Exams started almost instantly. Not like other excited classmates, Hermione felt relieved. At lease now she could have something else to think about, and forget the pain for a while.
"How was it?" Ron asked, frowning.
"AW!" Harry shouted and turned to look at who had pushed him accidentally.
"Sorry," Seamus shouted, then ran nervously down the stairs to the library. He had to prepare for the next exam - Herbology.
"Bad," Harry replied. They'd just finished History. Harry wondered if he'd written that there were constant werewolf pack's attack in Hogsmeade in 1908 or 1809..
"I was only good at the Quidditch history part," Ron sighed, "Others, blah!"
"Not I," Hermione muttered.
"HUH?" Ron gasped, "You're just telling me you're good at all of it, aren't you?"
"No, I was bad at all of it after the 10th question." Hermione grumbled and walked quickly heading for the library.
"But there were only 12 questions!!" Ron shouted after her.
"10th question," Parvati repeated.
"What?" Harry asked.
Parvati recalled the exam papers' content, and said, "It's just that...the 10th question was 'Who invented Quidditch and when was it invented? Please also write in paragraph form HOW was it invented.'"
"So?" Ron asked, still not getting the point.
Harry understood. Hermione must have got stuck at the word 'Quidditch'. It reminded her of Oliver. Hermione walked head down to the library. She wiped a trickle of tear off her cheek, and told herself she mustn't cry anymore. She must study hard and forget it.
Turning a corner without looking, she bumped into a guy a lot taller than she was. Hermione fell to the marble floor, her books flying everywhere. For a second, she thought it was Oliver.
"Oi! What do you think you're doing...Mudblood?" Malfoy gasped as he straightened his cloak.
"I know I'm a muggle-born, stop reminding me you call me a mudblood all the time!" Hermione screamed at him and tried to stand up. But tripped again and dropped to the floor. She felt like bursting into tears. And she did.
"Hey! What the...?" Malfoy was confused; he had always called her mudblood, why was she crying now?
He had a soft point on girls' tears. He leaned down to help her up, but then stopped at the point. Why should he help a mudblood or pity her?
"I don't know what you're crying about, but you know what I hate about you Granger?" Malfoy questioned boastfully over her head.
Hermione sniffed and looked up, tears slipping down her soft cheeks, "What."
"Is that you don't have proud for your kind, Mudblood," he said, his serious eyes locked on hers.
Hermione gapped her mouth, not knowing what to say. Malfoy sighed and walked away.
From behind her back, Hermione heard Malfoy said, "you have to respect it yourself to ask others to respect it too, Granger." Confused with what happened, Hermione started to think the meaning of Malfoy's words.
He was right; maybe she really hadn't respect muggles as much as she should. After all, she was a muggle-born and her parents were muggles. If she didn't want people like Malfoy to look down on her, then she'll have to respect her kind herself.
She'd had always felt sad that she was a muggle born, did Malfoy noticed this from the beginning? Maybe he did, that's why he hated her so much. Malfoy did pick on other muggle-born students too, but she was special. He ALWAYS picked on her.
Deep in her thoughts, Hermione turned another corner and came to another staircase. She stopped as she saw who was coming towards her -- Oliver and his friends. Ray elbowed Oliver, who seemed to be in a trance. Oliver came to his sense and looked up at Hermione, his eyes blinked.
Hermione tightened up her lips; she'd have to walk down the stairs anyhow. Feeling worse, she stepped down the stairs. Oliver stepped up the marble stairs too, yet his friends stood at where they were as if they were watching a show. Hermione looked up at him, he did the same. They both smiled weakly.
Hermione saw the blank eyes again. Unbearable, she thought bitterly as she looked away from his gaze. She sped down the stairs hoping to get to the library as quickly as she could.
"That's all?" Landon, Oliver's friend, asked disappointedly to no one in particular, behind her.
She felt hurt, not only because now that she couldn't even face Oliver like before, but also because she understood that everyone around her were only seeing this as a show.
