Hi everyone! It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry to leave you all like that, but I'm back, more prepared, and have plenty more time to update! I've figured out the rest of the story, down to the dialogue in some chapters, and even written another fanfic called If You Say that I'll be posting in a couple weeks. We've got a ways to go in the story. I said it'd be much longer than the first, didn't I? So thanks for sticking with me and just sit back and enjoy the story! I have a feeling you'll like the way it finishes, even if you decide to hate me for what happens along the way. Here it goes!

Nearly a week had passed since the former couple had agreed to take a break. There was no a specific length of time for the break, nor any assurance that it would ever end at all. The only thing they had established was that there would be a break, and that they would date other people.

Hermione hadn't thought much about that aspect of the agreement yet, mainly because she wasn't sure whom she would date. She hadn't found anyone yet, and she was confident that Ron hadn't found anyone either. How could they in only a week?

So she sat in Matt's apartment, trying to continue her life without Ron.

Then the phone rang.

Matt stood to answer it. "Hello?" Hermione looked over towards him. "Oh hey! How are you? I'm fine, thanks." He looked over to Hermione and mouthed the words, "it's Harry."

"Oh," Hermione mouthed silently as she nodded with a smile.

Matt continued to speak to Harry. "Oh yeah, that'd be great! No not at all! You're welcome at anytime. Alright, bye!"

He hung up the phone. "Harry and Ginny are in town and are stopping by. They'll be here any second."

Hermione walked to the door. "Remember, you don't know the truth about me, and especially not about them."

"Know what?" asked Matt with mock confusion.

Seconds later a knock came at the door. Hermione turned the knob and opened it, revealing her two friends smiling faces. "Hello!" Ginny entered first, greeting her dear friend. "It's been so long!"

Soon she continued on to Matt. "It's great to see you again, Matt! How have you been?"

Harry followed Ginny in, closing the door behind him. "Hey," he said calmly. The sympathetic look he gave her told her he knew all about what was happening between her and Ron. He pulled her into a close, but friendly hug, which was exactly what Hermione needed. She needed to know her friends would stick with her even after her break up with Ron. "How are you holding up?" he asked quietly.

Hermione released her hold on him. "I'm doing ok, I—I'm great," said Hermione as she nodded.

"Good," replied Harry with a smile on his face, despite the fact that he knew she was lying.

"Well, come sit down," suggested Hermione as she led them to the couch. "It's so nice to see the two of you again!"

"Well we were in town so why not stop by?"

For a while the four of them chatted away happily. It had been some time since they had visited with one another. Besides the day she ran into Harry at the Three Broomsticks, Hermione hadn't spoken with either of them since the dinner where she and Ron had announced their engagement, an event that seemed so long ago.

Any subject dealing with Ron had been avoided entirely for most of the visit, until the conversation slowed down and presented Ginny with the opportunity to ask a question that had been drifting through her mind the entire night. "So are you two dating?"

Both Matt and Hermione sat up nervously at that remark. They quickly glanced at each other. Did they act like they were dating? "No," Matt responded. "We're just friends."

"Oh sorry," replied Ginny. "It's just I was told—" realizing her mistake she quickly rephrased her sentence. "I thought you two might get together, that's all."

"Who told you?" asked Hermione curiously, feeling like she already knew the answer.

Harry jumped in. "No one. We just—"

"Ron thinks Matt and I are dating, doesn't he?"

"Yes." They anxiously awaited Hermione's reaction.

"Well, he's wrong," stated Hermione. Now that the subject of Ron had been brought up, questions about him flooded her mind. She had to fight the urge to ask about him. She had to! "So how is Ron doing?"

Nervously Ginny responded. "He's doing ok."

"Anything new with him?"

Ginny looked over at Harry. They couldn't keep it from her forever. Harry nodded slightly for her to continue. "Well—er—he's actually seeing someone—now."

Hermione paused before she answered. "Really?" she asked disbelievingly. "Oh…" Ron had beaten her to it? Ron? The guy who had taken more than seven years to ask her out had already asked another girl out in less than seven days? "Anyone we know?"

"No, actually," Ginny said slowly. "He met her at a restaurant."

"I'm sure he'll get to know her more on their first date," said Hermione, acting like she didn't care.

"Actually," began Harry, "He's taking her out for the third time."

"Oh," said Hermione. She began to stutter. "Well, t—that's good. Good for him.

"Hermione, you know he doesn't really care for her. He's just—"

"I mean that's what we agreed to do, isn't it? See other people?" She almost seemed to be in a trance. She was so shocked that she couldn't stop her self from talking. "S—so it really shouldn't bother me. And it doesn't. Why should it?" Tears began to appear in her eyes.

"We'd better go."

"I'll walk them out," Matt said to Hermione as he walked outside with Harry and Ginny.

Matt shut the door behind him so Hermione wouldn't be able to hear them. "So what's your take on this?"

"You know he's just trying to distract himself," said Harry.

"Yeah," Matt began. "But it's almost like he's doing it just to hurt Hermione. It never seemed like he took her out that often."

"They try to outdo each other in situations like this," said Ginny. "Knowing them, they'll make this into another competition. I just hope they don't do anything they'll regret."

"So what are we going to do?" asked Matt.

"What can we do?" asked Harry.

"We can't step in this soon," said Ginny. "We'd only make things worse. We need to let them see other people for a while. Then, when they realize they miss each other, we can find a way to bring them together again."

The three fell silent. They didn't want to sit around as their two friends tore each other down.

"We really didn't mean to upset her like that," said Ginny. "We just wanted to be honest with her."

"It's better that she knows," said Matt. "I'm just surprised though."

"We were too."

"Why are they doing this to themselves?"

"I don't think they themselves know why," said Ginny.

After a moment's pause Matt spoke. "Well I'd better get back to Hermione. It was nice seeing you two again."

"Hopefully next time we'll meet for a happier reason."

"And Matt," said Harry, "Watch out for Hermione, ok?"

"Of course," He responded with a nod.

Matt walked back inside to see Hermione still sitting on the couch.

"'You going to be ok?" asked Matt as he stood behind her leaning on the couch.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Never mind the fact that Ron has taken out a girl who he does not know three times in less than a week, when he would take me out three times in over twice that time!"

"But that's just it," said Matt making his way around the couch and taking a seat next to her. "He doesn't know her."

"Yes, but what if… what if he really does care for her?"

"In less than a week? Hermione, he probably can't even remember her name."

She smiled slightly at his comment. "Oh gosh…" she said breaking down into tears again. "He's dating someone else. He really is."

"Hermione, don't cry," said Matt pulling her into a comforting hug. She'd been pretending she was perfectly fine for a few days now. He wasn't surprised that she couldn't contain herself. "It's not worth your tears. It really isn't. Shh…it's ok."

Matt had an idea. Right now was not the time, but first thing tomorrow he'd ask her. He hoped it would not only clear things up for others, but for himself as well.

Wow so not all too interesting of a chapter to come back with, but necessary. As soon as you all get the chance to read this chapter, I'll post the next. My random guess is that we have about ten chapters left? Yes? I believe so. Well anyway, post a review so I know that you've read it and then I'll put up the next chapter. Bye! Misty