(collapses)
Okay, so this was bloody hard work! I rewrote a huge part of it and I'm happier with it now. Thanks to Leviathan0999 for checking it through for me and huge hugs to my big sis, Solstice Muse for the constructive help and then wooing at the end! Always appreciated. :D
Epilogue has been started and shouldn't be too long, (fingers crossed). If you could, like you have many time, let me know what you think of this one, it would make me very happy. Thank you.
Step ;)
Chapter 25
'February!' both Ron and Hermione exclaimed at the same time.
'But…what…? How…?' Hermione stammered.
'How in the name of hell is it February?' Ron said, putting Hermione's stammers into a coherent sentence.
They both turned their heads towards the three adults in the room and waited for an answer.
'But, Dad, you said we'd only been unconscious for three days, what…what happened to the rest?'
'Hermione, Ron,' Arthur said as he conjured himself a chair out of thin air, and one for Charles too, 'I just want to make sure you don't remember anything since you fainted. Are you absolutely positive there is nothing else you remember?'
Both Hermione and Ron looked at the blankets that covered them as they tried desperately to remember something, any tiny detail from their apparent missing month.
After a minute Hermione sighed in frustration.
'Nothing,' she replied quietly.
'Ron, how about you?' Arthur asked.
Ron shook his head slowly and sighed in frustration. 'So, what's been going on this last month?' he asked, his tone nonchalant but the sentiment not reaching his eyes.
'Dear Merlin! I never thought I'd have to explain this to you,' Arthur said, his hand over his eyes.
He was saved any further explanation by Dumbledore walking into the room and serenely moving over to them.
'Ah! Miss Granger! Mister Weasley, so good to see you awake and in the land of the conscious! How are you both feeling?'
'Er…fine,' Ron replied.
Dumbledore turned his head towards Hermione and she glanced at him before nodding her head in agreement.
'Fine, Professor.'
'Excellent!'
'Er…not quite excellent, Albus,' Arthur said, standing to look Dumbledore in the eye.
'Oh?' Dumbledore asked, his face still smiling in a curious manner.
Arthur stepped round the Headmaster and spoke to him in a hushed tone. Dumbledore's smile slipped slightly, and he looked at Arthur, surprised. But then a wry smile covered his face and Arthur looked curious. Dumbledore took a step towards Hermione and Ron's beds and looked at Ron, then Hermione before speaking.
'Well, it seems the two of you have become quite forgetful since you took a walk in the middle of the night. I hear that was something to behold, unfortunately I wasn't witness to it, you shall have to ask Madam Pomfrey or Harry and Ginny for details on that, but before that I think you'd like a few more details filling in. I shall give you the bare bones, but, again, Harry and Ginny will probably be better suited to fill you in more clearly.'
Ron and Hermione stayed silent, waiting for news of the past month they couldn't remember.
'Well Hermione, Ron, over the past month the two of you have been quite inseparable!'
…oooOOOooo…
'Oh this is ridiculous!' Ginny exclaimed to the closed hospital wing door.
Harry couldn't help but giggle at Ginny's lack of success in peering in the hospital wing door.
'Why is the window that high anyway? Only lanky sods like Ron can see in, although even he'd have to be on tip toe! Oh! I know!'
She took the three steps needed to be close enough to Harry to grab his robes and pull him towards her.
'Down on one knee, Harry.'
Harry's eyebrows disappeared into the small part of his fringe, which was laying flat.
'Er, why?'
He ignored the leap his stomach had just made into his throat.
Ginny sighed and tutted loudly, obviously annoyed Harry hadn't cottoned onto her plan instantly.
'If you're down on one knee I can stand on your leg and see in the window. Come on!'
'Er, no!'
It was Ginny's turn to lose her eyebrows in her fringe.
'Why not?'
'Because…I…you…'
'Be very careful, Potter, very careful!'
Harry sighed and decided the easiest and safest way forward was to do as Ginny asked. He knelt down on his left knee and put his hand against the wall behind him to steady himself.
Ginny looked at him with a smug look on her face and was about to step forward when the door opened and Arthur, Charles and Dumbledore all filed out the hospital wing.
They stopped and stared at Harry down on one knee in front of Ginny.
Harry went pale and his eyes widened.
'I'm sorry Harry, we didn't mean to disturb anything!' Dumbledore said with a grin.
The colour came back to Harry's cheeks in full force and he scrambled off the floor. Ginny was trying hard to suppress body shaking laughter.
'You weren't professor,' Harry mumbled, not looking at any of the three men in front of him. 'Ginevra, wanted to see inside the hospital wing so I was about to be of help!'
