Hermione rolled over onto her back, spitting out dark bits of dirt as she
did so. She sat up slowly, listening to the hissing and crackling behind
her. She turned her body towards the sound and squinted at the bright
blaze. There stood the crooked Burrow in a dazzling flame. Hermione gasped,
and fell back as a bright jet of green issued above it, bearing a skull and
snake. Hermione closed her eyes slowly letting the image of the burning
Burrow sink in. She watched as countless wizards and witches, she knew must
be from the Order fall at the hands of Deatheaters. She tuned the other
way, wary of what she might see. Trees were burning, someone was screaming,
and Ron stood all alone facing a dark shadow. Hermione searched for Harry
in the darkness, but could not find him. She watched Ron shout menacingly
at the dark shadow, it was the same way he had shouted at Malfoy. A loud
cackle rose up from the shadow, and Hermione suddenly realized who it was.
Ron stumbled back, and Hermione' fingers found her lips. She watched in
horror as he sunk to his knees, a glow growing around him. She watched as
he turned his face slowly; staring at a dark figure on the ground. Hermione
crawled quickly over to it, and screamed as she stared down at her own pale
face. How could she be in two places at once? Unless...unless it was a time-
turner. And how could this other her be dead? Hermione turned and looked
into Ron's shinning eyes. A fierce pain was growing in them, and the
cackling was becoming louder.
"Ron!" Hermione shouted crawling ferociously towards him.
She crawled as fast as she could, but Ron was slipping, he was falling to
the ground, the life was being sucked out of him. She could see tears
slipping down his cheeks as he clutched at his chest. She kept crawling
towards him, when suddenly her forehead met something hard. It seemed like
there was an invisible pane of glass that had been placed between her and
Ron.
"RON!" she screamed, clawing at the glass trying to get through to him.
He smiled sadly to the figure behind her as he fell back into the deep grass.
"RON!" Hermione screamed, as she felt tears merging in her eyes, "Ron, please, no!"
She scrapped her fingers against the force field trying to find a hole, trying to get to Ron, but his face was already greying. The grass in front of her crunched, and Hermione looked up with large wet eyes to come face to face with the Dark Lord.
"HERMIONE!"
Hermione sat straight up in bed.
Ginny stood over her, reaching out and touching Hermione's shoulder.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yes...yes, it was just another nightmare."
"About Ron?" Ginny asked softly, sitting down on the end of the bed.
"Why would it be about him?" Hermione said defensively.
"You were muttering his name..." Ginny whispered, looking away.
"Oh, well yes, he was...in it." Hermione let out, pulling her blankets up, a sudden chill settling in her bones.
"Well I guess we should get ready to head to Hogsmede," Ginny sighed, changing the subject, "You are going right?"
"Yes, with Neville...but I wanted to head to the Owlery before we go." Hermione told her, "Any luck with Harry?"
"Nope," Ginny sighed again, looking out the window.
"He'll come around Gin, don't worry about him. Are you heading to the village with Dean?"
"Yea, but we're having breakfast first, I suppose it's time you got up and got dressed." Ginny laughed patting Hermione's leg.
The Great Hall was littered with many happy looking students, who were wolfing down their breakfasts in order to spend the entire day at Hogsmede. Hermione smiled at the dull looking first and second years who weren't yet allowed to leave the school. She found her spot next to Harry and sat down. Harry glanced at her and smile shortly before grabbing a piece of toast and the butter. Ron didn't look up, but he did pause in his eating and take a deep breath, as if waiting for the blow from Hermione to come. When it didn't come he resumed eating. Ginny was sitting next to Ron, and was immersed as usual in a heated conversation with Dean. Hermione glanced at Neville, who was busy pouring over his Potions essay, afraid of Snape deducting marks. She watched in curiosity as Neville glanced up several times, looking straight ahead through his blond bangs. What was he looking at? Hermione turned around and craned her neck. In front of Neville sat a girl, eating eggs and taking extremely small bites.
"Are you going to eat Hermione?" Harry asked quietly.
"What?" Hermione asked turning back in her seat to look at him.
"Food," Harry said plainly.
"Right," Hermione blushed, grabbing a bowl of porridge.
She ate silently, watching Harry glance at Ginny more than once between his toast. When he caught her eyes, Harry blushed, and ate the rest of his toast quickly.
"Well I am off," He said to the table, with no emotion.
