Summary: After six years have passed and Hermione and Ron still haven't realized that they like each other, Harry realizes that, with the help of a joke shop and a few drink glasses, he can give them a little push.
Rating: PG (may change to PG-13)
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter characters and previous plot belong to J.K. Rowling. I only own the plot.

Love Plus Four
Chapter Two : Welcome Back

Ron resorted to staring out the window throughout the train ride. Hermione and Harry were talking about new teachers (and, in effect, new classes) for their sixth year. He was half-content with staring out the window, until a rather large and surly owl came to flap next to their compartment, obviously wanting to be let in. Staring at it, he took to associating it with an older Bulgarian. Therefore, it was only natural for him to avoid any signs of having noticed its presence there, as he stared off into the empty seat next to Hermione, which was across from him. He grinned, feeling that if he could just keep Krum from talking to Hermione, then that would be the end of that. It was only when the large bird began squawking to get the attention of the occupants did Ron frown and jump animatedly into the conversation.

"Wouldn't it be odd if Umbridge was back this year?" he interrupted.

Hermione glared at him. "We were talking about becoming Aurors, Ron. Have you been listening?"

He was spared an answer by the awkward silence that followed – and the imposter owl wailed (if that was possible for a two-foot-wide bird).

Hermione started harder before switching her horrified gaze to the window. "Ronald Weas–" But her cry was interrupted as the Bulgarian owl shrieked and fell out of sight.

"What the -?!" Ron cried, hoping that any and all events related to the owl's disappearance would not be blamed on him. He opened the window, and the trio stuck their heads out.

Harry searched for any signs of the owl, trying to figure out where it had gone.

Hermione began crying softly, which lasted about five seconds – at which time the tears were replaced by a blazing red color arriving upon her cheeks. "Ron.. if – you –had – just – open–"

Luckily (for Ron, at least), the surly owl reappeared, flying back to the window.

"See, he's alright," Harry protested, trying to stop the argument before it got to throwing books and chess sets at their respective owners.

Ron shrugged, knowing he had to get the blame off himself. "But what was that all about? Why'd he vanish?"

Ron's query was answered as a large owl of approximately the same size (perhaps even bigger) swooped down upon the grey one and tore at its legs, presumably trying to steal, or at least mangle, the arriving letter. This, he would not have minded, except it was causing Hermione great distress. So as Harry looked to the right and Ron to the left, he discovered the cause of the fight. (Many people along the train had gathered at their windows to observe.)

"Malfoy," he spat, still watching the fight with hate-filled interest. Ron found himself admitting that Krum's owl was actually rather smart. But intelligence didn't mean speed; a certain blonde-haired menace had the faster bird.

Suddenly, he realized that Hermione was gripping his right hand so hard it was going numb.

But just as Ron had unlocked Pigwidgeon's cage (who was now squealing madly and throwing himself across the cage) in an attempt to create a distraction, the grey owl took a great dive down towards the lake surface. Hermione gave a shriek, seeing as the golden bird (Malfoy's) was still trailing it. But all those years of devotion to Quidditch had paid off : Ron recognized this move as the Wronski Feint, a move that (he scowled) the owl's owner had pulled off two short years ago. He watched as the grey owl skimmed the surface of the lake, but Malfoy's, going too fast, plunged into the water and resurfaced a few seconds later. Krum's owl returned to the window, exhausted. Hermione allowed him to perch on her arm, while Pig, obviously jealous of the foreign owl's attention, began zooming around the compartment in an apparent attempt to gather some of his own. This ended when he flew straight into Krum's owl and, after a muffled screech, emerged, covered in grey feathers, and dropped onto the floor in a mock faint.

Ron seized this opportunity to shove Pig back in his cage and inform Hermione of the murderous intentions of the strange owl.

"It almost killed Pig!" he exclaimed. "It's smirking, I swear! Homicidal bird!"

The trio turned to stare at the grey owl, who returned their gaze by watching them with such a blank look on its face that it reminded Ron (again) strikingly of a certain Bulgarian.

