Catch a Falling Star

I did it, I finally did it! And here ladies and gentlemen, the fic I promised you ages ago but never got around to posting...

...CATCH A FALLING STAR!!!

Okay, so maybe I'm over excited. I just won a big competition which means I'm now a published author, so I'm a tad manic. I'll be good, honest...looks pitiful. And so will the fic.

Do NOT be fooled by much apparent cutesyness. I don't write cutesy very well, so forgive me if it's not up to my usual standards. Although the first part is in first person the rest will be in third. So don't stress if you don't like it. Many of you won't like me for what I've had to do. I love Ron, I really do. But there was nothing else that would give the required level of pain.

Please don't murder me.

Author: Amye Caspar
Title: Catch a Falling Star
Pairings: Hermione/Hannah, and Harry/Draco, but not till later on.
Summary: Not even your best friends can be depended on always. Not really.
Authors note: Wahey.
Part: Prolouge/?

If it makes you less sad, I will die by your hand.

There's not an awful lot that anybody can be sure of in life. And no matter what anybody tells you (lets out a cough that sounds suspiciously like "Lavender"), there is no way to predict it. But even so, if you ask anyone at our school, there is one thing that they will all agree on.

Hannah Abbott is not especially pretty.

Yet here I am on the first day of term, in our usual carriage on the Hogwarts Express, listening to these two Muppets rabbiting on about her.

Ron's making a huge fuss because he's just seen her on Platform 9¾, and apparently she's now gorgeous (insert eye roll here).

We're not even moving yet, and already I can feel an argument coming on.

"Seriously, though," he drones, "you HAVE to agree with me! Come on Harry, you've seen her, whadda you think?"

Harry gives me a sideways glance.

"Er..." I glare at him. He looks the other way. "Erm, I dunno, Ron, I mean..."

Ron glares at him. He looks out of the window, going red.

"She's okay, I suppose..." Harry coughs nervously. I roll my eyes. For someone who's been chased by the Dark Lord for years, he's not all that good at dealing with pressure.

"Look!" Ron yells, standing up and pointing manically out of the window. Hannah, just outside, turns, looking confused. Harry groans and buries his face in his hands.

I stare in wonder.

Okay, so I'll admit I was biased before.

I didn't actually see her before...I was busy, getting my trunk on the train. That's what's Hannah's doing now, with Susan. And... wow. Of course I'll never admit this to Ron, but...just wow. Okay, this is really pathetic...

But if I think about it logically, the changes aren't all that staggering. Not individually. Her hair is smoother, but still kinky, and her skin isn't flushed, but beautifully pale...almost iridescent. Ethereal, even. Her light blue eyes are rimmed with grey kohl pencil. She's curvier. Separately, these would have made her average. But together ...

Ron's looking at me funny. I have to do something. I flounder for a few moments, then snort disdainfully.

And rather convincingly, if I do say so myself.

Ron raises a disbelieving eyebrow.

"What?" I ask, feigning innocence. Ron glares at me.

"Whatever, Hermione." More glaring. Seeing I'm not going down without a fight, he continues. "You know what."

So not caving.

"I honestly can't see it, Ron."

He groans and joins the head-in-hands brigade.

"Look," Harry reasons, looking up. "If she's so gorgeous, Ron, go make yourself known to her."

Ron gapes at him.

"As if! It's you she'll be after."

Harry looks at him pointedly.

"Yeah, because having a boyfriend who's always at Death's door's such an advantage."

"Look," Ron continues, getting flustered, "I just can't, I mean I-"

Harry clamps a hand over his mouth.

"Go," he says through gritted teeth. "Just. Go."

Shakily, Ron gets up, and leaves the compartment. Harry sighs, rolling his eyes at me.

"I guess I'd better go with him. You know, keep him in line."

I grin. Harry loves Hannah, Harry loves Hannah...

But it doesn't annoy me. At least Harry's not trying to hammer it into me to agree with him like Ron is. Even though now I almost fancy her myself...

I scoot across the compartment to Ron's seat so I can see out of the window. Harry's being the gentleman and helping Susan while Ron faffs over Hannah. I see Ginny waving to me across the platform, and I smile back.

"Come outside!" she mouths. Her arm is linked with Luna Lovegood's. Ginny's gotten close to Luna over the summer – she just moved to Ottery St Catchpole.

I rise and head out of the door to join them. On my way off the train I laugh as Ron struggles with Hannah's trunk, his face flushed.

I step onto the platform.

Ron's given up and is talking to Harry, Hannah and Susan giggling at their side.

Ron looks across the platform.

His eyes go wide.

He steps in front of Harry...

...and my world will never be the same.

A shout.

A flash of green.

A yell.

Hannah screams.

Ron crumples.

Everything is in slow motion...

...Harry's shouting for help.

...Hannah is screaming.

...Susan is crying.

...Ginny is screaming.

...Fred and George are speaking to me, but I cannot hear their words.

Hannah runs to catch me as I fall too.

I crash to my knees.

Her arms are around me.

She is sobbing.

And Ron lies there. Still.

And quiet.

And very, very dead.

She is crying in my ear.

My heart shatters, piercing my flesh.

Her words penetrate my frozen brain as my world begins to turn black...

"...Oh God, 'Mione...Oh, Goddess..."

Then I fall onto his chest, and I hear no more.

End Part

A.N: I repeat - please don't kill me! :S