Hey all! Here is another chapter for you!

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And without further ado, enjoy!

Chapter 6

Since their very public argument, everything for the golden trio has been stagnant. Throughout the following weeks, Hermione had done her best at steering clear of the other two thirds. She didn't want to deal with Ronald's biting questions ad glare while Harry hadn't stop his ginger haired friend from anything that he had been saying or doing. Though, he didn't say anything in her argument with Ron, his inaction and expectant gaze hurt her. To remotely believe that she would ever betray her green-eyed friend—after everything…Hermione simply opted to distance herself from the two, lest they want her to lash out violently at them. Hermione had already slapped Harry over the summer for his insinuations about her towards Malfoy, and she was not afraid to do it again. Ron's behavior was especially irritating for the witch. His glaring and sneering whenever Draco was around her was becoming too…ridiculous. During potions, he took any and every opportunity available to openly glare and sneer at the pair as they would lightly converse while they were completing their class assignments. After taking a look at one of his glares during class, Hermione saw a swirl of malice and jealously in his hate-filled eyes. This startled the girl, but as time went on, she would sigh in irritation at the boy's actions. These…unfortunate…dynamics remained in limbo until the Wednesday before the first Hogsmeade trip.

Buzz…buzz…buzz… At feeling and hearing the vibrations and sounds of her morning alarm, Hermione let out a soft sigh before opened her eyes. As per her usual morning, her wand woke her up early so she could get a fresh start to their day. Before going about her routine, she quickly reset her alarm for the same time the next morning. After she was done getting ready for the day and finally able to control her mane of hair and was content with its style, she walked down to the common room where she was met with the smiling but tired face of Neville. Shortly after her argument with Ron, Neville and Luna had started joining her for breakfast. "Good morning, Neville," Hermione chirped.

The addressed boy let out a small yawn. "Good morning. Hermione." He said with a warm smile as they walked out into the corridor.

Once in the Great Hall, Hermione spotted an already seated Luna Lovegood sitting by the area the light brown haired witch and her other Gryffindor friends took residence in, having already gathered her food choices for her first meal of the day. After exchanging their warm hellos, Hermione and Neville gathered their respective breakfast choices. Hermione began reading over her Transfiguration essay while Luna and Neville engaged in a conversation about a magical creature that Hermione vaguely heard the white blonde haired witch say that she had once encountered in the surrounding forest. She was too engrossed in her revisions and breakfast that she didn't even noticed Elara's arrival until a grey owl foot rested itself on her parchment. Smiling, Hermione looked up to find Elara's vibrant purple eyes gazing right at her, the albino owl softly hooted at her human and stuck her foot out. The bookworm looked down at the foot that was previously on her parchment and found an attached letter. "Thank you, Elara," Hermione cooed. She quickly untied the offered letter and reached for her toast when she saw Luna already giving her owl sausage bits that were happily taken.

As she heard Elara's soft hoots, Hermione looked down to the letter in her hands. However, her attention was grabbed as she heard Luna softly cooing and petting the beautiful owl. "Hermione, she is absolutely lovely. You—".

"Luna, is this your owl? I've never seen him before." Harry's voice cuts in as he sat next to said witch with Ron sitting on the other side of him and Ginny sat on the other side of Hermione—with her right being occupied by Neville. Harry was staring intently at the albino creature, while the ginger sent a fleeting glare at Hermione before settling his attention on Luna and the purple eyed owl.

Luna opened her mouth to respond, but Hermione beat her to it. "Her, actually. And she's not Luna's, she's mine." Hermione said simply while she shared a loving gaze with Elara who hooted softly at her human.

Both boys were startled at Hermione's announcement, and for a second, they silently watched as she petted the owl, adoringly. But, for only just a second. Snapping out of his stupor, Ron sneered at Hermione. "Yours? Since when did you get it? What about Crookshanks, is he no longer important to you? Doing the same to him as you've done me and Harry, have you?"

Hermione's eyes snapped towards Ron in an instant with a deadly heated look. "I am going to ignore that last question, because even you aren't that stupid to insult someone's bond with their familiar," she spoke softy, but with much venom that made everyone else freeze at the icy reply—well, not Ron. "And, not that's it any of your business, but if it ceases this incessant line of questioning, I will tell you." As the curly haired witch spoke calmly, though lethally, Ron's face continued to perfectly mimic a bright red tomato. "Elara was a gift." Hermione finished simply, yet vaguely.

Ron started incredulously at her as if she had grown an extra head. "A gift?" He laughed at that one. "Someone," he pointed a fingered at the addressed witch, "gave you," and then pointed at Elara, "that owl as a gift?" He laughed once more. "Who would do that?" Ron finally let out his sneer. He flickered his gaze down to the letter in Hermione's hands. "Is the person who sent you that letter, the person who gave you that bird?" Ron growled with something Hermione thought had possessive and jealous undertones.

Hermione tensed at the tone, "neither of those answers are of concern to you. And why would you care. I'm not your girlfriend." She spoke sharply with an icy bite.

Ron sputtered at Hermione's last comment. "Why wouldn't it be of my concern. I'm supposed to be the one of your best mates!" Ron bellowed out indignantly.

Ginny snorted at the pathetic argument. "You have a funny way of showing that you are her best mate."

"And what would you know of it, Ginny. This is none of your business." Ron growled at his sister.

"Ah dear brother," Ginny sneered at the red faced ginger. "I shall quote you then. She," the fiery witch pointed towards Hermione, "is one of my best mates, so it is my business." She smirked. Despite her frustration, Hermione chuckled with amusement. Catching the laugh, Ginny sent her a sly wink. "So, wittle Ronnikins, you best put it back into your pants, and do yourself a favor and go away."

