"Ronald? Ronald Weasley, wake up!" Hermione yelled the next morning.
"What?" Ron asked groggily.
"I have to go to a meeting and I can't drive myself."
"What meeting?"
"A meeting at St. Mungo's. You know, in the psych ward."
"Oh, yeah… there… hold on."
"No, I am not holding on. You know what, never mind I'll go by myself. Even if I had to have someone accompany me."
Ron sat up and asked, "What do you mean?"
Hermione sighed. "For the first meeting after being outside of the ward for almost a month, I have to have someone accompany me for my therapy, as a group thing."
"Therapy? Why do I have to go, Mione?" Ron whined.
"Because besides my parents," Hermione winced. "You're the only one who knows me better than Harry and Ginny."
"Fine, let me just…"
"I already picked out an outfit for you. And you don't have time for a shower, it starts in 20 minutes."
"Why can't we just apparate there?" Ron stubbornly asked.
"Because, Ronald, they just don't allow apparating in the psych ward. It's a precaution so that no one escapes, there's a charm… more like a spell, which keeps us from apparating in, or out. Believe me, I've tried."
"Alright then. Let's go."
&&&&
"So, Hermione, how does it feel to be outside of this matchbox?" Dr. Saunders asked.
"Amazing!" Hermione exclaimed. "I do miss the people here, but it really is a wonder on how long I've stayed out of the real world. I didn't realize how much I missed about the world… and the people in it."
"Ok, that's good. So, how have you been feeling on the inside? Any depressing moods or random mood swings?"
"Well, I had gotten in a fight with Ronald, here, but it wasn't all that bad. I cried it out from my anger and then fell asleep. I didn't even think about death at all."
"That's very good. Ronald…"
"Um… you can call me Ron."
"Ok, Ron, how has it been since Hermione returned?"
"It's been the best couple of weeks in my life."
"Really? Why do you say that?"
"Well, I guess its cause I love her, I always have. I'm the one who brought her here that night."
"Ah, you're the boy who never wrote or visited?"
"Yes ma'am. I am."
"Tell me, why is that so?"
"I couldn't do it. I couldn't see my Mione in such a broken state."
"Why do you say 'Mione'?"
"It's a little nickname he came up with in school. Hermione can be a mouthful when you're having quite the row." Hermione interrupted.
"So, the two of you fought often?"
"Yes, when we were growing up. We would be having a civil conversation and I would say something stupid and then Hermione would get defensive. It would just end in a big fight in the common room in front of everyone." Ron told the shrink.
"Why did you two fight so much?"
"Well, Doctor… we were always trying to hide our feelings for one another. Always. Excluding all the times when Ron would rescue me or I would run up and kiss him. We tried to make it seem normal, but I guess friendship wasn't really an option." Hermione smiled, remembering the time Ron stood up for her to Malfoy.
Dr. Saunders smiled at the thought of Hermione and Ron at a young age and in love.
"When did the two of you meet?"
"When we were 11 on the train to Hogwarts in our first year. Ron always teased me for being so smart."
"And Hermione always showed off her genius when I was partnered up with her."
"Ah, so you two weren't friends from the start?"
"We were acquaintances. We never actually became friends until…"
"Until I saved her from a troll in the girls' bathroom on Halloween."
Dr. Saunders had a dreamy face until she realized the time. "Oh, as much as I'd love to hear your story and how we got here, time's up. I'll see you two in a month."
Ron and Hermione left St. Mungo's in a daze, they had never really talked about how they became such good friends to someone until now.
"You really were amazing that day." Hermione blurted out once they got in the car.
"What do you mean?"
"The day you saved me from that troll. I thought I was a goner for sure."
"Hey, I did it not only to be a Good Samaritan, but because I already knew I loved you."
"That's silly. How did you know that you loved me when we were children?"
"Easy, the day we had met on the train. Your snobby know it all ways really turned me on from the start. And you were a challenge. I knew I would fall in love with you, and soon. What about you, love?"
"That day in the girls' bathroom. You were so brave… I knew I would fall for you. But, until the giant chess game when we were going for the sorcerer's stone, and you sacrificed yourself, I fell harder than I expected."
"Really?"
"Yes, really." Hermione replied, looking away and blushing.
"You wanna go somewhere?" Ron asked huskily.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"Well, you know we could go out to eat, or we could go home, or we could get a room…" Ron suggested.
"My, my. Ronald Weasley, are you trying to seduce me?" Hermione asked in mock horror.
"Why, yes ma'am I am." Ron smiled.
"Well, then. May we get on to this room or am I going to have to wait?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, ma'am." Ron smiled as he drove to the nearest 'Comfort Inn'.