Disclaimer: I own not HP. He belongs to J.K Rowlings. (Dumb luck on my part ~_~) Oh well. I also do not own anything that did not come from my brain....umm...right...well...I actually own the ideas and situations portrayed in this fic. They have no baring on real life that I'm aware of and if they do *bows* I'm sorry. Oh, and R&R please. ^_^


Chapter 3: Love Copes with Loss

Harry stormed out of the church. He had never been so angry with anyone before in his life, save for Voldemort, but he was really not human. He had never felt so embarrassed before either. She hadn't even had the decency to tell him that she didn't really love until it was almost too late.

She'd left him at the alter for crying out loud. To add to the blow, she'd told him that not only had she shagged his worse enemy, but she was also pregnant with his child!!

How could she do this to him?! He'd planned his whole life around her and now he didn't know what to do with his life.
Harry felt a hand on his shoulder. Without turning around he said, "bugger off, won't you."

"Really, Mate?" Ron's familiar voice broke through Harry's melancholy thoughts. Harry turned to face his best friend and tears began to stream down his face.

"Oh Ron! How could she?" All Harry's pent up venom came out in that one question.

"I don't know, Mate, but she's made her bed, now let her lie in it." Ron answered as he patted his crying friend on the back. "Come stay with me at the Burrow for a while. That should help cheer you up."

"Thanks Ron, I appreciate it, but I think I want some time to think first. Do you mind if I come in a few weeks or so?" Harry asked.

"No problem, Mate. Take all the time you need, but remember you can Owl me anytime and I'll come down." Ron replied.
Harry nodded and started to walk away toward his apartment, the apartment he and Hermione were to have shared until he could afford a nice house for her. It would be empty and waiting for him, only him.

Several hours later Harry lay in his bed and thought back over the events of the day. His bed felt very empty to him. He thought of how it should have felt and how he should be feeling if things had gone as he planned. He turned on his side and tried to stop his train of thought, however it was not to be.

Tears came to Harry's eyes and slid down his temples onto the pillows. He knew he had to get his mind off of Hermione, so he began to think of every cruel name that Draco had ever called her. He was halfway between "mudblood" and "know-it-all" when sleep came to claim him, something he would be thankful for in the morning. He would be heading out early to find the man who had destroyed his life.

A continuous beeping sound came through Harry's semiconscious state. He groaned, then rolled over to hit the "snooze" button. His arm connected with the sharp edge of his nightstand, slicing his arm slightly. He jolted up and looked around his room while blinking slowly, trying to remember why he felt so bad. Then the empty bed reminded him sharply of the event of the previous day. He groaned again and threw himself headlong into his pillows.

"Why me?" Harry muttered into the suffocating softness. He rolled over and sat up.

"I might as well get up, it's not like I can sleep anymore." Harry decided. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up beside it. He stretched and yawned, then reached for his robe and walked toward his small bathroom. He spun the controls effortlessly as he set the heat for his shower. He stepped out of his boxers and into the cascading water. The warm began to seep into his bones, warding off the chill that had set in almost as soon as he had remembered Hermione's treachery.

The steam filled bathroom was just what Harry needed when he stepped free of the water. He sighed. It seemed to him that he was always the one that got the short end of the stick in life. First his parents being killed by Voldemort, then life at the Dursleys, then all the trouble that seemed to follow him around at Hogwarts, and now his one true love leaving him at the alter. He wrapped a towel around his wet body and moved to wipe off the mirror so he could shave. He stared at his reflection. Was that really him? That hollow-eyed, sallow-skinned, tousle headed man that starred back at him from the mirror?

"Boy, I'm really losing it. And all over a silly girl!" Harry exclaimed to himself. Then as if he'd accepted the fact, he sighed again and began his morning routine of shaving and brushing his teeth.

After making himself some breakfast he headed out the door to find the man that had ruined his dream-life. Harry apparated to Diagon Alley and entered the Ministry of Magic. Following his wand inspection he walked purposely to his office from the elevator on the second floor. All the other Aurors came forward to congratulate him on his wedding. He brushed past them and closed the door to his corner office. He pulled out several files and began leafing through them franticly trying to find the location of Draco Malfoy's manor.

