343AN: Hey everyone. Thanks for all the reviews. I know my story is getting corny, but it's my story so if you have a problem then…bite me. Hope you enjoy this. The next chapter should be the epilogue.
Blaise sat next to Ron uncomfortably. He opened his mouth, but closed it quickly, scared that he would say something to upset the red head. Ron glanced at him with a questioning glare before turning back to Harry. "Where's Hermione?" he grumbled. Harry chuckled.
"Well I'm sure Blaise understands what situation she's left us in, don't you?" Blaise's eyes widened. He had never felt more uncomfortable in his whole life. Ron turned to him slowly, the fire in his eyes daring him to say something. He cleared his throat. "She-" Harry covered his smile at the squeaky pitch that came from the boy. "She lied to us, didn't she?"
"Yes she did," The boy-who-lived agreed. "She's probably off with Ginny and Luna," He gave Ron a pointed glare. "She told us to be here for guy bonding, I guess"
Ron stared at his friend suspiciously. "You wouldn't have been able to come up with that right now…you knew, didn't you?"
Harry smiled innocently. "Knew about what, Ronald? Come on, let's go before Sevvie Cakes sees us. Won't want him to see Blaise, now do we?"
"I don't know about you, but I won't have a problem," he growled. Blaise slowed his pace down and let the two walk ahead of him. He sighed, his shoulders drooping, before following them to their new destination.
Harry rolled his eyes at his friend. "Ron, I know you don't like Blaise and it'll take a long time for you to gain his trust again, okay?" The red head looked down. "But this isn't for you. As clichéd as it sounds, this is for Hermione. So suck it up and be the man that you are." Ron was about to retort when the heard a humming. They turned around and watched Luna skipping towards them with her eyes closed. Her hair was swaying back and forth and her skirt bounced up and down. Her radish earrings brushed against her cheeks while her necklace was tucked into her shirt so it wouldn't hit her face. She opened her eyes and her smile disappeared.
Her eyes turned downward, avoiding Ron who was staring at her longingly. "I'm sorry. I'll just go back the other way"
"Luna-" Harry started but she already ran away. "Oh look what you've done, mate. Luna doesn't even want to talk to me anymore! I think you should make up with her. Everyone knows that- Blaise, what do you think?"
He could not believe it. Did Harry just ask that? "I-I uh…I think that you should make up with her"
"You don't know anything" Ron snapped.
"Well I know that you're mad about the fact that she lied to you, and that she embarrassed Hermione. I don't, however, know why you won't forgive her. I think that if you love her, you'd speak to her. Like what Hermione did for me" He told him bravely.
"Spare me your corny speech" Blaise glared at him for the first time in a while. He pushed Harry out of the way and rammed Ron into the wall. "Hey!" Ron shouted as he tried to pry Blaise's fists off his shirt. "Let-"
"Listen, Weasel, because my patience is wearing thin." He shook him roughly and banged him against the wall once more. "Luna is a good person. She's been an outcast for years. If you were the odd one out, Weasel, which I'm not saying your not, when people start talking to you all of a sudden and needing your help and advice, what would you do? Luna always wanted acceptance and she finally got it. She got so blinded with the supposed friendship they gave her that she just went along with it! They practically brain washed her, telling her that it was for Hermione's own good! Now who is Hermione to her?"
Ron looked down. "The first girl besides Ginny to give her friendship"
Blaise grunted. "If I were you I'd think about that. I'll see you later, Potter. If you see Hermione, tell her I sorry but I couldn't stand the company of this one"
Harry shoved his hands in his pockets and watched Blaise storm away. He turned his eyes towards his best friend. Ron was staring at the floor, slowly falling to his knees. "Well…that went well, didn't it?"
Hermione sat, hands folded on her lap, waiting for Severus to speak. The potions master was watching her every move, trying to understand her. "Are you going to speak or not?" She blurted out. He raised an eyebrow and she looked back down. "Sorry, sir" He shook his head.
"You are a mystery to me, Granger"
"Snape-Granger," She grumbled.
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing"
"Did you just-"
"I love him. What is so hard to understand about that?"
"How could you love a man that used you to win money?"
"But he ended it!" She cried. "He- he loves me. I can't just let go of love, Severus. It'll make me ask" what ifs" and "what could have beens" later on in life. I don't want that. I want to know that I chose to love him and that he loved me back"
"What if it doesn't survive?" He asked, thinking that he finally pinned her down. "You'd regret it, wouldn't you?"
She smiled softly, with a glisten in her eyes that looked familiarly like Dumbledore. "I would never regret making a choice that I thought was right, Severus. You should know that by now. Even if the pain was more than I could burden…I'd rather feel that than knowing that I let Blaise go"
"You're foolish" he sneered. "He will leave you a broken woman. You're giving your self to a life led by love and-"
"I'll be leaving for Christmas today. The train is coming soon" She stood up abruptly. I came here to talk to you but you, obviously, don't want to give me any support. Goodbye, Severus. Happy Christmas". She laid a box on his table. Taped on top of it was an envelope. "No matter what, Severus, even if we stop talking, know that I loved you like a brother" She walked out, leaving him to his thoughts.
