Neville's Sacrifice

Chapter Four

Ron walked grumpily alongside Hermione down the hallway leading to Ginny's room. He was soundly complaining about the welcomewitch's cheek.

"Can you believe after all that she still expected us to get Harry's autograph for her?" he said, scowling.

Hermione sighed. "If you feel that way about it, why did you take the paper from her?"

He was about to retort when he saw a familiar figure ahead in the corridor.

"Hermione," he said, pointing to the man down the hall from them, "I think that's Neville."

She looked doubtful. "Well," she said, "it might be."

Ron ran up to the figure and, convinced that it was Neville, tapped the man on his slightly hunched shoulder.

The man turned, and Ron saw that it was Neville, but a Neville greatly changed from before. His face was now careworn, with dark circles rimming the tired, reddened eyes.

He gave a weary but happy smile. "Ron, I'm glad to see you." Spotting Hermione coming towards them he added, "And Hermione too. The Healers are with her now. They've been in there quite a while, so they should be done pretty soon and then we can go in."

Hermione hugged him and said sympathetically, "And how are you, Neville? How have you been doing?"

He sighed tiredly. "It's been tough," he confided. "I've barely left her room since it's happened."

"These last couple of weeks have been a nightmare for you," Hermione said worriedly. "You look like you've barely slept.".

Two Healers dressed in lime green robes came out of Ginny's room. Ron rushed eagerly over to them and asked, "How is she doing? Is everything coming along okay?"

"You're family of Miss Weasley, I presume?" asked one of the Healers, a tall middle-aged man with iron grey hair and a stern expression on his face.

"Yes, I'm her brother, this is her sister-in-law, and that is her fiancé," he said, pointing at himself, then Hermione and finally Neville.

The Healer's face grew sad. "She's lucky to have her family now. So many of our patients have lost their entire families. There is no one left to come and see them, no one waiting for when they get out."

The other Healer, a thin woman with large glasses, said, "You'll be happy to hear that Miss Weasley is doing very well. In fact, she's doing so well we have decided not to give her anymore of the Sleeping Potion. She should be waking up pretty soon."

Ron's face lit up into a joyful smile as he thanked the Healers and then raced over to where Hermione and Neville were standing.

"Did you hear? They're going to stop giving her the Potion. The Healers said that she would be waking pretty soon."

Hermione smiled happily. "It's a relief that the worst of it finally seems to be over."

"Thank Merlin she's better," Neville said. "I've been feeling so guilty about what happened. If she hadn't tried to save me...I mean, warning me about Bellatrix is what caused this whole accident to happen."

Hermione gave him a sympathetic hug. "Nobody blames you. If it's anyone's fault, then it's Voldemort's for starting this whole crazy mess."

"Yeah, mate, Hermione's right. You can't blame yourself for what happened."

They stood there a second, thinking about the war, thinking about the accident. Finally, Hermione said, "Ron, I think we should go tell your family that Ginny will be waking up. They'll want to be here for it."

"Yeah, you're right," Ron agreed. "We'll use the fireplace downstairs to Floo Mum and Dad. Want to come with, Neville?".

"No, thanks. I think I'll stay with Ginny. I don't like leaving her."

"Okay, mate, we'll see you shortly then."

Ron and Hermione hurried down the white polished floor towards the stairs leading to the ground floor.

Neville turned and walked towards Ginny's door. He knew that pretty soon she would have to hear some hard things. That she was paralysed, that she might never walk again. He wanted to be there when she heard it. To be her strength, to let her know nothing had changed. He still loved her, would always love her, and nothing and no one could ever change that.