need another reason to persecute you does he?"

"And mum would implode," Fred shrugged, "so come on, spill, how was he today?"

Harry flicked his wand and closed the living room door. George cursed under his breath and leaned in as close as he could without touching his siblings or Harry's foreheads.

"Shit this must be serious."

"Well he was fine all day. No problems other than a very mild headache while talking to the seer girl, he didn't go anywhere near that sapper guy and he was right as rain right up until we were about to leave."

"Then what?" Fred said.

"Then he was just walking towards me at the front door and slammed face down on the floor like that," Harry clicked his fingers, "out cold."

Ginny took Harry's hand and gave it a tight squeeze while Fred and George thought for a moment and then looked back at Harry.

"The seer wasn't around?" Fred clarified.

"In her room at the other end of the corridor," Harry said with a shake of the head.

"And the sapper arsehole wasn't pointing at him again?" George said.

"He was in the room Ron was passing the doorway of but he was all the way over by the window and he was fast asleep guys," Harry said with a new worry line forming on his forehead, "the nurse thinks Ron could have some magical treatment that was left behind after…well from when he was in hospital."

Harry's head dropped. He hated to remind himself of that time. He wasn't there for Ron during his recovery. He was in a secluded ward feeling sorry for himself and refusing to see visitors or speak to anyone. He looked up when he felt Fred patting his arm firmly.

"Don't beat yourself up about that again mate," Fred smiled.

"Fred, George," Harry said as he sat up straight in his seat, "Ginny, did the healers do anything to Ron that you think might still be with him. Something that even Ron doesn't know about because I really don't think he's lying to us about taking potions or being under enchantments or anything."

Fred exhaled air and blew his fringe up in the process while thinking back. George was shaking his head with a furrowed brow similar to the one Harry was currently cultivating on his own head.

"It's been so long now Harry," Ginny said eventually, "if there was a slow acting spell of a time release potion surely it would have run its course by now. He doesn't even go in for check ups on his throat anymore does he?"

"The healers told him he was all clear and needed no extra treatment six months ago," Fred said while shaking his head.

Harry sighed and sat back in his seat, Ginny fell back with him and settled her head upon his chest. Fred and George smiled at the two of them but seemed to silently decide not to start teasing them right now.

"So Ron and Hermione are going at it are they?" Fred said with a fearful look in his eyes, "I've been on the wrong side of that woman myself and she is terrifying!"

"Poor Ronnie eh?" George said with a shake of the head, "come home from a hard day at work to an all night long bollocking from your girlfriend."

Harry turned his head and saw that Ginny was struggling not to laugh.

"Oh yeah," Harry agreed with the twins, "I bet he's really suffering."

For the past fifteen minutes Ron and Hermione had been playing hangman and Ron was losing by eight games to three. He didn't seem to mind though.

"I win again! Time to clear the board," Hermione said with delight.

Ron put his little finger to his chin and pulled it away sharply with a smirk.

"You're right to swear," Hermione laughed as she leaned over and began to lick the chocolate off Ron's bare back, "you suck at this game!"

Ron tapped the side of his head with his thumb before shrugging, shaking his head and pointing at himself between the eyes. Hermione leaned over and whispered into his ear.

"You don't mind losing? Since when may I ask?"

Ron rolled over and pulled Hermione down on top of him.

"Wait, you're smearing our game all over the carpet!" Hermione giggled.

She wasn't really sure how she had come up with the idea of drawing on Ron's back with her sticky chocolaty fingers but she had thoroughly enjoyed both noughts and crosses and then hangman, she thought the cleaning of her canvas was her favourite part of all. Ron kept grumbling about having only just got out of the shower and now needing another one again so soon afterwards but she kept protesting that she wanted one more game and he didn't put up much of a fight before giving in.

"No more games?" Hermione pouted, mocking a certain ex girlfriend of Ron's in a way that used to make him shudder.

Ron pointed at himself and then stroked the underside of his chin with the back of his hand. He'd had enough. The two of them snuggled into each other on the floor in front of the fire and absentmindedly played with each other's hair while staring off into space. Ron was the first of them to shake it off.

He tapped Hermione on the shoulder, causing her to jump slightly, and he put his thumb and forefinger to his eye and moved them apart before pointing at Hermione and giving her the thumbs up.

