That Saturday, Hermione woke up with a dull pounding in her head, which immediately worsened as soon as she sat up. Judging by the light outside, she had slept in late. Groaning, she climbed out of bed, dressed, and descended the dormitory stairs. When she was midway down the stairs, though, she made out Ginny, Harry, and Ron talking in the common room. She caught her name and stopped to listen.

"Ron, I think it's best for you if you shut up right now before Hermione comes down and I have to hex her boyfriend for her," Ginny was saying.

"Ginny, if you're telling me you haven't noticed anything strange, anything out-of-the-place, then I don't believe you for a second, because things have been odd for a long time - "

"Why don't you just cut to the chase, Ron? You've been beating around the bush for the entire morning now, and I'm not going to take much longer of this." Hermione sensed anger in Harry's voice.

"I've not been 'beating around the bush', actually," Ron said, and Hermione also sensed irritation in the way he spoke. "I've been very clear with what I want to say, but if it went unnoticed, let me put it out for you: Hermione's hiding something."

"Yeah, and she also failed every one of her exams," Ginny said, and Harry snorted. "Like that's going to happen."

"Do I really have to give you a written list of reasons why I'm saying this?" Ron said, then calming down a little, began. "Let's skip back a few weeks. Hermione was supposed to be staying at her parents', or that's what she was so determined about when she was with us, but later she just sends a very vague permission slip to come to the Burrow, and we all know that's not what Hermione's like."

"Don't say you didn't love her coming over," Ginny said, but Ron cut across.

"She's been spending literally every waking moment of every day in the library, and if she's not there, she's reading some book in a corner, doing something supposed to be 'research'. Isn't that a bit too extreme, even for Hermione?"

"That's what she's like, Ron, she loves reading," Ginny said again, then added, "even though it's the worst hobby to have."

"She disappears or bails suddenly, like on the Hogwarts Express and that time with Neville and Luna. Most importantly, she seemed grave, almost worried, when she read out that bit of article about Lucius Malfoy when the entire Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff tables were celebrating. She didn't even come to the party in the common room."

There was a moment of silence. Hermione felt like someone had just doused her in a tub of cold water and left her in an icy wind. Why had she never seen what it would be like for her friends to bear along with her secrets? Ron's words might have stung, but they were true. She had been hiding a lot from them lately. Unfortunately, she was not in a position to divulge any of them yet, but she couldn't bear to lie to them again. Her friends had been with her every turn of every way, she owed them the truth. But she couldn't. Not just yet. She didn't blame Ron for feeling the way he did.

"I trust Hermione. Completely," Harry said. "Even if she is hiding something, I trust her to make the choice for us. If she thinks we're not ready to hear the truth yet, or if she's not ready to let it out, I know she's made the right decision, so you can clear the thought of turning me against her once and for all, and I think you'd do good to apply the same to yourself too."

There was a noise from the room that suggested Ron banging his fist on the table, and then there was the sound of slamming of the door, meaning he'd got out. As she heard Harry sigh, Hermione felt it was the time to make an entrance. She descended the remaining stairs and Ginny whipped around with a start.

"I just heard Ron slam the door behind him like his pants were on fire. What happened? Is everything okay?"

"Oh, it was just him being himself, you know," Harry said casually. "We were having a debate. Chudley Cannons against Wigtown Wanderers."

"Well, the Wanderers are the fifth in the league, the Cannons are no match for them," Ginny said. "And we all know Ron's practically painted his bedroom orange and plastered it with Cannon posters.  Anyway, we saved you sandwiches from breakfast," Ginny said, extracting a stack of delicacies wrapped in tissue from her pocket. Hermione grabbed it and bit into a ham sandwich. "Mmm," she groaned. "I needed this."

As she swallowed the first bite, she asked anyway, already knowing the answer. "Ron looked pretty agitated, though. Are you sure everything's good?"

"Oh, of course," Harry answered, not quite meeting her eyes.

"Though if there was something you wanted to share, you'd be welcome to do it," Ginny said suddenly. 

"What?" Hermione looked at her, pretending to be confused. Harry glared at Ginny. "Nothing," Ginny rectified, quickly withdrawing.

Was it possible Ginny would side with Ron too? Though she'd be right if she did, Hermione really wanted her to be as unsuspecting as she could be. Since she couldn't spill her heart right then, it would be better if nobody thought she was containing things.

"I'm going for a walk by the Lake. Want to join me?" Hermione asked after a few minutes.

"We've actually got Quidditch practice with the team," Harry said. "Come to watch?"

"I think I'll pass."

As Harry and Ginny cleared out, Hermione sank back into the armchair and thought about what an incredible mess she had made of things.

***

Ron didn't talk to her all day.

He avoided her in the common room, he ignored her in the corridors, and he kept pulling Harry and Ginny away for what were undoubtedly more arguments over her. The ones with Harry, though, were particularly ugly. 

