A/N: Can anybody tell me how I can make the italicized letters stay in my
sentences? Thanks to the TWO PEOPLE who reviewed my story. *sigh*
DISCLAIMER: J.K. Rowling owns the Harry Potter characters. (Except Diana Owens)
CHAPTER 5: A BREAKING HEART IN HOGSMEADE
With the Christmas holidays over and the all the students have returned to Hogwarts, it became easier for me to avoid Harry. That little episode during the Christmas dinner didn't go well at all and Ron didn't fail to remind me about it.
*Flashback*
"You do know that you shouldn't have told him that your earrings were a gift from Krum, don't you?" Ron told me. He had followed me to my room after I ran out of the Great Hall, telling me that I missed a great Christmas dinner and that Harry had asked him what was wrong with me.
"I know," I muttered darkly, turning around in my bed so my back was facing him. Ron was sitting at the edge of my bed.
"So, why did you do it?"
"Nothing. I just wanted him to feel...jealous, I guess."
"Hermione, Harry could never be jealous of Krum. He's just angry with the guy because he hurt you. I'm angry with him, too, you know."
I sat up, clinging to my comforter. "It seemed right at that time. And it seemed easy to play. I mean, I see it in Muggle movies all the time and they turn out all right."
"But they're movies, Hermione! They're a far cry from reality and you shouldn't be taking your cue from them."
"It doesn't matter anyway," I muttered. "I've already proven that he can't possibly see me in that light."
Ron leaned over and gave me a hug. "Don't give up, Herm. Harry's bound to realize his feelings for you sooner or later. I mean, Diana's great to look at and she's nice, but you...you're everything she is and more. You're one of his best friends."
I could feel my eyes well up with tears. "That's why I'm put on the pedestal and it's her in his arms."
*End of Flashback*
But now that classes were resuming again, I became busy again with my task as Head Girl and studying for the upcoming N.E.W.Ts. Plus, I'm being pressured by my parents and Professor Dumbledore to come to a decision about Cambridge. I must admit, studying in Cambridge is quite appealing and I guess if I hadn't gone to Hogwarts, I'd probably wish that I would get into a prestigious university like Cambridge for a secondary education. But still, I wasn't sure. I liked my life in the wizarding world. It's far more interesting than working and living among Muggles, that's for sure. And the diplomat job entailed that I would be working in the Muggle world. It's a very difficult decision, and one that I have been putting off for several months now.
*Fast Forward to 3 Weeks Before the End of Term*
Three more weeks and I'd be leaving Hogwarts forever, I thought to myself while walking along the lake at night. Then what?
I had received my NEWT marks by post yesterday and, it should come as no surprise to anybody, that I had received the highest marks than any of the other seventh-years. Mum and Dad were exceedingly proud that they began promising me my own car once I had returned home. Like I could drive a car around Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Professor Dumbledore had told me that the Cambridge wizard, Milos Asser, was looking forward to placing me under his wing as his protégee, although I still haven't given them a decision yet. Even with my NEWT marks, I could get a decent job in the wizarding world, but not as distinguished a position as a diplomat or ambassador. Ron was bent on trying to dissuade me from pursuing a secondary education.
*Flashback*
"Come on, Herm. Harry and I have tryouts for three, professional Quidditch teams after school ends and we're bound to get into one of them - Harry especially. Then you can go off and marry Harry and you wouldn't need to work at all."
Hardly encouraging. Definitely not happening.
I sighed loudly. "I wish."
"Once Diana goes away, Hermione..."
"He'll pine for her," I interrupted.
"No," Ron declared stubbornly. "He'll mope about her for a while but realize that it's you he really loves."
"Have you seen the two of them lately, Ron? They're attached at the hip. They're always snogging and Merlin-knows-what-else they've been doing." I really didn't want to think of they could be doing anymore than I have to.
"Harry's not daft. Sure, he likes her now but, let's face it, she doesn't know him."