"I'm fine Ron," she murmured as she shifted around and slid her arms around him to hold him tightly to her, "I'm just wondering how fat I'll be after tonight that's all."

Ron laughed and kissed the top of her head. She knew he didn't buy it for a second, he knew that she was worrying about him going back to the clinic. She was fretting about what the tests would find and tying herself in even bigger knots at the thought that they'd discover nothing and have no reason for Ron's dizzy spells and painful migraines.

She looked up at him and saw that his eyes were closing. He seemed to feel her staring at him and opened them again and smiled.

"How are you?" she said, rebounding his question on him.

Ron lifted his arm away from Hermione to make a downward motion with his hand like he was pressing something heavy away from him.

"Tired?" Hermione asked and he nodded.

Ron sat up and pointed at Hermione with a frown as he made a triangular shape with both hands.

"I'll go home if you want me to," she said as she too sat up and took Ron's hand in hers.

Ron leaned forward and kissed her briefly, he tasted of chocolate and she chuckled into his mouth which caused him to silently laugh as well, before pointing at her and bringing his fingers together and nodding towards his bedroom door.

"That sounds like a better idea," Hermione nodded and they untangled their limbs from each other and got to their feet.

Ron took her hand and led the way to his room. She pulled back momentarily to lean over and pull a chocolate frog from the large bag and grinned wickedly at Ron.

"One for the road."

Harry waited outside the room of Hermione's boss Healer Kalra as he gave Ron a full examination and tried to find any kind of lingering magic dwelling in him that the sapper could have been subconsciously manipulating. He jumped as the door creaked open and Ron and Hermione stepped out, listening to the healer as he explained his findings to them.

"...a single thing wrong, don't look so disappointed about that Miss Granger, that's a good thing y'know?" he smiled and gave her a small hug of reassurance.

"Oh I know it's just," she didn't really have anything more to say and just petered off into a shrug.

"You wanted a reason for what's been going on so you can work on fixing it. I know."

Ron glanced across at Harry and smiled at him before pointing at himself and giving the thumbs up.

"That's great Ron," Harry said hoarsely, he too wanted some form of explanation for his best friends sudden collapses lately.

"There is definitely no foreign potions or toxins in your blood, there are no charms, spells or even shadows of spells performed long ago anywhere in you Mr Weasley. Priori Incant-" the healer was interrupted by Hermione.

"No shadows of spells, no traces of past healing magic used over the years, but there could be something we've missed couldn't there?" she said frantically.

Ron heaved a deep sigh and pulled Hermione to one side and began to sign his reassurances that this was all good news and there was no need for her to tie herself in knots with worry over him anymore but she was still biting her lip anxiously and frowning up at him as if expecting him to faint any moment now.

Ron hugged her and she hugged him back, a little reluctant to let go of him as he pulled back to say something more to her. He put his hand on his chest, fingers splayed and a pained look on his face as he moved his palm away from his chest and pointed from his own eye to Hermione.

"I know you do Ron I'm sorry," she said as she tried to force herself to smile at him.

Ron shook his head and held both hands on either side of his face before pointing from Hermione towards himself and brought the tips of his fingers together on both hands and twisting them slightly with a mischievous smile on his lips.

"What's he saying?" Healer Kalra whispered into Harry's ear while Hermione laughed and threw her arms around Ron's neck.

"He just told her he hates seeing her like this and to stop worrying and kiss him," Harry grinned.

Jess was frustrating the hell out of Ron that afternoon. Every time he tried to get her to talk about her fear of magic and her own power Jess turned the subject around to Ron's welfare and speculation on what was causing his fainting fits as she called them.

"They're not fits," Harry translated while chuckling at Ron's annoyance and attempting to avoid the prods to his side that Ron kept administering for finding his frustration so amusing.

Ron huffed and raised both his hands to get their attention before gesturing to the two of them and holding up his palm firmly, hovering his hands on either side of his head and then stabbing his index finger into his own chest.

"Can you both stop worrying about me?" Harry said as he struggled not to smile.

"No of course we can't!" Jess said matter-of-factly, "Now what else did the healer say?"

Ron threw his arms up into the air and stomped out of the room. Harry laughed and Jess giggled.

"It's fun to annoy him isn't it?" Harry said and she chuckled and nodded her head, "So you had another vision last night then?"

"Yeah," Jess said, her mirth disappearing rapidly, "I'm beginning to wonder why I'm having reoccurring visions, it's never happened before."

