Hermione Granger and the Two Lovers

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Hermione ran all the way back to the Great Hall. "Ron!" Hermione wailed. "They're furious!"

"It's okay," Ron whispered, as he pulled her toward him.

"What are we going to do?" she asked.

"We'll figure out something," Ron told her.

*~*~*~*~*

The trio walked to the common room after breakfast, since it was Sunday, it was usually a very noisy common room, but today it was sunny outside, so most of the students were outside.

They all sat down on the sofa. Ron and Hermione cuddled. Harry sat down at the other end of the couch, away from the smooching couple. He looked a bit grossed out and envious.

After about five minutes, Harry got up and went up to the dormitory.

It was only a few minutes later that Hermione realized he was gone.

"Ron, where did Harry go?" Hermione asked.

"Dunno," Ron mumbled, as he ran his fingers through her thick hair.

"Ron, you don't get it, do you?" she said, mocking his stupidity.

"What?"

"Harry is in pain."

"What? Why?" Ron asked, his head spinning.

"You wouldn't understand," she told him as she got up. "I need to go talk to him; you just stay here. I'll be right back."

Hermione went upstairs to the boys' dormitory. She slowly pushed the door open.

"Did you guys just realize I was gone, or did Ron hold your tongue there?" Harry asked irritably.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, not bothering to answer his question.

"I don't know, I just feel like it's not 'The Amazing Trio: Harry, Ron, and Hermione' now it's 'The Cute Couple: Ron and Hermione'," Harry told her.

"Harry, you have no reason to be jealous. Ron and I will always be your friends," Hermione told him.

"Yes, but now you guys have changed; you're in love!" Harry yelled.

"You wanted Ron and I to be together!" Hermione yelled, losing her temper. "You told me to tell Ron I loved him! You didn't want to be in love with me!"

"You don't understand!" Harry bellowed. "No one understands!"

"Oh, so now you're misunderstood?" Hermione shouted. "Well, I'll tell you what, Harry James Potter, people understand you more than you think they do!"

"Like who?"

"Ron and I understand perfectly! Or I do, anyway. You're still not over Sirius's death, and that's perfectly fine!"

"You don't get it Hermione; you have it all wrong!' he said, lying down on his bed.

"What do I have wrong? You tell me that, Harry!" Hermione said, sitting down on Neville's bed, which was right next to Harry's.

Harry calmed down before speaking again. "Hermione, I'm over Sirius, but I just realized today that I'm not over you."

"Harry, I gave you your chance; I spilled my guts out to you; I was in love with you," Hermione whispered. "But now, now I love Ron. I'm going to marry him."

"I know. I think that's when I figured out that I still love you."

Hermione got up and sat down next to Harry. "Harry, I love you, too," she whispered. "But you know that it's not the same way you love me."

Harry nodded. "I just see you and Ron, and I get jealous."

"Harry, if we ever make you jealous or uncomfortable, just tell us," Hermione told him. "We'll do anything in our control to stop."

"Thanks, Hermione," Harry said. "Could you just do me one more thing?"

"Anything," Hermione said. She knew that whatever he wanted she would be more than happy to do.

"Can you kiss me?" He asked. Hermione's eyes widened. "I mean, just one last time. I just need a little closure."

Hermione closed her eyes and kissed Harry tenderly.

"I knew it!" Ron yelled from the doorway.

Hermione broke away from Harry. "Ron! It's not what you think!"

"Whatever," Ron said, slamming the door as he darted back down the stairs.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry," Harry apologized.

Hermione leaned back on Harry's bed and shut her eyes. Holy Crickets! How could she ruin her life in a matter of minutes?

*~*~*~*~*

The next day, Hermione attempted to confront Ron.

"Ron!" Hermione yelled down the hall to him. He continued walking, not looking back at her.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley!" Hermione shouted.

"What do you want?" he asked, turning to face her.

"That kiss; it didn't mean anything, I swear!" Hermione told him.

