Chapter 4: Satisfaction

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has to do with Harry Potter, J.K.Rowling does

As I read over 'Hogwarts a History' for the millionth time (I didn't mind I always seemed to find some new fact that took me rather by surprise), I noticed what fun Ron and Harry were having a mere hundred feet away by the large oak tree. It was a Saturday, two days after I had broken up with Ron, and we had no homework so I thought I would spend my day out on the grounds...only unlike my peers I read a book as they ran around enjoying the glistening sunshine. Luna was attempting to teach Ron and Harry how to do cartwheels as Ginny stood off to the side doubled over in fits of laughter. With each attempt to complete a cartwheel Ron undoubtedly failed, getting worse and worse with each try. Yet he still had that goofy smile on his face and just seemed to be enjoying the day. I really missed him, I missed his smile and laugh...and the way he always seemed to be having a good time, he was quite unlike me but when I was around him some of his easygoing lifestyle seemed to rub off on me.

Just because I had broken up with Ron didn't mean I couldn't be friends with all of them! Don't get me wrong, I love reading...I am actually considered a bookworm...but what was I doing over here by myself when all of my friends were having fun together?

I walked over to the laughing group of people just in time to see Harry complete a successful cartwheel, and he didn't even seem to mind that Cho had just walked by giving him a disgusted looking glare.

I clapped loudly. "Good job Harry, quite the teacher eh Luna?" I said through a laugh.

"Oh hey Moine." Harry remarked sending an uneasy glance in Ron's direction. The smile on Ron's face faltered slightly but he seemed to recover quickly.

"So...er..Luna tell me once more how do you do this wheelycart again?" Ron asked Luna, turning his back on me.

Ginny snorted "Oh for heavens sake Ron for the tenth time it's called a cartwheel."

"How many times do I need to explain this to you..."Luna's voice trailed off as she continued talking and Harry took the opportunity to drag me off a few yards before he began speaking to me.

"Hermoine I just don't think it's really a good decision...to er...be around Ron for a few days." He whispered not looking at me.

"Why!" I practically shouted, and Harry flinched "Just because I broke up with him now I can't talk to my friends."

"I didn't say that, but Hermoine be logical...you just broke up with Ron two days ago, and unlike you he's taken it pretty hard."

"Oh yes because that's exactly what it looks like, he's over there flirting with Loony and doing cartwheels for heavens sake!" I could feel my temper rising...after all you wouldn't say I was one to keep my cool.

"Please...just go ok? Er... I'll meet up with you before dinner and we can walk down to the Great Hall together alright?" he was clearly not enjoying this situation so I backed down.

"Ok, I feel like doing next weeks homework for charms anyhow!" I said snootily before stalking off.

That's perfectly fine with me if everyone takes Ron's side! What do I care. I can find new friends or maybe just not have any friends at all and concentrate on school, can you believe I actually received such an average grade as a pass on one of my potions essay while I was dating Ron! It's disgraceful.

I began walking towards the castle... I might as well do my homework, now that I really don't have anything else to do. I was really steamed, how could all of my friends be so rude and careless! All of the sudden I felt a huge jolt and fell to the hard cement

ground, sending a pain up my lower back like small needles sticking into me.

"For gosh sakes!" I shrieked, I had just ran into someone, had I been paying so little attention that I hadn't even been looking where I was going? Obviously the answer to that question was yes. I looked up the sun half blinding me to see a medium height boy with dirty blonde hair, which shined in the brilliant lighting. It was Ernie, a prefect from Hufflepuff.

"Oh Hermoine, gosh I'm so sorry...its just I was reading and er I wasn't paying attention...you know how that is." He held out his hand to help me up. As I put my hand in his I felt his rough skin brush against mine. He was wearing a light blue collared shirt and his tie was undone messily just hanging around his neck, it reminded me of how Ron always wore his tie when he wasn't in class. I quickly cleared the vision of Ron out of my head.

"No it's alright Ernie. I was watching where I was going either. I'm just having a horrible day, and I wasn't paying attention at all where I was going." Why was I blabbing on like such an idiot for, it was just Ernie...plain old Ernie.

"Sorry to hear about your day. Well I better get going." He responded, and I thought I could catch a note of nervousness in his voice. He waited a few seconds for me to respond and when I didn't, began to walk away towards the rest of the student body that was out on the grounds.

"Hey wait, do you want to go to the library with me real quick? I have to check out a few books for Charms homework, we could hang out for a little bit, it's the least I can do after running into you." I chuckled nervously. What the heck was I doing! Flirting with someone, and of all people Ernie.

He smiled slightly, "Sure, I needed to return this book anyway."

So there I was, walking down the corridors with Ernie...yep you heard me, Ernie. I didn't know what it was, maybe the fact that I was upset about Ron, but I seemed to want company just then and Ernie had been the one there to give me just that.

As we passed the Great Hall, heavy yet pleasing scent of roasted chicken wafted out. As we sat down at the round library table and began to talk I was vaguely aware of the chat about prefects meetings and our course homework. I was barely aware of my surroundings and the stares we received from passer-bys probably wondering why it wasn't the red headed boy Ronald I was sitting with. I wasn't even really that aware when I said yes to Ernie that I would date him. I mean, it wasn't my fault that I said yes, I wasn't even paying attention, right?

I sat in the common room, concentrating hard on my Charms essay, only stopping writing to pause and reflect on what exactly had ran through my mind and possessed me to say yes to Ernie asking me out. Well at least Ron would see that I could get other guys to date, even though deep down I realized I was doing the right thing.

I heard a sharp creak and jumped out of my thoughts with surprise. My head turning around so quickly my neck cracked.

"Can I sit here?" Ron asked timidly, pointing to the empty portion of couch to my left. It had only been him stepping on the floorboard that had nearly scared me to death.

"I guess."...I thought Harry said he 'needed time'!

He sat down slowly, his eyes darting from me to nearly anywhere else when he saw that I noticed him staring.

"Was there something you wanted?" I asked rather coldly.

He recoiled, only slightly.

"Its just I wanted to apologize for the way I acted this afternoon out on the grounds. Just because we are not together anymore doesn't mean we can't be friends, we've been friends for far to long to throw it all away. And I'm er...really really sorry that we aren't going out anymore." There were obviously two meanings to that last comment.

I planted a snooty and falsely cheery smile on my face.

"Oh why there's no need to be sorry, Ernie and I are kind of together now." Ron's look of relief was quickly replaced with a look of deep hurt. I smiled even wider with satisfaction. We deserved to be hurt, he had really hurt me, so it was only fair. "Oh and no hard feelings about this afternoon." I added patting him on the shoulder, before gathering my book, parchment, and quill and striding off out of the portrait hole towards the library. Leaving quite an upset looking red head to sit alone on the big couch in the common room.

A/N: hey I hope u liked it! Please review if u can, I would love to hear what u think about this story so far. Thanks for reading. I will update as soon as I can!!

Maybe u can check out one of my friends Dragonchamber7 stories! they're really good