Ron Weasley dragged his trunk along the corridors of the train, looking into every carriage for his girlfriend. He'd secretly thought when he was younger that out of the two of them Harry had a bigger chance of getting Hermione than he did. Of course that wasn't going to be a problem now.

He'd see something between Harry and Malfoy. He wasn't stupid just sometimes oblivious. He knew that even if anyone else couldn't see it yet it was there. There was more than Harry would care to admit, or contemplate about the reason he chose to give Malfoy a second chance.

He was starting to grow tired of searching, his trunk only seemed to feel heavier.

He was getting better anyway, he knew it. He'd stood happily at the end of the battle with his two best friends at his side. Though that was before the true emotional aspect had appeared. Before he'd spent days without talking to anyone crying in his room. He just needed to get back to that moment, at the end where he saw that tiny spark of happiness, of hope. He just needed to catch it again.

He lost thought of his surroundings briefly, almost hitting Seamus as he went stomping past. He turned to look, convinced there had been tears falling down his cheeks. He needed to ignore the pain though, it was probably nothing to do with the war anyway. It's probably something Dean can sort out anyway.

That's when he found her. Hermione reading peacefully in the carriage to his left. Her face looked so worry free, so unstressed so he just stood there for a moment, taking it in. Then she looked up and he saw that smile and convinced himself there was hope. Then she began talking but he wasn't really listening, he was imagining the upcoming year of events in his head. It felt almost weird to be going back, knowing for once that they were a hundred percent sure Voldemort would never be coming back.

He was dragged promptly out of his thought track by Hermione's rant about Blaise Zambini.

'Then the nerve, when Dra-Malfoy stood up for him, I can't believe he humiliated Ginny like that, she and Harry broke up on mutual agreement, not because she didn't think his.. Harry's personal attributes, were up to standards. Then when he offered to amend that. Oh and I swear to Merlin. I'm sure Harry was going to rip Dra-Malfoy's eyes out when the git pointed out he didn't have anything anyway. Just when they were getting on good terms.' He knew she was referring to the moment before Harry and Draco had spoken.

He also knew Hermione had seen that handshake as well. He didn't want to annoy her though, to point something so obvious out, she didn't like it when he did that. He knew she meant nothing by it, but sometimes there were moments when he secretly though she liked him being dumber than her. He decided just to hint at it instead.

'Well 'Mione, I mean, we are all annoyed with each other. We have to be though, not always or even 'cause we want to be. It just keeps up the feeling of normality. There were things before the war that weren't always bad but maybe secretly made us feel better. Everyone lost someone, I mean just because Harry and Draco are on good terms now, don't mean, they aren't gonna fight and disagree.' He exhaled deeply. He hoped that had been okay. That he'd said something right in amongst that.

Hermione's eyes shone with pride. In her eyes Ronald had matured a great deal, not just intellectually but emotionally. With the war, that devastated so many the words 'interhouse unity' had sprung a meaning to all the current eight years, whether they were aware or admitting to it yet or not.

This change with Ron though was drastic and surprising, but on someway or another he was right, everyone silently agreed they needed each other. A whole lot better that losing even more. He made a point, that even though everyone felt the need to move on, maybe what they really need is for something's to not have changed.

'I love you Ron.' Hermione whispered, for she did her love for him grew everyday.

'Love you too' He replied. The words meaning a lot more now, than they had ever before.

The sorting hat knew that this was a one off. Just because two people had finally listened didn't mean everyone else had yet. He would wait for other things to unfold. Listen out for change and word that are soft and if no one would listen, he would sing just as he had many years before, though this time he would make them listen. It would not just be a song for expected listeners it would contain words of want.

For he knew to many he was just a name, he knew a boy similar. Though there is always something behind the name.

He would make people see.