Here is the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy it I will hopefully be updating A New Life soon as well. Thank you so much for the amazing reviews and kudos, they really inspired me to keep writing! -Dayin
Harry watched as Ron pushed his way past the line of students who were waiting to be healed and into the infirmary. As he walked, he sulked while pitifully letting out pained whines and holding his still bleeding nose between his fingers, his eyes seeming to scan the room looking for something before landing on the elderly mediwitch.
Madam Pomfrey stood to the left-hand side of the room by a collection of newly transfigured beds, her attention focused on the most injured of the students. An injured Hufflepuff student who Harry vaguely remembered having seen before sat on the bed getting what appeared to be a nasty concussion healed.
Ron rushed up to Madam Pomfrey despite the loud protests of other students waiting to be healed and stood behind her as she continued to work on her patient without looking at him.
A look of annoyance crossed his face at her lack of attention. "Hey Madam P, can you fix my nose up quickly? It hurts like hell!" he demanded while rapidly tapping her on the shoulder.
Madam Pomfrey turned to take in his appearance expecting someone on the brink of collapse for them to interrupt her so urgently and rudely while aiding another patient. She was almost disappointed to instead find a healthy albeit slightly dishevelled Ron Weasley; she felt her blood boil in anger at him wasting her essential time.
"Young man you will have to wait your turn for one of the volunteers to see you and seeing as the injury is so minor you will be waiting a while now, please go and stand in the corner with the rest of the people who are waiting for treatment," she said sternly shocked that someone could be so rude at a time like this. She was appalled at the younger Weasley, she had treated him and his family before, and compared to his brothers he was nothing but an entitled brat.
His face pulled up in a look of disgust as he examined the long line of patients waiting to be seen knowing it would likely be hours "Come on, can I at least get a bed to sit down on and a pain potion? My nose really does hurt, and I don't feel like I can stand for so long when it's like this" he whined pitifully at her looking around for a bed to rest in while he waited.
"The beds and potions are prioritised for patients in critical condition only and there are simply none left. Even if there were some left you are by no means in critical condition, a fact you should be grateful for. Now go stand in the line and await treatment or get out of my infirmary." she snapped while walking to the next patient's bed to begin their treatment determined not to waste any more time on such idiocy.
Ron's face turned sour at being denied his wishes again. He waited for Madam Pomfrey to be out of earshot and then turned to look at Ginny who had been standing beside him to watch the entire awkward show.
"Oh, forget that I will find my own bed" his eyes scanned the room once more and this time quickly found purchase on his brothers and Harry standing next to a bed filled with a sleeping Hermione.
"See Hermione has a bed; I will just go sit on that!" He grinned, seeming very satisfied with his problem-solving skills. He was sure she would have gotten over her dumb reactions by now. He was one of her only friends after all and she needed him far more than he needed her.
"Oh, and Harry is there I will go and say hi!" beamed Ginny as she turned to observe the group before following after Ron eagerly.
Harry watched with absolute caution as they approached. Ginny was fluffing up her hair and pulling at her top which made it look oddly lumpy and ill fitting.
When they were about a meter away the twins looked up and caught sight of their siblings. Their eyes widened in horror as the two youngest Weasleys boldly marched up to Hermione's Sleeping form, springing up into action quickly they moved themselves to block any access or view of the sleeping girl.
"Ron, Ginny, what are you doing here, are you hurt?" George inquired cautiously, not moving a muscle but still worried for his siblings.
"I am here to get my nose fixed after Hermione messed it up during one of her mood swings'' Ron said in annoyance while rolling his eyes as he edged closer and closer to the bed "I was going to sit on the bed here with you guys since there is nowhere else to sit while I wait" Ron moved towards the bed to sit down.
"The hell you are Ron," snapped Fred as he took a step forward forcing Ron to take a step back," you are not coming anywhere near Hermione after what you did, go and stand in line with the others!" he ordered in a steel voice that left no room for argument.
Ron had never felt afraid of his brother before but right now, when he towered over him with a dark look that promised pain at the first instance of retaliation, he realised his brother was downright terrifying.
As he geared up to try and persuade them to change their minds Ron was cut off by the shrill tone of Ginny's voice as she sauntered closer to Harry while swaying her hips and puckering her lips in what Harry thought looked like her best impression of a fish trying to swim on land.
