A/N: Sorry this took awhile, band is keeping me busy. Which reminds me, I have band camp next week and won't be able to update! :( sorry, but I'll try and keep this going as fast as possible. Shouldn't be long now until ULTIMATE FLUFF!! Whoo! Anyway, I worked really hard on this so I hope you like the chapter. As for my reviewers, thanks so much. Sorry for spelling errors, but they'll be fixed when the story is finished. Right now, my main concern is if It's a good chapter and it's basically correct, not if one "there" is spelled "their". :) hehe. READ AND REVIEW! Thanks so very much.

Happy reading!

xoxoxoxoxo Erin

"Ron, get up already..." Harry grumbled and nudged his friend in the side. Ron glared daggers at him and he said up groggily.

"What's the matter? Afraid I'll see you in your boxer shorts?" Harry teased, wiggling his eyebrows. Ron's mouth gaped open in shock for a moment and he crossed his arms over his chest in aggravation.

"Who have you been talking to?" he asked. His question was answered by a smiling and waving Ginny Weasley who appeared behind Harry's shoulder.

"Mum wants us to clean out the old den. No touching anything that looks unfriendly!" Ginny stated and pointed her finger in warning. Ron rolled his eyes, but paled at the thought of the brain in the department of mysteries. He shuddered quickly and turned to glance at Harry.

"I volunteered us for the job, because she needed help... and I love her," Harry added on quietly. Ron and Harry stared at each other in understanding and started down the stairs together.

"Do you think they'll let us out of here anytime soon? Maybe we can just disappear to the twins' shop for a few hours and browse... get some fresh air.." Ron suggested, dreaming of a day spent outside of Headquarters.

"You mean, there's actually breathable air at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes? Huh, I assumed the second you inhaled your body inflates and you fly away..." Harry joked and shook his head.

"Just because you can do that to your aunt doesn't mean that Fred and George can pull it off so simply.." Ron replied and smirked. Unfortunately, that only got Harry thinking about the Knight Bus and the first time he saw Sirius. It seemed everything was a touchy subject with Harry these days.

"Need some help?" Hermione asked following behind the two boys into the den.

"Well, it could go faster as a four person job..." Ginny said from the corner as she pulled a moldy book off the floor.

"I think I know a few spells that can restore that..."Hermione started and grabbed the book from Ginny's hands.

"I don't think it needs to be restored," Ginny mumbled. Hermione took a look at the title and made a few 'tut' noises with her tongue.

Modern Guide to Bone-Crushing Curses

"What do you think they mean by 'modern'?" Ron asked, wrinkling up his face and sticking out his tongue.

"Well, Harry could at least use it for the D.A.," Hermione pleaded, horrified by the thought of throwing away a book, even if it was filled with curses.

"Nah, I really don't think so Hermione. It's old... plus I don't want to teach anything like THAT!" Harry grunted and turned his attention to a stain on the rug.

"Besides, can't use magic outside of school," Ginny added as she swiped at cobwebs with a broom.

"Yeah Hermione, and to think you're a prefect!" Ron teased and grinned. Harry snorted and scrubbed harder. Hermione frowned and tossed the book into a trash bin.

"Look at this! Looks like Mrs. Black was into romance..." Ron said as suave as he could pull off and handed another book goofily to Hermione.

"Ron, how in the world did you come up with that conclusion?" Ginny asked, peeking over Hermione's shoulder.

"The woman in the bubble bath!" Ron stated as if it were obvious.

"Ron, that's a muggle in a cauldron. It's about various forms of torture in history..." Hermione informed him and rolled her eyes. Ron's face turned a dark shade of red and he mouthed an 'oh' before trying to find some other way to pitch in.

"Hot in here, isn't it?" Ginny joked and giggled as she fanned herself with her left hand and dusted a coffee table with her right.

"Hmnnnn.." Harry agreed with a slight nod of his head. Ginny sighed and brushed some hair out of her face.

"So, are your brothers going to get us out of here or not?" Harry asked both Ginny and Ron as he rolled up his sleeves.

"I don't know.. It was only a suggestion before mate.." Ron answered wearily and wiped some dirt off a worn out chair. The three of them jumped back as a resounding thud came near the bookshelf and a "DAMN IT!" sliced through the air from Hermione's direction.

Ginny helped shove books out of the way as Harry helped Hermione up. Her hair was sticking out in odd places and her face was red as if she were finally pushed to her limit.

"What?" she asked as Ron stared at her in awe.