Ginny's smile turned into a sharp glare from Harry for using her full name and mentioning she was trying to be nosey.
'Ah, I see,' Dumbledore said slowly, drawing out Harry's embarrassment as long as possible. 'Well, Ginny, you'll be glad to hear you no longer have to resort to peering through windows. You are both allowed to go and fill Ron and Hermione in on everything they have been doing for the past month, they seem to have forgotten everything since the first time they collapsed. We thought you two would be the best people to help them fill in their missing month.'
Both Harry and Ginny's jaws had dropped.
'They…they can't remember anything since they collapsed in their rooms?' Harry asked.
'Not a thing Harry,' Arthur said.
'How about things that weren't directly involved with their connection, like their school work?' Harry asked.
Dumbledore smiled. 'Absolutely nothing, Harry. Hermione was rather alarmed when she realised she had forgotten a months lessons as I'm sure you can imagine, but as I told her, I'm sure they will both be able to catch up, they still have their own notes after all.'
'Oh, I'll bet that calmed Hermione right down!' Ginny said, the sarcasm obvious in her tone.
Charles chuckled. 'It has to be said I've never seen her go so pale so quickly without it being instigated by illness. It was rather alarming for a second!'
Harry laughed. 'How long have we got, sir?' he asked Dumbledore.
'Oh I think Poppy will give you a reasonable time with them. They aren't suffering any ill effects from their latest ordeal so I doubt Madam Pomfrey will demand they sleep after ten minutes of talking.'
Harry nodded.
'We shall leave you to it then. Arthur, Charles, would you care for a drink?'
Harry and Ginny watched as the three men walked down the corridor out of sight.
'Well,' Harry started, turning to face Ginny, 'this isn't what I expected!'
'Me neither!' Ginny replied.
Harry tried to take his mind back to a month ago, his eyes widened.
'Oh Merlin!' he exclaimed in a sigh.
'What?' Ginny asked, puzzled.
'I'm just remembering how they were a month ago.'
Ginny's eyes widened as she realised what Harry meant.
'Constantly arguing.'
'Constantly trying to get one over the other.'
'Long periods of silence.'
They both thought for a few seconds and then made a realisation at the same time. As if reading the other's mind they said one word at the same time.
'Lavender!'
…oooOOOooo…
'So how are you both feeling?' Ginny asked Ron and Hermione.
'Fine,' Ron mumbled in response.
'Hermione?' Harry asked quietly, having noticed Hermione hadn't acknowledged the question.
Hermione shrugged. 'Not sure really, I don't like the fact that I have no recollection of anything I've done over the last month, but apparently, it's nothing to worry about and seems to be quite acceptable to both Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey, so really, what have I got to complain about?'
Harry noticed the bitterness in her voice. He knew how much Hermione would hate this. Hermione Granger not knowing something…well, it was out of place at the very least and he knew how much it would be annoying her to not remember a whole month of her life.
'I can't believe all the work I've missed. I'm going to be so far behind.'
Ron snorted. 'Hermione, it'll take all of a day for you to catch up. I think it's me that should be worrying about schoolwork!'
'Oh stop being so dramatic, the pair of you!' said Ginny. 'Harry will help you both and you'll catch up in no time.'
'We can't catch up on everything else though, can we?' Ron mumbled as he fiddled with the blanket covering the lower half of his bed.
'Well, not everything, but that's why we're here,' Ginny said in a cheerful tone, trying to lift the moods of her friend and her brother. 'We can fill you in on stuff that isn't orientated around lessons. So, come on, we're ready for the barrage of questions, aren't we Harry?'
'What? Oh, yeah, fire away.'
'Nothing horrendous has happened outside school, has it?' Hermione asked, at the same time Ron asked, 'How are the Canon's doing in the league?'
'Er, right,' Ginny said before thinking. 'Harry you take Hermione's question, I'll take Ron's.'
She walked around Ron's bed and sat on the chair. Harry watched her and then did the same but next to Hermione's bed.
Hermione turned towards Harry and away from Ron. She wasn't sure why but she didn't really want Ron listening to the conversation she desperately wanted to have with Harry.
She listened to Ginny chatter on with Ron about the Quidditch league and then Harry cleared his throat.
'Well, nothing major's happened, just the usual, the odd disappearance, the odd death, a couple of muggles were killed last week.'
Hermione smiled sadly. 'It's a sad state of affairs when disappearances and deaths are the norm, isn't it?'
