'Hermione; please... come down?'

Hermione stuck her hands over her ears, and tried to block out Ron's voice.

She was hiding at the top of a bookshelf, pressed up against the wall.

'I know you're up there,' Ron said. 'Please don't block me out like this; your form destabilising probably didn't have anything to do with me being here.'

Hermione knew differently, though; her ghost form has started destabilising at the exact moment her heart (or, more accurately, the place where her heart would be if she was still human) started pounding after sharing a smile with Ron.

She hated keeping away from him, but she was terrified that if she continued to be around him, she would likely lose her ghost form completely. And then she wouldn't ever see Ron again.

That was a fate worse than just cutting herself off from him.

'Hey, it's that weird ghost girl…'

Hermione blearily opened her eyes. Several first years were staring up at her from further along the bookcase.

'Yeah, the creepy one who keeps shushing people when they talk too loud…'

'Oy!' said Ron, angrily. 'That's my friend you're talking about!'

The first years hurried off, looking scared as Ron glared after them.

Thud.

Hermione shut her eyes, as the heart palpitations began again, and her ghost form flickered around her.

She desperately tried to concentrate on anything else, as the world swam around her.

'I'm just worried about her, Gin; she's been hiding up at the top of the bookcase for several hours. I thought maybe you could help me calm her down.'

'Ron, I've never met her before.'

'Still, I thought it would be good to have a second voice of concern here. She is really upset.'

'Ron, don't take this the wrong way but…'

'What, Gin?'

'Do… do you fancy her or something?'

Ron upended his ink bottle, and his ears went pink.

'Mind your own business,' he mumbled. 'You don't see me going on about your crush on Harry.'

'Fine,' Ginny said. 'Remember to send mum a card for her birthday, okay?'

'Yeah, yeah…'

As Ginny walked off, Ron began to mop up the ink he had spilled, grumbling as he did so.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Hermione felt her ghost form swirl, as she desperately tried to focus her mind. She sank through the bookcase she had been hiding atop, coming to a rest on the floor.

'Hermione?' Ron yelled, darting forwards towards her. 'Hermione?'

'I… I…' Hermione gasped, her form flickering like a malfunctioning lightbulb.

'Hermione, listen; my brother Percy -you remember, I sent a letter to him- he said that your body is being held in the department of mysteries. Apparently, you were moved there only a little while ago.'

Hermione felt her form stabilise. Ron breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

'Thank merlin; I thought I was losing you for a second there.'

'N-no, I'm fine,' Hermione stammered, as she rose a few inches off the floor. 'The department of mysteries, you say?'

'Yeah. We need to fly to London immediately; we can get to your body, and reunite you with it.'

'I… I can't.'

Ron stared at her, confused.

'What? Why not?'

'I'm tethered to the Hogwarts library. I… I can't move beyond a few feet outside it.'

'What- but-'

'You go, Ron,' Hermione said. 'Please, find my body and wake my real self up.'

Without thinking, Ron reached out and held her hand.

'You are your real self, Hermione.'

Hermione's cheeks blushed a delicate silver.

'T-take the floo network,' she said. 'It'll be quicker than flying.'

'Okay.'

Hermione watched as Ron hurried off, waving over his shoulder as he went. The bushy-haired witch waved back.

However, as Ron disappeared, a ghostly tear slipped out of Hermione's eye, trailing down her cheek.

I hope my real self will be able to fall in love with you again, Ron.