Many thanks to nutty for being such a great guide throughout, and to Mithril for validating all these chapters so quickly.
Hermione looked up to find herself ambushed by flaming red hair and freckles, as Fred and George descended on her, leaving the door of the ward they had just left swinging back and forth, it was obvious they had run out - ignoring the 'Don't Run' signs as ever, to bombard her with questions.
"Did you find the cure?"
"What's happened?"
"Has Rita escaped?"
The last question was Matilda's and aimed at the twins. They knew from her question that the outcome of their quest must be good, and they broke into wide grins.
"Yes - we've found the cure, everything's fine!" Hermione told them happily. "I didn't think you'd still be here... Why were you here in the first place?" she asked them, the words catching in the mouth, her breathing fast and throaty, suspicious in her voice as she looked at the still swinging doors they had emerged from. Without waiting for an answer, she moved tentatively towards the door, looking round with trepidation.
No! No, it can't be! This is exactly what you ran away from, and it caught up with you anyway. How could this have happened? It's not true, it can't be true! You left the country for Merlin's sake, how can it have caught up with you? But suppose there really is no escaping fate...
"Ron?" she called out quietly, walking into the ward and taking a seat by his bed. "Ron? It can't be... it's not. Is it?" Hermione could feel the torrent of tears threatening to fall as she saw his pale, limp figure lying across the bed sheets. His face was nearly whiter than the linen itself.
"Ron, what are you doing here?" she asked softly, not caring that he didn't look like he was going to be able to answer her. "So this is why Fred and George were here... I wondered why they were hanging out in a hospital all of a sudden! It doesn't really suit them. Trust me, never let those two try to be Healers again, okay? It was funny the first time, only because it was Rita Skeeter, but never again!" Hermione looked down to see if her words were having any effect on Ron. "You know, I'm really sorry about everything that happened. I'm sorry for leaving. I know we had a fight, but you have to admit that it was worse than normal, and then when you didn't return home I got so scared. Scared that something had happened to you, scared that you might have left me - scared that I might have lost you. So I left. I thought it would be easier if I left. Then maybe it wouldn't hurt so much if I did lose you. But here you are." Hermione wiped away a tear that was threatening to spill and carried on. "I don't know what to do anymore, Ron! Oh Merlin. Why are you here?"
"Well, it's not for the food. That's for sure," said a strained voice.
It was an answer Hermione hadn't been expecting, for many reasons.
"Ron?" she murmured slowly, wondering if it was her mind or the twins that were playing tricks on her.
"Hermione?" he asked back, his eyes now fully open.
"Ron!" she cried, hitting him on the arm. "You scared me! What on earth do you think you're doing?"
"You sure know how to welcome a guy, Hermione," Ron winced, rubbing his arm. "I thought hitting people in hospitals was frowned upon, anyway?"
"It is," Hermione shrugged, "but this is an extreme circumstance!"
"With us, it always is!" Ron joked, as Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Ron, what are you doing here?" she asked him with concern in her eyes. She looked completely serious as she bit her lip.
"I've got Dragon Pox. And just a few days left to live," he said bluntly.
That time Hermione wasn't able to hold back the gasp that escaped from her lips, as she reached out to take Ron's hand. Suddenly she held back, unsure of the circumstances, and how extreme they may be.
"But, how? I mean, you were in England, you were safe, you were..." Hermione trailed off after the few words she had managed to speak.
"Actually, I wasn't. I was in Romania. And, well, you saw what things were like over there. It was only a matter of time before I caught it."
"Romania? What on earth were you doing in Romania?" Hermione asked, leaning forward in her chair intently.
"Looking for you," Ron admitted, twiddling with his thumbs to avoid her gaze.
"Why is it you always end up nearly dying after we have a fight? First sixth year, now this!" Hermione said with a small laugh, but the tears had started to run down her face.
"Ah, it's because when we have a fight, it kills me inside. So it might as well kill me outside as well." Ron said lightly, but his eyes betrayed his grin.
"Well, not this time," Hermione said, a smile returning to her face. "We've found the cure. You're going to be fine." With that, Hermione stood to leave, and made it halfway across the room before Ron called out to her to stop.
"Where are you going?"
"Well, first I'm going to speak to the Healer in charge, which Matilda should have already done, but I ought to sort out a few things myself. Then I'm going to make sure Matilda's alright. Then I'm going to say goodbye to your brothers and then I'm going to leave," Hermione said shortly.
"I have so many questions," Ron held up his hand as an indication that Hermione should stop since she showed signs of carrying on right out the door. "But I'll go with the most important one. Why?"
"Why?" Hermione repeated, not altogether sure of the question, or it's answer. "Why what?"
"Why are you leaving again? You know it'll probably be another few days before I can come after you again. And what if I have a relapse? Then it could be up to a month! You know I won't be too fond of dragons after this..." Ron smiled, but Hermione said nothing. "Why did you leave in the first place? I know we had a fight, and I know it was worse than usual - but that's who we are! We fight, we bicker, we squabble, and then we make up. We're Ron and Hermione. You can't escape that! Changing your name doesn't help, trust me, I tried. You can tell I've spent far too much time with the twins these past few weeks," he said apologetically. Hermione still said nothing, so he carried on. "And I guess the most important why, is why won't you give us another chance?"
"Oh, for Merlin's sake Ron!" Hermione looked close to being at a loss for words. "Why is it that the one time you become impossible to argue with is now? Normally we can argue happily into the long hours of the night about anything and everything, but now, right when I need to argue with you, it's hopeless! Yes, of course I'll give us another chance! Merlin! I can escape dragons and the Lock Ness Monster, but I can't escape you," Hermione declared with a smile as she returned to Ron's side. "Ron Weasley, you are fate. Inescapable."
"And you wouldn't have it any other way!"
"Well, I don't know about that. It does get a bit annoying that I can't escape you when I'm trying to buy your Christmas present!"
"But I had to know what you were getting me so I'd know what to get you!"
"How would that have helped? I'm not exactly going to want a Chudley Cannons chess set, am I?!"
"No, but..."
Escaping Fate - Alongside Certain Death And Other Such Predicaments by Oppungo
Chapter Notes: Many, many thanks to Khrys for betaing for me!