Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. His world belongs to the fabulous JK Rowling.

Year Four

"Are you packed? Mr. Weasley will be here soon." Hermione's mum walked into her bedroom.
"Mostly. I'm waiting for one load of laundry to finish."
"Alright. Your father and I are leaving then. Have a fun time, and be safe." She gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek, and they hugged.
"Thanks, Mum. I will. Have a fun time visiting Nana and Papa. Send them my love."
"Always do." She gave Hermione one last smile before leaving the room. Sighing, Hermione sat back down on her bed. She still felt bad for going to the Burrow the last couple of weeks of summer break, even though her parents had assured her it was fine. Crookshanks hopped on her bed, purring.
"I bet Ron will be thrilled to see you again." She said. At the mention of Ron, her heart sped, in a way that had become normal over the summer. She had been writing Ron all summer, and every time Pig arrived with a letter, she ran to her room to read it in secret. Eventually her mum asked her what was going on, and Hermione finally admitted that she might have feelings for one of her best friends. Her mum laughed and told her to go read her letter. Hermione didn't know what to think of that reaction, but ever since, whenever Ron and Harry were brought up, her mum smiled knowingly at Hermione.
She heard the buzzer go off on the dryer, and she went to get her clothes. By the time she had brought her truck downstairs, Mr. Weasley, and to her surprise, Ron, were stepping out of the Granger's fireplace.
"Hello, Hermione! Sorry we're a bit late. Had to wait for your fireplace to be put on the Floo Network!" Mr. Weasley explained cheerfully, looking around her home with great interest.
"Oh, I just finished packing, so it's fine." She said,
"Do you mind if I check out your kitchen?" Mr. Weasley said, walking into the kitchen.
"Erm, sure!" She replied, acutely aware that Ron and her were alone in the room. He seemed to have grown even taller over the summer, and his hair was even redder. They stood awkwardly in silence for a few moments.
"How are you?" He asked finally, hands in his pockets.
"Brilliant. You?" He shrugged.
"Good. It's been a bit mental at home. Percy just started working at the Ministry, and Bill and Charlie are home now."
"Oh, that's good. Does Percy enjoy-"
"Muggle kitchens have always fascinated me! Are you ready to leave? We have to pick up Harry soon, so we need to get back to the Burrow!" Mr. Weasley walked back into the living room, with a grin on his face.
"Yes! Let me grab Crookshanks." She ran upstairs to her room, and grabbed Crookshanks off her bed. When she was back downstairs, her trunk was gone and Ron was standing in her living room, alone.
"Dad took the trunk back with him. I told him I would wait for you."
"Oh, right. Well, ready to go then?" Hermione said, gripping Crookshanks tighter in preparation for the travel.
"Yea." He took out a pouch from his pocket, and just before he threw the contents in the fireplace, he turned to Hermione and said,
"I'm glad you're coming to the World Cup with us." His face was blushing, and Hermione could feel her face grow hot as she smiled.
"Thanks. I'm glad too." Ron smiled, and threw the Floo Powder into the fire.
"The Burrow!"

Ron pulled the covers over his head and tried to erase the images from his mind that he saw tonight. It made him sick, remembering the Death Eaters and the tortured Muggles.
What if that was Hermione? He thought. What if they had captured Hermione and tortured her, because she's Muggle born? A hot flare of anger grew in his chest. I will never let that happen. Never.
Something had changed between Hermione and him over the summer; even he couldn't deny that. The days leading up to her arrival at the Burrow, he grew more anxious. Fred and George hadn't left him alone about it, because they had guessed, correctly, that his moodiness stemmed from Hermione. When he said he would accompany his dad to pick Hermione up, Fred and George asked if he had asked Hermione to be his girlfriend yet.
He heard Harry turn over in his bed and he thought, for the hundredth time that summer, what Harry would think if he found out about Ron's feelings for Hermione. His fear of Harry's disapproval kept Ron from telling Harry anything. Would he feel betrayed? Would he feel left out? Or would he be thrilled, like Ron hoped?

