Author: For now, it's just Kidney, but it'll change later on through the chapter.

Disclaimer: Neither of us own Harry Potter or any part of the books, characters, etc. But oh boy what i would do if I owned Snape :D

If you were an especially observant person, you would notice that every morning, of every day, started out exactly the same for these three. Hermione would wake up first, always eager to get a start on the day, and prepare for all of her upcoming classes, (as though she really needed to.) Nearly two hours later, Harry would walk down the stairs and join her, hair a mess, (when isn't it?) and eyes almost completely shut. Now, if it were up to Ron, he would sleep the day away entirely well, (except when he would get up for food,) which is exactly why, at exactly 8:15 every morning, these two would waltz up the stairs and drag him down to breakfast.

Hermione would go back down and gather her books as she waited for Harry and Ron to get dressed. It had gone on this way for so many days, so many years, that she could predict, almost to the second, when they would emerge. She'd walk to the banister, they would all three link arms, (Hermione in the middle, Harry on the left, and Ron on the right) and make their way into the Great Hall.

The second they arrived they would take their place next to the twins, and Ron would take a little bit of everything the table had to offer. Hermione would scowl at him and lightly smack his arm, saying "Ronald, you know that isn't good for you," and Harry would make sure that he was eating slower. (Not that it's a hard thing to do when you're being compared to Ron.) As soon as Hermione would finish her eggs and toast she would whip out her Potions book and begin to look it over. It wasn't any use, really, Snape would always pick on her, simply because she's a Gryffindor.

While the other students were still eating, and there was ten minutes to spare, Hermione would get them on their way to their first class. They would complain, every day, (but it was never a real fight.) They would be saying how it was "ridiculous" and "unfair" as they gathered their bags and stood up to leave. She would assure them that it would "enrich their learning" and "better their progress" and they would listen to her, just because she was their friend. Best friend, to be more precise.

They picked their seats, near the front of the classroom, and would talk quietly while they waited for class to start. Well, Harry and Ron would. Hermione would either be talking to the teacher about the upcoming lesson, or reading out of her textbook yet again. At least once before class started Harry and Ron would make a joke about how Hermione's books were going to get worn out from overuse. Or, (and this was usually Ron as it 's less witty,) that her brain would suddenly become too large for her head and either a.) explode, or b.) begin to come out of her ears. Yeah, that was Ron, always the thinker.

Class would then begin and start off their day. Today, it's Transfiguration, and McGonagall does not look all too pleased. It would be safe to say that this class is going to be a little less enjoyable than usual. The trio tries to get everything right and stay out of her way, for the most part, they are successful, right up until the end.

"MISTER WEASLEY!"

Should one be listening right now, they would hear one "oh shit," one "bloody hell," and one "both of you mind your language!" coming from the area of which her anger is directed at. Why the sudden outburst? Well, Ron's never been all that good at Transfiguration to begin with, but today he was just plain awful. The task they were last assigned had been to turn one leg of your own desk, into any animal of your choosing. However, what Ron did? Whole different story. Instead of his own desk, for one, it was McGonagall's. And instead of changing it into an animal which would have been fairly easy for her to change back he just made it disappear. With you know, everything that was on it being gone as well. He was given a month of detention, all of which would be spent with her.

Leaving the classroom, Hermione tells Ron, "I think she let you off easy, actually." To which Harry and Ron both give her incredulous looks.

"What!?" They just stare at her and keep walking.

"Well, you did make all of her work disappear! I'm sure there was a lot there. Not to mention all of the essays and grades she would have been looking through." It was obvious she wasn't trying to make this harder, but she certainly was.

"Bloody hell, Hermione, I'm surprised you aren't giving me detention as well," he said, marching off. Then, looking at Harry, "Well, Are you coming?" he asked, rather pointedly.

At this, Harry looks at Hermione and says, "Uh, yeah, just a second," and catches up with him. All the while thinking about how immature Ron can get at times. "Why do you always have to go and do that?"

"Go and do what?"

"You know, get Hermione and I in on this too! We never did anything, we aren't fighting," he pauses, "at least, we weren't."

"Well, obviously you picked to side with your best friend."

"You're both my best friends."

"Come on Harry, we're both guys, we share more interests, you know it's really us and her. Me and you, and Hermione."

