The Other Girl

Chapter 1: Welcome Back

Author - PreciousLittleMe

Rating - G

Keywords – Ron/Hermione, Seventh Year

Category – Angst/Romance

Disclaimer – I don't own them, I just play with them.

Summary – After being away for six months Hermione returns to Hogwarts to discover that Ron has a girlfriend. What can she do now?

Author's Notes – I was actually going to make this when they were grown up, but I love writing Hogwarts too much to not set it there. Please read and review!

Walking up to the entrance of Hogwarts Hermione couldn't believe she was back. As part of a new program she had spent the last six months studying at Beaubaxtons with two other seventh years, both from Ravenclaw. The same number of students from Durmstrang had come to Hogwarts. Experiencing classes at another school was said to help with NEWT essays that required some life experience. Although she had learnt a lot she was glad to be back. She had missed Harry and Ron, despite their letters and missed sleeping in her own dormitory. She wondered if the distance and time had finally gotten rid of the feelings she had harboured for her red haired friend.

She made her way up to the Gryffindor tower. Classes had almost finished and she wanted to be there before they did, causing her to walk faster. She made it to the common room just before students began pouring into the corridors. She sat in the chair which gave her the clearest view of the portrait opening. It soon opened and she spotted Harry and Ron enter the room.

"Can you believe that Snape gave us another essay to do?" Ron said.

"Yes," Harry said dryly, "It just the sort of thing he'd do – Hermione!"

Only then did Ron realise that she was sitting there watching them. Hermione jumped up and hurried over to them, hugging them both.

"How are you? I've missed you both so much!"

"We're great." Harry said, "How was your trip?"

"It was fine. What's been happening here?"

"Not that much, just too much homework. Teachers are trying to prepare us for the NEWTS already."

"Already? They're only three months away!"

"Only?" Ron asked incredulously.

"It's good to see you to Ron."

"Sorry, but three months is ages away."

"It's not that far when you consider how much we have to learn."

"Let's just put our books away and then we can go down to dinner, okay?" Harry interrupted.

At that moment a girl with long blonde hair approached them. Hermione looked at her questioningly. She had never seen her before. Ron began looking extremely uncomfortable.

"Hi, I'm Carla," the girl said, putting out her hand, "You must be Hermione. I'm so happy to finally meet you, I've heard so much about you."

"Uh, hi." Hermione said, shaking Carla's hand, trying to hide her confusion. She had no idea who she was.

"Should we go down now Ron?" Carla asked.

"Uh, yeah." Ron had turned red and was fidgeting. "Could you take my stuff up Harry?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks. See ya down there."

Carla touched Ron's arm and guided him out of the common room. Hermione felt a surge of jealousy. Her feelings for him were obviously still there.

"Who was that?" Hermione asked as soon as they had left.

"She's one of the exchange students from Durmstrang, but used to live here, which is why she doesn't have an accent." Harry knew he was stalling. "She's Ron's girlfriend."

Hermione suddenly found it hard to breathe. "Ron's what?" she managed to finally say.

"His girlfriend. They've been going out since a couple of days after you left."

Hermione struggled to gain her composure. She mustn't let anyone see how she felt, despite the feeling of lead in her stomach.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Ron was embarrassed, and I didn't think it was up to me to tell you."

"So you let me find out like this? Why should he be embarrassed?"

"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly, "I wanted to tell you. I don't know why he was embarrassed…I've got to put these books away before we go down, do you mind?"

"Go ahead. I don't know if I will come down after all."

"Why not? Aren't you hungry after the trip?"

"Not really, but I'm really tired. I might just see you all at breakfast, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. Bye." Harry said walking towards the boy's dormitory.

"Bye."

Hermione headed for the girl's dormitory. She felt so confused she just wanted to have privacy. Making it up to her old room she closed the curtains around her bed and sat down, whispering a quick locking spell to make sure no one could interrupt her. Ron had a girlfriend. She still couldn't quite make sense of it, but did she really believe that he would always remain single until she could finally voice how she felt. Yes, a voice in her head whispered, although it was bound to have happened. It wasn't going to be long until someone else realised what Hermione had seen years ago, that Ron was very attractive and funny and…Hermione sighed. Why couldn't she have done something earlier? Because he would have laughed at you. Hermione went over to her suitcase and got out the chocolate she had bought for the trip home but hadn't eaten. Ripping it open and laying on her bed she smirked at how pathetic she must have looked.

Carla was more than pretty. The kind of girl that boys would look at when she walked past, not a bookish one the boys ignored. She was probably funny and not awkward and confident as well. She probably wouldn't blush when her crush talked to her. She would know they liked her and wouldn't have to doubt anything. Hermione broke off another piece of chocolate. What was she going to do? He was the only person she felt she could ever love, but he had been going out with someone else for six months. For a seventh year boy that wasn't just a fling, it was something serious. How could she watch when they held hands or kissed? She had always thought that she could confront any problem, but this may just be beyond her. She didn't want to see them the next morning.