"Hi Harry, how are you?" Ginny implored looking up at him from beneath her eyelashes.
"I'm alright Ginny, are you hurt?" he asked flatly glancing over to her with tired eyes.
"Oh, Harry thank you for worrying about me, but I am alright. I didn't get hurt at all thanks to you! you are my hero!" Harry grimaced as her voice boomed out with forced excitement and admiration.
"I am glad, if you aren't hurt, I think you should clear out of the infirmary to make more room for people that need healed then" He suggested gaining a few grateful looks from patients in nearby beds who had been woken from the ruckus.
"Oh, but Harry, I am so glad you are safe!" she sobbed out past the large tears that had begun a moment's notice "I couldn't possibly leave you here. I need to see you safe with my own eyes"
Ginny peaked up through tears and was met with Harrys blank stare, seeing the tears had not done their job she decided it was time to increase her attempts as the sobbing girl threw herself onto a very uncomfortable Harrys' arms.
Harry attempted to politely step back away from her "Ginny I am glad you and Ron are safe but please let me go '' he politely instructed leaving no doubt he was not so much asking as he was telling as he tried with no success to shrug her off of him.
While it was true, he had previously had a crush on Ginny, the memories Hermione and he had Found in Dumbledore's office had proven Ginny had only been giving him attention for his fame and money. What's worse was Dumbledore had even been supplying Ginny with a low-level love potion she had been using on him in order to keep Harry under his thumb.
He hadn't told Hermione or Ron about it when he had seen it because he was worried about what their reactions would be. Hermione was sure to freak out and attack Ginny, and Ron was likely to cause a fight in his sister's defence.
"No Harry, I can't bear to let you go. I love you far too much, just shut up and let me hold you! I just had to worry that my boyfriend was dead so show me sympathy!" she whined while attempting to force a kiss onto his lips and grabbing onto his shirt like a lifeline.
"Ginny get off of me!" He said while pushing her off "what is wrong with you?! We are not dating and have never dated!" he reprimanded angrily while backing further away from her.
Ginny, not happy with this development, increased her crocodile tears to a full hysterical fit. Her loud obnoxious sobs filled the room along with snot pouring down her face as it turned an ugly shade of puce, she fell to the floor and began flailing her limbs like a tantruming toddler drawing the attention of all the other annoyed patients again who looked down at the sobbing girl disapprovingly.
"Harry, how could you say that after all the time we spent together, we are soulmates! I think you are just overtired and stressed, why don't I get you a cup of tea and we can talk about it later" she whimpered out in between sobs. At that moment Harry was hit with a moment of inspiration if Ginny acted in the way he expected her to he would be able to prove she had been poisoning him with love potions, it would almost be too easy as she didn't know about them finding Dumbledore's memories and the bait would be far too tempting for her to ignore.
"Alright Ginny I will drink the cup of tea if you bring me one," he said carefully controlling his expression to not give anything away.
Ginny seized her moment, got up and wiped her face off on her jumper before she quickly ran out of the infirmary to get Harry his cup of tea.
Ron seized his moment as the twins were distracted by Ginny's speedy retreat and quickly dashed forward around them and jumped onto the bed. Landing firmly on Hermione's leg that Madam Pomfrey had just placed bone healing spells on. With a disgustingly solid crack echoing throughout the infirmary.
Hermione woke up to sharp pain and the feeling of someone jumping on top of her. Letting out a pained and terrified shriek she grabbed onto the offender scratching any part of their body she could reach. Her magic itself reacted violently, lashing out at the threat, now that she had rested and gotten a nutrition potion into her, her magic was already stronger, and it acted out to throw the attacker cleanly across the room and into a wall only narrowly missing the beds of the other patients.
Ron's head made first contact with the wall with a horrifying 'WACK' booming for all to hear. This followed by him quickly falling to the ground unconscious. The wall itself was dented from the force of the hit; this would later become the source of many jokes from visitors to the infirmary.
Now firmly awake and distressed Hermione wildly looked for her attacker. When no one rushed forward to continue the attack her eyes met with the worry-covered faces of Harry and the twins. She was already panicking and was working herself up into a full panic attack. As her breaths began to become laboured and she started to cry heart wrenching sobs Harry rushed forward and checked and gathered her into his arms. Madam Pomfrey was already on her way over to recheck on her leg as Harry hugged her close.
