Author's Note: PURLEZE Review… I'm feeling neglected here! And tell your friends! LOL. The more people that are reviewing the more I put up. I'm putting up more to get people hooked but if this gets no attention… then what's the point right?

Disclaimer: I don't own HP otherwise I'd be stinkin' rich and bloody brilliant! Woohoo!

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Chapter 2 "Inertia"

The weeks went by and things had subtly changed around them. Draco was now on non-threatening terms with the group, perhaps mainly for the lack of support, but still didn't shunt or tease them. Hermione seemed strangely distant, particularly to Ron and as if the tension between them wasn't enough the castle had begun to fill with rats to the disgust of its students. It seemed that Hogwarts was looking as down as Ron's mood and that fleeting high that they had experience during the beginning of the year had rapidly faded. Harry had gone to the Gryffindor common room one day to see if he could find either Hermione or Ron but he found Ginny instead. She was sitting comfortably, alone in an armchair and was sipping some tea.

"Hi, Ginny," said Harry uneasily.

"Oh, Hello Harry," she replied.

"Why are you here all alone?"

"Cause… Well… I was waiting for you,"

Harry's heart began to beat fast.

"For me? Why?" he said.

"Well, Ron's been acting strange and I want to know why. You're his best friend Harry! I thought that maybe you should know,"

"Oh," he said disappointed. "Well, my guess is that it has A LOT to do with last year," said Harry now sitting next to Ginny.

"Last year? During you fight with…"

"Yeah. There were so many things that happened, some that might mean more to some people than to others,"

"Oh, Please tell me! I want to know," she said sweetly.

"How can I ever deny you anything," he said as he began to tell the story.

"Well, after the Death Eaters had us cornered when we had entered the school, we had to split up to avoid being caught. At that point, Malfoy had joined us because of what had happened with his father. So I left with him and Hermione and Ron were left together. Ron told me the rest after a whole week of trying to get him to say anything… As they were heading off in one direction they hid in a tight space and there, Hermione started to cry. Ron comforted her and said that there would be no one there to hurt her as long as he was around. He told her he would always be there for her and that, one day; they'd run away from all their troubles and all the dangers they faced… together.  He basically made a full confession of love but without really saying it. He'd even tried to kiss her but during that time…"

"You had fallen for her and she for you," whispered Ginny sadly.

"I regret that ever happening Ginny. I knew after a short time that she wasn't for me, that I never should have betrayed my real feelings,"

"Harry, please. It's too late for that… I left you for a reason but apparently there's still more to tell about Ron and Hermione... so please continue,"

"Well… Hermione had pushed him away, but Ron had sufficed with kissing her cheek. It seems that that kiss had made far more of an impact than she'd expected. After we "got together" and broken up she really seemed to not know what to think concerning him, which might be why she didn't send him any owls. So you see Ginny, I think Hermione feels more for him than she's letting on and is scared to go through it again, afraid what might happen if she lets him into her heart the way she did me,"

Ginny looked at the floor. She didn't know what to feel. This was a very complex story but she had always known about the way that her brother had felt about Hermione. She also know that brown eyed-girl sort of knew it herself yet decided herself on HER boyfriend. It was all a case of mistakes leading into nothing. She hugged Harry and said: "Well, at least we all know where we stand now,"

***

Ron had begun running… Faster - Faster… he headed towards the library.  He was going to do it! He was going to catch her! She had eluded him long enough and if he didn't see her face he would surely go mad! Her ignoring him was one thing, but he needed to know for himself why this lack of attention was destroying him. If seeing her face after having it denied in class by huge books and student's heads would make him feel the same way he did that night at the Quidditch pitch, then he knew that the remainders of his moments of weakness had stayed embedded in his heart. That he had feelings he needed to sort out. He just needed to know for sure that what he felt was an attachment deeper then friendship even if he knew that no matter the outcome, his feelings wouldn't be returned. But alas, she was nowhere to be seen. He was sure he saw her go up the staircase but it seemed he was wrong.

"Why is she hiding herself from me?" Ron thought.

He returned to the Gryffindor tower to see Harry and Ginny talking. Out of fear of intruding, he decided to take his Quidditch things out to clear his head. He sighed and walked outside, the fresh air would cool him off. He arrived at the pitch. No one could be seen so he removed his shirt and stretched. His body was now less lanky and far more toned. He was taking out his Quidditch robes as he heard a gasp. He saw her look into him with those deep brown eyes. Hermione was walking along the entrance and looked awfully surprised to see Ron, shirtless no less.

"R-R-Ron…" muttered Hermione.

"I eh -" said Ron with half his shirt on.

"I-I-I didn't know! I mean that I should have checked if-if you need the pitch! Sorry!"

"No! Please don't leave!" he shouted now fully dressed.

Hermione was about to spin around until she saw the longing in his eyes. She then bravely marched forward, and went to speak to him

"So… How…"

"How am I? I'm terrible! I haven't been able to talk to you in ages!" he said.

"Oh... Yes, well I've been -"

"Busy? No, I don't buy it! Not for a moment! You've been avoiding me and I want to know why," questioned Ron.

"Ron… You'll catch cold with just your robes on…"

"Don't change the subject Hermione! Now please, answer me,"

As Hermione was about to breathe a word out, there was a sudden thunder and rain began to poor on them like a flash! Hermione grabbed Ron's waist afraid of the sudden noise. He looked down at her as they both began to dampen under the rain. Water trickled down her nose and fell on her bottom lip. It looked nice and moist just like that tear that tempted him to advance on her the first time. He grabbed her tightly and they both ran into the Player's room. His heart was beating at a thousand miles and hour as they remained inside. She was completely soaked from head to toe. Hermione didn't dare to look up as she strained her hair for she knew exactly what she'd see. Ron's nice built glistening like a liquid statue; water running down his face, hair wet and limp. Now wasn't the time for hormones to take over… even she knew that.