"Wait," Ginny called, "Harry!"
Harry stopped,
"Aren't you going to Hogsmede?"
"Yes, that's where I am headed."
"Why don't you wait for the rest of us?" Hermione asked.
"No that's okay; I will just head there now."
With that he turned and exited the hall silently.
Hermione, along with the others let out a sigh, and turned back to her food. The sudden screech of owls made Hermione and Neville jump. Hermione watched again as a long trail of orange pumpkin juice made its way down the table from Neville's spilt cup.
"Scourjify!" Hermione commanded pointing her wand at the mess.
A brief flutter of wings obscured her vision before a large familiar tawny owl landed in front of her. It was Viktor Krum's owl.
Hermione gasped, dropping her wand with a clatter. Viktor's owl hooted expectantly, and nipped her finger affectionately. Hermione reached towards him with trembling hands, and carefully undid the leather binds. She pulled out a fresh rolled piece of yellow parchment, and then patted the owl on the head. It was only a few minutes before the beautiful bird took off, leaving Hermione sitting silently staring at the letter.
"Who's that from?" Ron asked angrily picking feathers off of his breakfast.
"Viktor," Hermione said wistfully, gathering her cloak in one hand and holding the letter tight in her other.
"Open it!" Ginny chimed.
Hermione carefully broke the seal, and slowly unrolled the parchment, nervous of what the letter might say. She read it over quickly, it was short.
My dear Hermione
I am sorry that I haven't written to you in a while. I was very busy with Quidditch practice, and my mothers 64th birthday. I hope that you have been well. I wanted to surprise you with a visit, so you should expect to see me in Hogsmede today. Your friend, (Ronald's sister I think) wrote to me and told me that you were upset. I had thought I'd written to you to tell you it would be a while until you would hear from me again, but I suppose being me, I forgot to do it. I am sorry. Hopefully I can make it up to you when I see you in Hogsmede.
All my love,
Viktor
Hermione sighed, and passed the letter to Ginny, who smiled sheepishly at Hermione's questioning stare.
"I thought I would write him, and tell him that you were upset, that way there you didn't look desperate, or dependant, and I knew it would make you happy. Aren't you glad you never listened to Luna now? He did have good reason for not writing to you, he thought he'd told you!" Ginny explained.
"I better go get ready for him!" Hermione giggled, before getting up quickly and racing out of the Great Hall.
Ginny laughed at loud at the happy sight of her friend, but her smile dropped when she caught Ron's face. He had snatched up the forgotten letter.
"Don't you see that Krum's lying? What a lame excuse, his mom's birthday? So he couldn't write down a few letters on a piece of paper? Must be pretty thick!" Ron muttered.
"No Ron, You're the thick one! Don't you dare say anything to Hermione, do you hear me? Because she is happy, and she deserves to be, whether you like it or not!"
Ron glared at his sister, pushing his breakfast plate away.
"Come on Gin, let's head to Hogsmede," Dean whispered, and Ginny got up leaving the Great Hall angrily.
"Wow, what a morning huh?" Neville questioned, sliding down the bench towards Ron.
"Yes, yes it is, first Harry leaves, that Krum writes, and then my sister bites my head off! I swear she must've token a load off Mum this summer!" Ron groaned.
"I agree with you, you know that Ron?" Neville squeaked, "My Gran has always said that Viktor Krum was a bad cauldron."
"Yea, you told me before," Ron sighed, "Hey Nev, you heading to Hogsmede?"
"Well I was supposed to head there with Hermione," Neville explained, a dark look passed over his face for but a second, "But now I suppose she is going to meet Viktor,"
"Yes...Krum..." Ron said moodily.
"Ron you don't like Hermione do you?" Neville asked.
"No, haven't you heard? I am dating Padma Patil," Ron said dully.
"You don't sound so excited," Neville told him.
"I am, she's great, she beautiful," Ron said, looking across the Great Hall at her, she caught his eye and waved.
Padma jumped up, and raced over to the Gryffindor table.
"Hey Ronnie," she cried, leaning across Hermione's discarded breakfast for a kiss.
Ron locked lips with her for a second, before she pulled away.
"Are you ready to head into Hogsmede?" she asked cheerfully.
"I am ready whenever you are!" Ron smiled.
Ron's stomach growled. The happiness that coursed between them was almost sickening. He really didn't want to go to Hogsmede so that he could watch Hermione be played by Viktor, but he couldn't let Padma down.
