Ron, luckily enough for him, had jumped into a carriage whose sole occupant was Luna Lovegood.

"Hello, Ronald," she said pleasantly as he stumbled into a seat.

"Luna," he said, nodding to her. He was still fuming at Harry, he was his best friend, shouldn't he be standing up for him instead of yelling at him and accusing him of terrible things? And Hermione! She was his girlfriend, for crying out loud! And she always-always-chose Harry over him.

"You look upset," Luna said lightly. "You can talk about it if you want to."

"No thanks," Ron said sharply. The last thing he wanted was to share his feelings with Luna Lovegood.

"Where are Neville and Ginny?" He asked her gruffly.

"Oh, I split up with them when we got off the train. Ginny was having trouble finding her trunk, and Neville was keen on staying to help her."

"Is everything alright? Between you and Neville?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," she said bitterly.

"I thought that last year, during the Battle of Hogwarts..."

"No," Luna said curtly. "Neville made it very clear that kissing me that day was just in the heat of the moment, because the girl he really wanted was with someone else. Not anymore."

Ron had never heard Luna talk like this. She was so angry, so heartbroken.

"Well, at least he didn't chose you over your best mate," Ron said bitterly, again thinking of Hermione.

Luna looked as if he had slapped her in the face. Finally Ron understood. He blanched. "Neville likes…Ginny?"
Luna could only nod, and her eyes were filling up with tears.

"Oh, Luna, I'm so sorry. I had no idea,"

"Obviously," she said, laughing a little as a few tears slid down her cheeks. "God, Ronald Weasley, you sure do know how to put a foot in your mouth."

"Says the girl who believes in Crooked Horned Snorkels," Ron said with a half smile.

Luna smiled again as she wiped her cheeks. "I'm not even going to try and correct you,"

Ron laughed. "I have to compliment you, though. I've been reading the Quibbler ever since the Daily Prophet went Death Eater, and I have to say…it's not half bad."

"Not half bad?" Luna asked, faking indignation. "It's not bad at all!"

Ron laughed again. "I guess I still haven't gotten over the whole Fudge-Cooking-Goblins-Into-Pies article,"

Luna giggled. "Not my father's best decision as editor…"

"You can say that again."

They both laughed a little, and then a long silence settled over the carriage.

"So, what's going on with you and Hermione?" Luna asked after a moment.
"Why do you ask?" Ron said, ears turning slightly pink.

"I, um, saw your little…disagreement," Luna said good-naturedly.

"It's nothing,"

"Oh, please, Ron. I'm not Loony Lovegood anymore, I know which way's up. Plus, your ears are turning red, and you're getting defensive, so I know I'm right!"
"Fine! Things have not been…great with me and Hermione. Or me and Harry, for that matter."

"Care to elaborate?"

Ron sighed deeply. "Well, last year, while we were hunting Voldemort's Horcruxes…I leftharryandhermioneinthewoodsforbillandfleurshouse." He mumbled the last part quickly under his breath.

"You what?"

"I…" he sighed again. "I left Harry and Hermione in the woods while we were in hiding and went to Bill and Fleur's house."

Luna raised her eyebrows at him.

"I'm not proud of it!" Ron said quickly. "I hate myself for it! Plus, I can see it when they look at me…there will always be a part of them that sees me and thinks, He's a coward, he's not to be trusted. He abandoned you while you were trying to defeat the most powerful dark wizard of all time! And the worst part is…well, it's all pretty awful," Ron admitted. He hadn't planned on sharing all of this with Luna, but once he started talking, it was difficult to stop.

"You have to understand, we hadn't eaten a good meal in weeks, we were wearing this bloody Horcrux that made you think all of these terrible things, and we had no idea what we were doing. It was miserable. I was miserable. And one night, we were sitting there, and I was so hungry, and then we hear these Goblins and Ted Tonks talking about how you, Ginny, and Neville were sent into the Forbidden Forest because you stole the Sword of Gryffindor. And then we realized we needed to find the bloody sword because it was the only way to destroy the Horcrux. So I was mad thinking that Ginny was hurt, and I was mad because there was another thing we had to find, and I was mad because all I had eaten the last few weeks was cold, raw fish and wild mushrooms. So I said a bunch of terrible things to Harry, and then I had just had enough. I decided I was going to leave, and I asked Hermione if she was coming with me, or if she was staying with Harry. And the worst part is…she chose him…" He trailed off for a minute, and Luna put her hand over his, encouraging him to go on.

