An hour after we had gotten back from Italy, I was sitting in my flat sifting through all the mail and owls, which Harry had owled over (being redirected to him).

I was flicking through the Evening Prophet when a small article near the back caught my eye.

Filling up my empty days with red wine
Wonder what you think of me?
Lying in the grass alone and wasted
Nothing's how it used to be

I wanna be the first to call and tell you
Yesterday I heard the news
I hear you oughta be congratulated
So I guess that's what I'll do

GREENGRASS-ZABINI WEDDING!

It has been confirmed- during a romantic dinner in Majorca, Blaise Zabini, business mogul and Healer proposed to his lovely girlfriend, Daphne Greengrass, Head Scribe of the Wizengamot.

The two were acquainted as childhood friends; then Hogwarts schoolmates, both Sorted into the Slytherin House.

We wish them all the happiness in the world!

I felt faint; I immediately sat down and clutched my cup of tea.

"Oh Merlin," I said quietly.

Now I'll never have a chance with him. Not now that he's getting married.

I'm so happy for you
I could cry
Yeah, I'm so elated
Cross my heart and hope to die
I don't think about you every night
Before I close my eyes
I'm so happy for you baby,
I could cry.

I started to cry with my head on my arms, resting on the table. My heart felt like it was about to explode. I was crying so hard, I didn't notice Harry Apparate in to check if I got the owls. He wrapped his arms around me. "Shh, Hermione," he said quietly, rubbing my back as I cried onto his shoulder. "Harry, it hurts. Make it go away," I wailed like a little girl.

"You're stronger than this, I know. You have the heart to get past whatever this is," he said comfortingly.

Listen to the sound of my head pounding
Wish that it was make-believe
Praying for the skies to open up and
Wash away your memory

I can walk around with a pretty face on
Even when I'm black and blue
What's the point in telling everybody
I'm not over you.

"But Harry, my heart got crushed."

He looked at me, shocked.

"What are you talking about?"

We sat down in my living room, and I told him about everything concerning Blaise.

I'm so happy for you
I could cry
Yeah, I'm so elated
Cross my heart and hope to die
I don't think about you every night
Before I close my eyes
I'm so happy for you baby,
I could cry.

For a while, he didn't know what to say. He paced around and around my living room over and over, making me grit my teeth. There was this awful silence that seemed to go on forever. I felt like the kid who had been sent to the principal in Muggle schools for some misdemeanor. I decided to break the silence.

Cry about the love we used to have
Cry that I won't ever get you back

"I'm sorry for not telling you, and for liking him when you don't," I said quietly.

Filling up my empty days with red wine
Wonder what you think of me?

"Hermione, love isn't something to be sorry about," he said, sitting down again and pulling me into his arms. He tipped my chin upwards. "Look at me- you can't help who you love. Sure, it's very bizarre that you fell for him, but what could you do? You see something special in him, and I'll accept that. But you'll have to move on, because it looks like he did," he finished.

I started to cry again.

"Oh, Hermione," Harry sighed. "Looks like we'll have to get comfortable, because I'm not moving from here until I make sure you're going to be okay."

I'm so happy for you
I could cry
Yeah, I'm so elated
Cross my heart and hope to die
I'm so happy for you
So, so happy for you
I don't think about you every night
Before I close my eyes
I'm so happy for you baby,
I could cry.

--

For the next week all I did was throw myself into work to keep myself busy. I would come extremely early and leave very late. I wouldn't even eat dinner anymore- I would just come home and go straight to bed.

Weeks turned into a month; finally Harry and Ron intervened.

"Hermione, you have got to stop that angsty phase-"

"What angsty phase?"

"The one you're going through. Harry said it was all your built-up angst which you are now releasing, since you're 20, having finished teenage years-"

I felt like laughing. Harry, that was simply ridiculous. I knew he didn't tell Ron because he would feel I dumped him for Blaise- which I suppose I did.

"So what if I feel angsty?" I said in a 'don't-bother-me' voice, just to see what he would say.

"Well, if you get angsty, you look that way and your face will stick. And you'll be even more stressed-"

"Will you quit it with the you you you? I feel like you guys are singling me out, and it's pissing."