Ronald leaned back with an incredulous, wide eyed expression, doing a brilliant imitation of a gasping fish. "Wha…hmmm…ugh…you know what. Fine." Ron turned his attention back to the light brown haired witch. "You know, Hermione, it's kind of sad that you think people would believe your story about someone actually giving you that bird as a gift. I mean, you didn't have to make up this lie, just to get my attention. All you had to do was talk to me." And with that, Ron strolled out of Great Hall, proud of himself.

Everyone sat in silence for about a minute. Harry seemed to be conflicted on what to do. He wanted to stay with his friend because he knew Ron had crossed the line, again, but, he also wanted to follow his other friend due to his 'unwavering' loyalty. Hermione saw the boy's struggle and let out an incredulous sigh. "Harry," she said tiredly, pulling the boy's guilt stricken expression to herself. She internally shook her head. She didn't want his guilt. "Just go. If you really have to contemplate on which friend to go or stay with, you've already made your decision."

Harry looked affronted, "Hermione—"

The curly haired witch only held her hand up. "No, just don't. You've made your decision, there's no point in wasting any more of our time with your debating." Hermione said this with such finality while looking the wizard dead in the eye, that it made Harry freeze once more at her tone.

Harry gaped for a moment. "Hermione, you're not being fair."

Hermione's eye blazed in anger. "Fair?" She hissed. "I'm not being fair?" She leveled an incredulous glare at him. "Not being fair is when your supposed best friend is accusing you of betrayal for having a civil conversation. Not being fair is your other best friend throwing out five years of literal blood, sweat, and tears that were put into our friendship in the name of blind loyalty to a boy who holds little loyalty to you. Not being fair is having to sacrifice much of myself to be friends with you and not getting the same sacrifice in return. No, it is very fair when I tell you to just go and live with the decision that you've made a very long time ago."

Harry reared up at that. "Hermione, no one told you to sacrifice anything for me. You made that decision all on your own. Do not blame that on me. You didn't have to do anything. You didn't have to be there for me or help me. That's all on you. And if only you would have agreed with Ron and I about Malfoy—".

"On what, Harry," she snapped back. "that's he's a death eater? We don't know that. There is no proof." Hermione paused to take a deep breath, calming and steeling herself. "And no, Harry, I didn't have to do anything. I know it was my decision. But, I made that decision because I cared deeply about my best friend. I stuck by you throughout it all because I wanted to make sure you and Ron were safe, and our other friends too. You make brash decisions without thinking through anything. I helped you with avoiding that as much as possible. But, you just don't care sometimes. You have never considered the possible dangers. What happened at the Ministry didn't have to happen. I told you it was a trap. You didn't listen. We almost died in there. I almost died in there, Harry—"

"No one told you had to go with me. I told you to stay here—"

"Sirius died, Harry," Hermione added as if the boy hadn't spoken.

"You dare," Harry seethed.

"Yes! I do dare, Harry Potter!" Hermione snapped once more. "He died because he went there to protect you, his godson, whom he loved. No one told him to do it. But it happened. And you don't appreciate that, not really." She spoke softly this time, "Harry, people make sacrifices all the time for their loved ones, for their true friends and family. It's not fair when those sacrifices are so easily forgotten or ignored for they have a great reason as to why they were made. And I'm starting to regret making any for you. So, again, yes, Harry. It is fair for me to tell you to just leave as you have already made your decision."

The bespectacled boy reacted as he usually does, with anger. However, instead of lashing out because he felt too chastised at the point to really say anything, he gave Hermione a red faced fierce glare before storming out of the great hall; following the same path as his ginger best friend.

Ginny and Neville looked wide eyed at Hermione for a moment before their eyes softened, both filled with sympathy for their friend. The both of them knew that their curly haired friend was being harsh, but they also knew that Harry needed to hear it. He suffered from the need to be a hero. And even more so, had a god like complex and a slight narcissistic tendency in believing that everything that was and is happening was all revolving around him. And while is it acknowledged that Harry Potter is a major, key player in this twisted, disgusting game for power, it was about much more than him. His connection to the Dark Lord is the only thing that makes him important. Integral, yes, but not the most significant in the grand scheme of things.

Luna, how had seemingly been paying more attention with petting Elara, spoke up, pulling the other three out of their reveries. "Hermione," she spoke with a soft, but uncharacteristically serious tone, "I'm not going to say any meaningless, comforting words." This startled Hermione. "You don't deserve that. You are a strong and independent witch. We are here for you, and will remain here for you." She continued on petting the white feathers as she continued to speak. "You were very justified to speaking to Harry in such a manner. He deserved and needed to hear it. It is very selfish of him to think the way he does, especially in trying to be as blameless as possible when it came to the events in the Department of Mysteries." Hermione sent the girl an appreciative smile to the blonde, who returned it with a small smile of her own. "You never told me who sent you this gorgeous owl, but that doesn't matter to me. You being happy is the only thing that is important." Luna's three friends looked at her usual wistful self with admiration, especially Hermione. While Luna has a tendency of jumping topics as she speaks, she had always had a knack for saying the right thing at the right time.

Offering a smile, Neville spoke, "I couldn't have said it better myself."

"Same here," Ginny added with a smile of her own.

"Thank you, guys. You three have no idea how much that means to me." Hermione couldn't help the smile that spread onto her face.

Ginny spoke up again, "Just like I told you after the welcome back feast—assuming it's safe to speak for all three of us," she received twin nods from Neville and Luna. "You can always talk to us—about anything, even if it is something you think can be friendship breaking. We trust you and your judgment, and whatever decision you choose to make. We will be there with you every step of the way." Hermione couldn't help her smile when she saw the other two nod their heads.

"Thank you," Hermione said with a grateful smile.