They wanted drama; they wanted something exciting... like a fight, like a quarrel kicking up a terrific row. When had people around her become so black-hearted? Where had all the innocence and kindness disappeared to? This ain't any drama, it's for real. She tried to study, she tried to memorize the points she'd written out in her notebooks. But the words slipped out of her mind before she could stop them. Then suddenly, she saw the word "Olive" in the ingredients of laughing potions, she almost cried out.
"Herm?" Parvati asked with concern as she stepped over to Hermione's desk from hers.
"Oh, sorry Parvati, nothing," Hermione replied as she wiped a tear and buried her head into her notes and her books.
Parvati went back to her studies with a sigh.
"Why did this happen to me?" Hermione thought.
Oliver wasn't like that in the beginning; he was nice and honest, funny and a sports-fool. When did he change? Or was it a change? Was he like that since the beginning? Hermione had noticed things were wrong since Oliver came back from his O.W.L.S. Did he changed then?
She could still remember how frightened and anxious she was when she saw Oliver chatting away happily with Connie. She could still recall how she hated herself for not picking up the courage to walk over and pull Oliver away from her. But she couldn't act as bitchy as Connie could...
That night, Hermione rolled impatiently in her bed, not an angle felt comfortable enough for her. At last, she stopped lying sideways; the incident that day was seared in her mind. Oliver's eyes came into view once again, what was he thinking? Was he as sad as she was? Was he...lonely like she was?
She recalled Oliver walking with his friends dreamily, seemed to be thinking of something, yet also seemed to be thinking of nothing. A tear rolled off her cheeks again, when had she started to be this dependant? She wondered why those who fell in love felt so lonely, so sad. When our lovers left us or didn't accept our love, why do we feel so hollow? Why? We have families, and we have friends, why do we rive for this particular 'love' so much?
There was no answer to it, it was sad, but all Hermione could say to herself, was that she had no choice, because she loved him.
I never thought that saying 'I give up'
Would make me cry
I never thought that when I lost you
My heart would bring to a stop
Then I wailed and I cried
Losing all thoughts and all sights...
It turned out that giving up
Meant less than to continue
It turned out that leaving you
Meant less than to stay with you
Seeing you in front of me
I feel lost
But when I don't...
I feel an aching void in my heart...
"How's Hermione?" Ron asked as he stumped himself into the sofa.
"Worst, I've never seen her as depressed as this," Parvati sighed as she sat
down beside him and Harry.
"Yeah, even when she had a fight with you or lost contact with her pen friend,
OR been accused by Malfoy. At least she wouldn't have shut herself up there
and not tell me anything," Harry said to Ron.
"She didn't tell you anything?" Parvati gasped, raising her eyebrows.
They all knew that Harry was the closest to Hermione in the three.
"I tried to comfort her, and told her to let her feelings out...but all she did was
cry," Harry replied with a grunt. Well, it wasn't all true.
Harry had always opened his whole heart to let her tell him everything and
ease her pain. But this time, all he could do was to stay silent and hope she'd
stop crying. He didn't give any advice he could have gave her. He had been
selfish. He wished she wouldn't be sad, he wished she would forget Oliver,
which was true. But the reason wasn't because he wanted Hermione to
be happy. He didn't want her to be upset because of Oliver, BECAUSE OF
OLIVER. But how could he help it? He couldn't deny it anymore, he loved Hermione.
He wanted more than being best friends with her; he wanted to be the most
important person in her life. He... he wanted her to cry for him..
"Shut up, you selfish fool!" Harry thought, in the same time slipping the
words out of his lips, almost shouting.
Ron and Parvati jumped.
"What fool?" Ron asked with surprise.
"Oh!" Harry blushed at his mistake,
"nothing, sorry I was speaking to myself.?
Ron looked confused; he slumped back into the sofa and muttered nonsense.
Parvati grinned secretly, she knew. She was an acute observer, especially
when it came to relationship, she could read one's mind. Yet she was sorry
for Harry, she felt he was like her, the Parvati Patil a year ago, when Ron was
in love with Hermione. She wondered why Hermione can be so dull-witted in
love-relationship when she had such high grades in class. "Don't give in to him," Lavender warned Hermione.
Hermione gulped and turned to Parvati, "Parvati?"
"I agree," Parvati replied as she did stretch.
