Disclaimer: I unfortunately own nothing but the plot...The rest is all JKR
A/N: This chapter came a lot easier than the 3rd! The support I got from all my reviewers was amazing! Thank you soooooooooooooooo much you guys! You have no idea what they mean to me! I love getting feed back! This chapter is dedicated to all my loyal reviewers! You know who you are! You guys rock!!!!!!!!!!! x0x0z! EnJoY!!!
Ron's POV
As Harry and Ron climbed up the spiral stair case up to their dormitories talking about how evil Snape was, Ron couldn't help but think of Hermione and what she would say if she heard he and Harry cursing so much. "She's so cute when she gets mad" thought Ron. He chuckled lightly as he and Harry walked into their room. Dean, Seamus and Neville were deep in conversation about something and from the looks on their faces; Ron could tell that it was quite an enjoyable subject that they were talking about.
"Hey guys! What's going on?" Harry asked them.
"Just comparing notes on the hot chicks we intend on getting this year" replied Seamus smugly. Seamus was always one for the ladies.
"Yeah! The Patil twins are looking very "grown up" this year, aren't they?" said Dean with a wink.
"Yeah! But I must say the most "developed" 6th year girl award definitely goes to Miss Hermione Granger, hands down!" said Seamus with a big grin on his face.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" said Ron angrily.
"Haven't you seen her? She's hot!" replied Seamus enthusiastically.
"Don't you talk about her like that!!" Ron shouted; his ears turning beat red with anger.
"What's the matter, Ron?" Seamus piped up, "Surely you've noticed that she's not the same book worm she was back in first year! I can't wait 'till I find out for myself just how much fun she is"
"You stay away from her, Finnigan! I'm warning you!" Ron said clenching his fists.
"Who's going to make me?"
"I WILL!" Ron raised his arm to hit Seamus but Harry grabbed it just in time.
"Ron, NO! Don't worry about it! He's not worth loosing your badge over and getting another detention" Harry tried to calm Ron down.
"I mean it, Seamus! Stay away from Hermione!" Ron bellowed glaring at
Seamus who looked rather shaken.
Seamus seemed to have decided that it was probably best not to test Ron's patience like that when he was that angry so he shut his mouth and left the room, down the spiral staircase.
Ron rounded onto Dean and Neville. "Anyone else want to comment on Hermione?" he said glaring at the both of them.
"Mate, you know I have a thing for the Patil sisters." Dean said quickly.
Ron now looked at Neville.
"Hermione is just my friend," Neville squeaked, "Though she is pretty and nice, you don't have to worry about me, Ron! I would never try to take her away from you or anything!"
"Good!" said Ron. "Wait a minute! What do you mean 'take her away from me'? We're just friends!"
Neville looked as though he would rather face Snape than be in that room at that moment. "I-I just meant that—"
"Neville, I have no idea what you're on about! I'm out of here!" and with that he took off to the common room.
The common room was rather empty as it was pretty late so Ron took refuge to his favourite seat by the fire for a second night in a row.
"Neville's on to me" Ron thought. "Oh that's just bloody fantastic! It's bad enough that Harry knows! Why do I have to make it so obvious all the time? I have got to stop doing that! People might start catching on that I'm jealous and then Hermione would find out. Oh that would be just horrible!!! She can't ever know how I feel! But if Seamus ever goes near her I'll snap him in half! I love the fact that she's maturing, but why do other guys have to notice that?! First Vicky Krum, now Seamus and probably most of the boys in our year for that matter! I should have seen this coming! She's gorgeous; it was only a matter of time for others to start realizing that! Even at the Yule Ball back in fourth year there were quite a few idiots staring at her that were practically drooling! All I know is, I made a vow to protect her last year, and I'll be damned if I let any bloke come near her enough to ever hurt her!"
Just then Hermione came down from the stair case and walked over to him.
"Hey Ron!" she said smiling at him and taking a seat right across from him again.
"Hello!" he said. Ron thought to himself, "I love her smile! She's so gorgeous! She would never take a second look at me"
"Why are you down here so late?" Hermione questioned him.
"The guys were just being stupid in our room so I came down here to get some peace." Ron muttered, still quite a bit bitter and upset about the comment that Seamus made.
"Oh" Hermione started getting up. "Well if you want me to leave I can just—"
"NO!" said Ron abruptly. "I mean, no it's fine, you can stay." Ron was now blushing a bit from his little outburst.
"Okay...?" she said sitting back down.
"So why are you down here so late?" Ron asked her, looking at his feet.
"Couldn't sleep." She replied.
"Oh... I see" said Ron.
