1 Disclaimer: Don't own anything, not making any money, no infringement
intended. I just love these characters too much to leave them alone.
1.1 Rating: R for language
Summary: Hermione finds comfort from an unexpected source after Ron breaks up with her. Takes place 7th year, two months before the Trio graduate from Hogwarts. Chapter 2: In which we cut Ron and Parvati a little slack. Severus/Hermione.
1.1.1 Rebound
by Auror Borealis
Chapter 2
Shortly after dawn the next morning, Hermione stole quietly into her dormitory for a quick shower, and to change and collect her books. Lavender and Parvati were just beginning to wake as she closed the door again. She crept past a lightly snoring Harry, stretched out on the sofa nearest the fire. Had he really waited all night for her? she wondered. Again, she felt a stab of guilt for the worry she was certain he and her other friends must have felt when she didn't come in last night. It was nice to know Harry still cared about her, even if Ron… She pushed him viciously out of her mind.
Hermione went down to the Great Hall and sat at her usual spot at the Gryffindor table. It was almost an hour until breakfast, and she wanted to use the time to catch up on last night's neglected homework. Arithmancy soon absorbed her, smoothing over some of the sting of last night's rejection with surprising ease, at least temporarily. She barely noticed when other students, many of them yawning, started filing into the hall.
She finally looked up when Harry sat down next to her, his green eyes puffy with lack of sleep, and filled with concern. He looked at her for a moment, neither of them saying anything, then pulled her into his arms. Fighting tears and winning this time, Hermione clung to him, dry-eyed, for long moments, before pulling back and forcing a laugh.
"I wonder if I look half as bad as you do?" she said, smiling.
"Ron told me," Harry said softly. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. I knew you guys were having some problems, but I didn't think this would happen."
Hermione filled her plate with eggs, sausages and toast, and began to cut up the sausages and push them around her plate with great industry. "We weren't having any problems that we hadn't always had. Ron knew me before we started dating, he knew bloody well what he was getting into. I know I should have left him alone him about his schoolwork, but honestly, Harry, he nagged me twice as much about mine! 'C'mon, Herm, you can write that essay between classes tomorrow. There's no need to worry about doing a good job on it. Let's go up to the Astronomy Tower and snog.'"
"Ron's been worried that he wasn't a high priority with you."
"Oh, that's bollocks, Harry, and you know it. What was worrying Ron is that I wasn't his only priority. Why I didn't see that before now, I don't know, but it's true. He was more important to me than my work, but that wasn't enough. I had to prove that my grades didn't matter at all, and I wasn't willing to do that. Did that make me a bad girlfriend? If it did, so be it. He certainly didn't waste any time finding someone more to his liking. I just hope that Parvati doesn't mind being no more than Ron Weasley's bloody ornament. As far as I'm concerned, she's welcome to him."
Speak of the devil, Harry thought, because it – or they – had just appeared, hand in hand. Exchanging a glance with Dean, who was seated on Hermione's other side and who also saw the pair approaching, Harry excused himself to Hermione and got up to intercept them. Dean began asking Hermione's opinion of his Transfiguration homework, just as Harry reached Ron and caught his arm.
"Good morning, Parvati. Ron, a word with you, if you don't mind?" Parvati paled as she saw Hermione, but at a nod from Ron, she continued on to her place at the Gryffindor table. Ron followed Harry out through the great doors and onto the front steps of Hogwarts, and sat down on the balustrade.
"For heaven's sake, Ron, the body isn't even cold yet!" Harry began. "The best thing I can say for your entrance with Parvati just now is that it was tacky. You do NOT break up with a girl who, twelve hours ago, thought you were in love with her, and then show up holding hands with her replacement!"
Ron looked abashed. "I didn't think about it that way, Harry." Harry snorted, but Ron continued. "Parvati was worried about facing Hermione, and I was just trying to make sure she knew she wouldn't be alone. That's all. I didn't mean to hurt her, honestly. Not last night, and not this morning."
