A/N: this one took a few re-writes but I think I’m as happy with it as I’m going to get. Finally revealing important things in this one! (Ignoring the fact that we found out Hermione has children...it doesn’t count ok!? lol)

Disclaimer: Still not J.K Rowling...

Ron walked silently through the halls of St Mungos, searching for Hermione within the endless rooms that lay before him. He could not understand why they had sent him to the second floor when he had inquired about Hermione at the reception desk. It was the floor which held all of the people who had magical sicknesses such as dragon-pox and vanishing sickness. Surely if Hermione had any of these diseases he would have noticed. After all, he did spend over half a day with her.

As he turned the corner to another long corridor full of rooms, he heard a familiar voice talking loudly ahead of him. As he glanced in the closest room, he noticed Cammie talking with the man Ron has seen them with at the park. Up close, Ron could see that the man was much taller than he was and looked as though he worked out a lot. His messy brown hair was not brushed and his clothes were unironed, though he looked perfectly calm considering he stood in a hospital.

“Cam’ honestly, you should have just called me. You’re in no state to be apperating, especially that early in the morning and this late in your pregnancy,” said the man.

“Listen Mike, we both know it would have taken you a while to get over, and Greg was refusing to wake up. What other option did I have? ‘Mione needed to get here and she did, that’s all that matters. Now, tell me again why Ron isn’t here,” said Cammie as she sat down slowly into an armchair by the wall.

“If you’re talking about the guy in Hermione’s lounge room, then you already know. I woke him up and told him what had happened, but he said he’d be along later,” said Mike, and even Ron could see that he was telling a lie.

“You never told me a bloody thing!” exclaimed Ron as he made himself noticed as he strode into the room and stood next to Cammie.

“Ron! What are you talking about?” exclaimed Cammie as a tall woman in a bright green uniform entered the room.

“Miss Granger’s ready for you now,” said the healer kindly and gestured for them to follow. Mike helped Cammie to get out of the armchair, much to her irritation, and the two walked out of the room, Ron at their heels. The healer led them along the hall and into the room at the very end. Lying in the bed was Hermione holding a large book in one hand, while cradling Cammie’s baby in her other arm.

“Hi guys,” she said weakly as she sat the book on her bedside table (with great difficulty) and sat up a little more. “How are the kids?”

“They’re fine, Greg’s looking after them,” said Cammie as she took the seat next to Hermione’s bed. Mike walked over to Hermione and took the now sleeping baby from her arms, and also sat next by Hermione’s bed.

“Thanks for watching him; he wouldn’t have fallen asleep with Cammie and me talking” said Mike.

“It’s fine, Mike. And I’m glad you came,” said Hermione to Ron, who was standing in the doorway. He was just staring at Hermione, shocked that she was now lying in a hospital bed when just yesterday the two of them were talking in her house like nothing was wrong. “I know you don’t have a clue why I’m in here, but I will explain it to you in time. But for now, I’m just going to tell you the basics. Cam’, would it be alright if you and Mike waited outside while I talk to Ron?”

“Of course ‘Mione; we’ll be just outside if you need us for anything,” said Cammie as she and Mike walked out of the room and closed the door behind them.

Hermione turned uneasily to Ron. “I know that I haven’t exactly been the best friend lately, considering I kept all of this from you and Harry. But you have to understand that I only did what I thought was best at the time, and then once I had left, I didn’t feel like I could come back in this situation. There are a few more things I have kept from you, but only because I didn’t have time to explain before I…well, before I came here.

“Ron, I’m going to simplify this as best I can. The reason I’m in here is because I’m sick, really sick. I have been for years, and I could die from it,” she said.

“Die?” he stammered disbelievingly, his face showing pure shock. When Hermione nodded her head Ron felt his heart sink. Someone like Hermione didn’t deserve a terrible thing like this to happen to her. “W-when did you find out? And how bad is it?”

“I found out when I was twenty. I went for a doctor’s appointment and he took some samples for my record. When the test results came back they stated that I was a lot worse than we all thought. Over the past eight years, the disease has gotten steadily worse, and they don’t think they can stop it,” recalled Hermione.

“Why can’t they stop it? They’re Healers, they have to be able to do something” said Ron.

“Ron, this disease is really rare, and they’ve only just found a treatment that could possibly cure it. The thing is no one who has the disease is willing to test the treatment, so the Healers don’t know if it will work on me. I’m the first person to agree, and they have no idea what will happen to me once I start treatment,” admitted Hermione, who was almost whispering by the end.

“How long do the healers say you have?” asked Ron quietly.

This time, Ron had to move closer to Hermione in order to hear her reply. “It’s most likely I won’t make another year, even if treatment goes well.”

Tears were forming in her eyes and Ron’s face had become ghostly white. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. As soon as Ron turned to Hermione, he noticed that the tears forming behind her eyes were now gone, replaced with a small smile. Ron stood slowly and opened the door to see Cammie standing there with Hermione’s children...