Chapter Nine

The first month at Hogwarts felt like an eternity. She had never been so miserable. She watched as Harry waged war with Umbridge and Ron struggled with his work load. Fred and George were focussed on selling their skiving snackboxes for Weasleys Wizard Wheezes and she found herself reprimanding them more that she should have, just so she could be near Fred. His eyes would stare woodenly at her each time, not betraying anything of his thoughts. But the connection was still there. That invisible beam that drew them towards each other in a crowded room. Hermione had to consciously stop herself from staring at Fred on numerous occasions. But he wouldn't say a word to her.

"I wish you would just give up with all this elf rubbish" moaned Ron, bringing her mind back from Fred.

"Excuse me?" She said in a cold voice.

"I'm over here, buried in homework and your sat there knitting hats for them. It's not fair, you're my best mate, your meant to help me."

"If you had listened in class instead of playing cards under the table with Dean then you wouldn't need my help" she said waspishly. "And for your information, this 'elf rubbish' has just received confirmation that S.P.E.W will be discussed at the next committee meeting in the department of Magical Creatures." She stood up and stormed upstairs. She was furious. She had pushed Fred away to spare the feelings of that moron. She was an idiot.

She didn't talk to Ron for a few days and actually found it a relief. Without having to help him with his work and being more efficient on prefect duties as she walked a few paces faster and ignored him, she had more time to knit more hats and socks for the elves. She also had time to think about how they were going to learn defence against the dark arts with that old hag teaching them. It was on prefect patrol one night when she turned to Ron and asked him what he thought about Harry teaching them defence. Ron looked so shocked at being acknowledged that he instantly agreed with her. She rolled her eyes as she turned back around saying "I think it would be really good, he knows loads of defensive magic that we don't, and he's calm enough to be able to teach I think. What are you doing?" Ron had grabbed her arm and spun her round so her back was to the wall. She tried to pull her arm out of his grip but he held fast.

"Just a second, Hermione." Ron looked nervous as he took a deep breath. "well, the thing is.. I've been thinking, and I wanted to say… well I think its about time that we.. well.. that we.. you know…" he trailed off looking hopeful.

"No Ronald, I don't know what you mean" said Hermione. She thought that it would be best if they could get Ron's feelings out in the open so that she could let him down gently.

"Well, its like I said last year. You're a girl. And I'm a boy. And we are both Prefects"

"Oh very astute" said Hermione, her voice colder than before "just spit it out Ron"

Ron lunged at her. He pushed her back against the wall with such force that all the breath whooshed out of her. Winded she collapsed forward where Ron was waiting with puckered lips. His lips smashed into hers as she desperately tried to suck oxygen into her lung through her nose. She tried to push Ron off, but he had a vice like grip on her arms, his body pressed hers into the cold stone wall. She couldn't breathe. She tried to make a noise of protest but Ron took her tiny sob as a sign of pleasure and doubled his efforts of inserting his tongue into her mouth. She was getting dizzy now as real panic seized her. Her last thought before she passed out was of Fred.

Fred was sitting by the fire brooding over Hermione. She had looked stressed at dinner and he was wishing he knew what was bothering her. He mentally shook himself, it was none of his business what was going on in that curly head of hers. She had made that perfectly clear.

"Why the long face?" asked Alicia as she came and lifted his feet, sat down on the other end of the sofa and laid his feet back down on her lap. He frowned at her.

"What?" He said rudely.

"You like you could use someone to cheer you up" Alicia said, a hopeful look in her eye. Fred considered her. Alicia was very pretty, and obviously keen. George was spending most of his time with Angelina, and he really could do with being cheered up. But not from Alicia, Fred thought. It was a certain curly haired witch he wanted to cheer him up. He stood suddenly.

