�And it is a fearful thing, to love what death can touch.�

Chapter Twenty-Four:

A few moments later Ginny was running up the stairs again at St. Mungo�s, trying to ignore the pounding of her heart. She pushed the wave of foreboding away as she heard Ron shouting about something as she came bursting through the stairway door.

�...Bloody hell, if they don�t come out here in TWO SECONDS and tell me what�s wrong with her, I�m GOING TO BURN THIS PLACE DOWN.�

Ginny watched as Harry aimed his wand at Ron and said something. A second later, Ron was collapsing into the chairs against the wall. She ran up to Harry.

�What spell did you use?�

Harry startled, surprised to see her. �That was a fast trip. Although not fast enough for your brother. I think they called some members of the Wizard Patrol to come keep him quiet. I used a slight variation of the Impedimenta spell. Not enough to stop him cold, but enough to slow him up.�

Ginny looked at Ron, who looked as though he had just spent twenty minutes at the bottom of the lake with the giant squid. �You�ll have to teach me that one; it might come in handy.�

Ron looked up at Harry and scowled, his breath coming in sharp gasps. �That... was... bloody... well... malicious... Harry. Just you... wait...�

�Yeah, well, you can get me back later, just rest for now or you�ll make it worse.�

Harry turned to Ginny. �Did you get the answer to ah... the question?�

Ginny nodded. �I�ve got to get this into-�

The doors opened and someone who Ginny could only assume was the healer, came out and looked over at them. She was a tall woman, with long blonde hair. She had a kind face, but she didn�t look like someone you�d want to mess with either.

�Are you Miss Weasley? They said you�d gone to fetch...� her eyes lit upon the small bag Ginny was pulling out of her robe. �Ah... is that the Silphium? From the same batch that was given to Miss Granger?�

Ginny nodded. �And I found out that she boils it down and mixes it with blackberry for taste and adds clove. She makes it as a potion instead of a tea.�

The healer�s eyes lit up. �Yes. Excellent. That is exactly what I needed to know,� the healer then glanced at Ron and she frowned. �I�m sorry, but is he alright? Does he need assistance at all? He looks as though he�s out of breath.�

Harry shook his head. �No, he�ll be fine. That was my doing. He was getting... a bit anxious. Will this herb Ginny brought help Hermione?�

The healer smiled. �Yes, I believe it will. I�ll be back in a few short moments. I just need to verify that what I think has been done, has been done. As soon as I test the reaction of the Silphium, I�ll be able to give Miss Granger the right antidote.�

Ginny and Harry watched her turn around and head back the way she had come. They looked at each other and shook their heads.

�Antidote?� They both said it in unison, puzzled by the choice of word.

Ginny felt herself go dizzy again and swayed on her feet. Harry immediately went to her, his eyes concerned. �Are you okay? You�ve been running around for awhile now, sit down, get some rest.�

�No. I�m fine... it�s just... sometimes when I get a sense or flash of something, it makes me dizzy and I just usually need to hold onto something stable.�

Harry smiled. �Here, take my hand.�

Ginny took a hold of his hand, expecting her dizziness to pass, as it had when she had held on to Neville. But it didn�t. In fact, the longer she held onto Harry, the worse it became. She lagged against him and felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her. She gasped and looked up into his eyes. Harry moved her to the chair next to Ron, who was still breathing loud. She pulled her hand away, feeling confused. She tugged at the pouch around her neck and held it, feeling the heaviness of the stone inside. She closed her eyes and willed her body to calm.

�Ginny, are you okay?�

�I�m fine. I... just need to concentrate for a moment,� she kept her eyes closed and felt the vibrations of the stone work over her. She slowed her breathing and then finally opened her eyes again. She stared back into the eyes that she had always thought were the most beautiful in the world. But she didn�t want to touch him again... at least, not yet.

�I�m good, Harry. Just a bit flustered, it�s normal, really. Look after Ron, would you?� Ginny swallowed and tried to smile at him.

Harry turned his attention back to Ron, who had slumped down further into his chair, his face an unnatural color. With a grim look, she watched as Harry used his wand again and tried to counteract his original spell. Ron sat up again, almost immediately.

�I should pound you, Harry. That was a rotten trick.�

�You�re calmer now though, aren�t you? And done shouting at the top of your lungs as well.�

Ginny tuned out the sound of the two men bickering and tried to imagine she was listening to Miracroix. She pictured her old professor in her head, explaining how she must always keep her emotions calm.

You must surround yourself with calming, grounding influences, Ginny. Your sensitivity is such that if you latch onto something that is disturbing you it will only cause a harsher reaction. Deep breaths, still thoughts. Find your inner peace...

