Disclaimer: You know the drill…oh and this song is Nothing Compares to You by Sinead O'Connor.
It's been seven hours and fifteen days,
Since you took your love away from me.
I go out every night and sleep all day,
Since you took your love away from me.
Fifteen days had gone by and Hermione still felt shallow and cruel. Here she was in Bulgaria, and all she wanted to do was sleep, plunging into dreams where Ron was happily by her side, instead of the present reality, where he was miles away and still angry. Her sullen mood and withdrawn attention was so unusual that her parents believed that she was falling sick For once, even books didn't offer much consolation.
Hermione felt bad that she kept refusing dinners in fancy restaurants, visits to museums, castles and other outings. Why, she had even once used a Puking Pastille (from Fred and George's Skiving Snackboxes) to get out of visiting Viktor Krum. Her parents, being Muggles, hadn't suspected a thing, but sent her to bed with a hot water bottle.
Tomorrow was the last day of the holidays, and her parents were planning a special dinner. To accommodate Krum, their tour guide and host, they had chosen a Wizard-run restaurant, called Yao's Great Foods in the hopes of making the young Bulgarian more comfortable. It was hard not to miss the awkward sort of tension that had floated permanently between Hermione and Viktor during the trip.
Since you've been gone, I can do whatever I want,
I can see whomever I chose.
I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant,
But nothing, I say nothing can take away these blues.
Cause nothing compares, nothing compares to you.
"Hello Herm-own-ninny." Viktor Krum jumped up and kissed her cheek as a welcome. "How haf you been doing?"
"Wonderful, Viktor." Hermione tried unsuccessfully to smile, but no one seemed to notice. Ron would have noticed, thought Hermione. Viktor jumped up again and pushed Hermione's chair in for her as the Grangers gave each other knowing looks. The waiter came with menus and everyone had a wonderful time trying to pronounce the Chinese names.
Everyone, that is, except the bushy haired girl in the corner. Viktor would smile over at her and try to engage her in a conversation, but Hermione wouldn't respond to any of his approaches. Soon her parents were looking at her worriedly. Hermione was extremely relieved when the food finally arrived.
Eating was an excuse not to talk, but when Viktor finished, he tried to ask about Harry and…Ron. Hermione put down her chopsticks, excused herself and left to go to the washroom.
It's been so lonely without you here,
Like a bird without a song.
Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling,
Tell me baby, where did I go wrong?
She collapsed on the toilet seat and burst into tears. All the words in the dictionary couldn't describe the empty feeling inside her heart. The ache was so unbearable.
"I'm sorry. I'm so bloody well sorry," she said angrily, thankful the washroom was empty. "I want you so bad," whispered Hermione. Warm tears came down the tracks of her cheeks and fell on the floor, one by one. Images and memories flooded her mind, causing dry, heart-aching sobs to rake her chest. The door opened and Hermione stuffed her hand over her mouth to stifle the noise.
Her mother's head appeared above the stall and Hermione opened the door and fell into her arms. "I know you miss them," whispered Mrs. Granger. "But please, be happy, at least for Viktor's sake. We came all this way to see him, after all." She smiled at her daughter.
I can put my arms around every boy I see,
But I am only reminded of you.
I went to the doctor and guess what he told me, guess what he told me?
He said, "Girl, you'd better try to have fun no matter what you do," but he's a fool.
Cause nothing compares, nothing compares to you.
"Goodbye, Herm-own-ninny." Viktor Krum put his arms around Hermione and hugged her tight. "I hope you vill feel better."
"Thank you." She pulled away from him quickly, wishing he was Ron, and gangly instead of duck-footed. She let her parents lead her away and into the rental car.
She could hear them quietly discussing her outburst in the restaurant, but she didn't care. She knew what was wrong with her and how to cure it. Unfortunately, it seemed now that this cure would be no more than knowledge, a wishful thought, instead of a reality.
I know that living with you baby, was times, hard,
But I'm willing to give it another try.
Nothing compares, nothing compares to you.
Nothing compares, nothing compares to you.
Hermione knew that she and Ron had many fights over trivial little things. But really, they didn't mean anything. We both think of it as a challenge, Hermione assured herself. She gave a half-hearted laughed. She always gave him answers and ideas for homework, she even wrote his concluding paragraph for an astrology essay! How could she have been so obvious? And yet, it seemed that Ron had still not cottoned on. Far from it.
He probably has no ides of my feelings. Why else would he have acted that way? If he knew that I loved him, would he laugh? There was a moment of doubt, but then years of close friendship were remembered. No, Ron would never do that.
"I miss you, Ron," she murmured. "Because nothing compares to you."
A/N: Thanks from the bottom of my heart to Pacific Rose who basically changed all the dull boring phrases into wonderful descriptive sentences that were exactly perfect. Thanks to my two reviewers too: Lois Lane IV and Rupertsgrl479