Chapter 4

            Days passed, and even though Hermione was putting much of her time into the reorganization of the library, she spent a considerable amount of time with Ron and their kids. It was during one of these times that she noticed a distance between Harry and Ginny that hadn't been there when last the four friends were together.

            She walked up to Ginny who was tending to a scraped knee of a young girl. "Hey Ginny."

            The young redhead looked up and smiled, "Hey yourself, how are you coming along?"

            Hermione sat next to Ginny on the front steps of the school she had loved so much as a child. "Well enough, I guess the library will be finished before long." Her eyes seemed to be casually watching her friend, after several years she had been able to pick up on the nuances of each of her friend's faces during a conversation to work out when they were upset. Each one of them were too damn proud to just talk, and it frustrated her on a number of occasions. "Harry said that there were going to be a load more books." 'Mmmm, minor reaction to Harry's name.'

            "Yeah, we have some more donations to pick up." A mischievous twinkle lit her eyes.

            Hermione frowned. "I really don't approve of stealing kids books." 'There we go. It's about the kids…'

            Ginny turned to Hermione her face had become impassive an annoying quality she had learned from Harry. "Hermoine. Stop it." She stood, dusted herself off and walked away from her friend.

            Hermione watched her leave, her mind already working.

----------- Several Hours Later --------------

            Hermione knocked on the Headmasters office. "Enter." Came Harry's voice from inside. She slowly opened the door, and saw Harry sitting at Dumbledore's old desk, fiddling with some silver instrument with a look of utter frustration on his face.

            He looked up and in a pained voice said "How in the bloody hell does this thing work?"

            Hermione smiled softly and looked at the instrument. "Well you have it all set up wrong Harry. Here, let me." She deftly adjusted the thing and shortly it seemed to be working. Suddenly it gave a gasping sound and then a puff of black smoke billowed out of it.

            Harry made notes and scanned through a book reading the same page four times. "What did that mean?" Clearly he was reaching his wits end. "This damnable book has nothing in it about a great billowing cloud of black smoke…"

            "It means, Harry that it's broken."

            He sighed heavily and allowed his head to drop into the open book. His voice was muffled when he spoke. "I have Divination. Specifically I hate everything to do with Divination, and most of all I hate this stupid piece of shite!" The last he said while throwing the glass and silver instrument in a trash bin. He lifted his head a few centimeters and allowed his head to drop with a thud back into the book, and repeated this several times.

            Hermione watched all this with an almost cool, casual disinterest. She was here for a reason, and only Harry would be able to provide it. Ron knew nothing of the state of Harry and Ginny's relationship, he had made it perfectly clear he didn't want to know, and had gone to great lengths to keep clear of anything but the most obvious of details; as such he had been no help. But Harry, well of course he would know. It was just getting it out of him that would be the trick.

            "So to what to I owe the immense pleasure of your company today?" A red mark was forming on his forehead.

            Hermione considered her options. With Harry the opening move was the most critical. It would cast the entire conversation. "I was just talking to Ginny." 'Ah, there is something wrong.' "And I understand that you are picking up another donation soon."

            Harry nodded, but she noticed a tightening of his eyes. "Yes, I am sending Ginny and Dean out to pick them up tonight. Was there anything in particular you wanted them to look for?"

            Hermione nodded, and passed him a list. "As many of these as you – er they can find." Harry winced. 'Bingo. So what the hell is going on here?'

            Harry looked over the list briefly. "I'll pass it on to them." She made to stand up. Harry held up a hand and she got comfortable. "Hermione, you are one of very few dear friends. Don't make a mistake in thinking I don't know what you are doing." He paused and fiddled with the list she had given him. "I – I know things don't look well, and honestly they aren't, but – but I can't blame her after all, she – she lost a lot, and…" His voice trailed off, and Hermione followed his eyes to a picture of Harry and Ginny with a small child between them, the two of them looked happy and were waving out. Harry's face hardened along with his voice. "Look, just don't nose around Ginny's private business, ok?"

            'Well, there it is then.' Hermione looked at her hands, and her fingers found the smooth metal of her wedding ring. "Right then." She stood and with her hand on the door paused. "We all lost people Harry. You need to be there for her." She opened the door and as she shut it heard Harry's whisper of a voice.

            "She asked me not to be…"

            She closed the door, and stood there a few minutes, before descending the stairs to the main hall. She was walking lost in thought when she heard mumbled voices, and her mind came into the present. She could see two figured locked in a passionate embrace, at first her mind didn't register the people, but then it dawned on her. It was Ginny and Dean. Quietly as possible she fled from the area. 'Oh Harry…'

            She made it to the room her and Ron were using and curled up on the couch and began thinking.

            After a few minutes there was a knock on the door, and Hermione opened it to find Ginny standing there looking nervous, and a bit scared. "Can I come in?"

            Hermione wordlessly ushered her friend in, and gave her a cup of tea. They both sat down, and after a few long, uncomfortable minutes Ginny spoke.

            "H – Have you seen Harry?"

            "Yes. I saw him just a while ago. I have a list of books I'd like you to keep an eye out for."

            "Right, I was just…" She had an odd look on her face, one of conflicting emotions. "Never mind." Her face became impassive. "No, never mind." She stood and place the cup and saucer down. "Thank you Hermione." She made to leave.

            "He still loves you."

            Ginny stood frozen on the spot. Her normally warm eyes glared at Hermione. "Stay out of this. I know you think you have your finger on the pulse of the world, but this time you don't. Just stay clear of my private business." Her voice was cold and hard.

            Hermione's voice was caught in her throat. She simply nodded.

            Ginny left, not quite slamming the door behind her. Once again her thoughts tumbled and she began the process of trying to straighten them out.