Something More: Chapter 2: Hermione

Hermione walked down the path, in the frost and the tears. She was in her neighborhood park, walking slowly through the February snow. The memory was painful, and she continued to cry, slow, thin tears. It had been too long to keep crying, she told herself. But she couldn't convince herself to stop.

She rounded a corner, and found herself on the sidewalk across from her favorite coffee shop. She wiped away her tears and crossed the road. After slipping a little on the ice, she pulled open the door and ordered a coffee. After paying, she sat down at her favorite corner table. She shook her hood off, and pulled her hair in front of her shoulders. She took a sip of her coffee, and burnt her tongue.

That was when the memory came rushing back to her. Her burnt tongue reminded her of how she felt when... Ron... had left her. She had felt burned. Burned... and left to die. To die alone. Why had he left? Why had he gone? His letter had explained nothing. Nothing but a love lost. A life lost.

Hermione,

I'm sorry. I couldn't come back and face you. I didn't want to hurt you any more than necessary. I have to leave. I don't love you anymore. I don't feel butterflies, or tingling from your touch. I don't close my eyes when you kiss me. I don't see us together, for the rest of our lives. I'm sorry. I need something new, something that can make us both happy. I want you to be happy, though you may hate me after this. I hope that we can still be friends, after we have healed. This hurts me too and I want you to know that. I hope that it make you feel better, if you are hurting. Maybe you haven't felt the shivers lately. Maybe you will be happy, as quick as a wink. That's what I'm hoping for.

Ron

When Hermione had first read this she had fallen into a heap on the floor... literally. The pain had been too much. The tears had come immediately and had lasted for what felt like a life-time. Hermione had lain on the floor for at least 3 hours, crying away her heart. That's what it had felt like. Like every tear washed away a piece of her soul, and that the pieces would never find their way back home.

The memory brought tears to Hermione's eyes. She didn't cry, but she blinked them away.

Hermione leaned back in her chair and shook her head. This was complete nonsense, she thought. I have to move on. I have to get over him. This isn't right.

It isn't what he wanted.

That was the thought that truly motivated her. That he had wanted her to be happy. And because she still loved him- at least, she thought she did- she should do want he had wanted.

Hermione smiled. She would start today. First, when she got back home, she would take all the pictures of him off the walls. She'd throw out his favorite foods, and his books, the things he had given her. She would start anew. She'd make some new friends; make more of an effort with co-workers at the ministry.

Hermione smiled again, and took another sip of her coffee. She grabbed The Daily Prophet off of a nearby table and began to scan through the cover. However, she was distracted by the ringing of the bell above the door.

"Ginny!" Hermione shouted. The red head pulled her hood off of her head, shook her long hair out. She looked around for the person who had called to her, and saw Hermione. A grin spread across her face and she pulled a chair over to Hermione's table.

"What's up?" she asked.

Hermione smiled and replied, "Not much, just enjoying my coffee."

Ginny smiled, and stood up. Hermione frowned.

"Where are you going?" she said.

"To get a coffee," Ginny said.

Hermione laughed at her mistake and while Ginny bought her coffee, wondered if the subject of Ron would come up. She was hoping it wouldn't because she didn't want to talk about her ex with her ex.'s sister. That would be awkward.

Ginny sat back down and asked, "So... How are things?"

"What do you mean... things?" Hermione asked.

Ginny frowned and mumbled something that sounded like 'crap'.

"What?" Hermione persisted.

"All right," Ginny said. "Have it your way. How are things... without Ron?"

"He told you, didn't he?" Hermione said. Ginny only nodded and Hermione guessed that she was supposed to continue. "They're... fine," she lied.

Ginny inclined her head and smiled a pained, quizzical smile. "Hmmmm.... I wonder why I don't believe you."

Hermione gulped and asked, "How can you tell?"

Ginny smiled. "I'm a good reader. Plus, you gulped before you said it and the light in your eyes kind of died when you said it."

Hermione hung her head dismally and left it there. After about a minute, Ginny lifted Hermione's chin. "Hey," she said. "You'll get over it. Trust me; my brother is not worth the trouble. He can't commit... to almost anything. Why did you think you always had to finish his homework for you?"

Hermione laughed and Ginny laughed with her. Finally, Hermione said, "How are things with Harry?" Before Hermione noticed Ginny's frown, she felt an electric jolt go through her body when she remembered her other best friend. She hadn't thought about, or seen Harry in a while, and it depressed her. Where had she been lately? Under a rock?

Well... that's one way to put it, she thought.

That was when she noticed the frown on Ginny's face. It didn't reach her eyes, so it wasn't a depressed look, but more of a pained one. "What is it?" she asked.

Ginny chewed on her lip, and then she said, "I'm going out with Dean Thomas again." She smiled as if waiting for approval, but Hermione didn't give her any.

"YOU WHAT?" Hermione spoke louder than she intended, and so the other customers in the coffee shop stared at her. She lowered her voice, "What do you mean?"

Ginny simply replied, "I didn't feel anything. I didn't love him anymore. So...I left."

Hermione was shocked. Not long before she had gone 'under a rock', Ginny and Harry had seemed very serious to Hermione. She wondered how Harry had taken it, how he was handling the hurt: If he was in better or worse condition than herself. And then she realized the striking similarity between Ron's letter to her and Ginny's last sentence. They hadn't felt anything. Was that what love was all about? The butterflies?

No, Hermione told herself. It's much more.

Then she said aloud, "Do you like Dean?"

Ginny grimaced then replied, "Well, I saw him a lot before I broke up with Harry. And don't give me that look Hermione, I wasn't cheating. We were just good friends and then I started looking forward to seeing Dean more than Harry. And enjoying myself more with him."

Hermione didn't have anything to say to that, so she said instead, "How is he?"

Ginny shrugged. "I haven't heard from or seen him. In fact, I don't think Ron has either. I don't think he's been into work. Or anywhere for that matter."

Hermione stood up too quickly and knocked her chair over.

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked.

"I have to go see him. I have to make sure he's OK."

Ginny nodded and went up to the counter. "One more, please." And when she turned to Hermione she said, "For Harry."

Hermione pulled on her coat, and pulled up the hood bracing for the cold, winter air.

"Keep in touch," she said to Ginny who was paying for the coffee.

"Of course," she replied and then Hermione grabbed the drink from the manager.

She grabbed the newspaper on her way out, and the door shut quietly behind her.

Harry's flat was at least 10 blocks from where she was, and so she began her way through the frost, and luckily, not thought the tears.

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Hermione knocked on Harry's door and heard slow movement from the other side. She heard the locks being switched and then, Harry stood in front of her.

Harry looked completely different. It was devastating. His hair was greasy and unkempt. There were huge dark circles under his eyes and coffee stains on his shirt, which hung too loose and his chest. But the biggest difference was his expression. It conveyed pain, sorrow, depression, hate, loss and hurt, all at once. There wasn't one happy emotion written in his face, as if all his heart had been torn away.

Hermione wanted to hate Ginny for doing this too him and wanted revenge for as well. For her best friend, because Ginny had betrayed someone Hermione loved -as a brother- and Ron had left her.

Harry frowned and Hermione held out his coffee to him. He took it, and frowned even deeper, as if expecting her to walk out on him as well. But she wasn't going to, because she was going to bring him back to life. No matter what it took.

Finally, after they stood there, on Harry's stoop, like people who couldn't speak, for 3 minutes, Harry spoke. "Hermione," he said. And he tried to smile but couldn't seem to lift his mouth farther than a millimeter.

"Oh Harry," Hermione said. "I'm so sorry."

And then she threw her arms around him.