'I think what's sadder is that we're used to it by now.' Harry shook his head, as if trying to force the subject out of his mind. 'Anyway, surely there are more things about you and Ron that you want to know about?'
'Well, yes, I suppose. I'm just finding hard to come to terms with this whole thing. We were definitely inseparable then? We couldn't leave the other's company?'
'Not without falling unconscious you couldn't. Later on, when the connection got stronger, if one of you fell unconscious like the time Ron was hit in the head by a Bludger in Quidditch practice and got knocked out, you only lasted a few seconds before you blacked out too. You should have heard Madam Pomfrey when she found out.'
Hermione was shocked by what she had just heard. Harry read her facial expressions and carried on.
'But then it got even stronger. If one of you fell asleep then the other would at exactly the same time. I'll not forget you telling me Ron fell asleep on the toilet because you'd fallen asleep in bed!'
Hermione couldn't help but smile at that announcement, but it soon faded.
'What's wrong, Hermione?' Harry asked quietly.
Hermione sighed. 'I don't know really, I suppose I should be grateful, we could have had some serious side effects from the potion, in all fairness we could have died, but all that happened was a month's worth of memory loss.'
Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat. 'Er, look, Hermione, about that, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to—'
'Oh shush, Harry, you made a mistake, we all do it,' she said with a wave of her hand.
Harry grinned. 'Is this Hermione Granger admitting she's made mistakes?'
Hermione's sad smile returned. 'More than I'd like to admit.'
Her head turned towards Ron a fraction, subconsciously it seemed. Harry was about to say something but Hermione cut him off.
'How did we not kill each other, Harry?' she asked with a small smile? 'Things have hardly been normal between us.'
'Well, no, they weren't, and for a few days you were hardly speaking, I'm not sure of the details, but I think Ron had put his foot in it and said something he didn't mean. You were quiet and distant for a while, but one night you went up to your room and the next morning came down and were fine, more than fine, you were friends again.'
'Oh, okay.'
'I think things must have come to a head or something, because I'd never seen you that angry at Ron, and he was hardly happy either, I think things had to get really bad before you were forced to talk to each other and work whatever it was out. As I said, I don't know what happened exactly, but things were better after that.'
'How better? I mean, were we friends, or…were there other…side effects?'
She felt the blush creep up her neck and onto her cheeks and she was grateful that Harry made no point of the fact.
Harry cleared his throat and made sure Ron and Ginny were in deep conversation before answering.
'You were…close, Hermione. I'm not gonna lie to make you feel better, for my safety more than anything else, you'd hex me to within an inch of my life if you found out I'd lied to you,' he grinned and Hermione gave a reluctant smile, 'but, yeah, I can't really explain it, but because of the connection you had, you knew what the other needed and how they felt. You could read each other's emotions and that made things better between you.'
He watched as Hermione's face went from shocked through to bewildered and then back to sad as she realised what she had missed, or at least couldn't remember.
'I'm sorry, Hermione,' Harry said quietly.
'What for Harry?' Hermione asked. She tried to keep her tone quizzical, but the wobble in her voice, which she attempted to cover with a cough, was obvious. 'I can't remember any of it,' she continued, her voice stronger, 'therefore I have lost nothing.'
Harry nodded.
'So, what have I missed in lessons?' Hermione asked.
Harry knew the subject of her and Ron was now closed. Hermione would deal with it on her own, in her own way.
Whether the subject was ever breached with Ron was yet to be seen.
---
'What do you mean I've been nicer to be around lately?' Ron asked his sister with an outraged look on his face.
'Oh calm down!' Ginny retorted. 'All I meant was that Hermione's rubbed off on you, you are—were calmer for a start and you just seemed to take stock of everything before saying things. You and Hermione got on like a house on fire once you'd got over whatever it was that made you unbelievably mad at each other. You were both so in tune with each other it was…bizarre but in a good way.'
'Sounds like I lost all the things that makes me, me and you liked it better!'
'Don't you dare try and twist what I just said, Ron! You're my brother and as much as I sometimes lose all understanding as to why I love you, I do, that's why I'm telling you this. You were happy when you were with Hermione, Ron. I know you don't remember anything that happened, but once you'd dropped Lavender, you—'
'What?' Ron exclaimed, a little too loudly.
Ginny rolled her eyes. 'A couple of weeks ago, you broke up with Lavender.'
'Why?' Ron asked, the look of shock still on his face.
'I think the way she treated Hermione finally started to upset you, and by that time you could see and feel how it upset and bothered her, so you did the right thing and ditched the overdramatic wench!'
Ron dropped his gaze to the blanket and balled it up in his fists.
