Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. JK Rowling does. I don't think I own anything in this. Besides, if I did own Harry Potter, would I really be writing on a fan fiction site?

Chapter two

Snowball fight

Hermione's mind...

That Ron. He can be so immature sometimes! Playing games when he could be learning something valuable for his life! For school! But no. He would rather play chess. He never likes learning. Sometimes I wonder why he even tries to learn spells. And he always ends up asking for help. He never succeeds without my help. Ron needs me. He clings to me for help in his school work. He needs Hermione Granger to survive at school.

But he never needs me to survive for anything else. He makes jokes so easily, and others just adore him at times. I thought I saw Lavender go dreamy in his presence, and had to be slapped on the face to get out of it. Or maybe she was looking at Harry? It was hard to tell. But Harry's another thing. Everyone loves Harry Potter. The Chosen One. The Boy Who Lived. I really think Ron befriended him because of his scar at first, but they're really friends now. Same with me, hopefully.

I feel slightly shunted out, at the fact that I care more about learning. They're right. I need to loosen up... just a little bit. Enough to be noticed a little more, maybe? More than just 'the girl who always knows'. I wish I was Harry. Everyone likes him. I'm just the girl with a big brain, and no one seems to like them. Quite surprised I even made Harry and Ron as friends.

'Hey! Hermione!' Ron said, prodding her with his wand, 'Are you alive?'

'Ow, Ron!' she muttered, rubbing her arm, 'Yes! I'm alive! You can stop poking me now, okay? What do you want, Ron?'

'Come outside' he said, grinning, 'Come outside– for a snowball fight.' Before she could object, he went on. 'Please Hermione! Please! You should come! Snowball fights are awesome, and you're really missing out!'

'I see you've gotten over Ginny?' Hermione said, though somewhat asked, standing up and moving to the other side of the Common Room, incase he exploded.

But, he did not. In fact, a smug grin appeared on Ron's face. He looked almost like Draco, with the look. 'Ah, I don't think we need to worry about that anymore, 'Mione' he said, his voice rather triumphant, enticing her to ask 'why?' But, Hermione said something completely different.

'When did I care about who Ginny goes out with? As long as she doesn't go all distraught, it's fine, right?' Hermione said, her brow furrowing, as Ron gave her a blank stare. She rolled her eyes, deciding to just go along with it instead. 'Wait... I thought she was still going out with Dean... have you finally stopped being an overprotective brother?'

Ron shook his head. 'Nope. But, he'll be dumped by tomorrow! Trust me!'

'You didn't lie, did you Ron?' Hermione asked, glaring at him with an accusing look.

'Er... no?' Ron answered, before quickly changing the subject, 'So... you're coming for the snowball fight?'

Hermione gave a shrug. 'Sure, Ron' she answered, with a slight smile. She wrapped her scarf around her neck. 'Okay. Let– Where's Harry?'

'He's already out there' Ron reassured her, stepping out of the Portrait Hole, 'Hurry up... he's waiting...'

Hermione nodded, before rushing out the Portrait Hole after him. They rushed through the corridors, and down the stairs, before arriving at the ground floor, where Ron opened the door, and jokingly bowed, and beckoned Hermione through the door.

'Hey! Ron! Hermione!' a voice shouted, from behind, 'Wait!'

The two turned, to see another red-head sprinting madly through the crowd, waving her hand for the two to notice her.

'Hello Ginny!' Hermione said cheerfully, before glancing at Ron, remembering what he had said earlier. Ginny looked happy enough... 'Anything wrong, Ginny?'

'Nope, everything's great!' Ginny answered, rather happily, 'Why? Is Ron planning something?'

'I wouldn't know' Hermione said, casting a glare at Ron, 'But I think so. Be careful, Ginny.'

'Wait...' Ginny said, putting a hand on Hermione's shoulder. She gave a quick glare at Ron, who's brow furrowed for a second, before he turn and traipsed over to Harry.

'Nothing's wrong' Ginny reassured Hermione, seeing the worried look on her face, 'But... I know... stuff.'

'What?' Hermione said, 'I-I don't understand what you mean Ginny...But stuff doesn't sound good...'

'Dunno whether or not it is' Ginny said, glancing over at Ron and Harry, who were looking around for any good opponents, 'Snowball fight?' she asked Hermione suddenly.

Hermione nodded, looking at Ginny curiously. 'What about?' she asked, warily.

'Harry.'

