The curls on Hermione's head stood out at all angles and her clothes were creased and crumpled and the owl cocked it's head and would have giggled if she could at the witches disheveled appearance. She then hopped up onto the arm of the safe, shaking her feathers and began squawking loudly again in attempt to get Hermione to part with a few knuts and to also release her from the parchment bound around her ankle with a piece of string.
Hermione grunted and took the letter into her hand and paid the bird. It swiftly made off through the open window. This time into a cloudless, winter day.
It took Hermione a moment to realize why she has fallen asleep on the sofa. It was one of those moments, when you awake and don't remember what happened the evening before. Hermione briefly forgot that she had collapsed of the settee, because she was distraught to take herself up to bed. Her brain hadn't yet had time to register, that the young man she professed to love had left her for another girl. After years on waiting for him to love her, after building up her hope's from the tender age of thirteen and the finally grasping the ability to call him hers .. She had been mistaken to think that he could ever love her in the way she had always imagined. It was one of those sweet, innocent, blissful moments where she didn't hurt. Until it really did begin to hurt.
Tears pricked her eyes and she wanted nothing more that to crawl back into a ball and sleep until the pain began to subside. Her stomach began to convulse and she could have easily been sick, except she hadn't eaten anything. Her stomach growled, churned and hurt all at once and Hermione wrapped her arms around her waist. Trying to physically and emotionally, pull herself together.
She then remembered the letter she had hastily written to Ginny last night, and guessed because she recognized the owl, that it was her reply.
'Mione,
I didn't have a clue! None of us did, he must have sent you an owl and then come right out and told us.
Let me just say, Mum is furious. I am furious. Fred & George .. Are furious. Which isn't usually an emotion that is usually within their emotional reach as you well know ..
Honestly, he is such a bastard. I don't care if he is my brother!
You have to come here. Mum won't have it any other way, and Ron's gone into hiding at "Lav's" now anyway.
Come round about 2? And pack in preparation to stay here for a while. You can have the guest bedroom for as long as you need.
Harry is here with me obviously, but he's completely on your side of course. You should have heard hat he said to Ron ..
Everything is going to be alright. Please try not to worry.
Love you lots,
Ginny P.S, if you don't come .. We're coming to get you!
Hermione let out a long breath, and glanced at the clock. It was 1:30 ..
It was so kind of the Weasley's to offer her their company and their household while she tried to work her way through this mess. But now, in the harsh light of day, all she wanted to do was to crawl into bed, with a bottle of wine and sleep the weekend away. And the Christmas holidays, and the New Year .. And the rest of her life! She could deal with Ginny coming here to visit her. Lay in bed and hold her hand while she cried and cursed Ronald Weasley with every single swear word that could think of. But, she didn't know if she could handle the hustle and bustle of the Weasley household, as much as she would normally adore it.
Right now, she wasn't in the mood at all to be fussed and chided over about "how thin she was getting" by Molly. To be quizzed by Arthur on the functions of the most ridiculous Muggle objects. She didn't want to be on the receiving end of any of Fred & George's jokes. Hermione just wanted to cry and sleep.
Then on the other hand, maybe it would all be a welcome distraction. Anything had to be better than sitting at home, in the home that was filled with no reminders of him, nothing that ever placed him there at all. Nothing that connected her to Ron. She knew that it was horrible and sly to accept their company just so that she could be surrounded by more than little reminders of him.. But somehow, despite what he had done, there was a huge part of her that was simply desperate to see him. To see his wonky grin look at her from across the room, while she read a book and he threw sparks from his wand at her, trying to distract her and make her smile too .. She wanted to go to dinner with him in the busiest restaurant she knew and see his flaming her standing out a mile away. Knowing that he was there waiting for her made her feel so special and wanted. She wanted his large arms around her, making her feel delicate and safe all at once, she wanted his familiar smell, the way he would buy her books that he spotted, thinking that she would enjoy them. She wanted Ron. And it was crushing her.
Hermione glanced in the mirror and recoiled with horror. She had never looked as foul as she had felt before. Her hair was stciking up at all angles and she felt as though it would be useless to try and tame it today anyway .. but her clothes were crumpled and unclean. There was makeup around her eyes and her skin looked almost grey in colouring .. no wonder the owl had made such a quick exit. Hermione sighed, with a wave of her wand, yesterdays mascara and blush was removed from her face. She smoothed her hands over the top of her head, in a vain attempt to control her curls .. with no luck of course. She grabbed a new pair of pants off the radiator and pulled them on, along with yesterdays jeans and a still slighty damp from the wash, navy-blue, holey jumper that had once belonged to Harry.
With another lightning-quick flick of her wand she levitated her old Hogwarts trunk down the staircase, covered in Ron's Quidditch stickers incidentally and accio'ed some clothes and essentials inside of it. Including Ron's old Quidditch jersey from their school days. She held it fondly to her face and was suddenly enveloped in his familiar smell and felt tears choke her again that day. She folded it carefully and quickly, then placed it underneath all her belongings. She wasn't sure why she was bringing it with her at all. She told herself it was because she slept in it .. but then why would she want to make herself feel worse? Surroounded by his smell all night long. But the scent of him still lingered in her nostrils and she didn't remove the jersey from the trunk .. then with a deep breath, to steady her nerves, her hammering heart and to stop her tears before the could yet again form properly, she turned on the spot and disappeared into thin air.