Was Harry disturbing her? She hadn�t thought so, but maybe her emotions weren�t so cut and dried where he was concerned. He had done nothing to anger her or upset her so she wasn�t sure why his touch had only made her feel worse. When Neville had held on to her, she had immediately felt safe... grounded. When she had taken Harry�s hand she had felt as though she were in the middle of a windstorm, flailing to hang on to solid ground.

Ginny realized that she had just described her relationship with Harry to perfection. With a start, she opened her eyes and looked at him as he spoke to Ron.

Always pushing her away before and now here he was trying to pull her in and Ginny felt confusion and distrust at the feelings inside of her. What right did she have to expect happiness with him? Just because they had talked and spent a night holding hands? Did that wash away the pain that he had caused her?

You can trust him, he�s Harry, the small voice in her head said to her. But another voice was behind that one and it told her something quite different. You can�t trust him at all, not with your heart and not with your love. He�ll always end up hurting you. That�s what he does.

Ginny shook her head. She recognized that voice. It was the spiteful, callous voice she sometimes heard when she was angry and she realized then that she still had some anger to sort through.

She let the pouch fall back around her neck and then shook her head. Harry glanced at her and offered her a small smile. Ginny couldn�t return it and got up to walk in front of the doors of the hallway. She pulled her arms around herself and hoped that everything was going okay with Hermione.

�Hey, are you sure you�re okay?� he said it near her ear and she knew he had followed her. She didn�t turn to meet his eyes.

�I�m fine, just shaken up. I wish I knew what was happening with Hermione.�

�You and Ron both. He�s finally settled down though, look.�

Ginny turned and was surprised to see her brother sitting quietly in the chair, his eyes staring morosely downward. She felt sorry for her brother then and suddenly felt bad for having been cross with him earlier. She was about to go to him when Harry spoke again.

�I ran into Dex this evening, by the way. He bought me a few butterbeers. Wanted to get to know me.�

Ginny glanced at him and frowned at the note of reproach she heard in his voice. �Why do I get the feeling it was more than a pleasant chat?�

�Because it wasn�t. Well, at first it was, but then it sort of... well, it turned into a declaration of feelings. Mostly his. For you.�

She knew Harry was watching her closely, trying to gauge her reaction. She turned back around, watching Ron run his hands through his hair in a dejected manner.

�Ginny? Don�t you have anything to say... about that?�

Ginny bit her lip and shook her head. �What should I say about that, Harry? I can�t control other people�s feelings. Never have been able to.�

Harry sighed, frustrated. �I just told you Dex has feelings for you and-�

�Again, Harry... I have nothing to say about that. Not now while I�m standing here, worrying about my best friend and watching my brother�s heart break. I don�t have the energy to deal with your insecurities about Dexter.�

Ginny moved away from him them, ignoring the hurt look she had seen on his face. She knew that had been unfair but a part of her didn�t care. Now wasn�t exactly the right time to have a talk about her work partner, was it? He should know that. He acted as though he didn�t care about what was happening with Hermione at all.

Harry stayed sullenly by the doors as she went to Ron. She put her arm around Ron�s shoulders. He jumped at the touch, looking up at her in confusion.

�There... there, Ron. It�s okay. It�ll all be okay. That healer seemed to know exactly was going on. Hermione will be fine. She�s strong.�

Ron shook his head. �She would have died Ginny, if it weren�t for you. If you hadn�t been here and known about... that herb... she would have been done for. It�s just like Mum said. I take everything for granted. Hermione was the one who�d have to bear a child, so she�s the one who dealt with all that... stuff. I couldn�t even be bothered to know what she did. Or how she did it. Even Neville knew more than me. I�m a bloody idiot.�

Ginny sighed rested her head on her brother�s shoulder. �Ron, I came down on you too hard. Most men don�t have the slightest idea what their partner does or doesn�t do when it comes to that stuff, so you�re in a long line of idiots. Plus, it�s really rare for Hermione to be allergic to Pennyroyal. Everyone uses it nowadays. It�s not like in Mum�s time when-�

Ron went pale. �Mum knew. She knew something was going to happen. She yelled at me today. Told me I would lose Hermione if I wasn�t careful. I told her off. Told her we were set. So what if we hadn�t discussed things like children... so what if... oh Merlin, Ginny. What am I going to do? I can�t lose her. Not now. Not ever.�

Ron turned and hugged her, his tears wet against her neck. Ginny felt her own tears begin to form. She looked over at Harry and met his eyes. Suddenly she didn�t feel like being angry anymore- how could she when she had love itself crying on her shoulder in the form of her brother? She willed her apology across the room to Harry to make him understand, but in the end, he only looked away. His jaw was set firm as she looked at his profile and she knew that whatever understanding might have passed between them was lost. Ginny closed her eyes and felt the single tear that fell mix with the ones cried by her brother.

