Chapter 3

Hermione sat in the Gryffindor common room. She leaned her head back on the most comfortable easy-chair in the room. Someone, properly the housealfs, had started the fire in the fireplace. Hermione stared in to the fireplace, while her mind was somewhere else. How could I get that mad.. It certainly wasn't my intention too loose my temper. How could I be so stupid. I know Harry didn't mean it, not like that anyway. Ohh, God I'm so lost. I shouldn't have done that. Do you think that Harry and Ron, will forgive me. Well I know they will, they're my best friends… And more!

Hermione was almost happy when she was done thinking, but only almost: Damn! I keep wondering what if? What if Harry did mean what he said? What if Ron and Harry expect me to clean up every time they've done something wrong? Arhh, damn it! No, damn me! Why do I always think like that! Stop it! Harry and Ron will forgive me for loosing my head!

If you saw Hermione sit in the easy-chair, you would think she was crying. Well actually, she was crying. She was crying about the thing Harry had said, the things she had said, how Harry had given her a big bruise on the upper arm, and how she really loved him.

In about an half hour, Hermione sat like that. But suddenly she realized that classes had begun. She quickly got up from the chair, and gathered her books on table in front of her. One book fell down, she picked it up, but when she was about to straighten up, she banged the back of her head in the table.

"Aww! Bloody hell! Arhh, damn, damn, damn it hurts," she cried out.

She gave up. She fell limp to the floor. It didn't make sense to go to classes now. They were already halfway in, and she felt terrible miserable. She didn't wanted to see Harry and Ron, she didn't wanted to be in class, she just wanted cry, be in bet and have self-pity.

Hermione got up, and ran up to the girls dormitory. To hell with the books! she thought. She got up the stairs, opened the door and crawled under her duvet.

After a few minutes of laying in bed, you could see Hermione in the common room again. Apparently she didn't wanted to leave the books all alone in the very dangerous common room. Maybe someone would steal them, and burn them. Ohh, God, a terrible thought!

After two hours, Hermione woke up, by someone sitting and staring at her. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around in the room. Someone was sitting on her bed next to her. More then that person, three others were standing beside the bet, staring at her.

"Mione, are you awake?" someone asked.

Hermione knew that voice very well, she didn't have to see the persons face, to know who it was.

"Ginny. What are you doing! Is something wrong?" Hermione asked.

Hermione could now see clearly. Ginny was sitting, with her red long hair, on the bed. The three other persons were Nicole Melanie Dace, Liza Jade Morris and Jessica Nielson, her three good friends from Huffelpuff. After Hermione met Jessica on the train, she'd talked to her very often, and therefore also with Jessica's other two friends Nicole and Liza. Well of cause Hermione knew Nicole because she was Ron's girlfriend, but she'd never really talked to Liza before, but actually she was very nice. Hermione really liked having other friends then just boys. Well, she'd always had Ginny as her friend, and that was not about to change. When she realized she had four chicks as friends she thought: Finally I have someone to talked to about other things then chess and Quidditch.

"Nothing's wrong with us," Liza said, and Jessica followed up "but we're worried about you!"

"Yeah, you haven't been down for lunch, and you missed the last classes. You've never missed classes, so we thought that awful things had happened to you," Nicole said rushed, "are you alright?"

"Well, I feel hungry, but other then that I feel fine," Hermione replied.

"Are you sure Mione? We heard about your "talk" with Harry and Ron," Jessica said, "we figured that it might had something to do with that."

"Thank, you girls, but I'm quite alright. But how did you guys come in?"

Liza replied: "Nicole told Ginny what she heard from Ron," and then Nicole took over, "then Ginny told Jessica, and she told Liza," now it was Jessica's turn, " and then we all decided to come and find you, and see how you were doing."

Hermione had gotten dizzy of all the talking, and waited for more talk. Then finally Ginny said:

"Then I gave the fat lady the code, and we got in, and snuck up to you. We didn't want anyone to find out our quest. Luckily not one was in the common room, they'd might be surprised, seeing Huffelpuff students in the Gryffindor common room."

Ginny grinned at the last sentence.

"Amazing story," Hermione said sarcastic, and the girls chuckled," but I'm very hungry, so when is dinner? I feel like I've slept my life away!"

"In 15 minutes I think," Liza replied.

"I'm going to get ready if you don't mind" Hermione said senseless.

"Okay, but Mione, I need to tell you something," Ginny said. Hermione thought she sounded sad or worrying. "When Harry told me about your "get together" he sounded very much like he didn't cared. I don't say that he didn't, it just sounded like it."

Hermione didn't know what to say. Should I believe it? She chose to take it with a smile and a laughter.

"Harry didn't mean anything by it. I know him. His was properly just very sad."

"Yeah, I'm sure. I just wanted to tell you."

