The Thunder in My Heart

Facing Certain Matters at Hand

Hermione stayed in bed the next morning, skipping breakfast and ignoring the occasional gentle knocks on her door. She wasn't sure when she would be able to face the world, well, face Harry and Blaise, and she couldn't quite get her thoughts in order to emerge from her room and go and find either man.

Her decision was made for her when her door clicked unlocked and swung open. Harry stood on the threshold, looking extremely concerned, holding a plate of toast and cup of tea. He took one look at her and headed over to her bedside. Sitting carefully beside where she was still curled up in her bed, he put the tea and toast to one side and he pulled her up into his arms so he could hug her tightly.

Crookshanks sat in the middle of her floor, staring at her balefully and flicking the tip of his tail in irritation.

'You look like shite!' Harry murmured into her hair. 'Do you want to tell me about it?'

'No. Yes. Oh Harry!' she breathed into his shoulder. 'I don't deserve you, you know.' And she wondered once more how he knew when she needed him.

'Nonsense!' he muttered, drawing away from her and brushing her hair away from her face so he could look at her. 'Have you even slept? You're still in yesterday's clothes. Is this about Ron?' And he added quietly, 'and Blaise?'

'Yes. No. Partly, but it's worse than that.' She furiously tried to brush away the tears that were threatening to seep down her cheeks. Hell, surely she was stronger than this? She'd never thought of herself as a woman prone to tears but she seemed so emotional these days. Since the war, she thought bitterly. Since Ron.

Harry was looking at her with concern. 'What's wrong, Mione? What's happened?'

She turned on the bed so she was sitting side-by-side with Harry, her legs crossed and the duvet wrapped around her. Crookshanks jumped up beside her and nudged her arm but she stared unseeingly at her hands as she fiddled with the hem of her jeans while she struggled to find the words. Beside her, her bestfriend waited, his gaze unfaltering as her watched her with worry.

'I'm so sorry, Harry. I don't know what to say... I shouldn't have done it...' she stumbled over her words. 'I've broken your trust.' She swiped at her cheeks angrily again.

'What's happened, Mione?'

'I broke into your room last night,' the words tumbled out rushed and quiet, and she turned fearfully to look at Harry.

He certainly looked surprised, and more than a bit confused. 'Why?' he asked.

'I wanted to borrow the map...'

'But you know you only needed to ask,' he said, obviously baffled.

'Yes, but I didn't want you asking why...' she dropped her head again.

'Why?'

'Because, well, it was the other night, you see, Draco disappeared between the library and here, and you were both gone for more than two hours, and we were worried about Draco but also hoped you were together...

'I see. But you were a bit after the fact if you were only checking last night.'

'No, Blaise and I worked out how to make a new map and I wanted to see the Marauder's one to cross-check our ideas...'

'I think we've been spending too much time hanging around Slytherins. So, let me get this straight...'

She risked glancing at him and saw a sparkle in his eyes.

'...You and Blaise thought you would put your highly ingenious minds to good use by researching and copying one of the most astounding and secretive pieces of magical artefacts ever produced by Hogwarts students, and you uncovered how to do so in less than twenty-four hours, just so you could find out if your bestmates were off shagging somewhere.'