Not wanting both of his friends to be upset with him, Harry chose to simply not reply and they continued walking to Divination. As they arrived, Harry asked, "Why are we still taking this class, anyway?" Of course, it was a rather easy class to get good marks in, so he should have known exactly what Ron's reply would be.

Hours later, after dinner, after forcing Ron and Hermione to begin speaking again, the three of them were sitting down to a game of chess. Rather, Hermione was watching Ron kill all of Harry's self esteem through beating him effortlessly. Even with Hermione's coaching, it was no use, Ron was impossible to beat. "I think you should try playing McGonagall sometime, Ron," Hermione said.

"Well, I'll be around her enough. Maybe, by the end of my detentions, she won't hate me anymore. Maybe. Hopefully. Oh God."

"Come on, we've had loads of detentions with McGonagall," Harry said, trying to ease his friend.

Hermione jumps in, "Yeah, just be glad it isn't Snape. Or - "

"Filch," Harry said, shuddering slightly.

Hermione laughs and says, "I can never - "

" - finish a sentence?" Harry asks innocently.

"Yes - "

" - exactly?"

"Stop - " She begins, clearly feeling both agitated and amused.

" - it?"

Ron breaks in, "Okay, that's creepy. I think we've all spent too much time together."

Harry just sat there for awhile, watching everyone interacting with each other and being grateful that things had ended up the way they did. He and his friends sticking together through it all, the other students staying seemingly safe, even Snape had mellowed out a little. Thinking he should stop thinking about these things before he becomes a girl, he says goodnight to Ron and Hermione and heads upstairs to turn in.

The next morning started out just as any other would, their routine being followed perfectly. They made it through breakfast and their first two classes without much trouble?

Author Change: It's Pagan now.

And then came Potions.

Of course, though Snape was not so harsh any longer, he still had a distateful opinion toward their particular trio in Gryffindor, so it was still basically an almost daily unpleasant experience. Today was worse than usual, however. Harry and Hermione weren't quite sure what had gotten into Ron, but it was definitely something.

"This is a simple potion and should produce relatively simple results. Even Longbottom should be able to do this one easily enough. I only expect three explosions coming from his cauldron today."

Snape then resumed sitting at his desk and grading paperwork. Harry shot a look at Hermione who was concernedly glancing over at Neville, who looked different than any of them had expected. They were expecting nerves to give him jitters, or embarrassment to turn his face red, but instead he was very calm and even smiling a little bit.

"What's up, mate?" Ron asked Neville.

"He only expects three explosions."

"And you're, er, happy about that?"

"Not exactly happy, but pleased, yeah. I mean, usually even with so-called easy brews he expects at least six. I must be improving."

Ron's eyebrows furrowed. "Er, yeah, sure, mate, I bet that's it."

"Want to be my partner?" Neville asked hopefully.

"Oh, I would, but I ought to get back to Harry now-" Ron turned around to see Hermione and Harry setting up ingredients together. Neville gave him a curious look and Ron corrected himself with, "And just get my stuff from the table, I mean. Yeah. I'll be partners with you. Be, uh, right back."

Ron returned to the table and gave Hermione and Harry a look of disgust.

"What has gotten into you Ron!" Hermione asked, exhasperated.

"Harry! We always work together!"

"Well, Hermione and her usual partner are fighting right now so I offered to be with her," Harry told Ron. He didn't understand why Ron was so upset. And why he was being so girlish about it.

"Whose your usual partner?" Ron asked Hermione.

"Do you pay any attention to me at all?"

Ron looked sheepish, but still thoroughly angry. "Well Hermione could've been with Neville. I mean, at least she's good at potions and could help fix his mistakes- I don't need Snape hating me anymore than-"

"Weasley!" Snape interjected. "What are you doing? Get with a partner!"

Ron sulked off and Harry and Hermione shrugged.

"He's so whiny lately."

"I know," Harry agreed. "Do you know what he said to me yesterday when you two got into a little argument?"

"Which argument?" she asked. "The one over dinner?"

"No-"

"The one right before he then went straight up to his dormitory to avoid me for the rest of the night?"

"No-"

"Oh, the one about McGonagall?"

"Yeah."

Hermione poured the pomegranate into the cauldron and asked, "So what did he say?"

