The Love Hexagon

A/N: Okay, to clear things up: Cho started that duel with Hermione because, as I wrote in the beginning of the chapter, David stood her up (to walk Hermione to the Common Room), and in the next morning, he and Hermione were talking. Cho was naturally angry with that (seeing as how she's always been jealous of Hermione) and started the duel. Hermione wasn't fighting over David or Harry. She was defending herself.

Also, pardon me for any mistakes in grammar or spelling that I make. English is not my first language (it's Portuguese, because I was raised in Brazil) so I'm really sorry if my grammar is horrible at times.

Oh, and before I forget, this chapter and the next one are the reason why I said
”angsty comedy” in the summary.

“The supreme happiness of life is the conviction of being loved for yourself, or more correctly, being loved in spite of yourself.” Victor Hugo

+++++++++++++++++++===========================+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“I have a feeling, just a little hunch really, that this Hogsmeade weekend isn't going to be very enjoyable,” Ron said grumpily while walking beside Harry towards one of the shops, Scrivenshafts's Quill Shop. Ahead of them, Krum and Hermione were walking together, talking excitedly of a book he had bought for her about Ancient Runes. Harry grunted, agreeing, and felt his patience being drained completely from him when he noticed how close they were walking. He tried to keep his mind off the night before, off the crushing disappointment that had been for him to discover that he was the one she had been talking about, the one she felt obliged to like. Oh, how he had hoped it was Viktor she was talking about.

Watching them both was exhausting. Even looking at her sucked out all his energy. All that due to the simple fact that whenever she looked at him today, he'd feel himself unable to breathe in any air, his muscles would go limp while his mind raced with thoughts of her, and his stomach twisted in painful, yet pleasurable knots. All these happenings had converted the energy he acquired at breakfast into nothing more than a strong, consuming and depressing wish to be near her at all times. Groaning, he sat down on one of the chairs on the sidewalk and watched Hermione enter Scrivenshaft's with Viktor tagging closely behind.

“Hey mate, you coming?” Ron asked, sounding no more enthusiastic about going in there than Harry was.

“Nah. You go. I kind of got tired, you know, having walked all this time,” Harry didn't care that his excuse was lame and didn't make any sense. He just didn't care anymore.

“Yeah… all those 10 minutes,” grunted Ron in agreement. He hesitantly started to walk towards the shop when Hermione exited, sans Viktor. Harry quickly stood up, and couldn't help but throw her a hopeful look that she'd be without him for the rest of the day. She walked until she was right beside Harry, who could only stare at her with puzzlement.

“Okay, so… what are we going to do?” Hermione asked cheerfully.

“What do you mean? You want to go somewhere with us?” Ron asked with shock. Hermione looked even more surprised.

“What is wrong with you two? Don't we always come together?” Hermione's raised eyebrows called for a good explanation for their clueless behavior, but unfortunately, Harry could think of nothing, and chose to remain silent. “Fine. The Three Broomsticks it is,” she said impatiently. She chained arms with Harry and started to drag him towards the designated place, pulling Ron by his clothes, too, when he didn't budge.

“Uh… Hermione… I know you forget things sometimes, and it's very rare, but… I've never seen you actually forget a whole person,” Ron inputted, looking behind him towards the shop.

“What are you talking about?” Hermione asked the red-haired boy, frowning. When she only received blank stares, a look of realization came to her face. “Oh… you mean Viktor. We're joining him later. He decided to buy something there and I've decided to spend the time with you two.” She started to walk again with Harry, being followed by Ron behind them. “This is Viktor's last day at Hogwarts, do you realize it?”

“About time…” Ron muttered under his breath, which made Hermione stop right in her tracks. Before she could turn around to give him the usual death-glare, he added quickly “about time they fixed those lamp-post thingies there,” he said, pointing to… nothing in particular, Harry mentally noted. “It was getting very ugly, the situation here, you know, who knows if you're going to trip by lack of proper lighting—“ Harry wondered how far he was going to carry his explanation until Hermione wisely interrupted him.

“Ron, you are horrible when you're trying to fix your words, did you know?” Hermione said simply, recommencing her advance towards the Three Broomsticks.