"Well, you did hurt her last night. If you really wanted to split up, then there was no avoiding that, of course, but did you have to spring Parvati on her so soon?" Harry paced the top few steps, hands behind his back.
"She asked last night if there was someone else. I had to tell her," Ron said, sighing.
"And speaking of that, why was there someone else? What the bloody hell were you doing, sneaking around with Parvati when you were dating Hermione? I really wouldn't have thought it of you, Ron." Harry sat on the balustrade on the other side of the steps from Ron, and buried his face in his hands.
"I know you probably won't believe me, but I didn't sneak around with Parvati. We just… these last few weeks, it just seemed that every time I looked up, there was Parvati, and it was like… like I'd never noticed how beautiful she was, or how sweet. And we started talking, after class and in the library and stuff. Nothing else, just talking, I swear. And I could tell she felt it, too. I really didn't want to hurt Hermione, and I didn't do anything about it. But I realized that I couldn't feel this way about someone else, and still be with Hermione. And I realized that I didn't feel those things for her anymore. I love her dearly, Harry, but only as a friend. I think it was infatuation, not love. And I wish to god I'd been able to tell the difference before now."
"Is it love with Parvati?"
"Yes, Harry, it is. I'm really in love this time."
"So you break up with Hermione, rush to tell Hermione's friend," and here Ron winced guiltily, "the happy news, and now you're a couple? With no more than a few glances and some conversation?"
"It sounds dodgy when you say it like that, Harry, but except for the happy part, that's pretty much it. I met Parvati outside the common room when I came in last night, and asked her if I could talk to her. I told her about Hermione, and what I'd done, and how badly I'd handled it. I also told her that when Hermione asked if there was someone else, I said yes, and Parvati wanted to know who that someone else was. I hadn't been 'seeing' her, Harry, honestly. I'd just been falling in love with her. And she was falling in love with me, too. And I'll tell you something else. She's terribly worried, not just about what Hermione will say to her, but about Hermione herself. She doesn't want to hurt her any more than I do, and she doesn't want to lose her as a friend. Any more than I do."
"If that's true, Ron, then you're going to have to do better than you did this morning. There can't be any public displays, at least for a while, because they will hurt. She was already talking this morning about how quickly you'd replaced her. Everyone else is going to think that, too, and it's going to humiliate her. If you want to keep her as a friend, you're going to have to be restrained with Parvati. And if you want to keep me as a friend, you won't do anything that will force me to choose sides."
Ron looked thunderstruck at this, but nodded his acceptance. He now saw the foolishness of walking hand-in-hand into the Great Hall with Parvati this morning, and resolved to give Hermione time before parading Parvati around as his new girlfriend. Parvati, he knew, would understand and agree.
"I'm starved," Harry said, standing up. "I hope they've left us some sausages, they smelled great." Ron followed him back inside.
Parvati's attempts to talk to Hermione had not gone as well. They came back into the Hall to find Hermione gone, and Parvati trying hard not to cry. No one was talking to her. Harry sat down beside her, taking the space Ron was about to claim. Ron sat down on his other side, drawing hostile looks.
"Parvati, can I borrow your notes from Divination? I fell asleep yesterday," said Harry, grinning sheepishly. "That incense Trelawney uses always does that to me."
Parvati understood what Harry was doing, and was grateful. "Sure, Harry, they're in my bag in the dorm, I'll get them for you after breakfast."
The Gryffindors surrounding them also understood what Harry was doing, and began to thaw towards the new couple. If he could talk to Parvati and Ron, then so could they. Hermione was Harry's best friend, after all. They knew he'd look out for her no matter what, and if this was part of it, they could go along with it. Everyone was uncomfortable with the breach, and wanted to see it healed.
Ron glanced toward the head table, then wished he hadn't. Professor Snape's glare was more menacing than Ron had ever seen it. Did he know? Would he even care, if he did? Ron told himself that his guilty conscience was seeing condemnation everywhere, and finished his breakfast.