Maybe Ginny wanted to sound happy, cheerful, and convinced again, but Hermione could hear and see that she didn't. I will let it slip this time, she thought, she just very emotional and cares about my well-being. Hermione didn't think about it twice, but got up from the bed, and put on her robe again, and then she was ready.

The five girls walked (luckily) unseen through Gryffindor's common room. They chitchatted like nothing happened, and Hermione was thankful that her friends didn't bring it up again. She was happy, she had such good friends, she only wished they had come before, like in 1st year, were she really got bullied by Draco Malfoy and his crowd. In 2nd year it wasn't that heavily. She'd gotten use to being called names and all that, but she still needed friends who would know how she felt deep down inside, like Jessica who Malfoy hung over because she had a funny accent, and came from Denmark. (Actually Denmark was a very nice place. After Hermione met Jessica, she asked her mother to send her some books about Denmark, and it was exiting reading.) Liza was also once being bullied, but that was only in 1st and 2nd year, because she was a little chubby. In 3td year she had lost all the superfluous kilos. She was slim now, and she was actually kind of pretty now. In her own special way.

Nicole had never been bullied. She was too pretty. Her mahogany brown hair, falling from her head and down to her waist. Her slightly curled hair waved from site to site on her back and framed her beautiful round face with her red chicks. Hermione didn't know why Ron had gotten her. Every other boy in school wanted her, but it was Ron who got in the end. If anyone ever tried to sneak in on her, that person would be beaten up by Ron. That also includes Ginny. It didn't matter how old she got, she'd still look like a sweet little girl, but boys still liked her.

It was another matter with Hermione, she didn't think of her self as pretty, but not ugly either. She thought she was okay, and liked herself as she was. Ohh, and she also liked Harry. No. Loved Harry. And he loved her, she knew it.

Hermione had forgotten hers and Harry little fight, until she came to the Great Hall. She walked smiling and happy towards the Gryffindor table, when she suddenly froze.

"Mione, why are you stopping?" asked Liza

Ginny replied: "The reason is right over there."

Ginny pointed in the same direction as Hermione looked. Hermione knew that Nicole and Jessica gasped, she knew that Ginny tried to calm her down, she knew what Liza said trying to get her attention, but she heard none of that. The only sound slipping through the icebreaking noise in her head was the sound of her hart, beating faster and faster. Her eyes saw what she didn't think was possible: A black-haired boy, with his arms wrapped around and kissing a blond-haired girl with big endless eyes.

Not many people noticed it, because the boy and the girl were sitting down on a bench at the Gryffindor table.

Time stood still for Hermione. What seemed like years was only seconds. She turned around as if in slow-motion, and split from the scene. She ran and ran till she couldn't breath, and she was only on the staircase towards Gryffindor common room. Her lungs burned and threatened to break, so she kept breathing and breathing. On the other hand her hart was broken. When she saw Harry kissing another girl she felt a sharp pain in her chest, but then she felt nothing. She thought of crying, but her eyes weren't watering. She felt absolutely nothing. If she threw herself from the stairs and landed on the floor, she wouldn't notice herself dying. No thought rushed trough her mind, only pictures of Harry the girl.

Hermione could hear someone coming up the staircase. She tried to turn and run again but was to late:

"Hermione wait!" Ginny yelled.

Hermione waited until Ginny was next to her. Then the pain she didn't feel before came rushing over her, like thunder from a blue sky. Her hart was in convulsions and she bursted into tears. Her eyes filled with water at no time, and she felt as if she cried now for all the times she had felt agony. The pain was just tripled.

Ginny hugged Hermione long and careful. She didn't know quite how Hermione felt, but she knew she should be there for her best friend. After the long and instantly crying Hermione looked up at Ginny, and asked:

"Where are the others? I mean the girls."

"They're worrying about you, but I told them to go sit by Ron and… Well you know. I didn't want the boys to know about you saw Harry and Christine. I knew you were about to cry, so I followed you to help you. I think you are ready now, to go and eat I mean," Ginny replied.

"No! I will not sit near that idiot again!" Hermione almost yelled.

"Hermione I know! But you need to eat. And Harry don't know that you saw him and Christine. You can walk calmly down and eat dinner with me and the girls."

"I will never see him again! I want our relationship to end!

"You can! If you just play it right. Come down and eat dinner. Start a conversation with Harry and then tell him that you think your relationship should end."

Hermione thought it sounded very out in space so, she didn't know how or why, but somehow the next minute she walked calm and emotionless down the stairs with Ginny under her arm, towards the Great Hall.

She and Ginny walked over to the Gryffindor table while talking, just like nothing had happened. They sat down together among the three other girls. Hermione knew they wasn't happy, but they acted fine, talking about everything and nothing like all girls do. Somewhere in the talk Liza found a way to get Harry in the conversation too. Nicole was sitting next to Hermione and gave her an elbow in between her ribs.

