Chapter 22: Confrontation With An Old Friend.

It was difficult for Hermia to slip back into her old routine. Upon first returning to the clean little hose that she shared with Lizzie and Nate, Hermia had welcomed the comfort and normalcy of it all, using it to calm he fears and force herself to try and forget Ron and all that she had leaned and felt over those four days. But within a day of her return she missed the noise and bustle that always seemed to be lingering around the Burrow. There was always something going on there and you could never escape the noise, but in a comforting way. And if she were to be honest with herself, which she refused to be, she would admit that she missed him.

She hadn't slept well in the past three nights. The room, and more importantly, her bed felt big and empty. Hero and Helena hadn't been sleeping well either and their moods had shifted from their normal cheer to unusually cantankerous. But the harshest change came in Hero who was no longer content to sit in her mothers lap and simply be held like she had in the past. Now, when ever Hermia tried to hold and cuddle her she would fight until Hermia was forced to set her on her feet in fear of dropping her. She knew she was being paranoid but she felt like Hero was trying to punish her for taking her away from her daddy.

And as if the sudden sour disposition of her daughters wasn't enough, Hermia's guilt and unease was mounting. Ron and Harry's warning of danger kept playing through her mind, setting her on edge, making her jump at the smallest noise. Like she promised Harry, she kept her wand on her at all times, and much to her chagrin she did feel safer having it near.

Feeling that she was beginning to crack Hermia set a teapot to boil while she settled the girls in the beds for a nap. When the water was hot she settled herself in front of the fire a bag of Chamomile steeping in the cup. Lizzie had introduced her to the calming affects of Chamomile when she had first come to the house and suffered from reoccurring nightmares. She found it most soothing and hopped that it would work on her frayed nerves.

Hermia drew a mouthful of the dark liquid and tilted her head back with her eyes closed so that the soothing liquid could drain down her throat. It was a relief to have this time alone, away from the girls. She felt like the very worst of mothers for admitting that to herself, but when ever she looked at them she was plagued with image of their father. Their bright copper hair, slightly freckled skin and blue eyes reminded her of Ron and made her miss him with a longing she couldn't understand. How could she miss a man that she didn't know and couldn't remember?

Well, whatever the reason, it was true. She missed Ron but she had to put Hero and Helena's safety before her own emotions. Her first responsibility was now, and would always be to them.

Hermia was just taking another sip of her tea when there was a loud whoosh from the fireplace and a blast of emerald green light filled the room. A lithe girl with ginger hair stepped from the hearth, her eyes narrowed and focused on Hermia who was staring at her in surprise.

"Sorry I didn't floo to warn you I was coming over, but I thought you might not receive me." Ginny banished the soot from her clothes, repocketing her wand before she crossed her arms angrily over her chest. "And why exactly haven't you returned home?" She snapped, startling Hermia with her forwardness.

"I'm not going back, Ginny."

"Of course you are." The red haired girl plopped down on the couch beside Hermia, making herself comfortable. "Look Hermione. I know that you got a little freaked out. I can understand, believe me. But you can't seriously think that you can just leave our world behind."

Hermia sighed heavily. "Ginny, I already explained this all to Ron."

"Yeah, and its all Bullocks if you ask me. Hermione," Ginny turned so that she more fully faced her friend. "You are the cleverest witch of our age. You are the reason why Ron and Harry are still alive. You helped save the bloody world, and you didn't do it as a Muggle. You did it as a witch."

"Ginny," Hermia sighed, setting her tea down. "It's too dangerous."

"Bullocks. You're delusional if you think Ron would let anything happen to you or those girls. Damn it Hermione!" Ginny bound to her feet and began pacing angrily in a manner that reminded Hermia very much of Ron. "You promised me a long time ago that you would be my Maid of Honour. I'm getting married in two days and you're not planning on even being there." Ginny stopped her pacing and turned to pin Hermia with her penetrating glare. "I'm actually considering postponing the wedding."

"What? Why?"

"When you left four days ago, Ron apparated back to his flat, he couldn't stand to be in the house. When he got there he demolished his room. The first thing Harry thought when he saw the damage to Ron's room was that he had been attacked by Death Eaters. He's devastated. The only time he has left his room in days has been to go to the lou. He doesn't eat anything. You have no idea how hard this is on him."

"I'm sorry he is taking this so badly. Perhaps you can convince him to receive help with his depression."

Ginny's eyes narrowed into thin slits of malice. "That was incredibly cold hearted of you. You are the only thing that can cure his depression. You're the reason he's like this."

