Author: empty_firefly

Main Characters: Hermione, Neville

Rating: M (Swearing!)

Chapter Synopsis: Is it courageous or foolish to love without hope?

Disclaimer: The world and the characters within this story belong to J.K. Rowling, I am simply an enthusiastic fan.

Author's Note: Hey everyone, I'm sorry I've been so terrible about updates, the sad truth is that as I get older I recognise the poor quality of my older stories and struggle to work up any enthusiasm to continue. So in the meantime, here's a small story, of a rather odd topic, that I hope you enjoy!

Prologue: Of Courage and Foolishness

One day by the lake Hermione asked whether we thought it was courageous or foolish to love without hope. To know that the other person will never feel the same way, and yet to loyally bind yourself to them without question.

Of course, she did not ask us for theoretical curiosity, but simply for her own sake; wondering if the torch she held made her the laughing stock or the envy of all her friends.

I told her that it was foolish. What I didn't tell her is why.

I always saw her hanging around Harry, laughing at his jokes, blushing at his thoughtless flirtation, wishing that he would look at her when he was lonely, and I would pity her. Anyone could tell that he never looked at her, that he couldn't really see her because he knew he would always have her. It was not intended as torture on his part, more an assumption of what he was owed out of the friendship. Therefore, why would he ever need to give her more?

So she was just stuck there, loving him, doing everything for him, and he just ignored the obvious, slowly killing her without even knowing he had the power to do so.

Could you get any more foolish than that?

Lavender, as perhaps an even more foolish romantic, responded by clasping her hand and assuring her that it was very brave. After all, what could be more courageous than sacrificing your happiness, your heart, your life, to someone without any expectation of something in return? Besides, she may even get lucky.

Maybe one day he'll turn around and see everything that she is.

Maybe one day she'll be rewarded for her loyalty.

With such an explanation as that she couldn't help herself; she had to maintain her affection. She did everything one might expect, crying when he loved someone else, full of excitement whenever something good happened to him. She said that there was nothing quite like living in love to show you just how much life was nothing more than a trip on a yoyo.

And then I did something courageously foolish: I in turn fell in love with her. And I did everything that I hated to see her do: crying over her tears, cheering for her joy, secretly hoping she would notice the attention that I paid to her. I could feel myself changing, trying desperately to make her notice what was right in front of her.

And I finally understood what she meant when she asked us that question so long ago: it really had never been about courage or foolishness in the normal sense of the words. It was about self-respect, and whether letting it go was okay if it was for the one that you loved. And if not, was there a way to love without hope, and still maintain your dignity.

The answer of course was: no, no you can't. Because if you are going to love, then you have to love with everything. And if you love with all you have, and the other person doesn't love you back, there's nothing left.

Until the horrible, heartbreakingly joyful day when you fall out of love. And that's when the courage to live on really has to step in.

And I suppose that is where this story should have gone, but of course life is never so simple. So instead I'm going to start with the most painful part, the day she found out I loved her. It happened to be in a greenhouse.

A/N: I think this story will be around seven chapters long, so please let me know what you think because I currently have two possible endings in mind and I'm not sure which way to go with it!