Disclaimer: Here we go again. I do not own any of the characters from the Harry Potter series as they belong to a fantastic writer who I am not even remotely close to.

A/N: I got the idea for this story based on another story from called Seduce a Stranger. I am in no way trying to copy or plagiarize it but I loved the idea of it and decided to write one of my own. Anyway, if you get a chance, I strongly recommend you read that story. She is a much better writer than I am and I have been waiting for a long time for her to continue her story. Anyway, hope you like this. Thank you ur, Temporarily Unavailable for filling my head with ideas. This is dedicated to you.

Red

Ronald Weasley stared out the compartment window with a grim face. Of all the years to start at Hogwarts, he had to start when the famous Harry Potter started. It was bad enough he was a nobody at home with there being six other siblings; he had to be a nobody at school as well. Who would notice yet another Weasley with the same fire red hair as his older brothers? He would surely go unnoticed as just another kid from the same family that had been attending Hogwarts for the last ten years. What would he be they probably wondered. Would he be as well liked and popular as his older brothers Bill and Charlie or intelligent like his other brother Percy? And let's not forget his twin brothers, Fred and George. Would he be as entertaining or funny and not to mention mischievous as they? Or would he be just plain Ron as everyone in his family came to know him as? I will not, he suddenly thought, his face scowling at the thought. I'll show them. I'll be greater than all of them put together. These were things that were thought of no more than six years earlier at the start of Ronald Weasley's first ride to Hogwarts. Little did he know, not only would he stand out of his family's shadow but aside from his looks, it would be hard to even imagine him as part of the Weasley family.

Ginny Weasley pushed open the door of the compartment her two best friends were occupying and sat down with a frustrated sigh. Instead of acknowledging their presence, she sat there with a scowl on her face and her arms crossed looking straight ahead. Her two friends looked at each other with raised eyebrows but didn't say anything. They knew better. Never mess with Ginny Weasley when she's angry and upset. "Well," she said after five minutes of silence. "Are any one of you going to ask me what the hell is wrong with me or are you just going to stay quiet like nothing's wrong?"

Hermione Granger was the first to speak in fear that if she didn't she would hear it later. "Okay, Ginny," she said timidly. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" she almost shouted. "Don't ask."

Harry Potter, Ginny's other best friend, stifled a chuckle knowing what was coming. "Ginny-," he started.

"I'll tell you what's wrong?" she said finally getting up pacing back and forth inside the tiny as it was compartment of the Hogwart's Express. "It's my, pardon my French, arsehole of a brother. That's who it is."

"Oh," they both said in unison full well knowing what was wrong in the first place.

"Well, what did he do this time?" Hermione asked. Please don't let it be something too terrible, she thought.

"It's not what he did," Ginny said running her hand through her already tangled hair. "It's what he didn't do."

"What didn't he do then?" Harry asked flipping through a magazine clearly bored by her outburst.

Ginny narrowed her eyes at him. "He was supposed to meet me on the platform before the train left. Mum wanted me to give him something she thought he'd need because you both know he would rather arrive with that stupid prat Draco Malfoy then his own family. He promised me he would be there at twenty minutes till and guess what?"

"Uh, he wasn't there?" Hermione asked already knowing the answer.

"Oh no," Ginny said shaking her head. "He was there alright. At first I didn't see him. I waited for five minutes thinking maybe Malfoy was just running a bit late. Then another five minutes later, I saw Malfoy come through the barrier but Ron didn't come through behind him. I called to Malfoy to stop and asked him where Ron was and he looked at me like I was some type of plague. He said he didn't know and that I should keep better tabs on my brother. As if that didn't infuriate me enough, that prick came up behind Malfoy and slapped him on the shoulder telling him he already had a compartment ready for them. And instead of acknowledging me, he turned around while Malfoy followed. I called him again but he chose to ignore me. I wasted the good amount of a half hour waiting for that prat and all he does is blow me off like one of his sluttish girlfriends."

