Chapter 12
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
Harry quickly turned around and started to walk out of the door, every drop of tear falling after the other.
"Harry, wait!" Hermione shouted, running after him. Her parents just stood there, wearing faces more of worry than surprise.
"What else do you want? You don't care about me, right?" Harry kept on walking outside past the porch and to the front gate.
"That's not how I meant it!" Hermione cried. Harry stopped but he didn't turn around. "Just let me explain," she added. She made a move to touch Harry's arm but he just pushed her hand aside.
"There's nothing to explain. I heard everything. If this is how you want it, then this is how it's going to be," he responded. He then turned around, and Hermione couldn't help her heart from breaking, as she saw Harry's eyes pouring out his wounded soul through his tears.
Hermione began to shed tears as well. "Harry, I'm sorry," she began. "I never meant to hurt you but it's not just the same between us anymore."
"What has changed, Hermione?" he asked, just standing there and staring at her. Hermione didn't know what to say. She just stared back at him, unable to find a single word to cast out the truth. "Does it make a difference if I have learned to love you so much that I try my best for you not to leave me? Does it make a difference if I try to protect my heart from breaking?" Harry turned around and ran away from the house as possible, his arm shielding his eyes and blocking any more tears. Hermione cried so hard she couldn't take it anymore. It was the time for her world to fall. Harry's last words dug a hole in her own heart. She had underestimated his love for her. She had overlooked the possibilities at the cost of judging his actions unfairly and jumping to conclusions. She had broken his heart, and there's no time to heal. For his heart may well be dead.
Hermione dropped to her knees and at the same moment the rain started to fall. She didn't care if she would get wet and get sick. She just needed to let it all go and release the burden. The weight of the falling rain equaled the weight of her tears.
"Hermione!" Her mother came running outside, shielding her with a coat and trying to get her up to bring her back to the house. But Hermione had no intentions of moving from that place. Mr. Granger appeared carrying an open umbrella. He approached his wife and daughter, sheltering them from the heavy rain.
***
Hermione sat in front of the kitchen table, a bowl of warm soup set before her. But she hadn't touched it ever since her mother had placed it there. She hadn't eaten lunch, and now, dinner. She just stared into empty space, speaking to no one. "Hermione, please," her mother said, approaching her from her back and touching her shoulders. "Try to eat your soup."
"I'm not hungry," she replied discretely.
"But you have to at least---"
"I said I'm not hungry!" she yelled, standing up and storming out of the kitchen.
At the same time, her father entered the kitchen and saw her outburst. "Still no luck?" he said, looking intently at his wife.
Mrs. Granger crossed her left arm over her chest and leaned her right elbow on it, touching her forehead. "What's happening to our daughter's life?"
Her husband swiftly approached her and embraced her from the back. "Don't worry, honey, everything will be okay."
***
*What am I thinking? Everything's not okay! I hurt Harry's feelings. The only thing he did was love me and I go around and stab him in the back! I'm a mean person!* Hermione was deliberating on what she should do now that almost everything in her life has turned upside down. She was lying flat on her bed, legs straight, one foot tucked underneath the other, and arms crossed over her chest.
Hermione turned her head to the window. There were no stars visible in the sky that night. It's as if they were hiding from her behind the dark clouds that had showered her with rain this morning. Hermione shifted her position and rested on her side. "Just give me a sign, please," she whispered, closing her eyes.
At the exact moment she opened it, Hermione saw a twinkle of one distant star but as soon as it had appeared, it had also faded. Then Hermione noticed something different. It was her necklace. It seemed to be emitting a kind of light similar to that of the star she had just seen: distant but clear; bright but diminutive. She stood up from the bed and moved towards the open window. Then she saw another twinkle from the same star. But it had gone once more. She saw the necklace shining brighter than it did before, and she had realized that it might somehow be reflecting the faint light of that distant star. But there was more.
"Wait," Hermione said, looking up, then back down to her necklace. "This isn't new," she whispered to herself, remembering every single word Draco had told her about the necklace. *Take this gem to be your guide. Let its power take your wishes and point them to the skies. Allow the energy to show you where your strength dwells inside. And lead you to where your greatest dream truly lies.* Hermione's eyes widened. Now she understands. It wasn't the necklace that was reflecting the light from the star she had seen; it was the other way around. The necklace was using its power to allow a single distant star to flicker, and that star will point her to where her greatest dream lies.
***
"Hermione? What are you doing here?" Draco was surprised to see Hermione standing on his living room, carrying two large bags, and looking very pale.
"Your star brought me here. It led me to you," she answered, dropping her bags.
Draco's eyes moved from Hermione's face to the necklace she was wearing. He immediately understood what she was trying to say. But him? He had never expected this to happen, but he was glad that she was there.
"How long do you intend to stay?" Draco said.
"As long as you want me to," she replied.
"Then you can stay for as long as you like," he said, flashing a smile.
Hermione quickly ran to him and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you."
"You know I'm always here for you, Hermione. Always," Draco whispered to her ears.
***
Mrs. Granger was knocking on Hermione's bedroom door but there was no answer. She carefully turned the knob and opened the door, and much to her surprise, Hermione wasn't there. "Honey! Hermione's gone!"
