A/N: The title says it all…this chapter has adult situations so be warned! No one is perfect, not even Harry and Hermione (sad face)---get out the tissues.
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Unfair
Harry knew something was wrong the moment he woke up. Unease had settled in his chest and stomach and he struggled to pull himself out of the depths of his sleep. Being that he was in this state of just waking up, with ears open and eyes closed he heard rather than saw a movement next to him. He turned over to see who was standing there as he felt someone shaking his shoulder. He kept his wand in his hand and sat up shirtless, startled to see Ginny standing there, looking terrified.
"It's Hermione…," Ginny whispered and jumped back as Harry leapt out of bed, pulled on sweatpants, jammed his feet into a pair of shoes and ran out the door while struggling to get his head through the neck of a t-shirt. Ginny grabbed his glasses and placed them in his outstretched hand, running behind him. His long legs covered the Common Room in seconds then out the portrait and down the hall.
"She woke up with cramps; Ron heard her," Ginny started her voice shaking. Harry whipped around the corner and Ginny ran at full speed to keep up with him. Very few people were up this early except for those practicing or watching Quidditch for the Slytherins…it was their practice time and a few were trickling out of the Great Hall from breakfast.
Harry passed by the portraits not hearing them talk about him running through the hall; he ran past Peeves who started cackling but gave up when Harry didn't even yell at him like he usually did. Finally reaching the Hospital Wing he wrenched open the doors and skidded to a stop inside. He saw Ron at the far end and Samantha sitting next to him, her head leaning against his shoulder.
"What happened?" Harry demanded, hurrying over as Ron stood up. Both his and Samantha's hair were messed up like they had been asleep and suddenly woken up. Samantha stayed seated hugging herself and Ginny laid a hand on her shoulder.
"I-the baby I think," Ron whispered, looking pale and not quite together. Harry felt his knees shake as he looked around the wing as Ron pointed a finger across the room where the curtains were drawn. Harry forced his legs to move and he walked through the curtains, seeing Hermione lying on her side, knees drawn to her chest and Madame Pomfrey was carefully measuring out a medicine Harry recognized but couldn't name at the moment.
"'Mione?" Harry whispered and she rolled over, face pale and tears rolling down her face.
"I'm sorry…," she whispered, closing her eyes and grabbing her stomach. Harry knelt by her bed and took her hand.
"What happened?" Harry ran a hand up and down her arm as he heard Madame Pomfrey quietly instruct Hermione to drink the blood replenishing potion. Hermione shakily raised the cup to her lips. Harry's hand steadied hers as she choked down the thick liquid. She placed the cup back down on the table and turned her head away from it.
"I woke up with cramps, Harry." Hermione grabbed his hand and held it tight, her scared eyes meeting his. "I thought they would go away, cramps are something to expect but they didn't. I guess Ron heard me, I didn't even know he was there until he was standing by my bed asking if I was ok." She shuddered and closed her eyes, sobs in her chest, not allowing her to say more. Harry laid his forehead against the back of her hand, wanting to ask, needing to know, but afraid of the answer.
"There was so much blood Harry. It just came as I was in bed and I couldn't do ANYTHING!" Hermione hit the bed with her hand, practically yelling the last word, then put her hand to her eyes.
"I'm so sorry." Harry's voice caught, tears running down his face. "I should have been there…," Harry began and Hermione shushed him.
"Stop." She felt a wetness on her hand and flipped her hand over to grab his chin and pulled it up, seeing
tears running down his face.
"Harry."
She didn't know what to say, never seeing Harry cry like his heart was broken. He lowered his head and laid it upon her chest.
"We won't know for a few days, but I don't think…," Hermione stroked his hair. "Ron got me here so quickly, Madame Pomfrey was able to give me my first replenishing potion in a matter of minutes." Hermione's voice sounded very far away to her and slowly her hands stilled in Harry's hair. Hesitantly, he place his hand on her stomach and rubbed small, soft circles, feeling how jittery she was, feeling her shaking with emotions he could never fathom. He pulled his head up and glanced at her, she was asleep, not a relaxing one but asleep nonetheless.
Harry removed his glasses and wiped his eyes with his shirt and took a few steadying breaths. He sat back on the chair next to her and composed himself to go back outside the curtains. He stared at her stomach, wishing that she was ok, feeling a multitude of emotions wash over him about the baby.
Burying his face in his hands he groaned, what was he going to do? He couldn't sit here and not know if she miscarried the baby or not; he felt he would go crazy for not having an immediate answer, which resulted in him shooting up from his chair, out the curtains and finding Madame Pomfrey at the next bed, quietly waiting for him.
"Is the baby gone? Is Hermione going to be alright?" Harry asked in a strangled voice, his fists clenched at his sides, trying to keep the anger and sadness he felt about the whole situation under control. Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and ignored it.
