Hermione and Harry: Riddle in Time (Tomione/Harmione) UNEDITED

Chapter 32

A week passed, and the news travelled that Hermione and Ron broke up. Ron haven’t talked to Hermione ever since. He hangs out with Neville since he doesn’t want Harry to pick sides.

He can’t get Hermione out of his mind. As much as he wants to forget, to move on, he can’t. He loves her still. He wonders what happened. What did he do wrong? What was all of it for? He wasn’t for her. And he can’t move on.

He knows what they had been real. But she wasn’t happy anymore. She doesn’t want him anymore. She fell out of love from him. So he broke up with her. Their love was true. But it has become a lie. And he hates it.

Yes, she used to love him. But now? No. She doesn’t, anymore. He let her go. Now, he knows how much he truly loves her. He closed his eyes. He saw her. Again. She was happy. Tearsrun down his face. And there was that same old feeling in his heart. He loved her too much. Was that wrong? Was it wrong to love someone too much? Yes. Because now, he feels that all the love he has for her, comes back as pain. Because he let her go. He let her go because she doesn’t want him anymore. Their promise was just worthless words now.

He has been sitting inside the dormitory all day. It was Saturday so it was okay. He’s been staring at the window since he woke up. Harry tried to talk to him, he didn’t notice. He only slept for half an hour; he has been like that since. He wants her back, but he knows, it will not end up well. He has been miserable no matter how hard Harry and Ginny tries to make him smile.

His heart breaks a little every time he hears her name. He should’ve done something. Maybe if he did, she would still be with her, happy. Maybe, he was selfish. Maybe, it was his fault. Maybe, he didn’t give her much of his time. Maybe, he annoys her too much. Although it hurts, he knows it’s his fault. He hopes she’s happy. Maybe, she loves Riddle. He hopes, he hopes he loves her, as much as he does. Because he knows Hermione deserves more than that.

He knows it will take him weeks, months even, to move on.

He closed his eyes, and he saw her again, but this time, he didn’t cry, he smiled. I love you Hermione, goodbye.

Tom heard about the news. It was after all, a complete secret, so naturally, the whole school knows. The rumours started just the next day Hermione and Ron broke up. Everyone knew Ron broke up with her. No one, except Harry, Ginny and him knows why, so everyone made up their own version. Some say Ron didn’t want a mudblood girlfriend, he was sure that one of the Slytherins thought about that. But most say that Hermione cheated. They say Ron caught her making out with someone. Just then, girls started calling her names. Only a few doesn’t believe this because, as they say, who would want to be with that ugly duckling? Of course she didn’t cheat; no one in their right mind would want to be with her.

Naturally, the Hospital wing was half-full of jealous, lying girls the next day. Tom was only guilty of the seven of them. The other twenty or so, he knows it was Harry, Ginny, the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Neville, believe it or not, and Luna.

He actually couldn’t believe it when he found out that less than half of the girls were Ravenclaws, and then Hufflepuff was next, then Slytherins, and Gryffindors. There was only two Gryyfindors, which he was guilty of, maybe because most Gryffindors knows what will happen to them if they mess up with Hermione. The Ravenclaws on the other hand, was jealous not only of Hermione but because she was on the top of almost all her classes; and they don’t like that.

He wasn’t caught. But Harry was. Harry was the only one who was caught when he was teaching them a lesson. He has a week’s detention with Professor McGonagall. And the funny things is, He receive a Howler the next day.

Everyone was minding their own breakfast when they noticed the commotion at the Gryffindor table.

“Harry got himself a Howler!”

“Open it Harry!”

He saw him nervously reach for it. “Come on Harry! It’s your what? 36th howler?” Everyone laugh at that. Tom wasn’t sure it Finnigan was joking or not. Harry opened it and,

“HARRY JAMES POTTER!” It was a woman’s voice, probably her mother. “I AM VERY DISAPOINTED! WHEN DUMBLEDORE WROTE TO US WE COULDN’T BELIEVE AT FIRST, BUT PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL WROTE TO US NEXT! HOW COULD YOU? YOUR FATHER WILL TALK TO YOU!” The howler stopped then, “HARRY POTTER! I AM DISAPOINTED, VERY DISAPOINTED! YOU WERE CAUGHT! YOU PRANKED FOURTEEN GIRLS!  YOU MADE THEM EAT FRED AND GEORGE’S INVENTIONS AND YOU WERE CAUGHT!” Harry’s father, or rather, the howler stopped again, “YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GO TO HOGSMEAD FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR! NO QUIDDITCH” Harry’s mother stopped; in the background you can hear “Not quidditch Lils. He needs to win the house cup! Or I will lose the bet with Snivellous.” And, “But he needs to learn his lesson James!” His mother said, “He was just being a Marauder! Let him explain first, then we decide his punishment.” His father said, “Okay fine, YOU HEARD THAT HARRY JAMES POTTER! WRITE YOUR EXPLANATION ON FIVE FEET OF PARCHMENT AND WE WILL DECIDE! YOU HAVE TILL LUNCH OR THERE WILL ABSOLUTELY HELL TO PAY!”

And just like that, the parchment ripped itself apart. The Great Hall burst into laughter and Harry tried to hide in shame. That happened less than a week ago.

Tom hasn’t talked to Hermione, yet. But he was planning to.