Chapter 4

Detachment

"He's gone missing? How?" Mr. Weasley looked highly distraught as Harry began to tell him and the rest of the Weasleys what had happened.

"Why would Ron do that though?" George asked, "Ron's usually pretty good at keeping his emotions in check."

Ginny was staring at Harry, waiting for him to answer. When he hesitated slightly, she stepped forward.

"Ron was upset at you, wasn't he, Harry? He'd seen you and Hermione right before leaving, am I right?"

Harry nodded.

"But…but why was Ron upset?" Mrs. Weasley asked confusedly.

"It was because he found out that Hermione had been cheating on him with Harry for around a year." Ginny said coldly.

Harry closed his eyes, inwardly cursing, as the Weasleys turned, horrorstruck to look at him.

"Harry, is…is this the truth?" Mr. Weasley asked.

Harry nodded.

"Oh." Mrs. Weasley said, bursting into tears, "My poor little boy…OH, Harry, what have you done?" She sobbed.

Harry sighed deeply and took a step forward to try to comfort her, but Charlie stepped in front of him.

"You need to leave." He said grimly. "Now."

Harry opened his mouth to protest, and found his eyes searching for Ginny amid the chaos.

He found her, staring expressionlessly back at him, and was shocked to see a slight gleam of triumph in her eyes.

He looked back at Charlie as he started to get closer and Apparated.

o-------------------------------------------------------o

Hermione was waiting for him.

"How was it?" She asked breathlessly, as Harry popped into the living room.

"Fantastic." Harry said angrily, "Ginny went and bloody told them before I could say a word, and Mrs. Weasley went completely hysterical, and I nearly had to fight off Charlie. It went bloody fantastic, 'Mione."

Hermione looked hurt at Harry's tone of voice, and he seemed to relent a little.

"I'm sorry, 'Mione. I don't mean to snap at you, but this whole situation has just has me annoyed. I feel useless, sitting around not being able to try and find him, or do anything."

Hermione watched him pace silently for a moment or so.

"Wearing a hole in your floor won't solve much," She said and sat down on the sofa, "Sit down."

Harry sat down grudgingly.

"What's really, truly, bothering you?" Hermione asked softly.

Harry sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"I feel like the world's biggest prat…just like he wanted me to. I kissed you, right in front of him…that's like going out and getting a big sign and putting it right in his face. He's my—was my…best mate and I did the unthinkable to him."

"We both did, Harry." Hermione protested, "We both did. I don't regret it…I mean…I regret how he found out…but I don't regret it, and…and I really hope you don't either."

Harry smiled slightly.

"Of course not. I told you, I love you, 'Mione. I—it's like Andy said…and" Harry paused, "Wait. Where is Andy?"

"Oh." Hermione looked uncomfortable. "She went out."

"Where? Andrea doesn't know anyone around here."

"Well…actually…Oliver stopped by a bit ago, and seemed to take a fancy to her and sort of…asked her out."

Harry looked vaguely surprised for a moment.

"Oliver Wood?"

"The one and the same. He had some kind of papers to drop off to you, he said, but he told me he would come back later, and I certainly suppose he will."

"Oh-ho. Poor Oliver…Andrea's a pistol…" Harry smiled genuinely for the first time that night.

Hermione laughed.

"I think he can handle her."

"Nah. He'll say one little thing wrong, and Andy will go off. It's rather entertaining to watch, actually."

Hermione looked disapproving.

"She seems very nice." She said.

"You two talked a lot, then, I take it?" Harry asked, playing with Hermione's hair.

"A bit. She—I asked her to tell me about America."

"Oh?" Harry asked.

"Yes…mainly about…well, she told me a lot about you."

Harry tensed a little, but kept his face otherwise impassive.

"What did she say?"

"She…she said you had trouble controlling your…your magic…" Hermione trailed off.

Harry nodded.

"I did. Letters from you lot seemed to set it off particularly. I stopped opening them, and I was fine."

Hermione looked apprehensive.

"Yes, that's what she said…I always did wonder why they came back unopened all of a sudden. And—and she mentioned that…well she said she was a Squash Muffin actually." Hermione said frowning a bit.

Harry laughed.

"Yeah…Andy's got a bit of trouble with the terms. She's a Squib, by the way, but I suppose you know this. Go, on, I'm interested, what else did you learn?"

"Well, she seemed surprised to learn that…about you and Voldemort."

Harry closed his eyes briefly.

"Ah…she knows, then, I take it?"

Hermione nodded nervously.

"It just slipped out, Harry, I promise."

"It's alright." Harry said, "I didn't bother telling her because it was one era of my life I was trying to forget while I was in America."

"She…said that I was something you were trying to forget as well."

"You were. I tried so hard to forget you. It was only natural that Andrea would have noticed that there was one memory in particular that seemed to set of my magic. Once I made the…I think it was the stove…blow up in my sleep, she made me tell her what was wrong. She's quite persuasive when the time calls for it."

Hermione smiled.

"That's all she told me." She said.

"There's nothing more to know." Harry said.

"I—you're sure?" Hermione asked.

"Positive. There's nothing else." He said firmly.

Hermione nodded, noting clearly that Harry wanted to move to a different subject.

"So…d'you…d'you think that we're most definitely banned from the Weasley house?" Hermione asked.

Harry snorted.

"Oh most definitely. We'd better guard ourselves against some of the brothers' untamed anger, as well…"

Hermione looked nervous.

"It's worth it, though, you know? Being with you…it's all worth it." Harry said softly.

Hermione nodded.

"So I've been told."

o-------------------------------------------------------o

When Andrea made her way into Harry's apartment later that night, she was not altogether surprised to find that Hermione had stayed.

