Disclamer: No HP characters are mine. Boo-hoo for me. All hail J.K. Rowling.

Review!! I like reviews. Please? Ok, now to the story.

~Chapter 2. The Talk~

Ginny and I had giggled away about an hour or so when they heard the ever- popular "Dinner!" call from Mrs. Weasley. Ginny and I raced down the stairs, still giggling, and I found myself a predicament. Two seats were left open. One in between Ron and Harry, presumably left for me, or the one across from Ron. Why me? It's because the world hates me. Ginny sat in the seat across from Ron, leaving me no choice. I'm glad she did. I didn't want to stand there looking like a fool, right? Right.

"Fred, George, slow down, this is not a competition," Mrs. Weasley scolded her twins, undoubtedly so they could run back up into their room and invent some more joke shop items. They were rumored to start one soon, but first they had to have their own apartment. And for that they needed money and jobs.

"That's what you think, Mum," replied George. It's amazing that he could ever talk with his mouth so full.

"So Percy, how are your lesson plans coming?" Lesson plan? Those words just perked me up and I instantly entered my ears into that conversation.

"Mother, that was supposed to be a secret." Percy said the word secret as if it was a life or death situation.

"Well, the truth is out now, you might as well tell everyone," suggested Mrs. Weasley hopefully. I could tell she didn't want to be on Percy's betrayal list. Actually, I don't know if he had a list then. If he did, it might have consisted of Fred and George, the two pranksters that lived to torment him.

"Alright. Everyone, I have an announcement." Percy looked from Ginny to Ron to me and said, "I'm teaching at Hogwarts next year."

"Teaching what?" Ron blurted out before anyone could react any way.

Percy smiled and said, "Potions." He prepared himself for the millions of questions he'd have to deal with about Snape, but decided to speak before any of the questions were asked. "Don't worry, you'll still have your dear old buddy Professor Snape. He will just be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. They hired me to do that job originally, but said I didn't have enough experience. So I'm Potions. There you have it."

"I win!" George cried from the end of the table.

"No you don't, you still have a biscuit left," Fred countered.

"No, I don't. That's yours."

"Now you do." Fred pushed the biscuit on George's plate and dashed out of the room yelling, "Food was great Mum!" over his shoulder.

"Excuse me." George ran after his twin, shoving the biscuit in his mouth.

"Enough of the sideshow. Percy, congrats!" I genuinely smiled for him, hoping to somehow impress him. No, Hermione, he's intelligent, that's why you like him so much. So calm down!

"Thank you." Percy smiled back. After more conversation about Percy, then Quidditch, Hogwarts, Bill, and the Ministry(when Mr. Weasley had shown up), everyone was quite full and quite ready to go to bed. Percy set down his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. "Maybe it's best that I go to bed. I've been working hard."

I couldn't help thinking, look at his eyes. They're like little pools of crystal light with a bluish spark. They could captivate a girl. I could get lost in eyes like those. If I could have one moment in your eyes, I wanted to tell him, but I knew I couldn't.

"Let's all go to bed. I have errands to run tomorrow, so what are you children going to be up to?"

"Work," Percy answered promptly and with a "Goodnight" left.

"Harry and I were going to Diagon Alley to meet up with some friends." Ron looked at me like he wanted to say I was going too.

"That's where Ginny and I wanted to go," I piped up.

"Ok, all children except for Fred and George are accounted for tomorrow. I expect they will stay in their room all day making Whistle Cheesecake or whatever it is they make. I can't stop them anymore. Goodnight everyone."

Ok, so I had avoided Ron for one whole meal. I can't keep doing this. I have to talk to him. And that's exactly what I whispered to Ginny.

"Good luck. Knowing my brother you'll need it."

"Ron." He was just about at the bottom of the stairs but whirled around.

"Yes, Hermione?"

"We have to talk."

"I tried that, remember? You ran away."

"I know, but I figured out I can't avoid this forever." I looked around, checking to see that Harry and Ginny had snuck off to their respective rooms so I could be open with being embarrassed.

"Yeah? Well, that option looks good right now."

"Ron, you hurt my feelings. All there is to it."

"How did I do that? You were the one who broke up with me!"

"Shh. Not so loud. I have one word about that: Lorilei."

"Lor-L-Lorilei." Ron gulped. He knew he was in trouble.

"Yes, because of her I can't trust you," I said coolly. Inside I was fuming though. Lorilei was a Hufflepuff and she was a third year. That little tramp. A tramp not because of either of those things, but because she had a little deal with Ron. Whenever he had fights or arguments with me, he would go to her and she would kiss it all better. Kiss? Made out is more likely. "Enough said. I'm going to bed." And I did. I told Ginny everything. Ginny was outraged that Ron was capable of something like that and impressed I still could talk to him without screaming. I was coping. I will cope. And Percy was the one that would help me cope, though he, nor I did not know it yet.