So, when Ron approached her late evening, Hermione was both surprised and a little afraid of what was to come next.

"Hey, meet me down by the Lake at midnight?" Ron asked her, in a tone that was not particularly vindictive, but not exactly friendly too. More like stiff, though Hermione thought it was better than an accusing tone, so she took it to be a good sign. 

"Yeah, sure," Hermione replied, and Ron left. 

Hermione knew the date that day. It was the 18th of September. Tomorrow, the 19th, would be her birthday. Smiling to herself, she was almost sure Ron had called her to wish her. Give her some gifts. Kiss her happy birthday. 

Boy, how wrong she was.

Hermione didn't even go to bed that night. She waited eagerly for it to come close to midnight, so she could leave for the Lake. Finally, she left a little early after everybody had gone to sleep, thinking that she could use some quiet by the water.

She didn't have to wait, though. Ron arrived after her with not much time to spare. Hermione could feel the grin on her face. She was with him, her soulmate, in the most beautiful location, the scene lighted gently by the moonlight. Ron approached, and Hermione was driven to kiss him. Hold him there with her the entire night. Whisper things in his ear. He'd fiddle with her hair, as he always did. This was Hermione's definition of a perfect birthday gift.

"Hey." Ron broke the silence. Hermione was leaning over in anticipation. She just couldn't wait.

"So, I've got to say a few things to you," Ron said. They were an arm's distance away. Why wouldn't the damn space close?

"Fire ahead," Hermione replied. She checked the time on her watch. It was exactly midnight.

Ron took a deep breath, then exhaled. "I can't do this anymore, Hermione."

"What?" She asked, confused. 

"I can't do this with you anymore. I'm breaking up."

Hermione only stared. It didn't make sense.

"Um, sorry," she began. "W-What do you mean?"

"What I'm saying, Hermione, is we aren't working out. We just don't have it, whatever is needed to make a relationship work. So, I'm breaking up with you."

"But why?" Hermione asked. "I love you so much. What do you think is missing?"

"I don't know," he replied. "But you know something isn't right. All those arguments between us, that bickering, fighting, it's just not good for us."

"But they're only disagreements, Ron," Hermione said, now real desperation rising inside of her. "We've worked our way through each one. Is it not possible for two people to - to not have the same opinions? What's so big about it?"

"What's big is the frequency of these fights. Every now and then, practically every second day, we're arguing. It's not healthy, Hermione. We're turning into something - something toxic."

Hermione took a deep breath before whispering it to him. "Is - is there someone else?"

"What?" Ron looked at her with unbelieving eyes. "You really think I'd stoop that low? That I'd cheat on you?"

Hermione turned around, her back to him, and pressed her cool palms onto her eyelids. Though it was good to know that Ron had been loyal, she would have to bring out the avoided subject now.

"It's because of what you think I'm hiding, isn't it?" She asked, turning back, her eyes glistening with tears. 

"Tell me it's not true, Hermione. Can you? Can you look me in the eye and say it?"

Hermione closed her eyes and let the tears fall. Everything was going wrong. Just because she couldn't blurt everything out. She lowered her head.

"You asked me what was missing, right? See, you answered yourself. Trust is what's missing. You don't trust me enough to tell me what's going on."

"So that's it?" Hermione said, looking up. "Just because I can't tell you something, you'll end everything we've ever had between us? Yes, I'm hiding a few things. But don't you trust me enough to know that I'll tell you everything once I'm ready?"

"Well, that's the problem, isn't it?" Ron said angrily. "You're never ready, are you? You weren't ready to leave with me when I was going away while hunting Horcruxes. You weren't ready to come to the Burrow with me after Fred's death when I needed you. And you aren't ready to confide in me now. How am I supposed to feel about all this?"

"Trust goes both ways, Ron," Hermione fired back, getting angry herself. "You've not exactly been the most supportive boyfriend lately, too. Remember all that fuss you made about Malfoy? Because you didn't think I could protect myself?"

"So that means both of us are unhappy with this, aren't we?" Ron practically shouted into her face. "It's decided then. We're done."

"No, no, no, wait!" Hermione called out, realizing she shouldn't have spoken that way. It only made things worse. She looked at the retreating figure already far away. "Wait, wait, Ron!" She ran towards him a few steps, but she knew it wouldn't matter now. "Ron, I love you! I'll do everything to make this right! Just stop! Look at me!"

When the truth sank in, the truth that he wouldn't come back, her knees gave way. She broke down into sobs, with only the cold wind to dry her tears.

***

A/N: This is a very long chapter. A chapter that only consisted of Hermione's POV. And a very important chapter, as you've already realized. Because now the road to Dramione has been officially inaugurated.

I didn't enjoy writing this. Putting Hermione through pain is so tough for me. But then, we're going to have Draco here very soon, helping out the witch in distress!