Summary: Hermione sees fit to slap some sense into Harry....literally. One shot H/H fanficion, Set sometime during their 6th year at Hogwarts.
Disclaimer: All belongs to JKR....as you might have guessed
A/N: This story kept coming into my head as I was trying to continue writing Growing Change. I though that if I finally got it down on paper so to speak that I could get back to writing about Lily and James. I didn't spend much time editing it so I apologize to any errors I might have made. Maybe I'll find time to go back and fix some of them at some point. I would help if you could point them out to me to make them easier to fix. Don't forget to review!
Slapping Sense
"Ron, I'm really worried," Hermione Granger glanced over at Ron Weasley, who was sitting on the carpet in the common room in front of the fireplace with a chessboard in front of him. Hermione was curled up on the sofa with a book in her lap. She had read the same sentence several times before she spoke.
Ron sighed and moved a pawn into position. "I know you are, but he's always like this. You should be used to it by now."
"I know...but..." Hermione said, nervously playing with a strand of her hair. "Something is different this time. I mean ever since Sirius-"
Ron cut her off, "Hermione! Just let him be ok? He'll talk to us when he's ready."
"Ok, I'll let him alone," she said sighing. "At least for now."
At that moment the portrait hole opened and Harry Potter stumbled through looking as though he had just climbed out of the lake. Hermione immediately jumped to her feet.
"Where have you been?" she exclaimed.
Harry just looked at her. "I was walking." His voice was flat and devoid of emotion.
"Out on the grounds? You know we're not allowed out there after dark!" she said huffily. "Honestly, you'll catch your death being out there in the cold and rain! Not to mention getting expelled if you're caught!"
"Since when has that stopped me before?" Harry asked, making his way to an overstuffed armchair. "Besides, I had my cloak on. No one would have been able to see me anyways."
"Hmph!" Hermione grabbed her book off the sofa. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you both at breakfast." That said, she stalked up the stairs leading to her dormitory.
Ron put his chess set away and stood up. "She's right you know. You're going to get sick if you keep this up much longer. So will she, come to that, what with all the worrying she's been doing about you."
"Well no one asked her too. Least of all me," Harry said moodily.
"Suit yourself," Ron said shrugging. "I'm going to bed."
Harry watched as Ron disappeared up the stairs. He sighed wearily and rubbed his face with his hands.
"It's not like they would understand anyways," Harry said to himself. "They don't have the entire well being of the Wizarding World on their shoulders."
*******************
"I can't take it anymore, Ron!"
Hermione was pacing the common room, while Ron was sat in an armchair, his head in his hands. It was passed one o' clock in the morning on a Friday night and Harry had yet to return from his nightly wanderings. This was the latest he had stayed out so far this year and Hermione was going crazy with worry.
"This has to stop! It isn't healthy!"
"What do propose we do then, eh?" Ron said glaring at Hermione. "It's not like he's going to talk to us if he hasn't already! And we know for a fact that he hasn't gone to Dumbledore because you just asked him yesterday."
"We talk to him ourselves."
"Oh? And how are we supposed to do that. You know he won't listen. He'll just get up and leave again like he's done all year."
"Well, we just won't give him a choice then, will we?"
Ron looked at Hermione in confusion. How were they supposed to make him listen? Hex him or something? He sighed and leaned his head against the back of the armchair. He didn't relish the thought of hexing his best friend.
*******************
Harry stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady and wearily said the password. They better
have gone to bed by now. He thought. I can't stand to see them tonight. ...As the seventh month
dies... It always hit him hardest at the end of the months. He couldn't face Ron and Hermione, not
now at least. You could tell them. They would understand what you're going through if you did.
They'll never understand! Only because you won't give them a chance too. Oh bugger off already!
Harry climbed through the portrait hole and let out a relieved sigh. Good, they're not here. He
thought, making his way over to the couch and sprawling upon it.
"It's about time you got back, Harry."
Harry sat up with a start. Hermione was standing directly in front of him and Ron was sitting in an
armchair close by. It was strange how he hadn't noticed them before. Then again he had been
rather caught up in his thoughts.
"Bloody hell, Hermione, don't creep up on me like that!"
"I didn't creep Harry. I simply walked up in front of you and you failed to notice," Hermione stated
calmly.
"Well don't." Harry stood up. "I'm going to bed." He made to go to the dormitory stairs but
Hermione moved into his path. "Move out of my way, Hermione. I'm going to bed."
"No, you're not Harry." She crossed her arms over her chest. "We're going to talk. Now sit down."
"No." His green eyes flashed. "I'm going to bed." He moved towards the stairs again, but
Hermione was once more blocking his way.
Harry stomped his foot in frustration. "Bugger off, Hermione!"
"I said `sit down' Harry!"
"Stop treating me like some disobedient child!"
"Then stop bloody well acting like one!" Hermione yelled. "We're going to talk whether you want to or not!" Harry was speechless. He couldn't think of a time when Hermione had yelled at him like this, not to mention curse. he kept opening and closing his mouth as he searched for something to say.
"I am not!"
Ron, who until then had kept silent, spoke up, "Yeah, you kind of are, mate. All this moping around
and refusing to talk to us." He paused, "Not to mention staying out way passed your bedtime..." he
added with a smirk.
"Oh, bugger off! It's not like you could help even if I told you!"
"How would you know? You haven't even given us a clue as to what's been bothering you so much!"
"Well, it doesn't seem as if you care overly much!"
SMACK!
"How can you say that?" Hermione shouted close to tears. "How on can you possibly say that? We're your friends, Harry! Of course we bloody well care!" Hermione began pounding on Harry's chest with her fists. "We don't stay up waiting for you for the fun of it! We want to know what's happening with you!" Ron was looking on in shock and Harry was speechless, not fully comprehending what was happening.
"I want- I need to know what's going on with you!" Hermione collapsed against Harry
and broke down, sobbing uncontrollably onto him. "Y-you can't keep me in the dark like this anymore, Harry," she added softly. "It hurts too much."
Harry looked over at Ron, but he didn't know what to do anymore then Harry did. Harry was
beginning to realize that he had caused Hermione to react like this. If he had just told them what
had been bothering him in the first place none of this would have happened. His cheek stung where
Hermione had slapped him and his shirt was becoming wet from her tears. If he had just told them, Hermione wouldn't be so upset. She wouldn't be making herself sick with worry over him and she wouldn't be crying. He patted her awkwardly on her back, trying to calm her down. "Hermione," he said softly. "Calm down. Please? You're killing me crying like this."
Hermione pulled away from him and wiped away at the tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry." she said thickly. "I shouldn't have overreacted like that. It's just that it's so hard watching you do this to yourself. I mean you hardly talk to anyone." Hermione began pacing. "You're always walking around alone late at night, you sit by yourself when you're in the common room and worst of all you actually do your homework without me telling you to!" Hermione stopped pacing and stood directly in front of Harry. "I miss you," she said softly, brushing away a piece of hair that had fallen into his eyes. She looked directly at him. "I miss the Harry that I had before Sirius died. I miss-" she broke off and walked backwards away from him, towards stairs leading up to her dormitory. She turned towards him, one foot on the first step. "I miss the Harry I fell in love with," she said so quietly that he almost missed it.
Harry caught a glimpse of a single tear running down the side of her cheek before she disappeared up the stairs...
A/N: That's all I have... Maybe I'll add more to it at some point or something....I don't know... It depends on how may reviews I get (hint, hint) haha...yeah so anyways...hope you liked it! Now I can get back to writing Growing Change...
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