"You can't expect me to take the blame for his weakened mental state. It's a chemical reaction in the br…"

"You don't get it, do you?" Ginny interrupted. "This has nothing to do with the brain and everything to do with the heart. You broke his heart, Hermione. And this isn't the first time you've done it either."

"What are you talking about? When did I break his heart before? Ginny," Hermia demanded when it seemed the younger girl would refuse to answer, "tell me."

"Sixth year. You broke his heart sixth year."

"What happened sixth year?"

Ginny turned her blazing brown eyes away from Hermia, using it as a chance to gain control. "I promised Hermione that I would never talk about this again, but seeing as you're Hermia now, I guess it really can't do any harm." The young girl squared her shoulders and turned back to stare at Hermia straight on. "Sixth year you and Ron got in a horrible, stupid fight. You both said things you didn't mean, things that hurt each other deeply. But instead of staying here and facing your problems and facing him you ran away to Bulgaria.

"Ron tried to make amends, but you refused to talk to him. You sent all his letters back unopened, Harry and I had a mirror to talk to you with but you made us promise not to let Ron know about it. And when you came home for Christmas you tried to convince Harry and me to come and see you without even telling Ron that you were home. But he found out.

He sent you an Owl almost every day that you were gone and not once did you talk to him. You found yourself a boy and tried to forget all about him. You didn't realize what a big mistake you had made until after Ron had given up on you. He tried to move on. But he couldn't. He made you two start over, as friends because he couldn't trust you with his heart again.

"One night you invited him over for dinner and Death Eaters attacked. You and your parents would have died if he hadn't been there. He sacrificed himself so that you could get out." Tears glistened in Ginny's eyes at the memory of the sight of her brothers battered and torn body, his crippled hand and gauged back. "He almost died because he loved you."

"Why didn't he tell me all of this?"

"Because, when he made his way back to us he promised you that he would never talk about it again. And he kept his word. But you didn't keep yours. I wish you could see what you're doing to him."

"I don't want to hear this."

"Well, you've got to!" Ginny snapped angrily, startling Hermia with the austerity of her voice. The ginger haired girl took several calming breaths before she continued. "He's lost you twice already. And he was utterly devastated both times." Ginny confided. "When he came back to us you promised him you would never leave him again. Death was suppose to be the only thing that could keep you from his side, and even that would have had you being dragged, kicking and screaming away. You were taken away from him, kicking and screaming this last time. That at he least he could cope with. But this," She shook her head with disgust. "This time you left. You choose to leave, and its killing him."

"Ginny…"

"Don't you Ginny me." The younger girl barked. "I'm just telling it like it is. Damn it, Hermione. This is Ron were talking about. You're one true love. Your one and only. How can you do this to him?"

"Stop it Ginny!" Hermione bound to her feet angrily. "Just stop it. You don't know what this is like. You don't know how this feels. So leave me alone."

"No! I'm not going to stop until I either talk some sense into you or we get the old Hermione back. Either way I'm not going to let you push us out of your life."

The bushy haired girl spread her arms gently to the side indicating that the other girl should take a good look at her. "Look at me. Take a good look at me. Hermione is dead. She's gone. I don't know who she was and I can't be her. She might have been all right with magic, but I am not. I don't understand magic, and that terrifies me. Magic was used to try and kill me. Magic is what took Hermione away. All that's left is Hermia, the Muggle. And Hermia does not belong in the wizarding world. Go home, Ginny. Go home where you belong and leave me where I belong."

Turning sharply on her heel Hermia left Ginny standing there frozen by the finality of her words and the tone of her voice. The redhead watched as her one time best friend climbed the stairs out of sight and all she could do was stand there and watch.

Knowing that she wasn't really welcome in Hermia's, for there was no doubt in her mind that that was who she was now, home, Ginny pulled a small bag from inside her pocket. She was just pinching her fingers together around a sprinkle of powder when the hearth blazed green with fire, illuminating the whole room with its radiance.

Ron stumbled out of the fireplace and caught himself on Ginny's shoulders. He looked around the room frantically and came to a stop on Ginny's eyes when he didn't see.

"Ron," Ginny tried to turn her brother back toward the fire, a wave of pity washing over her. "You shouldn't be here. Come on, I'll take you home.

"Where is she?" Ron asked, breaking free of Ginny's hold.

Ginny sighed. "She won't see you, Ron."

"Gin!" Ron shouted taking her shoulders firmly in his grasp giving her a firm shake. "There's no time. Where is she?"

Ginny stared at him a moment in frozen surprise. "U…upstairs." She pointed towards the staircase in a daze. "Ron!" she called as he darted past, "what's going on? Ron!" Ron ignored her and kept running, his mind focusing on one thing. Finding Hermione.