Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot.

Chapter 9

"Hermione!" Harry stood up as soon as he saw her walk in the common room, Ginny behind her. Hermione walked over to him and sat down on the couch. She faced him.

"Ginny told me you wanted to talk to me," Hermione said without any expression on her face. She was afraid of showing emotion. She was afraid of showing emotion now.

"Well, yes," Harry said, confused by Hermione's seriousness.

"What is it?"

"Well, I... Not much really. Just wanted to know--," Harry said.

"I'm fine, if that's what you want to know. I've been busy lately, the reason why I haven't been with you guys," Hermione answered plainly.

Harry's eyebrow's knitted in confusion. He looked up at Ginny, who was standing by the couch, and asked with his eyes what was wrong. Ginny merely shrugged. He looked back at Hermione, who was staring at the fire. "Hey, about you and Ron..." Ginny listened interestedly.

"Nothing's between me and Ron," Hermione said. "Nothing happened."

"It was under my impression that something did," Harry said calmly. "You can't deny it, Hermione. Something's there."

"What do you know?" Hermione snapped. "Nothing happened."

"Hermione--."

"It was a mistake!"

Hermione's words hung in the air, like heavy mist. Ginny suddenly gasped. Hermione and Harry looked up and saw Ron standing by the stairs, looking as if someone had just stabbed him. Harry stood up.

"Ron--," Harry began.

"It's alright, Harry," Ron said, putting a hand to stop him from speaking. "At least now we know how Hermione really feels." Hermione looked away and bit her lip as Ron walked out of the common room. Ginny and Harry turned to look at Hermione, both of them not knowing what to say. She stood up.

"I'd better go," she said.

"You should," Ginny said bitterly. Hermione turned to face her, her looked questioning. "Look, I can forgive you for trying to get Harry's attention and all, and I apologize for assuming that you were trying to steal him. But I cannot tolerate the way you treat my brother. If there's one person who's always been there for you, it's Ron. He's always there. He tells me about you, you see. He tells me that you cry to him and he couldn't do anything because it was complicated. He does everything to make you feel alright. And this is how you repay him?"

"I've been a good friend to him, too, Ginny, if that's what you're trying to say," Hermione said. "I cannot admit what I don't feel. If you're trying to force me to love him back, I can't do that. I don't even know if he loves me!" Harry noticed that her voice wavered when she said that. "He never told me anything and I'm just expected to swoon when he kisses me? I'm not like that. I will never be like that." Hermione looked down for a moment then turned on her heel and left.

Harry watched Hermione leave, then turned to Ginny. "What were you talking about, Gin?"

**

Ron walked as far away from the common room that he could go. And in result, he ended up by the lake. He sat at the bank, pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his face. So that's how Hermione felt about the kiss. A mistake. He looked up and stared at the lake. He wished he didn't hear what happened a while ago. Now he didn't know what to do. What can he do, now that he knows that Hermione feels about him. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"Ron, what are you doing here?"

Ron turned around sharply to look at the person who saw him, then he faced the lake again. "Just hanging out."

"By the lake?"

"So?"

"At 7 pm?"

"Why don't you go back inside, Lavender? I think I need to be alone," Ron said after a while.

But instead of leaving, Lavender sat beside him. "I don't think so. You might try and jump in the lake if I leave you here."

"Maybe it will do the world much justice if I do. The world might be a better place," Ron said.

"Ron, what's wrong?" Lavender asked, worried. "You're not like this unless something's wrong." She and Ron had dated a couple of years back. But they remain good friends. Ron didn't answer her. "Is it Hermione?" Ron's shoulders sagged and Lavender got her confirmation. "Figures. She wasn't very talkative these past few days. Whenever I talked about you, she would be all tense and stuff. What happened?"

"We kissed and she thinks it's a mistake."

Lavender gasped. "You kissed? When? Wait. She thinks it's a mistake?"

"Didn't you hear me?" Ron asked, irritated.

"I don't think that's she really feels," Lavender said.

"She said it perfectly clear. It was a mistake," Ron replied. "Let's not-- ."