Harry pushed all of his school supplies into his bag and rushed out of the common room, with Sirius's letter still clutched in his hand.
"I still don't get what he's going on about." Ron mumbled, turning back to his homework.
"Oh, Ron." Hermione rolled her eyes. "You can be really thick sometimes."
"What? No, I can't!"
"He's worried about Sirius! He doesn't want Sirius to get caught; he would think it would be all his fault.""But it wouldn't be."
"Obviously, because Sirius is a grown man and he can make his own decisions. But Harry will blame himself, because he told Sirius about his nightmare, which is why Sirius is flying north." Ron stared dumbly at his homework, processing this.
"I guess in a way Harry would be to blame…"
"You are unbelievable!" Hermione exclaimed, throwing her quill down. "It would not be Harry's fault at all. And you better not tell Harry that it would be!"
"I'm not that much of an idiot. Give me some credit." He said, gathering his things.
"Are you going up too, then?"
"Might as well. I'm rubbish at Divination without Harry to help me."
"I can try-"
"Night, Hermione." Ron left before she could finish her offer.

Hermione had to run after Ron, who had marched out of the Great Hall as soon as Dumbledore dismissed them from the Halloween Feast.
"Ron! What was that all about?" She asked when she had finally caught up with him.
"Nothing." He grumbled. His face was tight with anger.
"Then why did you run away?" Ron ignored her. "Ron! Don't ignore me. What's wrong?"
"I told you. Nothing." By this time they had reached Gryffindor Tower.
"Oooh, you're the first ones to get back from the feast. Who are the champions?" The Fat Lady asked.
"Cedric Diggory and Harry." Hermione answered. Ron's face grew even darker at the mention of his best friend.
"Balderdash." Ron gritted out. The Fat Lady gave him a quizzical look, but opened up the portrait hole. When they were in the common room, Ron started to go straight to the boy's dormitory but Hermione stopped him.
"Ron, tell me now what is wrong." Ron kept his back to Hermione, but replied in a spiteful tone.
"Make sure you wish Harry a congratulations for me." Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"That's why you're angry? Because Harry's name was called? Ron, there has to be an explanation for this! Didn't you see Harry's face? He doesn't want this!" Ron whipped around.
"Like hell he doesn't! He's the perfect Harry Potter who gets all the attention, because he defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! Now, he'll the be brave Harry Potter who competed in the Triwizard Tournament at 14 years old! And we'll always just be Harry Potter's best mates." The jealousy in his voice shocked Hermione.
"Ronald! Listen to yourself! You are talking nonsense!" Just then, Seamus and Dean entered through the portrait hole.
"It's great about Harry, isn't it? I wonder how he did it?" Seamus said, cheerfully. Ron made a disgusted noise and left.
"What's his deal?" Dean asked.
"Nothing." Hermione answered, feeling torn.

"Is this true?" Ron marched up to Hermione in the common room, holding a Daily Prophet in his hand.
"What?" Hermione asked, looking up from her Charms homework.
"In the article about Harry, it says that you two are dating." Hermione was taken back from this.
"You can't be serious, Ron." She answered. "Harry and I are just friends! Why would you believe that rubbish Rita Skeeter wrote? You know she's just an old crackpot. If Harry and I were dating, wouldn't you be the first to know? And we wouldn't date anyway, because we are just friends."
"Oh." He said sheepishly. "Right." He set the paper down and scratched his head awkwardly.
"Well, I better go do some homework. See ya later." Hermione watched Ron leave, utterly confused.

"You could have joined Harry and I at the Three Broomsticks today." Hermione told Ron.
"I didn't see Harry with you." Ron muttered.
"He was under his Invisiblity Cloak, so Rita Skeeter wouldn't pester him." She replied huffily.
"Oh. Well, I was having a grand time with Fred, George and Lee."
"I see. It would have been nice though."
"Hermione, stop it already. I'm getting sick of you trying to get me to forgive him. He's a lying twat, and I don't want anything to do with him." Hermione had had enough. She picked up her Transfiguration book and hit Ron in the arm with it.
"Ow! That hurt!"
"Good! Because I am getting sick and tired of this! He is not a lying twat, and you miss him! Don't deny it! And he misses you too! I wish you two would grow up and start talking again!" She yelled, causing a scene in the common room.
"Seriously, Ron. Stop acting like such an arse." Fred said from the fireplace. Ron glared daggers at his brother.

