A/N Sorry for the break! I was just carried away with other things. Anyways, this chapter is not my best work but its mandatory that I add it in. Hopefully you guys enjoy!

Chapter 6

The parchment laid neatly in her lap, awaiting any revisions. "Dear Ron: How has your trip been so far? I know its hardly been two days since you arrived in Egypt but I bet your family has done a lot of fun things. I'm staying with Hermione right now. She felt bad I was alone for the holidays so tell Mrs. Weasley I'll be fine. Hermione will take care of me. Tell Ginny I miss her. -Harry" Hermione scanned the parchment with jagged handwriting and nodded in approval.

"I think it's fine Harry. Send it; you can use Rusty." Hermione said referring to her owl. "You really should go get ready though. Christmas Eve dinner will be ready soon. Mum likes to take photos."

"But-"

"She won't allow any excuses Harry. Believe me, I've been trying for years." Hermione warned him. Her voice was cross but a friendly smile was etched on her face.

Harry sighed running his fingers through his disheveled hair. "I don't really feel like moving."

Hermione scowled, "Tell my mother. I'm sure she'll carry you upstairs happily."

"Hey," Harry almost laughed. "Don't be sour because your mother favors me over her own daughter."

"I wouldn't be except for I came home from the store and you were on my fridge." She snapped.

Harry couldn't contain the laugh that threatened to come out. His laugh echoed through out the room as he tried to defend himself. "I was just helping her out in the kitchen and she said I looked adorable with flour all over my face. I really couldn't help it." He teased causing Hermione to scoff.

"You couldn't help it? It would be terribly unfortunate if something was to happen to that face of yours."

"Your mother would be livid." Harry smirked.

"Wouldn't be the first time." She smiled deviously. Harry laughed and looked at her. Suddenly he felt a swarming sense of gratitude for the girl who sat across from him. Even though so many things had changed through out the course of his life, she had remained constant. She had remained one of his closest friends and he knew nothing would ever change that, not even the darkest wizard could separate them. Harry noticed her frown slightly as she processed to prop her head up with her hands, "Harry?"

"Hmm?" He hummed.

"Do you ever get nostalgia?" She bluntly stated. Her arms moved down to her lap leaving her head to carry its own weight.

"I suppose so." Harry said.

"I miss the way things used to be sometimes." She thought out loud.

Harry shifted in his seat wondering what provoked her to say such a thing. "With Ron?"

She shook her head. "I miss Hogwarts. How simple everything was. There were no confusing relationships, there wasn't the stress of work and we just had fun."

"I hardly count facing Voldemort fun." He smirked. She gave him a faint smile that told Harry that wasn't what she wanted to hear. "I miss it too though. The things you worry about back then change a lot don't they?"

She nodded. "I feel like we grew up too fast. I wish we could relive those moments."

"So do I." Harry said shortly before a wave of silence settled upon them as they both regained their thoughts.

"I'm so tired!" Ron groaned as they made their way out of the cave. "Let's call it a night. That bloody cave was a nightmare."

"For once I agree with him." Draco sighed. Harry was about to agree with them when he spotted a marble pillar standing down a ways. Out of his own curiosity, Harry went to inspect it. However, after a few steps it was clear that the pillar had a pensieve in it. Harry walked up further and found three bottles sitting beside the pillar. Each one was labeled.

"Lads! Come here!" He called to them.

"Sod off Harry! I'm setting up my bed for the night!" Ron yelled. Harry should have expected this irritableness.

"It's a pensieve! There's a vial for each of us!" Harry shouted back. He watched their heads perk up at the mention of a penseive. Whether or not they would cooperate was up to them.

Ron stomped over to Harry, curiosity obviously getting the better of him. "Is this going to work?" He asked snatching his vial forcefully from Harry's hand.

"I guess we have to find out." Harry said quietly.

