Weeks began to pass by, and nothing had come of what the snake had said. I began to slowly forget about its subtle warning. I had to. Seventh year had brought with it a homework pile as tall as the North Tower itself, and I was ready to go out of my skin with stress. There was no time to brood over whether or not Voldemort would come bursting through the door to kill us all.

Ron was having a rough time of it. Normally, all three of us would be working on our Transfiguration and Potions homework together. However, McGonagall and Slughorn had both come to an absolution that would change things dramatically. Seeing as they now had four different classes to survey, and seeing as there was great incentive for cheating, they had decided to switch their course order around. McGonagall had begun with a different unit for Ron’s class then for ours. Slughorn had done the same. We never had any of the same homework or the same assignments, and it was enough to make his blood boil. What was more, he had been extremely short with Hermione lately.

“I just don’t understand it!” he shouted one particular morning. Hermione was in the middle of cutting her waffles, and jumped as Ron’s fist collided with the upside of the table.

“What?” she asked, pulling her plate closer to her.

“This whole ‘let’s be safer’ thing!” he replied, “I mean, why do you have to separate the three of us? And why me, of all people?!”

“You’ve always been the lucky one,” I joked, but there was no laugh. Ron merely shot me a look as if to tell me to shut up. I looked back down at my plate of pancakes without another word. Clearly, teasing wasn’t going to make him feel any better. I watched him stab a piece of bacon firmly with his fork.

“It just doesn’t seem fair that I’m always the one who comes up short of something,” he said, “I mean, I hardly see you guys anymore! You’re always in the library working on your Transfiguration assignments, and I’m somewhere else working on Potions.”

“You could work on your Potions in the library with us,” Hermione interrupted. Ron glanced at her quickly, and then continued.

“It’s not like I can just bring my vials in there and make Madame Pince happy!” he hollered, “She’d kill me with all those concoctions leaking everywhere!”

“So you work on your written assignments in there with us,” Hermione said. Ron’s fists clenched and then unclenched. I swallowed my mouthful of food and then stuffed another bite down my throat so as to prevent any opportunity for comment.

“I’m working with Seamus on them, Hermione!” he said, “We both help each other out!”

“So bring Seamus with you!”

“Four’s a crowd!”

“Since when?”

Ron didn’t say anything else, but merely took to mumbling. I thought I heard him say something about Seamus and how he didn’t particularly care for him, but I couldn’t be sure. Hermione rolled her eyes at her grumbling boyfriend and went back to eating her breakfast. I took a swig of my pumpkin juice and looked back up at Ron.

“You looking forward to the Quidditch season?” I asked him. He sighed and stared at the ceiling.

“Dunno, Harry,” he said, “I was thinking that I might not go out for it this year.”

“Why? “ I asked earnestly. He had to be kidding. There was no way he was telling the truth.

“Not really that interested anymore,” he replied, “I’m not that good, and you don’t really need me.”

“We do so!” I shouted, “You’re…you’re our Keeper! The Hell we don’t need you!”

“You can find another Keeper,” he told me.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Ron,” Hermione interjected, “You love Quidditch. You’d be a prat if you didn’t try out again!”

And without warning, Ron rounded on her, pouncing like some kind of wild beast. I was so taken aback, I nearly fell out of my chair.

“WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP?!” he hollered at her, and his voice attracted the attention of several students behind us, “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT I WANT, SO YOU CAN JUST KEEP QUIET ABOUT IT, ALL RIGHT? I CAN MAKE MY OWN DECISIONS!! AND I DON’T ENJOY YOU CALLING ME A PRAT…SO DON’T! JUST KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!”

He heaved in a ton of air, recuperating from his shouting fit. Hermione just sat there, and it seemed that she couldn’t decide whether to cry, laugh, or slap him straight across the face. She was frozen, looking nearly Petrified. She looked at me, hoping that I would say something. I didn’t disappoint her.

“Ron,” I said, and my voice nearly caught in my throat, “She didn’t…she wasn’t literally calling you a prat. She was just…she just didn’t want you to do something you’d regret…she’s doing what…”

“Oh, put a cork in it, Harry!” Ron snapped. My brow furrowed in confusion. He’d been fine a minute ago. What was prompting this sudden spurt of anger?

