Hope you enjoy this chapter. This was my favourite chapter to write out of this entire story =) Please review! This chapter is set after Ron is poisoned in HBP.

As Hermione walked into the Hospital Wing, she passed Lavender Brown – which wasn't exactly the highlight of her day.

Lavender took one look at her and scowled, tossing her blond hair over one shoulder haughtily as she came to a stop.

'There's no point going to see him,' she said, her voice shaking a bit. 'He's asleep.' She turned on her heel and carried on walking. 'He's always asleep,' Hermione heard her say under her breath – a tad melodramatically.

Hermione just nodded to herself. Everytime she had visited Ron he had seemed perfectly fine – or, well, awake at the least.

As she approached Ron's bed, she saw that he was, in fact, asleep. Hermione sighed and sat down in the chair next to his bed. She stared at Ron for a few moments and one of his eyelids opened the tiniest fraction – and he jumped when he saw Hermione sat there.

'Oh – it's you!' Ron said, sounding pleased as he sat up. Hermione raised his eyebrows. 'It's Lavender,' he explained. 'She's driving me insane. So I've pretended to be asleep everytime she comes – I thought that you were her coming back to watch me sleep for four hours or something.'

Hermione laughed – a little more than she would have done normally. It wasn't that she didn't like Lavender...it was just that...well the plain truth was that Hermione completely hated her – and her stupidly perfect blond hair, her annoying laugh....

'Hermione – snap out of it!' Ron said, pulling her out of her trance. Hermione turned and frowned.

'Oh, er, sorry Ron...' She looked Ron up and down. 'So, do you feel OK now?'

Ron shrugged. 'I feel fine to tell you the truth. No – ah, I can't breathe!' he said dramatically, clutching his throat. Hermione jumped up and Ron took his hand away, laughing.

'It was a joke.'

'That is not funny!' Hermione said sharply. 'I thought you were dying then!'

Ron's laugh died away and he smiled grimly. 'Oh. I guess we get too much of that from Harry for me to make jokes of it, then?'

Hermione frowned. 'You too – but yes, I guess it is mainly Harry.'

They sat in silence for a moment in which Hermione hit Ron's arm.

'OW! What was that -?'

'Don't do that!' Hermione gasped. It had scared her to death, to tell you the complete and honest truth.

'You said that already!'

'But you scared me to death!'

Ron grinned wickedly. 'Now who's making jokes about death?'

'Oh shut up,' Hermione snapped. Ron just grinned at her in a way that Hermione suddenly thought should be made illegal. Snap out of it Hermione!

'When can you leave the Hospital Wing, then?' Hermione asked, looking around. It was a very sullen place. After all the times she had been in here...whether it was because of her own injuries or Ron's or Harry's, or somebody else's, she had since decided that this was the worst place to be called to – because she had long ago discovered that everytime she had come up here, one of her best friends seemed to be in trouble.

Ron shrugged. 'No idea – but Madam Pomfrey would keep me here until June if she had the choice. But, otherwise, hopefully I can leave soon.' His face fell. 'But I still can't play in the Quidditch Match.' He looked up at Hermione hopefully. 'Can I?'

Hermione rolled her eyes. 'Since when do I get to decide?' she asked, her voice a little uneasy. 'But no, you can't,' she added quickly.

Ron frowned for a moment. 'So how's Cormac?'

Hermione's good mood disappeared. 'No idea – why should I know?' she said innocently.

Ron rolled his eyes, although Hermione swore that the corners of his mouth turned up into a smile.

'Because I thought that you two were dating, that's why.'

'Well we're not,' Hermione said, sharper than she had meant to say it. 'I mean –' she started, taking a deep breath. Ron frowned in confusion and at that moment, Madam Pomfrey half strode, half sprinted into the Hospital Wing.

'Mr Weasley, you have had four visitors in the past hour – that is more than enough for one day!' she said sharply, coming over to the bed next to his and fluffing up one of the pillows, looking slightly deranged. 'Miss Granger – out.'

Hermione sighed and stood up as she threw Ron a confused look.

'Four?' she asked under her breath. Ron frowned.

'Yeah – I do have other friends, you know.' Hermione raised her eyebrows and Ron sighed. 'OK, OK, it was Harry and Ginny.'

'Together?' Hermione asked – amused by this. Ron shrugged.

'Yeah, so what?'

Hermione shrugged. 'Nothing.' Sweet Merlin Ron was thick at times.

'Miss Granger!' Madam Pomfrey said sharply and warningly. Hermione nodded.

'I'm leaving now.' She turned to smile at Ron. 'Bye.'

Ron waved a weak hand and folded his arms. 'Bye.'

As she left, she heard Ron mutter under his breath.

'Harry and Ginny – together?'