A/N: All right! Here's the next chapter. I hope you all like it and I can't wait to hear what you thought. Also, I think I'm gonna start putting the review responses at the top so you won't be hoping for more story at the bottom than you end up getting. We'll see how it works. Thanks to all 17 reviewers for the last chapter. I love you guys! And because I do...this chapter is longer! (Oh, and thanks to all you great folks who've read and reviewed my other story - Normal :) )
chopstix - Glad you like my series! Thanks a lot.
P.I.D. - Thanks a lot for your great compliments. I love to hear that you think I'm writing Hermione well. I hope you continue to read and review. :)
bLuECoW219 - Glad you like this story and that you liked Ginny's POV. I'm a little more comfortable writing in Ginny's POV, so you probably caught onto that. Hope you keep reading and I'm looking forward to hearing what you think.
J.Rhaye - Don't worry about taking too long...I totally understand when real life gets in the way of fanfic. Yet again, you read everything in my story that I'm going for - the similarities behind Hermione and Ginny's situations and their motivations and reasons for denial. Glad you liked the line about living vicariously through Ginny's relationships and caught onto how Hermione focused on her friends' behavior so she wouldn't have to face her own. And a change of mindset definitely does make a difference, doesn't it? Hope you like this next chapter!
lavalampronsgirl - Thanks! I see you tomorrow, it'll be a blast!
Echo256 - Thanks.
CarrieWeasley - Glad you liked it. Haha, and it would definitely be nice to have the lying capabilities of Ginny, Fred and George. I'm not sure I would use it for good though ;).
Essie - Glad you like it and are starting to relate to Hermione. I understand how you think that Ron was a tad out of character. That part was a little tough to write and I was going back and forth about how eloquent to make Ron about the whole thing, but I figured that he's older and an idea that he's thought about the whole H/G possibility since the end of fifth year. As for the heaviness, this chapter is a bit lighter and I will try and add more humor in the upcoming chapters. I just needed to set up Hermione's POV on her relationship with Ron and why she acts the way she does later. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this chapter. :)
MiOnIeZtwin01 - Haha. I laughed out loud when I read your review. Glad you like the story. It's funny that it sounds like your life, I guess that means I'm writing things pretty realistically, huh? And although it may seem like it, I'm not hiding in the tree or the bathroom...though have you checked under you bed? ;)
MonicaChandler4Ever - Thanks for the compliments! Hope you like this chapter.
ButterbeerJelloShots - Aw, thanks! It makes me feel great that you think so highly of my interpretations of the characters. Your review made me smile.
JenniGellerBing - Thanks for reviewing! It's great to hear that you like this story and its predecessors. I also enjoy the twisting quite a bit myself. ;) Hope to hear from you more.
FreckledIrishMaiden - Glad you like Hermione's view and think that I'm portraying her realistically. It's nice to know that I'm accomplishing what I set out to do. :)
BballShorty118848 - Thanks a lot for the compliments. I'm glad that you like reading my stories and can relate to them. It is definitely fun to interrogate friends who are in denial that they like each other. Hope you liked this chapter!
dreamy-crazygirl - I'm really glad that you liked it. And yes, Hermione really does want Ron. You were right to catch onto the g/h-ness too. If you want to see more of that, read my story 500 Ways to Torture My Brother, which comes before this one. Hope you liked this chapter.
eedoe - As always, I loved getting your review. It's always wonderful hearing which specific parts you liked and you always tend to pick up on lines that I myself feel are very important. Thanks again. :)
Sad Strange Little Girl - Well, I'm sorry that Hermione's starting to get on your nerves. I'm just setting up why she reacts the way she does later. This chapter is lightens up on that as Hermione isn't quite as introspective. Glad you like the story. :)
After I had that talk with Ginny, she and Harry tried to be much less discreet about the fact that they were spending time together. I still noticed it, though, when she and Harry would both disappear for hours and come back approximately ten minutes apart, Ginny saying that she'd gone to visit her friend Sally in Hufflepuff or that she'd gone to sit by the lake and think and Harry saying that he'd been flying or went to go talk to Hagrid. They had loads of well planned excuses. I knew that they were still meeting though. The timing was too precise and the glittering eyes too consistent. They weren't going to the library any more of course. I'd wager they were meeting in the Room of Requirement or that empty classroom on the second floor.