"You swore Hermione! You swore! That has to... I mean... you must owe me something!" Ron stuttered and laughed as he pulled some lint off her shoulder.

"You're insufferable," she mumbled and picked up the books she had dropped. Ron shrugged and continued pretending that he was contributing to the work effort.

"Well, you could cut the tension with a knife.." Fred said as the Weasley twins apparated by Harry's side. Harry jumped and stared as the two began to laugh hysterically. George shook his head and patted Harry on the shoulder in apology. Ginny ignored their first comment and welcomed them, though not so warmly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in an exasperated tone. Fred held up a bag and pointed to it as if it spoke for itself.

"It's pretty..." Hermione grumbled sarcastically and brushed herself off some more. George's eyes twinkled with delight and winked at her.

"Well actually, it is quite nice, but it's what's inside the bag that we actually meant for you to have," Fred explained and pulled out some extendable ears.

"No, no, no! Not this year. I don't care what the order has to say. I'm not ruining my summer by trying to listen in.." Ginny announced as Ron secretly grabbed a pair and placed them in his back pocket. He whistled and avoided her angry stare. Hermione grabbed the ears from him quickly, not without blushing from being so close to his lower half...

"Fine, fine then. We can tell when we're not wanted," George spoke up.

"Pleasant dreams.." Fred said as a goodbye.

"It's not even night yet.." Hermione said to no one in particular. The twins shrugged and snapped their fingers, disappearing as quickly as they had come.

"They think that makes them look fancy..." Ginny mumbled to Harry and shook her head. Ron stared suspiciously at the spot the twins had previously been in and tapped his arm.

"Well there goes our way out of here..." Harry sighed. Ron frowned and picked up a sock from under the same chair he'd been cleaning before.

"How long do you think THAT has been there?" he asked in disgust.

July 5

IT'S GONE! MY JOURNAL IS GONE! I have no idea where it could be! It was here one minute, gone the next. I don't want to jump to conclusions and say someone took it and is reading my innermost secrets right now, but... if Ginny took it to Mum because she thought it was dark magic I'll throttle her in her sleep! I don't want MUM of all people on my case about liking someone! My secret was in there... Hermione! Mum would try and get me to tell her over a nice dinner or something. Ugh! I decided I might as well write SOMETHING down on a piece of parchment. Maybe if (no.. I mean WHEN) I find my journal I can paste this in there or something. I just had to let everything out, you know? It feels weird not having my journal to write in. Oh no! Fred and George were here just a little while ago. You don't think that they? Oh bloody hell. If they found it and did anything with it I'll die of embarrassment. I know how those two are. I need to find it... and soon. But I can't make myself seem desperate. No, they'd like that too much... all of them. Wouldn't they???

GO CHUDDLEY CANNONS! Sorry, just trying to get things off my mind...

"Ginny, please tell me you didn't touch my journal again!" Ron whined to his sister who was passing in the corridor.

"No, why?" she asked in concern.

"Well, good. I was just checking... because I don't want you touching my stuff whenever you bloody please! That's all!" Ron replied and glared. Ginny sighed and shook her head.

"I know you better than that. Did you lose the stupid thing?" she asked him, seeing through his excuse.

"Well, sort of," he responded quietly, feeling the tips of his ears beginning to heat up.

"I'm on my way to see Harry right now. Want me to ask if he's seen it?" Ginny asked, trying to be helpful. Ron's eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously.

"No no! That's no good... Harry doesn't know I keep a journal," Ron thought aloud. Ginny sighed and scratched the side of her nose.

"Well I'll ask him if he's seen it anyway. I just won't say 'Ron's top secret journal filled with his innermost thoughts and desires. Have you check out page 42? It says something about how he thinks you aren't manly enough!' and he'll say.." Ginny rambled, but Ron cut her off with the clearing of his throat.

"That would be FINE!" he emphasized in a huff. Ginny smirked.

"You sounded like Percy just then," she told him, knowing his reaction wouldn't be pleasant.

"Ugh! First I lose my bloody journal, now I start sounding like the traitor! My life is just filled with horrible surprises," Ron fumed and tugged on his hair.

"Ron relax, it was just Hermione's gift to you.." Ginny teased and watched as Ron's face turned an even brighter white.

"I'm in trouble.." he mumbled and put his face in his hands.

"Don't worry, she won't mind that you lost the thing. I'll see if Harry's seen it around and you check the den. Maybe you left it in there," Ginny commanded and flew up the steps, her hair swirling behind her.