"Oh, I can't wait to show you off," Padma cooed, pinching his cheek.
Ron winced, his eyebrows knitting; boy Padma sure knew how to make a guy uncomfortable. But what had she said? Show him off. Ron smiled; he liked the sounds of that. In fact, why wasn't he showing her off? If Hermione could run off into Hogsmede with Viktor Krum, then Ron would prove to Hermione that Padma wasn't half as bad as she said she was! He would show Padma off – to Hermione.
"Well," Ron said, feeling as though Padma stood in new light, "Let's go!"
He walked around and grabbed her arm awkwardly.
"Coming Neville?"
Harry let the heavy pink door of Honeydukes slam behind him. There he was done his doggy work. He was finished with his important errand of retrieving sweets for the dear old Headmaster. He wandered down the loud student-infested streets of Hogsmede so silently that some of the locals began to look at him funny. He gripped the brown paper bag containing the lemon candies with such a firm grip he could hear the paper grinding together, even amongst the commotion. He felt bad that he had left his friends at the table this morning. He knew that they would be more worried about him. He felt anger bubble in his stomach. The heat was rising. Why did everyone have to be so concerned? Why couldn't they just let him be? He supposed it served them right that he had got up and left. He wouldn't have, if only Ginny hadn't been sitting across from him looking more beautiful than ever. Looking stronger than he knew she was. He knew she was trying to prove to him that she didn't need his friendship to be herself. He knew that she was trying to make him feel guilty about blowing her off, trying to give him a taste of his own putrid medicine. The thing that Harry was trying to accept was the fact that it had worked. He didn't want to accept the fact that he could smell her flower scented perfume from across the table, he didn't want to accept that he was so caught up in her perfect green eyes, or that he had found himself staring, mesmerized by her perfect peach lips. He couldn't accept that she'd called after him so desperately. He couldn't accept it; He mustn't.
He was so deep in thought, that he didn't even realize that he had turned automatically in the direction of the Three Broomsticks. Nobody looked up when he entered, nobody could hear. The small pub was bursting with costumers. A few locals sat around the bar on well worn dragon hide stools. Student loomed in every corner at every table. A loud crash made Harry jolt alive from the darkness of his mind. He turned towards that sound and saw Neville Longbottom sprawled out on the floor beside a soaking wet Madam Rosemerta.
"Oh, Madam, please forgive me, I've got to watch where I am going." Neville sputtered, as Rosemerta looked simply horrified at the state of her robes.
"What were you staring at so intently boy?" She demanded, getting up of the floor and drying her robes with her wand.
The butterbeer stains remained.
"N-nothing ma'am," Neville said faintly, "I am just clumsy."
Rosmerta threw him a withering glance before repairing the broken pitcher with a soft incantation and a swish of her cherry wood wand.
Neville was left in her wake, looking very displeased with himself. Harry watched as he slowly closed his eyes, and pulled at the edges of his robe. He looked very nervous. What could be making Neville nervous? Harry glanced around the stuffed pub for emerald robes and a stuffed vulture but gave up with no luck. He glanced back to where Neville was and was surprised to find him gone. Harry let out a sigh, and made his way to the bar. He threw the paper bag onto the counter, and sat down heavily.
"What would you like m'dear?" Rosmerta chimed without even looking over at him.
"Butterbeer please," Harry muttered.
While he was waiting, Harry ran a hand through his hair, scratching at the back of his neck. He felt eyes on him, but refused to find out who was staring at him.
"Here you are, sorry about the wait, I had to open a new – Oh it's you!" Rosmerta exclaimed, "Well how are you then Harry?"
He winced as she said his name, several locals turned to look at him.
"I am fine Madam Rosmerta, how are you?" Harry asked, not really wanting to sit around a play small-talk.
"Oh, good, good...Say, where's your friends...oop, nevermind, I saw the bushy haired girl come in a little while ago. And the tall boy, the Weasley, he is in here to."
Harry's ears perked up at the mention of his friends, but he didn't have the heart to search them out, so instead he smiled politely and took a swig of his butterbeer. The warm liquid seemed to have no effect on him. The bell on the door rang and Harry turned to see who might be coming in. For weeks after, he regretted doing so. Ginny Weasley walked in, her hand intertwined with Dean Thomas.
