Ron wrung his hands together and paced his room. Ok, he was going to tell her. He had to, he'd waited six years, he was going to tell her. What was he going to say? 'er…I really really like you and I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me'
"No, that's pathetic." Ron said to himself. "Look, I know that I was going out with Padma before but we're no longer an item and I was wondering…No!" Ron tugged at his hair frustrated. With everything that had happened he had to tell her. School over the past week had gone from bad to worse with all the teachers being replaced with deatheaters except Firenze, McGonagall, Snape and Flitwick. Ron had very nearly got hit by a curse while walking back from dinner with Ginny and Hermione. Jenny had been caught in a corner by a sixth year Slytherin gang and they had started beating her up until Jenny had started singing to put them into a trance and got away. Hermione had spent a day in the Hospital wing when Milicent Bulstrode had got her with the Cruciatus curse and a lot of students could be seen straight backed and in pain. The only thing that Ron could think of was that they had had a run in with Filch. Strange thing was that every Slytherin that did something bad to Jenny, Hermione or Ginny often ended up walking around the corridors with a bruised face or in the case of the girls, they were forced to go and apologise and do something for them. Malfoy was obviously keeping up his side of the bargain to some extent, or trying to. Ron bit his lip and tried again, talking to a water Jug.
"We've known each other for six, seven years and in that time my feelings for you have really-"
"Ron, what are you doing?" asked Hermione from the door. Ron turned so quickly he knocked over the water Jug. He turned to the floor but Hermione rolled her eyes and walked over and helped him tidy up. "We're going to be late for Transfiguration."
"Oh, right, what time is it?" Ron asked.
"It's nearly nine" Hermione said. "I didn't see you at breakfast so I thought I should come and wake you up, but you're already awake." Hermione said with a strained smile. The pain from the curse she had received still hurt her a bit.
"Are you ok?" Ron asked. Hermione nodded.
"I will be. It's just a bit of left over pain. You know, I really never knew that Milicent Bulstrode could actually perform magic, let alone an unforgivable curse." Hermione said.
"But you're alright?" Ron asked. The corner of Hermione's lips twitched and she nodded. "As long as you're alright." Ron said. He found his gaze roaming over Hermione's body and he looked away, "Come on, lets go" He said picking up his bag. Hermione frowned as she picked up her own bag.
"Are you alright?" Hermione asked Ron, "You seem a bit, I don't know, distracted." Ron shrugged.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." He said a bit too quickly.
"Ron, you can tell me. I'm one of your closest friends." Hermione said. Ron stopped on the stairs and Hermione stopped with him. They both looked at each other. This was it, Ron thought. He took a deep breath and tried to think of the right words. What did he decide on? Did he decide on anything?
"Will you go out with me?" Ron blurted out, Good going Ron, she's really going to say yes now isn't she? Ron kicked himself mentally. "You don't have to but I was just-"
"Aren't you seeing Padma?" Hermione asked him.
"Well, I was but we decided that it just wasn't practical with me here and her out there and I think she has a think for Seamus anyway. Also, I really wanted you and she's clever and she's a lot like you but she's just not you, if you get what I mean." Ron said quickly, "It was a stupid idea, I understand if you don't want to go out with me." Ron said, he headed quickly down the stairs cursing himself under his breath. Hermione ran after him.
"Ron, wait." Hermione said. She managed to get in front of Ron and stopped him. Ron couldn't look at Hermione in the eyes, he'd screwed up their friendship for sure, there was no going back.
"Hermione, let me go and crawl in a hole." Ron muttered.
"Why would I let you do that?" Hermione asked smiling slightly. Ron risked a glance at her. He raised his eyebrows when he saw her expression. "Come on, lets go to Transfiguration." She said taking his hand and leading him out of the common room.
"So is that a yes?" Ron asked stupidly as they headed towards the Transfiguration classroom. Hermione sighed.
