Love Hurts:

Chapter Eight.

Hermione was fed up. Fed up with her friends, fed up with Draco and fed up with herself. She didn't want to carry burdens anymore. She was too busy trying to figure out things for herself to be fussed with what was going on with other people. Ron had given her a wary glance before returning to his television and popcorn as she had made her way to the shower. Now the hot water was streaming over her eating away the stress of the day. She felt a lot more peaceful when she was in the shower because she knew that no one could get to her in here. It had been the same with her room until she had shown Draco the hidden room behind the wall. He was yet to enter her room but she knew it was a matter of time before he began going crazy in the small room she was hiding him in. At least in the shower she could not and would not e disturbed. But as her luck went as she began to rinse the conditioner from her long brown hair and the soap from her skin there came a loud banging from the bathroom door and what sounded like Harry whining that he had to go to the bathroom immediately.

"I won't be much longer! Just hold on," she bellowed back to him. She finished rinsing herself off and stepped out onto the red towel placed on the floor and reached for her own towel which was a sunny yellow colour, wrapping it around herself before reaching for another towel to wrap her hair in. When she was satisfied that she was decent enough to make the quick dash from the warm, steamy bathroom to her heated bedroom in the chilly November air, she unlocked the door and ran as fast as her legs could carry her to the warmth and security of her own room in turn locking it behind her.

Ron looked confused at the fleeting figure of Hermione, wrapped in a towel, trying not to drool and trying to figure out what was with her recent turn of attitude. This was not the happy and harmonious Hermione he remembered. Instead she was grumpy and secretive and this was starting to spook Ron. Not only had Harry disinclude him in his activities, withdrawing deeper into his own sense of self pity, but it seemed that Hermione was doing likewise, without the depressive moodiness that wafted around Harry. The golden trio who had stood together through thick and thin was disintegrating before his very blue eyes and freckled face. He felt the same as he always had, like a loyal st Bernard dog with with small drum of rum around his neck for emergencies, so it must be his friends he concluded, that had changed. He had to be cautious in his approach as not to tread on any toes, if he angered either of his close friends he knew it would end up blowing up like a terrorist on a mission in his own face. How could he talk to them when they both persisted in being brick walls?

Harry was concerned about Ron, he was not as spiritedly as he remembered him, always full of bright and cheerful commentary. He now was withdrawn and shot his friends looks that turned daggers in his chest. He wished he was capable of confiding in his closest friend, it was hard when the weight you had to carry was so heavy. When the wizarding world depended upon you to rid them of evil. It made him want to scream sometimes, others he wanted to curl into a ball and cry. He did not want to worry his friends, he had no plan now that Dumbledore was dead. Oh how he hated Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape. He wanted them to feel like he felt and then some. He worried sometimes at his own sadistic thoughts that brought him pleasure when thinking of various ways he could cause physical and emotional pain on them. Then again emotional pain was beyond his control, they had no hearts, they could not feel like he did. Remorse at his own inability to save someone who had saved him time and time again. The dark side were picking off people close to him and he worried that his two room mates would be next on the list of the Dark Lord.

Draco was getting bored in the little box of a room Hermione was keeping him in and he was unable no matter how he tried to find the door out of here. Not only that but he was scared that he would be discovered if he left the confines of this said box. He sat beside the window his head creased in deep thought about his mission. He was unsure of how he would gain Hermione's trust after betraying the whole wizarding world. He was a fugitive and they could never really be together under these conditions. He was full of sorrow. His heart was captured as though cupid had shot him with a bow and arrow but Cupid had been cruel and how shot the one he loved. The circumstances were foreboding and would make life difficult for both him and Hermione, but if he failed in his mission the other woman he loved, his mother would pay the penalty for his inactivity. He wondered if his mother could see this beautiful sunset that he was witnessing. His eyes welled with tears as he thought of his mother and father, captured and chained in a small prison cell. What would become of them. What would become of him? The tears were now flowing from his pale grey eyes onto his white skin dripping off his chin onto the white linen shirt Hermione had given him, leaving behind small little spots where the fabric absorbed the moisture. He did not hide them. He just simply sat there and cried.

Hermione was doing almost everything in her room now, both of her friends noticed. They only saw her when she emerged to shower, eat and use the bathroom. When she returned to her room they could hear the sound of a key clicking in the door locking them out firmly. They dared not disturb her for fear of her temper. They had both come to the conclusion that women were very temperamental and were not to have their privacy disturbed. If you were to annoy a woman it was like releasing a hungry lioness from her cage and neither felt like being devoured. She had even forsaken the television, something they had all used to numb their minds of conscious thought. It was not the same without her and they felt her absence greatly. Never would they speak as the idiot box flashed moving pictures before their eyes. They watched shows one would not normally dream of them watching, interesting themselves with documentaries, neighbours and David Letterman. Sometimes they would watch video clips until they fell asleep on the couch waiting for just a glimpse of the brains of their operation. No longer contributing but still depended upon greatly.

