Weeks passed after that like years. The days seemed like weeks and nothing seemed quite right after that day. Hermione could feel herself tremble uncontrollably during classtimes, when she sat next to Harry. She felt a terrible greif for him, as though it were she that had been put through what Harry had. She wanted to give him a hug. His face was quite blank these days. He rarely spoke, and when it was, it was during class times when teachers called upon him.
Hermione had begun to notice a great change in Harry. No longer were his eyes filled with joyful light and laughter but were empty. Like horrible green tunnels which had no end. Who gave no window to the soul, as the old saying had said. The way he carried himself had also changed, no longer walking joviantly, but simply moving as though he were dead to the world. As though only his mind were taking him through the hallways, as though he had no body. He was ghostly, and it was quite disturbing. Knowing what he had been before that wretched wench...
Hermione sighed. Yes, that Jamie girl, she'd been not as stricken by this recent break up, for Harry was simply Jamies little puppet. Another boy toy, and he was broken to her, and tossed aside. The next day Jamie had a new a blonde Hufflepuff 7th year to tug around. Hermione had suspected that this is the reason they had broken up. It would have been quite right indeed, to think that it was Jamie who was unfaithful, and had ruined that relationship.
Hermione's feelings for Harry had deepend. No longer was it a fantasy crush on him that she felt. But a desire for his presence, it was heart breaking desire she felt for him. It hurt to think of him, and know he wasn't going to notice her, like Hermione had to him. He most certainly was not going to come around and be the friend he had been before this whole Jamie thing had happened. Healing took time, a lot of time. The mending of a broken heart, is the longest healing wound Hermione knew.
But still, she loved him from afar, and made sure to watch him very carefully. It was the nature in her to make sure he was alright. For if he was not in a right state of mind, Hermione knew he got quite unpredictable. He often talked about death with Hermione a year before now, and Hermione was worried that he might want to try and take his own life.
Hermione sighed again. It was unbearable, indeed.
As she was drowned in her thoughts her hand poised over the book she had been reading in her own free time. It was because she was so drowned in her thoughts that she did not notice the person who was watching her behind the bookself she sat in front of in the library.
***
In the library, Harry sighed. It was as if the weight of the world had conviently placed itself upon his shoulders. His breath had become quite slow and steady and silent in the last few minutes, as he thought of a blissfully wonderful thought. It was odd these days for him to think of happy things.
For the first week or so, it was as though he were walking on casters, his mind had been left thinking about Jamie, as though it were the only thing keeping him alive. It tore a hole bigger and bigger the more he saw Jamie, within him. After a week, he just payed attention to school work, and nothing else, and only came out of the library to sleep and eat. Though he did hardly any eating. It was though he was fasting. Everything he ate seemed to taste like sandpaper. His dreams were blank, no lovely dreams of being with Jamie. No fantasies, no nightmares, just simple blank, dreamless sleep, which was rather unusual for Harry. And when he awoke each morning, opening his eyes felt like tearing them open as though they were glued shut. It was as if in sleep, Harry's entire system would completely shut down. It was very odd, very odd indeed.
He felt so alone. He missed Hermione, and the way she used to comfort him when he was upset. But it seemed as though she was backing off, as though Harry had some sort of disease and needed time as vaccination.
Harry let his thoughts wander. Ahh... Hermione, she was a pleasent thing to think about. The way she walked, talked, moved, breathed, everything about her seemed so perfect at the moment.
He shook his head, and took a glance at Hermione from his table situated behind the bookshelf behind her, and continued studying.
***
Hermione stood up from her table in the library and streched widely, with a yawn. Perhaps the rest of her extra credit papers shall have to wait for tommorow. She gathered up her things and put them in her book bag in an orderly fashion and headed to the Great Hall to grab some food from what was left of dinner.
She passed a few students heading in the direction of their houses, this was odd, she thought looking at her watch. It's only 7:45, why would everyone be leaving from dinner this early? She continued walking towards the Great Hall, as more and more students walked in the opposite direction, hissing in whispers and looking at Hermione oddly as she walked. When she finally reached the Great Hall, she noticed the large doors had been shut and locked, seeing the very large padlock upon them.
This is very odd, she pondered, I wonder what happened. She turned and went in the direction of Gyriffendor Tower, maybe someone there would know. Good Lord knows that all she needed to do was ask Lavender or Parvarti, for they knew practicly every gossip topic under the sun. When she had nearly reached the tower however, she heard a set of footsteps behind her. She turned around, and saw Harry walking up the stairs, carrying quite a large quantity of books, and if he wasn't careful, it looked as though he'd topple over.
When he reached the top of the stairs he caught sight of Hermione. His previous expression of exhaustion had vanished and his face was contorted in what seemed like, well... it was hard to place, but it was a look that she had never seen on his face before.