His finger ran quickly down the list and stopped on the name Malfoy, Draco - Unknown Address. Harry cursed loudly as he dropped the file and burst out of his office door. The outer office quieted quickly when Harry entered it, for Harry had his wand raised as he pelted out the door.

"What's the matter, Harry?" Came the calls of his fellow Aurors.

"Something came up and I have to go." Harry shouted over his shoulder, still sporting an angry look. Harry ran all the way to the bank of elevators at the end of the hall. Quickly he shouted at the cool voice, "Department of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts". The cool voice answered him in a colder tone than usual as the elevator began its descent.

"Department of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts." The cool voice stated as Harry exited the elevator. He went swiftly to Arthur Weasley's office and strode in purposely. Arthur Weasley looked up in surprise as Harry entered.

"I thought you'd be staying home today with everything…" Arthur didn't have time to finish what he was saying before Harry interrupted him.

"I need to get to find Hermione. I have an urgent message from her that has just arrived for her." Harry said in a rush. It had come out just as he had planned it in the elevator on his way down.

"Well, I don't know where you'd be able to find her. Her parents haven't heard from her since she left the church yesterday." Arthur said, as he stood up from his chair. "They've reported her to the Department of Missing Persons already, along with anyone she might be with. Why don't you try there? They might have an idea as to where she might be."

"Thanks, Mr. Weasley." Harry said as he once again ran for the elevator.

"Department of Missing Persons." Harry panted as he entered the elevator. The ride to the eighth floor seemed to take an eternity. Finally the doors opened and Harry rushed out and darted to the open office door.

"May I please speak to someone about Hermione Granger?" Harry asked breathlessly as he reached the information desk.

"I'm sorry, the case regarding Hermione Granger has been closed by order of the Minister of Magic. All further questions in regards to her may be address to the Minister himself. Thank you and have a nice day." On that note the secretary turned away from Harry to continue filing the piles of parchments that littered her desk.

Harry looked at the woman in disbelief. The case was closed by the Minister? Harry stomped angrily back toward the elevator. Upon reaching it, he lay his head against the cool stone wall beside it. As he did so he caught a glimpse of his wizard watches. One told the time and the other resembled the large clock that Mrs. Weasley had in her kitchen. It told him where his friends were. He stared at the hand that represented Hermione. It was glowing red and pointed to 'Home'. Harry hurried back to his office and scribbled a note to the Grangers and tied it to Hedwig's leg and sent her on her way with a biscuit and orders not to leave until he had some answers.

Harry kept glancing at his wizard's watch after he sent the letter. Hoping that it would show Hermione 'Travelling'. But the had simply continued to glow red for a full half-hour, the hand slowly faded back to black and had just returned to its original colour when Hedwig returned carrying a rather large letter.

"Thanks Hedwig. I put some fresh food in your cage for you." Harry quickly slit open the letter and began to read.

'Dear Harry,
We are truly sorry for Hermione's behaviour yesterday. However, she owled us this morning and said that she simply couldn't marry you, because she did not love as she once thought she did. I however believe that she could have been more upfront with you about how her feelings for you were changing.

For this reason, and this reason alone, is why I am going to spare Hermione's feelings and yours by telling you that Hermione also told us in her owl this morning that she has married Mr. Draco Malfoy who's child she is carrying. I do however ask that you restrain yourself, and don't go to visit her until the child is born. She has had enough stress with this as it is.

All correspondence can be forwarded to Hermione through us. We are truly sorry for losing you as our son-in-law but Hermione has made her choice more than clear and we must respect her wishes and her choices.
Thank you for loving Hermione so much, Harry, but as I have already said, she has made her choice and now we must accept them whether we want to or not. Thank you for understanding.

Sincerely,
William & Michelle Granger'

Harry's eyes were misted when he finished the letter. He gathered up the letter and a few files, called for Hedwig to go home when she finished the food in her cage. He walked slowly to the door of his office and opened it and walked out, closing the door with a click. He ambled slowly out of the office, ignoring everyone. He entered the elevator and quietly told the cool voice to head for the lobby.

