The bell door rang. Mrs. Black started screaming. Ron and Ginny went down to see who arrived. It was Hermione! Ron ran to her and she gave him a long hug, while looking at Ginny over his shoulder who was smirking.

"How did you manage to come?" said Ron, while hermione was still holding him.

"Oh Ron! When I heard, I had to come, how are you all? Is he okay?" said Hermione after letting go of Ron. He was smiling. He knew she would hug him and was waiting for it.

"Dad is fine! But..." said Ron.

"Harry isn't! There is something wrong with him Hermione!" said Ginny.

"It's a long story. You know he saw the snake attacked my dad. And then he told this to Dumbledore." said Ron

"Yes Dumbledore told me in the morning."

"And then we went to meet Dad, but dad wasn't telling us anything. So we took out the extendable ears, and we heard them discussing thay Harry could be possessed by You Know Who" said Ron.

"What!? How can he possess him. Voldemort is miles away from Harry."

"I don't know, he's acting all strange. Isn't even talking or eating. Doesn't even look at us." said Ron

"We tried to make him join us so we could discuss it, but he doesn't come out of the room. Not even to eat." said Ginny.

"Where is he!?" said Hermione.

"Upstairs with Buckbeak" said Ginny. Just then Mrs. Weasley comes in and gives hermione a tight hug. "Oh Hermione! Wonderful to see you here. We will be celebrating Christmas here only. I'm glad you're here too."

"Thankyou Mrs. Weasley. I had to come! I was so worried for Mr. Weasley and all of you."

She gave Hermione a big smile. "Now, you must be hungry. Im making some sandwiches. And where is Harry gone. Goodness he haven't eaten anything for lunch. He can have some of them too."

"I'm going to Harry, you two take the sandwiches and wait for me in Ron's bedroom. I'm coming with Harry." said Hermione. As she was leaving Ron said,

"Hermione! What about your skiing?"

She turned around and said "You are more important Ron" who had started to blush. She turned once again and went to get Harry.

"I know you're in there," said Hermione's voice. "Will you please come out? I want to talk to you."

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked her, pulling open the door, as Buckbeak resumed his scratching at the straw-strewn floor for any fragments of rat he might have dropped. "I thought you were skiing with your mum and dad."

.

.

"Hi, Harry," said a voice behind him. He turned around and found Cho standing there.

"Oh," said Harry as his stomach leapt uncomfortably. "Hi."

"We'll be in the library, Harry," said Hermione firmly, and she seized Ron above the elbow and dragged him off toward the marble staircase.

"What are you dragging me for!?" said Ron

"So you don't mess it up for Harry again."

"Mess what!?"

"Ron! Harry fancies Cho. Maybe he wants to ask her out."

"So he can. I wasn't stopping-"

"Tch Ron. When will you learn! You are so insensitive in matter like these."

As they reached the library and settled themselves into seats, he whispered "What kind of matters?"

"Oh forget it. Look maybe Cho wanted Harry to ask her out and not infront of us. Nobody does romantic talks infront of their friends. I'm sure Harry must have asked her out for Hogsmeade trip. So they could spend some ALONE time." said Hermione still whispering. Ron had gone quiet. Then he said

" How do you figure out this kind of stuff? "

Surprised by his question,"I-I am good at understanding it" she said with a smile.

He was looking at her shrewdly "You are good at romantic stuff? You-you have ro-manced someone!?"

Hermione felt like banging her head. When will Ron take the hint. "No, I-I mean, I'm sensitive about it. I mean I'm sensitive to understanding it. Something you clearly lack" she was getting slightly angry and disappointed due to lack of Ron's emotional range.

"How!? Tell me how do I lack it!?"

"Well, you don't understand feelings of girls. What they like, WHO they like, how they like to be treated, you know what to gift them."

"What do you mean gift them?"

"Well, if you like a girl and asked her out, you should buy her gifts you know. Buy her dinner and all." she had stopped talking as she had drifted off in her thoughts about how Ron asks her out and takes her to a romantic date and they talk and maybe kiss...

"I don't know what are talking hermione, but Im not that stupid. I probably don't know alot of girls but I know you. And I like you. And I know what you like and what to gift you. That's why I bought a perfume for you as a Christmas present. I'm not that insensitive and my emotional range isn't of a teaspoon. " said Ron.

Hermione was stunned. She had never thought about it that way. He is right. He knows so much more about her than anyone else. He always protected her and he always challenges her because he knows I like it. Just then Harry entered.

He picked up Ron and Hermione from library before their afternoon lessons.

.

.

At at 6 o'clock Harry left for his class with Snape.

"Come on let's go to the library and start our homework" said Hermione.

As they started walking, hermione said "So, I was thinking, and I just want to say, maybe you are not that bad in understanding girl stuff. I mean yes you did indeed gift me the perfume, which I'm wearing right now."

"Yes I can smell it" said Ron with a grin.

"So, uhhmm, you said you know what I like. So tell me..." said Hermione.

"What you like? Uhmmm loads of things. You like sitting on the grass under the beech tree, you like reading books, you like rules" said Ron rolling his eyes.

"And uhmmm you really like house elves" Ron was laughing now.

"And...!?" said hermione.

"And you like bickering with me" giving her his smirk. She was smiling at him back. She like how Ron noticed everything about her. She wanted him to continue telling each and everything he liked about her. She stopped at one of the pillars, Ron stopped too. She leaned onto it, bit her lip, and asked "and!?"

