CHAPTER 22

When Hermione came back to Hogwarts after her visit with her parents, she was really quiet for the rest of the day. Ron couldn't get her to talk about what happened at St. Mungo's. But something must have happened because Hermione became very determine to stop Voldermort before he strikes again. She became almost obsessive of the Dark Arts and figuring ways to stop Voldermort.

She spent most of her free time with Harry, convincing to let her help him. She borrowed Harry's Dark Arts books and stay up reading them. She even stayed after D.A. meetings longer to practice the new spells with Harry. With all of the extra research and reading, she is still able to easily pass all of her classes.

Hermione threw herself into researching and schoolwork that she barely had time for anything else. Ron wasn't the only one that became worried. Harry and Ginny noticed too. Harry started making excuses for not staying after D.A. meetings to help her. Ginny was having problems selling some of Fred's and George's inventions at Hogwarts. Hermione was too involved to care anymore that Ginny was encouraging students to break the rules. "Everyone isn't as interested as before. What's the point of buying the school's biggest troublemakers products, if you can't get in trouble if you're caught with it," Ginny said.

The Hogsmeade trip before the Halloween feast is exactly what Hermione needs, a change of scenery and a break from the schoolwork.

The three friends left Hogwarts early Halloween afternoon. When they reach Hogsmeade, Ron noticed all of the Aurors around the town.

"There are a lot of Aurors here," Ron mentioned to Harry and Hermione.

Harry and Hermione looked around. "They're not Aurors," Hermione said. "They're the volunteer group the Prime Minister recruited."

"How can you tell," Harry asked.

"Look at their robes," Hermione said pointing to one in the distance. "They don't have the embroider. The Aurors have the Ministry mark."

"Come on," Ron said. "Let's go to the Three Broomsticks."

They walked in and Hermione selected a booth near the window. Harry ordered three butterbeers and brought it to the table.

"So, Harry," Hermione said. "How are your occlumency lessons?"

"What," Ron said surprise. "You're still taking occlumency lessons again? With Snape?"

"With Tonks," Hermione said. "Harry has been taking lessons once a night on Tuesday."

"Why didn't I know about it," Ron exclaimed. He always feels left out when it comes with Harry and Hermione. He's always the last one to know what happened. He might be overreacting or reading too much into it, but he just always have this nagging feeling that they leave him out of things sometimes.

"Well, I'm not really suppose to tell anyone," Harry said, apprehensively.

"I'm not anyone," Ron said. "I thought we were mates. Besides, you told Hermione! You told Hermione, but you didn't tell me?"

"I thought Hermione was going to tell you," Harry said.

"Well, she didn't," Ron said. "In fact, we haven't talked a lot these past few days."

"I was busy," Hermione said. "I thought you knew that."

"You always found time before," Ron mumbled to himself.

Ginny and Dean walked into the pub, ordered some butterbeer, and then sat at a table in the opposite end of the pub. After a while, Dean left, leaving Ginny by herself. Harry got up from the table.

"Where are you going," Ron asked curiously.

He felt Hermione kick him under the table. "Ow!" Ron said, turning around at Hermione and rubbing his shins. Harry took that cue and walked over to Ginny. "What was that for? You don't talk to me, then you kick me!"

"I talk to you!"

"Oh yeah? Then tell me what happened when you visited your parents."

Hermione leaned back against the booth and crossed her arms across her chest. She stared out of the window and watched the people outside.

"Well," Ron said impatiently. "Are you going to tell me?"

"Nothing happened," Hermione said. "I told you they were fine. The Healers performed a memory charm and took them to India."

"There has to be more," Ron said eyeing Hermione skeptically. Ron knew there had to be more. It was one thing to be passionate about something like spew, but it was different to be obsessive. Ron knew Hermione would probably want to stop Voldermort after what happened to her parents, but so did Ron. He, however, didn't become obsessive with the Dark Arts.

"Ron," Hermione said, raising her voice. "That's all that happened. Just leave it!"

"No, I know you," Ron said. "Something's bothering you."