"Shh Mione, it's okay it was just Ron being an idiot again and you taught him a lesson. You are safe, okay? Your leg is going to be reset in a second and then you'll be fine" He comforted her while encouraging her to take deep breaths. With each breath, she could feel her fear slowly dissipating.
Madam Pomfrey spelled another pain potion over to her and began recasting the spells and potions to reset the leg. If there wasn't going to be long term side effects from the leg before there definitely were now that it had been broken mid healing. The best thing they could do was keep Hermione's leg stable for now.
Now free of pain and head clearer from panic, Hermione was calm enough to look around and piece together what had happened sitting up to observe the unconscious form of Ron.
Looking around she could see everyone in the room looking in the direction of both her and Ron. Madam Pomfrey finished her healing of Hermione's leg and then quickly walked over to Ron with an annoyed huff while performing a quick scanning spell. She noticed the mediwitch curse under her breath as she read the list.
"Congratulations Mr. Weasley it looks like you will be getting that bed after all," she remarked sarcastically to Hermione's slight amusement.
She watched as Madam Pomfrey quickly transfigured a potions bottle into a new bed on the other side of the room. Hermione was relieved that she had placed him as far away from her as possible.
After Ron was levitated across the room into the bed Madam Pomfrey busied herself with his treatment leaving the small group of friends alone for a quiet moment.
"What a twat honestly" Harry remarked with complete disgust, how was he ever friends with such a pompous ass?
"Agreed" the twins said in unison while watching the mediwitch finish treating their idiotic brother before she was finally able to continue on to other patients.
"What was that whole mess with Ginny about anyway Harry? I Kind of did think you fancied her in sixth year? George questioned curiously.
Harry's face became more serious as he realised, he didn't have long left to warn them of his trap for Ginny.
"Fred and George, I need your help with something before Ginny gets back" Hermione heard Harry whisper quickly.
She couldn't help but giggle as the twins dramatically leaned in so they could hear him both their eyebrows raised in intrigue.
"I found out Ginny has been dosing me with love potions that Dumbledore supplied her with. And I am about 99 percent sure that she is about to bring me a teacup full of it," explained Harry with a mischievous grin.
Hermione felt her blood boil in rage and from the dark look of fury on the twin's faces she knew they agreed. How could Ginny do something so vile and evil? She must have known the consequences of using that kind of magic, she was sure Molly would have warned her.
"Leave it with us when she comes in Harry and we will teach her a lesson and get her to confess in front of everyone here in case you want to press charges," George promised as Fred nodded along his agreement, the two sharing a knowing look as Fred walked over to the infirmary medicine cabinet and got something out.
"Alright if you are sure, I don't want you to be forced to make a decision between me and my family." Harry said with worry as Fred walked back up to the group.
Fred opened his mouth to answer but before he could they heard the door to the infirmary open as Ginny entered.
Hermione noticed the flash of red hair first as she walked in with swaying hips. Ron was still unconscious, a fact that everyone was grateful for. However, as she walked past Ginny didn't even notice him lying in the bed as she balanced the cup of tea careful not to spill a drop.
"Oh, my wonderful little sister, you have brought your poor brother a cup of tea to mend my broken arm! Thank you, you are the best!" Fred crowed as he plucked the cup easily out of her unsuspecting hands.
Seeing where the twins were aiming to go with this Hermione couldn't help but let out a quiet giggle.
"NO!" shrieked Ginny in a complete panic trying to snatch the cup back to no avail, "that cup is for Harry, I made it for him!"
She tried once again to grab the tea but George quickly took it from Fred's hands before she could get it. "Now, now Ginevra, what would our mother say if she knew you weren't taking care of your kind older brothers while they were hurt? Now run along you can make your precious Harry another and Fred and I will share this'' he lifted the tea to his mouth as if he was just about to take a large gulp.
"NO STOP!" Ginny shouted again this time looking truly nauseated in her panic.
"Unless you can provide me with a good reason why we can't drink this Ginny I am going to down the whole thing right now" George once again lifted it to his mouth threateningly.
"Because I made it for Harry, get your own!" Ginny snapped back.
"Well, Gred I just don't think that's a very good reason, do you?"
"Why no Forge I don't, how unkind of our sweet baby sister to be so uncaring for her hurt brothers"
"It's alright Gred at least we still have the tea" Fred laughed as he took the cup back from George and took a large gulp
Ginny looked at him in complete horror and began backing away slowly as if he was about to attack her.