++++++++++++++++++++++++===========================++++++++++++++++++++++

“You're saying that Voldemort is starting to attack Muggles?” Harry incredulously inquired of Hermione, who was sitting beside him. Dread started to fill him, as well as a feeling of helplessness. He was reminded of the prophecy as well as how perfect the beginning of this school year had felt, with him simply blocking Sirius and Voldemort from his mind. Now, it seemed, everything was collapsing on him. The realization that no he longer would be able to escape his fate threatened to suffocate him with sadness.

They had arrived half-an-hour earlier, talking about nothing important, until Hermione had told them she had received a letter from her parents where they expressed their concerns over some strange happenings in the Muggle world lately.

“Hermione, how can a simple flying horse make news?” Ron asked, clearly confused. Hermione's chin slowly dropped and Harry had no idea if he was being serious.

“Do you even listen to yourself?!” Hermione exclaimed angrily, slamming her butterbeer mug down onto the table. Fortunately, very few people paid attention to her outburst. “He's after Muggles, too!”

“I… I should have seen this coming. Of course he's going to want to scare us like that. He wants to terrify wizards, to get wizards to side with him in the war because they're afraid of him, and is using non-magical people to do that,” a pain-filled Harry concluded, sinking lower into his seat.

“I hadn't thought of that,” Hermione said in a low voice, “but Harry… I think he's not only using the Muggles. I have a feeling he wants to dominate them too, like he wants to dominate the magical world,” she whispered to him. Ron didn't hear her words and threw Harry a look of bewilderment.

“We'll tell you later,” he assured Ron. Then turning to Hermione, he asked cautiously, “can I see the letter?”

“Of course. I'll show you as soon as we get back to Hogwarts,” she assured him, turning to Ron. “So... how's it with Luna, Ron?” She asked him with a mischievous smile.

“She's mental!” He exclaimed, blushing profusely. “I don't know what to do about it,” he admitted, avoiding his friends' eyes.

“I thought she was the girl you fancied,” Hermione told him, frowning.

“No… and if you asked that because you think she likes me, you're mental, too,” he accused, even redder.

“How did you know why I asked that?” She asked, her smile growing.

“Because Ginny says the same thing,” he muttered in a barely audible voice.

“Oh… she says that Luna likes you?” She inquired, leaning in Ron's direction. Harry ignored the small pangs of jealousy at her act.

“Uh… yeah, she does. But she's mental, too, so…” and he became even redder.

“I wouldn't know about that, Ron… Ginny is always so perceptive…” she suggested, a glint of malice in her eyes. She threw a little smile to Harry before turning back to Ron. “I don't think she'd be wrong about something like that.”

“It doesn't matter… I don't like Luna, so it doesn't matter,” Ron informed her, and to hide his even stronger facial shades of red, he picked up his mug of butterbeer from the table and slowly sipped its contents. Harry, who didn't know whether Luna liked Ron or not, remembered her reaction when he had told her that Ron fancied Hermione. That could be considered suspicious, Harry thought to himself. He held in a gasp when suddenly the pieces of the puzzle came together to him; of course she'd treat Hermione badly. They hadn't got along very well last year, and now she liked a boy that liked Hermione. Of course. But he was brought back to their current situation when Hermione spoke up.

“Well, I can't say anything on the matter because she isn't talking to me. And I wonder why,” Hermione told them, sounding a bit upset. Ron's eyes immediately snapped to Harry. Harry could see panic overcoming them, and searched his mind for what he could do. Change the subject. That was it.

“So, when is—“ Harry had been about to ask Hermione when they'd meet Viktor again, but Hermione continued her distracted musing before he could finish the sentence.

“Ginny is her friend… she'd know if Luna liked you or not… I think she likes you… and I thought she was the girl you liked… you never told me who the girl was that you had started to fancy…” Harry watched Ron become paler and paler, “…I don't know why you never told me who she was… but why does Luna hate me now? I wonder… I don't remember doing anything…” she muttered distantly. Ron shot a terrified look at Harry—the way Hermione's mind always worked so brilliantly, she'd have everything figured out in a few moments. They'd have to stop her from thinking; they had to stop her from finishing her thread of thought. He'd have to save Ron from the embarrassment.

“Hermione!” Harry cried out suddenly. Hermione, confused, immediately looked at him.