"I don't want to," He muttered, staring at the box. "Well…she probably spent money on it…I suppose…" he reached out and grabbed it. Slowly tearing the paper apart, he opened the box and looked in. His eyes widened as he took out a few vials and jars. All were filled with different parts of a basilisk. "How did she-". He stopped himself and looked at the envelope. It was probably the certificate that verified they were true basilisk ingredients. He picked it up and opened in gingerly. He didn't expect to see paperwork from the muggle ministry. "Name change?" he asked as he read the heading. He quickly read the rest until he found the line he wanted.
Previous Name: Hermione Jean Granger
"Ronald! Ginny!" Molly laughed happily. "Oh it's so good to see you again. Harry, Hermione, how are you dears? Charlie and Bill are home for the holidays! Isn't that wonderful? Fred and George are coming tomorrow and Percy-" she paused, her lip trembling. "Oh now don't worry about him. He'll turn around. Come on, come on. Let's go. Arthur will be home soon"
Harry glanced at Hermione with a smirk. No woman could talk as fast as Molly Weasley could. They shook their heads and followed the red heads. "Hermione, wait!" They all turned. Draco was running towards them, a nervous smile on his face. "Hey. I just wanted to say sorry, and you know, thanks for forgiving Blaise. He was a wreck without you" She giggled. "Here," He gave her a package. "It's from me and Theo, as a Merry Christmas and thanks for saving our friend present. Have a good holiday" He surprised them by kissing her cheek. He sneered quickly. "Potter. Weasley"
"Ferret" Both growled. Molly rolled her eyes and continued walking. "Come on!"
"Happy Christmas, Draco. Here, if you see him, give him this. Say it's from me" She waved goodbye and chased the others. Draco looked down at the parcel. He shrugged and threw it in his backpack. It was Christmas. Why not?
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS!"
Harry nudged Hermione, trying to get her to smile. She gave a weak grin before he passed her his gift. She opened it and traced the letters that spelled Hogwarts: A History. The Newest Edition. She laughed softly and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Harry. I love it." He smirked, proud that she liked it. "Ginny, here. Happy Christmas"
For the rest of the morning the family sent their presents back and forth. Hermione gave the regular small smile at each of her presents and a polite 'thank you'. Of course, she loved the gifts that they all gave her, but she wasn't in the mood without Blaise. She looked around and found Ron walking towards her slowly. She sighed with a frown. "Yes, Ronald?"
He scratched his head sheepishly and handed her a package. "Merry Christmas, Mione," He whispered. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. She paused as she noticed that there were holes on it.
"Ronald…" she said quietly. He smiled and opened it for her. Her heat quickened when she saw a kitten, sleeping on a pillow. It purred and turned onto its back when it awoke because of the light. "Ronald…it's a kitty" Her eyes lit up. He nodded.
"You've been telling me about how you miss Crookshanks since he…we you know, so I decided to get you a new cat. His name is Jinx."
"And it's for a reason too," Fred but in.
George nodded. "Through all the-"
"Time that we-"
"Took care of him-"
"For Ron, that-"
"Cat brought us nothing but trouble" The two finished together.
"What are you talking about?" Hermione snapped. She picked the kitten up and cuddled it. The cat meowed and licked her cheek. "He's just the cutest little thing, isn't he?" She cooed.
Fred and George scoffed. "He's going to run away! He's done it twelve times already! And we've only taken care of him for six days!"
She giggled as the kitten proved them wrong and curled up on her lap. "Thank you, Ronald. I love him"
He shrugged. "You have one more gift, so don't be thanking me yet"
She beamed. "Really? What is it?"
His face turned a dark red as he reached into his pocket. "W-well, I j-just thought you'd be ha-happy if I did th-this" He stuttered. She watched as an envelope popped out of his pocket. He gave it to her, muttering a small "here". She glanced down at it before giving him a brief smile and opening it.
The Weasleys looked at each other when Hermione began to laugh. "Oh, Ron!" She sniggered before hugging him. "I love it"
"What is it?" Ginny asked, wrapped in Harry's arms.
Hermione sent a cheeky grin towards Ron. "It's a contract, signed by both Blaise and him, stating that they will try to be friends for me." They smiled at him proudly.
"Oh, Forge, or boy is all grown up," George sniffled, wiping a fake tear away.
"Shut up," he shouted.
"Ronald! George! Fred! Leave each other alone! And don't raise your voice!"
"Listen to your mother, sons"
"Notice how I wasn't included in that"
"That's right, Ginny angel, because your daddy's little girl"
"Dad!"
"Haha!"
"Shut up, Harry! You're supposed to be helping me!"
Hermione closed her eyes. Things were going to be just fine.