Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter franchise, nor anything affiliated with it.

Hermione's POV

I hurry to put on my cardigan over top of my tank top so that I can head down to meet Luna and Ginny at the entrance hall. We're supposed to be going into Hogsmeade to hang out and have some girl time. I mean I love all of my friends, but there are certain things that you just can't talk about in front of the guys. Especially now, since Draco and I are a little rocky at the moment. Anyway I quickly grab my purse and sling it over my shoulder now that I'm changed. I do a once over of my appearance before dashing out of my room and to the entrance.

I get down and see the two of them standing by the doors waiting to leave. Ginny is sitting on the floor and attempting to throw a small hex at Ron who is just passing by, unfortunately she misses and hits a poor first year student. Luna is staring kindly at something on the back of her hand and I realize that it's a little ladybug. Of course, with the weather warming up now, the little bugs and insects are coming out. I don't mind ladybugs all that much, but ants are a much different story. I mean all creatures are okay, especially the magical ones, but ants have always freaked me out.

When I was younger, I used to hide chocolate and sweets in my room because my parents wouldn't let me eat them. Then a year or two after I started doing that, I got an ant infestation in my room. They were everywhere, in my bed, on my bookshelves, and in my closet. My parents found out about my stash but didn't punish me since they decided that the experience was scaring enough. It takes every ounce of my willpower not to kill them when I see them, but it helps that I care so much about all life.

I rush over to them and Ginny notices me first. She gets up and motions to Luna that I've arrived. Luna looks up and smiles while gently waving with her free hand so as not to disturb the cute little bug on her hand.

"Hey Hermione, shall we get going?" Ginny asks me.

"Yeah, sorry for keeping you guys waiting." I reply.

"It's alright Hermione. You are our friend, we wouldn't leave you behind." Says Luna.

"Thanks Luna." I say.

We then head to the doors and get our names checked off by Filch. We walk down the path towards Hogsmeade and walk a little slow due to a large group of very chatty third years. By the time we finally get down to the village, it's almost time for lunch so we decide to head to the Hog's Head for an early meal.

We pick a quiet table near the back and wait for the waitress to come get our orders. When she arrives at our table, she smiles at us in recognition since we're pretty regular customers and she really likes our group.

"Hey guys. Back again?" She asks in a teasing voice. We nod in affirmation. "Real nice weather outside, no? Finally warming up out here after the winter."

"Yes, it's beautiful. Hopefully you get some time to go out in it during your break." I say.

"Thanks darling. So what'll you guys be having today? Do you want the special?"

"I'd like to hear the special please." Says Luna in her usual airy voice.

"Sure thing honey. Today's special is potato and leek soup with a side of garlic bread and a butterbeer." Another thing I've noticed since we started coming here more often as a school, is that the place is much more vibrant and lively than it used to be. The food is also a reflection of this change. Before Aberforth got to know the students during the last school year, it was always very gloomy in here and the quality of the food and drink wasn't great.

"I'll have a special then please." Replies Luna.

"I'll have one as well please." Adds Ginny.

"Make that three please." I finish.

The waitress nods and then heads to the kitchen to put in the orders before coming back out to give us our butterbeers.

"So how are your classes going?" I ask the two of them.

"Pretty good, I'm not doing too bad for marks." Replies Ginny.

"I'm doing very well, this years teachers are much more interested in what I have to say. Our classmates also don't mind talking to me as much, some of them even come to me when they need advice and help." There's a hint of pride in Luna's voice as well as happiness. She's always been ostracized by her peers so it's nice that she's finally fitting in a bit.

"That's good for both of you." I reply to them.

We chat idly for a bit while waiting for our food, but once it gets to the table we all eat pretty quickly. I love this type of soup, it's really rich and it's something that my dad used to make for my family on the weekends in the winter. We finish fairly quickly and leave the appropriate amount of galleons, sickles, and knuts.

We head outside and go to a small ice cream parlour that opened up a couple months ago. It's located just a few storefronts away from Honeydukes. They have a small business partnership which allows kids to get free ice cream if they buy a certain amount of candy, and for them to earn stamps for every ice cream purchase; if you fill a card of eight stamps you get a 10 galleon discount on your next Honeydukes purchase.

When we finally make it to the cafe and walk inside, I notice Pansy sitting by herself at a two person table next to the window. Even though it's bright and sunny, and there's so much vibrance in the parlour from the people, there is an air of sadness around her. She's staring out of the window with a blank expression of her face and her left hand is grasping a small glass of lemonade on the table.

Since I walked in first and notice this, I go over to her.

"Hey Pansy." I say gently; I don't want to surprise her and have her knock over her drink. She blinks once and turns to look at me in a way that suggests she only just too notice of the fact that I was in front of her.

"Hello Granger." She replies in a cool measured manner, with a slight edge to her voice.

"I was wondering if you'd like to join Ginny, Luna, and I. The guys aren't joining us today so they won't be interrupting and getting too boisterous like usual." I figure it's a good thing that the guys aren't here today since I think it would put her omre on edge and less likely to join our group. I refrain from pointing out the fact that she looks lonely because I feel she'd feel insulted by that.