“Yes, Harry?”

“Uh… when is Viktor coming here to meet us?” Harry inquired, faking curiosity and trying to hide his panic.

“Oh… in about 10 minutes or so,” she answered calmly. Then, suspicious, she added, “why do you want to know?”

“Nothing, I was just wondering,” Harry said, knowing he'd have to keep her mind off her previous thoughts for at least a few minutes more, or else she'd just remember them later, and they couldn't afford that. Ron looked at him, pleading him to continue. Harry knew that if Ron started to talk, Hermione would immediately remember what she'd been pondering on. “Is everything all right with spew?”

“You mean S.P.E.W., of course,” she corrected without the usual coldness she reserved for Ron when he made the same mistake.

“Right. Sorry about that,” Harry apologized, struggling to sound actually sorry and not as though he was just searching for words.

“I got Viktor to join, and David Gardner, too. I talked about it to Neville and Dean, but I haven't gotten a response yet. At least Neville seemed interested,” she said, sounding as though she was trying to console herself.

“Of course he'd been interested,” Ron said coolly, more to himself than for them to hear, but she heard it.

“Why? He's a sympathizer of elf rights?” Hermione inquired, clearly interested. Ron seemed to regret what he had said and hesitated to answer.

“Uh… I don't really know if he is, it's just that… he—he really likes elves,” Ron explained, stuttering enough to make Hermione raise an eyebrow. “He likes them, because they're sort of… cute.” Harry rolled his eyes and gave Ron a shake of his head. He could have certainly done better than that, Harry thought to himself. “Don't you think so, too, Harry?” Ron asked, and Harry felt instantly indignant. So now it was up to him to handle it, was it…

“Oh, I don't know… Dobby is all right. But Winky and Kreacher,” he mentioned angrily, and immediately Hermione took his hand in hers.

“We don't have to talk about Kreacher or anything like that, let's just…” She looked into his eyes with compassion and smiled sympathetically. “Let's just talk about Quidditch, shall we?” Harry couldn't find his voice.

“Quidditch? You don't like talking about that,” Ron said. At the same time, Hermione's eyes shifted towards the entrance.

“Oh, it's all right. You two talk about it. Viktor has just called me from outside,” she informed them distractedly. Then, looking at them, she added, “I'll be in Honeydukes, okay? And I'll see you two later, for lunch.” They bid her good bye and watched her leave with disappointment.

“That was close, wasn't it?” Harry asked, trying to make them both more comfortable. Hermione and Ron's feelings for her were something they never spoke about.

“Not just close… death-close, the kind that makes you see your whole life replay right before your eyes,” Ron corrected with relief.

“Yeah, well… at least she didn't notice. But she's Hermione, isn't she? Almost figured out everything,” Harry said, thoughtful. If she had figured out everything, what would have happened? Did she like Ron back? No… she couldn't… he was closer to her than Ron was, wasn't he? He'd gotten used to that. Surely Hermione liked him more? But what if she liked Ron back? What if they got together? What if he was then left to be the awkward third wheel, the outsider friend? What if they forgot him? What if Hermione no longer cared about what happened to him, and forgot him?

“Harry, I… I think I'm starting to like someone else… and I still like Hermione,” Ron confessed, drinking his butterbeer to hide his face. “I still like her, I still feel the same way, and it's still growing, but I… I think I'm liking this other girl, too.”

“You don't have to tell me who it is,” Harry said, remembering that Ron didn't know that he, too, liked Hermione. No! He denied with a scream in his mind. He didn't like her, he didn't like her, he didn't like her… “You don't have to tell me at all, Ron.” If only he could convince himself that everything was the same, that nothing had changed.

You don't fancy her. No, you do fancy her… she makes you feel differently… he nervously pushed that thought away and resumed his inner chanting. You don't fancy her, you don't fancy her, you don't fancy her… just say it enough times… what if Hermione likes Ron? You'll be fine with it, he told himself forcefully. Why should you care? You don't fancy her. You don't like her.

But what if he did? Worse, what if it wasn't just like? What if it was beyond just fancying?