Hermione shook her head. 'Harry is complicated, Ginny. He is fantastic with disguising what he thinks. And we all know about the Prophecy.'

'Prophecy? I thought that smashed! Hermione... I thought I was the one explaining here... I have no idea what you are talking about!' Ginny said, in slight disbelief.

Hermione opened her mouth, decided against it, then opened it again, to actually speak. 'Well... if it isn't the Prophecy, then what do you know, Ginny?'

Ginny frowned. 'Well... Harry's... coping too well...' she said, as if she couldn't word it any better.

'Coping too well?" Hermione said, her brow furrowing, 'What are– Well, I guess he is coping with Sirius really well... But... do-do you know why Ginny?'

Ginny opened her mouth to speak, when the two heard Ron's shouts. 'Come on, Hermione! Ginny!'

The two turned toward him. 'Er... coming!' Hermione called, before adding in a low voice to Ginny, 'Tell me later, okay?' She usually hadn't been fond of gossip, but this was Harry. Her friend. And Ginny looked dead serious.

The two walked over to the boys, as they pointed at three other people, opposite them. Hermione recognised them immediately, as Dean, Seamus and Neville. Three other Gryffindors.

'Our opponents!' Ron state proudly, before yelling, 'START!'

Snow started flying in all directions. In the first minute, Hermione had snow covering her hair. She frowned, brushing it out, and throwing a ball of snow toward Seamus, which stopped short a foot from hitting him.

Next to her, Ginny fired a shot at Dean, which made it's mark, causing him to fall over, in small hysterics. Ginny gave a small giggle, before the laughing boy gave a thumbs up.

Harry and Ron were making some good shots, hitting most of the people they aimed at. Neville got showered in snowballs, and had white all over him afterwards.

An hour later, the sixteen year olds panted furiously. Hermione collapsed into the snow, grinning broadly, when she felt a pain shoot around her hand. Automatically, she wrenched her hand away, to see a shoe, where her hand had been. And wearing the shoe... Draco Malfoy.

Hermione remembered, three years ago, when she had punched the git in the face. The urge to do it for a second time flowed through her, but her punching had was throbbing, after he stood on it.

Her eyes watered for a second, before she glared icily at Draco. 'Go away, git' she hissed, menacingly, 'Does it look like we want a cockroach in our lives?'

Harry raced over, his wand pointing at Draco, and he had a threatening look on his face. Snowballs suddenly collided with the blonde's face, before Ron charged forward, kicking him in the shins.

Draco yelped, hopping around on one leg and holding his shin. He fell into the snow, after losing his balance, and gave Ron a death-glare. 'Silly hobo!' he bellowed, 'Doing anything to protect your little girlfriend!'

Ron blushed scarlet for a second, before he glared viciously at the blonde-haired boy. 'I will kill you someday, Malfoy' he hissed, standing up, and storming away. Deep footprints lay in the snow behind him.

'Sissy' Draco muttered, looking at his shin, and climbing to his feet. A purple bruise was starting to develop. Limping slightly, he strutted away, jeering about Ron among his friends.

'Foul thing' Hermione muttered in disgust, climbing to her feet, 'I'll go get Ron.'

She followed his footprints, to find him leaning against the trunk of the large beech tree, the branches overhanging the frozen lake. Ron was frowning, gazing off into the distance. He hadn't even noticed Hermione come into his presence.

'R-Ron?' she asked, hesitantly.

He turned to her suddenly, startled to see her there. 'O-oh, Hermione' he said, breathlessly, 'I didn't expect you'd follow me! I didn't expect anyone would follow me.'

'Don't be silly Ron!' Hermione said, smiling, and sitting down beside him, 'You have friends. And a sister who cares.'

Ron gave a shrug. 'Sorry' he muttered, looking at the ground.

'For what?' Hermione questioned him curiously, 'For saying stuff about having no friends? Forgiven. Couldn't stay mad forever...'

'You can with everything else' Ron sighed, brow furrowing, 'So protective of Crookshanks, and can find faults with all my homework...'

'I like Crookshanks– And Scabbers ended up to be Pettigrew. I wish my cat really did kill him... except you'd be yelling at me for the rest of my life' Hermione said, frowning.

Ron turned to Hermione, his gaze turning down slightly. 'I could never stay mad at you that long, 'Mione' he said, sincerely.

'Because I'm your friend?'

'No. More than that.' Ron gave a gulp, before standing up, and leaving the lake. Hermione looked after him, looking at the ground for a second, before she followed him, rather silently, pondering what he had just said.