New Beginnings • A Harmione Fanfiction

Chapter Three

A few hours pass by.

"Hey, uh, can I ask you something?" Harry said as he and Ron walked side by side, making their way to the Great Hall.

"Sure. Can we wait until we're done eating though? I'm starving." Ron replied.

"Actually, I'd prefer if we do it here." Harry told  him, anxiously awaiting an answer.

"Um, alrighty then."

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. The moment he had dreaded for hours on end had come. Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to ask so soon, but he knew he couldn't back out now.

Do it for Hermione.

"Did you, er-- break up with Hermione?" Harry asked, biting his lip.

"Bloody hell. H-how did you know? Me and her didn't plan to tell you until a few days later..." Ron said in a hushed tone.

He stopped walking, crossed his arms, and furrowed his eyebrows in suspicion.

"What? There's gossip going around the school. I just want to confirm..." Harry whispered.

"Yeahhhhh.. Right. And if you don't mind, I'm not really in the mood." Ron scowled, followed by an obvious eye roll.

"Geez, sorry." 

Tension rose quickly as they made their way to the Great Hall, which Harry did not enjoy. It seemed like Ron was ignoring him on purpose, and it was bad enough as is.

Quietly, he sat down next to Neville, hoping it wouldn't be quite as awkward. He caught a glimpse of Hermione, who was eating in silence.

But Harry's thoughts were quickly put to an end when he heard Ginny.

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, running to their table.

She gave him a slight peck on the cheek.

"Oh! Uh, hi, Ginny." Harry smiled.

"I missed you, a lot. It's been too long." She sat down, pulled him and hugged him lovingly.

Harry, not knowing what to do, awkwardly pat her back a few times. After letting go, she gave him one of those 'what's wrong?' looks.

He replied with a simple shrug. All that was really occupying his mind was Hermione. He wondered if she was doing alright.

"Just a bit tired." Harry told her. Which was technically true, but not exactly the reason he was acting up.

Breakfast was oddly quiet. Everyone was completely silent, and chewing was the only sound that met the ears. Crunch after crunch after crunch. After only a few seconds, Harry noticed that the eerie sense of awkwardness had bothered Ginny.

Concerned, Ginny turned to Harry.

"Is there something I'm missing here? As in, between Ron and Hermione?" She whispered, trying to go unnoticed.

"I'll tell you later. It's pretty bad." Harry said.

Hermione's head perked up. At first, it seemed like she had been eavesdropping, which worried Harry. She tucked her hair behind her ears and cleared her throat.

"Can we talk in private, Harry?" She asked.

Harry contemplated going for a few seconds. He glanced at Ron, who was staring right back at him.

Should I go? He thought.

Harry scratched his head, put his fork down and nodded slowly. What's the harm in going? She was his friend. Best friend, at that.

He pushed back his seat and walked near the door, where Hermione pointed at just seconds before.

"This is bad timing, but did you find out anything? I'm sorry, I'm almost desperate. He's not talking to me, in fact; no one is, except you. I don't want it to be like this forever!" She panicked.

"Woah, woah, woah! Calm down. Okay, first, no, I didn't find out anything. He said he "wasn't in the mood", whatever that means. I think there's something wrong, Hermione. He's not being himself." Harry concluded, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"We have to find answers, then!" Hermione said.

Harry sighed.

"Look, I don't know exactly what it is, and I doubt we'll figure it out any time soon. But I promise I'll dig deeper, okay?"

"Okay. I'm.. Just... Ugh! Sorry, I'm probably bothering you."

"No, it's alright, really." He gave a reassuring smile.

"Okay, if you say so." She replied.

Slowly, she reached out for the hand he put on her shoulder and squeezed it tightly. Harry felt something warm and fuzzy inside, almost as if Hermione had an effect on him.

Coincidentally, she seemed to have felt it too.