Once again, that blasted memory invaded his mind and made his heart perform somersaults inside his chest. He had just opened the door of the house at number 12, Grimmauld Place, and Hermione was sitting in that couch, talking, stroking Crookshanks, turning to him, smiling, standing up…

He hated that memory. It made his whole body ache because of her. Because he couldn't hate her, as much as he hated the memory. Because he couldn't even convince himself that nothing had changed. You've fallen in love with Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Luna had said. Oh, Merlin… what if she was right?

No, she's not right. She's wrong. You don't fancy Hermione. You can't. Ron fancies her, too. Too?

Harry heard Ron say something, but he was still absorbed in his thoughts. Why did he always like the unattainable, currently-interested-in-another-boy girls? With Cho it had been bad enough, even when he had actually had the opportunity to be with her. But with Hermione the feeling was immensely stronger and bigger and more urgent, and if he started to like her any more, he told himself, he'd probably do something about it, and it would do no good, it'd even destroy what he already had with her. He had to like someone else, he told himself resolutely. If he liked someone else, then it'd be all right if things didn't work out, because he wouldn't lose a friend, and especially not his best friend. And if he fancied someone else, it wouldn't hurt him if Hermione liked Ron. Yes. He'd like someone else. It'd be simple, all he had to do was find another girl and think of her as very unattainable and very pretty. Suddenly, Harry felt lighter, happier, and determined to make it all work out as he had planned. He smiled.

“Ron, let's go see Viktor and Hermione, huh?”

+++++++++++++++++++====================================++++++++++++++++++

“What is it, Viktor? We've…” her eyes stayed on the shop they were supposed to go, which had just passed by. “Viktor, we missed the shop. It's right—“

“Herm-own-ninny, vee are not going to the shop,” Viktor said, pulling her gently by the hand towards a space between Honeydukes and another shop just before Zonko's. “I `ave a sooprise vor you.”

“Uh… okay. What is it?” She questioned, uneasy with the look he was giving her, as though he was overjoyed just to see her. They hadn't spent much time together since he had come to Hogwarts, mostly because of his training, but also because Hermione wasn't very sure she should see him very often. Lately she was starting to see him in a new light, almost, and it was making her wonder what would happen if she spent more time with him. However, every time she did spend a little time with him, she'd find her thoughts drifting to Harry, and she'd feel terrible about it later. She never kept her promises. How many times had she sworn that she'd stop thinking about him? She never kept her promises…

Viktor raised a hand highly above his head clearly as a signal and immediately one of team members approached them running and handed him a very long package. She took one look at it and already knew what it was. He gave it to her with sheer pleasure all over his face. Hermione remembered that he loved pampering her.

She set the package on the ground and, kneeling, started to hesitantly open it. It was… a Firebolt. She couldn't believe it. Oh, goodness… a Firebolt. The fastest broom in the world…

“Viktor, really… I can't accept this,” she told him firmly, even as she felt a wave of happiness dominate her despite the fact that she wasn't very fond of flying. Firebolts were expensive. Firebolts were the best of the best.

“Off course you can. It is my present vor you,” he said smiling, and placed the broom in her hands. “I `ope that next time I see you, vee vill be able to fly together.” Hermione, not knowing what to do, quickly stood up and watched him do the same thing.

“I don't know how to thank you,” she told him, but he shook his head dismissively. He didn't need any thanks. Out of ideas as to what she could do, she opened her arms and embraced him in a tight, warm hug. She felt his arms encircle her, too, and she kissed his cheek, feeling comfortable enough to let her forehead rest on his neck. “Thank you so much for your gift,” she whispered, knowing he'd hear her.

“You `ave just given me the best thanks you could `ave,” he told her with a chuckle. She let him go and, giving him a big smile and clutching her broom in one hand and Viktor's arm with the other, walked towards the Three Broomsticks, where she would be able to show her present to Harry and Ron. Excitedly, she wondered how her friends would look at her when they settled eyes on her new broom. Naturally, her thoughts traveled to the space in her mind that was occupied solely by Harry. She wondered if he'd want to go flying with her sometime.