"Ron, when will you learn that when a girl doesn't slap you or go storming off it normally means yes and when a girl takes your hand and smiles at you then it's a definite yes." Hermione said. Ron's face broke into a large grin, he felt so much better.
Emma sat on a sofa in the Gryffindor Common room staring at the fire. No one would sit near her because they didn't think she belonged, the last of the Gryffindors were drifting off to their dormitories until she thought she was the only one in the room. She didn't think she belonged in Gryffindor. Everyone here were so nice to each other, so loving, all the years got along with each other. The constant laughing and joking was really starting to get to her and seeing the various couples that had gotten together being so lovey dovey was enough to make Emma sick. Everyone just loved each other. And what was all this bull about her being Harry's sister. Yes she looked a lot like Harry's mother and yes she had exactly the same eyes as him but it didn't mean she was related to him. She was a Malfoy, she'd been brought up to hate Potters and Muggle born wizards and Witches. But if she was Potter's sister then that meant that she was also part Muggle, Lily Potter had been Muggle born after all. Emma watched as the flames from the fire licked the sides of the hearth.
She had to wonder though why the Sorting hat had put her into Gryffindor, it had said one thing to her when it had touched her head.
"Ah, the second heir has returned, you will do good in your time." It said moments before it shouted Gryffindor. Emma felt the Common room intoxicate her. She missed Durmstrang, it's dark murky halls, the mountains that surrounds it, the thick uniforms and her friends. She hadn't made many but at Durmstrang she had been popular, very popular, even at fifteen almost every boy, younger and older, had asked her out on a date. She was also incredibly intelligent, she was the top witch in her year in Durmstrang. Yes she had been moved up a year in Hogwarts but she wasn't the only one who had been moved up. That Jenny Marsden was also the same age as Emma and had been moved up. That Hermione Granger had been moved up, she should have been in Ginny's year but no. Emma sighed and tried to suppress a small tickling warm sensation that had been growing in her since she had step foot into the common room. She hated the feeling, she had felt it once before in her life and that had been when one of her boyfriends in Durmstrang had told her he loved her. She was inclined to return the feeling but she had kept it suppressed, she couldn't love, Malfoy's weren't allowed to Love. But Potters are said a voice at the back of her head.
"No, I'm not a Potter" She breathed to herself in anger, mother and Father would never lie to me, I'm a Malfoy she said to herself. Then why don't you look like any Malfoy in any Generation? said that voice. Some voices behind her broke her trail of thought.
"I'm worried about her." Whispered Jenny,
"But she bullied you!" said Ginny,
"So? I was taught to forgive and forget, and it isn't as if it's in her nature." Jenny whispered to Ginny.
"Fine, but if she hurts you don't blame me." Ginny said. Emma wasn't really listening, she knew they were going to talk to her but for some reason Emma didn't really notice, nor did she care. The sofa dipped and Jenny sat next to her. Ginny sat on the arm of the sofa next to Jenny.
"Hi." Jenny said. Emma didn't respond. "Are you ok? You've been really quiet since the other day." Emma slowly turned to regard Jenny. Her long blonde hair changed shades in the flickering light from the fire, her dark brown eyes so full of concern. Emma then looked at Ginny. Her face was of an angel but from what Emma had picked up from around the common room Ginny was anything but. Her long red hair was tied back in a ponytail. Both of them still wore their school uniforms and they both looked concerned.
"Why would you care?" Emma asked.
"Because you're our room mate and we don't want you to feel…excluded." Jenny said.
"We're not like the Slytherins" Ginny added.
"So are you ok?" Jenny asked. Emma turned to look at Jenny. The girl she had been bullying since the beginning of the year because of the anger that Emma felt from being taken away from Durmstrang, the loss of her boyfriend. Jenny had everything that Emma wanted, talent, loving mother and a boyfriend she was allowed to love in return. In Durmstrang that wouldn't have been so much of a problem but in Hogwarts Emma had been told she had a reputation to keep which meant being cold, heartless and sucking the happiness out of everything.
