A/N: I'm BACK! with another chapter! ) Cheers to my reviewers!

eckles – Thanks for the review! They both were pretty nasty.

Celi – Lol, Hermione can't be good at everything.

aquarpisc – Thank you! ) Now update your story!!!

AzraRose – H/R will definitely get together. Just depends how. H/G are only suggested in the story cuz I don't have time to elaborate. Sorry. I know my story is short…only one more chapter but I'm going away on holiday soon so I want to finish it.

dagenn – Hermione will make up for it. )

GoddGirl13 – Cheers for your review.

Tanya J Potter – I really appreciate your review. )

Ezza – Thanks for reviewing.

Balewiviel – Lol, get your friends to read my story. hehe see what they think!

Now onto the story…

Chapter 3 – Silence

I cried myself to sleep that night. I knew Parvati and Lavender heard and I was afraid they would try to 'help' but thankfully, they stayed away.

The next day I was doing my literal rendition of the "sound of silence" and apparently so was Ron. Ron glared at me whenever I came within five feet of him, so I kept away. I knew the fight was my fault. I was the one who started it without any reason. I should have apologised. Every time I saw Ron, I wanted to run up to him and scream, "I'm sorry." But I didn't because that fluttering feeling always came back just as I was about to go up to Ron. I was afraid. I was afraid of that feeling in my stomach and I was afraid of Ron's reaction if I apologised. What if he doesn't want to be friends anymore? What if he hates me now? So I stayed away.

Harry was in a flurry of emotions and he wasn't even the one who was fighting. He was afraid that we were never going to speak again, "You are going to make up right?" He was also fed up. "Just get over it. I'm sick and tired of your fights." And he was also slightly amused. He was frowning one second, but when he caught Ginny's eye he smiled, like they were sharing some sort of secret. "Just apologise to each other," he said to us.

I glared at him. He didn't know anything. He had no right to tell us what to do. He had been there at the fight, I remembered vaguely, looking a bit anxious. I recalled he was about to interject when Ginny pulled him away and said, "Let's leave these two lovebirds."

But Harry glaring back at me or smirking at me or Ron just glaring at me wasn't so bad compared to the hundreds of people (I'm exaggerating, but it felt that way) coming up to me offering their sympathies and condolences.

"You'll get back together," said Hannah Abbott.

"Yeah you always get through your arguments," added Susan Bones.

"You guys are too cute to break up," said Mandy Brocklehurst.

I kept telling them we were never together, but they just gave each other knowing looks. They though I was 'emotionally traumatised' by the break up. So by the end of the day I just nodded, not bothering to explain we were never together. Nobody believes me anyway.

Those two Third-Years approached me and asked, "Have you and Ron broken up?" I replied, "We were never together so we can't have broken up." They just exchanged sceptical looks so I just sighed and nodded, "We broke up." It was too complicated to explain that we are just friends…or were.

They gave me sympathetic looks, but before I walked away I heard one of them say, "If they can't make it, who can?"

What was that supposed to mean?

I flopped ungracefully on my bed. I heard Parvati and Lavender come in. I hoped they still thought I was too fragile to talk.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it," Lavender said. I knew that their silence was too good to be true.

"Are you okay?" Parvati asked.

I tried ignoring them, but they kept on talking to me and asking questions. Soon it was too hard to ignore their presence.

"I'm fine," I said.

I knew I didn't look fine. I had been crying earlier.

"You look terrible," Parvati said bluntly.

"Thanks," I replied dryly.

There was a pause. I could see Lavender struggling with something. The question would come soon… Three-Two-One…

"So have you and Ron definitely broken up?" asked Lavender.

ARGH!

"We were never dating!" I said. "And never will," I added under my breath. Not with the way I messed everything up. Not that I want to.

"Are you sure?"

"I think I'm sure," I said sarcastically.

"Are you positive?"

"I think I would know if I dated Ron."

"So you never dated Ron?"

"Yes! And I never will, either!"

This time they got it.

"But even if you aren't together or weren't together, you will eventually be together," said Lavender.

That didn't make any sense.

"Why would you say that?" I questioned.

"Guys and girls can't be just friends," said Parvati wisely.

Was this some secondary school philosophy that I missed?

"Why?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"Because one always ends up falling for the other. In your case, both of you have fallen for each other," explained Lavender.

That was complete rubbish.

"I have not fallen for Ron," I said pointedly. "And Ron has not fallen for me."

Well, not after what I did.

"Right," said Parvati, sarcastically. "Then I'm sure you don't get that fluttery feeling in your stomach whenever Ron looks at you?"

How did she know about that?

"No I don't," I said without even a trace of a blush.

Parvati gave me a hard stare. "And I'm sure you don't feel warm and tingly whenever he 'accidentally' touches you."

I had a feeling that 'accidentally' meant something else.

"No," I said. I was lying and I knew it, but I couldn't admit it to them. I knew that whenever Ron's hand would accidentally brush up against mine I would feel chills run down my spine and my hands would go numb.

"And your knees don't go weak when he smiles at you?" asked Lavender.

"No they don't."

They turn to jelly and I have to hold onto something in case I drop onto the floor.

They still looked at me sceptically. "And you don't think about him at all?"

"No." I think about him every minute of everyday.

"And when he walks into the room is he all you see?"

They were smirking at me. I couldn't stand it anymore.

"Yes, fine. That's what happened, but it doesn't mean I like him."

I don't like him. I don't like Ron. I don't like Ronald Weasley.

"No, you're just completely smitten with him," murmured Lavender.

I ignored her. I didn't have to listen to this rubbish. It was not true.

"That doesn't prove anything because Harry and I are just friends." I said smugly.

"Well," said Lavender thoughtfully. "The only reason you and Harry haven't fallen for each other is because you already like Ron and Harry knows Ron likes you. Harry's too decent to like the girl his best friend does. But I don't think Harry likes you in that way anyway. So you and Harry are an exception to the rule."

"There are always exceptions to rules," said Parvati.

"So are you saying that if Ron didn't exist, Harry and I would be dating," I asked incredulously. That made no sense.

"Not definitely. But probably."

"That is complete rubbish."

"No it's not and you know it," said Lavender smugly.

"I don't like Ron."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

"Hermione," said Parvati in a very exasperated tone. "You are the smartest witch in Hogwarts but trust us on this. You have fallen for Ron Weasley."

"And he has fallen for you," added Lavender.

"I don't like him," I insisted.

"Yes, you do. Why else would that rumour piss you off so much?"

I didn't know the answer to her question.

"Why?" I was saying that more to myself than to Parvati but she answered me anyway.

"Because deep down, you wanted the rumour to be true. You want to be Ron Weasley's girlfriend and the fact that you aren't annoys and frustrates you."

And for once, I think Parvati may be right.

--------

A/N: That line 'guys and girls can't just be friends because one always falls for the other' is pretty common and partially true. You don't know how many movies I've heard it in like 'When Harry met Sally," which is an excellent and sweet movie. It's also in Alcamenes' A Question of Friendship, which is a wonderful story by the way. I hope she'll update soon! It's just the one line so I hope she won't mind. My story is nothing like hers and it fits well within my story. ) Thanks again to my beta doraemon!

One more chapter…