A/N 1: Early post! I decided to post this up now since I was awake anyway because of the Arctic Monkeys web transmission, which ended like twenty minutes ago.

A/N 2: This chapter is dedicated to Harry! (Not to J.K. Rowling though. She wrote that shite we call the last book of the Harry Potter series. Well, fine this is for her too, then…) I believe it's his birthday today. Happy birthday, Harry! ^_^

Chapter 3

From The Journal Of Hermione Granger: Entry 3

It's been a rather long time since I've last written. I apologize for that. Not many people can find time to write in times of a war. I'm currently in the Burrow, in the room Harry and Ron shared. Ron isn't here; he's avoiding both Harry and I. Perhaps I should explain.

It happened during lunchtime. We had just moved away from our previous spot. Things were quiet between us. It was like sharing a flat with your worst enemy or a complete stranger. Harry rarely talked to me then. But I wasn't going to blame myself for it. He had rejected me. But then again, I caused it, so I guess the entire thing goes back to me. I feel responsible for everything. So I did what any normal person would do after being rejected.

I quit.

I quit being in love with Harry. Of course, my heart still beat very fast whenever he looked at me. My skin still tingled if your hands accidentally touched. But I decided it was just the effect of still having a tiny crush on him. In a few days time, Harry and I would be back to normal. Although, I don't think we'll be back to normal completely.

So during lunchtime, we were eating in silence, just focusing on our food, when we an owl flew in and dropped a letter in between us. We stared at it then looked at each other with a confused look. Harry picked it up and motioned for me to sit beside me. I lifted my chair and carried it beside him. Sitting right next to him, we looked at the letter. On the front was Ron's chicken scratch handwriting. It read, "HJP & HJG".

Harry tore the letter open and we started reading. The letter was short but urgent. It read:

"H & Hr,

I know you guys are probably downright pissed with me, but it's an emergency. It's G. She's been attacked.

- R"

Harry and I looked at each other before standing up in a rush. I cast a Charm on the dishes and cutlery to start cleaning themselves then we started preparing to leave. We packed up our belongings and I found my beaded bag. We kept the tent and Apparated to the Burrow under Harry's Invisibility Cloak.

Silently, we approached the huge house still under the Cloak. When we reached the front door, Harry pulled it off of us and knocked on the door.

Mrs. Weasley had answered it. "Oh Harry, Hermione!" She exclaimed, enveloping us in a bear hug, "I'm so glad you came! Ginny's wanted to see you!"

We both smiled lightly and entered the house.

"She's upstairs, do you want to see how she's doing?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

We both nodded and she led us up the stairs. "She might be asleep, but there's no harm in checking on her," explained Mrs. Weasley.

"She's in there," Mrs. Weasley pointed to the door of the room Ginny and I shared before.

I knocked on it three times and Fred answered the door. "Hey, look at the couple that finally decided to join us!" He teased, grinning and letting us in.

Ginny was lying asleep on the bed; her hair splayed out like a huge fan. Ron was on one of the bed, sitting down and holding her hand while Fred and George were on the other side.

"Bill and Charlie are coming later on. I think Fleur's coming over too." George informed us.

"How did it happen?" I asked, looking concernedly at Ginny. She was paler than before.

"Well, it happened in Hogsmeade actually." George replied.

"She was walking back to Hogwarts by herself when she was Crucio-ed from behind. She tried to Bat-Bogey Hex her attacker but she wasn't fast enough. She was Crucio-ed again. Then a curse hit her and she fell unconscious. Madam Pomfrey sent her home. Although, some of the details are sketchy." Fred continued.

"Is she okay?" I asked.

"She's getting better. She's got to take three potions a day because of it." Fred replied.

"I guess it wasn't a serious as yours, Hermione," said Harry finally.

"Yeah," replied I, remembering how angry Harry was when I was hit with Dolohov's Curse, "that's good."

"Well, let's give her some rest, dears," Mrs. Weasley said, leading us out, "you'll have enough time to talk to her later."

Harry and I nodded and left the room first. Mrs. Weasley led Harry into the kitchen to talk to him while I left and roamed the garden. I walked around while Garden Gnomes went running around everywhere. I was kicking the grass when I heard shuffling feet behind me.

I spun around and saw Ron, standing six feet away from me. He looked at me with a pleading look, "Hermione—"

"What?" I asked, coldly.

