*DISCLAIMER* I don't own (as much as I would like to) the Harry Potter universe, and all characters currently in the story, as well as the world, that come from her books belong to J.K. Rowling, and I am in no way trying to claim them as my own.

PROLOGUE

"Hermione!" shouted Ron. He was running through the ruins of Hogwarts. The battle was over, and Ron could think of no better time or place to confess his true feelings for her. However, a dark, deep dread washed over him. What if she hadn't survived? Would he find her lifeless body broken like the cobblestones? He shuddered. The feeling washed over him several times as he stood on the entrance steps to the makeshift hospital. No, he told himself. That's not the right way to think. His body surging with renewed courage, he ran inside.

The dimly lit hospital, once known to wizarding students as the great hall, was cluttered with people. All sorts of voices echoed around the arched room. People were pushing past him frantically, as he pushed past them. Others, even more than those crowding the paths, knelt crying next to people whose light had left their eyes. Some held hands, speaking in hushed tones. Seeing these morbid scenes made him doubt. So many people hadn't made it… What was it that made him think she would?

He walked faster, searching more frantically now. There! Brown hair!

"Hermione!" he called, breaking into a run. The brown head turned. Ron's shoulders fell. It was Lavender, not Hermione. He blamed himself for his let down. He had let his hope get the better of him once again. Wait… Lavender was crying!

"Ron!" she yelled. "Didn't you hear me?"

Ron shook his head, his anxiety clear on his face.

"She's over here! Come quickly!" Lavender was beckoning with her hand. He walked faster, breaking into a run.

"Oi!" said a rough male voice.

"Sorry!" he said quickly, slowing his pace. Running into people wasn't going to help him get there faster.

"Ron!" he heard Lavender yell. "Where are you?" He could hear the tears in her voice now, she must be close. Through the crowds of nurses and wounded, he caught a glimpse of emerald eyes. It was Harry! Where Harry was, Hermione would surely be. Letting his eyes guide him, rather than his ears or feet, he ran.

Slowly he broke through the crowd. There was a tiny clearing around her. At least these people were respectful. Clustered around the small thin mattress were his friends and family. Harry, Ginny, Lavender, even his parents were there. Harry looked up, his grin at seeing him made less happy by the obvious tears welling in his eyes. "Harry," said Ron, anxiety audible in his voice as it broke.

"What… What's happened?" Harry was clutching Hermione's hand. Travelling up her pale arm to her face, he could see her closed eyes. Her brown hair fanned out across her shoulders. She looked peaceful.

"Is she…" he asked. They did not need to hear the rest to know what he was about to ask. Harry looked up, the response hovering on his lips. A wave of emotions flooded over him. Hope, sadness, anger, fear.

"No," said Harry. Ron could not fathom the relief that hit him in that one moment. He sank to his knees, tears of relief freely falling.

"You didn't let me finish," said Harry, sadness still clearly evident in his voice. "She isn't dead. She's dying."

Suddenly, Ron's world fell apart again. It really wasn't fair, this whole life thing. One minute you were flying with the birds in the sunshine, and the next you had fallen from the sky, with broken bones feeling nothing but sadness. Ron was certainly feeling like the latter. Would he ever get to tell her how he felt? Ever since he had left them in the forest because of his own petty reasons, all he had thought about was her. He had been planning his confession for months, and let's just say it most certainly did not involve her dying in his arms as his tears hit her face. "Come here," Harry said gently.

"She'll want you with her too." Ron nodded silently, and slowly shuffled over on his knees.

"Hermione…" he whispered.

"I'm sorry… We failed you…" Harry looked at him.

"You can hold her hand if you want to." He lifted her pale, limp hand, and Ron took it.

"She's in a coma. The healers from St. Mungos said they'll be here in an hour." Ron lifted his head. Was that a tiny flicker of hope he could feel?

"Will that be enough?" he asked.

"Will she survive the hour?" Harry sighed, exasperated.

"I'm no seer, Ron," he said.

"And as you well know, Trelawney is quite fond of predicting deaths rather than lives." A ghost of a smile drifted upon Harry's face.

"It's good to have you back," he said. "Me and Ginny were fairly certain you'd died." Ron smiled. The almost-promise that Hermione would live had brought the happiness back to his eyes.

"I'm tougher than you non-believers think," he said, jokingly.

"Us non-believers?" Harry said, confused.

"People who don't believe in the great and amazing awesomeness of Ron, of course!" Harry, Ginny and Lavender laughed.