He wished she'd open up her pretty green eyes and notice that Dean was looking at every girl that walked passed. He wished she'd realize that Dean didn't love her. He wished she'd realize that she never laughed when she was around him the way she did when she was beside Harry. Dean didn't become soft and docile around her the way Harry did. Even when they touched it didn't seem as affectionate or effective the way that it seemed when Ginny and Harry touched, and he was her boyfriend for Merlin's sake!
She was laughing, Harry watched her cheeks lift, her eyes sparkle. He watched her carefully as she playfully pushed at Dean's shoulder. His deep eyes followed her as she sat down across from Dean, as she ordered her drink, as she sipped at it slowly. Even though he knew he must protect her from himself, something inside of him prayed that he would notice the sad look in his eyes. Something inside of him prayed that she would realize he loved her. And she answered his prayers when she caught his eyes in hers. It was then that Harry knew that he'd fallen too far, much too far.
"RON!" she screamed, clawing at the glass trying to get through to him.
He smiled sadly to the figure behind her as he fell back into the deep grass.
"RON!" Hermione screamed, as she felt tears merging in her eyes, "Ron, please, no!"
She scrapped her fingers against the force field trying to find a hole, trying to get to Ron, but his face was already greying. The grass in front of her crunched, and Hermione looked up with large wet eyes to come face to face with the Dark Lord.
"HERMIONE!"
Hermione sat straight up in bed.
Ginny stood over her, reaching out and touching Hermione's shoulder.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yes...yes, it was just another nightmare."
"About Ron?" Ginny asked softly, sitting down on the end of the bed.
"Why would it be about him?" Hermione said defensively.
"You were muttering his name..." Ginny whispered, looking away.
"Oh, well yes, he was...in it." Hermione let out, pulling her blankets up, a sudden chill settling in her bones.
"Well I guess we should get ready to head to Hogsmede," Ginny sighed, changing the subject, "You are going right?"
"Yes, with Neville...but I wanted to head to the Owlery before we go." Hermione told her, "Any luck with Harry?"
"Nope," Ginny sighed again, looking out the window.
"He'll come around Gin, don't worry about him. Are you heading to the village with Dean?"
"Yea, but we're having breakfast first, I suppose it's time you got up and got dressed." Ginny laughed patting Hermione's leg.
The Great Hall was littered with many happy looking students, who were wolfing down their breakfasts in order to spend the entire day at Hogsmede. Hermione smiled at the dull looking first and second years who weren't yet allowed to leave the school. She found her spot next to Harry and sat down. Harry glanced at her and smile shortly before grabbing a piece of toast and the butter. Ron didn't look up, but he did pause in his eating and take a deep breath, as if waiting for the blow from Hermione to come. When it didn't come he resumed eating. Ginny was sitting next to Ron, and was immersed as usual in a heated conversation with Dean. Hermione glanced at Neville, who was busy pouring over his Potions essay, afraid of Snape deducting marks. She watched in curiosity as Neville glanced up several times, looking straight ahead through his blond bangs. What was he looking at? Hermione turned around and craned her neck. In front of Neville sat a girl, eating eggs and taking extremely small bites.
"Are you going to eat Hermione?" Harry asked quietly.
"What?" Hermione asked turning back in her seat to look at him.
"Food," Harry said plainly.
"Right," Hermione blushed, grabbing a bowl of porridge.
She ate silently, watching Harry glance at Ginny more than once between his toast. When he caught her eyes, Harry blushed, and ate the rest of his toast quickly.
"Well I am off," He said to the table, with no emotion.
"Wait," Ginny called, "Harry!"
Harry stopped,
"Aren't you going to Hogsmede?"
"Yes, that's where I am headed."
"Why don't you wait for the rest of us?" Hermione asked.
"No that's okay; I will just head there now."
With that he turned and exited the hall silently.
Hermione, along with the others let out a sigh, and turned back to her food. The sudden screech of owls made Hermione and Neville jump. Hermione watched again as a long trail of orange pumpkin juice made its way down the table from Neville's spilt cup.
"Scourjify!" Hermione commanded pointing her wand at the mess.
A brief flutter of wings obscured her vision before a large familiar tawny owl landed in front of her. It was Viktor Krum's owl.
