Hey peeps, no the story isn't finished, obviously cos this is a new chapter. I won't finish it too fast, there's some issues to resolve, namely Malfoy, and Ron adapting to his new freedom. It would have been up sooner but ff was palying silly buggers last night so it wasn't my fault!
Let me know what you think ;)
Step XxXxX ;)
Chapter 38
The two times that Harry had walked through the ward after they had performed the spells on Ron, he had purposefully not tried to find Ginny, so he didn't have to meet her eye.
As it was, Ginny had only noticed the curtains ripple once when Harry moved back through them after seeing Malfoy out of the hospital. Her heart sank as the minutes went on with no news from Harry or Hermione. Surely they should know by now? She thought desperately to herself, as she was ushered through the double doors and out of the ward.
As Hermione hurried out of Ron's cubicle she noticed Ginny's red hair disappear through the double doors and completely forgot about seeing Healer Thompson.
'Ginny!' she shouted as the doors swung shut. She started running through the ward. Healer Thompson looked up from his paperwork and looked startled as he saw Hermione running towards him. As she reached him he stepped towards her path.
'Miss Granger, please! Do not run through the ward!'
She ignored his pleas and pushed through the double doors.
'GINNY!' she shouted at the group of trainee Healers descending the stairs.
Ginny whipped her head round and stared at Hermione, eyes wide. Hermione beamed at her. A second later Ginny was running back up the stairs and through the ward to her brother's cubicle. Hermione followed her and before Healer Thompson had chance to chastise her again she shouted, 'he's awake' back over her shoulder.
Hermione carried on after Ginny and saw her wrench back the curtains and throw herself on to her brother.
Ron looked shocked for a second and then hugged his sister, smiling. Hermione saw her start to shake like she had done earlier.
'Calm down Ginny,' Ron said to her.
She pulled back from him.
'Don't you t…tell me to c…calm down, you lazy git!' she said half laughing, half crying.
Ron tried to look offended but smiled when he saw his sister smile at him.
'Don't you ever leave us again ok?' Ginny asked.
'Ok.'
'Promise?'
'I promise Gin.'
'Oh my goodness!' Healer Thompson said from the foot end of the bed, having just come into the cubicle. 'Mr. Weasley! How are you feeling?'
Ginny moved back from Ron and let the Healer walk up to the top of the bed.
'Erm…ok I suppose, I don't know really,' Ron replied quietly, not really knowing how he felt, he was just trying to take everything in.
'Would you three mind leaving me with Mr. Weasley so I can give him a check over please.'
'Of course we will,' Harry replied.
Ron's eyes widened.
'No! I mean, can't they stay?'
Hermione perched on the bed next to Ron.
'It'll only take a few minutes, won't it Healer Thompson?' she asked.
'Yes, a few minutes at the most.'
'We'll be back before you know it. And anyway we have some important news to tell a few people,' she added with a smile.
Ron smiled a small smile.
'Just don't be too long. I want to talk to you, I need to talk to you.'
'I promise,' she leant forward and kissed his forehead, 'I want and need to talk to you too.'
He pulled her into a hug and happiness radiated from the both of them. Hermione thought her heart might burst with happiness, she would have given anything to not have to move from where she was now. But she pulled back, knowing that if she had held on for a second longer she wouldn't have moved until someone physically took her from Ron's arms.
'I love you,' she whispered.
'I love you too,' Ron replied.
She smiled at him and slid off the bed. Ginny stepped up to Ron and gave him a hug.
'We'll see you soon,' she said.
'Really soon,' he replied.
'See you in a bit mate!' Harry said, pulling the curtain back so they could all exit the cubicle.
'See you Harry.'
Hermione, Harry and Ginny left the cubicle and walked to the double doors at the end of the ward.
'So who's telling who? Harry asked as they walked through the door.
'Harry, why don't you go to the Ministry and tell Dad, I'll go to Hogsmeade and tell Fred and George, and you can go home and tell mum, Hermione.'
'Oh, no Ginny, you should be the one to tell Molly. He's your brother and she's your mum!'
'Hermione if I go home, mum'll just set me off crying and neither of us'll be able to stop!'
'What makes you think I'll be any better?' she asked, tears trying to form in her eyes. 'See, I'm only thinking about it and I'm already nearly in tears!' she sniffed and wiped her eyes.
'Don't you're setting me off again!' Ginny replied smiling. 'Seriously Hermione, you should do it. I want to get some things for Ron from Hogsmeade anyway, and Fred and George will be able to help me with them.'
'Well, only if you're sure.'
'I am, come on, lets go.'
Hermione started to walk down the stairs and Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and led her the same way.
'Oh!' Ginny exclaimed as they were approaching the double doors to level two. 'On a completely different subject, I found out how you two were able to apparate into the hospital on Friday.'
'Was it only Friday? Merlin that seems like weeks ago!' Hermione said.
'You mean to say it wasn't our fantastically huge amount of magical power that got us through the wards?' Harry said grinning.
'No, I'm afraid it wasn't,' Ginny replied smiling, 'There are anti-apparation wards on the wards, wow, that's confusing…anyway, they are there at night but they're not very strong. It's in case of emergencies apparently; if Healers are needed and have been contacted at home or wherever, then it's faster if they can just apparate into the ward. Any normal witch or wizard would feel them and let themselves be pushed to the entrance outside, but apparently that was far too easy for you two.'
'Of course it was!' Harry said laughing.
