I Own Nothing!
"SO YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE MEETINGS, BIG DEAL! YOU'VE STILL BEEN HERE, HAVEN'T YOU? YOU'VE STILL BEEN TOGETHER! ME, I'VE BEEN STUCK AT THE DURSLEYS' FOR A MONTH! AND I'VE HANDLED MORE THAN YOU TWO'VE EVER MANAGED AND DUMBLEDORE KNOWS IT - WHO SAVED THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE? WHO GOT RID OF RIDDLE? WHO SAVED BOTH YOUR SKINS FROM THE DEMENTORS?"
Every bitter and resentful thought Harry had had in the past month was pouring out of him: his frustration at the lack of news, the hurt that they had all been together without him, his fury at being followed and not told about it - all the feelings he was half-ashamed of finally burst their boundaries. Hedwig took fright at the noise and soared off to the top of the wardrobe again; Pigwidgeon twittered in alarm and zoomed even faster around their heads.
"WHO HAD TO GET PAST DRAGONS AND SPHINXES AND EVERY OTHER FOUL THING LAST YEAR? WHO SAW HIM COME BACK? WHO HAD TO ESCAPE FROM HIM? ME!" Ron was standing there with his mouth half-open, clearly stunned and at a loss for anything to say, while Hermione looked on the verge of tears.
"BUT WHY SHOULD I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON? WHY SHOULD ANYONE BOTHER TO TELL ME WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING?"
"Harry, we wanted to tell you, we really did -" Hermione began.
"CAN'T'VE WANTED TO THAT MUCH, CAN YOU, OR YOU'D HAVE SENT ME AN OWL, BUT DUMBLEDORE MADEYOU SWEAR–"
"Well, he did -"
"FOUR WEEKS I'VE BEEN STUCK IN PRIVET DRIVE, NICKING PAPERS OUT OF BINS TO TRY AND FIND OUT WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON -"
"We wanted to -"
"I SUPPOSE YOU'VE BEEN HAVING A REAL LAUGH, HAVEN'T YOU, ALL HOLED UP HERE TOGETHER -"
CRACK. Harry stopped, unsure of what had just happened. One minute he was shouting, the next Hermione stood next to him, with a red face, and his cheek felt like it was on fire. "How DARE you Harry Potter! HOW DARE YOU?" Hermione wasn't shouting, on the contrary, she was whispering in a low menacing voice, and looked livid. Harry stepped back, and Hermione followed him until he was backed up against the wall. "Do you know how worried Ron and I have been? Do you know how lonely we've been without you? What Harry? Did you think we were joining in with the 'parties', laughing about you?" Harry was starting to regret his outburst. "Well for your information, we've been just as shut out as you Harry. How did you expect us to contact you? Hmmm? Because you know the order watches everything." She was pacing now, pausing at every sentence to shove a finger in his face accusingly. Every so often Harry thought that she had finished, but each time she paused, looked even angrier, and ploughed on. "Do you know how risky that would've been? What if it had of been intercepted? Everything we know, in possession of the enemy!" Her face then screwed up, and she looked on the verge of tears again. "…You know it's not all about YOU Harry." There was a pause where only Hermione's breaths could be heard and then Ron started to join in too, and Harry's shame rose even further.
"…I really thought that you thought more of us mate. You did all that heroic stuff yeah but, do you really think you'd be alive without me or Hermione? Who got you through on the chess board, who went WITH you to Aragog's lair? Who ended up in the hospital wing for you?" Unlike Hermione, Ron's voice merely sounded hurt, and Harry felt smaller and smaller. "I know I've not been the best mate in the entire world, but I like to think that I've been pretty good to go through all of that with you. You're my best mate; do you really think I wouldn't put up a fight with Dumbledore? I tried Harry, I really did, but what exactly makes you think they're going to listen to me?" At the end of Ron's speech Hermione joined in again, her anger seemingly reignited at his words.
"Harry, what are we to you? Just tag alongs, friends who have no real use? Because I doubt you would have made it past the devils snare without me, or the riddle... tell me how you would have figured out the chamber of secrets without my help? What about Sirius? He'd be dead Harry. So would you, because in Fourth year who stayed up until midnight to help you train for those tasks? We did!" She was now talking so quietly Harry had to strain his ears. "You might've been alone at those times Harry, but you certainly would never have even got there if it wasn't for us! And you might have done all that stuff for us; but we've done just as much for you." Ron put a calming arm around her shoulder. "Sometimes I think you forget about what we have to go through Harry, year after year. We have to watch you get into dangerous situations. We have to see you come out more and more broken each time, and we have to sit there in the hospital wing, praying you'll be okay. And let me tell you, it feels heart-breaking. I'm not sure I can do it if you don't even appreciate it. I won't be treated likethat." Hermione's words were back to the hurt whisper. He voice cracked at the end of her sentence.
Harry looked down, in truth throughout his entire outburst he hadn't really been thinking. A lot of what he felt now was shock. Maybe Snape was right….maybe I am an arrogant brat. He lowered his head in shame, tears coming to his eyes.
Hermione looked at him again, her eyes hard and glittering. "I'll be with Ginny if anyone needs me." Ron looked at him for a few moments, before following her out.
