"Ron, when is Hermione coming?" Harry said as he passed the quaffle to Ginny.

"I'm not sure, she said she was coming in early august. Please stop hogging the ball though!" Ron sneered.

"Why are you so worried anyway?" Ginny said.

"Well, where could she be? I mean, we haven't gotten any mail from her." Harry said shrugging his shoulders. Ron nodded.

"By the way, did you get your O.W.L's yet Ron?" Harry said, smiling smugly.

"…" Ron's ear's turned bright red.

Ginny then piped up, "He got em' a week ago. Mom went ballistic." Harry's eyes bulged.

"Ron, how bad did you do?"

"Oh, I didn't mean it that way. Ron got 10 out of 14." Harry's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head.

"You didn't tell me!" he said smiling.

"I figured…you must have got better."

"Um…no! I got 8!"

"8is still good. Harry. Fred got 6, and George only got 5. Look where they are now," Ginny said rolling her eyes.

"…Did you get one in Potions?" Harry asked quickly and painlessly

"…yes?" Ron squeaked.

"Well, that's great!" Harry said grinning.

Ron opened his mouth, but stopped as soon as he heard, "Why, Hermione my dear, come in!" Harry looked up.

"She's finally here," Ginny said. They jumped off their brooms. They ran up and expected to see Hermione's bushy amber hair, but what they saw surprised them.

"Mom, who's that?" Ginny said. All they saw was sleek, shiny dark brown hair. The girl turned around. All three of them dropped their broomsticks.

"Her...Hermione!" they gasped. She smiled while blushing.

She had shoulder length, pin-straight deep brown hair. Her teeth were almost perfect, and were pearl white. She wore a pink tank top and jean capris. She wore makeup, and tons of jewelry.

"Hi," she said waving her hand in front of their faces. They all jerked out of it.

"What's all your problem?" she said giggling.

"Well…um…you look…different," Harry said. He then hugged her. She smiled. Ginny came up.

"I love your hair," she squealed. Her mom then told Ginny to take Hermione's stuff to Ginny's room, where Hermione would be staying. Ron could not stop staring.

"Ron!" she said, pulling him out of lalaland. He put out his hand, because she would never hug him like she did Harry. It always hurt him. She pushed the hand away, and gave him a hug.

"It's good to see you," she whispered into his ear. He felt his ears turning all shade of crimson that they could.

She looked at them, shook her head, and then smiled. He heard someone come down the stairs. When Harry saw him standing there, gaping, he hit him on the head. "What the hell are you staring at?" Harry said.

"Uh…nothing!" Ron said looking around.

"Sure," Harry said as he walked outside.

"Why, what are you thinking?" Ron said angrily. Harry turned around.

"Sorry to have to inform you about this, Ron, butwhen you saw Hermione, you practically started to drool. Then I see you gaping at the spot where she just stood. Put it all together…Ron, you've got a crush on her…even if you don't want it," Harry said.

"But…I can't! She your girlfriend." Ron said looking at the ground.

"WAS is the correct word. She isn't anymore. We were both too strong-headed. Oh and by the way…um…I can't help you pack tonight." Harry said, not making eye contact with Ron.

"Why?" Ron said suspiciously.

"Mgongnaateithinny," he mumbled at super speed.

"Bloody hell, man, what does that mean?" Harry sighed.

"I'm going on a date with Ginny," Ron's eyes bulged.

"You are going on a date with my little sister?"

"Ron…it's not like she's five. She's fifteen. I'm sixteen. Not a huge difference."

"But who's going to help me pack?" he said…but he kind of already knew what Harry was going to say.

"Ask Hermione." Harry said. Ron grumbled, and then stormed up to his room to play with his Pidgewigeon.

Ron gathered the courage that night, and went to Ginny's room. He reached his hand out to knock on the door, but quickly turned around and raked his fingers through his hair. "I can do this," he said to himself.

He spun around, and found himself face-to-face with Hermione. "Can I help you?" she said with a smirk on her face.

"Ah…I…um," Ron stuttered blushing.

"try words Ron. They work better than random syllables," Hermione said giggling.

"Look, Harry went out on a date with Ginny, so…I was wondering if you could help me pack. I haven't done it yet, and I'd like to get it out of the way."

"Sure, why not? I've got nothing better to do. …Wait, Harry went on a date with Ginny? As in Ginny, your little sister?" Hermione said amazed.

"Exactly what I said," Ron said smiling.

Hermione burst out laughing, but caught herself. "Sorry, it's kind of mean…but it's kind of strange…no offense," she said before she began to snicker. Ron then started to chuckle as well.

Later in Ron's room, Hermione was packing away his books while Ron worked on his clothes. "Do you think they could have given us any more books? Or heavier ones?" Hermione said as she grunted, placing a DATDA book into his trunk.

"Tell me about it." Ron slammed the trunk lid down, and walked over to Harry's bed, where the other trunk lay. Hermione glanced at a book about 1 foot high, and about a foot and a half long.

"Uh, can you help me with that?" Hermione picked it up, not knowing Ron hadn't grabbed it. But she wasn't strong enough, so she dropped the book and dropped onto the bed. Ron tried to grab her, but tripped and fell on the bed next to her. He looked into her eyes. She gave him a smile. He smiled back.

After a brief silence, he muttered "Whoops." He stood up, and then offered his hand to help Hermione up. She grabbed and he pulled her up with no problem.

"Wow, you're strong," she said amazed.

"Well, you're not exactly deadweight," he said. "Uh…forget I ever said that," he said.

"It's okay…no offense taken." She yawned.

"I think I will be going to bed now," She opened the door, and he walked her back to her room. Opening the door for her, he thanked her, and then closed the door. He smiled to himself, and thought, "Bloody hell, what am I getting my self into?"