(A/N: Okay, I know I keep repeating myself but I think its necessary. Once
again I promise it gets better, happier is what I mean to say, and that
Harry will...well I won't spoil it for you! Lol...so anyway, thanks so much for
142 reviews!!!!!!! You guys are the greatest! I've tried to make this
chapter longer for you all, I still feel bad about the week update wait. I
know that things in this story keep getting more and more depressing and
here is another sad chapter, but it gets happy! No worries, hope you all
enjoy!)
Usual Disclaimer
~*~*~*~*~*~* CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX: THREE TO ONE
"Ugh!" Hermione muttered as her books went everywhere.
"Here! Let me help you!"
"Hermione? Oh dear let me help!"
"Who's that?"
"Hermione Granger"
"Hermione? Then what are we doing? Why aren't we helping her?"
"Here you are"
"Here's another one"
"uh...thanks" Hermione addressed the eight people who had rushed over to help her.
Ever since Harry had died, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Neville had been pampered over by the teachers and students. At first, Hermione had appreciated it; it was nice not to have to have to do everything. But after a week or so, it had gotten rather annoying. She didn't like being treated differently from everyone else. It made her stand out in a crowd that she desperately wanted to fade into.
After Hermione had all of her books she rushed to class. She was late!
"Ah...Miss Granger. Nice of you to join us, please take a seat." Professor McGongall said sharply. "Today we will be brewing—Mr. Thomas...late I see? 5 points from Gryffindor! Now take your seat! Anyway as I was saying..."
Dean, outraged by McGongall's deduction of points from Gryffindor slowly made his way to his seat, throwing glares at her while she wasn't looking. Hermione agreed with him, it wasn't fair; but she let it roll off her back.
If someone had asked what Hermione had done in the past 2 weeks, she wouldn't have been able to tell them. Hermione honestly wandered from class to class, meal to meal, and day to day, not really paying attention to anything.
The foursome that had once been in the middle of the Gryffindor table, and the center of attention, shifted to towards the end, every member keeping to themselves. Neville had tried a few times to talk to them about Harry but Ron would always abruptly leave, leaving Ginny and Hermione to tell Neville that it was too soon. Ginny, Hermione and Ron definitely had had closer relationships with Harry, not to say that Neville wasn't in pain, but they were suffering more than Neville.
Ron had become the most detached from the others. Other than his hug and squeeze of the hand that he had given Hermione at Harry's funeral, Ron had shown no gesture of affection towards anyone. Ron had been avoiding Hermione for days now...and it only made Hermione feel worse about everything.
The foursome was now sitting in the common room in front of the fire. Hermione couldn't help but think that it had been in this very room that the six had last been together again. But Neville sharply brought her out of this thought when he snapped his book together.
"Look, I know you all keep saying that it's too soon. But we've got to talk about it sometime." Neville said surprisingly forceful, with a hint of coldness to his voice.
"Not this again" Ron mumbled.
"Neville we already said..." Hermione began
"No, we've got to talk about this...if we don't...then...then it'll come back to haunt us. Stuffing stuff like this inside isn't good."
Hermione sighed. "He's right you know"
"Of course you'd be the first one to agree with him." Ron said nastily
Hermione was speechless. She tried to talk but couldn't get anything out. Why was Ron acting like this?
"What are you talking about Ron?" Ginny asked for Hermione.
"Leave it to Miss know-it-all to agree with a fact."
The others exchanged worried expressions. "Since when have you thought of Hermione as a know-it-all?" Neville asked
"That's something Malfoy says to her...not you" Ginny spat
"So what? I can't use a line twice?"
"Ron what's going on? Really!" Hermione asked, finally able to talk
"YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Ron roared. Hermione nodded, eyes fearful, for she knew by his tone what was coming. "I'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON! MY BEST FRIEND IS DEAD!!!!"
"I know Ron. I know. But Harry was our friend too. We understand." Neville said. "But what does Harry have to do with Hermione?"
