A/N: Here.

Hermione moved around the room, avoiding my gaze as I watched her sort through potions and scribble things down. Sighing, I went back to buttoning up my shirt as I stood at the side of my empty white bed. It had been over two weeks since I had been admitted into St. Mungos and I was finally being released after they couldn't find anything else wrong. The only problem was that I still couldn't speak, which Fred and George joked about relentlessly. Ginny had been released the week before me, but I had yet to hear if she and Harry had spoken. All I knew was that he was under Ministry watch by orders of Moody. He wasn't happy about that.

"Are you ready?" Hermione finally asked, placing all these little bottles in a bag and holding them as she looked at me expectantly.

Nodding, I moved over to her. She smiled and motioned to the door. I was the first to exit the room, while Hermione wrote a few more things down before following me out. We walked down the hall in silence, my only comfort in knowing that I had not done anything wrong was when she took my hand in hers as we went up to her office.

"Just wait a moment," she told me before going to her desk and going through large stacks of papers. As she did this, I took the time to look around. I had actually never been in Hermione's office before. She had a few pictures on her desk, though I couldn't see who they were of. There were some certificates on the wall, displaying Hermione's many achievements and proving how far she had come to get where she was. I was so absorbed in looking around; I hadn't realized that I was being watched until I felt the eyes on me. Turning around, I caught Hermione watching me with a weird look in her eye. I frowned, but didn't say anything.

She moved around her desk and came up to me, looking up me through clouded eyes. I tried opening my mouth to say something, but all that came out was that annoying wheeze. She suddenly blushed and leaned in, kissing me quickly before going out the door. Feeling extremely confused, I followed her out and together we left the hospital. We arrived at the Burrow in a crack, surprising my mother, who was cooking in the kitchen.

"Oh, Ron! You're home early!" she exclaimed, pushing Hermione out of the way to get to me and hug me. Hermione had to stop her though, when I started gasping for air. My lungs had still not recovered from the constant collapsing and therefore I had to take it easy, which entitled nothing that would require hard work for my lungs. Though I didn't seem to understand, Hermione insisted that the rule included snogging.

"Oh dear, how are you feeling? Are you sore? Do you want something to eat? Well, of course you do, you've been eating that hospital food for the past two weeks. Sit down and I'll fix you something up."

I sat down, though I didn't hear the rest of her ramblings as she returned to her pots of food. Hermione remained standing, looking out the window.

"Is Ginny around, Mrs. Weasley?" she asked.

My mum glanced over at her and then turned back to the food.

"She should be somewhere, Ms. Granger."

The hell?

Suddenly, I felt very out of place when I noticed the reproachful look my mother had given Hermione just then and if I didn't know any better, Hermione had sent a very dark look towards my mum as well. I knew it wouldn't do me any good to open my mouth, so I kept quiet, watching the two. Hermione suddenly turned and headed towards the stairs.

"Where are you going?" my mum asked.

Hermione glanced over at me then my mum and then frowned.

"To find Ginny, Mrs. Weasley," she replied before going upstairs. My mother glared at the place she had just been before turning back to the stove.

What the hell?

I sat there for ten minutes, trying to figure out the thought process of a woman when Hermione finally came back downstairs with Ginny, who smiled when she saw me.

"Hello my silent brother," she joked, sitting down beside me. I glared at her and she just continued to smile. Hermione sat down across from me, keeping her eye on my mother as she handed me a quill and paper. I frowned. I had been using a quill and paper for the past two weeks. Why were they giving me a new one? Ginny seemed to know what I was thinking and explained.

"This is like the one Reeta Skeeter has. It records your thoughts without you having to write at all, so we don't have to wait for you to write everything down. Hermione never had time to get one for you and I've been busy the past few days."

I looked down at the quill and paper and suddenly it came to life, the quill ready.

Have you talked to Harry?

The quill scribbled something down and the pad of paper moved over to Ginny, who took the pad and looked over it, her smile disappearing. She shook her head.

"I haven't had the chance," she muttered.

There was a loud clack as my mum set food in front of me and Ginny. She then got this shocked look on her face, though I could tell she was faking it.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Ms. Granger. I don't have enough for you," she said apologetically.

Hermione seemed to grit her teeth as she smiled falsely.

"Oh that's fine, Mrs. Weasley. I was just about to leave," she said, catching my attention from my mother's dark eyes.

What?

The pad shoved itself into Hermione's face, though she didn't need to read it to know what I was thinking. She sighed.

"I have to give a report to Moody about your health so he can decide whether or not you're well enough to go back to work," she explained.

