Authors Note: I just read over the story again. And. correction. Chellibeani and I BOTH wrote the first chapter. We switched off sentences.. or, not really sentences, we just switched off randomly. 3
Ron looked out the window and saw Hermione by the lake three days later. FINALLY. She was FINALLY alone. FINALLY away from Malfoy. He could talk to her.
"Hermione!' he called, jogging toward her. Hermione looked up at him, and strained a smile.
"How are you?" she asked, before he could ask the question she knew he was bound to ask.
"I'm good, thanks, but Hermi-"
"Thanks for the other day, Ron." she muttered, purposely interupting him.
"Huh?" Ron said, distracted, and completely confused.
"For not stopping Draco and I in the hall. He would've been mad.. For not asking questions." She emphasized the 'For not asking questions', hoping against all hope that he would get the hint. He didn't.
"Better not thank me yet," Ron sputtered before he could change his mind. "Hermione, why'd you break up with Harry?"
Hermione sighed and sat down on a nearby rock. "I had to."
"Why?" ron questioned, sitting next to her.
"Ron." Hermione searched her head for an excuse, any excuse. Different scenarios flew in front of her eyes. "It was just.." Hermione stalled. "Not.. working out." 'Great.' Hermione thought. 'Clever, witty, smart, bookwormish Hermione Granger can only think of 'It's not working out' as an excuse to break up with her boyfriend.'
"Why wasn't it.." Ron began.
"It's none of your business!" Hermione snapped, jumping up and crossing her arms, walking a few feet away. She stared out over the lake with tears pouring down her cheeks. She could see Harry's face, his eyes, see how they lit up with his heart warming smile...
"Hermione.." Ron stood, too, and walked over to her.
"I really hurt him." She whispered, after a long silence. "Didn't I?"
Ron sighed and nodded. He didn't mean to make her feel bad, he just didn't want to lie. "He doesn't even know about Malfoy yet. I don't see how he couldn't-"
"WHAT about Draco?" Hermione burst in again. Did he know? Did Ron know!?!
"..About you guys dating. You ARE dating, right?"
"Oh." She said, turning away. "yeah."
"Hermione. What's wrong?" Ron asked gently, touching her shoulder. Hermione faced Ron, and even with tears blurring her vision she could tell he was completely sincere. She wanted to tell him about Draco so much, to show him the bruises on her arms, her hands, even the ones she was hiding on her face, to tell him the horrible names he called her and the horrible threats he gave her. But she couldn't, and she knew she couldn't. She was all alone now.
"I miss him so much." she said, and her voice cracked. She thew herself into Ron and sobbed against his chest. Ron was very surprised, and stroked Hermiones hair. "Does he hate me?" Hermione, looking like an angel with tears on her cheeks and a sad look in her eyes, asked.
Ron almost fainted from shock. "Oh God no, Hermione, no. Harry could inever/i hate you. He iloves/i you." Ron reassured her.
Hermione looked up at Ron again. He was serious, totally serious. "Oh, Ron!" she cried, throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a big kiss on the cheek. "You're the best friend I've ever had." she said, and Ron's ears were flaming red.
"It's what I'm here for." Ron said, grinning, and, putting his arm around Hermione, they made their way back up to the castle.
"I'm glad I have you." Hermione whispered, and leaned against Ron's strong shoulder.
Not, of course, without being seen by Draco Malfoy.
"I got rid of Potter." Draco scowled to himself. "I'll get rid of Weasley."
Ron looked out the window and saw Hermione by the lake three days later. FINALLY. She was FINALLY alone. FINALLY away from Malfoy. He could talk to her.
"Hermione!' he called, jogging toward her. Hermione looked up at him, and strained a smile.
"How are you?" she asked, before he could ask the question she knew he was bound to ask.
"I'm good, thanks, but Hermi-"
"Thanks for the other day, Ron." she muttered, purposely interupting him.
"Huh?" Ron said, distracted, and completely confused.
"For not stopping Draco and I in the hall. He would've been mad.. For not asking questions." She emphasized the 'For not asking questions', hoping against all hope that he would get the hint. He didn't.
"Better not thank me yet," Ron sputtered before he could change his mind. "Hermione, why'd you break up with Harry?"
Hermione sighed and sat down on a nearby rock. "I had to."
"Why?" ron questioned, sitting next to her.
"Ron." Hermione searched her head for an excuse, any excuse. Different scenarios flew in front of her eyes. "It was just.." Hermione stalled. "Not.. working out." 'Great.' Hermione thought. 'Clever, witty, smart, bookwormish Hermione Granger can only think of 'It's not working out' as an excuse to break up with her boyfriend.'
"Why wasn't it.." Ron began.
"It's none of your business!" Hermione snapped, jumping up and crossing her arms, walking a few feet away. She stared out over the lake with tears pouring down her cheeks. She could see Harry's face, his eyes, see how they lit up with his heart warming smile...
"Hermione.." Ron stood, too, and walked over to her.
"I really hurt him." She whispered, after a long silence. "Didn't I?"
Ron sighed and nodded. He didn't mean to make her feel bad, he just didn't want to lie. "He doesn't even know about Malfoy yet. I don't see how he couldn't-"
"WHAT about Draco?" Hermione burst in again. Did he know? Did Ron know!?!
"..About you guys dating. You ARE dating, right?"
"Oh." She said, turning away. "yeah."
"Hermione. What's wrong?" Ron asked gently, touching her shoulder. Hermione faced Ron, and even with tears blurring her vision she could tell he was completely sincere. She wanted to tell him about Draco so much, to show him the bruises on her arms, her hands, even the ones she was hiding on her face, to tell him the horrible names he called her and the horrible threats he gave her. But she couldn't, and she knew she couldn't. She was all alone now.
"I miss him so much." she said, and her voice cracked. She thew herself into Ron and sobbed against his chest. Ron was very surprised, and stroked Hermiones hair. "Does he hate me?" Hermione, looking like an angel with tears on her cheeks and a sad look in her eyes, asked.
Ron almost fainted from shock. "Oh God no, Hermione, no. Harry could inever/i hate you. He iloves/i you." Ron reassured her.
Hermione looked up at Ron again. He was serious, totally serious. "Oh, Ron!" she cried, throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a big kiss on the cheek. "You're the best friend I've ever had." she said, and Ron's ears were flaming red.
"It's what I'm here for." Ron said, grinning, and, putting his arm around Hermione, they made their way back up to the castle.
"I'm glad I have you." Hermione whispered, and leaned against Ron's strong shoulder.
Not, of course, without being seen by Draco Malfoy.
"I got rid of Potter." Draco scowled to himself. "I'll get rid of Weasley."