“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Ron mumbled to Harry, trying to stay as far away from his as possible but still being hidden beneath the invisibility cloak. “I mean it was bad enough dealing with my sister when we wouldn’t let her come, but imagine if McGonagall catches us?” he reminded the raven-haired boy who stood silent beside him.

“Shut up, Ron, I think they’re coming. Anyways, Ginny understood that there wouldn’t be enough room for her to safely hide all three of us,” Harry mumbled. “Now hush up, here they are,” he jabbed Ron in the ribs. The carriage shook as Professor McGonagall climbed aboard, followed by a very nervous looking Hermione. Ron saw how shallow her cheeks were and the pain hidden in her chocolate brown eyes, but said nothing.
He was on the verge of screaming when he saw that Draco Malfoy climbed in behind her. Did Hermione invite that stupid ferret? He saw red as Malfoy sat strangely close to Hermione and gave her a reassuring smile.
That was his job.
Glancing at Professor McGonagall, Ron and Harry could see that she wasn’t too pleased with the situation either.

“Are you prepared?” she asked Hermione tightly. Hermione nodded grimly and stared straight at Ron and Harry. At first he thought that she could see him, but she was simply staring through the window in which they stood in front of.

“Granger, are you alright?” Malfoy asked her stiffly, nervous to be speaking to her in front of the Professor.

If she were she wouldn’t be going to St. Mungo’s… or be sitting here with you Ron thought grimly as he stared at them. Hermione looked at him and gave him a sweet smile, one that made Ron’s blood boil. He felt Harry nudge him briefly, but Ron ignored it. He couldn’t stop staring at Draco and Hermione.

“Yes,” she whispered and Ron’s eyes widened when he saw that the side of her hand was pressed gently against Malfoy’s. They were just sitting next to each other; of course they were going to touch. Still, Hermione should be drawing away as if he were acid. How is it that she chose him? Questions and logic were blurred by his anger.

“I see you two really took my warning to be civil to heart,” Professor McGonagall said through narrowed eyes. Hermione looked at Malfoy in a way that made Ron pull at his hair to keep from screaming.

“Well, he’s the only one who… he… I mean Professor, he lives with me,” she said. She narrowed her eyes at Hermione. “He sees me every morning, night, and day. He doesn’t know… but he’s the one person that knows the most. He knows which medication is which and how to help me in case of emergency. I brought him with me because… I guess he’s sort of become my safety net,” she said slowly. Malfoy seemed unaffected by this explanation.
Professor McGonagall smiled lightly.

“Well I’m happy that you put aside your personal and public differences to help overcome the current… problem,” she finished tightly and looking at the ground, ashamed of bringing it up. Hermione sighed and looked out the window again. Her lips moved as if she were speaking to herself.
Ron wanted to be her safety net. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to be there to help her when he was in trouble. But now because of her stupid Head Girl duties she was being pulled away from him and drawn towards that foul good-for-nothing egotistical bastard Malfoy.
They all sat in silence for the rest of the long journey to St. Mungo’s. Ron continued to give Draco his invisible death stare and Hermione continued to look right through him… literally.

Ron was too busy thinking to notice Harry leading him out of the carriage and into St. Mungo’s. He didn’t notice them checking in or even creeping along with them until they reached the destination.
Harry nudged Ron and when he looked up, he saw Professor McGonagall and Malfoy sitting in the waiting room impatiently. They both looked afraid, grim, and just plain petrified.
There was no sign of Hermione.
Ron led Harry a safe distance away from the two.

“What’s going on?” he asked. Harry rolled his eyes.

“You were so busy being pissed about Malfoy that you didn’t even notice Hermione go away with those Healers. She’s been gone for nearly twenty minutes,” Harry grumbled.

“In the name of Merlin, it’s been that long?” Ron exclaimed and Harry quieted him.

“Yes. She should be coming out any minute now,” Harry whispered. “Ron, I don’t think this was a very good idea. We should just go back to the carriage now…”

“NO! We came all the way here and we’re not backing down now,” Ron said angrily. He looked around. “Plus, the news can’t be that horrible, can it?” he grumbled. A door swung open with a whoosh of air and they froze in silence. They were too far away to hear what was happening.
Hermione came out, walking stiffly. A smile was plastered across her face. There was something wrong with her though. She was walking too stiffly. The smile was too wide. It was fake, and it was all wrong. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong…
That wasn’t true though. Hermione was standing there firmly, smiling. Nothing could be wrong.
Ron felt the fear and anxiety slowing lifting off of his shoulders…

Hermione collapsed to the floor, her body shaking with violent sobbing. Her hair hung in her face and she screamed in anger and pain and began to beat the floor violently. The Healers stood there watching, their heads lowered sadly.
Professor McGonagall watched in horror as tears filled her usually stern eyes. She buried her face in her hands and began to cry. Her cries were whispers compared to Hermione’s pained and nightmarish screams and wails.
Malfoy slid onto the floor beside her, calm and reassuring. He gathered her into his arms and held her tightly against his chest, pressing his lips against her head. She clung to him desperately, her face twisted as she sobbed and curled up against him. She looked as if she wanted to disappear and just melt into him. She looked like she wanted to die.

Ron and Harry could do nothing. They just stood there, helpless and unable to help their dearest friend in the world. They watched the tears and screams of anguish and they couldn’t move. They were rooted to the floor.
A single tear slipped from Ron’s eye. His lip trembled and his body shivered. A sudden revelation had come over him, one that he should have realized long ago. One that was so obvious but he had been denying since the first day he saw her at the beginning of the year.

Hermione Granger, his best friend and the girl he loved more than anything, was dying.

And there was nothing anyone could do to save her.