Broken

Hermione sat staring at the lake. Thoughts swirled within her mind like the wind that blew across the surface of the water. It could not be possible, but there was no way to deny it. How could she, though? This was Harry she was thinking about, her Harry. Her best friend Harry. What was Ginny going to say? What was Ron going to say-

-Ron. Her boyfriend. Harry had been fine with the two of them dating, but why wouldn't he be? He didn't care one way or the other. It was a monumental effort for Harry to wake up in the morning. Hermione knew that he still dreamed about Sirius falling though the black veil. If she still did, then he must as well. No one was closer to Sirius than Harry and Remus Lupin.

Hermione groaned and put her face into her hands. She had thought that no one would ever mean as much to her as Ron did, but here she was dreaming about being with Harry. And when Ron held her, she couldn't help but imagine that it was Harry holding her. Ron didn't know. But he would figure it out soon enough. Despite his academic failure, he wasn't stupid.

I wanted you to know I love the way you laugh

I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away

I keep your photograph; I know it serves me well

I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away

As soon as the song entered her mind, she couldn't help but begin to cry, just a bit. It was strange to her, how she'd cried over dumber things, but she couldn't cry now. She certainly hadn't cried when her parents had taken her to see the movie that the song was from that summer. She was trying to remember the name of the song when she heard someone call her name.

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome

And I don't feel right when you're gone away

She didn't have to look to know who it was. She knew him too well. But she couldn't face him now, when she didn't know what to do. The sight of him might break the barrier holding her back from insanity.

The worst is over now and we can breathe again

I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away

There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight

I wanna hold you high and steal your pain

"Hermione," Harry called. She ignored him, and kept her back turned away. He could see the wind blowing across the surface of the lake, sending ripples of water towards them.

Ron had been angry when he'd told him to get Hermione. But he wouldn't say why. Harry knew that something was wrong between the two of them, but he didn't know what. There had been something odd in her eyes that morning at breakfast, something that reflected in Ron's face when he told Harry to find Hermione.

He reached her, and touched her shoulder. Her skin was ice cold, and he flinched at the touch. He unhooked his cloak and draped it over her shoulders, but she shrugged it off.

"Hermione, answer me," Harry said worriedly.

She only continued to sing what she'd been humming under her breath when he'd gotten close enough to hear.

"'Cause I'm broken when I'm open

And I don't feel like I am strong enough

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome

And I feel right when you're gone away"

"Ron's looking for you," Harry said. She continued to hum, and he knew that the knew the song, but he couldn't remember the name of it.

"Hermione, come on, you're scaring me!"

You've gone away, you don't feel me anymore

"I'm scared, too," she finally whispered.