Thank you for all your reviews! I'm thrilled to get so much feed-back, so as a reward, here's another chapter of "You Don't Know Me". I'm new to Portkey but several of my fics are now posted here, and here are links to my other three fics which don't fit the criteria for Portkey. (Don't worry I'm still a Harry/Hermione Shipper, but I have Harry/Ginny moments which I outlet on Snitch seeker if anyone's interested in reading them! <grin>)
"The First Vision" (completed) (my original fic - beware, this is a Ron/Hermione Harry/Ginny Fic)
http://www.snitchseeker.com/forum/index.php?s=4ababd14e85a2308fd36f380e68a45bd&showtopic=18283&st=0
"Loose Ends" (Sequel to The First Vision - also RW/HG HP/GW) (In Progress)
http://www.snitchseeker.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=23449&st=0
"It's Been a Long Time" (A Cast Fic - very different from my other stuff)
http://www.snitchseeker.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=23066&st=0
Chapter Eleven
Hermione arrived in her parent's house to find them sitting watching a film on the television.
"Jack left?" She asked them as she flopped into her usual seat. Mr. Granger paused the film, and she looked at her parent's faces and felt worse than she had before. They both looked extremely concerned.
"He left not long after you did honey." Her Mum said softly.
"Did he say anything?"
"Not really. But he sounded very bitter that you left so quickly. I think he really is very jealous of Harry."
"But I went to see Ron!" Hermione exclaimed.
"I think maybe Jack's just very intimidated by Harry. Ron doesn't seem a threat to him as he has Laurie. I guess you don't see how intimidating Harry can be as you're around him so much, but he's incredibly famous, and you two are so close it's like you have your own secret language sometimes that only you two and Ron understand." Mrs. Granger said gently.
"You should have seen his face when he heard that Harry was on the phone for you…he looked resentful almost." Her Mum said.
Hermione put her head in her hands.
"But Harry's been so nice to him! He really tried to make Jack fit in, and they chatted for ages about Quidditch and Football…" She trailed off.
"What should I do?" Hermione asked her parents.
"I can't just not see Harry to make Jack happy as it would make me miserable…I thought he understood."
"I don't think it's just about Harry." Mr. Granger interrupted. Hermione looked up at her Dad.
"I think it's about you being a witch in general…he doesn't seem to be coping very well. I know he's putting up a good front about it, but I think he's having a hard time accepting things." Hermione nodded.
"I think so too…did he go over to his parents?"
Mrs. Granger nodded.
"I'd better get over there. We need to sort this out." She said with a sigh.
"Can I borrow your car Dad?" She asked.
"Of course."
Hermione hugged her parents and grabbing the car keys she headed out to the car, however, she didn't drive straight to Jack's house, she drove aimlessly around, listening to the radio and thinking.
Did Jack hate the Wizarding world? Or did he just feel out of place? She supposed she could sort of understand if he was jealous of her relationships with Ron and Harry, but why just Harry. Yes they were very close, but it wasn't as if they'd ever dated, and he had no idea that she'd once had feelings for Harry. But that was a long time ago. They were just very close friends. She could never give up the Wizarding world, she knew that, and as much as she adored her parents, she was at home in the magical world. At least her parents understood that and they embraced it, and welcomed her friends into their home, and they got along so well with the Weasley's and her other friends, and looked upon Harry and Ron as surrogate sons. She could never give up her best friends, or see them less, they had been through too much together…which got her considering the question she had been studiously avoiding: could she give up Jack? She would miss him, and she did love him, but she could survive. She stopped the car and leant her head on the steering wheel. How could she marry someone she could imagine living without…yes, she loved him but she now realised she wasn't IN love with him. He was a great friend, and she never wanted to lose that, they'd known each other for so long, since they'd been small children, and he was an important part of her life, but not the love of her life.
Hermione wiped tears she didn't remember crying from her cheeks, and wondered why she had been fooling herself for so long. She was just falling into the trap of being in love with love, and the feeling of being in a relationship. She started up the engine again and with a deep breath she turned the car around and drove to Jack's house. His parents greeted her when she knocked on the door, only to tell her that Jack had gone out about half an hour before with Dave, one of his oldest friends. After chatting for a few minutes with Jack's parents she smiled and with a wave headed back to the car to drive to the local bar where she knew she would find them.
Hermione pushed open the doors of The Oak Tree and waved to a few regulars she knew by sight, making her way to a booth near the pool table where she knew she'd find Jack and Dave. The moment she saw the empty shot glasses on the table she knew this wasn't going to be a good evening. Dave shot her a concerned look as she slid into the booth beside Jack.
"Hey you two." She said with forced cheerfulness. Now sitting next to Jack she could tell he was already pretty drunk, while Dave appeared sober, and trying to control their friend. After chatting for a few minutes Hermione headed up to the bar to get a drink and Dave followed her.
"I told him about me." She whispered to Dave.
"I wondered what was up." Dave said looking back at Jack who was now sitting destroying a paper napkin at the table.
"He's not taking it well then?"
"It doesn't look like it. I didn't tell him about you, but we went to the Quidditch game yesterday, and he's being really weird now he knows Harry's famous." Hermione said, knowing Jack wouldn't be able to take it if he found out that Dave was a wizard as well. Hermione herself hadn't known until the end of the war when her face was all over the Wizarding press and Dave had shown up on her doorstep looking shocked, as he hadn't realised she was a witch until then. He was seven years older than herself and Jack so they hadn't met at Hogwarts, and it had been weird but a relief to realise he understood keeping part of her identity secret. They didn't socialise in the Wizarding world really though they'd seen each other a few times at Quidditch games.
"Well, that's got to freak anyone out, meeting Harry Potter even if you don't know how famous he is…I still can't believe you live with him and Ron!" Dave said shaking his head in amazement.
"What do we do about Jack?" Hermione asked him, knowing Jack confided in Dave more than anyone.
"Just try and get him talking, and cut off the alcohol supply." Dave said as they headed back to the table with some soft drinks.