"Madame Pomfrey, please, just once? Ten minutes, please?" he begged.

"Mr Weasley-" began the nurse sternly but Ron interrupted again.

"Okay, five, then. Five minutes? Please?"

The nurse gave him a long, exhausted look.

"I'll just see her and leave, I swear," he beseeched once again.

"I told you already, she is sleeping," she replied, her eyes softening ever so slightly. "Why don't you come tomorrow?"

"I-" he started and stopped, struggling for words.

"This is the tenth time since morning I've had to tell you this, Mr Weasley," Madame Pomfrey said, her tone soft this time, "It was a nasty fall, she needs rest. And didn't you meet her once in the morning with Mr Potter and your sister?" she asked.

'Meet' isn't the word he would use. All he had done was stand behind in shock as Harry and Ginny spoke to her in soft whispers. He couldn't utter a word, just watched Hermione lying under the white covers in the hospital bed, fighting back tears and dread. A bruise was visible on her cheek and he didn't even dare ask how many cuts and scars would be there on her body; falling down an entire flight of stone steps wasn't a joke. She had broken a couple of ribs and had suffered a sprain on her left leg. He had roughly registered the school the nurse inform them that Hermione would spend at least a couple more days at the infirmary. Hermione looked frail and weak lying on the pristine white covers. Her eyes met him for a fleeting moment before she looked away, breaking his heart into a million pieces.

"Please, Madame Pomfrey," he tried again, stubbornly making up his mind to stay put outside the door the whole night if she didn't agree.

The nurse exhaled tiredly and gave him a long, contemplating look. "Alright, but only ten minutes," she said at last. She opened the door and Ron followed, pausing while she locked it from inside.

Together they walked up to the farthest bed, the only one occupied. As they came to a stop near the hospital curtains that hid her from view, Madame Pomfrey looked at him just once. "She'll be fine," she assured him kindly, still looking at Hermione's sleeping form and then giving him the smallest of smiles, pointing a finger at him. "Ten minutes only," she declared sternly.

"Thank you," he managed before looking away hurriedly.

He heard Madame Pomfrey mutter something under her breath before she let out a tiny chuckle and walked away to her chambers.

He waited till her steps died down before slowly walking to the bed. Hermione was lying on her back, one arm placed on her stomach over the covers. He noticed that the bruise on her left cheek had faded only barely.

Swallowing a sob that threatened to escape, he sat down on the lone chair next to her bed and allowed his tears to fall.

What the fuck had they done to each other?

He hadn't spoken to her in months, and he struggled to breathe as he continued to watch her. Craving to hold her once but berating himself for his selfishness. He had no right at this point but the craving to feel the warmth of her skin to soothe his jittery nerves was paramount. Ron carefully placed a tender finger over her fingers. Perhaps if his eyes weren't so glossed over by tears, he'd have noticed her waking up at his touch.

"Ron?"

His eyes snapped up at her and as her hazy image came into focus, he quickly managed to swipe his hand over his eyes.

"Hey," he choked out.

She let out a long exhale, took him in and parted her lips to speak. No words followed but a trickle of moisture rolled down the corner of her eyes.

He was out of his chair in a heartbeat. Hunched over her sleeping form, he placed his palm at the side of her head, momentarily mesmerised at the softness of her curls.

"Are you hurting?" he managed hoarsely, not taking his eyes off her, not bothering to hide his tears anymore. "Should I-" he looked around at the nurse's chamber, "Should I call Madame Pomfrey?"

She licked her parched lips and winced as her tongue swiped over a cut, swallowed thickly before muttering a small 'no'.

He patted her head tenderly, tucking away her curls behind her ear. He could breathe better now, he realised. The heaviness in his chest had subsided albeit only marginally. It did not mean that the pain was any less, neither was the regret. "Want a sip of water?" he asked.

She nodded just once.

He looked around and there was a jug of water and an empty goblet sitting on her bedside table. Filling the goblet half he turned back at her. "Will you be able to get up?"

Hermione tried but she could barely lift herself a little from her pillow before she collapsed back, closed her eyes and heaved. He knew she was barely there during the meal-times for weeks now and cursed himself internally. Why had he not taken better care of her? He should have kept aside all their differences - after all, nothing mattered more than her.

"Wait," he said softly and guiding his arm under her back, carefully picked her up till she was resting against his chest, his left arm wrapped around her arm. With her head against the crook of his neck, he brought the goblet to her lips and she took a few small sips and when she shook her indicating she was done, he placed the goblet back. When he tried to help her lie down, she grabbed his arm, met his eyes pleadingly and shook her head a little.

"Stay?" He would have even if she didn't ask but now, he knew he wouldn't leave no matter who asked him to.

"I will," he told and pulled her closer. Hermione let out a soft sob before curling against him and closing her eyes.

Ron knew there was a lot that had to be said - months worth of complaints and hurt had to be erased away, years worth of longing to be expressed. He didn't even know how or why Hermione had allowed him to be with her tonight but a tiny seed of hope was now visible. When he thought about it if he had such a dangerous accident, would he still hold back a grudge against her? No, he would want to see her, be with her, hold her. Perhaps it was just the same with her?

Sighing quietly to himself, he pulled the cover to adjust it snugly over her and caressed her hair. She looked pale and undernourished and he vowed to himself that never again would he neglect her need. There was nothing that mattered more than her safety and if that meant being the first to apologise, he would do it, every time - all his life.

Her gentle breathing told him that she had fallen asleep and he wondered if his ten minutes were up already. There was no other patient in the infirmary and he hoped against hope for Madame Pomfrey to have forgotten about his visit. It was a long while before he gently placed her back, and that too because he was worried she was straining her already sore muscles. Once he went back to his chair, the nurse appeared as if summoned.

"Your ten minutes are up, Mr Weasley." Ron wondered if he was imagining it or her words were actually softer than before.

"Thanks," he muttered, hoping her kind eyes understood how grateful he was. With a last look at her sleeping form, he turned away. It was just a matter of a few hours, he reminded himself swallowing down his anxiety, he would be able to see her soon. If only the nurse would allow him to stay, he wished quietly, but he knew it would be asking for too much.

"Come back early tomorrow," Madame Pomfrey said suddenly when he had just walked out of the main door. "Can you make it before breakfast?" she asked and he felt she knew the answer already.

"Of course!" he replied, blabbering and unable to find words good enough to thank her.

"Good," she replied and paused for a minute before she spoke again. "Her injuries are all healed. She'll be better soon provided she makes sure to rest and have her meals properly."

Ron opened and closed his mouth and nodded, his ears turning red. The only time he had heard the nurse give such an explanation about her patient was when he was injured at the Ministry and his parents had come down.

"I'll take care of that," he told her, wished her night, feeling immensely thankful and headed towards the Common Room. He would never tell anyone but it felt as if the nurse acknowledged him as Hermione's family.

Hopefully, one day he would truly earn that place.