"Are you sure?" Harry asked.

Hermione knew that Harry could feel her shoulders shaking in his hands. She just nodded her head. Hermione was fearful that if she spoke, she would start crying.

"Hermione-"

She didn't stay to hear what Harry was going to say. Hermione shook off his hands and ran out of the classroom.

No! I won't believe it!

Hermione ran back to her dorm. The music was reduced to a dull thumping sound to her as Hermione reached her bed. All of the other girls were still out, so there wasn't anyone around to hear her cry.

Why? she wondered as she changed into pajamas and tears rolled down her face. Why was Ron with Lavender?

Hermione, whose head was now aching from crying, climbed into bed and slowly drifted off into a restless sleep.

Voices talking around her caused Hermione to wake, but she didn't get out of bed.

"Yeah, Professor McGonagall came in around one in the morning and told us to go to bed." Parvati said with a laugh.

Then Parvati's voice faded away and the only thing that Hermione could hear was her own breathing.

Maybe it wasn't Ron that was with Lav-...her. Hermione tried to convince herself. Maybe it was Fred or George.

She knew that she was only kidding herself. Hermione could not pretend that it wasn't Ron that she saw last night.

Hermione had adored Ron at a distance for so long. She knew it could not have been anyone else she saw. Even if he was being pulled along by Lavender.

The way the light shimmered in his ginger hair. The smirk that he always wore when he was planning trouble. The way that he carried himself. Hermione knew all these things about Ron.

Tears started to well up again in her eyes, but she wiped them away.

You cannot hide here all day. There's things you have to do. Hermione thought about homework with Luna and going to the library.

At a very sluggish pace, Hermione got up and put on her uniform. She looked at a mirror and saw that her eyes were puffy from crying, but a quick swish of her wand fixed it. Her hair seemed like it wasn't going to be cooperative at all, so Hermione tied it back in a braid.

Not like he ever notices what I do with it anyway. she thought as she grabbed her school bag.

Hermione started towards the Great Hall in a daze.

"Good morning, Hermione." Luna said. "You seem to have Wrackspurts buzzing around you."

"Hey Luna." Hermione responded.

Luna pulled her wand down from behind her ear and flicked it at Hermione. The dazed feeling seemed to disappear from her. Hermione realized that she had ran into Luna on the Fifth floor.

Luna shook her head. "Harry yesterday and you today. Wonder who will be next?" she said with a smile.

"Thanks Luna."

Luna smiled at her friend. "Come on, let's go eat."

The girls walked in uncharacteristic silence. Hermione kept her focus on the floor, going by memory to keep walking.

It wasn't until they had reached the First floor that did something unexpected. She reached out and grabbed hold of Hermione's robes, causing Hermione to stop walking.

"Hermione," she said. Slowly, Hermione looked up to Luna's face. "You may be able to fool others, but I know you too well." Luna let go of the robe and took a step closer to Hermione. Then she hugged her. "I'm your friend. I'm here if you want to talk about it."

Hermione felt chocked up again. She could almost feel the tears wanting to fall.

"Come on." Luna said as she stepped back. "I'll grab some food and we'll go up to the library."

"Okay." Hermione said, finally back in control of her emotions.

Luna smiled. "I'll be right back."

"Er, Luna, do you have a moment?" Harry asked as she had entered the Great Hall.

"Yes, all I have to spare is a moment." Luna answered. She turned her attention to the table next to her and started grabbing some pieces of toast.

Luna had felt strangely nervous around Harry since yesterday. But she was calm on the outside, as usual.

"It's about Hermione." he said, almost causing Luna to drop the food she had gathered.

She spun around to face Harry. "What about Hermione?"

Luna tried to stay focused on what he was about to say, but she noticed everything about Harry. His always untidy black hair (that she saw him attempt to flatten when he saw her walking up), his lovely bespectacled green eyes, the nice smile that he wore when talking to her.

"Well, we were talking last night...and...she said...she saw Ron...with Lavender."

"Thank you, Harry." Luna said. Then she quickly turned around and left him. Luna could feel his gaze follow after her.

Before she left the Great Hall, Luna, in a rare preoccupied moment and not paying attention, crashed into somebody the entrance of the hall.

"Wow, Luna, what's the rush about?" Draco asked jokingly.

Luna felt his hands on her arms to help steady her. She looked up to him. Once he saw her expression, his smile faded away and his face became solemn. Draco's hands slowly went up to rest on Luna's shoulders.

"What's wrong, Luna?" he asked.

"She saw him." Luna replied. She took a deep breath before she continued. "Hermione saw Ron with some girl named Lavender."

Luna saw Draco's temper flare as he let go of her. She knew what he was about to do.

"Draco!" Luna said as she grabbed his robes and pulled him close to her. His face was inches away from her own. Luna stood up on her toes and whispered into Draco's ear.

"Fine." Draco said. He was trying to calm himself. "I'll do that."

"Good. See you later, Draco."

Then, Luna left the Great Hall and made her way back to Hermione. When she reached the First floor, Luna saw Hermione sitting on a bench as she waited.

"Shall we go?" Luna asked, smiling as she showed the food she had grabbed.

"Yeah." Hermione replied meekly.

Thank you for the FF lurve!