They were going to have exams on flying broomsticks. Boys were first, so
girls were waiting, doing stretch on the grass.
"You miss him already?" Lavender asked.
Hermione didn't nod.
Parvati's twin sister in Ravenclaw, Padma warned, "Just remember this; I
have too much experience..."
Lavender giggled.
"Stop it, Brown!" she shrieked, "Men are all the same; do NOT ever go back
to them. They will think you've forgiven them and wouldn't take the chance
you gave them. They'll just get WORSE. Find another or never find one.
They're all the same."
Hermione looked down, feeling worse. So that's it? There was no turning back.
She felt stupid of even thinking of taking back what she said to Oliver.
"Don't mind her; she's just broken up with her ex-bf. Not all men are the
same," Parvati comforted her. Padma grunted.
"Remember, you are innocent. HE is the dirty one," Lavender stated seriously,
"don't get too hard on you're self." Exams finished, the summer was coming rapidly. All the students were
shouting with joy, the holidays were speeding through. Even Hermione was
glad; at least she can stay away from the school and leave all things which
might recall her memories with Oliver, which represented the whole school
building and land beyond.
She had noticed how little she had been with Oliver, she hadn't talked to him
much since the new school year had started. Yet those corners, those rooms,
those sofas, and those grasslands...places where she had only seen or
maybe even talked to him made her remember a lot of the happy times, and
the sad ones too. Getting on the Hogwarts Express was the hardest thing for her, she had to sit in a cabinet for
a whole trip, a cabinet identical to the one
she had been hugged by Oliver for the first time two years ago when she
first came to Hogwarts.
'For God's sakes, you haven't even really started with him,' Hermione shook
her head and sat down in a cabinet on her own. Harry, Ron and Parvati were
still on the platform saying goodbye to Hagrid.
'Did we start ever?' Good question, 'Sure, we kissed. THAT may be a sign of
being lovers. But did we really spare time for each other? Oh yeah.'
She tried, she swears she tried. She used many of her time to watch him playing
Quidditch and training his team members. But did he ever spend his time on
her? She knew the answer. Did be really care her existence? Sometimes,
when he had his time and remembers her. Was he truthful to her? Hermione
sighed, "Huh."
Fed up, she was really fed up with him. Maybe Padma was right --- 'men are all
the same.' It better'd be, or Hermione would think of turning back again.
Her three friends came in; Hermione sorted out her feelings and decided to
think less about Oliver. She still had a long life beyond. Even if Padma was wrong,
Oliver wasn't the only guy around.
"How's home?" George Granger asked his brown-haired daughter with a warm
smile. The two of them walked into a green-roofed house on 1320 Greens?
Road in Haden City - their 'home sweet home'.
"It's great, dad," Hermione replied with a big hug for her dad.
"Hermione Granger!!" Mrs. Granger shouted out with joy as she embraced her daughter.
Hermione sighed with a big smile.
She was so relieved to be home at last. She didn't need to be afraid she might meet Oliver or his friends at home. Only just now, she found out that Oliver's friend, Davis Landon lived around the corner - he was half-muggle. She was sure she wouldn't meet Oliver though; he lived in another world, the magical world.
Then she imaged her slapping herself, "Stupid girl! There's nothing to be afraid! You did nothing wrong, for conscience's sake!"
"Let's go out and do some shopping, or do you want to stay at home and watch some TV?" Mrs. Granger asked, pulling Hermione back to reality.
Hermione thought for a while, the thought of meeting Oliver came into mind again, but then, she remembered her slap.
"Let's go shopping!" Hermione suggested with glee.
Mr. and Mrs. Granger smiled. They got their only daughter back for summer at last.
"Mom, I want to see the book store!" Hermione wined.
"Wait, I want to see if THIS blouse is cheaper or not first..." Mrs. Granger replied, picking up a violet silk-made blouse. She was already holding an armful of clothes.
"Grr... Mom! I can't wait; I will be at W.B.W., so see you later!" Hermione shouted behind her back as she ran out of the shop before her mom can stop her.
