Disclaimer: All recognizable person, places and things are credited to JK Rowling and I'm making no $$$ is made from this fanfic. DH spoilers abound!!

Chapter 9- Good Lord, She's Drunk

As much as she loved academics, no one was more thrilled than Hermione when the testing week was over. After the last NEWT, she went home and sank into a hot bubble bath. Afterwards, she looked pensively at the Granger liquor cupboard and took out a bottle of wine. After the bubble bath, the wine would help her relax. She knew what else would help her relax, but he wasn't there.

I'll just have a small glass to take the edge off...

The Grangers came home late that afternoon to the sound of loud music from the den. They went there to find Hermione singing and dancing to the music. She was clutching an empty glass in her hand and they saw the half-empty bottle of wine on the piano.

"Good Lord, she's drunk," Ian said.

There was a knock on the back door and Ian went to answer it while Elizabeth stayed to watch Hermione, who was oblivious to anyone's presence. Harry, Ron and Ginny were welcomed into the noisy house and looked curiously at each other.

"It's Hermione," Ian said and led them to the den.

Ginny burst out laughing at the sight, Harry and Ron were in shock. Hermione twirled and sang a welcome to them in French when she saw them standing in the den doorway. Elizabeth pointed a remote control at the stereo to turn it off.

"I've been wondering..." Hermione said with a thoughtful look and tapped her nose. "Why does rain drop and snow fall? I mean, is there really a difference between falling and dropping?"

"Uh...I dunno," Ron answered.

"Did you know that it's bad luck to wear a hat in bed?"

"No, I didn't know that," Harry answered.

Now he smiled; Hermione was a funny drunk. She was still swaying to the sound of silence and preparing to ask another inane question or impart another pearl of drunken wisdom.

"Did you also know that in 1799, Count de Grisley was the first 'magician' (she quoted the word magician in the air with her fingers) to saw someone in half? That's not possible, you know, it defies all physical and magical laws of nature."

"That's fascinating, pumpkin."

Hermione continued.

"Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?"
"If drumsticks are used to play drums, then what are breadsticks used to play?"
"Does killing time damage eternity?"
"If you spend your day doing nothing, how do you know when you're done?"

Elizabeth stepped forward and put her arm around Hermione's shoulders to distract her while Ian deftly took the glass and wine from the room.

"Okay honey, while these are all good questions, I'm sure your friends would like to go to dinner, so thank them for coming by."
Hermione shrugged. "Hokay, thanks for coming by, but can Ron shtay?"

Ron talked quietly to Harry and Ginny. "You two go ahead, I'll be along soon, she's looking sleepy."

They left and Ron led Hermione to the sofa. "I don't think I did too good on my Charms test," she said sorrowfully.

Ron chuckled. "I'm sure you did fine, love," he said and laid her on the sofa. As far as he knew, only Flitwick and his mum were better at Charms than Hermione. He transfigured a pillow into a blanket and covered her with it.

"Are you going to stay with me?" she asked.

"MmHm."

"Good," she said and gathered the blanket under her chin and wriggled further into the cushions. It only took a few minutes of sleepy mumbling for her to fall asleep.

"That was relatively easy," Ian said.

"I'll be by later with a hang-over remedy," Ron said and left, kissing her cheek.

They really couldn't angry with her. "You've been through so much, pumpkin," Ian said softly and repositioned the blanket around her.

She woke the next morning to an empty, quiet house and a potion vial with an accompanying note.

Hangover remedy! Love, Ron

Went to London, stay out of the liquor cupboard!
Mum and Dad

She tossed back the foul concoction and made her way to the bathroom for a much needed tooth-brushing and shower. After a quick bowl of muesli and yogurt, she decided to go to the Burrow. The only person there was Molly.

"Well, Ron went to see a flat he's thinking about leasing, Harry went with Arthur to the Ministry, and Ginny went to see Luna. Ron knows he's welcome to stay here as long as he likes, but he's a young wizard about the world, so he wants a place to call his own. Want to help with lunch?"

"Sure."