"No…" he thought. "You've got to resist Ron… She didn't care for you that way then, what makes you think she will now,"

Hermione continued to stare at the floor. Questions started to come to the boy's mind as regularly as his heart beats. What if she DID care for him that way? What if the reason she was ignoring him was because she wasn't sure what to do? So he walked over to her and titled her face up so she could finally look him in the eyes. Hermione felt goose bumps on her skin for one part, because of the cool draft that suddenly came from nowhere and in another part from Ron's stare. As Ron continued to piece together the puzzle in his mind, Hermione soon found out that the draft wasn't dreamt up at all.

"Oh… What's going on?" said Draco now entering the players changing room.

"Draco!" said Hermione.

"Malfoy! I err -" he said as he lowered him arm.

"Well, I didn't know I'd be interrupting anything. I would have brought about 10 other people with me if that was the case," he said in a strange smirk, one that hid another meaning.

"Draco, sorry. I know I told you that I'd wait for you outside but it started to rain and -" said Hermione.

"It's fine by me! I see Weasley's stolen my time. I'll call on you next time Granger. I still need some practice to get you sad Gryffindors at the first match. And it won't be pretty Weasley!" he said as he ducked out of the room part of his Quidditch robes over his head.

Ron turned to Hermione surprised.

"You've been letting him have extra hours of practice?"

"He asked and as long as I was there he could,"

"Hermione, you'll be sabotaging the team if you do that! Does Harry know?"

"Of course he doesn't! Then he'd want me to tell him everything I saw!"

"But – but how could you?"

"I'm Head Girl Ron! He simply asked me! He couldn't schedule anything cause he doesn't have a full team yet, and with the lack of Slytherins how could he? It doesn't surprise me that he'd still want to train though. A lot of things had happened to Draco and he just wants to escape sometimes," she said with a tinge of color in her cheeks, she wasn't in the mood to have to justify herself.

"Well… It seems you know what he's going through far better then anyone else, right Hermione?! Maybe I was wrong. The REAL reason you're ignoring me is cause your spending all your time with him am I right? Poor, broken-hearted Draco!"

"What are you talking about?!" said Hermione, her hair starting to frizz.

And with that Ron stomped away leaving Hermione confused and angered. "I should have known! I should have known! She doesn't care for me the way I do for her and she never will!" he thought as he disappeared into the castle far more soaked then before and FAR more heart-broken.

Days went by before Ron had even breathed a word to Hermione. He wouldn't dare look at her and conveniently enough, whenever he did, Malfoy was close by. He couldn't understand what had happened. Malfoy had always been so terrible to Hermione yet she treated him like he was an old friend. He told his worries to Harry, while taking out the part about him nearly wanting to kiss her again but the black-haired boy simply told Ron what he knew.

"You're reading this all wrong. You know how Hermione is about people or creatures that are somewhat needy or need help. Remember her S.P.E.W. movement 3 years ago? And her getting Crookshanks because he was the only animal that wasn't wanted at the Pet Shop? She's just like that Ron, she can't see anyone not getting help when they need it,"

"But – This is MALFOY!"

"I know. I think Malfoy's just taking advantage of this though; can get more practice hours this way that dirty-" began Harry until Ron cut him off.

"That's not fair! It's not right!"

"Well, the only way to know is to ask him," said Harry as he saw Malfoy, walking down the hall. "I suggest you ask if he wants more with Herm then just for Quidditch. I know that's what you think,"

Ron looked at the Slytherin as he walked confidently passed them. He didn't see Ron or Harry so the redhead had a chance to back out when ever he wanted. "He's right. If I know that they really are… together… then, I'll be able to put my feelings a side," So Ron marched up to Malfoy at a quick pace to catch him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Malfoy…" Ron said weakly.

"Weasley, what do you want?" said snobbishly.

"I… I want to ask if – err -" muttered Ron, asking this question was harder then he thought. For one part, he didn't want to hear that he was right, for the other if he was wrong Draco would be making fun of him for asking.

"What? If you are just going to stand around there, looking brain-dead, then you'll be wasting my time. Out with it Weasley,"

"I want to know if… If you and Hermione are… well… are…"

"Are??" he questioned.       

"If you both are going out!" he spat, this was it! What would be the answer?

Draco's eyes grew to twice their size, as many faces seemed to tear their way from their conversations just to look at the two. Justin Finch-Fletchley, who was surrounded by a few Hufflepuffs, began to murmur things and soon the voices were spreading like wildfire. "Granger and Malfoy?" "Did you know?" "No! I didn't! What an odd couple?" "Malfoy and Granger… sick!" Malfoy had a panicked stare as he heard the whispers. This would damage his reputation! He'd be humiliated in his house and unable to face the very few people that remained in it! Weasley wasn't going to get away with this!!!

"Are you CRAZY Weasley! Me, Draco Malfoy, the only hope the Malfoy family has left! Going out with mudblood filth?! You must be INSANE!" he shouted so loud that even the people in the corridors could hear.

"So you're not -" began Ron ignoring the stares from the other students.

"NO!"

Harry wasn't sure what to think now. He saw Malfoy look at all the people. Was he saying this to save face? Or was he really uninvolved with Hermione? Harry walked up to Ron and put his hand on his shoulder. The redhead turned to face him just as Malfoy stomped out of the hall.

"Maybe this wasn't the best place to ask Ron," said Harry…