Hermione opened her moth the retort, but before she could do so, they watched the door of the compartment open to reveal a furious Draco Malfoy, flanked by cronies Crabbe and Goyle, both of which were supporting a sopping-wet bird.

"Look what you've done!" exclaimed Malfoy.

Ron saw that Hermione was pointedly staring out the window. She probably thinks she's going to get in trouble. "It wasn't us who sent your owl after that one," he remarked.

Malfoy's face grew redder. "This isn't just an owl, Weasley. It's half-Augurey, which means it's nearly half-Phoenix. In any case, your family couldn't afford one if they sold their house. When my father –"

At this point, Hermione used her free arm to hold back Ron's. "Don't, Ron! He's just doing that to set you off."

Malfoy's growing smirk disappeared after Harry replied coolly, "'My father- ' what, Malfoy? Is he planning to break out of Azkaban? I'll be sure to inform the guards, if that's the case. Anyway," he began closing the compartment door slowly, "I don't think we have a reason to be afraid of you running to your daddy dearest." At this, he shut the door in Malfoy's face.

Hermione sighed and shook her head, releasing Ron's arm. Staring out the window absentmindedly, she stated, "You'd think they would have something better to do than annoy us."

Ron stared at the owl, determined to know its origin. "Er, so –" he began, trying to develop a plan to get rid of Krum's owl, "– where'd this owl come from?"

Hermione looked up, and saw that Ron was watching Pig (who was sleeping) with forced interest. "Well," she said, beaming, "Viktor purchased Merle over the summer so we could owl each other – I don't have one, you know," she finished carefully, avoiding his eyes.

Ron gaped. "Oh, so Vicky is spending his hard-earned money on Harry's best friend. What a surprise."

Hermione stared at Ron in disbelief. "I can't believe you haven't gotten over the fact that I'm his friend!"

"I'm telling you, Hermione – it's a bribe!" he shouted back.

"Honestly, Ron! Is there something wrong with talking to him? You don't get mad when I talk to Harry!"

Ron glared back, although something inside hurt – she was really half-wrong. He had felt a pang of jealousy when she had hugged Harry – she had merely waved to him when they met and was instantly caught up in a heated conversation with Ginny about new dress robes. "Why should I have a problem with Harry? He's our friend! Krum's an outsider!"

Harry merely watched all of this from his spot in the corner with suppressed interest, hoping he wouldn't have to interfere.

Hermione stared at him, before jumping up and poking him in the chest. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were jealous!"

At this, Ron's ears turned a bright red as he sputtered, "Jealous? Of that – oaf? Ha! You're supposed to be the brightest witch in our year, so why don't you act like it?"

Hermione glared at him. "You're supposed to be sixteen, Ron – act like it!" With a huff she extended her arm to Merle, and Crookshanks began to follow her out. As she opened the door, she said, "Seeing as I'm a prefect, I'm going to go to the meeting. Because neither of you sent me very informative letters," she stared at each of them icily, "I assume that I'll be having a grand time with Malfoy." With that, she walked through the doorway and slammed it behind her. Walking down the corridor, she muttered indistinguishable curses.

Ron seemed upset. "Why should I be jealous of that Bulgarian? He can't even say her name!" He fell into a momentary deep silence. "Wait – did she say 'prefect meeting'?"

Harry nodded slowly; despite the fact that he had taken to tuning out of the conversation, he knew that listening to the argument could be a future way of getting the two together.

Ron paled. "That's just another thing for her to yell at me for!" he said glumly. Picking up Pig's cage, he waved sadly. "Make sure you're not 'causing trouble' – I have 'prefect duty'. Ergh – maybe I'll get to dock a few points from Crabbe and Goyle." Yet he still didn't perk up. "Save us a carriage, will you?" Reopening the door, he exited and closed it, trudging down the hallway in the direction Hermione had gone.

As Ron carried Pigwidgeon's cage down the hall, he felt a surge of hate for a certain Bulgarian Quidditch player – and judging by how Pig kept throwing himself against the birdcage in the direction Hermione had gone, he thought his owl felt the same way, too.

Author's Note: Second chapter, yay! =) Please review; it'll give me incentive to write the third chapter!