They finished descending the stairs and left the hospital, Ginny ignoring the looks she was getting from her tutors and the other trainee Healers that were still waiting in reception. Once they were outside the three of them turned on the spot and apparated to their various destinations.
Hermione arrived in the yard outside the Burrow and looked at her surroundings. There was a breeze in the air and clouds filled every piece of the sky she could see. She watched the ever-moving clouds and took a deep breath stretching her arms out to the side of her. She couldn't remember ever feeling so happy. A huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders and she felt like she had been given a second chance.
She walked through the yard and when she reached the door knocked on the wood.
'Who is it?' Molly asked from the other side of the door.
'It's Hermione, Molly. Can I come in?'
She heard the clunk of the locks being drawn back and the door swung away from her.
'Hermione? What are you doing here, shouldn't you be at the Ministry? There's nothing wrong is there?' Hermione was about to open her mouth and tell Molly there was nothing wrong but she didn't quite get the chance. 'Is it Ginny or Harry, or someone else?'
'Molly, it's no one, everyone's fine, better than fine in fact. Can I come in.'
'Of course dear, I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me.'
'That's ok,' Hermione said as she stepped through the door.
'Can I get you anything. Tea? Pumpkin Juice?'
'No Molly I'm fine, can we sit down for a minute?'
Hermione was dying to tell Molly her news but she didn't think telling her whilst she was stood up or holding anything in her hands was such a good idea.
'Yes dear, please take a seat.'
Molly sat in one chair on one of the long sides of the table and Hermione chose the one next to her.
'So what is it dear?' Molly asked.
'Well I have a message to give you from someone.'
'Who?'
'Well he's quite tall, got a lot of freckles – especially on his nose – and bright red hair, and he's been in St. Mungo's for a long time now.' Hermione looked at her lap, knowing she would start crying if she looked at Molly. 'He wanted me to tell you to please bring him 'Quidditch Through the Ages' for him to read when you next visit.'
Hermione slowly lifted her head and looked at Molly. Tears had formed in her eyes but she had yet to say anything.
'He's awake?' Molly whispered, barely able to make her mouth form the words. 'He's woken up? My baby boy's awake?'
'Yes he is,' Hermione replied, beaming at Molly.
'Oh!' Molly cried, her tears spilling down her face. She stood up and pulled Hermione into a hug. Hermione could hardly breathe but she didn't care one bit. She couldn't help but cry, Molly was sobbing into her shoulder and it took all her resolve to not fall apart in the same way.
After what felt like hours but was only a minute Molly pulled away from Hermione.
'We've g…got to get to S…St. Mungo's, right away!'
'I'd say that was a good idea!'
'Just let me put my shoes on, and find my cloak.'
'Do you mind if I get him a few things from his room? Just for a bit of home comfort, you know,' Hermione asked whilst Molly was rushing around trying to find her other shoe, it having been separated from it's pair.
'No not at all dear.'
Hermione walked through the house and up the stairs to the top floor and to Ron's bedroom. She walked into the room and smiled. It was spotless; nothing like Ron would have it. She opened his wardrobe and took out his largest Christmas jumper with his initial on the front. She looked through the clothes for the top she had bought him for his eighteenth birthday. Granted turning eighteen wasn't a huge thing in the wizarding world, having already come of age one year previously, but Hermione still wanted to buy him something special. It was a Replica of the top the Cannon's wore under their robes when they played, and she had had 'Weasley' and the number one stitched into the back. Ron had loved it and wore it with pride; joking with everyone it was only a matter of time before the shirt would be real.
When she found the top she closed the wardrobe and walked over to Ron's bedside table. Remembering she still had Ron's wand she rummaged in her robes and replaced the wand in its rightful place. She had a slight panic when she realised they had yet to decide what they would tell everyone about Ron's awakening, but realised she could hardly do anything about it at the present time.
She picked up the one and only book on Ron's bedside table and smiled. She had made up Ron's apparent request to Molly so she had a less abrupt way of telling Molly what had happened, but still she thought Ron would appreciate the gesture.
When she arrived at the bottom of the stairs Molly was frantically searching for her wand. Hermione had to laugh; it was sat in plain view in the middle of the kitchen table.
'Why I have to lose it now of all times I don't know.'
'Er…Molly, your wand is on the table,' Hermione said.
Molly turned and looked at the table, then hurried over to the table. Before pocketing the wand she gave it a few flicks and Hermione heard doors lock and windows shut themselves.
'Ready?'
When they arrived in the ward Molly mirrored Ginny's previous actions and ran through the ward to Ron's bed, causing Healer Thompson to scowl, but he restrained himself and didn't say anything. Harry and Arthur were already there and when Molly wrapped Ron in a hug it was a good few minutes before she let him go. There was a happy aura filling the room and it was filled with laughter when the twins arrived with Ginny and a large variety of gifts from the joke shop, and of course a large bag of chocolate frogs.
After a few minutes Healer Thompson came in and reminded the party that visitors were supposed to be limited to four, he thought he was doing them a favour by letting them stay in the ward at all, seeing as though it was technically too early for visitors, but having this many people in the cubicle was pushing things a bit far.
Harry and Hermione left Ron with Fred, George, Ginny and Molly and retreated to the canteen with Arthur, who had given Hermione a look that told her he wanted to talk to her, and Harry too. Arthur bought them each a bottle of pumpkin juice and they sat around one of the canteen tables. Harry and Hermione exchanged nervous glances and took a drink from their bottles. Arthur looked at them in turn, knowing that the witch and wizard in front of him had had a huge part in his son's awakening.