Hermione winced at her words. "Well, maybe he didn't hear you," she said giving him the benefit of the doubt. Harry and Ginny looked at her like she was alien. "Or not."

Harry looked at her suspiciously and was about to say something when Ginny started talking again. "Honestly Hermione. I don't know how you ever went out with a bloke like him," she said shaking her head finally settling down taking a seat next to Harry. "It's a good thing you dumped him before he could really hurt you."

Hermione looked away so they wouldn't see the pained expression she got on her face. "Yeah," she said turning to them with a smile covering up how she really felt. "It's a good thing."

Ginny scowled again letting out another sigh. "Now how am I going to get this to him?" she asked pointing to a small bag she had dropped into the corner. She looked at Harry hopefully.

Harry gave her a funny look. "Don't look at me," he said shaking his head. "You know I don't get along with him. If I even get near him, I can't promise you something bad won't happen."

Ginny's hopeful face fell and she quickly got up and grabbed the bag. "Fine, I'll do it," she opened the compartment door and before heading out stuck her head in again. "But don't be surprised if I get kicked out of Hogwart's before we even get there for killing my own brother."

She left the compartment in a huff. Hermione quickly got up and followed. "Ginny," she called catching up to her a little ways down the hall. "Give it. I'll give it to him."

Ginny gave her a strange look and handed her the bag. "Why?" she asked curiously.

"You're already upset," Hermione said pulling the little bag's strap around her shoulder. "If you go near him, you'll get even more upset and in an even fouler mood. Do you really think Harry and I want to be around you like that?"

Ginny gave a smile for the first time that day. "Alright," she said nodding. "But be careful, he's with Malfoy."

Hermione smiled. "I'll be fine," she said. "If I can handle your brother, I can handle Malfoy."

Ginny smiled to herself. It was true, she could handle Ron. "Alright. He's in the third to the last compartment at the end of the train."

Hermione smiled at Ginny before heading off in that direction. What she said hadn't all been true. She couldn't handle Ron but he could sure handle her. Not in terms as you would think though. It's not that she couldn't handle him; its just there was really nothing to handle. He was never foul or loathsome to her even after their break up except of course when the subject of Harry came along. No matter what the subject was, Ron was fine. But even the slightest mention of Harry's name set him off. And if Hermione said it, well we're just not gonna go there. It was true; she and Ron had dated briefly the summer before their sixth year. Though only few people knew. Not even Ron's best friend, Draco Malfoy, knew. Hermione could care less about that. She didn't care for him to know at all. He would probably only make up some excuse for Ron saying he was desperate or something and that the option at the Burrow was very limited. She had spent the summer with the Weasley's because her parents had decided to take a long awaited holiday. It wasn't true, however, that she had dumped Ron. It was he who had in fact dumped her. She looked back remembering like it was yesterday.

Begin flashback

Ron held Hermione's hand as they walked along the edge of the pond nearing the part where they would be out of sight of the Burrow. Once they were out of sight, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him into a passionate kiss. When they broke, his hands were covering her face and his thumbs were rubbing her cheeks in soft movements, his deep blue eyes looking into her soft brown ones. She snaked her arms around his waist as he bent down to give her another soft kiss. He pulled away from her suddenly and turned his back to her. She looked at him a little confused. "What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

With his head down, he turned to face her. He looked at her with pained eyes. Oh no, she thought knowing what was coming. She turned to leave when she felt his hand stop her. "Don't," she whispered trying to keep herself together. "Just let me go. I don't want to hear it."

He reached around and put a hand on her chin forcing her to look into his eyes. She was surprised to see them filled with pain and hurt. "I want you to hear it," he said softly. He pulled her to a tree where he sat down against it and pulled her down so she faced away but sat against him. She leaned her back against him and he put his arms around her holding her close. He kissed the back of her head and leaned his chin on her shoulder. "I love you," he said softly. Whatever composure she had left was gone when he said that and the tears she was holding back flowed freely across her cheeks.

