Catching Her Heart Pt. 2

Chapter 66

"Hermione!"

"Hermione! Wake up, dear!"

"Hermione, come on!"

"Hermione, come quick!"

"Hermione, wake up!"

Hermione groaned in her sleep, burying her face in her pillow. The calls of her name came to her in a fog, as though a single person was calling her name. She groaned again and the sounds of Ginny, the twins, Harry, Ron and Mrs. Weasley became clearer.

"Hermione!" Ginny cried in excitement as the door burst open and slammed against the wall. "Come on, wake up! Come quick, come on!"

"What?" Hermione asked tiredly, exhausted from having cried herself to sleep with worry the night before, and sat up slowly.

"Oh um," Ginny said, looking at her and biting her lip. "You um, you might want to get dressed and comb your hair, but um...hurry! Come on!"

Hermione blinked at the girl tiredly, her eyes swollen and dry, they felt itchy and irritated. Hermione yawned and stretched, rubbing a hand over her face and shaking herself, coming slowly to wakefulness, but before she could say anything else, Ginny was gone.

Hermione turned slowly and looked back at her welcoming pillow. She wanted to be like she'd learned from Harry that Ron was, and just turn over and go back to sleep. She groaned and rubbed her face once more. Ignoring the call of her pillow, she threw back the blankets and swung her legs out of bed. She knew that if she went back to bed they wouldn't let her sleep in again.

"Hermione!" another shout came from Ginny downstairs.

"I'm coming, give me a minute," Hermione called back and went to close the door the girl had left open. "I'll be right down," she called and shut the door with a click. Shaking her head, she quickly dressed and borrowed Ginny's brush, to comb out her hair before she made her way downstairs.

"Ah, here she is," Hermione heard Mrs. Weasley say as she came down the stairs.

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks as she rounded the corner and saw Oliver standing in the kitchen beside the whole of the Weasley family, seated at the table.

"Hello lass," Oliver said quietly, his mouth curving into a smile. "Hermione?" he asked when she didn't respond right away.

She didn't know how, given that her eyes were so dry and irritated already, but she hiccuped and then burst into fresh tears, running to him and buried her face in his chest as she cried, feeling his arms wrap around her shaking form.

"She's been really worried," Mr. Weasley said, excusing her behavior.

"Yes," Oliver said, as he held her in a protective hug and gently brushed his hand over her hair. "I can see that," he said. "And really, I don't blame her."

Hermione fought to collect herself, but didn't let Oliver go. "I was so scared for you," she whispered. "You and your family."

"I know," Oliver murmured in return. "Thank you."

"What happened?" Hermione asked, pulling back slightly to look at him, and realization came slowly that she was looking at him directly in the eye and her feet were not touching the floor.

"Do you want to sit down and I'll let you all know?" he asked, and looked to the others at the table.

Hermione nodded and Oliver lowered her slowly to her feet, but continued to hold her hand even as she sat down in the closest chair at the table.

"It was thanks to Hermione that I was able to help my parents," Oliver began.

"Are they okay?" Hermione asked.