"What?"
"She doesn't know him the way you do, Herm. And you can't supply her information about the things Harry likes and doesn't like all her life. You worked hard to find out those things, if she's not willing to work for it then she's definitely not good enough for him. But you are."
How I wished it was true - that I, bookish, dowdy and plain Hermione Granger, am good enough for the Famous Harry Potter. I even got by for the next several days repeating it to myself, like a mantra. Until that announcement of the final Hogsmeade weekend and the unexpected invitation.
*End of Flashback*
Harry had asked me to accompany him to Hogsmeade, two weeks before the end of term. He said he had 'something very special to buy for a very special someone' and he gave me one of those dreamy smiles. My heart jumped a little at being invited - maybe all hope isn't lost after all.
So there we were, strolling along Hogsmeade, laughing and joking like we used to do B.D. - Before Diana. We drank butterbeers at the Three Broomsticks, bought a package of Chocolate Frogs to bring back to Ron who was busy training for his Cannons tryout in several weeks, and dropped by to see Fred and George at their shop. So far, the day had been like any other day that the three of us had spent in Hogsmeade - but today we made a final stop in a shop I had never entered before.
The sign said Goldman's, in swirly gold lettering and I gave a tiny gasp when we entered inside. The shop was a jewelry store, it's shelves filled to the nines with all kinds of designs and sparkling stones. I saw two, life-size statues of dogs (that looked remarkably like Grims) moulded in pure gold that stood menacingly in two corners of the shop, a silver- moulded peacock stood just beside the old register, studded with deep blue sapphires and dark green emeralds. Funny, just by looking at the emerald, I imagined Harry's eyes and I felt my face get hot. We moved toward the glass cases, displaying an impressive array of gold matrimonial ropes in different lengths and thickness, brooches whose stones change color and the most magnificent display of rings, all studded with valuable rocks. I could barely breathe.
An old man, whom I guess is Mr. Goldman, popped out from behind the glass case so suddenly that I jumped. But he didn't look scary or foreboding at all, unlike those snotty jewelry shop people in London that shooed kids away from their shops. In fact, his eyes almost seemed like blue crystals but I shook off the thought. Harry cleared his throat. "Good afternoon, sir. I'm looking for a ring."
A ring! My mind screamed in confusion and my heart beat in an abnormally fast rate. Why was he buying a ring? And who was he buying the ring for?
I didn't have to wait long for an answer because Harry had an unusually bright smile plastered on his face while chatting away with Mr. Goldman. "No, I'm not yet ready for the matrimonial rope but someday I might. The one I'm giving this ring to will be going away in a couple of weeks' time and I don't want her to forget me."
I was surprised that neither of them had heard my heartbeat yet. I realized that I was gripping the Honeydukes' bag too tight when I felt my fingernails dig into the skin of my palm.
"And is this a special lady?" Mr. Goldman asked, opening the glass case.
Harry looked at me with those beautiful eyes that I've loved forever and I held my breath. "Very special."
"Hermione..." he began, a small, shy smile creeping onto his face as he stared into my eyes.
"Yes?" I whispered.
"Would you help me pick out a ring for Diana?"
It was then that I felt my world crumble around me. All coherence left my brain and I felt my knees wobble slightly, threatening to bring me down. But I couldn't fall - not physically. But my soul has left me upon those ten words - the ten, most hurtful words I'll ever hear in my entire life.
And I smiled.
Like he's just asked me to marry him.
"I'm surprised you even had to ask, Harry," I said, successfully keeping the hurt and the pain out of my voice. Keep neutral, keep calm. Help him out and you'll be back in your room soon. You can't do anything by crying in front of him.
He won't be able to comfort you anyway.
Harry still fixed those loving eyes on me and I turned my head away. "I knew you'd help me. I just don't understand these things. You're the greatest." He leaned forward and gave me a hug.
