Yay! More reviews! You guys are the best, I'm really glad you like my story and actually want to hear what happens next! That makes me really happy! Thanks especially to Bachy A, Danski, Silver Fawkes, Lady Sunlight, Jo, Fatima, Godric Gryffindor (I'll review your story shortly), Ramy, onerios lykos and Aimee!!! Love to you!
This chapter is a bit longer than anticipated, but oh well. I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, everything [but the plot] belongs to J.K. Rowling.
*~*
Harry and Hermione sat together at breakfast that morning, but neither said much. Ron hadn't appeared yet, and they were getting worried.
"He'll be along soon," Hermione said, sounding unconvinced. "You know how much he loves food."
"Yeah," Harry replied.
They lapsed into silence. Harry felt ridiculous. Hermione was his girlfriend, shouldn't he able to make conversation with her?
Finally, the first bell rang. Time for Charms.
"I always hate Monday mornings," he commented as they walked along the corridor.
Hermione just smiled weakly.
As they entered the classroom several minutes later, they found Ron at last. He had pulled a chair over to Dean, Neville and Seamus's table, and now the four were wedged in cheek-to-elbow.
"Ron, what are you doing sitting over there?" Hermione asked, though it was painfully obvious.
"I'm sitting with my friends," Ron shot back.
Hermione looked at Harry, shrugged and they sat down together.
"Give him time," Hermione reminded him in a whisper.
"He's acting like a gigantic prat."
"I know, but he'll come around. Eventually."
Harry hoped she was right.
*
"So, really, why are you sitting with us?" Seamus asked for the third time.
"Yeah, you never sit with us. What's going on?" Dean asked suspiciously.
"Glad you enjoy my company," Ron said dryly.
"We will if you tell us," Seamus threatened.
Ron sighed. "All right, fine." He cleared his throat and leaned in closer to the other three. "I'm sitting over here because I'm in a huge fight with Harry. And Hermione, too."
"What are you fighting about?" Neville whispered, wide-eyed.
"Well…" Ron lowered his voice. "I caught them together. Kissing in the hallway, right after dinner."
All three of the boys' mouths dropped open.
"No!" Dean exclaimed in a whisper.
"Yes. It turns out they're a couple. They've been together since September, and they didn't say anything about it. They've been lying to everyone."
"No!" Dean gasped again.
Ron nodded. "It's true."
All four boys turned around to look at Harry and Hermione. The couple was sitting close to each other, heads just barely apart. They were whispering about something and had serious expressions on their faces.
The boys turned around again. "Haven't you ever noticed that Harry always goes to bed late, and that they're both always tired?"
Seamus looked puzzled. "Well, that doesn't mean much."
"It does. I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing they wait until everyone else goes to bed and then meet up." Ron had figured this out sometime during the long night.
"You really caught them kissing?" Dean asked.
Ron nodded again. "With my own two eyes. And Hermione said that they're together, and Harry said that they really care about each other."
"Wow," muttered Neville.
"All right there, boys?" Professor Flitwick asked suddenly. He had been wandering the classroom, helping out students who were having trouble with the disappearing charm, but since he was so tiny, the boys hadn't seen him sneak up.
"Oh-oh, yes, Professor," Seamus said. "Just fine."
Dean waited until Professor Flitwick had moved on to Parvati and Lavender until saying, "So…so…they're together?"
"Oh, no, I'd forgotten about that!" Seamus exclaimed. "Do you still…?"
Dean nodded. It was only then that Ron noticed the hurt expression on Dean's face.
"What?" he asked nervously.
"Dean really likes Hermione," Neville whispered.
Ron glanced over his shoulder at Harry and Hermione. Hermione had just made Harry's quill disappear; he was watching her with a mixture of awe and delight while she was laughing. The sight made his heart contract slightly with pain.
"I'm sorry, mate," Ron said to Dean, clapping him on the shoulder. "I guess you're another person who they betrayed."
*
By that evening, Harry was fed up with Ron's childish behaviour. He had tried dozens of times to get Ron to speak to him, but Ron ignored him.
Unless he wanted to insult me, that is, he corrected himself. He watched in resentment as his former friend sat with the other Gryffindor seventh-years. They'd whisper, look at Harry and start laughing.
It didn't take a genius to figure out the Ron had told the other three boys about him and Hermione. Neville looked like he didn't know what to say; Seamus shot him dirty looks and Dean looked as though he'd lost his best friend.
So he's turned them against me. Dean's upset because he likes Hermione and Seamus is upset because Dean's his best friend. Only Neville didn't seem angry with him.
Suddenly, Ron, Seamus and Dean burst into loud, raucous laughter. Harry couldn't take any more of it. He gathered up his belongings and started to leave, not really knowing where he was going. He just needed to get away.
"Off to see your girlfriend, Harry?" Seamus called out. Heads turned in the crowded common room.