She pushed his hands away and turned to face him with a tear-streaked face. "Then why are you doing this?" she asked pulling herself up until she straddled his lap. "Why? Why do you have to do this?"

He looked away and closed his eyes. "You know why," he said looking up to meet her. She gasped when she saw his blue eyes were filled with tears too. "I could never live with myself if I ever hurt you."

"You could never-," she started.

"I don't trust myself with you," he said interrupting her. He looked away from her and wiped his tears away angrily. "I don't trust myself without you."

"If that's what you want," she said forcing him to look at her.

"No," he said looking at her shocked. "I would never force you to do that. Never. You're not ready. I understand and I wish that I was willing to wait for you. I mean, I am but," he said looking down sheepishly. "He's not."

She had to chuckle at that. He was right and she knew it. It amazed her sometimes how much he knew her even in the little time they were together. "I love you," she said looking into his eyes and getting lost in the sea of blue.

He kissed her then, very gently desperately trying to tell her just how much he did love her with his kiss. When the kiss was over, he hugged her tightly not wanting to let go. "I love you Hermione," he said into her hair. "I always will. Some day when we're both ready, we'll be together. Some day."

End flashback

Hermione blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall and sighed deeply and continued down the hallway stopping only to say hi to friends she knew. It was hard to believe it was only a year ago when that happened. It had seemed like ages when they had said their good-byes. Hermione walked until she reached the third compartment to the end and took a deep breath before opening it. Nobody inside seemed to notice her, as they were all too busy looking at some pictures that looked a little too graphic for Hermione's taste. She cleared her throat and smirked as they all looked up trying to hide the pictures behind their back. Malfoy suddenly realizing who it was rolled his eyes and started to look at them again out in the open. "Oh, it's only you," he said going back to his pictures. "What the fuck do you want?"

"Well, if you think it's you," she said with more courage then she felt. "I suggest you think again Malfoy."

Malfoy looked at her with narrowed eyes. "Please Granger. Don't flatter yourself," he said chuckling spitefully. "Who would be mental enough to want a dirty Mudblood like you?"

Everyone in the compartment laughed except Ron who cast a glare toward his best friend. "What do you want Hermione?" Ron asked glaring at her, which was not his intention. It was meant for Malfoy but in between his glaring he forgot to take it off when he looked at her.

She looked away hurt by his stare and then with courage to show him his stare hadn't bothered her, looked at him and said simply. "I have a message from your mother."

Ron got up quickly and pushed her gently out the door and closed it behind him but not before they both got an earful of catcalls. "Sorry about that," he mumbled releasing her; trying to get over the pleasure it felt to have his hands on her again. "You have something for me."

"Yes," she said handing him the bag a little too forcefully than she meant to. "This. Ginny was trying to give it to you earlier but you ignored her before getting on the train."

Ron gave her a confused look and took the bag from her. It disappeared with a look of realization came over his face. "Bloody hell," he said more to himself than to her. "I forgot."

"She's furious, you know," she said knowing full well that it had been a mistake. "I suggest you apologize to her as soon as you can. You know she's not very nice when she's angry."

They shared a knowing laugh then which turned to an awkward silence. "Well," she said finally breaking the silence. "I better go."

"'Mione," he said trying to figure out a way to make her stay just a bit longer using the nickname he had given her when they were together.

"Yeah?" she asked trying not to sound too hopeful at the mention of her nickname.

"Uh," he said trying hard not to sound desperate. "How was your summer?"

"Fine," she said looking down at her hands. "How was yours? I didn't see you much at the Burrow when I came to visit."

"Oh yeah," he said trying to find a way around that topic. "I was um, pretty busy with...things."

"Oh," she said disappointed. Yeah, too busy shacking up with some twit, she thought glaring at the ground. She looked up at him and forced a smile. "Well, I better get back. Ginny and Harry are probably wondering where I am."

