It had been a strange sensation to be petrified. She'd been ill before and knew how tedious it was to stare endlessly at the same spot on the ceiling for days on end. Now she had no choice in the matter. However much she willed herself to move, she just couldn't.

One thing she hadn't told her friends was that she had been conscious the whole time. Her brain would never rest, even when the rest of her was forced to. Her ears still worked and her eyes still saw. She felt it when a friend took her hand. She'd felt it when Harry had taken that torn and crumpled piece of paper out of her hand. She'd heard them working it out, as usual with her help.

When Harry had murmured "I wish you were here, Hermione." she'd wanted to shout back that she was, that she wanted to help them and that they needed her help.

She'd felt it when Ron had fallen asleep in his chair, his head resting on her arm as it lay on the bed beside her. She'd heard his snuffling, pig-like snores and wished she couldn't.

They hadn't been her only visitors. Ginny had come to visit and tearfully confessed in a whisper that she was sorry for what she had done. Now that had been a surprise. Who knew Ginny Weasley would be the heir of Slytherin, albeit it sounded like she had no control over her actions and was merely a puppet in the proceedings.

Shortly after Harry had found the Basilisk paper she'd had another surprise visitor. And he was the last person she expected. He leant over her, his pale face lined with worry but a smile in his eyes. She had been expecting him to gloat over her state, but he didn't.

"Just seen Potter. He got the paper then? You're welcome by the way. Father will not be pleased with me for that. You saw it didn't you? In Flourish and Blotts? No wonder you looked so suspicious, why would a Malfoy rip a random page out of a book? I bet you worked it out when you found that loose page in your bag. Put two and two together, like you always do." Here he smiled warmly. Then he bit his lip and cast a furtive look around the ward before he leant close to her ear to whisper in it. "Oh, and I'm sorry for what I called you. I didn't mean it and I saw how it upset you. Father put a lot more pressure on me last summer to bully you, especially since you beat me in every subject. I'm not like him, I promise. I don't think of you like that, you're not what I called you." He leant back again. "I wish you could hear all this, because you know I'm not going to say it all ever again."

She'd wanted to laugh at that. So, Draco Malfoy had a softer side. He was actually quite nice; he just had to hide it because of his dad. She'd keep that to herself.

Her most surprising visitor though had happened late at night. She became aware of a wand light moving amongst the beds and assumed it was Madam Pomfrey checking on her patients. But when the light got to her bed and the person leant over her she saw that it wasn't the school nurse.

What was a Weasley twin doing in the Hospital wing this late at night? Pranking petrified people was pointless. He put his wand down on the bedside table, the light facing them, and sat on the bed next to her.

"I hope they find the cure soon. Playing pranks on people isn't any fun without someone like you telling us off for it. Common room's dead dull now. We act out and all but no one buys it these days. Jesters at the court of Gryffindor. Only all our jokes seem to fall flat." He chuckled humourlessly. "You would have laughed at that. I know you do find us funny, even if you don't show it often. I wish you would, I try so hard to make you laugh, and I'll keep trying until you acknowledge how funny I am. In all honesty though, I do miss you. George does too, but not as much as I do. Don't tell the others though or I'll never hear the end of it. Especially not Ron, he's starting to fancy you too. And that's left me in a bit of a fix. Do I let him go for you or do I fight for you? You'd know what to do, you'd be able to tell me what I should do. I wish you could hear me."

A noise in the distance startled Fred and he pulled a piece of parchment out of his pocket. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." he whispered, tapping it with his wand. "Filch. I better go before he catches me out of bed." he leant forwards and briefly kissed her forehead. "I want you back, Hermione." Before getting up and leaving, taking the light with him.

It wasn't long after that when they did find the cure and all the petrified students woke up. Hermione was still unsure whether to tell her friends that she'd heard their confessions but as she was heading down to the great hall for the end of term feast she decided that she wouldn't.

Everyone had turned to look at her when she came into the hall; no one had seen her since she had been revived. She took a moment to seek out Draco Malfoy at the Slytherin table with her eyes and flashed him a smile and a nod, before running to hug Harry.

She'd hesitated about hugging Ron, with Fred's confession still circulating in her head. And opted for an awkward handshake instead.

As she stepped over the bench to sit down she wobbled a bit and gripped the shoulder of the person next to her for balance. It was Fred. He smiled at her and welcomed her back. She smiled back and fished a folded note out of her pocket. Subtly she slipped him the note as their hands lay next to each other on the table.

Perplexed, but still grinning, he unfolded the note and read it. There was only one word on the paper.

FIGHT.