Hermione walked into Willy's Book Worm's Store and stopped at a bookcase full of books about magic. She pulled out a book, 'Myths about Witches by Melinda Holly' and started reading. It was written by a witch, a real one. Hermione knew normal muggles didn't know this, she felt funny she'd know the truth.
"Well, well, Granger!" someone whispered from behind.
Hermione jumped. She turned around with fright and almost choked.
"Malfoy!!!" she gasped.
"What? Who'd you expect? Woodstock?" Malfoy sneered.
Hermione went chalk-white. She knew who Malfoy meant - Oliver Wood.
"Oh, so you did expect," Malfoy smirked.
"No I didn't. No one but you call me 'Granger'," Hermione tried to collect herself.
"So, you live near this place?" Malfoy changed topic.
"None of your business," Hermione spat back, not in a good mood.
Her mind was trying to work out why she seemed to hope that it WAS Oliver. She felt like slapping herself again.
"I didn't know that you can be a shrew," Malfoy said calmly.
"'Shrew'? What's that?" Hermione asked with confusion "None of your business," Malfoy spat with a smirk.
"..Anyway, what are you doing here? This is the 'muggle-world', somewhere I thought that you'd never want to come." Hermione questioned. It was very questionable why HE was there.
Malfoy went silent for a second, and then he replied, "I needed to do something, NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, MUDBLOOD."
Hermione went red this time, she almost slapped him, but she just said calmly, "NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, MALFOY."
Malfoy snorted a laugh and stalked away. Hermione thought she heard him say, "You're improving, Granger."
A few days later, Harry called her around 7pm.
"Hey, Hermione," Harry's cheerful voice came from the other side of the phone.
"Harry! How did you get to...?" Hermione gasped into the phone speaker.
"They went out for dinner; they didn't want me with them because they're going to eat with THE BOSS. They didn't lock me up since I didn't cause them any trouble these few days. They locked the fridge to starve me tonight and also locked Hedwig and my trunk under the staircase, but they forgot to lock the phone," Harry said all in one breathe, as if he thought that his Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia would come back suddenly for a coat or the car keys.
Hermione could almost see him grinning ear to ear. After all, this was the first time Harry could really speak on the phone.
"Poor Hedwig," Hermione sighed into the speaker.
"I'll get him out tomorrow by bargaining for more chores from Aunt Petunia," Harry said confidently.
Hermione giggled. They talked for almost an hour when Harry asked her a question that shocked her.
"How are you now? Still... thinking about him?"
Hermione didn't speak for a while. Harry let her.
After what seemed like eternity to Harry, Hermione said at last, "I don't know, Harry. I don't know."
Although he expected that Hermione wouldn't have recovered so easily and he knew how much she suffered, this time, Harry was shocked.
"I don't know, Harry... I want to forget him and start a brand new life, but sometimes, I don't feel like falling in love ever again. It hurts so much. I couldn't bear another pain," Hermione whispered slowly, "I think that...maybe I don't need these 'love' things in my life anymore."
Harry gulped. They were silent for a while. Hermione felt that the atmosphere was very uncomfortable. She started to say something when Harry spoke first.
"I just want to tell you that... There isn't only one guy in the world. And not all guys are the same. Don't get yourself hanged on a guy that you couldn't trust. There are guys out there waiting for you," Harry said so quickly that he almost didn't realize what he was saying.
"Like who?" Hermione asked, only trying to challenge Harry's point of view. She didn't really want to know. Anyway, she thought that Harry was just trying to comfort her.
The sound of a vehicle creaking to a stop was heard from the other side of the phone. The Dursley family was back.
Harry, not really thinking what he was doing, spilled the word out as he started to hang the phone, "me."
"Cling! Toot, toot, toot..." the phone went dead. Hermione dropped the phone; she couldn't believe what she just heard.
"Help! Help! Heeeeelp!!!" the blonde-haired girls screamed with fear.
Lava was sprouting out of a large hole in the pavement, a volcano erupted 50 m away. The girl ran with fright, helping her injured dad up and heaving him away. The lava was coming for them with high speed. Sweat was rolling off her forehead; her dad fell onto the pavement, unconscious...
Hermione was so into the scene that she almost didn't hear the phone rang.
