Complications of a Broken Heart

The Plan

Hermione tossed and turned in her bed uncomfortably. She knew she wasn't going to get to sleep. Why she even tried was beyond her. It had been three months since she and Ron had broken up, but he was all she could think about, night and day, and it was really starting to affect her. It wasn't as though she had loved Ron. She didn't know what love meant, so how could she love him? When he broke up with her, though, it felt as though he had crushed her heart into a million pieces and taken every single piece with him. Maybe that was love, and she just didn't know it. Maybe you don't know what love is until it's gone. All she knew at that very moment was that something in her life was missing, and its absence from her was making it very difficult to live her life.

She finally gave up her battle with sleep. She rolled out of bed and headed to her private bathroom. She turned on the water and hopped into the steaming shower. She allowed the water to wash over her, hoping that if she stood there long enough it would wash away all of her memories of Ron. It didn't work, though. They just kept returning, bringing tears to her eyes.

Flashback

It had been several weeks since they had returned from winter break, and Ron had again taken to ignoring her presence. Hermione was on her way to her Arithmancy class when a mob of flaming red hair came dashing towards her, pinning her to the wall. She smiled as she stared into Ron's beautiful brown eyes.

"Hermione," Ron smiled, out of breath. "I've been looking all over for you. After class I want you to meet me outside under our tree. I have a surprise for you." Ron smiled and placed a kiss on Hermione's lips before disappearing again.

She couldn't help but smile as she made her way to class. All during class she couldn't get her mind off of Ron; she couldn't wait to see what he had planned.

As soon as class ended she rushed outside, not even bothering to get her cloak from the dormitory. When she reached their tree, a smile spread across her face. There was Ron standing with a single red rose in his hand. At his feet was a picnic for two laid out in the snow. She ran over to him, tackling him with a hug.

"I love you, Hermione Granger," he whispered into her ear.

"I know you do." She giggled, pulling his beanie over his eyes.

End flashback

It wasn't fair. How could he just end things like that without even a consideration for how she felt? She wiped the tears from her eyes. She couldn't let him get to her like this. She was simply going to forget him, easy as that.

Or so she thought. When she emerged from the bathroom, she found a familiar owl perched on her desk with a letter tied neatly to its leg. She went over to the owl, feeding it an owl pellet before untying the parchment from its leg. She laid down on her bed and began to read the letter.

Hermione,

How has your summer been? I hope it is going well. I know we haven't kept in contact much after school ended, but it doesn't mean that I want to give up our friendship. My mother, as well as myself, would like it very much if you would spend the rest of the summer at the Burrow. My whole family is here, as is Harry, and they all are looking forward to seeing you. I do hope you will come. I miss you.

Ron

Hermione crumpled the letter up and threw it in the waste, wiping the tears brimming in her eyes. Of course she was going to Burrow, the Weasleys having become like a second family to her. And no matter what, she could never turn down an invitation from them to visit.

She headed over to her desk, pulling out a piece of parchment along with her favorite quill, and started thinking about what she was going to write. Before could get started on her letter, another owl swooped into her bedroom, dropping a letter on her desk before flying out the window.

Hermione picked up the letter from her desk, unrolled it and began reading.

Hermione,

Hey. How have you been? I hope you're doing better than the last time we talked, although I doubt you will be after I tell you what I need to tell you. I think this will be better if I tell you in person. I know when I found out it crushed me, and I would have preferred someone to be there for me when I found out. Anyway, I'm just letting you know that I am stopping by as soon as you finish this letter. See you then.

George

As soon as Hermione finished the last line of the letter, she heard a familiar popping sound coming from behind her. She spun around to see George standing in the middle of the room with a bouquet of flowers and a box of Honeydukes' best chocolates in his hands.

"For me?" she asked coyly.

"Of course, my dear." George handed her the beautiful flowers and chocolates. She conjured up a vase, placed the flowers carefully inside and placed it on her desk along with the chocolates.

Hermione and George had become good friends soon after Ron's and her break-up, seeing as he was going through the same thing with his long-term girlfriend Abigail. They had helped each other through the hard times, cheering each other up when they needed it. Hermione guessed his news must have been pretty bad, since nothing brought a smile to her face like flowers and chocolate.

"I'm guessing you have some really bad news," she said sadly.

George looked at her gravely, nodding his head. He knew his news was going to crush her, since she was taking this breakup with Ron harder than he had thought she would, but then again, he had been her first love. "Yes, I am afraid it is."

Hermione sat down on her bed and George followed, draping his arm around her shoulder. "I better just get this over with. Ok, you know my ex-girlfriend Abigail. Well, the other day I found out that she has a new boyfriend," he sighed.

"Oh, I am so sorry George," Hermione sighed, giving him a sideways hug. "But what does this have to do with me?"

"Well you see, uh, her new boyfriend is Ron." He finished, waiting for her reaction. He looked her in the eyes, knowing that any second they would be flooded with tears, but they weren't. A blank stare took over her face.

"Hermione, hon, are you okay?" he asked carefully.

"I hate him," she growled furiously. "I hate how he can do this to me, how I can care about him so much and he can go around screwing other girls, without so much as a consideration of my feelings. You know, I thought he really cared about me, but I guess I was wrong," she yelled, throwing herself into George's shoulder, soaking his cloak with tears.

"Shh, it's okay, 'Mione," he cooed, rubbing her back as she cried.

It was over an hour before Hermione finally calmed down. She laid quietly in George's lap as he played with her curls.

"'Mione?" he asked quietly.

"Hmm."

"I know this isn't really the best time to bring it up, but I have a plan, and if I know Ron and Abby as well as I think I do it might just work," he said softly, hoping not to upset Hermione by bring up the "R" word.

Hermione picked her head up off of George's lap, looking him dead in the eye. "And you waited until now to tell me because..." she laughed.

"Well, it's a little out there, but I think you should be my girlfriend," he said quickly. "I mean just pose as my girlfriend. I know you're going to be spending the summer at the Burrow, and I know nothing ticks Ron off more than seeing something he can't have. Same with Abby. They both get so jealous, and I think Ron will realize that he lost something good when he finally realizes that he lost you."

"George, that is a great idea!" she squealed, wrapping her arms around him in a huge hug.

"So you're going to do it?"

"Of course!"

"Good. There's just one thing: if we're really going to do this, we really have to act the part. I mean not just a peck on the cheek here, a hug there." He sighed knowing that Hermione would never go for it.

"Anything, if it means I can get Ron back."

"Ok, well how would you feel if I asked you to spend the rest of the week with me and Fred in our Diagon Alley apartment? We can get to know each other better and work on acting like a couple," he said softly.

"When do you want me to come over?" she asked.

"Tomorrow, anytime after noon."

"Ok, I'll see you then."

"'Mione, are you sure you're up to doing this?"

"Yeah. Like I said, anything to get Ron back."

"Ok, well I'll see you tomorrow." And with that he left, leaving Hermione to think about what she had just gotten herself into.