sekkoon

Chapter 26:

Ginny flew down the the stairs two at a time, her long hair billowing out behind her.

'Harry! Harry!' She called at the top her voice, standing no tip-toe to see over the heads of everyone in the common room. People turned towards her, looking puzzled, but she didn't care - this was so important.

'Yeah? What - what's wrong?' Harry asked, standing up from where he had been sitting quietly in front of the fire place.

'Harry - come with me.' Ginny ordered, rushing over to him and grabbing his hand, pulling him out of the way to a very dark and silent corner of the area.

'Ginny; what?' Harry asked impatiently.

'Hermione. She's leaving!' Ginny gasped; Harry stared at her.

'Leaving? What do you mean?'

'What do you think I mea?! I mean she's packed her things and McGonagall has said she can go - and now she's taking off; tonight! Harry we have to stop her!' Ginny screeched, as Harry's eyes seemed to glaze.

'Why? Why is she leaving-'

'Maybe because she thinks you hate her? Maybe because Ron does seem to hate her! He's just hurt - we both know he's still in love with her! She needs to be persuaded to stay; Ron'll get over what happened and-'

'If she wants to leave then we should let her.' Harry cut through her quietly, and Ginny glared at him in disbelief.

'You're just going to let your best friend of seven years walk away from you?' She whispered, and Harry dropped his eyes to the floor.

'I... She'll have calmed down when she comes back next year; everything will have calmed do-'

'NO Harry! She's not coming back - ever! She'es leaving the magical world for good; she's going to live as a muggle!' Ginny was almost shouting now in desperation. Harry's eyes widened.

'What?' He whispered.

'Yes! We need to stop her!' There was a moment's silence.

'Where is she now?' Harry asked quickly, turning away from Ginny as he said it, heading towards the stairway to the Girl's Dorm.

'I don't know - she's leaving tonight, but she said she needed a bit of time alone in the castle before she went. I don't-'

'Right...' Harry thought as he turned back to Ginny. 'Right...'

'I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't really mean it... I was just angry. And I have a right to be angry with you. If it weren't for you then... then...' Hermione trailed away, twirling strands of her hair in her fingers absentmindedly. 'I need to thank you anyway. It's strangely sadistic that I'm thanking someone I loathe so much, but you have helped me, although I doubt you intended to. You see, while everyone else was showing just how much they hated me; you weren't. Oh and I know you do really hate me, but for a while, just a while, you made it seem like you didn't. And that was important... because when I had no one, I clung to the hope that something, someone, you, might just be genuine. And don't look so regretful - like I said; I'm thanking you. It's perfectly clear now that whatever twisted relationship we had was all wrong - something as bad as this stemming from that proves it. And for once I ignored my head, and thought with my heart - stupid really, I know better now. Anyway. I just asked you here because I've made up my mind properly: I'm leaving. Tonight. So I wanted to say goodbye, I don't know why. I felt it was something I had to do.' Hermione turned and walked away from Draco, folding her arms across her chest and holding in the tears that were desperate to flow down her cheeks. Draco reached out to touch her arm in some gesture of comfort, but she shrugged him away and took another step away from him.

'You're actually leaving?' He asked slowly, his hand dropping back to his side once more.

'Yes. It's for the best. I can live as a muggle for a while, and maybe I can come back... some day.' She tried a smile, but failed, and instead, a single tear streaked down her cheek, which she was quick to wipe away - but Draco saw it. He didn't know what to say - although many things came to mind.

'I... how can you just walk away from... everything?! Your while life is here, Hermione! Everything you know and love, I mean-'

'Don't you think I know all that? I'll have to make a new life for myself - you think that's something I'm looking forwards to doing? No. But I have to-'

'You don't have to though!' Draco flared up, taking both of her hands in his and standing right in front of her. 'You can stay here - I don't know what it was that you think we had, but it wasn't what i seemed! I... I don't know how to say how I feel about you... I don't recognize the feeling... and... and I only didn't speak to you because Potter told me not to! He said he'd tell my Father about us if I didn't keep well and truly away from you. And... and I was scared I admit! Not just for me either - for you as well!' He had told her before he meant to, and now she was staring at him, completely confused.

'Harry...?' She whispered, her eyebrows furrowed.

'Yes... Hermione, I didn't know what to do. But when McGonagall kept you back, and you came out crying... I just... I had to know what was wrong... and you said you were leaving... and I just... I...' He trailed off, feeling he had failed something he was desperately meant to pass.

'Harry said that to you?' Hermione asked again, and Draco just nodded. She turned to leave.

'Where are you going?' Draco called after her anxiously.

'I... I have to make sure I've got everything, before I go.' Hermione replied over her shoulder, before pressing her lips together and walking out before Draco could say any more.

'Hermione - Mia, wait, Ginny told me that-'

'How dare you?!' Hermione spun to face him, her hair flying out behind her. Harry froze, and took a step back.

'W-what?' He stammered.

'How, how can you possibly be so decieptful? HOW? You ignore me for days, make me feel like I've just joined the Dark Lord - and then you have the nerve to go to Draco and threaten to tell his Father about us? Harry what the h.ell were you playing at? Do you intentionally want me dead, or did my safety not come into the equation when you were ready to owl the Dark Lord's most faithful servant?' Hermione screamed, and before she knew it, she had raised her hand and slapped him straight across the face. Harry was silent now, her anger resounding in his mind.

'Hermione... I'm sorry...' Harry whispered, and Hermione just glared at him.

'You know what? All this time I thought it was Draco who had ruined everything - and I'm not taking any blame away from him - but you! You should take your fair share too!' She spun to storm away, but Harry caught her hand and pulled her back.

'Mia - I just wanted to keep him away from you! I would never have really told his Father, but I could think of no other way to make sure he left you alone-'

'I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!' Hermione shrieked. 'I don't need you looking after me all the time Harry! Did it ever occur to you properly that maybe I wanted to be with Draco as much as he wanted to be with me?'

'I... Hermione... I couldn't bear the thought of him being with you...'

'I know he's your enemy Harry, and mine too! But... but you have no idea how nice he was to me, how he made me feel while no one else seemed to care-'

'BUT I CARE!' Harry exploded. 'AND YOU NEVER NOTICED DID YOU? YOU STILL HAVE NO IDEA, DO YOU?'

'What are you talking about?' Hermione cried, exasperated.

'I'm talking about it being hard enough for me to accept you were with Ron - my best friend - never mind with a Death Eater Slytherin who would only use you and then tell you to get lost!'

'I... I don't understand...' Hermione whispered. Instead of trying to explain, Harry stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her, before kissing her very softly, brushing her hair back from her face as he did so. Hermione pulled back after a second.

'Are you deliberately trying to make me more confused?' She asked, her voice only just audible, after a stunned moment.

'No... Mia you have no idea how long I've wanted to do that for... I only just realized that I had to when Ginny said you were leaving...' Harry stopped, and waited for Hermione to respond.