A/N: This story is pretty much not compliant with like... all the books after Prisoner of Azkaban. This is kind of place in around 6th year or so.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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"RONALD WEASLEY!" Harry flinched at the ferocious anger in Hermione's voice. Beside him, Ron cringed and started looking around frantically for a place to hide. Steps could be heard approaching and they waited in trepidation for the young woman's entrance. The brown haired girl threw the door to their train compartment open and glared at him from the doorway. Her normally calm brown eyes of liquid chocolate seemed to have turned a rather vicious shade of dark brown; fire seemingly cracking in their endless depths. She crossed the room in a few strides and slapped their red haired friend across the cheek with a resounding crack. She pulled her hand back and stared at the quickly forming red mark on his face. The youth seemed utterly baffled. His jaw dropped and his blue eyes were wide. His left hand came up to cradle his burning cheek.

"Bloody hell Hermione! What was that for?" His voice clearly showed his outrage at being slapped. Harry wanted to shake some sense into his best friend for probably pissing off the girl even more but the look in Hermione's eyes said she wanted to do it instead.

"How could you!?" She cried out, her brown eyes flashing dangerously. Harry began to feel like he was very out of place.

"How could I what?!" He queried. He rose now, standing tall at six foot, two inches. He seemed to dwarf Hermione in the small room. Harry stood as well, feeling uncomfortable being the only person sitting down.

"How could you have sex with that self-centered slut!?" Harry reeled backwards at Hermione's words. He watched Ron's face for a reaction but confusion filled his eyes.

"What?" His tone was pure curiousity, his voice dropping to a lower level. The slim girl pressed her advantage, poking her index finger into his chest furiously to punctuate her words.

"All Lavender Brown can talk about is how you and she spent all of last night after the feast in a fucking broom cupboard and all you can say for yourself is 'what?'!" All of Hermione's gusto seemed to leave her just then because she crumbled to the booth seat and began to cry in great heaving sobs. Though he was normally the very first to comfort her, Harry merely sat beside the girl and struggled to find the right words to say. His help was unecessary though, because Ron switched over to their side of the car and slipped an arm around the distraught girl's shoulders. When he spoke, his voice was very soft and pleading.

"Hermione, please don't cry over that stupid bird," He whispered in her ear, he squeezed her close. "It's not really what it sounds like."

"Oh really? Then why don't you shed a little light on the situation you git." She snapped at him, trying to shove him off of her. He persisted though, and she eventually gave up on trying to make him move.

"I was doing my patrols last night, makin' sure everybody was in bed like they was supposed to be. Found Lavender up after hours talking to Parvati." Harry watched in silence as the man wiped a tear from Hermione's cheek. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Parvati went to bed quick enough when I pulled my prefect badge on her, but Lavender refused. When I finally convinced her to get going, she tripped over a bloody book. I tried to catch her but we both ended up falling into the broom cupboard."

"I already know the rest of this story." She said angrily, pulling out of his arms and switching over to the other side of the compartment. Harry felt it was a bit silly the way they were both acting. He wondered if their personalities had switched overnight or something. Ron continued.

"Then you know how she tried to seduce me but I refused. Told her I couldn't shag her when I was already in love with someone else." His words caused Hermione to pause. She pushed her bushy hair out of her face and stared into Ron's blue eyes.

"'...in love with someone else'?" The look in her eyes was all confusion and Harry began to feel like a third wheel. Her eyes hardened. "Likely story." She gritted her teeth and she turned to stare out the window.

"Bugger it." Ron said, standing up to exit the train's compartment. He opened the door and was half way out when Hermione spoke again.

"Ron wait!" He turned around to look at her. Harry had never seen his best friend look so dejected before. "In love with who?" Her words were laced with painful questions that she would never ask. The tall man leaned against the doorway and stared at Hermione with such honesty in his eyes that there was no doubt in Harry's mind that the words he spoke were from his heart.

"In love with you." She looked surprised.

"Really? You're not just saying that to get out of trouble?" Ron rolled his eyes at her question.

"Bloody hell Hermione, do you really think I'm that stupid?" The girl bit her lip, filled with chagrin.

"But do you really mean it?" She persisted. He sighed and closed the door.

"Yeah Hermione, I really mean it." Suddenly, Hermione was across the room and in his arms. She kissed him fiercely and Harry felt very awkward in the room yet again.

"I think I'll just leave you two alone." Harry rose from his seat and passed by the snogging couple, patting Ron on the back as he left. "Good luck with that one mate."