Ron grimaced at the mention of Harry's name. "Yeah, you better go," his voice suddenly turning cold. "Wouldn't want Potter wondering where his precious friend is?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at his insinuation. He never changed. This was one of the reasons she was glad they were no longer a couple. He could never get over the fact that Harry was only her friend. "I am so tired of this Ronald," she said not holding back. "When are you going to get it through your thick skull that Harry and I are only friends."

"Yeah, friends," Ron said not holding back either. "I bet. If that's what you call a friend. I'd sure like to have you as one."

Hermione's widened at this and instead of answering, turned around and took off. Ron noticed the hurt look in her eyes before she left and immediately felt bad. "Hermione," he called but it was too late, she was already gone. "Fuck," he yelled kicking the wall making the compartment door slide open.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Malfoy asked when Ron entered with a mad look on his face. Ron only glared at him. "Sorry I asked."

Ron sat dropped himself onto the seat and glared ahead of him looking eerily like his sister had just an hour before. "Bloody fucking hell, when is that fat witch going to come with the trolley," he grunted loudly.

Hermione stalked into the compartment and sat down grabbing a book from her bag and began to read ignoring the curious faces of Harry and Ginny. Harry and Ginny conversed amongst themselves the rest of the trip while Hermione buried herself in a book. A couple of hours later, the Hogwart's Express arrived at the station. The trio gathered their things and exited the train and started heading toward the carriages. "Hey, Ginny," Ron said from behind. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Ginny rolled her eyes at the sound of his voice and turned around and glared at him. "You don't have to talk to him if you don't want to you know," Harry said in a soft voice so Ron couldn't hear him.

"Step away from my sister Potter," Ron said stepping forward.

Harry knew better than to start a fight with Ron. Ron stood at least four inches taller than him. Harry stood at a respectable 5'11" and had grown from his skinny body into a toned and fit one but that didn't mean Ron hadn't. Ron grew from a tall lanky boy into a rather rough looking 6'3" tall young man with broad shoulders and with also a toned and fit body. But he wouldn't just stand back and take orders from someone he's disliked for a long time. "I'll step away when Ginny asks me to step away," he said through gritted teeth.

Ron inched forward and stopped when Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and pulled. If Ron was giving Harry a death look before she grabbed his arm, the look he was giving him now was surely death on the spot. "Come on Harry," Hermione said. "Let's give them some room to talk."

"Yeah Potty," Ron said sneering at him as Hermione dragged him away. "Go and hide behind your pretty little girlfriend. It's about the only thing you're good at."

"Just because you want to have a word with me doesn't mean you can go and give a few to my friends Ronald Weasley," Ginny said glaring up at him.

"Aw, Ginny come on now," he said giving her a brotherly shove on the arm. Ginny rolled her eyes as she staggered and then steadied herself. "I was just giving them a hard time."

"What is it Ron?" she said not laughing. "I have a carriage to catch. I don't have time to be standing here all day."

Ron stopped goofing and pulled a serious face. "Listen," he said lowering his voice. "Hermione told me that you were looking for me earlier. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I completely forgot I was supposed to meet you."

"As if you really expect me to believe that," she said with her hands on her hips. "I yelled after you when you went up to Malfoy and you completely ignored me."

Ron opened his mouth and uttered a couple of sounds before speaking. "I...I didn't hear you. I swear Ginny. I didn't ignore you. You would have known if I was ignoring you. You know I make it quite clear when I ignore you."

She thought about it for a second when she realized he was in fact telling the truth. He gave her one of his famous lopsided grins and she couldn't help but smile. "Oh alright," she said smiling. "But don't let it happen again."

He smiled his famous smile and bent down and kissed her cheek. "I promise it won't," he started to walk away and turned and asked hesitantly. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure," she asked puzzled.

"Will you tell 'Mio-," he stopped catching himself. "Will you tell Hermione that I'm sorry for what I said earlier?"

Ginny gave him a weird look but didn't question it. "Yeah, sure," she said quietly.