Ron stopped to look at her. He was standing close. "you like to hug, and you like to laugh at my jokes, and..." he was staring into her eyes. Both of them were lost in each other eyes.

"and..you-you like to bite your lip, and your bushy hair and your eyes..." hermione took a step forward, they have gotten awfully close, and Hermione couldn't be more turned on right now. She felt like she could kiss him right now and she know Ron wouldn't mind. Ron could smell her perfume. But just then a group students came hurdling out of nowhere and both of them jumped apart. They saw Ginny was among the group who was laughing with them. But then turned to hermione and grinned at her.

"Uhmmmm I mean, you like to keep your bushy hair open, and errr you like to give me a look with your eyes, when err I'm being stupid." said Ron hurriedly.

Hermione was smiling now. She almost had a moment with Ron. She never expected Ron to notice this much about her. She was happy that they were making some kind of progress in their not so existing relationship. She felt good.

" Well, I'm glad you know so much about me." she said.

"Errr yea. Shall we go to the library now" said Ron and both of them walked in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

Ron was just trying to figure out what just happened. What did I just do. I was about to kiss her. Why hell I want to kiss her. She's my best friend. Something is wrong with me. I should not be thinking about hermione like that. What if she gets to know about it. I would look alot more looser than I already am. And maybe, she wouldn't want to be friends with me. Idon't want to lose her. I can't lose her at all. I better get this feeling under control. But her eyes, the way she looks at me, her soft expression, her smile, and when she hugs, and that kiss, I still can't forget it. Stop it Ron. Distract yourself and study.

.

.

Hermione was tugging a letter from the beak of an unfamiliar brown owl as they sat down.

"And about time! If it hadn't come today . . ." she said eagerly, tearing open the envelope and pulling out a small piece of parchment.

Her eyes sped from left to right as she read through the message and a grimly pleased expression spread across her face. She told Harry to meet her at three Broomsticks and went off to reply Rita to tell her to meet her there. Something very important to talk about. Now she needed to locate Luna. Luna was lining up to go to Hogsmeade. She immediately went up to stand next to Luna. As they passed Filch sensors, she sat next to her and entered Hogsmeade. As they reached Hogsmeade she went upto Luna and said

"Hey Luna. Can I talk to you for a moment. This is something really important."

She looked up at her and smiled "Oh it's okay. You can have Ron. I'm over him now."

"Whaa...noooo..."said Hermione blushing now.

" I have seen both of you together. I'm surprised you aren't still together by now. "

" Noo...well...uhmmm...still working on it. But how did you know and...why have you changed your mind? " They both started walking towards the high end road.

"Oh I knew it since the moment I met you on the train. I told Ginny also that I like your brother and asked about you. She said you never admitted to anything. So I tried to talk to him but he never seemed bothered. Then I saw you both in the D.A meetings. He never seems to notice anyone except you." said Luna with a smile on her face. She stopped talking. Then after a moment she said,

"But I suggest you should rather not be critical to him. And also you should tell him before he thinks you like someone else. He isn't very confident with himself." Hermione was shocked. She even forgot why she came to Luna. Luna likes to say the very obvious truth effortlessly. She maybe right but right now she had more pressing worries.

" You're right. Thanks for telling " hermione smiled. Then further continued on "Listen, the actual reason I wanted to talk to you was, I want to print Harry interview about the night he met You Know Who. I'm sure daily Prophet won't be printing it. Can your father be up for it?"

They reached the Owl posts and Luna suggested to ask him but she knew his father would agree. Hermione then took her to Three Broomsticks, waiting for Harry and Rita, and so rather warmer to her.

.

.

Ron had left the pitch to another booming chorus of "Weasley is Our King" sung with great gusto by the Slytherins, who were now favorites to win the Quidditch Cup.

Hermione was worried for Ron. She left the stand and went after Ron. He was walking along the lake and sat at the beech tree alone with his head down on his knees. Hermione reached him

"Ron?"

"Please leave me alone Hermione!"

She sat down next to him.

"I'm a pathetic player. I'm a looser Hermione. I can't even save a goal. I don't know why and what I'm doing in the team."

"Ron! Don't say that. You are a good player, it's - it's just you don't trust yourself enough. Be confident. Think you can do it. Cause you can!"

, You're just making me feel good about myself. You know that I'm actually not that good. " ron said, turning to look at hermione. She was feeling so resentful to him, she moved closer to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"What was that for!?" said Ron looking up to her.

She was blushing and feeling slightly embarrassed, then said "Oh to cheer you up. Come on Ron. It's just a game. You are much better person than this. Plus I really think you are an amazing player. It's just that you lose confidence. If you say to yourself that you can do this Ron, I'm sure you could." she smiled to him and then got up." Come on. Let's go up, the team and Harry would be there. They will get worried if you don't turn up. "

He got up but was still feeling down." I should resign you know. I will tell Angelina. " as they started walking.

"Again Ron! I told you, you can do this. And you're much better than those beaters. Okay." said Hermione who was now holding his arms and walking him towards the common room. He entered through the portrait hole, took a butterbeer and hunched at the corner.

Harry looked over at Ron, who was hunched in a corner, staring at his knees, a bottle of butterbeer clutched in his hand. "Angelina still won't let him resign," Ginny said, as though reading Harry's mind. "She says she knows he's got it in him."