Chapter 11
By the next day, the entire school had heard about Hermione and Ernie, except for Hermione and Ernie themselves. Hermione had wondered why people in the halls snickered at her as she walked by, why the Slytherines were being extra rude to her lately, why people kept whispering behind her back, but she ignored it, telling herself it was only her imagination. Besides, she had more pressing matters to worry about. Hermione knew she had to break up with Ernie. She just couldn't believe that she had been stupid enough to think that anyone could make her take her mind off Harry. If anything, going out with Ernie had somehow made Hermione's love for Harry stronger.
"Ernie," Hermione said quietly to Ernie just before Arithmancy began. "I need to talk to you."
"Sure. What do you need to talk about?"
Hermione looked at Ernie. He wasn't exactly her type, but he was very nice and she felt horrible for hurting him, but there really was no other option.
"Ernie, I think we should stop seeing each other," Hermione said softly.
Ernie looked at her blankly and said, "I should have known it wouldn't last. I thought there might have been something between Harry and you."
"Oh, Ernie, I'm so sorry for it to be so sudden, but-wait, did you say you thought there was something between me and Harry?"
"Yes."
"There's nothing between me and Harry," Hermione said wistfully, "believe me."
"Maybe not yet, but you can tell he likes you."
Hermione laughed. "Harry likes me? Yeah right."
Ernie shrugged and said, "I thought it seemed pretty obvious, but maybe I was just imagining things."
'He probably was just imagining it,' Hermione thought. But she desperately wished that Ernie was right, that Harry did like her as more than a friend.
* * *
That evening after dinner, Harry sat in the common room reading another Quidditch book. He looked up when he heard the portrait slowly swing open; it was Hermione.
"Hello," she said sitting next to him.
"Hi," Harry said, trying to sound warmer to her than he felt.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.
"Nothing," Harry lied.
"Harry, do you have any idea what's going on?" Hermione asked. "Everyone's whispering about me behind my back. At first I thought I was imagining it, but just as I was walking back to the common room, a bunch of Slytherines started saying some things, and I don't exactly know what they meant by it."
"They found out a bit your little fling with Ernie in the Ladies Room at the Three Broomsticks," Harry said, trying not to sound too harsh, but failing. He wanted to be supportive; Hermione was his best friend, but he couldn't help the feelings of jealousy that welled up inside of him.
"What are you talking about? The Ladies Room at the Three Broomsticks? What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione said, very confused.
"You know, what you did yesterday at the Three Broomsticks."
"But. . .but nothing happened at the Three Broomsticks," Hermione said. "What are people saying went on?"
"You mean nothing happened between you two yesterday?" Harry said incredulously.
"No, why? What are people saying?"
Harry looked at Hermione; he could tell by the look in her eyes that she was telling the truth.
"There are rumors that you and Ernie. . .did things in the Ladies Room at the Three Broomsticks the other day."
Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh my God," was all she could manage to say. Tears filled her eyes. Who would say something like that? And why?" Now, Hermione had put up with her fair share of rumors in her years at Hogwarts, but this was different. Before the rumors had been about her and Harry, which was a subject Hermione didn't mind being talked about; but these rumors were different. In her fourth year, the rumors had been more mild, but these rumors were more harsh, more severe, and Hermione feared that they would ruin her reputation.
Harry looked at Hermione, wishing that there was something he could do to help her. He hated seeing her upset like this.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," was all he could manage to say.
"What am I going to do, Harry?"
Harry didn't know what to say; he had no idea what Hermione should do. He didn't know what to do or say to make her feel better.
"I hate my life," muttered Hermione.
"It's not so bad, Herm," Harry said, "these kinds of things happen all the time and eventually blow over. Remember when everyone hated me in our Second Year? And then again in our Fourth Year? And they don't hate me anymore."
This made Hermione feel a little better, but not much. Harry was being so sweet, listening to all of her troubles and trying to console her. Now, more than ever, Hermione felt love for him.
She sighed and put her head in her hands. "Today has been the worst day. There's that whole horrible rumor thing, and I also had to break up with Ernie."
"You broke up with Ernie?" Harry said, trying to hide his delight.
Hermione nodded. "And I feel absolutely horrible about it. I didn't mean to hurt him, I just. . .I don't know." She sighed and shook her head. "Today has just been miserable. I wish I could just wake up and have this whole ordeal just be a dream."
Harry tried to look sympathetic, but inside he was overjoyed. The rumors weren't true after all! And Hermione had broken up with Ernie. Harry couldn't help but feel happy, though he did feel sympathy toward Hermione; her day had been horrible.
"I just want this day to end," Hermione said, heading for the staircase. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you tomorrow, Harry."
"Goodnight, Hermione," said Harry. Harry made a quick decision. Now that Ernie was out of the picture, he would tell Hermione how he felt about her. the only problem was, when would he do it?
