‘Mione, My Only

They entered St.Mungo’s in a hurry, all three of them rushing in together, good that the entrance was wide enough. The Witch at the reception looked up in surprise, but they didn’t even bother to look at her. Luna looked to her left, Ginny to her right, while Hermione ran straight down the corridor, holding her heavy full length white skirt up and out of the way. Her heavy skirts ruffled loud enough to turn heads. The mouths of the heads that turned, fell open. It wasn’t everyday, that a hospital saw a bride running around, in full wedding attire. She, of course, didn’t see any of this. She ran up the stairs in the end of corridor, her friends in hot pursuit.

Once on the first floor, Hermione looked right, then turned left and ran, still holding her skirt. She ran till she reached a double door, the doors were open; there was a name board on it that read, “ “Nicholas Flamel Ward for Yound Wizards and Witches ”. She stood there for a minute, trying to calm herself, trying to slow down. She took in a deep breath, let it out slowly and moistened her lips and gulped in to relieve her dry throat. She stepped into the ward and the first person she saw was him. He had his back to her ,Ronald Weasley, his red hair having been cut short since before he became one of the most famous healers of their time, Neville , who was also a healer was standing next to him, bending over the patient, there were two nurses next to them. She let out a soft sigh. He turned as though some one had called him and looked straight at her. Neville and the nurses turned too.

But all she saw was him. That sparkling joy, that filled his face, every time he saw her, that smile that was reserved for her. A frown on seeing her here on her wedding day and then a slightly wary expression, as though he expected her to start lecturing him right there. He started to ask her something, but then his face became stony, he looked at her as though she had betrayed him and turned away without a word, and spoke to Neville “If you are done, we can move to the next patient.” Neville, who had been looking at her till then, turned and looked at him and frowned slightly, but did not question

The Healers and crew moved to the next bed. She walked toward him. Her friends followed. He heard her dress ruffling. He closed his eyes tightly for a minute. Opened them and bent down to check the patient. She reached the bed, but stood a little away. He could smell her sweet frangrance now. Ron turned toward the nurse. Hermione took a step forward. He turned away again. She hesitated, and then looked at her Ginny helplessly, desperately. Her friend called out. “Excuse me Ron?, may we speak to you for a minute?”

He turned and faced his sister, “Is someone hurt?” he asked softly.Ginny shook her head.

He said, “If it is very important that you speak to me, wait till I have finished seeing to my patients. I don’t have time now” He turned away without looking at Hermione.

The girls followed the healers and the nurses, till the rounds were finished. It took almost an hour. Hermione didn’t seem to realize she was dirtying the hems of her skirts, she looked only at Ron, but Ron never turned her way. When the rounds were over, the nurses went away. Ron returned to his office, while Neville went his way. The girls followed Ron.

There were patients waiting outside to see him. They took three empty seats away from the others. The patients gave her curious looks. Ron’s assisstant, a junior healer, came out and called Hemione to step into the room. Ginny , for some reason, replied in slightly angry tone. “Let the patients go in first”. The healer glared at Ginny, then took another patient inside. After that no one bothered with the girls, and called only the patients in.

Hermione waited for a long time. She thought of all the times she had missed in telling him how she felt about him. If only she had stopped nagging at him every time they were working together, instead of treating like a school boy even after eight years past graduation from Hogwarts, Harry had overcome Voldemort during their seventh year , though he had been seriously injured during that time and Ron had been really sweet in taking care of Harry. That and the fact the she was going to train as a Healer was what had helped Ron become one too.
If only , she had stopped worrying herself about their vastly different parentage. Ron never thought any less of her, she knew that, but she had always been a little scared of Mrs. Weasley, though she knew that Mrs. Weasley would only want her children to be happy.

She knew how Ron felt about not having the best of things. She knew how he felt about Krum, but she had never understood why he had kept silent. ‘Never understood?’ She chided herself, didn’t she understand? She had scared him with her superiority complex. She had never given him a chance to have his say, always having that insane urge to correct him. He probably still thought of her as a stiff know-it-all, and what had she done to prove him otherwise? Nothing !. She was to marry Krum for Merlin’s sake !. No wonder he couldn’t stand the sight of her when he had seen her sometime ago. “Oh Ron !” Hermione thought, “What have I done ?”

Luna and Ginny got bored with the waiting, and started chatting softly with each other. Hermione looked at them when they didn’t notice. She felt alone. She removed the big diamond ring from her finger; called Luna and gave it to her.” This doesn’t belong to me, Could you please return it to Krum?”. She didn’t marry that man, she couldn’t, how can she then wear his ring?.

Ron stepped out of his room and looked directly at Hermione. She saw him and straightened in anticipation. He pointed a finger at her “You! Come in” and waited there till she stepped into the room. Everyone around fell silent. He came in after her, closed and locked the door.

“Sit there” He pointed to the examining bed. Hermione sat in the corner of the bed. She was suddenly very scared of him. What if she was terribly mistaken? But there was no turning back now. She cleared her throat slightly and opened her mouth to say….

Ron held his hand up and said, “First, say sorry!” he demanded.

In that instant, with those words, she knew Ron loved her too. Just as much as she loved him. He was asking her to say sorry for not having trusted what his eyes had told her, for not having taken that step toward him, when he had been holding his hand out for her.

Hermione looked at him in the eye and said “Sorry” then bent her head down, buried her face in her hands and cried without a sound. Ron came around his table. Put his hands on her shoulder. Slowly wound them around her. Lifted her up and hugged her tight.

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A/N :> hope you liked it...if so, pls let me know...pls review..