Disclaimer: Alas, Harry Potter is not mine. If it were, I would be living in a castle in Scotland, rolling in money, and writing the sixth book.

Rated PG-13 for:

AN: Hey! Thanks for the reviews everybody! They always make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Every comment made was greatly appreciated. Also, "gotten" is American slang? I guess you do learn something new everyday. Thanks to Ticketyboo for pointing that out. At least they aren't saying things like "Word up dawg", right? On with the story!

Part Two: The Rather Well Kept Inner Thoughts of One Hermione E. Granger

October 2nd, Thursday

8:35 a.m.

Dumbledore finally announced the date of the upcoming Halloween Ball (the 31st, of course) and suggested we all find ourselves dates. It seemed a little pointless to me, seeing as how the entire population of the school has known about the Ball since early September.

I have gotten over being angry with Harry, and am hoping that he asks Ginny to the ball. They shared a shy smile or two over toast. It was adorable.

8:43 a.m.

I wonder if anybody will ask me, or if I'll have to go alone. Maybe Ron will ask me first this time, and then I won't have to turn him down.

9:04 a.m.

Well, I suppose if some other bloke asked me before Ron did then all I would have to do was gently explain to him that I was expecting to go with someone else. That would take care of things.

9:12 a.m.

What if I turned the bloke down though and then Ron ended up NOT asking me? What if he asked another girl? Or if the both of us just went without a date? Is it too pretentious of me to assume that Ron will ask me because of the Yule Ball last year? Perhaps he won't ask me, because he just did it as a last resort, I mean it seemed like it took him ages to see me as a member of the opposite gender, and maybe he really did think I was fraternizing with the enemy and now that there's no threat around he won't ask me, but then again he might because he'll be desperate by the time the 31st rolls around, won't he?

9:26 a.m.

What if the girl he's liked all year asks him this afternoon?

9:31 a.m.

Should I ask him before another girl has the chance to first?

9:37 a.m.

What if he says no?

9:42 a.m.

I'll just act calm and collected about the whole thing, then casually (and attractively) ask whom he is asking to the dance. Then, if he was thinking of some other girl he'll be so blown away that he'll forget who it was, and then beg me to go with him.

9:57 a.m.

Who am I kidding? How could I possibly blow Ron away with my beautiful-ness? I don't even have any…

3:34 p.m.

Ooh, I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!

3:52 p.m.

I still hate him.

October 3rd, Friday

7:31 a.m.

If Ron think I am going to say a single word to him EVER AGAIN he is sorely mistaken. How could I ever fancy myself in love with that prat! AHHHH!!!

10:46 a.m.

This morning at breakfast, Ron looked at me desperately and said, "Er…"

I glared at him so fiercely that McGonagall would be proud.

Ha, take that, you git.

5:17 p.m.

Harry asked Ginny to the Ball. She said yes. They are so sweet together. Harry is so sweet. Unlike someone I know who shall remain nameless…

5:19 p.m.

…RON WEASLEY…

5:23 p.m.

Harry just recently asked me to forgive Ron for what he said. I have a feeling that Ron knows nothing about Harry's request.

He approached me while I was working on Arithmancy. I started to tell him that I wouldn't let him copy my homework, because I was working on a class he didn't even have, but he interrupted me.

"Hermione, listen, you've got to forgive Ron. He's really bent up about what he said, and he won't stop moping."

I suspect that Harry doesn't have ears. "After what he said to me?"

"I know it seems horrible, but come on Hermione, think about it, this is RON we're talking about. He's really hurt that you don't want to be his friend anymore."

Well, if Ron is so upset about it, he should tell me himself. I was going to snap at Harry, I truly was, but he looked so miserable and hopeful looking all I could do was sigh. "I'll think about it Harry, but I have to do my homework."

"Cheers," he said glumly and went off.

Oh dear. I'm not upset with Harry. And Ron…

Well, I don't know. It's a lot of work to not be friends with your best friends.

