A/N: Read the author's note at the end of this chapter. It clears up some questions that some reviewers had.

~*~

"A good friend who points our mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals a secret of hidden treasure." ~Buddha

"Harry, it's just not healthy--"

"It's not of your bloody business how I handle things--"

"Of course it's my business! And you have to talk about it sometime--"

Ron just stared at the two of them. Harry and Hermione never fought. It just didn't happen. Ever. Well, that one time in third year over the Firebolt, but that didn't count, because Harry didn't actually fight with Hermione, he had just stopped talking to her. And yes, Harry had been a bit out of control last year, what with all the yelling and snapping at everyone. But both he and Hermione had known Harry wasn't really mad at them, but at the situation he was in. Besides, he'd gotten better since then--and making Hermione angry was Ron's job, not Harry's.

With that in mind, Ron shouted, "OY! What's going on here?"

Harry and Hermione broke off to look at him. Hermione looked sad and frustrated, while Harry just looked livid.

"What's going on?" Ron repeated.

Harry let out a snort. "Don't ask me. Ask Hermione here, seeing as she knows absolutely everything there is to know about everybody." Ron's stomach clenched at the tone of Harry's voice. Harry sounded--there was just no other way to put it--downright nasty.

Hermione flinched slightly. "We--we were just having a discussion."

Ron raised an eyebrow at this. Did Hermione honestly expect him to buy that? What, did he look as stupid as Crabbe suddenly? "Right," Ron said, folding his arms. "And that discussion is why the two of you were screaming so loudly that all of Hogwarts could practically hear you."

"According to the resident psychologist," Harry snarled, jerking his head at Hermione, " I am not 'handling my grief properly'."

Ron looked at Hermione incredulously. She hadn't. After all of Ron's warnings, Hermione wouldn't bring up Sirius in front of Harry. She wouldn't.

But she obviously had.

"This is just great," Ron muttered, starting to feel irritated. "I had a great time today in Hogsmeade, and then I've got to come back and deal with all this!" His good mood of eariler had evaporated completely.

Harry and Hermione stared at him. Harry looked surprised, while Hermione looked shocked and hurt.

"You had a great time?" Harry said, sounding interested. "Really?"

"Yeah," Ron said. "I did--" He caught sight of Hermione's face, and wished he hadn't.

Ron fought his feelings down with another surge of irritation. It wasn't fair that he felt guilty--he shouldn't feel guilty for having a good time--there were no ties, no commitment--and wasn't she still writing to Victor buggering Krum?

She had absolutely no right to look at him with those hurt eyes, like he'd done something wrong. Last he'd checked, having a good time was not considered a cardinal sin.

Hermione probably hadn't felt guilty when she'd gone to the Yule Ball with Krum. She'd laughed and danced and had a simply wonderful time. So why couldn't Ron do the same?

He shouldn't feel guilty. He didn't feel guilty.

Harry shot Hermione a dark look. "I'm going upstairs." He stomped up the stairs, making no pretense at hiding his anger.

Ron sighed and looked at Hermione. "Couldn't you have just left things alone?"

"Don't try and pretend that any of this is my fault, Ron Weasley!" Hermione's voice was getting louder. "Harry hasn't said a word about what happened, and it's about time he said something--"

"He has," Ron cut in, fighting the urge to lose control and get just as emotional as she was. Somebody had to stay sane in all this mess. "He talks to Lupin. You should see the letters he writes to him. They're practically novels."

"That's not enough--"

"It is enough. Lupin knew Sirius better than any of us. Honestly, Hermione, you can't decide how Harry deals with Sirius's death.  I know you meant well and all, but--just leave it alone, Hermione. Please."

She gave him an injured look and folded her arms. Ron knew Hermione wasn't going to admit he was right, but it didn't matter. He was right.

"I'm going up there to talk to him," he muttered, running his fingers through his hair. He turned and was about halfway up the stairs when he heard her speak.

"Did--did you really have a good time today? With Luna?"

Ron turned to look at her. For a moment he considered lying to her and saying he'd had a horrible time. Except he hadn't. And there was no reason to pretend otherwise.

No reason at all.

"Yeah. I did."

"Oh." Hermione said, nodding. "Good. I'm--I'm glad."

"Thanks," he said, turned, and ran the rest of the way upstairs.

