Let The Truth Be Told

Chapter 3

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Hermione had her blue pajama top halfway down her face when Ginny ran and knocked her over.

"What?" Lavender asked ignoring Hermione.

"Apparently Ron knew all this time that Hermione liked Harry!"

"Correction....LOVES Harry," Lavender added.

Hermione pulled on the rest of her shirt and just sat there and blushed.

"So is that what you were worked up about?" Lavender asked.

"No, well, yes...I just can't believe that Hermione told Ron before she told us!" Ginny ranted.

"Well, he IS one of my two best friends." Hermione defended. "And look what happened as soon as you two found out!" Hermione got up to go get ready for bed.

"She IS right Ginny," said Lavender. "You are quite the loud mouth."

"Hey! It was your plan to tell Ron," defended Ginny.

"Ok! You two, pipe down!" Hermione just got back from brushing her teeth. "This is my problem and if I choose not to do anything about it, it's my problem. Now if you don't mind...I'm going to bed," Hermione said.

Ginny and Lavender shrugged and began to get ready for bed themselves.

Hermione crawled into her four-poster and shut her drapes. What am I going to do? She asked herself. Lumos! She whispered and pulled out her diary and began to write.

Dear diary,

The most horrible thing happened today. Ginny and Lavender found out that I had a crush on Harry... not that it wasn't true but still. Oh yeah, I haven't told you that I liked him did I? It turns out I do. It's been quite a while now. I'm surprised at myself that I even kept this secret from you, diary. It all started in fourth year when he was injured. I was so scared, so scared I would lose a friend, I was scared I would lose Harry. When we got off the Hogwarts Express, I guess my emotions got the better of me and I kissed him goodbye. Don't worry, it was just on the cheek. I practically ran off after that. Until this day neither of us have mentioned it. I really want something to happen. I really wished he liked me back but I know that would never happen. Besides... wouldn't that ruin our friendship? Of course not, I keep telling myself, but I just can't find the courage to tell him. Oh well, it's Christmas soon which brings to another point. I'm so mad at Ron, he's leaving for the break while leaving me here alone with Harry. This is going to be torture! I've been trying to avoid him for quite some time. It doesn't seem that he cares much ( Well, I expect the humiliation to come tomorrow since Ginny and Lavender know now. I'll just have to grin and bear it and see what happens.

Goodnight diary

1 Hermione

She put a Secrecy Charm on her diary and tucked it under her pillow. With one last sigh, Hermione drifted off to sleep.

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The next morning, Hermione awoke with a start. It was the day Ron and the rest of them left for the holidays, except of Harry and her, of course. This thought made her stomach do a little leap.

Stop it, she thought It's never going to happen.

Hermione got out of bed seeing that Lavender and Ginny were already packing.

"Good morning Hermit," Lavender said with a chuckle.

"Hermit?" Hermione asked completely confused at Lavender's random nickname.

"I don't know where that came from, sorry Hermione," Lavender replied without even looking up. "Have you seen my photo album?"

"Do you mean this one?" Ginny asked flipping through a maroon photo album. "Oh my gosh!" Ginny suddenly squealed while Lavender was practically diving at Ginny.

"What is WRONG with you two?" Hermione yawned trying to get back into bed.

"Look at all these pictures Lav has of Ron!"

"Give that back!" screamed Lavender as she snatched the album back only to have it taken away from her by Hermione.

Hermione put a Locking Charm on the album and levitated it in the air. "Before I forget, did you two tell the entire universe about the whole Harry thing yet?" Hermione asked partially afraid of the answer.

"No, of course not, no one else is up yet," Lavender replied trying to jump for the album.

"Yet?!" Hermione gasped. "You two aren't really going to tell anyone are you?!"

"Well, ok, so we weren't but we could if we really wanted to." Ginny said.

"Here's the deal, Lav. You can't have your album back until after break. Just in case you try to spill some secrets to the general public. And Ginny," Hermione shot a look at the sixteen-year-old read head. "You keep your mouth shut too, or I will tell Seamus that you're madly in love with him."

"But," Ginny and Lavender said together.

"No buts," said Hermione. "I can't have you two ruin my life because you think it's funny. I won't tolerate you two trying to set me up with Harry."

Knowing they were defeated, Ginny and Lavender sighed out and exasperated "ok" and returned to packing. Satisfied, Hermione locked Lavender's album into her trunk and went to freshen up and change.

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"All packed!" Lavender said as she fell onto the floor and leaned against her trunk.

"Me too," said Ginny and followed Lavender's actions.

"Oh no! My shirt is all ruined!" Lavender said dramatically.

"What are you talking about? It's fine," Ginny replied as she looked at Lavender's perfectly crisp light purple blouse.

"It's all wrinkled!"

"Oh shut up, Lav," Ginny said and she threw a cushion towards Lavender and missed.

Just then Hermione walked into the room wearing a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt with her hair pulled up in a ponytail. "Ready to get some breakfast, you two?"

"Yeah," Lavender replied as she stood up and gave Ginny a hand.

"Starved," Ginny added.

The three of them walked down to the Gryffindor common room just as Harry, Ron, and Seamus came out of the boys' staircase. Harry and Hermione both looked away and began to blush. Ron gave Ginny a thumbs-up sign as she was replying silently with a cut-it-out one. Harry and Hermione kept avoiding eye contact for the rest of the morning as they ate breakfast.

"So you and Ginny are going home for Christmas, are you?" Seamus asked before he took a sip of his orange juice.

"Yeah," Ron answered. "I suppose you're going home as well."

"Yeah, why are all of you girls so quiet?" Seamus asked.

"Nothing, no reason, nothing at all," they all answered together.

"You'd think they're planning something," Ron added. "Are you?"

"Not anymore," Ginny sighed looking down.

"Not anymore?" asked Seamus. "What were you going to do?"

"Nothing!" Hermione spoke up for the first time. "Hey, Ginny, Lavender, care to join me at the bathroom?" Hermione added in a threatening tone. All three girls got up from the almost empty Gryffindor table and walked out of the hall.

"Girls," Ron added.

Seamus looked around to check if the girls were out of site and whispered, "Harry, are you going to tell her? You can't just avoid her all Christmas holiday you know?"

"Seamus is right...for once," Ron commented. "You have to tell her."