(well tanned!)

He he! This is one of my favourite chapters, for a couple of reasons, hopefully you'll like it too. Not much else to say really, thanks for the reviews, as always much appreciated. :D

Enjoy and tell me! ;D Cheers!

Step ;)


Chapter 4

'To be fair Hermione, things could be worse.'

Ginny had come to see Hermione with special permission from the Headmaster; it was now half past ten and shouldn't have been out of the Gryffindor common room, but for the next twenty minutes was allowed.

'How exactly?' Hermione said in a scathing tone.

'Well lets see, you could have been poisoned and missed a lot of school, you could have been poisoned and left extremely ill, or, you could have been poisoned and died. So considering you only have to live with my brother's company for two, maybe three weeks I'd say you got off lightly.'

Hermione scowled at Ginny as she realised she was right. She supposed she was over-reacting slightly, but still the situation was hardly brilliant.

'All right I admit things could be a lot worse but if I have to sit in the same room as Ron and Lavender when they're attached at the lips I will not take responsibility for any action I may take!'

Ginny smiled, 'I see your point, but to be honest I think Ron's getting a bit tired of her. Do you know what she had the cheek to say to me earlier?'

Hermione smiled, 'What?'

'I was going up to his room to keep an eye on him before someone arrived to help him, and when she tried to barge her way past me I told her she wasn't going in because I didn't need her making a scene over him. Then she said 'You can't tell me what to do! Who do you think you are? I'm his girlfriend!' I then reminded her exactly who I was and told her she wasn't going in to his room so she stormed off in a huff!'

Hermione's grin had grown quite wide and she suppressed a giggle. Their conversation had been quite quiet seeing as though Ron was still in the bed next to Hermione, although his and Harry's conversation seemed to have him engrossed. Both the conversations were interrupted by Dumbledore walking serenely across the hospital wing, with a smile on his face.

'Miss Granger, Mister Weasley if you wouldn't mind giving me a minute of your time.'

'Do you want Ginny and me to leave Professor?' Harry asked.

'No Harry, I have a feeling Hermione and Ron will share everything I say with you and Ginevra,' Ginny winced slightly at the use of her full name, Dumbledore seemed to take note of her actions, 'so there seems little point. I have discussed the situation with Professor Slughorn and Madam Pomfrey and it seems we have to make some changes to your living arrangements for the both of you to be kept healthy and happy over the next two or three weeks. Luckily Hogwarts is a big enough castle to have living quarters spare for you to inhabit for the necessary time. You will be given a room for you to sleep in, which can be halved in certain ways so you can both maintain your privacy but you will still be, most importantly, in the same room.'

Ron glanced at Hermione quickly, but she was resolutely staring at her hands, which were linked in her lap. He wanted to catch her eye to see if he could gauge how she was feeling, but she refused to move her gaze so he gave up.

'When it comes to your lessons there may have to be some sacrifice on Ron's part,'

Ron's eyes widened slightly, worried about what he was going to hear.

'I understand you both take Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Charms and Transfiguration, obviously there is no problem when it come to these lessons, but as Hermione also takes Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, I think it would be easier if Ron simply sit in on these lessons doing his set homework whilst Hermione studies normally. If Hermione was to be taken out of these lessons and tutored on her own, I feel it would bring a greater disturbance to her studies.'

'Well we can't have that now can we?' Ron said quietly, sarcasm dripping from his words. Hermione glared at him but he refused to meet her gaze. Dumbledore heard his comment and smiled but chose to ignore it.

'As for meal times, breaks and other recreational times, the two of you along with Harry don't ever seem to be more than five meters from each other so I can't see that being a problem. Now, I think I've covered everything. Is there anything I've missed, or anything you would like to ask me?'

'Er…what about Quidditch sir?' Ron asked.

Hermione tutted loudly and rolled her eyes.

Of all the things to worry about and he worries about Quidditch, she thought, although it did bring another question to her mind.

