The Seventh Year Soap Opera

The Seventh Year Soap Opera

RECAP OF CHAPTER TWENTY-Arguing, Sarcasm, and...Neville?: Hermione stops Ron from killing Malfoy, the gang takes their N.E.W.T's, and goes to Hogsmeade.

Chapter Twenty Two-Graduation

Hermione Granger woke up with a start and immediately began to sweat with anticipation. Today was the most important day of her life...well, a close second. The Wedding would be first. She looked around the room and saw that Lavendar and Parvati were still asleep, and Hermione crept out of bed, trying not to wake them. She wanted to exchange presents with Harry and Ron before anyone else.

Quietly, she took a shower, brushed her teeth, and dressed in the scarlet dress robes she had bought earlier in the year. After muttering a drying spell on her hair, she fixed it into an elegant bun, but allowed one or two curls to stray. She had no make up, so she pulled Lavendar's lavish case from under her bed and set it up on the sink. "And endless supply," she muttered, selecting the same gold glitter she had used on her eyes at the Ball. Mascara came next, and that took a very long while. Hermione eyed the lipstick cautiously. She didn't fancy pink, but red seemed to...bold for her tastes. Besides, her robes were already scarlet. She felt it would be a bit much. So she chose the same clear gloss she had used for the Ball, and applied it to her lips.

"Good morning," said Lavendar, yawning and coming into the bathroom. "Looking good, Herm, looking good."

"Thanks, what are you wearing?"

Lavendar disappeared and returned with pastel pink robes that were simple and plain compared to Hermione's. Hermione knew Lavendar would pay much more attention to her makeup with a dress like that. "Parvati's wearing robes that are navy blue with yellow ribbons," she chuckled. "It looks so horrid, but she loves them."

Hermione laughed, "I hope you don't mind my opening presents with Harry and Ron first," she said, closing the makeup box.

Lavendar shook her head, "No, I was going to do the same with Seamus, actually. He's so sweet...and funny, God I love him."

"Do you See marriage?" Hermione said.

"Definitely," said Lavendar without hesitation, then she blushed.

"Well, I'll leave you to it," Hermione said, leaving the bathroom and pulling Harry and Ron's presents from under her bed. She excitedly ran down to the Common room. Harry was sitting on an armchair, looking thoughtful, dressed in dark green robes. He looked upset about something.

"What's wrong Harry?" Hermione asked, sitting next to him.

"Good morning," he grumbled.

"What's wrong?" she repeated.

Harry turned his head to her. "Well, it's just...it's really dumb...Ginny and I have already talked about this...well--Hogwarts is my home!" he blurted frustratedly. "I mean, this is where I've actually been happy and I don't want to throw that away. I-I'm afraid to leave Hermione...pretty strange coming from the Boy Who Lived, isn't it?" He laughed.

"No," said Hermione shaking her head, "I don't think of you as the Boy Who Lived. I think of you as Harry, my best friend, who has saved my life countless times. Harry, who is smart, and funny, and sweet...don't do that to yourself!"

"Ginny said almost the same thing you just did, but she had the words 'sexy', and 'adorable' in there too."

"Ha, ha. Seriously, Harry, it's not dumb for you to feel this way. I feel the same. I always knew I was different than my parents, and here, I found people like me."

"Ravenclaws?"

"Don't joke Harry, you looked really distraught and I want to help."

"But it's different with you because you have Krum now, and Ron has the Burrow, and I have--"

"Ginny."

"She's not leaving Hogwarts for another year. What am I going to do until then? I haven't really thought about it all."

"You could stay wherever Ron's staying," Hermione suggested.

"I thought about that too, but I can't follow my best friend around for the rest of my life now, can I? If only Sirius was here..."

"Well, what about Remus? He'd take you for sure!"

Harry grimaced. "Hermione, you're making me sound like cargo."

"Sorry, but I'm sure he would."

"Yes, I suppose you're right--as usual." His tone suggested that the conversation was over. He reached beside him and handed her a present, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

"Looks like a book, oh Harry you know me so well," said Hermione, opening the present very carefully. It was a book, a small, dark blue--

"Diary," Harry said.