Mr. Granger quickly dashed up the stairs and realized what his wife had meant. They both entered the room and found a letter under Hermione's bedside lamp.
Together, they opened the letter and read:
"Dear Mom and Dad,
If there's anything I have learned from you is that I should always use my head every time I make a decision. I guess this isn't the wisest decision I had ever made, but trust that I have my own reasons for choosing it. I know that I should never run away from my problems, but face them instead. But from what I have experienced, facing my problems only brings me more hurt. And oftentimes, not only me, but also those I love. If I run away from this now, I know that eventually I would have to face it. But not right now, for I am much too weak. Please bear with me and trust that in time I will be able to come back and finish what I have started. Do not worry on my well-being for I am here with Draco. You know me well enough that I would never stay more than once in a place I don't consider safe. I love you both very much and I hope that you understand me. Please take care while I am gone.
Always, Hermione"
After reading the letter, Mrs. Granger folded it and placed it back on the table. She looked over her shoulders to her husband, who was reading the letter from behind her. "What do we do?"
Mr. Granger took a deep breath and nodded. "We wait for her to come home."
***
Hermione rested her head on the bed's head board. She had just entered her room at Draco's apartment and was obviously very tired and hungry. Draco entered the room and saw her in that state, which made him start to worry even more.
"Hermione, there's food in the kitchen. You told me you haven't eaten lunch and dinner. I can't allow you to sleep without eating first," he said, sitting beside her.
Hermione didn't move. Only her eyes turned to Draco. "Tell me I'm evil."
"What?" Draco asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Tell me I'm evil because of what I did to Harry," she answered.
"I can't do that Hermione, because you're not evil. You know you never meant to hurt him," Draco explained.
"But I did," Hermione responded. "And he didn't deserve it."
Draco took her hand, which made Hermione budge. "You're the one who told me to put my past behind me and move forward," he said, squeezing her hand a little. "I believe you can do that too."
"I'm not sure I can forget how much I hurt Harry," Hermione said, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.
"Then don't start with forgetting, maybe you should start with forgiving," Draco replied. "Forgive yourself."
Hermione's tears continued to fall as she gave Draco another hug. She knew he was right. If she was going to prepare herself for facing Harry again, then she should then start with overlooking any doubts she has on herself. And the first step was to try to accept that she never meant to hurt Harry, and what happened was never her intention. She knew she would have to undergo a lot of stages before she would have the strength to confront him. But the greatest comfort she has right now is that no matter how difficult the process may be, Draco would always be there to support her, and in certain times, even lift her up.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
Harry quickly turned around and started to walk out of the door, every drop of tear falling after the other.
"Harry, wait!" Hermione shouted, running after him. Her parents just stood there, wearing faces more of worry than surprise.
"What else do you want? You don't care about me, right?" Harry kept on walking outside past the porch and to the front gate.
"That's not how I meant it!" Hermione cried. Harry stopped but he didn't turn around. "Just let me explain," she added. She made a move to touch Harry's arm but he just pushed her hand aside.
"There's nothing to explain. I heard everything. If this is how you want it, then this is how it's going to be," he responded. He then turned around, and Hermione couldn't help her heart from breaking, as she saw Harry's eyes pouring out his wounded soul through his tears.
Hermione began to shed tears as well. "Harry, I'm sorry," she began. "I never meant to hurt you but it's not just the same between us anymore."
"What has changed, Hermione?" he asked, just standing there and staring at her. Hermione didn't know what to say. She just stared back at him, unable to find a single word to cast out the truth. "Does it make a difference if I have learned to love you so much that I try my best for you not to leave me? Does it make a difference if I try to protect my heart from breaking?" Harry turned around and ran away from the house as possible, his arm shielding his eyes and blocking any more tears. Hermione cried so hard she couldn't take it anymore. It was the time for her world to fall. Harry's last words dug a hole in her own heart. She had underestimated his love for her. She had overlooked the possibilities at the cost of judging his actions unfairly and jumping to conclusions. She had broken his heart, and there's no time to heal. For his heart may well be dead.
Hermione dropped to her knees and at the same moment the rain started to fall. She didn't care if she would get wet and get sick. She just needed to let it all go and release the burden. The weight of the falling rain equaled the weight of her tears.
"Hermione!" Her mother came running outside, shielding her with a coat and trying to get her up to bring her back to the house. But Hermione had no intentions of moving from that place. Mr. Granger appeared carrying an open umbrella. He approached his wife and daughter, sheltering them from the heavy rain.
***
Hermione sat in front of the kitchen table, a bowl of warm soup set before her. But she hadn't touched it ever since her mother had placed it there. She hadn't eaten lunch, and now, dinner. She just stared into empty space, speaking to no one. "Hermione, please," her mother said, approaching her from her back and touching her shoulders. "Try to eat your soup."
"I'm not hungry," she replied discretely.
"But you have to at least---"
"I said I'm not hungry!" she yelled, standing up and storming out of the kitchen.
At the same time, her father entered the kitchen and saw her outburst. "Still no luck?" he said, looking intently at his wife.