“Ron,” Hermione said, her voice small and reserved, “calm down, all right? You were fine a minute ago, so why the sudden spurt of fury?”

“You’re both sitting here, trying to tell me what I want,” he said, and his voice was calmer, but still laced with fury. “There’s a key word in there…I. Me. I get to decide. And neither of you are in my classes anymore…”

“We’re in two of your classes!” Hermione blurted out. Ron ignored her.

“So you have no right in telling me what I want to do,” he continued as though she hadn’t spoken, “I don’t want to do Quidditch. I don’t want to come to the library. I don’t want any of it.”

“We were just giving suggestions, Ron,” I told him, “We were telling you different things that you could do so that we could hang out more.”

“Yeah, okay,” he said, but he didn’t seem convinced. Hermione glanced at him sideways.

“There’s something that’s really bothering you, isn’t there?”

“I…no,” he said finally, “Everything’s fine.”

“You sure?” I asked.

He didn’t answer for a minute, as if battling with himself. In his mind, something was whirring back and forth, and it was killing him. He didn’t know whether to act on it or not. Hermione and I both could see it, and began to grow nervous.

“What is it, Ron?” Hermione asked, “I mean, whether we’ve been separated of not, we’re still your best friends. And I’m still…”

“I’ll talk to you guys later,” he said, and he picked up his bag and stood up. He kissed Hermione briskly on the cheek, and began to set off down the table.

“But we have Defense next!” I shouted after him. He continued walking, as if I hadn’t said anything. I looked at Hermione, my eyes full of confusion and surprise. She shrugged and scooped up the last bit of her food left on her plate. I looked at her questioningly.

“That didn’t upset you?” I asked her earnestly. She chewed her food quickly, swallowed, and wiped her mouth.

“Sure it did,” she said, “A bit, anyway.”

“Hermione, he went at you like he was going to kill you!” I reminded her, “He’s your boyfriend…he shouldn’t be doing that!”

“He’s frustrated,” she told me, “I know that, and I’m giving him time to recover from it all.”

“It started from nothing!”

“He’s fine, Harry. He just…he needs time.”

She picked up her bag and looked up at the clock on the wall. I followed her gaze. It was time for class. Hurriedly, I drank the last bit of my pumpkin juice and stood up with her.

“He’ll probably be fine once we get in class,” she assured me, and I nodded. But somehow, I was doubtful.

Ron was sitting next to Seamus when we walked in. There were two open seats next to him, and I saw Lavender hustle over and take one just before we arrived. I took a small, secret glance over at Hermione. She didn’t seemed phased by it. Instead, she marched right over to her and smiled.

“Good morning Lavender,” she said, showing her white teeth in the most pleasurable way. I nearly laughed at her. Lavender snapped her eyes up, reacting like a mouse caught in a trap.

“Oh, hello there, Hermione,” she replied, and she stood up, “I was just discussing some…homework with Ron here.”

“I’m sure,” Hermione chuckled, and she took the now vacant seat, “You guys enjoying Transfiguration this year?”

“Yes,” Lavender said, and I thought she was about to turn around and return to her seat. She had started walking backwards, away from the seat. And then, she added another comment about Transfiguration.

“Ron and I are partners, did you know that?” she asked, and I could almost hear the sharp blade inserted into the words. Hermione merely blinked. I couldn’t help but admire her grace at that moment.

“Nope,” she said, “No, Ron hadn’t mentioned that. He told me that he and Seamus were working together.”

“Sometimes,” Ron told her, and she whirred around to look at him.

“Well of course,” she said, “I didn’t expect you to work with the same person all of the time.”

“It’s not very often he works with Seamus,” Lavender continued, “It’s more me than anybody else.”

“Harry, would you please sit down?” Hermione asked. It was more of a demand than anything else. I nodded, and made my way over to the vacant chair.

“Nice talking to you, Lavender,” Hermione said to Lavender, signaling an end to the conversation.

“You too,” Lavender replied, “See you after class, Ron.”

And she left, leaving Ron to explain himself.

“She’s just my partner for a few things,” he assured her.

“I’m sure,” she replied, and she didn’t say anything else. I nearly felt myself laugh at Ron’s discomfort. After all, he deserved it.

Why would you think that? I asked myself, Ron’s your best mate.