"I see," said Hermione in awe. The diary was a velvet material and had the initials H.G. engraved at the bottom. "It's so beautiful Harry, thanks so much."

"Ginny said you kept a diary, I didn't know that--real attentive boyfriend I was, huh? But, she said you only had a few pages left."

"Right, when her and Ron searched my room," Hermione grumbled, still a little angry at that.

"What was written in that diary anyway?" said Harry, raising his eyebrows, and Hermione knew she was red.

"Wouldn't you like to know!"

"Yes, I would."

"Oh shut it you!"

"Okay, open the first page of your new diary," he said.

She did, and she noticed that each page had golden edges, and then she saw that Harry had written something on the first page. She smiled at him and read:

Dear Hermione,

You know I'm not a writer, but what I have to say comes from the heart, so it's very corny, and if you laugh, you'll regret it. Okay, here goes. Thanks. Thanks for always being there, risking your neck for me, your advice (on girls and other things, even if it was confusing), your support, your guidance, your strength, and your love. You, Hermione Granger, are the definition of a true friend. And I want you to know, I'll always be here for you just like you will for me. Thanks for everything.

She looked up at him, her eyes oddly bright with tears. "That was so touching, Harry," she said, giving him a hug.

"Any grammatical errors?" he joked.

"Fragments," said Hermione, and of course, when you began a sentence with 'and'. It's a conjunction, you know."

"Ha!" said Harry. "But you can begin a sentence with a conjunction to add emphasis to the sentence! I got you there, didn't I?"

"You've been doing your reading," Hermione said approvingly.

"You two are unbelievable. It's the last day of school and you're talking about bloody grammar. Should I just go back upstairs now?" They turned to see Ron coming down the stairs. "Goodness, you're already dressed too? What time did you wake up?"

"My, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," said Hermione, eyeing him curiously. He was still in his pajamas, huge bags were under his eyes, and his hair was more messy than Harry's. He looked like he might faint from exhaustion, and Ron told him so.

"I blame Seamus, the dumb bloke muttering in his sleep about the Wasps. I could understand if it was the Cannons, but for crying out loud..." He set his presents on the floor and sat down, then laid down. Hermione eyed him critically; she had the feeling he had been awake for an entirely different reason than Seamus' muttering.

"You can always go back to bed Ron," Harry pointed out.

"I know, but the presents..."

"They're not going anywhere," said Hermione with a grin.

"I know, but I want to do them now. I reckon we'll be busy later on."

"Okay, here, you guys open mine first. She handed them their presents, which were identical. She sighed as Ron tried to unwrap his, but couldn't.

"You made the creases so damn perfect Hermione, not to mention tight..."

"Don't swear," Hermione said, as Harry unwrapped his, Ron following after.

"What is this?" said Ron, his eyes nearly closed.

"It's a pocket television," said Hermione. "I'll show you how to use it later, because it'll go haywire here, but what it is is a whole bunch of images that--"

She explained the whole structure of a television. "I've never had my own T.V. before," Harry said quietly. "Thanks Hermione."

But Hermione was looking at Ron. "He's fallen asleep," she said exasperated. "I'm not a bloody History of Magic Class!"

"Don't swear," Ron mumbled, shooting her own words back at her, "I'm not asleep, my eyes are just resting."

"You look dead," said Harry.

Ron's eyes opened with much difficulty. "Mate, I feel dead. Harry, your present is right here--no Hermione, don't open that yet!" he said loudly, as she reached for a heavy, square shaped package that she knew was a book.

"Okay," said Hermione, watching Harry open his present.

"Money?" said Harry blankly. "Why are you giving me money?"

"For the Omnioculars," said Ron sleepily.

"Omni--oh, fourth year. Why? I told you, you didn't have to!" Harry looked indignant.

"You saw it coming, admit it. I have a box of chocolate frogs upstairs for you too."

"Bet they're half-eaten," Harry muttered.

"Have some faith, Harry. Faith is the key."

"I don't know," Harry said to Hermione, "Can I put faith in a man who looks dead?"

She shrugged, Harry handed Ron his present. Hermione opened it for Ron, because he looked like he might faint if he lifted a finger. "It's a broomstick servicing kit," she told him, "but it's so much better than the one I gave Harry aways back."

