I never meant to…
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me, unfortunately!!!
A/n: This is a story really close to home for me, so I'd be pleased if no one flamed, as its kind of well its based on what's happened to me, I was advised to do this by my psychotherapist and so I've used characters I like.
I'd also like to thank all the people who have reviewed and said such encouraging thing. This story is going to go on for quite a while as it's really hard to admit you have a problem, and a very tough process to go through to get back to normal again.
Now I have to thank Herbie and everyone else for there kind reviews.
"Hey Harry, do I look the part to go running" Ron asked as he turned his head away from the mirror. He was looking into a full-length mirror, perfecting his new image. His blue jogging had the recognisable addidas three stripes, and a matching white t-shirt.
"Yeah you look fine." He replied, but suddenly turned his head to face Ron's reflected image in the mirror. "What? You're going running, with who?"
"Oh didn't I tell you. I'm going for a run with Hermione. We're going running around the grounds for a while that's all." Ron explained this to Harry as he began to brush his hair.
"Oh," was all Harry could answer. "Err, are you coming down to the common room, I have a chess match scheduled with your sister."
"Yeah, just wait a minute will you." Ron touched his hair, and straightened his clothes out for one last time. "I'm ready now. Come on, I have to meet Hermione in a few minutes." Both boys left their room and walked down to the common room.
Ginny was sitting in a large comfy red chair, the table in front of her, had a chessboard placed in the middle. She was carefully lining her chessman up while waiting for Harry to arrive.
"Hey Gin, ready to play?" Harry asked as he took his place in the empty seat opposite. She nodded her head in reply, and waited for him to set his own chessmen up. She caught Ron standing next to her in the corner of her eye.
"Ron, where are you going dressed like that?" she asked. Ron had his head turned towards the girl's staircase, and it took a moment to register that someone had been talking to him.
"What?"
"I said where are you going looking like that?" Ginny asked once again, her voice had become more impatient than the last time she had asked. Ron's mouthed opened ready to answer his sister's question, when a new voice entered the conversation and interrupted him.
"His coming running with me around the grounds." Hermione explained as she came to stand next to Ron. Her bushy hair had been pulled back into a high ponytail, with two pieces that had fallen down pushed behind her ears. Her outfit wasn't as sporty as Ron's; she was wearing loose trousers of a grey material, with a thin white stripe down the outside of each leg. She wore a plain white tank top, with a grey jacket over the top to keep her arms warm.
"Why are you going…?" Ginny started to ask, but was cut off by Harry.
"You ready to play Gin?"
"Yeah, just wait a minute though."
"Sorry Gin, we got to go, we, well more likely I have homework still to do after this. Reday Hermione?" Hermione nodded her head and both headed towards the portrait opening.
"Wait a" Ginny started, but soon mumbled the last of her sentence. She turned to face Harry. "Alright Harry, lets see if you can beat me today. I believe the score stands a four games to me and well zero to you." Harry nodded his head, and both their heads to concentrate on the games as Ginny made her first move.
Ron and Hermione proceeded down to the castle's front doors in silence. Hermione turned to Ron,
"We should start with a slow jog as to warm up our muscles. It is a very important part of exercise, so it must be done properly, we don't want to over stretch our muscles or twist anything." Ron stared at her, nodding his head as she carried on to telling him about warm ups. He was quite shocked when she suddenly started to run. He stood there watching where she was going.
"Ron! Why are you still standing there? I told you we need to warm-up, if your not going to take this seriously then… Ron didn't let her finish her sentence, as he jogged after her.
"O.k. Hermione, I'm sorry, I promise I won't do it again. I will listen to everything you say throughout this running session." Hermione looked him up and down and carried on jogging with Ron at her side.
The chess match taking place in the common room had been going on for around fifteen minutes and Ginny was still yet to make her third move.
"Harry its not that hard, just move one of your pieces, it doesn't usually take you this long," Ginny sighed in exasperation.
"Don't rush me Ginny, I'm taking my time over this match, I would like to win at least one! I've figured out that my losing streak has occurred because I making my decisions to hastily. Therefore if I take my time, I may be able to win."
"Harry, it has nothing to do with how long you take with a move! If you keep taking five minutes or more we're going to be here till the morning, and I would lie to get some sleep at least! The only reason your losing is because, well I'm better than you at chess. I wouldn't worry, I could let you win if you want me to."
"No! I want to win properly, not because you feel sorry for me. I need to concentrate so stop trying to distract me."