"Sure I guess…" She finally responds after about 30 seconds of considering her options. She follows me over to the table that Ginny and Luna picked out for us. Thankfully they copped onto the fact that I went to get Pansy, and made sure to get a table with four chairs.

"Hi Pansy." Says Luna, while giving her a smile and a wave.

Pansy responds to Luna with a tightly-lipped smile and nod. Luna doesn't appear to notice, though I don't think she'd care anyways. If she did catch it, she'd probably file the information away for later to help understand Pansy in case she ever needed to have one of her conversations with her.

"So Pansy," I begin to ask, "How are you and Ron doing?" I ask this as a bit of small talk, but also to try and get the most awkward stuff done at the beginning so she might lighten up a bit around us.

"I'm sorry Granger, I didn't realize that we were here to analyze my life." Pansy replies in a very sardonic tone of voice, with a slight sneer gracing her features.

Luna gives Pansy a semi-stern glare and she drops the sneer. However, she does continue to stew quietly into her lemonade.

"Alright, Luna and Ginny, what ice cream do you guys want?" I ask them.

"Bubblegum please." replies Luna

"Blood Orange Sorbet like usual please." responds Ginny.

"Okay. Pansy would you like an ice-cream? I'm paying this week." I say.

"Um… I guess I'll get a Lime Sorbet, but if they don't have it then a Black Cherry one… please." She replies.

"Alright, so one Bubblegum, one Blood Orange, one Lime or Black Cherry, and one Butter Pecan for me. I should be back in about a minute or two." I then get up and head over to the counter to place our orders.

Walking over, I tell the guy behind the counter our orders and request for them to be put in waffle bowls, for an extra charge of course. In the wizarding world they designed a charm that allows the waffle bowls to stay dry. They also made a charm that prevented the ice cream for melting. When the guy behind the counter finishes scooping it all for me, I take them and head back to the table. I hand them out to my friends and then sit down.

"Wow, thanks." says Pansy. I smile at her and she accepts the bowl of ice cream. All three girls dig in, and I begin to eat mine as well.

I love the taste a butter pecan ice cream. The taste brings me back to when my dad and I used to go to the river in the nearby park and get ice cream from a little pop up ice cream stand. The ice cream here is almost identical and texture to the one I used to get. It's so light and creamy on my tongue, the sweetness blowing my mind away. It just makes me feel closer to my father and reminds me of the good times we had.

"So, Pansy, how are you and Ron doing? You seem to be a little sad at the moment, or at least you were when we walked in. Are you guys okay?" I asked her.

"I didn't realize we were here to examine my whole life Granger." She spits at me. Darn, and here I was thinking that we could have a conversation without getting into a fight.

"I wasn't trying to be rude," I tell her, " I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I know how he can be sometimes. If ever you want some tips on how to deal with him, or you just want to talk, you can talk to all three of us. We'd be happy to help."

"Sorry, I guess we aren't doing too well the moment. I may have to wait to take you up on your offer though. Maybe another time." She replies.

"It's alright." I say to her.

"Well since we're already on this topic, how are you and Draco doing?" She asks me. Sneaky little snake. I'm surprised that I didn't see this coming though.

"Draco and I aren't really happening at the moment. It's not that we don't want to be together, I just asked for a break. Things have been a little stressful lately and well… let's say I've been getting very controlling and paranoid." I tell her. She nods when I say things have been a little hectic for me, but I can't tell if she's mocking me or is just acknowledging that it has.

"Yeah, trust me, I know Draco and I can tell when something's up with him. He hasn't been the same since the semi-formal dance. You guys have a spat or something?" She asks me in a surprisingly interested tone. I'm surprised by her bluntness but I don't really see the harm in answering her question.

"Sort of, not so much of a spat as a break. I've been kind of stressed as of late and… well… I've kind of, sort of been taking it out on Draco. I don't want to hurt him and I think it's best if we take a bit of a step back while I try and sort this out." Ginny nods at me encouragingly and I smile in thanks. Luna seems to be absorbing the information and comparing it with what she already knows. She has a somewhat blank expression, but you can see her brain working in the look in her eyes.

"Okay, that's interesting… it explains a lot actually." Pansy seems very pensive and I let her think. In the meantime, both Ginny and Luna have finished their ice cream while Pansy and I still have a little bit left.

"Sorry, Ginny, Luna, how are you guys doing with your guys? You guys been having any issues or have you been going steady?" I ask.

"Neville and I have been spending a lot of time recently studying the effects of certain plants on psychology and people's moods. It's quite interesting and we've already discovered many uses for more common plants. I think it'll be very helpful for dealing with stressed and depressed people as well as people with anxiety." Says Luna.

"That's amazing Luna! It's really cool what you two are doing together. Good luck on those experiments." I say.

"Thanks. Ginny, how's yours and Harry's relationship been? Has he been replying to your emails or is he busy?" Asks Luna.

