Please Don't Leave Me
By Cherished Dreams

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

A/N: please read 'All I'll Ever Be' before reading this story. It might not make much sense if you don't.

---

Ron was sitting on the couch after putting Hermione in bed. His head had started to hurt again and he was massaging it hard. "Why did I have to leave my freakn medi-potion at home?" He growled at the mind numbing pain swirling around in his head. His migraines were coming back much more frequently now, and taking the medi-potion that was specially created for him was helping but lately, its effectiveness had seemed to be affecting him less. It was agonizing. His eyes watered and some tears fell from the pain. He gripped his knees to create some pain, so that he could concentrate on something else. But it wasn't working. His breathing deepened, and soon he was draped over Hermione's couch, unconscious.

---

Several hours passed, the fire had died out and Hermione found herself waking up to the light seeping through the cracks of her curtains. She groaned, slightly annoyed from being awakened from her slumber. After dressing in her casual muggle clothes and some dark blue robes, she stepped out of the bathroom and proceeded towards the kitchen. But, as she passed the living room, she found Ron sleeping uncomfortably on her couch. She smiled softly at the scene before her, but frowned when she realized something important.

He wasn't snoring.

In all her years of looking after Ron as he slept, she had found that he had snored. Not loudly, but loud enough to be heard by people within a radius of three metres. And she was within 3 metres. Her blood went cold and shivers ran up and down her spine. She pulled out her wand and muttered a quick spell to which a fire had been made, as she rushed towards him. She bent down and tried to shake him awake, but nothing happened. Hermione was getting frightened now, and she tried to find for his pulse hoping for a positive result. When she found it, the relief came flooding back so fast, at once that her head started throbbing violently.

Hermione called for Dumbledore, who in return called the St. Mungo's Hospital. They brought his un-moving body to the hospital where she and Dumbledore had flooed to. Dumbledore comforted her before leaving when Harry and The Weasley's had arrived. She held on to Harry tight, eyes still wide but lined with unshed tears. Harry held her close and they stayed there together in a small corner holding each other. The hours passed by them quietly, and they wished that the medi-wizard taking care of Ron would come out already and tell them what was happening to their best friend.

Slowly some of the members of the Weasley family left, and only Molly, Harry and Hermione were left. They had all wanted to stay, but Ginny had her N.E.W.T.S. in the next few days and needed to study, and as much as Molly wanted to let them stay too, the others had to work, to keep the Burrow alive. However, owls constantly swooped towards them, with pieces of parchment and paper with them, asking for updates from the members of the Weasley Clan.

It was past mid-day but Harry, Hermione and Molly stayed put. But when an owl, approached Harry, he was sad to take his leave. Apparently, the dark side had been detected moving over some muggle towns near Surry. Before parting, he pulled Mrs. Weasley aside and asked her, "Mrs. Weasley, err.. We both know Hermione and we know that she'll stay here until she has found out about Ron's condition. Could you.. err.. Please look after her?" She smiled understandingly at him and embraced him before he left the hospital.

Hermione's eyelids seemed to be gaining weight, her eyes drooping slowly, but she wouldn't let herself rest until she knew Ron was alright. Warm hands slid a blanket around her and her head snapped up. Mrs. Weasley smiled softly at her and handed her some hot chocolate. She returned the smile and took the warm mug from her. "Hermione, would you like to know what Ron has?" Hermione looked at her curiously and nodded hesitantly, unsure if she wanted to know.

"As a pureblooded wizard, his blood is much more complicated than those of muggles. Muggles are called muggles because of their lack of magical level in their blood. Usually if a witch or wizard's blood is part muggle, the disease attacks the muggle cells, which is easy for medi-witches and wizards to cure. However, since Ron is a pureblooded wizard, it's attacking his whole system, and his magic levels are being drained from him slowly. In the wizarding world, it is one of the rarest and most dangerous diseases. Its called 'MD' or 'Magik Drain', and attacks mostly purebloods." Hermione's eyes were wide with shock and her knuckles were white.

Molly pulled the stunned Hermione close. Someone had to tell her, and it had might as well be her. Hermione held her tight, stray tears falling, unnoticed. Just then, a tall middle-aged medi-wizard came out of a room and called for Mrs. Weasley. Molly moved to stand, but Hermione clutched the sleeve of her robes and asked, "May I come with you to know about his condition?" Molly looked down at the little girl and helped her up. Together they walked to the medi-wizard. Once they had reached the medi-wizard, he looked at them sadness in his eyes and Hermione knew that news of something bad about Ron's condition, was going to be said. She held on to Molly's hand tight and lifted her head.

"Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley's condition has been stabilized, but he's in a deep sleep. He will have to pull himself up out of the sleep. Fortunately enough, we are certain he will wake soon. You may see the patient now, but please try to keep the noise level down." And with a small nod, he left, the two women standing there in the hallway.