Upon reaching the lobby, Harry walked to Cornelius Fudge's office. He was stopped by the secretary.

"Do you have an appointment, Mr. Potter?" She asked pointedly.

"No, but could you tell him that I would like to speak to him and Professor Dumbledore in the morning?" Harry said softly, turning his face so that she couldn't see the traces of tears in his eyes.

"Certainly Mr. Potter. Have a pleasant day."

"Thank you." Harry said without feeling. He walked out of the Ministry into the sunlit street. He ploddingly headed for his vacant apartment. He reached it too soon. Instead of a welcoming cry from Hermione, only the hollow sounds of his footsteps echoed back to him. He dropped the papers he had been carrying onto the table and headed into his bedroom in the farthest corner of the apartment. He dropped desolately to the unmade bed and buried his head in his hands. He had lost her, the only person who had loved him. She no longer loved him, she had found someone else, and that someone just happened to be his enemy.

How could she do this to him? She knew how he had been abandoned by everyone that loved him, now even Hermione had abandoned him for someone else. She'd promised him that she'd never leave him, she'd sworn it when he gave her the engagement ring. How could her feelings change so drastically in a few months?

Harry raised his head slightly at a sound. It came again. A knock resounded throughout the apartment. Harry scrambled to the door, half-hoping it would be Hermione coming to apologize for ever leaving him. He flung the door open. Ron stood in the hallway. Harry's face fell as he opened the door wide enough for Ron to enter.

"You were hoping it was Hermione, weren't you?" Ron asked, with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Kinda." Harry said without emotion.

"I know its hard right now but you'll find someone better." Ron said, obviously trying to be helpful. Harry glowered at Ron.

"How could I find someone better than Hermione?" He asked in exasperation.

"I don't know, maybe you could look up Cho Chang or Pavarti Patil or something." Ron suggested. "Not now of course but sometime," he finished feebly as he saw the look of pure anger on Harry's face.

" You obviously think that I can just forget about Hermione the day after she leaves me at the alter, tells me she's pregnant with my enemy's child and gets married to him on my wedding day. Is that what you think, Ron?" Harry shouted in his rage. "Is it?" He asked again when Ron did not answer.

The shocked expression on Ron's face at the last bit of information. "I had no idea, mate. I had no idea that she married that slimely git. Yesterday?" He asked, haltingly.

"Yes, yesterday. Obviously she wanted to be rid of me as fast as possible. So she married her child's father to leave me with nothing. Nothing." Harry dropped his head in his hands again and this time let the tears fall. Ron patted his back clumsily.

Harry's ragged sobs subsided about twenty minutes later and Ron sat back slightly embarrassed. Harry hiccupped a few times before he got his emotions under control. He glanced up at Ron, and saw his red face, he gave him a half grin and got up to get a tissue to blow his nose.

"Sorry 'bout that, Ron." Harry said repentantly.

"S'ok, mate." Ron muttered, glancing away. "Want to get some supper?"

"Sure, just let me take a shower and I'll be ready to go." Harry replied, though he didn't feel like going out at all. He felt a headache coming on from the uncharacteristic tears. He stepped into the shower and let the water cascade over his body, a few more tears escaping into the flow of warm water.

TBC

A/N: I'm sorry its taken so long to update this story. Its just been sitting in my computer for the last few months due to finding a new job and moving and writer's block. I'll try to update more often. Thank you for your patience.

Sex Angel: I'm building up the plot a bit first but you will get your steamy love scene yet, but it may not be exactly what you expect.

Harmony: Silver*Angel: Thanks for your review. I'm glad you love it and i hope you will continue to read my blundering attempts at a fanfic.



Me: Here's your chapter on how Harry copes with losing Hermione. I know its not done yet but there's more to come, eventually.

To everyone else: I luv all my readers, please review, please review...ok i'll shut up now...until next time folks...ttyl!! *Grins*

The Princess has left the building!


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