Outside the large double wooden doors Hermione leaned back against the wall
and couldn't stop herself from crying. The gentle streams of tears turned
quickly to a full out balling as she slid down the wall and curled into a
ball. Ginny and Lavender came over and tried to calm her. Lavender brushed
the hair from her face drying her cheeks off. Ginny patted her hand and
said, "I think it's time we had a little talk Hermione."
She didn't protest as Ron pulled her to her feet and escorted her down the hallway. The whole way to Gryffindor tower Dean and Neville broke a path threw all the gawking students. The common room wasn't that busy when they arrived but Ron felt it necessary to clear everyone out just the same.
"All right you lot, get lost Head girl coming in with emotional problems so sob off!" They started to file out slowly as Hermione was placed in her favourite armchair by the fireplace. When everyone was gone Ron had a few quiet words with Dean, Neville, and Seamus. Who left soon after and then it was just Ron, Ginny, and Lavender left with Hermione. She was in a daze watching the fire. Harry's words echoed through her mind.
'How could he not want to see me? It was a mistake. I never meant for it to happen.'
Ginny came over and sat on the rug in front of her, "Hermione do you know what happened in the green house today?"
"Umm well I was transplanting the spore pod then the next thing I remember was Harry . . . and his eyes . . . he . . . looked like he was in so much pain . . ."she shielded her face from them as the tears started to well again.
"Hermione you where falling asleep, and Harry shielded you from the spore pod as it exploded."
"I was falling asleep?"
"Yes ever since you got that bloody award last year for the receiving the most O.W.L.S. in a century you've been obsessed with getting highest N.E.W.T.s possible."
"What? I have not I always study this hard. This is no different then before!"
"Right! You're up to all hours of the night; you hardly ever come down to the Great Hall for meals anymore. Plus half the first years think you work at the library because you're always in there. Then to top it off now that Voldemort's gone you hardly ever talk to Harry and Ron anymore. Why Hermione, is some award more important then us?"
"No of course not, and that's not true I see Harry every day and Ron too. Besides this has nothing to do with what happened today."
Ron couldn't seem to hold his tongue anymore, "Really! Is that what you think?"
"Yes it is Ron. And what's your problem you've been cold as ice the last few weeks?"
"My problem. . . My problem is you! And Harry too! This is driving me crazy! What more does he have to do for you to see him?"
"See him? What are you talking about?"
He slammed his fist into the table then grabbed a pile of spell books someone had left behind, "This is all you care about! Books and notes, and people that have died hundreds of years ago!" he threw them to the other side of the room. "What about us? What about him? How many times does he have to end up in the hospital before you see that he LOVES you!"
"What? Ron what are you saying?" Hermione's voice was barely a whisper.
Ginny held up her hand to stop Ron's rant and said, "Hermione did he ever tell you how he got lured out of Hogwarts to finally defeat Voldemort?"
Hermione looked confused, "Hogwarts? He said he was at headquarters when it happened?"
"No he was here. Voldemort was flooding his mind with images of a house and he was torturing two people with the Cruciatus curse . . .it was your parents Hermione."
A cold chill had run up and down her spin. She had left her parents alone over the holidays to go see Viktor. She wanted to tell him personally that their relationalship was over. When she got back to London her parents looked as normal as ever, then the news broke that Harry had defeated Voldemort on New Years Day.
Ron looked a little calmer now and looked over and sat of the arm of her chair, "Hermione he didn't know you weren't there. From what he told me about it Voldemort had been trying all year to lure Harry away from Hogwarts to get him. The one image he couldn't seem to stop was of you being hurt. For hours he paced the floor trying to block it out, but his Occlumency training isn't as strong as Voldemort's. When he saw your mother being Cursed he apparated to your house and saved your Mum and Dad."
"Apparated? But you can't apparate inside Hogwarts grounds."
"Well he did, and he did it again today when he saw you about to drop the spore pod."
My parents! . . . but. . . they seem fine. I . . . I never should've gone away." She pulled her knees up and buried her face in them.
Lavender came over and stroked her hair back, "Their fine now Dumbledore did a memory charm on them and they'll never know what happened now. Its better that way."
Lavender stop petting her head and pulled a small green newt that was tangled in her hair free. "What's this Hermione?"
