Chapter Twenty-Eight

Hermione said goodnight to Harry and headed for her dormitory, her footsteps clattering loudly on the stairs. She didn't want him to worry about her; he'd been looking concerned all day, and dealing with his feelings would only make her own worse.

Still, when Hermione reached her door she realised she just couldn't face Lavender. She was exhausted and sad and she hated herself just a little and…the last thing in the world she wanted to listen to was Lavender's nonsense.

Ron could have died.

Not could have – would have. If Harry hadn't…

Hermione sat down on the top step, slumping her head against the wall and trying not to cry. Ron could have died.

She swallowed a sob and hugged herself. He was going to be all right – he was – it was just…

He could have died, and Hermione had spent months, not talking to him, raging at him, hating him for all the ways he'd hurt her and betrayed her and 'done her wrong' and… Ron could have died thinking she hated him.

Thinking that she hated him.

She'd been so awful. She hadn't even been friends with him. She'd let their friendship – the friendship she'd so often told herself was the most important thing in her life – she'd let it slip away so easily.

Only Ron hadn't. Ron had still wanted to be friends – had wanted to patch up their argument, but of course she hadn't let him. Hermione had been so angry, so determined to be injured, so certain she was the victim and was thus owed more than Ron's fumbling apology, that she'd ignored him and rebuffed his every attempt to 'make up.'

She hadn't even bought him a birthday present.

Hermione rested her head on her knees, trying desperately not to fall apart. She didn't know why she'd done it. Why had she clung so furiously to her anger? Why couldn't she have just let it go? In the end, in the very end of it all, what mattered was that she loved Ron, that he was her friend and she loved him. Even if he had hurt her – even if he had betrayed her – he was sorry. He was sorry, and he hadn't wanted to fight any more, but she…she had been right hadn't she? She had been in the right, and that was what mattered wasn't it?

Not feelings, not friendship, not the people who loved her. Being right. That was the most important thing in the world, and everything else could go hang. She was so hateful.

"Er-my-knee."

Hermione lifted her head as she heard someone coming up the stairs, hoping desperately that it was someone who'd have…the kindness to just walk on by.

But it was Ginny. Her face was deathly pale and she'd clearly been biting her nails. She looked exhausted, but she tried to smile. Hermione couldn't return it – the moment she met Ginny's eyes she burst into tears.

A moment later Ginny was sitting beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and offering her a tissue. It was several minutes before Hermione could even say a word, and when she did manage to speak it was horribly incoherent.

Mostly it was Ginny who spoke, telling her that Ron was going to be all right, that he was fine, that Harry saved him…

Finally, when Hermione had managed to stop crying, had managed to control the hitch in her voice and the sound of her breathing, she said, "Did you get to talk to him?"

Ginny shook her head. "He was still asleep – Madam Pomfrey says he'll wake up tomorrow."

Hermione nodded, and Ginny said, "You can go visit him then."

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know," she said, "Maybe I shouldn't…maybe he won't want to see me."

Ginny stared at her. "Don't be stupid, Hermione."

"But I've been so awful to him, Ginny, I've been terrible, and…"

"So?" Ginny said. "It's not the first time you've fought – and it's Ron. He'll forgive you in a minute, you know that. You know he's been missing you like mad ever since…"

"And I missed him!" Hermione wailed, feeling slightly ashamed at being so emotional.

"I know you did," Ginny said, trying to sound soothing, "And you two will sort it all out tomorrow, I promise."

"Do you really think so?" Hermione said, sniffing.

"I'm certain."

Hermione wiped her eyes with a tissue, and summoned up the will to conjure herself a glass of water. It was a minute or two before she felt able to say, "Are you okay?"

Ginny shrugged, then sighed. She smiled at Hermione and said, "I forgot. I mean, I read the paper, but…I forgot about the war, I forgot that this could happen. I thought we were just in school, and people were stressing over exams and boyfriends and Quidditch. I didn't think anything could happen to Ron!" She made an inarticulate sound that might have been a sob. "He's not supposed to have things happen to him Hermione! I need him. I don't care how obnoxious he is, he can't just go…get himself dead. I won't let him."

"Oh, Ginny," Hermione said, crying again, "I know."

Ginny shook her head sharply, sucking down a gulp of air. "No," she said, "He's going to be fine. Really. He's all right. I'm just…I'm just upset because Mum was so frightened and Dad looked…and I didn't want to start crying on them when…when they've got other things to talk about, and the twins had to go, so…"

"I know," Hermione said.

Suddenly Lavender poked her head out of the door, glared at them, and said, "Where's Ron, Ginny?"

Ginny's lip curled and she said, "In the hospital wing, Lavender."

"What! Why didn't anyone tell me – I'm his girlfriend, I should be – "

"No one told you because we were too worried that he was going to die – and once we knew he wasn't, we were too tired to think of it, so…"

"But you should have…"

Ginny shook her head angrily and said, "Just piss off Lav, all right?"