"YOU ALL JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND!! EVERY TIME I L-LOOK AT HERMIONE ..." As Ginny put a hand on her brother, Ron took a deep breath and calmed down. "Every time I look at Hermione, I feel like something's missing. That's when I remember that Harry's gone. Not only is my best friend dead...I can't look at the only other one I have left. Every place in this castle sparks a memory I had with him...and now..." Ron began to cry.
"Shh...it's okay" Ginny said as she hugged her big brother, stroking his hair, tears running down her own cheeks. Neville patted Ron's back. Hermione had faded into the corner and stood awkwardly in the background. She couldn't bring herself to rush over to Ron just yet. Ginny seemed to take notice of this. "C'mon Neville. Let's leave them to sort this out." She said as she wiped her stray tears away.
Ron sat on the couch still, wiping first his nose and then his face where his tears had been. Hermione stayed by the fire, not moving. Several minutes passed.
"Remember how they used to call us the 'golden trio'?" Ron said smiling at the memory, but looking into the distance.
"Yeah" Hermione said as quietly as possible but thinking happily about the thought.
"Well we're not a trio anymore are we?" Ron said, smile wiped from his face, eyes darkening.
"No" Hermione whispered sadly.
"That's why I can't look at you Hermione." Ron said, sorrow and regret in his voice.
Hermione, unsure how to respond to this, nodded looking at the floor.
"I wish it didn't have to be this way...but it's too painful." Hermione tensed, realizing that her worst fear was coming true. Ron and her, the remains of the best friendship there ever was, were falling apart.
"So that's it? 6 years of being my best friend gone just like that?"
Ron winced at her statement. "Sorry Hermione. In my heart, you'll always be my best friend. Maybe sometime later, we can still be friends. But not right now."
Hermione wiped away the one tear that had fallen from her eyes and nodded her head bravely. Ron hugged her and she couldn't help but hug him tight, wishing that it could all disappear. He gently kissed her cheek.
"Bye 'Mione."
"Good-Bye Ron"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
(Waa...so so sad, I almost cried myself. I know its really really really depressing but hang in there please, I'll try to write as fast as possible to get to the happy stuff! Luv ya, Haystack)
Usual Disclaimer
~*~*~*~*~*~* CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX: THREE TO ONE
"Ugh!" Hermione muttered as her books went everywhere.
"Here! Let me help you!"
"Hermione? Oh dear let me help!"
"Who's that?"
"Hermione Granger"
"Hermione? Then what are we doing? Why aren't we helping her?"
"Here you are"
"Here's another one"
"uh...thanks" Hermione addressed the eight people who had rushed over to help her.
Ever since Harry had died, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Neville had been pampered over by the teachers and students. At first, Hermione had appreciated it; it was nice not to have to have to do everything. But after a week or so, it had gotten rather annoying. She didn't like being treated differently from everyone else. It made her stand out in a crowd that she desperately wanted to fade into.
After Hermione had all of her books she rushed to class. She was late!
"Ah...Miss Granger. Nice of you to join us, please take a seat." Professor McGongall said sharply. "Today we will be brewing—Mr. Thomas...late I see? 5 points from Gryffindor! Now take your seat! Anyway as I was saying..."
Dean, outraged by McGongall's deduction of points from Gryffindor slowly made his way to his seat, throwing glares at her while she wasn't looking. Hermione agreed with him, it wasn't fair; but she let it roll off her back.
If someone had asked what Hermione had done in the past 2 weeks, she wouldn't have been able to tell them. Hermione honestly wandered from class to class, meal to meal, and day to day, not really paying attention to anything.
The foursome that had once been in the middle of the Gryffindor table, and the center of attention, shifted to towards the end, every member keeping to themselves. Neville had tried a few times to talk to them about Harry but Ron would always abruptly leave, leaving Ginny and Hermione to tell Neville that it was too soon. Ginny, Hermione and Ron definitely had had closer relationships with Harry, not to say that Neville wasn't in pain, but they were suffering more than Neville.