Ron's face softened to a worried frown. He placed both of his hands, outstretch, reaching for Hermione, wanting to hold her hands.

"Please, Hermione," Ron begged. "Tell me what's wrong."

Hermione turned to look at Ron again. She had tears forming in her eyes. She looked down at Ron's warm, gentle gesture, then blurted out, "My parents wanted me out of Hogwarts!"

She got up from the booth, said no more, and then ran out of the pub.

Ron sat there, not sure if he should chase after Hermione. Half of him wanted to ask her what that meant and the other half told him she needed her space. He got up eventually because he didn't want Hermione to be so upset. He wanted an explanation of what she just said. How can she not return to Hogwarts. This is her home. This is the place she belongs.

He turned to leave when he saw Harry and Ginny sitting across the table from one another, holding hands on top of the table. Ron was too shocked to do anything.

At the Halloween feast, Hermione couldn't be found. He was about to walk out of the Great Hall to look for Hermione, but Harry and Ginny caught his eye.

What is happening between them, Ron asked himself.

Harry and Ginny got up from the Gryffindor table and walked out of the Great Hall.

Against his better judgment, Ron followed them.

He followed them up to the Gryffindor's common room. However, when he entered the room, there was no on in there.

"Where did they go," Ron asked out loud.

There were only three ways out of the room. He just came in through one and Harry can't go up the other one. That only leaves…the boys' staircase. Ron thought the worst and pictured Ginny in the boys' room, doing things he didn't want to think about with Harry. He started to get disturbed at just the thought.

He was about to storm up to the boys' room and demand to know what's going on. But Harry came down the staircase, alone, with the Marauder's map in his hand.

"Do you know where Hermione is," Harry asked, looking up form the folded map.

Ron shook his head, the anger slowly slipped away when he realized Harry was by himself.

"Where's Ginny," Ron demanded.

"Upstairs to find Hermione," Harry answered. "We didn't see Hermione at the feast. We became worried and decided to look for her."

So, Ginny went to the girls' room. She wasn't with Harry doing anything. His anger fully disappeared, until he remembered Harry and Ginny holding hands at the Three Broomsticks.

"Is there something going on between you and my sister," Ron asked in his over protective voice.

Harry averted his eyes from Ron's. The moment of tension was broken when Ginny and Hermione walked down the staircase.

"Hermione," Ron said walking to her, forgetting about Harry and Ginny. "Where did you go?"

"We have prefect duty tonight," Hermione said, ignoring Ron's question. "Are you ready?"

She walked out of the portrait hole, and Ron had no choice but to follow her.

As they walked through the halls, Ron was cautious about bringing up the visit with her parents. He didn't need her running away again. However, there was something else that is now nagging on him mind.

"What's going on between Harry and Ginny," Ron asked. "I saw them holding hands in the Three Broomsticks."

"They were," Hermione asked excitedly. "I knew it!"

"What do you mean," Ron asked. He couldn't believe Hermione is actually happy and excited at this news. Hermione erased the happy expression from her face when she realized Ron wasn't as happy as her.

"Ginny broke up with Dean today," Hermione said. "Harry was just there to comfort her."

"But why did she break up with Dean," Ron asked. He has a feeling he's missing something again.

"It's too complicated," Hermione said, waving the question away.

Some of the students from the feast started to return to their common room. Ron saw Seamus with Dean, who avoided Ron as they walked past him.

"Hi, Ron," Luna said breathlessly. "Good luck in the game next week."

"Uh, thanks," Ron said awkwardly. He grabbed Hermione's arm and started walking in the other direction. It was pointless though because Luna followed them and caught up.

"Ron, I was finally able to do that spell," Luna said to Ron. "Thanks for helping out."

Hermione cut in as soon as she heard those words escape Luna's mouth. .

"Ron, can I talk to you," Hermione said hotly. He knew he has just gotten in trouble.

Hermione dragged him into an empty classroom.

"You're getting quite cozy with Luna, aren't you," Hermione said, crossing her arms across her chest.

