The following day, Harry made the decision to leave the Burrow. The Weasleys had been very kind to him, and he knew he'd always be welcome in their home, but the news he'd received about Hermione just made him feel that he needed to put some distance between himself and the world that he knew. It would be too much to stay in a place where he was constantly reminded of her and how happy she was with someone else while trying to endure it, pretending that he felt nothing. It was hard breaking the news to Ron that afternoon when he got home from work.
"What do you mean you're leaving?!" Ron couldn't believe it.
"Yeah, I'm moving out, getting my own place. I think I'll go back to living in the Muggle world, maybe even get a Muggle job, you know, just to pass the time…" Harry said, trying to make it not sound so bad.
Ron couldn't help but feel upset anyway. In the back of his mind he knew that this was all because of what he'd told Harry the night before, and he couldn't help thinking that perhaps he shouldn't have said anything.
"Harry, I know you're upset about Hermione and all, but you don't have to leave us because of it. How do we know that she won't break up with him anyway?"
Harry's expression softened. He had no intention of abandoning Ron, and he'd still want to touch base with Hermione from time to time, just not as often as before.
"If it wasn't him, it would be some other guy. I should just accept the fact that she's never going to want to be with me, and the best way I have to deal with it right now is by being somewhere else. Besides, it's not like I'm never going to see you. We'll visit and talk. Maybe you could go and stay with me sometimes and I could introduce you to things that Muggles do for fun," Harry told him hopefully.
This seemed to satisfy Ron.
"Ok, as long as we're still best friends," he said with a bit more calm.
"Of course," Harry said, "It'll be alright. You'll see."
The very next day Harry went to Gringotts to exchange some of his wizard gold for Muggle money and started looking for a place to live. By the end of the week he'd already found something, but not before Hermione came by the Burrow to see them. She had Bret with her. It wasn't hard to see why any girl would find him attractive - tall, nice build, sky blue eyes, and light brown hair that looked like it was downy soft and never out of place. Add to this a very striking smile, and it made for quite an impressive combination. He greeted everyone warmly and didn't seem to be at all taken aback that the house wasn't exactly what one would call fancy. Harry could have sworn that Ginny blushed when she shook his hand. In a funny way, this man reminded him of Gilderoy Lockhart. Not that Bret appeared to be so taken with himself, but just the effect that he seemed to have on women. Even Molly had seemed a bit more cheerful and giggly after he arrived. Oh, this didn't look good, Harry thought to himself, not good at all. They all sat around the kitchen table and had tea. As everyone else conversed happily, Harry simply listened and exchanged dismal glances with Ron, only speaking when he was spoken to, preferring to observe rather than take part. They all found out a few things. Bret had been in Ravenclaw and was older than Hermione, having been in seventh year at Hogwarts when the three friends were in first. This explained why they didn't recall seeing him around school. Mr. Weasley seemed to enjoy talking to him, and Ginny and Mrs. Weasley both clearly thought he was very pleasant and likable. When Harry just couldn't take anymore, he excused himself, saying that he didn't feel well and retreated to the solitude of his room. Later on, Ron joined him.
"Now you understand, don't you?" Harry asked him when he came in.
"You mean why you have to go? Yeah, I do, Harry," he replied sympathetically.
If there had been a single bit of doubt left in his mind before that leaving was the right thing to do, it was all gone now. He simply could not continue to deal with visits from Hermione accompanied by her boyfriend. The way she looked at Bret while he was speaking, how charming he was - it was all just too much. Harry understood that it was only natural for her to want to visit the Weasleys. They were all like family to her, too. Hermione had every right to see them as often as she wanted and to take Bret along if she so chose. Harry wanted her to be happy, but he had to want it for her from somewhere else. This was how it had to be; there was no other way.
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