Authors Note: Finally the beginning of the new story. I know Ron will look like a major jerk in this chapter because well most times he is but he while he will be delegated a bit more to the background he may get it into his thick skull that Hermione would never have been his. We'll have to wait and see. I won't Ron bash but I will show his less than desirable traits. Ginny may redeem herself in this story. I think I will like to delve into her since Rowling made her such a two dimensional character. The only major bashing I will do is Molly, I really loathe her. Dumbledore will be a manipulative idiot, who's age is catching up to him but he will mean well even when he does things he shouldn't. I'm not sure if I'll redeem him though. We'll see.
Now, nothing is set in stone and if my plans for this characters change I will not make the mistake of grabbing hold of what I want for the story instead of where the story wants to go unlike Rowling. So this is just so you'll know where the story may be going and where I see it going right now. Also, so far saving Sirius is winning. Quid Agis is Latin for "How are you?" You'll know what I mean when you read.
Hermione and Harry walked back towards the castle silently, hand in hand.
"Harry, what does this mean for us?" Hermione asked as she broke the slightly nervous silence.
"It means that we'll listen to your parents and try to have a go at a relationship without worrying over much about if it doesn't work. You're one of my best friends and the one who's supported me through everything. Nothing could break our friendship."
She flung herself at him and hugged him as tightly as she could. "Oh, Harry." She sniffled.
"Hermione I'm not very good at talking about my feelings considering where I was raised but I didn't mean to make you cry." He said, a bit worried that it came out wrong.
She let him go, muttered something about 'stupid Dursleys' and 'potions' then looked at him. "Harry, girls sometimes cry when they're happy because they're overwhelmed."
"Oh." He muttered as he scratched his head. "Well, at least you waited until after we kissed."
She smiled at him and patted his arm as they proceeded to walk into the castle. "She just lost someone she cared deeply about. It had nothing to do with your kissing skills, trust me. She was probably confused and felt a bit like she was betraying him."
"She could have said no."
"I don't know if the magical world has counselors to help her with her healing but they do things very different here."
Their hands like if they had minds of their own found each other again.
"Hermione, how are we going to deal with Ron?" Harry asked making her frown.
"Well, I say we tell him straight out so he doesn't think we're lying to him. After that we can only react to what he does but we should let him know he'll always be our friend and that this doesn't change the "trio"."
"But he fancies you."
"If he fancies me so much why does he always say such hurtful things? This is not primary school Harry, we are supposed to be mature enough not to show we like someone by hurting them."
"Well I don't know, if you had pigtails I might feel inclined to pull them."
Hermione giggled and lightly hit his arm. "Please can you imagine me in pigtails with such ghastly hair?"
"Your hair isn't ghastly Hermione, it's natural and I like it so stop insulting my…Merlin!" He suddenly stopped making Hermione look at him with a confused expression. "I'm such an idiot. How you fancy me I have no idea."
Hermione looked like she was about to launch into a tirade before he interrupted with the question.
"Hermione, will you be my girlfriend?"
She blinked a few times. "I thought that was what we had decided."
"But I didn't ask you properly. Aren't I supposed to ask?"
"Well yes but I thought it was implied."
"It was but I don't want to screw things up with you."
"You could never screw things up and yes, I'll be your girlfriend Harry." She answered him with the brightest smile he had ever seen on…anyone. He lightly kissed her then they made their way up the castle to the portrait of the 'Fat Lady'.
"Quid Agis." Hermione told the portrait. "Very well dear, thank you for asking." The fat lady said and kept talking to the friend who seemed to be visiting her portrait.
"Quid agis." Harry told her. "Never better." The portrait told him and kept on talking. "Quid agis." They said in unison.
"Oh fine, fine." She said as the portrait swung open. "Children these days have no patience, don't you know."
They heard her say as they made their way through the circular opening. Dinner had led out not too long ago so there were students here and there, lounging around the common room. They saw Ron near the fireplace with a chessboard playing himself, taking a deep breath they made their way to him.
"Finally! Now we can play mate. Can you believe Seamus; he loses a couple of times and won't play anymore."
"Maybe later. Right now Ron we have to tell you something." Harry said.
"You see we didn't want you to hear it from someone else." Hermione added.
"And start thinking that you weren't our friend anymore."
"Because we really do care about you."
"And this wasn't anything against you."
"We don't want to hurt you. You know you're like the brother I never had."
Ron grabbed his head. "Bloody hell guys! I'm not used to that even with the twins doing it, will you just get on with it." Ron said half amused, half wary.
Hermione squeezed Harry's arm. "Harry and I have decided to date."
Ron was up in an instant and flung at Harry, connecting with his nose. Harry put his hand over his nose trying to stop the blood flow. "You knew I fancied her and you took her!"
Everyone currently in the common room was paying complete attention to the trio.
"It's not enough that you have the fame and the money, you have to take the girl I want too!"
"Oh stuff it Ronald Weasley, you right well never liked me and I am not some object someone can lay claim to!"
"I did too! What the bloody hell do you think we argued so much for! You liked me too! And if it weren't for this git we'd be together."
"No I didn't." She said in an apologetic tone. "The only way I would have been with you would be if Harry had not liked me back. If you look back you didn't treat me like a girl you fancy but like a sister with the exception that you at least don't insult your sister."
Ron was glaring daggers at the both of them.
"Mate."
"No! I'm not your mate, a mate doesn't take a blokes girl. Why do you have to have everything? Why do you have to take everything?"
"I had NOTHING. What's money without your family to share it with? What do I want with fame that came from doing something I was too young to even remember, fame that comes from losing my family? YOU have EVERYTHING I've ever wanted and you dare look your nose down on it."
Ron looked at him and Hermione and gave them a disgusted look. "Fine whatever, take her. What would I want with a nagging, plain bookworm with horrible hair anyway?" Ron told them making Hermione cry.
Harry walked up to Ron. "You can say whatever you like of me, you can think whatever you want of me but if you hurt Hermione one more time I won't stay hit. That's your first and last warning." Harry told him as he took Hermione's hand. "Oh and I'd think hard about this if I were you. We don't want to lose your friendship but we were fine last year when you left us and we'll be fine again."
He proceeded to walk with her towards the exit and they went through the portrait once more, making their way to the infirmary.
