So here is chapter 10. I was ready to post a few days ago when I realized how short the chapter was. Then I discovered I'd forgotten to put in like half the stuff! Silly me.
As always, thanks a million to my reviewers, who include Bachy A, Observer, Ramy, Debatingqueen, alex, BabyJ5, Lady Sunlight, nurdypurdy and ears91. You're all very awesome and I love you all very much!!!!
Disclaimer: All characters and stuff belong to J.K. Rowling. Oh, and the chapter title is from a Led Zeppelin song (think I spelled the name right…).
Enjoy, and please r&r!
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By the next afternoon, the whole school was talking about what had happened. Somehow—and Harry strongly suspected it was Parvati and Seamus's doing—everyone had found out about his relationship with Hermione, and how she had ended it with him the night before.
As he walked down the corridor, making his way to Transfiguration, people whispered behind their hands and pointed at him. Everyone had pitying looks on their faces.
It was driving him mad. Like this entire thing isn't bad enough, he thought.
He had lost his girlfriend, the love of his life. And it was all because somebody else was jealous of them and hated them together. For that very reason, he would be spending the next few weeks completely miserable.
After the initial shock had worn off the night before, he'd shouted sarcastically at Ron, "Thanks for that one, mate!" and stormed upstairs.
Then he was angry for quite some time, but eventually that had faded into sadness. Now, several hours later, he was only numb.
When Transfiguration started, Harry was surprised to find that he was sitting by himself. Ron was sitting with the other Gryffindor seventh-year boys, and Hermione wasn't anywhere in sight—in fact, she hadn't showed up to any of her lessons that day.
Harry felt his heart ache painfully as he glanced at the empty seat beside him, the one Hermione usually sat on. He missed her already, and they'd only been apart for a few hours.
Why did this happen? he wondered in disbelief. Yes, they had made a few mistakes. Yes, they had hurt their friends. But they loved each other—shouldn't their friends be happy for them?
His eyes flickered over to Ron, who was glancing at Harry. He could tell Ron was feeling guilty, but Harry didn't care anymore. He was the reason why Harry was feeling depressed.
They made eye contact for a split second, and Ron gave him a feeble smile. Harry merely slid his view to the front of the classroom.
It's too late, Ron. The damage is already done.
*
"Are you okay, Hermione?" asked a gentle voice that evening. It belonged to Lavender.
Hermione sat up from her bed, where she'd spent the day crying. She hadn't had the heart—or the guts—to face Harry that day.
"I'm okay," she said weakly.
"Are you sure?" Lavender asked, her face full of sympathy.
"No. I'm not." Hermione took in a shaking breath. "How's Harry?" she asked in a whisper.
Lavender frowned. "He's not doing much better than you are. He came to classes today, but he was just…there. He didn't say anything. He didn't react. He looks really sad."
Hermione groaned and sank back into bed. Fresh tears started flowing. "It's all my fault!" she wailed. "Why did I break-up with him? I love him."
Lavender gently patted Hermione's back. "I know you do. But you said yourself that it had to be done. You wanted to save his friendship with Ron."
"Yeah, and look at what good it did me!" Hermione said, sitting up again.
Lavender shrugged her shoulders, apparently at a loss of words. "I'm sorry, Hermione," she said. "I know how you must feel."
Hermione started to sob, so Lavender put her arms around her. Just as she continued to cry into Lavender's shoulder, the door opened, and Parvati walked in.
"Hey, Parv," Lavender said.
Parvati said nothing.
"Parv? What's going—"
"Just leave me alone!" she shouted. She grabbed her book bag, then stomped her way to the common room.
"What was that about?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know," said Lavender. But she said it with such a strain in her voice, Hermione could tell Lavender knew something she didn't feel like sharing.
*
Ron glanced over the top of his Potions book, surveying the scene around him in the common room.
Everything was a complete mess. Ever since the school had found about Harry and Hermione's relationship—their former one, actually—tensions were beginning to boil over.
He watched as Harry came into the common room. Hermione stood up, ready to say something, but the former couple just looked at each other. Then, Harry passed by her and went to his room; Hermione sat back down on her chair and buried her face in her hands.
"Hermione…" Ron said sadly.
Hermione's head jerked up, and Ron saw that she was crying. "What do you want, Ron?" she snapped.
"I'm sorry. You know that, right?"
Hermione studied him thoroughly. Then, "Okay."
" 'Okay'?"
"There's nothing more to say, Ron!" she exclaimed. "Okay, you're sorry. I understand that. But it doesn't really change anything, right?"
Ron didn't say anything.
"That's what I thought," Hermione mumbled. She, too, took off for her room.
Harry and Hermione have made a mess of things, he thought. They lied to me. They betrayed me. Because of that, I'm not friends with Harry and Hermione anymore.
Seamus and Dean aren't friends with Harry, either. Seamus is mad because he thinks Harry stabbed Dean in the back, and now Dean thinks so, too.
The portrait opened suddenly and violently. Parvati came storming in, followed by Lavender.
"You're my best friend! Why didn't you tell me?" Parvati shouted.
"I couldn't! I promised I wouldn't tell anybody!" Lavender shot back.
"Oh? Since when do you not tell everybody everything? Is Hermione your best friend now?"
"Of course not! I just kept a secret for her and Harry! That's not a crime!"
"You should've said something to me! I had to hear it from Pansy Parkinson!"
"Parvati, I told you I was sorry, but I promised them!"
Ron, along with the rest of the common room, watched as Parvati searched for a reply. Finally, she shouted, "I'm not talking to you anymore!"
"And I'm not talking to you!" Lavender shouted back.
They stormed off in opposite directions: Lavender to the dorms and Parvati out of the common room.
So I guess that means Parvati and Lavender aren't friends anymore, either, Ron mused, gazing at the stairwell that led to the dorms. And I'm pretty sure Parvati's mad at Hermione, too.
Ron surveyed the common room again. This time, he met Ginny's eyes. She was glaring at him.
"What?" he asked.
"Figure it out for yourself!" she hissed. She turned her back to him, and Ron sat back in his chair to think things over for a few minutes.
Ginny's mad at me, but why? She's not really involved with this…except for the fact she's best friends with Hermione. And has a massive crush on Harry.
"Ginny."
She whirled around again. "This is all your fault!" she said angrily. With a final glare, she turned around and buried herself in her books.
This whole thing is ridiculous! he thought. Look at what's happening, just because Harry and Hermione wanted to be together!
Friendships were falling apart. Best friends were turning on each other. Years of friendship had gone down the drain in a matter of a few days.
But Ron had to admit a few things to himself. For instance, despite what was being said in the halls, he was sure that Hermione hadn't known about Parvati's crush on Harry, and that Harry hadn't purposely hurt Dean.
Or anyone else, he thought, unbidden.
Parvati, as far as Ron was concerned, was just being stupid. She was jealous because the guy she liked was with someone else.
This isn't right. None of this is. Everyone's acting like complete gits, me included, Ron realized. Harry and Hermione did make some mistakes, but they apologized. They're sorry.
They shouldn't have had to be torn apart because of everyone else. Ron knew this.
But they were.
Ginny was right. It was his fault. If he hadn't said anything to the other Gryffindor boys, most of the arguing going on now wouldn't be taking place. Ron had to do something about it, he knew.
He was the one who started it, so he had to be the one to fix it.
~*~
Yay chapter 10! Lol. I like this chapter, it was fun to write. I like the title, too. And good news if you like my story: I may be expanding it! Yay!! Don't know for sure, but maybe! Hope you enjoyed my story, please review!