Ron's eyes opened and his face lit up with eagerness, as he held it in his hands, "This is...bloody hell...thanks Harry."

"It's nothing," said Harry, and Hermione knew he was feeling awkward. "Well, Hermione's already opened my present. Now she can open 'our' present."

Ron straightened up. "Right," he said, and he pushed the heavy looking book toward her. "I know it's a book," she said, opening it slowly, so as not to tear the paper.

"Oh hurry up Hermione, if you keep at this speed, we'll miss the graduation!" complained Ron.

"Fine, grumpy," she said, but she didn't go any faster. Then, her eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the book she knew so well. "You got me Hogwarts, A History?" she said, and she knew she sounded disappointed.

Ron grinned at Harry. "Doesn't even open the bloody book, just jumps to conclusions," he said.

Harry shook his head at Hermione. "And I thought I knew you, Hermione," he said, in what he thought was a hurt voice. It didn't fool Hermione one bit.

Hermione, feeling foolish, opened Hogwarts, A History. This is what she saw on the first page:

Harry Hermione Ron

A.K.A

The Trio

The Three Musketeers

Potty, Weasel, and the Mudblood

The Dream Team (according to Snape)

Potter and his Sidekicks (I really hate this one)

(My personal favorite) The Love Triangle -Yes, ha ha

Hermione laughed out loud and turned to the next page. She gasped. It was a picture of her from the Ball, and she was shocked at how pretty she looked. "Colin was stalking you," Harry said in an eerie voice, "Taking your picture..."

"No, really?" Then she saw what was underneath it. She gasped again.

"Are you sure you have enough air Hermione?" Ron said. "You know, I love watching her reactions, Harry, don't you?"

"Of course."

Hermione knew they were really putting on the sarcasm to distract themselves while she absorbed every page. "How did you two find this stuff out?" she asked, skimming some of the page again, her eyes falling on these parts.

Facts about Hermione

Full name: Hermione Annabelle Granger

Date of Birth: September 19th

Parents: Ted and Courtney Granger, I think

Height: Shorter than me (about 5 feet, five inches)

Weight: CLASSIFIED INFORMATION, am I right?

Eye Color: Brown. Any idiot can see that.

Hair Color: Like a light brown, really really bushy (joking)

Hermione's favorite:

Color: Blue Subject: Arithmancy Teacher: McGonagall

Shape: Harry, what does this have to do with anything? Heart

Book: The one being written in

Animal: Otter, easy

Movie: Oh yes, Lord of the Rings

School: Harry makes useless questions--Hogwarts

Highest grade on a Test: Infinity

Best friends: Ron Weasley, Harry Potter

What she loves about her best friends: Ruggishly handsome, tall, smart, funny, the fact that we are not smart like she is, er, what else Boy Who Lived, Sexy eyes, Quidditch player, funny, everything Ron said-wrote, whatever

Why she thinks Ron is a prat: Because he just knows so many ways to annoy her--like not studying, accusing her pets of killing his, being too overprotective, insulting Hogwarts, A History, making fun of her hair-the list goes on

You know Harry, I have some very bad things to call you right now, but I do not want to litter Hermione's book with curse words

You already used the word 'idiot'

Since when has that been considered a curse word? Anyway, Hermione, you can ignore him, he's upset because Snape probably failed him and because he knows you like me more

I have to laugh. She likes me more. Well, actually, Hermione likes Krum A LOT more, isn't that right?

No comment, and we're off topic anyway. I, Ronald Weasley, am not a prat. So there.

"How did you guys find out all this stuff about me? Ron, how did you know my favorite movie?" Hermione asked again, shocked, and surprised. The rest of the pages were filled with pictures of her and the three of them together, complete with more sarcastic comments.

"We have our sources," he said sleepily, stifling a yawn, as Ginny walked into the Common Room, also in her pajamas.

"Morning all," she said, handing Ron and Hermione their presents and sitting next to Harry.

She had given Hermione one of the cloths they had seen in Arabella, along with sugar quills. "Thanks Gin," said Hermione, as Ron opened a book on the Chudley Cannons. "Don't you already have that?" she asked him.