"Harry, is it me or have you noticed something different between Hermione and Ron since the start of the school year?"
"Mmmm, I know what you mean when you say that, they've become quite secretive about something, but I'm not sure what it is. Ah there you go." Harry moved his middle pawn forward two spaces.
"Oh my God it took you five minutes to decide to make that move! What is wrong with you, couldn't you have done that earlier?"
"No, I was debating on moving it either one square or two."
"I don't think I'm going to be able to cope if it' going to be like this for the rest of the match."
"Hey Hermione, slow down a bit I'm not used to running that much!"
"Look Ron, its not my fault if you can't keep up, but the faster we go, the more exercise we can do in the hour," she explained between breaths.
"Hermione, I think you need a rest, you really are looking to good," he told her; she ignored his remark and carried on. Ron however had stopped. "Hermione! Come back here, at least have a drink." Hermione turned her head back to look at him. He was standing next to the lake with two bottles of water one in each hand. She turned round and ran back to him.
"Look Ron, a drink isn't really necessary, it's just taking up valuable exercise time!" she was still running on the spot as she talked to him.
"Hermione sit down, and drink!" Ron's voice became stern, and Hermione slowly sat down taking the water bottle from him. They both sat in silence drinking from the bottles looking out onto the lake. Every now and again, a tentacle would rise from below the waters surface, but instantly return with a splash.
"You ready to carry on Ron?"
"Err, I am, but are you?"
"What's that supposed to mean of course I am, I'm not the one who was lagging behind because I couldn't take the pressure."
"O.K. know need to bite my head off I was just wondering. You may not have been lagging behind like I was, but at least I don't look as though I'm going to faint."
"What? Don't exaggerate Ron, I feel fine!" She then gave him a grim smile.
"O.K. Hermione, I believe you." He stood up from his place on the ground and placed his water bottle on the floor, he extended his hand to Hermione as an offer to help her up.
"I'm quite capable of getting up myself thank you very much," she said defensively.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, I just thought it would be polite to offer." Hermione slowly got up from her seat on the ground oblivious to the worried look Ron gave her as she did so. As soon as she had got up she went off running, Ron ran after her, as fast as he could until he reached her side once again. Every now and again he would glance over at her checking that she looked O.K.
"I can't believe it! You did it again, and I took my time to play my moves!"
"I'm sorry Harry, you were better than the last time we played, but maybe its because you took so long over your moves that you'd forgotten the move I'd just made." Harry just stared at her, after the comment she made. He decided to change the topic not really wanting to get into a disagreement over a game of chess.
"Anyway, what do you think is going on between Ron and Hermione?"
"Well I was thinking about that during the chess match. Maybe there is something going on between them. I always thought they'd make a nice couple." A dreamy look came over Ginny's face while Harry thought about the prospect of his two best friends becoming a couple. "However, I'm not sure that has happened, it wouldn't explain the tension that surrounds them occasionally, I'm not sure whether you've noticed it." Harry nodded his head, he became deep in thought as Ginny began to name some very possible situations, and some out of this world ideas. She had missed one detail that Harry had been quite quick to see.
"What about all these letters they send to each other? I mean Ron tries to keep them secret, and I've never managed to read one, but most of them are signed from Hermione. What do you think they have to say to each other that they haven't all ready mentioned in the day, or can't say in front of us?"
"I don't know, maybe there love letters, actually if my brothers been writing them back, I'm quite positive there not." Harry grinned at this comment, and Ginny snorted back a laugh. "You never know, maybe they have arguments in these letters, it's not as though they have many now, in fact I don't think I've really heard them argue since the beginning of the school year. I think we've solved our mystery Harry!" Ginny squealed in delight, while Harry nodded his head vigorously.
"Hermione are you O.K." Ron asked his face was scrunched up with worry. Hermione, who was running on his left hand side, had lost all the colour from her face. "Hermione, sit down." Once again Ron was the first one to stop while Hermione carried on until she noticed that her running partner was no longer at her side. She turned and ran back to the place where he was standing. She stood opposite him, and suddenly she felt her legs begin to wobble.
A/n: I think its kind of a cliffhanger; I can't make my mind up. This is my longest chapter ever so I'm really chuffed. Harry and Ginny sneaked into this chapter, I'm not sure why though, it gave me a bit of a break from writing out Hermione's feelings till the next chapter. If you liked this, and I hope you did, please review I like to hear people's comments.