Now, my life has never been normal, but Monday started the weirdest week of my life. I knew that Ginny was behind it of course. I'm not stupid. In fact, I think I even smiled when I recognized her latest attempt to get me and her brother together.
We were on our way to lunch when all of the sudden Ron grabbed my hand and started dancing with me in the middle of the corridor. He stopped, conveniently, after a quick turn ended with our faces in close proximity. For a slight moment I thought that he started to lean in, but I must've imagined it because a second later he dropped my hands and was mumbling about how hungry he was before taking off to the Great Hall. I knew that it was all Ginny's fault when I heard a slight giggle behind me and turned around just in time to see her and Harry looking at the wall with interest.
Tuesday. Imagine my surprise when the next morning at breakfast Ron started singing love songs in a slightly off-tune voice. I tried to hide my smile in my Arithmancy book as I witnessed Ginny's latest attempt. You've got to hand it to the girl, I thought as I took in Ron's shocked face while he ran out of the Great Hall with his hand over his mouth, she's definitely being creative.
On Wednesday I was expecting it, but nothing happened. The only odd things were that Ron sat next to me in Charms when Harry usually sits between us, and that Ron insisted that he wanted to come with me to the library. Oh, and Ginny's complaints about Ron had increased by then. You'd think that when talking to the girl that she wants her brother to go out with, Ginny wouldn't continually complain that the boy's a dense moron. I wonder what idiotic thing Ron said this time. He should know not to mess with Ginny's temper.
Thursday's prank got Ron a detention, but I'm guessing that he probably deserved it for whatever he did to Ginny. In fact, I think that Ginny's anger at her brother finally overrode her desire to force the two of us together also, because I wasn't involved in this at all, except for when I took the charm off Ron's robes.
Ron was in a horrid mood after Potions because Snape gave him a detention. He shouldn't have taken it out on me though. We were in the library and I was just telling him that he should get an early start on his Potions essay, especially considering what had happened in class. And he shouted at me.
"Why do you always have to take Snape's side?!" he yelled as his face turned red.
"What are you talking about?" I questioned as I turned away from the bookshelf and back to face him.
"I'm talking about how you think that teachers are always right. I bet you think I deserved to get that detention!" He gave me a glare that said he'd already decided on what I thought and was entirely positive of his conclusion.
"You're just putting words into my mouth!" I yelled back.
"No. You always give teachers the benefit of the doubt and you never give me the same thing. Remember Snape first year, you kept defending him - "
"Well, I was right, wasn't I?!"
"Well what about that prat Lockhart? You idolized him. Being in charge of educating doesn't mean that someone's a bloody saint!"
I couldn't believe that he brought up Lockhart. That was almost five years ago!
"Or," Ron added pointedly, "maybe it wasn't the teaching that made you defend Lockhart, maybe it was his dashing good looks."
"Ron!" I shouted as I tried to ignore the sting of his words, "What is your problem?!"
"Miss Granger!" I turned quickly and saw Madam Pince standing behind us looking as if she'd just sucked on a lemon, "This is a library. Students study here. They do not engage in screaming matches. Fifteen points from Gryffindor. I'd like both you and Mr. Weasley to leave and please do not return until you have realized the gravity of the disruption that you've caused."
"I'm really sorry Madam Pince," I apologized as Ron and I packed up our books.
"Miss Granger, I expect better from you," Madam Pince responded crisply. "Quite frankly, I'm appalled that the Head Girl of Hogwarts would breach the sanctity of the library like you have done."
