Falling

Falling

It was a week later and Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting in different corners of the common room. Ron wasn't talking to Harry, Harry wasn't talking to Hermione, and Hermione wasn't talking to either of them. She was pissed off at Ron for not talking to Harry because that was the real reason why Harry and her had stopped talking to begin with. She got off her chair and went to the portrait hole to leave. She went down the stairs to the great hall for breakfast.

She sat down next to Ginny. Ginny looked up from her plate of eggs to look at Hermione. She was surprised to see how red her eyes were. She suspected she'd been crying late into the night last night.

"Hermione?" Ginny asked tentatively.

"Yes, Ginny?" She yawned and started to place some eggs on her plate.

"What happened to you?"

Hermione turned on her seat to look at Ginny. Ginny was her only friend who was a girl at Hogwarts. Normally she could tell her anything, but she didn't think it would be right to talk about her problem. She barely noticed that Harry and Ron had come in. But she did notice that they were sitting at different ends of the table.

"Hermione. Why aren't you answering me?"

"Yes Ginny?"

"Hermione," she admonished.

"What?"

"Tell me what happened."

"I will but not right now. I'm hungry and there's just too many people here."

Harry got up and went over to Ron.

"Ron, are you still mad at me?" Ron didn't answer. He continued to eat his breakfast.

"Please Ron. I'm begging you I need you."

"For what. I'm sick of being your sidekick."

Harry was taken aback. He had no idea Ron felt this way. In his mind Ron had always been his best friend. He couldn't take the silence between them.

"Ron you have been and always will be my best friend. I miss talking to you. This thing has gotten blown out proportion. I'm sorry."

"So you've said at least 32 times."

"And I still mean it." Harry sighed he knew he wasn't getting anywhere with this argument. "Ron, I'm only going to ask you this once more. Please forgive me." Ron didn't say a thing he just got up off the table and walked towards the entrance hall. Harry watched him and suddenly he was gone. And he hadn't left the hall.

"RON!" Hermione shrieked she jumped up and rushed over to where Ron had disappeared. Harry ran down between the tables to where Hermione had gone. He couldn't think clearly. He knew something bad had just happened but he couldn't figure out what. He bent down on the other side of Ron.

"Ron," he said. "Ron can you hear me?" Ron didn't move. Hermione grasped Ron's hand and started muttering 'oh god, oh god,' over and over again. A crowd started forming around them.

Harry looked up at Hermione.

"Harry, oh god, what happened. What happened." She was starting to panic.

"He's unconscious." Harry looked back down at the lifeless body of Ron. "It looks like he slipped and fell."

"Harry, feel under his head is he bleeding?" Harry gently lifted his head and he didn't see or deel any blood which was a relief.

"Is he?" Hermione questioned.

" No. But he has a bump on his head the size of a coconut."

"Oh thank god."

"Mione, we need to get Ron to the hospital wing. Help me lift him." She didn't think twice about it. She helped pick Ron up. Harry got hold of him. Hermione walked in front clearing a path through the crowd. They walked all the way to the hospital wing without talking. Ron still hadn't woken up. They stopped just outside the door.

"Harry," Hermione said.

Harry grunted Ron was heavy. "Yes 'Mione."

"Sorry."

"For what?" He asked.

"Everything," she sighed. "It's all my fault. It really is. And the sad thing is I just realized this. It took my boyfriend getting knocked unconscious to realize what I have known all along."

"Hermione."

"Yes?" She looked at Harry and saw that he was in pain.

"Could you open the door. Ron's getting heavier by the minute."

Hermione blushed. "Certainly." She opened the door and they walked in.

Madam Pomfrey was plumping some pillows at the other end of the infirmary. She didn't even notice them enter. Hermione walked down the all too familiar row of beds towards her.

"Madam Pomfrey."

Madam Pomfrey nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned around and saw Hermione.

"Oh hello Miss Granger. What happened this time." Hermione turned and pointed at Harry. Madam Pomfrey gasped. She rushed over to Harry.

"What happened to him?" Madam Pomfrey questioned.

"Slipped on something. He's unconscious."

"I can see that put him over here." Harry followed her over to a bed where she just was. He lay Ron gently on the bed. Hermione came over and stood next to him. She reached out and brushed the stray hair off Ron's forehead. She glanced over at Harry then she asked the question they both wanted answered.

"Will he be all right?" She asked tentatively. Harry eyed her.

"Yes Miss Granger. He'll be fine but I don't think he'll wake up for a few days. He won't be allowed to leave for a few weeks."

Hermione looked once again at Ron. "Why? The fall didn't look that bad."

"The fall probably wasn't bad but he took a good hit to the head. Here." She handed Harry a pair of pajamas. "Put these on him." She went back to fluffing pillows.

Harry continued to eye Hermione. She really didn't look very good. He placed the pajamas on the bed and walked around to where Hermione was standing. He turned her so she would face him. She wouldn't meet his gaze, but he could tell she was crying.

"Hermione. Look at me." She slowly lifted her gaze tears glistening in her eyes.

"It's all my fault isn't it. Ron wouldn't be hear if it weren't for me," she said through sniffles. Harry wiped a tear off her cheek with his thumb.

"No 'Mione. It's not your fault. It's not anyone's really. If you need to blame someone blame all three of us." She turned away from Harry and bent down next to Ron. She kissed him on the forehead and started to cry harder. She felt Harry take her hand. She stood up and leaned into him. He placed his arms around her protectively.

"Hermione. It's really not that bad. Worse could have happened."

She looked up at him. "Oh yeah, like what."

"Honestly Mione I don't want to say what I'm thinking." She just left it at that not wanting to start another fight, glad that they had made up finally.