Ron muttered an obscure amount of things under his breath. "I haven't eaten for hours." Harry heard him hiss. "I want to get this over with and done. I'm going to sleep after this." He poured the contents of the vial into the penseive. The silvery memories swam in the bowl, each one varied in length and density. Ron took one last glance at Draco and Harry before emerging his head into the silvery substance. Immediately as he did so, his surroundings changed. He soon found himself in a small enclosed compartment. He was on the Hogwarts Express. Ron glanced around the compartment, he found Harry sitting sullenly across from Luna and Neville. The environment was arid, lacking any conversation or interaction between the three students. Ron shifted uncomfortably as he basked in the silence.

A minute or two passed before the compartment door slid open and a distinct voice was heard. "I'm starving." Ron smiled as he saw himself fumbled in and begin stowing Pigwidgeon next to Hedwig. He was younger at this stage in his life. He looked as if he wasn't fully matured yet and his hair was much more vibrant. His younger self grabbed a Chocolate Frog from Harry and sat next to him. Ron watched as Hermione hastily entered as well, only much quieter and meek. Ron watched his younger self bite the frog's head and lean back as if he was exhausted.

"Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each house," said Hermione. Her face looked disgruntled and tiresome as she sat across from her two best friends. This indication led to the assumption that they were only in the fifth year. "Boy and girl from each." Hermione finished. Ron glanced between Hermione and Harry, them two looking very young.

"And guess who's a Slytherin prefect?" said the young Ron, still with his eyes closed.

"Malfoy," replied Harry at once.

"Course," said Ron bitterly, stuffing the rest of the Frog into his mouth and taking another. Ron laughed at his typical behavior. If someone would have told them that they would be stranded on a mountain with Malfoy for a week they would have gone ballistic.

"And that complete cow Pansy Parkinson," said Hermione viciously. "How she got to be a prefect when she's thicker than a concussed troll…"

"Who are Hufflepuff's?" Harry asked.

"Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott," said younger Ron thickly.

"And Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw," said Hermione.

"You went to the Yule Ball with Padma Patil," said a voice Ron immediately recognized as Luna's.

Everyone in the compartment turned to look at Luna Lovegood, who was gazing unblinkingly at Ron over the top of The Quibbler. Her blonde hair contrasted against her plum-colored sweater rather nicely. He swallowed his mouthful of Frog. "Yeah, I know I did," he said, looking mildly surprised. Ron too was surprised at her action. Her royal blue eyes were focused on Ron and only Ron.

"She didn't enjoy it very much," Luna informed him. "She doesn't think you treated her very well because you wouldn't dance with her. I don't think I'd minded," she added thoughtfully, "I don't like dancing very much."

She retreated behind The Quibbler again. Both Rons stared at the cover with their mouths hanging open for a few seconds. The younger Ron then looked around at Ginny for some kind explanation, but Ginny had stuffed her knuckles in her mouth to keep from giggling. Ron continued to watch Luna. She had brushed off the moment like it was nothing. Ron remembered this encounter as it was the first time he was acquainted with Luna and it still puzzled him to this day that she would bring up such a thing and respond the way she did. He figured her airy and dreamy personality had a major impact upon her actions.

Ron was a little displeased when the scene before him morphed into something else. He soon found himself standing in the halls at Hogwarts. It was defiantly after curfew as the halls were dimly lit. Ron searched for anybody in the hallways, but he found no one. He only heard a faint sound that could belong to someone snogging. Ron winced at the sound as he vividly imagined what couple was lurking in the dark. Suddenly though, he heard a voice slowly getting louder as it got closer. "No, you didn't. You're the best Keeper I tried out, Ron. Your only problem is nerves." Ron saw himself and Harry turn around the corner, undoubtably to take their shortcut up to the Gryffindor Tower. Ron watched them walk right by him and push open the tapestry. Ron followed them over and found himself looking at Dean and Ginny, who were locked in a close embrace and kissing fiercely as though they were glued together. He heard his own voice as though it was from a great distance away.

"Oi!" His face was disgruntled and looked angrily towards his sister.

Dean and Ginny broke apart and looked around. "What?" said Ginny.

"I don't want to find my own sister snogging people in public!" His younger self spat.

"This was a deserted corridor till you came butting in!" said Ginny. Her hair was disheveled and her lips seemed wet.

Dean was looking embarrassed. "Er...c'mon, Ginny," said Dean, "let's go back to the common room."

"You go!" Ginny roared. "I want a word with my dear brother!" Dean left, looking as though he was not sorry to depart the scene. Ron, too, winced at the sound of Ginny calling him 'dear brother'. He felt bad for himself as he watched the anger flare in his younger eyes. "Right," said Ginny, tossing her long, red hair out of her face and glaring at Ron, "let's get this straight once and for all. It is none of your business who I go out with or what I do with them, Ron."

"Yeah, it is!" said Ron fought back just as angrily. "D' you think I want people saying my sister's a -" Ron winced at these words. He suddenly wished he would be more smart about his word choice when he was angry.

"A what?" shouted Ginny, drawing her wand. "A what, exactly?"

"He doesn't mean anything, Ginny-" said Harry trying to diffuse the situation.

"Oh yes he does!" She shouted back flaring at Harry. "Just because he's never snogged anyone in his life, just because the best kiss he's ever had is from our Auntie Muriel-"

"Shut your mouth!" bellowed younger Ron, bypassing red and turning maroon. Ron watched the scene get even uglier. This memory was nearly as nice as the first one.

"No, I will not!" yelled Ginny, beside herself. "I've seen you with Phlegm, hoping she'll kiss you on the cheek every time you see her, it's pathetic! If you went out and got a bit of snogging done your self, you wouldn't mind so much that everyone else does it!"

By this point, the other Ron had pulled out his wand too. Ron watched himself point it at Ginny. Luckily, Harry stood in between them. That didn't stop Ron's younger self from yelling something back though. "You don't know what you're talking about!" He looked as though he was trying to get a clear shot at Ginny around Harry, who was now standing in front of her with his arms outstretched. "Just because I don't do it in public-!"

Ginny screamed with derisive laughter, trying to push Harry out of the way. "Been kissing Pigwidgeon, have you? Or have you got a picture of Auntie Muriel stashed under your pillow?" Ron grimaced at her words.

"You-" Ron saw him self say. The disgruntled look on his face made Ron wish it would just end right here. However, he had lived through this once, so he knew better than that. A streak of orange light flew under Harry's left arm and missed Ginny by inches. Harry pushed the younger Ron up against the wall.

"Don't be stupid." Harry muttered to him.

However Ginny was relentless. "Harry's snogged Cho Chang!" shouted Ginny, who sounded close to tears now. "And Hermione snogged Viktor Krum, it's only you who acts like it's something disgusting, Ron, and that's because you've got about as much experience as a twelve-year-old!" And with that, she stormed away. Harry quickly let go of Ron. The look on Ron saw on his face looked murderous. Ron watched from a distance as his shoulders rises and fell rather quickly. On the outside Ron looked like he was angry, but having been in this very position, Ron knew it ran deeper than that. He knew that at the very moment he was stewing in jealousy and a lack of confidence. This very moment would lead to his infamous relationship with Lavender. Ron wanted to leave this memory as quickly as possible, and he got his wish.

Ron was now in the Great Hall decorated for the holidays. Couples lined the floor, some dancing and others just staring into each other's eyes. Ron however saw himself sitting next to Harry at a table. He watched the two of them sit rather lazily at the table drinking their drinks. Soon Hermione came up to them. She was stunningly beautiful with a bright lilac dress accentuating her figure. Ron watched her as she approached the two boys sitting. It was at this moment when Ron realized he missed the girl walking by him.

