* ~HERMIONE'S POINT OF VIEW~ *

I sighed with frustration and heaved my body against my trunk once more, but it was no use. The stupid thing refused to budge. I stared at it hopelessly for a moment, then stood on my tiptoes and craned my neck to look for someone to help. I absolutely hate being the "damsel in distress" but at this point, I would end up being here until our seventh year if I relied on myself alone.

Looking around Platform 9 3/4, I realized that not many people, beside myself, had bothered to come early. I could see a few pale and frightened looking first years, and a couple seventh years who wanted to hurry up and get started on their last year of school as soon as possible, but other than that, there were no signs of Hagrid (who I was hoping for), Neville, Ginny, or especially my two best friends: Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.

I could feel myself smiling at the thought of them. It had been the longest summer of my life, what with my parents wanting to travel through the Bahamas with just me. "As a family," they had said. Ugh. I was so jealous when I kept getting owls from Ron and Harry telling me what a great time they were having at the Burrow. I tried to have fun, and I did manage to take advantage of the beautiful weather, but, honestly, a girl isn't much without her best friends. I hated to admit it, but books can only do so much to occupy one's time (Ron finds out I thought that, so help me god). Not to mention that week near the beginning of the holiday when I went to visit Viktor. And, bloody hell, did that turn out to be a disaster. Not only did he seem to think we were much more than "just friends", but the press had an absolute field day when he first tried to kiss me (which he succeeded for about a millisecond before I overcame my shock). I left for home right away, but pictures of the two of us were all over the Bulgarian papers. Luckily, they didn't make it to the Daily Prophet since I had "innocently forgotten" (that was Harry's idea) to tell Ron about it.

Ron. Once again, my thoughts drifted towards Ron and how...well...weird he had acted towards me last year during the Yule Ball. It was the strangest thing. I knew he would be mad since Viktor was the "enemy". I mean, that's why I didn't tell Ron I was going with him in the first place! But it almost seemed...I don't know...more than that.

I shook my head slightly as if to try and forget about it. I inattentively smoothed down my new white summer dress, which was under my robes, yet still visible through the front. I smiled slightly remembering when I had first purchased it, much to my mother's arguments. She had said it was too short and the halter top half of it showed too much skin. True, the dress did come up about four inches above my knees, and the strings around my neck holding it up revealed quite a bit of the skin on my back, but...well...when the boys in the store stopped shopping to stare when I came out of the dressing room, that was enough to convince me to bring out the wallet. I loved having THAT kind of attention since I didn't usually get it anywhere else. Including Hogwarts. Everyone there barely saw me as a girl, but mostly as a bookworm. Especially Ron.

UGH! There he was again. Always there.

Suddenly, from behind me, I heard a huge burst of noise that seemed to come out of nowhere. A mixture of voices that were separate, yet all at once: "Ginny, watch it!" "Move it, Ron!" "George, shut up!" "Harry, dear!" "Fred, listen to me!"

The familiar names made me smile, but before I could turn around, a hand clamped down over my eyes.

"Guess who?"

I knew the hand and the scent. It was Ron. But his voice sounded very different. Deeper maybe? I laughed, trying to disguise my hesitance for mock surprise, and I reached up and pried his hand away with my own. "Ron, you arse, you think I wouldn't know? Come on, it's only been a few months." I quickly turned around, excited to see he and Harry after so long.

I could literally feel my jaw drop. Yep, it was Ron. Or...was it? This Ron still had the same red hair, same boyish freckles, and same light-hearted grin, but he was different all the same. His 6'0" frame towered over my 5'6" height, forcing me to raise my eyes in order to see his. But, unfortunately, my eyes were currently disobeying me and straying towards his broadened shoulders and not-so-lanky arms. His torso was also clearly defined by the snug-fitting navy blue T-shirt he was wearing, so I was able to see his sculpted chest and lean stomach. 'How in the world did he do this in just three months?' I thought, half-mindedly, my eyes still roaming freely, not even thinking twice about it.