Mrs. Granger stood up to take the phone. Hermione didn't look up, her eyes glued on the TV screen.
"Yes...Yes...she's here, wait a moment please," Mrs. Granger said.
She picked up the cordless phone and handed it to Hermione.
"It's yours, honey," Mrs. Granger said, looking confused and suspicious.
Hermione was still glued on the screen, "thanks," she said bluntly and took the phone.
"Hello?" she said, not really concentrating on the phone.
"..." the person on the phone said.
The television just smashed a big piece of rock right beside the heroine, blocking out all other sounds.
"Huh? Hello?" Hermione said into the phone, starting to wonder who it was. It was 11:30 p.m. already, and no one ever called her THIS late.
She covered her other ear with her hand and glued her left ear onto the phone. It was a man's voice, but she couldn't recognize it. Though, it was familiar...
"...Are you still angry with me?" a husky voice asked her through the phone.
Hermione's mind cut out the sounds of the television all most at once. She stopped every motion, only one thought raced through her mind; she knew who it was at last. "Err...No. No, I..." Hermione blurted out.
She stood up to go to her room in panic. The living room was too noisy. Mrs. Weasly looked up with surprise. George Weasly was pinned on the TV screen.
This was the first time Oliver ever called her. What more, she didn't even know he knew how to use a telephone.
She was too surprised that when she'd noticed what she just said she was surprised by herself. She wasn't even sure if she was angry or not anymore.
Hermione closed the door behind her back and just stood there, listening the inhale and exhale of Oliver's breath. She needed to clam herself.
"Herm?" the voice said on the other side of the phone.
"Huh? ...Yes?" Hermione replied. HOW COULD SHE KEEP CALM?? She had to admit that she was actually glad that he called. Maybe, she thought, she was even relieved. She couldn't believe the difference of what she was saying and thinking deep inside her heart was so big. She was angry, but more than that...she missed him.
The two of them talked about many out-topic things for a while. Until Oliver decided to ask his question, Hermione was still in a trance of confusion and dream.
"I 'eard that someone's asking you out? Is that true?" Oliver asked.
Hermione thought she heard him snort.
"HUH?" she exclaimed. Was he talking about Harry??? How'd he know?
"How'd you know...?" Hermione asked with confusion. It was one phone call between her and Harry only. How could he know?
"So it's true?" Oliver asked again.
"You tell me how you knew first," she said determinedly.
"Tell me his name," Oliver said in the same tone.
"You answer me first," Hermione continued.
"Okay... He told me."
"He?"
"Harry Potter himself." Hermione dropped her jaw a bit.
"WHAT?? Harry??????" she exclaimed.
"So...it's true? Are you gonna date out with him?" Oliver asked.
Hermione went silent for a while. When Harry confessed to her a few nights ago, she was confused. She recalled many scenes with Harry being by her side all the time and doing his best to comfort her when she was down. She thanked him with all her heart; he was the closest person to her in her school life. But there was some difference how she felt about him with Oliver. Harry was a bosom friend to her. A bosom friend is different from a boyfriend. You don't have quickened heartbeat when you're with your bosom friend. There wouldn't be bliss between you and your bosom friend. Not even when Harry confessed to her, had she got a quick heartbeat.
She had thought that she could consider being with Harry. After all he was a guy too. He cared about her and she cared about Harry. She knew that. She knew they'd be comfortable with each other. But STILL... She couldn't even imagine being with him as boyfriends and girlfriends. She liked the way they were now, and didn't want to further the relationship.
"Hello?" Oliver said, waking Hermione from her trance.
"Oh...No...I don't think I will," Hermione said at last.
"But you like him?" Oliver asked. "Yes, I do," determined with her answer, "he's a friend. He's my best friend," Hermione replied, mostly assuring her than Oliver.
Oliver seemed unsatisfied with the answer. He was going to ask something when Hermione heard someone thumping him with a pillow or something soft and laughing. She heard many men's voice.
"Hey! Stop that! I'm going to Ray's room," Oliver said to that person.
"You're with your friends?" Hermione asked when she heard a door closing and everything went silent.
"Yeah, I'm at my friend's house. They're annoying," Oliver said with a laugh. It was the first laugh in the whole phone talk.
