Disclaimer: Still poor. Still own nothing. JKR rules the world.
A/N: Yay! Chapter three is finally here! Sorry it took so long – things have been crazy this week.
To my chapter 2 reviewers: Phoenix72389, Lesa, and DJSoulmates – I hope you like chapter three as well!
Chapter Three
"The Revelations"
Hermione sat alone in the Gryffindor Common Room after everyone else had gone to bed. Not that it really made a difference – she hadn't been talking to anyone when the room was crowded anyway.
The past few weeks had been awful. Ron now avoided her completely, and Harry… well, he tried to spend time with her, and she appreciated the effort, but she could tell that this was wearing on him.
The last time she and Ron had been this angry at each other was during their third year, when Ron had thought her cat had eaten his pet rat. But now… now Hermione felt the full weight of guilt. She knew this whole mess was her fault. If only I'd kept my mouth shut! Why do I always have to nag them? Why do I always have to be right?
She had replayed the argument over and over a thousand times in her head, and every time she could feel her heart breaking a little bit more. She knew she had deserved Ron's anger, but it didn't lessen the pain. The thought struck her that if the words had come from anyone else, the sting wouldn't be so bad. Malfoy calls me a mudblood every other day and I can shake it off. So why does one insult from Ron make me feel as though my world is falling apart?
You know why, another voice spoke from within.
Because he's my friend, she argued with herself. Because I care about him.
Liar. Come on, be honest. You love him.
Hermione sat up straighter. The thought surprised her… or does it? Her jaw dropped and her heart raced as the full impact of those words hit her straight through the heart. Do I love him? Do I really love Ron Weasley? She put a shaky hand to her mouth and let out the breath she'd been holding. Suddenly everything was so clear. I do! I love him! I can't believe I never saw it before!
On the heels of her joy came another thought, swooping down on her like a vulture. I love him, but he hates me.
She descended back into despair, tears blurring her vision. The light of hope rarely lasted long, but she had destroyed it before it even had a chance to truly shine.
Ron sat alone under the large oak tree. It had become his favorite midnight hideaway, and thanks to Harry's invisibility cloak, he was out here almost every night, sorting through the multitude of thoughts that tumbled around his brain. Tonight was no different.
He leaned his head back against the trunk of the oak and sighed wearily. He had finally accepted what Harry had said, but now he didn't know what to do about it. Yes, he fancied Hermione – loved her, if he was honest with himself – but she definitely did not feel the same way about him. Every time he got up the courage to find her and talk to her, the memories and the fears came rushing back.
Stay away… what friendship… just stay away…
He'd ruined his only chance with Hermione Granger before he'd even known the chance existed.