A/N: What a chapter already? An illusion? Is she hyped up on meds? Nope just got rid of that nasty road block in the story that's been keeping me from writing this chapter :) Enjoy! 

Chapter 27 – Cold Cold Heart

Ginny eyes slowly opened as she heard the voices floating towards her. She recognised Hermione and Harry's voices talking hurriedly beside her. She hadn't even realised that she had fallen asleep beside Lavender's bed but she stretched her arms and walked over to the pair.

Harry was sitting up in bed, explaining something to Hermione with a huge smile on his face. She realised as she approached them that it was already dark outside. How long had she been asleep?

She heard a moan nearby and saw Ron was lying on a bed opposite Harry, his leg was bandaged and he had what looked like green cream smeared over his arms where he had received cuts and bruises from being dragged by Sirius Black.

Ginny stopped beside Hermione.

"How's Ron?"

"Oh Ginny," Hermione said slightly startled, "Broken leg should be healed in a few hours."

Ginny nodded at her and looked at Harry.

"What happened?"

"No time to explain," Hermione replied, "Harry," Hermione turned back to look at Harry, "We should leave now, Dumbledore was specific about the timing."

"Dumbledore was here?" Ginny questioned becoming increasingly confused.

"Sorry, Ginny, we really are in a hurry," Harry answered her question getting up off the bed, "Ron will explain."

"Or we will, we won't be long," Hermione replied pulling out a necklace from underneath her shirt.

Ginny watched as Hermione quickly extended the necklace so that she and Harry were both wearing it. Ginny's eyes widened when she saw what it was Hermione was holding in her hand, but before she could say anything her friends disappeared from before her eyes.

"Ohh…oww…."

Ginny turned to see Ron rubbing his head and trying to sit up in his bed.

"Ron, how are you feeling?" Ginny asked her brother taking a seat beside him on the bed.

Ron shrugged before resting his head back on the pillows.

"What a day," Ron sighed.

"Oh Ron you're leg!"

Lavender was awake and was now making her way across the room towards them.

"I'm alright – really I am!" Ron said hastily when he saw the tears in her eyes.

Lavender face crumbled and she leant forward to hug Ron.

"I'm so sorry," Lavender's muffled voice said.

Ron patted her on the back.

"Are you alright?" Ron replied.

Ginny jumped up when she heard the Harry and Hermione re-enter the room out of breath and looking like they've just run a marathon.

"Who cares about me," Lavender replied still gripping tightly onto Ron.

"Well I do," Ron said instantly.

Ginny heart broke when she saw the expression on Hermione's face.

 "Hermione!" Ron said happily on seeing her standing behind Ginny.

He pushed Lavender away but gave his friend a pat on the head before turning to look at Hermione.

"Where you been? Are you alright? You look exhausted…" Ron made to stand up but stopped when Hermione pushed him back down.

"Nothings wrong with me, a lots happened that's all," Hermione explained.

Ron frowned as he looked up into her face. He reached a hand up to touch her pale face and bloodshot eyes.

"We'd better get Madam Pomfrey to see you," he said instantly.

"Madam Pomfrey can't help me," Hermione mumbled and Ron brow furrowed as he considered those words.

"So now can you explain what happened?" Ginny said before Ron could question Hermione further, he did however notice that she took a step away from him to sit down on the bed opposite.

"Oh well…" Harry trailed off and he glanced at Lavender.

Lavender seemed to take the hint because she walked out the room without a word.

"Well after you left w- "

"Hold that thought," Ginny said jumping up off the bed and running out the door after Lavender.

 Harry glanced between Hermione and Ron and quickly looked away again. He never understood the saying 'three's a crowd' better than he did at that moment.

"Um…think I might just go find Ginny, after all you guys were there, you know what happened…" Harry laughed nervously before making a hasty exit.

He didn't even need to look behind him to know that those two were locked in an uncomfortable staring contest.

He closed the doors to the hospital closed behind him and headed down the stairs, as he reached the bottom he caught the end of Ginny and Lavender's conversation.

"Don't you dare tell," Harry heard Ginny say in an angry voice.

"Of course I won't! I told you I'm not going to do that anymore…and besides…the way he looked at her…"

"Yeah, I know," Ginny agreed.

It was at that moment that Harry tripped and stumbled the rest of the way down the stairs. When he straightened himself up he saw two girls with identical expressions on their faces. They were both looking at him with raised eyebrows.

"Hello," Harry waved.

Ginny sighed and shook her head at him.

Lavender moved to walk away but Ginny grabbed her arm.

"Promise."

"I promise," Lavender replied, "I know how much this means to him."

Ginny nodded her head and released Lavender from her grip. Both she and Harry watched her walk away.

