Chapter Twelve
Hermione quietly closed the front door of her parents' house behind her, and placed the car keys on their hook. She leant her back against the wall and slid down until she was sitting with her back against the wall, her head resting on her knees. This ranked in the worst ten days of her life, and probably the worst in the last four years. Yet she didn't cry. She'd already cried enough in the last four hours, and she'd finally run out of tears on the drive back home.
She summoned the phone and entered the familiar digits of her own apartment. Harry answered after two rings, even though it was almost one in the morning.
"'Mione, you ok?" He asked quickly, knowing it would be her.
"Not really. I think it's all over with Jack, and I don't feel up to apparating home, and the house isn't connected to the Floo network at the moment…" She said very quietly. Before Hermione had a chance to realise that she was listening to a dial tone, Harry was rushing towards her. .
Harry crouched down next to her and suddenly Hermione was crying all over again, really crying, letting out everything. Harry picked her up, and she was curled up in his lap, her head buried in his shoulder as he sat silently. They sat without speaking for what must have been about half an hour, until Hermione's tears subsided, and Harry gently stood, picking her up and sat her down on the sofa. He scribbled a quick note for her parent's and locking the front door he gathered Hermione's things together and held out his hand to help her up from the sofa. She took it silently and wrapped her arms around her best friend as he apparated them back to their apartment.
Hermione opened her eyes to find herself standing in her own bedroom. Harry kissed her on the forehead and vanished into the hallway. He reappeared a minute later with the entire jar of emergency cookies, some ice cream, spoons and several Butter Beers on a tray. Hermione was sitting on the edge of her bed still silent. Harry found her favourite pyjamas, one of his old oversized Quidditch shirts, and a pair of shorts in her wardrobe and handed them to her, ushering her towards the bathroom to change.
Harry shouted through the bathroom door. "I'm choosing a movie, and we're going to stay up half the night I warn you now! I'm flooing in sick for you tomorrow. You don't get a choice this time, you need some time off!" Hermione smiled sadly at her reflection in the mirror as she washed her face.
When she came out of the bathroom after changing, she found Harry sitting cross-legged on her bed, flipping through a stack of DVDs.
"What are we watching then?" She said softly, her voice sounding shaky to her own ears. Harry looked up in surprise.
"You're talking again! Thank goodness, it makes me nervous when you're quiet for too long…makes me think you're planning things in your head." He said with a teasing grin. Hermione smiled weakly back. She crossed the room and sat down next to him, her long legs dangling down the side of the bed.
"I'm trying to find the most cheerful of all your favourite films, but I'm not having much luck. I never realised you liked such depressing movies!" Harry said, putting down the DVDs and looking at his friend with a raised eyebrow.
"Harry, my movies are not depressing!" She exclaimed, looking at the few he'd picked out.
"What's depressing about these Disney movies?" She asked him.
"You really need to ask? `Lion King', his dad dies, he thinks it's his fault and runs away, `Bambi', parents killed, `Lilo and Stitch', her parents are killed, her pet tries to take over the world and they take her sister away, all before she's abducted by aliens! " Harry said looking at a few of the Disney movies in front of him. Hermione giggled.
"Ok, you've got me there. When you put it like that they do sound kind of depressing. But, what about the Romantic comedies? They're romantic not depressing."
"Best Friends Wedding, she doesn't get the guy, almost loses her friend and ends up pretty miserable. Um, don't get me started on `City of Angels', that's my least favourite that one, It's horrible, everyone ends up miserable I don't care what you say!" Harry said looking at his best friend with a grin, knowing he'd make her laugh.
"Ok, Ok." She said with a giggle.
"Do you actually like any of my films?" She asked him with a mock serious voice.
"Yep. The one with the best happy ending." Harry said with a grin.
"Why, Harry Potter, I never realised you were such a sucker for a happy ending." She teased him.
"Well, my life has definitely lacked happy endings at times. Movie's are supposed to be about escape." He said with a sad smile. Hermione began to wish she hadn't begun to tease him about it, but she knew he had to go through the anguish of the loss of so many people every day.
"So which movie is happy?" She asked him curious.
"Serendipity of course. It's not as mushy as some of your girly films, and it's happy because they find happiness against all probability. Plus it's just funny." Harry said matter of factly. Hermione looked thoughtful.
"I guess you're right. `Serendipity' it is then." She said grabbing the pile of DVDs, and placing them back on the shelf, and inserting `Serendipity' into the DVD player.
Harry and Hermione made a huge pile of pillows which they propped themselves up against and Harry passed Hermione a tub of ice cream and a spoon as they settled down to watch the film.