"It's first edition," said Ginny, and Ron gave her a huge hug. "Ron, I can't breathe," she choked and Ron released her.

"Look what they got me," Hermione said proudly, handing Ginny Hogwarts, A History.

"Wow," Ginny said flipping through the pages.

Ron handed Ginny a present and Hermione did the same. "Why are you giving me presents, I'm not graduating!"

"We didn't want to make you feel left out," explained Hermione. "Harry, where's yours?"

Harry and Ginny both turned red. "I bet they had their own present opening ceremony last night," Ron grinned, as an owl zoomed into the room. "Whose owl?"

"Viktor's," Hermione said excitedly, jumping up and running across the room to relieve the owl of its burden. It was a small package, about two inches wide, and a letter. Hermione put it in the pocket of her robes, to open them later in private.

"What, we can't see?" said Ron, looking disgruntled again.

Hermione just shook her head. Soon, the Gryffindor common room began to fill. "Shall we head down to breakfast?" she suggested over the noise.

"We can save the others seats," Harry said, leading the way out, while Ginny and Ron went back to the dormitories to get dressed. The Great Hall was unusually crowded today, and it seemed that all of the seventh years were already dressed up.

Hermione waved Eloise over to their table, but she shook her head. "I have to be loyal today, unfortunately," and she sat by Hannah Abbot, who was chatting loudly and looked very annoying. Hermione gave Eloise a sympathetic smile as Ron walked into the room, looking very awake. He walked straight over to Eloise, and they seemed to be talking about something very important. He hadn't even looked over at her and Harry. Hermione tried to hear what they were talking about, but couldn't. They talked for about five minutes, and then Eloise slapped Ron over the head. He walked away, laughing and slid in next to Harry and Hermione.

"What was that about?" Hermione asked him.

"What?" he said.

"That talk."

"Hermione, I don't have to tell you everything, do I? Eloise is my friend, and we should be able to have conversations without having to announce it to the public." He took a sip of pumpkin juice.

"Fine," Hermione said, a little hurt. "What are we going to do about Charlie and living arrangements?"

"Well, you've sort of planned that already, haven't you? Marrying Viktor and all?"

Hermione was stung. "We plan to move to Bulgaria, in a year," she said. "I'm talking about now. Harry's going to stay with Remus, I think."

"Well, Eloise and I are moving into a flat right outside Hogsmeade," said Ron, matter of factly.

"What about Charlie?"

"What about Charlie? I assumed you were staying with your parents and you'd take Charlie, and I'd visit every day."

Hermione was getting angry. "You know my parents don't want to have anything to do with Charlie," she said.

"Well, my parents need a break. They've been taking care of him nonstop, and that's on top of all their work. My father is literally losing his hair."

"But they offered."

"What were they supposed to do? Your parents weren't willing to even look at Charlie, and they couldn't very well let us drop out of school, could they? Then we'd have no money and no way to support Charlie anyway."

"Viktor is willing."

"Of course Viktor is...but you can't just rely on him. What if he leaves you at the altar or something? Then you'd really have no money."

"He will not leave me at the altar."

"Look, we're not talking about Krum, okay? If your parents still want to be prats, that's fine, but I'm tired of visiting my mother every Saturday to see her looking like she's going to collapse at any moment. She's too old to be taking care of infants."

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"If your parents are unwilling to help, you could stay at the Burrow for awhile, and then rent a flat or something. I don't know, I thought Viktor was going to help you with all this stuff."

Hermione was shaking with anger. He was being so damn arrogant and cold towards her, and she didn't want to spend her graduation in a foul mood. "I don't believe you," she snapped, and she didn't speak to him throughout breakfast.

Afterwards, the Seventh Years were to take pictures. The first picture was individually, then came the house pictures. Professor McGonagall led them to the Gryffindor Common Room for their picture. "Alright, we'll have one serious picture and one goofy one," Colin Creevey said. "Serious first."

He arranged the long, red sofa into the middle of the room. "Girls, sit on the sofa. Boys, stand behind the couch." Hermione obediently sat on the couch, on the end. "Okay, er, Ron, Seamus, you two are the tallest, sit on the couch too." Ron sat next to Hermione and Seamus sat next to Lavendar. Hermione didn't even look at Ron, she was so angry at him, but she forced herself to smile for the picture.