Molly gave the little girl beside her a small push towards her youngest son's room. Hermione's head turned to face her and send her a questioning look. "You go in there first and see him." Molly smiled interrupting her as the young girl opened her mouth for protest. "I'm sure that you've been wanting to see him, and I think, that, I'll be able to wait a little longer to see him." She gave Hermione an encouraging smile, and Hermione pushed open the doors and walked in.

---

Hermione walked into one of her best-friends' hospital room, and immediately saw how pale her friend was. She walked over to his bedside and conjured up a chair. She took his large hand in hers and caressed it slowly with the tips of her fingers. She brushed away the hair from his closed eyelids. "Please don't leave me Ron. Please." She laid her head just next to his hand and soon enough, sleep had taken over her.

---

A few days had passed, and then, before anyone noticed, a week had passed. Hermione was pale and purple bags could be seen underneath her eyes. She had stayed by Ron's side most of the afternoons and all through the nights. Harry, Molly and the Weasley family passed by as often as they could, and most of the time there would someone by Ron's beside in case he had woken up. Hermione thought about him, about their friendship, Harry, and found something she had not seen before. She talked to Harry about everything and about the changes, within the past week. They talked deeply and never would they leave each other without an embrace and a peck on the cheek. They held each other's hands as they watched Ron sleep soundly in his hospital bed praying that he would wake already and stop them worrying. They held each other sometimes, both of them staying there beside his bed, some nights.

One day, Harry had visited, letting Hermione change her robes and eat, before staying again for the night. Harry had been talking softly telling Ron of the events that he had been missing, like breaking up with his girlfriend, the deatheaters recent activeness, and the Quidditch season, that was soon to embark. In the middle of Harry's recount of his breakup, Ron's eyes opened, and he groaned slightly effectively stopping Harry's rant. Ron and Harry grinned at each other, happy to see each other. "How are you mate? Do you need me to call medi-witch or-" "I'm fine Harry. I'm just a little sore. Must be from all that lying down I've been doing." He grinned, then his eyebrows creased and he asked, "How's Hermione doing?"

It was Harry's turn to grin. "Oh so she's the first person you'd ask about if you just came out of a deep sleep aye?" They laughed, but stopped when Ron started coughing. "She's been here most of her afternoons, reading you some parts of her new book, and through most of the nights that you've been here. Seriously mate, she's been looking like a zombie lately." Ron nodded pondering, smiling softly. Harry smiled at his friend. Maybe if he and Hermione would open their eyes a little wider, they'd know that they loved each other, and that they were meant to be. "You should tell her Ron. I think its time you told her." Ron looked up at his friend and nodded.

After talking to the medi-witches and wizards and sending news of Ron's awakening, Hermione returned to find Harry and Ron talking to each other. She stopped and dropped the large book that she was holding and tears flowed freely down her cheeks. The two men, turned and found her looking at them happily. They exchanged looks, and Harry stepped around her and outside, to met the coming Weasley family. Ron smiled at her warily, before she pounced from the spot that she had been previously and embraced him as tight as she thought would not kill him. Hermione was laughing softly now, and Ron couldn't help but laugh along with her. They parted and Hermione lay next to him on the hospital bed. "How are you Ron?" He frowned and pulled a strand of her brown hair over her ear before replying, "Shouldn't I be the one to ask you that?"

She sighed and Ron knew that that little conversation was over. "Don't scare me like that again Ron. Please?" She looked at him tears welling up on the corners of her eyes, her face pleading. "Please don't leave me.. like that again. I don't ever want to feel that scared about you again." She was looking down at her hands in her lap now, and Ron gently cupped her face with his hands and used his thumbs to wipe away her tears and turn her to face him. "I won't ever do that again. I promise." He smiled at her tentatively and she returned the smile, with her own. He held her close and dreaded for the worst, as he opened his mouth allowing the words to flow out, professing his love for her. Her mouth immediately turned into an O shape, and she pulled away.

It was Ron's turn to look down at his hands. She smiled seeing his face and ears turn red and him stuttering profoundly, just as he had before in Hogwarts, realizing that he had changed very little. She took his warm face in her hands and turned it to face her. She grinned at him, and without words they both knew, what it had meant. Just like their friendship before, they didn't need words to express what they felt. They just knew. At that moment, the door flew open and they found most of the Weasley family and Harry on a heap on the floor smiling up at them innocently. They laughed as they picked themselves off the floor. George and Fred asked grinning, ear to ear, "So little Ronnekiens, when's the wedding?"

The End of this story, but a beginning of a beautiful relationship.

---

A/N: :D tell me how shocked you are.. tell me how evil I am for leaving this for too long.. :D