Hermione gasped, dropping her wand with a clatter. Viktor's owl hooted expectantly, and nipped her finger affectionately. Hermione reached towards him with trembling hands, and carefully undid the leather binds. She pulled out a fresh rolled piece of yellow parchment, and then patted the owl on the head. It was only a few minutes before the beautiful bird took off, leaving Hermione sitting silently staring at the letter.
"Who's that from?" Ron asked angrily picking feathers off of his breakfast.
"Viktor," Hermione said wistfully, gathering her cloak in one hand and holding the letter tight in her other.
"Open it!" Ginny chimed.
Hermione carefully broke the seal, and slowly unrolled the parchment, nervous of what the letter might say. She read it over quickly, it was short.
My dear Hermione
I am sorry that I haven't written to you in a while. I was very busy with Quidditch practice, and my mothers 64th birthday. I hope that you have been well. I wanted to surprise you with a visit, so you should expect to see me in Hogsmede today. Your friend, (Ronald's sister I think) wrote to me and told me that you were upset. I had thought I'd written to you to tell you it would be a while until you would hear from me again, but I suppose being me, I forgot to do it. I am sorry. Hopefully I can make it up to you when I see you in Hogsmede.
All my love,
Viktor
Hermione sighed, and passed the letter to Ginny, who smiled sheepishly at Hermione's questioning stare.
"I thought I would write him, and tell him that you were upset, that way there you didn't look desperate, or dependant, and I knew it would make you happy. Aren't you glad you never listened to Luna now? He did have good reason for not writing to you, he thought he'd told you!" Ginny explained.
"I better go get ready for him!" Hermione giggled, before getting up quickly and racing out of the Great Hall.
Ginny laughed at loud at the happy sight of her friend, but her smile dropped when she caught Ron's face. He had snatched up the forgotten letter.
"Don't you see that Krum's lying? What a lame excuse, his mom's birthday? So he couldn't write down a few letters on a piece of paper? Must be pretty thick!" Ron muttered.
"No Ron, You're the thick one! Don't you dare say anything to Hermione, do you hear me? Because she is happy, and she deserves to be, whether you like it or not!"
Ron glared at his sister, pushing his breakfast plate away.
"Come on Gin, let's head to Hogsmede," Dean whispered, and Ginny got up leaving the Great Hall angrily.
"Wow, what a morning huh?" Neville questioned, sliding down the bench towards Ron.
"Yes, yes it is, first Harry leaves, that Krum writes, and then my sister bites my head off! I swear she must've token a load off Mum this summer!" Ron groaned.
"I agree with you, you know that Ron?" Neville squeaked, "My Gran has always said that Viktor Krum was a bad cauldron."
"Yea, you told me before," Ron sighed, "Hey Nev, you heading to Hogsmede?"
"Well I was supposed to head there with Hermione," Neville explained, a dark look passed over his face for but a second, "But now I suppose she is going to meet Viktor,"
"Yes...Krum..." Ron said moodily.
"Ron you don't like Hermione do you?" Neville asked.
"No, haven't you heard? I am dating Padma Patil," Ron said dully.
"You don't sound so excited," Neville told him.
"I am, she's great, she beautiful," Ron said, looking across the Great Hall at her, she caught his eye and waved.
Padma jumped up, and raced over to the Gryffindor table.
"Hey Ronnie," she cried, leaning across Hermione's discarded breakfast for a kiss.
Ron locked lips with her for a second, before she pulled away.
"Are you ready to head into Hogsmede?" she asked cheerfully.
"I am ready whenever you are!" Ron smiled.
Ron's stomach growled. The happiness that coursed between them was almost sickening. He really didn't want to go to Hogsmede so that he could watch Hermione be played by Viktor, but he couldn't let Padma down.
"Oh, I can't wait to show you off," Padma cooed, pinching his cheek.
Ron winced, his eyebrows knitting; boy Padma sure knew how to make a guy uncomfortable. But what had she said? Show him off. Ron smiled; he liked the sounds of that. In fact, why wasn't he showing her off? If Hermione could run off into Hogsmede with Viktor Krum, then Ron would prove to Hermione that Padma wasn't half as bad as she said she was! He would show Padma off – to Hermione.
"Well," Ron said, feeling as though Padma stood in new light, "Let's go!"
He walked around and grabbed her arm awkwardly.
"Coming Neville?"
