A/N: I promise this chapter will be a lot different from the last one…Hermione realizes her mistake! Doesn't that make ya'll happy?
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters and as for the song, it's from the Our Lady Peace CD, Gravity. Good books, good CD.
*** Thanks to Shadow Phantom, Jessica, and triniroo for reviewing! I hope you start to like Hermione again (at least a little bit) triniroo! LOL
Chapter 5: Sorry
Hermione hadn't meant to stay in the library so late, but she did and as she turned left toward Gryffindor and tall, semi-built figure joined her, although he kept a distance of a few feet between them.
She knew it was Ron; she just didn't have anything to say to him. She wanted to say something but she didn't have the courage to bring herself to do so. She felt like such a pansy.
Today's a reason for living /
Today's the blood from a stone /
Today's the light from a candle /
Helping us to find our way home /
Walking silently behind Ron's tall figure, Hermione thought about the conversation she'd been having with Terry Boot. She had told him her problems after they were done studying and he had told her what to do about it.
Terry wanted her to apologize, to tell Ron that the whole thing was her fault but she didn't know if she had the strength to do that. Admitting she was wrong to Ronald Weasley was not exactly on her list of things to do before she died, although she thought it probably should've been.
Today we carry each other /
Today the past is a freak /
Today is the time for forgiveness /
You were never that good to me /
"Ron!" she shouted then. Immediately she clapped her hands over her mouth.
Ron halted and turned around. "Hermione? What the hell are you doing out of bed?" he asked. His voice was drenched in sleepiness.
She had forgotten he had just had detention. Hermione held a finger up to her lips and motioned him to duck into a locked hallway that no one but they and Harry knew about it. "Filch," she whispered and Ron nodded comprehension.
"Alohomora!" she muttered quietly under her breath. She knew the immediate moment when Ron joined her, coming from behind, and the hair of the back of her neck stood up straight as a thrill ran down her spine.
They ducked into the hallway, shutting the door behind them just as Mrs. Norris peeked her ugly eyes around the corner of two corridors.
"Ron, I'm so sorry," Hermione whispered as soon as the door was closed behind them. She had to say it so quickly because otherwise she was afraid she would lose her nerve. Ron nodded.
"Please, Ron, can you forgive me?" she asked.
He didn't say anything. He didn't look at her. Rather, he stared at some point behind her.
"Ron?" she prompted timidly.
That got his attention and he glared down at her. "Do you know what I've been doing for the last hour, Hermione?" he asked sharply. She bit her lip and shook her head. Curly locks fell into her eyes and he resisted the urge to pull them away from her pretty eyes. "I've been collecting Unicorn dung for fertilizer for Hagrid. I had to do that with Malfoy. I did it all because of you." He turned to walk away; he was tired and wanted to get to bed. Not to mention he was unbelievably behind a Divination assignment, not that that was too abnormal.
Hermione clutched at his sleeves. "Please stay and talk while?" she asked.
Ron looked down at her angrily. "Hermione, why is it we talk when you want to? Don't I ever get to choose when we talk?"
"Who cares who chooses when we talk as long as we talk?" she retorted. Her temper rose.
I'm sorry I can't lie /
I wasted too much time /
Drowning, I've been blind /
But I've opened up my eyes /
"Apparently I do!" he retorted in a hushed, angry whisper.
Hermione threw her hands in the air, and accidentally smacked Ron in the jaw. As her hand connected with his jaw, his jaw then snapped shut. "Dammit!" he yelped. "What the hell was that for?"
"I didn't mean to do it, Ron!" she exclaimed.
He eyed her warily and rubbed his jaw. "I don't believe you."
"Fine, don't!" she shouted. "I don't care anymore! You're purposefully being a prat and personally I don't care anymore!"
Ron's hand gripped the doorway. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the knob even further. "Good! I don't care anymore about you either! Now, if you don't care, I'm going up to bed!" he yelled, throwing the door open and slamming it behind him, leaving a stunned, upset Hermione behind.
Tears rolled unceremoniously down her cheeks as she crouched to the floor. So much for Terry Boot's advice. Which you didn't really take.
"Shut up," she muttered to her warring thoughts. She didn't want any of this to be her fault. She wasn't used to being at fault. It was all her fault, though.
Sorry I can't lie /
So I'll just say goodbye /
Goodbye, goodbye /
Maybe it was all better this way anyway. They would have made a horrible couple, wouldn't they have?
She didn't know anymore.
She laughed a little when she thought of her roommates who had giggled and screeched and said Hermione was the luckiest girl in the world if Terry Boot was actually talking to her. They had been in the Common Room at that time and Hermione had blushed and rolled her eyes. She hoped Ron hadn't heard them but she had found out from Ginny that he had. She didn't like Terry that way. She didn't.
Why was being a teenager so hard?
It was her birthday soon. She had forgotten. Maybe Ron had forgotten and Harry too. Harry seemed quite angry with her too. Well, she wasn't surprised by that. Harry always, always took Ron's side. Well, except when it came to Viktor Krum.
Today is tasting the honey /
Today's the strike of a match /
Today's the lines in the pavement /
Helping us to find our way back /
The tears had subsided to a minimum when she breathed deeply and opened the door quietly, careful to be mindful of its tendency to creak with old age. It didn't that night but what she saw horrified her even more.
"It 'tis a student, out of bed, out of bed!" the poltergeist screamed down the hall from where she was, most likely waking every bloody student up from her to Timbuktu. She hoped not.
Hermione started to inch her way along the way as Peeves the Poltergeist continued screeching out obscenities (insert your favorite curse words here) that made Hermione blush. Not the least of which was his comment about a red haired Gryffindor he was sure he had seen come out of the deserted hallway earlier.
Peeves cackled and turned his back and floated away. He continued singing his obnoxious song and Hermione was grateful that he seemed to not have alerted Mrs. Norris or Filch. They were last living creatures she wished to see at this time.
Today's the crosses we carry /
Today's the strength that we need /
Today's the hand of an angel /
You were not the kind to believe /
She reached the Fat Lady who made a motherly clucking noise to Hermione, showing her disapproval of Hermione's late hour. After many apologies Hermione was let in. She stepped inside the portrait hole and sank to the ground while the Fat Lady swung shut. She could hear Argus Filch's cranky old voice just before the Fat Lady closed.
"Peeves, was that you making that racket, or was it a student out of bed…?"
She sighed, happy to have escaped from the possibility of detention.
Ron's detention was all her fault. This whole mess she found herself in was her fault. Those weren't comforting thoughts.
She stood up on shaky legs and disappeared into the darkness behind the redhead sleeping on the couch.
Today we carry each other /
Today we do what we should /
Today is the time for forgiving /
I wish I could /
Well hello! How was that? I'm hoping it was OK and I'm hoping I conveyed Hermione's inner struggle well enough to you. Don't worry…they will get together…eventually. I'm really enjoying writing this and I hope you enjoy reading this just as much. Thanks again and please review!
