Ginny stopped when she reached the last steps at the top of Gryffindor tower, listening closely to the horrendous sobs coming from the other side of the door in front of her, labeled with a gold 7. Taking a deep breath and hoping the cries weren't coming from who she thought they were, she pushed the door open.
"Hermione?" she called softly, and the cries stopped for a moment—just long enough for the girl to throw something from between the bed curtains and shout at whoever had just come to go away. Ginny rolled her eyes as the sobs continued and approached Hermione's bed. She drew the curtains back slowly and found her sitting with her legs crossed, elbows on knees, face in hands, crying her eyes out over a flattened piece of parchment. Ginny placed a warm hand on Hermione's shoulder and took hold of the paper.
Hermione, it read:
I hope you're doing well. I'm really enjoying the atmosphere here—it continued to speak of work and how good and bad it simultaneously was for two lengthy paragraphs. Ginny didn't understand what was wrong with the letter. Sure, it was a bit irritating that the writer (obviously Ron, she had noticed quickly) was just rambling on about himself, but that couldn't have caused Hermione to break down. She flipped the parchment over and realized she hadn't yet read what Hermione was so distraught over.
There are so many new people here. I thought we met everyone our age at Hogwarts, but that's not even the half of it. Between all of the departments, and all of the training academies, there are hundreds of young adults like us. I've met so many new acquaintances, friends . . . but Hermione, I have to be fair. There's kind of someone else.
Ginny gasped, both astonished and angry.
I didn't really expect this. I didn't think I'd ever love anyone more than I love you, no one as much. But I do. Sorry.
He signed his name in his poor hand and that was that. There were none of the hearts he had put in his letters earlier in the year, no smiling faces, no charms. Just sorry—Ron. Ginny scoffed, crumpled the paper and threw it on the ground. She was furious, and she sat on the edge of the bed, throwing her arms around Hermione.
The sympathy only made Hermione break down further. She clutched the arm Ginny had hooked around her neck and dropped her head once more, tears falling onto her lap. "How could he do this to me?" she whispered thickly. She trembled, and Ginny reached around her to pull the blanket up over Hermione's folded legs. "How?"
Ginny sighed and rubbed her hand over Hermione's arm, trying to soothe her. "I don't pretend to understand what he does Hermione, it's wasted effort most of the time."
Hermione shuddered and gasped in a breath. "I just—don't understand why. What's wrong with me? There's someone better than me, and she's got him, and now I don't. What happened?" she stuttered out between sobs.
"There isn't anyone better than you, Hermione. It's probably just a different situation." This did not seem to make her feel any better. Hermione pulled away from Ginny's arm and threw herself, face down, onto her pillow, pulling her blanket up around her shoulders.
"A different situation," she laughed out sharply. "A different situation in which she's prettier—probably prettier than he should be able to get, but too damn stupid to know that. I bet she's ignorant, and doesn't have proper grammar, and couldn't tell a bezoar from a fucking rock—" she choked on her tears and fell silent. Tears spread across her pillow as she shook without sound.
"That's probably the only kind of person who could tolerate Ron," Ginny mused quietly. "Someone who can't notice and tell him when he's being a twit. You know he'd rather be an ignorant moron than be correct and keep his thoughts to himself," she said, and feared for a moment that saying that Ron might be happier with this new girl probably wasn't what Hermione needed to hear. However, Hermione turned her head to look at Ginny.
"You're right," she said, voice creaky. "He probably would be happier with a beautiful fool," she smiled sadly. Ginny nodded and touched her hand to Hermione's shoulder.
"It feels like someone ripped out my heart and spat on it," she whispered and raised her hand to wipe the tears from her cheek.
"I'm sorry," Ginny said quietly, knowing there was not much else she could say.
"Now I know what Lavender was always crying about," Hermione said with a little laugh. "I thought I knew misery when he was with her—but no, this is worse. Knowing what it's like, being happy, and having it pulled out from under you. I feel like my heart is shatter, Ginny," she said, turned onto her side and curling into a ball. "Physically shattered. And I feel so empty, and alone," she breathed out.
"You know," Ginny said, pulling a strand of hair from Hermione's face, twirling it between her fingers and watching as her face smoothed and her eyes shut, "he's probably going to come crawling back in a matter of months. I give them half a year, maximum. She's going to get emotional and he's going to miss having rationality on his side. I bet ten galleons he regrets this soon. I hope he does," she said, voice growing more intense.
"I hope she breaks up with him," Hermione said quietly. "And I hope he has the nerve to try to cry to me about it."
Ginny cracked a smile. "I hope she makes him miserable."
"I hope he comes to hate her," Hermione said thoughtfully.
"I hope Harry hates her," Ginny said. Hermione sighed and smiled the slightest bit.
"I hope your parents hate her," Hermione mused.
"I hope her parents hate him," Ginny countered.
Hermione laughed. "Okay, maybe it's a bit much . . . but I hope her gets her pregnant and she's horrible to him," she said bitterly, but with a chuckle in her voice.
Ginny smirked. "I hope she's horrible in bed.
"I hope she doesn't know what a blow job is!" Hermione exclaimed, and Ginny threw her head back in laughter. "I hope he knows she can't make him as happy as I did."
"I hope he knows no one can—but you can find someone who makes you happier," Ginny said, smiling.
Hermione grinned at Ginny. "You really think there's someone in the world that can put up with me and enjoy my presence while making me happy?"
"Dear god girl, I know there is. If the boys of Hogwarts are any indication, there's no lack of boys who would adore you, Hermione."
Ginny made to stand, but Hermione sat up quickly and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, Ginny," she said with a shaky smile. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Ginny clicked the lamp off as Hermione laid back down and made her way over to her own bed. "I just do what you'd do for me," she said, and as she prepared for bed, she was already going through a list in her mind of boys that Hermione might be interested in; noting those who she trusted could make her happy.
X
AN: Right well, this is an interesting piece, isn't it? Today I found out that my best friend/crush/ex-boyfriend is interested in someone new, and a lot of this comes directly from my thoughts and what was said. I always have enjoyed taking things and transferring it into Hermione/Ron problems.
Two things to point out: "Sorry—Ron" is actually rather like the phrase "boom down" from The Things They Carried and I like that line infinitely more after noticing that, and the phrase "beautiful fool" is from The Great Gatsby.
Reviews are more marvelous than words can describe, and as always, thanks for reading. (: