DISCLAIMER: Still can't say I own it...

It's too late to say you're sorry, you've been gone from here too long. I hope you found what you were missing, cause I don't miss you here at all. And it's too bad that I'm not crying for you baby...

"Who's Cryin Now" by Saving Jane

Chapter 4: Breaking

Hermione sat on a bench some way away from anything magical near a pond, idly tossing bread to the various ducks and geese that drifted along on the water. She was lost in thought, though, as she was basically mechanically throwing the bread in.

She had left Harry exactly four hours and forty-three minutes ago, quickly manoeuvring her way through the crowded streets of Diagon Alley, and had perched here after buying some old biscuits.

For the life of her, she couldn't remember single reason of why she had came back. It was plainly obvious that Harry had been avoiding her for a reason and she should have known better than the come back at this time. She was unwanted and deep in her heart she knew she had probably lost her best friend for good.

The ducks were growing a little more brave by now and were drifting closer to her while the geese remained a little ways away, their eyes suspicious of her and her motives. How like her life, she thought sardonically, there were some who remained close while others slowly drifted away, always regarding her through suspicious eyes.

"But those who drift closer only do so because I feed them," she whispered softly to herself, staring off into the distance while the ducks quacked near her.

"Actually, I think they are entranced by your beauty."

Hermione literally jumped in her seat, startled at the new arrival behind her. She leaped off of the bench and spun around, the biscuits flying out of her hand and onto the ground where the ducks swarmed around them greedily. She gasped and took a step back. "What are you doing here?"

Harry shrugged and stepped around the bench. "I just finished reading a rather interesting article which gave me a lot to think about." He took a seat on one end of the bench and patted the spot next to him.

She looked at the spot as if encouraging it to grow. Quit being sill, she mentally scolded herself as she forced herself to give him a stiff smile and take the seat beside him. "I thought you'd be busy with wedding plans."

Was she imagining it or did she see a look of repugnance flutter across his eyes before he successfully masked it? "No, Cho is quite capable of making those types of decisions herself." He paused, looking quite thoughtful. "Besides, I've been getting the impression that my opinion is not wanted."

Hermione frowned as she turned slightly on the bench to get a better look at him. "But it is your wedding too, Harry. Don't you want to have a say in your own wedding?"

Harry finally turned to get a good look at her. "Why didn't you tell me, Hermione?"

She shifted nervously in her seat, unable to meet his eye now. She focused on the ducks while answering evasively, "I really have no idea what you are referring to."

"The broom," Harry replied simply, causing her head to snap around to look at him through doe-like eyes as she stammered, "the…broom?"

He nodded. "I read the article, you know. George gave it to me after you left," he informed her. "He said that I would find it an 'interesting read.'" He looked at her searchingly before adding softly, "I did."

Hermione looked away. "I didn't think you'd be very interested actually. It's not that big of a deal anyways…"

Harry laughed. "Not that big of a deal? Hermione, you designed and created the world's fastest racing broom ever. No one can figure out how exactly you enabled it to travel that fast and still be safe."

Hermione blushed faintly. "It's not for sale, you know. I didn't even mean for anyone to find out about it."

"How did they then?"

"I was out testing it on one of my days off. I usually tried to avoid anyplace where someone could spot me but that day Ricardo happened to stumble upon me while I was flying it." She gave a dry chuckle. "I didn't even know he had told anyone until the reporters started haggling me."

Harry's mouth quirked. "You mean that Ricardo hadn't even tried to claim that he created the broom?"

Hermione gave a genuine laugh this time. "Heavens, no! Ask him a question about herbs or potions and he can rattle off every detail that you'd ever need to know. But he doesn't know the first thing about Quidditch or brooms for that matter."

Harry smiled, "But he obviously knew a good thing when he saw one."

Hermione merely shrugged. She leaned back slightly on the bench, a small smile playing at her lips. "You know, I was planning on sending you the prototype for your birthday."

"Really?" When she nodded, he smiled slightly, then frowned. "Did you create the broom just for me, Hermione?"

This time Hermione's blush was more pronounced. "Well, since the war you haven't played Quidditch that much…I just thought that maybe if you had a new broom…"

"That I'd play again," he finished and watched as she slowly nodded her head in agreement. "Maybe you're right. I don't play Quidditch enough anymore." He gave an unexpected laugh. "Hell, I don't even have enough fun anymore, if any."

Hermione surveyed him closely. He tried to shield his eyes from her, knowing that she had the ability to see past his defences. Sure enough, she asked softly, "Do you even know how to have fun anymore, Harry?"

He looked away and, taking a leaf out of her own book, gazed out at the scenery in front of them. He figured she'd ask something like that but nevertheless he was left without a clue as to what to say in response. "I don't know," was all he could manage to say.

She rose from the seat, turning to gaze at him. "The broom, it's yours. I have no intention of marketing the broom so you need not worry that someone else will have the same broom…"

"Hermione…"

"I hope you and Ron find time to play a little one-on-one Quidditch, the way you two used to…"

"Hermione…"

"I hope it rides well enough. If it doesn't, well, Ron can get a hold of me."

Harry jumped up as she was about to turn around and race off, grabbing her hand to pull her around to face him. "Don't leave, Hermione. Please, just hear me out."

Hermione looked away. At that moment, the only thing she wanted to do was run. But she remembered that she had come back to London to try to salvage her friendship so she nodded, resuming her seat while he stood. She didn't dare to look at Harry just yet for fear of what he may find in her eyes.

Harry ran a hand through his dark hair, messing it up even more than it was before. "I… Hermione, I am so sorry…"

When he didn't go on, she chanced asking, "For what?" She looked up at him, her eyes hard. "For ignoring me for the past two years? For avoiding me every time I did see you? For turning your back on me every time I tried to salvage our friendship?"

"Hermione please…"

"You don't need to apologize, Harry," she said, standing once more. "I'm a big girl now, I understand when I'm not wanted. I should have stayed in America…"

Harry grabbed her hand once again, this time not letting go. "No, you shouldn't even be in America. You belong here…with us."

Hermione raised a brow sceptically. "Don't you mean with the Weasley's? I haven't exactly been getting the impression that you would miss me if I went away… permanently."

Harry looked as if she had just used the Cruciatus Curse on him. "How can you say that, Hermione?"

She tried to pry her hand out of his grip but he just refused to let go. "Maybe because it is the truth, Harry. Now please let me go. I really need to go back…"

"Why are you even staying at the Leaky Cauldron?" Harry asked suddenly. "There's plenty of room at Grimmauld Place…"

She sighed loudly, cutting him off. "Harry, you live there."

He looked at her strangely. Obviously he had expected her to jump at his offer, not point out the obviously. "I know."

"Harry, we don't do well seeing each other now so I really don't think we'd survive seeing each other every day." She bit her lower lip and shrugged analytically. "Besides, I'm heading back to America soon so I don't see the big deal…"

"What?" Harry cried. "Why?"

"Ricardo needs my help," she told him simply. "My job…it's demanding. We're in the middle of something and I had just planned on a little respite, you know, pop in and pop out. I promised Ricardo that I'd be back as soon as possible."

It should have scared Hermione how easily she found it to lie to him. She knew she should have just told him the truth, that she couldn't stand being near him. That it killed her every time she saw him with Cho.

Harry came closer to her, gripping her shoulders so as to hold her closer to him and to make sure she did not run away. "Hermione, this is your home. That…that's just a job." He stepped even closer to her. "I know you care for me, Hermione…"

She shook her head slowly. "Please don't do this, Harry…"

"I don't know what I want really…but I know that I can't lose you. I don't want to lose what we've got."

Mustering all the courage she had, Hermione pushed him away, her eyes narrowed angrily. "What we've got?" she spat. "We have nothing, Harry, you made damn sure of that two years ago when you basically turned your back on me after I spilt my heart and soul to you."

The tears brimming at her eyes began to cascade down her cheeks. "I stayed beside you, Harry. I was the one that held your hand while you laid there. I was the one that gave you my strength so you could heal faster." She turned and walked away but not before whispering, "And I was the one who loved you heart, mind, and soul."

XoX

Some marvelled at how easily Cho Chang had obtained the saviour of the wizarding world. Some suspected the use of an illegal love potion while others thought it was all just "so romantic." Personally, all of Harry's friends thought it was sickening and, if given the chance, would ditch her the first chance they got.

Maybe that was why all the Weasley's were rooting for Hermione and hoping that she would stay in England. That was also why they could be found plotting deviously. However, like every good plan, there was one opposed to idea.

"I'm telling you lot, it is not going to work," a red-faced Draco Malfoy informed all his 'dear' brother-in-laws as they all congregated at the Weasley residence to plot. Though he still didn't like them very much, he made an attempt to be civil for the sake of his wife.

"Shove a sock in it, Malfoy," George said with a sigh as he leaned back in his seat. So far, George and Fred had been quite nice to him.

"Look, it's a fool proof plan," Ron said simply. "It has to work."