'But I like Lavender!' he protested weakly.
'Is she worth more to you than Hermione's friendship? 'Cause it nearly cost you that once before, are you going to let that happen again.'
'Will you stop pounding me with all this emotional crap, Gin? What's it to you if Hermione and me aren't on speaking terms? Why do you care if I'm going out with Lavender or not?'
Ginny turned the famous Weasley red and had to take a couple of deep breaths before leaning in closer to Ron to get her point across.
'As I said Ron, I don't know why, but I care about you and I care about Hermione too, if you're too stubborn to see what's good for you then fine!'
She stood and looked over at Harry. He saw the look on her face and decided it was probably better if they left.
'Well,' Harry said as he stood up, 'I dunno when you'll be let out of here, but when you are, come and find me, okay?'
'Like we'd do anything else, Harry,' Hermione said with a smile.
'Yeah, you can't get rid of us, you know. You should have figured that out by now mate,' Ron said with a smirk.
'Don't I know it. See you both later.'
…oooOOOooo…
'So, it seems things…were a bit…strange this past month,' Ron said to Hermione, who was lying on her back staring at the ceiling.
They had been told they were to spend one more night in the hospital wing and in the morning they could go back to the main school and back to their dormitories. The two of them, of course, didn't know of anywhere else they could go.
'Apparently!' Hermione replied.
'But, I suppose things are back to normal, for us anyway, not that we know of anything different, so things are just, normal!'
'Yeah,' Hermione replied with a sigh. 'Look, Ron, I know…things…have seemingly happened…between us,' she again, tried to ignore the blush she knew was making its way up her neck and to her cheeks, 'but considering we don't remember them, I think we should just, try and forget what we've been told. If our memories come back then, well, I suppose we'll deal with that as it happens. But there's no point speculating over something that only we knew completely and therefore won't ever get the full facts off anyone else.' She glanced at Ron. 'What do you think?'
'Yeah, that makes sense. There's no point trying to build on something when we don't know what we're building on, is there? So…yeah, back to the way things were.'
'Exactly how things were?' Ron asked quietly.
'Well, yes,' Hermione replied looking a little puzzled.
'Oh, okay.'
Ron lay down on his bed his stomach squirming slightly. He replayed what Ginny had said to him in his head and then he thought about what Hermione had just said. She wanted to go back to they way they remember being. As far as Ron could remember, they were bickering constantly when they were talking, not that they spoke to each other that often. Well, if Hermione didn't care that much about him, then why should he care about what she might feel for him.
If she wanted to go back to how things were before, then that's what would happen.
…oooOOOooo…
Hermione and Ron woke up the next morning when Madam Pomfrey informed them it was time for them to rejoin the main school. They dressed and piled their things neatly onto their beds, ready for the house elves to take them up to their rooms.
Madam Pomfrey had asked them to stay for a few minutes before they left for breakfast so she could schedule a check up for each of them in a few days time.
As they were about to walk to her office, one of the doors to the wing opened. They both looked up at the doors and saw Lavender Brown step through them almost timidly.
'Lavender!' Ron exclaimed.
Hermione looked shocked but quickly changed her facial expression to indifference.
'Do you have a minute?' Lavender asked Ron.
'Actually Lavender,' Hermione said before Ron had a chance to answer, 'we're due to see Madam Pomfrey and then we have to get our things ready for the day.'
'Oh, right, well, I'll come back later then.'
'Hang on!' Ron said, grabbing Lavender's elbow as she turned away from him. When she stopped to see what he had to say he turned to Hermione and glared at her. 'There's nothing stopping you going, we're not inseparable anymore!'
Hermione reddened. 'Well I just thought it would be easier for Madam Pomfrey if we sorted out our appointments together, but if you want to make her life that little bit more complicated then fine!'
Hermione pushed past Ron and knocked on the door to the Nurse's office, after a second Madam Pomfrey opened the door to let Hermione in, and raised an eyebrow at Ron before closing the door.
'Sorry about that,' Ron mumbled.
Lavender smiled sweetly. 'That's all right. I was just wondering how you were. I wasn't allowed to see you when you were unconscious, only Harry and Ginny had permission. That's how I knew it was really serious. I was really worried.'
'Well, I don't remember anything, so you'll have to ask them for the details.'
'Well, I don't think that'll happen, I'm hardly their favourite person.'
It was something in her tone that made Ron stop and look at her properly. He was astonished when he saw tears in her eyes.
'Wait, have they said anything to you?'