"Look, I know you're mad and I'm sorry—"

"You're sorry?" I asked, sarcasm dripping from my voice. "I can't believe you! How could you have left us? Harry and I were left alone together!"

"Hermione, I know what I did was wrong—"

"WRONG?! YOU'RE A COMPLETE ARSE, RONALD WEASLEY! I am never going to forgive you! 'I get it, you choose him'. Honestly! What is wrong with you? Of course I would choose Harry! He needed us! He needed me! I wasn't going to walk out on him. My loyalty has and always will be with Harry."

Ron sighed. "I know all that, alright? I'm sorry and I've been regretting it ever since."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Of course you have," muttered I sarcastically.

"Could we start over?"

I sniffed and turned away from him. "Go ask Harry. He's always been more forgiving than I have."

Ron sighed yet again and left.

~*~*~

The next few days were passing by slowly. I didn't talk to Harry or Ron. They were talking to each other though. I caught Ron looking over at me some times. But Harry over ruled him. Harry was always looking at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

I managed to hold my patience with him but with Ron I exploded.

"What?" I demanded, slamming my book down. I was reading A History of Magic in the sitting room when I caught Ron staring.

Ron was momentarily startled then his ears turned a light red. "What?" He asked.

"You were staring at me," said I exasperatedly.

"Oh. Er—sorry," mumbled Ron, turning red.

I sighed and stood up to leave. I picked up the book and decided to go back to Percy's old room (where I was momentarily rooming until Ginny got better) when I bumped into Harry on the way out.

"Oh, sorry," I apologized blandly.

"It's fine," said Harry. But he wasn't looking at me. He was looking behind me, at Ron, who was still blushing. Harry narrowed his eyes a bit in suspicion.

"What happened here?" He interrogated.

"Nothing happened," said I feeling slightly apprehensive at his sudden mood swing. "Honestly, boys."

Of course, Ginny couldn't get out of bed all the time. Harry and I talked to her often. Then the last day we staying there, something happened. It was morning time and Harry and I were eating breakfast. Mrs. Weasley came bustling in and started arranging Ginny's breakfast tray. I volunteered to help, but Mrs. Weasley wouldn't hear of it. After we were left alone, Harry was staring at me with a strange expression on his face.

I blushed and looked at him. "Is there something on my face?" I asked, looking into his eyes.

"Huh?" He shook his head a little, "what?"

"Er—you were staring," said I.

"Oh, sorry. It won't happen again."

But he said that last time and yet it did happen again.

Then Mrs. Weasley came back in. "Harry, Hermione, Ginny wants to talk to you. Hurry up now, upstairs," said Mrs. Weasley.

We immediately approached her room. Harry knocked three times. "Ginny?" He asked.

"Come in!" She answered jovially.

Harry and I entered the slightly cramped room. We started off in casual conversation. Then Harry said something that surprised both Ginny and I.

"Er—Ginny. Hermione and I, we'll be leaving again soon. Maybe even tomorrow. Vol—"

"Don't say his name! It's a Taboo, Harry!" I interrupted.

Harry looked at me with a gaze that asked for explanation.

"It's how they track people down. We've got to be more careful when we say it." I explained. "Ron told me," I added when Harry opened his mouth.

"Oh," said Harry looking slightly agitated. Then he turned back to Ginny. "Well, You-Know-Who, then, is on the move and Hermione and I should be too."

"Oh. Well then," said Ginny, blushing a tad, "I guess I should say this now." She took in a deep breath. "Harry, remember how we broke things off during Dumbledore's funeral?"

Harry nodded, looking a bit anxious.

"Well, I was thinking that since I'm already a target since I'm a 'blood traitor', I figured that maybe we could—you know—get back together," Ginny said, blushing.

I felt my heart clench.

"Er—um, well—"

"I'll leave you two alone," I interrupted, feeling my eyes tear up. I stood up from my seat.

Harry looked stunned. "Hermione—"

But I already closed the door. Feeling slightly depressed, I walked around the garden while the wind swept around everywhere. I shuddered a bit and rubbed my arms.

I sighed. Harry and Ginny were probably sharing a sweet kiss now, happy about their reuniting. Then they would probably announce it to the rest of the Weasley family and Harry would probably bring Ginny along with us on the Horcrux hunt.

I rubbed my arms again as the wind blew around me. Then I heard something behind me. I spun around and saw Ron.

It was the previous scene all over again.

