W H I S P E R S
Hermione Granger 18th November 1995
How could she do this to me?
That's all that went through my mind when I first saw them.
She knew I liked him. She knew.
Not that it made any difference by the look of things. Why had I said that to him? was the second thought. Perhaps if I had been nicer to him he wouldn't have... But no. I shouldn't be apologizing. I hadn't said anything wrong. It was him that should be apologizing. Both of them.
When they barged in on me and Harry (not that we were doing anything, because of course I'm not as bad as her, I would never do that to all the girls that like him) I couldn't help myself. I cried. Once she was out of his line of sight, she was suddenly serious.
"Hermione, I-"
"Shut up!" I shrieked. "Don't talk to me!"
She tried to put her hand on my shoulder but I pushed it off and went straight to dorm. Parvati was there, in her pink silk pyjamas un-plaiting her hair. She usually stayed up at the parties, but perhaps today she realised she needed to play her role as peacekeeper. But really, she was on Lavender's side I thought, thinking of all the times she's stood up against me.
She attempted a smile. I threw myself on my bed and pulled the curtains shut. I heard her padding over quietly. Below her feet the party continued.
"Hermione?" she said softly. I didn't answer. "Hermione, I know you liked him." she said.
She knew. Of course she knew. She knew the whole flipping story.
Hadn't I confided in her? In both of them? And yet, they had been keeping secrets behind my back. It had always been that way. Oh, they had tried I'm sure. They had tried and given up again and again.
They never really cared much.
That was why I tried to cry myself to sleep. But later I heard Lavender come in and giggle a little. Like me, she waited to hear the creak of bedsprings, the telltale sign that Parvati was getting up to greet her. But all there was was the rhythmic breathing of someone fast asleep.
"Hermione?" she whispered. "Hermione, can I please talk to you?"
I didn't answer, but unlike Parvati, my breathing was strangled by sobs.
I saw her put a hand on the curtains. "Hermione I know-"
I pulled the curtains back. "I know you know!" I snapped at her. "You knew full well I liked him, you knew that! Why couldn't you, just for once, for once, Lavender, couldn't you do the right thing?"
Her dark blue eyes were glazed slightly. "I couldn't Hermione. I thought and thought about it. Do you know how worried I've been about upsetting you? Upsetting Seamus? Getting thrown off by Ron."
"Oh of course, because he's obviously going to refuse the prettiest, most popular girl in the school."
"Don't give me that," she snarled. "You know it's nothing like that."
"Isn't it? Then why is he all over you then?"
"Maybe he liked me for me!" she shouted at me. "Maybe you're not the only one here he's capable of liking!"
"And you couldn't let it rest," I said, my words dripping with poison. "You couldn't face the fact that he preferred me. No one could ever prefer plain, annoying Hermione Granger to the great Lavender Brown."
"It's not like that!" she screamed. "You're supposed to be my friend Hermione! Can't you be happy just for once?"
"You're supposed to be my friend!" I shouted back. "How could you betray me?"
She was speechless. I felt like smirking. Then, with a sob she threw herself on her bed. "I hate you!" she shrieked, and began to cry.
I didn't believe Parvati had slept through this. I had a feeling she was lying awake, listening.
I heard footsteps at the door. "Hermione?" It was Leanne. She could obviously hear us from upstairs. "Lavender?" Neither of us replied, but at that moment a sob racked my body. I was lying face down on my bed. She took soft steps over and rubbed my back gently. "Lavender?" she asked, to the figure I could see from through my eyelashes. "Is everything alright?" She sat on my bed and exhaled. "Parvati?" she said. "You can't be asleep if I was woken up."
My bed creaked as she walked over to Parvati's bed. I could hear them whispering. I couldn't hear what they said, but at the end Parvati was saying "Yeah, yeah."
I saw Leanne nod and walk out of the room. Her feet sounded on the stairs. A few moments later, the boy's staircase creaked. She was going up.
After a while, Lavender's crying stopped. I suppose mine had stopped as well. She gave a very gentle, very ladylike snore. As if on cue, Parvati came over to me and crouched by my head.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Where's Leanne gone?" I said.
"It was her idea. She's gone to talk to Ron." I wiped my eyes. "What? What's she going to say?"
"I don't know," said Parvati. "But it's Lee. She'll be clever about it." I nodded. Leanne had always been the tactful one.
"I guess you're right," I said.
She gave me a weak smile, her teeth glinting in the dark.
"Try to get some sleep, hmm? You'll feel much better in the morning."
"When you'll be off comforting Lavender."
"I don't think she'll need much comforting," Parvati said. "In fact I have a feeling she'll be happy." I groaned and buried my face in my pillow.
"Look, I can't apologise for her." Parvati said. "That's up to her. But just so you know, I'm not on her side anymore than I'm on your side. I'm neutral, okay?"
"Okay."
"Sweet dreams," she said and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
"You too," I whispered. "And, Parvati?"
"Yeah?" she said from her bed.
"Thanks." I shut my eyes, hoping that when I opened them it would be this morning and I could stop this all from happening.
