~*Lean on Me*~

A Ron and Hermione story

(A/N)Hey guys.This chapter is pretty short. It's my shortest yet but it still pretty vital to the story and this is all I need to put in this Chapter anyways. Sorry about the last post. I know it's really depressing and dramatic but that is what this story is about! Well the end is happy so don't give up hope on me, okay. This chapter is pretty depressing too so don't be surprized by it.Actually you get to see what Hermione's feeling in this chap so it might even be worse than the last one. I'm sure your thinking ''Great Lizzie! That's all we need, more depression.'' Sorry that's the way life is... can't always get what you want!! (hehe I'm so evil!)Read on and review and then ...well you know whatever. Just read it!

~Love from Lizzie

(Disclaimer) Oh give it up already I know they don't belong to me!!

Chapter VIII: Depression and Guilt

Hermione woke up the next morning as the sun just started peaking in through the castle's windows. Her head was hurting as if she hadn't slept for weeks. She rolled over without opening her eyes and buried her face in her pillow again. She had, had the most horrible nightmare. She had dreamed that Dumbledore had just told her that Voldemort had just killed her mother. She wiped the tears she shed, while she was sleeping, from her eyes. She didn't even feel like attending her classes that morning, which is extremely strange for Hermione.

She rolled back over and stared up at the ceiling. But it wasn't the same ceiling she woke up to everymorning. It was brown wood instead of tiled.

She gasped in surprize and sat striaght up in a quick flash. She looked around the room and realized she was in the Hogwarts' Hospital Wing. How did I get here? she asked herself suspiciously.

She noticed a bunch of rumpled red hair in the bed next to her. What happened? Why is Ron here? What happened to us? The last thing I remember is Colin coming in as Professor McGonagall was telling Harry and me about the Easter dance. Unless...wait a second... A thought of realization hit her.

"No." she sighed in in a small whisper. She started to shudder with fear. It wasn't a dream. It really did happen. Mom is... dead.

Hermione started to shake but her feelings were trapped in her disbelief. "No.No.No." Hermione trembled. She grabbed her pillow and held it tight against her chest and her eyes welled with silent tears. Ron woke up on the side of her and took sight of her eyes bloodshot with and tear-stained cheeks. "H-Her-Hermione." he yawned as he scrambled to get out of bed.

"Go back to sleep, Ron." Hermione managed .She threw herself down on her bed and covered her head with her pillow. She felt his weight sink into her matress.

"I know you probably don't want to hear this but, I just wanted to let you know that if you need someone to talk to, I'm in the next bed." she could hear him say though muffled by the pillow on her head. She threw it off of her bed and rolled and looked into Ron's deep blue eyes. She could see his face was full of pity and self-blaming guilt and she felt ashamed of herself. He could see the pain in her eyes and rubbed her cheek lightly with the back of his hand. It broke the barrier that contained her overwelming grief and she broke down.

"Oh, Ron!" she cryed in distress then threw her arms around his neck. He looked around awkwardly and patted her on the back not knowing what else to do with himself. Realizing what he was doing he almost felt almost unable to comfort her. He frowned at himself and hugged her back as she sobbed her heart out onto his shoulder

She let him hold her until Madame Pomfrey came into the room and told her totake her potion.

Hermione took a sip from the bottle on the bedside table and rested herself on the bed. Ron placed the pillow behind her head and sat down by her side again.

"Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" she sniffled as tears still rolled down her cheek.

"Sure." he smiled giving her hand a squeeze. Her eyes fluttered closed and she began to breathe more calmly again. "I would never leave you." he kissed her hand and was shooed from the room by Madame Pomfrey.

~*~

The next time she woke up Hermione's greif was beyond tears and instead she just lay in bed her mind open to nothing. Ron had already left for the morning classes and she was left alone in the bed for hours at a time. She was often interrupted from her blank thoughts by Madame Pomfrey asking her if she was okay or if she needed anything. She would only shake her head not listening to a word she said.