'What happens when we go outside sir?' Hermione asked, 'I mean, there's no rooms to walk out of and separate us is there?'

'That's very true Hermione, however, Horace, I mean, Professor Slughorn believes, as do I, that if you stray too far from each other, this will have the same effect as one of you leaving a room. I do not suggest you try and find the boundaries of your freedom, Madam Pomfrey would be most displeased.'

'So what does that mean for Quidditch sir?' Ron prompted, slightly annoyed that Hermione had buffeted his question out of the Headmaster's mind with her own.

'Well, if Hermione would be so kind as to accompany you to the Quidditch pitch then I see no harm coming to either of you.'

'I think we found Hermione's sacrifice,' Harry said quietly. Ginny grinned.

'I hardly think that's the same,' Hermione said, answering back to Harry's comment, 'at least when he's in my lessons he can get on with his work, when I'm in the Quidditch stands in the pouring rain and howling wind, I can hardly get on with mine can I? And I'm going to have to sit through boring talks about tactics!'

'Hey! My team tactics discussions are not boring!' Harry said, slightly annoyed. Hermione dismissed his comment.

'Don't worry Hermione, a little non-study time will do you good, plus you could do with watching us for the flying tips!' Ron said, a smile sliding across his face.

'Ha! Like I'd watch you for flying tips!' Hermione retorted. Ron instantly angered and went to argue but was cut off by the Headmaster.

'I think we have wandered off the point slightly. If either of you have any questions you are of course welcome to ask me anything about your situation, together of course, but I think Professor Slughorn may be more useful in that department. If you are having problems coping with this…ah…affliction and the ways and means we have tried to accommodate you then Professor McGonagal will be more than happy to help you overcome them.'

Dumbledore glanced at his watch.

'Well I think it is time Harry and Ginny went back to the Gryffindor common room and you two went to sleep. Madam Pomfrey is insistent that you stay here over night but you will be happy to hear you can rejoin the main school for breakfast tomorrow morning. Your possessions will be moved to your new room tonight and Professor McGonagal will show you its whereabouts after breakfast. Now I really must leave you to it. Goodnight all of you.'

Dumbledore turned and walked out of the hospital wing.

'Well, I guess we'll see you tomorrow at breakfast,' Harry said with a smile.

'You could at least try and look as if you aren't enjoying this Harry,' Hermione said.

'I'm sure I have no idea what you mean, Hermione. Have a good nights sleep. See you tomorrow.'

Ginny smiled sympathetically at Hermione, 'See you both tomorrow,' she said as she walked away from the beds.

'See you tomorrow,' Hermione replied.

'Yeah, see you,' Ron replied grumpily.

Harry and Ginny stopped on the corridor side of the hospital wing door.

'This is going to be so funny!' Harry said quietly.

'Yes, I'm sure it'll be hysterical when they're hexing each other into oblivion!'

'Oh don't be so dramatic, it won't get that bad.'

'Well maybe not, but I'll tell you what might do.'

'What?'

'Lavender's reaction when you tell her that she can't see Ron until tomorrow morning, and that will be nothing compared to her reaction when Ron tells her about his and Hermione's 'situation'.'

'Oh Merlin!' Harry tried to imagine how that conversation would play out. After thirty seconds of him being silent, Ginny brought him back to reality.

'Er…Harry, we'd better go, we don't want Filch finding us. Even though we have permission to be out of the common room, it really isn't worth the hassle!'

'You're right. Let's go.'


'Can you believe all this?' Ron asked Hermione, still wearing a frown on his face.

'I'm hoping tomorrow when I wake up it will all have been a complex and elaborate dream.' Hermione replied with her eyes closed.

Ron sat and thought for a minute. Things weren't so bad, so he had to spend every minute of the day with Hermione for the next couple of weeks. He practically did that anyway, only when they went to bed did they leave each other's company. Although recently things had been differently, all because of Lavender. Oh Merlin! Lavender! Ron thought. That wasn't a conversation he was looking forward to.

