Hermione felt like she couldn't breathe, the pain in her hand was nearly unbearable, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. In less than 24 hours she had gone from being the happiest she had ever been to the deepest pit she couldn't possibly get out of. She just wanted to crawl into a hole and drown in her sorrow. How could so much strife be a part of her life? How was it that she was destined to be ridiculed still, even after the war? Just as she was sobbing to herself, her floo flared and Ron rushed through, wand drawn, followed quickly by Theo.

'Hermione!' Ron ran to her side and immediately pulled Hermione onto his lap. As he cradled her and stroked her hair and back, Theo had his wand at the ready as he made sure the threat was no longer there.

'No one is here.' Theo returned and gave Ron his update.

'Thank you.' He gave his lover a weak smile and motioned for him to go into the kitchen. As Ron watched Theo go, he took deep breaths before attmepting to speak to the witch in his arms.

'Hermione, what's going on here. I came as fast as i could after Draco's patronis told me to come to you.' At the mention of the blonde's name, Hermione sobbed uncontrollably.

'What did that arsehole do? I will kill him you know!'

'He, he, he. Proposed!' Hermione looked up at Ron a the last of her statement and colapsed into sobs again.

'Well I'm confused, shouldn't you be happy about that? I just saw you last week and you were practically glowing you were so happy.'

Ron tilted Hermione's chin up so she would look at him. It took her a moment to compose herself to speak.

'I would be happy, if he didn't have a marriage contract, with another witch, and a quid mei curse!' At this Hermione allowed Ron to see her left hand and the mess it was currently in.

Ron was livid, he wanted to go and castrate the ferret before flaying him. He was wary of the Slytherin from the outset, but his attitude and the way he treated Hermione had put him at ease over the past year so much so that he had come to trust the wizard nearly as much as he trusted Hermione herself.

'What the fuck! Hermione, we need to get you to St Mungo's!' Ron gathered the witch in his arms and headed for the floo. 'Theo! I'm taking Hermione to Mungo's, can you go to Harry's to let him know what's going on?'

'Absolutely, do you want me to tell him everything?'

'I think that would be best.' Ron nodded as he tossed the powder and called out the hospital. Theo followed, but calling out the Potter residence instead.

Ron carried Hermione directly up to the curses wing of the hospital, this was no matter to be dealt with in the emergency wing. He came upon a nurse as soon as he entered the floor and called to her.

'You, there! Help me, my friend has been cursed!'

'My goodness sir, please, bring her over here.' The nurse motioned for Ron to put Hermione down in room to her right. 'I will just go get a healer to take a look at your friend.' The nurse headed out, but turned back to Ron. 'Do you know what curse she has been hit with, I would like to tell the healer before she gets here.'

'Quid Mei.' The look on the nurse's face said more than her words ever could have. Ron could vaguely recall learning of the Quid Mei curse being used on items of your belonging that you did not want going missing or being stolen. He also recalled his mother talking about old wizarding families using the curse to guarantee fidelity and the production of a legitimate heir. He thought those were old wives tales though, who would possibly use the curse now, especially after the war?

The healer arrived very quickly and set to work diagnosing Hermione. Ron saw as she cast a number of spells over his friend and whispered incantations that were barely audible. Hermione's body glowed different colours too fast for Ron to even think what they were. The nurse came up to him as he stared at his friend, who now seemed so pale and small laying on the bed in front of the healer.

'Sir? Sir?' Ron looked down at the nurse speaking to him. 'Are you Miss?...'

'Granger'

'Miss Granger's spouse?'

'Hmm?'

'Are you Miss Granger's spouse, her next of kin?'

'Oh, no! I'm Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger's best friend.' When Ron said his name and Hermione's together, he saw the flash of recognition in the nurse's face, if that wasn't enough, a very distraught, very disheveled looking Harry Potter burst into the room.

'Where is she? Is she ok? Someone speak to me!' Harry spotted Ron and the nurse and came up to the pair, embracing his red-headed friend with deep affection before pulling back.

'Ron, tell me she is ok!'

'I, I don't know Harry. I just brought her in here, the healer has only been here maybe 5 min.'

Harry looked over at his beloved friend laying on the bed, then down at her hand that was a bloody mess.

'What have they done to her?'

'It was a Quid Mei curse.'

It took Harry a moment to run through the curses in his brain to identify, but when he did his eyes widened.

'Who the fuck would use that?'

'Guess.'

'I am going to kill that fucking ferret. I was just starting to really like him as well. That's a shame.'

The healer approached the pair as they were conversing and cleared her throat.

'Excuse me gentlemen, could I speak to you outside?'

'Yes, healer...' Harry looked at the badge the healer wore. 'Bulstrode, can you tell us anything?'

She nodded and ushered the pair out of the room.

'I am going to be a little candid with you about Miss Granger's health, although I will not disclose everything to you as neither of you are her relatives or spouses.'

Both Harry and Ron nodded.

'Miss Granger is stable at the moment, I have given her a potion to allow her to relax and sleep. She is in a great deal of pain and her body can only handle so much. I have closed the wound on her hand, but I am unable to heal the scar, this tells me a great deal, and concerns me a great deal as well.'

Neither Ron or Harry were the studious kind, so they had little knowledge of the curse, beyond its bare description. Their confused looks prompted Healer Bulstrode to continue with her explanation.

'The curse has been cast with blood magic, I can't imagine who would have cast such a charm, nor why, but it has been done, and I have countered the base curse, but unfortunately blood magic is much more complex and volatile. There are so many factors in its accuracy, potency and lasting effects that simply can not be determined. it is part of the reason that it has been banned for many years.'

Ron and Harry were still speachless. Who could have done this and why would they?

'I know this is a lot of information to take in at the moment. I will let you know that Hermione will be asleep for atleast 8 hours, so you should get some rest. I will need to speak to her when she wakes and I am sure you both have questions for her as well. Good night gentlemen.' With that Healer Bulstrode turned and headed back towards the desk to begin her report.

Ron and Harry slipped into their friend's room to kiss her quickly on the forehead.

'We'll be back in the morning Mione.' Harry whispered in her ear as he grasped her hand. He needed to know what was happening before he went to Wiltshire tomorrow.