waite waite 1 1 2003-05-09T22:07:00Z 2003-05-09T22:08:00Z 3 1259 7180 plymouth 59 16 8423 10.2625 Clean Clean MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
Forgiven
Chapter 5.
Arithmancy dragged slowly; Hermione had been unable to find Harry and Ron and had assumed they'd gone to Divination. So she had wandered in Arithmancy, late, and not even cared that much. Now, she sat scowling and tapping her quill against the edge of the table. Her mind was whirring with what she had witnessed and how she was going to tell Harry. Not really even hearing Professor Vector's lecture, Hermione glanced down at the table. Her irritated quill tapping had left a dent in the desk; sheepishly she placed it down in front of her, and stared out of the window, counting the minutes until lunch. Finally she heard the scaring of chairs and glancing around her saw the class leaving, jumping up she stuffed her broken quill and scraps of parchment into her bag, slung it over her shoulder and ran out into the castle.
Puffing under the weight of her satchel Hermione entered The Great Hall, she headed straight or the Gryffindor table, noting with slight relief that there were few Ravenclaws present yet and Cho was not among them. She spotted Harry talking to Dean Thomas and strode over to him, tapping him on the shoulder.
"Harry, can I talk to you?" She asked. Harry turned to her and for a second Hermione was certain a pained expression flashed across his face. She felt her stomach tense.
"Can it wait a minute?" He asked. Hermione shook her head.
"No." She replied shortly crossing her arms, feeling herself begin to get angry. Harry let a breath out through his nose in a frustrated way and rolled his eyes at Dean. He turned to face her fully.
"Okay, go ahead." He said tersely. Hermione gritted her teeth trying hard not to get riled by his blasé attitude, reminding herself of the news she was about to give him.
"Can we go somewhere more private?" She asked him. Harry frowned.
"Why?" He demanded, when she didn't answer he frowned again. "Here is fine." He said finally. Hermione shook her head irritably and pulled him to the edge of the hall away from the tables.
"Look, Harry." She began, taking a step back from him and wringing her hands nervously. "I… uh, I have something to tell you. It's probably going to be a shock, but you know I wouldn't say anything if I didn't think it was the right thing to do, and --" Hermione babbled, and Harry cut her off.
"Hermione I haven't got much time…" He said trying to keep his voice calm, but Hermione could see him losing his temper as his eyes scanned the crowd for Cho.
"Fine." Hermione said. "It's about Cho." Harry's gaze snapped back to her.
"What about her?" He demanded eyeing Hermione with what she realised closely resembled suspicion. Anger boiled in her stomach. Cho had caused this, Harry's mistrust of her she thought furiously. She took a deep breath.
"This morning, I was in the library," She began, Harry shrugged looking unconcerned. "I went to that little study booth, you know the one which I showed you and Ron when we were revising for our O.W.Ls?"
"I know." Harry said shortly.
"Well, I was about to go in when I heard someone talking. It was Cho." Hermione paused, unsure how to continue. The look in Harry's eyes was boring into her so she ploughed on.
"Oh, Harry she's using you! I don't know what for, but she is! She was in there with Roger Davies! She cheated on you..." Hermione trailed off, Harry didn't look at all how she had expected him to. She had anticipated him looking hurt, betrayed, disappointed maybe. But now he looked furious and it was directed completely at her. Hermione swallowed and cowered slightly under his thunderous glare.
"I can't believe you Hermione! Making up viscous lies like that! Cho was right about you." He hissed venomously. Hermione screwed up her fists and couldn't control her anger any more.
"And I can't believe you Harry Potter! What kind of friend are you?!" She yelled at him. "You desert the two people who have stood by you, the two people you can trust with anything and everything. You throw them away for a girl who doesn't even care about you!" Hermione screamed, vaguely aware that people were beginning to look in their direction. Harry turned purple, but Hermione didn't give him a chance to retort.
"And most of all I can't believe you don't trust me! Harry I would never, never, do anything to hurt you, especially not prise you away from someone who I knew liked you. I care about you too much." She shouted angrily. "You mean so much to me. You're more than a best friend... you're... you're…I…" She stuttered trying to put her feelings into words. Harry glared at her, and opened his mouth ready to yell, but a sharp whisper cut him off.
"What the hell is you two's problem?" Ron hissed staring at their furious, flushed faces. Harry didn't answer but stared threateningly at Hermione as if daring her to repeat what she had just said. Hermione stared at him, and knowing that if she didn't walk away from him that moment she'd either throttle him or burst into tears she turned on her heel and stalked towards the doors.
Throwing herself onto her bed Hermione let the tears that had been welling up inside her since the argument overflow. They poured down her cheeks and racked her body with sobs, making her shoulders hunch and her breath come in gasps. After a while, she stopped crying and curled up on her bed, her stomach felt hollow, she couldn't believe Harry had thought she had made the event up and as angry and hurt by him as she was feeling she also felt sorry, sorry that he had been dragged in and manipulated by Cho, sorry that she hadn't been a good enough friend for him to trust her, and sorry she couldn't have convinced him that she cared more about him than nearly anything else in the world, and that seeing him get hurt would tear her apart. Hermione heard the dormitory door creak open and someone enter the room. Hermione closed her eyes and hoped they would either not notice her or think she was asleep and leave her alone. No luck, it was Ron.
"Hermione." He said in a knowing voice. She didn't move. "C'mon 'Mione, I can tell when your fake sleeping." He said with a quiet laugh, Hermione felt his body perch on the edge of her bed, and sighing she sat up. As soon as she looked at him, she started crying again, falling against Ron's chest and soaking the front of his shirt with tears. Ron fastened his arms round her and rocked slightly smoothing her hair until she stopped sniffling. Drawing back Hermione smiled faintly at him.
"Thanks Ron." She said gratefully. Ron shook his head.
"What are friends for?" He asked with a grin, Hermione tried to laugh but the comment made her feel more like crying again. "Sorry." He said with an apologetic look, "Are you okay now?" He asked holding her hands and studying her tear blotched face. Hermione nodded.
"Yes. I just miss him so much, Ron. And he made me so angry." She said, her voice trembling.
"I know. He explained to me what happened." Ron said. Hermione glanced up,
"You don't think I made it up do you?" She asked anxiously. Ron snorted.
"Of course not!" He scoffed, "As if you would. And as if I'd believe that lying little bitch over you." He paused, "I knew she was up to no good, but Harry was so into her. And we were drifting apart so it just got harder and harder to talk to him about it."
"I guess that was part of her plan." Hermione said bitterly, "And now it's too late." She said swallowing down another sob. Ron shook his head.
"No it isn't. I think you should go and see Harry." He suggested. Hermione stared at him as if he was mad.
"What are you kidding? He hates me." She said solemnly. Ron shook his head again.
"No he doesn't. He wants to see you. He told me to ask you to go up to his room, the passwords 'Chuddley'." He said firmly squeezing Hermione's hand lightly. She gulped.
"You sure?" She questioned uncertainly. "I don't even know if I want to see him. I'm pretty angry." She added.
"I'm sure. And I know you are, but you two need to sort this out. You see where not talking has got us so far." Ron pointed out. Hermione took a deep breath and nodded. Ron grinned and pulled her into another hug, planting a kiss onto the top of her head.
"Okay, I'll see you later then." He said releasing her. Hermione nodded.
"Yes. Thank you Ron." She said seriously. He shrugged and waved his hand modestly as he headed out of the room.