Oblivious to the Obvious

Hermione Granger, a Hogwarts 2nd year, gasped. I've been Petrified! But I have to tell them about the Basilisk! And the pipes! She tried desperately to move or talk, but it was useless. She could only hear the hushed voices of what sounded like Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey. Suddenly, she heard an all-too-familiar, soft, male voice.

"Excuse me, Madame Pomfrey, Professor Dumbledore? I'm sorry to interrupt, but may I please be alone in here with Hermione?"

"Ahh, of course Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said. "She could probably use a kind voice now."

"Yes, sir." Footsteps walked towards the door and it shut.

"Hermione, it's me, Ron. You can't hear me, can you? Well, you can't respond. It's really late. In fact, Harry doesn't know I'm here. I'll have to hurry up in a few minutes before 'lights-out.' Hermione, you don't know how weird it is to be here talking, without you talking back. The Mandrakes should be ready in a while. Not too long, I hope. Hermione-please. You've got to talk to me. This has to be a joke of some sort."

A joke? Hermione thought. That would make much more sense if this were Fred or George. I wish so much that I could speak to Ron. She then heard sobbing noises. Oh, my gosh. He's crying. Oh, Ron, please don't cry. Not over me. You have so much more work to do! The Basilisk! The Chamber!

She felt Ron's warm, trembling hand clasp her cold, stiff one.

"Hermione, this is the perfect time to say this, because you'll never know I said it, and I can't get the courage to say it to you otherwise. Hermione, I love you." His soft lips pressed against her hand. "I swear, I will find this ... monster, or whatever it is that did this to you. Just like you stuck around and helped me last year, while we were trying to get the Sorcerer's Stone. Everything will turn out okay." He suddenly let out a nervous chuckle. "The only thing I resent is that I wish you could tell me if you loved me, too, or not."

As he walked out the door, Hermione felt very much like crying. It took her a second to remember that she couldn't sit up and call to him. Oh, Ron. I love you, too!

7 Years Later

The new Mr. and Mrs. Ron Weasley stood in front of an applauding crowd, their faces flushed and beaming with excitement. Hermione threw out her bouquet. Ginny Potter caught it. Harry then threw it back, making everyone chuckle. The couple ducked, to avoid the rice, which was being thrown more rapidly than usual due to a Weasley twins' invention, and ran onto a broomstick. Ron sat in front and Hermione wrapped her arms around his waist tightly. As they rode of into the sky, Hermione whispered in Ron's ear, "I love you." He gripped one of her hands and was suddenly hit with a sense of déjà vu.

"Hey, 'Mione? Do you remember when you were Petrified in second year?"

"Yes," she said suspiciously.

"Could you hear what was going on around you?"

"No. Why?"

"Oh," he chuckled, "no reason."