Disclaimer: If I owned it I wouldn't be waiting for book six, would I? And I'm waiting very impatiently!
A.N. Hey everybody! Walks in on a party held for the death of Sweetdeath04 No, I'm not dead; though I'm sure you thought I was after my long absence. He he, yeah, about that. I was away skiing, as you know, and when I came back I had to catch up, and then the teachers sprung exams upon us, and we're getting more! So during the holidays I intended to write but instead I started two new stories… Me bad. Also, Kilrea Young Farmers got through to the Arts Festival Gala so we've been from one end of this soggy country to the other performing on stage! And parents night, of course.
Well, after that cliffy in the last chapter, I'm sure you're all wondering what's going to happen next, if you haven't already guessed! But first a note of thanks to the people who make writing so rewarding, my reviewers!
MistyRiver: Ah! The crazy American drink that was illegal! We'll soon see if you still like where this story is going. Don't forget, it is romance! Thanks!
ultra-violet-catastrophy: Microwave meals? Poor you! Thanks! I didn't sleep ski, as you know since you see me in maths! I'm updating! Thanks!
Lipgloss: Aw thanks! I love it when people say which bits they liked! It helps me know what sort of stuff I should write! Thanks again!
Squigglius: He he, yeh, I don't think I update more than you! I tend to leave a fic for ages then go back to it when I'm in the mood. Today my mate and I started talking about who we reckon the Half Blood Prince is, so I was in a Harry Potter-ish mood when I got home. Thanks so much for reviewing!
ThinkingOfaName: More Hermione/Ron fluff coming your way! And it all starts here! Yeh, it's really predictable, isn't it? Ah well! I had a great time skiing! Thanks so much!
Ron+Hermione: Yes, they're going to fall in love soon, if they haven't already! How could I not have them fall in love? Fall in love? I'd rather fall in chocolate, as all the great people say! Thanks so much!
Lafawnduh4: I hope that after you read this chapter you still think it's good! Sorry about the long wait. Thanks!
SailorLeia: You have no idea how privileged I feel, that you read my HARRY POTTER story! And thanks for saying that you don't think it's corney! I had a great time in your wonderful country (that was three months ago! Wow!). As you know, I lived! Thanks so much for you wonderful review!
Dreams of what Can or Can't be…
"Well…" Harry trailed off deliberately, and then said very quickly, "I'll bet ten galleons for you to keep it going longer but the person who breaks it looses and the person who wins, I'll pay the ten galleons!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
The answers came back to Harry simultaneously. The egger 'yes' came from Ron and the horrified 'no' came from Hermione.
Ron glanced at Hermione, a look of utter confusion on his face, but he didn't question her answer for fear of starting up an argument in front of Harry. After all, he was the reason all this was happening.
Harry, however, did question her. "Why not? It would be great, and either way you don't loose anything, but have everything to gain! Besides, you're the one who wants this truce thing to keep going on!"
"Well," Hermione paused, obviously thinking about how to phrase her answer so it met the quality of wise-ness with Mr Potter's question. "Ten galleons is a lot of money Harry, are you sure you want to bet that much, either way, you're going to loose it sooner or later."
Harry shook his head. "So what, it's a lot of money? I have plenty at the moment and I have nothing to do with it." He continued softly, "There are more important things in this world than gold." A wave of sadness swept over his face and it was quite apparent that he was thinking of his dead godfather, or parents, or both.
Desperate not to send Harry into the sort of depression that the Weasleys and herself had just managed to drag him out of, Hermione's conscience overruled her previous decision and she rapidly agreed.
"Fine! I have nothing to loose!"
The weeks at Grimwald Place went by swiftly. Harry and the Weasleys all were amazed at Ron and Hermione's persistence to keep the bet going. But unknown to all, they had another reason to keep this up. Both wanted to please the other.
About two weeks before the new term at Hogwarts began; everyone in the house was having an early night. Having received their letters from Hogwarts along with their OWL's- Harry received ten, as did Ron, both failing Divination and History of Magic and somehow passing Potions, Hermione got a grand total of twelve, the maximum any pupil of Hogwarts could receive- they had to make they're annual trip to Diagon Alley, which would take place the next day.