"I didn't bring the stupid thing into the den!" Ron groaned and headed toward Hermione's room. Might as well let her know he was looking for it. She was always helpful in a crisis, and this in Ron's eyes qualified as a crisis!

"HER-MIiiiiiiiii-ooone!" Ron called from outside her doorway. Hermione's head poked out a minute later, hair still frizzed.

"Oh, Ron!" Hermione said happily and stepped aside for him to come through. He stared at her in confusion and walked in beside her.

"Uh, hi.. I was just wondering...well, I've lost something," Ron admitted slowly and waited for her to respond.

"Oh, well we all knew you'd lose your mind some day, I just didn't know it would be so soon," Hermione joked and snorted to herself. Ron rolled his eyes at her humor and sighed.

"Not that! It's that journal you gave me. The one I've been writing in, I seem to have misplaced it," Ron said as calmly as possible. Hermione thought a moment and sat down on her bed. 'Ginny wouldn't have taken it AGAIN would she?' she pondered.

"I haven't seen it Ron. I'm sorry it's gone missing. Maybe I could help you look for it?" Hermione volunteered and hopped off the bed.

"No, if you haven't seen it, I doubt it's around. Something happened to it, but I have a feeling I won't be writing in it again anytime soon," Ron informed her sadly and ran a hand through his hair like always.

"I'm sorry, I know you were just getting used to it. I have some extra parchment here if you need any," Hermione offered.

"No thanks," Ron replied meekly, "I'll manage."

"Ron! I didn't know you kept a journal!" Harry's voice echoed through the room.

"Ginny!" Ron whined. Ginny shrugged, color creeping up on her face.

"It sort of slipped out, and he was interested.." she explained.

"Of course I was! You'd think Ron would let me in on that piece of information, but I guess it slipped his mind. I think it's a great idea Ron. Definitely continue with that," Harry said and slapped him on the back.

"I would Harry, if I knew where the bloody hell it's gone off to, thanks," Ron grumbled.

Stupid Bloody Piece of Parchment

I can only come to the conclusion that someone has made off with MY journal. I mean, it's the only logical explanation. I admit, nothing for me is ever logical. Except for me and 'Mione. I'm a lanky, poor red-head and she's the brightest of our year. Makes perfect sense that she doesn't feel the same way about me as I do her. Right? Ah, why do I ask questions like someone is reading this? Oh yeah, because by the time I'm finished writing someone probably WILL BE! Arg. No privacy ever when you're a Weasley. The only time I'm ignored is in the Daily Prophet when something dramatic takes place. "Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and unknown few...". I don't do much of anything anyway. I don't deserve to be talked about. Harry does. He's a hero. Even if he thinks that he messed up with Snuffles.

Ginny said that he-who-must-not-be-named had my journal and he was using it as a reference guide to come and take me hostage. Sometimes, she's just not so funny.

But Hermione thinks she's hilarious. Hermione also thinks that I'm pig-headed, stubborn, and have a horrible sense of humor. I just know she does.

Why am I writing all this on a piece of parchment? Now it'll be even easier to discover what I really think about everything. Once I start I just can't stop. I'm a loony, just like Lovegood.

I wonder what Neville would do in this situation. Interesting to think about, isn't it?

"Crooshanks! Not now! Can't you see I'm in the middle of something important?" Ron scowled at the cat by his feet. He never had taken to kindly to Hermione's pet. Crooshanks hissed loudly and scratched at his foot.

"OW! What was that f... OH MY BLOODY HELL!" Ron screamed noticing a bit of a book cover hanging out of the cat's mouth.

"You ruddy cat! Give me my journal!" Ron demanded and fell to his knees. Crooshanks dropped the object and took of at break-neck speed. Ron examined it with a heavy heart. All of his journal entries were torn, and there was no way to get them back.

A few minutes later he stormed out of his bedroom and into Hermione's. She was seated on an old folding chair, her legs crossed beneath it.

"I told you there was a reason to hate that cat of yours!" Ron spat at her. She looked up from what she was writing and rolled her eyes at him.

"What excuse have you come up with now?" she asked, not really interested.

"Your PET ruined my journal! I finally use something you give me and your CAT rips all the pages out!" Ron stated, more upset than angry.

"I'm so sorry Ron! I didn't know Crooshanks hadn't gotten into your room at all while we've been here!" Hermione apologized putting her hands over her mouth.

"Well... obviously sometime today the beast did. I only saved a few things. It's all scrambled, and I don't know what day's they're from, but I pasted what I could back in," Ron said quietly and stared at his hands. Hermione wrapped him in an embrace.