"So... how about me?" Oliver asked.
Hermione gulped at that question, "you?"
"How do you think about me?" he asked.
Was he asking to...?
"I...err..." Hermione went silent. She didn't know what to say.
Should she? Should she go back to him? Should she?
She recalled the words Padma Patil said a month ago, "Men are all the same; do NOT ever go back to them. They will think you've forgiven them and wouldn't take the chance you gave them. They'll just get WORSE."
So should she? She missed him, but if she made up with him, would things change between them? Would he change? 'Should I forgive him?'
"Herm..." Oliver said, asking for an answer. Hermione never had heard Oliver talking in such a pleading tone.
"I'll...give you a reply a week later... You call me then," Hermione said at last.
One week. Is that enough for her to think? Oliver hanged the phone a few seconds later. To his surprise, five heads were poking out of the door chink.
"How was it?" Davis Landon asked.
"Well...she told me to call her a week later..." Oliver replied.
"Then you got her," Landon said with a grin.
"Who knows...?" Oliver muttered as he lay down on Ray's bed and rolled away from his friends to the wall. He slipped his fingers through his gelled brown hair, looking frustrated.
Davis closed the door and beckoned his four other friends to come with him to the living room, where Ray was sitting there playing his guitar gently. "That girl Olli's chasing for?" Davis started saying.
"You mean Granger, Hermione?" a guy asked.
"Yeah, she's soooo god damn innocent. She'd never know the real reason why Oliver wants her back," Davis smirked.
"Yeah? What's it then?" Ray asked, his voice seeming annoyed. He didn't like Davis very much for the fact he's a player of love.
"How would you feel when a girl, who is FOUR years younger than you, dumped you? Huh?" Davis asked with a proud snort.
"Is that it? I thought he was really in love with her," Ray asked.
"Are you forgetting something? He kissed Connie, remember? Oliver likes various girls as much as I do," Davis said with surprise.
"I thought you didn't know yourself," Ray said calmly as he stroked his guitar.
Davis stood up furiously, almost hitting Ray with his fist. Two of his friends stopped him. Ray was still calm, playing a tune with his fingers.
Ray put down his guitar and thought for a while before speaking, "You don't know Oliver. No one does. Most of us here knew him for six years now, but we don't really KNOW him. He's being a playboy here, then a nice noble gentleman there. There's something going on inside him we never knew, and might never know. He never tells anyone his real feelings. I've been with him since we were babies, but I don't understand him. He's closing himself up and we all know it. Of course he might be playing, but you couldn't say no to the statement that he could be serious about Hermione. So, don't be a know-it-all."
Davis had nothing to say to that. Ray was right. Oliver was closing himself up even more than before.
"Hey, Hermione!" Parvati shouted through the crowd and waved her hand at her friend.
Hermione smiled at her and walked over.
"Where're we going today?" Parvati asked excitedly.
"To the cinema first. I'm going to show you the most amazing movie!" Hermione said with glee. They came to the ticket office and Hermione let Parvati choose the seats.
"I always wanted to try and sit at the front row! Heeheehee. Can we?" Parvati pleaded.
"Sure, I've never sat that near the screen too," Hermione replied, not knowing that they'll come out of the cinema all dizzy two hours later.
"Phew! I'll never sit in the front again!" Parvati exclaimed with a laugh after the movie.
They stopped to rest their dizzy heads at a cafe and discussed the movie.
When they've calmed down and the atmosphere went silent for a moment, Parvati asked, "So...what's on your mind?"
Hermione looked surprised; she looked up at Parvati and wondered why Parvati would notice that she wanted to talk.
"Com'on, I'm prepared to listen," Parvati said with a smile.
Hermione let out a sigh, and started to tell Parvati about the two phone calls she got from the two boys. Parvati didn't look surprised when Hermione told her about Harry. But she was very astonished at Oliver's phone call.
I never thought that he'd call you..." Parvati said when Hermione finished.
"Me too..." Hermione agreed, recalling the moment she got the call.
She could still remember her mom, after the call, asking her why she stopped watching the film she'd been excited about the climax and talked on the phone for an hour long.
