"Hogwart's letters have arrived children!" Molly Weasley called.

All through The Burrow their were hurried footsteps as Ginny, Ron, Harry and Hermione all raced to get their letters. Hermione took hers with a gracious thank you and sat down at the kitchen table. She slid her finger under the flap and pulled out three pieces of parchment from inside. The usual equipment list and rules filled the first two. But Hermione had no idea what the third one was. She looked around the table. No-one part from her seemed to notice anything different. Hermione felt her stomach leap as she read:

On behalf of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry I would like to congratulate you upon your appointment of Head Girl. This role is crucial to the proper functioning of the school, and is not one to be taken lightly. If you have any issues or queries about the role, please do not hesitate to send an owl.

Yours sincerely, Professor M. McGonagall.

"Oh my goodness" Hermione exclaimed as she finished reading.

"Is something wrong, dear?" Mrs Weasley asked kindly.

Hermione didn't know what to say, so she handed the letter over.

"Oh, Hermione dear, this is wonderful. Head Girl! My goodness!" Mrs Weasley hurried over and enveloped Hermione into a bear hug.

"Wow, 'Mione, Head Girl! That's amazing" Harry said, and he too came over to hug her.

"I just knew you would get it! I mean who else?" Ginny gushed, a big smile on her face.

Ron stayed silent. He was avoiding Hermione's eye, and Hermione knew why. He hadn't gotten Head Boy. Hermione knew how much he wanted it, how he wanted to outshine his brothers, and be number one just for once. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she looked at his sad, solemn face.

"Ron, aren't you going to congratulate Hermione?" Mrs Weasley asked sharply, turning to her youngest son.

"Yeah, whatever. Congratulations 'Mione" He said, looking disinterested.

Mrs Weasley cast a sharp look at him before giving Hermione another hug. Before Hermione's vision was obscured by red hair, she saw Ron skulk off back upstairs, to his bedroom, probably. Mrs Weasley, however, didn't notice.

"Well, this calls for celebration!"
"Oh, no, Mrs Weasley, really, I don't want to cause a fu-"

"Nonsense, this is huge, Hermione. No everyone, out of the kitchen so I can get to work"

Once they retreated from the kitchen Harry and Ginny both congratulated Hermione one more time and then muttered something about going for a walk.

"Yeah right!" Hermione though. "Going off to snog in the fields, more like." She smiled, they were so cute together it almost hurt to watch them . Hermione found herself fondly remembering the days not too long ago when her and Ron were like that. The perfect couple. But as it turned out, nothing was perfect, and, in this car, they were just better off friends.

Hermione decided that she had better go and talk to Ron, and make sure he was okay. She turned on her heel and walked up the many flights of stairs to Ron's attic bedroom. She knocked softly on the door and stepped inside. It looked just like always, a mess. No matter how much Mrs Weasley nagged them, Harry and Ron couldn't keep a clean room to save their lives.

"Ron?" Hermione called.

"What do you want, Hermione?" Ron said angrily.

"I just wanted to see if you were okay."

"Oh, I'm just dandy, Hermione!"

Hermione bit her lip, she could tell that there was a deeper lying problem than just wanting to stand out. It was silent for a while, and Hermione began to tidy up. She didn't mean too, but she just couldn't stand the mess.

After several pained minutes of silence Hermione said, "Well I'm here if you want to talk about anything"

"Why would I want to talk to you?" Ron replied, knocking a pile of freshly laundered clothes off his bed.

"Ron, I understand that you're upset but you cant talk to me like that" Hermione said firmly, because although she wanted to help him, she was sick and tires of him treating her like dirt.

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! OKAY HERMIONE? I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU, I DON'T WANT TO EVER SEE YOU AGAIN IF I CAN AVOID IT!

Hermione felt the prickle of tears in her eyes, she brushed them away angrily.

"You have no right to talk to me like that! And, you know what? I am going to leave you alone, I'll leave you alone for the rest of your sad, lonely life if that's what you want." Hermione said loudly, and with that she turned and walked back to where she slept, in Ginny's room.