DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters.

Chapter Two: In Which Ron Says Something Disastrous

I stand here, still thinking about Hermione's weird reaction to almost everything I did last night. It was one of those things where everything seems familiar, yet you can't quite put a finger on it. She acted like she did something tremendously funny, but I didn't see the joke at all!I ask her for my dress robes and she looks at me like I'm a cloud! Then I ask her if she can pass the potatoes and her face turns to the shade of beets! All evening long this happened. Now where saying goodbye to my family before we load up for Hogwarts and she still won't look me in the eye. Or Harry for that matter. Argh!

"Hermione, go check in as head girl and we'll be in one of the compartments in the back," I tell her, managing to receive a dazzled expression. She then flips her hair and down the hall she struts. Sometimes I want to grab that hair and strangle her with it! She is so insufferable… sometimes. Other times… well, they make me wish she were insufferable (because they happen at the worst moments.) Really, it's not fair that all girls have to do is stretch during charms class and all of a sudden you have a big problem right on your lap. Why did Merlin make boys so obvious? It's really not fair.

"Look, here's an empty one. I don't know where Luna went, but I suspect she'll turn up sometime soon. Ginny is with her… umm… friend," Harry coughs and avoids any possible direct reference to Ginny's new boyfriend. They are really only together because Ginny wants someone to keep her busy, as she can't be with Harry, anyway. Poor Harry. If only he had known that the Order would find the Horcruxes and that it wouldn't take another whole year of death and destruction to rid the world of Vol-cough-mort (it's still painful to say). In fact, it had almost been easy, seeing that Regulus Black had the final Horcruxes hidden in his former home. With all his mutterings, that dingbat house elf gave it away accidentally. After that all that needed to be done was to destroy them. Even Harry thinks it was too easy, so we've kept vigilant and such, but Harry has defeated Voldemort thus far and all that so now it's time to enjoy the new school year. The recent death of Dumbledore is ever present in our minds, and Harry has been a little droll about it, but the Order has discovered that his portrait is alive and well and we can communicate with him, albeit sparingly. It's a bit of a damper on everything, but hopefully, with a couple girls on our arms, this year will be fantastic. Tee hee hee. Poor Hermione, stuck as head girl on the last year that we can have fun. Harry and I got to concoct something for her so she won't be left out. Boy, that'll be tricky right there.

I've noticed something about Hermione. She's awfully jumpy. A guy can't sit next to her without her practically having a hernia. She must have a germ phobia or something like that. Yeah, that's probably it. She must be afraid of getting dirty. I shake my head thinking of how hard her life must be. Than again, so is mine. I'm the one who has to live with a germaphobiac.

Harry prods me in the side, asking me what I want from the trolley. I tell him the usual but to leave out the Bertie Bots, because I've developed an odd allergy to them. So we eat and enjoy ourselves, and I'm just unwrapping a lollipop that gives you a higher IQ for about thirty seconds, when miss I'm-afraid-of-touching-anything walks through the door. She waves hello, and sits (gingerly, by the looks of it) next to me.

"So, Hermione, who is the Head Boy?"

"Justin Flinch-Fletchley, thank God. I think I would have died if it had been, dare I say it… Blaise Zabini."

"Justin is nice enough, I guess. He still doesn't trust me though," Harry sighs at his second year, remembering that terrible dueling club. I take a lick at my lollipop.

"His loss, Harry," she says, ever the supportive one. I watch her look from me to Harry and back to me, gesturing slightly and smiling awfully big. It hits me like a lamppost.

"Oh, yeah, Harry, Justin definitely doesn't know what he's missing. But we'll have a great year, won't we? Think of it! There's Parvati… and umm… there aren't many girls in our year, are there? At least in Gryffindor. There's Cho Chang! Just kidding, mate. Don't look at me like that. We'll meet a couple girls and go have fun during Hogsmeade weekends and all that," I guess the IQ effect wore off, because apparently I said something really bad, judging by the daggers Hermione is glaring at me.

"Than I hope you have a wonderful time, while I rot in the common room, studying. Because God forbid that I should join in and have fun! Or that I am a girl, and seventh year Gryffindor! Ron, you are so insensitive."

"Hermione, touchy, touchy. I was only trying to get Harry out of this frump thing you've been jerking your head at. Please, don't take everything I say so personally!"

"How else should I take it? Am I supposed to sift through all the crap you give me and decide what's worth listening to and what's not? What do you take me for? A mind reader? Don't answer that," with that, she storms out of the room. Skirt flying, door slamming and everything.

"Poor Hermione. Sometimes I feel so bad for her."

"Why's that?" I ask Harry.

"She just doesn't get it," he says, and I simply nod, having no clue as to what he's going on about. I don't think he does, either, but boy does Hermione look good in that skirt.

Note: I know it's going a little slow, but hang in there.

Reviews welcome and all that.