"Harry, Hermione will be fine. A few days rest and she will be herself." Madame Pomfrey stood up and laid a hand on his arm.
"But, the baby," Madame Pomfrey said quietly holding his arm.
That was all Harry needed to hear, feeling himself fall apart he turned around and collided with someone, someone who wrapped their arms around his shoulders and held him as he sobbed…for Hermione, for the baby and for hating the feeling of not being in control.
'Defeating Voldemort was so much easier', a voice whispered in the back of his head.
He felt hands guide him to the bed and felt people sit on either side of him. Slowly he straightened up realizing it was Ron who he had collided with. He couldn't look at anyone so he covered his face with his hands and tried to drag in a few sips of air. He felt someone press a handkerchief into his hand and he accepted it, tossing his glasses somewhere, not caring.
He felt a strong arm around his shoulders, Ron's; a hand on his knee, softly moving in a circle, Samantha. He glanced up in front of him, staring at the pale yellow curtains that separated him and Hermione. He slowly sat up straighter, running a hand through his hair.
"Let's walk, mate. Hermione will be out for awhile." Ron handed Harry his glasses. Harry stood up, his hand brushing Samantha's in a silent gesture of thanks and he followed Ron out the door, passing Ginny who reached out and grabbed his hand as she walked towards the bed Samantha was. Harry squeezed it quickly, not trusting his voice. He threw the hospital doors shut behind him with such force it echoed down the hall, accompanying his quick footsteps to the main doors and out into the cool morning.
For a moment all he did was walk around in circles, curses coming out that Ron had never heard him use before. Ron's eyes caught a movement at the top of the stairs and saw the Slytherin Quidditch team walking out of the castle, laughing loudly.
"Harry, let's walk," Ron said eagerly, not in the mood for any of them to see Harry Potter at his weakest.
"I can't Ron. I can't." Harry stopped walking around in circles and sat down on a large stone.
"What do we do now?" he asked out loud not really expecting an answer.
Ron had no idea what to do or what to say. Harry was the strong one, Hermione the one who knew what to do and Ron usually just listened to them. He could hear the Slytherins getting closer; they were going to have to walk right by Harry on their way down to the pitch.
"I think, Harry, that Hermione would say one day at a time," Ron offered, sitting next to him, mimicking his friend's pose, legs apart, hands clasped between their knees, leaning forward a bit.
"I owe you, Ron," Harry went on as if he didn't hear him. Ron could hear one of the Slytherins say his friends name, but Harry gave no notice if he heard or not.
"What? Why?"
"Hermione told me you brought her to the hospital wing." Harry took of his glasses and rubbed his red rimmed eyes.
"Yeah…," Ron felt a chill come over him, remember the sudden appearance of blood, scooping her up, yelling at Samantha and heading down the hall, a bit thankful that he had gotten up to use the bathroom and put on shorts and a t-shirt in case Hermione did see him. He was also thankful that Samantha pointed out he should use a scourging charm on himself with the blood that was on his shirt. That was something Harry didn't need to see.
Harry and Ron looked up as Draco followed his team down the path. Two huge, big mouthed Slytherins began sniggering, getting ready to say their usual snide comments. Ron glanced coldly at them, silently daring them to open their mouths.
Harry saw Draco (very blurry but he could tell that blond hair anywhere) and heard him tell his team to 'Sod it; save it for the game'. If Harry had had the energy he would have fallen off his rock, but he just lowered his head and placed his glasses back upon his face.
Ron had watched the exchange, if you could call it that. He knew Harry couldn't see the look that passed on Draco's face without his glasses. He had seen Harry look in Draco's direction, his eyes full of pain, his eyes swollen from crying.
Ron had seen Draco look at Harry and knew at that moment Draco had just seen Harry at his weakest. Ron felt a moment of gratefulness that Harry wouldn't have to hear the usual comments that during a normal day didn't bother him. Ron was more than ready to go back inside but waited to voice his thoughts until the Slytherins were out of earshot.
"Let's go Harry and get something to drink then go check on Hermione." Ron stood up and was slightly surprised as Harry didn't argue and followed him back to the castle.
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As the sun rose higher in the sky, Ron and Ginny had brought Harry some breakfast then had to go run the Gryffindor Quidditch practice. Harry made Samantha go with them and keep an eye on them; she seemed to be the stronger of the two at the moment.
For the rest of the morning, Harry sat at Hermione's side as the sleeping draught helped her rest, keeping all the emotions at bay. At one point, Harry stretched out next to her in the bed, feeling her turn to him and snuggle in, so he didn't know where his body ended and hers began. Laying his lips against the top of her head, he felt himself slowly drift off to sleep.
On the pitch, Ron assembled the team on the field and told them that Hermione was sick and Harry was with her in the hospital wing, so Ginny would be doing double duty during practice.