"Ugh.. Aw.. Umm, Harry could I talk to you outside the Great Hall, please."

Hermione looked around to see if she could find Christine, not with any luck.

"Sure, Mione. Lets go, cause I'm not done eating yet, and I want to make it before bedtime right?" Harry said with a chuckle.

Hermione felt discuss crawling up from behind her. How can he sit there and play oh so ignescent? I think I'm going to puke! But with luck, she made her voice sound amused.

"Sure Harry! It'll just be a minute."

She got up and didn't wait for Harry to follow her. When once out of the hall she stopped and waited for Harry to reach her.

"What's up, Mione? You look dead serious."

"Well, Harry that's because I am! I don't know how to put it… I just don't want to be with you any more. I don't have feelings for you any more."

Obviously that was a lie, and she didn't know were her acting skills came from. Inside she felt falling apart, but on the outside, she was firm and calm.

"What! You're joking right? Why would you leave me?"

What are jerk! Why would you leave me? Ohh that ego!

"Yes I do. I asked you to come out here, because I didn't want to humiliate you in front of your friends and admires, and certainly didn't want you make a scene! Try to understand tha…"

"Understand what? You're dumping me! I got that right! But you're thinking it would hurt me! You're wrong 'honey'! I've been thinking of the same thing in a long time now, so thank you for doing it for me!" Harry almost yelled her in her face.

"Then why didn't you?" Hermione yelled back, " instead of going behind my back, then why didn't you!"

Hermione's temper was about to explode.

"Behind you're back? What do you mean, Mione?"

"Stop calling my Mione! It sound disgusting in your mouth! And yeah I saw you and Christine kissing just before dinner!" Hermione said, and walked quickly into the hall again. It didn't seem like anyone had heard what had begun outside. She wanted her friends to leave with her, to comfort her when she began to cry. She didn't know how long she could last any more. That fucking looser! He denied it! He totally denied it! And that bitch, how could she do that to me!

Halfway there she felt a hand grapping her arm right on the bruise. Aaaawww…she thought, but she didn't make a sound. Hermione span around to face the one holding her arm: Harry, of cause.

"Hermione," Harry sounded almost sorry and grieving, "I didn't want you to find out this way, but I don't love you any more. I haven't for a long time. I hope you understand?"

"What?" Hermione couldn't believe it. She haven't noticed, "What the fuck! You're a bastard! Why, Harry, Why don't you like me any more? I thought you liked me enough to be true and honest to me"

"I hardly know you any more. Once, you didn't want anyone to mess around with you, but now you have changed so much. You're so predictable. Nothing you ever do surprises anyone. You eat, you read, you sleep, over and over again. For Merlin's sake Hermione, you don't give me enough challenge. The one I loved is gone."

Hermione's jaw dropped and she was surprised. Had she gotten a little helpless girl of being Harry's girlfriend? Her mind was full of things and thought. I don't want to be predictable. I want to protect myself, and take care of my self!

"Well, Harry, you think I'm predictable? Then I wont be anymore, and I'm going to start with this:"

She pulled Harry close to her, and gave him a deep and emotional kiss. The one she had left For Harry. The last kiss on his lips were placed and she let him go. Harry was very surprised. He just looked after Hermione when she walked towards one of the house-tables in the hall. To his surprise it was the Slytherin table. Not only Harry's eyes followed Hermione. Many heads in the Great Hall faced Hermione.

She stopped halfway in the table and said:

"Malfoy."

It didn't seem he'd noticed her coming, cause he faced her with a question mark in his eyes.

"Granger the Mudbl…"

He didn't get to say any more when Hermione took his head in her hands and placed her lips on his. Her soul felt his breath, and his soft lips touch something deep down inside of her.

She had not thought it through, cause when she pulled away and opened her eyes, she saw Malfoy's open his eyes too. In a second they looked like they begged for more, but then it changed. The familiar look she now saw was permeated with hate, and yet something different was to read in his eyes. Something desirable, and yearning.

Hermione let go of his head and turned around, and started running as fast as she could. She knew if she wasn't gone at once, Malfoy would get her, and hurt her very, very much. She heard someone running in the Great Hall, and yelling after her:

"Hermione wait, stop, Mione," it was Nicole, "No, don't stop, Mione!"

She knew that Malfoy was after her, but she also heard:

"Ginny, take Malfoy, I'll help you!"

"Ugh.. What the bloody hell. Let go of me Ginny Weasel…"

Hermione didn't hear anymore, she was too far away, and there was no way she was going to stop. She took the stairs in two and two, and even though she couldn't breath, she didn't stop before she was in her bedroom, safe, and very sorry she had done that, and then again, was she?

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! More chapters to come of course. I've spent a lot of time writing and editing this, so if you could drop a review it would be greatly, GREATLY…. :D