Muggle Bound Chapter 16 Aftermath
Voices. Many voices-high pitched and low. Conversation not quite clear washing over him like wavelets at the shore. Ron Weasely faded in and out of consciousness. Snippets of phrases and words played like a tape loop in his mind. He would almost grasp their meaning only to have them slip away until next time round.
"So lucky-he could have been killed!"
Well, he still was alive. That was a relief although every molecule in his body seemed to ache, twinge or stab causing paroxysms of pain.
"At least he would have died a hero."
Some hero. Pure instinct had caused him to leap in front of Hermione and shove her aside. She'd be furious with him – probably hex him into the next decade. The galling thing was she'd be right. It was her job to shield or deflect and his to attack.
"Oh, little Ronnie!"
"Now Molly, he's going to be fine."
Those were his mother and father, of course. After this latest adventure he could be sure that his mother would do everything in her power to stop the Horcruxes Hunt with Harry.
"It's imperative that we understand Mr. Weasley's prognosis."
Professor McGonagall? What was she doing here and what about his prognosis? He was alive, wasn't he?
"You realize the power of the Cruciatus curse diminishes greatly when the caster of the spell is in severe pain himself."
This voice was a stranger. He strained to remember. Of course, Dolohov had a tabby cat attacking him while he cast the curse. Now- tabby cat–-no- it hurt too much to think.
Voices. All kinds of voices but never the one he needed to hear the most. Where was she? She must be safe. She had to be. He may as well have perished if he hadn't saved her. His thoughts became frantic. Ron's arms and legs thrashed and he moaned," No, No!"
"Mr.Weasley, can you hear us?"
"Ron, Ronnie-wake up-please dear!"
A gentle hand on his arm. Then softly, almost a whisper.
"Ron, Ron. I'm here-please come back." Hermione entreated. He could hear the tremble in her voice.
"Now everyone, I'm sure Mr. Weasley is beginning to rouse. He doesn't need this many people in the room when he regains consciousness," the stranger's voice said with authority.
"Alright then," his mother took charge. "Fred, George, Charlie-off you go! Your father and I will stay. Yes, Gin, you can stay as well."
"No, Mum. I'll go with the others but I really think…," his sister was using the voice she normally used when she wanted to be taken seriously.
Ron groaned inwardly. His family! Didn't anyone but Gin understand that what he needed right now was Hermione?
"Excuse me, Mrs. Weasley," he heard Hermione speaking somewhat tentatively. "I really need to stay, if you don't mind. You see…,"
Hermione didn't get any further. Some sort of non-verbal communication was taking place, he felt. The next words confirmed this.
"Of course, my dear! This is so wonderful-exactly what I was hoping for. Now you and your parents must come to dinner as soon as Ronnie is back on his feet. I can't tell you how pleased…"
"Molly, dear " his father interrupted.
"Mum, you'll have them engaged, married and with two kids to boot before Ron ever comes out of his stupor." Ginny said with exasperation.
Voices fade.
" It's just that I'm so glad. When that silly Lavender girl came along, I could have wrung your brother's neck…,"
The door shut and with it came blessed silence. Ron opened one eye carefully and grinned weakly. The eyes he was longing to see smiled back at him.
"You have to stop this, Ron." Hermione spoke quietly controlling the emotion." Twice in six months." Her bottom lip trembled.
"Come here," Ron tried to pull her towards him but his arm refused to cooperate. It hung uselessly by his side. "Hermione, my arm!" he choked.
"What? Oh, your arm. The Healer said it might be numb for a few days, maybe a week." She stroked the offending appendage and snuggled herself in closely to him. Leaning over, she planted her lips on his and gave him a gentle kiss.
"Are these numb, too?" she asked a hint of mischief now evident in her voice.
"Not at all, woman." Ron reconnected their lips and set about to prove just how true his last statement was.
When at last they broke apart she inquired, "Feel alright?"
"Wonderful, but I think I'm going to need much more of that last therapy."
"Prat! What you need is some rest," she teased.
"'Mione, please," Ron returned trying to look even more pitiful then he felt.
"Well, alright. But only one more dose." She said firmly. "Your family wants to see you."
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Ron remained in St. Mungo's for three more days. Much of the time he spent under the influence of sleeping draughts. His Healer, a fellow by the name of MacMillan, distant relation to Ernie MacMillan, was adamant about Ron's need for sleep.
"I'm feeling much better," Ron whined when he was told to stay in bed, "The movement's coming back in my arm and I can stand on my own."
"Mr. Weasley, you were hit by an extremely powerful curse. You are on three pain-reducing potions and too much activity at this time could cause a relapse. I must insist on at least two more days bed rest." Healer MacMillan replied. There was no room for compromise in his words.
