I'm sorry guys. School started and it's just been crazy since. Please know that I really am trying to update all of my stories.

~This chapter is dedicated to sherychery7 :)~

Omniscient PoV

Ron walked away from the window and looked around the compartment. When he turned around, Hermione was still standing in front of the window, staring blankly at the scenery speeding by.

"Hermione?" he asked, touching her arm.

She collapsed to the floor and started sobbing, pulling her knees to her chest, then burying her face in them. Ron stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

A woman with brown hair braided back walked in the room. She looked at the two of them, then sat next to Hermione on the floor.

"Hey, it's okay." the woman said, putting her arm around Hermione.

Hermione buried her face in the woman's shoulder and sobbed, "They said I'd never get reaped. He said he'd protect me, but he was just using me."

The woman rubbed her back and said, "I'm so sorry this happened to you. I wish there were no Games. I've been through it before."

Hermione calmed down a little bit, and wiped the tears from her face.

The woman stood and helped Hermione up.

"I'm Katniss, by the way. Katniss Everdeen." the woman said, shaking Hermione's hand.

"That's right! You won the Games last year!"

"Yep. That would be me. And what's your name?"

"Hermione. Hermione Granger."

"Well it's nice to meet you, Hermione." she turned to Ron. "I'm sorry. And who would you be?"

"Ron Weasley." he said, extending his hand. She shook it and smiled at him.

"Nice to meet you. Now, are you two hungry? Because we can get you some food if you'd like."

Ron was dying to say yes, since he hadn't eaten much in weeks, but he looked at Hermione. He didn't want to seem like a pig or anything.

"Sure." she said, then followed Katniss down to a new compartment.

Katniss leaned against the counter. "So what would you two like?"

"Whatever you have is fine." Hermione said, then looked at Ron.

"Yeah, whatever you have." he said.

"Well, how about some dessert?"

The pair nodded, then Katniss turned around.

"Hey Peeta!" she yelled at a door in the kitchen. It opened, and a blonde man walked out, wearing an apron.

"Yeah, Katniss?"

"These are our tributes." Katniss said, motioning to the two standing there quietly.

"Oh! Hi there! I'm Peeta Mellark. And you are?"

"Ron Weasley." he said, shaking Peeta's hand.

"Hermione Granger." she said, also shaking his hand.

"Hermione. That's a beautiful name." Peeta said.

"Thank you." she said, giving him a small smile.

"Could you make them a cake please, Peeta?" Katniss asked.

"Yeah, of course! I'll get right on it." he said, then disappeared behind the door again.

"So...tell me about yourselves." Katniss said, leaning against the counter.

A loud clatter came from the kitchen.

"On second thought, maybe I should go help Peeta." she said, laughing a little, and walked back to the kitchen.

Hermione looked around, then sat down on the couch. Ron sat next to her, trying to think of something to say.

"So...you talked to Harry?" he asked.

She knew what he meant. "Yeah. Did he talk to you?"

"Yeah...so...allies?" he asked nervously, holding out his hand.

She shook it immediately. She could so easily trust him. And that scared her.

"Well, now that we're allies, tell me about yourself." Ron said.

Hermione stared at the ground. "Don't you think that'll just make it...harder?" she asked, looking at him sadly.

"Well...we'll need something to talk about in the arena, won't we?"

"I guess..."

"So what's it like, being the mayor's daughter and all?"

"Tiring."

He gave her a questioning look.

"Well, you see...Mum and Dad don't exactly let me do what I'd like. Everything is chosen for me. I take ballet lessons...and I don't even like them! They make me do all these things that I hate, and when I ask if I can do something different, they say no."

"Oh...what's something you want to do?"

She smiled at the floor. "I want to do something adventurous. Something exciting. My parents say even if I tried, I would be too scared, but I'm much more brave than they think."

"The Games are pretty adventurous and exciting."

She frowned. "But we'll most likely be killed. For the entertainment of the Capitol. It's just inhumane."

Katniss walked back out of the kitchen and over to an arm chair across from them.

"The cake's almost done. It'll just be a few more minutes." she said.

They nodded, and Katniss looked at their intertwined hands, then at them.

"Here's the cake!" Peeta exclaimed, putting it in the table in front of Ron and Hermione.

"This is beautiful!" Hermione said, sitting up to get a closer look. "You're really talented."

"Thank you!" Peeta said, smiling proudly.

The cake was a beautiful forest scene. There were even little birds sitting in the trees.

"I'll get a knife." Katniss offered, got up, and went back into the kitchen.

"So what part of District 12 are you guys from?" Peeta asked, sitting on the arm of Katniss' chair.

"I'm from the Seam." Ron said as Katniss re-entered the room.

"I'm not. My father's the mayor." Hermione said.

"Really? My parents are good friends with yours." Peeta said.

"Oh yes! Mr. and Mrs. Mellark come over quite often. Why don't you ever come with them?"

"I'm busy with my own things."

Katniss cut the cake and gave everyone a piece.

"This is truly amazing. You're a great baker." Ron said.

"Well, you can't give me all the credit. Katniss helped." he said, putting his arm around you.

"Not really. You had to help me alot."

"But you helped. And you were great at it."

She smiled and kissed him.

Hermione watched them, her eyes brimming with tears. She knew she would never find what they have because of the Games.

"Excuse me." she said, setting her cake down and hurrying out of the room.

"I'll get her." Ron said, also putting his cake down and leaving the room.

He found her walking around a compartment, not knowing what to do. She stood still, then started to walk around looking for something. Then she'd stop again. Through everything she was crying.

Ron walked up to her and wrapped her in his arms. "Hermione," he said. "Calm down."

She collapsed, but Ron held onto her. She started sobbing heavily into his chest, and he stroked her hair.

"I. Can't. Do. This." she said between sobs.

"Shhh, it'll be all right, Mione."

She looked up at him, eyes glistening. "M-Mione?"

"Yeah. It's a nickname I thought of for you. But if you don't like it..."

"No. I love it."

He picked her up in his arms, sat down on a chair, and set her on his lap.

"Feeling better?" Ron asked, wiping her tears away with his thumbs.

"Yeah." she really didn't. She felt weak, vulnerable, and...something else she couldn't place. Something she'd never felt before.

"C'mon, they'll be looking for us." Ron said.

They got up and walked back towards the dining compartment. Ron put his arm around Hermione's waist, and she let him keep it there.

"There you guys are!" Katniss said. "Sorry if we upset you, Hermione."

"No, it's fine. To be expected, under the circumstances..." she said.

They all stood there in silence for awhile. Hermione leaned against Ron, and Katniss and Peeta stared at them.

"Hey Ron, could you help me with something?" Peeta asked.

He looked down at Hermione, who moved away from him. "Sure." he said, then followed him back to the kitchen.

"Hermione, you can come sit with me if you want." Katniss offered, patting the seat next to her.

She nodded, walking over and sitting down.

"So, Hermione," Katniss said, looking at her intently. "How do you feel about Ron?"

I'm just gonna leave it there. Read and review! Hopefully next chapter will be up soon.