"Thanks, Gin," he said and turned and walked away.

Ron walked past Harry and glared at him. But when spotting Hermione he simply looked away. "Stupid prat," Harry muttered under his breath. He watched Hermione as she just stared after Ron who seemed to have struck up a conversation with a pretty fifth year from Ravenclaw. "You have to get over him. He's no good for you."

Hermione's head snapped at hearing Harry's words. "What was that?" she asked looking away from Ron and climbing into the carriage but not before giving one last look toward Ron.

Harry chuckled softly. "Nothing," he said climbing in after her. They settled themselves not talking until a few minutes later when Ginny joined them but she was not alone.

Harry caught his breath at her company. "Hi," he said weakly when she sat down next to him.

"Oh hello, Harry Potter," she said in her usual dreamy voice looking at him with glassy eyes. Luna Lovegood was in the same year as Ginny but hardly in the same world as the rest of them. She had become good friends with the trio in Harry and Hermione's fifth year. For some reason, she seemed to have taken a liking to Ron who was only around to have a word with Ginny. And unfortunately for Ron, Luna was hanging around at the time. The first time Ron went to talk to Ginny when Luna was around, Luna immediately went to Ginny's side and proceeded to stare at him. She didn't say anything to him. She just stared. Until finally Ron asked her if she had a problem being the polite gentleman that he was. In which she simply replied, "You have the most beautiful ginger hair I've ever seen." Ron had given her an 'are you mental look' and then laughed and walked away. Harry had always found her to be a bit odd but he saw a different side of her at the end of his fifth year when they had a personal conversation about her mum and Sirius. He supposed that was when he started to fancy her. It had been a little over a year since his realization and he still had yet to do something about it. He hadn't yet told a soul but little did he know, his two friends had caught on a long time ago. That was one of the reasons why Ginny had brought Luna on their carriage. "You look simply dashing today."

Harry's face turned bright pink and he bashfully smiled. "Thanks," he said and looked out the window.

Ginny and Hermione gave each other a knowing smile. Luna stared at him for a second longer and went to reading 'The Quibbler' upside down as usual. Just as the carriage was about to head toward Hogwart's, the door to the carriage burst open and in climbed Neville. "Hey, guys," he said breathless. "Can I squeeze into here, there's no room anywhere else."

He tried to climb in between Hermione and Ginny but they pushed him to the other side making up excuses as to why he couldn't sit with them. They pushed him over to sit next to Luna, which pushed her hard against Harry. Harry looked stunned by how close Luna was to him. She was almost sitting on his lap. "Sorry," she said quietly.

Their faces were inches away from each other. Harry could feel the heat coming from her breath. He gulped as he stared into her blue eyes. "It's...okay," he squeaked, as she got as comfortable as she could between the two boys. "It's not your fault."

He glared toward the two girls that sat across from him who were giggling furiously. When they saw him staring at them, they quickly focused their attention on Ginny's nail polish. "Oh, is that a new color?" Hermione asked pretending to be interested in her fingers.

"Yes," Ginny said between giggles. "I (Giggle) got it during the (Giggle) summer."

Luna seemed unshaken by the incident and continued reading her paper. They soon started off toward the school. Harry shifting uncomfortably in his seat while Hermione and Ginny giggled whispering amongst themselves.

"So, Luna," Ginny said innocently after a few moments of silence. "How was your summer? How's your boyfriend doing?"

Harry looked up at this stunned. Boyfriend, he thought. "Oh, it was quite well. Thank you for asking," she said not looking up from her paper. "But I don't have a boyfriend anymore. He wasn't," looking at Harry. "What I was looking for."

Harry's face and ears turned pink when she looked at him. "Tha- that's too bad," he stuttered. He looked away from her stare and caught the amusing eyes of his two friends.

"You think so?" Luna asked going back to her paper. "I don't."

"I didn't know you had a boyfriend Luna," Neville said petting his frog, Trevor.