Ginny tried to keep her mind on practice, but as try as she might it keep wandering towards the castle. Ron would yell up at her to pay attention, though not in his usual angry voice that he would have used yesterday. Ginny would halfheartedly wave and throw her thoughts into Quidditch, but her concentration never lasted very long; thoughts turning towards her friend in the Hospital Wing; visions of Harry sobbing into Ron's shoulder something she never ever thought that she would see. Ginny felt that that moment had scared her the most; to see him lose control like that.
During one of her daydreams she didn't notice she flew into the path of a quaffle and fell several feet to the ground. Laying there on the ground, staring up at the sky she saw Ron's face, along with Dean's appear over hers, Samantha came running over and joined the collage of faces in her line of vision. She couldn't answer their questions right away, having the wind knocked out of her.
"Fine..," Ginny breathed, experimentally moving her arms and legs, wincing as she moved her neck.
"Dean, take over while I carry my sister to the hospital wing. Samantha, I'll be back. I should've just left you there with Hermione." Ron grumbled, picking her up without any effort.
"Ron, I am fine. Put me down." Ginny pushed against his chest, feeling his arms tighten around her.
"Stop." Ron kicked a Quaffle out of the way and announced he would be back in a minute and to listen to Dean.
"Ron, come on." Ginny struggled to get down.
"Look, Gin, you aren't doing anything out there. Let me take you in to Madame Pomfrey and you can also see how Hermione is doing, ok?" he asked softly, letting his underlying reasons for taking her come to the surface. Ginny sighed but insisted he put her down, rubbing a hand on the back of her neck. For a few minutes neither one said anything as they walked side by side up the path, Ginny limping slightly, Ron's hand on her shoulder.
"Do you think they will be ok?" Ginny asked Harry and Hermione taking over all her thoughts. She stopped to rest for a moment and Ron made a move to pick her up again, but she shook her head.
"In the long run, yes. Now…I guess we just have to be there for them." Ron leaned against the same rock that he and Harry had sat on earlier.
"When did you become so responsible?" Ginny asked, looking up at her older brother, who was looking off into the distance towards Hagrid's cabin.
"I think since last night." Ron answered in such a way that Ginny wasn't sure if he was joking or not.
"What?" Ginny questioned, studying his face. She had a sudden vision of him and Samantha in the hallway and of them following her into the Common Room. Then the thought began sinking in that RON had been in HERMIONE'S room that morning. Realization hit her and she had to physically sit down.
"Ohh…," she made a noise that Ron almost didn't hear. Ron's eyes met hers and Ginny smiled at him.
"You really love her."
It was a statement about Samantha. Ron nodded and blushed that famous Weasley blush, looking at his feet. "I'm really happy for you; but please I'm NOT ready to be an aunt," Ginny added hastily, seeing a slight smile across his face.
"Yeah, well, experiencing this whole," Ron's arm swept towards the castle, "thing with Harry and Hermione, I don't want you to be either." Ron helped Ginny up who was becoming very sore and couldn't walk very fast, which frustrated Ron because he needed to get back to practice.
Bypassing Ginny's insistent proclamations that she was fine, he picked her up again. Sighing resignedly Ginny threw an arm around his shoulders, taking in her brother's profile. He had grown up so much the past six months, shooting well past six feet tall, stubble covering his face if he didn't shave every day, and now he had a serious girlfriend. Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a familiar voice speak her last name. Ron stopped and Ginny turned her head away from Ron's face and saw that they were almost to the castle and Draco was sitting on the steps up to the school.
"Put me down Ron," Ginny hissed in his ear, but Ron ignored her.
"Malfoy," Ron said in the way of a greeting, the first word he had said to him since Ginny danced with him. Ginny saw Draco raise an eyebrow at her then saw him take in her grass stained robes and her hand on the back of her neck.
"Need an escort to the hospital wing?" Ginny could feel Ron hesitate; Ginny didn't argue afraid that Ron might say something to ruin this almost civil moment between Gryffindor and Slytherin.
Ron let his sister down and she steadied herself holding onto his arm, hand moving from her neck to her hip, feeling twinges there too. It was the first time she had fallen off her broom and she had no idea how Harry and Ron could survive from the heights that they had fallen from.
Besides the soreness, she could feel the struggle going on inside her brother-should he trust Draco with Ginny?
And she could sense the struggle within Draco as well-being civil wasn't something that came naturally and the Weasley's knew it, but would they accept this offer? She was in the middle, like a bargaining chip and it actually amused her.
"Okay…straight to the Hospital Wing," Ron reluctantly agreed.
He turned to Ginny, "I'll be by after practice."