The door to the classroom opened slowly, and Professor Lupin emerged. He looked tired and worn, a sign that the full moon had only just passed, but I knew the lesson would be interesting nonetheless. Ron, Hermione, and I had been extremely pleased when we had learned he was teaching again. McGonagall had sent a plea to the parents, asking permission for him to return. She had made it clear to them that he was the most capable Defense teacher, and that he was entirely safe when controlled by a wolfs bane potion. After a handful of Howlers and a few interrogative owls, it had been decided by a slim majority that Lupin could in fact return to teach at Hogwarts. And where some of the Slytherins would groan and complain, the Gryffindors were more than happy to have him back.

“Good morning everyone,” he said cordially, and there were a few murmured “Good morning’s” and “Hello professor’s.” Our table said nothing, and I found it a bit unusual. I took an opportunity to glance over at Ron and Hermione. They were refusing to look at one another, merely staring at Lupin’s back with an intensity I would sure would cause him to implode in an instant. I felt an uneasiness enter into the pit of my stomach. They were drifting, I realized, and it wasn’t going to be easy. I had known that something of this caliber would occur, had only been thinking about it nearly a week ago. And here it was, happening now. How would they get through it? Would they turn out to be stronger because of it? Or would their friendship die as the candle of their relationship was extinguished? I had no way of knowing how anything would turn out. And I didn’t want to think about it.

“Today, we’ll be discussing the Patronus charm,” Lupin told us, and I heard a shuffling in the seats behind me. Neville, seated just two rows in front of me, glanced backwards. He gave me a quick smile and a thumbs up, which I returned stiffly. The sting of Ginny and Neville had begun to deaden as my heart began to let go, but I could still feel the wound open every now and again. It wasn’t terrible today, though. Hermione nudged my arm, and I took a deep breath and silently thanked her for her comforting gesture.

“Can someone tell me what the Patronus Charm is used for?” Lupin asked, and seven hands went into the air, including my own and Neville’s. Lupin smiled, and called on the latter.

“Patronuses help to repel Dementors,” Neville told the class.

“Excellent,” Lupin said, “Five points to Gryffindor. Now, can anyone tell me what Patronuses look like?”

The seven hands shot up again. I was allowed to answer this time.

“It depends on the wizard who conjures it,” I said, “They’re different for everyone. A skilled wizard can conjure one with a shape that looks sort of like an animal. Some look like otters, and others might resemble stags. And then there are certain wizards who can only conjure wisps of silver clouds.”

I saw Neville shuffle nervously in his seat, and I felt a slight pang of guilt in my gut. I had meant to hurt him, but regretted that decision instantly.

“Good, Harry,” Lupin said, and he did not reward me points. He knew that I knew the information all too well, and so he didn’t feel as though I was using knowledge I’d received on my own. “You would be correct. Patronuses take shape for wizards who have practiced them or have the knowledge of how to conjure one. And in order for a Patronus to be conjured, what must be done?”

Hermione’s hand was first in the air. I laughed at her as she waved it incessantly around. Lupin called on her, and as she brought her hand down, she slapped me playfully on the hand.

“You have to think of an exceptionally happy moment and speak the words Expecto Patronum! with force and strength,” she replied.

“Well, I see you’ve all been taught well,” Lupin said, “Take ten points, Hermione!”

“Thank you sir,” she said, and she looked at me admirably, “We did have a good teacher.”

I smiled at her, and felt something flip in my stomach. It was excitement for the class. Wasn’t it?

“We’re going to begin to work today on conjuring a Patronus itself,” Lupin announced to the class, “No real practice will be done with Dementors anytime in the near future, but it’s best to know how to do it. If you would all rise and form a circle around the room please.”

We obeyed without hesitation. Each student hustled to find an adequate place to stand. The Slytherins separated themselves from us as usual. Neville frantically attempted to stand by me, and I found myself feeling uncomfortable. Hermione saw it, and took the liberty of standing on my other side. I nodded at her in thanks, and watched Ron. Surprisingly, he wasn’t rushing to stand with Hermione or me. Instead, he was dawdling in the back, and coincidentally found himself sandwiched between Seamus and Lavender. He shrugged at me, and I returned it with a small shake of my head. I’d ask him about it later.