I wanted to hug him back, to be able to feel him so close to me that I could hardly take it. But I squirmed out of his embrace and patted him slowly on the shoulder. "We should get to the task at hand. That ring won't buy itself you know."
Ron was right. I was always there for him - even if it was already killing me inside.
"Right," Harry agreed a little reluctantly, looking at me in a curious manner. He turned his eyes to the glass case. "That's pretty," he said, pointing to a gold band with pale pink stones. Mr. Goldman pulled it out of the case.
"Oh yes," he drawled, fixing the ring in the light so it shone magnificently. "An opal is very pretty and quite perfect for the most delicate of women."
Harry held the ring in his hand. "Yeah, she's delicate, all right." His eyes turned to another ring, this time to a gold band, set with a darker pink stone in the shape of a rose and framed by several emerald dots that could only be the leaves. "What about that one?"
"The Ring of Beauty," the shopkeeper said, also pulling it out. "Only for the most beautiful of women."
"Oh, yeah. That she is. What about...?"
"What about that one?" I suddenly piped up, pointing at a simple ring that sat in the corner of the glass case. It was not as ostentatious as the other rings because of its silver band and the simple, clear stones that were encrusted all around it. But I saw it, out of the corner of my eye, because it was so simply beautiful that it hurt me to look at it. Mr. Goldman gave me an odd glance as he bent down t retrieve it very carefully, as if it would break with the slightest touch. He didn't need to fix it in the light as he did with the others because it gave its own distinct shine. I was breathless.
Harry peered at it. "It's not very impressive, isn't it?" he remarked. "I want Diana to be totally blown away."
But Mr. Goldman and I were hardly listening to him. I was looking at the ring and he was looking at me. "This," he told me in a hushed voice. "This is the Ring of True Love."
"True Love?" I repeated. "Why do you call it that?"
"Because, Miss, the person who chooses this ring means that whoever it is who is in their heart is their true love. Other people simply ignore it because it is so plain but only one who is truly in love with the right person can see it for what it really is." He leaned forward and pushed the ring to me. "See the stones? They are the symbol of eternal love. Diamonds."
"Diamonds!" I breathed.
"Those are diamonds?" Harry asked, coming in closer. He picked up the ring and surveyed it. "This is perfect," he declared, holding the ring up to the light. "Isn't it, Hermione?"
I looked at the ring, then at Harry, then glanced away. "Perfect," I whispered.
"Diana would love this, wouldn't she?"
"I don't see why she wouldn't."
"I'll take this, sir. And may I also have a box to keep it in? Just so the diamonds won't lose their shine."
Mr. Goldman looked from the lovestruck boy to the pained girl by his side and saw the truth. He has been selling jewelry for almost all his life and he could tell his customers' emotions just by knowing what type of jewelry they bought. The boy? He knew who he was. He was Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. And yet, he saw him now as the Boy Who Lived and Loved the Wrong Person. Whoever this girl was that he was giving the Ring of True Love to, he thought, was not his true love. Because if she was, he would have seen the ring for what it really was and not thought of it as unimpressive. But the girl...
He set his eyes on the girl who was pretending to look at the rest of the rings in the glass case. She saw the ring, and he saw her look at Harry Potter and he knew. This girl loved him but Harry Potter loved someone else - and she was hurting, but desperately trying to hide it. He didn't want to sell the ring to someone who was going to give it to the wrong person, especially when the right one was standing beside you. But he never meddled in his customers' personal affairs and he thought twice about telling Harry that his father had bought the exact same ring eighteen years ago for his mother. It just might come out wrong and the girl would be crushed.
He rang up his purchase and placed the ring inside a small velvet box. He gave a final glance to the girl who stood quietly behind Harry and felt her pain. He wished he could do something, but he never meddled.
"Let the ring show you who you really love, my dear boy," he told him, handing him the small package. Harry gave him an odd sort of smile before ushering his friend out.
