After having a small conversation with Harry, Ron walked out of the room and into the balcony. The night's air was refreshing on his skin. As he looked at the star, his mind somehow wandered to Hermione. He wondered if she and Harry truly cared for each other. He winced at the memory of the two of them kissing. He tried to bury the memory and get his mind off of her. He looked inside and the only person in his view was Ginny. He turned back to face the outside, thinking what Ginny meant when she said 'you could call it that' as a reply to his question. Were Ginny and Draco an item or was it just something they had planned to get back at Harry. He was so lost in his thoughts that he became completly oblivious to Hermione's presence next to him. When she had gotten there, he didn't know. He remained quiet while gazing at her from the corner of his eye, and admiring her simple looks. She wasn't someone with an exotic beauty or a body to die for, but that's what had made her special in Ron's eyes. She had everything he had been looking for all his life. She was the only girl -or, rather young woman- who had put up with his bull throughout the years, the only one to stick by his side no matter what. Even when Harry and him weren't talking, she was always there for him. She felt his eyes on her because she turned to look at him with a quizzical smile painted on her face.

-'I'm gald we're talking again, Herm.' He said, as genuinely as he could.

-'So am I,' she responded in a whisper. 'I'm sorry that I got all worked up back there.' She started to appologize. That was Hermione, all right. Always appologizing for something that wasn't her fault.

-'You shouldn't be,' he interrupted, 'I should be the one who's sorry, and I am. I'm such a git, I know. It just... well, I just wasn't expecting to see you and Harry together, and I know it's no excuse, but... I just let my feelings get the best of me, you know.'

-'That's one of the things I love about you, you're frank no matter what.' She gave a light hearted laugh. 'No matter who you hurt.' And a gloomy look came upon her face. He was disgusted with himself. So he HAD hurt her. He put his arm on her shoulder, and brought her closer to him, pulling her into a hug, not knowing fully why. He just needed to feel her close to him, to have her next to him. He just wanted everything to go back to the way they used to be. They were so close at being together back in Hogwarts, but he had to go and ruin it by telling her he didn't want to see her again.

-'I'm sorry I hurt you, Hermione. If I could turn back time and take everything back, I would in a split second. But I can't, all that I can tell you is that I regret dearly what happened.' He muttered, and brought her face out of his chest to look at her. She looked flushed, as if she was about to burst out any second. He wanted, no, needed her so bad. Them being apart was so wrong, but he had only himself to blame for it. He couldn't control himself anymore. He gave her a fatherly kiss on her forehead and let his lips stay there for a few second, closing his eyes and breathing her scent in, the same sweet floral scent.

-'I'm so sorry Hermione, more than you'll ever know.' She just blinked and nodded as a sign that she had acknowledged what he had just said.

-'I know you are, Ron. But we can't change the past. What's done is done.'

-'But we CAN change the present, Mione.'

-'Don't do this,' she interrupted, unable to hold back her tears any longer, 'I'm with Harry now. Don't do this, it'd just hurt us both more than we already are.'

-'I'm not asking for much. Just let me see you every once in a while. I know you brought me here just to get me to back off, but now that I've found you, I can't let you out of my life again. We're not supposed to be apart. Just let us be friends, the way we were before. I'm not asking you to jump in a relationship with me, just let us see each other ever so often. Just to try to mend what was once there. Please.' He pleaded.

-'Can you promise that you won't hurt me anymore, Ron? 'Cause God knows I'ev endured enough pain to last me a lifetime, and I don't need anymore from you. And you CAN't guarantee that, can you? Nobody can. Don't you think it best if we just... just...' she said as another tear made its way down her cheek. She had started sobbing now, and he wanted to kill himself for it. All he did to her was inflict more pain and suffering.

-'Look at me, Hermione, look into my eyes,' he made a last attempt, 'look at me and tell me you want me to leave you alone. If you do that, I will leave you alone, I will. The last thing I want to do now is to hurt you more than I already have. So just tell me to leave you be, and I will.' She looked up, her honey-brown eyes shining with tears.

-'I... I... oh, this is not fair, Ron.' she said in a barely audible whisper,'it's just not fair.'

-'Just say the words.'

-'I can't, and you bloody well know it.' She said taking his hand off of her face, backing away from him, leaning againt the glass door that had locked them out. He didn't know who had closed the door, but he thanked God for it. The last thing he needed was for Harry to jump in the middle of this conversation.

-'Do you see it now? We can't go on without each other.'

-'Stop it, Ron. STOP!' she shrieked, wiping her tear away. 'Don't look back. If you want to continue seeing me, you can't talk like this. Don't ever talk like this. I'm happy with Harry.' She said, trying to convince herself more than him.

-'Ok... ok, I won't talk like this. I won't.' He said, putting his hands in front of him in defense.

-'Ron, could you come back in...' Ginny started as she opened the door and Hermione nearly fell over, but Ron caught her elbow just in time and pulled her up. 'Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was interrupting something.' She said sourly, looking at Hermione. Judging by the expression on Ginny's face, he concluded that they weren't on best terms lately.

-'No you weren't, Ginny. We were just... talking.' Hermione said, and somehow she looked frightened of Ginny.

-'Harry's been asking for you inside. Thought you might want to know.' she said, still with an odd expression on her face.

-'Give it a rest, Ginny. We weren't doing anything.' He said, and Hermione gave him a thankful look.

-'I guess I'll go see what he wants.' She replied and walked in.

-'I thought you'd be a tad more sympathetic seeing how he snatched your dream girl from right under your nose.' She said, taking a sip out of the glass she held.

-'I lost her all by myself, Ginny. He didn't do anything to steal her away from me. And plus, I'm tryna make Harry's life a living hell, not Hermione's.' He said with a smile and took the glass out of her hand. 'Since when do you drink?'

