She was moody. That was the only way to describe it. She went from sad, to pissed in seconds flat. And she owed no one and explanation. That she had firmly decided upon. Not too long after Hermione had sat down at the dining room table with Harry, she journeyed back up the stairs to have a talk with Ronald.
At least she hoped she could. Hermione wouldn't have been surprised if he left, but he was still there.
"I've come to a decision," stated Ron.
He had uttered this the moment she had come through the door, but she shook her head. She was not going to hear whatever he wanted to say. He could go ahead and say that she wasn't listening to him. She was determined to be heard first, so there were no misunderstandings.
"No Ron. Sit down and shut up until I'm done."
And he did. Maybe it was the look, that indicated no nonsense, but she did not ponder it too long as she had gained his attention.
"I have been back for a matter of hours. And within those hours you burst into my room demanding to know why I did not call you the second I reached. I am an adult and I don't even let my own parents dictate what I will and will not. Do you get that?"
Ron nodded. She put up her hand acknowledging that she was not yet finished.
"Now I am apologizing for kicking you out of my house the way I did before. It wasn't right to punish you for how I was feeling at the moment. But that's it the rest of it I'm not sorry for."
She noticed that he had raised an eyebrow. Ron had a temper and she had one too, and she was provoking it at the moment. He had to be right, and if he wasn't, then surely she must be the one that was wrong.
"You're never sorry for anything. All you've ever done in this relationship is reprimand me for everything I do.
"That you've brought on yourself," spat Hermione. "Perfect example: bringing up our relationship in front of Harry. But who cares right? Because when you want a snog you want a snog."
"Finally you get it," said Ron.
Hermione just looked at him. How dumb could he be? Sure he had improved a bit, but still maintained that old Ron mentality.
"What I get is that you still haven't grown up at all. You're still caught up in the hall of Hogwarts. Do you remember when you used to snog Lavender, and didn't care who sees. I stupidly envied that. I wanted it so bad."
"And we can still have that."
"But it's so juvenile Ron," pleaded Hermione. "A physical relationship doesn't solve anything. In fact I think it causes problems. Do you know anything about Lavender?"
Silence had taken over their conversation. His fingers were raised under his chin as he contemplated everything. He began sentences that he never finished. Color. Family.
Nothing. He could remember nothing about her at all.
"My parents, they are prepared to kick me out of the house. They don't believe that I should practice magic anymore. My parents believe it doesn't benefit the safety of the family."
"That's stupid magic has never hurt anyone. Of course your going to stay here with me and continue our relationship. Right?"
She was shocked. He had not heard a word she had said. It was useless trying to get through to him she discovered. Hermione stopped and simply pointed to the door. He was an idiot. And she was obviously an idiot for believing that she could ever change him.
Hermione peaked out from behind her book. It had been three days since her visit with Ron, as she sat at the Burrow. She was not visiting to speak with him, but to see Ginny. And to also talk to Mrs. Weasley about removing her name from the family clock.
She appreciated the sentiment, but did not needing constant watching. She already had enough people doing that.
When she arrived Ginny had not been there. She had went to the bookstore and would be back `soon'. Soon had been roughly an hour and a half, longer than she cared to stay, but Mrs. Weasley had insisted.
"Hermione, I'll be back in a minute," Ginny said as she entered the door. True to her word she had a pile of books in her arms that she needed. She was confused. Ginny had never expressed a true need for books in her life.
Mrs. Weasley must have noticed her look.
"I told that girl that she should have something to fall back on. In Quidditch, you're only as good as your last game. Any minute that injury can come that forces you into early retirement. She's studying to be a healer."
"Wow," said Hermione. "I never would have thought."
"So how is Harry coping?"
"Coping?" asked Hermione.
"You haven't heard? Harry and Ginny have broken up. My greatest fear, is that it's for good."
"I'm sure that he's coping just fine," said Hermione.
Although she knew about the breakup she had no inclination that he was hung up over it. Just the other night they sat on the couch watching movies. They hadn't done it in a while, and they hadn't really watched the movie. Harry and Hermione had just talked, and it felt good.
Ginny had come back into the kitchen and took a seat next to Hermione.
"I just went out to make mum happy," whispered Ginny. "I'm not actually going into medicine. Blood makes me a bit squeamish."
"You are aware that not everything has to do with blood in medicine. There are plenty of other things that you can do at the Ministry. They are just in desperate need of volunteers."
"And where did you find this out?"
"Harry and I were talking about it. I'm thinking about finding a job. The past two days I've watched Harry go off to work and I've found nothing to do around the house."
"Poor you," Ginny said.
Mrs. Weasley said goodbye to the girls as she left the kitchen. Ginny watched her mother leave out of the corner of her eye. Once she did she shifted over to the real reason she had called Hermione over.
"You're living with Harry?" shrieked Ginny.
"I have no idea why everyone's making such a big deal about this. My parents are freaking out about it, according to my sister, and everyone is just…it's just Harry."
"Nothing's ever just Harry," said Ginny. "So how is it?"
"It's been pretty low key. Not much to tell. I wake up in the morning before he leaves for work. I do nothing all day and eventually he comes back."
"And he's told you nothing about our break up?"
Hermione looked at her suspiciously.
