Author's Note:I don't own anything in regards to Harry Potter! It belongs to J.K. Rowling, brilliant woman that she is. Hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think!

Chapter 1

The sound of footsteps in the hall made her blood run cold. She didn't want to talk to anyone, let alone let them see her in such a state. What had started out to be a perfectly good day suddenly became one of her worst. She continued on her search for the perfect hiding spot and knew that there was only one place she could go.

The library. A room containing thousands of books on topics one could only dream of reading about. Each leather-bound volume gracing the shelves smelled like home to her. The sound of each page crinkling as she read, the feel of each sheet, used and well-loved, beneath her fingers. It all reminded her of afternoons spent in her father's study, reading story after story while other kids were outside. This had to be the greatest room in Hogwarts. A student could study, read, contemplate life, or even hide from their boyfriend.

That was how Hermione found herself crouching under the table at the farthest corner from the entrance of the library with her hands clasped over her mouth to silence her tears. Although it was the most obvious place to look, she was not at her usual table and hoped that Ron would not look further. It was all rather silly actually considering she's faced deatheaters, Lord Voldemort and was a member of the Order. Surely she could face her boyfriend.

"Hermione?" A decidedly feminine voice called out from the entrance of the library. She remained silent, praying that whoever it was wouldn't continue in their endeavour to find her. Footsteps approached, floorboards creaked and finally, she saw a flash of red as Ginny Weasley appeared in front of her. The youngest Weasley drank in the site of Hermione, pale, shaking and crying silently into her hands and sighed. She took a tentative step towards her best friend and when she didn't move away, Ginny sat down under the table next to her.

Oddly enough, Hermione thought that it was Harry that would be the one to find her, however she was much happier to see this redhead. Ginny was her best girl friend and as much as she loved Harry, he was not the type of person to talk about feelings with. She felt Ginny wrap her arms around her shoulders and almost immediately, she started sobbing into the redheads arms. She wasn't usually such a wreck. Godric knows that she was referred to as 'the brightest witch of her age' after she helped defeat the Dark Lord and yet here she was, acting like some overdramatic, emotional teenage girl.

"Hermione, what happened?" Ginny asked after almost five minutes of Hermione crying. Hermione took a deep breath before looking up at her friend.

"Everything was perfect this morning. Then in the afternoon, I was helping Harry with his Care of Magical Creatures assignment and Ron went mental. Started claiming that I was in love with Harry, that I was cheating on him, all of this nonsense just spewed from his mouth. Naturally I tried to calm him down and reassure him that I was not in love with Harry, he's like my brother for Merlin's sake! He just kept going, and-Oh Gin, he was so mean. He said- He said that-" She began to sob uncontrollably once again, leaving the younger of the two confused and shocked over what had happened.
"Mione, what on earth could he have done for you to cry so much?" asked a bewildered Ginny.

"He called me a mudblood" the broken-hearted witch whispered back after wiping her face. She looked down in her lap and began to play with the hem of her school sweater as she recalled the argument that took place earlier that day.

Ron threw his books off the table and yelled in aggravation. He could not believe her! First he catches her cuddling with Dean and Harry, claiming to help them with their homework, and now she has the nerve to deny it. He ran his hands through his hair and pulled slightly.

The common room watched in anticipation over what would happen next. Hermione and Rob were famous for their fights, which took place almost every week, however they were never as bad as this. Harry, Neville, Dean and Seamus stood to the side, prepared to intervene should Ron become violent.

"Honestly Ronald, you're being obtuse. I was helping Harry and Dean with the Care of Magical Creatures essay that we did last week. Just apologize for making such a ruckus and everything will be alright" a frustrated Hermione told her boyfriend. She walked forward to put her hand on his forearm but he smacked it away angrily. She put her hand to her chest and looked at him in shock.

He punched the wall in frustration and Harry started towards Ron, only for Hermione to put her hand up, signaling him to stay out of it.

"Apologize and everything will be alright? Be Alright? You cheated on me and you expect me to apologize? How dare you! Maybe if you weren't such a slut, none of this would have happened. Honestly, I only got together with you out of pity. I saw how you watched me, it was disgusting. Maybe if you looked more like a girl, and less like a beast I'd consider actually dating you." Ron ranted but Hermione said nothing.

She simply stared at him, lifted her head up to look into his eyes. He stared back, his eyes blazing. "Then maybe we shouldn't be together Ronald." said the calmer of the two. Ron just smirked and looked down at her with pity.

"It doesn't affect my life really. You were lucky to have someone as good as me because you're nothing but a filthy little mudblo-" Ron was cut off with the sound of Harry's fist connecting with his cheek. Everyone watched in shock as Ron and Harry began to wrestle on the floor, trying to punch each other. Neville and Dean went to console Hermione but when they turned towards her, she was gone.

For the next few hours, the two girls sat under a bookshelf, hidden from Madame Pince, and just kept the conversation going. Ginny tried to steer clear of Ron's name in conversation and Hermione slowly calmed down and they were able to slowly make their way back to the common room.

As they entered the common room, everyone looked towards her. Harry was sitting on the couch with a cloth against his bleeding lip and swollen jaw. His glasses lay broken on the table and his hand was bandaged. Hermione ran to him, crying out at his disheveled appearance. She wrapped her arms around him and began apologizing for Ron's behavior.

"Hermione, you have no reason whatsoever to be apologizing for the git. You were an amazing girlfriend to him and he lost out. You deserve so much better than him and he had no right to call you the words he did" Harry looked at his best friend as she nodded her head with tears in her eyes.

"Maybe we should go see Hagrid, what do you say Mione?" Harry offered. Ginny nodded her head in approval at the idea, but Hermione shook her head.

"I think I'd rather take a walk and clear my head. As much as I appreciate everything that you're doing for me, I need some time alone" she said in a small voice.

After much convincing, they agreed to let her go off alone.