"Maybe it means it's not something that's pre-destined but something that somebody wants to happen?" Harry speculated.

"No," Jess sighed and shook her head sadly, "everything I see happens eventually in one way or the other."

"You could be seeing something that you stop from happening, that might be why you're seeing it so often, if you warn us enough then the person you see burning can be saved."

"Maybe," Jess said doubtfully.

"Come on, I like this idea, tell me more about the details. How old is this guy?"

"Well he's about nineteen or twenty I think, he's got red hair and..."

"What?" Harry interrupted as his face drained of all colour.

"He's young and he has red hair and there's this bright white light that turns into a fire that's burning him. There's a woman who appears behind him, like she's coming out of the flames and she's the one who's burning him."

Harry silently prayed that this was simply a coincidence. There were lots of red haired people in the world, why did it have to be Ron? It was stupid of him to jump to that conclusion right away. He only thought that because he was worried about his best friend. Jess' vision had nothing to do with Ron, nothing at all. Despite the fact that touching Ron triggered them and hurt him and he kept collapsing while visiting the very place Jess lived.

"It can't be," Harry whispered to himself.

"What?" Jess said as she stared into the space just slightly to the left of Harry's actual face.

"Nothing, it's just...no nothing. Go on, what was the woman like?"

"She's a witch, I don't know how I know but I do, and she's very powerful. She's strong and clever and she keeps trying to perform magic but she can't, she burns the young man and she sends yellow lightning through him and right at me and...she doesn't look old but I know she is. She's really old. She has black hair and a few lines on her face but she's still quite pretty. Scary but pretty and she's wearing robes and a bodice of what looks like armour. It's like a ghost from the past come to life again."

Harry nodded before realising that this was of no use to Jess whatsoever and cleared his constricted throat.

"That's okay Jess, you've done really well for today, I'll leave you alone now and go and find Ron."

Harry got up from his chair and turned towards the door.

"Harry?" Jess called after him.

"Yes?"

"Look after him won't you? I've heard people talking and I think it's that awful sapper man who's hurting him. Keep him away from him won't you?"

Harry swallowed and leaned over to pat Jess on the shoulder.

"I've made it my life's work to look out for Ron, don't you worry about that."

"So Verity is carrying this stack of boxes that's towering about three feet above her head," George was chuckling as he retold the story of Verity, Fred and the three broken legs to Bill who was sitting at the dinner table chewing a mouthful of food that seemed to be too much for one mouth, "and Fred's running down the stairs declaring that he's cracked the formula for the temporary x-ray vision charm..."

"What's x-ray vision?" Mrs Weasley frowned as she dished up the dinner onto everybody's plates.

"It's a muggle thing Molly," Mr Weasley said eagerly, "they take photographs of bones through the skin, it's quite wonderful!"

"Why on earth would anybody want to take a photograph of a bone in the first place?" Charlie snorted, he had just returned from Budapest that afternoon.

"Can you let me finish the bleedin story?" George snapped as he waved his fork in the air and Fred leaned over and stole the roast potato that was speared on the end of it.

"It isn't like taking a family photograph Charlie," Percy said haughtily, "muggles do it when they think a bone might be broken. They x-ray it to see."

"Who asked you?" Fred said with a mouthful of roast potato and a scowl.

"Zey take a picture of eet razzer zen 'ealing za bone?" Fleur said with a shake of the head, "Zeeze muggles, zey are crazee!"

Bill smiled at his wife and fed her a bite of his roast beef while Ginny rolled her eyes at their never ending romantic displays.

"You'd think they'd get sick of each other once they were married just like mum and dad are but if anything they're worse!" the youngest Weasley grumbled.

"Ginny!" Mrs Weasley said as she dropped into her seat and looked quite offended, "Your father and I are not sick of each other."

"Oh you know what I mean," Ginny tutted and took a sip of pumpkin juice.

"Is anybody listening to my bloody story?" George bellowed indignantly.

"Fred language!" Mrs Weasley snapped.

"What? It wasn't me!" Fred protested with a hurt expression.

George was chuckling now and waving his empty fork at his twin brother.

"Ha ha! I love it when she does that. Hold on, where's my bloody potato?"

"Fred I've told you once I won't tell you again," Mrs Weasley threatened.

"It's still not me mother!" Fred huffed.

