Summary:
Hermione's still angry at Ron for not telling her about his new relationship and struggles with expressing her real thoughts and feelings.
A/N: Will be uploading weekly :) Happy reading!
Chapter 2: I sat in the backseat, it didn't bother me
"You're ignoring him" Harry whispers.
Hermione shakes her head stubbornly and passes Harry the textbook, gesturing impatiently for him to open the book and start working.
Thankfully she had been able to avoid Ron for most of the day, choosing to sit on her own in class instead of next to him, her usual seat. But lunch was difficult. She had walked to their usual table outside, next to a looming oak tree, to find Harry is his usual seat, Ginny perched on top of the table gesticulating animatedly like she usually does. It would have been a rather comforting scene, seeing her best friends chatting so comfortably, but then her eyes snagged on who was now occupying her usual seat on the bench.
Lavender.
She's sitting next to Ron, opposite Harry and Ginny and feeding him grapes. She has never felt such a rage before, like Ron had personally shoved a heated knife in her back and twisted it while tormenting her. She's stuck, frozen on her journey down the path to their table, no one has noticed her yet but she takes the time to pull her eyes away from the abomination of the new couple in her seat and notices the way Ginny's back is towards Lavender and how Harry's jaw is obviously tense. Her friends are not familiar with this scene and this makes the ice in her heart slowly melt. But it's not enough, and as soon as Ginny catches Hermione's eye, Hermione flees.
Ginny, being Ron's younger sister, had become one of Hermione's closest girl friends. She had always been extra thankful in the fact that Ron's only sister likes Hermione just as much as any other friend of hers. She had never treated Hermione as if she was a threat to her and her brother's relationship and had always treated Hermione as an equal, no matter how much she didn't get along with other girls in her year. Ginny was also very cool, a jock in a sense, and therefore had some pull when it came to the school cliques and girls getting envious of Hermione. Girls were envious of Hermione for only one reason though. Hermione wasn't sexy or beautiful in the ways that teenage boys her age goggled at, she wasn't popular with the other girls and was never seen laughing and joking with anyone outside of Ron, Harry and Ginny. No, girls were envious because Hermione had the three most popular jocks (including Ginny) as her best friends. No one understood why, and Hermione often agreed.
She didn't know why Ron had stayed with her all these years, how he preferred her company over the other boys in his football team or even other girls, and she didn't know why Harry sat with her in the library sometimes and even messaged her when he was bored. She wasn't funny and she wasn't fun. She was smart, yes and they came to her for help with their homework but more often than not, they came for her to 'hang out'. Often telling her off for suggesting that they get started on their homework.
She always knew she would be cast away sooner or later. She just didn't realise that one summer without her friends would mean losing them so quickly.
She found solace in the library, of course. Nestled on the floor in a corner, bookshelves surrounding her. She propped open her book and tried to read but all she could think about was how easily Lavender had replaced her. She was thankful that Ginny didn't come after her, and spent the rest of her lunch hour huddled in the warm corner trying not to cry.
Now she was in her last class and Harry was sitting quietly beside her. She tried to focus on the numbers in front of her but she could feel Harry's stare burning the side of her face.
"What!?"
Harry looked mildly shocked at her outburst but sighed heavily.
"Are you mad at him because he didn't tell you?"
Hermione deciphered this question in record-speed.
"Why else would I be mad at him?"
Harry's eyebrow rose and a hand went straight to his hair, his nervous tick that Ginny had once confessed to Hermione that she adored.
"I told him that wasn't the best way to tell you" he mumbles crossly.
Her heart warms slightly at this confession. That Harry actually cared about her feelings. Harry wasn't so good at reading other people and had on numerous times infuriated Hermione like she had finally found a brother. A brother that acted first, thought later.
"Yeah, well it would have been a little kinder to warn me before his new girlfriend gallops to the car and starts to mack on with him in front of me"
Harry nods but keeps his eyes on his notebook.
"And you know what?! I'm more embarrassed than anything!" she finally exclaims, the words bubbling out of her and fuelling a different, more obtuse anger that Hermione was not used to.
She doesn't wait for Harry to reply, she's on a roll now.
"Do you know how embarrassing it is to find out your best friend of six years is dating someone for the first time by her skipping up to the car and planting a kiss straight on his lips in front of me?!"
She hears Harry chuckle before shooting him a hot glare. He covers it up with a cough and an apologetic look but there's still amusement in his eyes.
"What?!"
"You said that already," Harry admits.
"Whatever, it's embarrassing. A text would have sufficed. It's like if you and Ginny started dating each other and didn't tell me until you were walking down the aisle" Hermione rattles, her anger now spiralling into hysterics.
Harry chokes at this.
"What?"
"Oh you know what I mean" Hermione shrugs.
"No I really don't. If anything were to happen with my best friend's sister, I would definitely run it by you and Ron first before hooking up with her in front of everyone!" Harry argues.
Hermione knows about Harry's crush on Ginny and she knows about Ginny's crush on Harry but she's been sworn to secrecy on both counts and would much rather stay out of the mess that's bound to happen.
She doesn't miss the way Harry says "you and Ron" though. It's normal for them to be paired together like that. They are Harry's best friends and they were best friends before Harry came along.
"Well it's not Ron and I anymore is it? It's Won- Won and Lav-Lav" she spits, gagging at their nicknames falling from her tongue, not realising the way she grouped hers and Ron's friendship in with his now romantic relationship.
Harry grins knowingly at her slip and laughs as she theatrically says their ridiculous nicknames.
"Oh my god, did she say Won-Won in front of you!?"
"So it's an actual nickname she uses for him on the regular?" she asks, disgusted.
He nods and Hermione groans.
