Behind Closed Doors

PROLOGUE - LOVE IS BLINDING

Six years ago, the famous trio graduated from Hogwarts. Their graduation day, however, was not one of joy and anticipation. Lord Voldemort had been defeated only a week before by young Harry Potter. This time, the Boy Who Lived battled alone, without the once ever-present support of his loyal friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Misunderstandings of what caused their absence in the fight against evil forced Harry to isolate himself from his best friends the following week, soon to turn into the following years.

While the trio thought their problems had reached an ultimate high, arguments broke out between Ron and Hermione (at the time, very close boyfriend and girlfriend).

"I want to make my life meaningful, Ron!" Hermione had shouted in his face the morning of their graduation. "I don't want to settle down if I can still make a difference in the world!"

"Stop thinking of only your own self for once," Ron responded. "What about me? And us? Why can't your life ever revolve around something other than work?"

"It isn't my fault you don't care about your future," Hermione snapped. She turned her back to Ron to hide the tears slowly trickling down her face. "But I suppose it is my fault for refusing to believe you'll never change. Now I realize that it's true. You've never cared for anyone except yourself and what you want."

"That - that's not true," Ron mumbled, his voice cracking. Hermione had struck him a hard blow this time. "You know it isn't. I care for you. I love you."

"Oh, you love me? You really think you do? You don't know what real love is, Ron. Yeah, you love your broomstick and you love Quidditch, but you don't know how to love me. I can't be with someone who doesn't love me."

"Hermione -"

But Hermione didn't stay long enough to hear Ron's protest. She had hung on long enough over the years, even when she probably shouldn't have. "Love is blinding," she thought. "And I was blinded by it all these years". Hermione flew from the room to hide her now heavy sobs and slammed the door so powerfully that several portraits fell to the floor.

The slam of the door shattered Ron's dreams and closed an old chapter of his life all at once. He knew it was over this time; over for good. While Hermione had walked out on him, crying, several times before in his life, she would always come back, they would say their apologies and the world would be right again.

This time, he knew it was different. She wouldn't come back. His stupidity had cost him their love - forever. And there was nothing at all he could do about it.

She had lost her best friend and boyfriend. He had lost his best friend and girlfriend. Their own love and caring for one another actually drove them all to fear and doubt. But they all vowed to move on with their lives and make them significant. The past could not haunt them.

But the renowned Hogwarts trio had been so blinded by love that they believed their hatred for one another to be true. And that is why, on that very day, a strong grudge was formed in each of their minds.

Of course, none of them knew that grudges didn't last forever.