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What is Love?

CHAPTER XII

Even Unseen, the Wind Blows

Someday, when my life has passed me by

I lay around and wonder why

You were always there for me

One way, in the eyes of a passerby

Look around for another try

And fade away

(.- Someday by Sugar Ray)

2004 - Hermione's flat

She was awoken by a constant and irritating tapping on her window. Hermione stirred and groaned. The tapping continued and she reluctantly opened her eyes. Registering her surroundings, she found the source of the wake-up call and stumbled barefooted to the window. She wasn't much of a morning person, at least not until she had had one cup of coffee.

She hadn't realized she had closed the window, probably because the chilly wind was already announcing the coming of the winter in England. She shivered as the morning air hit her when opening the window and letting in an owl with The Daily Prophet on its beak and a note attached to her leg.

Hermione frowned at the unusual note in the tawny owl's leg and took that before she even looked at the newspaper.

Hermione,

I'm sorry I'm cutting your well-deserved vacation short, but we need you. Come as soon as you check on him.

Sincerely yours,

Eddy McWhite

She read the letter once more with a bewildered expression. What on earth could be so important? Maybe more dead aurors, but Dean can sure cover that for me, she thought as she idly took the Paper and put three knuts in the leather bag that was attached to the other leg of the owl.

She made her way towards the kitchen and poured some coffee in her favourite mug, the one that Ron had given her last Christmas, which said #1 Journalist in red letters and had little newspapers and computers all around it.

After a few moments, she sat down the mug on her left hand and The Daily Prophet in her right. As soon as she saw the picture, she gasped and dropped her cup, which crashed into pieces when hitting the polished floor.

Immediately, she pulled on the first thing she got her hands on -a black skirt and a pink top- and apparated out without even brushing her hair, just pulling it back in a ponytail with the black band she always carried on her wrist.

2004 - St. Mungos Hospital

When the bright corridors of the waiting room materialized in front of her, her eyes widened at the tons of people that crowded the halls of the usually not-so-crowded hospital. She made out the Weasleys in a corner, but didn't see Ron. She sighed.

Making her way using her Press Pass -which she always carried- and pushing a lot of people out of the way, she finally reached Mrs. Weasley; Molly, as she had taken to call her ever since she started living with Ron.

"Hermione, dear!" she cried loudly and embraced her tightly, letting more tears go down her face. "That's why I didn't want Ginny to be an auror, or Ron or you!" she said desperately.

When Hermione finally managed to rid herself from the strong arms of the woman that had pretty much been her mother ever since Nott had killed both her parents, she examined the gloom faces of the seven Weasleys present. Her heart sank, they all looked almost as sad as when Percy had died, back in seventh year, after he'd come back to his family.

"Please someone tell me how he is," Hermione pleaded.

"He received several curses at once and his body was badly injured," informed George.

"He's in the ICU right now," Fred added and Hermione's eyes widened.

Ginny came out from the Unit and spoke. "But they say he'll be all right," she added quickly.

She let out the breath she had been holding and detached herself from the family for a moment, Ginny followed without being noticed. Hermione couldn't help the horrible feeling that if Harry had been knocked unconscious and badly injured, what would be of the rest of them.

Her old friend seemed to have read her expression. "I know, I don't even want to imagine if the war broke again. I don't think I could handle that once again," she said honestly.

"C- can I go in?" she asked, choosing to ignore Ginny's last comment.

"I think so, yes. The Medi-wizard was a little reluctant to let any of us in, but since it's you…"

"I'm nothing of him," Hermione cleared before Ginny could continue. "But I do want to see him," she added.

Ginny frowned and nodded, wondering what had happened now between those two. It was amazing how they did it; if you asked her, they should shag each other senseless so they would clear things up. She loved Ron very much, but just seeing how that had turned out, with Harry's ghost always between them, she wasn't too sure if she wanted to see her brother hurt anymore.

Hermione nodded and kissed Ginny's cheek. "I'll be back," she told the girl that was probably her best friend and almost like her sister. She went to the ICU on the second floor, and then located room 213; she knocked and no answer.

She knocked again and moments later, a bitter-looking man opened the door. "No one is allowed here," he said without even looking at the woman in front of him and his eyes landed on the press pass on her waist. "And least of all-" he started but trailed off when recognizing her and his eyes softened a bit. "Miss Granger, I'm sorry, just that we've had all these-"

She held up a hand, "just let me see him, all right?"

The Medi-wizard looked at her and nodded, stepping aside to let her through, and he walked out.

Hermione swallowed when seeing the man she'd always believed unbeatable, lying all helpless on a bed. She took a couple of long strides and found herself next to him. After a moment more of hesitation, she took his hand; it was cold as ice and all she managed to do was rub it, in hopes of warming it, and as she did so, she noticed that then nail from his index finger was gone, and just growing at the moment, she frowned.

