Okay, before I make any excuses to why this is so late, and why it is so short, I want to apologize. I don't really have a great track record on FFN, but I DO try. I just had finals and a lot of personal things going on, so next time I hope to have the next chapter up soon. The only problem is… I'm leaving on a two week trip with my school tomorrow, and I won't have any computers and stuff, so it'll be at least two weeks until the next chapter comes. I'm incredibly sorry!

            Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

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            Ginny hurried through the halls, her feet making slapping noises against the stone floor. Hurriedly spitting out the Gryffindor password, she took the steps to Hermione's room two at a time. Pausing for a second, she gathered her breath and then knocked, rapping her knuckles against the door. Her heart beating so fast she thought her chest would erupt, Ginny knocked again, willing Hermione to answer as she knew she was in there.

            "Go away."

            Hermione's voice was soft and muffled through the oak of the door, and Ginny could just hear the edge of trembling brought on by tears. Frowning, her heart overrode her head, and she opened the door, glad that Hermione hadn't spelled it locked.

            The room was dark, the windows shuttered shut. Hermione was on her bed, her books splayed out all around her, some spilling off onto the floor. As she watched, Crookshanks stared back at her, cradled against the softly crying girl's head, a gentle purr rumbling through his body.

            Hermione sniffled, and Ginny softly approached her, a little bit awkwardly as she didn't know, really, how to calm anyone or cheer them up. Sitting softly at Hermione's side, she waited.

            Presently, Hermione's sniffles grew quieter, and she looked up, her red eyes just barely meeting the other girl's. "Why?" she whispered.

            "Huh?" Ginny asked, a little embarrassed that she sounded so out of it. Blushing for a second, she scooted backwards to lean against the wall, a tender look crossing her face. Idly, she reached out to pet Crookshanks, who yawned and offered his belly to be scratched.

            Hermione rolled over, staring blindly up at the ceiling. "Why am I being treated like a plague?" she asked quietly, "I mean, I didn't ask to be trapped in a pickle, and I certainly didn't ask to have everyone abuse me because my True Love was a girl-!" She choked, tears spilling over her eyelashes, trailing down her cheeks.

            Ginny's heart broke, and even though she felt it split in two at the other girl's words, she couldn't help but gather her into a hug. Turning her head away, she buried herself into Hermione's shoulder, tears pricking at her own eyes.

            "I understand," she murmured, "I understand. I-I'll leave. It's because of me that you're being abused. It's because of me that everything's happening. I'll just leave." And she broke and ran, deaf to Hermione's desperate call of her name, only aware of the overwhelming pain her torn soul gave her.

            Tears washed over her, and she stumbled through the Gryffindor Common Room, ignoring the crowd of people returning from the Dining Hall. Ignoring the call of her brother and Harry, she left to find someplace where she could cry.

            "I-I thought that when I got her out of that pickle, everything was going to be all right – everything was going to be fine… How stupid can I be?? No. Stupid Ginny Weasley, no one'll ever love you, especially the girl you want…" And she curled up in a corner in an abandoned wing of Hogwarts, oblivious to everything but her pain.

            "Oh God, Crookshanks. What have I done? I didn't mean what I said, I was just upset! Ginny's my best friend… God, what am I going to do…?"

            The named tom mewed reproachfully at his owner, giving her an accusing look as if to say 'You're fault, not mine; you deal with it'. Hermione glared at him, but then nodded, anguish visible across her features. Sitting up straight, she jumped off of her bed, and straightened out her robes, rubbing a brief hand over her eyes.

            "I've got to find her…"

            And, she too, ran down and through the Common Room, disregarding everyone in her path, Ginny the only thing on her mind.

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            I'm sorry this chapter is so short!! I just need to set up something, and hey, writing romance is hard, especially between two characters that actually don't have that much interaction in the HP books. Besides, I'm not a Harry Potter expert, so I'm trying my harder here! Please tell me how I'm doing!

            So thanks. And see you in two weeks (more or less… ^_^)!