A/N:

Thank you for stopping by once again! So I can see over 1000 people have visited this story just in October, and I would like for you to leave a review! I rarely get any, and I would love to get both some positive and negative response on my work, otherwise it is hard for me to improve. I hope you will just take a minute or so to leave a review on this. It doesn't have to be longer than "I like it" or a few happy smilies. In that way I will know that my work is appreciated, and that what I do is good.

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Chapter fourteen

Hermione rushed up and down the stairs which kept on moving her from place to place. She nearly got lost because she in her hurry forgot to see where she was.

Her thoughts flew around, and confused her even more. What had happened to Ron? Was he going to be okay? And why did she feel as if him being hurt also hurt her?

She had for a long time been doubting her feelings for Ron. She was not sure whether she saw him as more than a friend or if that just would be strange. She felt as if everybody expected them to end up together, and who knew, maybe they would.

"Harry, what's wrong? What happened?" Hermione gasped as she found Harry outside the Hospital Wing. He did not seem to have been crying, but he looked rather concerned.

He grabbed Hermione's wrists, and tried to calm her down.

"He is going to be fine, Hermione. Don't worry," he calmed.

"But- but what happened?" Hermione's breath got even again.

"He ate some love poison, and then Slughorn accidentally gave him a drink which turned out to be a dangerous poison which nearly killed Ron!"

Harry did not like to speak of their teachers as Professors. He always called them by their last name. Only Professor Snape minded.

"Killed him?" Hermione's breath once again left her, and she felt sick.

Ronald Weasly, her best friend, had nearly died.

"Yes, I'll go in details later. Er, his family is with him now, but we can go in and check on him if you'd like to?"

Hermione nodded slowly. She wanted to see Ron. Before she did she would not believe that he truly was all right.

They entered the Hospital Wing together. In the middle of the room they entered, a bed was placed. The bed was surrounded by five gingers, each one looking more relieved than the other.

Hermione walked up to the bed, and stood between Ginny and Fred. First now Molly and Arthur Weasly noticed the presence of her and Harry.

Without a word or hesitation Hermione flung herself up next to Ron. She let her fingers travel from his hair line to his chin. He had very soft skin, which felt good under her fingers.

"Hey," she whispered to him so low that nobody but herself could hear it.

In that same moment a screaming was heard outside the Hospital Wing. It came closer and closer, moving with fast steps.

The Hospital door flung open in one, hard movement, and made all the Weasly's, Harry and Hermione turn their faces towards the intruder, whom turned out to be Ron's girlfriend Lavender Brown. She looked rather terrified, and had a tear or two in her chocolate brown eyes.

Hermione caught herself wondering if the reason Ron had been so into Lavender was because of her eyes; Ron loved chocolate. On the other hand, she had been the only girl within a hundred kilometres wanting to snog him.

"Won-Won!" Lavender yelled in her terribly annoying voice, making Hermione wish she was deaf.

Lavender ran up to the bed, and threw her arms around Ron's unconscious body.

Ron mumbled something not understandable, so Lavender quickly let go of him to hear what he was saying.

"What, sweetheart?" she asked.

Hermione felt the urge to throw a lamp into Lavender's face.

Okay, not very kind of her to do but she annoyed her a whole bunch.

"H-io-eee," mumbled Ron again.

Hermione's eyes widened as she considered if he had actually been saying her name, or if that was a trick of the mind.

She was not the only one who had noticed; Lavender looked as if her greatest fear has just been confirmed. She shook her head in disbelief.

"Her-ine," Ron repeated. He looked peaceful, unaware of the words that escaped his lips.

"Her-Hermione," said Ron with a more firm voice.

"No -what have you done to him?" Lavender asked Hermione.

"Lavender, I haven't-"

"I thought we were friends!" she yelled. "How could you do this to me?"

Tears begun to stream down Lavender's cheeks. She was red in the face of anger, and her eyes pierced Hermione. As Ron once again said Hermione's name, Lavender gave a low scream, and then ran out of the Hospital Wing as fast and unexpected as her arrival.

"Finally," Mrs. Weasly said. Everyone in the room turned their heads towards her in disbelief.

"Well, I never really liked her," she explained, making all of them chuckle a bit.

Professor Dumbledore, McGonagall and Slughorn entered the room, and they begun a conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Weasly concerning Ron.

Hermione did not pay attention to their words, instead she stroke Ron's cheeks with a smile on her lips.

"You'll be alright," she whispered.

The next few days Hermione spent besides Ron's hospital bed. She was talking to him, even though he was yet unconscious. Madame Pomfrey had given him a potion -brewed by Snape, which Harry and Hermione had agreed on not to tell Ron- that should wake him up soon.

Harry was busy chasing down Cormac McLaggen, and convince him to play Ron's part as Keeper in the next match against Hufflepuff. He was so stressed about having two team players in hospital, and feared a third would get in any kind of accident.

"Harry, it is going to be fine, trust me. We have so many great players, and you saw how good Cormac was at the try-outs!" comforted Hermione. She was, though, too nervous about the match. Mostly because it was her second one, and this time Draco Malfoy was not on the opposite team.

"Yes, I know. But, let's face it, none of us really like Cormac. He'll be bad for the team."

"True. Then you'll just have to tell the team that we need Cormac's talent, and we have to live with that."