"She always chooses him, Luna," he continued. "Tonight, she chose to ride with him in the carriage instead of with me. The other night, at the Burrow, she hugged me, her boyfriend, goodnight, and then went over and kissed him on the cheek! During the Final Battle, whenever Harry was going to sacrifice himself to You-Know-Who—"

"—Voldemort,"

"Yes, him, she offered to go with him. She didn't even care that she was leaving me behind! To her, he's always the boy who lived, or the chosen one, and he's the one she loves more. She may love him like a brother, but when it comes down to him and me, she loves him more. I'm always just going to be that guy that walked out on them when they needed me most."

"Ron,"

"Luna, I really don't want to talk about this anymore, can you understand that?"
"Fine. Just listen. Hermione loves you, just as much, if not more so, than she does Harry, you're just so blinded by your jealousy that you don't see it. And anyways, I guarantee you that they don't care that you left them last year. Since when are Harry and Hermione good at holding grudges? They are only mad at you because you have been such an arse lately."

The carriages were slowing down now as they neared the castle.

"So, Ronald," Luna said as she gracefully exited the carriage and removed her trunk, "stop being an arse." With that flounced into the castle, not looking back once.

With Luna's words ringing in his ear, Ron hesitantly strode into the Great Hall. He expected to see Harry and Hermione already at the Gryffindor table, talking or reading close together as they usually did. Ron could feel his cheeks heating up and his fists clench as he remembered all of the times Hermione and Harry had intently discussed a plan, or talked about a class or something Hermione had read recently over the course of their meals. There was an intimacy about it-something Ron was never a part of, something he didn't understand. But Harry and Hermione weren't there yet...Ron remembered that they were I the carriage behind him. The he slumped into the chair next to Ginny.

"Ron! Ron!" Ron turned to see Dean and Seamus dragging Lee Jordan over to him. "Tell him, Ron!" Seamus said. "Tell him how you had to fight off vampires and snatchers to protect Harry and Hermione last year!"

"Ooh, tell him about that werewolf you battled in the forest!" "Or that time you battled over a thousand grindylows to save Harry's life," Seamus added proudly. Lee looked eagerly at Ron, but Ginny glared at him, her eyebrows raised dangerously towards her hairline. "I...uh-maybe some other time, Lee." Seamus and Dena looked disappointed, but Lee just shrugged his shoulders and walked towards the head of the table.

"That was funny," Ginny said, her voice dangerously low. "I could have sworn Harry never mentioned grindylows when he told me how you saved his life." "Yeah?" Ron said, flushing. "You and Harry had a lot of private conversations lately, in between you leading Neville on and you telling Harry you don't want to be with him?"

Now it was Ginny's turn to flush and sputter. "I have NOT been leading Neville on!"

"Then why has he dumped Luna for you, then?"

"Yelling again, Ron?" Hermione and Harry were standing behind them; Hermione was looking at Ron with pursed lips, while Harry was staring at Ginny was an unreadable expression. A look of intense hurt flashed in his eyes before he cleared his throat and sat down across from Ginny. "How was your ride here?" he asked, not meeting her eyes.

"Boring," Ginny replied, her expression grateful. "And yours? I heard a group of sixth years that were planning to find your compartment...did they manage to track you down?" Ron heard an edge in her voice, but he wasn't sure Harry picked up on it.

"A few of them did, yeah." Hermione elbowed Harry in the side, and he flushed a little bit, giving her a look. "Romilda Vane was especially...excited...to see me."

"Harry!" Hermione shoved him down the bench. Harry laughed and chucked his Snitch at her. After she untangled it from her hair she hit him in the forehead when it flew up into the air. He jumped up at caught it in his mouth when he heard someone clear their voice.

"Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger," came a stern voice from the Headmaster's-headmistress's-podium. "As fascinating as it is to relive some of Potter's finer catches as Gryffindor's Seeker, we have a Sorting to begin."

"Sorry, Professor, McGonagall, " Harry said meekly. Hermione's checks were scarlet. Ron's ears were, too, for that matter, but for an entirely different reason.

Ron thought he saw a ghost of a smile on McGonagall's face. "It's fine, Potter. Term hasn't started yet. And, I dare say, after last year, we need all the laughter we can get. Now... ABERNATHY, RITA!"

A small girl walked forward and slipped the hat over her eyes. "HUFFLEPUFF!" "WINCHESTER, DEAN!" "RAVENCLAW!"