Harry took a few steps closer to them. "Look, I've apologized to you a hundred times," he told Ron. "I'm through with it. And I guess you're right. We aren't friends anymore."
*
Hermione and Lavender sat in the mostly empty library, pretending to study. What Hermione needed was someone to talk to who knew about her and Harry.
"It's getting ridiculous. I knew Ron would be a giant prat about it, but he's taking it one step too far," Hermione said over the top of her book.
"He told the guys?"
"Yes. He's got them thinking that Harry and I are the two worst people in the world for loving each other."
"He's just jealous. He'll get over it."
Hermione shut her book. "I don't know if he will. He's taking it really hard. It's tearing their friendship apart! I can't stand it. Maybe…maybe I ought to break-up with Harry."
Lavender laughed, though it sounded forced. "Good one, Hermione. But that's not really the sort of thing to joke about."
"I'm not joking about it," Hermione said quietly. "I'm serious. If I break-up with Harry, then they can go back to being friends."
"Have you gone mad? Hermione, you and Harry are in love with each other! You can't end it just because his friend is jealous."
"Ron's his best friend. They're practically brothers. I couldn't live with myself if I knew I was the one responsible for breaking that up."
Lavender shook her head in wild disbelief. "Hermione, you'll be making a huge mistake if you do."
"I know…but it has to be done."
*
"Hermione? Is everything okay?" Harry asked quietly later in the evening.
"Hmm?" She had been gazing at something in the distance, but the sound of his voice had apparently snapped her out of her reverie.
"I asked if everything is okay," Harry said. He looked her over carefully. Something was definitely wrong.
"I'm fine," she answered quickly.
"Are you sure?"
"Mm-hmm."
Harry sighed. He knew what was bothering her. "Look, I know this isn't the way we wanted everyone to find out about us, and I know that Ron's being a stupid git about it, but it'll work out. I mean, we're still together, right? It'll be okay."
Hermione made a squeaky noise and looked away, but Harry could see her eyes were filled with tears.
"Hermione, what's--"
"I need to get to bed, I'm exhausted. Good night," she said in a rush. She jumped up and nearly ran to the dorms.
Harry sat there, slightly confused. Something was wrong with his girlfriend, and it was probably because of Ron.
But why didn't she want to talk to him about it? Surely she knew that this was just as hard for him—if not harder?
He shook his head. Maybe she just needs some time to think about it. She'll be fine in the morning.
*
For the second night in a row, Hermione did not get much sleep. All night long, she tossed in turned, her mind going back and forth on the idea of whether or not to break up with Harry.
As much as it broke her heart, as much as she hated the thought of it, she knew she had to. She couldn't live with being the person responsible for breaking up a friendship like theirs.
The following day was one of the hardest she'd suffered through. She couldn't stand to look Harry in the eye, because she knew she'd break down in tears. So, to avoid doing that, she'd had to avoid talking to him, period.
It was torture. And what was even worse, she knew that after tonight, they wouldn't be together anymore.
She waited until after darkness had fallen, waited until the common room was nearly empty, before even thought about what she was going to say. When she rehearsed it in her head several times, she decided it had to be done right now.
"Harry? Ron? Could I please speak to both of you? Over here by the couch," she called out.
Grudgingly, Harry and Ron came from opposite sides of the room to join Hermione. They shot each other lethal looks before turning their attention to her. Evidently, Harry was just as mad at Ron as Ron was mad at Harry.
"This is going to be hard," she muttered to herself. "Okay. Harry, Ron, you guys have been best friends for years now. You're like brothers.
"But now you're fighting. Because of me being with Harry. Ron, we tried to tell you that we're sorry, and that we didn't mean for you to find out like that, but apparently that won't change anything.
"I can't be the one to break up your friendship. So that's why…" her voice trembled dangerously. "That's why, Harry, I…I can't be with you anymore."
"What?" exclaimed Harry and Ron in unison. Harry jumped to his feet, but Hermione could barely make out his profile beyond her unshed tears.
"Hermione, you can't be serious!" he said.
"I'm sorry, Harry," she whispered.
"Ron!" Harry said, turning to face him. "Ron, we can still be friends, right? I mean, you'll get over this. It's not like you still have feelings for her, right?"
Ron took a long time to reply. "I don't know," he said quietly.
Harry turned back to Hermione, and when he spoke, she could hear the note of desperation in his voice. "Hermione—"
"I don't want to do this, but I have to," she said softly. "I'm so sorry."
For one last time, Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry. "I love you," she whispered.
Then, she let go of him and ran for her dorm room, her face already streaming with tears.
*~*
There it is. I wasn't looking forward to writing the break-up. It wasn't fun, especially on the night of NFBM (T7S fans might know what I'm talking about…J/H?), but I survived. Hope you all enjoyed it. Sorry for the delay. If you r&r (well, actually, I guess just '&r') it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