"Ron, what is it?" I asked, slightly worried at his pale appearance.

"Hermione, I'm sorry about what I've done. I-I—"

The slamming of the back door interrupted him. He opened his mouth to speak again when the large bushes nearby were shaking. I motioned for him to starts speaking again.

"I-I—Hermione, I really do—I-I—"

"Just spit it out, Ron!" I yelled, getting irritated at him.

"Hermione, I love you! Will you be my girlfriend?"

I froze. Ron loved me? I can't say I wasn't expecting it. I knew Ron fancied me for sometime now, but I didn't know what to do. How was I supposed to reject in a nice way?

I was spared from answering when the bushes started shaking again. Ron and I were staring at it then Harry, Fred and George fell out of it, half of their bodies invisible because of Harry's Invisibility Cloak.

"We in the way?" Fred and George asked, grinning.

Ron looked furious. "You're totally in the way!" He bellowed. Then he started cursing and yelling at the twins.

Harry was getting up and dusting his pants. He looked at me with an expression mixed with regret and something else I didn't recognize.

I looked back at Ron, who was still yelling at the grinning twins.

"Ron," I called out.

"Eh?" He asked, looking at me.

"Ron, I'm sorry but it's just that there's no way,"

"What?" He sounded incredulous. "Why?"

"Well, it just that—you see—er, I can't really explain…" I trailed off, looking away and finally letting my gaze fall on Harry, who was telling the twins that they should go.

Ron must've followed my gaze because he murmured softly, "I knew it,"

"W-what?" I asked, stuttering.

"You're in love with Harry, aren't you?! I knew it from the start! You guys are in love with each other! He's always staring at you! When we're together, he always brings you up! Whenever he talks about you, his face lights up! That's why he rejected Ginny! Because he loves you!"

"Ron, that is not even—"

"IT IS! I KNOW IT IS!"

"Ron, I gave up on Harry before we even came to the Burrow!"

Ron finally shut up and Harry, Fred and George were staring at us. "W-what?" Ron stuttered.

"I gave up on Harry because—well, because he jilted me!"

Harry's jaw dropped and Fred and George's eyes were looking back and forth from Ron and I.

"He rejected me because he couldn't think of me that way! So I gave up!"

Ron looked at the two of us then shook his head. "Harry must've changed his mind because he's absolutely in love with you now."

Then he headed back into the Burrow with Fred and George trailing behind him. Harry and I were left alone.

I shuddered and rubbed my arms again, remembering how cold it was. Then a light weight fell on my shoulders. Harry had removed his jacket and laid it on my shoulders.

"Harry—"

"It's no problem."

We were silent again. Then Harry spoke.

"Did you really give up on me?" He asked, turning to look at me. I didn't notice but we were five feet away from me.

"Look, it doesn't matter anyway. I'm sorry I've made everything awkward between us but it doesn't matter anymore because I quit, alright?" I didn't know the answer to his question in reality.

"Don't."

That one word sparked something inside me.

"What?" I sounded scared even to my own ears.

"Don't quit."

"I—I don't understand—"

"Don't quit loving me." He sighed. "Look, I know I've got no right to say this after I rejected you, but things are different now. Every time I look at you, I can't look away. Whenever I see you with Ron, it pisses me off."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I'm taking back my rejection to you. I'm saying that I think I love you,"

He was close to me now, less than a foot away. I was wiping my eyes but I didn't even realize that I was crying.

Harry took a ginger step towards me. "Hermione—?"

I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Oh Harry! Do you really?"

He laughed and hugged me back. "I do. I really do. I love you, Hermione." Then he kissed me.

When we pulled back, he grinned. "You didn't really give up on me, did you?"

I sniffed and gave him a shy smile. "Silly, how could I quit loving you?"

Then he kissed me again.

~*~*~

I'm afraid I must stop writing once again. Harry is telling me stop and to get in bed with him. I must say, I had never expected for Harry to love me so easily. I guess it just goes to show that even in a war, happiness can always happen.

Harry is getting impatient now. I must leave. I don't know when I can write, but I will. Harry is telling me to stop writing or he's going to look at what I'm writing. We're leaving tomorrow, early in the morning. I have to go, Harry's getting up from the bed.

And with that, I close this entry.

Signed,
Hermione Jane Granger

~*~*~

A/N: This isn't the end, folks! I've still got a chapter or two up my sleeve! ^_^