"Who was ganging up on you Ron?" Percy said all of a sudden out of absolutely nowhere.

The kitchen at the Burrow fell silent and all eyes turned to Ron who had been having a conversation with Hermione. Ron blinked and looked at Percy before holding both hands in front of his stomach with his fingers pointing upwards and then pointing at Percy, tapping the side of his head with his thumb and waving his fingers back and forth between himself and Hermione.

Harry instinctively began to translate Ron's query on how Percy knew what he and Hermione had been talking about when Percy sat up straight in his chair and put down his knife and fork on either side of his plate.

"I've been learning," he said nonchalantly.

Everybody around the table was silent for a second or two before Mrs Weasley exclaimed so loudly that Fleur and Ginny almost jumped out of their skins.

"Oh Percy dear that's wonderful!"

"Too little too late," Fred muttered under his breath and George nodded and scowled in Percy's direction.

"So anyway Ronald, pardon me for eavesdropping, but whom exactly ganged up on you at work today?" Percy said as he ignored the twin's glares.

Charlie turned in his seat and frowned at Ron, he and Bill were very protective of Ron when it came to people bullying him or patronising him ever since the 'incident' and Charlie wanted to know exactly what was going on too.

Ron was still staring at Percy with some suspicion but he answered all the same. He slid his palm over the other and pointed to his thumb, hit his curled index finger twice on his palm before making a 'y' shape with his thumb, forefinger and the index finger of his other hand.

"Harry?" Percy raised his eyebrows and seemed to be fighting not to glare at the person he took to be the bane of his baby brother's life.

Ron went on signing despite seeing this rising hostility. He drew a 'J' from his middle finger down his palm and hooked it up towards his thumb, pointed at his index finger, and then linked his little fingers twice in succession.

"Who's Jess?" Percy frowned.

"Jess is the patient we're working with," Harry said, readying himself for a confrontation with the bespectacled Weasley, "She was bossing him around and telling him to take better care of himself. We both were, we were 'ganging up on him' so to speak."

Ron smiled at Harry and Harry grinned back. Percy swallowed and looked back to Ron and rubbed his knuckles against his chest.

Ron smiled smugly and pointed at his head before pointing at Percy and rubbing his knuckles upon his own chest and gesturing to Harry.

"Yeah," Fred agreed, "I think you owe an apology to Harry too."

"Sorry," Percy said snippily, "I wasn't aware of the context of Ron's conversation."

"Well you shouldn't have been ear-wigging then should you?" George snapped.

"Fred will you stop antagonising your brother?" Mrs Weasley said with great annoyance.

"Oh that's it," Fred said with a huff as he got up from his seat, "I've had enough, I'm going for a walk! This is your son Fred storming out."

Fred thumped across the kitchen floor and out through the back door. George chuckled to himself and Charlie smacked him around the back of the head.

When dinner was over Mrs Weasley had the brilliant, or rather uncomfortable, idea to set Harry and Percy the task of washing up together while everybody else slouched about in the living room and tried to digest the heavy meal they had just eaten. It wasn't long before most of them were snoozing quietly.

Harry was washing while Percy dried and neither of them had spoken in ten minutes, and that was only to decide who did what job.

"So you've been learning sign language for Ron then have you?" Harry said eventually, the silence making him want to scream.

"Of course," Percy said, "did you really think I enjoyed not being able to communicate with my own brother?"

Harry huffed and shook his head as he shoved a plate into Percy's waiting hands.

"It's not like you to take on anything that wouldn't get you a promotion at the ministry that's all."

Percy gritted his teeth before responding.

"I am actually working as a translator in the ministry but that wasn't why I did it and you know it."

Harry snorted and wiped a teacup clean with his dishcloth and wondered why Mrs Weasley still insisted on this being done manually when it could all be over with in the flick of a wand and he could escape Percy's persecution.

"So you think that learning sign language makes up for it do you?" Harry said as he dropped the teacup into Percy's waiting hands.

"Listen Potter," Percy said as he lowered his voice and turned on Harry, who was delighted to have finally got into a position where they could argue in a straightforward manner, "I may have made a lot of mistakes and burnt a lot of bridges in this family but at least I never did anything to hurt them."

"I saw your mother's face when you returned your Christmas jumper Percy," Harry snarled, "Do you want to try saying that again?"