5:42 p.m.

Still, what he said to me…

I was sitting at lunch, reading a book when Ron came into the Great Hall and sat down next to me. "Hi Hermione. You look, er, nice today."

My heart started beating at about a million miles a minute. He had never complimented my appearance before.

"Thank you, Ron." Smile to show you appreciate the compliment, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

"Listen, er, about the, um, Halloween Ball." Ron was asking me to ball? I had done something right for once? I was attractive? I was brilliant? He did fancy the socks off me? "Would, er, you, um, like to…uh…go with me?" OH YES, SCORE ONE FOR HERMIONE GRANGER! YES, I'D LOVE TO GO THE BALL WITH YOU! YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YE- "You know, unless Vicky asked you, or you already promised to go with Malfoy or something. I wouldn't want to impart on your love for the Incredible Bouncing Ferret."

What was he playing at? His idea at some sort of sick joke? Setting me up by asking me to the ball only to make childish remarks about other boys? "Why do you have to tease me like that, Ron? It's not funny." I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not cry…

"It's wasn't a joke, I-"

OH NICE TRY RON! Try to make up for it now that I'm not laughing hysterically at your HORRIBLE joke and asking you who you REALLY want to take to the ball! "You what? You thought that I would actually go with Viktor, who is not even here, or, or Malfoy? If you're so obsessed with the both of them, why don't YOU take them to the Halloween Ball!" HA, TAKE THAT! His mouth opened in surprise, and he looked very hurt.

I suddenly wanted to sob forever and never stop, but I couldn't very well do it in front of HIM, so I stomped off.

Arrgh! I finally have something witty to say, and then my conscience comes back to haunt me!

October 4th, Saturday

11:46 a.m.

I'm still so confused about whether or not I should be angry with Ron. He approached me earlier, but I was terrified about whether or not I would be nasty to him, that I buried my face in a book and said, "Don't even try to talk to me right now."

It sounds absolutely horrid, doesn't it?

12:04 p.m.

I have decided that I will talk to Ron about what he said to me. Calmly. And rationally. Without one bit of yelling.

12:12 p.m.

Oh dear. What if he really wasn't joking? What if the last bit just came out because he's Ron? What if he really does want to go to the Ball with me, and love me, and marry me, and…

12:14 p.m.

I've completely lost it.

6:32 p.m.

I tried to talk to Ron, but he had Keeper tryouts for Quidditch. Oh, I hope he makes it! I really do! I mean, he may be the greatest prat ever, but that doesn't change the fact that he needs to be really good at something for once. He really deserves it.

6:40 p.m.

Parvati, Lavender, and I have added some people to our list. Once again, Parvati is first, then Lavender, then me. The numbers represent the number of O.W.L.s we would be willing to fail before we kissed that person.

Ernie Macmillan: 3, 2, 4

Colin Creevey: 6, 6, 5

Dumbledore: Err…seeing as he's quite old…all.

October 5th, Sunday

7:11 p.m.

I was going to talk to Ron over dinner today, but Dumbledore announced the new Gryffindor Keeper. You'll never guess who it is…

Well, of course not, you can't guess.

It was Ron!

He looked so happy accepting congratulations from people that I couldn't bring myself to have a serious conversation with him. Neither could I actually tell him that I was proud of him. He still thinks I'm angry with him, and he probably wouldn't believe me and then we'd have another row.

I'll talk to him tomorrow when some of the novelty has worn off; otherwise I'll explode.

October 6th, Monday

10:02 a.m.

Ron still looked absolutely ecstatic this morning. I'll talk to him tonight.

5:29 p.m.

"Oh Ron!"

Why in the world do I ALWAYS have to say that? WHY!? It makes it sound like that Ron and I had a hot and steamy relationship, and after making up, I fall into his arms in a rush of passion.

Still, it seems like a natural outburst. What else COULD I say?

5:33 p.m.

"Ron, of course I forgive you!" Too dramatic. And it still sounds like we're having an affair.

