Chapter Ten

Hermione's POV

I had to put my hand on the old lady's shoulder so I wouldn't fall.

"I'm, sorry." I said, quickly gaining my balance.

"Not to worry, child." she said, patting my arm. "It happens." I gave her a small smile and pushed past the crowd to see him. It had been 9 years, and there he was standing in front of me.

He looked about the same, his hair was still messy like always. There was a beautiful woman standing under his arm, and it took me a moment to realize who it was.

"Ginny…" I said, under my breath. They were both smiling and waving to the cameras of The Daily Prophet.

I looked around. If they were here, Ron would be here too, right? I tried to slip back out of the crowd when I heard my name.

"Hermione?" Ginny had recognized me. I ignored her and pushed through the crowd. What could I say to them? I was so ashamed of what I had done 9 years ago, I just left them. Never wrote. Nothing.

"Hermione, wait!" called Ginny. I ran out of Flourish and Blott's and into the rain. I sighed and sat down. I couldn't believe it was really them.

"Hermione?" came a voice. Ginny walked outside the store. "Is that you?" I looked down at my feet. "Oh, it is you!" she said, squeezing me.

"Ginny, where are you—Hermione?" Harry had walked out of the store and was staring at me wide-eyed. Ginny nodded, but I turned away and started walking back to The Leaky Cauldron. They were my past. I couldn't bring them back.

"Hermione wait!" said Ginny. She ran after me. Suddenly a crowd of people came out of the store and bombarded Harry, screaming at the top of their lungs. Harry started running, and they ran after him.

"Come on." said Ginny. She grabbed my arm and pulled me into a little alley between two stores.

"Ginny, I—I have to go." I said, trying to turn away.

"But—you can't!" she said. Suddenly Harry appeared. He seemed to have lost them.

"Hermione, I can't believe it's…you." I gave him a small smile. "Ron's here, you have to come see him." he said.

"Uh…Harry, I don't think that would be such a good idea." said Ginny.

"Why not? Come on." he said, grabbing my arm.

"Harry—what about Leah?"

"What about Leah?" said Harry.

I sighed. I didn't even want to know who Leah was!

"Listen, it was really great to see you both again, but I really, really, really, think I should be going." I said, pulling my arm out of Harry's tight grip.

"He's over there!" someone screamed.

"Shit!" said Harry. He grabbed Ginny's arm and tried to grab mine as he was running towards Flourish and Blott's, but I pulled away and off they went. Just like they were supposed to. A crowd of people sprinted past me and then it was silent. All I could hear was the distant sound of lightning and the rain pattering the ground.

I started walking back to The Leaky Cauldron, when a familiar face stepped out of the Owl Emporium with an unfamiliar face. It was Ron, with another girl snuggled under his arms. God, was he gorgeous. I guessed the other girl was Leah.

I turned the other way as the two of them passed me so he wouldn't see my face. He didn't. I felt tears coming into my eyes, and couldn't help but let them fall. I missed him so much. But this is how it was supposed to be.

I sat alone in the ice cream parlor until the sun started to set. Almost everyone had left. I hadn't seen my three old friends the rest of the day.

But suddenly, just as I stood up to leave: There they were. Ron and Leah were laughing, but Harry and Ginny didn't seem all that happy. Then, Harry spotted me.

"Hermione!" he yelled.

"Shit." I heard Ginny mumble.

He ran over to me and called the other three over. Ron seemed completely puzzled, but Leah just shrugged and walked over. Ginny came after her, and last came Ron.

He looked at me so strangely I couldn't help but look away. There was anger, love, and disappointment in his eyes. I didn't say anything.

"I'm Leah, nice to meet you." said the unfamiliar girl.

"Leah, shut up!" said Ginny. Leah frowned but listened.

I looked down at my shoes. This was exactly what I was trying to avoid.

No one spoke.

Ron was the first one to say anything.

"Is—is it really you?" he choked. I nodded without looking up at him. The next thing I knew he had pulled me into a hug, in his arms, just where I was meant to be. I closed my eyes. The memory of that night 9 years ago played over and over in my mind. But when he let go, it stopped. I still couldn't bear to look him in the eyes.

"I should go." I said. "Bye." I turned to leave.

"Wait, aren't you going to show us where you live? I mean, how bout some catching up? It's been nine years, Herms. I think we'd all like to know what happened." said Harry.

There was no getting out of this one. "Sure. Come on over." I said. I led them out of The Leaky Cauldron and to my car. Harry, Ron, and Leah sat in the back, and Ginny sat in the front with me.

I didn't say a word the whole car ride. But I prayed that none of Kira's toys were lying around through the house. I wasn't about to tell them about her.

I parked my car in the garage.

"Nice house, Herms." said Ginny, smiling. I led them inside.

"Great place you've got." said Harry.

"Could you show us around a bit?" asked Ginny.

Oh shit.

"Sure." I said. I showed them the basement, the kitchen, the living room, the dining room, my upstairs bedroom, the bathrooms, and the two guest bedrooms.

"What's this door here?" asked Leah, referring to the door that led to Kira's room.

"Nothing!" I said, stepping in front of it. "It's an old room, and I could never get it to open."

"I could try if you like," said Harry.

"No!" I said. He frowned. "What use would I have for it?" They shrugged and I led them back downstairs, relieved.

"Would you guys like some tea?" I asked. They nodded. I quickly made some and rushed back to them. "Here you are." I said. The smiled and thanked me.

"So, Hermione." said Harry. "What happened?"

"Huh?"

"You left. Just like that. No note, no reason, no letters. One night you were just…gone."

"Er…I don't really know why I left." I lied. "I was just going through a lot at the time."

Harry observed me carefully. He wanted to see if I was lying. He said nothing.

"H-have you been living here? Ever since you left?" said Ron.

I nodded.

Leah smiled.

"Guys, I think we should leave. We're kind of rude bursting into her house like this."

"No, it's fine, really." I said.

Suddenly the phone rang.

"What the bloody hell was that?" said Ginny.

"Telephone." said Harry. And while he explained what a telephone was to her, I ran to answer it.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hermione? Hi, it's Maya, Abby's mom. I just wanted to tell you, that Kira is very homesick. She's bawling her eyes out and wants to come home. Do you think you could pick her up?" Shit.

"Sure, I'll be right there." I said.

"Bye."

"Bye." I hung up the phone.

I walked back to the living room.

"Listen, I have to go run a quick errand…I don't know if you guys want to stay or—"

"We'd like to stay!" said Ginny, smiling.

"Ginny, shut up, that's rude." said Leah.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"No, it's fine." I lied again. "Just, make yourselves at home."

I grabbed my car keys and ran to the garage.

What the hell was I going to do?