Harry had drifted off to an untroubled sleep easily, but Ron however was not so lucky. Hermione had got a letter the day previous to this, which had enraged Ron, though he didn't let it show. It wasn't the fact that she had received any old letter which bothered him, it was the fact that it was from Viktor Krum.
Indeed, the news had been all over the Daily Prophet. "Bulgarian Quidditch Team staying it Local Pub and Hotel prior to Match!" That was, Ron thought savagely, if you could call the Leaky Cauldron a 'hotel'.
Vicky, as he was fondly known as to Ron, had been ever so polite in asking Hermione to come visit him in Diagon Alley and, "write back unless current situations disallow it."
Hermione, being of the smarter type, hadn't wanted to make it too obvious as to where they were presently staying and arouse suspicion, so she hadn't sent a reply. Mind you, Ron pondered over his thoughts, she had looked slightly upset when he hadn't started up the usual argument about which friends she should trust and why she shouldn't go near that seeker. Krum didn't just want to be her friend.
As Ron had said, Krum was the seeker and Hermione was the snitch. It was all logic. Krum would look for her until he got her. But why had Hermione seemed so upset? And why did he care about what she thought of Krum anyway, a question that had been asked so many times, yet Ron had never answered it.
Why did he care? She was his friend, he wanted to protect her. Krum was so much older than her!
'You keep telling yourself that mate!' a small voice in the corner of his brain asked. And here was Ron thinking that his conscience was dead and buried. Apparently this sudden burst of romance in him had resurrected it.
Hang on, what burst or romance?
He didn't fancy Hermione, did he?
No.
'Yes! Finally worked it out, have you?'
Squashing the little irritating voice, Ron rolled over and tried to get some sleep. But even his sleep was visited by dreams of the girl who had come to be the best friend he couldn't live without.
Meanwhile, in the girls room…
Hermione watched Ginny enviously as she made a small sigh in her sleep. How that girl could fall asleep so easily was beyond her. Ginny was wrapped up in blankets, so much so that all that was visible of her was a lock of red hair which escaped over the top of the blankets.
Crookshanks was curled up in a very similar position to Ginny. He had fallen asleep on the bottom of Hermione's bed and all you could see of him was a ball of ginger fur.
Stifling a laugh at the similarities between human and cat- which she knew she shouldn't find all that funny as she had been transformed into a cat when she had had a dose of Polyjuice Potion gone wrong- she rolled over to stare out the window. The window of Ron- and Harry's, she added as an afterthought- room was next the one of hers and Ginny's.
Ron had been on her mind ever since she had received that letter from Viktor. Oh, how she had wanted Ron to say something rude and hurtful about Viktor! It was a secret that she harboured; how she truly loved Ron's protectiveness of her from the Bulgarian.
How she truly loved Ron.
'Forget him! He doesn't care about you!' said the spiteful little voice in her head. How she wished it wasn't telling the truth. If only he felt the same way.
But apparently it was not meant to be. If he really did feel the same way, he would have done something about it ages ago! Maybe something that would have resulted in the Yule Ball fiasco never having happened. For however much she tried, she couldn't forget it. She never would.
Goodness knows, she had given him enough hints then, and the kiss before his first Quidditch match couldn't have gone unnoticed.
Burying herself in the blankets, Hermione settled herself down for a night restless night filled with dreams of the amazing, and handsome, red head which she was sure would never be hers.
A.N. Don't you just wish that they could work it out between them? They'd make such a sweet couple! I always wonder why J.K. Rowling hasn't got them together already, and when fear that they never will realise their feelings for each other sets in, I just think that she's keeping us waiting so that all us avid fanfiction writers can have our say in what's going to happen first!
This didn't turn out like I was hoping, but I hope it pleases anyway! Like I said, we have more exams next week so it might be a while until I update! Also, though I hope to review before this, I'm going on the German exchange trip, though it's not til June, but with me you never know how long it will be until I update!
Please review, I'm begging you!
Sweetdeath04