The Fallout by EveryThursday (reposted)

Thirty-Three

Day: 1474; Hour: 14

"Hermione."

"Hm?"

"I, er... I need to talk to you about Ron. And...Malfoy."

Hermione blinks four times at the book in front of her, the text blurring, and then raises her eyes to Harry. "What about it?"

"Well, it's just... He's been through a lot, and we need to be careful with putting too much on him. I don't know what's going on with you and Malfoy, or...or what it is, or anything. If it's something you need or...want..." Harry sighs heavily, shoving a hand through his hair.

"You're asking me to hide it from Ron." She looks at him blankly, smoothing the pages of her book.

"Yes. I mean, don't tell him. Try to...keep it to yourself for a little while. He might hear about it, or find out somehow, but he's going to need time. We worked with him before, but Ron didn't really believe the things we heard about him. He didn't work with him when we came back, like I did, to see it. I know you guys aren't like...like Ron and Lavender were, and I know you two don't feel like that toward one another anymore, but--"

"I understand."

"You don't look like you understand." Because she's thinking of Draco, of fragility and shame, and of the promises she made to herself. "I don't think he can handle it right now. He went through too much, and you and Malfoy... It's not worth getting Ron back to normal. Whatever--"

"I'll place worth wherever I want to, Harry," she snaps, and he looks surprised and then angry. "Getting Ron back his health, physically and mentally, is extremely important to me. Of course I'm going to do all I can to help with that. I'm not going to tell him about Draco, and I'm not going to...do anything in front of him. But I'm not going to stop...hanging out with Draco because--"

"I didn't ask you to."

"Okay. And if Ron somehow finds out, we'll handle it from there. And once Ron gets better... Whatever happens, happens. I don't expect either of you to understand, or to agree. But you'll have to accept it."

"I do. You know that. I don't know if I...approve." She opens her mouth, but remains silent when he shakes his head, shrugs, and stops being careful. "He's still an asshole. I don't get it. I know he's not prejudiced anymore, and he's on our side, but he's still the same git he was at Hogwarts. I know Ron and I were gone for...for a couple years, but...Malfoy? All the guys in the the world, and Malfoy for a boyfriend."

Hermione doesn't bother telling him he's not exactly a boyfriend. It would only make it harder.

Day: 1475; Hour: 10

Ron's grin is awkward when she pulls away, though it might be because of the tears now on his shoulder. Hermione cups his face between her palms, and she knows her smile is watery but she can't help it. She runs her finger down the thick scar on his face. It starts from his hairline and travels all the way down to his jaw. She wonders if it's the one Lucius had given him - the one Harry told her about.

"I missed you."

"I missed you, too." His voice sounds strained when he says this, his eyes darting toward Harry and his mother at the other side of the room before coming back to her. He gives her a look like she just said something he couldn't hear and then leans forward to kiss her on the lips.

The kiss is chaste, and his whole body tenses when he does it. Hermione blinks at the hospital bed as he pulls back, and then drops her hands to his shoulders with a reassuring squeeze. It wasn't like she had never kissed Ron, or even Harry, before. But those were usually when someone moved their head and the other missed the cheek - accidents that they were too close of friends for it to be all that awkward.