In the 'goofy' picture, Seamus plopped himself on the floor and lay down, propping his head with his elbow. "Lav, come here," he said, and Lavendar, in her pale pink dress, sat in front of him with a grin on her face. Parvati and Dean sat next to them, and Dean had two fingers over her head. Neville was posing with his plant. Hermione decided to sit on the couch, and Harry sat next to her, and Ron next to him. Harry wrapped his arms around the both of them, happily, not picking up on their somber moods. "I wish he'd take the bloody photo already," Ron said, through a strained smile. As if Colin heard him, the camera suddenly flashed.

"Now, are the pictures of all the seventh years together," McGonagall said, and they went out onto the Quidditch field. The Slytherins stuck together, like a gang, but the Ravenclaws, Gryffindors, and Hufflepuffs mingled.

"Hi Neville!" Hermione heard Padma shriek enthusiastically as they walked onto the field. She smiled happily for them. They both needed happiness. So do I, she thought absently. What are you talking about? You have Viktor!

Ron needs happiness too.

He was looking extremely grumpy, with his arms crossed, and Hermione had no idea what was wrong with him. He had been this way before their heated conversation at breakfast. He's just tired, she convinced herself, as she saw him talking to Eloise again, whose robes were bulging, making her look extremely overweight. Ron seemed to notice this too, and she heard him say something about elephants and tons. Then, his face went dark again. This time she could hear their conversation.

"Cheer up, mate, you're graduating today," Eloise said, wrapping an arm around him. It was funny because he was taller than she was, so when she did that, he had to hunch lower. Hermione would have laughed if she wasn't so avid on hearing what they were saying. Ron mumbled something, his eyes glaring. Eloise's face grew indignant, "Hey, don't get mad at me because of your problems with women!" Hermione heard her say, and her heart stopped. "I'm your friend, and just because your upset doesn't mean you're going to get rid of me. Besides, you have to live with me, so you better get used to my presence. Now where's my present?"

To Hermione's surprise, Ron actually grinned, backed away, and pulled something out of his robes and handed it to her. She opened it quickly and burst into laughter, but Hermione couldn't tell what it was. "Only you would buy me something like this," she said in-between breaths. She put it in the pocket of her robes and pulled something else out. It was bright orange hat and she placed it on his head, despite his protests. Then she pulled something else out, and wrapped it around his neck. It was a bright orange scarf and it clashed horribly with his dark blue robes. He looked indignant, but he was smiling, and then she pulled something else out. "Can't forget the gloves," she said, putting them on his hands. He rolled his eyes, and turned his head, locking his eyes and shaking his head at someone, and Hermione saw that it was Harry. Eloise was now placing bright orange earmuffs over his hat and he began to laugh hard when she pulled out a bright orange, bulky, knitted sweater with a big R on the front.

"Oh, no, El, don't do that," he said, but she pulled down his head with much force and shoved his head into it, and then the arms. His hat and earmuffs were on the ground and she picked them up and put them back on his head, laughing uncontrollably. "You know, El, it's 80 degrees out here."

She smiled sweetly and challenged, "I dare you to wear all that in the photo."

"You're joking."

"I'd pay you."

"You're joking."

"No, I'm not, and if you don't I will." Pause. "Fine," she said, taking off his earmuffs and placing them on her head.

"No! I'll do it," said Ron, putting them back on his head. "You're daft." He looked around, and they both seemed to realize that everyone was staring at the two of them, waiting to take the picture. "Oops," Ron muttered, as Professor McGonagall glared at him. She obviously did not approve of the bright orange décor. Malfoy was looking on in disgust and he said something nasty to Eloise.

Ron's face hardened, but Eloise flipped her hand in the air, asthough warding off a disease, and said, "Shove it up your arse," and walked over to where they were supposed to be posing. Ron looked at her startled, then looked at Harry, shook his head, and followed her.

"If you were staring any harder, your eyes would fall out," Harry whispered. Hermione jumped, forgetting he was standing right there. She made a tutting noise and walked over to stand by Parvati, feeling very defensive for some reason. Harry grabbed her arm, and said, "You want to go stand by Ron?"

