Top of the Mountain

Top of the Mountain

Chapter 1- Waking

Beep. Beep. Beep.

What was that noise?

Beep. Beep. Beep.

There it was again.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"WILL SOMEONE SHUT THAT BLOODY THING UP?"

Someone close gasped. A face swam in front of Ron's eyes and he blinked to try to work out who it was. Messy black hair. Vivid green eyes. Glasses. A lightning bolt scar! Ron knew this person! He thought carefully for a few moments. Then he remembered. It was Harry Potter, his best friend.

"Harry?" he croaked, his throat very sore after months of not being used for speech.

"You remember me! He remembers me! Gin, get in here! Ron's awake!"

Ron scowled. "Don't order my sister around like that!"

Harry grinned and commented: "Still a ray of sunshine, aren't we?"

It was then that Ginny came bursting in and threw her arms around an embarrassed Ron. "Oh, Ron! I thought we'd lost you forever! Poor Hermione has been going out of her mind!!"

Ron gently prised his sister off. "What do you mean?"

Ginny and Harry looked at each other, worried.

"Ron, don't you remember what happened?" asked Harry.

"No!"

"Oh. Well, um, we were hunting down Bellatrix Lestrange and..."

"Hold on a second. I thought she was dead. Didn't mum...?"

Ginny interrupted this time. "No, Ron! Everyone thought so, but she faked her own death.

"Yeah, exactly, and anyway that was five years ago, Ron!" added Harry.

"WHAT?!"

Harry looked alarmed and backed away, scared that Ron might strike him.

Ginny's mouth fell over as everything clicked into place. "No! Oh, no! This is terrible!"

"Oh, what now?" moaned Ron.

"Ron, what is the last thing you remember?"

Ron was quiet for a second but then his face crumpled.

Harry rushed forward. "What is it?"

"Fred!" sobbed Ron. "Fred died!"

Ginny flinched at the sound of her brother's name. "Ron," she hissed. "That was five years ago! We never, ever, talk about that!"

"I don't understand!"

Ginny stood up, shaking her head. "I think I had better get a healer. It looks to me that something is wrong here, Ron. You can't remember the last five years of your life!"

She strode out, sniffing.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to upset her..."

Harry placed a comforting hand on Ron's shoulder. "Don't worry mate. I've been married to Ginny for over three years now and I still..."

"WHAT?!"

"Oh. Sorry, I forgot. Your memory. Me and Ginny are married."

"Oh. Right."

Ron looked down at his hands, flustered. He was startled to see a ring on one hand.

"Oh. My. God."

Harry looked at Ron, warily. "What?"

"Harry...I'm not married to Lavender... am I?"

"Lavender!? Ha, that's a good one, Ron!" exclaimed Harry, snorting.

Ron raised an eyebrow. "It wasn't a joke!"

"Oh. Um... You're married to Hermione, of course!"

Ron looked at Harry blankly.

Harry smiled. "Well it can't be that much of a surprise, can it? You did snog her during the Battle!"

"Who?"

Harry's smile faded. "Please tell me your joking!"

"No. Who the ruddy hell is Hermione?"

Ginny re-entered at this point and said: "The healer will be here in just a moment."

"Ginny, we have a serious problem!" announced Harry.

"What problem?"

"Ron doesn't remember Hermione!"

"What?!" she cried in disbelief.

"I'm confused!" moaned Ron. Neither Harry or Ginny paid any attention to him.

"Oh, no! This is terrible!"

"I know!" agreed Harry.

"No, you don't get it! Hermione is on her way over here! She'll be here in ten minutes!"

Harry went white. "What are we going to do?"

Ron coughed loudly, making them jump and remember who they were with. "Do you mean to tell me that my wife, who I can't even remember, is coming here? Right now?"

They nodded. There was an uncomfortable silence as Harry and Ginny waited for Ron to say something. He cleared his throat. They both glanced up, expecting him to say something but instead he went a peculiar shade of green and threw up all over the hospital bed.

"Oh, Ron!" laughed a new voice.

Ron glanced up to see a pretty brunette standing in the doorway.