Ron had become the most detached from the others. Other than his hug and squeeze of the hand that he had given Hermione at Harry's funeral, Ron had shown no gesture of affection towards anyone. Ron had been avoiding Hermione for days now...and it only made Hermione feel worse about everything.
The foursome was now sitting in the common room in front of the fire. Hermione couldn't help but think that it had been in this very room that the six had last been together again. But Neville sharply brought her out of this thought when he snapped his book together.
"Look, I know you all keep saying that it's too soon. But we've got to talk about it sometime." Neville said surprisingly forceful, with a hint of coldness to his voice.
"Not this again" Ron mumbled.
"Neville we already said..." Hermione began
"No, we've got to talk about this...if we don't...then...then it'll come back to haunt us. Stuffing stuff like this inside isn't good."
Hermione sighed. "He's right you know"
"Of course you'd be the first one to agree with him." Ron said nastily
Hermione was speechless. She tried to talk but couldn't get anything out. Why was Ron acting like this?
"What are you talking about Ron?" Ginny asked for Hermione.
"Leave it to Miss know-it-all to agree with a fact."
The others exchanged worried expressions. "Since when have you thought of Hermione as a know-it-all?" Neville asked
"That's something Malfoy says to her...not you" Ginny spat
"So what? I can't use a line twice?"
"Ron what's going on? Really!" Hermione asked, finally able to talk
"YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Ron roared. Hermione nodded, eyes fearful, for she knew by his tone what was coming. "I'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON! MY BEST FRIEND IS DEAD!!!!"
"I know Ron. I know. But Harry was our friend too. We understand." Neville said. "But what does Harry have to do with Hermione?"
"YOU ALL JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND!! EVERY TIME I L-LOOK AT HERMIONE ..." As Ginny put a hand on her brother, Ron took a deep breath and calmed down. "Every time I look at Hermione, I feel like something's missing. That's when I remember that Harry's gone. Not only is my best friend dead...I can't look at the only other one I have left. Every place in this castle sparks a memory I had with him...and now..." Ron began to cry.
"Shh...it's okay" Ginny said as she hugged her big brother, stroking his hair, tears running down her own cheeks. Neville patted Ron's back. Hermione had faded into the corner and stood awkwardly in the background. She couldn't bring herself to rush over to Ron just yet. Ginny seemed to take notice of this. "C'mon Neville. Let's leave them to sort this out." She said as she wiped her stray tears away.
Ron sat on the couch still, wiping first his nose and then his face where his tears had been. Hermione stayed by the fire, not moving. Several minutes passed.
"Remember how they used to call us the 'golden trio'?" Ron said smiling at the memory, but looking into the distance.
"Yeah" Hermione said as quietly as possible but thinking happily about the thought.
"Well we're not a trio anymore are we?" Ron said, smile wiped from his face, eyes darkening.
"No" Hermione whispered sadly.
"That's why I can't look at you Hermione." Ron said, sorrow and regret in his voice.
Hermione, unsure how to respond to this, nodded looking at the floor.
"I wish it didn't have to be this way...but it's too painful." Hermione tensed, realizing that her worst fear was coming true. Ron and her, the remains of the best friendship there ever was, were falling apart.
"So that's it? 6 years of being my best friend gone just like that?"
Ron winced at her statement. "Sorry Hermione. In my heart, you'll always be my best friend. Maybe sometime later, we can still be friends. But not right now."
Hermione wiped away the one tear that had fallen from her eyes and nodded her head bravely. Ron hugged her and she couldn't help but hug him tight, wishing that it could all disappear. He gently kissed her cheek.
"Bye 'Mione."
"Good-Bye Ron"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
(Waa...so so sad, I almost cried myself. I know its really really really depressing but hang in there please, I'll try to write as fast as possible to get to the happy stuff! Luv ya, Haystack)