Well, he thought to himself as he watched the two of them exit his shop. It's never too late to start.
DISCLAIMER: J.K. Rowling owns the Harry Potter characters. (Except Diana Owens)
CHAPTER 5: A BREAKING HEART IN HOGSMEADE
With the Christmas holidays over and the all the students have returned to Hogwarts, it became easier for me to avoid Harry. That little episode during the Christmas dinner didn't go well at all and Ron didn't fail to remind me about it.
*Flashback*
"You do know that you shouldn't have told him that your earrings were a gift from Krum, don't you?" Ron told me. He had followed me to my room after I ran out of the Great Hall, telling me that I missed a great Christmas dinner and that Harry had asked him what was wrong with me.
"I know," I muttered darkly, turning around in my bed so my back was facing him. Ron was sitting at the edge of my bed.
"So, why did you do it?"
"Nothing. I just wanted him to feel...jealous, I guess."
"Hermione, Harry could never be jealous of Krum. He's just angry with the guy because he hurt you. I'm angry with him, too, you know."
I sat up, clinging to my comforter. "It seemed right at that time. And it seemed easy to play. I mean, I see it in Muggle movies all the time and they turn out all right."
"But they're movies, Hermione! They're a far cry from reality and you shouldn't be taking your cue from them."
"It doesn't matter anyway," I muttered. "I've already proven that he can't possibly see me in that light."
Ron leaned over and gave me a hug. "Don't give up, Herm. Harry's bound to realize his feelings for you sooner or later. I mean, Diana's great to look at and she's nice, but you...you're everything she is and more. You're one of his best friends."
I could feel my eyes well up with tears. "That's why I'm put on the pedestal and it's her in his arms."
*End of Flashback*
But now that classes were resuming again, I became busy again with my task as Head Girl and studying for the upcoming N.E.W.Ts. Plus, I'm being pressured by my parents and Professor Dumbledore to come to a decision about Cambridge. I must admit, studying in Cambridge is quite appealing and I guess if I hadn't gone to Hogwarts, I'd probably wish that I would get into a prestigious university like Cambridge for a secondary education. But still, I wasn't sure. I liked my life in the wizarding world. It's far more interesting than working and living among Muggles, that's for sure. And the diplomat job entailed that I would be working in the Muggle world. It's a very difficult decision, and one that I have been putting off for several months now.
*Fast Forward to 3 Weeks Before the End of Term*
Three more weeks and I'd be leaving Hogwarts forever, I thought to myself while walking along the lake at night. Then what?
I had received my NEWT marks by post yesterday and, it should come as no surprise to anybody, that I had received the highest marks than any of the other seventh-years. Mum and Dad were exceedingly proud that they began promising me my own car once I had returned home. Like I could drive a car around Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Professor Dumbledore had told me that the Cambridge wizard, Milos Asser, was looking forward to placing me under his wing as his protégee, although I still haven't given them a decision yet. Even with my NEWT marks, I could get a decent job in the wizarding world, but not as distinguished a position as a diplomat or ambassador. Ron was bent on trying to dissuade me from pursuing a secondary education.
*Flashback*
"Come on, Herm. Harry and I have tryouts for three, professional Quidditch teams after school ends and we're bound to get into one of them - Harry especially. Then you can go off and marry Harry and you wouldn't need to work at all."
Hardly encouraging. Definitely not happening.
I sighed loudly. "I wish."
"Once Diana goes away, Hermione..."
"He'll pine for her," I interrupted.
"No," Ron declared stubbornly. "He'll mope about her for a while but realize that it's you he really loves."
"Have you seen the two of them lately, Ron? They're attached at the hip. They're always snogging and Merlin-knows-what-else they've been doing." I really didn't want to think of they could be doing anymore than I have to.
"Harry's not daft. Sure, he likes her now but, let's face it, she doesn't know him."
"What?"
