Ballad for the Lost Romantics

'...Anyway, you’re not reading this to learn about me. You merely want the story that I have to tell you, or really, the story behind that which you already know. It’s not a particularly interesting tale, in my opinion, but far be it from me to withhold it from the people...Okay, enough of what I think and more of the story. I’ll try to keep it as simple and uncomplicated as possible, but let’s face it, folks; love is never simple and uncomplicated...'

"...So please, Beloved Hogwarts, indulge a star-crossed lover who finally has an audience to ignore her. Here’s to us fools that have no meaning and to a ballad for the Lost Romantics!"

I felt the bile in my stomach rise up to choke me. My heart restricted painfully and suddenly I wished that Lady Rowena would die a terrible death one hundred times. I couldn’t believe it; I was jealous of myself~ Hermione sees Oliver!!!

Now Ginny, the youngest and only girl in the infamous Weasley clan, was nothing like her older brother Ron, who is at times, charmingly clueless. She had a quick mind, easily made connections, and thought along the same lines as I did. So, when Ginny then asked if my writer’s block was for my next column, I wasn't too terribly surprised; but that doesn't mean I didn't try to play dumb.~ Hermione's discovered, but Ginny can keep a secret...

I skidded to dangerous halt and gave many thanks to that one god that pitied me enough to keep me from falling flat on my face. Turning around with a strong sense of foreboding to see who had called out my name (even though I already knew who he was), I realized that the one deity that had spared me just a few short moments ago had just as quickly betrayed me.

"We were going to kiss, I distractedly noticed, too caught up in Oliver to be nervous. Oliver was going to kiss me; the key word being ‘was.’ We would have kissed, honestly we would have, but given my luck (or complete lack of) it was that precise moment that I slid on a particularly muddy wet patch of grass..."

"...And then Oliver- Professor of flying, Witch Weekly’s winner in its newest category of Most-Charming-Bloke, Quidditch hero and player extraordinaire- turned and ran away from love, saving me the trouble of doing so..."

Belatedly I realized Oliver had been speaking to me. Controlling the urge to strangle the presumptuous snot, and then kiss him like there was no tomorrow, I looked up from the spot on my new shoes (it was most definitely a piece of gum) and met his slightly wary eyes. “Come again?”

Funny how we realize the smallest things too little too late, eh? Oh, not ‘hardy-har-har’ funny, of course, but more ‘hardy-bloody-har’ funny. If I need to explain the difference to you, then perhaps you have missed the humor in my previous writings and have not been able to fully appreciate them, which is why I now recommend that you go back to reread my various articles with now opened eyes.

"...My eyes darted to lock with his, something inside of me instantly responding to the desperation his voice held. And as my eyes fixed on his, I suddenly forgot the (very remote) possibility that I could lose my gripping and fall to my death. His eyes, that seemed to convey that he was worried, concerned, and yet in complete control of the situation all at once, were all I could focus on..."

'...Anyway, you’re not reading this to learn about me. You merely want the story that I have to tell you, or really, the story behind that which you already know. It’s not a particularly interesting tale, in my opinion, but far be it from me to withhold it from the people...Okay, enough of what I think and more of the story. I’ll try to keep it as simple and uncomplicated as possible, but let’s face it, folks; love is never simple and uncomplicated...'

“This year, however, we have received quite a few more from newspapers and magazines such as Witch Weekly, or The Daily Prophet, all asking me just about the same thing: to try and persuade Lady Rowena to come and write for their establishment. Tell me, Hermione, have you ever thought of continuing your writing career outside of Hogwarts? You already have quite the following…”

Read it, if you want to know...

read it, don't...it's up to you...but it'll be your loss if you don't :-)