CHAPTER 1

Hermione watched quietly as Ron and Lavender walked through the library holding hands, a goofy grin plastered on Ron’s face. The sting of tears prickled in the back of her eyes but she squeezed them shut to stop them from coming. She had realized her feelings for Ron the summer before but she hadn’t acted on them and now it was too late to do so.

Ron and Lavender sat at a table in the back and Ron kissed her gently, leading to a full out snogging session. Hermione turned away, hugging her books to her chest, and ran from the library. She stopped in an alcove and sat down.

“Hermione, are you okay?” came a concerned voice from behind her. She wiped a tear hurriedly away and turned to meet Harry.

“Oh…hi, Harry. Didn’t see you there,” Hermione said in a falsely cheerful voice, wiping away a few stray tears. Harry gave her a knowing look and sat down next to her.

“It’s Ron, isn’t it?” he asked. “Don’t try to tell me it’s not. I know you too well after being your friend for seven years!” Hermione smiled weakly.

“Okay…Ron and Lavender are making me sick, and not just with their constant snogging but because I can’t stand to see Ron with any other girls but since Ron doesn’t know I like him, I can’t tell him to stop without exposing my feelings and I don’t want to do that yet!” she wailed. Harry put a comforting arm around her and she leaned against him.

“The answer is very simple, really…tell him.” He said plainly. Hermione stare at him, horrorstruck.

“Harry, I just told you that I don’t want to do that yet and now you tell me to do it anyway?!” she asked confusedly. Harry nodded. Hermione wilted. “Alright…I’ll tell him tonight.”

Hermione fidgeted with the hem of her robes as she eyed Ron warily from the other side of the common room. This was the day she had planned for, the day she told Ron how she felt about him. Oh, how she hoped he would feel the same way.

Hermione walked slowly through the empty common room toward Ron. He was doing his Divination homework. She honestly couldn’t see why he was still taking it even though he hated it so much.

“Ron,” she began, unsteadily. “Can I have a word with you?” Ron stood, looking worried at the tone of her voice.

“Are you all right?” Ron asked.

“Oh no, I’m fine, it’s just that…I think I love you,” she said quickly. Ron looked dumbstruck. He shook his head and gaped at her. Slowly, his face turned from pale to his trademark red.

“The minute I get a steady girlfriend that actually likes me, you have to try to take all that away?” he yelled, advancing on her. “Are you jealous? Huh? Want me and Harry all to yourself? Just because you can’t get a date doesn’t mean I can’t!” he bellowed, advancing on her until she was backed into the wall.

Hermione’s eyes filled with tears as she hit the wall and slid down to tremble at the base. Her heart felt as if it had been ripped to pieces and stepped on. Ron stopped and looked a bit abashed. He took one step back, then turned and sprinted out of the common room.

Hermione flung herself up the stairs and into her bedroom. She locked the door; she didn’t want Lavender, her roommate, to come in right now. She threw herself on the bed and hugged her pillow to her chest, no longer trying to stem the onslaught of tears that were soaking her pillow.

Hermione could hardly believe that Ron would be so heartless. What could have possessed him to react that way? They had had their spats before but never had he yelled at her like that. And all because she had said she loved him. All her feelings, hidden and not, had gotten her pain and heartbreak. There was no point in living without Ron.