"It's not like that," Ron said. "It was during D.A. Remember when you left early? Well, Harry asked me to team up with Luna. And she was having a bit of trouble. So, I helped her."

"She's in Ravenclaw," Hermione said. "She's suppose to be smart enough to figure it out."

"Hey," Ron said defensively. "Not everyone can be as smart as you."

"Don't be cute, Ron," Hermione said. "I can't believe you believed her. She was only pretending. She may be loony, but she knows what she's doing."

"You weren't there," Ron said. "She really didn't know what she was doing."

"Whatever," Hermione said, turning to open the door. "Why don't you go help her some more then. I'm sure there's something she doesn't know and needs your help."

Ron walked over to Hermione and closed the door.

"What is this," Ron asked. He didn't understand why she was acting like this. There really was nothing going on, and nothing can ever happen between Ron and Luna. Hermione refused to look at him. He sighed deeply. "You were right, Luna did fancy me. But I told her I wasn't interested.

"You said what," Hermione said astounded, looking at him now.

"I told her I wasn't interested," Ron said. Then muttered, "Which is more than what you said to Krum."

However, Hermione's sharp ears picked up every word.

"Excuse me," Hermione asked incredulous. "How is Viktor Krum brought up every-single-time?"

"Well, I told Luna I wasn't interested in her, "Ron said walking to one of the corners of the room. If they were going to have a row, he wasn't about to let everyone walking by to watch. "Did you tell Krum the same? But then, why would you? Who's not interested in a professional Quidditch player?"

"Ron, I stopped writing to Viktor about a month ago."

"Why would you do that," Ron said, now crossing his arms.

Hermione's face softened. She walked over to where Ron was standing.

"Because it made the one person I care about extremely upset. I couldn't carry on, even if I told Viktor we could only be friends, already."

She placed a hand on Ron's arm, and he unfolded them from his chest. He closed the gap between him and Hermione. He leaned so his face was really close to Hermione's.

"And who is this person you care so much about," Ron asked Hermione softly.

"You," Hermione said breathlessly as Ron closed his eyes and kissed Hermione.

It was an awkward, first kiss. But nevertheless, it was the most perfect kiss. This is the moment Ron has been wanting to happen all summer. To feel the soft lips of Hermione's on his. He wanted to tell him how much this moment meant to him.

He pulled back a bit and said, "Hermione-"

But Hermione pulled him down for another kiss before another word could come out. He totally forgot what he was about to say.

The second kiss was already better than the first kiss. He couldn't believe he was finally kissing Hermione in an empty classroom, of all places. Hermione must have realized it too, because she pulled away really quick.

"We're in a classroom, Ron," Hermione said, alarmed.

Ron took out this wand and quickly locked and perturbed the door. "It's locked. No one will catch us."

"That's not the point," Hermione said, starting to walk away. "This isn't exactly the appropriate place to be-"

Ron wouldn't let Hermione go. He took hold of her arms and pulled her back. It took them this long to finally be alone and kiss. He leaned in again.

"That's the best part," Ron grinned before going in for another kiss. Ron found the small part of her back and Hermione had her fingers intertwined in Ron's hair.

They spent the rest of the night snogging in the empty classroom.

After about midnight, they decided they should head back. Ron didn't want to, but Hermione insisted.

Ron lifted the shield on the door and unlocked it.

Ron and Hermione walked back to the common room, holding hands and smiling at each other.

As they entered the portrait hole, Ron expected it to be empty. But it wasn't. A messy, blacked hair boy was sitting in front of the fire on the floor. He was rocking back and forth.

"Harry," Hermione said worried. She let go of Ron's hand and walked over. "Harry, what's wrong?"

Ron stood next to her and saw Harry's eyes glazed over. He was sweating, and Ron doesn't think it's because he's sitting in front of the fire.

Hermione got down on her knees and put her hands on his shoulders and gently shook him. "Harry, what's wrong?"

Harry snapped out of his hypnotic state and sat still. He looked up at Ron and Hermione and said, "He's Ready."