"No, if I wanted to stand by him, I wouldn't be standing here," she said briskly, staring straight ahead, not knowing why she was feeling this way. "The three of us don't always have to be together, do we?"

The moment she said the words, she regretted them. They had come out to sound cold and harsh. Harry's face fell, and Hermione felt sorry. She knew that he was lost without her and Ron, and she had just insulted the bond they shared together. "Harry, I'm sorry," she said, tears prickling in the corner of her eyes, as she saw his well with hurt.

"It's okay," he said, with a smile, but it was only for the picture that Colin had just taken. He walked alone into the Great Hall for the graduation ceremony. Hermione sighed, and then Ron and Eloise came running over to her.

"Did you see the look on McGonagall's face?" asked Ron.

Hermione managed a small smile. "Classic," she said, and they walked into the Great Hall, and she felt more depressed.

The Great Hall was reminiscent to a Muggle High School, Hermione thought. Metal chairs were arranged in long rows and Dumbledore had even crafted a stage in the front of the room. The Hogwarts all hung from the ceiling proudly, and Hermione was cheered up slightly. She looked around for Harry, and saw him chatting with her parents, and with the Weasleys, Charlie in his hands.

Hermione smiled, nudged Ron, and they walked over. She hugged her parents in turn, and then took Charlie from Harry. "You are getting heavy mister," she grinned, and now all bad feelings were wiped away as she stared into his bright blue eyes. She tickled him a little, and he giggled in delight. She held him to her side and said hello to the Weasleys, but they were staring at Ron in horror. "What are you wearing?" Mrs. Weasley demanded. He only grinned and exchanged a look with Eloise.

"Mum, this is Eloise. I'm moving in with her after I graduate."

"I bought him the present," Eloise explained, flicking lint from her honey colored robes. "You should probably take it off now, Ron."

He went red and took off the sweater, earmuffs, scarf, and hat. "When was I going to here about this moving arrangement?" said Arthur calmly. The Grangers were staring at Ron with intense dislike. "And what about your son?"

"That's what I said," Hermione blurted out. Ron stared at her with a look that said, 'Thanks for embarrassing me in front of my parents', and he turned back to his father.

"I thought that the three of us were going to get a house together, but I figured that since Hermione's marrying Krum in a year, there would be no point. So I thought that either Harry and Hermione would get a flat, Viktor and Hermione would get a flat, or Hermione could just save money and energy and stay with her parents." He shot the Grangers a dark look, which they returned. "Then I'd be free to stay at the Burrow. But then Eloise approaches me about a week ago, and she told me that she saw a great little cottage house thing that she wanted to rent, but it was way too expensive to afford, so I offered to move in. I really don't see what the problem is, I'll visit Charlie every day."

"Er, that's fine, I suppose, but honestly Ron, you should have told us earlier that you were moving in with your girlfriend!"

For a moment all was silent. Ron and Eloise looked thoroughly confused, Harry looked amused, Hermione was angry, and so were her parents. "Do you mean to say that you got my daughter pregnant and now you have moved on to another young lady?" said her father, shaking with fury. Her mother nodded.

"No, no, no, no, no," said Ron, shaking his head, and fighting a grin, despite the seriousness of the situation. Eloise caught on.

"You think...me and Ron...sir, no, we hate each other...well, not hate..."

"Mr. Granger, I would never do something like that...me and El, here..."

"Oh for goodness sakes, spit it out already!" Hermione snapped, and everyone turned to look at her. "They're only friends, dad," she added quietly to her father. "I don't even think Ron has ever even had a girlfriend." She balanced Charlie, who was now asleep.

Ron looked deeply hurt. "She's right, you know," he said in a low voice, but his voice trembled with anger and pain. "Hermione's the only girl I've ever kissed, and even then she wouldn't have me." He stared directly into her eyes.

"That's because--"

"Yes, I know Hermione, I've heard this a thousand times. You don't love me." He didn't break eye contact, and the whole room seemed silent with anticipation, but in reality, people talked excitedly around them, not noticing the tension between Ron, Hermione, Harry, Eloise, the Weasleys, or the Grangers.