5:35 p.m.

"Thank you for apologizing, I forgive you." Much too dry, and drawn out.

5:37 p.m.

Oh, who am I kidding. "Oh Ron!" Is PERFECT.

5:40 p.m.

I finally caught Ron and dragged him off into a corner. He looked completely clueless as to what I wanted to talk to him about, so I decided to cut straight to the chase. "Ron, I just want you to know why you said what you said to me about the Halloween Ball."

What would he say? That he thought it would be funny? Or that it had just slipped out and he loved me desperately?

He looked guilty. "Well, I didn't really mean to, I guess I just got a little carried away. I, erm, really do want to go to the Ball with you Hermione." My eyes started welling up with tears. He really hadn't meant to be so nasty! Then, he looked me straight in the eye. "I'm sorry."

Cue the waterworks. "Oh Ron!" I could help it, he really is wonderful! I sobbed into the front of his robes, feeling absolutely stupid, but he didn't push me away in disgust. I thought he would any minute; I was a bit hysterical.

"Congratulations on making Keeper! You really deserved it."

Instead of the usual patting me on the back, he hugged me back a bit. "Thanks Hermione."

"You really did deserve it."

"No, for forgiving me."

5:54 p.m.

I can't help it. I love him.

October 7th, Tuesday

8:12 p.m.

Harry kept grinning at Ron and I all day. The two of us have agreed to try and not argue over every little thing. Harry is convinced this is because we are falling deeply in love.

8:16 p.m.

Sorry Harry, you are quite behind on things.

October 9th, Thursday

7:53 p.m.

I told Parvati and Lavender that Ron asked me to the Ball. They already knew. They complimented me on finding a date so early on, so that they could easier match the outfits to his hair color and so forth. They also complimented me on finding a boy with bright red hair, seeing as how that color always looked stunning with certain fabrics and such.

8:02 p.m.

I never knew there was that much to fashion.

October 12th, Sunday

3:34 p.m.

Ron informed me today that he, Fred, and George are planning on killing Harry and disposing of the body either in Hagrid's pumpkin patch or under the Quidditch pitch. I was suddenly very glad that his older brothers aren't as over protective of him as he of Ginny.

3:37 p.m.

I was also very glad that I hadn't told him that Ginny told me that her and Harry have snogged already.

7:38 p.m.

Parvati, Lavender and I were talking about what boys to add to our list of O.W.L.s failings, when I decided to bring up Ron again. After a little bit of prodding they both admitted that they would kiss Ron without hesitation. They told me that he was rather good looking.

Despite the fact that I thought Ron would be pleased to hear other girls thought he was good looking, I told them that there was more to him than just that. So they asked me the other reasons I fancied him besides just his looks.

Well, there is MUCH more to it than just his looks, and I certainly don't need to justify them to a silly diary.

7:44 p.m.

The way he gets so defensive when Malfoy teases me, the way he turns bright red when embarrassed or angry, how he never gets tired of beating people at chess, the way he laughs, how his eyes light up when he sees a friend he hasn't seen for awhile (even if that awhile is only five minutes), how hurt he really gets over arguments and jibes, how much he loves his family, the way that he-

7:48 p.m.

They told me that was QUITE enough, and looked a little horrified.

"Hermione," Parvati whispered, "I think you more than fancy this bloke."

7:50 p.m.

MORE than fancy? Is she implying something?

7:51 p.m.

I'm writing run-on sentences again.

7:53 p.m.

Quidditch really isn't so bad, is it?

7:55 p.m.

I think that more than fancy is an understatement.

7:56 p.m.

Sigh.

October 13th, Monday

7:42 a.m.

Fred and George ran up to me in the common room this morning, and handed me a small spiral, then ran away, laughing madly. I suppose they think that it's their idea of a gift, considering I forgave them and helped them asked Angelina and Alicia to the Ball.

How in the world is this a gift? It has writing in it.

3:52 p.m.

