A Second Glance
Chapter 1
Harry, Ron and Hermione sat on the Hogwarts express for their sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"I'm so happy to be going back." Hermione said grinning from ear to ear.
"Why? Voldemort's just been hurting people." Ron sighed, leaning on his hand.
"Not really, the coward hasn't even bothered to show his face." Harry sighed doing the same as Ron.
"Why do you two always think so negative? Because Harry is no longer an outcast!" Hermione said.
"Whatever." Ron grunted.
"Eh, 'salright." Harry shrugged.
"Is that all you have to say? After a year of being a freak, all you can say is, ''salright'!" Hermione said, shocked.
"S'pose so." Harry shrugged again.
"Oh my god!" Hermione said turning back to her book.
"Where's Luna anyway." Harry asked.
"So my company isn't enough?" Hermione frowned.
"You're so negative, Hermione." Harry grunted.
"Negative? I've been the one who's been- whatever. I think Luna's being beaten up by some fourth-years."
"Oh god. I would help her but I can't be bothered." Harry said lying down on his seat.
"I hope that's not your attitude towards Voldemort." Hermione sighed.
"Might be. See how I feel then." Harry said.
"Harry!" Hermione hit Harry with her handbag.
"WHAT THE FLIP DO YOU WANT NOW?" Harry yelled.
"Do something useful before I get out my eye-liner!" Hermione yelled.
"OK, OK!" Harry said leaving to spy on Malfoy.
One disaster later. . .
"I don't know what you were thinking! I said do something useful!" Hermione yelled when Harry sat down beside her in the common room.
"I just went through a little piece of hell, so SHUT-UP YOU STUCK-UP SNOB!" Harry yelled back. Hermione got up and walked away.
"You've blown it, mate." Ron said.
"STOP STARING AT ME!" Harry yelled at all the Gryffindors now staring at the source of the noise. It actually made people more keen to stare.
"I think Harry's having a breakdown." one girl said.
"I think breakdowns and chosen ones are hot." another giggled.
"He's not going to date you- EVER." said the first girl.
"I think I'm going for a walk." Harry said walking over to the exit.
Hermione blocked his path. "I understand you're stressed and I forgive you for what I said, but Harry, it's so late and you'll get in trouble if you go out, so, don't do anything stupid."
"If it makes you feel any better, I'll get my invisibility cloak." Harry said, still determined to get past.
"No, it doesn't. Why don't you just go and sit with Ron and wait for all this to blow over, eh?" Hermione said smiling.
"If it gets you off my back, then whatever."
"It's not the answer I was looking for, but good. See you later. I'm going to spend some time with more pleasant company, if you don't mind." Hermione said walking over to Ginny.
"Gosh, Harry and Ron are being so-"
"Teenager-ish?" Ginny finished.
"Yeah. Like there isn't already enough things to bring me down. I mean, there's Voldemort, Luna and now them!"
"Wait a minute, Luna?" Ginny said. "You're not still jealous of her, are you?"
"I was never jealous, I just think it's unfair that someone like her who's so-"
"Fun and exciting?"
"I was thinking more, weird and stupid, should be a more preferable choice to hang out with rather than me. I mean, after all the three of us have been through. I thought this whole thing would die down over the summer, but I guess I was mistaken, I mean, I was trying to have a normal conversation and all Harry can do apart from grunt is ask where Luna is." Hermione groaned.
"In other words, you're jealous." Ginny said.
"I am not!" Hermione lied.
"Whatever you say." Ginny said grinning.
The next day, at breakfast. . .
"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked.
"He's down there, talking to Luna." Ron replied munching on some beans on toast.
"Oh. Great. Am I going to see Harry at all today, then?" Hermione sighed.
"Probs not. I get to spend our free period with him."
"You don't have a-"
"No potions. We both failed and I don't want to go anyway." Ron smiled.
"OK. So, do you know when I will be able to talk to Harry?"
"Nope. Why do you want to talk to him so badly, anyway?" Ron asked.
"No reason. I just sort of wish we were always together like we used to be, you know, pre-Luna. Especially like we were back in the first three years here. Those were the good days." Hermione sighed eating a spoonful of very soggy cornflakes.
"And then my dad ate it anyway, and I promise you he wasn't the same for the rest of the holidays. Every day I wasn't cleaning up vomit, I was waiting on him, hand and foot. I even had to help him with his research for his article on crumple-horned snorlacks because he was too sick to do it himself." Luna laughed.
"Seriously? Shame. What exactly did he eat?" Harry asked.
