A/N: OKAY…here's a chapter. I am changing the direction of the story. And don't worry! There won't be any G/H or R/hr in this chapter…and for a while. Well I don't think I want to include H/g anyway. That would be icky!

- - - - - - - - - - -

Harry continued along, kicking the ground violently and totally ignoring his direction. He seemed to fade into the grey and brown on the scenery, and maybe that was what he wanted after all. He could feel himself slow down gradually. Walking in circles had lost its appeal. The monotonous of the empty day had finally struck him, so he decided to head back to the castle. When he saw the trail back to school he took one last look behind him when he noticed Hermione and Ron. Their voices were clear, even from his distance.

"Hermione, it's over."

"Ron? What?"

"You heard me. Over. Done. Finished." He said forcefully, feeling accomplished with his harsh tone.

"Fine," She shrugged and walked towards Harry. She had noticed him earlier.

"Wait, fine?" He raised his eyebrows, "Hold on,"

"Nope, I'm leaving. I have no time for fools like you Ronald." She stated before continuing towards Harry. She heard a sudden increase of footsteps as they landed next to her.

"Hey Hermione." Ginny squeaked. "Why'd you break it off, I mean I know he can be a hothead. But still,"

"He broke it off,"

"Wait, what? He can't, there's no way!" almost sounding defeated, Ginny pranced away to join Ron.

- - - - - - - - - - -

"RON!"

"What? Ginny, go away!"

"Ron, what in bloody hell were you thinking?" Ginny sat down next to him on a bench.

"Something's not right, I can't place it. This whole thing with Hermione doesn't feel…real." He shrugged as if to signal he didn't understand.

"Do you want me to pinch you? Get with the program. You had her. And you just let her go." Ginny was agitated. What an idiot! How could she be related to such a fool?

"But like I said—"

"Oh, shut it Ron. I haven't given up yet." Ginny scurried away, remembering something she had forgotten. Something that could have prevented today had she remembered.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Harry fumbled with the note. He twirled it in his hands. The paper, so dry and pale, was filled with life. He lay on the couch, staring openly at the paper. He studied its every crease as though there were there purposely. He was willing to give up, at this point. As much as he hated it, he had expected to be praised. To be welcomed back with joy was almost an expectation. But it seemed strangers appreciated him more than Hermione and Ron, his supposed best friends. Lately he was disgusted with them. They were a disappointment, a giant mass of selfishness. And what was Harry to do other than accept it?

"Harry?" Hermione entered the common room, glancing downwards at the note. He slipped it quickly into his pocket.

"What?" He snapped, maybe too fast, but it was hard for him to tell.

"I—I," She struggled with words, as if they bound her. "I love you."

"Really?" He smirked. "It didn't seem that way when you were with Ron. It didn't seem that way when you were holding his hand and flirting. You know what I think? You can't expect me to believe you 'love' me. Ron broke up with you. Not the other way around." And with that he threw himself off the couch and reached into his pocket. He glanced once more at Hermione before throwing a folded paper into the pale. She didn't have to look to know what it was. But she had to look anyway. She bent down and slid it into her fingers. Instead of reading it she slipped it into her pocket and hurried back to her room. Maybe some sleep would cure her confusion.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Ginny realized what a fool she was for forgetting. She knew that it would be harder than ever to get things back to yesterday's arrangement. She shuffled around, hoping not to get caught. Snape hadn't been in his room when she entered. And as she searched for ingredients she also concentrated on the noise outside the closet. She reached up and grasped a bottle before sprinting back to the hallway and hurrying to the Gryffindor common room. When she got there she gathered her friends. They had a potion to make.

- - - - - - - - - - -

It was morning again. The bags were freshly placed amongst their eyes and emotion read easily on their faces. It was busy in the great hall. People chattered, ate and shared their coveted company with the bearers of angst. Ron and Hermione sat several people apart. Harry was surprised when Ginny chose to sit with her brother instead of him or Hermione. But yet, he didn't know what was with Ginny lately. She had turned from the description of innocence to the queen of sneakiness. He was worried she was up to something, but he tried not to fuel his imagination. That could ruin their relationship, if they even had one at this point. She had made it excruciating obvious she wanted him back. But he thought that his signs were clear, he thought he had rejected her, but maybe that was just in his mind.

"Ron, do you want something to drink?"

"Err, sure Ginny," He shrugged and turned the other way to continue meaningless conversations about endless nothings.

Hermione sat all the way at the end of the table immersed in a book. Casual reading was always a good way to exercise her mind, and the way she saw it there was nothing to lose. She had no need for conversation. She could read through the empty words exchanged. She needed a life with substance, happiness. And right now her book was the description of happiness; it was so joyful she almost wanted to burn it out of jealousy. Maybe casual reading wasn't the right thing to do. Swiftly she picked up her things and headed back to the dorm. There she found comfort in the allure of finishing homework early. She set her quill to work. She smiled as the end of her report approached. But became disappointed when her ink ran out. She knew she had more somewhere, but wasn't exactly sure. A thing she was sure of was where Ginny kept hers. She hurried to where Ginny slept and cracked open her draw, rummaging through the papers and quills until she encountered a bottle of ink. But what caught her eye was not the countless love letters addressed to Harry or the container of hair labeled "Hermione". She reached in and removed a small bottle containing a clear substance of which was labeled with a simple heart. By the look of it she could almost identify it as a love potion, but her uncertainty drove her to slip it into her bag before she left.

- - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: Okay, a relatively short chapter. But I finally posted again. So…thanks for reading:) Feedback?