Hermione shifted nervously.
"Need a hand with those?" She asked holding out her hands as though to pick up some books from the top of the stack Harry was carrying.
"Nah, I'll be alright." This shocked Hermione of how Harry's voice sounded. It was so different than when last heard it. It didn't seem to be Harry talking. It was a flat, monotonious voice that veiled no emotion, and it quite frightened her to some extent.
"Oh alright then."
There was an awkward silence, the only sound heard was the rumbling of students feet many floors below. Hermione turned down the hall and muttered the password to the fatlady and scrambled into the common room, leaving Harry out in the hall.
When inside the Common Room she ran up the stairs to the girls dormitories and into her room. She threw her bag on the floor and flopped down face first on her bed, and for a while she just lied there, breathing, not thinking, not moving, just there.
It was so odd to see Harry like that, she thought. She was so sure that that couldn't have been the Harry she knew and loved. She definately needed to talk this out. She hated Jamie, she wanted Jamie to die. She wanted very horrible things to happen to Jamie in the near future. She had ruined Harry, and in turn had ruined Hermione. What she held dear was now spoiled, and she wasn't sure if she could get Harry back the way he was.
"It's no use just sitting here and pondering about all this," she said out loud to herself. She nodded. Perhaps she should find out from Parvarti or Lavender now about what was the business with the Great Hall being all closed up tight.
She walked out of her room and down the hall to the normal 7th year girl's dorm, seeing as she was now Head Girl, she got her own room to herself. It was exactly how remembered it, the dorm, decorated in the same photographs, and the same smell lingered around it. The dresser was still covered with make up from Parvarti and Lavender and the two other girls who stayed in the dorm. But oddly enough, no one was in the dormitory when she walked in. She heard none of the normal chatter that rumbled from the common room. This was strange, very strange, and what did it mean.
She walked away from the dorm and down to the common room. Every Gryffindor was in there, sitting, whispering, very softly to one another. Hermione caught sight of Parvarti and sat next to her.
"Parvarti?" she whispered.
Parvarti didn't move to face her.
"Yes, Hermione?" Parvarti whispered back not looking at Hermione.
"What's wrong? Why is everyone like this? And why was the Great Hall locked up when I went the before?"
This time Parvarti turned to look at her.
"Voldemort. There was an attack on the edge of the school grounds. We were at dinner when Dumbledore announced it, and we were told to come to the dorms."
Hermione's eyes widened.
"Who was attacked?"
"Jamie, Jamie Hudson."
Hermione had begun to notice a great change in Harry. No longer were his eyes filled with joyful light and laughter but were empty. Like horrible green tunnels which had no end. Who gave no window to the soul, as the old saying had said. The way he carried himself had also changed, no longer walking joviantly, but simply moving as though he were dead to the world. As though only his mind were taking him through the hallways, as though he had no body. He was ghostly, and it was quite disturbing. Knowing what he had been before that wretched wench...
Hermione sighed. Yes, that Jamie girl, she'd been not as stricken by this recent break up, for Harry was simply Jamies little puppet. Another boy toy, and he was broken to her, and tossed aside. The next day Jamie had a new a blonde Hufflepuff 7th year to tug around. Hermione had suspected that this is the reason they had broken up. It would have been quite right indeed, to think that it was Jamie who was unfaithful, and had ruined that relationship.
Hermione's feelings for Harry had deepend. No longer was it a fantasy crush on him that she felt. But a desire for his presence, it was heart breaking desire she felt for him. It hurt to think of him, and know he wasn't going to notice her, like Hermione had to him. He most certainly was not going to come around and be the friend he had been before this whole Jamie thing had happened. Healing took time, a lot of time. The mending of a broken heart, is the longest healing wound Hermione knew.
But still, she loved him from afar, and made sure to watch him very carefully. It was the nature in her to make sure he was alright. For if he was not in a right state of mind, Hermione knew he got quite unpredictable. He often talked about death with Hermione a year before now, and Hermione was worried that he might want to try and take his own life.
Hermione sighed again. It was unbearable, indeed.
As she was drowned in her thoughts her hand poised over the book she had been reading in her own free time. It was because she was so drowned in her thoughts that she did not notice the person who was watching her behind the bookself she sat in front of in the library.
***
In the library, Harry sighed. It was as if the weight of the world had conviently placed itself upon his shoulders. His breath had become quite slow and steady and silent in the last few minutes, as he thought of a blissfully wonderful thought. It was odd these days for him to think of happy things.