"She doesn't know him the way you do, Herm. And you can't supply her information about the things Harry likes and doesn't like all her life. You worked hard to find out those things, if she's not willing to work for it then she's definitely not good enough for him. But you are."
How I wished it was true - that I, bookish, dowdy and plain Hermione Granger, am good enough for the Famous Harry Potter. I even got by for the next several days repeating it to myself, like a mantra. Until that announcement of the final Hogsmeade weekend and the unexpected invitation.
*End of Flashback*
Harry had asked me to accompany him to Hogsmeade, two weeks before the end of term. He said he had 'something very special to buy for a very special someone' and he gave me one of those dreamy smiles. My heart jumped a little at being invited - maybe all hope isn't lost after all.
So there we were, strolling along Hogsmeade, laughing and joking like we used to do B.D. - Before Diana. We drank butterbeers at the Three Broomsticks, bought a package of Chocolate Frogs to bring back to Ron who was busy training for his Cannons tryout in several weeks, and dropped by to see Fred and George at their shop. So far, the day had been like any other day that the three of us had spent in Hogsmeade - but today we made a final stop in a shop I had never entered before.
The sign said Goldman's, in swirly gold lettering and I gave a tiny gasp when we entered inside. The shop was a jewelry store, it's shelves filled to the nines with all kinds of designs and sparkling stones. I saw two, life-size statues of dogs (that looked remarkably like Grims) moulded in pure gold that stood menacingly in two corners of the shop, a silver- moulded peacock stood just beside the old register, studded with deep blue sapphires and dark green emeralds. Funny, just by looking at the emerald, I imagined Harry's eyes and I felt my face get hot. We moved toward the glass cases, displaying an impressive array of gold matrimonial ropes in different lengths and thickness, brooches whose stones change color and the most magnificent display of rings, all studded with valuable rocks. I could barely breathe.
An old man, whom I guess is Mr. Goldman, popped out from behind the glass case so suddenly that I jumped. But he didn't look scary or foreboding at all, unlike those snotty jewelry shop people in London that shooed kids away from their shops. In fact, his eyes almost seemed like blue crystals but I shook off the thought. Harry cleared his throat. "Good afternoon, sir. I'm looking for a ring."
A ring! My mind screamed in confusion and my heart beat in an abnormally fast rate. Why was he buying a ring? And who was he buying the ring for?
I didn't have to wait long for an answer because Harry had an unusually bright smile plastered on his face while chatting away with Mr. Goldman. "No, I'm not yet ready for the matrimonial rope but someday I might. The one I'm giving this ring to will be going away in a couple of weeks' time and I don't want her to forget me."
I was surprised that neither of them had heard my heartbeat yet. I realized that I was gripping the Honeydukes' bag too tight when I felt my fingernails dig into the skin of my palm.
"And is this a special lady?" Mr. Goldman asked, opening the glass case.
Harry looked at me with those beautiful eyes that I've loved forever and I held my breath. "Very special."
"Hermione..." he began, a small, shy smile creeping onto his face as he stared into my eyes.
"Yes?" I whispered.
"Would you help me pick out a ring for Diana?"
It was then that I felt my world crumble around me. All coherence left my brain and I felt my knees wobble slightly, threatening to bring me down. But I couldn't fall - not physically. But my soul has left me upon those ten words - the ten, most hurtful words I'll ever hear in my entire life.
And I smiled.
Like he's just asked me to marry him.
"I'm surprised you even had to ask, Harry," I said, successfully keeping the hurt and the pain out of my voice. Keep neutral, keep calm. Help him out and you'll be back in your room soon. You can't do anything by crying in front of him.
He won't be able to comfort you anyway.
Harry still fixed those loving eyes on me and I turned my head away. "I knew you'd help me. I just don't understand these things. You're the greatest." He leaned forward and gave me a hug.
