I Miss You

Chapter 9

I dedicate this chapter to the very groovy Tamar-shaki because 1. it's the 10th chapter and 2. she's been with me since the very beginning. I give her... LEFTOVER HALLOWEEN CANDY. Lots of it. Because I have a lot.

Recap:

Hermione opened the door to the Prefect Lounge. Ron had told her that Harry was up here. She stepped in and was greeted with the most horrific sight she had ever seen.

I watch the heavens and I find a calling
Something I can do to change this moment

"HARRY?"

«.:.:.:.»

Harry whipped around, hoping to God that the voice he had just heard was an illusion. It wasn't. "Hermione..." he croaked, and then lost consciousness.

Hermione rushed forward trying to keep herself controlled somewhat. This couldn't be what she thought it was, could it? No. But... oh, God, he was bleeding from his right wrist. "Shit, shit, shit," she said, and sprinted out of the room to her trunk, where she had a vial of Sceleratus restituo- blood restoring potion- left over from potions class before she left. She ran back into the room, pointed her wand at Harry, and muttered "Evigilo." Harry stirred and awoke.

"You'll only be awake for a minute, Harry, so swallow all of this," she said quickly, putting the vial up to his lips. After he had drunken it she gently took his right arm, pointed her wand at his wrist, and said, "Occludo." The wound sealed and healed itself within moments, and Harry fell back into unconsciousness. Hermione levitated him onto the couch and then sat down with a heavy thump on one of the armchairs, waiting patiently for Harry to wake up.

«.:.:.:.»

'Is this what heaven is like?' Harry was confused. He opened his eyes and... he was in the Prefect Lounge. "Odd idea of heaven, eh, Potter," he muttered to himself.

Unfortunately he muttered it a bit too loud. Hermione, who had been dozing off, sat up immediately and shrieked, "Harry Potter, what in bloody hell were you thinking?"

Everything that had happened just whooshed back to Harry and he rubbed his eyes and moaned. "Merlin, Hermione, relax, okay?"

"Relax. RELAX? RELAX WHEN I WALKED INTO HOGWARTS BEING THRILLED ABOUT BEING HOME AND THEN DISCOVERED HARRY POTTER PROPPED UP AGAINST A COUCH IN THE PREFECT'S ROOM-"She paused, trying to find the words, and Harry took the opportunity to cast a silencing charm so that the entire Gryffindor house wouldn't hear her yelling. "...PROPPED UP AGAINST A COUCH IN THE PREFECT'S ROOM BLEEDING TO DEATH BECAUSE HE HAD SLIT HIS WRIST?"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Hermione knew she had said the wrong thing. "I'm sorry, Harry, I didn't-"

Harry's eyes had darkened to a dangerous, almost-black color, and he glared at her. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE, OKAY? JUST LEAVE ME ALONE." He turned to leave, opening the door and stepping out. But just before he left, he turned back to her and, ever the gentleman, thanked her for saving his life.

Hermione was left gaping at the hole and wondering what had just happened.

«.:.:.:.»

Harry sat on his bed ranting to himself. What business was it of hers what he was doing there? For all she knew he could have been bitten by some... thing... and then she had the nerve to yell at him. "Women," he muttered to himself.

He was so busy whining to himself that he didn't hear Hermione come in, and was startled half to death when she sat down on the bed next to him. "Look, Harry, I'm sorry, I didn't think about what I was saying... it was just way out of line and I apologize."

Harry nodded, and looked at her, noticing, for the first time, her clothing, her hair, and her makeup. "Hermione? Umm... not to be blunt or anything, but what the hell happened to you when you were gone?"

Hermione glanced down at herself and realized for the first time what she really looked like. She set her jaw, looked up defiantly, and said, "What's the matter, Harry, can't I dress as I wish to?" She glared at him. "Besides, I would've thought that guys liked this kind of thing."

Harry gaped. "Um... maybe if the guy in question likes it when women exploit themselves..."

All of a sudden Hermione came to her senses. "Oh, my God, Harry, I really do look like a skank, don't I?" She rushed up to the girl's dormitory, changed, washed off her makeup, and pulled her hair into a loose ponytail. She was back in five minutes flat.

Flopping down on Harry's bed again, she sighed. "Ahh, that feels so much better." Then she turned to Harry and said simply, "So, Harry... care to explain what happened?"

«.:.:.:.»

Author's Notes: -hums to a random song- Ah. This chapter was really hard to write, for some odd reason. That is why it is so short. I needed to get it done by today because I've already deprived my (teeny-weeny) fandom enough. Oh, I used a Latin online dictionary thing for all the Latin stuff. It's pretty accurate. Which makes me cool. Um, I think that's it. Except... I kept wanting to spell "flopped" "flooped." Yes, odd, I know. Don't make fun.

OH! THIRTY-NINE REVIEWS!!! I LOOOVE YOU! By the way, I'm going to start sending review replies via email because otherwise I forget.

RadcliffeRox24: I can see how that would be confusing. You see, Harry didn't cut himself because of the dream but the realization that the fact Sirius died was his fault and that he thought he was screwing up people's lives by being The Boy Who Lived (or The Boy Who Nearly Snuffed It, whichever you prefer). And don't worry, I hate those kinds of stories too. Hermione's too squeamish & sensible & more cool words that begin with S to do that. She's Harry's sense-knocker-in-to-er. Oo Or something.

BlindJedi: If you read the author's notes it all makes sense.

Everyone else who agreed w/ my Anti-Ron/Anti-Ron-Hermione: YOU ARE GROOVY.