"Well, you better make sure he's out of danger then. We don't want him bursting into flames again," my mum muttered loudly, going back over to the stove, where I could see that there was plenty of food left. Hermione went red in the face and Ginny sunk down in her seat as I looked between the two, becoming even more confused.

"Well, as long as you don't hug him to death, I think we'll be ok," Hermione retorted, glaring at my mother before moving around the table to me. Before I knew it, she was kissing me, her hand resting on my leg, in perfect view of my mother, not that I was complaining. But when her hand began to move higher, I just knew she was trying to get both of us killed as she pressed her lips closer to mine. Suddenly I felt like an idiot, for all I could do was sit there and kiss her back, completely aware that my mother was burning holes into me and Hermione. Finally, Hermione pulled away, but not before my lungs started to constrict from the lack of air. The moment her lips left mine, I started gasping for air, glancing over at my mother, who was watching Hermione with red eyes.

"I'll see you later, Ron," Hermione told me before going outside. All I could do was gasp. Ginny, however, got up and ran after her.

"What was that about?" Ginny asked me as I pulled out my wand. I glanced inside and smiled, watching Ron as he still gasped for air.

"I don't want to talk about it," I muttered.

Ginny frowned.

"You don't want to talk about why you and my mother deem it pertinent to act like you and Ron, or why you felt it pertinent to snog my brother in front of my mum?"

"Both, Ginny," I replied, growing red. "Look, I've really got to go, so we'll talk later. Besides, you really have no right talking about my problem with your mother. When was the last time you talked to Harry?"

I had decided that if she was going to get on my case, I was going to get on hers.

It worked.

Ginny went red and looked away from me.

"I'm going to, Hermione. I just haven't found the right time…"

I rolled my eyes.

"Ginny. Harry's been coming over here for the past week, trying to see you and every time, you run up into your old room. Why are you so afraid to face him? He didn't do it and I know you know it."

Ginny sighed, looking back at me.

"Look, Hermione. I know he didn't do it, but it's still weird, okay. I just… it's weird, knowing that a man who looked like the man you love stabbed you in the back… literally."

I tried to hide the smile as I rubbed Ginny's arm comfortingly.

"Just talk to him, Gin. He's worried sick about you and really wants to snog you."

Ginny blushed, and smiled, tucking a curl behind her ear.

"I will. Don't worry."

I nodded and looked back inside to see Ron watching his mother carefully, as if afraid she'd blow up at any moment. I sighed. I really needed to apologize to the woman. I actually don't know what had gotten into me when I had kissed Ron in front of me, but when she started taking stabs at me for the mix up almost two weeks ago, I had had the undeniable urge to make her speechless. My little snog with Ron had certainly shut both of them up, though I immediately remembered afterwards my little talk with Ron about how we weren't supposed to snog for a while. I found myself sighing again and looked down at my wand.

"Tell Ron I'll come around later," I muttered before disapparating.

I thanked God when Ginny came back inside from talking to Hermione, frowning. I stood up pointing to the stairs. Ginny giggled at my lack of tongue and lead the way up the stairs after excusing us from mum.

What were you two talking about?

Once again, the pad of paper shoved itself in Ginny's face and she took it, reading it quickly before shaking her head.

"Nothing, Ron… it's not important," she whispered, opening the door to my room and going in. I reached out and grabbed her arm.

It's important to me. It's about Harry isn't it?

She snatched the pad and read it before sighing.

"I'll talk to him, Ron. Don't worry about it. Besides, I think you should be worried about mum and Hermione. Those two didn't seem to like each other. Do you know why?" she asked. I shook my head, racking my brain for an explanation but coming up short. We were silent for a while before she turned to me.

"That guy… that guy who attacked me… did he ever say anything to you? Besides laugh?" she asked, her topic catching me completely off guard. I had already told Moody what Imposter Harry had said to me, though it was really hard, seeing as it was in German. But I had never talked to Ginny about. As a matter of fact, Harry and I never really talked to Ginny about the Solomon thing. I knew sooner or later she would want to get involved, seeing as the guy had attacked her, but I was still worried. She was my little sister after all. I didn't want to bring her into something that would end up getting more dangerous than it already was.

Ginny seemed to know what I was thinking because she suddenly stood up and gave me a dark look.

"I'm not eleven, Ron. I think I've proved myself time and time again capable of being able to take care of myself."

I know, Gin. I just don't want you to get hurt again.

Reading the paper, she shook her head.

"The guy let me live for a reason. He could have killed me with a wand. Silent and efficient, but instead he chose to stick a knife in my back, making me scream. He wanted you to hear him. He wanted you to chase after him. I know he told you something that you're not telling me."

Ginny, there's nothing to tell. What that bastard told me Hermione already figured out. It was just some stupid riddle in which the answers were Silence and Fire. It doesn't make any sense. There's nothing else, Gin.

