Together

NOTE: JK ROWLING owns all of the characters in this story.

This short little number was born from my horrendous writer's block on another project. Needless to say, when working on NC-17 bits, I like to take a little time out for all of you G and PG folks! Because everybody likes a good fluff once and a while, right? Well, while listening to Avril Lavigne's “Together” I suddenly had a glimpse of what Ron and Hermione (Merlin forgive me!) would be like. To clear any confusion about whether I am faithless in my ship, I have posted a tiny bit of the lyrics so you all don't think I'm a madwoman!

()()()()()()()

”Something just isn't right
I can feel it inside
The truth isn't far behind me
You can't deny
When I turn the lights out
When I close my eyes
Reality overcomes me
I'm living a lie

When I'm alone
I feel so much better
And when I'm around you
I don't feel

Together
It doesn't feel right at all
Together
Together we've built a wall
Together holding hands we'll fall
Hands we'll fall…”

()()()()()()()

It was suddenly all so clear to Hermione. This was wrong. It all felt wrong. It all felt awkward.

Sitting there, Ron beside her, she watched Harry as he sat across the table from them in the Library. Of course, she had always known that Harry would hold a special place in her heart…but Ron was all she ever thought she could have. As good as it gets, had been her frame of mind. Is that how love should be?

No.

She knew now that she had been wrong. She loved Ron, of course, but…but not like he wanted her to. Lately, their fighting had been on a whole new level. She also had a sneaking suspicion that he was interested in someone else.

Ron had always been the type to envy.

Perhaps that's why he had been interested in her in the first place. Perhaps he sensed her love for Harry and had swooped in before Harry could, once again, `out-win' him. Is that all she was to Ron? Was she just something in need of attainment…and then only to be forgotten?

That's how she felt; forgotten.

Looking next to her, she saw his eyes focused on Luna Lovegood across the room. She blinked, as is seeing herself in slow-motion, and stood to leave.

“Hermione, where are you going?” Harry asked quizzically.

“I'm leaving.”

Ron acknowledged her for a millisecond and then continued his staring. Hermione threw her bag over her shoulder and left (what was usually her place of solace) the library. Moments later, she stopped in an abandoned hallway and allowed herself to slump onto the floor and cry.

She hated crying. Knowing how many dangerous adventures she had been through and lived to tell the tale suddenly paled to the feelings of emptiness she felt within herself.

If only she had tried with Harry. Or at least told him how she felt. Why had she been she so sure he would turn her away? It was too late now…

()()()()()()()

Fighting to get up and follow Hermione himself, Harry urged Ron to do so…

“Ron, she seemed upset. Maybe you should go check on her.”

“Harry, mind your own business. She's my girlfriend, alright? So I think I know her a little better than you, and I didn't notice anything wrong with her!”

“Ron,” Harry said, getting to his feet and removing his wand from inside his robes, “if you don't get up right now and check on Hermione, I'll hex you from here to next Sunday!” Stunned (but not in the magical sense unfortunately), Ron stood and exited the library.

Satisfied, Harry returned the wand to his robes and sat. Oh, if only he were the one comforting Hermione!

()()()()()()()

Wandering down the many corridors of Hogwarts, Ron finally came upon a slumped figure sitting on the floor in the middle of a deserted hallway.

“Hermione,” he said, inching closer, “is that you?” The figure stood up slowly and Ron immediately recognized the profile of his girlfriend.

“Ron,” she spoke firmly, wiping her eyes, “what do you want?”

“Listen, I only came to help! If you want me to go, I will…gladly!”

“Good! Go then!”

“Fine! I'm going!” With that, he whipped around and headed back toward the library. Pausing, he thought of Harry sitting there waiting for him. Oh, no! No way was he going to let Harry have the satisfaction of comforting Hermione! His Hermione! He was going to settle this here and now…

“Hermione, wait! I'm sorry! Wait!” Turning on her heel, Hermione spun to face him as he jogged toward her.

“What is it now, Ronald?”

“Hermione, I'm sorry…”

“No, Ron. I'm not going through this again. We're over.”

“We're…w-what? What are you saying?”

“Ron, I'm tired of fighting. And frankly, I'm sick of watching you ogle other girls. Just leave me alone. I don't want to be together anymore.”

“But…Hermione! No way! You're my girlfriend! You can't dump me!”

“Actually,” she said, picking her bag up and throwing it back onto her shoulder, “I was your girlfriend. And I am dumping you. Goodbye, Ronald.”

He stood, dumbstruck, watching her walk away.

Then, recovering slightly, he turned and started back to the library. Back to Harry…and Luna.

()()()()()()()

“Well, is she okay?”

“Who cares.”

“What?”

“Well, its Hermione, she can take care of herself, right?”

“Ron, what the hell is wrong with you?”

“Listen, don't get all angry. We broke up, alright. Are you happy now?” Harry sat, mystified, for a few awkward moments. Should he console Ron? Should he be polite for a while before he rushed off to make sure Hermione was okay? His feelings overcame him and he dashed away from the room.

Ron, sitting alone, let it all sink in. Harry was running off to see Hermione, he knew. Whether it was to comfort her or make her his…he didn't really care anymore. He just wanted to sit and stare at Luna.

()()()()()()()

“No feelings, that one! An emotionless dolt!” Hermione raged through the common room, throwing papers from desks where fearful first years clung to each other in horror. “No! Nothing!” Several people were scurrying from the room, surely to fetch Professor McGonagall in hopes that she might know a good anti-psychotic spell.

Just then, Harry burst in through the portrait hole and raced toward his friend. All thoughts of soothing her anger, comforting her pain, hugging away her sorrows eluded him as he finally reached her. Suddenly, all of the friendly formalities vanished and he grabbed her, pulled her into his arms, and firmly pressed his lips against hers.

She was tense at first, but then began to melt in his embrace. Harry slid his tongue into her mouth and soon both were lost in each other's presence. The students in the common room stood in awe as their Head Boy and Head Girl broke yet another school rule. But nobody spoke; they simply looked on in approval.

After the two finally pulled apart for breath, a small first year girl finally spoke up; brown pigtails bobbing, a stack a books on the desk before her, she mumbled, “Finally.” The whole of the common room collectively sighed. Some laughed, but most went back to their school work.

With a smile, Harry took Hermione's hand in his and together they walked to their future.

Together…felt right.

-->