Harry spoke first. "I think we should take our seats," he said quietly, and Hermione handed Charlie to her mother, and followed him up on the stage, with Eloise and Ron trudging behind. They were to sit in alphabetical order. Hermione took her place between Seamus and a Slytherin she didn't know. Eloise was forced to sit by beside Malfoy, much to her displeasure. Malfoy didn't look to happy either. Harry sat next to Parvati. Ron sat second to last, beside a pretty Slytherin girl.

Albus Dumbledore took the stage, dressed in white silk robes, a color that surprised Hermione, but she didn't hear a word he said. "...and now, Mrs. Granger, our Head Girl, who has achieved more than anyone in academics, will deliver a speech."

Her legs numb, Hermione stood up, walked to the podium and stared into the audience. She could feel every eye on her, every breath held waiting for her to speak, the pride in her parent's eyes, but none of that was in her mind at the moment. Ron's words were racing around in her head, hurt and painful, "Hermione's the only girl I've ever kissed, and even then, she wouldn't have me."

She tried to push the sentence away and she was successful. "Hogwarts is a home to many people," she started, and her mind darted to the conversation she had had with Harry that morning. "I mean, this is where I've actually been happy, and I don't want to throw that away. I-I'm afraid to leave." She looked at Harry, who was staring at her raptly, and he smiled.

"You feel happy here. You find friends here, and love."

"But I love you and that hurts Harry."

"I love Viktor!"

"I found my friends here, and my love," Hermione said, her voice softer. "I couldn't ask for better friends than Harry Potter and Ron Weasley."

In the crowd, Mrs. Weasley sniffled, and Hermione was sure that behind her, Harry was glowing, and Ron was beet red, fiddling with his robes.

"Go ahead and be a stubborn little witch, and marry your precious Vicky!"

She cleared her throat, but no words issued from her mouth. She was suffocating in memories.

"Eat slugs Malfoy!"

"Hermione, you can't do this! It's my child! I have to go! Hermione!"

"You're saying it wrong. It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."

"Are you blaming me?"

"He wasn't only trying to be your pen pal."

"Yeah it will. You won't have to do all the work alone this time, Hermione. I'll help."

"I--" she started, but her throat was dry. She tried to talk, but her throat burned, and she was vaguely aware of whispering around her.

"Checkmate."

"What would it have been for you? A piece of homework that only got nine out of ten?"

"That's exactly why you shouldn't get married!"

"Ron! Ron! Are you alright?"

"Hermione, Neville's right--you are a girl."

"I should have realized I'd have competition."

"You--you're--fraternizing with the enemy!"

A little giggle escaped from Hermione's throat as she remembered the Yule Ball in fourth year. She took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on her speech, twisting her engagement on her finger, so that the diamond was on the inside of her palm.

"I'm going to be here and you're going to have to deal with it."

"RON! Why did you do that?"

"Punch me."

"He called her Mudblood, Hagrid--"

"Has the Mudblood fallen for the Weasel?"

"You know I'm always here for you right?"

"That perfume was really unusual Ron."

"I know you love me! I can feel it Hermione!"

"Hermione--who are you going to the ball with?"

"Hermione, you haven't made my life miserable."

"Yes I have, and it's all because you love me!" Hermione thought furiously, tears prickling without mercy in her eyes. That's when Hermione realized she was still onstage, supposed to be giving her speech. She peered down at all the people sitting in front of her, and all of them were wearing expressions of confusion. I said that out loud, she thought rapidly. I said that out loud.

She couldn't even look at Ron, or anyone else in her class for that matter. "I can't do this," she said suddenly, "I can't do this! Ernie, you can do it, I can't." She turned to Ernie MacMillan, who was sitting next to Eloise. "Please, Ernie, I have to leave."

Ernie nodded, stood up, and walked to the podium as Hermione ran off the stage, everyone whispering worriedly. She didn't care; she needed out. She could hear Mrs. Weasley saying, "She'll be fine, let her go."

She ran as fast as she could, her beautiful scarlet robes swishing behind her, not knowing where she was headed. After what seemed like forever, she collapsed on the ground from exhaustion, sobbing her heart out.

