-The Weasel-

It was Monday morning, a week after her fight with Ron, and Hermione was again sitting alone in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Harry and Ron were seated five rows ahead, and not once had Ron turned around to look at her.

It had been like this for the past week, both Ron and Harry were ignoring her, but today her heart was really doing some deadly flips.

It had been just an hour earlier, when up in the Gryffindor common room, did Hermione open up her arithmancy text to have a scrap piece of parchment fall out from the middle of the book and onto her lap.

She had picked it up and read "Hermione Granger loves Ronald Weasley" written over and over again, in her own scrawl. The paper had set off a waterworks of tears.

Hermione sat now in the DADA classroom, staring at the back of Ron's head, hoping that he would turn around, but he wouldn't.

Professor Seresin was busy discussing the topic of dementors and Hermione was having a hard time taking notes, her mind kept wondering off…

Why won't he look at me? Is he still really that mad? But it was only dreams… I mean I know I should have been truthful about the letters, I know now that I should have told him, but really, they were just dreams and fantasies… if he would only be willing to listen, I could explain everything… even Ginny won't talk to me… if only he'd give me a chance…

"Miss Granger?" said Professor Seresin for the third time.

Hermione twitched and came back to life.

She looked up and saw that the professor was right beside her, and the whole class had turned around to look at her. She looked up embarrassedly at her teacher and he replied,

"I was wondering if you could demonstrate the Patronus charm for the class,"

Hermione blinked, the patronus charm? Now? Now at a time when she herself felt like a million dementors were closing in on her?

"I …I don't know, Professor… it's not really all that good…" She lied. She could see her classmates watching her out of the corner of her eye.

Seresin smiled, oblivious to Hermione's sadden expression, "Oh come now! I hear that you can produce a fully formed patronus! I believe it takes the form of a …weasel is it?" he asked innocently.

Hermione thought she was going to cry.

She really didn't want to perform the charm in front of the class, firstly because she couldn't think of a single happy thought, and secondly, she was now scared that he patronus might have actually changed shape into a weasel, to reflect her feelings for Ron.

Hermione gulped down the lump in her throat and said slightly above a whisper, "No, my patronus is an otter, Professor, but I'd rather not try right now…"

Seresin looked closer at Hermione's face and apparently saw the depression that rested there, for he quickly said "Oh well …that's all right, I'll demonstrate myself then…." and quickly returned to the front of the class.

Hermione looked up the rows to Ron and saw that his ears were bright red, but his body and neck looked completely stiff, and Hermione was sure that he hadn't turned around once.

Harry however turned at that very moment and gave her a small, uncertain smile.

Hermione was shocked, this was the first time that Harry had really communicated with her all week, not that she had expected him too.

She knew that he was trying to support Ron the best he could, but she had become worried that maybe Harry had been mad at her for getting him involved with the letter.

But this weary smile gave her a little ray of hope, and helped her get through the rest of the class…