A/N – I don't own Harry Potter, though I wish I did. JK Rowling does.

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It had been 2 weeks since Ron had apologised to Hermione but nothing much had changed between them. She still only ever saw him in the Transfiguration classes which would be spent in silence after a few forced and meaningless pleasantries had been exchanged. He no longer muttered under his breath for which she was grateful but he didn't do anything else either aside from sitting stone faced throughout the class. She didn't know why she bothered about him, maybe a small part of her was hoping that after his apology they could at least be on talking terms but then again why would Harry Potter's best friend want to be seen talking with a know-it-all bookworm she thought bitterly.

It was with these bitter thoughts in her head that she was heading towards the Transfiguration class room when she ran straight into someone spilling all her books to the floor. That someone hurled out a string of profanities as she was trying to recollect her books that were now littered on the floor.

"I am really sorry, I wasn't looking….." She stopped her hurried apologies abruptly when she realised she had run into none other than Draco Malfoy and she didn't think she owed him anything let alone apologies.

"Watch it Granger, surely you can walk to the class without burying your head in another book" said Draco while his cronies Goyle and Crabbe snickered.

"That has nothing to do with you" She replied coldly still collecting her books when she realised that Malfoy had one of her books held high above his head.

"Give me my book back" She said in the sternest voice she could muster.

"Well Granger, seeing as you're very smart surely you can figure out a way to get this book from my hands," Draco said smirking still holding the book high above his head.

She was many things, but one thing she was not was tall. She stood at a very short 5ft 3'' and Malfoy was at least 5 to 6 inches taller than her. While she was figuring out a way to get her book back without using magic in the corridors which was against the rules she heard someone behind her.

"Give her the book" She turned around quickly and spotted Ronald Weasley who was glowering at Malfoy with a look of utter contempt.

"Well if it isn't the blood traitor Weasel trying to defend the mudblood," said Draco looking distastefully at her.

Harry who had followed Ronald had to physically restrain him at this point from attacking Malfoy.

"Don't use that word," Ron said almost shouting now.

"Why not? She's a filthy little mudblood who does not deserve to …."

She didn't know what she didn't deserve to as at that very moment Ron who had either escaped Harry or had been let go lunged at Draco who let out a howl of pain as he was punched straight in the nose. Draco let out an even bigger howl as he saw blood freely pouring out of his nose and quickly ran away with Crabbe and Goyle.

She stood in shock at the violence and blood and did not even register that Ron seemed to be calling out to her.

"Hermione, Hermione" he shouted this time shaking her a little bit which broke her out of her stupor to Ron handing her book back.

She suddenly turned to him looking furious and said "Why on earth did you do that? It's bad enough listening to Malfoy without you acting violent."

He looked shocked for a moment before saying "If you didn't notice he called you a 'filthy little mudblood'. Do you even know what means?"

"I know what that means but that's no reason for throwing around punches and bloodying him up" I snapped at him.

"Can you hear yourself?" He laughed humourlessly before stalking off towards the class. That left her alone with a very confused looking Harry.

"You know, he was only trying to help" said Harry before following Ron.

Hermione stood there feeling a bit guilty now for her outburst. She didn't even know why she had hit out at him like that but she realised she had been unfair on him but she was determined to talk to him after the class finished. She cleaned up the blood with a wave of her wand before hurrying to the class.

She was unusually fidgety throughout the class and kept on glancing at him. Ron however spared no glances towards her and completely ignored her as usual. Ron hurried out after Harry as soon as the class finished but Hermione was determined to have a word with him and she caught up with both of them outside the class.

"Can I have a word with you?" She said looking at Ron. Harry and Ron exchanged a quick look before Harry went out leaving her with Ron.

"So what do you want?" he said rather impatiently and rudely.

She controlled an immediate and involuntary urge to snap back at him. It wouldn't do to have another row especially when she was the one in wrong this time.

"Look I'm sorry I lashed out like that earlier, I didn't mean to be ungrateful" She said.

"I'll say that. What was that all about anyway?" He asked.

"It's just that well I am not used to anyone sticking up for me or doing anything for me really. As for Malfoy he calls me that every time he sees me," She said no longer looking at him before continuing "It did bother me initially but now I'm so used to it, it barely registers" she shrugged still not looking at Ron.

"And I don't like violence either and all that blood shocked me a little" she added feeling a further need to explain her actions.

For a couple of minutes neither of them spoke and Hermione shot down another urge, this time to run away and not stop until she reached her common room. She needed to hear what he had to say.

"Hermione, I am sorry" He said simply.

Hermione didn't know what she expected from him but an apology was one thing she definitely had not expected. She looked up at him. She did not know why he was apologising but she could see the sincerity in those eyes.

"For what?" she inquired.

"For everything" and before she could say anything he continued "I've said a lot of things about you over the last 4 years, some directly to you and most of them to myself, and nearly all of them were rather rude and completely uncalled for. You're not like that and you deserve better."

Hermione was too stunned to say anything. Here was Ronald Weasley, someone she had thought was an arrogant and foulmouthed idiot giving a very heart-warming apology.

"Huh.." was all she could manage right now.

"So do you forgive me then?" he asked.

"Yes, and thanks for sticking up for me with Malfoy although I can take care of myself. In fact I slapped him in the third year" she replied.

"That was you!" Ron replied looking stunned. "I did hear about some girl slapping him but YOU?" he added shaking his head in amazement.

"Yeah, he was bullying some first year and I kind of lost it. That's why he picks on me more than anyone else" she admitted.

"Well, well to think you got your hands on Malfoy before I did! You did great" he said before holding out his hand in front of him and saying "Friends?"

"You want to be friends with me?" she asked hardly able to believe her eyes and ears at what was unfolding before her.

"Yes, that is if you want to and forgive me for hurting you so much over the years" he replied.

Hermione shook his hands before saying "I forgive you,"

"You're still a bossy know-it-all you know" he suddenly said before adding "of course now you are the nice and kind bossy know-it-all who slapped Draco Malfoy" grinning widely.

"oh, shush you" she said blushing furiously.

"Well see you tomorrow then" Ron said before leaving.

That night Hermione got into bed feeling happier than she could ever remember in her entire life. For the first time in her life she had a friend, someone who had appreciated her for who she was. She didn't tell him but what he had said to her about her being a 'nice and kind bossy know-it-all' had meant a lot to her because that's what she thought she was. And who would've thought Ronald Weasley, someone who had hurt her more than anyone would be the one to make her happy this happy. And so she went to bed with a huge stupid smile plastered across her face eagerly awaiting the next day.

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Well that's the Fourth chapter up. Again I repeat myself please review. Unless you review I don't really know whether you like it or not or what your thoughts are in general. So that was my rather unashamed plea for further reviews.

I hope everyone's fine with the speed of the updates. It's hard to be any quicker than the current weekly updates. For one I have other work and two writing is a lot tougher than I thought it was. Lot tougher than some of the more brilliant writers on here made it look like, I must say.