I will stay with you

Part 9

N: I'm going to skip the task, because this story is mainly from Hermione's POV, and it's almost impossible to write it from her point of view during the task because... well ya know. Lol. Besides, most of you know what happens :P onto the story! :D
Hermione sat on a dock over the Black Lake, a towel draped over her drenched shoulders. She didn't know what happened, only that she opened her eyes as her head appeared over the surface of the water.
The three other champions were already finished with the task, waiting patiently on the dock for Harry.
Ron sat beside Hermione, rubbing her shoulders comfortingly as he told her the entire story. Apparently, something important was stolen from the four champions the night before- that something happened to be the person most dearest to them.
When Harry and Ron awoke to Hermione missing the next morning, they realized that it had been her that was taken. All Hermione remembered was the gnawing pain hitting her in the back of the head as she entered the girls dormitory. After that, everything went black.
There was a gasp in the crowd, and Hermione looked up to see Harry exploding out of the water. He landed on the dock a few meters away from her and Ron. Hermione heard Dumbledore's shocked voice as he talked. She stood up, pushing Ron off of her, and ran over to where Harry was laying.
"Harry!" Hermione called as she ran up to him. He was drenched from head to toe, his dark hair sticking to his forehead and his glasses dripping with water.
"Hermione," Harry choked out, coughing in the process.
"You must be freezing!" Hermione gasped, taking off her own towel and draping it over Harry's shoulders. "Personally, i think you behaved admirably."
Harry sighed and shook her head, "I finished last Hermione."
Hermione surprised him by kissing his forehead softly. "Next to last," she corrected him. "Fleur never got past the grindylows."
~
Hermione walked alongside Hagrid and Ron through the dark forest. Though she couldn't take her eyes off of Harry, who was walking by himself a little ways off.
"Go talk ter him," Hagrid said into her ear. "He could use it."
Hermione turned towards the half-giant, "But-"
"Ron and I'll make sure Dumbledore understands if yer late," Hagrid told her, giving her a gentle push towards Harry's direction. Hermione sighed and quickened her pace until she caught up to him.
"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.
Harry nodded, "why wouldn't I be?"
"I dunno," Hermione shrugged. "Hagrid told me to come talk to you, so I wanted to make sure you were alright."
Harry turned to look at her, a small smile plastered on his face, "I'm fine. I'm just tired."
Harry and Hermione entered the Great Hall soon after the feast had started. Everyone turned to face them, causing Hermione's face to turn a bright shade of pink. She caught Professor Dumbledore's eye, who only gave her a small, understanding smile.
She quickly took a seat next to Harry at the Gryffindor table. Ron sat opposite of them, stuffing his face with a chicken wing. Ginny, his sister, sat next to him, staring at Harry with dreamy eyes.
"You did brilliant today, Harry," she said sweetly as she took a sip off her pumpkin juice.
"Thank you, Ginny," said Harry politely. He filled his own plate with food and started eating hungrily. Hermione, however, didn't each a single thing.
"You're not still on about the elves in the kitchen, are you?" Ron asked when he noticed her empty plate.
"Yes, I am, Ronald," Hermione spat. "It's slave labour, and you know that!"
"They enjoy their job," Ron shrugged as he filled his plate with his third serving of mashed potatoes.
Hermione scoffed and pushed her empty plate away from her. Earlier that year, she had discovered that the food was made from unpaid elves who worked in the kitchen all year round. She was disgusted by it- claiming it was abusive slave labour- and refused to eat anything during the feasts.
Though, as the desert appeared on the trays in front of her, Hermione had a hard time not eating anything. Ron mocked her by shoving brownies in his face and moaning about how delicious they were. Before long, Hermione couldn't hold it in any longer, and grabbed a piece of the carrot cake, which she devoured in less than three minutes.
"I was scared you were going to starve yourself before eating anything again," Ron joked, a triumphant gleam in his eyes.
"I still don't like it," Hermione muttered, taking a brownie from the tray in front of her. Beside her, Harry sat silently, poking at the piece of pumpkin pie on his plate.
"You alright, Harry?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm just not hungry," said Harry, pushing his plate away from him.
"You've barely eaten anything," Ginny fretted, eyeing the piece of pumpkin pie.
"Yeah," Harry avoided her gaze. "Like I said, I'm not hungry."
His hand brushed Hermione's as he stood up.
"I'll see you guys later."
Hermione watched as he exited the Great Hall, earning a few stares from students as he pushed past them. Hermione set her half eaten brownie down onto her plate and stood up.
"Hermione, I wouldn't-"
She didn't hear the rest of Ron's sentence. She quickly followed Harry towards the Gryffindor common room, though she didn't approach him until they reached the portrait doorway.
"Harry-"
"No offense, Hermione," said Harry, turning to face her. "But I'd really appreciate it if I were left alone right now."
His words pierced Hermione's heart as if he had stabbed her. Now she was positive she did something wrong; she just didn't know what.
"Right," she sighed, backing away from him. "Right, um, that's fine. S-sorry."
She felt as if her heart had been ripped to pieces as she walked down the abandoned corridor. Harry had always accepted her comfort, no matter what form it came in, why had he acted that way?
She rejoined the feast in the Great Hall in silence. Ron and Ginny asked about Harry several times, though they failed to get even a simple "yes" or "no" out of Hermione.
They eventually gave up, much to Hermione's relief.
"It's getting late, and we have classes tomorrow, we should head off to bed," Ginny said as she stood up. Hermione nodded in agreement and followed them out of the Great Hall. She quickened her pace so that she was walking ahead of the two siblings. She just wanted to get to the Gryffindor tower and sleep.
She was sure she heard Ginny and Ron whisper her name loads of times, though she tried her best to ignore it.
As they entered the common room, Hermione headed straight towards the girl's dormitory. She changed into her pajamas quickly before collapsing onto her four-poster. Within moments, she was fast asleep.
A/N:
This chapter sucked ugh /.\