Ron found himself watching Hermione more and more. As the Christmas season arrived, she didn't seem like herself anymore, and he was worried. She was overworked and stressed out, just like she was in third year. She didn't pay any attention to anyone else anymore, and when Ron tried to help, she snapped at him to leave her alone.
One day, Hermione stayed at the Ministry after Ron had left to work overtime. This had been happening for the past few months. Hermione was trying to free as many house-elves she could before she left the world.
Ron came home to an empty flat and sighed. He made dinner for and ate by himself, then waited up for Hermione.
At ten o' clock, Hermione still hadn't shown up, and Ron began to panic. He and Hermione usually came home at five o' clock, and Hermione was four hours late.
Ron and Hermione still lived near Harry and Ginny, so on his way out of the flat, Ron stopped by their place to ask if they had seen Hermione.
Harry answered the door and told Ron that he hadn't seen Hermione since lunch that day.
"D'you need us to help you find her?" Ginny asked frantically.
"No, I'll send you a Patronus if I need any help," Ron said as he left to check the Ministry. He had a sneaking suspicion he would find Hermione there.
Ron Apparated to the Ministry and made his way to Hermione's office.
There she was.
Hermione was asleep on her desk; the over exhaustion had finally gotten to her. Her head was rested on the many documents she had been working on and her hair hid half of her face. Ron smiled at the sight, and approached her to shake her awake.
"Hermione, c'mon, you need to go home."
Hermione woke with a start and started frantically babbling about work. "What? Ron, no, I have to sign all these papers, and I have a deadline on Friday, I can't possibly –"
"Hermione," Ron said sternly. "You'll have plenty of time to work later. You've been overworking yourself, and right now, I need you to sleep."
"Just a moment…" Hermione said absently before trailing off while signing one of the papers.
"Hermione –"
"Ron, I'll be with you in a moment!" Hermione snapped angrily, her eyes still on the parchment.
I'll be with you in a moment? Ron thought. What am I, her client?
"Hermione, I'm really sorry for this," Ron said while taking out his wand.
"What - ? ARGH!"
Before she could ask what he was sorry for, Hermione was hanging upside down in the air as if an invisible hook had pulled her up by the ankle. Her wand fell from her pocket, and Ron hastened to pick it up. He had performed the Levicorpus charm on her, an old favorite of the Half-Blood Prince.
"RONALD WEASLEY!" Hermione raged, her face slowly turning red because of the blood rushing to her head and the anger she was letting out. "LET ME DOWN NOW!"
"Not until you hear me out," Ron said calmly, his fingers playing with her wand. "Hermione, you've been working much too much lately. Now I told the boss that you're taking a week off starting tomorrow, and he agreed that you've been working too hard."
"You had him give me a week off?" Hermione said through clenched teeth. "I could kill you!"
"Yes, and I'm sure you will, Hermione," Ron said coolly. "You know I'm only thinking of you, love."
But his kind words no longer had any effect on Hermione. "You better hope to Merlin that all my blood rushes to my head so I faint up here, because I might just strangle you!"
"Sorry Hermione, but it's for your health. You're on the verge of snapping like a twig if you keep this up."
"Too late!" Hermione shouted with horrible sarcasm, which made Ron laugh. She let out a scream of rage as Ron, with a wave of his wand, was able to let her down gently.
Ron tried helping Hermione up, but she simply threw his arms off. Before Ron could do anything, she slapped him across his face, leaving a red mark. She gathered her papers and Apparated on the spot. Ron knew she probably wasn't heading back to their flat, but to Harry and Ginny's flat to stay for the night, too furious with him to be in the same flat as him.
Oh well, Ron thought. At least I got her out of this godforsaken office. Knowing that she would forgive him eventually, Ron Apparated back to their flat.