"At least your personality is still there," said Ginny. "Whether that's a blessing or a curse, I've yet to decide." Soon they were laughing. The knowledge that Hermione would be safe, at least if she survived the hour, had brought the laughter back.

An hour later, she was still breathing (thank god). Ron, Harry and Ginny had been taking turns holding her hand so that she would know they were all safe, even if she couldn't see them. Lavender had gone home already. Her mum was a healer, and she'd been tending other patients before coming to pick her up. She'd bustled in, covered in strange stains from god knows where. Lavender had said her goodbyes, even to Hermione. Ron absentmindedly wondered if Hermione was exploring some fantasy world, blissfully unaware of all the pain she had caused. He didn't even realise an hour was up until Harry told him.

"Mate," said Harry, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Mmm?" said Ron, looking up. He'd been startled out of his quiet reverie.

"An hour's up. Also, she's still breathing." Huge grins spread across both of their faces. Ron stood from his kneeling position next to Hermione.

"D'you mind waiting with her for a bit? I just need a bit of fresh air." Harry nodded.

"No problem. If you see the St. Mungo's helicopter, come straight back, okay?" Ron nodded.

"I'll only be a minute."

The path was a lot clearer now, with less people rushing around the hospital. Most of the healers, like Lavender's mum, had left a little while ago. A few still remained, tending the more seriously wounded and preparing them to go to the hospital. The dead were lined up against the far wall, little more than mounds covered in white cloth. As he made his way to the exit, Ginny pushed past him. She'd left to go for a walk around fifteen minutes before. He held out an arm to stop her.

"Hey Ginny," he said quietly. She looked up, her brown doe eyes welling up with tears.

"What's wrong?" he said. "While I was out, I found mum…" A single tear rolled down her cheek.

"What happened?" He was genuinely worried now.

"It's Fred…" She broke down, sinking to the floor as tears flooded out of her eyes. Quick footsteps echoed through the hall, coming closer to them. Ron looked up to see Harry running towards them.

"What's wrong?" he said, worriedly. Holding out his hand, he helped Ginny up. They'd been dating for a while now. It was weird at first, but he'd adjusted. She flung her head onto Harry's shoulder, sobbing her heart out.

"Um…" said Ron. To be honest, he felt a little awkward.

"Just let her cry," Harry whispered.

"It's how girls are." He nodded. Ginny looked up, drying her eyes on her sleeve.

"Honestly, you two must have no feelings!" she said angrily, stomping her foot. "It's how girls are," she mocked. "Sorry," said Harry, running a hand through his hair and grinning sheepishly.

"Ginny, can you please answer our question?" Ron said, exasperated.

"Oh… Fred…" The light left her eyes again, and he could see them beginning to fill.

"Ginny, please don't cry!" said Harry kindly.

"How do you expect me not to cry when my brother is dead?"

Ron's jaw dropped.

"Fred…" he said. "Fred is dead?" Ginny nodded solemnly. Ron held out his arms to hug her. He'd been so hung up on Hermione that he hadn't realised… Hadn't realised that one of the cloth mounds had a strand of orange peeking out from the edge.

"Are you… ok?" asked Harry. It was clear he wasn't exactly a pro at this whole comforting thing. His parents had died when he was little, sure, but he was hardly an expert on death. Then again, neither was Ron.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "I'll deal with this later." As he said that, the whir of helicopter blades drifted over head.

"It's St. Mungo's!" Harry shouted.

"Quick! Let's get Hermione moved and ready!" Other nurses were bustling with their patients too, getting them ready. Harry, Ron and Ginny rushed to Hermione's side, Harry taking one end, Ron the other, and Ginny watching the sides. They got her outside as quickly as they could, and waved to the helicopter. It was hard to see from the ground, but the helicopter doors slid open. Two healers on broomsticks, Fire Bolts by the looks of it, slid out of the gap, side by side, a cloth sling spread between them. As they landed, they climbed off the brooms and ran over. "I'm Catelyn, and this is Al. We'll take it from here," said the girl healer. She held up a pass quickly, and she and Al rushed to the mattress and lifted it onto the sling.

"Can we come with her?" Harry and Ron said in unison, then looked at each other and grinned. Catelyn shook her head.

"Sorry, but the emergency response helicopter is only for the patient," she said in a stern tone.

"You can come and visit in a week, once all the checkups are complete," said Al, more kindly than Catelyn. With that, they jumped on the broomsticks and took off, Hermione dangling between them.