Disclaimer: I don't own this. Any of it in this chapter, anyway.

A/N: I know it's been quite awhile, guys, but I'm getting back into this one. Happy reading!

The next morning, Harry woke up feeling more rested than he had in months. He looked around with a half-smile on his face. "It's good to be home," he thought, turning his head to see out the window to the beautiful Hogwarts grounds. To Harry, Hogwarts was the closest thing of home that he had had since he was a baby. Harry drifted off into daydreams of what the new term might be like.

Suddenly a voice came from the other side of the room, shaking him from his dream. "Oy! Harry! What're you doing over there? Thinking about your girlfriend?"

Harry shook himself and replied "Uh. I just spaced out for a second, thinking about how glad I am to be back." He looked around at Ron, Seamus, and Neville, who were looking back at him with curious faces. Then, hearing his stomach complaining loudly, asked "What do you say we get dressed and head downstairs to breakfast?"

Seamus chuckled. "Alright mate. Mmm, first breakfast of the term. I think the receiving of schedules makes it that much more interesting…me mam says this is going to be an interesting year, so we may as well get it started on the right foot, eh?"

The boys agreed and got ready for the start of term, digging in their respective trunks for their wands and Hogwarts robes. Neville and Seamus were ready fairly quickly, since their trunks were much more ordered than either Harry's or Ron's, and they headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast, agreeing to save seats for the others. Harry and Ron were the only ones left in the room.

"So, Ron…" Harry said.

"Don't even ask it." Ron said exasperatedly, "I know the first question out of your trap is going to be 'How do you like being a prefect?' Do you want to know the truth, Harry? I'm not sure I like it very much. Sure, it's great being able to tell young mates what to do, but there's just so much responsibility involved. Apparently Hermione and I have to be model students this year. The prefect badges have some kind of spell on them that let Dumbledore and McGonagall know where we are at all hours. I'm going to miss the fun times, Harry, and it looks like you'll be spending a bit more time as a one-man team this term." Ron turned towards Harry to find him with a strange look on his face. "Harry? You all right? Are you just daydreaming again?"

"No," Harry replied, "I'm fine."

"Good," replied Ron. "Wouldn't want to start off the term in a bad way, eh?"

"Right" agreed Harry, as he started for the door.

"Erm, Harry?" asked Ron from on his knees by his trunk. He waited for Harry to look back at him. "Don't take this the wrong way or anything, but I'm glad we're both still here and still best mates."

Harry smiled. "Me too, Ron. Let's go get some breakfast, shall we?"

His spirits only heightened further when he saw Hermione sitting on a chair in the common room, her eyes gazing into the fireplace. It wasn't until the boys got closer that Harry noticed the troubled look on her face. Harry and Ron approached her.

Harry touched her shoulder. She started and finally noticed them, then spoke to the red-headed prefect. "Ron, can you give us a few minutes? Harry and I will meet you in the Great Hall." Ron looked at her for a moment, nodded, and headed off through the portrait hole. The sounds of the Fat Lady squawking about having to open up all the time drifted into the common room.

Harry looked at Hermione and saw that she was fighting to hold back tears. Before he had a chance to speak, she rushed into his arms and grabbed him in a fierce hug. They stood there, in the middle of the common room, embracing, Hermione's tears dampening his robes. But of course he didn't care. Finally, she loosened her grip and led him over to a couch near the fireplace. She took a deep breath and started speaking, her eyes staring straight into his, her voice wavering.

"Harry, I…don't think we should be dating anymore."

Harry's eyes widened. "Hermione. You've got to be kidding. What about…"

Hermione's looked hushed him immediately, and she continued. "Harry. There are just too many things against us right now. Obviously, there's Voldemort. I feel it, and I know you feel it, too…he's getting stronger every day, and I don't want him to use me as bait for you, Harry. And we've got O.W.L.'s this year, and Ron and I are prefects, and…"

"Wait a minute," Harry interrupted, "What does Ron have to do with this?"

"I wasn't going to say anything, I promised I wouldn't…" she was nearly in tears again.

Harry's voice interrupted her abruptly again. "You weren't going to say what, Hermione. I strongly suggest you tell me, or I'm going to have to go to Ron and ask him myself, and we both know how much he hates being interrogated like that."

She nodded, and with a shaking voice, continued. "All right. Ron is actually the one who convinced me to tell you." She saw Harry's face harden. "Harry, please don't be mad at him, I really was thinking about it before that, he just convinced me…"

Harry's sharp stare cut her off. "I can't believe this. My own best friend, and you, who I loved more than anyone in the world…how could you do this to me? What happened to 'sticking together no matter what happens?' You know I wouldn't ever let anything happen to you or Ron. I…I can't…I can't talk to you right now. Or Ron. Just…leave me alone."

With that, he shot to his feet and stormed out the portrait hole, ignoring Hermione's calls from the common room. He went to the Great Hall, but didn't even acknowledge Ron's glance in his direction, or Hermione sobbing on Ron's shoulder.

Harry's thoughts were racing too fast for him to think. He felt utterly betrayed. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and decided to himself that he didn't have time to think about it now, as much as it hurt. He finally opened his eyes when a hand landed on his shoulder. Harry turned around to see the sneering visage of his arch nemesis, Draco Malfoy, looking back at him.

"What's wrong, Potty? Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Or did your precious mudblood girlfriend dump your sorry behind?" Seeing the anger flare up behind Harry's eyes, Draco laughed as he continued. "That's it, isn't it? She left you for her books! That must make you feel just…"

His words were cut off when Harry jumped to his feet and grabbed Malfoy's robes at the throat. "Don't. Say. Another. Word." Harry said menacingly.

The fire in his expression was enough for Malfoy to back off and retreat back to the Slytherin table, where he recounted what had just happened to his minions Crabbe and Goyle. Though they had plainly seen it with their own eyes, they looked at him with amazement, occasionally shooting glares in Harry's general direction, though Harry didn't notice. He was too busy staring in shock at his schedule for the term, which he had received from Professor McGonagall on his way into the Great Hall.