"What was that about?"

"Just making sure she doesn't blab about Hermione disguising herself as a boy."

Harry nodded his head.

"So," Ginny looked at him expectantly, "Care to fill me in?"

"Yeah, lets go back to the common room though."

Ginny nodded her head in agreement and they both made their weary way back to the Gryffindor Common Room.

 "Hermione I –"

"When did you notice?" Heremione cut him off.

"Notice? Notice what?"

"That I was a girl?" Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and he seemed to shift in his bed uncomfortably.

"Oh that…"

Hermione waited for him to answer but he didn't say anything further.

"I mean, I don't even remember when the potion wore off. Must have been when we were talking to Sirius because I was definitely back to normal when Remus walked in."

She looked up from her entwined fingers to see Ron staring at her in confusion.

"Do you mean…when did I notice you had changed back to being a girl in the Shrieking Shack?"

Hermione nodded her head but she was slightly confused with the smile on Ron's face.

"Oh well, yeah that sounds about right, during the time we were talking to Sirius but before Remus came in."

Hermione stared at him. His smile slid from his face.

"What?"

"Are you angry with me?" Hermione questioned.

"What? No!" Ron looked at her with shock.

"So you don't mind the fact that you've been sharing a room with a girl for half the year?"

"Err…well…" Ron trailed off looking away form her and running a hand through his hair.

"I knew it, you are mad," Hermione felt like she was being physically crushed and pulled apart at the same time.

"I'm not mad," Ron replied vehemently.

"I just want you to know…I won't stand in your way," she looked up at him fighting back the tears.

He stared at her in confusion.

"You and Lavender," she gritted her teeth and took a deep breath before continuing, "I just want you to be happy Ron, I care about you so much…and its not like we were dating or anything – never got the chance really…"

"Hermione I –"

"No, let me finish," she sniffed and looked away from him before continuing, "I just want you to know that your friendship has meant more to me than any relationship I've ever had and that no matter what I want us always to be friends. And I'm sure Lavender is a very nice girl, I just haven't gotten the chance to know her very well, but if like her I'll do my best to get to know her better from now on."

Hermione took a deep breath before continuing.

"I just always want to be part of your life that's all, even if it's just as a friend – or even as your little sisters friend."

She felt Ron place something in her hand and she looked down to see it was a handkerchief.

"Thanks," she mumbled wiping her face.

When she looked back at him his face was furious.

"Is that all?" he said through gritted teeth.

"Y-yeah," she replied surprised at the anger radiating from him.

"Well then do you mind leaving so I can get some rest?"

Hermione felt fresh tears well in her eyes but Ron continued to look at her with pure hatred.

"I'm so sorry," she cried before running out the door.

She closed the door behind her and leant against in to catch her breath and collect her thoughts. She jumped when she heard a loud crash from inside the school hospital.

"Mr Weasley! I would appreciate it if you did not vandalise school property!" Hermione heard Madme Pomfrey say through the door.

"It's just a bloody vase!" Ron shouted back at her.

A moment of silence followed before Madam Pomfrey spoke again.

"You need some more of that skele-grow I think."

Hermione backed away when she heard Ron scream and the sound of more smashing objects. She ran the rest of the way back to the Gryffindor tower

 "So the next thing we know Snape comes running into the room screaming about injustice and that he was going to put Sirius back where he belonged, the stupid git."

Ginny and Harry were both sitting on Harry's bed in the empty boys dormitory as Harry retold the story of the past few hours.

"But isn't he right though? I mean I'm no Snape fan but didn't Sirius betray your parents?" Ginny questioned.

"No," Harry shook his head, "That's what we thought, but turns out that it was Scabbers who betrayed them – I mean Wormtail – I mean…"

"Wait, Scabbers?"

"Scabbers wasn't really scabbers – he was a Peter Pettigrew disguised as a rat."

"The guy they said Sirius killed?"

Harry nodded his head enthusiastically.

"So the traitor betrayed my parents trust and told Voldermort their location – then framed Sirius for the deaths of all those muggles and pretended to have died himself when in actual fact he had just changed himself into a rat and lived amongst you for years."

"Merlin that's disgusting and really disturbing," Ginny shivered, "But what happened with Snape?"

"Oh well we kinda stunned him – just long enough for Sirius and Remus to explain to us what was really going on."

Harry laughed when he remembered the look on Snape's face.

"And so Sirius is really a good guy?"

"Yeah, and do you know what? He said I could come live with him…well eventually when this whole mess is cleared up."

"Why what do you mean?"

"Well he's sorta in hiding now isn't he? But I don't care he's free and everyone who matters knows he's innocent."

Ginny reached over and squeezed his hand.

"I'm so happy for you Harry."

