Chapter 55

Hermione walked out of the classroom and through the corridors with her books pressing against her chest. Nothing much was happening on Hogwarts. It was Wednesday, which meant she was in the middle of the week and had two more days filled with classes. She was so tired, because Draco had been keeping her up at night. They had been talking and kissing and talking and cuddling and some more kissing. She loved spending time with him, even though he was not agreeing on keeping their 2.0 relationship a secret. Of course she wanted to let her friends know, let her family know, just let everyone know that they were together, but her gut told her otherwise. She was too scared something would happen, she had this feeling that something bad was going to happen, so what was she supposed to do? ‘Hey.’ she heard behind her. Hermione turned around to see Neville coming up to her. ‘Hey Neville, how are you?’ Hermione asked. ‘I’m fine.’ he shrugged. ‘You?’ he asked. Hermione smiled. ‘Fine too.’ she said. ‘But you don’t look “fine” something wrong?’ she asked. Neville chewed his lip. ‘It’s Luna.’ he sighed. Hermione raised her eyebrows. ‘Something wrong with Luna?’ Hermione asked. ‘I don’t know.’ he said. She frowned. ‘Well, it’s complicated.’ Neville said. ‘What do you mean?’ ‘I don’t know what to do Hermione, I just don’t know. I don’t know what I did wrong.’ ‘Come let’s go outside.’ Hermione said. Neville nodded and followed her out of the castle. They walked to the Black Lake and sat down on the bench. ‘So tell me, what’s so complicated?’ ‘I think Luna’s going to break up with me.’ Neville said. Hermione raised her eyebrows. ‘What makes you think she will?’ ‘She’s getting distant and she doesn’t talk as much as she first did.’ ‘Did something happen?’ ‘No, as far as I know not.’ ‘As far as you know.’ Hermione nodded. ‘What do you mean?’ Hermione shook her head with a small smile. ‘Guys are different than girls, we think differently, we act differently in situations, sometimes it feels like we’re from two different planets.’ Hermione said. Neville raised his eyebrows. ‘You’re not making sense.’ he said. ‘Yes I do, what I’m trying to say is, maybe it’s not what you did do, maybe it’s something you didn’t do.’ Hermione said. Neville frowned. ‘Now you’re really making no sense at all.’ Neville said. Hermione laughed. ‘Do you want me to talk to her?’ Hermione asked. ‘Please.’ he said. Hermione nodded. ‘Okay.’ she said. ‘Don’t worry Neville, I’ll find out what’s wrong and you’ll hear it from me.’ Hermione said getting up. ‘Thank you, I know you’ve got a lot going on, I just didn’t know what to do.’ Neville said. ‘Nothing is more important than my friends, so don’t worry.’ Hermione said and she made her way back to the castle.

‘Luna!’ Hermione said when she saw the blonde girl passing the corner. Luna looked around the corner. ‘Oh hi Hermione, how are you?’ Luna asked with her dreamy voice. ‘I’m fine, what about you?’ Hermione asked. ‘Same.’ she said with a small smile. ‘Did something happen?’ Hermione asked. Luna looked up at her. ‘What do you mean?’ Luna asked. ‘You look a little off.’ Hermione said. ‘Well my dad had a heart attack.’ Luna told her. ‘What? Oh no, how is he?’ Hermione asked. ‘He’s stable, he’s in St. Mungo’s.’ Luna said. ‘Really? For Merlin’s sake. Can I do something for you?’ Hermione asked. ‘No, it’s fine.’ Luna shrugged. ‘I’m just feeling lonely.’ Luna said. ‘Why?’ Hermione asked. ‘Neville isn’t there for me.’ Luna told her. ‘And I really need him.’ Hermione nodded. ‘What did he do?’ Hermione asked. ‘That’s the problem, nothing.’ Luna said. ‘He didn’t even look up when I told him about what happened, he doesn’t ask if my dad is okay, he didn’t comfort me when I was on the edge of crying.’ Luna said. Hermione nodded again. ‘Do you want me to talk to him?’ Hermione asked. ‘I don’t know.’ Luna sighed. ‘What do you mean?’ ‘Well, what is a relationship when you’re not there for the other when they need you?’ Luna said. ‘Oh no, Luna, it’s probably just a misunderstanding.’ Hermione said placing her hand on Luna’s shoulder. ‘It’ll be alright, I promise you that.’ Hermione said. Luna looked up at her. ‘I’ll talk to him.’ Hermione said. Luna nodded. ‘Thank you.’ she said. ‘There are friends for.’ Hermione said giving her a quick hug. ‘I’ll let you know when I know.’ Hermione said. Luna nodded again with a small smile before passing the corner again. Hermione walked down the stairs and outside to the bench, but Neville wasn’t there anymore. Hermione sighed and walked inside again. ‘Where could Neville be?’ she asked herself looking around the hallway. ‘Library?’ She walked up the stairs to the library and when she got there she didn’t see Neville. ‘Dammit.’ She walked up to the Gryffindor common room and walked in. ‘Is Neville here?’ she asked Harry, who looked up from his paper. ‘Yes, he’s in our room.’ Harry said. ‘Something wrong?’ Harry asked. ‘No, but can you get him for me?’ Hermione asked. ‘Sure.’ Harry said getting up and walking up the stairs. A minute later he came back with Neville following him. ‘Can I talk to you?’ Hermione asked. Neville nodded and they walked to a corner in the room, sitting down in the chairs. ‘Did you talk to her?’ Neville asked. Hermione nodded. ‘And?’ Neville asked. ‘Why aren’t you there for her when she needs you?’ Hermione asked. ‘What do you mean? Something wrong?’ Neville asked. ‘Apart from the fact that her father had a heart attack and is in the hospital, and her boyfriend isn’t there by her side? Nothing much.’ Hermione said. ‘Her father had a heart attack?’ Neville asked, terror in his voice. ‘You didn’t know?’ Hermione asked confused. Neville shook his head. ‘She said she told you and you didn’t do anything.’ Hermione said. ‘Is that what she told me? I was not listening, I was busy planning a special date and I heard she was talking, but I didn’t listen and then all of a sudden she got up and walked away.’ Neville said. Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘Really Longbottom, REALLY?’ she said slapping his arm. ‘I’ve got to go to her.’ Neville said. ‘Yes, sure thing you do.’ Hermione said. Neville got up. ‘Thank you.’ Neville said. ‘No problem, now go to your girlfriend and tell her how special she is.’ Hermione said. Neville smiled and ran off. ‘You told me you weren’t an owl in our fourth year.’ Harry said from the couch. Hermione got up and let herself fall on the couch next to him. ‘Because I’m not.’ Hermione said. ‘And this was important.’ she said. Harry turned his head and looked at her. ‘Ron and I aren’t important?’ Harry asked. Hermione laughed. ‘You were fighting about something stupid, they were having a relationship problem.’ Hermione said. ‘Ron and I did too.’ Harry said. ‘No, you were just being huge idiots.’ Hermione said. ‘Good thing I didn’t act like an owl, because otherwise you wouldn’t have started talking to each other.’ Hermione said. Harry laughed. ‘Probably.’ he said. Hermione looked at the fire. ‘It’s strange, being back here.’ Hermione said, then looking around. Hermione and Harry were the only ones sitting in the common room. ‘How are you?’ Harry asked. ‘You saw me a hour ago, nothing has changed.’ Hermione said. ‘Do you miss being here, living in the Gryffindor tower?’ Harry asked. ‘A little.’ Hermione shrugged. ‘At first it was so strange, coming down to the common room and seeing an empty couch and an empty table.’ Harry said. ‘You were always studying, books spread across the table.’ Harry said thinking back with a smile. ‘I know.’ Hermione chuckled. ‘You’ve changed you know.’ Harry said. ‘Everyone has.’ Hermione said. ‘We all had to grow up really fast.’ she said. Harry nodded. ‘But it’s okay now.’ Hermione said. ‘I miss the old times though.’ Harry said. Hermione raised her eyebrows. ‘I mean when it was just me, you and Ron, “the Golden Trio”.’ Harry said. Hermione laughed. ‘Just sitting here, having fun, studying together.’ Harry said. ‘You mean, letting me do your homework.’ Hermione said. ‘That was Ron.’ Harry defended. Hermione laughed. ‘I’ve got to say, I miss it too, those moments.’ Hermione said. Harry nodded. ‘Where’s everyone anyway?’ Hermione asked. Harry shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’ he said. ‘You know what’s strange?’ Hermione asked. ‘What?’ ‘The fact that we’re almost done here at Hogwarts, we’ll go our own way, live our own life, we’ll get a job.’ Hermione said. ‘Eventually get married and have kids.’ she said. Harry nodded. ‘I know.’ he said. ‘Maybe sooner than you think.’ he said. Hermione nodded. ‘But first we’ve got to survive the end of the year.’ Hermione said. Harry laughed. ‘Yes, yes we certainly have to.’ he said.