Author's Note:  Here's chapter two!  Hope you like it.  Special thanks goes out to Teentypist.  You're the only person to have reviewed so far.  Thanks for the encouragement if no one reviewed I wouldn't have posted more.  I agree the idea of Ron singing is a little funny, but I figure he might have hidden talents.  Or maybe he'll just suck when he does it.  You'll just have to keep reading to find out.

NOTE: This is a companion to Muggle Studies: Seamus' Story. You will understand it better if you read both. Sometimes Ron doesn't pay attention but Seamus does or vice versa. You will have a cleared picture if you read both.

Chapter 2: The Little Things

            Ron's thought's stayed along these lines for the rest of class.  He tried to concentrate on Professor MacLachen's lecture but Hermione was right in front of him and it was difficult to keep his eyes from straying to the back of her head, and her profile.  He really wanted to pay attention so he wouldn't have to borrow her notes but she was too beautiful.  How could he keep his eyes on plain, old, Professor MacLachen when such a gorgeous slip of a girl was sitting right in front of him?  His other classes didn't go much better either.  Surprisingly, he was able to pay the most attention in Divination but only because Hermione wasn't in that class.  Goodness knows it wasn't Trelawny's doing. 

            Without fail, Ron ended up in the library with Hermione copying out her notes from the day.  Hermione, of course, was scolding him for his inattentiveness. 

            "Ron, I don't know how you expect to pass the exams if you don't even try to listen in class.  The professors said some important things, you know."

            "Hermione, I tried to listen.  Really, I did.  But I have a really short attention span and I get easily distracted.  It's not my fault."

            "Ron, this is exactly what I'm talking about.  You're a prefect.  You're supposed to be setting an example.  Instead you don't pay attention and you try to shift the blame onto someone else.  Try to be a little more responsible."

            "Okay, okay.  Lord, stop lecturing.  I'll try harder.  Is that enough?"

            "Ron, you're not taking me seriously. And I'm not lecturing.  I'm just trying to help."

            "I'm taking you seriously; as serious as a heart attack.  Don't you worry about me, Hermione.  I know your trying to help and I appreciate that.  I'm glad I have such a good friend."

            Hermione looked as if someone had just told her Harry and Malfoy had become best friends.  Ron Weasley never thanked anyone for their concern.  If you were lucky you got away with only an order to mind your own business, and only if you were lucky.  But here he was telling her he was happy she was "sticking her nose into his business", as he'd told her before. 

            Ron was pleased to see the first step of his plan to get to know Hermione better had in fact worked.  He had been nice to her so now she would open up.  Whether it would be from the fact that she would feel more comfortable or from pure shock he couldn't tell.  He'd just have to start asking questions and see if she talked.

             "Hermione, do you remember in Muggle Studies this morning when Professor MacLachen was talking about Muggle music?  Well, you're Muggle born, so you'll know something about Muggle music, right?"

            "Ron, where is this going?  I have other homework to do," Hermione said, sounding a little irritated that she couldn't get back to her work.

            "Well, the, er, songs that Seamus and Lavender sang sounded kind of, er, boring.  So I was wondering, is that what all Muggle music sounds like?"

             Hermione shook her head in kind way.  Like the way a mother shakes her head when her child asks an obvious question.

            "No, Ron.  That was just a type of music called Broadway music.  Broadway is like a play but with songs that the characters sing.  There are lots of other kinds of music.  Some of them are pretty good.  There's rock and roll, country, rap, pop, hip-hop, classical and a whole bunch of other kinds."

            "Why didn't you keep your hand up when she asked if you knew a lot about music?  You seem to know a lot to me," he asked.

            "I don't know a lot about it Ron.  I used to play some piano and sing a bit, but I spent more of my time reading and studying.  I never really got into the popular music scene," she said.

            Ron decided that he should get her talking fast before she lost interest and went back to her work so her went for the direct approach.

             "Hermione, what's your favourite song?"

            Her brow furrowed and she seemed a little thrown by the question.

            "My favourite song?  I, well, I, er, I'm not sure.  Let me think.  I really like "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias.  Yes, I'd have to say that's my favourite song."

            He nodded and made a mental note to learn it.

            "Okay, well tell me some other things about you."

            She gave him a strange look. 

            "What do you mean Ron?  You know lots of stuff about me," she said, a little bit confused.

            "You know, tell me about your Muggle life, before Hogwarts, in the summer, anything.  I don't know anything about your Muggle life, and I'd like to learn."

             Hermione looked a little suspicious at his sudden interest but she began to tell him about her life in the non-magic world.  She told him about how her parents had never had much time for her but had always tried to make it up with holidays and trips.  She'd been to Hong Kong, Australia, America, France, Italy, Spain and Russia.  She told him that though she really appreciated the trips, they never seemed to make up for the endless time alone.  That was one of the reasons she'd turned to books as a child.  In books you could always find a friend even when your parents were at their office and you were by yourself.  She told him how kids in her primary school had made fun of her because of her reading and her looks.  They called her bookworm, and know-it-all.

            "But Hermione," he said, "I call you that almost everyday."

            "Oh, it's different with you Ron," she said blushing slightly.  "When you call me things I know you don't really mean to be cruel.  You're just frustrated.  The kids called me names just to be cruel.  They just wanted to hurt my feelings."

            "Oh," he said.  "That's too bad Hermione.  But really it's their loss.  If they couldn't see what a great friend you are then they really didn't deserve you did they?" he added, as his ears turned the same colour as his hair.

            She smiled shyly at him.  "Thanks Ron."

            He blushed harder, not really knowing what to do now.  It was getting a little uncomfortable. 

             Searching for an easy way out, he scribbled the rest of the notes quickly and said,  "No problem, Hermione.  Well, I'm done with your notes, so I'm off to bed.  See you tomorrow."

            Then he got up and walked away before she could respond.  He made his way up to the dormitory and cursed himself for being so lame.  He leaned against the door and thought, This is going to be harder than I thought.

Author's Note 2:  So that was it.  Now review!  Please.