"Ron, is there something bothering you?" Hermione asked him.
"No... why would you say that?" said Ron.
"It just looks like you have something on your mind. Lately, you've been kind of spaced out. Last night as well" Hermione stated.
"I'm fine Hermione. Don't worry about me." Ron said simply.
"But I do worry. I worry about you and Harry all the time! You know, you can tell me anything." Hermione said softly.
"I know I can. Same goes for you." Ron told her.
Hermione nodded. Ron looked at her for a moment. "God, she's so beautiful!" Ron thought.
"So anything new or exciting happen while Harry and I were serving detention for the evil greasy old bat?" Ron asked casually, changing the subject.
"Ummm NO! Nothing!" said Hermione a little too quickly. Ron could tell that something really did happen that she didn't want to say. Ron looked at her skeptically.
"What happened?" Ron asked looking at her with concern in his eyes.
"I told you, nothing! You know what; I'm starting to feel a bit sleepy. I think I'll be off to bed now. Good night, Ron!" she said rather oddly and quickly went upstairs before Ron could get another word in.
"What the bloody hell is up with her?" Ron thought, puzzled.
Hermione's POV
Hermione quietly walked in her dormitory. The room was dark and she could tell that Lavender and Parvati were asleep. After Hermione changed into her night dress, she picked up Crookshanks and sat on her bed, thinking.
The truth was she couldn't sleep before because she couldn't stop thinking about Draco and his threats. That horrid look in his eye was enough to make anybody cringe inside. He seemed like he was really serious this time! She knew she was just being silly, worrying about this so much when Draco had always threatened her at least once a week but still she just couldn't shake the feeling that something really bad was about to happen really soon!
Hermione didn't want to tell Ron because she knew that that would only upset him and he'd probably go after Draco. The last thing they all needed was for him and Harry to get into any more trouble. Hermione remembered when Ron stock up for her back in their second year when Malfoy had called her a "Mudblood" for the first time. When Ron tried to curse Malfoy, his wand backfired and had him burping up disgusting slugs for the rest of the day! She felt so horrible after that! Hermione wasn't about to let him loose his prefect badge or get another detention because of her! She would just have to get a grip on herself and stop thinking about what the little ferret said to her that evening. She knew she had to stop running to Ron and Harry to protect her all the time! It just always caused more trouble than what it was worth! She was a big girl; she could take care of herself. She just had to!
A/N: This chapter came a lot easier than the 3rd! The support I got from all my reviewers was amazing! Thank you soooooooooooooooo much you guys! You have no idea what they mean to me! I love getting feed back! This chapter is dedicated to all my loyal reviewers! You know who you are! You guys rock!!!!!!!!!!! x0x0z! EnJoY!!!
Ron's POV
As Harry and Ron climbed up the spiral stair case up to their dormitories talking about how evil Snape was, Ron couldn't help but think of Hermione and what she would say if she heard he and Harry cursing so much. "She's so cute when she gets mad" thought Ron. He chuckled lightly as he and Harry walked into their room. Dean, Seamus and Neville were deep in conversation about something and from the looks on their faces; Ron could tell that it was quite an enjoyable subject that they were talking about.
"Hey guys! What's going on?" Harry asked them.
"Just comparing notes on the hot chicks we intend on getting this year" replied Seamus smugly. Seamus was always one for the ladies.
"Yeah! The Patil twins are looking very "grown up" this year, aren't they?" said Dean with a wink.
"Yeah! But I must say the most "developed" 6th year girl award definitely goes to Miss Hermione Granger, hands down!" said Seamus with a big grin on his face.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" said Ron angrily.
"Haven't you seen her? She's hot!" replied Seamus enthusiastically.
"Don't you talk about her like that!!" Ron shouted; his ears turning beat red with anger.
"What's the matter, Ron?" Seamus piped up, "Surely you've noticed that she's not the same book worm she was back in first year! I can't wait 'till I find out for myself just how much fun she is"
"You stay away from her, Finnigan! I'm warning you!" Ron said clenching his fists.
"Who's going to make me?"
"I WILL!" Ron raised his arm to hit Seamus but Harry grabbed it just in time.
"Ron, NO! Don't worry about it! He's not worth loosing your badge over and getting another detention" Harry tried to calm Ron down.
"I mean it, Seamus! Stay away from Hermione!" Ron bellowed glaring at
Seamus who looked rather shaken.
Seamus seemed to have decided that it was probably best not to test Ron's patience like that when he was that angry so he shut his mouth and left the room, down the spiral staircase.
Ron rounded onto Dean and Neville. "Anyone else want to comment on Hermione?" he said glaring at the both of them.