"Your right, Alicia. I'm miserable. I'm going for a walk. See you around." Fred hurried out of the portrait hole, leaving Alicia looking crestfallen on the sofa. He was halfway along the seventh floor corridor when he heard felt an overwhelming sense of panic fill him, he couldn't breathe. Stumbling against the wall he tried, unsuccessfully, to suck air into his lungs. The dyspnoea lasted just a moment before he was able to breath again and he took a few depp steadying breaths. The panic that had filled him felt familiar somehow. He tried to pinpoint the feeling, and he whispered "Hermione?"

He whirled around looking all about him. "Hermione?" He called out, confused. A growing sense of dread filled him as he started to jog down the corridor, what the hell had that been? He knew she was on Patrol tonight with Ron, so he thought his best bet was to stick to the normal patrol routes (which he knew well thanks to his and George's frequent need to avoid them). He rounded a corner and saw Ron kneeling next to Hermione who was in a heap on the floor, his heart stopped.

"Fred!" cried Ron, looking close to tears.

"What happened?" Said Fred harshly as he pushed Ron away from Hermione and his fingers fluttered over face and body looking for injuries. Finding none he raised his wand "Enervate" he murmured, pointing it at Hermione's chest. Her eyes flew open as she heaved a great breath then began coughing. Fred gathered her up into his arms and held her close. Ron hovered nearby looking relieved.

"Is she okay?" He asked anxiously.

"Ron, go finish your patrol, ill take her to Madam Pomphrey"

"But, I think I should stay with her, she needs me.."

"Ron." Said Fred in a dangerously icy voice. "Go." Ron noticed the set of Fred jaw and quickly mumbled something about needing to finish his rounds before hurrying away.

"Hermione?" Fred said gently "Can you stand?" He pulled her to his feet and wrapped an arm about her, helping her walk towards the hospital wing. This was the closest he had been to her since those stolen few moments in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. He breathed her scent in deeply. Hermione let Fred support her as they walked, she was crying silently to herself, tears sliding down her cheeks. When they reached the hospital wing, Madam Pomphrey promptly ushered Hermione into a cubicle and after a few minutes, let Fred join her.

"She's in shock." She said sternly. "I've given her a calming draught and a potion to allow her to have a dreamless sleep." She looked at Fred's white face as he stared down at Hermione and her features softened. "You may stay, for a while."

Fred dragged the visitors chair close to Hermione's bed and took her hand. He kissed her wrist softly as he looked at her peaceful face, serene in sleep. His mind went back to the feeling of panic that had been Hermione's, and he wondered how he had felt it. He had never heard of two people being connected like that. Well, except Harry and Voldemort. But this was different. He sat with Hermione for over an hour before Madam Pomphrey shooed him away. As he walked back to Gryffindor tower he focussed more on why Hermione had felt such blind panic. And he could only draw one conclusion. Ron.

As he had expected Ron and Harry were waiting up for him. Harry jumped up as Fred came clambering through the portrait hole.

"How is she? What happened? Ron said she fainted. Is she okay?" Harrys questions rushed out of him, genuine worry etched over his features.

"She's going to be fine. Madam Pomphrey is taking care of her." Fred said, his eyes on Ron. "And as to 'what happened' that's something I would like to know too."

Ron looked embarrassed, but almost pleased with himself as he said,

"Well we were kissing" His face was as beet red as he spoke and he shot a shifty grin at Harry and Fred, which neither returned. "and she was really getting into it, when she kind of just went limp and fainted" he shrugged. Fred couldn't speak for a few moments. He stared at his little brother who was looking so hopeful.

"So you kissed her and she fainted?" said Harry in a disbelieving tone. "Sure."

"Honest!" Said Ron. "I mean, maybe she was just overwhelmed, you know, its been a long time coming. Maybe she just couldn't believe it was actually happening." Ron shrugged again and grinned, "you know how emotional girls are".

"Or maybe" said Fred, his teeth gritted, "she didn't want to be kissed at all."

"Nah" said Ron, "I mean, I took her by surprise- I was nervous. And it was a bit rough, when we hit the wall, but it was passionate, you know" He stretched like a cat and settled back against the sofa arms spread. The sight filled Fred with a rage like he had never felt before. He took a few deep breaths and then left the two boys by the fire.