2 End of Part 2
A/N: More of Snape soon, promise.
1.1 Rating: R for language
Summary: Hermione finds comfort from an unexpected source after Ron breaks up with her. Takes place 7th year, two months before the Trio graduate from Hogwarts. Chapter 2: In which we cut Ron and Parvati a little slack. Severus/Hermione.
1.1.1 Rebound
by Auror Borealis
Chapter 2
Shortly after dawn the next morning, Hermione stole quietly into her dormitory for a quick shower, and to change and collect her books. Lavender and Parvati were just beginning to wake as she closed the door again. She crept past a lightly snoring Harry, stretched out on the sofa nearest the fire. Had he really waited all night for her? she wondered. Again, she felt a stab of guilt for the worry she was certain he and her other friends must have felt when she didn't come in last night. It was nice to know Harry still cared about her, even if Ron… She pushed him viciously out of her mind.
Hermione went down to the Great Hall and sat at her usual spot at the Gryffindor table. It was almost an hour until breakfast, and she wanted to use the time to catch up on last night's neglected homework. Arithmancy soon absorbed her, smoothing over some of the sting of last night's rejection with surprising ease, at least temporarily. She barely noticed when other students, many of them yawning, started filing into the hall.
She finally looked up when Harry sat down next to her, his green eyes puffy with lack of sleep, and filled with concern. He looked at her for a moment, neither of them saying anything, then pulled her into his arms. Fighting tears and winning this time, Hermione clung to him, dry-eyed, for long moments, before pulling back and forcing a laugh.
"I wonder if I look half as bad as you do?" she said, smiling.
"Ron told me," Harry said softly. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. I knew you guys were having some problems, but I didn't think this would happen."
Hermione filled her plate with eggs, sausages and toast, and began to cut up the sausages and push them around her plate with great industry. "We weren't having any problems that we hadn't always had. Ron knew me before we started dating, he knew bloody well what he was getting into. I know I should have left him alone him about his schoolwork, but honestly, Harry, he nagged me twice as much about mine! 'C'mon, Herm, you can write that essay between classes tomorrow. There's no need to worry about doing a good job on it. Let's go up to the Astronomy Tower and snog.'"
"Ron's been worried that he wasn't a high priority with you."
"Oh, that's bollocks, Harry, and you know it. What was worrying Ron is that I wasn't his only priority. Why I didn't see that before now, I don't know, but it's true. He was more important to me than my work, but that wasn't enough. I had to prove that my grades didn't matter at all, and I wasn't willing to do that. Did that make me a bad girlfriend? If it did, so be it. He certainly didn't waste any time finding someone more to his liking. I just hope that Parvati doesn't mind being no more than Ron Weasley's bloody ornament. As far as I'm concerned, she's welcome to him."
Speak of the devil, Harry thought, because it – or they – had just appeared, hand in hand. Exchanging a glance with Dean, who was seated on Hermione's other side and who also saw the pair approaching, Harry excused himself to Hermione and got up to intercept them. Dean began asking Hermione's opinion of his Transfiguration homework, just as Harry reached Ron and caught his arm.
"Good morning, Parvati. Ron, a word with you, if you don't mind?" Parvati paled as she saw Hermione, but at a nod from Ron, she continued on to her place at the Gryffindor table. Ron followed Harry out through the great doors and onto the front steps of Hogwarts, and sat down on the balustrade.
"For heaven's sake, Ron, the body isn't even cold yet!" Harry began. "The best thing I can say for your entrance with Parvati just now is that it was tacky. You do NOT break up with a girl who, twelve hours ago, thought you were in love with her, and then show up holding hands with her replacement!"
Ron looked abashed. "I didn't think about it that way, Harry." Harry snorted, but Ron continued. "Parvati was worried about facing Hermione, and I was just trying to make sure she knew she wouldn't be alone. That's all. I didn't mean to hurt her, honestly. Not last night, and not this morning."
