Disclaimer: You know what's mine, NOTHING! Probably not even this plot. What's mine is the exact combination of the words on the page you see below.

A/N - This was not intended to be a chapter fic, but I received seven out of ten reviews begging for more, so I decided I would write more.

Hermione meets up with Harry and Ron this chapter, and has a fight with Harry over her recent behavior. Ron is now torn between them both, and goes to consult Professor McGonagall on what to do.

HIDING BEHIND THE FEAR

By: Hopeful Writer

Chapter 2: Unanswered Questions

Harry and Ron cornered her after Charms while she was in the Common Room. "Why'd you run out of Charms, Mione?" Harry asked, sitting next to her.

"I felt sick," she answered promptly.

"For the whole class?"

Hermione's brain was working in double time. "Well... then I ran into Professor Snape and he asked for my help on a potion. It had to be brewed at exactly that time, and he needed an extra pair of... competent... hands."

"Professor Snape... asked for your... help?" Harry sounded awestruck. "I don't believe that for a minute. You've been avoiding us since Christmas break. What's going on?" Ron nodded supportively.

Her eyes flashed angrily. "Nothing! I've just been busy. I didn't have a lot of time to work over break and I'm worried about O.W.L.s. That's all."

"No, it's not."

"Sod off, you prat! I can't believe you would accuse me of hiding something from you, after everything we've been through. And, even if I was, you and Ron hide things from me all the time. You're just being nosy."

Harry stood up and stormed off without a backwards glance. When he had left the Common Room, Ron looked at Hermione with wide eyes. "Don't you even start," she warned.

"I wasn't going to. But this is different then when Harry and I keep stuff from you. What Harry didn't say was that we're concerned about you, Mines.* You haven't been yourself recently. You're snapping at people—look at what just happened—and you've been... distant." He shrugged helplessly. "If you don't want to tell us, I suppose that's your business, but we're worried about you. That's all."

Hermione couldn't be mad at her well-meaning friend. "I'm fine, Ron. Really. I've just... had a lot to think about recently."

He blinked and nodded understandingly. "If you say so. I think I'll try to find Harry, although it might be hazardous to my health. See ya in a little bit."

"Bye, Ron."

He was almost at the portrait hole when he turned around. "Hey, Hermione."

"Yeah?"

"If you ever need to talk, I'm always available."

She smiled despite herself. "Thanks, Ron." He disappeared, leaving her very confused.

Since when had Ron become so mature, and Harry so... not? She must have missed Ron growing up, or maybe it was just happening now. Whatever it was, it was quite puzzling. This was the first row she and Harry had ever had, if she remembered correctly. She and Ron, on the other hand, fought all the time.

Her head dropped to her hands. Great. On top of everything else she had to think about, now she had to worry about her two best friends and their reactions to her Christmas break and her new living plans.

* ~ * ~ *

Ron didn't go look for Harry. He would have had to be suicidal to do that. Besides, he knew that Harry was at the Quidditch pitch. Flying always helped relieve stress.

Instead, Ron made his way to Professor McGonagall's office. He rapped on the door lightly and heard, "Enter!"

"Professor? I was wondering if I could... erm, speak to you for a moment?"

"Certainly, Mr. Weasley, but it will not get you an extension on your essay."

Ron smiled despite himself. "No, it's not about that. It's about... Hermione. See, she's been acting weird since Christmas break, and she and Harry had a big fight today. They never fight; that's usually me and her. The point is, I think something's wrong with her, but she won't tell us." He let out a breath and looked into his teacher's eyes sadly. "What do I do?"

Minerva looked as worried about Hermione as Ron felt. It was good to see someone else care about her, someone besides himself and Harry. "I think this is something she's going to have to come to terms with on her own, Ron. Whatever happened over Christmas break must have hurt her in some way, and she's afraid to talk about it. Just be there for her, and when she's ready to talk, she'll come to you. Don't push it, or you'll wind up like Harry—fighting with her."

Ron sighed, feeling defeated, and looked down at the floor. "I wish she'd trust me enough to tell me."

He looked up again when Minerva placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's not about trust. It's about her own fears and insecurities. She may appear happy and normal on the outside, but she's obviously housing a deep secret. The only thing you can do is wait for her to be ready to talk."

He nodded, nibbling on his lower lip. "Thanks, Professor. You really helped me out."

Minerva smiled gently at him. "My pleasure, Mr. Weasley. Now, you might want to go get Mr. Potter before he falls off his broom and has a concussion. We need our Seeker for the match against Ravenclaw on Friday."

"Because he has an essay to write," Ron added, laughing.

"Exactly."

Ron left, feeling considerably better than before. He was still worried sick for Hermione, but he focused that concern on making sure she knew she had a great friend in him. And making sure Harry didn't screw it all up.

* ~ * ~ *

Minerva watched the boy go, feeling empathetic. She remembered when Lily Evans had come into her room, asking the same questions about a boy. Severus. Minerva hadn't known what to tell Lily, and Severus hadn't spoken to her about it. She could only hope Hermione was willing to open up.

Minerva grabbed a handful of powder near her fireplace, tossed it in, and called, "Severus Snape's office!"

A moment later, his head appeared in the fire. "Yes, Minerva," he sighed icily.

"Sixth year, Christmas break. What happened to you?"

There was an audible gasp from Severus. "Why?" he demanded harshly.

Minerva glared at him. "Because a student of mine is going through a phase very similar to yours and I'm trying to keep her from becoming an arrogant bastard like you."

Severus returned her glare, but less fiercely. "What student?" he asked, not answering her question.

"Does it matter?" she inquired, exasperated.

"Yes!"

"Hermione Granger. What happened to you?"

"You don't need to know. Trust me when I tell you Hermione will be fine."

"Like you?" Minerva's voice was sarcastic.

Severus didn't smirk or glare. Instead, his face took on a rather wistful look. "No, she'll turn out much better than I did."

A/N - To be continued. I'll try to update every week, but I can't make any promises, especially since I get new story ideas frequently and I'm working on several novel ideas. I'll do the best I can.

* - A nickname for Hermione. I figured it was something Ron might call her.

To The Reviewers:

popawheelie - Thanks and I'll check out your fics as soon as I can kick my little brother off the other computer. Oh, and about your review for Four Days, I'm not depressed. I just... write whatever comes to mind, and it's usually death and depression. LOL, I guess you could say that I'm intrigued by death. It doesn't scare me. I don't think I could write on a lighter note without sucking really badly. I think too much for that. Besides... *grins* I like to evoke emotion in my readers.

Also thanks to Uzume, CrazyGirl47, StrangelilGirl, jamie, Tracy, Adrienne, Slytherin Girl, Lunaxel, and Torny.