"Mate, you know I have a thing for the Patil sisters." Dean said quickly.
Ron now looked at Neville.
"Hermione is just my friend," Neville squeaked, "Though she is pretty and nice, you don't have to worry about me, Ron! I would never try to take her away from you or anything!"
"Good!" said Ron. "Wait a minute! What do you mean 'take her away from me'? We're just friends!"
Neville looked as though he would rather face Snape than be in that room at that moment. "I-I just meant that—"
"Neville, I have no idea what you're on about! I'm out of here!" and with that he took off to the common room.
The common room was rather empty as it was pretty late so Ron took refuge to his favourite seat by the fire for a second night in a row.
"Neville's on to me" Ron thought. "Oh that's just bloody fantastic! It's bad enough that Harry knows! Why do I have to make it so obvious all the time? I have got to stop doing that! People might start catching on that I'm jealous and then Hermione would find out. Oh that would be just horrible!!! She can't ever know how I feel! But if Seamus ever goes near her I'll snap him in half! I love the fact that she's maturing, but why do other guys have to notice that?! First Vicky Krum, now Seamus and probably most of the boys in our year for that matter! I should have seen this coming! She's gorgeous; it was only a matter of time for others to start realizing that! Even at the Yule Ball back in fourth year there were quite a few idiots staring at her that were practically drooling! All I know is, I made a vow to protect her last year, and I'll be damned if I let any bloke come near her enough to ever hurt her!"
Just then Hermione came down from the stair case and walked over to him.
"Hey Ron!" she said smiling at him and taking a seat right across from him again.
"Hello!" he said. Ron thought to himself, "I love her smile! She's so gorgeous! She would never take a second look at me"
"Why are you down here so late?" Hermione questioned him.
"The guys were just being stupid in our room so I came down here to get some peace." Ron muttered, still quite a bit bitter and upset about the comment that Seamus made.
"Oh" Hermione started getting up. "Well if you want me to leave I can just—"
"NO!" said Ron abruptly. "I mean, no it's fine, you can stay." Ron was now blushing a bit from his little outburst.
"Okay...?" she said sitting back down.
"So why are you down here so late?" Ron asked her, looking at his feet.
"Couldn't sleep." She replied.
"Oh... I see" said Ron.
"Ron, is there something bothering you?" Hermione asked him.
"No... why would you say that?" said Ron.
"It just looks like you have something on your mind. Lately, you've been kind of spaced out. Last night as well" Hermione stated.
"I'm fine Hermione. Don't worry about me." Ron said simply.
"But I do worry. I worry about you and Harry all the time! You know, you can tell me anything." Hermione said softly.
"I know I can. Same goes for you." Ron told her.
Hermione nodded. Ron looked at her for a moment. "God, she's so beautiful!" Ron thought.
"So anything new or exciting happen while Harry and I were serving detention for the evil greasy old bat?" Ron asked casually, changing the subject.
"Ummm NO! Nothing!" said Hermione a little too quickly. Ron could tell that something really did happen that she didn't want to say. Ron looked at her skeptically.
"What happened?" Ron asked looking at her with concern in his eyes.
"I told you, nothing! You know what; I'm starting to feel a bit sleepy. I think I'll be off to bed now. Good night, Ron!" she said rather oddly and quickly went upstairs before Ron could get another word in.
"What the bloody hell is up with her?" Ron thought, puzzled.
Hermione's POV
Hermione quietly walked in her dormitory. The room was dark and she could tell that Lavender and Parvati were asleep. After Hermione changed into her night dress, she picked up Crookshanks and sat on her bed, thinking.
The truth was she couldn't sleep before because she couldn't stop thinking about Draco and his threats. That horrid look in his eye was enough to make anybody cringe inside. He seemed like he was really serious this time! She knew she was just being silly, worrying about this so much when Draco had always threatened her at least once a week but still she just couldn't shake the feeling that something really bad was about to happen really soon!
Hermione didn't want to tell Ron because she knew that that would only upset him and he'd probably go after Draco. The last thing they all needed was for him and Harry to get into any more trouble. Hermione remembered when Ron stock up for her back in their second year when Malfoy had called her a "Mudblood" for the first time. When Ron tried to curse Malfoy, his wand backfired and had him burping up disgusting slugs for the rest of the day! She felt so horrible after that! Hermione wasn't about to let him loose his prefect badge or get another detention because of her! She would just have to get a grip on herself and stop thinking about what the little ferret said to her that evening. She knew she had to stop running to Ron and Harry to protect her all the time! It just always caused more trouble than what it was worth! She was a big girl; she could take care of herself. She just had to!