Lifeline - 5

After a tense hour waiting in the corridor outside the hospital wing, Hermione felt ready to jump out of her skin. She hated not knowing what was happening. She knew that Mrs. Weasley was right in ushering everyone outside to give Harry some privacy with Ginny, but the uncertainty was killing her.

Mr. Weasley had insisted that Mrs. Weasley needed to get something to eat, and he'd walked her down to the Great Hall. Bill and Fleur had joined them, but she and Ron had chosen to remain behind. Although she didn't come right out and say it, she'd been worried that Harry might need some moral support when he emerged.

Shannon, George, Fred, and even Iris had all stopped by to check if there had been any progress, but neither of the twins had been able to sit still and wait. Ron had promised to get word to them if anything changed.

Ron had sat in the chair next to her, absently scrubbing some of the tarnish off the tiara, but he'd promptly fallen asleep, leaving her nothing to occupy her thoughts. The spider venom had to work! She didn't even want to consider the alternative. If it failed…neither of her boys would ever be the same.

Pushing out of her chair, she paced the corridor, listening to Ron's loud snores. Finally giving in to her curiosity, she leaned her head against the door of the hospital wing, pushing it open and gingerly peering inside.

Harry sat in the chair beside Ginny's bed, his head resting on the corner of her pillow. He was awake, but his eyes looked droopy and close to shutting. He held Ginny's hand in his own, gently caressing the side with his thumb.

Hermione's heart clenched, and she had to put her hand over her mouth to quiet her gasp. He looked so lost and all alone that it made her heart ache. He'd lost so much already. Fate couldn't be that cruel to bring him this far – this close to the end – only to snatch the one thing that had kept him going. Hermione was certain that Ginny was Harry's hope for a better future.

She quietly shut the door, leaning her head against the wall in the corridor, feeling as if she was intruding on an incredibly personal moment. As they'd grown up together, she'd always felt the obsessive need to mother Harry, to watch out for him and make certain he was okay. She knew at times it drove both him and Ron mad, but she couldn't help it. Perhaps it was because she knew no one else was doing it.

It had been different with Ron. She'd worried about him and fussed over him, of course. Merlin knew he needed a bit of fussing to get his homework done on time. Still, it wasn't the same. Everything was always different with Ron. She always felt the need to take care of Harry, but with Ron, she always felt as if he were the one taking care of her.

He was so fiercely loyal and protective of both her and Harry. Although she'd never admit it to him, she was always secretly pleased when he defended her against Malfoy or any of the other Slytherins. By the same token, it had hurt so much worse during the whole Lavender Brown debacle when he taunted her 'know-it-all' ways.

Hermione shook her head. Now was not the time to go over that whole saga again. This was about Ginny. She didn't even want to think about losing Ginny.