She slowly raised her head to see what Lavender was talking about. "Merlin! I forgot about Parvarti!" She waved her wand and reversed the spell quickly.
Parvarti grew back to full height and looked very pissed. "Damn it Hermione I didn't think you were serious!"
Before she could continue Hermione jumped up and grabbed her into a bone crushing hug and started to sob deeply, "I'm sorry . . . sorry. I've been a fool."
The look on Parvarti's face quickly changed from anger to pity, "He really does love you. Can't you see it? He's always following you around now. Carrying your books back from the library, or bring you tea late at night when your studying, and He even told me that Snape gave him detention once for 'being too obvious' if you can believe that."
Hermione was lost in a sea of images and thoughts of all these little things that Harry had been doing this year, but it wasn't just this year it was last year as well, "How long has this been going on Ron?"
He was pitting Crookshanks who was now sitting on the chair too, "The summer before sixth year I think, but he never said anything to me back then. I just kind of knew though. What ever he saw in the Department of Mysteries must've really stirred him. After that he's always been keeping tabs on you."
A long silence hung in the common room as Hermione replayed the events of that night in her head. Lavender, Parvarti, and Ron left during this time saying something about dinner and were gone. Ginny slowly placed her hand on Hermione's shoulder and turned her around.
"He doesn't know what to do Hermione. He's never been in love before or been loved for that matter. He's never had anything but pain, death, and the hopes of the world riding on his actions. You're the thing that got him through it all. You're his friend when he had none, and never left his side. You're leaving Hogwarts in one week and I think it scared the life out of him. I could see it in his eyes when he looks at you. You're going away to University and out of his life. I don't think he really thought what would happen if he defeated Voldemort. Maybe he had always thought he wouldn't live to have to see you leave him."
"I never thought he would ever feel this way about me, I mean he could have any women in the world. I'm just plain old Hermione the bookworm."
"Hah I think your mistaking Harry for Ron here. Harry doesn't care about any of that surface polish. It's always been about what's inside that counts, and you two know each other so well it's plain to see. I know this must be scary to have to heir of Godric Gryffindor, and one of the richest wizards in the U.K. pining for you, but come on it's just Harry really." Ginny finished with a small smile and playfully pushed Hermione.
She laughed, "Do you really think he . . . he loves me?"
A mischievous smile grew on her face, "Why don't you go ask him if you're not sure."
She didn't protest as Ron pulled her to her feet and escorted her down the hallway. The whole way to Gryffindor tower Dean and Neville broke a path threw all the gawking students. The common room wasn't that busy when they arrived but Ron felt it necessary to clear everyone out just the same.
"All right you lot, get lost Head girl coming in with emotional problems so sob off!" They started to file out slowly as Hermione was placed in her favourite armchair by the fireplace. When everyone was gone Ron had a few quiet words with Dean, Neville, and Seamus. Who left soon after and then it was just Ron, Ginny, and Lavender left with Hermione. She was in a daze watching the fire. Harry's words echoed through her mind.
'How could he not want to see me? It was a mistake. I never meant for it to happen.'
Ginny came over and sat on the rug in front of her, "Hermione do you know what happened in the green house today?"
"Umm well I was transplanting the spore pod then the next thing I remember was Harry . . . and his eyes . . . he . . . looked like he was in so much pain . . ."she shielded her face from them as the tears started to well again.
"Hermione you where falling asleep, and Harry shielded you from the spore pod as it exploded."
"I was falling asleep?"
"Yes ever since you got that bloody award last year for the receiving the most O.W.L.S. in a century you've been obsessed with getting highest N.E.W.T.s possible."
"What? I have not I always study this hard. This is no different then before!"
"Right! You're up to all hours of the night; you hardly ever come down to the Great Hall for meals anymore. Plus half the first years think you work at the library because you're always in there. Then to top it off now that Voldemort's gone you hardly ever talk to Harry and Ron anymore. Why Hermione, is some award more important then us?"
"No of course not, and that's not true I see Harry every day and Ron too. Besides this has nothing to do with what happened today."
Ron couldn't seem to hold his tongue anymore, "Really! Is that what you think?"
"Yes it is Ron. And what's your problem you've been cold as ice the last few weeks?"
"My problem. . . My problem is you! And Harry too! This is driving me crazy! What more does he have to do for you to see him?"
