Disclaimer- These are NOT my characters, OKAY? Wish they were though!

A/N- There are only going to be two chapters in this story and I will upload the last chappie on....probably next monday! So PLEASE give loads of reviews!!! NO FLAMES!

Chapter One

I sighed irritably as I tried to finish my Potions essay, but every time I tried to write a word down, a flash of a face entered my mind and made me completely forget what I was going to write.

I threw down my quill in frustration and sighed once more. There was no way I was going to finish this essay with him on my mind. I rolled up my piece of parchment, slipped it into my satchel and brought out one of my brand new books from the satchel's compartments. It was a romance novel about two people who shared equal feelings for each other but didn't seem to notice them until it was too late because they kept arguing.

"Sounds like me and a certain red-head I know," I smiled fondly.

I gazed around my dormitory. It was oddly quiet without Lavender, Parvati and Rose chatting on about their latest crushes. The only company I had was that of Crookshanks, who had taken to sleeping on Lavender's pillow.

"Might as well go check on the boys," I thought, getting up, opening the door and heading down the staircase to the Common Room. When I reached the bottom, I was startled to see both Harry and Ron busy scribbling on parchment and both wearing identical looks of concentration.

"Maybe I've finally the desired effect on them," I thought, walking over to them.

"What are you two doing?" I asked, sitting in my favourite comfy chair.

"Trying to get this damn essay done for Snape," Ron muttered, without looking up.

"Ron, don't swear!" I said. "But I'm glad to see that you are both working at last, even though you're way behind with your Transfiguration projects."

"Okay, Hermione, one miracle at a time, okay?" Ron replied.

I smiled.

Ron always seemed to make me smile somehow and even make me blush when he gave his trademark grin. It's so cute! Wait a minute...cute?! Since when did I ever find Ron's grin cute?

"You okay 'Mione?" Ron asked, looking up at me with his ice-blue eyes.

I nodded.

"I'm just heading down to dinner, are you two coming?" I asked.

Ron's stomach gave a loud growl at that moment. He looked sheepishly at me and nodded. Harry shook his head.

"I think I'll give dinner a miss," he said, packing up his equipment. "I need to finish this essay and I'm not all that hungry anyway."

He grabbed his bag and headed up the Boy's Staircase.

I frowned at his departing back and gazed over at Ron. A look of worry and concern shone in his eyes. I gave a loud tut.

"He hardly ever eats anymore," I said with a shake of my head. "and he's beginning to look really pale, it's not right for him to make himself suffer like this!"

Ron put a hand on my shoulder.

"Well, he's had a lot on his plate this summer, 'Mione, what with Sirius dying and having to deal with those visions of V-Voldemort," Ron whispered with a sigh of relief of saying the Dark Lord's name. "It's just best to leave him alone for a while and let him sort himself out."

My frown remained. Something was telling me that it just wasn't Sirius dying that was bothering Harry. There was something else. Something he wasn't telling us.

"Come on, Hermione, or we'll be late for dinner!" Ron called from the portrait hole.

With a final glance at the staircase, I turned round and headed out with Ron down to the Great Hall.

With dinner finished, I walked out into the Hogwarts Grounds, chatting with Ron about my latest attempt at sorting out the liberation of the House- Elves, but for some reason, I couldn't get Harry's thinning look out of my head. Ron must have noticed my look because he said:

"He'll be alright, Hermione, okay?"

I gave a small nod, yet the worry remained. Why Harry? Why couldn't he just be given one year, one normal year, where he didn't have to think about V- Voldemort or deal with his scar hurting? I could tell it hurts a lot, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. Believe me, I've checked every book in the library, including those in the Restriction Section, and I came up with nothing. Harry would just have to keep up with his Occulmency with Dumbledore and hope for the best.

Suddenly a shout jerked me out of my thoughts, just in time for me to see a large rock speeding right for me. I gave a gasp and braced myself for impact, but someone darted in front of me with a speed I didn't know was possible and caught the rock with a grunt.

It was Ron.

His keeper skills and reflexes seemed to be even useful outside Quidditch.

He threw the rock back to the ground and glared in the direction it had been thrown.

It was Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson, who were laughing at their own daring.

"Nice catch, Weasel-King!" Malfoy said with a sneer. "Protecting your precious mud-blood, I see? Maybe you should have let the rock hit her! It might have improved her looks a bit!"

"Or not!" Pansy snorted.

Ron growled and reached for his wand.

I put my hand on his arm and shook my head.

"No, Ron, they're not worth the time or the effort," I said, glaring at the two Slytherins.

We turned round and had started to walk back to the Entrance Hall when I heard Malfoy shout: "Oi Weasley, tell Scar-head that I'm ever so sorry that his hairy mutt was put down! What a shame!"

Something in me snapped.

Maybe it was my grief of Sirius dying or just my pure hatred for Malfoy that me whip around and storm towards him.

"YOU HEARTLESS BASTARD!" I screamed, my wand forgotten in my hand. I drew my arm back and, for the second time in my life, I punched Malfoy with the strength I had. I heard a loud crunch and a stream of blood poured from his broken nose.

"You bitch!" Pansy spat, jumping forward and right on top of me. We fell to the ground with a scream. I pulled her hair, she slapped my face, I wrenched her tie, and she thumped me.

The thump did it.

A bolt of pain shot through me as she hit my recovering injury from last year. I cried out and clutched my side.

"HERMIONE!" a voice shouted from somewhere as I began to lose consciousness.

Someone pulled Pansy off me and leant down to see me. I couldn't recognise the person through the growing darkness, but the last thing I heard them say was: "Get Madam Pomfrey NOW! Hermione's been hurt!"

That's when I blacked out completely and my head lolled to the side.

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