"No," Draco said, shaking his head, "it doesn't have to work. If Potter wants to be with Chang, then he'll stay with her." He shrugged. "It's not like we can really stop them from getting married…"

His voice drifted off as he saw the mischievous look that entered the twins' eyes. He was instantly filled with dread. "What are you two planning on doing exactly?"

Fred and George looked at each other and smirked. "Do you really want an answer to that, dear brother-in-law?" Fred asked while George chimed, "Ask us no questions and we'll tell you no lies."

Draco looked over at where his wife sat. "Sometimes I think that I should have requested that you leave these two."

XoX

There were approximately thirty-five thousand, six hundred and seventy-five books in Flourish and Blotts with over seventeen thousand, one hundred and eighty-nine different topics. About two hundred and eighty-five of those books contained either Harry's name or something about him. Unfortunately for Hermione, it seemed as if the only books that called out to her where those ones.

Hermione growled low in her throat and replaced the book on the shelf. She had thought that if she came to the bookstore, that she would get her mind off Harry for a bit.

Wrong. So very, very wrong.

If anything, she was thinking of Harry more now that before. Harry was everywhere. On the books, on posters, on shirts…Hermione felt she was suffocating in a pool of Harry "Golden Boy" Potter and, for the second time in her life, she just wanted to run away as fast as she could.

"Anything interesting?"

Recognizing the voice, Hermione didn't even bother to turn around as she scanned over the covers. "No, not particularly unless you want to read on how the Boy-Who-Lived graciously saved the wizarding world."

Laughter sounded at her words. "Trouble in paradise?"

Hermione rounded on her childhood enemy. "Since the whole bloody world seems to know how I feel, then you should bloody well know there has been 'trouble in paradise' for two years, Draco."

As she went to turn away from him and storm away, he caught her arm to stop her. "Ah, come on, Hermione, I'm sorry." He gave her his best puppy eyes (which weren't all that good). "Forgive me? Please?"

Hermione sighed and moved her arm to loop it through his, walking with him out of the store and down the street. "Fine, Draco, I don't care. Look, I'm sorry I snapped. I'm just so…frustrated about this whole situation."

He nodded, his mouth set in a straight line. "Understandable, of course. In fact, I wonder why you haven't snapped before now."

"I've had a nice little chat with Harry earlier," she informed him and he said, "Ah," as if that explained everything.

They walked in silence for a moment or two before Draco asked, "Hermione, have you ever thought that maybe Harry does return your feelings but he's just too afraid to show it?"

"If he was too afraid to show it, Draco, then why did he avoid me?" She glanced up at him. "I don't think he is afraid. He just doesn't care about me the way I do him."

"See, that's where I think you're wrong." He had a large grin on his face as he swung her around to stand directly in front of him. "Anyone would be a fool if they denied your love."

She laughed. "And why is that, all knowing one?"

"Because you love wholeheartedly. You wouldn't just commit a little to the relationship, you would give it all. Also, you are real."

"I would hope so."

"That's not what I meant. Cho is a pretender. She puts on this pretty front when inside she's really rather ugly. But you, what you see is what you get. You're not afraid to show who you are and be proud of it."

Hermione wrapped her arms around him. "Ah, Draco, you're making me blush, but thank you. That means a lot to me that you think that."

"I'm not the only one who thinks that," he informed her, letting her go just enough so that she could stand beside him as they walked down the busy street. His one arm was still slung over her shoulder and she had her arm wrapped around his waist.

"Hey," he said just about as they reached the Leaky Cauldron, "Fred and George want to throw you a small party, since you're back and all."

"Fred and George?" she asked with a hint of a smile. "Should I be scared?"

"No, they love you, Hermione, they wouldn't do anything to you." She thought she heard him put a little emphasis on the 'you' but she could have been mistaken. "Anyways, just family and friends. Will you come?"

"When is it?"

"Tonight around seven."

"Alright, I guess I can make time in my very busy schedule to come see you guys," she teased, smiling brightly up at him. "Where will it be?"

He chuckled softly. "That, my dear Hermione, is a surprise. One of us will be by to pick you up around five till seven. Oh, George told me to tell you to be sure to where a saucy little dress so that Fred could drool over you."

She laughed loudly, drawing attention to them from other shoppers that lined the street. "I don't know if I own a 'saucy' dress but I'll try to find something that goes along those lines."

Draco leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Good, I'll see you tonight."

As she disappeared into the Leaky Cauldron, Draco heard someone come up beside him. Glancing over, he whispered, "Step one is complete."