2/18/2013 - I have refueled my creative juices for this story (hopefully), and before I get to new chapters, I have to go through and edit the previously posted ones...its been 4 whole years! Sit tight, hopefully there will be new material in the foreseeable future.

Prelude to Disaster

The Disaster.

She watched in agony as he lowered his eyes from her stricken gaze. His face shared the taut expression of a newly strung harp, but harbored none of the same joy. His folded hands were propped up on the kitchen table, hiding his jaw, but she was sure his usual smile was compressed into a thin line of anger.

The tension in the room grew, threatening to strangle its two occupants. Hermione was sure the silence was suffocating her, because she couldn't breathe.

Unexpectedly, he looked up from his folded hands and flashed that skin-tingling smile at her. Hermione was sure she visibly shivered.

"It's understandable, really-" was all he could manage before Hermione released the breath she had unknowingly been holding since his reaction had frozen her lungs and rushed to speak:

"No, it really isn't, I'm awful, I don't think you understand what I'm saying-"

"Believe me," he interjected bitterly, "I'm pretty sure I do."

The temperature of his voice was in stark contrast with his mega-watt smile. Hermione's tongue could no longer move; at first she thought it was from pure dismay, but then she realized he must have silently jinxed her to keep her from interrupting.

"I understand why this looked like an easy option for you, and now that you've gotten what you want, I hope that you understand that I'm out."

Hermione shrunk farther into his seat. She had known this would not be an easy topic to broach but the pure calm carelessness he spoke with turned her very marrow to ice.

"I'd rather we remain out of contact from now on. I'm sure you understand why." The smile sourly turned into a sneer as he pushed back his chair and rose.

She watched his back as he strode with swagger towards the door. Before he exited, apparently for the last time, he hesitated and turned his head back to her. All traces of haughty anger and bitterness were gone, replaced by sheer sadness and disappointment. It took this last locked gaze to finally shatter her heart.

"I hope that you've realized that despite my consent and expertise for creating illusions, I was the only one fooled here."

He shook his head and turned, allowing the door to softly swing shut after him.

There was a new stillness, a new tension that pervaded the newly vacant kitchen. Hermione, eyes wide, continued to stare at the closed door, trying to visualize him as he stood there professing what she would never have believed otherwise. There had been signs, surely, but this had simply begun as a ploy, a device to trigger jealousy-

He wasn't coming back. That was the only thing she knew for certain, despite his words. She couldn't begin to fathom it; he had become such a constant in her life for so long now, it was impossible to imagine how she could happily live otherwise-

In newly administered shock, she realized the truth that had been creeping at the corners of her consciousness since this hoax began. Her mistake, her sheer ignorance slapped her in the face harsher than any of his words could.

And although he claimed to be the only victim of the circumstances, she realized that she had irrevocably made herself the true fool.

Gradually, Hermione lowered her head into her arms on the table and cried.