Harry started stirring clockwise and then said, "He said that me and him share more interests and are more 'best friends' than me and you, 'cause we're both guys or something like that. And then he said that it's-"

He was suddenly interrupted with a loud bang coming from two tables over. Ron had sucessfully screwed up the entire potion by adding wormwood instead of pomegranate.

"How do you mix those two up?" Hermione asked as Professor Snape stormed over to Neville and his work station.

"Beats me," Harry said under his breath as Snape started to angrily degrade Neville.

"Seriously, Longbottom. With such an intense interest in herbology I'm honestly shocked you could screw something so simple up so badly."

"It-it wasn't m-me."

Snape arched a brow. "Oh?" His gaze locked on Ron who had his arms crossed sullenly. "And how did you manage to mix up such contrasting herbs?"

Ron didn't answer.

"Weasley?" Snape asked in an agitated tone.

Ron refused to make eye contact.

"You're starting to annoy me."

Ron muttered something under his breath and kicked the cauldron.

"For failing to comply, Weasley, I'm giving you a week's detention. And taking fifty points from Gryffindor."

Ron looked disgruntled and quickly grabbed his bag and whisked himself out of the classroom. Harry and Hermione followed him with their eyes and then Hermione turned to Harry and asked, "Is something going on at home?"

"I dunno," Harry shrugged. "The Dursleys never write."

Hermione hit him lightly on the arm. "Sometimes you can be so inane."

"Oh? With Ron? Not that I know of?"

"Strange."

Author change, again. Well, back to Kidney.

Within a few days time the whole fight had blown over and it was as though it had not even happened. You know, except for the small fact that it had and they all remembered it happening, but that is besides the point.

They were all being nice to eachother again, even though it was a little forced. Ron and Hermione, especially, just being Hermione felt hurt that it wasn't an equal friendship and that he would go so far as to VOICE that. And to be honest, she had always felt that if anything, it was her and Harry that had been closer. But she would never had said any such thing.

So there they were, sitting in the common room that was empty save for them, and allowing a rather companionable silence to wash over them. Of course, there is only so long that one can be in silence before, no matter who it is with, you start thinking that you need to start some form of conversation. All three were at a total loss of how to do this, until Harry suggested a trip down to the kitchen for a few butterbeers.

"I suppose," started Hermione, "it is tradition, afterall." But Ron and Harry both knew that the real reason was that she was going to have to have more talks with the house elves that worked there. She simply could not accept the fact that maybe, just maybe, they enjoyed working there and it did not seem to them as a form of imprisonment.

They grabbed their butterbeers and took a seat in the kitchen, Harry trying his best to avoid Kreacher at all costs until Hermione commented on how he needed to make more of an effort toward a relationship with him. After a large snort from Ron, Harry took it upon himself to say simply, "Hullo, Kreacher," in a tone that clearly said he wasn't really hoping for a reply.

"For goodness sake, Harry! Make an effort!"

"Why, why do I need to make an effort toward him, toward the creature that made Sirius hate his life even more?!"

However, after this little talk with Hermione he did try to make small gestures to Kreacher, ones that he knew were just going to be a waste of time, because as much as he hated Kreacher, Kreacher would always hate him more. Which didn't really bother him, but caused him some aggravation.

Even Ron was starting to see the importance of this, and treating him marginally kinder. "Well, uh, thanks," he said (rather awkwardly) in Kreacher's general direction. And then in a way extremely reminescent of their sixth year, Kreacher came back with, "The blood traitor is speaking to Kreacher, Kreacher is pretending not to listen." But then the strangest thing happened, and he cracked what they were guessing was a smile but couldn't be completely sure about.

On their way out Hermione gave them each a peck on the cheek, causing each to become slightly redder and then go together to blame it on the heat, and told them how proud she was of what they had done. To be fair though, it was only a "thank you" to a house-elf that didn't deserve it.

They were nearly to their common room when they were stopped by none other than Luna who said, very politely, "Oh hello, I was just looking for Roonil." She of course, had absolutely loved his 'nickname' and chosen to call him by nothing else most of the time. Ron flushed, from, Harry suspected, the use of the name he had long since tried to forget, and followed her off.

To be continued, of course.

Reviews would be lovely :D