Disclaimer: Do you honestly think I will ever own Harry Potter? Well then… judging by your speechlessness, I suppose not, eh?

Author's Note: Chapter 5 is up! Happy reading! And please don't forget to review! Thanks.

-poostix

Chapter 5 – Trampled Heart

When they arrived, they first spotted Harry with Cho. The group walked over to the engaged couple slowly, with Hermione trudging along behind, looking down at her feet.

"Hey Ron!" Harry greeted, giving his friend a hug.

"Hey Harry," Ron replied.

"Ahem…" Draco interrupted, raising a brow. "Don't you suppose you could say 'hello' to you other old friend?" Harry looked over at him awkwardly.

"Er… which obviously isn't you, Malfoy…" Harry dragged. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Not me, Scarhead. Honestly, I think that scar on your head did more to you than just fame…" Harry glared at him. Draco raised his eyebrows at him. "It's Granger who I am talking about. Do you still remember her? Or are you too caught up with your new "lover"?" Draco nudged as he raised two fingers in the air as if stressing the word lover. With that, Hermione slapped Draco on the back of the head. Cho looked at the two curiously, furrowing her eyebrows.

"You don't have to rub it in, Malfoy," she laughed. "Er… well, hello Harry… Hello, Cho" she continued. "I congratulate you with your engagement," Hermione said, trying hard to smile up at the couple. Harry grinned slightly at her, in gratitude. Cho looked at her brightly.

"Thanks," Harry replied. Cho nodded in agreement and smiled wider at her.

"I do want to apologize, however… Er, have you got a moment?" Hermione asked, wringing her hands in front of her. Clearly, she was a tad bit nervous at finally seeing Harry again…

"Sure," Harry answered, nodding. She nodded and dragged him to the side.

"Er… Why don't we find some place… er—"

"Quiet?" Harry murmured. She nodded.

"Yes…"

With that, they found a spot, within the center courtyard far away from the station, for they would meet with the rest of them later.

"As you were saying, Hermione?" he asked, looking down at her with his bespectacled emerald green eyes.

"Er… yes, I—I… I want to apologize for what I last said to you… although it is very late to apologize now. I wish I was able to keep in contact with you and…" she looked into his eyes. He stared back at her, listening intently. "And… I really missed you a lot. Er… I thought we had something…" she looked down at her feet. Harry widened his eyes.

"What?" he asked, incredulously.

"Harry, I thought we were friends… Why haven't you told me anything?" she asked, bring her eyes back up at him. He sighed.

"I think you are just angry me and Cho are engaged," he said. She glared a bit at him and sighed.

"Did I say that?" she asked, wearily. Harry sighed and shook his head.

"No…"

"Well then I'm quite frankly not mad that you and Cho are engaged. Harry… I just feel like we are drifting apart." she frowned at him. He sighed and looked at her sadly, running his hands through his already dark and tousled hair.

"We are apart Hermione… Why is it that on the last day—the last day, which was also the start of our lives out alone in the world—was the day you just decided to side with blood thirsty Malfoy?" he looked disappointedly at her. She glared at him, her eyes showing disbelief and anger.

"HARRY! I wasn't siding with stupid Malfoy… Why the hell are you so sensitive when it comes to him?" she asked, tiredly.

"Hermione… You don't understand," he said, shaking his head, looking tired. "Our hatred is very strong. You know Malfoy and I just don't get along. You should've known that. I don't even know why he and Ron are friends now. I don't know why any of you are friends with him—"

"But people change Harry!" Hermione interrupted.

"But not Malfoy…" he muttered, feeling frustrated. Why won't she just understand that I'll never be friends with Malfoy? he thought to himself.

"Oh, really? Well, tell me something, Harry. Have you gotten to know Malfoy better for the past two years after graduation? How do you know he hasn't changed?" she looked hard at him, almost daring him to answer her question. Fortunately for her triumph, he didn't. She looked disappointedly at him and shook her head.

"Then what in the world is your problem?" she asked.

"Look, that was then… I wasn't all that upset… er, just… you know, everything must go right kind of day… But now… He's paying for Ron's rent… And now it bloody makes me look bad. But…I had to…" he said, looking down at his feet. She looked at him, shocked and confused.

"What?" she asked, her eyes wide, showing a bit of uneasiness.

"Hermione… You know I really liked Cho, for God knows how long. That was my chance," he said, bluntly. Hermione shivered. She felt like crying again. She swallowed hard before talking again.

"But it doesn't mean you kick out your best friend!" she protested. Harry looked at her, feeling annoyed. He shook his head at her.

"Let me tell you something Hermione…" Harry glared at her. "You don't know what true love is. And since the first day I met you, all you thought about was yourself, and that is why I had enough; that is why I let you go the last day, and let myself get angry for no reason. That is why I decided to get together with Cho…" Harry paused as he took a long sigh… "That is why I finally gave up on you." With that, he looked at Hermione, deep into her eyes, as if he reached into her soul and shook it hard, to tell her that he was officially done with their relationship. Finished. And that was it. He walked away…