She Hated Hospitals
By: Polgara (melindoranightsilver@hotmail.com)
Rating: PG
Spoilers: The entire Season Seven of Buffy, none really for Harry Potter.
Summary: Dawn sits beside a loved one in the hospital.
Notes:
- Something of a in the future fic. It’s after they have graduated. It’s explained.



She Hated Hospitals

It was safe to say that Dawn hated hospitals. They smelled funny and they were always so white. It didn’t matter which one you were in; they were all the same. The same alien antiseptic smell that never set well with her tummy and the people who forced politeness before giving you bad news.

Really, it wasn’t surprising that she hated them considering all of the bad memories of them. She had visited Buffy on the rare times she had been injured enough to require medical help, Willow and Giles after the Acathla debacle, her mom during her illness, the potentials after their first run-in with Caleb, and then after the final battle with the First.

And now this. St. Mungo’s was a wizarding hospital and was no different from a muggle one. Now she sat beside the man she was pretty sure she loved and hoped he would wake up. It was her fault he was like this.

“Any change?” A cultured British voice asked behind her.

She looked sadly into Draco’s grey eyes. “No, but they’re still hopeful.”

“He did take quite a beating. He just needs time to fully heal. Besides, he’s a Gryffindor, they don’t know how to quit,” he said dryly before turning serious. “He’ll wake up, don’t worry.”

Dawn just silently nodded her head. It was still rather strange that the blond wizard was offering her comfort. When she had first met him several years ago it had been right after Spike’s death. He had reminded her so much of the fallen vampire that she avoided the Slytherin like the plague.

Draco lobbed insults at both her and her Gryffindor friends. His favorite one for her was filthy mudblood. It didn’t take her long to separate Draco from Spike. It had shocked them all, however, when they had learned a year ago that he was a good guy. Draco was a spy for the order like Snape had been before his death. It had taken them a while, but they finally accepted him. Although the fact that he was dating Hermione helped a bit.

“I’m going to check on Ginny,” Draco said after a bit. He gently squeezed her shoulder before leaving.

The brunette couldn’t help but remember what brought her there. She had found out that she was a witch when an owl arrived at the Hyperion Hotel shortly after they had arrived there after closing the hellmouth. A ghost of a smile could be seen as she remembered how Andrew had shrieked like a girl and hid under the counter.

Apparently the hellmouth had hid her witchiness and since it was gone she was a bright blip on their witch-radar, or something. So she had left to go study at Hogwarts. Hermione had helped tutor her and introduced her to the wizarding world over the summer and was only mildly surprised that the Californian had been sorted into Ravenclaw.

Dawn easily made friends with what the school called the Golden Trio. The ease in which Harry, Ron, and Hermione got into trouble reminded her a lot of the scoobies. After they had graduated, Dawn stayed in their world to help in the fight against Voldemort.

During their training they discovered that she was impervious to curses, even the unforgivable ones. Dumbledore thought it had something to do with the key, but even he wasn’t sure. However, it made Buffy rest a little easier when she told her.

“How’s he doing?” Hermione asked, drawing her out of her thoughts.

“The same, although the doctors are still hopeful,” Dawn answered quietly.

Hermione sat in the chair on the other side of the bed and held his hand. “He wouldn’t want you to mope like this.”

“I know, but I can’t help it.”

“Did you ever tell him how you felt?”

Dawn just shook her head as tears welled up in her eyes. That was the worst part, that he might die not knowing how much she cared.

“You’ll get to tell him,” Hermione said with a small smile. “Ginny’s awake. I better make sure that the Weasley clan doesn’t smother her back into another coma.”

Dawn barely heard her and didn’t register the other brunette leaving; she was once again lost in her thoughts.

Harry had defeated Voldemort two months before and they were still rounding up the death eaters who had gone into hiding. They were raiding one of the hideouts the week before when it had happened.

Because she had been a scooby for so long, Dawn made sure she was armed with more than just her wand. Of course, it was also because she was forever losing the stupid thing. This time, however, it was firmly in her right hand while her small sword was in her left. Her two daggers were still in the targets they had found.

She heard, “crucio,” and she turned to look, but she was tackled at the last second. The body rolled off of her as it cried out in pain. She saw the man she loved writhing on the ground in pain.

