"Open up!" Ron shouted to the door. He banged mercilessly upon it, forgetting that Hermione had already performed protective charms around the shack. "Come on, open up!"
He pressed his ear up against the door, in an attempt to hear signs of life. He heard nothing. "It's me! Open up!" Still, nothing. He sighed. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow. Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow." 'Only the real me would know about that...' Ron thought to himself, remembering the day he and Harry met on the train, and how Fred and George told him a fake spell to make his rat yellow. 'Still can't believe Scabbers was Peter Pettigrew...that creepy, old git...'
Pressing his ear even closer, he tried to make out any voices. And then suddenly, the shack's door was pulled open, and Ron was propelled inside, the door closing promptly behind him.
Arms wrapped tightly around him. "Ron! Are you okay?!" Hermione asked worriedly, instantly removing the identity charm.
Harry's attention, however, instantly drew to Hermione's beaded bag, which he eyed hungrily. "Is the food in there?"
"Listen, Ron, did you see the paper?! Harry and I got it this morning, and-" she stopped.
He raised an eyebrow, which was still dirty blonde and bushy. "What is it?"
"Where's Draco?!" Hermione cried, flinging her arms up into the air.
Ron had the decency to look embarrassedly at the floor. "Well...er...me and Malfoy...we sort of...had a bit of a scrap earlier..."
Harry smirked. "A bit?"
"Harry, this is serious!" yelled Hermione. "If anyone finds out that Draco really isn't dead, which I don't know how that rumour spread, but..." she gasped for breath. "You can't just leave him there!"
Ron leaned against the door crossly. "It's not like he was being perfectly polite on this whole little 'trip' either, 'Mione. Why do you always side with him?"
"Ronald Bilius Weasley. Honestly! For once could you just forget about your little rivalry with Draco, and actually gather some sense?!" She punctuated each of her words with a push at Ron's chest.
Ron looked over to Harry furiously, who simply shrugged his shoulders, and backed away. "For once, could you forget about Malfoy, and actually help us accomplish something?! We're only supposed to be here for shelter for a few days, so we can find a way to get into the school again." He retorted slowly. "To find what?! The bloody Horcruxes, in case you've forgotten where your loyalties lie-"
"You think I haven't been doing anything?! All you ever do is argue with everyone, and sit around whining and complaining! You've become harder to tolerate than Draco!" Hermione fumed, folding her arms over her chest.
Ron's face reddened with fury. "DRACO, DRACO, DRACO!" he shouted, mimicking her relentlessly. "Oh, is Draco okay? Is he happy? Is he comfortable? We don't want him to be left out!"
Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but he continued heatedly. "But you know what 'Mione? HE BLOODY LEFT. HE'S NOT HERE, AND HE'S NEVER COMING BACK. He's been our adversary for years, how can you just bring him here, and all of a sudden expect us to trust him?!"
"YOU LEFT TOO!" Hermione screamed back. "You left us finding Horcruxes, because you couldn't handle the fact that-"
"Stop it! Stop fighting!" Harry shouted suddenly, standing in between them as though to shield either of them from each other's words. But it was too late.
"I CAME BACK, HERMIONE. UNLIKE THAT FOUL GIT. HOW CAN YOU JUST SIDE WITH HIM, AFTER ALL WE'VE BEEN THROUGH TOGETHER. YOU, ME, AND HARRY, THAT'S THE WAY IT'S BEEN, AND-" he swallowed. "That's the way it'll always be."
"Don't blame me for your jealousy! I-" Hermione's voice wavered a bit.
Ron leered darkly. "Tell me, Hermione. Are you in love with him?" he asked, spite creeping into his words.
"Ron, don't-" Harry started, a weird kind of expression on his face.
She looked down...almost vulnerable, she was...but only for a moment. "Don't you dare! So what if I am, it's none of your business!" she replied angrily. "And for your information...we are just friends."
"Why do I care? Why do I care? Hermione, I've been caring ever since Harry and I saved your arse from that bloody troll in first year! You can't just go falling in love, on a whim, with pricks like Mal-"
Hermione shot him a death glare, fury held hostage in her brown eyes. She didn't say anything, she didn't hex him. She walked over to her bed calmly, away from Harry and Ron. Neither one of them saw the lone tear running down her face.
That night, long after Ron and Hermione reconciled awkwardly, and Harry pointed out the food at the bottom of the little beaded bag, Hermione sat up, fully awake. Ron and Harry were fast asleep, their stomachs contentedly full. She, on the other hand, could hardly eat anything, despite the growing hunger arising in her own stomach.
It was a strange concept to her...waiting for someone. She and Harry waited for Ron, months ago, when he left the tent under the influence of Salazar Slytherin's locket.
But this time was different. A whole new experience for Hermione. There was this aching feeling nearing her heart; a lump of memories stuck in her throat. She didn't know what to think, or feel, or do.
So, she gathered the covers around her, and laid back down on her pillow; already wet with silent tears. 'He's never coming back.'
Author's Note- Hello. SO. What do you think? Right now, I'm thinking. "Awwww, Hermioneeeeeee." But that's just me. But then again...yeah I'm not giving you any hints. But, just know that Draco Malfoy...I don't remember what I was going to say. Er...bye! Might as well fight two dementors with one Patronus. So, it's almost Harry's birthday! (And Neville's, but he's irrelevant.) Just kidding, Neville, I love you. *hugs*