++++++++++++++++++==================================+++++++++++++++++++++

“Harry, she's not here at Honeydukes. Where in the world is she?” Ron asked, storming out of the sweets shop. Harry was standing outside, very still, staring at the ground. He had just watched, from a distance, Hermione open Viktor's gift and then kiss him on the lips. It had possibly been the most painful image he had ever seen, second only to the one where Sirius was falling through the veil. This scene was tugging at another part of his heart, though; different than the one that was pained when he remembered Sirius' demise. He couldn't identify these parts yet, but with Sirius he had cried and wished he'd never feel again. Right there in front of Honeyduke's, at that exact moment, he felt strangely numb, as though he really would never feel again. “Did you see her?”

“No…” Harry answered weakly, not wanting to pain another person with the knowledge of what had occurred. Hermione and Krum had taken off in the direction of the Three Broomsticks, probably looking for them, but Harry had no plans of going back there. Not after what he had witnessed. He was actually hoping he'd never have to see Hermione again so as to never feel another painful stab, but he couldn't. He consoled himself to the fact that as soon as he went to Hogwarts, he'd like another girl. He asked himself whether that was as simple as he thought. It doesn't matter, he answered himself. Anything was better than liking Hermione and getting his heart shattered. “I think we should go back, Ron,” Harry suggested. He felt sympathy for Ron suddenly. Hermione liked Viktor. She didn't like Ron. But she didn't like Harry, either, and that last part made him hurt inside as though someone was injecting pain directly to his soul. But this won't happen again, he told himself. He was going to like someone else.

“You sure, Harry? Hermione told us she'd be meeting us. And if she isn't here, she must be at the Three Broomsticks looking for us,” Ron answered, eating one of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. “Oh, swell,” he said with a grimace. “Burnt rubber.”

“You can stay if you want to,” Harry told him. “But I think I'll be going. I have loads of things to do.” He then tried to think of something he had to do and… couldn't find anything. Even homework had all been done, thanks to Hermione's reminders. Hermione. If only his heart would stop hurting…

“All right. I'll stay, but I don't think I'll be meeting Hermione and Vicky. I think I'm going to trade some cards with Seamus and Dean,” he informed Harry. “And meet with some other players from Quidditch, since we have a game on Tuesday.”

“Bye then, Ron.”

“Bye, mate,” Ron said, starting to walk away.

+++++++++++++++++++++==================================++++++++++++++++++

Sunday morning arrived lazily to Harry. He couldn't wait to see Viktor out of Hogwarts and out of their lives (at least for another week) after lunch. The morning before had been horrible enough. At night, Hermione had come to the Common Room with her new broom to show Harry and Ron. The latter had been overcome with excitement over her present until he found out who the giver had been. From then on, he went on to point out every flaw the Firebolt had, which unfortunately weren't many. Hermione had been most excited of all in showing it to Harry, who was still so pained by what he had witnessed in Hogsmeade that he couldn't even fake some sort of happiness, and could only stare at Hermione when she asked him to go flying with her sometime. He wasn't able to smile, or to tell her he wanted to indeed. He only stared hard at her, fully aware that the whole Common Room was watching the scene.

“Oh… I take that as a no,” Hermione had mumbled, looking down. Harry wanted to correct his words, but stopped short. If he did, she'd probably do something like hug him and he'd become a jelly-legged fool in front of her again. No such thing was going to happen, ever again. He promised himself he'd never, in his life, be hurt by Hermione again.

++++++++++++++++++++++=============================++++++++++++++++++++++

“I `ope you vrite me until vee meet again,” Viktor told her smilingly while he approached his team near the lake. They had all just had breakfast among the students of Hogwarts and had already packed all their belongings, which were surprisingly not a lot. All the other players were already on their brooms ready to go, only awaiting their Seeker.

“I'm not sure I will have time, but I'll do my best. You'll write me, too, won't you?” Hermione asked, detangling her arm from his when they finally reached his broom.

“I vill, and soon I vill be back to get you and your frends to the game,” he assured her. Hermione gave him one last smile and hugged him.

“Good-bye, Viktor.”

