(sunburnt)
If I'm honest I was going to update '...Heartfelt Dream' before I posted this one but I'll be even morehonest, I haven't written it yet! So hopefully you'll be happy with this one until I write it. Won't be long I promise! Hope you like it, things become clear in this one. Let me know what you think.
Cheers, Step ;)
Chapter 3
Hermione woke up to a throbbing in her head. She opened her eyes but the small amount of light from the candles that surrounded her made them sting and made her head throb more. She grimaced and sucked a breath in at the pain.
'How's your head?' A voice asked her to her right.
'Ron, is that you?' she mumbled.
'Yeah it's me. So how is your head?'
'Throbbing. What happened? I didn't faint again did I?'
'Actually we both did. You cracked your head open on the sink as you fell and I broke my wrist when I fell off the bed.'
Despite her pain, Hermione chuckled.
'Sorry, I shouldn't laugh. How's your wrist?'
'It's fine, bit sore. Madam Pomfrey fixed it in a few seconds. Took a bit longer for your head though. You were bleeding everywhere, you had me worried.'
Hermione braved the candlelight and opened her eyes. Despite protests from her head she managed to roll over onto her right side. She gingerly felt where her head was hurting the most and felt a large amount of padding and a bandage around her head keeping it in place.
'Madam Pomfrey managed to stop it bleeding and she managed to heal most of it but it still needs to heal a bit more. Hence the headdress!'
'And I bet I'm looking beautiful in it!' she said sarcastically.
'No less than usual!' Ron replied. Instantly he blushed and cleared his throat. Hermione only just managed to hide a small smile.
'So, we both fainted again,' she said, changing the subject as fast as possible, 'that can't be a coincidence.'
'No, I don't think it can.'
'The only thing that can be an explanation is us swallowing Harry's half made potion.'
'But we didn't feel ill from it, you'd think if it was gonna make us ill it would have happened as soon as we swallowed it. We feel fine, we just…keep falling unconscious occasionally!'
'Speak for yourself, I don't feel fine!'
'Well had you aimed for the floor a bit better then you would be!'
'Had I aimed for the floor better! I didn't really have much of a say in the matter as I was falling unconscious at the time! And you can hardly talk; I don't think I've heard of anyone falling off a bed whilst lying down!'
Hermione thought Ron would argue back but he didn't, he started laughing.
'I think the less said about that the better, although I was sat up at the time so it's not as bad as you think.'
Hermione smiled but then her expression turned serious. 'We're still no nearer to working out what's wrong with us are we?'
'Nope. Ah well, I'm sure someone'll work it out sooner or later. In the meantime you'd better get some sleep.'
'Who made you my minder?' Hermione said with half a smile on her face.
'Actually I have been for the last two minutes. Madam Pomfrey went to ask Professor Slughorn if he thought the potion we swallowed might be causing this. She'll be back soon but until then she made me promise to make sure you didn't do anything if you woke up!'
'To be honest I really don't feel like doing anything so you won't have to restrain me!'
'That's a shame!' Ron said quietly. He blushed a deep red as soon as he said it. Hermione pretended she hadn't heard anything.
'Pardon?'
'Nothing,' Ron said quickly.
Hermione smiled as she rolled onto her back, her smile soon faded however when her head gave another painful throb.
'Oww!'
'What?' Ron asked, sounding concerned.
'It's nothing, just my head.'
'Oh! Madam Pomfrey left this potion for you to take if it hurt a lot. Here.'
He picked it off the cabinet that separated their beds and leant towards Hermione. She tried to roll over but apparently she did it wrong because her head throbbed again.
'Ah!' she said quietly.
Seeing Hermione was in pain Ron got out of bed and took the potion to her. Knowing she could hardly drink the potion led down without risk of choking, he took her gently by the arm.
'Come on, you have to sit up to drink it. Slowly though.'
He put his hand behind her shoulder and helped her sit up.
'Thanks,' she said.
He turned and picked the small bottle off the cabinet and held it out to her.
'Thanks…again.'
'You're welcome.'
Ron watched as she drank the potion. He could see it was working when the slight frown she had been wearing since she woke up disappeared.
'Better?' he asked.
'So much. You know muggle medicine takes a good twenty minutes to start working properly.'
'Twenty minutes!' Ron exclaimed.
'That's the second time you shouted that out tonight!' Hermione said with a smile on her face, 'Yes twenty minutes.'
'That's ages! You could have died by then!'
Hermione giggled. 'Ron if you were going to die then pain relief wouldn't have helped in the slightest would it.'
'Well no, probably not, but still, that's a long time to be in pain.'
'Yeah it is. But unless you're in hospital then that's as good as it gets!'
'Well I hope I never have to rely on muggle pain relief!'
Their conversation was interrupted by Madam Pomfrey walking into the ward with Horace Slughorn waddling behind her.
'Ah Miss Granger, you're awake. I'm glad to say Professor Slughorn has an idea as to why the both of you keep collapsing.'
'You do?' Hermione asked sitting up. She waited for the throb from her head wound, but the potion was doing its job and keeping her from feeling the pain the sudden movement should have caused.
'Yes, I think I may understand what's going on. If the both of you are strong enough I would just like to try one thing to see if my ponderings are correct. Are you both well enough to go for a very short walk?'
'I am,' Ron replied.
'Me too,' agreed Hermione.
'Hang on Professor, I'm not too sure about this. Miss Granger is suffering from a severe blow to the head,' Madam Pomfrey added.
