Title: Beyond Friendship

Chapter Six:

Authors: Jaycee and Marga

Disclaimer: Not ours. Never will be!

Note:

Hey. It's me Jaycee! I wrote this chapter and Marga will be writing the next one. We hope you will like this one too and keep those reviews coming!

Aldawen of Rivendell! Since you are our 45th reviewer… we give you, OLIVER WOOD! :jaycee hands Aldawen a very big package!: enjoy! And we hope that you get to watch Harry Potter soon! It is the greatest!! Sigh… Daniel Radcliffe.

CrdCptr_Hikari – wow! It is soooo great to see another Filipino reviewer!! You are the very first Filipino to review our Fanfic and thank you so much!!! And it's so great that you are a Harry/Hermione shipper too! Tell your friends na mas maganda nga na si Harry and Hermione! Hello!!!! Ang sweet sweet nila dba???? Thanks again!

H/H Lover: Come on! Admit it… I saw Viktor limping around and when I asked him what in the world is wrong with him, he said that someone, he doesn't know who exactly, pushed him off his broom… tsk, tsk, tsk… shame on you! LOL.

Hudsonlv426 – we promise. We're not going to make it too angsty…

Anyway – something big is happening in this chapter…. And the big scenes are happening soon… we just hope you will like all of them!

* * * * * With the hair issue, we don't really understand it. So how about this, we'll just stay with dark blonde – almost brownish. Because we started with blonde right? Then with Harry, did we write anything about his hair being anything else than black? We're sorry about that. And the notebook? Sorry about that too. Hehe… we told you we weren't that knowledgeable about the going ons in the HP world. :)

Just a question: Is anyone going to watch HP and the COS again? Marga wants to watch it again and who am I to not come with her right? I mean I love Daniel… ehem… Harry Potter….

Again, thank you so much to everyone we reviewed. Even though we didn't thank you specifically, we are more than grateful for your review. each and every one of them are very much appreciated. So keep those reviews coming… and maybe Marga will post the next chapter if we get… hmm…I don't know… 65 or more reviews? Thank you so much!!!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Hermione walked into the Gryffindor's Common Room three days later. She saw Ron studying beside the fireplace, and it's obvious that he's having a hard time comprehending his lessons.

"Hey Ron!" She greeted him cheerfully and had to stifle a giggle when Ron looked at her with a dazed look on his face.

"Oh hi Hermione." He greeted blandly.

She sat on the chair in front of her friend and leaned her head against her hand that was propped against the table. "Don't jump up and down for my sake." She teased lightly.

"I'm sorry Herm. It's just that this assignment that Snape gave us. I just want to throw it in the fire." Ron replied.

"Come here. I'll help you." Hermione offered. Ron's eyes lit up and he placed his chair right beside hers and listened as attentively as he could as Hermione explained the lesson the best that she can.

After thirty minutes, when Ron was happily scribbling away on a piece of parchment paper, Hermione decided to ask him something. "Ron?" She said to gather his attention.

"Yeah?" Ron asked, looking up from his homework.

"Is something wrong with Harry?" She asked.

"Wrong? What do you mean?"

"Its just that Harry has been acting so strange lately. Has he told you anything lately? Like, if something's bothering him? Did he receive a letter from Sirius that contained bad news?" Hermione questioned.

Ron shook his head slowly. "No. He didn't tell me anything. Why do you ask?"

Hermione sighed. "Its just that, when were together, he would be you know, normal, at first. We would talk about school and Quidditch and stuff like that. But when we start talking about something else, like my relationship with Viktor, he would suddenly be this person who is so unlike the Harry we know and love, you know? Its just… weird, that's all." She explained.

"Okay. So how about this? I'll talk to Harry and then I'll tell you what's up with him." Ron suggested.

She grinned in response. "That will be great Ron. Thank you." She then stood up and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be going now. I promise Ginny that I'll help her with her Transfiguration homework."

Ron lifted a hand to his cheek. "Are you going to do that every time now, Hermione?" He asked in annoyance.

"Do what?" She asked.

"That kiss thing you did. You've been doing that a lot lately." He complained.

Hermione chuckled. "I guess you just have to get used to it." And with a wave, she disappeared into the girls' dormitory.

Ron just shook his head and stood up to look for Harry.

* * * * * * * *

Ron found Harry at his dorm room, writing something on a piece of parchment.

"Hey Harry." He greeted as he sat down on the bed.

Harry looked up and smiled as he saw his friend. "Hey Ron." He replied, looking up from the parchment.

"I just talked to Hermione." Ron began, and to his surprise, he saw his friend's eyes light up at his words.

Harry put his quill down on the table and gave Ron his full attention. "And?" He said.

Ron stared at Harry. "And she was asking if something's wrong with you."

