After dinner, Hermione went off to the library, intent on keeping to her O.W.L study schedule that she'd spent half the summer devising. Ron had exclaimed in horror when he'd heard about it. "While you were on vacation? Hermione, do you even realize what a vacation is for?"

Harry and Ron played chess in the common room, then joined Seamus and Dean for a game of Exploding Snap. One by one, the common room emptied, until only Harry and Ron remained.

Ron took a deep breath, then blurted out, "Harry, you don't fancy Hermione, do you?"

Harry stared back at him incredulously. "Are you serious? Of course not!"

Ron shrugged. "I know it sounds.well, I mean.I just had to make sure."

Harry's face turned mischievous. "You mean, you had to make sure the way was clear for you, eh?"

Ron grinned back. "Something like that." He looked lost in thought for a moment, then said, "Can I ask your advice, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "Sure, but I don't know how much help I'll be. It's not like I'm beating off the ladies with a stick."

Ron smiled at the image, then asked seriously, "Do you think I stand a chance? With Hermione, I mean?"

Harry gave serious thought to his answer. " I really don't know. I mean, Hermione is pretty good at hiding things she doesn't want us to know. I think she fancies you, but I don't know that she fancies you. I reckon when you want to know badly enough, you'll take the risk and find out for yourself."

Ron sputtered, "Great advice, that. Doesn't do me much good, does it?"

Harry suddenly felt irrationally angry, and responded heatedly, "Just because you're too bloody scared to act doesn't mean you can take it out on me! I never asked to be put in the middle of this! As if I want the two of you acting all loony around each other."

Ron jumped up. "Ha! I knew you weren't all right with this! You do fancy her!"

Harry jumped up as well, then stepped forward right into Ron's face. "I already told you, I don't! My problem is that all you seem to want to do is talk about what you should do! You never bloody do it! If you fancy her, just ask her out, already. That's the advice any one would give you. Don't blame me if you're too scared to follow it!"

Ron face started to turn a dark pink. Just as he was about to yell back, Harry suddenly sat back down on the sofa and sighed heavily. Looking up at Ron, he muttered, "Sorry. I overreacted a bit there."

Ron sat down as well. "Yeah, well, I suppose I was being a bit daft."

Harry grinned. " I think you'll figure out what to do, Ron. Have faith."

Ron put his head in his hands and groaned. "This is so confusing, Harry. Everything's changing, and I can hardly keep up. There's no reason to this love stuff."

Harry sat up straight, then turned toward Ron. "So give it reason, Ron."

Ron peeked out from between his hands. "Huh?"

Harry replied, "Think of it as a chess match. You have to have a strategy in order to achieve a desired goal, right?"

"Of course," Ron replied.

"So map out a strategy to win Hermione's heart. Set out a plan of attack, and execute it. If you have a plan, you won't be so confused and emotional all the time. To tell you the truth, mate, you're beginning to be a bit of a girl."

Ron immediately hit Harry with one of the common room sofa cushions, then thought about Harry's suggestion.

"You know what, mate? You're bloody brilliant! This could work..this could work!"

Harry smiled back. "Of course I'm brilliant. Now, I'm off to bed. You coming?"

Ron shook his head no. "I'm gonna stay up a bit longer and get my strategy all mapped out."

Harry chuckled, then rose and walked toward the boy's dormitory staircase. At the base of the steps, Harry turned back towards Ron and asked, "Hey Ron, does this campaign of yours have a name?"

Ron thought a bit, then suddenly grinned widely. "Sure does, mate. Operation Hermione's Heart."

Harry shook his head, and climbed the stairs, thinking, "Off his rocker, definitely."

But Harry couldn't stop smiling as he thought it.