"I bet he wanted to dig a hole and lay down to die in it" he says in between bellows of laughter. Hermione shushes him before the teacher can tell them off for being loud.
"Why would he care what I think? He obviously doesn't anymore. He can call her whatever he wants and do whatever he wants" she shrugs, tapping her pen distractedly on the textbook.
Harry doesn't say anything after that, obviously sensing that Hermione wasn't in the mood to be told otherwise. Harry was good like that, pensive and mellow, exactly what Hermione needs in a friend sometimes.
"Do you want me to drive you home after school?" he asks her gently.
Hermione's surprised at his thoughtfulness. She hadn't even thought about the drive home.
"Do you mind?"
"Ron might but I don't want you to be uncomfortable. Lavenders a bit scary" he grimaces and Hermione smiles.
"You guys still have football practice after school?"
"Yeah, but I can meet you at the Diner like usual?"
She nods and is relieved to feel the pressure lift off her chest. Maybe she won't be so easily cast off in their friendship group.
She meets Ginny at the Diner after school, climbing into their usual booth. This was a ritual that had been established since the boys had joined the school's football team. Milkshakes at the Diner while they wait for their lifts home. The twins were also on the team, which meant Ginny also had to wait for her ride.
"Didn't know if you were still going to join me" Ginny raises an eyebrow but there's a smile on her face, one that reminds Hermione of Ron's.
"Harry's giving me a lift home"
"Oh"
Hermione senses something in Ginny's tone and looks up from her menu (although she knows this menu off by heart by now) and see's the wariness in Ginny's eyes.
"Why don't you join us?"
She really, really doesn't want Ginny to think that she's stepping on her toes. She's told her countless times that she sees Harry like a brother.
"I don't know, won't that be odd?"
"No, it's a great excuse to start carpooling together! Maybe you can mention something about the twins being annoying and how much nicer it was to drive with Harry '' Hermione wiggles her eyebrows and Ginny grins cheekily.
"Ok Miss Granger," She laughs and then there's a short silence. "For the record, I think what my brother did was completely idiotic and he's a complete plonker for not telling you about Lavander."
Hermione shrugs her shoulders and avoids Ginny's gaze.
"I don't think he even likes her that much"
Hermione can't help but look at Ginny and ask why.
"It just seems like he's always trying really hard to be polite while she's around. I don't know, he just doesn't seem himself and he only starting hooking up with her because she made a move on him at a party while he was drunk and he didn't know how to say no to her afterwards"
Hermione's mouth goes dry and she opens her mouth to say something but finds nothing. Ginny seems to realise she's said too much and collects Hermione's menu.
"Chocolate milkshake?"
Hermione can only nod.
While Ginny orders at the counter, Hermione tries to organise her thoughts. Ron had never randomly hooked up with someone at a party and he rarely ever got drunk. It was so out of character for him that Hermione oddly felt like Ginny was talking about someone completely different. This wasn't her Ron. Her Ron would have never kissed some random girl at a party. But then Hermione is reminded that Ron is not hers, was never hers and never will be. Ron is her best friend, yes but she had never had a claim on him. She wasn't even sure if they were even still best friends.
Ginny slides back into the booth, two milkshakes in hand. As Hermione sips slowly at hers, she stares out of the window. The Diner looks out onto the highstreet which is situated just down the road from the school. Students in their uniforms wander up and down the busy street and all she can see is a blur of black, white and various colours of their school houses.
"What happened before you left?" Ginny interrupts.
Hermione stares at her like she had just uttered her deepest, darkest secret.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know. I just know that Ron woke up one day and was so quiet everyone didn't know how to act around him. We later found out that you had fled to France for the entire summer. I mean we knew you were going so we didn't understand why Ron was so upset but then when you didn't come home after a week…" Ginny looks into her milkshake sullenly, "Why didn't you tell us you were going for the entire summer? You told me it was only for a week?"
Ginny doesn't necessarily look disappointed, just confused and Hermione wants to hug her for her faith in their friendship.
"I'm sorry it was a last minute decision. I told Ron and I assumed he would tell you too"
Ginny nods but doesn't seem entirely happy with the answer, so Hermione does what she does best, she deflects.
They talk for the rest of the time about the girls football team, Ginny was just anointed captain, so Hermione asks as many questions as she can about the team and the upcoming games. The hour goes by fast and before she knows it, Harry and Ron are standing idly at the edge of their booth, both in their uniforms, hair plastered to their skin from sweat.
"They really need to get showers at the school" Ginny wrinkles her nose.
"That's why they do training in the afternoon, Gin, so we can go home and shower. So come on, let's go"
Hermione doesn't correct his assumption, she doesn't even look at him. She can't imagine why he thinks she's going to get into the car with him after the stunt he pulled this morning.
When they get to the boys' cars, Hermione hooks her arm in Ginny's and walks over as casually as she can to Harry's car. She watches Harry give Ron an apologetic look and can't miss the way Ron's eyes widen as he watches her.
"What are you doing?" he asks her.
"Harry's giving me a lift. Hey Harry, can Ginny come with?"
Harry looks dumbfounded but Hermione gives him a look that says 'don't question me'.
"Sure" Harry smiles at Ginny and Ginny grins back before rushing around to the passenger seat and shouting "I'm in front!".
Ron ignores his sister's childish antics and instead looks at Hermione, his blue eyes dim and a frown growing on his face.
"Why?"
Hermione scoffs at this.
"Why do you think?" She snaps back before climbing into the back of Harry's car.
She does feel guilty leaving him standing on the pavement on his own, but then she remembers that he literally sprung his new relationship on her that morning without a word of a warning, and she thinks 'screw him' and tries to join in on the god-awful singing happening between Harry and Ginny in the front.