She snatched the pad of paper before it got close to her face and read over it quickly and frowned.

"Silence and Fire. What does that mean?" she mused.

I stood up and took her hand.

Forget about it, Gin. You're safe and so am I, so don't worry about it.

She glanced at the paper then up at me, biting her lip.

"Do you think this guy's going to try it again?"

I shook my head.

The Ministry has Harry watched. If he goes to the Ministry or your flat without Moody's permission then we'll know who it is and we'll be ready.

She glanced down at the paper then nodded.

"I guess…"

"Ron! Harry and Moody are here to see you!"

I felt Ginny stiffen beside me and I squeezed her hand comfortingly, leading her back down the stairs. We entered the living room to see Harry standing there, looking around nervously while Moody watched him carefully.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked, attracting both men's attention. Harry froze upon seeing her and took a step forward before he noticed her take a small step backward.

"Ginny-"

"Not now, Potter. We've got a problem. Well, actually the Minister's got a problem, but he wants us to fix it," Moody interrupted.

I frowned.

What happened?

The pad was shoving itself into Moody's face, who took it, looking irritated and read it before looking at me.

"Nanking Solomon was killed an hour ago at the Minister's house. The Minister's facing a lot of charges, though at the moment we cannot clearly say he did it."

What? How?

Moody didn't need to read the paper to know what I had asked.

"He was killed with the Avada Kerdava. There's no evidence of the killer, but the Minister was the only one in the house at the time, though he has a good alibi."

"What's that? He was fooling around with the Hogwarts teacher?" Ginny asked.

Harry nodded.

"He admits to talking to her. She's being interrogated as we speak," he answered.

What do you need me for? I'm not on duty for another week.

Moody snagged the pad of paper before it shoved its way into his face again. Reading it, he looked at me.

"Solomon left a message for you and Granger. Something about what happened in Austria. The rest of us can't read it and we just need to get Granger," he told me.

She was probably at her apartment.

"Where's the message?" Ginny asked.

Moody took out a letter and handed it to me. Unfolding it, I frowned.

Food can help me survive, but water will kill me. What am I? And what is broken every time it's spoken?

There was a drawing of some strange tree at the bottom, but I didn't bother myself with it.

What the hell? What was it with this riddle? Did every bloody man in Europe who was after Solomon?

These were the thoughts that entered my mind as I stared at the words that repeated themselves at least four other times on the page before it stopped.

"Doesn't the Minister's house have surveillance?" Ginny suddenly asked.

Harry frowned.

"How do you know that?"

Ginny suddenly blushed and looked over at the letter in my hand.

"The Minister's invited me over to his house a few times. I've only been there once, mind you," she added quickly.

Suddenly I got the meaning of what she said and gaped at her.

The Minister's hit on you?!

Ginny shoved the pad of paper out of her face, her eyes meeting Harry's shocked ones.

"Yes, the Minister has hit on me, Ron," she said before looking at me. "I however, told him that Harry Potter isn't interested in sharing me," she added. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got other things to do."

She left the room. Harry was about to follow her when Moody shook his head.

"I don't think so. We need to get Hermione."

A/N: Well, not much going on in this chapter. Now I know, Hermione's acting a bit OOC, but it was a personal amusement.

mistt: I'll try, but since school has started I only have a limited amount of time online.

Artemis Glacion: Don't worry. Things explain themselves. Or rather, the characters explain them to the readers.

ronandmion4ever: I was never to good with humor so I always try to add "fluff" (shivers at the word) scenes. A bit of sarcasm goes a long way!

rachhulk: Please don't worry. I tend not to explain things immediately, (which probably isn't the best thing). I will explain certain things at the nessecary times.

greenbean16: Thank you!

charma10: I'm sorry for your loss. TT. I hope you're able to get through it ok. As for me killing people, we just started the story! I can't just start hacking away at characters:-)

Ronsreallove: I actually speak German.

connieewing: Yes, well, I'm sure Ginny will get over her fear soon.

OzDust: Well, I am known for writing crazy things!

Wesker888: Don't worry about Soar. It will be updated as will Numb. Anyway, I thought that your updated chapter was pretty good. I hope to see another soon. I'm glad you like this one.

Adelaide MacGregor: Oh no, I'm explaining it as I go. Pretty much, I'm making this story up as I write. I actually haven't made it past the next chapter. I tend to do things spontaneously. (is that how you spell it?)

Chapter Tease:

Suddenly I couldn't breathe. A sharp pain shot through my chest as I tried to stand.

The last thing I remember was my legs, buckling beneath me as my lungs screamed for air.