Hermione stormed through the empty Gryffindor common room, up the girls' staircase, and into her dorm. When she reached her bed she sat leaning forward with her head in her hands. Frowning, Hermione tried to make sense of what happened in the potions classroom. "There's got to be a logical reason for why Ron did it. He couldn't have feelings for me... not now, it just wouldn't be fair of him to!! No he doesn't!! He clearly must have been acting on that dizzy spell he had. His eyes were glazed... he didn't know he was doing what he was doing." Hermione laughed with relief. "Well that still leaves one question unanswered.... What was I thinking kissing him back?"

True in the last five years of knowing him, Hermione would have given anything to receive a kiss from Ron. However, she's with Harry now, and no matter what she felt or still feels towards Ron, Hermione knows those emotions can never be acted on. "But it felt so right kissing Ron. He had so much passion and intensity in him. STOP!! He wasn't feeling that way you were. Since when has Ron felt anything more than a big brother complex towards me, I've given him hint after hint that I fancy him. All through first year I tried to impress Ron, with my knowledge of magic, which only annoyed him to no end. Ronald Weasley will never see me as nothing more than a friend. No matter how many kisses I steal from him."

……

Ginny was in a light snore, in the bed across from Hermione. She had been lying awake in bed for nearly three hours. However it wasn't the sleeping Weasley across from her that was keeping her up, it was her guilt for treating another Weasley so harshly. Hermione had arrived at The Burrow earlier that evening, and already she had estranged things between herself and Ron.

She felt the stinging of tears, thinking of how he was not looking at her all through dinner, instead he just kept his head downcast in shame. The only time Ron would look up from his plate was when he finished and left for bed. Though his mother would question him why he'd go to bed so early, Hermione knew the reason. She hated herself for treating him so unfairly, when all Ron was trying to do was comfort her. Hermione had even lied to him about why she was upset.

Sure Hermione did miss her parents and she was worried about them being so vulnerable in their home against Voldemort . However they weren't the reason for why she was distraught. Hermione was upset because of Harry… and the kiss he gave when she agreed to go out with him. Hermione didn't want to hide the fact that she had gone to see Harry before going to the Burrow. If she told Ron about going to Harry's, she would have to tell him everything.

So there she lay in bed, feeling immense guilt for lying to Ron. Ron the boy Hermione loved ever since she opened the door to their compartment asking about a toad named Trevor. She didn't necessarily feel like she was betraying Ron by agreeing to date Harry, because they were never together… no matter how much she wanted to be with Ron.

Hermione looked to the clock on Ginny's dresser and it read 12:34 in the morning. She couldn't take the guilt anymore, no matter how late it was she had to apologize to Ron and maybe tell him the truth of what's ailing her. Hermione got out of bed and quietly left Ginny's room. The pajama clad girl made her way up the stairs to Ron's room. Once at the landing she saw that the door to his room was open. Hermione peered into the room to see Ron's bed was empty. She furrowed her brow in concern. "Where is he?" her mind asked.

Hermione crept down the stairs all the way to the first floor landing. She slowly wandered into the sitting room. Here she found Ron sleeping on the couch next to the fireplace. His head was resting on the crook of the couch, where the armrest meets the back support. Hermione calmly made her way to an empty spot on the couch, and carefully sat herself next to him. All thoughts of waking Ron up to apologize and explain everything to him, were put on the back burner.

Hermione just sat and stared at the sleeping form in front of her. Taking in his features she could see he had been in deep sleep for over an hour. She then leaned forward inching her face to Ron's. Not knowing what else to do she closed her eyes and lightly pressed her lips to his. Tingles ran up her spine, she moved her mouth against his.

Hermione had the intent to just give him a chaste kiss, but she couldn't help but continue kissing Ron once she started. He tasted of chocolate and mint. Hermione broke the kiss and opened her eyes to see Ron looking back at her. She shot up off of the couch while at the same time her mind was trying to come up with an explanation. Hermione opened her mouth to speak but Ron began first. "Hermione don't let the spiders make you tap dance!" he said in frantic yet sleepy state.

"I-I won't Ron." She sputtered out. Ron merely nodded then fell back to sleep. Hermione left him in the sitting room muttering to herself on what a stupid action she had just done.

………

Hermione then thought of Harry. "What am I going to tell him?" Ever since she and Harry agreed to go out , Hermione never felt right about it. When she had accepted his proposition it was to get over Ron… and the fact that they'd never be together.

Hermione had always told herself she wouldn't hurt Harry no matter what. Yet here she was after one instance of cheating she was recalling the other. "I'm a horrible person." Hermione started to sniffle, she knew a cry was coming, however this time she didn't want that. "No! No more tears! I'm not an emotional wreck!"

"Hermione?" a soft yet scratchy voice called out behind closed bed curtains. Hermione looked up at the bed next to hers, she had forgotten that Parvati Patil had stayed in sick today. "So much for being alone." Her conscience chastised that thought immediately. "It's not her fault for being in here, she is sick after all, even though the probable reason she's sick is because she was out at such an unconventional hour last night. I should know I was the first one in bed. Still, I could've found another place to sulk. Hermione got up and pulled back the curtains on Parvati's bed. "I thought that was you I heard." said the twenty-four hour bed ridden girl.

"Hi Parvati, feeling any better?" Hermione croaked out, since it's the first time she's spoken out loud after she left the dungeons. She cleared her throat before speaking this time. "Um, could I get you anything?"

