"It's Hopeless"

Disclaimer: The wonderful world of Harry Potter does not belong to me, but it does belong to the incredible Ms. J.K. Rowling herself. I am just a fan of the books, so I guess that would make this fan fiction. Wow, what a concept, I can take my favorite characters and put them into my own situations, sounds like fun, and that is what this is meant to be, fun. No copyright infringement intended here.

A/N: Just so it's not confusing, the things they say out loud are of course in "quotes". The things they think to themselves are in 'these' things, sorry don't know what they're called.

Chapter Three: All Alone Together!

It was 10:45, and Ron was waiting for Hermione to meet him just inside platform 9 ¾. He was setting on a bench near the back of the platform. She said she would meet him there and then they would board the train together. His brothers and sister had already boarded the train, and his mother had already sad her goodbyes at the platform border. So he just sat there alone patiently waiting. Harry was already at school having gone straight there after his holiday with Sirius. Dumbledore went ahead and let him in school, just because he didn't want Harry to be anywhere without some sort of safety net.

Ron was nervous; this would be the first time he would see Hermionie since the end of last year. He wondered if she had changed at all. On one hand he couldn't wait to see his best friend, but on the other, he was so scared about acting strange around her. It seemed to be getting harder and harder to act normally while she was anywhere near him. Hopefully, he would be able to be himself, and she wouldn't think anything of it. Hopefully!

Hermionie was hurrying through the crowd at the train station; she was running a few minutes late. Her parents had some last minute calls come in from work, and they had somewhat of a late start. She felt bad for she had told Ron to meet her at exactly 10:30, and she was never one to be late. Not only this, but she desperately wanted to see him again, this summer seemed to drag on forever. She had had fun in Bulgaria, but still this summer seemed too long for her taste. She had just come home from Bulgaria two days earlier, but those two days even seemed to drag.

She had promised herself she was going to get over her crush, or whatever it was, but all she could think about was seeing her friend again. She told herself, this was ok, 'You can think about one of your best friends, and want to see them again as soon as possible, that wasn't bad'. She wondered if he had changed at all, if he had perhaps, gotten even taller of the summer, she told herself she would find out pretty soon.

When she reached the barrier to platform 9 ¾, she hugged her parents' goodbye and slipped through unnoticed. As soon as she was through she started looking for red hair. She found this to be the easiest way to find a Weasley in a crowd; not many people had that flaming red hair. She couldn't see Ron though, so she started making her way down through the crowd of people toward the end of the platform, where she had told Ron to met her earlier.

She was caught up in a crowd of excited second years, then when she finally got past them; there he was, sitting on a bench, starring at his feet. She was grateful he wasn't looking up though, for her open mouth would have given away every thought she now had. She couldn't help but stair at him, he had changed all right, gotten taller as if it was possible, and well for lack of a better term, he was visibly becoming a man, slowly, but surely. 'Breath Granger, Breath!' was all she could tell herself. 'This whole get over it thing was definitely not going to be easy', she thought. 'Stop starring', she was now mentally yelling at herself, and was starting to hit herself gently in the head 'he's going to look up any minute'.

"Oh, hi Hermionie....are you ok?" 'Oh NOOOOO!' she was now screaming at herself for being so stupid.

Ron didn't know what to say he had promised himself to act as normal as possible, but here Hermionie was acting the weird one. She was hitting herself in the head, what on earth for.

"I'm fine Ron, what makes you ask?" 'Dumb question Hermionie', she scolded herself.

"Hermionie I think you have finally gone mental, What on earth are hitting yourself for?" Ron couldn't help but laugh a little; it was a funny site. All of the sudden he felt much better about being around her, course he always felt better when he could pick on her in some way.

"Oh that, I just have a little bit of a headache is all." stuttered Hermionie.

"Since when did hitting yourself help?"

"Oh, I always do that, you should try it sometime. It knocks it right out of your head", 'this is not going good Granger, think of something!' "Well, it's really nice to see you again Ron, have a good summer?" 'That's better, change the subject'.

"Not really, you?" 'Doubt question, she had to have fun being with Vicky all summer'.

"Yeah, it just seemed a little long is all"

"Yeah, mine too", this seemed to be going good he thought. 'Acting pretty normal so far, keep it up', he told himself. 'She really looks different somehow, yet the same ol' Hermionie', he thought. This made him smile though; he didn't want her to change.

"Are you ready to get on the train yet?" she asked, having calmed down a little.

"Yeah, lets go"

The train ride was going pretty well once started. They were sitting in the last compartment by themselves, which they often did with Harry. Ron couldn't stop himself from looking at Hermionie when she wasn't looking. She often found herself still starring at him as well, but was purposely refraining from hitting herself. She couldn't explain that away again. Though it was going pretty well, there were still many awkward silences.

"Uh, so what did you do this summer, all you ever said in your letters was how bored you were?" asked Hermionie.

"Oh, well, I practiced quidditch, there is a position of the team this year for keeper, and I thought I might try out. You never know. I probably won't make it though, I'll never be as good as Charlie or Fred and George, you know?"

"Oh, Ron I am sure you can do it. Either way I am glad you are at least trying. Though if you make it, I'll miss sitting with you at the games?" 'Warning, Warning, too much information', Hermionie mentally scolded herself after saying this.

'Wow, she likes sitting with me. Maybe she., Oh blooding hell, don't get too far fetched Ron'. "Well, I probably won't make it anyway, so don't worry, you probably won't have to sit alone", 'that was it, she just didn't want to sit alone is all'

"Well, I hope you do get it for your sake Ron", 'nice save', she thought.

"Thanks. So did you have fun at Vicky's?" he just couldn't help himself.

"Don't call him that", she snapped, "how many times do I have to tell you", 'Why did he always have to use that ridiculous name?'

"Well did you have fun?"

"Yes as a matter of fact, Victor showed me all around Bulgaria, they have a lot of interesting history there"

"Should have known you would go to visit your boyfriend, and only be interested in studying whatever you could", 'Bad move Ron, bad move. Well as long as I'm already in trouble might as well go for it, "Most people would actually spend quality time with their 'Mr. Quidditch' but our Hermionie can't stand not doing something useful".

"First of all, not that it is any of your business, but Victor and I are not a couple, we are friends, just friends. Secondly if I am going to go all the way to Bulgaria, which by the way my parents made me go the muggle way, by flying, I am going to do something useful, why not. How many people get to go to Bulgaria?

"Not your boyfriend huh? Yeah right, like you wouldn't go out with the most famous and rich quiddich player in the world, and I know he wants to go out with you. I am your friend Hermionie, you can tell me the truth." Ron knew he should have stopped but he never seemed able to do that with Hermionie.

"Ron, why do you always have to be so difficult? So what if I was going out with Victor, which I am not, If Victor doesn't have a problem with me learning as much as I can about his country why should you?" yelled Hermionie. She turned her head and just starred out the window.

'This is going to be a great year', thought Ron. Though he had to admit, even arguing with Hermionie was better than not being around her for three months. Come to think of it, this was just like old times, which for some reason seemed to be a comfortable feeling. 'Yeah, everything is going to be just fine.'

But at that very moment in walking Malfoy.

A/N: Hope you like it. Please let me know what you think though, any comments are more than welcome. Please review, I need it like air! Thanks sooooo much!