The sorting continued, but all Ron could think about was the feast they were about to have. His mouth started to water...he had missed Hogwarts food. He looked over and saw Harry whisper something to Hermione, who let out a quiet giggle. She said something in his ear, and Harry chuckled. Ron clenched his fists. Hermione was his girlfriend. He was allowed to get jealous, after all. He looked over and saw Ginny looking at the pair, too, but Ron couldn't read her expression. Was it jealousy? Pain? Or indifference? Maybe she was thinking about Neville...he thought bitterly.

Finally, "XU, ANNA!" was sorted into Slytherin, and then McGonagall clapped her hands and food appeared at the table. "So, what was that all about?" Ron asked Hermione as he began his meal.

"What was what all about?"

"Wi' 'ee 'nith," Ron tried to say through a mouthful of bread.

"Ron, I can't understand you with food in your mouth,"

"With the Snitch," Ron repeated.

"Oh, that was nothing, just a game Harry and I would play last year. Before you came back, there were quite a few nights when we would get bored and start throwing the Snitch around, or sometimes we would listen to the Muggle radio and dance or I would read a story aloud, you know, stuff like that."

"Stuff like that?! DANCING?" Hermione, startled by his reaction, started to backpedal, "Ron, it isn't what you're thinking..."

"Not what I'm thinking? No, of course not. Because I can't think, can I? Of course there's nothing going on between you two! No, you guys just play Catch the Snitch and dance together all alone in a tent. Nothing going on, but you still whisper jokes to one another during the sorting, and you have important things to talk to him about that I'm not a part of."

"Ron, mate," Harry cut in, "Hermione's like my sister. You know that."

"Do you remember when you told me Ginny was like a sister to you?"

"That's because she's your sister, and I didn't want you to hate me! Yeah, every once in a while, when we were in hiding, Hermione and I would dance. We were tired, and hungry, and bored, and alone, and both in love with other people we would have given anything to be with. There was nothing going on. There is nothing going on. You know what we were talking about earlier?"

"Harry, you don't have to-" Hermione cut in.

"Hermione was trying to convince me that I still stood a chance with Ginny," Harry looked at Ginny apologetically. "But this is the first time I'm not sure if Hermione is right." he shifted his glance back at Ron. "So will you get over yourself already? Hermione loves you. She wants to be with you. Stop getting in your own way."

Ron looked down at his pudding, then back at Harry. "You're right," he said finally. "I'm sorry, Hermione, it's just that...I'm scared you're going to leave me. It's not like I deserve you."

Hermione smiled at him, the betrayal in her eyes beginning to fade as she leaned in to kiss him softly.

"Can we stop with the gushy sharing our feelings part of the meal and start talking about teachers?" Ginny cut in. "The DADA chair is empty." Hermione opened her mouth to comment, but she was interrupted by McGonagall rising again to make her speech.

"I think we can all agree that The Sorting Feast this year was especially excellent. Now, there are a few announcements that need to be made.

"For the benefit of our first years, you should all know that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds for all students, and all Weasley's products are banned from the school. For a full list of all prohibited items, go to Mr. Filch's office on the third floor.

"Secondly, there have been several staff changes this year. One, the new Transfiguration professor will now be Aberforth Dumbledore. Many of our students already know him, and I am certain he will make a wonderul addition to our staff. As for Defense Against the Dark Arts, for now, I will be taking the position. All class schedules are going to be handed out tomorrow morning at breakfast.

"The House Quidditch Tournament will be taking place this year, as well as the House Point Cup. For our first and second years, who are either new to the castle, or who have not had the opportunity to participate, these competitions are a matter of House pride, and I trust that you will treat them as such. For those of you wanting to try out for your House Quidditch teams, you should speak to your captains… For Slytherin, Draco Malfoy; Ravenclaw, Michael Corner, For Hufflepuff, Padma Patil, and for Gryffindor, Harry Potter,"

"Finally, this year we are instituting a new tradition—the night before everyone leaves for Christmas break, we will hold a Memorial Ball,

celebrating our victory against the Dark Lord, and remembering those who fought bravely and are no longer with us today. But tonight's festivities are over, and I suggest you all return to bed. Goodnight!"

Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron all trudged up to the common room together.

"Shite," Ginny said when they reached the Fat Lady. "Does anyone know the password?"
Ron looked from Hermione to Harry; no one did.

"Can't you just let us in?" Ron asked the Fat Lady, annoyed. "We've been Gryffindors for years, you know us!"