Harry gave him a half-smile. "Wrong with me? Why would anything be wrong with me?" He asked and Ron was surprised when his friend broke eye contact with him.

Ron shrugged. "You tell me. I told 'Mione that I'll talk to you for her. She's worried about you." He informed his friend.

Harry grinned. "Really?"

"Yeah… she is. Is there anything wrong with you?" Ron asked warily.

"No. Nothing's wrong. A lot has been on my mind lately but other than that, I'm okay. Tell her that." Harry replied, going back to his writing.

Ron frowned at his friend's vague answer. Something's not right here, he thought. "Hermione told me that whenever you two talk about her and Viktor, you change into this person that she doesn't know a thing about. Care to explain that, huh Mr. Potter?"

To his surprise, the quill on Harry's hand suddenly was broken into two at his words. "Bloody…" Harry mumbled irritatingly, wiping the ink from his hand on his black robe.

Ron suddenly stood up. "Aha!" He exclaimed, making Harry stand up in surprise.

"What did you 'Aha!' for, Ron?" Harry asked and it seemed like he was irritated at everything at the moment, including his friend.

Ron walked closer to Harry. "You like her…" He said in a low voice.

Harry looked at him and then looked away. "I like her? Her? Who's her?" He asked as innocently as he could.

Ron's lips curved into a smile. "You like Hermione." He announced.

Harry started shaking his head furiously. "Me? Like Hermione? I don't… not remotely possible… how can I… me? Like Hermione… no not possible… not in a million years would I…" He sighed. "Why do you say that?" He asked his friend.

"Bloody bullfrogs Harry! You do like Hermione! That's why you've been reacting so strangely at her relationship with Viktor!" Ron cried out.

Harry looked at Ron, his head still shaking back and forth. "No Ron. I do not like Hermione! She's our best friend! How will I like her?" He asked, trying desperately to get his friend's mind off his secret.

Ron shrugged. "How should I know? You're the one who likes her, not me! And I can never like Hermione that way; she's like my sister! But you! You like her!" He finished with a big smile.

Harry stared at Ron, deciding to come clean once and for all. "Okay. Fine. I like Hermione. I like her. I like her. I LIKE HER!" He shouted. He was breathing hard by the end of his confession, but it felt good. It felt good that he finally told someone about this.

"You like who?"

Harry and Ron spun around at the sound of another voice in the room. And to their surprise, they saw Hermione standing on the corridor of Harry's dorm.

"Bloody bullfrogs…" Harry heard Ron mutter. They exchanged looks and Harry begged Ron with his eyes to keep his secret.

Ron nodded and stepped forward. "Herm. What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I just came to give you your quill. I used it when I was helping you with your homework earlier, remember?" Hermione replied, handing him the quill. "Did you talk to Harry already?" She asked, smiling at her other friend.

Harry smiled back, albeit nervously. Please don't let Ron slip… please… "Hey Hermione. How are you?" He asked formally.

"I'm fine. Thanks. How are you? You haven't been yourself for a while." She answered, as she walked into the room and sat on his chair.

"Fine. Fine. I'm fine, aren't I, Ron?" Harry said.

Ron nodded immediately. "Yes. He's fine Hermione. Don't worry about him."

Hermione sighed. "That's great to hear. I was thinking maybe you're coming down with something, Harry." She told him.

"But Herm. There's something that Harry needs to tell you." Ron began. He turned to Harry and saw the latter shaking his head frantically.

"There is? What is it Harry?" Hermione questioned.

"Oh I don't know if right now is the time to…"

Harry was cut off by Ron. "Oh come on Harry! You should tell Herm now." 

Hermione looked at them, confused. "Tell me what? What is it?"

Harry sighed. "Okay. You see Herm… I…"

There was a knock on the door and Neville popped his head in. Harry sighed in relief.

"Yeah Neville?" Ron asked.

Neville waved at them. "Hermione. There's a surprise for you in the dining hall." He informed her.

"There is? Come on you two!" She said excitedly and the three of them, with Neville trailing behind, ran towards the dining room.

Harry opened the door for Hermione and he was pleased when Hermione flashed him a big smile. He turned to look in the dining room to see what the surprise was. His heart stopped when he saw it.

"Viktor!!!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Hermy!" Viktor called out.

Harry watched helplessly as Hermione ran towards Viktor and was enfolded in a giant bear hug.

Ron moved closer to Harry and patted his friend consolingly on the shoulder. "How romantic…" They heard Neville whisper dreamily.

As they walked towards the bugging couple, Harry felt as if his heart was torn our of his chest when he heard Hermione whisper, "I missed you so much." And Viktor echoed the sentiment.

As if to add insult to the injury, he heard Viktor say, "I'll be staying here until Christmas."

Harry knew this is going to be the worst Christmas he's ever going to have.