"I don't believe that's what she means," Lavender said. "Have you ever told her what you feel about her?"

"Well, no," Ron said hesitantly. "But I kissed her and--."

"That's just it. You're leaving her to be confused. You just don't go kissing girls without meaning, you know. Well, most girls are like that," Lavender said.

"What?" Ron asked, not understanding anything that Lavender said.

She smiled at him and then stood up. "I'll leave you to figure it out. Oh, and don't be out too late." She walked away, leaving Ron by the lake.

**

Hermione bit her lip, trying hard to keep her lip from trembling. The tears were so close to sliding down her cheeks and she didn't want anyone by the halls to see her crying. She couldn't forget the way Ron reacted and how he looked at her. He felt pained and hurt in hearing what she said. *Well, it was a mistake.* Hermione looked down. *Wasn't it?* She shook those thoughts out of her head as she walked towards her dorm. She turned a corner and came face to face with Lavender.

"Hermione!" Lavender said cheerfully. Then frowned at Hermione's eyes, which were glistening with tears. "What's wrong?"

Hermione tried to smile. "Nothing. I'm just really tired and all."

"Are you sure?" Lavender called as Hermione walked past her.

"I'm sure," Hermione replied, walking away. Lavender shrugged and walked towards the great hall.

When Hermione reached her room, she collapsed on her bed and began to sob. She began to cry tears that she had never cried before. Tears that were different from the tears she shed over Harry.

**

"Ginny?" Harry repeated, looking at her curiously. "What were those things that you were saying to Hermione?"

Ginny shifted uncomfortably and looked down. "Harry... Um, I don't think it's my place to... um, say that."

"Not your place? Well, you were yelling at Hermione about it. And it's connected to me," Harry said. "Just tell me."

"Well, um, I thought Hermione had, uh, feelings... for you and I told her to stay away from you and not try anything that would break our relationship," Ginny said slowly, tears forming in her eyes. She felt scared at how Harry might react. She didn't want him mad at her. Not now. Not ever. "But I apologized a while ago and well... I just burst a while ago because no one has the--."

"Ginny, you think Hermione has feelings for me?" Ginny nodded and Harry smiled. "Why would you think that? We're bestfriends."

"Because she looks at you differently," Ginny retorted. "You don't notice it. But I do. And I think Ron does, too."

"If it was true, why would you say anything like that to her?" Harry asked, getting a little upset.

"Because you might leave me for her! I know she's more important to you than I'll ever be. I'm only your girlfriend and she's your bestfriend. I've only been in your life for a couple of months and she's been with you since you were 11," Ginny said, tears pouring down her cheeks. "I love you, Harry! I don't want to lose you. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

Harry's features softened. He moved towards her and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He touched her chin, making her look up at him through those tear-streaked eyes. "It's true that Hermione's been in my life since I was 11. She'll always be in my life. But I love you, Ginny. I chose you because I know I love you. Nothing can change that." Ginny smiled a little and Harry cupped her face and brought her lips to his.

**

Harry and Ginny went to the Great Hall for dinner. They sat beside each other and began to eat. After a while, Harry noticed that Hermione nor Ron were there. He looked around and asked Lavender, "Hey, have you seen Hermione or Ron anywhere?"

"Yeah. As a matter of face, I did see both of them," Lavender answered.

"Where are they?" Ginny asked.

"Well, Ron's by the lake. And Hermione... I think she went back to her dorm," Lavender replied. "Something's eating those two up. Ron was very depressed and Hermione was crying."

"She was?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Yup. But she was holding it back," Lavender said.

"Did Ron say anything?" Ginny asked.

"Well... he told me what happened with Hermione and all," Lavender said. "I feel sorry for him."

"It's Hermione's fault," Ginny said hastily.

"No it's not. It's both their fault, actually," Lavender said, taking a sip out of her goblet.

"Why do you say that?" Harry asked curiously.

"Because they should've just said their feelings to each from the beginning, then none of this would be happening," Lavender said with a great amount of insight.

"How do you know they have feelings for each other ever since?" Parvati piped in.

Lavender shrugged. "It's obvious."