"So...What are you going to do?" Parvati asked.
A lady wearing nice robes sat down at the table beside them with a tray of chestnut cupcakes. She looked at Hermione and Parvati with a greeting smile. The two girls returned it. Hermione looked back at Parvati when the lady sat down.
"About Harry, I think I couldn't see him as a guy...I mean, I realize he's a guy. But still..." Hermione seemed lost for words.
"I think I understand," Parvati commented as she nodded constantly, "and Oliver?"
"That's the problem...I dunno if I hate him or not anymore..."
"You hated him?" Parvati asked, sounding surprised.
"Erm...for a while," Hermione mumbled.
"So, do you still love him?" Parvati questioned with concern.
"..." Hermione couldn't answer, frightened for what she'll say.
"Forget the question you think its right or not to do so. But do you want to be back with him?" Parvati steered Hermione to the core of the problem.
Hermione didn't answer. Parvati picked up her cup of coffee and cupped it in her hands, sipping the warm cappuccino silently, giving Hermione space and time.
They were silent for a while. Parvati almost thought that Hermione didn't want to say anything, so she looked out of the cafe window and pretended to think of other things.
When the lady beside them finished her cup cakes, Parvati heard her friend sitting in front her said in a whisper, "I want him...yet I'm scared...but...I really, really miss him..."
Hermione rolled into her bed that night, thinking what Parvati told her.
"I agreed that Lavender and Padma were right about not going back to men who are proud and self-centered because most of them wouldn't change. But that's an overall opinion of men out there. If you trust him, if you WANT to trust him...you can decide to give him a second chance. Or, forget him and go on with your life. Anyway...I'll support you whatever your decision is. Just remember that."
Hermione smiled a bit, she was glad Parvati was there for her. Maybe what Parvati said was what she most wanted to hear. She knew she had to be strong and make her decisions herself, but she was scared...she still needed advices. Now...maybe she had already decided.
I don't wanna feel
The way that I do
I just wanna be
Right here with you
I don't wanna see
See us apart
I just wanna say it straight from my heart
I miss you...
A week later, Hermione walked into Diagon Alley and bumped into someone with long flaring red hair, Ginny.
"Ginny!!" Hermione gasped with surprise. The youngest daughter of the Weasly's looked up at her with round blue eyes.
"Hi, Hermione," Ginny greeted with a shy smile, "You're here to buy things for school?"
"Yeah...but I'm not staying until the 31st of August...Ron and Harry are here too, right?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, they're at the Coffee Shop... I think I saw them there," Ginny replied.
"Ok, thanks. I'll find them," Hermione thanked her and was about to leave, when...
"Hermione...?" Ginny stopped her.
Hermione stood there and turned around with a questioning look.
"I saw both...Harry and Ron deep in conversation. Do you know why?" Ginny asked, stuttering at Harry's name.
Hermione's eyelashes flicked.
"It was weird; you know...Har...ry..." she stuttered at Harry's name again, "he looked depressed when he came to the Burrow yesterday. I don't think it was because of his uncle's family though..."
"Do you know anything? My mom was asking," she added quickly afterwards.
Hermione thought she knew, but she didn't know how to tell Ginny. So, she just said no and bided her goodbye. Hermione walked to the familiar Coffee Shop where she first had a chat with Oliver and knew his name, two years ago.
Oliver called her a week later after his first call. Hermione took the phone before it rang; she wondered how she had known Oliver would call that instant. She just knew. They didn't get to the topic at all that night, mumbling through this and that but not really saying what they wanted to.
Hermione felt comfortable with that during the call, she noticed she could frankly talk about anything (else) with him suddenly. The two of them talked about things that they never talked about before: their favorite food, their favorite color, their dreams and family, etc. They even talked about their feelings when they first met. She recalled Oliver's words, "You were so shy, and you always blushed." Hermione blushed at the thought.
But when she hanged the phone at last, not able to really say straightly that she wanted to be back with him, she felt unsatisfied with herself. She still couldn't communicate with him normally, still couldn't say the real feelings. 'Why can't I just say yes? Why doesn't he just ask?'