For the first week or so, it was as though he were walking on casters, his mind had been left thinking about Jamie, as though it were the only thing keeping him alive. It tore a hole bigger and bigger the more he saw Jamie, within him. After a week, he just payed attention to school work, and nothing else, and only came out of the library to sleep and eat. Though he did hardly any eating. It was though he was fasting. Everything he ate seemed to taste like sandpaper. His dreams were blank, no lovely dreams of being with Jamie. No fantasies, no nightmares, just simple blank, dreamless sleep, which was rather unusual for Harry. And when he awoke each morning, opening his eyes felt like tearing them open as though they were glued shut. It was as if in sleep, Harry's entire system would completely shut down. It was very odd, very odd indeed.
He felt so alone. He missed Hermione, and the way she used to comfort him when he was upset. But it seemed as though she was backing off, as though Harry had some sort of disease and needed time as vaccination.
Harry let his thoughts wander. Ahh... Hermione, she was a pleasent thing to think about. The way she walked, talked, moved, breathed, everything about her seemed so perfect at the moment.
He shook his head, and took a glance at Hermione from his table situated behind the bookshelf behind her, and continued studying.
***
Hermione stood up from her table in the library and streched widely, with a yawn. Perhaps the rest of her extra credit papers shall have to wait for tommorow. She gathered up her things and put them in her book bag in an orderly fashion and headed to the Great Hall to grab some food from what was left of dinner.
She passed a few students heading in the direction of their houses, this was odd, she thought looking at her watch. It's only 7:45, why would everyone be leaving from dinner this early? She continued walking towards the Great Hall, as more and more students walked in the opposite direction, hissing in whispers and looking at Hermione oddly as she walked. When she finally reached the Great Hall, she noticed the large doors had been shut and locked, seeing the very large padlock upon them.
This is very odd, she pondered, I wonder what happened. She turned and went in the direction of Gyriffendor Tower, maybe someone there would know. Good Lord knows that all she needed to do was ask Lavender or Parvarti, for they knew practicly every gossip topic under the sun. When she had nearly reached the tower however, she heard a set of footsteps behind her. She turned around, and saw Harry walking up the stairs, carrying quite a large quantity of books, and if he wasn't careful, it looked as though he'd topple over.
When he reached the top of the stairs he caught sight of Hermione. His previous expression of exhaustion had vanished and his face was contorted in what seemed like, well... it was hard to place, but it was a look that she had never seen on his face before.
Hermione shifted nervously.
"Need a hand with those?" She asked holding out her hands as though to pick up some books from the top of the stack Harry was carrying.
"Nah, I'll be alright." This shocked Hermione of how Harry's voice sounded. It was so different than when last heard it. It didn't seem to be Harry talking. It was a flat, monotonious voice that veiled no emotion, and it quite frightened her to some extent.
"Oh alright then."
There was an awkward silence, the only sound heard was the rumbling of students feet many floors below. Hermione turned down the hall and muttered the password to the fatlady and scrambled into the common room, leaving Harry out in the hall.
When inside the Common Room she ran up the stairs to the girls dormitories and into her room. She threw her bag on the floor and flopped down face first on her bed, and for a while she just lied there, breathing, not thinking, not moving, just there.
It was so odd to see Harry like that, she thought. She was so sure that that couldn't have been the Harry she knew and loved. She definately needed to talk this out. She hated Jamie, she wanted Jamie to die. She wanted very horrible things to happen to Jamie in the near future. She had ruined Harry, and in turn had ruined Hermione. What she held dear was now spoiled, and she wasn't sure if she could get Harry back the way he was.
"It's no use just sitting here and pondering about all this," she said out loud to herself. She nodded. Perhaps she should find out from Parvarti or Lavender now about what was the business with the Great Hall being all closed up tight.
She walked out of her room and down the hall to the normal 7th year girl's dorm, seeing as she was now Head Girl, she got her own room to herself. It was exactly how remembered it, the dorm, decorated in the same photographs, and the same smell lingered around it. The dresser was still covered with make up from Parvarti and Lavender and the two other girls who stayed in the dorm. But oddly enough, no one was in the dormitory when she walked in. She heard none of the normal chatter that rumbled from the common room. This was strange, very strange, and what did it mean.
She walked away from the dorm and down to the common room. Every Gryffindor was in there, sitting, whispering, very softly to one another. Hermione caught sight of Parvarti and sat next to her.
"Parvarti?" she whispered.
Parvarti didn't move to face her.
"Yes, Hermione?" Parvarti whispered back not looking at Hermione.
"What's wrong? Why is everyone like this? And why was the Great Hall locked up when I went the before?"
This time Parvarti turned to look at her.
"Voldemort. There was an attack on the edge of the school grounds. We were at dinner when Dumbledore announced it, and we were told to come to the dorms."
Hermione's eyes widened.
"Who was attacked?"
"Jamie, Jamie Hudson."