"Of course, Healer MacMillan. Ronald will do exactly as you say," Molly Weasley stated,glaring at her youngest son.
Ron looked for support from the only other occupant of the room. Hermione sat curled up in a chair reading on book on enchanted objects. She glanced up and smiled sympathetically, but replied with just as much firmness in her voice as his mother.
"It's for the best, Ron. After all, I want a date for the Wedding who can actually dance with me," she concluded with a twinkle in her eye.
Ron muttered mutinously under his breath and turned in his bed away from the others.
"What a bloody waste of time this bed rest was," he thought just before he fell once more into a dreamless sleep.
A day later found him sitting up in bed consuming large quantities of roast chicken and vegetables. Hermione and Ginny were with him, the former gazing at him fondly while the latter looked disgusted at his table manners.
Hermione was relating the conversation she had heard the night before the attack.
"What I don't understand is the part about your Uncle Billius. You've never mentioned him and yet it sounds like he was quite important."
Seeing that Ron still had his mouth full, Ginny explained.
"But you see, Hermione, we didn't know anything really until the other night. Ron, did you tell her about Herodotus Henckel?"
"Herodotus who?" Hermione inquired with eyebrows raised.
"Guess not! Honestly Ron, have you not filled Hermione in on anything the last few days? What have you been doing during all those visits? Wait, don't answer that question!" Ginny spoke sarcastically.
Ron swallowed the last morsel of his dinner.
" Shut it, Gin," he scowled. "As you should know, I've been sleeping. Not exactly conducive to good conversation. So, Hermione, this is what we know about Uncle Billius."
Ron was proud that he could retell the tragic history of his Uncle without breaking down although he did feel a little shaky by the end. Hermione approached at the end of his recital, took his hand and squeezed it.
Gin gulped and said "So now you know-but there's part of your story that we didn't hear anything about."
"Yeah," Ron agreed thoughtfully. "What's the McGonagall connection? I mean it seems obvious now that they were on the same Ministry team, but there seems to be something more."
Hermione cleared her throat. "I'm wondering just form little things-well-I may as well tell you that I did some digging about Professor McGonagall." She stopped and blushed a deep rose.
"Hermione," Ron teased, "What did you do? Hmm, my girlfriend, the detective." To his great amusement and pleasure, Hermione went an even deeper shade of pink when she heard the word "girlfriend."
"Never mind him, the git!" Gin said impatiently," What did you find out?"
"Well, Tonks told me that Professor McGonagall had been in really bad shape after the first War and Professor Dumbledore had asked her to take over the Transfiguration Department at Hogwarts. It goes without saying that if a member of your team died tragically and the traitor was never discovered, you would be in terrible shape. But-if you were in a close relationship with that person…" Hermione's words trailed off as she let the other two examine the implications.
"Wait, you're saying- You mean-McGonagall and Uncle Billius?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Well, and why not, Ron? The Professor wasn't always just our Professor. She was a woman and a brilliant one at that," Hermione replied indignantly.
"I don't believe it. Our Uncle Billius was larger than life. He probably had girls by the dozen fawning all over him." Ron argued.
Hermione bristled, "So, if he apparently was so much like you, maybe he made some unwise decisions before he came to his senses." The temperature of the room had cooled by several degrees.
"Now, listen here Hermione,that's not what I meant at all," Ron began.
"Time.Out." Ginny said forcefully. "Ron, remember we thought we hadn't been told the whole story. And remember when the Twins were talking about McGonagall and transfiguration. Dad shook his head at Mum when she started to say something. We wondered what that was about. What Hermione says-it makes a lot of sense."
"It might be a reason, too, why she's doing all this fieldwork for the Order." Hermione pointed out.
"She has been here at the Hospital constantly, too," Ron said more to himself than the others. Suddenly he snapped his fingers. Gin and Hermione stared at him in surprise.
"Of course, Herodotus Henckel! He would know all about it. I wonder if Dad might contact him for a visit. I'd like to talk to him about the Muggle technology thing in any case."
Hermione sighed in frustration. " Just who is this Herodotus Henckel and why is he so important?"
"Ah, my dear young lady," said a rich deep voice from the corridor. "Allow me to introduce myself; I am Herodotus Henckel, very much at your service. And you are undoubtedly the young lady for whom Ronald was searching that day at the station."
"This is my sister Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger, sir," Ron stated proudly.
"I couldn't but help overhearing the last bit of your conversation, Ronald, and I may be of some assistance, if you so wish." Mr. Henckel smiled benignly on the three of them.