"Well, we're worried Hermione. We hope you're okay, and if you're not, we can cook you anything.. Well Harry can, not me- Ow!"

I let out a giggle.

"Did you hear that Ron? A giggle!"

I shook my head and opened my locked door.

They immediately hugged me and then attacked me with tickles. I shrieked and we all fell down on the floor, laughing.

After a while of chasing each other to tickle down, we were lying down on my bed, staring at all the glow-in-the-dark stars I stuck up as constellations on the ceiling.

"Happy now? I'm happy now, completely angst-free," I said, showing them a huge toothy grin.

They cracked up. "Yes, very happy," Ron gasped.

"But there is one thing you haven't done yet that will make us very happy," Harry added.

"And that is?"

"Well.."

"What is it?"

"You might not like it."

"We wouldn't know unless you tell me."

"Remember for your birthday, we didn't get you anything?"

"It doesn't matter boys, just leave it."

"We want to take you out."

"Where?"

"…………A Muggle shopping mall?"

For a second I gaped at them.

"You've got to be kidding me, right?"

They just looked at me, as if to say, 'Why would we?'

"But.. why?"

"Well, we.. we thought you could start dressing up like a woman, not a soccer mom."

"Why? Just how do I dress??" I asked defiantly. I stood up and crossed my arms.

Ron went over to my wardrobe and opened it.

"I can't count how many pairs of jeans you have on my fingers and toes," he said, shrugging.

I made a 'pfft!' sound; Harry looked slightly amused.

"Plus, you have shirts.. shirts.. and even more shirts. Oh, and too many jackets."

"What's the matter with that?"

"Well, we just thought that now you're working and getting to spend your own money, you should at least pick clothes that make you feel good, not comfortable like pajamas."

"It's casual wear, I like it and comfort is key to me," I retorted.

"Yes, but still Hermione, there should be clothes out there that are sexy and comfortable," Harry admonished.

"Since when did you two think I was a girl?" I laughed.

"Since fourth year," Ron grinned. I whacked him over the head with a pillow, smirking.

"Well, what do you say?" Ron asked, getting up from the floor.

I sighed.

"Since you two made all this effort for me to realize that yes, I should be dressing like I'm twenty, yes we will go on a shopping trip. Oh, and did you two know that you were pushing it to the point of sounding gay?" I said with a hardly straight face.

The two boys whooped, realized what I just said and yelped and started attacking me with tickles again.

I swear these two are psycho.

I love them anyway.

--

I'm feeling better now!! Or maybe it's because I'm not eating..?? The only food I had today was chicken rice soup and two M&Ms. My life is sad- it's only been a day and I'm already wasting away!! Wahahaha!!XD And right now I have this craving for applesauce, grr..

Reviews, which I love as much as.. my laptop!!:D

Un Petit Diable: Wahaha, and I thought you didn't like how the story was progressing, haha!!XD Well as idiot Weverling put it, it doesn't matter how it happened as long as it happened. But don't think too much about it, it'll just come up again laterXD

Padfoot's Sidekick: Wahaha okay then:P

Cande-dhrmspotter: Ahhhhh interesting..:P He's in the next chapter, and his reaction??:? Pretty brash- wrinkles nose.. Oh these two- when will they ever get together?? Wahahaha :) Oh, I'm feeling better now, but maybe that's because I'm not eating. I swear, stomach flu is a killerXD

Little Flower Princess: Ahh no- Draco has a purpose, but it's still Blaise, hehXD Although Blaise is pretty messed up in the head- shrugs..:P Ron's dating Lavender again:D

EtoileQuiRit: Oh that's soo cool!!:P I didn't put much in about it because I don't know anything about the place, but the research I did made me want to go to Italy, hahahaXD We-ell.. he's going to stir up some trouble, but it's still HrB, don't worry:P And the stairs thing???:P I can't say anymoooore!!TT

ScaryStar: Well, not now but..XD Can't say anymoreeeeeee!!TT

Please don't forget to review after reading!! Thanks!!:D