Author's Note: So I got two very specific requests to post another chapter today, so here you go! :)

I still don't want to say anything about the plot, but I wanted to give fair warning. Take deep breaths now, because in the very near future it's about to get worse, and worse, and worse. I hope you'll brave it and keep reading. Enjoy!


Chapter 6

Ron nursed his beer in an empty booth on the far end of the Leaky Cauldron. He had certainly done his part this evening in getting a few free drinks, but he had to admit his brothers were much more motivated, especially Charlie and George, to help Bill avoid a week's worth of bedtime duties.

"Bestie!" Harry hollered as he rolled over to Ron's booth. Harry had really let himself go tonight. It was one of the few nights he'd seen his best friend truly relax and worry about nothing but his own pleasure and happiness. Ron tried to be his most joyful self, but there hadn't been much joy the past week.

He and Hermione seemed to be avoiding each other again. It didn't help that she looked so unbelievably tantalizing in her slinky outfit at the Burrow this evening. Just another reminder of what he couldn't have. Jeremy had stopped by the Stag for a while, but kept his distance from Ron. Ron imagined he felt uncomfortable after Jeremy and Hermione were canoodling. Hermione must have said something.

"How are you doing buddy?" Ron asked, putting his arm around Harry.

Harry drunkenly lay his head on Ron's shoulder and looked up at him, then began a long line of giggles.

"Oh, lord." Ron rolled his eyes.

"Shhh. Don't tell, but I got word the ladies are down by six drinks." Harry slurred. "The Italian Alps it is."

After another moment, Harry started again. "Ron, I want you to be this happy." Harry said lovingly.

"I don't think anyone should be that happy." Ron responded back to his friend tenderly.

"I mean, don't you want this with someone?" Harry asked, motioning to himself and Ron.

"I only want this with you buddy." Ron chuckled, though he knew what Harry was referring to.

"I love you man." Harry said losing his train of thought.

"I love you too, Harry." Ron responded, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "I don't think anyone in the world except you, could deserve my sister."

Before Harry started blubbering, they heard a loud noise come from the Floo.

Arriving in multiples, screams and hollers issued from the chartreuse fire. They craned their neck to see the ladies pour in. The semi-raucous Leaky Cauldron now turned into a full blown corral.

"Ginny!" Harry screamed as Ron helped push him up and out of the booth.

He watched as his sister locked eyes with his best friend. She crashed into a table as she slid towards him.

"Baby!" As soon as they were in reaching distance, they grabbed each other and locked lips.

Ron looked away, but grinned. His best friend deserved that love more than anyone.

"We won." Ginny sloshed towards Harry as they broke apart.

"Impossible." Harry slurred as they bungled their way over to Luna and Neville. Neville had appeared to have taken his job seriously and had a clear parchment of tick marks. Luna's giggling on the other hand proved she may have had more fun than expected. Ron couldn't hear them over the noise, but he could tell they were bickering about the validity of Luna's scoring.

"Hi there."

Ron turned to see Avery sitting in the seat across from him in his booth.

"Hey Avery."

"You missed quite a show tonight. Your sister really does know how to party."

"Don't remind me." Ron started.

"Why so glum, Sugarplum." Avery joked, as she grazed her hand over his. While she could hold her liquor he could tell she had also had one too many.

"S'fine." Ron smiled at her. He took a glance around the room unable to stop himself from looking for Hermione.

Avery watched him carefully.

"You don't have to worry about Kovac, we'll get him." She offered.

Ron did acknowledge that his smuggler escapee had been on his mind, but it hadn't been tonight. He chose to continue that line of thinking rather than discuss what was actually bothering him.

"Yeah, I just don't understand how my sources could spot him in two places across Europe at the same time." He said in hushed tones.

"One's got to have been lying." Avery assured him.

"I guess so." Ron responded by taking another sip of his butterbeer and glancing around the room yet again.

Ron didn't notice Avery tighten her lips and give him a hard stare.

"What, is my company not good enough for you anymore?" The joke came off more harshly than she intended.

"What?" Ron looked back at her in surprise. "Of course not."

Avery waited a moment. "What is it about her?"

"Hmm? Who?" Ron asked innocently, taking a long sip of his butterbeer.

"You know who." Avery sent back. "She doesn't care about you Ron, she's using you. Can't you see that? You're her backup until she finds her 'something better.'"

Ron frowned. While he hadn't been on the best terms with Hermione, he knew she would never use him.

"How many have you had to drink there, Avery?" Ron sidestepped with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"Stop Ron. I've been there by your side through it all. I've waited for you. How is it that I never measure up? What does she have that I don't?"

Ron sobered up and shifted in his seat. Avery had always turned everything into a joke, never got serious like this.

"I don't know." He whispered, almost apologetically.

Avery looked at him forlorn, then grabbed the rest of her butterbeer and chugged it down. She got up out of the booth and with a final look at Ron, nodded, turned and hollered party calls as she rejoined the Harpies who she had made fast friends with.

Ron sulked even further into his booth. How had he managed to chase away the two women who had ever truly cared for him?

Another few minutes passed as he watched the crowd. The Floo had stopped igniting and it appeared that all of the ladies in the group had arrived, all except for Hermione.

