Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Hey everyone. I owe you all a MAJOR apology because it has taken SO long for an update so I'm really sorry! Along with every great apology comes great bit thanks for patience, so THANK YOU! I lost every ounce of inspiration I had for this and I finally forced myself to write an ending. However, for forcing myself to write, I'm actually quite pleased with the ending. I hope you enjoy it!

Oh! I almost forgot the answer to the quiz! At the beginning of this chapter, Ron has his own system, Harry has Hermione's and Hermione has Harry's. Congrats to all who got it right and if you didn't, don't worry about it because even I had to sit down and write it out and I'm the author =)

Silence filled the canvas tent once again and when Hermione woke up several hours later, she had to remind herself that she was no longer ill. She sat up, her muscles stiff, and stretched. Although she was sore (who wouldn't be after throwing up for twelve straight hours?), Hermione couldn't deny that she felt better.

Pulling her quilt off the bed with her, she padded through the silent tent to the kitchen. She drank a glass of water and felt the cool liquid slide down her parched throat. Hermione tried to think who had the virus right now and after a minute, she realized it was Ron. She went to his bed and sat on the edge.

Her movement caused Ron's eyes to open slightly and when Ron saw Hermione peering down at him, he smiled.

"Hey." he croaked.

"How do you feel?" Hermione asked, pushing a damp strand of Ron's hair out of his eyes.

"I'm alright. I'm just glad that you're better." Ron said. Hermione smiled softly.

"I can't stand seeing you like that, Hermione."

"I'll tell you a secret," Hermione replied quietly. "I can't stand seeing you like this, either."

"I'm not letting you do this again." Ron's voice, although jagged, was firm.

"We'll talk about that later. Right now, you need to get some rest. Have you been sick much?"

Ron shook his head.

"I think that part is just about over," Hermione said. "I wasn't sick that often. Every once and awhile but it wasn't too bad. We're beating this, Ron."

"I know. But I'm still not going to let you be sick again."

Ron closed his eyes and Hermione sat and watched him for a few minutes before getting up, pulling the quilt around her, and retreating back to her bed.

Hermione listened to the rain, which was still coming down. She missed her parents; she wondered if they would like Ron. They had never met him, although she had told them all about him and Harry. But her parents wouldn't remember those conversations now, they wouldn't even remember her. Hermione let a lone tear run down her cheek.

-HARRY POTTER-

Hermione must've fallen asleep because the next thing she knew, she heard voices. She sat up and looked at Ron's bed. He was propped up, looking much better than a few days ago, and Harry was sitting on the chair that moved from bedside to bedside. She smiled when she heard them laugh. They hadn't laughed like that in a long time.

"What's so funny?" Hermione asked as she walked over, still wrapped in her quilt.

"Oh, sorry, Hermione. We didn't mean to wake you." Harry said, trying to control his laughter.

"It's alright. I needed to get up anyways."

"How do you feel?" Harry asked.

"I'm fine. How are you?" she asked Ron.

"I'm alright, but Harry and I have reached a decision."

Hermione's eyes narrowed and darted back and forth from Ron to Harry.

"What kind of decision?"

"We decided that you are no longer going to take a turn in the cycle." Harry said firmly. Before Hermione had time to even open her mouth to protest, Ron put up his hand.

"Just hear us out, Hermione." Ron said. "Neither Harry or I like seeing you be sick and we can't afford for anything to happen to you."

"I am not going to just sit around and watch my friends suffer!" Hermione exclaimed.

"And you're not going to." Harry said.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Ron and I thought that if you're not sick, you can wear the horcrux. I don't like the idea of it sitting in the bag for that long. Also, to be perfectly honest, you're good at taking us." Harry said.

Hermione didn't say anything. She understood about the horcrux; that much made sense. But Hermione couldn't decide whether to be offended or touched by the fact that Harry and Ron thought she should take care of them. She thought for a moment before deciding it was touching (as sexists as it was, she had to admit that she was better at taking care of people than they were. She blamed it on her motherly nature).

"I'll agree on one condition." Hermione said. Ron and Harry looked at each other and then at Hermione.

"What?"

Hermione grinned.

"That Ron never drinks bad water again."

"You've got yourself a deal." Ron said with a wide grin. He didn't care that he would be sick more often now. He was just glad he wouldn't have to watch Hermione hurt anymore.

-HARRY POTTER-

Over the next few days, a pattern developed. After Harry and Hermione had switched systems, things were all set in place and every twelve hours, like clockwork, Ron and Harry would switch. They were slowly getting better, with spasms of pain, vomiting and fever decreasing with each transition. Hermione wore the horcrux twelve hours a day and the other twelve, she spent at someone's bedside. Because the switches were more regular, regardless if they had the virus or not, Harry and Ron never felt great.

Hermione one morning decided that it was time to move so, feeling horrible for waking up Ron and Harry, she took their hands and turned away into the darkness. They reappeared in a nice, grassy meadow and the sun was shining brightly. She quickly said the spells and set up the tent before helping both boys back into bed. She left the front flap of the tent open and allowed the fresh air to blow through the tent.

"I think," she said to Harry, who was recovering, "that we've made it though the worst."

Harry nodded and added,

"And it didn't kill us."

Hermione smiled.
"No, it didn't. It made us stronger. I think Dumbledore would've been proud of how we pulled together."

Harry smiled back.

"You're right, Hermione, he would be. I'm sure of it."

Review?

And that's all she wrote. For the record, I think the assumption that girls should take care of boys is TOTALLY sexist but a lot of the time, it's just in our nature. Anyways, thank you for reading That Which Does Not Kill Us and I hope you enjoyed it!

Happy reading and writing,

StoryLover18