"Oh yes," Luna said turning a little to talk to him which meant her back was leaning against Harry's shoulder. Harry's eyes got wide and seemed to be talking to himself and shifted his books so that they were sitting on his lap. "He was a muggle I met during the holiday but I found him incredibly dull. Besides my interests are in someone else at the moment."

She didn't say anymore and Harry was disappointed she didn't continue. He didn't have to wait long though. "Oh," Neville said clearly interested. "And who might that be? Do we know him?" Leave it to Neville to be so thick about things.

But before Luna could answer Hermione decided to intervene much to Harry's dismay. "Oh did you see that?" she said a little too loudly.

"Huh?" Harry asked looking out the window where Hermione had pointed. "I don't see anything."

Ginny gave Hermione a knowing smile and nodded her head. "So who is he Luna?" asked Neville.

Harry looked eagerly at Luna and her mouth opened to speak but then Ginny spoke. "Oh look, we're here," she said as the carriage came to a stop and she threw open the door and climbed out.

Neville seemed too excited about arriving he forgot about his question to Luna and apparently so did everyone else. Everyone else, that is except Harry. Who was it she was interested in? Probably some sixth year she had class with. Harry shook his head. How could he even think Luna would fancy him? She was very different than anyone he had ever met. Perhaps different wasn't the word to describe her. Most of the students in her year had nicknamed her Loony Luna, which enraged Harry anytime anyone used it around him. He supposed it was clear to everyone how he felt about her. But he wasn't about to go and admit it. "Oh Hermione," Ginny said pulling her away from the group and whispered in her ear. "My brother sends a message."

"Oh," Hermione said innocently pretending not to be too interested.

"He said he's sorry about what he said to you earlier," Ginny said looking at her a in a way that meant 'tell me what he said to you that makes him say he's sorry he said it'.

"Oh, okay. Thanks," she said hurrying along to catch up with Harry. She looked behind her and noticed Ron hanging back talking very close to the Ravenclaw girl. She saw him whisper something in her ear that she giggled at. Just the sight of them together made Hermione want to gag. She stood there glaring at them as students passed her by.

"Hermione," someone was saying. "Earth to Hermione."

"What's up?" she asked catching herself and turning to Ginny.

"So I guess by the look on your face, his sorry didn't cut it huh?" Ginny asked with an amusing smile.

"Huh?" she said snapping back into reality. "No, I guess not. Come on, let's go. We don't want to be late for the sorting hat ceremony."

During the whole ceremony, Hermione couldn't help but steal glances at Ron over at the Slytherin table. She looked over at the Ravenclaw table and saw the girl he was talking to giggling with her friends as they all looked toward Ron as well. She saw Ron wink at her and then heard the girls giggling some more. She scowled to herself and munched on a biscuit. She noticed Harry glancing over at the Ravenclaw table too. She couldn't help but smile knowing he was looking at Luna. She glanced over at the Slytherin table again only in passing saw Ron glaring at her. He had apparently seen her looking at Harry. She smiled to herself knowing that she had gotten to him. She had made him feel exactly as he had made her feel watching him with that Ravenclaw girl. And then it happened. So suddenly. Like a light bulb turning on in her head. She knew what she had to do. She knew if she wanted him back, she knew what she must do.

A/N: I know, another cliffhanger. I promise you this will get better and for those of you who have been reading my other stories, I just want to express my apologies for taking so long on my other stories. I just have to inform you that this story has been written for a couple months now and I don't like to leave things unfinished but I told you before I had writer's block but that seems to have passed FINALLY!!! I have started on my next chapter to In Dreams and hopefully it will be up in a few days. I can't promise anything cause I do have work to attend to and that takes up a whole hell of a lot of my time. Thanks for listening to my constant ramblings. Anyway, please review and don't be too mean. Otherwise I will hunt you down. J/K. But seriously please, if you're mean to me I'll be mean back and trust me, I don't like to get mean. Sorry, please review.