I wanted to hug him back, to be able to feel him so close to me that I could hardly take it. But I squirmed out of his embrace and patted him slowly on the shoulder. "We should get to the task at hand. That ring won't buy itself you know."
Ron was right. I was always there for him - even if it was already killing me inside.
"Right," Harry agreed a little reluctantly, looking at me in a curious manner. He turned his eyes to the glass case. "That's pretty," he said, pointing to a gold band with pale pink stones. Mr. Goldman pulled it out of the case.
"Oh yes," he drawled, fixing the ring in the light so it shone magnificently. "An opal is very pretty and quite perfect for the most delicate of women."
Harry held the ring in his hand. "Yeah, she's delicate, all right." His eyes turned to another ring, this time to a gold band, set with a darker pink stone in the shape of a rose and framed by several emerald dots that could only be the leaves. "What about that one?"
"The Ring of Beauty," the shopkeeper said, also pulling it out. "Only for the most beautiful of women."
"Oh, yeah. That she is. What about...?"
"What about that one?" I suddenly piped up, pointing at a simple ring that sat in the corner of the glass case. It was not as ostentatious as the other rings because of its silver band and the simple, clear stones that were encrusted all around it. But I saw it, out of the corner of my eye, because it was so simply beautiful that it hurt me to look at it. Mr. Goldman gave me an odd glance as he bent down t retrieve it very carefully, as if it would break with the slightest touch. He didn't need to fix it in the light as he did with the others because it gave its own distinct shine. I was breathless.
Harry peered at it. "It's not very impressive, isn't it?" he remarked. "I want Diana to be totally blown away."
But Mr. Goldman and I were hardly listening to him. I was looking at the ring and he was looking at me. "This," he told me in a hushed voice. "This is the Ring of True Love."
"True Love?" I repeated. "Why do you call it that?"
"Because, Miss, the person who chooses this ring means that whoever it is who is in their heart is their true love. Other people simply ignore it because it is so plain but only one who is truly in love with the right person can see it for what it really is." He leaned forward and pushed the ring to me. "See the stones? They are the symbol of eternal love. Diamonds."
"Diamonds!" I breathed.
"Those are diamonds?" Harry asked, coming in closer. He picked up the ring and surveyed it. "This is perfect," he declared, holding the ring up to the light. "Isn't it, Hermione?"
I looked at the ring, then at Harry, then glanced away. "Perfect," I whispered.
"Diana would love this, wouldn't she?"
"I don't see why she wouldn't."
"I'll take this, sir. And may I also have a box to keep it in? Just so the diamonds won't lose their shine."
Mr. Goldman looked from the lovestruck boy to the pained girl by his side and saw the truth. He has been selling jewelry for almost all his life and he could tell his customers' emotions just by knowing what type of jewelry they bought. The boy? He knew who he was. He was Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. And yet, he saw him now as the Boy Who Lived and Loved the Wrong Person. Whoever this girl was that he was giving the Ring of True Love to, he thought, was not his true love. Because if she was, he would have seen the ring for what it really was and not thought of it as unimpressive. But the girl...
He set his eyes on the girl who was pretending to look at the rest of the rings in the glass case. She saw the ring, and he saw her look at Harry Potter and he knew. This girl loved him but Harry Potter loved someone else - and she was hurting, but desperately trying to hide it. He didn't want to sell the ring to someone who was going to give it to the wrong person, especially when the right one was standing beside you. But he never meddled in his customers' personal affairs and he thought twice about telling Harry that his father had bought the exact same ring eighteen years ago for his mother. It just might come out wrong and the girl would be crushed.
He rang up his purchase and placed the ring inside a small velvet box. He gave a final glance to the girl who stood quietly behind Harry and felt her pain. He wished he could do something, but he never meddled.
"Let the ring show you who you really love, my dear boy," he told him, handing him the small package. Harry gave him an odd sort of smile before ushering his friend out.
Well, he thought to himself as he watched the two of them exit his shop. It's never too late to start.