Why did everything have to be so hard? She loved Viktor, didn't she? So why am I feeling this way? I love Viktor, I love Viktor, I love--why is it raining? She looked up, and realized she was sitting in the middle of the Quidditch Pitch, and now rain was falling hard from the sky, a sky that had been so bright and sunny only an hour ago. Great, she thought, folding her hands in her lap, mud all over the front of her robes. "My hair is ruined now," she said bitterly, and then she laughed at worrying about something so petty in her situation, and then she began to cry again.

"Hermione?" said a voice. Hermione couldn't detect whom it belonged to, over the sound of the pattering rain and her own, racking, dry sobs. She only knew it was cautious and concerned.

She looked up, her face red, her eyes dull, but filled with pain and anxiety. "R-Ron," she said, her voice cracking.

He looked at her, and then up at the sky and held out his arms horizontally, as though embracing the rain. He looked back down at her after a couple of seconds, a nervous smile touching his lips, "Wet, isn't it?"

She only cried harder. Of course Ron would make a joke. Of course he would try to make me laugh, and make me forget about everything else. It hurt her that he cared for her so much, when all she had done was put him through hell. All she had ever done was degrade him, reduce him to nothing, and put him through pain.

And still he loved her. Even now, he was willing to skip his graduation ceremony, walk out into the rain, ruining brand new robes that he had probably had to fight tooth and nail to buy, just to crack a joke for her sake. "Why do you have to be so wonderful?" she said softly, unaware she had said it out loud. She looked up at him, seeing warmth in his beautiful eyes.

He sat down next to her on the muddy ground, and pushed his sopping wet hair from his eyes. "You made me wonderful," he answered, with such seriousness that she had never heard before. She buried her head in her hands and sobbed, releasing every emotion she had ever felt and trying to find the right one to describe what she was feeling right now. What she knew. She couldn't put it into words.

The next thing she knew, Ron had come closer and swallowed her body with his arms, hugging her close. They rocked back and forth as she sobbed, the rain pouring down harder and harder.

They sat like that for what seemed like forever, until no more tears would come. Hermione raised her head, her neck aching with pain, sniffled, and looked up at Ron. He was still looking serious, and his thumbs ran up and down her cheeks, softly brushing away any remaining tears. "Thanks," Hermione said hoarsely.

He looked down at her and smiled. "Whenever you need to shed a tear, Ron is here," he said, and she laughed at the rhyme. Then, like two magnets drawn to each other, their lips were pressed against each other, and Hermione didn't know who had initiated it. Hermione allowed herself to fall into bliss, if only for this moment, forgetting everything else. All that mattered was this kiss. Ron's lips were rough, and yet oddly soft, and his mouth was warm and comforting.

He cupped her face in his hands and her arms wrapped around his neck, drawing him close. Then, she moved her hands and cupped his face as his own hands rested on her shoulders.

Suddenly he broke away, and said, "Ow!" He was holding his right cheek.

Hermione dropped her hands, "What's wrong?" she said, her voice oddly husky.

He removed his hands to reveal a tiny cut on his cheek, which was bleeding a little. Hermione reached out to touch it, but he grabbed her hand and flipped it over. Hermione glanced down at her hand in his head, and realized with a jolt of horror what had made that cut across Ron's cheek. "The ring," she said quietly. The diamond of the ring jutted from her left finger in the front of her hand. It was obvious that during the kiss, she had moved her hand across his cheek, and the diamond had scraped into his skin.

"The ring," Ron repeated, staring as she twisted it the right way. "Viktor sends his regards." He touched his cheek again. Hermione looked at the ring blankly; she hadn't been thinking about Viktor at all. Ron stood up and offered her his hand, and she took it, feeling as though she was in a trance.

"Ron?" she said, as they walked back to the castle, looking a mess, wet and muddy.

"Just forget it ever happened," he said, but he didn't sound or look angry. "That'd probably be best--for both of us."

Hermione nodded in silent agreement, feeling slightly dizzy. "But I still love you," Ron said, in the same voice.

The next part he said was so soft that Hermione didn't hear it. He could hardly hear it himself. "And you'll always be my girl."

He stared straight ahead, and Hermione looked at the ground, subconsciously twisting her ring on her finger.