Mrs. Granger crossed her left arm over her chest and leaned her right elbow on it, touching her forehead. "What's happening to our daughter's life?"
Her husband swiftly approached her and embraced her from the back. "Don't worry, honey, everything will be okay."
***
*What am I thinking? Everything's not okay! I hurt Harry's feelings. The only thing he did was love me and I go around and stab him in the back! I'm a mean person!* Hermione was deliberating on what she should do now that almost everything in her life has turned upside down. She was lying flat on her bed, legs straight, one foot tucked underneath the other, and arms crossed over her chest.
Hermione turned her head to the window. There were no stars visible in the sky that night. It's as if they were hiding from her behind the dark clouds that had showered her with rain this morning. Hermione shifted her position and rested on her side. "Just give me a sign, please," she whispered, closing her eyes.
At the exact moment she opened it, Hermione saw a twinkle of one distant star but as soon as it had appeared, it had also faded. Then Hermione noticed something different. It was her necklace. It seemed to be emitting a kind of light similar to that of the star she had just seen: distant but clear; bright but diminutive. She stood up from the bed and moved towards the open window. Then she saw another twinkle from the same star. But it had gone once more. She saw the necklace shining brighter than it did before, and she had realized that it might somehow be reflecting the faint light of that distant star. But there was more.
"Wait," Hermione said, looking up, then back down to her necklace. "This isn't new," she whispered to herself, remembering every single word Draco had told her about the necklace. *Take this gem to be your guide. Let its power take your wishes and point them to the skies. Allow the energy to show you where your strength dwells inside. And lead you to where your greatest dream truly lies.* Hermione's eyes widened. Now she understands. It wasn't the necklace that was reflecting the light from the star she had seen; it was the other way around. The necklace was using its power to allow a single distant star to flicker, and that star will point her to where her greatest dream lies.
***
"Hermione? What are you doing here?" Draco was surprised to see Hermione standing on his living room, carrying two large bags, and looking very pale.
"Your star brought me here. It led me to you," she answered, dropping her bags.
Draco's eyes moved from Hermione's face to the necklace she was wearing. He immediately understood what she was trying to say. But him? He had never expected this to happen, but he was glad that she was there.
"How long do you intend to stay?" Draco said.
"As long as you want me to," she replied.
"Then you can stay for as long as you like," he said, flashing a smile.
Hermione quickly ran to him and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you."
"You know I'm always here for you, Hermione. Always," Draco whispered to her ears.
***
Mrs. Granger was knocking on Hermione's bedroom door but there was no answer. She carefully turned the knob and opened the door, and much to her surprise, Hermione wasn't there. "Honey! Hermione's gone!"
Mr. Granger quickly dashed up the stairs and realized what his wife had meant. They both entered the room and found a letter under Hermione's bedside lamp.
Together, they opened the letter and read:
"Dear Mom and Dad,
If there's anything I have learned from you is that I should always use my head every time I make a decision. I guess this isn't the wisest decision I had ever made, but trust that I have my own reasons for choosing it. I know that I should never run away from my problems, but face them instead. But from what I have experienced, facing my problems only brings me more hurt. And oftentimes, not only me, but also those I love. If I run away from this now, I know that eventually I would have to face it. But not right now, for I am much too weak. Please bear with me and trust that in time I will be able to come back and finish what I have started. Do not worry on my well-being for I am here with Draco. You know me well enough that I would never stay more than once in a place I don't consider safe. I love you both very much and I hope that you understand me. Please take care while I am gone.
Always, Hermione"
After reading the letter, Mrs. Granger folded it and placed it back on the table. She looked over her shoulders to her husband, who was reading the letter from behind her. "What do we do?"
Mr. Granger took a deep breath and nodded. "We wait for her to come home."
***
Hermione rested her head on the bed's head board. She had just entered her room at Draco's apartment and was obviously very tired and hungry. Draco entered the room and saw her in that state, which made him start to worry even more.
"Hermione, there's food in the kitchen. You told me you haven't eaten lunch and dinner. I can't allow you to sleep without eating first," he said, sitting beside her.
Hermione didn't move. Only her eyes turned to Draco. "Tell me I'm evil."
"What?" Draco asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Tell me I'm evil because of what I did to Harry," she answered.
"I can't do that Hermione, because you're not evil. You know you never meant to hurt him," Draco explained.
"But I did," Hermione responded. "And he didn't deserve it."
Draco took her hand, which made Hermione budge. "You're the one who told me to put my past behind me and move forward," he said, squeezing her hand a little. "I believe you can do that too."
"I'm not sure I can forget how much I hurt Harry," Hermione said, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.
"Then don't start with forgetting, maybe you should start with forgiving," Draco replied. "Forgive yourself."
Hermione's tears continued to fall as she gave Draco another hug. She knew he was right. If she was going to prepare herself for facing Harry again, then she should then start with overlooking any doubts she has on herself. And the first step was to try to accept that she never meant to hurt Harry, and what happened was never her intention. She knew she would have to undergo a lot of stages before she would have the strength to confront him. But the greatest comfort she has right now is that no matter how difficult the process may be, Draco would always be there to support her, and in certain times, even lift her up.