"What, did I spill something on myself?" Ron asked, jolting me out of my daze. I could feel myself flush. For a minute there, I would've thought...never mind. I hurriedly pushed the thought aside and smiled brightly at him, while his eyes searched his own clothing.

"No, no, I'm just so happy to see you! I missed you guys like crazy this summer!" I stood on my tiptoes and flung my arms around his neck, closing my eyes tightly. He smelled wonderful and I felt myself relax. His arms went around my back, and I suddenly had the dizzying sensation of being lifted off the ground.

"I missed you, too, Hermione." I heard him whisper shyly into my ear. He set me gently back to the ground, and I pulled back and looked up at him with confusion written all over my face while he gazed at me with a similar expression. Our faces were barely inches apart, and the wind kept blowing his hair across my forehead.

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed as he appeared in front of me and swept me into a quick hug. "How ya been?"

"Bored out of my mind, thanks." I laughed. Why was Ron looking at me like that? I tried to consume my thoughts with Harry and how much I had missed him too. Yes, I had missed BOTH of them. Just as equally. "What about you?"

Harry then jumped into a generally one-sided conversation about what he and Ron had been up to, while the two of them easily picked up my trunk and headed toward the Hogwarts Express. I absent-mindedly gathered up my spare bags, along with Crookshanks' cage, and began to follow them, trying to listen.

Pretty soon, though, I had zoned out on him completely.

That had been the most bizarre welcoming on Ron's part. What happened to the boy who became embarrassed with the thought of going to a dance with me, much less actually hugging me...like that? I found myself staring at the back of his head as he laughed along with Harry.

Wait a minute, what am I doing? I shook my head slightly. Again. Ron's my friend...my best friend...and that's all there is to it.
* ~RON'S POINT OF VIEW~ *

"This is pointless," I muttered quietly to the train compartment. I was desperately trying to rid my thoughts of Hermione by reading "Quidditch Through The Times", but this was the fifth time that I'd read the first few paragraphs, and I still didn't remember any of it. However, it didn't help having her so close. I glanced down at my lap where her feet were propped up, and my eyes wandered up her long, tanned legs, all the way up to her peacefully sleeping face. Her robes were slightly askew, revealing her Gryffindor uniform skirt (which she had changed into the moment we got on the train, much to my dismay. That white dress...hell, that was to die for), which was why her legs were so visible. I grinned as I noticed how her left arm was curled around a book, while her right hand dangled off the side of the booth, grazing the ground. I quickly glanced towards Harry, not wanting him to see me gawking at one of our best friends, and I was relieved to see he was still deep in conversation with Neville and Seamus about this year's Quidditch season.

Reassured by this, I gazed out the window, left with my thoughts.

Hermione. For about the hundredth time since we'd met down on the platform a few hours ago, I marveled at how amazing she looked. Again, my gaze slid back to her face.

She looked the same, and yet she...didn't. I could have guessed that she'd spent the entire summer at a beach, even if she hadn't told me. Her skin (all of it that I could see anyway) was a golden brown, and the sun had obviously kissed her chestnut hair once too many times, for golden blonde streaks sparkled if the sun hit it right.

I watched her sigh softly in her sleep, and my gaze fell on her lips. As if right on cue, she licked them, playfully biting on her bottom lip. At that moment, I seriously felt like I was going to start drooling. Okay, sure, I've had the tiniest, most insignificant crush on Hermione the past few months (okay, a lot of months), but that was almost purely based on personality. Almost. But now...well, now there was more.

I knew I should stop my eyes from wandering again, but I couldn't. They were uncontrollable. Down her neck...her slightly unbuttoned shirt...bingo. I could feel my face go hot with embarrassment, but I had to face the facts sooner or later. Hermione had truly filled out. I watched helplessly as her chest rose and fell with every breath.

Oh my god. I glanced away quickly. What the hell was I thinking? Hermione is my best friend. We've been there for each other practically forever. I began reading my book again, not caring that I couldn't put two words together. I took a deep breath and told myself again: Hermione's my friend...my best friend...and that's all there is to it.