Days passed and Hermione and Harry continued to meet in the attic on a regular basis. They were doing well with the planning and were very happy with the result. One thing they weren't happy with though was their love lives. Neither had built up the courage to tell their girlfriend/boyfriend the truth and both Ron and Ginny were getting suspicious, not of the fact that they weren't getting talked to because they were used to that but that Hermione and Harry were spending so much time together. In truth Hermione and Harry were nothing more than friends but Ron and Ginny thought otherwise. Ron became particularly suspicious when Harry and Hermione emerged from the attic because the attic did seem like a great place to snog. Ron was not seen by Harry and Hermione because he was hiding in the nearby cupboard, peaking out the key hole to see what they were doing. Once Harry and Hermione were safely downstairs Ron snuck up into the attic in attempt to discover what they were up to.

'The letters from Hogwarts have arrived,' announced Mrs. Weasley as Harry and Hermione entered the kitchen. Ginny who was sitting at the table eating her breakfast looked up and glared at Harry and Hermione before looking at her mother.

'Can I have my letter?' Ginny asked and Mrs. Weasley handed her the letter. Ginny was doing her sixth year because the school had been closed over the previous year because of the war.

After Mrs. Weasley handed out the letters to Harry and Hermione they sat down at the table and read their letters. Harry opened his letter carefully knowing that this would be when he would discover who the new headmaster is.

'Mad-eye Moody?' Hermione asked, 'The new headmaster. Are they mad?'

'There was a big controversy over it,' Mrs. Weasley explained, 'But no one wanted to be Dumbledore's successor' Mrs. Weasley gulped when she realised what she had said and looked at Harry. Harry felt very angry but mainly sad but was calmed down when Hermione squeezed his hand under the table. Wait a minute, he thought, Hermione had squeezed his hand, as a friend, he reminded himself. Hermione doesn't think of him as anything more but did Harry think of her as something more? Did he have feelings for her?

Harry's thoughts were interrupted by a squeal. Hermione had looked inside her envelope again to find a badge, a head girl badge.

'I can't believe it,' Hermione said.

'Can't you?' Harry laughed, 'You were bound to get it.'

'Oh Harry,' Hermione said and she hugged him. Nobody noticed Ginny with a disgusted look on her face nor Ron on the landing, looking down in fury. 'Look inside yours, quick!'

Harry opened his envelope and found between the two pieces of parchment, two badges. One was a new Quidditch Captain badge (which he was happy about because he had broken his old one) and to his complete surprise, a head boy badge. 'Wow,' Harry said.

'Not wow,' Hermione laughed, 'Magnificent, at least I have a friend to do the duties with.'

'Duties?' Harry joked, 'Who said I was actually going to do the duties?'

'You will or you'll lose you're badge,' Hermione said with great concern in her voice.

'Don't worry, I was only joking.'

The rest of breakfast was quiet because Ginny was yet again glaring at them. Once breakfast was over Hermione rushed upstairs to burrow Harry's owl to tell her parents the good news. Harry was left with Ginny because Mrs. Weasley had gone to do the gardening.

'What on earth was that?' Ginny said with anger clear in her voice.

'What was what?' Harry asked.

'Don't play dumb,' Ginny said, 'You and Hermione just before.'

'What about us?' Harry said with his voice steadily rising, 'Hermione and I are friends.'

'Yeah sure,' Ginny said, 'With that performance.'

'Even if we were more than just friends, what's it to you?'

'Excuse me but I am your girlfriend,' Ginny said and Harry quickly considered what to do. He had to watch his step.

'No you're not!' Harry said. 'I told you it was over!'

'You told me you wanted space not that it was over,' Ginny said, 'I've given you space and plenty of it.'

'Well maybe I don't want us to get back together,' Harry said and Ginny's eyes were soon filled with tears. Harry thought that he could have been a little more sensitive.

'What?' Ginny said, 'You're breaking up with me? For good?' Ginny face was now covered in tears.

'We're not right for each other,' Harry told her and she continued to cry, 'We're not meant to be.'

'What so this is it?' Ginny asked, 'Break it up with me so you can go and have it off with Hermione?'

'It's not like that!' Harry yelled at her.

'Well what is it like then?' Ginny asked in a nasty sort of way.

'I'm not ready to be in a relationship. I can't be with you and I'm not replacing you,' Harry said while trying to sound nice and comforting but it wasn't working.

'Fine,' Ginny said while standing up, 'Well if you ever want me again I won't be waiting for you to be "ready for a relationship". Just leave me alone!' With that Ginny tore from the room and up to her room.

Harry gulped. He had no idea what he should do next. The best idea that came into his head was to tell Hermione. He left the kitchen and walked up the stairs. As he passed Ginny's room he could hear crying, Ginny sounded like she was trying to cry a river. He continued to walk up the stairs until he came to the room he slept in. He looked into his room he shared with Ron. Ron was sitting on his bed looking at…

'Hey,' Harry yelled, 'That's mine.'