It's Ron's journal! Fred and George gave me Ron's journal! They are, oh my, I mustn't read it, I mustn't read it, I mustn't read it, I mustn't read it…

3:57 p.m.

Ron wrote "bloody hell" in huge capital letters. WHY! I don't know, because it would be dishonest to read the context around them.

What am I supposed to do with this?

4:12 p.m.

I can't just very well hand it over to him. He'd go ballistic before I even had a chance to explain that I didn't read anything. Then our friendship would be ruined, and Fred and George would feel awful because Ron would be so angry with them and then I would have to go single to the Halloween Ball and Harry would feel strange and pressured because the two of us would be so angry with each other and his date is related to the people who would never want to talk to each other again and-

4:17 p.m.

I'll go to a blank page just after he stopped writing and explain the entire thing to him. Then I will sneak up to the boy's dormitory while Harry and Ron are in the common room or at Quidditch practice and leave it underneath his pillow. That should do it.

4:21 p.m.

I saw the words "love" and "Hermione" right next to each other. What is that supposed to mean?

4:24 p.m.

Perhaps he was saying, "Under no circumstances do I love Hermione."

4:26 p.m.

Or, "I love Hermione more than life itself."

8:56 p.m.

Sometimes I wonder about Fred and George.

"Hello ickle Ronnikins. We've decided to take this for your own good. Maybe when we give it to Hermione to read you two can go to the Halloween Ball together as more than "just friends". We know that both of you want it that way, so we've decided to help out the process a bit more. Cheers!

Your doting older brothers,

Fred and George"

Poor Ron! Now I really can't read it!

October 14th, Tuesday

9:42 p.m.

Well, that's taken care of. I explained the whole situation (in writing) to Ron, and then while and Harry were working on Potions homework, I ran up to their dormitory and put the journal under Ron's pillow. I do hope he understands.

October 16th, Thursday

8:01 a.m.

At breakfast this morning Ron gave me a huge hug and thanked me for not reading what he had written. I guess he does understand. He laughed delightedly at the fact that Fred and George's plans had been foiled again.

I'm beginning to wonder if he or his twin brothers need to have a check up at St. Mungo's.

4:34 p.m.

Parvati and Lavender have confronted me about the Halloween Ball. Our next Hogsmeade trip is on Saturday, and they said that that would a great time to go pick out some dress robes. I told them that I was spending the day with Harry and Ron.

After giving me knowing looks they took my measurements and assured me that they would find something simply stunning. It seems like an awful lot of advance planning, after all the Ball is fifteen days away.

4:42 p.m.

The Ball is only fifteen days away!

October 17th, Friday

10:31 a.m.

Ron and Harry were going on and on about Quidditch at breakfast this morning. They were talking about rigging the voting so that Fred and George wouldn't be captains. It reminded me of that Muggle show "Survivor" except involving wizard things, and better looking people.

5:56 p.m.

Harry got a letter from Professor Lupin today. I felt relieved that I decided not to try and run away with him. Especially because if I had mentioned it to him and then changed my mind it would have led to a lot of embarrassing questions.

6:04 p.m.

I was writing another letter to Viktor in the common room and I could see that Ron was trying to bite his tongue, but being Ron, he couldn't help but make comments.

It wasn't THAT long. He called it a novel! A novel! Honestly, it was only a few rolls of parchment. Just because I don't write HIM letters that long…

6:21 p.m.

I informed Ron matter-of-factly that the reason I didn't write him long letters is because he doesn't have a long enough attention span. He was so defensive about it that I have decided the first letter I write him this summer will be no shorter than five rolls and see how he takes it.

6:23 p.m.

So there.

~~~~~~~~~

What? Another part to come? Given Hermione's tendency to cram much more words into her days, this thing isn't over quite yet. There still is, the Halloween Ball, after all. And who knows what will happen there (oh the suspense!).

Any reviews will be fully appreciated and add to the intense feeling of the fuzzies I have.