Once again they sat side by side, not saying a word to one another trying to think so hard of the right thing to say to the other without saying the wrong thing. It was hard now that they were both grown men. Emotions were something they were not allowed to express but were both feeling so passionately. To admit one's pain was to lose face to their friend. They wanted to comfort and support the other without letting their guard down. It was horrible that they could not trust anyone not even friends they had grown up with and their inability to express themselves made them awkward and strange with one another. After two hours of uncomfortable silence Ron could not take any more.

"How have you been Harry," he said mustering his courage and breaking the ice without looking at his friend.

"So, So and yourself Ron," Harry replied trying to sound noncholant and also avoiding eye contact. Ron now that he had a response turned to face his friend who was not looking So, So as he said.

"Bloody terrible, I have no idea what to do anymore," Ron confided in his friend watching his face carefully for a reaction to his comments.

"Me neither Ron, me neither," Harry sighed heavily shutting his eyes and trying to regain his composure. He wanted to cry more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. He wanted Dumbledore back, he would always know the right thing to say or do. Ron seeing his friend in obvious distress slid over the couch and put his arm around his friend as masculinity as he possibly could in this situation. Harry leaned into his friend and wrapped his arms around him his shoulders shuddering and he found himself crying in the arms of his oldest and dearest friend. He felt free in that moment, he knew that Ron would not judge him as he ran his hand over his back and soothing him as best as he could. When he was done crying and could not find any more tears he released his friend smiling weakly.

"Thanks Ron," he looked a little sheepishly at his friend.

"No worries Harry," Ron replied returning his sheepish smile. He did not need to know then what was wrong with Harry, he understood that as a friend it was not his place to ask questions, simply to be there and to understand. Not to judge his friend who was in need. Just to be a friend and to let him unburden his misery when ever he was in need of release.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" Harry asked Ron this time breaking the strangely comfortable silence considering Harry had just chucked a big teary over his comrade. Ron did not want to burden Harry with his troubles seeing as Harry had his own.

"Not really, anything you want to talk about Harry?" Ron replied to his friends question seeing as Harry obviously had issues. Harry chuckled to himself slightly. After finally getting his depressive emotions off his chest he felt a lot better.

"Nah, I think I'm right now... So what's news."

Hermione decided that Draco must be hungry by now and went to the kitchen to fidget around and scratch together something to eat for both her and Draco. As she left the confines of her room she noticed her two friends were huddled up on the couch. Ron was obviously comforting Harry and she decided to leave them to their male bonding or what ever it was they were up to. After managing a few toasted cheese and avocado sandwiches with red onion and a simple microwave version of Tuna Mornay, which really only consisted of rice, tuna and cheese she returned to her room and took her bounty into Draco who was sitting up in bed eagerly awaiting his dinner. For a Malfoy he sure lacked in table manners and seemed to resemble an animal eating than a human being. She was fairly famished herself and nothing was said until the food was demolished and the plates polished clean, thanks to Draco licking the plate and picking up any crumbs of course. After going hungry for long periods of time and only being able to steal scraps from the Hogwarts kitchen even Hermione's cooking tasted like a banquet to him. He gave her a heartfelt thankful smile taking her hand in his own and pulled her to the bed he used as a chair and a means of somewhere to sleep. Hermione was a little concerned about his intentions and sat on the side of the bed wondering what it was he was up to looking cautiously and meekly into his beautiful face. He returned her smile and pulled her down onto the bed with him so they were laying side by side. He put his arm around her shoulders and the other around her waist engulfing her in a comforting hug. There they lay side by side, not saying a word comforted in the company of their secret crush.

A/N:

Thanks for your wonderful review Isabelle Heart... Who has been a faithful reader and reviewer... You are fantastic and to a new reviewer Apolloina2, i am a die hard Draco and Hermione Shipper myself, if you check out my profile i have 3 more Draco Hermione stories... For You To Notice Me is my finished one but i am working hard on this and I wanna grow old with you. I will get around to Magic but i write about 3000 words per chapter on that one and only 2000 words per chapter on this and I wanna grow old with you, i know its slack but it is really hard to write sometimes so i try and keep chapters to the same size... that way i wont give too much away i don't hope... Yes i have tried to show a softer side to the Malfoy family... I find that it makes things interesting.. they are very loyal to each other and love each other very much but they are willing to sacrifice a lot for one another... I just find it lots of fun to have them be so kind hearted... Trust me future chapters are gonna be great this is one of my fave fics that i am writing...

Any way I love my reviewers very much and any feed back is greatly appreciated.

Just to clarify i am not writing a Ron/Harry slash... this chapter was about friends and being able to rely on friends. It can be pretty lonely when you have no one to talk to about your problems... trust me... I really liked this ending i thought it was very cute...

Review and tell me what you think... even if you hated it... just tell me why you hated it and I'll try and do better next time...

YAY DIALOUGE!!!! It wasn't much but at least they are talking... Lol i thought that was a very cute little scene between Ron and Harry... very cute indeed...

Anyway Again i have to spell check SO PLEASE REVIEW EVERYONE LOVES REVIEWS!

Much Love,

Perfect Butterfly Blade