'What is it?' Ron asked as he shook the book and looked at it.

'Hermione and I are writing a book about the war,' Harry said, 'How come you've been looking through my stuff?'

'How come you didn't tell me about it if it's about the war which I was involved in?' Ron questioned with his fury showing in his voice, 'Or is it just your cover so you can get away with snogging each other in the attic?'

'Hermione and I are friends,' Harry tried to reassure him, 'Nothing more.'

'Well doesn't it seem kind of odd that Hermione only tells me she needs space when you turn up here?'

'The war changed her,' Harry tried to explain, 'She can't have a relationship with you anymore.'

'But she can with you?' Ron questioned.

'I didn't say that,' Harry yelled.

'Well it sure sounded like it,' Ron said.

'Calm down,' Hermione said as she walked into the room, 'We can sort this out without resorting to yelling.'

'What sort it out so you and Harry can go off and snog with my permission?' Ron said and both Harry and Hermione could tell they were getting nowhere, 'Not likely.'

'Will everyone get it through their thick heads that Harry and I are not having a relationship!' Hermione said and Ron laughed a very nasty laugh.

'Well you know what I don't want a relationship with someone that's obsessed with making big deal over nothing,' Ron said and both Hermione and Harry looked at him with puzzled expressions.

'What do you-' Hermione began but Ron interrupted.

'I mean that the war is over. Nobody's going to be killing us now so why can't we just get over it.' Ron said.

'You are so heartless!' Hermione yelled before running from the room.

'Ron, I-' Harry tried to explain.

'Just get out,' Ron yelled, 'First you break my sister's heart then you help Hermione break mine then to top it off you try to still be my friend. Don't be stupid. Just get out.'

Harry left the room and looked round for Hermione. She was nowhere to be seen. He gathered she wouldn't be in Ginny's room so he searched all the other rooms. At last he found her in the bathroom. She was sitting on the floor curled up and she was crying.

'Hermione, are you okay?' Harry asked and Hermione continued to cry. It was a few seconds before she was able to talk.

'I didn't think they'd react like that. I thought that at least Ginny would understand,' Hermione said. 'After all that's happened I thought Ron would have grown up.'

'I don't know if Ron ever will,' Harry said, 'We may never be friends again.'

'I guess I'm lucky,' Hermione said, 'I've still got one friend.' Harry smiled.

'So where do you want to go?' Harry asked. 'We can't stay here unless you really fancy spending the rest of the holidays fighting with Ron and Ginny.'

'I'll take you to my parents place,' Hermione said, 'They've always wanted to know you better and they won't hate you for not loving their child.' With that Hermione and Harry laughed.

Harry and Hermione spent the next half an hour gathering their things. Both Ron and Ginny were avoiding them for which Harry and Hermione were very grateful. Hermione was very much looking forward to having her parents get to know Harry better. When they were finished gathering their last things Harry and Hermione met in the kitchen.

'Going somewhere?' Mrs. Weasley asked them.

'Yes,' Hermione said, 'We're going to spend the rest of the summer at my parents' place.'

'Because of Ron and Ginny?' Mrs. Weasley questioned.

'Yes,' Harry said, 'We're sorry but we can't stay under the same roof as them at the moment.'

'But thank you for allowing us to stay here Mrs. Weasley.' Hermione said.

'Yeah, thanks for having us,' Harry thanked her.

'It was nothing, dears,' Mrs. Weasley said, 'Enjoy the rest of your summers and I'll talk to Ron and Ginny.'

'I don't like your chances-' Hermione tried to explain.

'Don't worry dear, they'll see sense, eventually, I hope,' Mrs. Weasley said.

'Well goodbye,' said Harry and Mrs. Weasley hugged him.

'Goodbye and thank you Mrs. Weasley,' Hermione said and Mrs. Weasley hugged her too then Harry and Hermione walked from the Burrow.

Once they were out of the Burrow and onto the street Harry turned to Hermione. 'Where is your parents' place?'

'It's just near Brighton,' Hermione told him and she continued to walk while dragging her trunk behind her.

'That's not within walking distance,' Harry stated the obvious.

'What did you think I was planning on walking?' Hermione laughed.

'Well how are we getting there?' Harry wondered out loud.

'We're going to find a phone box and ring my parents to pick us up,' Hermione told him.

'Oh,' Harry said and Hermione laughed.

'Yes, oh,' Hermione said and she burst out laughing.

'Hey!' Harry said and he tickled her.

'I am so going to get you back,' Hermione said while she laughed. 'Wow look at that,' Hermione said and pointed at a nearby bush.

'What?' Harry looked at the bush, 'I can't see anything.' Suddenly Harry felt a shiver down his spine, Hermione had poured cold water out of her water bottle down his shirt while he had been looking at the bush. Hermione was laughing so hard when he realised what she had done he laughed too and together they must have looked rather funny standing on a footpath in the middle of the day laughing their heads off but they didn't care. They had found peace and that was all that mattered. Harry felt for the first time in ages that life was worth living.