His eyes were closed and there was something missing… his glasses. Without them, he looked so naked, and Hermione didn't know if she liked that feeling. "Oh Harry! Couldn't you have been a little more careful? I bet you prolly went all by yourself like you always do…" she said with sadness and sympathy on her voice. "You must get better, `cause we need to talk. I am sorry I said such horrible things, but you were horrible too, you have to admit that," she said matter-of-factly.

She stared at him for a long moment and sighed, kissing his scar afterwards. "I know I was wrong, but you were too. We were young and stupid, but I always loved you, despite everything… I- I think I sti-"

She didn't finish, for the door had slammed open and she jumped at seeing Lariana, looking wild; Tonks scared; and Remus very worried and guilty. The same medi-wizard was tailing them with an indignant expression that reminded her so much to Madam Pomfrey when they tried to come into the Hospital Wing to see Harry. "I told you, you can't-" he was saying.

"I said shut up!" Remus roared and the midi-wizard shrunk. Remus wasn't usually someone to intimidate other people, but when it came to Harry… that was a whole other story.

Lariana froze when she saw Hermione and her eyes widened, like spatting a 'what the hell are you doing here?'. "Oh, hello Hermione," was what she said.

Hermione immediately let go off Harry's hand and looked at the newcomers. "They say he'll be all right," she tried, but it didn't seem to work. The three house-mates bolted to the bed and touched him one way or the other; apparently, they were having the same thought Hermione had had back in the hallway when she was with Ginny.

They talked to Harry all night, and despite Hermione didn't feel quite comfortable, she stayed there with them. It was little past three in the morning and the residents of Grimmauld Place had all fallen asleep in what had been chairs earlier that day and now were small beds. Hermione was about to fall asleep when the door creaked open and she jumped.

When she recognized the man in front of her, she was more surprised than if it'd been a Death Eater. Standing there, a disheveled Ron Weasley stood, blinking at her.

"I knew you'd be here. I floo-ed you, but you were gone. I didn't know if to come, to be true," he said, avoiding her gaze.

Hermione smiled at Ron, knowing for the first time that his hard feelings weren't as big as news of his former best friend having been nearly killed. "Hello Ron, I'm glad you came," she said honestly.

"Is he going to be all right? In the paper, it sounded pretty serious."

"It was," she started, "but tomorrow he'll be transferred to a regular room, away from the ICU," she said with relief in her voice.

"Oh, ok. Good then, guess I'll- just go," Ron said hesitantly.

Hermione cocked her head to a side. "Why don't you stay for a while? After all, you came all the way here."

"Uhm- no, I wouldn't want to disturb any of you."

"Please, stay. I don't want to be alone," she said with a smile.

"You're not alone. Remus and Tonks are here."

"You know what I mean. And you know why you came here."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron asked a little angrily, still in a whisper.

"That means that you were worried about him in spite of everything," Hermione said patiently.

"Maybe I was just curious."

"And maybe you're too proud- it doesn't matter, are you going to stay?"

Ron sighed and cast a chair to sit on. "I'll stay until you fall asleep, is that ok?"

She smiled softly at him. "Thank you," she said and kissed his cheek. About an hour later, Hermione was sound asleep, with her head resting on Ron's shoulder.

Ron's eyes traveled from the woman he'd loved for so long and with whom he'd shared so many good times. Then they landed on the man that had once been his bestest friend, for whom he would've given his life without hesitation. He tore his eyes from both and sighed; a deep, sad, regretful sigh. "If things had been different…" he trailed off as the night started to get the best of him.

January 1998 - Hogwarts

Nothing at Hogwarts was the same for Ron since the breakup. All their classes were an awkward silence for him. Hermione had been rather idle, in spite that they 'were together' now; it seemed to him that she wanted Harry… a Harry that was no longer there.

Harry had completely ignored them… especially Ron. It was obvious that he had his motives, but it was just not right. In the week and a half that had gone by, he had seriously thought if she was worth losing his best friend, and had come to the conclusion that even if she wasn't, things were too screwed up to go back to normal.

Quidditch practice was pretty much the only place where Harry spoke to him; only because Harry was the captain and Ron the keeper… and it was a nightmare. Curiously enough, he had made Ron practice much more than the others, and he would be harsher with him when they didn't manage a new strategy or something.

Christmas break would start this Friday and he would have to spend it at the Order's Headquarters… with Harry… and Hermione. Both him and Hermione would've rather gone to the Burrow, but Dumbledore wouldn't let them because it was too dangerous -which it was-, so they were stuck there.

