"Harry?" A voice whispered, rather timidly, from behind the door.

Great, they're scared of me. Harry thought, laying in his bed in the dark. Ever since Dumbledore escorted him to the Burrow, Harry had locked himself up in the bedroom that he and Ron shared. He never came out to eat. Someone-Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, or Hermione—always brought it up. Only time he ever shown his face out the door is when he thought it was an emergency use for the bathroom. He again ignored Hermione's voice. He checked the bedside clock. 7:00 sharp. As always.

"Harry, it's your dinner." She urged softly again.

"I'm not hungry."

"Nonsense. Now seriously, open this door."

"Just leave it outside; I'll get it later when I'm hungry."

"Harry," Her voice is now serious. "I will hex this door into obliteration if you don't open up."'

Taken aback for this new tone, he answered. "Fine. I'm coming, 'Mione."

She answered with something like, "Glad you still remember my name."

He cracked open the door. He winced slightly from the hallway's bright light. Then he saw Hermione. She eagerly lifted up the tray of food.

"Here, I'll take it." Cautiously trying to open the door no more than necessary, he reached his hands out for the tray. Hermione's smile disappeared and she took a step back, staring directly at Harry. Instinctively, Harry whipped around with his wands out, ready to attack. Yet nothing jumped at him, nothing out of the ordinary. He narrowed his eyes but then quickly thought of the Orders' protective spells.

"Jeez, 'Mione," He started to turn around. "You almost gave me a heart attack from your—

WHAM!

BONK!

Hermione had jerked the door wide open, slamming it into Harry's head in the process. He stumbled over and cursed under his breath. He rubbed the spot on his head.

"Hermione, what the hell?" He squinted at the figure in the doorway; the light blinded him. She walked in and set the tray on the table. Then she crouched in front of where Harry laid.

"It's called light." She snapped, noticing his squinting eyes. "Perhaps you haven't seen it in a while."

Hermione stood up but still lend Harry a hand. He took it, slightly annoyed. Up on his feet, he realized that one) Hermione still hasn't' left and two) this has been the longest interaction he's had with anybody in a while. He preferred being along these days.

"So how's life being cooped up in this cell-you-call-room?" Hermione asked cheerfully, perched on his bed. She made no intention to leave.

"Look, 'Mione. I love you and everything but I need some alone time right now. Do you mind?" said Harry, expecting her to leave.

"Yes, I do." She said in an Umbridge-sweet voice. "And I'm not leaving." Harry raised an eyebrow, somewhat amused.

"Hermione, listen—"He started but she cut him off, rising off the bed.

"No you listen, Harry." She walked toward him, the sweetness gone.

"You've been cooped up here ever since you arrived! You haven't spoken to anybody. Now that I think about it, this is probably the longest conversation you've had with anybody. You haven't come out at all: not to eat, not to talk—"

She wrinkled her nose and raised an eyebrow,

"—and apparently not to shower."

True, he always tried to stay in the bathroom with the shortest time possible to avoid conversations. But he does go to the bathroom yet this doesn't seem like a good time to contradict.

"—You don't let anyone in except for Ron since he sleeps here. But he told me, you won't even talk to him! Harry, what's your problem?" Her voice rising.

"Well," Harry found his own voice rising.

"It seems like Iam the only person that remembered Sirius died just a couple weeks ago. It seems like I am the only one grieving while all you guys don't even seem to have a care in the world!"

He knew he was exaggerating but he didn't care anymore. Venting his anger felt good. Hermione's eyes teared up from the sudden harshness in his voice.

"OH , we've only met Sirius for 2 years. We don't grieve over him!" Harry imitated in a high pitched voice.

"Harry, we didn't say that. How can you even think that we do?" Hermione countered. He ignored her.

"Well, I am grieving while none of you guys care—"

"SO THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK?" Hermione burst in an outrage. "YOU THINK YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CARES, HUH? YOU SAY YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO MOURNS? SO YOU THINK EVERYONE HAS ONLY NONE SIRIUS FOR ONLY TWO YEARS? God, you have been cooped up here way too long. We all care for Sirius too you know."

"But Hermione, I LOST my parents, now I lost my godfather! See, you wouldn't understand—"

"Oh, I wouldn't understand? I wouldn't understand?" Her voice shrill. "You're not the only one who lost Mr. and Mrs. Potter. You're not the only one who lost Sirius! What about LUPIN? HAVE YOU EVEN THOUGHT OF HIM? He went to SCHOOL with Sirius and your dad! HOW DO YOU THINK HE FEELS NOW? HUH? HE HAS LOST EVERYONE! JAMES POTTER DEAD, SIRIUS BLACK DEAD, PETER PETTIGREW IS AS GOOD AS DEAD—"

With hearing Hermione saying it aloud, Harry burst too.

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!"

"DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME TO SHUT UP, HARRY JAMES POTTER! DON'T YOU DARE!"

A rumble sounded from outside the door." Probably the all the Weasleys trying to find the source of the shouting." Harry thought.

"MIONE, I keep thinking that it's MY FAULT that Sirius died! MY FAULT! If I hadn't let Voldemort take over my mind, if I hadn't played exactly into his hands—"

"Ok, so you blame yourself now too? Huh? WELL, THAT JOB'S ALREADY TAKEN BY TONKS! She blames herself too you know! If she hadn't finished off Bellatrix-THAT'S WHAT SHE THINKS! She can't even metamorph correctly now? OK?" Hermione cried angrily. They are almost nose to nose now. Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Ron, and Lupin appeared in the doorway.

