Life After Hogwarts Chapter 4

Author's Note: It seems like a lot of chapters but if you notice most of the chapters are really short. Thanks to all my reviewers. I love you guys! Oh and some of you assumed this is a Harry/Hermione fanfiction. Let me tell ya that might not be true. I didn't really plan on putting romance in here but we'll see! For now Harry and Hermione are just good friends and they just might always stay that way!

"Ron loved that girl," Mrs. Weasley continued. "He was infatuated with her. Every sentence he said, every thing he did...it all had something to do with her. I used to worry that it was unhealthy for him to be so head over heels in love. Pretty girl, wasn't she? I'll never forget her. Her eyes were so full of I don't know.they weren't happy like a normal seventh year teenager. She seemed like she knew too much...oh look at me. I'm just rambling and rambling! Now what exactly did you want to know about Valery Fox?"

"Oh, nothing in particular," Hermione bluffed. "Just wanted to know how she knew Ron and stuff. Oh, Mrs. Weasley, I am so sorry for your loss," she said, biting her lip, trying her hardest not to cry.

"As am I for yours," Mrs. Weasley whispered. The two sat there in silence, remembering.

After having a cup of coffee with Mrs. Weasley, Hermione bade her goodbye. She knew that Valery must have fed Ron two things: the allusion that she was no longer dating Harry, and some love potions. Ron going out with Valery! How many times had he told Harry that "Valery's no good for you! Dump her!" But even Hermione had some creepy doubts. Maybe he just said that to cover up for the fact that he too was going around with her. I'm so confused, Hermione thought. I almost wish I were still in my messy little junkyard.

Hermione tried to make up scenarios in which Valery would have done something to Ron---either killed him, or banished him to some unknown place. But why would she do that at the same time as Voldemort and Harry's famous duel? To blame it on Voldemort or to. . . Hermione's thoughts trailed off. She knew how to finish the sentence, but she didn't want to believe what she said. She had it all perfectly worked out in her mind, but if it was true, than the truth was something cold, dark, and evil. It would cost Harry his life and afterlife. I've got to stop her, Hermione thought miserably. But how can I? What can I possibly do? And Hermione had yet another question. What does she want from me? Why would she want me here? Another answer hit her like lightning. Everything seemed to click into place, with Hermione in the center of it all, inimical, tormented, and alone.

She went back to Harry's place around nine thirty. As expected, he wasn't home. Hermione didn't even want to think about what he was doing at Valery's. It was all so depressing. Here he was, being forced to love a woman who was out to get him, wasting the best years of his life. He could be so happy with another girl. Genuinely happy, not love potion happy. If I can get him out of this, I'll find him someone who'll really love him to compensate. Hermione sat down on one of the comfy white sofas that Harry had in his den, trying to work out every detail. Plans, plans, plans. During school, Hermione had always had a plan---and always a backup. The library. In this case, the library was cow dung as far as usefulness.

By the time Harry came home, Hermione was close to tears. She broke down and decided to tell Harry everything. "Harry!" she cried as he entered his home, with a funny lopsided smile on his face that disappeared as soon as he saw her face. "Hermione! What's wrong?"

"Please, hear me out, please believe me. You know I don't lie. Overcome that love potion she drops into your drink every time you eat with her, and hear me out. Believe me, Harry."

"What? What love potion? Who drops it?"

"Valery! Listen to me, Harry, listen!" The frantic tone of her voice made him sink down into the sofa and listen.

"Look, Valery is out to get you. She doesn't love you, not one bit. She wants you dead. She's giving you love potions and she was waiting for the right time. And now's the right time, because I'm here and she'll blame it all on me an---"

"Wait, what? Why would Valery want me dead?" said Harry. Hermione looked at him and almost burst into tears. His face was totally unbelieving and unconvinced.

"Well.if you don't buy that.you're definitely not going to buy this. She's Voldemort's daughter, Harry! His daughter! And she wants to avenge his death. Nothing would make his spirit happier than seeing you die a painful death. And nothing would add more to the pain than hearing her say that she hates you and she wants you dead. She's gonna do that Harry, and she's going to blame it on me! She'll get off with her bad deed and I'll be sent to Azkaban, and you'll be a dead man!" Hermione was in hysterics by now. Harry's face was contorted with concentration.

"I don't know what's into you, Hermione. I want to believe you, but this is impossible to believe. Valery loves me. In fact...I proposed to her tonight! I wanted to tell you but I'm getting the impression that you don't like her much. And by the way, she accepted. We'll be married in a few months."

"Harry, you can't! Don't you see? Her being your fiancée will just get her more innocent looking! That's the reason why she'd say yes! And if you still don't believe me, look what she did to Ron."

"RON! What does he have to do with any of this?" Harry said, his face almost purple with anger.
"Everything! Look, Valery dated Ron in seventh year too---"

"You're insane. She was going with me!"

"I know, I know! I thought that too! But I went to see Mrs. Weasley today---"

"You what? Why would you bother her about Ron! Hermione you know that's just dirty. That's a horrible thing to do!"

"Harry, shut up and hear me out! Anyway, she told me that Ron was dating Valery in seventh year---"

"Um, which is a total and complete lie, may I add---"

"Harry! You moron, listen to me! So I said, no, Mrs. Weasley, not possible, she was seeing Harry---"

"Damn right she was."

"HARRY! You are seriously pissing me off! Here I am, trying to fend for your safety, and you are treating me like the mud on the bottom of your shoe! Now listen! So I told Mrs. Weasley that, and she said that I must be wrong. She was 100% sure. So I knew that Valery was seeing both of you, Harry! And do you think Ron would do that to you?"

"Am I allowed to talk now, Hermione?" Hermione wanted to slap him. He was being such an ass hole. He didn't understand how important this was, how incredibly important it was to his life. "Yes, Harry, speak," she said tiredly.

"Well, no, I don't think Ron would do that to me, which is why I think that Mrs. Weasley is going bonkers! Her son is missing or dead and her other son Percy doesn't even speak to her! Of course the poor lady's going to be a nutcase by now!"

"What a horrible, horrible thing to say. She is perfectly right. Harry, Valery was dating the both of you.she gave you both love potions to keep you loving her, and she fed Ron lies about her relationship with you! Don't you see?"

"Why would she do that? Why the hell would she want Ron dead? That is, if she even did any of this, which she did not."

"She did! And why? Because she wanted to weaken you when you fought Voldemort! She knew exactly when it would be, because her "family business" that she was on that week was planning this all out with her father! And it did weaken you, didn't it, your best friend gone missing. But their plan backfired! Everyone assumed that Voldemort had done it, which only made you want to annihilate him harder, to avenge Ron's death!" Hermione gasped for air. She had said all she had wanted to say now, and she was exhausted. She wished Harry believed her. It was all true, oh it was all true. Harry just didn't understand.

"Hermione," he said after a long pause. "Stop lying. You are making up very far-fetched stories. Become an author. Maybe that will get you some money!" He stomped up the stairs and Hermione heard a door slam.

His words cut deep, but Hermione still wanted to save him. He was her best friend, and if need be, she would sacrifice for him.

A/N: The saga is almost over. Just like one or two more chapters, I think. Just to let you know, so you don't find it too long! Anyway, please read and review!!