Hermione Granger paced the gaudy room inside Grimmauld Place. Her bushy hair was flying about...not that she cared. Her wild angry eyes completed the look of crazy. 'Who does he think he is?' She huffed to herself. 'Walking in here ordering house elves around with his expensive clothing and the tart on his arm.'

Harry Potter opened the door slowly before easing into the room. He wore a green polo shirt that complimented his eyes, black jeans, and expensive looking boots. That wonderful smell of cinnamon and musk permeated the room. Hermione took a moment to observe the boy she thought she knew. Her reminiscing lasted only for a moment for in the next she raised her hand. Crack!

'Really Hermione?' Harry drawled while rubbing his face a bit. 'Was that necessary?'

His blasé attitude only furthered her indignation. 'Who do you think you are?' Hermione yelled.

'I know I am Harry James Potter,' he answered her in the slow manner she had come to hate.

Hermione shook with rage, 'How can you walk in here like that? You have become a pompous, arrogant, strutting jerk.'

'Is that best you have Hermione?' He asked softly.

The bushy-haired girl deflated. 'I thought you were my friend?'

Harry shook his untamable hair, 'I have always been a great friend to you. I have always tried to help you. You are the one who has constantly kept secrets from me...'

'I kept secrets?' Hermione asked shrilly. 'You walk in here with Greengrass on your arm announcing an engagement and I have kept secrets?'

Harry rubbed his hand over his soft-looking pink lips. 'We have grown apart,' he said softly. 'I have felt...at times that I could not trust you. You have constantly gone behind my back...'

Hermione threw her hands in the air, 'Are you still on that? I make one small mistake at the beginning of third year and you can't let it go!'

Harry folded his arms over his broadened chest. 'You have made a lot of mistakes. As have I. You have this belief that because you are smart you are always right.'

Hermione flinched as if she had been slapped...hard. 'I...I do what is best!'

'You do what you believe is best,' Harry said. 'You do things for the good of others...'

'Is that so wrong?' Hermione asked with incredulous disbelief.

Harry shook his head, 'No, but just because you believe you are right does not make it a fact. House elves...'

She snorted, 'The slave master speaks!'

'I am not a slave master. They want to work,' Harry explained. 'They are happy to work.'

'Lucius Malfoy...'

'Beat Dobby, who has been in my care for years.'

'Barty Crouch...'

'Gave Winky clothes for not following orders,' Harry said softly. 'Cruel yes. Abusive no.'

Hermione growled in frustration while yanking at her bushy locks. 'We are not here to discuss house elves. This is about you and...and t-this person you have become.'

Harry ran a hand through his locks. 'House elves are only a small part of your problem. Let me finish!' Harry sighed to calm himself. 'You have this unbecoming trait of doing what is best for people...'

'How is that unbecoming!' She asked shrilly.

'"Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive,"' Harry quoted. 'I read that in a book somewhere and immediately thought of you and Dumbledore.' Harry hesitated before saying, 'Being my friend has done you a great disservice.'

'W-what do you mean?' Hermione asked with wide eyes.

Harry shook his head, 'It doesn't matter. When you went to McGonagall those two times in third year I felt I could not trust you. I was in the process of making plans...huge plans. How could I tell you my secrets if every time I did something you did not like, or became suspicious of, you told?'

Tears were rolling down Hermione's face. 'I am sorry for trying to do right by you,' she said with a large amount of bitterness.

Harry inclined his head, 'You don't get it.' Licking his lips he said, 'We have grown apart and that is largely because of the secrets between us. There is also the fact that we have grown up differently and we see friendship differently.' She took a step back and squinted her eyes as if she could not see him clearly. 'I tell you this not to hurt you, but because I believe this information will help you in your future relationships.' He closed his beautiful green eyes and sighed. 'You are a very demanding person, you are bossy, and extraordinarily nosey...'

Hermione gasped, 'Harry!'

With trembling lips he continued, 'I have always allowed you to do whatever you wanted when it came to me and that was the biggest fault in our relationship. Unlike Ron I have never told you how I felt. I don't like how you invade my privacy. I don't like how you snatch things from my hands. I don't like to be poked. I don't like to demanded of anything. And I bloody hate when people make decisions about my life without my say or consent.'

Hermione shook her head, 'H-harry...I...I t-thought y-you...'

Harry frowned in confusion, 'You thought I what Hermione?'

'I thought you loved me,' she sobbed.

Harry's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Before he could say anything Daphne Greengrass walked into the room. Putting her hand on Harry's shoulder she said, 'Emerald,' Hermione gasped, 'can you leave us?'

Harry looked between the two women before nodding his head. As soon as Harry left Greengrass began to cast spells. During this time Hermione assessed her opponent. Greengrass was leggy with chocolate-brown hair, violet eyes, and a large bust. She wore an expensive violet blouse, black trousers, and black sandals. Not only was the girl standing in front of her beautiful, but she was popular and had good grades especially in defense. She was only second to Harry in defense. Hermione shut her brown eyes in realization.

Her feelings of inadequacy morphed into anger and bitterness. 'What do you want Greengrass?'

'I almost feel sorry for you,' Greengrass spoke as softly as Harry.

'What for?' Hermione asked angrily.

'Unrequited love must be a bitch,' she said flippantly. 'I, however, don't feel sorry enough not to tell you this: you could have been happy with Weasley.' Greengrass sighed as Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes. 'For all of Weasley's faults he would have actually loved you. Funny enough Weasley is actually happy now...without you.' That stung, but Hermione refused to let Greengrass see her sweat.

Greengrass twirled a lock of her hair, 'If you listen to nothing else that has been said this afternoon listen to this: I have looked in the mirror and seen things I do not like about myself. Harry has done the same thing. Changing our ways has been beneficial. I hope you can look in the mirror and take an honest look at yourself. Change is good.'

As Greengrass left the room Hermione realized. She realized was that she was all alone. Once again she had no friends. She remembered having a few friends in primary school, but they had abandoned her just like Harry and Ron. They deemed her a tattle tale as well. She had been rewarded for her efforts: hall monitor, class leader, prefect. Having positions of authority allowed her to punish rule breakers, bullies, and those who had abandoned. But Harry and Greengrass were different from those kids in primary school. Harry and Greengrass had power of their own. Harry and Greengrass were a force that could make her miserable. Harry and Greengrass were in a place she wanted to be: the spotlight.

Hermione brought her knees to her chest and began to sob softly. In the blink of an eye everything had changed. There were no more secrets in the dark.

A/N: I took down Man-Who-Dived temporarily. I need to rework everything. As for this story it may be a one shot or it may be part of a chapter of a larger story. I haven't decided yet. Tell me what you think.