Parvati shook her head. "It's alright, Lav just left down to the kitchens to get me a bowl of soup. She told me happened with Ron in Snape's class." Hermione tensed up at her last comment. "Lavender couldn't have been there when I kissed Ron!" Parvati continued unaware of Hermione's nervousness. "She was really worried about him after he got knocked into the wall headfirst." Relief swept over Hermione. Although it was the last thing she mentioned when she left Ron, Hermione forgot all about how he hit the wall and might be suffering a concussion right now. "Is he alright?"

Guilt overwhelmed Hermione, her best friend could be in a coma right now, and she wouldn't know. "Um.... I really don't know, Seamus took him to the Hospital Wing Professor Snape held me back to give me mine and Ron's detentions." Without further comment Hermione rushed out of the girl's dorm, she had to know if Ron was all right.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the castle, Seamus led Katie and Ron through the door to the Room of Requirement. In the room Dean was lounging on the middle couch with a hazy look on his face. He had just finished rolling himself what Seamus had earlier referred to as a 'joint'. Dean was just about to light the cannabis fag when Seamus shouted out "Oi prick! You and me have a little business to take care of."

The young lad on the couch looked completely taken aback but relented anyway. He placed the unlit, overstuffed joint on the table. As Dean headed towards the door, Seamus turned to Katie. "Same as last time I gather?" She nodded in retort. "Alright then, you and Weasley wait here. We'll be back in a few. The two of you could smoke that joint if you want." Seamus said pointing to the lone blunt on the table.

"I was about to smoke that!" Dean protested, and Seamus just rolled his eyes. As they left Ron could hear Seamus mutter to Dean about how he's been smoking since they decided early this morning to skive off classes today. Ron and Katie just stood in the now awkward silence.

"Um… Guess we just have a sit down?" Katie asked motioning to the couches. Ron nodded walking to the middle couch, while Katie took the couch to the right of the middle one. As Ron sat he looked at the joint, then nervously he swept his gaze to Katie. "Why do I feel so nervous, I've got nothing to worry about, she smokes too… still I wouldn't think of Katie as on who smokes. Then again what do I know about Katie? What do I know about any girl that isn't Hermione or Ginny?"

"So… ready for tryouts next week? I saw Ginny's name on the sign up sheet. She'll make chaser for sure." Katie said trying to lift the silence out of the room. Ron felt more nervous now than when he'd entered the room with her. He remembered last year when Angelina Johnson came down on Harry for missing tryouts because he had detentions with Umbridge . "Katie's going to pummel me for sure… might as we get it out of the way."

"Katie… I….uh I'm sorry I won't be able to make it to tryouts, Snape gave me detentions all next week." Ron said with an apologetic look. He then shut his eyes in anticipation of the verbal lashing he was sure to receive. But Katie didn't shout, nor did she jump of the couch to kill him. Ron opened his eyes to see her look crestfallen. "Katie, please don't cry, I'm really really sorry."

"I'm not going to cry!" she snapped. Ron cringed "Oh shit here it comes then." Katie looked at his face and sighed. "I'm not going hurt you either Ron. I'm just upset at the situation. I know that this is the crummy start to a crummy Quidditch season, because I'll be SHITE as captain!" She leaned forward resting her head against her palms, elbows on her knees. "When McGonagall asked if I wanted the spot I should have just rejected."

Ron moved over to where she's sitting and sat next to her. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey don't beat yourself up, it's only the second week of school. I'm sure you'll make a brilliant captain."

"Oh please! I didn't really want it in the first place. The only reason I accepted the offer was to out do my brother." Katie exasperated. Ron just sat there, hand still resting on her shoulder. "You have a brother?" He asked, then immediately felt stupid for asking after Katie had just stated that she had. However she didn't seem to notice.

Katie nodded calmly "David, he's six years older than me, he was captain before Oliver. He's an all round athlete, not to mention he had top marks and got made Head Boy. I wasn't able to make Head Girl, that cow Cho Chang made it… I shouldn't even say that she earned it. The point is I took on this responsibility to get better attention from my Dad. Silly isn't it?'

"I don't think it's silly, in fact I could relate to that." Ron said with a smile.

Katie looked back to Ron and smiled. "I guess I don't have it as bad as you, huh?"

"Probably not but that doesn't mean it's not the same thing. I think all siblings go through it." He gave here shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You'll do great this year, trust me." He hoped that was the assurance she needed.

"Thanks Ron." She said as she clasped his hand on her shoulder and squeezed back. How ever Ron took this gesture as something else. His thoughts went back to potions class and what he did to Hermione. Ron withdrew his hand turned his gaze to floor. "What's wrong with you Weasley! You're turning into a letch pawing girls left and right! JUST KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF!!" Katie was searching Ron's face for what was wrong with him. "Are you okay?"

"I shouldn't be touching you." He said getting a little red in the face.

"Ron if I had a problem with you touching me, I would have said something." Katie said in a gentle tone. "Besides, it's not like you made a grab for my chest." She joked hoping to lighten the mood. Ron went even redder than he already was. "It was a joke Ron. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"It's not what you said. I- never mind." He said weakly.

"Maybe I could help you out." Katie said with a reassuring smile. Ron looked at her. "What the hell? I could use a female point of view on this."

"Okay but you might want to light that." He said pointing to the joint still lying untouched on the table. "It's a long story." as Katie used her lighter to start them of smoking, Ron proceeded to tell her everything that has happened since yesterday.