A/N: Hi Potter people!!! Me again!! Thanks for reviewing everyone! Enough of my babble, on with the show!
Chapter 3: Just Friends
Hermione marched her way up to the scarlet steam engine. She had decided that she would tell Harry the truth, that it wasn't good for anyone to keep living the lie, keep putting Viktor on. She was in love with Harry, and she was determined to tell him. No matter what he said, or how he reacted, she knew that he'd always be her friend, and that was very comforting. She had Crookshanks propped under one of her arms, and was dragging her trunk with the other.
And then she saw them.
They were both leaning against the train, undoubtedly waiting for her, and sharing a laugh. She smiled, and raced up to them. It felt liked it had been years since she last saw them.
"Harry! Ron!" she cried, and threw her arms around the two of them.
"Hi, Herm," Ron said, choking on a mouthful of her hair.
"Sorry," she mumbled, smoothing it back.
Harry grinned at her, and she grinned back.
"We didn't hear from you all summer," Ron said, "too much fun with Krum?"
Harry looked uncomfortable, and shuffled his feet a little.
"Not exactly," she said, and Harry looked up.
"I'll explain on the train," she said.
Hermione told Harry and Ron all about the places she and Krum visited, carefully avoiding the part about the moves he was making on her. She was just about to tell them about the jewelry he had given her when an unexpected face poked their head into the compartment.
Cho Chang, in all of her glory stood before the trio, grinning. "*There* you are, Harry!" she exclaimed, throwing Ron and Hermione a look and sitting down in the empty seat next to him.
"Hi, Cho," Harry managed to get out.
Hermione looked from Harry to Ron, who was trying to hide his grin. He met her eye, stood, and waved her out of the compartment.
Hermione gave him a puzzled look. What was going on here?
"Excuse us," Ron said, grabbing Hermione's arm and leading her out the door, closed it with a laugh.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked.
And then, he told her the words that sent bullets to her heart.
"Harry and Cho got together."
Hermione's eyes began to water, and she quickly dried them. "When?"
"A few weeks ago in Diagon Alley…" his voice trailed off as Lavender Brown walked past them, and she winked at Ron.
"Ron," Hermione said irritably.
He snapped his head to her, looking dazed.
"Go," she whispered.
He opened and closed his mouth a few times. "I…"
"Go, it's okay." She said, and forced her mouth into a smile. She didn't want him to go, not at all. She wanted to confide her secret in him, to bury her head in his shoulder and cry. But he loved Lavender Brown, and it was high time things went Ron's way.
Ron took her hands, and gave them a squeeze. "I'll meet up with you later, ok?"
She nodded, and he took off, leaving her with her broken heart.
Hermione didn't even remember finding the empty compartment and sitting down. All she remembered was staring at the rolling countryside. She didn't even hear the door open, and someone come in. Not until they spoke.
"There you are," the voice said, and its owner sat down next to her.
Hermione felt tears welling in her eyes and didn't turn to him. She couldn't turn to him.
"Herm," Harry said playfully. "Aren't you at least going to look at me?"
She gave a small whimper, and Harry walked around to look at her. "What's wrong?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Nothing." If he didn't know, which he probably didn't, it wasn't her place to tell him now. Not when he was with Cho. She'd look like such a fool, and she wouldn't allow that.
"Did someone do something?" he asked. "Malfoy?" he snarled.
"No, no, Harry…" she said.
"Then what is it?" he asked.
"It's just…. Our last year," she lied.
He took a small step back. "Oh," he said, taking her hand and giving her a small smile. "It's going to be okay, Herm. No matter what, we'll always be together. You, me, Ron, we've only survived these years because we had each other right?"
"Right," she squeaked.
"Well then how do you think we'd survive the rest of our lives without each other?"
She gave a small shrug.
"Harry,"
Cho had appeared in the doorway. She gave Hermione a cold look, and turned back to him. "What're you doing?"
Harry dropped Hermione's hand and leapt away from her. "We're just talking,"
"I want you to meet some people," she said.
"O… okay," he replied, and gave Hermione a wink. "I'll see you later." And he left the compartment after Cho.
Hermione buried her face in her hands.
So this was it.
Harry was with Cho, Ron was with Lavender, and perhaps it was time she be with Viktor.