He still refused to feel guilty.

~*~

The hangings around Harry's bed were drawn shut when Ron came in. "Harry?" he called softly. Ron had a sudden urge to go and fetch Ginny. For some reason, Ginny seemed to be the only person out of all of them who could deal with Harry when he was in one of his difficult moods.

Harry drew the hangings back and glared at Ron. "What, are you going to lecture me too?"

"No," Ron said, wishing he was practicing Quidditch, or playing chess, or doing anything but having a discussion that he really didn't want to have. "I wanted to see if you were all right."

"I'm fine," Harry growled. "And it'd be great if some people would stay out of my bloody business."

"Hey, don't yell at me," Ron objected. "I didn't tell Hermione to talk to you about it."

"But you agree with her, don't you?"

"Actually, no." Ron shrugged, trying to buy time to piece together what he wanted to say. He wasn't good with words, like other people. "I can't tell you how you're supposed to deal with--with what happened to Sirius. No one can. And if--writing to Lupin helps you--then good. But--that doesn't mean you can't talk to us--if you want. Because we'd listen, if--if you wanted to talk or anything. But if you don't, then--that's okay, too."

Nice, Ron, he thought to himself. Could you be anymore bloody inarticulate?

Harry's face softened, and his voice was less defensive when he said, "Okay."

Ron let out a breath in relief. "Okay, then."

"I'm--I'm not--I'm not trying to shut you two out, or anything," Harry said quickly in a low voice. "It's just--easier talking to Remus, that's all."

"It's okay, Harry, really," Ron told him. "I already knew that. And Hermione'll get it too. Just give her some time."

Harry nodded, and they didn't say anything for a few moments.

Ron said softly, "She's just trying to help, you know."

Harry was lying back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He nodded. "I know." He looked over at Ron. "I should go apologize, shouldn't I?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah, that might help."

Harry nodded again. "I will."

"Okay." Ron paused, waiting. Harry didn't move. "You can go anytime, you know."

Harry grinned as he looked over at Ron. "Later. After I hear about your date with Luna."

Ron blushed. "Oh. That."

"Yeah, that." Harry sat up. "What happened?"

Ron went over and sat on his own bed. "It was--nice." He considered. "Really nice," he amended.

Harry smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah," Ron said. "It was fun." His face darkened. "Until Malfoy showed up."

Harry winced. "Oooh. What'd he do?"

"Said some filthy stuff, as usual. I was this close to cursing him within an inch of his life--"

"And you should've," Harry interrupted.

"--but Luna stopped me," Ron concluded, then smiled. "She said that she likes me."

"What, to your face?" Harry said, clearly surprised.

Ron laughed. "Yeah. Looked me right in the eye and everything. Said it straight out too. There's--there's no beating around the bush with her, is there?"

Harry shook his head. "Nah." He looked vaguely regretful. "Wish more girls did that. Just told you what they really felt straight out, y'know?"

"Yeah," Ron said softly, thinking about Hermione. "Wish they did."

~*~

~STOP!!!! READ THIS BEFORE REVIEWING OR CLICKING THE BACK BUTTON!!!!!!!!~

A/N: Ahem. Now that I've gotten your attention, I need to clear some things up. First off, I am a staunch supporter of Ron/Hermione. Have been for a very long time. I usually write Harry/Ginny, but I love both ships. I have never written H/H, and I won't ever write it either. That's a big no-no. This fic, basically, came out of the fact that we don't see too much of Jealous!Hermione. We've gotten plenty of Jealous!Ron, both in OotP and in fanon. And I was getting pretty sick of the idea that Hermione has to sit around and wait for Ron to make the first move. So, why shouldn't Ron make the first move...with someone else?

And I'm sorry to everyone who's been enjoying the Ron/Luna in this fic. I'm glad that I made it likeable for people. But one of my two major ships for me has always been Ron/Hermione. I just can't see it any other way.

And for Tweek's Panda, I'm glad you like the fic. I'm really flattered that you put it on your favorite stories list. But R/H, for me, is the pairing with the most proof behind it. This is where the series is most likely to go. So, no, I'm not really a Ron/Luna fan. Not in a yeah-this-is-where-JK-is-going fan. More of a yeah-they'd-be-cute-together-for-ten-minutes kind of fan.

And that's all I'm gonna say for now.