Disclaimer: Yes, I am J.K. Rowling...that's why I have so much time to write random stories and post them on fanfiction. Believe whatever you want. I don't own anything.
Hermione Granger sighed and pushed away her parchment and quills and leaned back against the soft maroon chair in the Gryffindor common room. Her thoughts wandered back to what had happened that day in Charms.
Ron had been going on about some Quidditch team as per usual, while she focused on the assignment, listening only to a few words he said, catching things like "amazingly stunning…astounded…right through the hoop…brilliant catch…" it went on and on until finally she snapped.
It had happened a lot lately, every little thing he said drove her to the breaking point. She didn't understand what was going on. Harry, looking helpless, had just sat there, unable to take sides or decide what to do. She knew the fighting with Ron needed to stop, they were under enough pressure with N.E.W.T. exams coming up in the next 7 months, and yet, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Stopping the fighting would be like stopping breathing. It had become second nature, and it was the only way to hide her feelings, her true feelings about Ron.
It wasn't something she could talk to anyone about. She had no girl friends, Lavender and Parvati were just too giggly for her taste, too make-up obsessed and too boy obsessed. She couldn't talk to Ginny either, the spunky redhead would more than likely just flat out tell her brother, and Hermione's whole idea of what should and would happen when Ron found out her true feelings would be ruined.
She had it all planned out in her head. She would be walking out around the lake, when suddenly it would start to rain. Not a sprinkle, but a full on downpour. Ron would come up behind her and offer her his jacket. She would refuse, she liked the rain. Then he would stop in front of her, look her in the eyes just once as if he really saw her. Then he would kiss her. It would be the most magical kiss, fireworks and sparks and electricity would flow from everywhere, and she would forget that she was soaked to the bone outside in the howling rain. She would forget any arguments she had had with him. All she would think about was that kiss. Then he would turn to her and say the three words she had been longing for him to say since the fourth year.
"I love you." Those three words held so much meaning. So much meaning that she could never express any way else.
But Hermione wasn't stupid. She knew that there was just no way they could make it work, even if he did like her back. She knew he'd had plenty of chances before to tell her, and that every time she imagined her fantasy, that was a minute of her life she had wasted, waiting for him. It would never happen, it couldn't happen, not with their history, he, the explosive redhead and she the bookworm, top of the class. It would never ever work.
Just then, a loud groan awoke her from her daydream. She saw Ron, the man of the hour, flop onto the couch opposite her, looking severely drained. Quidditch practice was over, and he looked worse for wear. Harry traipsed in behind him, Firebolt on his shoulder, mud splattered all over his scarlet and gold Quidditch uniform, looking very disgruntled.
"All in all, not one of our better Quidditch practices," Harry muttered, throwing himself on the couch next to Ron.
Hermione looked at them sympathetically, and yawed hugely. "I'm not even the one playing and I'm exhausted, I think I'll go to bed."
"Aww, come on Hermione, it's barely nine thirty. Besides, I still haven't finished that essay for Flitwick, and I need you to look it over when I'm done." Ron moaned.
"Is that all I'm good for then?" Hermione snapped, "Just because you have better things to do and I sit here studying doesn't mean I'm your slave. Do you realize that you wouldn't have passed the first year without my help? Do you?"
"Oh come on Hermione, I never needed you, I could've passed first year without you. I passed second year, and you were lying in the hospital wing the whole time."
"There were no exams in second year Ronald! And if you never needed me, then what am I still doing here? I would like to see you pass this year, these N.E.W.T.s without me. You'll never make it. And then what will you do? Without the proper training and scores, you'll never be able to be anything you want, nonetheless and Auror."
The sting of the words 'I never needed you' hurt Hermione so bad that she didn't care that this argument had been fought hundreds of times, she didn't care she was being completely irrational. All she cared about was hurting Ron as much as he had hurt her with the sentence before.
A crowd of Gryffindors were intently listening now, trying and failing to look innocent when Harry turned around to notice them all staring.
"I hate you."
The effect of these three words from Hermione's mouth made Ron's insides disappear. They had never been in an argument where she had said that before. Hermione didn't say things like that unless she really meant them. Ron couldn't believe that talking about a stupid paper would lead to something as messy as this.
He stood up quickly, threw a look of deepest loathing towards her, and said "I hate you too, I wish we had never been friends." Then he stalked off quickly towards the boy's dormitory.
The crowd that had been listening quickly went about their business, most leaving to bed, some finishing the final touches to a homework assignment.
Harry got up slowly, holding his head, and whispered "I'm sorry 'Mione," and hurried up to the dormitories after his angry friend.
Hermione sat there stunned, not believing what had happened. It had never gotten this bad before. After a minute, the only thing she could think of to do was cry. So she did. When she was done, the thought of Ron's retreating back set her off again, and she whispered "I'm so sorry…"
The only sound she heard was the crackling of the fire.
a/n: Please Review, I want feedback. Did it suck? Was it good? Should I continue? Please, press the purply/blue button down there! Muchos Love!