By the next day, the entire school had heard about Hermione and Ernie, except for Hermione and Ernie themselves. Hermione had wondered why people in the halls snickered at her as she walked by, why the Slytherines were being extra rude to her lately, why people kept whispering behind her back, but she ignored it, telling herself it was only her imagination. Besides, she had more pressing matters to worry about. Hermione knew she had to break up with Ernie. She just couldn't believe that she had been stupid enough to think that anyone could make her take her mind off Harry. If anything, going out with Ernie had somehow made Hermione's love for Harry stronger.
"Ernie," Hermione said quietly to Ernie just before Arithmancy began. "I need to talk to you."
"Sure. What do you need to talk about?"
Hermione looked at Ernie. He wasn't exactly her type, but he was very nice and she felt horrible for hurting him, but there really was no other option.
"Ernie, I think we should stop seeing each other," Hermione said softly.
Ernie looked at her blankly and said, "I should have known it wouldn't last. I thought there might have been something between Harry and you."
"Oh, Ernie, I'm so sorry for it to be so sudden, but-wait, did you say you thought there was something between me and Harry?"
"Yes."
"There's nothing between me and Harry," Hermione said wistfully, "believe me."
"Maybe not yet, but you can tell he likes you."
Hermione laughed. "Harry likes me? Yeah right."
Ernie shrugged and said, "I thought it seemed pretty obvious, but maybe I was just imagining things."
'He probably was just imagining it,' Hermione thought. But she desperately wished that Ernie was right, that Harry did like her as more than a friend.
* * *
That evening after dinner, Harry sat in the common room reading another Quidditch book. He looked up when he heard the portrait slowly swing open; it was Hermione.
"Hello," she said sitting next to him.
"Hi," Harry said, trying to sound warmer to her than he felt.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.
"Nothing," Harry lied.
"Harry, do you have any idea what's going on?" Hermione asked. "Everyone's whispering about me behind my back. At first I thought I was imagining it, but just as I was walking back to the common room, a bunch of Slytherines started saying some things, and I don't exactly know what they meant by it."
"They found out a bit your little fling with Ernie in the Ladies Room at the Three Broomsticks," Harry said, trying not to sound too harsh, but failing. He wanted to be supportive; Hermione was his best friend, but he couldn't help the feelings of jealousy that welled up inside of him.
"What are you talking about? The Ladies Room at the Three Broomsticks? What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione said, very confused.
"You know, what you did yesterday at the Three Broomsticks."
"But. . .but nothing happened at the Three Broomsticks," Hermione said. "What are people saying went on?"
"You mean nothing happened between you two yesterday?" Harry said incredulously.
"No, why? What are people saying?"
Harry looked at Hermione; he could tell by the look in her eyes that she was telling the truth.
"There are rumors that you and Ernie. . .did things in the Ladies Room at the Three Broomsticks the other day."
Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh my God," was all she could manage to say. Tears filled her eyes. Who would say something like that? And why?" Now, Hermione had put up with her fair share of rumors in her years at Hogwarts, but this was different. Before the rumors had been about her and Harry, which was a subject Hermione didn't mind being talked about; but these rumors were different. In her fourth year, the rumors had been more mild, but these rumors were more harsh, more severe, and Hermione feared that they would ruin her reputation.
Harry looked at Hermione, wishing that there was something he could do to help her. He hated seeing her upset like this.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," was all he could manage to say.
"What am I going to do, Harry?"
Harry didn't know what to say; he had no idea what Hermione should do. He didn't know what to do or say to make her feel better.
"I hate my life," muttered Hermione.
"It's not so bad, Herm," Harry said, "these kinds of things happen all the time and eventually blow over. Remember when everyone hated me in our Second Year? And then again in our Fourth Year? And they don't hate me anymore."
This made Hermione feel a little better, but not much. Harry was being so sweet, listening to all of her troubles and trying to console her. Now, more than ever, Hermione felt love for him.
She sighed and put her head in her hands. "Today has been the worst day. There's that whole horrible rumor thing, and I also had to break up with Ernie."
"You broke up with Ernie?" Harry said, trying to hide his delight.
Hermione nodded. "And I feel absolutely horrible about it. I didn't mean to hurt him, I just. . .I don't know." She sighed and shook her head. "Today has just been miserable. I wish I could just wake up and have this whole ordeal just be a dream."
Harry tried to look sympathetic, but inside he was overjoyed. The rumors weren't true after all! And Hermione had broken up with Ernie. Harry couldn't help but feel happy, though he did feel sympathy toward Hermione; her day had been horrible.
"I just want this day to end," Hermione said, heading for the staircase. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you tomorrow, Harry."
"Goodnight, Hermione," said Harry. Harry made a quick decision. Now that Ernie was out of the picture, he would tell Hermione how he felt about her. the only problem was, when would he do it?
