Hermione sat on her bed in her dormitory. The other girls she shared her room with weren't there. They had fled somewhere else, after taking one look on her face. She didn't know what to feel. He was dead.

A single tear came down her face. No one had known. She and Viktor Krum had been engaged since the summer after her fifth year on Hogwarts. She had loved him, even though they didn't see each other for months at the time. And now it was over. More and more tears came down her face. She hadn't worn a ring or anything. Viktor had asked for her hand on their way to Bulgaria for the second time, and Hermione had flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.

So, she was young, whatever? Hermione had never felt like this before, not for anyone. Not even for Ron. She sniffed. She'd been crying for over an hour now. She knew that the others wondered how she was. She didn't care. They could wonder for hours if that was the case.

I don't care, she thought.

Why? she asked herself. Why don't I care more than that about my friends?

You've just lost someone, a silent voice in her head answered. Surely they'll understand that.

Will they? she wondered. I lost Viktor, but no one knew that we loved each other. The voice in her head fell silent.

Oh. Well, that does it. Go out.

Who are you to decide what I'm going to do?

It's called a conscience, the voice replied ironically.

Hermione shook her head. The tears came again.

"My God", she moaned. "I'm hearing voices in my head! I must be turning mad." She couldn't stand the silence in the room anymore. She got up and hurried down the stairs to the Gryffindor common room. With tears coming down her face, she entered. Ron, Ginny and Harry sat together by one of the tables near the fire, talking with their heads together, looking very seriously, but when Ron looked up he caught sight of her, came to his feet and hurried across the room. He embraced her tightly.

"Hermione", he whispered softly in her ear, his breath warm against her skin. She cried even more; the tears wet down his shirt. His embrace tightened, and she found it strangely calming.

"Hermione?" It was Ginny's voice. She looked up and saw the face of Ron's sister. "Herm, I'm sorry", Ginny said, with tears in her eyes. "I didn't realise that… that... you know."

"It's okay", Hermione whispered and freed herself from Ron's embrace. "As a matter of fact, I feel better know after all this crying. And thanks to you guys…"

Harry walked up to them. He leaned forward and hugged her quickly.

"It hurts", he said quietly, "but it'll pass. Just so you know."

Hermione smiled vaguely. "I know, Harry", she replied. "It's just that… it came so quickly."

"I know the feeling", Harry said with a obliquely smile. Ron had a hand on Hermione's shoulder. Ginny noticed the look on her brother's face and the expression in his eyes when he looked at Hermione.

He's in love, she thought. I just hope that he won't do anything now when… She stopped the thought before it got any further. Ron's an adult, she said harmfully to herself. He knows how to do things. Then she threw another glance at him. Ron was standing behind Hermione, his hands on her shoulders. He seemed to notice nothing but her. Ginny stared at him for so long that Ron looked up. She looked at him and then to Hermione and back again.

"I know what I'm doing", he mouthed at her. She shook her head slightly, but said nothing. Her glances seemed to say enough.

Later that evening, when Ginny had helped Hermione to bed and talked to her for two hours, Ginny came down to the common room and sank down in one of the armchairs. She hid her face in her hands.

"God", she groaned.

"Am I disturbing you?" A sudden voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up and saw Harry stand in front of her.

"No", she said. "I'm just thinking about poor Hermione." Harry sat down on the floor next to her armchair, and leaned against it.

"Yeah, I know", he said. "I think about her too." His green eyes meet hers. "Gin, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Is it Ron?" Ginny said in a low voice. "I've noticed it too, you know, about him and Hermione." Harry looked surprised.

"You didn't mean that", said Ginny. He shook his head.

"No, I didn't." He sighed. "But I've noticed that too. Ginny, what are we going to do? He can't run around being in love with her, not now when she's lost Viktor." Ginny groaned again.

"I know! And I don't know how to tell him that."

"Well, we'll do with that later. There was another thing I needed to talk to you about."

"What?"

"About Draco."

"Draco?" Her eyes widened.

"Yeah. His little 'row' with Snape was actually about you." Harry looked away.

"Me?"

"Yes. And Gin – as much as I don't like that bloke – he's madly in love with you. He just can't see you because of the other Slytherins."

"I don't love him."

"You do."

"I don't. I never talk about him."

"So? Since when does that matter?"

"I hate him!"

"You don't."

"I DO!" Ginny shouted. Other students in the common room turned around and looked at them. Ginny lowered her voice.

"I hate him, Harry. Tell him that."

"I won't, Ginny. You know why he can't talk to you." Harry stood up, but bended forward so that he came to face her.

"You still love him, and he's madly in love with you. Trust me, Ginny, he told me himself." He kissed her softly on the cheek and hugged her.

"Good night, Gin. You seem tired and the Gods should know that I am."

Ginny sat paralysed in her armchair when Harry walked across the room and climbed the stairs. The kiss on her cheek burned like fire. She got up and went to bed, but she couldn't sleep. All she could think of was Draco Malfoy.