"Bloody hell." Ron muttered as he watched Harry land.
"C'mon! Let's go congratulate him!" Hermione exclaimed, her face lit up with pride.
"No… I don't think so."
"Ron! Please tell me you aren't still mad at him!" Ron looked down at Harry, who had just entered the medic tent.
"Let's go. He needs his best friends right now." Hermione's eyes swelled with tears.
"Oh, Ron!" She threw her arms around him for a quick hug, and then they pushed their way through the crowd.

"Hi, Hermione!" Ginny greeted her on the way to the girl's dormitories.
"Your brother is the biggest pile of dragon poo I have ever met!" Hermione proclaimed. Ginny stopped.
"Biggest pile of dragon poo? That's the best insult you can come up with?"
"Yes! I can't- he's just so-" She let out a scream of frustration.
"Calm down! What's wrong?"
"He is only interested in asking a girl to The Yule Ball if she's good-looking. He doesn't even care if she's the least intelligent girl ever! As long as she's attractive, he'll ask her! How more shallow can he get?" Ginny looked at Hermione with a smirk on her face.
"He hasn't asked you yet?" Hermione stiffened.
"No. And I would tell him no, if he did." Ginny laughed.
"Right." Hermione sighed. Ginny knew her too well.
"I would say no now, because I would be his last resort. I wanted to be his first choice."
"I know the feeling." Ginny said, sadly.
"Harry is the second biggest pile of dragon poo, since he didn't ask you." Ginny gave her a small smile.
"Thanks. I'm sure we'll both find dates. If not… it doesn't really matter."
"You're right!" Hermione said, feeling empowered. "We can stay in the common room that night and have fun! We can read and play wizard's chess and… other stuff!" Ginny laughed.
"Sounds like a load of fun."

Neville stopped Hermione outside the library the next day.
"Hi Hermione." He said eagerly.
"Hello Neville. How are you?"
"Fine, just fine. I was wondering if you were going to go to the Yule Ball." Hermione felt her heart drop; she knew where this conversation was going.
"Oh, yes. Yes, I am." Neville's face lit up.
"Well, I was also wondering if you had a date yet, and if you don't if you'd… well, I would understand if you said no, but I was still hoping that maybe you would say yes, because I would consider it to be a great pleasure if you would maybe, possibly, accompany me to the Yule Ball. As my date." He spurted out. Hermione stared at him for a moment, unsure of how to answer.
"I'm sorry, Neville. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to say no, but thank you for your offer. It's just… well, I have another-"
"Oh, I see. You have a date already. That's fine, no hard feelings. Well, I hope you have a brilliant day, Hermione and I will see you later." Neville's face was red with embarrassment and he walked away before Hermione could apologize. She sighed and turned around, only to come face-to-face with Viktor Krum.
"Oh!" She exclaimed.
"Good morning, Herm-own-ninny. I vas vondering if I could spare a moment of your time." He said in his thick accent.
"Oh, yes. I suppose." She replied breathlessly. She had never noticed how long his eyelashes were…
"Do you haff a date to the Yule Ball?"
"I don't…"
"It would be an honor if you vould be my date." He said, taking her petite hand in one of his own. Hermione thought of Ron briefly, before she remembered he only wanted to ask a pretty girl to the dance. She gave Viktor a bright smile and replied with a simple,
"I would love to."

Ron stayed in front of the fireplace in the common room after Harry went up to the dormitory. Only Lee and George were down there, but they were sitting in a far corner, with their heads bent in discussion. Ron didn't want to go to bed yet; he couldn't get the picture of Hermione and Viktor together out of his head. When he first saw her come into the Great Hall on the arm of Viktor Krum, he thought his heart was going to beat out of his chest. He had never felt more disappointed, angry or depressed in his whole life. There, Hermione was, looking more beautiful than she ever had, but she wasn't with him. She was with who used to be his idol. Now, he couldn't even bear to speak of that Bulgarian.
"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!" Hermione's last words to him were on repeat in his head. Of course he had wanted to ask Hermione to the ball… but he feared her rejection and what everyone would have said, especially Harry.
He rubbed his eyes and glanced into the fire. He was an idiot, and he knew it, but it didn't make the situation any easier.