'What? Oh, no nothing,' she replied half-heartedly. 'It's just been a long time since I've seen you properly; I've missed you, Ron. Have you missed me? Oh, no, wait, you don't remember anything do you? As far as you're concerned we're, well, you don't remember breaking up, do you?'
Ron went red and shifted his weight to his other foot. He glanced at Lavender before dropping his gaze back down to his school shoes.
'Er…no…'
'Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable.' She shuffled closer to Ron. 'I don't blame you for doing it, you know. When…it happened, I got the impression you weren't very happy about it. Like you were doing it to keep the peace.'
'Keep the peace?' Ron exclaimed. 'With who?'
Lavenders eyes jumped to Madam Pomfrey's office before looking back at Ron.
Ron turned his head to the office and then back to Lavender.
'You think…you think Hermione bullied me into it?' Ron asked, confusion filling his face.
''Well, maybe bullied is a bit strong, but I have a feeling she may have put a bit of pressure on you to do it. Of course at the time I didn't realise, but after, when I'd calmed down enough to really think about what happened,' she glanced at Ron before looking over his shoulder, 'I realised there was something in the way you were talking to me that I missed the first time, it was like you were trying to tell me that you didn't mean what you were saying. But, then again, I might be wrong. I was upset for a while…'
Ron shifted his weight onto his other foot and took half a step towards Lavender.
'I'm sorry if I upset you,' Ron said, his voice barely above a whisper.
'Well…I don't think you wanted to…but…' she put her hand on Ron's arm and gave it a little squeeze.
'Look Lavender, I—'
The door to Madam Pomfrey's office banged shut. Lavender and Ron jumped apart and looked at Hermione.
'No no, don't let me disturb you,' Hermione snapped. 'Madam Pomfrey is ready for you Ron, don't keep her waiting, that would be rude after all.'
She stalked past Ron and Lavender.
Ron glared at her as she left the hospital wing.
'You were saying?' Lavender prompted Ron.
'What? Oh, yeah…'
He watched the doors swing back and forth and came to a decision.
'Lavender, considering I don't remember us breaking up and I don't know the reasons why it happened either, do you want to…I mean, only if you're…well, not upset by anything…do you want to, go back out with me?'
A smile spread across Lavender's face and she put her hand back on Ron's arm.
'I'd like that,' she replied.
'Oh, okay, cool!'
Lavender took no time in attaching herself to Ron, and they spent the next minute in one of their vertical wrestling matches.
The sound of the door slamming shut made them jump apart.
'Well, I see Miss Brown has taken no time in making sure you aren't damaged from your escapades Mister Weasley. Seeing as though you have reassured yourself thoroughly, Miss Brown, I suggest you wait for Mister Weasley downstairs.'
Lavender hastily left the hospital wing, leaving Ron alone with the nurse.
'Well, Mister Weasley, according to Miss Granger, you are free first thing on Thursday morning, would you be able to come for your check up during first lesson?'
'Er, yeah, that's fine,'
'Good, well you are free to go, and I don't want to see you in here before Thursday morning, understand? You've seen too much of this hospital wing.'
'Don't worry, I don't intend to be back here again for any other reason than my check up.
Madam Pomfrey nodded.
Ron turned and left the hospital wing.
'You may not intend to be here, Weasley, lets just hope no one else sends you here on purpose!'
…oooOOOooo…
'So, are things' Harry made air quotes with his hands 'normal between you two now?'
'Define normal, Harry?' Hermione asked before eating her next mouthful of cereal.
'Well, friends?'
Hermione didn't answer him. She carried on eating her cereal for a couple of minutes before turning her attention to Harry.
'I don't know what you're expecting me to say Harry. To me…yesterday I was annoyed at Ron because, well, I just was and I was annoyed at you for exploding your potion all over me. Ron…' she sighed, unsure as to what she wanted to say about Ron, 'well, he's—'
'Hi,' Ron said as he walked behind Hermione and gave a wave in their general direction before he went down the table and sat next to Lavender.
Hermione sighed. 'Just being Ron.'
She glanced down the table and caught Ron's eye for a second before looking resolutely into the milk in her cereal bowl.
She thought about herself and she thought about Ron and some things that had happened over their five and a bit years of knowing each other.
He's just being Ron. The words rattled around in her head.
When Ron was being Ron he stood in front of Malfoy for her.
When Ron was being Ron he made her cry when he imitated her.
When Ron was being Ron he stood in front of his best friend and declared he would have to be killed first to get to him.
When Ron was being Ron he kissed Lavender Brown instead of going to a party with her.
When Ron was being Ron, he was the best friend in the world.