'Ron?'

'Yeah?'

'I think we need to lay down a few rules before we start, dare I say, 'living together'?'

'Oh, yeah, I suppose that's a good idea. You start.'

'Ok, number one, we tell as few people as possible about this, I'd prefer it if this was kept quite.'

'I agree. Number two, we don't spend too much time in the library, especially if we don't have to be there.'

Hermione frowned slightly, 'Ok fine. Number three, you don't spend anymore time than is absolutely necessary on the Quidditch pitch, obviously I don't want to stop you practicing but it's the middle of winter and I don't want to freeze to death!'

'I suppose that's fair. Number four…er…hmm…do you have any more?'

'Actually I do.' Hermione breathed deeply as if trying to steady her nerve. 'I know she's your girlfriend but I don't think I can cope with you and Lavender snogging each other senseless every minute of the day right in front of me,' she finished her sentence breathing heavily, as if she still had more to say on the subject, but she had actually been very succinct in her statement.

Ron looked slightly embarrassed and he felt it to. It was true he had really only started 'seeing' Lavender to annoy Hermione, but now it seemed wrong to rub it in her face more than was absolutely necessary, especially when Hermione couldn't physically escape anymore.

'Ok, I…I'll try…yeah,' he said quietly.

Hermione was taken aback by his fast agreement, 'Oh, thanks. There's one more thing…when it comes to…going to the…to the bathroom, I'm presuming our room will have…facilities with various charms around them, but I think it would be a good idea to…maybe have a set time when we…go…' Hermione blushed as she finished her sentence. Ron looked at her and started to laugh.

'Why are you laughing?' Hermione asked, instantly reddening.

'Only you would call a toilet, 'facilities' and say 'going to the bathroom' instead of 'going to the loo'!'

'If you're going to be immature about it then forget I said anything!' Hermione snapped turning redder as she did so. This caused Ron to laugh harder.

'Oh come on Hermione, don't be like that,' he said with a huge smile. 'Fine, we'll have set times to go to the bathroom although I don't know why we need them.'

'Because, Ronald, knowing you you'll need to go just when I'm in the middle of reading something, or coming to an important point in an essay I'm writing, and I think you would be highly annoyed if I needed to go when you're fifty feet in the air sat on a broomstick trying to save goals from Ginny!'

Ron stopped laughing, 'All right, I see your point. Number…six are we on? No, five, rule five, scheduled loo breaks. Is that everything?'

'I can't think of anything else?' Hermione said, the redness having finally receded from her face.

'Ok, so in summary, one, no telling, two, no excessive library, three, no excessive Quidditch, four, no excessive snogging and five, scheduled loo breaks.'

'Very succinct Ron. Now if you don't mind I'm going to try and go to sleep, although my pain killers may be wearing off so I don't know how much I'll get.'

'Ask Madam Pomfrey for some more if you're in pain.'

'It's okay at the minute.'

'There's no need to suffer in silence, Hermione.'

'Ron I'm fine, really I am.'

'I don't believe you.'

'Look Ron, do you honestly think I'm stupid enough to lie here with a throbbing head?'

'No but-'

'Well then believe me when I say I'm fine!'

'All right I believe you, but will you promise to get some more potion when the other one wears off?'

Hermione looked at Ron and saw the concern in his eyes. As much as he annoyed her sometimes he always looked out for her, no matter what the situation.

'I promise I will. Now come on, we both need our sleep, something tells me tomorrow is going to be very draining on both of us!'

Ron smiled, 'Yeah I suppose it is.' He lay down on his bed and rolled onto his side. He blew out the candles stood on the cupboard and settled himself under his quilt. 'Night Hermione,' he said quietly.

Hermione smiled slightly, she was going to hear him wish her good night every night for a while, the thought comforted her somewhat.

'Night Ron, sweet dreams.'