"I know nothing of the sort, Mr. Weasley," The Fat Lady answered. "For all I know, you could be under the influence of polyjuice potion!"
"Ridiculous," Ron muttered.

"Be patient, Ron," Hermione chided. "The Fat Lady's right, the password is the best way to keep intruders out—I'm sure you wouldn't want Draco Malfoy sniffing around our common room! Besides, it's the first night, someone's bound to come up soon and give us the password."
"Thank you, Ms. Know-It-All," Ron snapped. "It's just that I'm very tired and ready to go to bed."
"Oh, that's very original of you, Ron, only every single person in this castle has called me a know-it-all."
"Because you are!" Ron yelled.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Neville said, walking towards them.

"We don't know the password, Neville," Ginny told him.

"Ha! But you do know the password, Ginny!"
Ginny furrowed her eyebrows at him. "Same one from last year, we never bothered to change it. Figured someone would have told you."

"No one mentioned it," Ginny said.

"Ah, well," Neville said, walking towards the Fat Lady. "Lightning." She swung wide open.

"It's in honor of you, Harry," Neville explained. "Helped keep morale up last year,"
"Of course it is," Ron muttered under his breath.

Neville went on up to bed, but Hermione moved to sit in a puffy chair, and Harry followed suit. Ginny sat on the floor, and began to pet Crookshanks. Ron wanted to go up to bed, but he felt obligated as Mione's boyfriend to join her.

"Anyone fancy some tea before bed?" Harry asked. "I could summon Kreacher…"
"Tea sounds wonderful, Harry," Hermione said brightly.

Ron could feel himself scowl.

"Do you have something to say, Ron?" Ginny asked sharply. Ron rolled his eyes; he was so sick of his sister picking a fight with him every chance she could.

"No, nothing," Ron muttered.

"How out of character," Ginny mused.

"Shut up, Gin," Ron snapped. "I'm sick of having to explain myself to you all the time!"
"And I'm sick of how you are consistently an annoying prick," Ginny answered. "I'm sick of how you walk around like you own the place, and you act like you saved the Wizarding World singlehandedly. I'm sick of how you lie to everyone about your 'adventures in the woods' and how you act like you did Harry and Hermione a favor when you went camping with them."

"I DID DO THEM A FAVOR, DIDN'T I?"
"I WOULDN'T CALL RUNNING OFF TO BILL'S AT THE FIRST CHANCE VERY HELPFUL." Ginny's face was read and she was on her feet, fingers ready to pull out her wand. Hermione beat her to it, casting a shield charm between them. She was about to stop them when Ron heard Harry say, "No, they've been needing to get this out for a while."

"OH YEAH?" Ron said, turning on Harry. "And now you know all about what's best for me, and my sister?"
"LAY OFF HIM, RON, HE'S A DAMN SIGHT MORE PERCEPTIVE THEN YOU ARE!"
"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! YOU WEREN'T THERE IN THE WOODS! YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS LIKE! YOU WERE SITTING HERE, IN THE CASTLE, COMFORTABLE AS CAN BE-"

"COMFORTABLE? YOU CALL BEING FORCED TO CAST THE CRUCIATUS CURSE ON ELEVEN-YEAR OLDS COMFORTABLE? YOU THINK THAT HIDING OUT FROM THE CARROWS WAS SOME SORT OF BLOODY ADVENTURE? IT WAS TERRIFYING!"
"YEAH, AND SO WAS HUNTING FOR HORCRUXES!"

"I'M SURE IT WAS!" Ginny screamed. She took a deep breath, and then continued in a low voice, "I'm sure it was terrifying, Ron. I'm sure it was so scary when Harry and Mione were in Godric's Hollow and Harry was attacked by Nagini and Voldemort was literally 3 seconds away from catching them, and killing them. I'm sure it was frightening to storm the Ministry to get the locket. And I would have been scared out of my mind if it was you that was being punished by Snape at Hogwarts. And I could let it go if I thought you had left because you were scared. But you left because you were uncomfortable. You left because you're stomach was growling, and because you thought Harry had no idea what he was doing. You acted like a bloody Slytherin, and that…that's despicable." She turned on her heel and walked up to her dormitory.

Ron looked at Hermione, who was biting her lip, and Harry, who met his gaze defiantly. "We forgave you, Ron," Harry said simply. "You just need to let it go."
"He's right, Ron," Hermione said. "Ginny's just mad because she wishes it was her, with us, instead of you."

"She's bloody right," Ron said quietly. He turned and left for bed.