She was, however, surprised to find Harry sitting alone, awake, in the kitchen.

"What're you doing up?" She asked.

Harry jumped a little, and his hand flew to his pocket, but he relaxed when he saw who it was.

"I can't sleep too great." He said, "Guilt, you know? That's my sleep killer these days."

Andrea nodded, and sat down on a stool.

"So how was the date?" Harry asked, grinning.

Andrea groaned.

"Oh, awful. I made a fool of myself, Harry!"

Harry looked interested.

"How?"

"Well…we were getting along great, right, and we're walking around that Dragon Alley place, and he asks me if I wanted to learn how to ride his broomstick."

Harry nodded.

Andrea looked uncomfortable.

"I…I freaked out a bit…I thought he meant…you know…"

Harry burst out laughing.

"What—what did you do?" He gasped.

"Well…I sort of punched him a bit." Andrea said ruefully.

Harry snorted.

"Go on."

"He got really upset, once he figured out what I thought he'd meant."

Harry grinned.

"He said, 'Jeez Andy, get your mind out of the gutter!' I felt terrible!"

Harry roared with laughter.

"You're priceless, Andy, really you are."

Andrea smiled.

"Yes, well, all in all, the date was a complete catastrophe, but we get the chance to make it up this Saturday."

Harry looked impressed.

"You're actually going to see him again?"

"Yes. He's nice." Andrea said.

Harry grinned.

"I'm impressed. Andrea Hale going out with a bloke twice. It must be a record."

"Oh shut up, Harry. I'm not the only one with relationship problems."

Harry's face darkened a bit.

"Yes, well, let's hope you don't make quite as big of a mess of yours."

Andrea smiled slightly.

"Hmm…that'll be tricky…I might start to fancy you and then poor Oliver will feel so betrayed that he won't hit you at all." Andrea said sarcastically.

"You understand what he did, right?" Harry asked bitterly, "He made it so that I won't be able to forgive myself…and I can't. What I did to him was absolutely despicable. It was cowardly and underhanded…I should have just gone to him and told him how we felt."

"Yes, well, I think you're being a bit too harsh on yourself on this one." Andrea said, her tone steady.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked warily.

"Well…Harry…you say 'I won't be able to forgive myself…what I did was despicable…I should have just gone to him.' I think that you don't fully realize that this really isn't your fault. It's no one's fault at all, in my way of thinking. You and Hermione constantly had to dance around situations that were never appropriate to tell Ron and Ginny what was going on, even if you had wanted to. Really and truly, the problem was timing. Time hates you."

Harry stared at Andrea, completely gob smacked.

"And furthermore, and I know that everyone, including Hermione has told you this, if anyone did have to be blamed, it would be you and Hermione who took the fall. You don't want her to, which is why you're pulling the whole it was on me thing, but it's the truth. You both did what you did, and you both are going through the consequences. D'you think Hermione's sleeping peacefully right now? No." Andrea answered herself before Harry could speak, "No, she's not. She's not going to sleep peacefully until Ron and Ginny forgive you both, and neither are you, which means that the two of you are in for lots of sleepless nights."

"Great." Harry said.

Andrea sighed.

"Harry, come on, really, you don't need to let this whole thing with Ron bother you this much. Any other guy wouldn't have a problem with him not getting a good punch in, but you do!"

Harry sighed.

"I know, I know, it's the stupid "hero complex" crap."

"That's what I love about you, you know that, right?"

Andrea and Harry turned to look at Hermione, who had been standing in the doorway.

"'Mione…what're you doing awake?" Harry asked.

"I saw you leave, but I thought maybe you wanted to be alone." She said timidly.

"Right, well, I'm tired, so…thanks for the pep talk, Harry. I'll see you in the morning…oh…on second thought…a few hours."

Andrea headed off sleepily to her room.

Harry patted the stool next to him and Hermione came and sat down.

"D'you think he's okay?" she asked.

"Ron?" Harry asked.

She nodded.

He sighed, and put his arms around her until her head was on his shoulder.

"I think he will be. He's got some of the best Aurors looking for him, and the captain doesn't mess around when its one of his guys out there."

Hermione nodded.

"I'd just feel a lot better if he was here. Even if he doesn't want to see us when he…if he…gets back…I just want him to be back."

Harry rubbed her back slowly.

"I know, sweetheart, and he will be. I promise."

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"I wish I could go and see Mrs. Weasley…I feel terrible. She's got to be hurting so badly, and I can't give her any comfort at all…not that she'd take it right now."

"That's worrying you as well, isn't it?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded.

"Listen, it's going to take some time, but we'll all be fine again, sometime soon. The worst's over with, at any rate…and we aren't hiding anymore."

Hermione smiled sleepily.

"You always take such good care of me…you know that? I…love…you…."

She was asleep.

Harry took her back to his bedroom.

He laid her down on the bed and kissed her forehead softly, watching her sleep.

"I love you, too." He whispered.

He didn't know it, but that was their first time saying those three words, and she'd heard every one.

o-------------------------------------------------------o

A/N: Awww. Kind of mushy, huh? Yes, well, I hope you like it, because this is a very um "soppy" story. They're going to act all cutesy and sweet, but it is going to become darker…mwahaha…

Ok, on to honoring the nice and lovely people who reviewed:

Tohrment: Haha, you're in another A/N. Go you! I'm really glad you think the story's interesting!

The Gryffindor Drummer: Well. There was the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed!

Lique9: Hunh. WELL don't you feel special...I used your idea! Jk, I loved it!!

To anyone I forgot to put up...PLEASE tell me (in a review), and i'm SO sorry!