Chapter 4
Blaming
The sun shines in my eyes as they flutter open. I frantically grab for my alarm clock; 9:30 flashes in bright red. Stumbling out of bed, I try my best to untangle myself from my sheets.
Wait...my sheets? When did I get in my bedroom?
I fish through my memory. Okay. Last night, Harry left, I worked on paperwork, skipped dinner, worked some more...and I fell asleep. That must be it. I fell asleep and Harry or Ron carried me here.
I exhale loudly, glancing at my clock again.
9:30. Darren's picking me up in an hour!
In a flurry of movement, I take a quick shower, throw on a pair of jeans and a baby blue sweater, pull my hair into a high ponytail, slap on some mascara, and stash some lip gloss in my purse. Clipping on my watch, I check the time again.
10:28.
I dash upstairs to Harry's place. He and Ron are sitting in the breakfast nook, eating egg sandwiches. I grab the one meant for me, and peck each one on the cheek before swiftly heading to the door.
"I'm going out with Darren! I'll see you this afternoon!"
"Hermione-"
"Hermes-"
They interject, but I'm already rushing down the staircase and out the front door. In the driveway, Darren is sitting in his Jeep. I hop in, and he restarts the engine; his auto clock reads 10:30.
"Right on time," he comments, "As always. He places a light kiss to my lips before pulling out onto the road toward London.
©
Our morning was wonderful. We spent two hours walking through Harrods's, where I bought a few scarves and a green fleece jacket, then we picked our way through the riverside shops along the Thames, stopping at a small cafe for lunch. Finally, hand in hand, we make our way back to the Jeep, laughing at an elderly couple snuggling on a park bench a few feet away.
The drive back is quiet, however. Though it's hardly three o'clock, both of us are exhausted. Darren pulls into the driveway and gives me a hug and a kiss before I get out, and he drives off with a wave. I tread happily to the front door, noticing it is locked, then lay my hand against the cool metal of the keyhole. With a faint click, the door magically opens, and I go in.
"Harry! Ron!" I call.
"Right here," Ron's voice says dully from behind me on the porch. I spin around to see that they must have just gotten back a few moments ago. I take in their attire: formal black dress robes.
"Hey, where did you guys go?"
Harry's eyes flick to me for a moment, just long enough for me to find them sleepless and red-rimmed. He silently pushes past me into the house and up the stairs. I look to Ron for my answer.
"Allie's funeral," he says, unbuttoning his cuffs.
For a few seconds, life seems to freeze, and all I'm aware of is the fact that I just made a major mistake.
"Excuse me?"
"Harry said he tried to tell you. Hell, we both tried, but you kept brushing us off. I wanted to glue you to your chair, burn all your work, and make you listen, but Harry said he wasn't going to force you to do anything that would disrupt your plans."
I shake my head in disbelief. "But-but I was here all day yesterday!"
Ron shrugged, pulling off his top robe as he went. "Look, Hermione, he said you wouldn't give him the time of day. Perhaps," he added, "if you hadn't been so inconsiderate, he would have been able to tell you. And if you hadn't been so caught up in getting out to Darren, you could've found out this morning."
My remorse and pity quickly flare into anger. "Is that what this is all about?" I sneer, catching Ron off guard.
"What?"
"You're blaming all this on Darren, aren't you?"
"That's ridiculous."
"Maybe, but that's what you're doing!"
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are!" My voice rises a few level to a full-out yell. "I should have known from the start that-"
"FINE!" Ron explodes, making me take a step back, "Yes, I blame everything on Darren. In fact, everything can be blamed on Darren! How you've fallen behind at work, how you have no time to have breakfast with us, but can blow off a meeting when he invites you to lunch, and the way the entire balance of our friendship has been thrown off!"
He turns away from me, taking a deep breath. It takes a few minutes for him to continue, and when he does, his voice lowers, loosing its fury, but doubling in sadness.
"I've never seen Harry like he was today. It was worse than after Sirius died. Like someone had just taken his entire world and set it on fire right in front of his eyes. He was scary, Hermione. Soulless almost and you weren't there. I think that's what killed him." He turns back to face me and I see emotion shining in his eyes that I didn't know he was capable of.
"We're a team, Herm. You, me, and Harry. But when it comes down to it, Harry needs you more than he needs me. Sure, we're best mates and all, but I can't reach him like you can. You guys have something deeper. You have always been there for him, but today, when it really mattered, you couldn't come through.
"You know, you always said that no one could come between the three of us. But you've let Darren do that. In a way, I guess you've let us both down..."
His voice trails off and I don't realize I'm crying until a tear drop slides onto my bottom lip, the bitter saltiness harshly stinging my tongue, though not as much as his words. Ron's face slackens and his shoulders shrug, his turquoise eyes boring into mine. I can just make out his whisper.
"What did he do with our Hermione?"
A/N: Sorry it's so short compared to my other chapters, but I can't write as much with school back in session. Cosmic kisses to my reviewers. Keep them coming, pretty please. Just push that button...c'mon...you know you wanna...I know people like you…reading and not reviewing. Why don't you just make a girl's day and review???
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