"That sounds like a load of dragon dung," Ron muttered, and turned away from her, walking down the hall.

Hermione continued down the hall, to the dungeons. Their first class of the day was Potions; this was not the best class for her to attend when she was this angry.

When she reached Snape's classroom, she slammed her books down on the desk and sat down.

"Five points from Gryffindor for not controlling your anger," Snape hissed.

Hermione frowned and rested her head on the desk. Class didn't start for another fifteen minutes, so she decided to try and relax. She tried clearing her mind of all emotion like Harry had to do for his Occlumency lessons.

The next fifteen minutes were the shortest of her entire life. Class started. They were making a glory potion.

Hermione read the instructions on the blackboard and followed them.

Your potion should turn a purple shade.

Hermione looked down at her cauldron. Her potion was a brown, mucky color. Snape walked over to her cauldron, almost passing right by it without saying anything, but then stopped.

He looked at her potion again. "Well, are we slipping, Miss Granger?"

An evil, unpleasant smirk flowed across his face. "I never thought I'd see the day that Hermione Granger made a mistake in any class," Snape continued mocking her.

Hermione finally snapped. She, out of pure anger, purposely knocked the cauldron, grabbed her books, and exited the class.

Everyone stared at her as she exited. When she was outside the classroom, inside the dungeon hallway, she broke down and cried.

Her life seemed to be falling apart around her. She had only one person who she could talk to. She immediately went to Dumbledore's office.

She knocked on the door and waited, tears sliding down her cheeks.

The door creaked open. "Well, Miss Granger, three times I've seen you here this year alone," he commented.

"Sir, I need to talk to someone," she told him.

"Well, I dare say you made a good choice; I'm an excellent listener,' he said as he sat down in his chair.

Hermione sat down, wiping tears from her cheeks. "Ron and I are having a fight.

"He saw Harry and I kiss, but I only kissed him because he asked me to. He said he needed closure to our relationship from last year."

"I see," Dumbledore said, understanding Hermione's troubles. "Have you tried telling him the entire story?"

"I try, but he won't listen!" Hermione told him.

"Well, then, you must make him listen," Dumbledore suggested. "You will notice, throughout your life, that men like to believe what they see; not the facts."

*~*~*~*~*

On Tuesday, Hermione and Harry dragged Harry into an empty classroom between classes.

"Ron, you need to know the truth," Hermione said. "Harry and I do not like each other, at all."

"This was the closure of our relationship that we had last year," Harry added.

"You kissed!" Ron yelled.

"Yes, we did. That was our way of saying that our relationship was over," Hermione told him.

"What kind of way is that to end a relationship?" Ron asked.

"Ron, by kissing Harry; I realized how much I really love you. When I kiss you, fireworks go off, but with Harry there is absolutely nothing," Hermione told him.

"So, you don't fancy Harry?" Ron queried, making sure to get the facts.

"No, I love you."

"And you don't fancy Hermione?" Ron asked Harry.

"No, I love her, Ron," Harry said honestly. "She's my little sister."

"That was kind of gay, Harry," Ron told Harry.

"Your girlfriend started it," Harry said, pointing at Hermione.

Hermione and Ron hugged and kissed.

"Hermione," Harry whispered, raising an eyebrow.

"Ron, stop kissing," Hermione said, pulling away from him. "We're not going to make Harry uncomfortable around us."

"No, it's not that," Harry said. "I was just wondering; could you set me up with your future, s-i-s-t-e-r i-n l-a-w?"

Ron looked at Hermione confusedly, trying to figure out what Harry just spelled.

Hermione smiled. "Of course, Harry."

Harry left the room, leaving Ron and Hermione there, alone. Hermione had never felt better in her life; her and Ron had made it through their first pre-marriage row. There would be plenty more to come, but Hermione knew that she and Ron could make it through, no problem.

"A good marriage would be between a blind wife and a deaf husband."

-Montaigne, Essays, III