"Well he's been responding to my letters, but we don't write as often as we used too. He says that the Auror department has been quite busy these days and he's been busy trying to work on a special project at the moment. He won't tell me what it is though and he usually does so that I can help him." Says Ginny with a very annoyed expression.

I know what the project is of course. It's probably the project with Lucius. I try to keep a straight face and not give anything away with my body language or expressions. However I'm sure Pansy notices a change in me since I see her raise an eyebrow in my direction though thankfully she doesn't say anything. Hopefully I didn't give away too much to her.

"So what exactly do you guys usually talk about anyway?" Asks Pansy. I guess it's a fair question. For her, based on what she's seen and heard so far, it would seem like we only talk about guys. Which isn't entirely wrong, but we don't just talk about guys.

"Well it depends." I say. "Sometimes we talk about guys, but we also talk about quidditch, food, clothes, school work, friends, old memories, plans for the future, teachers, students, what's been going through the Hogwarts' rumour mill and comparing what we've heard with what we know… I guess the conversation just kind of flows where it does."

"Oh." Says Pansy thoughtfully. After a bit of deliberation she responds. "So not that different from what Millicent, Tracey, and I used to talk about."

"Of course Pansy. Just because we're from different houses doesn't mean we're different species. Blood doesn't mean we're that different either. We're all still human." I say.

Pansy looks a little embarrassed by my remark; She flushes a little red and looks away briefly. Luna seems to gaze very intently at Pansy, probably to gauge her reaction properly.

"That's not what I meant." She stammers. "I just thought you would talk about different things because… well… it's not that you guys are that different, but…" I stop her.

"Don't worry, I know what you mean. But we really aren't that different from you guys."

"Thank I guess." She says.

"So how is muggle studies going for you? Ron helping at all or is he just as confused? I mean I guess you're his tutor, but I'm certain you're both helping each other."

"Hermione, you're rambling." Says Ginny in a teasing voice.

"Well, I'm just nervous because although there's a new muggle studies professor now, she's following the curriculum and lesson plans from last semester. Which means not just Professor Carrington's but Draco's and mine as well. Also, I put Pansy and Ron together as partners." I say in a slightly scared voice. I don't want Pansy to kill me now that she knows she and Ron were only partners because I requested it. Pansy just glares at me, but then slowly changes her expression to a smirk.

"Of course you did." She responds. "Well, Ron and I have been doing pretty well. We're doing pretty well in terms of the work and I must say it's a lot easier to focus when you're working with someone you can get along with. Yes, I do get along with him now. The professor is a little clueless though. It's a good thing she has all of the lessons you guys did to work with. I don't think she'd be able to teach our class very well without them."

Luna then speaks up. "Well from what she's told me, she's just nervous about teaching such smart students after Draco and Hermione taught our year so well last semester. She's also a little nervous that something bad will happen to her as well. You know, since Professor Carrington had that incident at the airport, and you guys had the airport and the attack at school. She says that among the teaching circles, it's become the new taboo position like the Defense Against the Dark Arts one."

I can't help but laugh at this. I'm not alone either. Soon Ginny, Luna, and even Pansy have joined me and by the time we finish laughing I'm gasping for air. Something about the way Luna said it, with her airy voice like usual but with a note of seriousness made it just seem absurd and really funny.

We talk for a little longer but soon enough, the sun has started to set. We pop over to Honeydukes and get a few treats each. By the time we're done there it's pretty much time for us to go back up to the castle for dinner.

We head back but still keep chatting. We even convince Pansy to stay and eats food with us at our end of the table. When we wrap up for the night, I say my goodbyes and feeling very content and happy. I guess I'm glad that I'm no longer fighting with Pansy now… I think.

I get up to my room and just flop on my bed in my room. Though I enjoyed the time with my friends, I'm also really exhausted. Mostly just mentally though. I curl up in a ball and Nat jumps up onto my bed. She pads over to me and turns in a few circles before lying down next to me so I can cuddle her and give her a rub.

I fall asleep listening to the noise of her breathing and feeling the rise and fall of her chest.

Author's Note: Thanks for all of your support guys! I now have 20 reviews! This is chapter 50 which is great. I feel like I actually hit a milestone, even if I was struggling so much to get here. However, as I'm sure you've all noticed in the quality of my writing and the drop of actual content being produced, I've kind of hit a writer's block. Also, some of you may have noticed that I put a note on the story summary recently about it. I do have an over-arching plan for this story and it bothers me quite a lot that I can't bang out the details. Unfortunately, writing comes in fits and starts and I'm currently at a fit. In other words, I'm going on hiatus for a bit. This shouldn't last more than 2 months but I will update before the next school year starts. While I'm away, I'll also work on editing the story since I know it has lots of writing errors and a few continuity issues.

As always, please review, and I'd love to hear feedback from you guys. Encouragement would be nice so that I know you guys are still interested, but it's not necessary. I don't mind questions but please log in or create an account because I can't reply if you submit your review as a guest. There are some things I'd prefer to respond to directly instead of on the next chapter especially since updates haven't been frequent and won't be happening for a bit. Anyway, have a good week, love you guys, till next time!