"Hi," said Harry. His eyes seemed transfixed on her as he said the simple word. He too was most likely stricken by Hermione's appearance. Ron glanced over at himself expecting a similar reaction but he didn't say anything. He just sat there and avoided looking at Hermione.

"It's hot, isn't it?" said Hermione, fanning herself with her hand. "Viktors just gone to get some drinks."

Ron gave her a withering look. "Viktor?" he said. "Hasn't he asked you to call him Vicky yet?"

Hermione looked at him in surprise. Ron, too, was quite surprised in his younger self's behavior. "What's up with you?" she said.

"If you don't know," said Ron scathingly, "I'm not going to tell you." It was at these words thar Ron remembered the scene that was about to unfold.

Hermione stared at him, then at Harry, who shrugged. "Ron, what-?"

"He's from Durmstrang!" spat Ron. "He's competing against Harry! Against Hogwarts! You-you're-" The younger Ron was obviously casting around for words strong enough to describe Hermione's crime, "fraternizing with the enemy, that's what you're doing!"

Hermione's mouth fell open. Ron rolled his eyes at his actions. Looking back on it, he should have just told her then and there that he was jealous of Krum. "Don't be so stupid!" Hermione said after a moment. "The enemy! Honestly - who was the one who was all excited when they saw him arrive? Who was the one who wanted his autograph? Who's got a model of him up in their dormitory?"

Ron stifled a laugh at her remark, however the Ron currently involved in the argument chose to ignore this. "I s'pose he asked you to come with him while you were both in the library?"

"Yes, he did," said Hermione, the pink patches on her cheeks glowing more brightly. "So what?"

"What happened - trying to get him to join spew, were you?"

"No, I wasn't! If you really want to know, he - he said he'd been coming up to the library every day to try and talk to me, but he hadn't been able to pluck up the courage!" Hermione said this very quickly, and blushed so deeply that she was the same color as Parvati's robes.

"Yeah, well - that's his story," said Ron nastily.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" She spat back.

"Obvious, isn't it? He's Karkaroff's student, isn't he? He knows who you hang around with. . . . He's just trying to get closer to Harry - get inside information on him - or get near enough to jinx him -"

Hermione looked as though Ron had slapped her. When she spoke, her voice quivered. "For your information, he hasn't asked me one single thing about Harry, not one -"

Ron changed tack at the speed of light. "Then he's hoping you'll help him find out what his egg means! I suppose you've been putting your heads together during those cozy little library sessions -"

"I'd never help him work out that egg!" said Hermione, looking outraged. "Never. How could you say something like that - I want Harry to win the tournament. Harry knows that, don't you, Harry?"

"You've got a funny way of showing it," sneered Ron.

"This whole tournament's supposed to be about getting to know foreign wizards and making friends with them!" said Hermione hotly.

"No it isn't!" shouted Ron. "It's about winning!"

People were starting to stare at them. "Ron," said Harry quietly, "I haven't got a problem with Hermione coming with Krum -" Ron watched his younger self blatantly ignore his best mate and then turn back to Hermione.

"Why don't you go and find Vicky, he'll be wondering where you are," said Ron.

"Don't call him Vicky!" She shouted. Hermione jumped to her feet and stormed off across the dance floor, disappearing into the crowd. Ron watched her go with a mixture of anger and satisfaction on his face. Ron watched as she vanished into the crowd and shook his head. They always did add fuel to each other's fires.

"Are you going to ask me to dance at all?" Padma approached his younger self.

"No," said Ron, still glaring after Hermione.

"Fine," snapped Padma, and she got up and went to join Parvati and the Beauxbatons boy, who conjured up one of his friends to join them so fast that Ron was sure he had pulled him out of a hat. Ron glanced back at his younger self, steaming with anger. Ron thought back to his first memory and wished he would have taken Luna, she wouldn't have minded.

After Padma was no longer in sight, the room disappeared and he found himself beside Draco and Harry again. If the pensieve had done anything at all, it had only heightened Ron's longing to find Hermione.