Forest of Dean

Chapter 8

Hermione just couldn't come to understand what was happening to her. She felt so lost when she was around Harry. It was never like that at all. She always felt comfortable and normal around him but nowadays, she just felt completely hopeless. She just didn't understand what was going on... She opened the entrance flap of the tent and suddenly bumped into Ron.
"Oi! Hermione..." Ron bellowed.
Hermione strode past him into the outdoors. The fresh air hit her face, which alleviated most of her confusion and overwhelmed feeling. She stopped walking and breathed in the fresh air.
"Hermione, Wait..." She heard Ron say from behind. She rolled her eyes and turned around.
"What, Ronald?" She asked.
"I- um... I think we should talk." He mumbled, quite nervous.
"Oh yeah? Well, i do not wish to speak to you at the moment. Go and make yourself useful by helping Harry finish packing for our visit to the Lovegoods." She said.
"No. Not until you listen to me." Ron said, with a bit more courage.
"Huh. I see that's yet another thing you don't wish to help Harry in. Don't tell me this is becoming a habit of yours? Not helping Harry in his times of need? And you call yourself his friend." She said, quite annoyed.
"That's not the point, Hermione! I came back for a reason, you know. I came back because I did the wrong thing! Don't think i didn't realize that i was acting like a big arse by leaving you two alone in this." He said. His voice raised a bit, but then it softened.
"Hermione... I was being silly. I was always thinking the worst during our horcrux hunt." He whispered.
Hermione just stared at him.
"Right before i left... I told you that i thought you and Harry had something going on. I thought my suspicions were confirmed right after i left, seeing as you stayed with Harry instead of going with me." He said.
Hermione frowned and crossed her arms.
"You expected me to go with you and leave Harry all alone at a time like this? Well you're wrong, Ronald. Harry needs support. We're his friends and we should provide that to him!" she retorted.
"I know, Hermione! I was just jealous and i've come to understand that i only acted the way i did because of the bloody Horcrux around my neck!" He said.
Hermione sighed and a memory struck her.

Memory:
"I'm doing the best i can!" She said to Harry.
"You're not doing enough!!" He roared, darkness shrouded in his eyes.
Hermione felt a jolt of fear pass through her. Never had she seen Harry like this. The obvious struck her. The locket...
"Take it off." She called out, as Harry was walking away.
He stopped walking. Hermione stood up and followed him.
"I said, take it off!" She repeated, a little more brusquely. She couldn't let her guard down at a time like this.
Harry turned around and looked at her menacingly, but he did as he was told. He removed the locket from his neck and handed it over to her. His eyes softened almost instantly and he looked at her with an apologetic look.
"Better?" She asked softly, taking the locket from him.
"Loads." He replied.

"Hermione." She heard Ron say.
She returned back to reality and sighed.
"I understand the locket made you act like a complete bloke. It does seem to have that effect." She said.
Ron walked closer to her.
"Look... i'm really sorry for what i've done. I'm also sorry for getting jealous by thinking you and Harry had something." He said.
Hermione looked down.
"We don't have anything... Ron. Our relationship is strictly platonic. You know that...I know that." she whispered.
"Yeah, i do." he replied.
There was an awkward silence between them.
"I went back to the burrow, you know. First thing Ginny asked me when i got there was about Harry." he said.
Hermione looked up at him and felt a sour feeling in her stomach. She frowned, merely at her feeling.
"How's everyone else?" she asked softly, hoping to avoid the topic.
"Um, good. A bit shaken, really. Not much they can do to help out but keep secrecy." he said.
Hermione nodded at that statement and offered him a small smile. Secrecy is key at this time.
"I think you should help Harry pack. I'll keep watch." she said.
She walked over to the far end of the tent and sat down.
"Uh, okay." He said, entering the tent.
"Um, Hermione?" He asked, poking his head out.
Hermione looked at him.
"Are we um, okay now?" He asked.
Hermione looked at him and smiled. "Yes, Ron. I think we are." She said.
He smiled at her and went inside the tent.
Hermione laid her head back and closed her eyes.
Ok, Hermione. Everything is better now but before you were side tracked by Ron, you needed to steer your head back to thinking logically. She sighed.
    These feelings... The ones i feel when i'm around Harry. They just feel so alien. Did i ever feel like this before? I might be sick.
She opened her eyes and stared at the sky. She frowned.
Wait... i recall feeling like this last year. The weird tingling in my stomach, almost like butterflies. blushing profusely. Stuttering...
Hermione jolted up. She gasped and held her head in her hands.
I felt like this when i was developing feelings for Ron... No...
She stood up and started to pace around.
"No... No. I can't..." she whispered.
She began to feel panic. She covered her face with her hands.
You're so bloody stupid, Hermione!! You can't be feeling this! He's like a BROTHER! There shouldn't be any feelings like those at all! You love Ron! Not Harry!
She sat down on top of the snow and ran her fingers through her hair.
"I can't be... it just isn't possible." she said.
Harry belongs to Ginny. Harry belongs to Ginny.
She repeated over and over in her head.
Yet it bothers you. You can't stand the fact that he has feelings for her and not for you... a voice in her head whispered.
She shook her head.
"I'm going crazy..." She muttered as she instinctively reached to her neck.
I'm not wearing the horcrux. Harry and Ron destroyed it...
"Hermione?"
She gasped when she heard his voice. She turned around and saw the person that was torturing her inner self.
"Harry..." She whispered.
"Ron and i just finished packing. Anything else we should do?" he asked.
Hermione stood up and shook her head.
"No. I think we should have everything." She said.
Harry nodded. "Ron's inside listening to the radio and trying to figure out how to put down the tent."
Hermione nodded and a sudden thought appeared in her head.
I need to know... Maybe if i do it, my conscience can leave me alone.
"Um, Harry? Do you think you could accompany me to the lake? I need to note something down." she said.
He frowned but nodded. "Sure." he replied.
He walked over to her and together they started to walk towards the lake.