So, second Christmas without Sirius, plus a war going on outside, plus his best friend not talking to him, plus his supposed girlfriend lost inside the labyrinths of her own mind, plus lovely Snape spending the holidays with them… all in all, a terrible Christmas.

None of the Weasleys, apart from Ginny, knew about the whole fight. They knew Harry and Hermione had broken up and that she was with him now -which didn't please them very much-, but they didn't know how bad the situation was. He didn't want to make it a more terrible Christmas for his family, so there was only one way out of it… talk to Harry and ask him for a truce, for the holidays at least. Harry loved Ron's mother very much, so he would probably agree, the only thing now was to eat his pride and go ask him.

He finally gathered the courage and walked up past the seventh years' bedroom to the Head Boy's Chamber and knocked on the door. Practice had finished over an hour ago, which would've given him enough time to shower and get settled. Harry didn't come out of his Chamber anymore, except for classes, food -not always- and Quidditch Practice; so he most certainly was there.

"Yes?" came a voice from the inside.

Ron pushed the door open without announcing himself because if he did, Harry wasn't going to let him in. "Hey," he managed in a weak voice, not looking at him in the eyes, for some part of him felt guilty for everything.

Harry immediately recognized the voice and sat up; it was easy to see how he had changed from relaxed to tense in a split second. "What do you want?" he spat, not looking at him, disappointment and hurt still very fresh from betrayal.

Ron stiffened, and it was harder than he imagined it would be to start speaking. He decided to ignore the tone of Harry's voice for his own sake. "I- we'll be spending Christmas at the Quarters and-"

"And what? You're here to tell me what you will plan this Christmas to ruin mine?"

"No! Bloody hell! I didn't- you were-" he stopped himself, as he felt anger raising inside him and took a deep breath. The sooner you get this over with, the better, he told himself. "Listen, mum and dad don't know about this whole business and I want a truce, they have enough going on right now. I know you love them, so please do this for them," Ron said very quickly.

Harry stared at him for a moment and shook his head, standing from his four-poster bed and padding barefooted to him. "Let me see if I got this straight. You kissed my girlfriend when she was still with me-"

"You were on a break," Ron tried lamely.

Harry continued as if he hadn't said anything. "Then you steal her and call me a big headed prick; not to mention that you ruined anything-"

"Hey! You ruined it and lost it yourself!" Ron said raising his voice.

Again, Harry ignored what he'd said with only a small flinch. "That I considered my support in this bloody war, and now you're asking me for a truce?! Gee, I don't know. Why don't I just give you flowers and buy the ring for you so you can both live happily ever after as the traitors you are!"

Ron stepped forward with fire burning in his eyes. "You know what, Harry? You are absolutely NOT the person I used to know and I just asked you this for my mum's sake, my mum! But I really don't care now, you know why? Because you. Are. An idiot! And I won't try and protect the relationship you have with my mum because you definitely don't deserve it!"

"Aw, give me a break! You, trying to protect me? And MY relationship?! Maybe you should've thought of that before you snogged my girlfriend behind my back! And to think that I used to put you before me in everything! And to fucking think that you were my best friend! You know what's the worst part? That you kept acting normal around me after you kissed her!"

"Fuck you, Harry. Fuck you and all of your issues, `cause I am not a part of it anymore, and nor is Hermione! Maybe I'll be able to give her what you never could."

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?"

"Peace! Stability! Someone that doesn't risk his life almost every night without having to! You want me to continue?"

"OUT! GET OUT!"

"I wasn't staying another single blasted minute!" He turned around and left, slamming the door on his way out.

Luckily, he didn't have to go through the Common Room to get to his room. His face was burning red and his clear blue eyes were over-bright with anger and sadness for having just declared his former best friend as his new worst enemy… after You-Know-Who, that is.

2004 - St. Mungos Hospital

The dim light of the breaking morning woke Remus up, and he noticed another presence in the room, which he recognized immediately and smiled with nostalgia. They were sitting on the right side of the bed, Hermione resting her head on Ron's shoulder, asleep and with her hand placed protectively on Harry's chest.

As he looked at the adults they had become, he couldn't help but be utterly sad at how much their paths had separated throughout the years. He shook his head. "Oh, dear children. Will you find the way to cross your paths again? None of this should've happened and you all know it," he whispered.

After a moment of staring at them, he closed his eyes and sighed. When he looked up again, Ron was stirring, and he decided that if he'd come in the middle of the night, must've been for a reason and he closed his eyes.

"Be careful next time- mate." Ron whispered and walked out of the room.

Minutes later, Remus heard a pop, and he was gone. Once again, he sighed and went back to sleep.

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