"..and he said he had never felt like this about anyone." Hermione said grimly. It was the evening after the second task, and her and Ginny were sitting on Hermione's bed. Hermione was telling Ginny that Viktor had asked her to visit him in Bulgaria that summer, and he had confessed his true feelings for her.
"Wow. What did you say?" asked Ginny.
"I didn't… I kind of smiled at him, and then went to see how Harry and Ron were doing."
"You didn't say anything to him?"
"Later, he brought it up again in the library… I told him I would think about it. I wasn't sure if my parents would allow me. Which is true, they will probably say no. But, I also don't know if I want to." She admitted.
"Because of Ron?" Hermione had to smile at Ginny's honesty.
"He is one of the reasons, yes. But I also don't feel the same way Viktor feels for me. I feel that I am leading him on." Ginny thought about that for a minute.
"Well, then I would tell him that. Let him know that you just want to be friends." Hermione frowned.
"I don't want to hurt him, but I know it's what I have to do…" Ginny gave her an encouraging smile.

Hermione didn't even notice she was tapping her foot until Ron stepped lightly on it.
"He's going to be fine. Don't worry." He said, looking down at her with a small smile. She gave him a weak smile back, but her nerves were still running rampant. She had just watched one of her best friends enter the final task of the Triwizard Tournament, and she had to fight the urge to run and help him. She knew Ron was fighting the same urge, and it was comforting to have him standing next to her.
As the hour's passed, and each red flare went up, her heart jumped into her throat. But when she saw Fleur and Viktor's unconscious bodies carried out of the maze, she was able to relax for a minute, and then the fear would return.
"Look at Dumbledore." Ron muttered in her ear. She glanced at Dumbledore, and was shocked to see that he looked more nervous than normal.
"I think they should have been back by now…" Ron said in a tight voice. Hermione gulped and reached for Ron's hand. She could feel him tense up as her fingers slipped in between his, but he didn't pull away.
Hermione was considering leaving the stands to talk to Dumbledore, when a loud crack! sounded through the night. Hermione looked around for where the sound had came from, but Ron was able to spot it before she.
"Fucking hell... Hermione, don't look." He stepped in front of her.
"Ron! What's going on?" She tried to step around him, but he wouldn't let her.
"It's Harry. He's here."
"Ron! Let me see! Now!" She stomped her foot on his and was able to move quickly in front of him. She gasped at the sight down in front of the maze. Harry was lying on the ground, with the Cup in one hand... and his other arm was wrapped around Cedric Diggory's body.

Ron was surprised to find the common room empty when Hermione and him got back from visiting Harry in the hospital wing. Ron walked over to the fireplace and leaned against the wall unable to comprehend everything that had happened in the last few hours.
"Ron?" Hermione walked up behind him. He turned around and saw tears streaming down her face. "I'm terrified." She whispered. Ron reached for her and they fell into a tight hug. Hermione sobbed into his chest, and Ron tried valiantly not to cry, but in the end he sobbed just as hard as she did.

Ron slipped a piece of paper into Hermione's hand,.
"Read this later." He muttered, before he ran over to his family.
She looked at it quizzically, but stuffed it in her pocket.
When she got home and had unpacked, she opened the paper to read,

Hermione,

My mum told me before they left after the Tournament that our family is going to be living at Sirius's old home this summer, because that's the headquarters of The Order of the Phoenix. She said she would explain more when we get there, but she invited you to stay with us. Harry can't, for reasons we'll understand later. I'll send Pig to you when I get home, so you can send back your response.

-Ron

1) I REALLY like this chapter. It took me almost two weeks to get around to writing it, but once I started, I couldn't stop! I hope you guys like it as much as I do :)
2) Sorry if there's more grammatical errors... in my excitement to finish and post this, I might not have done the best editing. I promise to do better next chapter!
3) I'm going to back to school in the next few days, so I'm not sure when chapter 5 will be published, but I hope soon!
4) I hope everyone had a GREAT holiday break!
5) THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS/ALERTS/FAVORITES. It means SO much. :D