Author's Note: Hey, finally a new chapter. Let me know what you think--I was so tired when I wrote this that I'm really afraid it's turned out poorly... Please tell me what you think!! Cheers! :)
Don't Leave Me All Alone
Chapter 3
Acceptance
Hermione's struggles woke Ron immediately. The girl had been nestled snugly against him, but now fought an imaginary foe, tears leaking from her closed eyes, and a silent scream struggling to be let loose. Ron shook Hermione by the shoulders, waking her. She looked around the room wildly, still futilely assaulting the air, before catching sight of Ron. Hermione stopped, looked tearfully at Ron with big, bright eyes, and then seemed to collapse on herself, weeping silently, eyes clenched tight, teeth bared in pain, head bowed. Ron pulled her toward him, but though she did not pull back, she did not return the embrace.
Dumbledore watched this all with concern, but knowing he would not be welcome to Hermione, he stood quietly, and started toward his office door. Just as his hand reached the decorative doorknob, however, a quiet, unemotional voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Wait." He turned around to see Hermione kneeling on the floor, wearing a passive, dull mask, but in her eyes, a sorrow so great it terrified him.
"Headmaster. I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to doubt you. You would never lie to me. I apologize." Her voice sounded exactly as she looked–unemotional, monotonous, but somewhere behind the wall she had built, a tangled garden of anguish, fright, and hopelessness.
Quickly, the man went to his protégée student, pulling her to her feet and embracing her stiff form. "Never apologize, my dear. Never," he insisted, then abruptly let her go. When she made no response, he blinked back tears, cleared his throat, and hurried from the room.
Hermione turned slowly to face Ron, who had been staring at her with a mixed expression of fear and worry. "I'm going to go pack. Mrs. Weasley will need comfort. She was like a mother to Harry." With that, she turned and walked from the room.
"Wait, Hermione, I'll help you pack!" Ron shouted after her, suddenly afraid that she might intend to do herself harm. Her calm, dead attitude scared him. Hermione made no effort to acknowledge that she had heard, so Ron tore down the winding stairs leading from Dumbledore's office, catching up with her quickly.
He fell in step beside her, looking at her with worry for a moment, before remembering why everyone was so sad. His hand found hers, gripping it tight, and they walked like this–Hermione pretending the world didn't exist, Ron clinging to his only counterpart left–all the way to Gryffindor Tower.
Author's Note: Don't forget to review--I really need to know what you thought of it!!!!! Thanks a million to WindWriter17, too, for yelling at me! :D
Don't Leave Me All Alone
Chapter 3
Acceptance
Hermione's struggles woke Ron immediately. The girl had been nestled snugly against him, but now fought an imaginary foe, tears leaking from her closed eyes, and a silent scream struggling to be let loose. Ron shook Hermione by the shoulders, waking her. She looked around the room wildly, still futilely assaulting the air, before catching sight of Ron. Hermione stopped, looked tearfully at Ron with big, bright eyes, and then seemed to collapse on herself, weeping silently, eyes clenched tight, teeth bared in pain, head bowed. Ron pulled her toward him, but though she did not pull back, she did not return the embrace.
Dumbledore watched this all with concern, but knowing he would not be welcome to Hermione, he stood quietly, and started toward his office door. Just as his hand reached the decorative doorknob, however, a quiet, unemotional voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Wait." He turned around to see Hermione kneeling on the floor, wearing a passive, dull mask, but in her eyes, a sorrow so great it terrified him.
"Headmaster. I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to doubt you. You would never lie to me. I apologize." Her voice sounded exactly as she looked–unemotional, monotonous, but somewhere behind the wall she had built, a tangled garden of anguish, fright, and hopelessness.
Quickly, the man went to his protégée student, pulling her to her feet and embracing her stiff form. "Never apologize, my dear. Never," he insisted, then abruptly let her go. When she made no response, he blinked back tears, cleared his throat, and hurried from the room.
Hermione turned slowly to face Ron, who had been staring at her with a mixed expression of fear and worry. "I'm going to go pack. Mrs. Weasley will need comfort. She was like a mother to Harry." With that, she turned and walked from the room.
"Wait, Hermione, I'll help you pack!" Ron shouted after her, suddenly afraid that she might intend to do herself harm. Her calm, dead attitude scared him. Hermione made no effort to acknowledge that she had heard, so Ron tore down the winding stairs leading from Dumbledore's office, catching up with her quickly.
He fell in step beside her, looking at her with worry for a moment, before remembering why everyone was so sad. His hand found hers, gripping it tight, and they walked like this–Hermione pretending the world didn't exist, Ron clinging to his only counterpart left–all the way to Gryffindor Tower.
Author's Note: Don't forget to review--I really need to know what you thought of it!!!!! Thanks a million to WindWriter17, too, for yelling at me! :D