A Broken Romance
[With a little Hogwarts mixed in]
Chapter Two
Slowly, very slowly, Hermione lifted her wand to perform the anti-muteness spell. She looked a terrible mess, her eyes were puffy and red, her nose was running and her hair had strongly rebelled the mousse, coming out looking like it had been through 1,000 watts. Her hand trembled as she drew back the curtain to her four-poster. She hadn't even the strength to be angry at Ron for being in her dormitory. "Oh, Hermione!" Yelped Ron, "You've been crying!" Hermione nodded slowly, as though still inept to world moving and changing with great speed around her. Ron walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. She collapsed into him, letting herself give in to her feelings and cry in Rons' gentle grip. She didn't know how long they stood there, Ron caressing her long russet hair. Hermione lay her head on Rons' shoulder and Ron blandly swayed. After what seemed like hours, Hermione looked up at Ron and, tears streaming down her cheeks, brushed her lips against his. The kiss was short and innocent, but still meant more to Ron than anything else in the world at that moment. Just as their lips parted they heard a shrill scream. "RON!" The voice was Professor McGongalls'. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THE GIRLS' DORMITORY??!" Quick as a flash, Hermione pulled herself away from Rons' warm caress. It was than that the professor realized what they had been doing. She seemed to look sympathatic. "Ron, I must insist that you leave this instant. This is the first and only warning. Next time you will be punished." Ron walked numbly toward the door, and Hermione made a move to follow him. Professor McGongall put up a hand to stop her. "Not you, young lady. I need to have a few words with you". Dreading what was to come, Hermione sat back down on her bed, while watching Ron disappear down into the common room before Professor McGongall shut the door. "I can see you've been crying, Miss Granger." "It's nothing, professor" replied Hermione. "It must have been, if it kept you upset that long, and you weren't quiet about it, either" "What?" asked a puzzled Hermione. "Teachers, in fact, most grown witches and wizards, can hear through an underage wizard's muteness spell. I just happened to have heard you before the match and was going to come up than but had to referee. Now, I must request that you tell me what is the matter. And lying won't help, because I have a truth potion right here and I will use it if necessary." Pausing, Hermione swallowed and began. "I liked this –this guy" But before she could continued Professor McGongall interuppted "Harry Potter…do go on." Shocked that she knew, Hermione continued "And-and today I-I saw him with Cho at a, er, bad time and I'm-I'm afraid that it upset me." There was no need to doubt it now, Professor McGongall definitly had a look of pity on her face and when she spoke it was in the softest tone she had ever heard her use. "Hermione, I know what you must be going through right now." She halted for a second and Hermione wondered how she could possibly know what she was feeling. But before she could ponder, the professor started up again. "It is for that reason that I cannot comfort you in any way. I can only promise you that when this does end, it will end the right way and for the best." And with that she left, shutting the door with a tiny click behind her. For a moment Hermione didn't move, but when she did it was not with the usual grace she normally had. She stumbled down to the common room, which was empty save for Ron. She succumbed herself into his arms once more, sitting silently while Rons' hand patted her on the back. Sometimes, for the long while they were positioned there, they would kiss, but always breifly for fear someone would enter the room. It was during once such kiss, perhaps longer than the others, that someone did enter. Neville. He gasped and ran right back out again, obviously upset. Hermione called out after him but he didn't respond. "What was that about?" inquired Ron. "He asked me to the dance earlier today and I'm afraid I said I'd get back to him and now-"And now he thinks you've been putting him on." Finished Ron. Hermione nodded. "Well you'd better go sort it out with him", said Ron, "If he's not already telling the whole school about this." Hermione smiled weakly, and kissed Ron for a second before getting up to find Neville. She walked stallingly, figuring that Neville was probably at lunch in the Great Hall. Her guess was dead on. As she ambled into the massive eating hall, Neville could be seen at the Gryffindor table. The rest of the table was looking at her expectantly. Fred Weasly was the first to speak, saying "Hermione! So nice to see you! Where have you been the past week? I'm sure Malfoy (and here several members of the Gryffindor House Quidditch team muttered things such as 'little git' and the like) missed you", his voice dripping with sarcasm. Hermione smiled another faint smile. "That'll happen" she said jokingly. George Weasly added his two cents to the conversation, stating "Well Neville was the first of us to spot you and you won't believe what crazy story he came up with, you and Ron, that's a laugh.." Quietly, Hermione responded "It's true." Fred and George gaped, Lavender and Patil squealed and giggled, and Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell looked questionatly at her. Katie murmured "What about Harry..?" Hermione looked abashed. "What about him?" asked George, trying to look innocent. Katie snapped "You know what!" Hermione, confused, asked Alicia what they were talking about. In undertone, Alicia explained, "Last night word got out that he had a huge crush on you. He was going to ask you to the ball but couldn't find you. He figured that you heard the rumor and didn't want to go with him. He was hurt-and he asked Cho." Hermione was stunned. Dozens of emotions hit her-regret, anguish, anger, sadness-and, strangely, a strong sense of being lonely. So unsettled was she that, numbly, she made her way back to Gryffindor Tower. She forgot, even, to forgive Neville. Everything seemed so-so wrong at the moment. She had her greatest dream crash and burn in one day, and than had it come back and sting her again. When she reached the common room, she walked past Ron, though he wasn't the only one in there anymore. She let herself into her dormitory and onto her bed. The terrible longing to be aware of Harrys' feeling was in hindsight. But no tears came to her this time, as if she had been emptied of every one earlier. Instead a gnawing in her stomache persisted until, exhausted, she plummeted onto her pillow and fell asleep.