"If I stay out of his relationships then he stays out of mine."
"And don't you think that moving in with Harry is a bad idea. You must know how Ron would feel about…" said Ginny before she was interrupted.
"Ginny you are one of my best friends, but Ron doesn't need you to fight his battles for him. I am nineteen years old, and we're not playing a tug of war. I am my own person. If I decide that I want to live with Harry, Ron just has to accept that and stop complaining."
"I didn't mean it like that," muttered Ginny.
Hermione's gaze softened.
"I'm sorry, Ginny. Harry's just different. He actually will listen to what I have to say. And sometimes he thinks before he speaks. Ron on the other hand thrives on impulse. I have never met someone as outspoken as him. But that's a good thing. I don't want anyone holding back what they have to say."
"You're scared."
"Of course I'm scared about the decision I have to make. Have I told you about that yet?"
"You just did," said Ginny.
Hermione raised an eyebrow as Ginny's hand met hers in a sympathetic squeeze. What was she talking about? She quickly flipped through the entire conversations he had, had with Ginny. Nope. She had not discussed the situation with her parents.
The less people that know the better, thought Hermione.
"It's a very hard decision to make Hermione. I'm sure that there's something that you see in Ron that no one else does. Something that makes you like him despite the stupid things he does. And then, there are the amazing qualities that Harry has that are quite obvious to me. It's what I liked about him."
"Really, Gin, you've got me all wrong. There is not a single part of me questioning what Ron and I have."
Lie. That's all she had been doing lately.
Every part of her was questioning her relationship. She knew why she was in the relationship. Ron had unknowingly taken advantage of her in a weak spot. Soon after the final battle, she had said yes. But he had agreed to take it slow.
It was moving beyond slow. It was stalled and possibly never moving forward again.
Ginny didn't believe her either as she continued on with her speech.
"I know mum thinks that by getting a stable job that Harry and I will miraculously reunite and forget about all of our problems. But he and I both know that it's over. So Hermione if I'm the reason you're holding back anything, I'm here to tell you that I really don't care. I'm at peace with it."
Her jaw dropped. Was Ginny giving her permission to break her brother's heart? Of course she wouldn't. She couldn't. There had to be a code somewhere that made siblings stick together. Maybe it only applied to older siblings.
But still.
"I cannot take Harry from you."
"Men are not property Hermione. He's not mine. He's not yours, he's a living breathing person. And I just happen to think, if you gave it a little effort that it could work out between the two of you."
Hermione stood up from her chair. She had, had about enough of this conversation. It was just too weird. She could imagine in her head being Harry's girlfriend, but she couldn't imagine living it. He was her friend. Ron was her friend and her boyfriend. It could one day be a recipe for disaster if she made such a move.
"Friends before relationship," she muttered to herself.
She did not notice Ginny's stares. She kept repeating the words to herself as if it would make her feel any better. It didn't. Ginny's words echoed in her head.
It could work out between the two of you, he thought.
He needed someone to talk to.
And that was why he found himself in front of Neville's office. Neville was a Healer at St. Mungo's. But besides that he had an extensive knowledge of plants. He was the one that most people asked for advice on treatments.
He lived and breathed on the third floor and found much excitement. Finding the cures to some of the rarest and deadliest plants.
He stormed into the room. He had lost most professionalism they were supposed to have in the hospital.
"What happened to you?" Neville asked.
He looked pretty tired. Probably from all the overtime he had lately. Harry was trying to help him pick up the slack to avoid life. But he soon found that life seeped through no matter what. And here he was panicking to put it together. He had about two hours to do this.
And after that, he would have to face it.
He would have to face her.
"How do you stop yourself from doing something idiotic?"
Neville stared at him over his paperwork. His face held no expression. Of course, it didn't affect him in the least bit.
"You're asking me this?" asked Neville.
"This is me asking for advice. Which I need desperately," said Harry. He looked down at his watch. "I've got one hour and 56 minutes."
He sighed.
"Well, I'd have to know what you are about to do. It might not be idiotic at all. Have you ever thought about fearing the reaction of it? I suggest that whatever it is just do it. The outcome could be better than you expect."
Harry stared at his friend. He had become wise, and given advice so great to many others. And yet this was all he had for him. Harry could listen to his words, but that made no sense. He wanted to run in the other direction.
"Neville you know me. I couldn't do it, and I can't do it. I've never been brave enough and…"
"You are one of the bravest people I have ever met. Harry Potter, or no Harry Potter. You've never had to do any of the stuff that you've done. You have two options: either take a chance and accept the consequences or leave it be and regret it the rest of your life.
Harry trusted Neville, but he would keep the risk to himself. His business tended to wind up in the newspapers, no matter how loyal a friend Neville was. There were eyes and ears everywhere.
"Maybe you're right Neville. What's the worst that can happen?"
"Nothing," smiled Neville. "As long as it gets you back to work. It would be terrible if we diagnosed a patient wrong. Whatever it is seems to be distracting you so much. It must be important. She must be important."
Harry was shocked. But he grinned. Neville knew exactly what was going on. He might not know exactly who it involved but he was telling him to go for it. No matter what the costs, he should try.
And you know what, Harry thought. I think I might try.
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