"Thanks," he replied a wide smile on his face.

They stared at each other for a moment before Harry realised how close they were sitting and suddenly jumped off the bed.

"I can't believe you can do a full body patronus," Ginny said in awe, "Can I see it?"

"Maybe later, I'm a bit tired actually."

"Sorry to interrupt…"

Harry and Ginny turned to see Neville standing in the doorway.

"Neville come in, I've got loads to tell you," Harry said practically jumping up and down on the spot.

"Before you do, do you know what's wrong with John?"

"What do you mean?" Ginny said in concern walking over to Neville, and Harry followed her.

"He just ran up the stairs crying," Neville explained looking at them both.

"I'll go talk to her-"

Harry nudged her with his elbow.

"Him, I'll see what's wrong with him," Ginny said hastily before running up the stairs.

"What's wrong?" Harry questioned when he saw the strange expression on Neville's face.

"Oh…nothing."

 "Hermione what's wrong?" Ginny pleaded her friend who was currently sobbing into her pillow.

"He hates me!" Hermione cried.

"Who? Cause I know you can't mean Ron."

"Of course Ron, and why wouldn't he?" Hermione wiped her face before continuing, "I betrayed his trust…I've been lying to him this whole time."

"That's not true…so you've been disguising yourself as a guy – you're still you aren't you?"

Hermione ignored her questioned and simply continued crying.

"I messed everything up," Hermione said looking at her friend, "I really like him Ginny."

"I know you do," Ginny hugged her friend, "And he likes you too."

"No, he likes Lavender," Hermione hiccupped.

"Don't be ridiculous, they're just friends," Ginny replied.

"But when I saw them earlier –"

"She was just worried about him and he was just comforting her – she thinks it's her fault he got hurt."

"That's ridiculous," Hermione replied wiping the tears from her face.

"That's pretty much what he said."

"But still…"

Ginny groaned before grabbing Hermione's shoulders and physically shaking her.

"My – Brother – Likes – You!"

She released her friend but continued to look at her.

"But why was he so angry before?"

"No idea," Ginny replied genuinely confused at her brother's behavior, "boys can be strange sometimes – they don't really know how to show their emotions. But the point is he likes you. You. Hermione Granger."

Ginny saw Hermione's shoulders slump.

"Maybe."

"I think you need a nice long bath before you go to bed," Ginny helped her friend walk to the bathroom, "Can't let Ron see you like this."

"By the way," Ginny asked as she turned the taps on for Hermione's bath, "What on earth were you doing with a time-turner?"

"How else do you think I've been attending both Hogwarts Boys and Girls all year long?" Hermione explained with a smile.

"You are an amazing witch," Ginny shook her head in disbelief.

 

 Hermione woke with a start when she heard a noise in the room. She sat up but froze when she saw Ron sitting on the windowsill staring out at the night sky. The window was pushed open slightly and he was staring out at the darkness.

She didn't make a sound but simply watched him.

Suddenly he spun around and she instantly dropped to the bed feigning sleep.

She heard him walk past her bed and into the bathroom. She heard the taps turn on and she finally took a deep breathe.

'He's defiantly angry,' she sighed to herself.

When she awoke the next morning Ron was no where in sight and his bed was already made.

'He likes you.'

Ginny's words spun around her head as she prepared for her day.

"Gonna be another long day," she said as she walked into the bathroom.

It was only when she had stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her did she realise that she had forgotten to take her uniform into the bathroom. Sighing she walked out of the bathroom and walked over to her cupboard.

She screamed when she heard something heavy drop behind her.

She spun around and found Ron staring at her his mouth hanging open.

"Ron!" she squeaked pulling her towel closer and she felt like her whole body was on fire.

He gaped at her for a few seconds before he slammed the door to their room closed. He picked up the books that he had drooped on the floor and dumped them on his bed.

"Can't you be more bloody careful?!" he screamed at her before storming out the room.

When the door slammed closed behind him she sunk to the floor completely drained of energy.

She felt herself shaking from fear – she never thought she would be afraid of Ron but the look in his eyes.

"He looked like he wanted to kill me."

 A/N: Am I forgiven for my extremly long hiatus? Or should I make the next chapter super long to make you all like me again? :)

HGT: Yeah I agree, I think Ginny would be a really good influence on Lavender.

CutewithAcapital-Q: Glad you liked the dresses, the blue one actually grew on me too :) And oh I wish I could answer your questions but that would spoil the story lol.

Cathy_Rock: I know lol (squee!) you better prepare yourself for the next chapter though ;)

Isi Wisi: LOL you won't have to wait too much longer I think I'll be both happy and said when the whole truth comes out.

 Avanell: Really? What fic was it? and what pairing?