Fred staggered over to George looking pale as he fell into his brother's arms. His brother worriedly moved to support him, taking the cup of tea out of his hands and placing it on Hermione's bedside table.
"George, I don't feel good" he said while turning green and being violently ill all over the floor.
"Fuck, Fred are you okay? Ginny what the hell was in that tea?" George asked with a stern look at Ginny as he worried over his brother.
"n-Nothing at all, t-this must be from something else!" she assured weakly not sounding like she even put effort into making the words sound believable.
"Ginny, look how sick he is, he could die! Who knows whatever you gave him could be melding with the medical potions he took earlier tell me now!" George commanded this time not taking no for an answer.
"I put a potion in there to remind Harry about how much he loves me!" she snapped out but a moment later clamped her hands over her mouth, unable to believe what she had just admitted to.
"What the hell Ginny?! What the hell is wrong with you?" Fred snapped all humour gone from his voice as he stood up fine popping the puking pastilles antidote into his mouth "you know fine well that love potions are basically rape, Mom's talked through that with you when telling you how to stay safe from them yourself not to mention it really could have killed someone if mixed with medical potions if someone was stupid enough to have drunk it." Ginny's cheeks went fire truck red at the mention of their mother, she knew that if the twins told on her she would be in for a world of hell, and she hadn't been thinking about the medical potions Harry may have been prescribed all she wanted was for him to love her again.
"This is sick even for you Ginny and you should be warned I will be telling your mother along with the Aurors about this and with everyone's memories here to back me up it will be an open and shut case. If you don't want to make this worse than it already, is I would suggest you leave and stay far away from me." Harry warned her with a voice like ice.
At that remark, the bright red Ginny could no longer handle the embarrassment and bolted out the infirmary door.
"Good riddance" the twins chimed in unison while moving to collect their things.
"Harry if you are alright here, we are going to go track down our mother before Ginny can get to her first. We don't want her hearing the story told incorrectly," explained George.
"Thank you, guys, for your help. I will stay here to make sure that Hermione is safe and then catch you later. Please make sure you tell me what your mom had to say."
Hermione was impressed with just how well the twins' cunning plan had worked. They would have made brilliant Slytherins if it weren't for their fierce almost terrifying loyalty.
The twins made their way out of the room and Harry and her were left mostly alone, bar the other patients and healers.
She lay further back into the bed and then patted the space at her side inviting Harry to join her.
"Are you sure Mione? I don't want to hurt you or make you uncomfortable" he worried.
She couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the obscene words, they had shared a bed many times when there was not enough space in the tent while hunting Horcruxes she was used to squishing and Harry could never make her uncomfortable. He was like her brother, and she had actually grown quite used to sharing a bed to the point where the emptiness was what disturbed her most.
"Yes, Harry I'm sure to please lay down?" she implored.
Harry smiled happily at that and sat down with a relieved smile. He lay down and let out a sigh of appreciation at the soft plastic-covered sheets.
"I am so happy you are safe Mione, I was so worried." He said while laying his head down fully next to hers.
"I am so glad you are safe as well Harry, you had me absolutely terrified when I saw you in Hagrid's arms earlier." Her voice gave out towards the end of the sentence as she choked on a small sob and the memory.
"It's all okay now Mione, we are both safe and I will make sure it stays that way now alright?" He firmly stated with a determined look on his face that no one would dare argue with.
"Okay, I will do my best to keep it that way too." She said fondly.
So happy to be comfortable and have Harry here she took a second to appreciate the warmth and weight of another person laying down next to her. Feeling completely at ease knowing it was Harry who she knew would keep her safe. In the manor she had barely been able to sleep but what few seconds of unconscious bliss she could manage were always on a cold stone floor all alone. Draco had snuck in as often as he possibly could to sneak her food and healing potions. But that had not been possible very often and he couldn't heal her in any noticeable way, or they would have both been doomed.
"Mione I know you just woke up, but I think both of us need to get some sleep now, it has been a rough few months." He said tiredly.
Hermione couldn't help but nod in agreement as her heavy eyes began to close of their own accord. Everything else could be handled later for now they were safe and comfortable, and she wanted to sleep.
Please don't forget to review and let me know what you think! Reviews always inspire me and get me in a writing mood so they definitely help the chapters come quicker! -Dayout