"Some berries we found on a walk when we were looking for nargles. There are quite a lot down my way, you know." Luna nodded.
"Oh. Did you find any nargles?" Harry asked.
"Unfortunately not. I can show you a good place to find them after lessons, if you'd like." Luna said.
"OK, what do nargles do, anyway?"
"They jump out of plants, climb into your ear and eat some of your brain-cells. It's quite nasty really, but luckily they aren't dangerous." Luna assured.
"I'm sure you're right, but maybe I'll reconsider that walk." Harry laughed.
"Am I invisible or something?" Hermione asked from behind.
"Hermione! Were you spying on us?" Harry asked narrowing his eyes.
"No, I just wanted to ask you if you're coming to potions with me."
"No." Harry said.
"Fine." Hermione said walking away with her books.
"Talking of lessons, I have to go. See you later, Harry!" Luna said shoving her remaining croissant in her mouth and running off with her books.
Harry and Ron were the last to leave the hall after breakfast, and they only left when they were shooed out.
"Wow. You ate your own weight in food." Harry laughed.
They stood up against the wall as the last people rushed off to lessons. They even saw a first year being sick, it wasn't nice.
"Potter, I don't know how you expect to become an auror if you don't attend potions." Professor McGonagall said.
"My grade wasn't high enough." Harry shrugged.
"Not for Professor Snape, but Professor Slughorn is happy to have you in his class."
After one VERY lucky potions lesson. . .
"So this book belonged to the half blood prince, sounds fancy." Ron laughed.
"Yes, and also very suspicious. You should hand the book in Harry." Hermione said.
"Luna wouldn't say that." Harry said.
"Fine, keep the damn book!" Hermione said
"I knew you'd say that!" Harry said grinning.
"You're still a cheater." Hermione sighed.
"You're just jealous-"
"I am NOT jealous of Luna!" Hermione snapped.
"I was going to say jealous of me being better than you, but whatever. . ." Harry laughed.
Hermione walked away , huffing and puffing over to Ginny.
"She's been acting SO weird lately!" Ron sighed.
"I know."
"I don't know WHAT is wrong with me!" Hermione said.
"I do." Ginny said. "You're jealous."
"I am SO not!" Hermione insisted.
"Yes you are! I can tell by the way you look at Harry."
"Are you suggesting that I- him-" Hermione stammered.
"Maybe." Ginny said grinning.
"Look, I do NOT have any sort of feelings for Harry other than the feeling of friendship. The thought that you would even suggest that-"
"Gosh Hermione, you seem to hate Luna SO much." Ginny sighed.
"Who said this was about Luna?"
"I know it is, and so do you." Ginny smiled.
"But how did you-"
"I can tell by your body language." Ginny said.
"Well, I do NOT fancy Harry, we have to agree on that." Hermione said, hopefully.
"OK, whatever." said Ginny disbelievingly.
First weekend at Hogwarts. . .
"My father wrote this morning. He says he misses me and he feels lonely. I do wish he would socialise more." Luna sighed.
"Oh, that's a shame. At least he has his magazine to keep him busy." Harry sighed.
"I suppose. I guess I shouldn't worry, but he's been acting really- strange lately."
"Like you can say anything about strange." Harry said.
"SHUT-UP!" Luna laughed.
"I'm sorry, am I disturbing anything?" Hermione asked.
"Nope." Harry said cooly.
"Harry, I still don't like her, she's a such a snorlack!" Luna whispered in Harry's ear.
Luna was or course referring to that day in the snow when she punched Hermione after Hermione's rude remark.
"Just get over it, she's alright." Harry whispered back.
"I can hear you." Hermione said.
"Whatever." Harry shrugged.
There was silence.
"I'll just leave." Hermione finally said. Hermione frowned as Luna and Harry got straight back into conversation.
Um, a few days later and whatever. . .
Hermione sat around crying. Ron had a girlfriend, Harry had a girl-friend. What did Hermione have? All she had was Ginny. Just Ginny who always knows what she's thinking. What's the point in having friends you can't lie to.
"So, you've been thinking about how annoying it is to have me always knowing what you're thinking." Ginny said.
"STOP IT! I HAVE BIG ENOUGH PROBLEMS!" Hermione screeched.
"Like the fact that you're in love with BOTH your best friends who BOTH seem to have love interests already and you feel like killing yourself?" Ginny asked.
"Yes." Hermione sighed.
"So you DO like Harry, and you also like Ron?" Ginny laughed.
That was it, the game was up. Her deepest secret was revealed.
Hermione Granger is in love with Harry Potter AND Ron Weasly.