Sometimes, everything just felt hopeless.

It was early Friday morning and Ron was holding Hermione�s hand, lying his head on her bed. Ever since they had allowed him into her room he hadn�t left. After awhile they stopped trying to make him move. Hermione�s parents were still around, probably getting something to eat in the teashop and Harry and Ginny were still waiting outside somewhere, avoiding each other. But Ron didn�t care. All that mattered was that Hermione wake up, and that she smile at him. Then he would be able to tell her all the things he�d realized he hadn�t gotten around to telling her.

Ron didn�t know, didn�t understand half the things the healer had told him around midnight last night. All he had heard was you can sit with her, if you like... and he had taken off for her room. And so now here he was, holding her hand and hoping against hope that she would wake up soon and tell him off for being a prat. Or a git. Or anything.

He would give anything just to hear her boss him around.

The talk he�d had with his Mum the other day seemed miles away, but the meaning was still fresh in his mind. Ron knew now that he had been taking things for granted, too many things. He hadn�t worried about what Hermione had to do to keep from getting pregnant and he hadn�t worried about there not being enough time to tell the only girl that he had ever loved how much he needed her. He felt as though he were a brand-new person inside, as though some great change had happened overnight. There was nothing that mattered to him as much as Hermione.

But Ron wasn�t one for grand romantic gestures and it had taken him long enough just to tell Hermione how he felt about her, to begin with. So why had she put up with him? He didn�t know. Why had fate seemed inclined to let him get her, after all the fighting and bickering he had done just because she drove him crazy? Wasn�t it enough that she was the smartest, bravest, most honest person he had ever met? Why did he always want to change her? Why did she bother to let him try?

Ron sat up and ran a hand over his face, as though to wipe away his thoughts. He looked at her and watched the way she slept- she looked so small and pale. They had said something about her having a lot of the Pennyroyal in her blood. That she might not wake up for a few days. But Ron wouldn�t leave her side. Not now. Not ever.

Ron looked down at her hand in his. As soon as she woke up he would ask her to marry him, if she would have him, and he would spend the rest of his days making sure that Hermione Granger knew exactly how important she was to him. Nothing else mattered, Ron saw that now. At the end of being proud, what was there? He should be running towards joining his life with this woman, not running away.

�Well... you look as bad as I feel, Ron. Please tell me it�s not as awful as all that.�

Ron�s head snapped up and he saw her smiling at him, her eyes wide and dark on her pale face.

�Merlin! Hermione you... you�re awake! I ... yes!�

Ron jumped up and pulled her into his arms. �Oh you had me.. so... oh, Hermione. Don�t ever do that again. Don�t ever... oh.�

Ron felt his tears again and felt like the world�s biggest blithering idiot, but he didn�t care. He realized Hermione was trying to speak, so he pulled away from her.

�Are you alright? Do you need one of the medi-witches? Harry and Ginny are here and your parents, they�re here too and oh goodness... say something bossy, Hermione. I�ll do whatever you want me to-�

�Ron, let me catch my breath, okay?�

�Sure... sure... oh, I�m so happy to see you awake. I�ve been mad with worry.�

Hermione gave him another smile and closed her eyes a moment. She squeezed his hand. �What happened Ron, do they know?�

Ron turned pink a bit. �Well, they reckon it was something to do with your ah... Simhum er... the herb you um... take...�

�Silphium? The contraceptive I use? But why? I�ve never had a reaction like this before.�

Before Ron could tell her, a voice spoke from the door.

�Your Silphium was fine, Miss Granger. It was only the oil of Pennyroyal that somebody coated it with that caused this reaction. Judging by the amount of oil the entire batch was coated in, I�d say it was a deliberate act too. It was more than enough to kill you. It would have killed anyone, not just someone who had an allergy to it. It�s a miracle you�re still alive.�

Hermione and Ron shared a look and then stared at Esme Dobbs in astonishment.

�Wait. She thinks that what happened to Hermione was deliberate? Couldn�t it have just been a mistake?�

Harry and Ginny were talking to Ron outside of Hermione�s door, as her parents were inside talking with her. Ron shook his head grimly.