-'Since life screwed me,' she replied, and maybe it was the light, but Ginny looked a lot older than she was.

-'He cares about you Ginny. He truly does.'

-'Malfoy? He doesn't give a rat's ass if I died in front of his face. I'm just his little doll.'

-'I wasn't talking about him.' Ginny took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

-'Why would you say that?'

-'Have you been totaly blind tonight? Did you not see how he was staring at you during the whole evening?'

-'Give it up, Ron. All you're doing to me is giving me false hope, and trust me, I do not need that at this moment.'

-'I'm not... and trust me, he'll come to realise it sooner or later... So tell me something. What the hell do you mean, you're his little doll?'

-'Let's just not talk about this. It is very awkward to talk to your brother about this subject.' she said, but seeing the determined expression on his face, she continued, 'well, let's just say that the only thing not involved in our relationship is feelings.' She looked really hurt and ashamed of herself. He took a deep breath, ready to lecture her, but he gave it up. The last thing she needed right now was a lecture.

-'So you mean to tell me that you guys are like... VERY intimate friends?'

-'Yes, and could we please stop talking about it? It makes me wanna throw up.' They just stood there for a minute, not saying anything. It was as if words weren't needed for them to express the pain they were feeling.

-'You could do a lot better than Malfoy, you know. Everybody's been eyeing you tonight.' he tried one last time.

-'Get off it, Ron. I do NOT want to talk about this.' She was really hurting and there wasn't a thing in the world that he could do to stop it. 'What about you? Do you still love her?'

-'LOVE? Me, love Hermione? Are you nutters?' He tried to convince her, but before he had even said the words he knew she wouldn't buy it. 'I thought I was over her, I really did. But then, in just a matter of minutes, after seeing her again, it's as if we were never apart. Everything came back, all the old feelings. She doesn't know it yet, but Harry's not the one for her.' She gave a sarcastic laugh.

-'That's what I told myself when they first started dating, but then I came to the conclusion that they might be. Think about it, Ron. They've known each other just as long as you've known her, and their relationship was a lot more civil than yours was with her. Maybe... as much as this pains me to admit it... maybe they ARE right for each other. I mean, have you EVER seen them fight? I don't think anyone has... I kept telling myself that he would come around and finally give us a chance, but when he dated her, it hit me... why should he, when he can have her? I mean, she's perfect. And I'm just your little sister. He's never seen me as more than that.'

-'I wouldn't be too sure about that, Gin. You didn't have all those stupid talks with him in our 7th year. He kept going on and on about you...'-

-'Stop... please, don't say anymore... it's hard enough trying to forget him without you constantly trying to convince me that he cares. He doesn't, ok? I just have to accept it and wish him the best with Hermione. It just wasn't meant to be between us, and that's that.' She retorted, snatching the glass back from Ron's hand and emptying it in less than a second, and she walked back in. Why was everybody so blind? Why couldn't anyone see that Harry and Hermione weren't meant to be? He followed suit as she gave a fake smile and joined Malfoy's arm again. It was just then that he realized how cold he was being to her. It was Draco's hatred for Harry that had driven him into such a thing, he must've known that he cared to Ginny, too. As much as Ron hated to admit it, Draco was the only one who saw things the was they truly were. Ron went to join them, it was a lot better than standing by himself. Harry slowly made his way to them as well.

-'May I steal your date for a few seconds, Draco? I need to talk to her.' It wasn't Ron but Harry who uttered these words.

-'Whatever. Just make sure you get her back to me by the end of the night. I need her tonight.' These words were enough for Ron to beat the crap out of him, but before he could do anything, Malfoy was knocked to the floor. He saw Harry looking furious, he had never seen him looking this angry.

-'Learn how to talk in the presence of a lady, asshole.' Harry said shouting.

-'Lady? HER?' Draco gave a half-hearted laugh, looking at Ginny from head to toe. "Obviously you've never been alone with her, Potter. That's a load off my mind, though. I thought you had something with her before.' Everybody was looking at Ginny wide-eyed, everybody except Harry. He must've known what was going on between them.

-'You better shut that huge trap of yours before you end up dead, Malfoy.' Harry said, looking about ready to kill, taking his wand out. 'Trust me, I'm not afraid of using an Unforgiveable curse.' He said, now standing in front of Ginny, holding his arm out in front of her in a protective manner. 'Appologize to her right now, or else...'

-'I'm sorry I called you by what you really are.' He said as he stood up and walked out. Ginny looked like she would faint. How could he say something like that? That was low, even for a Malfoy.

-'God...' she whispered, as she felt everybody's eyes on her. 'Why couldn't you just stay out of it?' She said to Harry, and for the first time that night a tear rolled down her cheek.

-'This is not Harry's fault, Gins.' It was Ron who spoke up this time. 'You deserve so much better than that scum who treats you like dirt.'

-'When will you finally realise that you guys do NOT run my life? When will you understand that I'm an adult and I could do whatever I wish with my life?'

-'Even if it means losing yourself in the process?' Harry asked. He looked as hurt as Ginny was.

-'That happened a long time ago and Malfoy wasn't the one responsible for that. You of all people should know that, don't you think?' She said as she walked out the same manner Malfoy had.

-'Is she going to go after that bag of garbage?' Hermione asked, who had now joined the crowd.

-'I dunno, but I'm gonna find out.' Ron answered, but he got held back by Harry's hand on his shoulder.

-'I think I better handle this.'

-'Don't you find you caused enough damage tonight?' Ron looked as angry as Harry had been seonds before.

-'We need to work this out, Ron. This is my fault, and she needs to know that I'm sorry. Just let me go, please?' He asked, and without waiting for a reply, he stormed out, in search of Ginny.