Lavender's mouth opened in a ridiculous expression of shock, and Ginny continued, "He's fine by the way."

Lavender huffed and went back into their room, slamming the door. Ginny bristled for a moment. "What was Ron thinking when he snogged her?"

Hermione shrugged – for once not interested in talking about Ron's stupidity – and Ginny sighed and said, "Well I've gone and ruffled her feathers haven't I?"

"It's not like she ever liked you that much anyway," Hermione said, making Ginny laugh.

"You're right, she doesn't…but I shouldn't have been 'mean.' I've hurt her feelings and…I suppose even Lavender has some."

Hermione sighed, and Ginny said, "Do you want to stay in my room tonight? I'm sure she'll be in fine form."

"Yeah," Hermione said, "I'd like that."

There'd been times lately when she and Ginny hadn't managed to get on, hadn't been able to talk as easily or comfortably as they had before, but for now Hermione just didn't care. She was exhausted, and upset, and she just couldn't deal with Lavender.

Ginny's dormitory only had four beds in it – her year was even smaller than Hermione's, due, no doubt, to the war. The other girls were asleep, but Ginny nicked one of Louise's extra pillows, and set it at the end of her four-poster. There was more than enough space for the two of them if they slept top-to-tail.

Once they were tucked in Hermione wanted nothing more than to sleep, but Ginny seemed oddly wakeful. It took a minute or two for Hermione to guess what the problem was – she'd sort of forgotten that Ginny sometimes had nightmares. She had them so rarely, and had only spoken about them once or twice, that it was easy not to think about it. But when Hermione did think about it…it wasn't hard to see that such a day, such a horrible day, could easily stir up bad memories.

Ginny smiled at her sheepishly and said, "I didn't want to be alone."

Hermione shook her head, trying to sound sincere; though she was so tired her eyes were half-closed. "It's fine."

"I know it's a bit – "

"Ginny, it's fine."

Hermione felt Ginny lie down and a moment later she said, "Thanks Hermione."

Hermione nudged her shoulder with her foot and said, "It's nothing."

"I know, but…thanks."

"Well, you're welcome."

They were silent for a moment, and then Hermione said, "Where were you?"

Ginny's voice sounded humorous as she said, "You'll never guess."

Hermione waited a moment. "Well?"

Ginny gave a little gasp of laughter, her body shaking under the blankets. "I was in the Transfiguration department, practising. That's why it took McGonagall so long to find me."

Hermione couldn't help herself – she laughed as Ginny continued, "It just shows you…I always said Transfiguration was the devil's subject, I always said it was evil."

Hermione smiled to herself and said, "Well maybe if you did more work…"

"Hermione!" Ginny said, laughing and angry at the same time. "Stop trying to wind me up. I know what you're doing."

They were silent again, and finally Hermione said, "Do you really think Ron will be okay with me, if I go up tomorrow?"

Ginny said in a very serious tone, "I'm sure he will." She paused and added, "Thank God for Harry. If he decides to give up the Auror gig, he could always set a company to save various Weasleys from distress."

Hermione laughed and said, "Harry'd never make any money doing that. He cares about you Weaselys too much to charge."

"Yeah," Ginny said, sounding touched. "It's true. We got so lucky with Harry, didn't we, even if he won't let us repay him."

"Since it's Harry," Hermione said, choosing her words carefully, "I think…I think it's enough for him, having you all."

"But he always had that," Ginny said. "It's not like we say to our friends 'we expect to be saved from massive peril at least once a year or no dice.'"

"I know, Ginny,"

But she was interrupted. "It's just, he looks so lonely sometimes, or…like he's the weight of the world on his shoulders, and we're his friends Hermione. We should be making him happy, not…"

"You do, Ginny." Hermione said. "You do, I promise."

"You really think so?" Ginny said.

"Yes." It wasn't hard to answer – Hermione knew exactly what Ginny meant, even if Ginny didn't know the 'facts.' Harry had accepted his 'destiny' so confidently, but Hermione still hated what it meant.

Still if there was one person who could brighten Harry lately, it was Ginny… It was Ginny. In fact, Hermione was almost sure that Harry had been acting…that it wasn't just Ginny making him laugh that brought that light to his face, that made him stand up straight and talk in that special, low tone of voice that he only used for Ginny, that he had used that very afternoon when trying to calm her down, before giving her a half-hug and staring deep into her eyes and…

Hermione was almost sure that there was more to that than…she was almost sure it couldn't just be…

Ginny turned over in the bed. "I hope he tells Dean where I was," she said, "I completely forgot about him, and…I don't think I could stand it if he started moaning about it tomorrow."

"Yeah," Hermione said, still thinking furiously.

"I'm going to turn off the light now, is that okay?"

"Yeah," Hermione said absently.

Was it possible?