"I never did anything that almost killed them!" Percy spat viciously.

Harry wanted to punch him more than he had ever wanted to punch Malfoy in his entire life.

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me Potter," Percy slammed the tea towel down so hard it cracked like a whip and he faced off to the younger boy with his hands on his hips and a scowl fixed upon his face that it would have taken a chisel to remove, "For all the loyalty this family showed you, loyalty to you over me even, and what do they have to show for it? Ron and Ginny cornered by Death Eaters while you and your ego insist that your dream was real and Sirius Black is in the Department of Mysteries. Ron drinking lethal poison as a result of you haphazardly leaving drugged chocolate lying around, but never mind that eh? No because Harry saved the day with the bezoar! It was your bloody fault he needed saving in the first place!"

Harry blinked; he had never heard Percy swear in his life.

"And where were you ya great pompous prick?" Harry growled, "Where were you when Ron was stuck in the hospital wing with his arms covered in bandages? Where were you when he was recovering from nearly dying slowly and painfully on his bloody birthday? You didn't even send him a card!"

"I knew you were poisoning him against me, the whole family apart from mother, you were the golden boy and I was the outcast. They were my family first!" Percy said before looking away and shaking.

Harry refused to feel sorry for Percy. He tried to remember the empty space at the table every Sunday lunchtime. He tried to remember the look of Ron's face as he read that letter in the fifth year. He tried to remember Percy's smug face when Fudge thought he'd finally got Dumbledore out of Hogwarts once and for all. Percy was a prat, a hateful prat, and he didn't deserve sympathy any more than Harry did.

"You should've remembered that when Fudge asked you to sell them out for a promotion."

Percy turned back to stare at Harry with bloodshot eyes.

"You know what really takes the biscuit Harry?" Percy was speaking in a low tone of voice that sounded so raw a foreign coming from him that it rendered Harry temporarily speechless and he could only shake his head, "You made my entire family a target for You-Know-Who and they love you for it. All I ever tried to do was keep them safe and none of them can even look me in the eye unless they're telling me how much they hate me. I came to that hospital when I heard what you'd done to him...to Ron...and what did I find? I find my baby brother with a deep gash across his throat, unable to speak again for the rest of his life, and his family...my family, worrying about poor Harry and his guilt. You deserve to feel guilty."

Harry felt his throat closing up; he had no comeback for this. Percy was right about something for once.

"You butchered my little brother, during a battle you dragged him into, and then you left him alone to deal with the consequences all by himself while you curled up in a tight little ball of self pity and they all forgave you for it. Well I don't Potter, I never will."

"Neither will I," Harry finally said, a cross between a whisper and a choke escaping his lips as he spoke.

The rest of the washing up was done in complete silence.

Ron stood in the doorway of Jess' room with his arms folded. Harry tried not to laugh.

"What's going on?" Jess frowned as she reached out for Ron's vacant chair and felt that it was empty, "Where's Ron?"

"Ron's throwing a tantrum over last time and won't come in until you apologise to him," Harry chuckled.

"Aw really?" Jess grinned, "So he's outside waiting is he?"

"Yep," Harry said.

"And he won't come in until I say sorry for mothering him the other day?"

"Nope."

"Well close the door then Harry, I'm feeling a draft," Jess shrugged.

Harry shoved the door closed in Ron's face with his foot and shook with laughter. The door swung open again and Ron came in and sat down with a huff. Harry and Jess were in fits of giggles now and Ron rolled his eyes and jiggled his thumb and forefinger beneath his chin.

"He says we're very funny," Harry said as he clutched his sides.

"Oh I'm sorry Ron but you make it so easy to tease you sometimes," Jess explained.

Ron gave a tut and pointed from his ear away from himself.

"So I've heard," Harry grinned as he calmed himself down.

Ron got right to business and grazed his knuckles down his upper arm followed by linking his two little fingers and then stroking his cheek and then pointing to his wrist.

"So nurse Stour tells me you had a black time of it last night," Harry began while watching Ron continuing, "nightmares in between visions. Anything you want to talk about?"

"Not really," Jess shook her head.

"Um," Harry sat forward in his seat while Ron stared at him with curiosity, "was it the same guy you told me about before?"

Jess nodded. Ron frowned at her and pointed in her direction before tapping the side of his head with his thumb and stroking his chin with his hand.

