Chapter 20

Harry and Ginny walked into the common room to find Hermione's head upon the table, her shoulder's shaking with sobs. They looked at each other before they went over. Ginny placed a sympathetic hand upon Hermione's shoulder. Instantly she looked up.

Hermione's usual face was now red and puffy from crying so hard. She wiped the tears away, but it did nothing to stem the flow that continued to cascade down her face.

"What's wrong Hermione?" Ginny asked as she lowered herself in the seat next to her.

"Ron," she managed before falling to sobs. Ginny looked over at Harry. Harry nodded and headed out of the common room to find Ron.

"What did he do now?"

"He was making fun of Neville."

"Uh huh. And. . .?"

"And I said that Neville was being a gentleman and he wasn't. I said that the reason why he never had a girlfriend is because of how he treats them and he told me that he did have a girlfriend and that I bring out the worse in him."

With that she lowered her head back down, unable to look at her friend. Ginny sighed and shook her head.

"No. He acts the way he does to you because he loves you and he doesn't know whether or not he should. That's Ron's problem, not yours."

Hermione jolted back up and looked at her hard.

"LOVE ME? If he truly loved me then why does he treat me this way all of the time. Doesn't he realize what it does? I spend more time crying because of him then any other person!"

"Maybe it is because you like him as well."

"That is ridiculous!"

"Really? I suggest you really think about your feelings for Ron."

"I know Ginerva that I do not like your brother in that way. I have told you that time and again."

"Well your actions speak much louder then your words, Hermione."

Meanwhile, Harry and found Ron down in the library doing something entirely unexpected. He was reading Hogwarts, A History and he was half way through.

"Doing some light reading?" Harry teased as he lowered himself into the chair opposite him.

"I've read it all the way from the cover. I'm going to finish it."

"Angry?"

"Extremely."

"What to talk about it."

"Not particularly."

"Hermione is sobbing upstairs."

"Good."

"What?"

"I said good Harry. She deserves to have her heart ripped out the way she does to me every single day since the first day on the train."

"What?"

"Bloody! Harry don't you understand?"

"Not exactly, no."

"Hermione Granger is the only girl that can make me totally insane. She is the only one that makes me second guess myself. She's the only one that I have ever thought of. You do the math."

"Then why did you. . ."

"Because I am sick and tired of how she treats me and then acts as if it is all my fault. I have given up hope that she will ever like me the way that I like her."

"How can she like you if you never. .. "

"Just stop Harry. I am through. If I can't be with her then I don't want to be around her. I promise to be your friend, but I won't go through this any more."

"Why don't you just tell her."

"She would never understand. Now will you please leave, Harry. I'm trying to read."

"As you wish mate. As you wish."

Harry got up and left the library, slightly wary of the days to come.

Upstairs Ginny was having a row to end all rows with Hermione.

"Why can't you just admit it!"

"Because I don't!"

"You don't or you can't! Or you're afraid!"

"Don't! Besides why doesn't he go back to that girl anyway?"

"That girl was a family friend that he dated for two days. He kept calling her you."

"Yeah right!"

"If you don't believe me then who are you going to believe?"

"No one!"

"You are so dumb!"

"What!"

"Yes you are dumb! You can't see what you could have!"

"Being miserable? I'm already that, Gin!"

"No! HAVING THE BEST DARN THING THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN TO YOU. YOU TWO LOVE EACH OTHER. EVERYONE CAN SEE IT. ONLY YOU TWO CAN'T! YOU ALWAYS THINK THAT IT IS RON'S FAULT, BUT YOU ARE AT FAULT TOO. YOU ALWAYS PUSH HIM AWAY AND FINALLY HE HAS CRACKED BECAUSE HOW COULD HE EVER FIND LOVE WITH YOU WHEN YOU ALWAYS PUSH HIM AWAY. I KNOW THAT YOU NEVER LIKED KRUM. HE WAS MERELY A FRIEND AND YET YOU HAVE A REALLY GREAT FRIEND THAT TRIES TO PROTECT YOU AND LOVE YOU EVERY SINGLE DAY AND YOU KEEP PUSHING HIM AWAY! IN THAT RESPECT YOU ARE JUST LIKE RON!"

They stood, just looking at each other.

"I will never, ever talk to you or your brother ever again," Hermione hissed. She gathered her books and stormed up stairs, just as Harry came through the portrait hole.

"What happened?"

"We just lost our best friends."