"I really had no idea this would happen. But look at it this way! You still have the rest of the journal! You can keep writing and you'll still have something to remember later in life," Hermione comforted and smiled up at him. Ron realized he was still in a hug and backed away rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, I suppose you're right. Thanks 'Mione. I guess I'll get started on it eventually," he said calmly. He wasn't really feeling up to writing about anything at the time. The thrill had sort of died some, along with his previous entries.

"Glad I could help. I'll make sure Crooshanks doesn't get into your room again, Ron," Hermione stated and smiled shyly. The two stared at each other for a long time in silence until Ron coughed and turned to leave.

"See you tomorrow?" Hermione called after him. Ron nodded and headed back toward his room.

"You going to bed?" Ginny asked him as she passed.

"Yeah, I don't really feel like staying up. Where are you headed?" he asked curiously.

"To a room farther up..." Ginny said simply.

"Would this be the room of Harry Potter?" he asked with a grin.

"So what if it is?" Ginny asked in return placing her hands on her hips.

"Nothing, just wanted you to tell him goodnight for me," Ron lied and shrugged his shoulders. Ginny eyed him suspiciously and took off again in a hurry.

After a long yawn and a stretch of the arms over the head, Ron was fast asleep.

"Lavender...oh Lavender..."

"What's Seamus doing?" Hermione asked, crinkling up her nose.

"What he does every time he falls asleep. Making-out with his stuffed hippo and moaning her name," Ron replied as if it were a well-known fact.

"That's...odd. What do you do when you fall asleep, Ron?" Hermione asked. Ron didn't answer.

"I can't stand you!" Ron shouted at Hermione out of the blue. Hermione felt tears well up in her eyes at his comment.

"Why not?" Hermione asked sadly.

"Go all mushy and crazy! I give up!" Ron said in a huff and turned away from her.

"But I'm not being mushy and crazy! What's gotten into you?" Hermione pleaded with him.

"You're a bit paranoid about Ginny!" he informed her. Hermione gasped in shock and stepped back.

"What are you TALKING about!? I have done no such thing! Sometimes you just make me want to scream!" Hermione spat back at him.

"Well I guess I'm going to have to keep a close eye on Fred and George from now on..." Ron mumbled.

"Are you trying to imply something?" Hermione asked, her heart thumping in her chest.

"Did lemonade make my grass grow ten feet tall?" Ron responded as if it meant something.

"I don't know!! Harry, help me out here! Tell Ron he's being a lunatic!" Hermione begged of her friend.

Harry looked up at her curiously and shrugged, stroking his mustache he went back to reading a Qudditch manual.

"Your controlling nature can be quite appealing sometimes.." Ron said suddenly and blushed. Hermione's eye softened and she began to laugh.

"I don't understand you Ronald Weasley," she said and placed her hands on her hips.

"I'm a moron. I'm going to bed," Ron replied and got up out of the chair he had been sitting in.

"No Ron! Wait! I didn't mean to make you... leave," Hermione said shyly and bit her lip. Ron gave a small smile and stood still.

"I want Krum to stay away from me when I'm on the astronomy tower," Ron told her, as if it were a command.

"Krum doesn't even go to this school," Hermione said and tilted her head to the side in bewilderment.

"Your hair is frizzy, but I like it. You remind me of a cup, more precious than a chess pawn," Ron said quietly and looked upon her face. Hermione sighed and took his hand.

"I'm meaningless," he added and hung his head.

"Ron, look at me!" she commanded and raised his chin up, " you are NOT meaningless. Not to me you aren't!"

"I just can never say anything when I want to you know? It's like you in your undies," Ron said desperately. Hermione backed away and blushed.

"I don't know what THAT'S supposed to mean..." she mumbled.

"Well, the moment I've been dreading has finally arrived," Ron said with tears in his eyes. Hermione shuddered and began to cry.

"What?" she asked between sobs.

"Hermione.. I can't be close to you the way I want to be.." Ron explained, squeezing her hand that was still grasping his.

"Why? I don't understand.." Hermione whispered.

"Because I love you Hermione, and I know you don't feel the same," Ron told her and let go of his grip.

"Well, you should have thought about the fact that you're always WRONG," Hermione joked and wiped her tears away. Ron looked at her curiously and opened his mouth, but Hermione quickly sealed it with her lips against his.

"I love you too, Ron"

Hermione stared into her pitch black room and pulled her covers tighter to her body. It was the hardest part of being at Grimmauld Place...

dreaming of him... and waking up to a cold, damp, and empty room.