Omake for "More than Equal" Chapter 7 (story id = 11764057)

A/N: This is one of those stories where Hermione joins Ron in hating Harry after the GoF incident. What's an unrepentant Harmonian to do? Well, this.

A/N2: Songfics used to be really popular on this site 10 years ago. I've never actually written a songfic, but it is true that some of my stuff seems to have a song lyric in there somewhere. For me, songs allow the muggle-raised a way to connect to the muggle culture around them, even if they are stuck in Hogwarts.

Harry was just passing by a bathroom when he heard sobbing and sniffing from inside. 'Deja vu, all over again.' Harry frowned. 'Of course. Ron strikes again.' Well, there was nothing for it, Harry decided. He couldn't walk away from Hermione crying now anymore than he could three years ago.

Harry entered the bathroom and walked up to the toilet stall that a 15 year old Hermione Granger was crying in. Putting on his most posh London voice, Harry spoke in an exasperated tone. "What is it with you, Hermione? The sun rises, the birds fly, and Hermione Granger runs to the bathroom to cry in the loo. Oh, Loo-Hoo! Loo-Hoo! What am I to do with you?"

"Go away, Harry!"

"I bet you weren't expecting to find me! You seek me here, you seek me there; you seek this sexy beast everywhere. Am I in Heaven, or in the abbotoir? That damned elusive, Moi!" The whole bit was said in a 1930's Noel Coward voice, except the very last word which was an exact dead-ringer for Miss Piggy.

Hermione snorted. Good, maybe he could nip this whole incident in the bud. Harry cast his memory back to primary school, to the beaten up ukelele his music teacher thrust at him while she gave all the other students shiny new violins and flutes and clarinets. Well, those useless ukelele lessons can pay for themselves today. Raising his wand, Harry transfigured his handkerchief into that old ukelele, and started to play. Changing his voice to match Kermit the Frog, Harry sang.

"Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side
Rainbows are visions
But only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide"

Hermione started to smile in spite of herself. Her favorite childhood song from her favorite childhood movie. This was the Harry she knew; always cheering her up after someone made her cry.

"So we've been told
And some choose to believe it
I know they're wrong, wait and see
Some day we'll find it
The rainbow connection
The lovers, the dreamers, and me"

Harry came for her, just like a fairy tale prince, to save her just like he did back when she was 12. And then Hermione's world collapsed. Harry was the same kind, thoughful, wonderful boy who protected her and kept her safe. What changed? Not Harry, Harry's the same. She changed! Hermione changed, and grew nasty and untrusting and turned against the best friend she loved. She betrayed her Harry! She caused all this pain. She sided with the faithless idiot masses instead of siding with her Harry against the world.

Before, she only thought she cried, only thought she was sad. But now she hurt. Hermione fell to the tile floor and cried bitter tears of self hatred and recrimination, interspersed with shrieks and howls of pain and suffering. For the boy she betrayed, for the love she discarded, for the lies she embraced.

Harry watched as she went wild with grief. He started to panic, but then calmed down. She finally understood. She realized what she had done and what she had given up. And it was tearing her apart. Hary put down the ukelele and picked Hermione off the floor. She barely noticed, she just buried her face in his tuxedo and kept shrieking and bawling. So Harry held her and stroked her hair while she cried out her regret.

When her cries slowed, Harry conjured a lily and placed it behind her ear. He threw a spell at the forgotten ukelele and caused it to play the same song he played earlier.

"Hermione, dance with me."

"I don't deserve it. I don't deserve you."

"I seem to recall a certain broom last year." He put his arms around her and started moving. Since she was buried in his shirt and caught in his arms, she movied as well.

Hermione shook her head wildly. "Not the same." He twirled her around.

"No it's not. So don't do it again." He dipped her.

She continued to shake her head but smile a little. "Never. Never again. We need to leave." She looked up into his eyes.

"Yeah, it is getting late."

"No, Britain, the wizards, everything."

"I know. After the third task. Have your trunk packed and shrunken in your pocket. Leave a decoy in your dorm, along with some old stuff you won't miss leaving behind."

"You have a plan?"

"Always. Just you and me. Tell no one. Trust no one."