Hermione stepped through the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor common room to find Ginny waiting for her by the fire.
"Well, you promised me the story," Ginny said.
"Quite truthfully, I'm still sorting out what happened," Hermione admitted.
"Well, then, I'll tell you what happened with Harry," Ginny said, her brown eyes glinting.
Hermione leaned forward. "All right?" she prompted.
"Well, I got to the Room of Requirement at seven, just like he asked," Ginny confided. "He was already waiting. The room was pretty plain, just a fireplace and a sofa. Rather cozy. Anyway, he started by telling me that he had to do this, otherwise Ron would never break up with you. He said it was a rather long story. He also said that he would never, ever willingly do anything to hurt me or make me feel uncomfortable, but he wasn't doing this willingly. He must have spent ten minutes apologizing for what he was about to say, until I finally told him to spit it out."
Hermione smiled. "Sounds like Harry."
"Yeah," Ginny said, smiling. "Anyway, I really had to needle him for a while, but he finally just told me. He said that he had started to like me over the summer, when he with us at Grimmauld Place. When I took a moment to say something, he started to blabber on about how he was really sorry he hadn't liked me back when I still liked him, then he said maybe he had, it had just taken fifth year and the knowledge of how easy it was to lose someone to realize it. He probably would have talked all night if I hadn't shut him up."
"Well, I hope his second experience with kissing wasn't as awful as his first," Hermione said.
"Oh, trust me, it wasn't," Ginny said, her eyes sparkling.
Hermione smiled, then began to relate her detention experience with Ginny.
"So let me get this straight...Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore had a bet going on you two?" Ginny said, unsure of whether she should be astonished or amused.
"I suppose so. Seemed a bit odd for Professor McGonagall, but Dumbledore...well, I'm not sure if he can surprise me anymore," Hermione said.
"You're right. Well, it's getting late, we should get to bed," Ginny said, stretching her arms over her head.
"Goodnight, Gin."
"Goodnight, 'Mione."
The next day was awkward for everyone it seemed, except Harry and Ginny. They were more oblivious to the things going on around them than Ron on one of his bad days.
Ginny started to sit with Harry, Ron, and Hermione at lunch. Harry was worried that she was leaving her friends behind, but she insisted that they understood and she would rather spend time with him anyway. The two probably would have been snogging by the end of lunch if Ron hadn't kept clearing his throat every time they so much as smiled at each other.
Big brotherly attitude aside, the way they acted really bothered Ron. He and Hermione had never been like that. In fact, the only kiss they had shared was awkward and rather reminded Ron of Harry's first kiss with Cho. Even if Hermione hadn't been crying, it was obvious her mind was elsewhere.
Like Cho's mind had been on her dead boyfriend...
Were Hermione's thoughts dominated by Draco's kisses? It was clear that she enjoyed his much more than Ron's. They had passion, at least. That much was obvious. Ron and Hermione shared no such thing.
Well, they bickered. That was the closest thing to passion that they had. Even those weren’t important or passionate enough to be called ‘arguments’. They couldn’t even pass as a ‘heated debate’.
So why had Ron been attracted to her in the first place?
That’s a silly question, he thought. Why is Harry attracted to Ginny? Do you think he knows?
Ron decided then and there that he was going to ask him. That is, if he could ever peel him away from his sister…
While Ron was trying to sort out his feelings about Hermione, so was a certain Slytherin sitting on the opposite side of the Great Hall.
He hated seeing her there, sitting next to Weasley. He should be sitting there, putting his arm around her, protecting her. So what if he was a Malfoy? Everyone who objected would have him to answer to.
He knew just how to make that happen, if Hermione agreed.
He would take her to Hogsmeade, assuming that this whole mess with Ron was finally sorted out, and let the entire school see them there. Well, at least all of the school that was third year or above and had a signed permission slip. This just happened to include Pansy Parkinson. If the Dark Lord or his father inquired about this, he'd tell them that he really did feel some emotion for her, but in truth he was using that connection to gain information about Potter and the Order. If the other Slytherins asked questions, well, he'd tell them where to go. He didn't care if they taunted him. Being a Malfoy, he was above childish insults.
His worries about himself were minimal. He would get by. But Hermione...
Pansy would hate her forever. Not that she didn't already hate her, simply for her birth status, but now she would have a reason to. He would have to do something about that. Soon.
The problem was, he had no idea what.
“Harry?” Ron asked, coming up behind his friend doing Charms work in their dormitory. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, Ron,” Harry said, turning away from his books and papers. "Shoot."
"Well..." Ron started awkwardly. "I just was wondering why you like my sister."
"What do you mean, why?" Harry asked, surprised.
"I don't know...what attracted you to her?"
"I'm not sure...she's really pretty, but it's more than that," Harry said thoughtfully. "She's kind. Remember on the train when Neville tried to say he was no one, and she got upset? She's not afraid to tell me off just because I'm the 'Boy Who Lived', but she doesn't judge me for it either. And not to disgust you or anything, Ron, but she's a really good kisser. Do you feel the same way about Hermione?"
"Er...well..." Ron stuttered. "Actually...not really. I thought I really liked her, Harry, but I don't. She was right. I do protect her the same way I would Ginny. I don't know what I was thinking." Ron groaned.
"Well, just be glad you can sort it out tonight," Harry said.
"You're right," Ron said with determination. "I have to tell her. It's not right to lead her on."
With that, Ron headed out of the dormitory.
Surprisingly enough, Ron was the first one in the Room of Requirement.
"I've been expecting you, Hermione."
A/N: OK, first, I must apologize for the long wait for this. The mod took a week to read it, only to send it back for "Slightly OOC Characters." I must say it annoyed me, and I can't edit my story when I'm annoyed. So I had to wait until I calmed down a bit to edit, then it took time to do that, then submitting it, then waiting for it to be read by a mod...Let's just say it wasn't my quickest update. Feel free to hit me.
Yeah, I know the H/G scene described by Ginny wasn't really a part of the main plot, but after including some of their story I decided I needed the rest of it. I tried to keep it short.
As always, please review! Constructive criticism or praise, I like to hear it all.