Breaking the News – HBP, Ch19, p381

Hermione entered the dormitory hoping that her room-mates weren't there. She knew this was likely a vain hope, seeing as it was quite late and they hadn't been in the common room.

As she thought, they were both in the room. Parvati was sitting on her bed, already in her pyjamas, and Lavender was kneeling in front of her trunk, pulling out a night-shirt. They both looked up when she entered – Lavender scowled and looked away but Parvati offered her a small smile.

Lavender was twittering away about something – Hermione had got very good at tuning her out in recent months – and so she ignored her and got changed into her pyjamas. She just wanted to sleep, though she wasn't sure she was going to be able to.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" Parvati asked suddenly, looking concerned. Hermione realised she must be looking more distraught than she thought.

She glanced at Lavender before answering – she really hadn't wanted to be the one to tell her, not being in the mood for what was sure to be and over-the-top display of emotion from her roommate. Still, she and Parvati had to be told sometime.

"I'm fine, it's – well, the thing is, Ron's in the Hospital Wing," she said.

"What? Why?" Lavender immediately exclaimed.

Hermione looked her straight in the eye. "He was poisoned," she said. "He almost died but Harry forced him to swallow a bezoar and it saved his life. He's still unconscious, but Madam Pomfrey says he'll be alright."

Hermione waited for Lavender to start crying, but instead she just stared back at her, her eyes narrowed. Hermione looked at Parvati instead, who was looking more shocked. More like Lavender should look.

"How was he poisoned? Who did it?" She asked.

"It was some wine Professor Slughorn gave him – Harry took him to his office this morning because he'd accidentally taken a love potion –"

"Was it by Romilda Vane?" Parvati asked, glancing at Lavender. Hermione nodded, too tried to wonder how she knew.

"Yes, she'd given Harry some laced cakes and Ron ate one – anyway, he had some wine and started fitting, and Harry grabbed the bezoar and… well, he's going to be okay."

Parvati nodded silently. Hermione looked back at Lavender, who was still looking at her with the same strange expression on her face. After a moment she spoke.

"So you've been in the Hospital Wing all this time?" She asked quite conversationally.

"Yes – well, we had to sit outside for most of the day; Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let us in until about an hour ago."

"Who were you with?" Lavender asked.

"Harry and Ginny, then Fred and George came in, and Mr and Mrs Weasley came too," replied Hermione, wondering what had got into her.

Lavender nodded, looking thoughtful. "How did you hear about it – did Harry come and find you?" She asked.

Hermione frowned – where was Lavender going with this? "No, I saw Harry and Ginny outside the Hospital Wing and I went to find out – look, Lavender, why does this matter?"

Lavender pursed her lips together. "I was just wondering why none of you thought I should be told," she said. Her tone was measured, but Hermione could hear the barely suppressed anger in her voice. She shook her head disbelievingly.

"It wasn't exactly the top of our lists at the time, Lavender," Hermione said.

Lavender glared at her. "No, of course it wasn't," she said angrily. "Nobody cared that I might want to be there – no one thought that maybe his girlfriend should be told!"

Hermione's jaw had dropped in shock during Lavender's outburst. She could feel a well of anger bubbling up inside her – her feelings of helplessness and regret had been replaced by a seething hatred of the girl in front of her.

Lavender was the reason that she and Ron hadn't spoken to each other in months, the reason that Ron almost died today thinking that Hermione hated him. Not knowing how much she missed him, how sorry she was. And now she had the barefaced cheek to stand there and complain!

"You're unbelievable!" Hermione spat out. "Ron almost died today and you're more upset that no one came to find you!"

Lavender scowled. "Oh please," she scoffed. "Don't get all high and mighty with me, you always have to get involved when something happens – it's not like you actually care what –"

"You don't know anything about me!" Hermione exploded. "Or about Ron, for that matter! So you can just shut the hell up right now!" Hermione's voice was getting louder with every word. "You've always been stupid and selfish but this really takes the bis – "

"HOW DARE YOU?!" Lavender bellowed. "HOW DARE - DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON ME!" For Hermione had sneered at her and turned away, going to sit down on her bed.

"I don't care what you have to say, Lavender," Hermione said scathingly. "And if you don't mind I'm going to bed."

"You just can't stand the truth, can you Hermione?" Lavender said. "The fact is that Ron needs me there, and that really gets to you, doesn't it?"

Hermione, who had just reached up to draw her bed-curtains, paused and glared at Lavender again.

"You know, Ron almost woke up for a second, just before we left, but he only managed one word," she said calmly. "And it was my name."

With that Hermione yanked the curtain closed and quickly performed the silencing charms she always did to keep out Lavender's annoying voice.

That done, Hermione threw herself down onto the mattress and buried her face in her pillow, her argument with Lavender playing in her mind, even though she was so angry she could barely think straight. It wasn't the fact that Lavender was annoyed that got her so angry – Hermione could see her point in a way – it was the fact that Lavender was more upset about that than Ron that had got her so riled up.

Lavender had known how Hermione felt about Ron and she'd swooped in and stolen him from under her nose, and for what? Someone to snog? She could have used anyone for that. But she'd chosen Ron, and the fact that she barely cared he'd almost died made Hermione so much more angry with her – and with Ron – than she had ever been. She knew Ron didn't care, she knew it, and yet he'd still started going out with her for some unfathomable reason.

But that didn't matter now – she wasn't going to let anyone get between them again. No matter how she felt about him, Ron was first and foremost her best friend, and they needed each other. Thinking back to that moment in the Hospital Wing when he'd said her name Hermione's heart constricted painfully, just as it had done then. She knew he'd been unconscious but in some way it made it matter more – as though his subconscious was reaching out for her; like some deep part of Ron needed her more than he was willing to admit.

The way she needed him.

To hell with Lavender, and her pride, and everything else. Today had scared Hermione more than anything had ever done before, and she was not about to walk away again. Not from him.