The next time she walked in however she told Hermione it would be alright if she left at dinner time. Hermione drug herself out of bed and carelessly threw on her clothes. She walked slowly down to the Great Hall dragging her feet relutantly.

She plooped down next to Ron opposite Harry and Ginny. They cast each other nervously worried glances and continued eating in silence without looking at her once. Hermione payed no notice to their behavior and really didn't feel like eating no matter how much her stomach growled in resentment. Every time she looked at the food on either one of their plates she felt sick and nautious. Instead she lay her head in her hands and stared at the wooden table.

"Uh, Hermione."

She raised her head slightly but didn't say a word.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" Harry asked curiously. She shook her head slowly. "Aren't you hungry?" She shook her head again. She really didn't feel like talking right now. Everytime she went to open her mouth her head would start to ache. She set her head back on he hands and closed her eyes.

A few minutes later they sat in silence once more. Ginny finished eating and left Hermion and the boys alone. Harry picked at his food and glanced repeatedly up at Hermione. Ron chose to stare at Hermione although he didn't realize it. Harry looked at him curiously with a raized eyebrow.

"I see you didn't straighten your hair this morning." Ron finally said trying to make some desperate conversation.

"I didn't feel good, Ron." she grumbled without moving her head .

"No, no, I like it better the way it is now. Its so soft looking, like a pillow or something." Ron corrected himself starting to blush.

"Oh."

More silence.

"So, um, me and Ginny are going out now." Harry said with a smile to maybe help her to talk or at least get her mom off of her mind.

"That's, um, that's r-really great, Harry. Really it is, but you guys I'm sorry if I just don't act very excited. I'm really glad for you, but I just act as happy as I really am. At least not until I can be happy with myself." Hermione said finally raising her head to reveal her sad brown eyes.

"Hermione, do you want to talk?" Harry asked concerned.

"No." she sighed standing from the table.

"Hermione?"

"I'm sorry, Harry. I just need some time alone."

Ron and harry watched sadly as she drug her feet down the isle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. Ron looked at Harry with a grimace.

"She's pretty upset." he said thickly.

"It's all my fault." Harry groaned. "If it wasn't for me..."

"...Tom Riddle would have killed Ginny, Hermione would probably be sulking around in the Library alone and friendless, and I would be sitting with Dean and Seamus staring at other girls, not taking any notice whatsoever to the beautiful mysterious girl in the corner of the commonroom." Ron finished for him. "Harry everything happens for a reason. It's just fate. V-Voldemort would have killed all those people no matter is you were alive or not. He was murdering innocent people even before you were born."

"Yeah, but the only reason Hermione's mum died was because he was trying to get to me. He was trying to scare me and tell all of you to leave me because if you don't he'll destroy your lives. Why don't you just leave me! Can't you see what he's going to put you all through?" Harry said feeling very pressured and putting his head in his hands as Hermione had not long before.

"He won't, Harry. Dumbledore will make sure of that. He'll protect us." Ron assured him.

"How can you put all your faith on that fragile old man? How can you believe that, that single old man can protect you?"

"I have faith in him. What else is there to do Harry? Give up all your friends, family, your hopes, and dreams just to live in fear and die lonly and depressed scared half to death already. I can't do that so what is there to loose really?" Ron shrugged with a worn down face. He looked stressed and uncomfortable.

Harry smiled slightly. Maybe he wasn't the cause of everyone's grief. Maybe he was only a part of it. . Ron was right; what did he have to loose. Fate would take its toll, either way, and Harry wasn't giving in that easily. After all Dumbledore had gotten them this far. Without him Harry hadn't anything to hope for.

~*~

(Summary of Ch.10) Things continue to get crappy for Hermione she fails her Transfiguration tests and feels like her friends are deserting her. What more can she deal with? Well aparantly not much. You'll see what I mean. Just read it.

~*~

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