Ron nodded at Draco, turned and voiced the command, "Accio, broom." He waited all but three seconds for it to zoom into his hand then took off for the pitch. Draco stood up and grabbed her arm as she steadied herself against the stone wall.
"Should I sweep you off your feet then?" Draco asked lightly, holding her arm as she limped up the rest of the stairs. She stumbled and Draco's hand tightened around her upper arm and he stopped, pulling her towards him.
"Funny," Ginny mumbled sarcastically, then let out a squeak as he swept her up into his arms.
"I can walk." Ginny pushed at his chest but was ignored as he "alohamora'd" the door and walked through it.
The truth was Ginny didn't mind being carried. Not just because she was sore, but she was mildly interested in the way his arms felt under her legs and around her back. She saw him up close, so very close that for the first time she could see how long his eye lashes were; that his eyes were really a unique shade of blue…and thought that if she moved her head forward just a bit she could…she didn't even finish that thought as she quickly turned her head forward, wincing.
"I've never known you to fall off your broom, or get hit by anything." Draco turned the corner to pass the Great Hall, where students were starting to eat their lunch and make his way down the hall to the Hospital Wing.
"My mind was elsewhere," Ginny murmured, feeling his arm grip her shoulders as he silently ordered the Hospital Wing doors to open. Madame Pomfrey looked up from her desk and both could see the surprise that crossed her features before the professional face fell into place.
"Mr. Malfoy; Miss Weasley. What brings you here?" She led them down the space between the beds, and motioned for him to lay her down on the one across from Harry and Hermione's. Ginny saw that the curtains were open; Harry was leaning back in his chair, watching them, a hand laying on Hermione's head as she slept away.
"Fell off my broom." Ginny felt Draco's hands linger on her arm for a moment and she blushed as she met his gaze.
"You ok?" a tired voice said from across the room and Draco turned around, visibly surprised to see Harry and Hermione there.
"Fine, Harry. Ron insisted I come here, but passed me off to Malfoy on the way." Harry raised an eyebrow.
"She's so fine, she can't walk normally." Draco threw himself into a chair next to her bed, tallying up another surprise in Ginny's mind.
"How's practice?" Harry asked quietly, standing up and walking to the foot of Ginny's bed, careful to stay out of the way of Madam Pomfrey. Ginny shrugged off her robes as Madame Pomfrey instructed. Ginny answered Harry after she got done going down her list of sore body parts.
"How's Hermione?" Ginny asked quietly. Harry grabbed the metal bars at the foot of her bed and glanced over his shoulder.
"Sleeping; drained," he answered, being vague because Draco was sitting right there. Ginny winced as she was prodded in the hip, practically jumping off the bed.
"Sit still; let me finish."
"I'm trying." Ginny threw an arm over her eyes feeling very stupid that she let down her team.
She was a mix of emotions, it felt like someone had just stuck a spoon in her and stirred up anger mixed with sadness of what happened to Harry and Hermione; a deflated feeling because she let her team down at practice; and nervousness because Draco wasn't leaving. Ginny gasped as she felt hands probe her neck, then heard Madame Pomfrey say she would be back with a few potions and a salve for her bruises. Drawing the curtains around her bed, she told Ginny to change into a gown while she was getting her supplies.
Harry walked back to Hermione who was waking up and looking around, a sad smile breaking out across her face as she caught sight of him. Harry mouthed "Draco" at her so she wouldn't start asking questions that would be uncomfortable to answer.
"Ginny is across from you; fell off her broom," Harry explained helping Hermione sit up then handing her a brush into her outstretched hand.
"You ok Gin?" Hermione asked in a tired voice, brushing her hair, her dark eyes resting on Draco across the room. Wisely he stayed silent and averted his gaze.
"I'll live," Ginny said from behind the curtain. "You?"
"Same," Hermione echoed, feeling Harry take the brush from her hand and begin running the brush through her long hair, slowly and methodically. She could feel herself beginning to relax and closed her eyes.
"Ready Miss Weasley?" Madame Pomfrey balanced a tray in one hand and peeked in the curtain, then pulled it back. She handed Ginny a potion for the pain and said she would be back with the salve. She walked across the hall and handed Hermione her last Blood Replenishing Potion wordlessly. Again, Hermione choked down the liquid, covering her mouth with her hand as it threatened to come back up. Madame Pomfrey quietly suggested that Harry go get something to eat and bring back something for Hermione, then went back to Ginny and closed the curtains behind her to apply the salve.
Harry kissed Hermione and held her close for a minute, whispering he would be back. Hermione lay back down, curled up
on her side and, and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. Harry felt a bit more energized after the nap he took with
her and by the fact that she seemed hungry and somewhat social again. Harry glanced at Draco who had his arms crossed
across his chest and was watching a portrait move among her patients on the opposite wall.
Quietly, Harry walked to the doors, this time shutting them quietly behind him.