Author's Note: Sorry for not posting in a while, I haven't been feeling too well and I couldn't get on the computer yesterday. I switched to a different POV (point of view) for a small bit of it, so I hope you don't get confused!
Thank you for all the positive reviews it means a lot. But, also, please don't feel you have to write it was good if it wasn't. Pile in the constructive criticism if you need to! I love yall so much. Keep reviewing!
Anyway, here is the chapter! Enjoy!
Hermione's mouth dropped open, and this time she didn't close it for politeness. All she could think of was: How, how could he possibly love me? She just liked him. Not love. How could she tell him? She liked him. Not in any way did she love him!
"I-I-I … um…" She whipped around and ran as fast as she could away, never looking back. She dodged past Ron and Harry ignoring Ron's: "Oh, hey!" She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Everyone was staring at her. She felt they were. She doesn't love Neville! You DO! Urged a voice inside her head. "I DON'T!" she screamed aloud. Boy, how she hated that voice in her mind. She didn't care that everyone was gaping at her. Pointing. Laughing. Backing away.
She had a lot more to worry about than people staring at her.
She didn't once stop on her way back to her dormitory. She barged her way roughly past the students. Why she was going up to her dormitory, she didn't know. Anything to avoid Neville. To avoid everything and everyone.
Nothing made sense. She knew she didn't love Neville. There was a reason though. A reason that was unknown.
She ran up the stairs and collapsed onto the bed. She buried her head in her pillow, inhaling the sweet scent of lavender. The smell she put on her pillow every night to send her to sleep, with a pleasant scent to fill her thoughts. She wished to be asleep and in one of her dreams, with no worries. But, here she was in real life, with Neville Longbottom having just confessed his love for her. She didn't love him back though, that was the thing. How horrible that must be. Loving someone and they don't love you back. Why did Neville suddenly love her anyway? Well, he did say he liked her since the train journey to Hogwarts in first year. How she could have never noticed this all these years was beyond her.
How could Hermione do that? Neville was sure she liked him. Even loved him perhaps. Just…not as much as he did. He wiped away the tear that began to roll down his cheek. A beautiful girl like her probably wouldn't like a guy like him, anyway. He was dorky, clumsy, and not handsome whatsoever. Yet Hermione, she was flawless. Those perfect waves in her hair, eyes, face.
Just perfect. Nothing would ever change that. Neville just hoped that whatever guy was lucky enough to get her would treat her right.
Hermione woke up hearing a shriek. She sat up and looked around, to see where it came from. Then it came to her. It was her shriek. She shivered as she remembered the dreams she had that night. An Avada Kedavra curse cast on Neville. A Crucio curse cast on Neville. Neville never existing. Finding him dead. She shook her head to destroy the thoughts. The rest of the night was filled with disturbing, Neville-filled dreams.
The next morning Harry awaked her. He was standing over her bed, a stressed look on his face. "Ew, Harry get out of the girls dormitory! What are you doing here?"
"Come to the hospital wing! Ron's really badly hurt!" Hermione looked at him like he had ten eyes. Was she hearing things right?
"What?"
"No time for questions just come with me!" He dragged her out of bed and lifted her up and ran.
When they arrived at the hospital wing, the Weasley family were gathered around a bed. Hermione craned her neck to see over their heads. Ginny saw her and ran over. "Oh, Hermione! Ron's not well. Apparently, he was struck by a crucio curse. He came incredibly close to death… a few seconds longer he would have been…" she gulped. "Dead. They don't even know whether magic will save him! He's could go mental!" She hugged Hermione tightly and cried. Ginny told her that Ron had just gone out and then someone found him, and now he was here in the hospital wing. Hermione looked at her. "He's a fighter. He'll get through this." She turned to Madame Pomfry. "Who did it? Who cast the curse? How could they do this to him? I swear when I find out-"
"We don't know. Nobody does. He said he was going out for a walk and Harry found him a while later, on the road to Hogsmede. He caught a vague glance at the 'caster' undo the spell. They then faded. It would have been impossible for anyone to see who the caster was. I'm so sorry. No one knows."
"Well find out!" she screamed at Madame Pomfry. "Just fix him! Work your magic!"
She walked over, the Weasleys making an automatic gap for her to see Ron. They walked out, letting Hermione see Ron alone. Harry told her he already had time alone with him, and walked out.
Ron was unconscious. He was as pale as a ghost. She held his hand. She realised he could have been dead. Dead. Life without Ron would be…boring. Boring and meaningless. He made everything fun. Tears were threatening to appear. Who cares if they did? They rolled down her face and she whimpered like a puppy. Ron could die! Or go mental. She thought about Neville's parents and how Ron could turn out like that. She burst out crying.
"Ron, I don't know if you can hear me. I'm going to talk anyway. It's Hermione. I'm really sorry about what happened to you. Just to let you know I am really upset. So is everyone else. You are the best friend ever. I know we fight sometimes but all friends do!" She sniffled. She wished he would wake up. She whispered for him to. Please…
Suddenly, something struck her. It made her wobble with shock. She knew it was true. This time she didn't fight the thought. She knew it. This was the reason she rejected Neville. She felt this way all along – how could she never have realised it? She was so confident about her feelings she didn't hesitate to tell him, whether he could hear her or not.
"Ron. I am being serious. I'm pretty shocked I thought this but… I love you. And I am sure of it."
A/N: Wooh! Chapter 7! It took long enough to get up. And I'm sorry, I don't know if what happened to Ron would actually be possible(I know the him going mental part could happen, although I don't know about the death part). I searched on the internet to find out if this death thing could really happen and I couldn't find anything. I decided it doesn't matter if it couldn't happen. I mean it hardly has to be exactly like the book. So, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review! It helps me out! :)