'I assure you Madam Pomfrey, I will not cause any more harm to your patients. I will simply ask that Mister Weasley walk out of the door to the hospital wing. Miss Granger can stay in her bed. I will of course walk next to Mister Weasley to insure he does not come to any harm.'
'Very well,' Madam Pomfrey replied, not looking at all convinced.
'If you would be so kind as to watch Miss Granger closely as Mister Weasley walks out of the room, Madam Pomfrey. Mister Weasley if you wouldn't mind.'
Ron got off his bed and walked next to Professor Slughorn, a slightly confused look on his face. When they reached the door to the hospital wing Professor turned around to Madam Pomfrey.
'If you could just keep an eye on Miss Granger after Mister Weasley has walked through the door, Poppy, I would be most grateful.'
Madam Pomfrey scowled at Professor Slughorn, but did as she was asked. Hermione gave the nurse a slightly nervous look.
'Now Mister Weasley, if you would be so kind as to tell me if you feel unwell as soon as you do, please don't wait until you are about to fall to the ground before you decide to say something, all right?'
'Er…ok.'
'All right then, one step at a time.'
Slughorn opened the door and took a firm grip on Ron's arm, he stepped forward one pace and Ron followed, by necessity more than anything seeing as though Slughorn's grip on his arm had become vicelike.
'Feeling all right?' Slughorn asked Ron.
'Yeah, I'm fine,' Ron replied with a shrug.
'Okay, one more step.'
They both took a step that took them out of the wing. Slughorn held the door open with a flick of his wand.
'Still all right?'
Ron though for a second, 'yeah, still fine.'
'All right, one more step.'
Again Ron followed Slughorn's movement forward.
'How about now?'
'Professor I feel fine, and I don't understand wha-'
'Please just humour me for a few more seconds Mister Weasley, I shall explain everything shortly.' Slughorn said with a smile. 'Now, one more thing that I think shall be very telling to this little, well…experiment for want of a better word.'
He turned towards the still open door and flicked his wand to shut it. He turned to look at Ron. After a few seconds Slughorn smiled.
Ron had suddenly become very dizzy and had started to sway.
'Er…prof…professor…I don't…don't feel well.'
Slughorn immediately flicked his wand at the door again and it opened. After a few seconds, Ron stopped swaying but was still feeling dizzy.
'Is that better Mister Weasley?'
'Er…yeah…yeah, a bit.'
'Well I think my suspicions were correct, let's get you back to your bed before Madam Pomfrey does me an injury!'
They walked back into the hospital wing and Ron got back into his bed. As he did he noticed Hermione was now lying down as opposed to sitting up. She managed to give him a half smile as he flopped onto his bed.
'Professor Slughorn would you please tell me what that achieved apart from making my patients unwell, again?'
Slughorn smiled. 'Poppy, I am pleased to say I know why your patients keep fainting.'
'And why is that?' she demanded.
'They cannot leave each other's company, that is to say, that have to be in the same room as each other or they will be rendered unconscious.'
Both Hermione and Ron's jaws dropped.
Hermione shut her eyes, hoping she would open them again and find that Professor Slughorn had not just said the words that she thought he had. She opened them and saw he had the same smile on his face he was wearing while he said those words.
All warm feelings she had been holding for Ron whilst he had been helping her earlier slipped away as she realised what this would entail. She would have to live, breathe, eat and sleep around Ronald Weasley…Ronald Weasley and all those who were friends with him…Ronald Weasley and his girlfriend…Lavender Brown.
'Harry James Potter I am going to KILL you!' she said quietly but fiercely. Ron turned his head towards her and was shocked by the look of all consuming anger on her face.
'Come on Hermione, it's not that bad,' Ron said, trying to calm Hermione down, 'at least we know what's wrong with us.'
'Ron have you even thought about what this means? We will have to be practically joined at the hip for Merlin knows how long! We'll have to eat breakfast together, we'll have to take lessons together, although I have no idea how that is going to happen, we'll have to sleep in the same room and do…everything else whilst in each others company. THINK ABOUT IT!'
'Miss Granger please calm down! I'm sure there is a way to remedy the situation and I'm sure Professor Slughorn will know it.'
She turned and looked at Slughorn expectantly, as did Ron and Hermione. For the first time Slughorn's smile slipped.
'Ah, well…I'm afraid there's nothing that we can do, the only thing that should be done is wait for the side effects to wear off.'
'WHAT?' Hermione screeched, 'How long will they last for?' she demanded.
'Well dear, I have only heard of this happening once before, and the side effects lasted for…' he mumbled the rest of his sentence.
'Pardon?' Hermione asked, 'I didn't hear how long they lasted for.'
Slughorn cleared his throat and looked at his large stomach.
'Two weeks, maybe.'
'TWO WEEKS!' both Ron and Hermione shouted.
'Maybe three.'
'THREE!' Ron shouted, alone this time, Hermione had wilted back down to her bed, eyes closed.
'Rest assured my dear boy, the two people who suffered from this affliction recovered fully, and there was no lasting side effects.'
'That makes me feel so much better,' Hermione muttered.
'Poppy, would you like me to go and inform the Headmaster of what has happened?'
'Yes, I'll come with you though; I want to let the Headmaster know how long I think they should stay here. Will you two promise not to move out of these beds until I get back?'
Ron looked at Hermione who seemed to have shut off from the world around her and answered for the both of them.
'We promise,' he mumbled before lying down on the bed.
Madam Pomfrey and Professor Slughorn left the room leaving Ron and Hermione to contemplate their situation.
