Chapter 3

"Ron, get off! Please!" Hermione cried, immediately pushing him away as he again tried to kiss her. "I don't love you that way!" She shouted, hoping that she would finally get through to him rather sooner than later. When was Ron finally going to get it? He continually had been touching on the subject of their kiss in the Room of Requirement, at the beginning of the battle. Ever since, he had tried to convince himself and her that their love was mutual. Ever since he had tried to convince her to get into a relationship and begin a life with him. She didn't doubt that he could love her in another way than she actually loved him, but what was the point if she couldn't, and possibly never would either, return it?

"You have bloody damn kissed me!" Ron argued, anger flaring, yet taking Hermione's hand in his once again.

Hermione quietly exhaled. She would have to do this another way. He obviously wasn't listening to her this way. She would have to feign calm and get him to see reason, so that she could go to St. Mungo's and see how their former Head of Gryffindor House was managing. At least with Minerva she felt rather comfortable, even though the lot of misery that had passed. At least with Minerva she no longer felt as if everyone wanted and needed her to act like someone she wasn't.

"Listen, Ron," she began. "This year's been very challenging for all of us. If we hadn't had the opportunity to draw upon each other, neither of us ever would have made it. We all needed the comfort of another every now and then. I won't deny that I'm happy that you and Harry, were there for more when the going got rough, but that doesn't mean that I'm in love with you. I don't feel for you that way," she said, then turned to leave him mouth-open. If he had actually gotten it now or still not, she couldn't really say. She, however, appeared to have dazed him at least.


Hermione momentarily sniffled and wiped at her tears. She didn't need the other woman's worry. Satisfied with how she unseeingly thought her appearance to be, she carefully pushed the door open, to enter the room to which Professor McGonagall had been moved two days earlier.

McGonagall quietly turned her head in the direction of the doorway, upon hearing the door open and fall shut again. She smiled, upon seeing who her visitor was. Hermione smiled, too. She walked over to the side of the bed and leaned in fleetingly to kiss the other woman's cheek, then settled on the edge of the bed. It had somehow gotten to be their way of saying hello to each other lately.

Minerva's brow quirked upon noticing Hermione's appearance, no matter the younger Gryffindor's tries to hide the evidence that she might have cried. "Hermione, what's the matter?"

"I'm fine, Professor," she replied. "I'm feeling a bit under the weather," she added, seeing Minerva's unconvinced look. Minerva wasn't any more convinced at that, and Hermione could see, but she chose not to give McGonagall a chance to go on about it, easily changing the subject. "So how are you feeling today?" She asked.

"I'm fine," came McGonagall's usual reply. She sighed, then elucidated, "The pain's wearing off. I'll possibly be able to leave this hospital at the end of the week if all continues to go well." She merely hoped to convince Hermione to elucidate more on whatever was the matter with her by offering the same in return.

"That's wonderful news!" Hermione cried.

Minerva nodded, and a silence fell between both women. Minerva eventually was the one who broke it. "Please, Hermione. What's going on?"

Brown fleetingly connected with teal green, and Hermione deeply exhaled. "Ron," she muttered. "He's been… I don't love him the way he and everyone else is expecting me to. I have been trying to tell him, but…"

By then, Hermione was sobbing with the lot of emotions running through of which some she couldn't actually name, but only feel. "Hey," Minerva whispered, reaching for the younger woman's hand, that by now held onto the sheet so tightly her knuckles had become white in color. Minerva carefully pulled at the younger Gryffindor's hand, inviting her in an embrace, which Hermione gratefully accepted.