"See him? What are you talking about?"
He slammed his fist into the table then grabbed a pile of spell books someone had left behind, "This is all you care about! Books and notes, and people that have died hundreds of years ago!" he threw them to the other side of the room. "What about us? What about him? How many times does he have to end up in the hospital before you see that he LOVES you!"
"What? Ron what are you saying?" Hermione's voice was barely a whisper.
Ginny held up her hand to stop Ron's rant and said, "Hermione did he ever tell you how he got lured out of Hogwarts to finally defeat Voldemort?"
Hermione looked confused, "Hogwarts? He said he was at headquarters when it happened?"
"No he was here. Voldemort was flooding his mind with images of a house and he was torturing two people with the Cruciatus curse . . .it was your parents Hermione."
A cold chill had run up and down her spin. She had left her parents alone over the holidays to go see Viktor. She wanted to tell him personally that their relationalship was over. When she got back to London her parents looked as normal as ever, then the news broke that Harry had defeated Voldemort on New Years Day.
Ron looked a little calmer now and looked over and sat of the arm of her chair, "Hermione he didn't know you weren't there. From what he told me about it Voldemort had been trying all year to lure Harry away from Hogwarts to get him. The one image he couldn't seem to stop was of you being hurt. For hours he paced the floor trying to block it out, but his Occlumency training isn't as strong as Voldemort's. When he saw your mother being Cursed he apparated to your house and saved your Mum and Dad."
"Apparated? But you can't apparate inside Hogwarts grounds."
"Well he did, and he did it again today when he saw you about to drop the spore pod."
My parents! . . . but. . . they seem fine. I . . . I never should've gone away." She pulled her knees up and buried her face in them.
Lavender came over and stroked her hair back, "Their fine now Dumbledore did a memory charm on them and they'll never know what happened now. Its better that way."
Lavender stop petting her head and pulled a small green newt that was tangled in her hair free. "What's this Hermione?"
She slowly raised her head to see what Lavender was talking about. "Merlin! I forgot about Parvarti!" She waved her wand and reversed the spell quickly.
Parvarti grew back to full height and looked very pissed. "Damn it Hermione I didn't think you were serious!"
Before she could continue Hermione jumped up and grabbed her into a bone crushing hug and started to sob deeply, "I'm sorry . . . sorry. I've been a fool."
The look on Parvarti's face quickly changed from anger to pity, "He really does love you. Can't you see it? He's always following you around now. Carrying your books back from the library, or bring you tea late at night when your studying, and He even told me that Snape gave him detention once for 'being too obvious' if you can believe that."
Hermione was lost in a sea of images and thoughts of all these little things that Harry had been doing this year, but it wasn't just this year it was last year as well, "How long has this been going on Ron?"
He was pitting Crookshanks who was now sitting on the chair too, "The summer before sixth year I think, but he never said anything to me back then. I just kind of knew though. What ever he saw in the Department of Mysteries must've really stirred him. After that he's always been keeping tabs on you."
A long silence hung in the common room as Hermione replayed the events of that night in her head. Lavender, Parvarti, and Ron left during this time saying something about dinner and were gone. Ginny slowly placed her hand on Hermione's shoulder and turned her around.
"He doesn't know what to do Hermione. He's never been in love before or been loved for that matter. He's never had anything but pain, death, and the hopes of the world riding on his actions. You're the thing that got him through it all. You're his friend when he had none, and never left his side. You're leaving Hogwarts in one week and I think it scared the life out of him. I could see it in his eyes when he looks at you. You're going away to University and out of his life. I don't think he really thought what would happen if he defeated Voldemort. Maybe he had always thought he wouldn't live to have to see you leave him."
"I never thought he would ever feel this way about me, I mean he could have any women in the world. I'm just plain old Hermione the bookworm."
"Hah I think your mistaking Harry for Ron here. Harry doesn't care about any of that surface polish. It's always been about what's inside that counts, and you two know each other so well it's plain to see. I know this must be scary to have to heir of Godric Gryffindor, and one of the richest wizards in the U.K. pining for you, but come on it's just Harry really." Ginny finished with a small smile and playfully pushed Hermione.
She laughed, "Do you really think he . . . he loves me?"
A mischievous smile grew on her face, "Why don't you go ask him if you're not sure."