Molly casually observed Hermione do her part in the lunch preparation. She felt like she was looking at Hermione with new eyes. No longer just Ron's friend from school, she was now a potential wife for her son. She worked well in the kitchen and seemed comfortable as she did her tasks. When a sharp crack of apparition came from the front, Hermione wiped her hands and left the kitchen. Molly watched Hermione greet Ron with a hug and kiss, rubbing above his top lip and chin. He was trying to grow a mustache and goatee. Facial hair was a rare trait among Weasley males, but he was trying anyway. Twenty minutes later, everyone else arrived.

"Why didn't you tell me you were looking for a flat today?" Hermione asked casually.

"Can we go somewhere to talk?" Ron asked.

The two went outside. After a few minutes, angry shouts were heard. Hermione flipped her hair behind her shoulders, crossed her arms and stood silent while Ron hissed and ranted about something.

She threw her arms up and shrieked "Fine, be that way!" and left with a thundering crack.

Ron kicked up some dirt and snarled, "Damnit, I didn't mean it!"

"Wonder what that was all about?" Molly wondered.

"You know her, she just needs some time to cool off," Harry said when Ron returned from the Grangers, an hour later.

"She wasn't home."

"What did you say?"

"I might have said something...that hurt her feelings."

"You might have?"

"At least you realize it."

The next morning, a Sunday, Ron went back to the Grangers as they were leaving for church.

"She's not here, she decided to stay the rest of the weekend with a cousin in Portsmouth," Ian said.

"Ron, she's got quite a temper, just give her some time. She's not going to stop loving you because of a quarrel," Elizabeth said.

"I just need her to know how sorry I am for what I said," Ron said.

On Monday morning, Ron went to the Grangers right after breakfast. As soon as he approached the door, it opened.

"Thank goodness you're here," Elizabeth said and ushered him in. "Hermione was in a accident returning from Plymouth last night."

Ron's heart fell to his stomach. "What kind of accident?"

Elizabeth's voice wavered as she spoke. "A vehicle accident. She was hit from behind and the car rolled over from the motorway, a few times from what we were told. She's still unconscious, has a broken leg and a four fractured ribs."

"She's going to be all right though, isn't she?" Ron asked.

"We...don't know yet," Ian said. "You're welcome to come to the hospital with us."

Twenty minutes later, Ron was walking the halls of a place called Beechcroft Hospital that was nothing like St. Mungo's.

"I suppose it's not like that magic hospital, but she's getting good care here nonetheless," Ian said.

They walked into an urgent care ward to a bed by the window surrounded by curtains. A kind nurse pulled the curtain back to reveal Hermione sleeping peacefully. She had wires attached to her finger and chest that met a softly beeping machine hanging on the wall; a plastic pouch filled with liquid of some sort dripped down a tube that went into a large needle that was in her arm!

"Merlin's balls, doesn't that hurt?"

"No, she's unconscious," Ian said.

A large bandage was on her head above her left ear and the whole left side of her pretty face was bruised. Her left leg was in a cast. A doctor appeared and told them of her progress.

"She's no longer critical, thank goodness. She had a spike in her heart rate just after midnight that soon dissipated. We'll know more when she wakes, but she'll have a nasty concussion and the leg will take six to eight weeks to heal. Her ribs, that look as if they were previously broken, will take two weeks at the most."

The Grangers left to give Ron some privacy. He spoke of inane things for a while, took a seat next to the bed and held her hand. The Grangers came back to her room, but stayed outside the door, not wanting to intrude on this private moment. Ron spoke earnestly and quietly.

"I'm so sorry love, I really am. You wouldn't have left if I hadn't been so stupid! I keep letting you down and how you still want to be with me is a miracle. I couldn't help you when you were being tortured and I can't help you now..."

Elizabeth covered her mouth when she heard Ron sniff.

"Just wake up love so we can talk. I won't let you down again, I promise. I'll love you better, I promise."

He sighed, his heartfelt declaration finished. The Grangers entered the room.

"It's lunchtime, why don't you come to the house for a bite to eat? They'll ring us if her condition changes," Elizabeth said.