"Do you know this man?" Harry didn't even want to speculate about the real answer to that question, he still hadn't confided in Hermione about his fears.

"Nope," Jess shook her head, "I don't know anybody with red hair."

Ron smiled and pointed at Jess, then tapped the side of his head with his thumb again and pointed at himself.

"You know me," Harry said, wondering if Jess or Ron were making any leaps inside their own head now.

"You're a redhead Ron, or is that Harry speaking for himself?"

"No that was Ron, I've got black hair Jess."

"Ooh, I'm building mental pictures of both of you now, Ron's coming off as the better looking one I have to say!"

Ron raised both his hands in mock celebration and Harry groaned before protesting this verdict.

"You're only saying that to suck up to him after yesterday!"

Ron grinned smugly and tapped his thumb to his head and pointed at Jess before rubbing his hands together. Then he gestured to himself, gave two thumbs up that rotated around each other before pointing at Jess.

"Shall I leave you two alone?" Harry scoffed before turning to Jess and translating, "Ron says he thinks you are wonderful and that you're his favourite patient here."

"See we both have great taste," Jess beamed.

Ron nodded before shoving Harry in the arm and pointing over his shoulder.

"He's throwing me out now," Harry pretended to sulk, "I guess that means it's my turn for the two against one treatment is it?"

"'Fraid so," Jess shrugged.

Ron was still chuckling at Harry when he winced suddenly, only for a brief second but Harry didn't miss it.

"Ron? Mate do you want to step outside for a minute or two?" Harry said as he put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Ron shook Harry's hand off and pointed at himself before giving a halfhearted thumbs up.

"Harry what's going on?" Jess said nervously.

"He's fine," Harry said while still examining Ron's face closely, "just a little..."

Ron yanked his note pad from his back pocket and slammed it down onto his lap so fast that Harry actually jumped with shock.

"Ron don't do this again, sign to me please," Harry said nervously.

"Is he...away again?" Jess asked fearfully.

"He's...he's writing something down. Let me just..." Harry craned his neck to read over Ron's shoulder.

"Should I press the panic button?" Jess said as she shuffled in her chair.

She has seen it but she doesn't know what she has seen. There are two links already. They will find out soon if they don't already know.

"Ron stop, put the pen down and look at me," Harry said firmly, "Ron talk to me, sign something to me. Who's in there with you?"

"I'm calling for nurse Stour," Jess said fretfully.

"Do it," Harry said as he looked up at Jess with fearful eyes and saw her feel along the wall to find the raised red button and press it.

Harry looked back down at the pad and saw something that made his stomach turn.

"Oh Godric Ron what's happening to you?"

Eu tenho que ser liberado.

Split entre duas prisões. Um eternal, o outro que enfraquece-se e que morre.

"What language is that?" Harry breathed as he held onto Ron who was shaking so violently now that it rattled Harry's bones.

Jess found her way back to her chair and reached out for Ron, feeling the air between them nervously.

"Ron you're frightening us. Please stop it," she said.

Livre a embarcação. Libere o refém. Deixe os captores queimam os prisions. Deixe a garra do Raven ir. Dê-lhe a paz.

Os filhos de Slytherin procuram os olhos, as orelhas e a boca trazer para trás os mortos. O filho de Gryffindor não pode sobreviver seu resurection. O fogo terminá-lo-á todo.

Just as nurse Stour and two of her staff ran into the room a drop of blood fell from Ron's nose and hit the pad as Jess' hand found Ron's forearm and she screamed a bloodcurdling scream while the pad slipped from Ron's fingers and he slumped in Harry's arms.

"Oh Godric no, please no," Harry pleaded to nothing and nobody in particular as he patted Ron on the side of the face to try and wake him up while the two nurses who had entered Jess' room with Stour ran to restrain her through her vision.

"Harry help me get him out of here," he heard Stour saying but all he could do was cradle Ron's limp body and shake him with panic.

"Ron wake up mate, please!" he begged as he wiped the blood from his best friend's freckled cheek.

"Harry we need to get him out of here and get him to St Mungo's now!" Stour barked with authority, "Pull yourself together and help me lift him."

Harry came back to himself a little and nodded. He pulled Ron's arm over his shoulder and Stour did the same on the other side. They dragged him out of the room and down the corridor while Jess' screams rang after them.

"She's burning him, she's killing him, you've got to stop her!"