Disclaimer: I'm only posting this once. I do NOT own Harry Potter in any way, shape or form. It all belongs to JK Rowling. JK is a genius and I have no money. I am just a sad, lowly writer who enjoys writing HP fan-fiction. I am the same as you. We share the same obsession with Harry Potter. I COME IN PEACE!

A/N: Italicized = a flashback or a character's thoughts.

Now, without further ado…

Chapter 1

She had given him a chance. She had thought things might turn out ok. She had thought, Well, I'll never know until I give it a try. And mind you, Hermione always gave things a try. This even included people. Sometimes she had impaired judgements, take Lockheart for example, but usually, her first thoughts were always right. Hermione had had second thoughts of course, about the relationship, but she had politely dismissed them. She had fought back with her own reasoning, telling herself that maybe they could get along, as more than friends. Even comments from friends helped her along in saying yes when he had finally asked her out.

"You two are always bickering like an old married couple. It would be so cute to see you two actually together!" Parvati exclaimed.

Hermione realized, after all was said and done that she should have talked to Ginny first. For in the end, nothing, not even her own rationalizing or encouragement from friends, could change the fact...

That Ron Weasley was an insufferable git just as much as she, Hermione herself, was an insufferable know-it-all in Snape's eyes.

After three, long, and now it seemed agonizing months, she had finally given up on Ron. After all the hand holding, snuggling, and occasional snogs in an abandoned classroom, Hermione finally noticed that Ron was not what she hoped he would be. Sure, he had been sweet and caring and acted, as any boyfriend should, but that had only lasted about a month. Soon, to Hermione's disappointment, he started noticing other girls and making stupid, off-handed comments about them that he would later have to explain to a furious Hermione. Of course, just as any other "bickering, old married couple" they made up and eventually ended up making out. This usually occurred in the Gryffindor common room and their classmates were always confused.

"How can they go at it like that, yelling and stuff, and then start going at it…like…like that!" Dean exclaimed, pointing at the couple now sucking face on the couch after just moments before, yelling themselves hoarse.

"I don't know man," Seamus replied, "but if I had known Hermione could be like that, I would have asked her out ages ago!"

Hermione smirked at this funny little memory. Seamus had always seemed somewhat of a horn-dog to her, but after being with Ron, she now thought that he might have a little competition. She soon became disgusted, thinking back on all the times that she and Ron had been alone. It became apparent that Ron was always a little too enthusiastic when it came to snogging or just even cuddling. He had always wanted a bit more, to go a bit farther, but Hermione wouldn't allow it. She explained to him that it made her uncomfortable and didn't want to try any of it, and to her amazement, Ron calmly obliged. At first she found it a bit odd, that Ron would so willingly listen to her without any sort of argument, but she soon found out the reason for the oddness…

"Hey Harry. Where's Ron?" Hermione asked upon entering the library and finding Harry sitting at a table by himself.

"Hey Hermione," Harry replied, looking up nervously from his book. He forced a small smile and pulled out a chair for Hermione. She sat down next to him and gave him a quizzical look.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

Harry gulped and shook his head. Then he looked away quickly and buried himself in his homework. Hermione began to ask again, but noticed Harry's homework and remembered she too had a ton of work to do.

They both sat there in silence, working on their homework, but Harry wasn't trying very hard. He kept chancing looks at Hermione, as though wanting to say something, but then thought better of it and continued with his Potions essay.

"What is it Harry?" Hermione finally asked later, catching him once again looking at her, with his mouth ready to say something.

Harry opened and closed his mouth, fetching around for the right words, before finally deciding to flat out tell her.

"Hermione, Ron is with Lavender," he said quickly.

Hermione looked at him, seemingly nonplussed. "Why didn't you say that before?"

Harry looked at her, stunned. "I thought you would have been upset…"

Hermione laughed. "But why would I…" she trailed off, noticing the look on Harry's face. He looked away, apologizing.

Hermione's face became rather white and her lips very thin. "That's alright, Harry. It's not your fault. I just wish you could have told me sooner…"

Harry turned his head, trying to explain, but she had gone, the library doors slamming behind her.

Hermione thought back bitterly on that moment. Yes, she wished Harry had told her sooner, but she understood now why he wasn't able to. He was both their best friends. He didn't want to betray Ron, yet he didn't want to hurt her.

Poor Harry, she thought. She could only imagine how uncomfortable he had been for the past three months. Actually, she didn't have to use her imagination; she witnessed it.

How many times had Harry decided to get up and leave them alone when they were having a "moment"? How many times had he been left alone in the library, when she and Ron had "forgotten" about their planned study session? How many times had she snapped at Harry when he said "Good morning" at breakfast when it wasn't really a good morning because Ron was being stupid?

She hadn't thought about any of these things when she had stormed out of the library earlier leaving Harry alone, once again. She had been too upset and confused to consider his situation and frankly, at that particular moment, she didn't care. Hermione didn't need a dictionary to translate the words "Ron is with Lavender" to know that it really meant, "Ron is busy showing Lavender the new Quidditch moves he learned…with his tongue."

Shaking with anger, she walked briskly down random corridors, determined to find Ron and give him the hexing of his life. However, she wasn't expecting to find him so soon and in the same classroom she and Ron had shared their first kiss. She fought the urge to scream. Instead, she stood calmly in the doorway. Lavender gasped and Ron spun around.

"Hermione…how…it's not what it looks like…" Ron stammered.

Hermione let out a derisive laugh, which plainly stated that Ron was fighting a losing battle. At this moment, Lavender decided to gather herself and leave the room, face to the floor and walking past Hermione quickly. Hermione slowly stepped into the room, making her way towards Ron. He was ready for her to yell at him like she'd never done before. He was ready for her to curse him into the next century. But Hermione didn't yell or utter a single curse. Instead, she brought her hand up and slapped Ron hard across the face. He reeled, his eyes stinging, and it became oddly recognizable that he had reached as low as Malfoy. Hermione then marched quietly out of the room leaving Ron by himself with his wounded face and pride.

Hermione had been roaming the corridors for nearly two hours, thinking about the past three months and the events that had occurred this afternoon. She looked down at her hand, the one she had used to hit Ron. She could hardly believe that it was the same hand she had used to hold Ron's when they walked down to breakfast this morning. Staring at it, somewhere in her mind vaguely registered that it still hurt. But not as much as her heart did. Her body leaned against a wall and slid down to the ground bringing her knees to her chest. Not knowing what else to do, she buried her head and cried.

A/N: So how was it? Good? Bad? Leave me a review! I should have Chap. 2 up very soon. That and I like tacos. Yum!