Then it hit her. She didn’t know the counter curse.

Panic flooded her senses. Yes, she thought wryly. Let’s take Dawn to Hogwarts, teach her magic, and then send her into battle. Let’s not teach her counter curses, just let her go on thinking everything is all hunky dory.

Dawn knew that the cruciatus curse could drive people insane if they were under it for too long. Seconds kept rolling by as she tried to figure out what to do. She looked fearfully around to see if anyone could help, but they were all involved in their own struggles. Tears rolled down her face as she looked at his beaten body twitch and shudder.

Then Draco was by their side and he quickly released the curse. “Apparate him to St. Mungo’s.” She could only stare at him blankly. “He’s going to be fine Dawn, but you need to go now.”

If she could only be sure that he would be. His cuts and bruises had finally healed, but he was still in a coma.

She sensed someone standing behind her and looked up to see Harry’s green eyes studying her. She braced herself for the inevitable question, how is Ron? But it never came.

“How are you doing?” He asked softly.

Dawn thought briefly about lying, but she knew he would see through it. She dropped her eyes to the floor. “How do you think I feel? Horrible. It’s my fault he’s lying there.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is,” she said hotly, bringing her face back up to look him in the eye. “Everybody is always sacrificing themselves. Buffy did so I could live, Spike did so we all could live. And now Ron.”

“It was his choice, Dawn. It’s just he way he is, you know that.”

“I know, but it doesn’t make it easier. I’m tired of all the fighting. I’m tired of wondering if all the people I love are ok. Whether he makes it or not, I’m done. No more. I just want a normal life,” she finished quietly. She had returned her gaze back to Ron’s pale face.

“Are you sure you can trust others to keep the world safe?” Harry asked.

“I can try.”

She heard him move to the door. “Make sure you tell him you love him when he wakes up.”

Dawn swiftly turned to glare at him. “Does everyone know?”

He smiled. “Everyone but him.” Then he was gone.

Once again she was left alone with Ron. His normally cheerful face was seemingly devoid of life. It was so strange to see him lying so still. She wanted him to jump up and tell jokes and make her feel better.

“Oh Ron, you stupid boy,” she said softly as she reached out to hold his hand in both of hers. “Always doing something stupid.

She sat in silence for a few minutes before speaking again. “You have to make it, Ron. I don’t know what I’ll do it you don’t. Please don’t leave me.”

Dawn sighed and rested her head on their joined hands. “I just don’t understand why you did it.”

“Didn’t want to see you hurt,” came Ron’s dry, tired voice.

She looked up in surprise to see Ron’s brown eyes looking at her.

“You’re crying,” he said quietly. “Why?”

“Oh Ron!” Dawn jumped up and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.

“Miss me?” He asked with a strained chuckle.

Suddenly she released him and stared down at him. “How dare you scare me like that? What the hell were you thinking?”

“Umm, I wasn’t?” He said, clearly confused.

“Damn right you weren’t! Why did you take that curse?” She practically yelled.

“So it wouldn’t hurt you,” he said simply.

“But they don’t affect me, remember?”

Realization dawned in his eyes. “Oh, I forgot. I saw the guy aim his wand and I just moved on instinct.”

Her anger left her as quickly as it had come and she sighed as she sat down on the edge of the bed. “Is your instinct to protect me really that strong?”

“Well, yeah... cause... cause I,” the rest he mumbled so quietly that she couldn’t catch it.

“Cause you what?”

He concentrated his focus on his hands. “Because I love you.”

Dawn knew her mouth was hanging open as she stared at him in utter shock. She hadn’t expected him to say that. She thought it would have been because she was a friend, or he thought of her as a sister. But not that he loved her.

Ron nervously ran his hand though his hair. “Merlin. That’s not how I wanted to tell you. I wanted it to be perfect. Take you out to eat somewhere, look at the stars, and then tell you. You must think...” He stopped when she covered his lips with her own.

The kiss was short, but it didn’t make it any less sweet. Dawn felt her heart expand in joy. Not only was Ron awake, but he loved her too.

She pulled back slightly to look him in the eyes. A bright smile appeared on her face as she said, “No it was perfect. I love you, too.”

Maybe hospitals weren’t so bad after all.

~finis~