"Well, you did hurt her last night. If you really wanted to split up, then there was no avoiding that, of course, but did you have to spring Parvati on her so soon?" Harry paced the top few steps, hands behind his back.
"She asked last night if there was someone else. I had to tell her," Ron said, sighing.
"And speaking of that, why was there someone else? What the bloody hell were you doing, sneaking around with Parvati when you were dating Hermione? I really wouldn't have thought it of you, Ron." Harry sat on the balustrade on the other side of the steps from Ron, and buried his face in his hands.
"I know you probably won't believe me, but I didn't sneak around with Parvati. We just… these last few weeks, it just seemed that every time I looked up, there was Parvati, and it was like… like I'd never noticed how beautiful she was, or how sweet. And we started talking, after class and in the library and stuff. Nothing else, just talking, I swear. And I could tell she felt it, too. I really didn't want to hurt Hermione, and I didn't do anything about it. But I realized that I couldn't feel this way about someone else, and still be with Hermione. And I realized that I didn't feel those things for her anymore. I love her dearly, Harry, but only as a friend. I think it was infatuation, not love. And I wish to god I'd been able to tell the difference before now."
"Is it love with Parvati?"
"Yes, Harry, it is. I'm really in love this time."
"So you break up with Hermione, rush to tell Hermione's friend," and here Ron winced guiltily, "the happy news, and now you're a couple? With no more than a few glances and some conversation?"
"It sounds dodgy when you say it like that, Harry, but except for the happy part, that's pretty much it. I met Parvati outside the common room when I came in last night, and asked her if I could talk to her. I told her about Hermione, and what I'd done, and how badly I'd handled it. I also told her that when Hermione asked if there was someone else, I said yes, and Parvati wanted to know who that someone else was. I hadn't been 'seeing' her, Harry, honestly. I'd just been falling in love with her. And she was falling in love with me, too. And I'll tell you something else. She's terribly worried, not just about what Hermione will say to her, but about Hermione herself. She doesn't want to hurt her any more than I do, and she doesn't want to lose her as a friend. Any more than I do."
"If that's true, Ron, then you're going to have to do better than you did this morning. There can't be any public displays, at least for a while, because they will hurt. She was already talking this morning about how quickly you'd replaced her. Everyone else is going to think that, too, and it's going to humiliate her. If you want to keep her as a friend, you're going to have to be restrained with Parvati. And if you want to keep me as a friend, you won't do anything that will force me to choose sides."
Ron looked thunderstruck at this, but nodded his acceptance. He now saw the foolishness of walking hand-in-hand into the Great Hall with Parvati this morning, and resolved to give Hermione time before parading Parvati around as his new girlfriend. Parvati, he knew, would understand and agree.
"I'm starved," Harry said, standing up. "I hope they've left us some sausages, they smelled great." Ron followed him back inside.
Parvati's attempts to talk to Hermione had not gone as well. They came back into the Hall to find Hermione gone, and Parvati trying hard not to cry. No one was talking to her. Harry sat down beside her, taking the space Ron was about to claim. Ron sat down on his other side, drawing hostile looks.
"Parvati, can I borrow your notes from Divination? I fell asleep yesterday," said Harry, grinning sheepishly. "That incense Trelawney uses always does that to me."
Parvati understood what Harry was doing, and was grateful. "Sure, Harry, they're in my bag in the dorm, I'll get them for you after breakfast."
The Gryffindors surrounding them also understood what Harry was doing, and began to thaw towards the new couple. If he could talk to Parvati and Ron, then so could they. Hermione was Harry's best friend, after all. They knew he'd look out for her no matter what, and if this was part of it, they could go along with it. Everyone was uncomfortable with the breach, and wanted to see it healed.
Ron glanced toward the head table, then wished he hadn't. Professor Snape's glare was more menacing than Ron had ever seen it. Did he know? Would he even care, if he did? Ron told himself that his guilty conscience was seeing condemnation everywhere, and finished his breakfast.
2 End of Part 2
A/N: More of Snape soon, promise.