There was one thing she was glad though, Oliver was opening up slightly to her. Although, once again, they both hadn't told each other the three little words, Hermione felt a lot secure than before already. She hoped they could maintain this relationship and maturate it even more.
She sighed as she looked up. The dazzling sunlight shining over the rooftop made the cafe fuming with a welcoming smell of coffee looked magical.
"Everything is magical here," she said to herself as she went to the glass door and pulled it open.
She saw Harry and Ron sitting right in the middle of the coffee shop. Ron, who was facing her, looked startled. He pointed at her and Harry turned around with surprise.
Hermione walked over with slight embarrassment. Ron was shooting looks at her and Harry continuously; Harry was looking at her without even blinking.
Ron pulled a seat for her as the trio greeted each other awkwardly.
"Is Parvati here?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, at the salon with Lavender," Ron answered, rolling his eyes.
Hermione giggled. Harry kept silent, stopped staring at Hermione and looked down at his glass of lemonade. He picked it up, and drank it.
Hermione felt a bit uncomfortable. She felt it wasn't time to tell Harry about Oliver. Before that, she had to give a reply to Harry's feelings. She looked down under the table and saw Harry's legs shaking a little. She widened her eyes, which Harry noticed. He looked down too and saw his legs shaking even more. He reflectively jumped up, and accidentally banged his legs under the table, making all the things on the table shake. Hermione and Ron backed away from the table quickly.
Ron was too late.
"AAaaaA!!" he shouted. His lemonade had spilled over his new T-shirt. He tried to wipe it off quickly but it just got worse.
"Oh no! I'm really sorry! Ron, I..." Harry panicked, pulling out his wand.
"No, Harry, school hasn't started yet!" Hermione stopped him before he broke the Ministry of Magic's rules.
A waitress came to them and said, "Its okay, we'll clean it up for you."
She flipped her wand and said something under her breath. A cloth flown out of nowhere and started wiping the table, an invisible hand picked up the glasses of lemonade and brought them into the kitchen. A few more towels and buckets appeared, cleaning the marble floor.
Then she said another spell and the stain on Ron's cloth disappeared. Yet, his T-shirt was still half drenched.
"You better dry it in our lavatory," she suggested, leading him into the corner of the shop. Another waitress brought new glasses of lemonade to them when Harry was going to ask if Hermione would consider him, before he lost his nerves.
"Hermione, I..." he started.
"Harry..." Hermione said in the same time.
Both stopped in mid-sentence.
"You first," Harry sighed, slumping back into his chair. Again, his legs started to shake with frustration.
"Harry, I want you to know that...you're my best friend. You always understood me more than anyone else and you always stayed with me through rain and storm...I hope I did the same for you too, but..." Hermione got stuck; she didn't know how to say it. She could see Harry was listening with confusion.
"But?" Harry asked, somehow knowing what's next.
"..I'm sorry, Harry. I couldn't say yes to you," Hermione said at last, then gulping in air to control her sentiment.
Harry was silent. He looked into her eyes, desperately searching for a speck of lie in her words.
Hermione, though trembling a bit, looked into his eyes honestly. Harry saw no lie, but only a glint of sadness in her eyes. He could clearly see his best friend, the one he loved, was being frank and honest to him. She wasn't lying, she wasn't avoiding his feelings, and she was telling him her feelings face to face and clearly, hoping that they can be friends from now on. Harry looked away from her eyes. It was unbearable.
Something collapsed inside him; something was withering and falling down into the pit of his stomach. He felt like throwing up.
Harry didn't say a word; he just nodded and still avoided Hermione's eyes. His lips were stiff and his mind was in turmoil. He picked up the check and stood up.
He turned away from Hermione, saying behind his back, "See you at school."
Hermione watched him step out of the coffee shop. Biting her lower lip, she stared at the same direction for a while, not looking at anything actually. Ron didn't come back, she didn't care. Probably he got out of the back door to find Parvati. Rubbing her bushy hair with frustration, she sighed and thought about things alone.
When the sum began to set, and much of the customers she had came in with, had been replaced by new ones, she stood up to leave. The glasses of lemonade lay on the table, untouched. Posted: 2003-02-22 03:23:17.0 24929275