�Nope, and further more, Dobbs seems to think that anyone who might have used that batch would have been killed almost instantly. She said Pennyroyal oil is really deadly to people... but because Hermione mixed it as a potion and not a tea and because she used clove with it-�

�Clove is a protecting herb! That�s what Neville said. So the clove saved her?�

Ron nodded. �Yeah. Well, it slowed down the absorption of the Pennyroyal into her system, anyway. This stuff has been eating away at her for a few days, ever since she took her first batch of it. It�s amazing she didn�t die.�

Ginny shook her head. She couldn�t believe it. Who would want to hurt Hermione? Someone who wanted their house-elf to remain a slave? That didn�t exactly call for drastic measures, did it?

Hermione�s parents came out of the room then and Ginny watched as her brother turned red in the face. She was about to ask him what was wrong when he excused himself and walked over to them. There was a strange air of nervousness and seriousness about him that she�d never seen before.

Harry cleared his throat and looked at her. Since she had snapped at him last night, they�d barely said two words to each other. Mostly because she knew Harry had decided to be in one of those hurt, put out sort of moods and mostly because she was too tired to get into anything with him. But now since they knew Hermione was okay... she suddenly felt a weight off her shoulders.

�Harry... about last night-�

�I think we should say hello to Hermione first, don�t you?� he said coolly.

Harry opened the door to Hermione�s room and looked back at her. Ginny frowned as she walked into the room.

�You two weren�t really here all night, were you?� Hermione asked from the bed.

Ginny bit her lip. Her friend looked so weak and lost. She�d never seen anyone look as bad as Hermione did just now. Hermione laughed when she saw her face.

�Oh, dear Ginny. Ron said I looked just fine, but I can tell from your face I look like a hippogriff decided to have me for breakfast.�

�Nonsense,� Harry said from behind Ginny. �You look amazing, considering. How are you, really?�

He walked over to her and sat in the chair Ron had only recently vacated. Ginny watched as Harry took Hermione�s hand into his. She knew then that she had been wrong to think that Harry didn�t care what happened to their friend.

Hermione smiled at him. �As though a hippogriff decided to have me for breakfast. But you should see you two. White as ghosts. Oh, Ginny, I didn�t mean to worry you.�

Ginny stirred from her position by the door and moved forward, going to Hermione�s other side.

�Oh, Hermione, I�m so sorry. I should have known something was wrong-�

�Well, Ron told me you did a lot, actually, so don�t go knocking yourself. Ron�s... well, Ron is... he had a dreadful time of it last night didn�t he?�

Harry and Ginny exchanged looks.

�Well, he was acting a bit... anxious-� Harry started and Hermione snorted.

�Telling me a Weasley was acting a bit anxious is like telling me Hagrid only liked small and sensible pets... er... sorry, Ginny. But I think I actually heard Ron yelling at least once last night. Either that or I dreamed it. Tell me truthfully, did he cause a scene?�

�Only until Harry slowed him down, Hermione. Then he was as gentle as a mouse. And miserable too I might add. You really scared him. You scared us all. Do you know who would do this to you?� Ginny asked.

Hermione tried to shake her head and then winced. �Sorry, it still makes me dizzy when I move. I have no idea who would do this. I always have Neville buy my Silphium and you and I both know he wouldn�t make a mistake like this.�

Ginny frowned. Something Neville had said the night before...

Harry was bending over Hermione and kissing her forehead. �Well, you get your rest then, I�m sure for the rest of the day you�ll be swallowed up by the Weasley clan.�

Hermione smiled and then yawned. �Maybe you�re right. I know I�ve been sleeping all night, but... every little thing seems to make me tired. Take care of Ron you two, would you? He�s acting very... odd.�

Ginny nodded and after hugging her friend goodbye, followed Harry out of the room. Ron was just leaving Hermione�s parents, a huge grin on his face.

�How is she? Is she resting?�

Harry nodded. �Yeah, she looked like she needed to. Do you want me to contact your brothers for you? Your Mum and Dad?�

Ron stared at Harry for a second and then slapped his head. �Merlin! They don�t even know, do they? Oh, Mum�s going to kill me. But-� Ron looked at Ginny. �Say listen, Gin... you don�t mind helping me with something do you? I could really use your good taste. You�d know what she might like...�

�Ron, what are you talking about?�

Ron smiled at the two of them. �Well, you might as well know. I just spoke with Hermione�s parents and they�re all for it and I can�t imagine Mum or Dad will be disappointed. Not after all this time. But I want to go and buy an engagement ring!�

Harry and Ginny looked at each other in shock. Ron turned a bright red color.

�Yeah, I know. About bloody time. But... well, if she�ll have me, I�m going to marry Hermione. And I�m going to ask her today!