"No I'm not ok." Emma said. "If you must know." Emma turned back to the fire.
"Is there anything we can do?" Ginny asked.
"Unless you can turn back time and stop my father pulling me out of Durmstrang then no." Emma said.
"Did you like Durmstrang?" Jenny asked, "What was it like?"
"It was better then here." Emma mumbled. She hugged her knees and put her chin on them.
"Oh, you're just saying that," Ginny said, "Hogwarts is great."
"Not when you have no friends" Emma said. STOP TALKING TO THEM! she screamed to herself. She had to stop, she was going to end up telling them everything but something was forcing it all out.
"Were you popular then?" Jenny asked.
"Yes." Emma said, "I was more then popular, I was the person every girl wanted to be and the person all boys wanted to date."
"Lucky you." Jenny said bitterly.
"You have friends." Ginny said,
"Not until last year when I was forced to see all you stuck up evil people." She said to Ginny with a grin. Ginny grinned as well.
"Well I hate you with a vengeance, I don't even understand why I hang around with you, you loser." Ginny said. Both girls started laughing. Emma looked at them confused. If someone had insulted her like that then she would have cursed the living daylights out of them. Jenny noticed Emma's curious look and turned to Emma.
"You try, just insult us and let us insult you back, we don't mind. We do it all the time," Jenny turned to Ginny, "don't we bitch?" Ginny grinned and nodded.
"Well, when the others aren't around." Ginny said, "Because otherwise they'd probably send us to St. Mungos." Emma felt her mouth twitching slightly, threatening to break into a smile.
"You two really insult each other all the time?" Emma asked, the amusement evident in her voice. Jenny crossed her arms and leaned back pretending to think.
"I don't really know." Jenny said. Ginny hit Jenny lightly and Jenny smiled, "Yeah, all the time."
"Look, we're planning a prank on the Slytherins do you want in?" Ginny asked.
"Why the Slytherins?" Emma asked
"Because they're pure evil." Jenny said, "They deserve everything that we can do to them because they don't care about anyone else, so why should we care about them."
"Spoken like a true Black." Ginny said. Jenny scowled.
"I'm not a Black." Jenny said,
"Yes you are."
"My dad may be a Black but I'm a Marsden."
"Your dad is Sirius Black?" Emma asked.
"Yeah." Jenny said "Unfortunately. So as soon as I get Harry's cloak back do you want to join in with us. Luna's part of our group as well."
"Lovegood?" Emma asked. Ginny nodded. Someone came running down the stairs from the boys dormitories and nearly fell over. Ginny and Jenny turned to see Hermione running towards them. She went straight to Ginny and whispered something to her.
"What!" Ginny asked her. Hermione nodded. Ginny stood up and pulled Jenny to her feet.
"What?" Jenny moaned like she didn't want to get up. Hermione whispered urgently into Jenny's ear. Her slightly annoyed expression was wiped away instantly and her face lit up. She grinned and ran for the stairs with Ginny in tow. Hermione gave Emma a slightly apprehensive expression before following the two other girls. Emma watched the stairs and curiosity grew inside her. What was that all about? What was more important then her? No, that was her Durmstrang self talking, she got up and started to walk towards her dormitory but curiosity got the better of her and she walked to the boys dormitory.
A/N:-Ah, the famous Potter curiosity. More insight to Emma's Character there, I'm kinda sorry i don't write more of her being evil but it takes her a while to see things...from a different perspective, so i thought, why not start now? A little cute moment between Ron and HErmione...if i do say so myself. I'm not a Hermione/Ron shipper, I'm an intense Harry and Hermione shipper and would willing argue for them but for some reason, in my fics, HArry and HErmione are never together. It's really wierd. Ah well, so all you Ron and HErmione fans out there, it's the beginning of a whole new relationship between them.