Harry let the heavy pink door of Honeydukes slam behind him. There he was done his doggy work. He was finished with his important errand of retrieving sweets for the dear old Headmaster. He wandered down the loud student-infested streets of Hogsmede so silently that some of the locals began to look at him funny. He gripped the brown paper bag containing the lemon candies with such a firm grip he could hear the paper grinding together, even amongst the commotion. He felt bad that he had left his friends at the table this morning. He knew that they would be more worried about him. He felt anger bubble in his stomach. The heat was rising. Why did everyone have to be so concerned? Why couldn't they just let him be? He supposed it served them right that he had got up and left. He wouldn't have, if only Ginny hadn't been sitting across from him looking more beautiful than ever. Looking stronger than he knew she was. He knew she was trying to prove to him that she didn't need his friendship to be herself. He knew that she was trying to make him feel guilty about blowing her off, trying to give him a taste of his own putrid medicine. The thing that Harry was trying to accept was the fact that it had worked. He didn't want to accept the fact that he could smell her flower scented perfume from across the table, he didn't want to accept that he was so caught up in her perfect green eyes, or that he had found himself staring, mesmerized by her perfect peach lips. He couldn't accept that she'd called after him so desperately. He couldn't accept it; He mustn't.
He was so deep in thought, that he didn't even realize that he had turned automatically in the direction of the Three Broomsticks. Nobody looked up when he entered, nobody could hear. The small pub was bursting with costumers. A few locals sat around the bar on well worn dragon hide stools. Student loomed in every corner at every table. A loud crash made Harry jolt alive from the darkness of his mind. He turned towards that sound and saw Neville Longbottom sprawled out on the floor beside a soaking wet Madam Rosemerta.
"Oh, Madam, please forgive me, I've got to watch where I am going." Neville sputtered, as Rosemerta looked simply horrified at the state of her robes.
"What were you staring at so intently boy?" She demanded, getting up of the floor and drying her robes with her wand.
The butterbeer stains remained.
"N-nothing ma'am," Neville said faintly, "I am just clumsy."
Rosmerta threw him a withering glance before repairing the broken pitcher with a soft incantation and a swish of her cherry wood wand.
Neville was left in her wake, looking very displeased with himself. Harry watched as he slowly closed his eyes, and pulled at the edges of his robe. He looked very nervous. What could be making Neville nervous? Harry glanced around the stuffed pub for emerald robes and a stuffed vulture but gave up with no luck. He glanced back to where Neville was and was surprised to find him gone. Harry let out a sigh, and made his way to the bar. He threw the paper bag onto the counter, and sat down heavily.
"What would you like m'dear?" Rosmerta chimed without even looking over at him.
"Butterbeer please," Harry muttered.
While he was waiting, Harry ran a hand through his hair, scratching at the back of his neck. He felt eyes on him, but refused to find out who was staring at him.
"Here you are, sorry about the wait, I had to open a new – Oh it's you!" Rosmerta exclaimed, "Well how are you then Harry?"
He winced as she said his name, several locals turned to look at him.
"I am fine Madam Rosmerta, how are you?" Harry asked, not really wanting to sit around a play small-talk.
"Oh, good, good...Say, where's your friends...oop, nevermind, I saw the bushy haired girl come in a little while ago. And the tall boy, the Weasley, he is in here to."
Harry's ears perked up at the mention of his friends, but he didn't have the heart to search them out, so instead he smiled politely and took a swig of his butterbeer. The warm liquid seemed to have no effect on him. The bell on the door rang and Harry turned to see who might be coming in. For weeks after, he regretted doing so. Ginny Weasley walked in, her hand intertwined with Dean Thomas.
He wished she'd open up her pretty green eyes and notice that Dean was looking at every girl that walked passed. He wished she'd realize that Dean didn't love her. He wished she'd realize that she never laughed when she was around him the way she did when she was beside Harry. Dean didn't become soft and docile around her the way Harry did. Even when they touched it didn't seem as affectionate or effective the way that it seemed when Ginny and Harry touched, and he was her boyfriend for Merlin's sake!
She was laughing, Harry watched her cheeks lift, her eyes sparkle. He watched her carefully as she playfully pushed at Dean's shoulder. His deep eyes followed her as she sat down across from Dean, as she ordered her drink, as she sipped at it slowly. Even though he knew he must protect her from himself, something inside of him prayed that he would notice the sad look in his eyes. Something inside of him prayed that she would realize he loved her. And she answered his prayers when she caught his eyes in hers. It was then that Harry knew that he'd fallen too far, much too far.