“I vill see you in a few days, Herm-own-ninny.” With that, he mounted his broom and kicked off into the air, followed by the rest of his team. There were waves from the uncountable students that had come to the area near the lake to watch the famous players leave their school, and Hermione noted that Harry and Ron were not among them. Watching Viktor disappear among the low clouds that morning made Hermione feel very lonely suddenly. The only boy who had ever really liked her was gone. For only a week, true, but still gone. That meant a week's number of days without company and without someone who could just generally make her feel well and cheerful. She had thought Harry was another one who could do all that (and even more efficiently), but… her thoughts shifted to the night before. Pain immediately invaded her as she recalled what had happened. Suffice to say, Hermione said to herself, that she now saw he wasn't what she had thought he was. She had chosen the wrong person to fall in love with.

Walking back to the castle while worming herself out of the crowd of watchers, Hermione thought about how hard it was to simply pretend she wasn't being hurt everyday. Harry demonstrated from time to time that he could only see her as a friend, but she still never gave up the hope that he'd someday see her as something else, someone who meant more, just as she had started to see him as. On the verge of tears that threatened to spill whenever she thought of how foolish she was to love Harry, of all people, Hermione determinedly concocted a plan inside her head and decided that she'd do everything within her power to see it accomplished. Her objective was to fall out of love with Harry, and no one would prevent from doing so. With her plan firmly planted in her head, she walked to the Common Room, preparing herself to face Harry for the first time freed of him in her heart. Or at least, she hoped her heart was freed of him. And anyway, her plans always worked. Why wouldn't this one?

+++++++++++++++++++++==================================++++++++++++++++++

Harry, comfortably lodged on one of the couches, watched Hermione enter the Common Room very slowly, with a visible mantle of sadness on her face. He wished she wasn't so sad with of Krum's parting, because he certainly wasn't. He had chosen not to watch Krum leave in order to avoid witnessing possible additional hugs, or worse, kisses, between the two. He still felt a small tinge of guilt bother him because of his reaction to her invitation the night before, but he chose to ignore it. A few Gryffindors were staring at the both of them, and Harry concluded they were probably wondering if he would still talk to Hermione after what had occurred between them.

Hermione very hesitantly sat down beside him, looking straight ahead. He turned to look at her and felt another stab in his heart. She looked horribly sad, as though someone had hurt her infinitely more than she could bear. Krum… that arse.

He couldn't think of anything he could say without making things worse, so he remained silent, and Hermione did the same. After a few minutes of absolute silence between them, however, Hermione stood up with a sigh. She took only one step in the direction of her dormitory before Harry stopped her, standing up in front of her, trying to ignore that their bodies were almost touching, and, even more gravely, they were almost the same height so they were practically face-to-face.

“We… have to talk,” he told her, swallowing hard. His heart was practically galloping inside his chest and he could have packed all his belongings and left the country when Hermione's eyes lowered themselves to the spot where his heart was thumping madly. Great, he thought. She could hear it.

“Are you all right, Harry?” She asked with concern, her eyes once again on him.

“Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. We do need to talk, though. Right now,” he said. Then, following her eyes to a group of staring Gryffindors nearby, he added, “we'll go to the lake, of course.”

They made their way outside in silence, which only made Harry more uncomfortable. His eyes shifted from the path ahead to Hermione's face a few times, but he found himself too nervous to actually start a conversation or to look at her for a longer time, even if he did want to. He started to plan what he was going to say to her, but nothing came to him. An apology was necessary, but after that, what would he say?

When they were within a few feet of the water, Hermione stopped and turned to Harry, who, out of reflex, immediately took a step back away from her.

“Harry… I think you should tell me why we're here,” she said seriously.

“Uh… I wanted to apologize. For the way I treated you yesterday in the Common Room,” he explained, starting to feel slightly calmer. She only stared for a few seconds before finally speaking.

“Why did you treat me that way?”

“It's not like you minded,” he blurted out defensively. What a lie… Hermione became visibly indignant.

“Of course I minded! You're supposed to be my best friend!” She protested angrily.

“Listen… I…” Harry felt as though it was the moment of truth. His heart sped up again, he could feel himself perspiring profusely, and his hands starting to shake. He would tell her how he felt, he decided. He couldn't keep it inside him any longer, even if her heart belonged to Viktor Krum. “The thing is…” Come on, he told himself. Just say it. “I've… I think… no, I'm sure… I have these feelings… and I… well… I wish I didn't have them…” Come on, you idiot, just tell her; he reprehended himself harshly.

