The Worst Nightmare
Chapter Seven:
"Everything gets old, everyone is dull
So I keep changing.
Everything is gay, everyone is fake.
So I can't hang around."
Walrus, Unwritten Law

"Mione? Wake up! Mione, wake up!" His voice filtered through her head as she regained consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open and she found herself in Ron's arms, looking up at him. Ron who was sitting on the floor with her cradled in his arms. Ron whose heart was beating, who was breathing. Ron was alive.

"You okay, Mione? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Harry stated as he loomed over her with a gigantic grin upon his face. He was laughing as she widened her eyes and sat up, staring at Ron. He stared back at her, a small smile playing on his rather pale lips. She reached out with her hand, wanting to touch him and prove to herself that he was actually there. That he was actually alive. She hesitated before making up her mind and going through with it. His skin was cold but there was warmth radiating from him. His skin was still the same smooth skin she had touched before. His eyes were still the same bright blue. His hair was the same red. He looked exactly the same.

Ron leaned into her touch, closing his eyes as he did so. He placed his hand over hers before leaning in and placing a small chaste kiss on her lips.

Severus watched from the corner of the room as he stood only a few feet away from Dumbledore who was looking quiet perplexed yet very happy. When Hermione had fainted, Ron had practically flown from his chair and had collected her in his arms before Severus had realized what was happening. As Ron leaned in and kissed her, Severus felt overwhelmed and looked away, towards the paintings of old head masters who were watching with awe written upon their painted faces. Severus sighed, running a hand through his greasy hair as he looked at Dumbledore. "I suppose Ms. Granger will not be needing anymore sleeping draught?" he asked, hoping to break the all too happy couple.

"Sleeping draught?" Harry asked as all four of them looked at the potions master. Both Ron and Harry turned and looked at Hermione who shrugged. "What would you need a sleeping draught for?"

"To stop the nightmares," she whispered, looking down at her hands as she played with the hem of her grey skirt.

"Nightmares! You didn't tell me you were having nightmares!" Harry exclaimed as he dropped to the floor next to them, grasping her shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, hating that his friend had been in pain and he had been too wrapped up in his own not to notice.

"Because it really only got bad last night," she stated. "And there was never really any time to bring it up today," she stated, giving Harry a small smile. "But that doesn't matter now. Everything is going to be okay now." Harry raised an eyebrow but nodded, letting go of her and backing off. Ron wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him in a hug.

"No Severus. I don't believe she'll be needing it," Dumbledore stated with a smile. "Well then, it is dinner time and no doubt Severus would like to get back to join his students. Slytherin had quiet a victory today," he stated with a playful smile. "Go on! I shall be down in a few. Severus, do stay. I wish to discuss some things with you."

The golden trio stood up, Hermione hooking arms with both Harry and Ron as they began to walk out of the office, talking and laughing like old times. Severus knew there would be a great commotion in the great hall. Everyone believed Ron to be dead. Seeing him walk through the double doors will no doubt give some a great fright. Severus sighed, bowing his head as he sat down in the chair waiting for Dumbledore to begin.

It was an eerie silence that greeted Hermione, Ron, and Harry when they entered the Great Hall. Every single pair of eyes seemed to be fixated on Ron right when they entered and if they weren't, they soon joined the rest. The silence that filled the hall gave many of the student's shivers as they stared at the boy who was supposed to be tucked away in a coffin. They weren't supposed to see him till tomorrow when they buried him in the ground. And even then, they wouldn't actually see him but stare down at the box in which he had lain.

And then, within only moments, the silence was filled my Ginny's voice as she jumped out of her seat at the Gryffindor table and rushed towards her brother. Ron caught his younger sister in his arms, holding her close to him as she sobbed into his chest. Ron could only smile and run his fingers through her hair as he whispered to her that everything was okay.

It now seemed that the Great Hall had come to life again, everyone talking about the strange return of Ronald Weasely. Some people broke out in cheers; others stared at him as if afraid that his head would pop off. But it didn't matter. Because Ron was alive. Soon Ginny had calmed down and was pulling her brother towards the table with Harry and Hermione walking behind them, huge grins upon their faces. No doubt people will ask questions. No doubt people will be scared. But once everything had calmed down, life would return to normal. And Hermione would be able to sleep without nightmares clouding her mind.

Ron ran a hand through his shaggy red hair, looking at his reflection. He scrunched up his eyebrows and glared at himself, frowning. "You look a bit pale, dear," the mirror stated in a motherly tone, one that reminded him of his own mother. He would be seeing her today. After all, the funeral was to take place today. It would be hard to have one without a body.

"Well, I have been dead for about four days so yes, I'm sure I do look pale," he stated, not glaring at his reflection but at the mirror whose surface rippled as if to imply that it shrugged. Ron sighed, running a brush through his hair. He didn't notice the small amount of hair that came loose from his scalp, nor did he notice his forehead bleeding as he left the bathroom without looking in the mirror again.

He entered the common room where Hermione and Harry were waiting for him. No doubt Ginny would have been there but she had gone to greet their family. Ron didn't know if his family knew that he was alive and well or if they still thought that he was dead. He only hoped that when they saw him they wouldn't freak out in any major way.

"Hey mate! You're bleeding!" Harry exclaimed when Ron's head came into view. A small trickle of blood was running down his nose. It startled Harry at first but Hermione has quickly produced a tissue and cleaned the cut, healing it with the flick of her wrist. "Didn't you feel it?" Harry asked as he looked at his best friend, raising an eyebrow to him. Ron shook his head as his fingers traced the trail of blood that had been there.

"Nope. Weird. You think I'd feel something wet on my face. I can feel my fingers. So it must be nothing," he stated with a sigh. He again ran his fingers through his hair, shaking his hand to rid the few strands of hair that had shed from his scalp. Harry took notice of this too. Of course, it would take a while for Ron's head to start showing that he was shedding more than usual because of the thick of hair he had. But Harry decided to keep a close eye on his friend. If something was wrong, they needed to figure it out quickly and fix it. He was not going to lose his best friend, not again.