A/N: Thanks for my first official review, sexyface!

Two: Returning to Myself

In my life, there were very few people whose advice I truly took to heart. Of those people, only a handful were not authors of books who I had never met. And I tended to take at advice sparingly. Even from those whose opinion I respected. I was intelligent, I always reasoned, and capable of making my own decisions without others pressing their own thoughts upon me. I was not so different in my afterlife.

When Athene left me to my own devices, I gave a rebellios "Hmph!" and plopped down on the ground. I knew I was resting on something… but still felt as though I was floating, as was the way in this place. Who was she, to tell me what I could and could not do? Certainly seeing how nothing I did could affect the rest of my life… as I didn't actually have one anymore. Anger boiled up in me, sending a burst of feeling the likes of which I hadn't felt since… since I couldn't even remember. The wave of emotion sent a dozen memories rushing painfully into my mind's eye. I felt my spirit drift away… back to another time… another life.

I was fifteen years old. My heart was pounding from the exhilaration of the Yule Ball. The dancing! The music! The everything!

I deliberately blocked my argument with Ron from my mind as Viktor and I climbed the stairs to the portrait hole entrance to the Gryffindor common room. I stopped him in a nearby corridor so we could say our goodbyes. "Thank you, Viktor." I said genuinely. "For everything. This was… this was lovely!" I was so happy. So happy to be noticed… to be cared about… Noticed and cared about by Viktor, I reminded myself, trying to forget the certain red head who had certainly noticed me as well. For the first time ever.

I successfully shoved the thought out of my consciousness and looked up at Viktor, my own features glowing as he smiled at me.

"I am glad you think so, Hermy-own-ninny!" he said jubilantly. He looked at me a moment, his expressions growing more timid. "I vould like to see you again." He confessed shyly.

I smiled. "I suppose…" I said as my smile grew wider, "That could definitely be arranged." I completed, looking up at him and beaming.

"Perfect." He replied in his gruff accent.

"Well…" I said, toying with a loose strand of my straightened hair, "I guess this is good night then."

"Yes, of course." He agreed sadly. He met my eyes, and with a swift movement, bent down and pressed his lips to mine. But it was over before it began. "Good night." he said quickly, a pink tint creeping into his cheeks.

"Good night." I replied quietly. I turned and walked the last twenty feet to the common room, but it was a miracle I made it there, because I was paying no attention. My head was buzzing with confusion… for in that kiss I hadn't felt a single thing I'd expected to. In fact all I'd felt was… awkward. I sighed as I reached the portrait opening and scrambled through the door, wrinkling my fine dress robes as I did so. And there, standing before the door, nostrils flaring and red hair mussed all over his head was Ronald Weasley.

"Suppose you and Vicky had a fine time then." He spat, throwing himself into a chair.

"Have you been waiting for me?" I inquired incredulously.

"No!" Ron defended quickly. Too quickly.

"You have!" I exclaimed, walking around the chair to face him.

"Have not." Grumbled Ron.

"You're acting like a child."

"Am not."

I groaned. "What's wrong with you, Ron?" I demanded.

"Me? What about you?" he stood and closed the space between, glaring down at me.

"ME?" I cried. "What did I do, Ronald?" I put my hands on my hips and met his cobalt blue eyes defiantly.

"You know what you did." He hissed, stomping away from me. I grabbed his wrist before he could move out of my reach and swung him around.

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"You and Krum!" he bellowed.

"You're ridiculous." I said dismissively.

"You think so?" he sneered. I nodded, not taking my eyes from his. My lips were thinning in anger. The thought, 'What an idiot' must have run across my mind a million times in that second of silence. "Well, I think you're betraying Harry!" he retorted.

"You're kidding." I said with a derisive laugh. "Betraying Harry? You make me sick." I turned on my heel and began to march toward the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

"You make ME sick." Ron shot back. "You can't go out with VIKTOR KRUM!"

I swung around and glared daggers at Ron. Ron, in his too small, lacy, frayed, maroon dress-robes. The expression on his face betrayed his anger for jealousy, but that realization only made me angrier. "Well if you don't like it," I shrieked, "You know what the solution is, don't you?"

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Ron's freckled face got redder as he shouted.

"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!" And with that, I turned and ran to the dormitory, hot anger burning in my veins.

I snapped out of my reverie and found myself temporarily blinded by the brilliant light streaming into my eyes. The unexpected return to my old self had been overwhelming. I could still feel every emotion that had rushed through me in those ten or fifteen minutes urning inside me… and I could feel! Such a thing it was to feel… I released a sigh and danced in circle, overwhelmed with the joy of having emotion again.

That silly argument rang in my ears and just to hear Ron's voice so clearly again was as good as breathing… as good as… I couldn't even find the words. I laughed and I smiled. I might have been there for hours… days... years, I wouldn't know. But however long it was, the realization came to me that perhaps Athene was right. Perhaps I owed her advice a chance after all.