“Think I’m ready to impress people, Harry?” Neville asked me anxiously. I gave him a small chuckle and swallowed the lump rising in my throat.

“Of course, Neville,” I told him, “You’ve had more experience than most of the people here.”

“You think?”

“ I know.”

“Wands at the ready please!” Lupin announced, and we all lifted our wands high in the air. Hermione glanced at me and gave a small wink, which I returned with a friendly smirk.

“Now… Expecto Patronum!“ Lupin announced.

“Expecto Patronum!”

The room erupted into silver clouds. A beautiful silver otter shot out of the end of Hermione’s wand, and it galloped around her in circles, stirring up her hair. My stag chased after it playfully, dancing and prancing in glory. I could barely see Ron through the wisp of silver and was unable to see if he had conjured an animal yet. Lavender was struggling to get anything to come out of her wand. Neville…well, Neville impressed me.

His Patronus did not form into any kind of animal, but it had begun to shape something before it disappeared. I gave him a pat on the back as the haze of the room began to dissipate.

“Excellent!” Lupin announced, “I saw great progress there! Tremendous effort, all of you!”

“I saw an otter!” Parvati Patil announced, and she looked around the room for a reaction. There were a few nods of agreement, and I saw Hermione blush beside me. Ron looked at her, nodded, and then looked back at Lupin.

“Up for another go, everybody?” he asked, and there several excited “yes’s.”

“All right then,” he said, “Try again, then!" he uttered

“ Expecto Patronum!”

My eyes snapped onto Ron, and I watched as the Patronus exploded from his wand. The cloud of silver swirled upwards toward the ceiling. There, it began to gather into a shape. I caught Hermione looking too, and her eyes grew wide with mine. There, sliding and slithering through the air, was a serpent. And it’s fangs were showing in it’s open mouth.

We left Defense class with puffs of silver mist caught in our hair. Hermione walked out without Ron and waited for me at the door. We had Potions next, and would make our way to the dungeons without him. I told her to wait.

“I just want to see what’s got him,” I said, and she huffed.

“Personally, I think he’s PMSing and needs some time to relax,” she said.

“Maybe,” I replied, “But then, that Patronus thing was just too weird.”

Ron came out alone, with Lavender following close behind him.

“I’ll see you next class?” she giggled.

“Yeah,” he told her, and he stopped beside me. I motioned with my eyes for him to walk with us, and he followed me without a word.

“So,” Hermione began beside him, “you care to explain Lavender Brown to me? I thought she annoyed you.”

“It’s…none of your business,” he said. I bit my lip, and sent up a silent plea.

No. Please. Not this.

“It is my business, Ron!” she scolded, “I’m your girlfriend!”

“Really?” he asked, “Are you still? We never see each other!”

“We see each other every day!” she retorted. I could hear the hurt in her voice, but she attempted to hide it. “It’s two periods!”

“Well, you’re always with Harry doing homework,” he said, “And I do my homework with Lavender, so there!”

“You could do your homework with us, Ron,” I interjected, and I felt as if I were defending my own honor.

“This isn’t your argument, Harry,” Hermione told me sternly, and I wasn’t about to argue with her. She looked back at Ron. “So what are you saying here? Are you saying that you won’t come do homework with Harry and me because you’re doing it with Lavender?”

“Well…I…yes,” he said, and Hermione backed away as if he had hit her.

“Are you two…are you…”

“I don’t know, okay?” Ron said, “Maybe…maybe you and I just need to take a…take a little break so I can figure things out.”

All three of us stopped walking. I knew we were going to be late to Potions, but it didn’t matter right then. Hermione and Ron stood glaring at each other, both planted completely parallel with one another.

“So you can figure things out?” Hermione asked, “What kind of things do you want to figure out, Ron?”

“Just…just things, all right?” he said, “My mind just needs to think things over without any complications.”

“And I’m a complication?”

“Yeah, you are.”

Hermione took a breath in, and then nodded. She swallowed hard, and I saw the tears well in her eyes. She didn’t let them fall.

“Fine then.”

Ron didn’t say anymore. He took a deep breath and turned around. And he left her in the hallway, standing with me. And she turned around to see me, and she was crying. I led her down to the Potions classroom as the bell rang. We sat down next to each other, and I let her collapse into my shoulder. I had no idea what to say.

Now what? What else could go wrong?