He continued to watch as Harry's Auror buddies and their school friends (loudest of all Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan) and Ginny's Harpy teammates plaster together in a mosh pit of laughter, random snogging, and off-key singing. Luckily, the Leaky Cauldron had welcomed them as their final destination, explaining that any day Harry Potter wanted to celebrate, they would always be the place for it.

The owner of the Leaky had even set a perimeter around the place for the evening, keeping away all journalists and photographers at Ron's request.

Ron's curiosity and concern continued to rise with every minute Hermione wasn't visible. Finally he rose from his seat and made his way to the edge of the group of loud-mouths.

"Hey Luna."

"Ron!" Luna hollered. "We won, see!"

She flung the parchment in Ron's face. It had hundreds of random tick marks in all directions. Some squiggles across the page.

"She obviously cheated." Neville said, crossing his arms.

Ron ignored the comment knowing that Ginny was planning to claim victory no matter the outcome.

"Have either of you seen Hermione? Did she head home early?"

Luna gave an exaggerated 'thinking' look as she put her finger to her chin in contemplation.

"She was at The Phantom Carriage last time I saw her, but she definitely didn't say goodbye." Luna explained, looking up at the ceiling as if the answers were there.

"Odd for her, I'd say. Ooh! Maybe she was kidnapped by the Headless Horseman? He's said to wander those parts at night." Luna ended the sentence with a hiccup.

Despite Ron's hesitance to talk with Hermione, his concern for her safety never once faltered in all their years together. Every night she was on her two-year research stint he thought about her, and worried for her. When Harry told him about her plan to stay at the Werewolf Commune he nearly broke Auror protocol to go get her and bring her back.

"I'll just go check." Ron said nonchalantly as he made his way straight to the Floo.

Entering The Phantom Carriage was a significant change from the current state at the Leaky Cauldron. The place was nearly empty, with what looked to be a few regulars finishing up their last drink before heading home.

"Lookin' for your woman?" The barkeep called over to Ron as he dried a pint glass behind the bar.

Before Ron could answer, the barkeep pointed his head toward the bathroom. "She's been in there nearly an hour. Figured someone would come looking for her eventually. Always have one drunken mess after a party like that."

Ron felt his legs move on their own accord as he darted towards the bathroom. Even before he made it to the door he could hear a horrendous retching sound.

"Hermione." Ron called. He didn't wait for an answer.

Ron pointed his wand to the door. "Alohamora."

He heard the tell-tale click and quickly opened the door.

Ron took a long stride over to Hermione, who was pale-faced leaning over the toilet releasing all of her stomach contents. He tried to keep his composure as the rancid smells enveloped him.

"Merlin's beard, Hermione, are you okay?"

"Ron." He heard her say weekly between heaves.

"I'm taking you to the hospital." He said instinctively, putting his hand around her shaking shoulder.

She shook her head. "Please, just help me get home." She managed to get out.

"Okay." Ron said, debating whether to ignore her wishes and go straight to St. Mungo's. He knew why she didn't want to. The papers would have a field day. "Just tell me where you live and I'll apparate us."

Hermione didn't have time to respond before another round of heaving erupted.

Ron thought for a moment, then made up his mind. Pooling all his mental energy, he pulled her into his arms after her heaves paused. Destination, Determination, Deliberation.

In an instant, he found himself, holding a gaunt Hermione in his arms, in the middle of his flat.

"Lumos." His wand glowed and he half-carried, half-guided Hermione to his bathroom.

"I'm going to get you some water and a change of clothes." He said gently, pulling some hair out from over her face as she laid her head on the toilet.

He sent a thankful prayer to the heavens that he had cleaned his flat just two days ago on a dull afternoon.

Hermione gave a half-nod as he backed out of the bathroom and raced to the kitchen for a glass.

"Aguamenti." The cup filled with water as he paced quickly to his dresser for a shirt.

For better or for worse, based on the sounds that were coming from the bathroom, it appeared that what could come up had already done so and now she was just working through a few dry heaves.

He went into the bathroom and kneeled down next to her, and slowly rubbed circles on her back. Between bouts, he gently helped her pull off her vomit stained shirt, and pulled his most comfortable Chudley Cannons cotton t-shirt over her head.

After another twenty minutes of silent heaves and slow sips of water, Hermione's body relaxed and she finally pulled her head away from the toilet.

He watched as she avoided eye contact, but inched towards him and curled herself into his chest. Both sat on the floor against the wall in silence. Ron rested his head on her curls and closed his eyes as they sat there.

"Thank you for coming for me, Ron." He heard her whisper after a while.

"Always."

Another ten minutes in silence and Ron could tell Hermione was dosing. With a gentle nudge, he managed to help her up and guide her to his bed. She looked exhausted and Ron wasn't about to send her home in this state. She managed to shimmy her skirt off under the Chudley Cannons shirt, in which she was swimming. He pulled his bed covers open for her.

She hobbled herself into his bed and curled her legs under. He placed the covers on her and tucked her in. It only took a moment until her eyes rolled shut and she emitted a small snore.

"Night Hermione." He whispered, then grabbed a pair of pajama pants and walked into the living room to get some shut-eye on his couch.