I stood there in shock and shame as the librarian walked away.
"Come on Hermione," Ron said as he touched my shoulder, "Let's head back to the common room."
Ron and I went back to the common room in silence. Neither of us really knew quite what to say. We hadn't really made up from our fight. I guess the both of us were too tired to figure things out though, because we simply went up to our separate dormitories without saying a word.
That night, as I tried to read for Potions, I couldn't help thinking how odd it was when Ron and I weren't speaking to one another. Whenever it happens, I feel like something is missing in my life.
I don't know if Ron feels the same, but he didn't seem concerned about our fight the next morning. He seemed too preoccupied being paranoid about the pranks Ginny'd been pulling. His eyes kept darting around and he looked as though he hadn't slept much the night before. I suspect that he was put even more on guard because Harry and Ginny showed up late to breakfast that morning whispering about something as they glanced in his direction.
Truth be told, with all the alternating whispering and glaring that was going on at breakfast, I was ready when we left for Potions. I was even happy when Snape said that we'd be working on an early and highly unstable version of Veritaserum. I liked the challenge and the distraction it provided.
Unfortunately things took a terrible turn five minutes after we'd started. Ron had just finished putting the last of our ingredients in the cauldron when I noticed that he'd gotten really pale.
"Ron?" I questioned.
He swayed and grabbed onto the counter with his left hand.
"I feel a bit...a bit...Hermione?" He looked over to me with glazed eyes before crashing to the floor.
"Ron!" I shouted as I knelt before him on the ground.
I barely heard Neville call for Professor Snape as I reached out to touch Ron's soft hair. Harry was beside me saying something, but I didn't hear him either.
"Ron," I whispered. "Wake up."
"Longbottom, take him to the hospital wing," Snape said harshly. I think that Professor Snape was still upset that Neville was able to make it into his advanced class. Regardless, Neville nodded resolutely before coming over and lifting Ron up so that one of Ron's arms was around his neck.
"Oh, for God's sake Longbottom, you needn't act like a squib," Snape said before muttering a quick spell that allowed Ron to float on his back in the air behind Neville. Neville sheepishly looked away before taking Ron out of the classroom with him.
"I'm surprised it took this long for the Weasel to faint dead away," Malfoy smirked. "He always was a bit of a wuss."
"What happened to him Professor?" Dean asked.
I looked up anxiously at Professor Snape before glimpsing the blackboard behind him. Why hadn't I realized it earlier?
"It was the lurania wasn't it?" I whispered. "He had an allergic reaction."
"So Miss Granger has the answer again," Snape sneered.
"Why didn't you warn us before we started making the potion?" I asked as I looked in confusion at Snape's arrogant expression. "It's one of the most highly reactive ingredients used in modern potions. You had to have known that at least one of us would have an allergic reaction."
"And Mr. Weasley should've known to read the chapter I'd assigned," Snape said smoothly. "Perhaps then he would've been a bit more careful."
Ron couldn't have known he was allergic to a rarely used potions ingredient, I fumed silently.
"Truth be told Miss Granger, I'm surprised that you didn't warn him yourself," Snape added. "Don't you always do Weasley's homework for him?"
I could feel everyone's eyes on me as they waited for me to respond.
"Ron does his own work," I finally hissed. "And it might do for you to notice how hard he works instead of tearing him down every chance you get."
I stood up and glared at Snape. Harry whispered my name and tried to pull me back, but I shook out of his grasp.
"You should've warned him," I yelled, fully losing control. "You should've warned all of us. What happened to Ron is your fault! You knew how dangerous it was."
"And you are an interfering know-it-all Granger! Detention! Tonight!"
"Fine," I spurted. "But I'm leaving. I don't want to be in this infernal class any more."
I threw one more glare at Snape before grabbing my textbooks and storming out of the classroom, not even glancing at Harry or anyone else on the way out.
A/N: I'm looking forward to hearing what all of you think!