And so did Harry just before the next Quidditch practise -their last one before the match.

He encouraged them to stay positive even though every thing seemed negative.

The team, aware of Harry's brilliance, trusted him blindly.

The first week-end of March approached, and Hermione woke up all sweaty on Saturday. She quickly got dressed into some casual clothes, and rushed to breakfast.

Lately she had not been speaking with the other girls in the dormitory. Mainly because Lavender was pissed at her, believing she was the reason for Lavender and Ron's break up, and all the other girls supported her.

Lavender told every one that she had broken up with Ron, but since he was still unconscious they were not officially over yet.

"'Morning, Hermione!" said a smiling Harry. He was seated next to Ginny, which would explain his smiling.

"Morning, you two."

Hermione served herself a cup of cinnamon tea and scrambled eggs. Her appetite was not big.

"Are you nervous?" asked Ginny, addressing Hermione.

Hermione managed to nod between chewing.

"Yes, indeed," she answered after sinking her eggs down. "I think I will stop by Ron, see how he is doing, you know."

"Good idea. He still wasn't awake last night," said Harry. He looked rather sad as he spoke. Ron -any one who meant just a bit to Harry- was his weak spot. He hated seeing them hurt, and especially if he had been the reason behind it or had been able to prevent it from happening.

"Good morning, guys," greeted Neville Longbottom, and joined them at the table. He served himself a bit food and a cup of pumpkin juice.

"Good morning, Neville. Where's Luna?" Hermione had only just noticed the non-presence of the always smiling, dirty blonde girl with the lion hat that she always wore during Gryffindor matches.

"Oh, haven't you heard? Luna is commenting the match today!"

Hermione nearly swallowed the eggs she was eating.

"Luna? Well, that will be interesting," said Harry.

"She is so proud and excited, but honestly I don't think she know the first thing about Quidditch," Neville admitted. Hermione nodded in agreement. All she could hope for was that Luna would take everybody's attention off the match, and off Hermione. She was sure she'd play rather bad, knowing Ron was not around. And they had only nearly won their last match.

"I'll go see Ron. Meet you in the changing room!" Hermione got up from the tree bench, and walked out of the Great Hall.

Hermione knew all the steps up to the Hospital Wing a bit too well. She remembered always feeling concerned and worried while walking that way.

The only time Hermione herself had been patient was during her second year when the Chamber of Secrets had been opened by Ginny Weasly, and a Basilisk had petrified her. Luckily Professor Sprout was growing some Mandrakes which could be used to bring her back.

"Ms. Granger, you again?" Madame Pomfrey asked at the sight of Hermione.

Hermione gave a nod, and then rushed over to Ron's bed.

"He is doing far better. He woke up last night, but I am afraid that the entire process has tired him so much that he will be sleeping for the rest of the day," told Madame Pomfrey.

Hermione's eyes widened as she stroke Ron's skin once again.

"He woke up?" she asked with a smile.

Madame Pomfrey nodded, and then left Hermione alone with Ron. She, too, was going down to the Quidditch field. It occasionally happened that a player got hurt, so she had to always be around, ready to heal.

"Ron," Hermione whispered after Madame Pomfrey had left the room.

Ron turned his head towards Hermione, and snored a bit.

Hermione could not help but giggle. Ron was back to his own self.

She began speaking to him, telling him how nervous she was about the match, and that he soon had to wake up to prepare for his exams.

"Hermione, is that you?" Ron asked in a dizzy voice.

Hermione jumped an inch back in surprise. She tightened her grab around his hand.

"Yes, Ronald, it's me," she said.

Ron's eyes flew up, and his gaze caught Hermione's.

"Bloody hell," he said. He sat up in the bed, and looked far better than he had a few minutes ago.

"Er, Ron, aren't you supposed to be all tired and so?"

"Only if Lavender is around," he answered with a sigh.

Ron reached out and grabbed one of the many sweets that visitors had brought him during his unconscious period.

"Excuse me? Do explain."

"Well, I don't want to talk to her, so whenever she's around I pretend to be asleep," explained Ron.

Hermione wrinkled her nose.

"But, Ronald, Lavender hasn't been visiting you since the day you got in here. She stormed out, and I don't think she ever returned."

Ron's face expression turned into a wondering.

"Why did she storm out?" he asked. He did not seem too sad about the fact, though.

"You -er.." Hermione could not make herself tell Ron about him saying her name. She couldn't find the words. And what if he had not even meant to say it? Maybe he had just dreamed about her.

"She was angry to see me in here," Hermione finally spoke, only lying very little.

"Oh.." said Ron, looking rather relieved. "But who is it then that has been visiting me?"

Hermione cleared her throat.

"M-me," she admitted. She knew she was blushing.

"You visited me?" he asked, "why?"

Hermione never got to answer because in that same moment Jimmy Peakes, one of Gryffindor's Beaters, entered the Hospital Wing in a hurry.

"Hermione, the match begins in ten minutes!" he yelled.

Hermione quickly arose from her spot.

"What match?" asked Ron in confusion.

"Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff. Don't worry, Cormac has taken your spot," said Hermione, but she could tell that her words did worry Ron a lot. He hated Cormac, and feared he would be taking his spot on the team for good.

"Thank you, Jimmy."

Together they left the Wing in a rush, and ran all the way to the Quidditch field.