“Harry… sorry, but I'm not understanding a word of what you're saying,” she told him, while raising an eyebrow.

“I think I'll sit down, if you don't mind,” he said, his voice coming to him sounding strangely like a squeak. He sat down uneasily and Hermione did so, too, still shooting him looks of puzzlement.

“What is it, Harry? I'm starting to get worried,” she told him.

“It's nothing serious… actually, it is, but…” he took a deep breath, and decided to avoid her eyes in order to make his revelation easier. “I… I've fallen for someone,” he said weakly, his eyes on one of the nearby trees.

“Oh.” Hermione said simply, without any detectable emotion. He didn't have the courage to look at her face to see if her expression would encourage him.

“Yeah, and it's… well, the reason why I treated you that badly is because I've fallen… in… in love with…” he paused, feeling as though he'd explode at any moment. He was practically panting, and a horrible feeling invaded him. She didn't feel the same way. It'd be a humiliation for him. “The girl is my friend, you see…” he said reluctantly, looking down now as he started to have second thoughts about telling her. Would it be to any use? Would it be worth it? Krum had just left Hogwarts; she was probably still hurt by his absence, anyway. Or maybe it was too soon to tell her because he just barely accepted that he had feelings for her. Was it too soon? “And that's what makes it so hard to tell her…” And what about his plan to like someone else? If he told Hermione how he felt, wouldn't that keep his love for her in him? “I'm afraid of losing her…” He had been so determined to stop having feelings for her. He had to carry his plan through. It'd be better for the three of them. What would Ron do if he confessed to Hermione, he wondered with panic. They'd fight… Ron would be outraged that he knew that he had feelings for her, yet hadn't told him that he felt the same way towards the same girl. It'd be the end of their friendship. The three of them would split. “I've fallen for…” All he had to say now was the word `you' and it'd be done. That was all. But what if she… what if Ron… “Ginny.” There was a momentary silence. Don't look at her, don't look at her…

“Ginny? You're in love with Ginny?” Hermione asked incredulously. He finally looked at her and saw her face overcome with disbelief. “Ginny Weasley?”

“Yeah…” He agreed, dominated by disbelief himself. Where had that come from? From where had the name Ginny Weasley come? Must have something to do with thinking about Ron…

“I see. That's… good for you, Harry.” Hermione told him dryly. Harry could understand why she'd be harsh with him at that moment. She had expected him to tell her sooner, of course. He was her best friend after all. He groaned and wondered if this, that he had just done, would be fixable in the near future. “Well, was that all?” She said, in a near whisper. He felt horrible with that. She was probably disappointed in him for having been a bad friend. First, he had embarrassed her in front of everyone in the Common Room, and now he had hidden that he was in love with someone. She was disappointed in him.

“Yes, that's all,” he confirmed, unable to meet her eyes. “Thank you. For your time and for listening to me.”

“That's what… what friends are for, Harry,” she had said without enthusiasm, bothering him with the emphasis she had placed on the word `friend'. He deduced she was subtly reprehending him for being the horrible friend he was. Humbly, he took her reprehension.

“I'm sorry for being a bad friend, Hermione. Sorry for that whole flying thing in the Common Room and for not telling you this sooner,” he apologized sincerely, even though the last part had been a lie.

“Oh, that's all right,” she said, standing up and gently slapping her robes to get rid of dust and leaves. “I'll get going, Harry. I have a meeting with Parvati about the gossip column, and I don't want to be late.”

“All right, then,” Harry said, standing up and watching her leave. He felt relieved somehow, that he hadn't told her what he felt. Even though he now had a feeling that his plan of liking someone else wouldn't work, he figured that it was better to try. If it worked, he'd never be as hurt by her as he'd been, and his friendship with Hermione and Ron would be intact.

A/N: Yet another chapter that earns me deathly thoughts from my readers. But oh, well… I liked writing it, especially the last part. For those that are worrying about whether or not Hermione and Harry will get together in the end, yes, they will. But the journey is what really matters, right? So, keep reading. Thanks for the reviews and sorry for the long chapters. I've just now realized that all of them have 5,000 words or more in them. And I'm also sorry for this chapter's lack of humor. It's depressing on purpose, don't worry. The next chapter will have much more humor, I promise.