"We thought we heard voices—oh!" Mrs. Weasley started. Hermione interrupted her, snapping back at Harry.

"SO HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF LUPIN? OF TONKS? THE REST OF THE ORDER? OR HAVE YOU BEEN ONLY THINKING OF YOURSELF AND YOUR STUPID EGO?"

"MY EGO? MY EGO! HERMIONE, YOU DID NOT JUST SAY THAT! YOU DID NOT JUST SAY THAT!"

"Now now, calm down—"Mrs. Weasley tried again.

"WELL MAYBE I DID!" Hermione argued.

"MY PARENTS DIED! I SURVIVED! I SAW HIM WHEN I WAS ELEVEN! I SAW HIM AGAIN COME BACK TO FULL POWER WHEN I WAS FOURTEEN! WE ENCOUNTERED A PROPHECY ABOUT ME A MONTH AGO! NOW I'M PRETTY SURE VOLDEMORT—"

The entire room, which consisted of the all the Weasleys and the Order that stayed at the Burrow, winced except for Harry and Hermione.

"—WANTS MY ASS KICKED! I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS TO HAPPEN! EVERYTHING HAPPENED TO ME BY CHANCE! AND YOU CALL THAT MY EGO?"

"Oh, don't give ME that BULLSHIT-"

"Hermione! Watch your tongue! Alright now! Both of you, calm down—"Mrs. Weasley's voice was stern. Now half the house, including the Order, piled into the room, watching this harangue. None of them tried to stop this however. POP! Fred and George appeared on either side of Ginny.

"Hello, we've heard a catfight is in town—"

Hermione's rising voice drowned out the rest of their sentence. "Number ONE! You're not scared anymore! YOU know what you're up against! So ALL that SHIT about being afraid of VOLDEMORT after ASS is a LIE! It's a USELESS EXCUSSE!" "YOU DON'T-" Harry started but Hermione interrupted.

"IM NOT DONE YET! AND NUMBER TWO! DON'T TELL ME THAT ALL OF THIS WAS BY CHANCE! I HEARD THAT LAST YEAR! PLUS, I BET MY LIFE THAT YOU THOUGHT THE EXACT OPPOSITE WHEN RON AND I BECAME PREFECTS LAST YEAR!" Hermione suddenly jumped in a higher pitch, clearly mocking Harry.

"I'VE done SOOO much more than Hermione or Ron! IM DEFINETELY more a prefect than Ron ever is because I HAVE seen SOO much more. I HAVE experienced SOO much more." She returned back to her regular voice.

"And that's your ego." A fire in her eyes diminished the previous tears. Harry stayed silent, trying to control the fury escalating inside of him. He wanted to blow up at her, to cuss at her, to silent her and control her mouth! He mentally urged Hermione to shut up.

But she clearly didn't receive the transmission.

"YOU'RE probably telling me that I don't understand. That I don't understand about Voldemort. That I don't understand about Sirius. That I don't understand about your pain or pressure." Hermione lowered her voice, trying to steady her voice and keep it even. Still, it still sounds deadly. "Well, let me tell you this, Harry, I KNOW that I don't understand, I KNOW that I don't understand ANY of it! BUT, YOURE NOT TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO ME! You think that you're in this ALONE! WELL YOURE NOT! You have ME! You have Ron! You have the Order!"

"It's not all about you, you know! You know what I think?"

Silence.

"I think Sirius wouldn't have wanted you to be cooped up in her because of him, especially since he experienced it last year."

Harry didn't know what blew it; maybe it's the thought of Sirius being alive. But, at hearing Sirius's name, he grabbed Hermione's shoulders and shook her frantically. Fear suddenly clouded her eyes. POP! Harry, ignoring the pop, found his voice again.

"NO YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! DON'T YOU DARE TO TALK LIKE YOU WOULD KNOW SIRIUS!"

Large hands pulled him away from Hermione. He saw Fred pull Hermione back too. All of the rage clouded his mind.

"LET GO OF ME!LET GO!" Harry struggled uselessly. George pinned his arms behind his back.

"You okay?" Through the blood pounding through his ears, he heard Fred ask Hermione. He saw her nod.

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING! YOU STILL GOT YOUR PARENTS! YOU UNDERSTAND NOTHING OF ME! I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY CALL YOU SMART! SO DO ME A FAVOR AND STOP ACTING LIKE YOU KNOW EVERYTHING! "

Hermione stayed silent and took a step toward him.

"You know Snape's right for once, you're an annoying KNOW-IT-ALL-"

Another step.

"—BOOKWORM—"

"—MUDBL—"

Gasps aroused around. Harry stopped himself before finishing. He stopped struggling. He saw her widening. Hermione was only a few feet away from him. Her eyes, icy cold and unfamiliarly alien, met his.

"Oh…no…you…didn't…" She said in a low, dangerous voice.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

SLAP!

Gasps aroused again. The slap reverberated the house. His glasses were knocked to the floor. The aftershock stung his cheek. He wouldn't meet her eyes.

"I," Hermione dropped to a deadly whisper that only the twins and Harry could hear.

"Only came here to relieve yourself from your grieving. To let you know you're not alone. To let you know that there's a light at the end of this dark tunnel. To let you know Im still here. Well, apparently, I know that was a waste of time." She grabbed Harry's face to face her and meet her eyes.

"Potter."

With that, she whipped her hair in his face and strode out. Everyone stood there in an awkward silence. Then one by one left the room. George released Harry and excited. Yet, Harry stood there limp, replaying what just happened.