Notes: Hermy isn't evil!

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I'm really getting lazy, Harry thought. He had been lying there for three weeks, but at least he was feeling better.Hermione was sitting across the room, reading a very thick book. "Hermy?"

"Don't call me that."

"I was thinking that we should get on with-"

"Give it a rest Harry."

"But it's been three weeks!"

"And you're still sick."

"I was going to say that you and Ron should keep looking. Mrs. Weasley won't let me get off of this couch, let alone look for a horcrux." Hermione shook her head. Harry was starting to get angry at her. "If you two really want to help me then you should keep looking." He snapped. She didn't respond, so Harry turned to face the back of the couch angrily. Fine then, be that way, he thought. I guess I have to do everything myself.

Harry got up off the couch quickly, and Hermione looked up from her book. He left her and went into the other room, ignoring her when she began to say that he should still be resting.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes. What else could it have been?" Harry stopped just outside the kitchen door. Mrs. Weasley and Tonks were talking.

"Oh, well, did you talk to her about it? That's a very large step." Tonks asked.

"No, but Ginny's a smart girl. I'm sure she won't do anything stupid."

"I guess that explains you bringing Harry here."

"Well, I suppose I'm going to have to deal with it eventually." Harry stopped listening. So that's why she's suddenly so nice... he entered the kitchen, stopping the chat instantly. "Oh, Harry! How are you?" Mrs. Weasley began.

"I'm fine." Harry said, trying to avoid the wave of helpfullness."A lot better, actually. Hi Tonks." Tonks was seated at the table, her hair a little duller than usual.

"Do you need anything?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"No, just walking around." He walked back out of the kitchen to avoid the ackwardness of an interrupted conversation. He went upstairs and found Ron in his room.He was lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. "Hi." Harry said.

"Hi." Ron sat up. "Can I help you?"

"No." Harry said, wondering what had happened to put Ron in such a bad mood. "Everyone's so negative today." He mumbled as he left the room.

"It's not you Harry." Ron said. "Some people have been getting on my last nerve." Harry stopped and reentered the room.

"We've all been stuck here for too long." Harry said "I tried to tell Hermione that you two should continue with the horcruxes -"

"I bet that didn't go too well." Ron said. "Not that she doesn't want to help you. It's because you said 'you two'."

Harry rolled his eyes. "For crying out loud..."

"It's not me - it's her! It's not my fault that she won't admit it."

Harry eyed him suspiciously. "Wait - you mean this whole thing is because -"

"Yes!" Ron said, standing up. "What does she have against me? It's like I'm not good enough for her! If I could only find out what she really thinks, without her yelling at me..."

Harry shook his head. "I'm not getting involved in this."

"But Harry -"

"I can't hear you." Harry covered his ears and started walking away.

"Please? Harry, I really need your help with this."

Harry sighed and uncovered his ears. "So you really do fancy her?"

"Yes." Ron mumbled. "But she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you."

"Yes she does. The only reason she even stays around is because of you. If it were only me she would have been gone long ago."

"There is nothing going on between me and Hermione." Harry said, seeing what Ron was refering to.

"Just because you don't fancy her doesn't mean she doesn't fancy you. Face it, Harry. She's had a thing for you from the day you saved her from that troll."

"Number one: you stopped the troll. And number two: If she really did fancy me, then why did she keep bothering me about Ginny all last year? You're talking nonsense."

"But -"

"Just go talk to her Ron."

"What if she rejects me?"

"What if she doesn't?" Ron sighed, still not wanting to face Hermione at all. "Listen. The biggest mistake I ever made in my life was waiting to say something to Ginny. I waited so long that we only got a few weeks together, and now I might never see her again. The point is that you can't wait. I won't let you make the same mistake that I did." Ron shook his head. "What if she dies tomorrow? Then what? You have to live knowing that you always had the chance to tell her but you never did. Life's too short to wait."

"It's very hard for someone like me to approach someone like her." Ron said. "We'll probably end up arguing anyway."

Harry left Ron and went downstairs. He was going to end this now. He grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her upstairs, shoving her gently into Ron's room. "Go for it." he told Ron.

"What?" Hermione said, very confused.

"Harry -" Ron started.

"Do it. I'm not letting you out until you do." Harry closed the door and locked it with his wand, waiting just down the hall incase one of them tried to escape.

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Harry eventually abandoned the hall. They had been in there for a very long time, so either it had worked or they had killed each other.

He went to a room a few floors down. He knew who's it was, but he had never been there for more than five minutes. All of the help he had been giving Ron had made him think about someone that he shouldn't have been thinking about.

The room was messy. Apparently she hadn't bothered to clean up before she left. The sheets on the bed were tossed around, pillows everywhere. Harry lied down on the bed, suddenly feeling very tired. The bed was very soft and smelt like flowers. He pulled the blankets over himself.

There was a stuffed dog under one of the pillows. Harry grabbed it and held it close to him, wishing that it was Ginny instead of a dog. He pushed his head against the soft pillows and fell to sleep.

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When he woke up it was dark outside. He didn't want to get up, but he knew it was his only chance to leave. He snuck downstairs, taking the stuffed dog with him.

"Harry!" Someone shouted. Harry jumped and looked behind him. It was Hermione. "Where d'you think you're going?" she asked, her arms crossed.

"Uhh... I was just..."

"You were leaving, weren't you? Well, I have to say that I'm surprised with you. Honestly Harry -"

"Hermione, I have to -"

"You're not going anywhere." someone said from behind her. Ron stepped out of the shadows. "At least, not without us."

"What?"

Hermione handed Harry's wand back to him, smiling. "We've told youa million times. You can't get rid of us. So, where are we going?"

"I guess to Grimmauld Place."

"We should leave a note for your mum." Hermione said to Ron "So she doesn't get worried."

"Yeah." Ron said, going to do just that, but he stopped. "Harry, what's that?" he asked, pointing to the dog in Harry's arms.

"Nothing."

"It's a stuffed animal, isn't it?"

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is." Hermione said, taking it from him. "Aww, Harry. That's so cute!"

"Shut it." Harry said, pulling it back from her.

"It's Ginny's, isn't it?" Ron said. "And don't say it isn't, because I know it is."

"Okay - it is. So what?"

"Aww!" Hermione said.

"Stop it!"

"Leave him alone Hermione." Ron said, returning to what he was doing. "Everyone gets lonely sometimes."

"So did you two kiss and make up?" Harry asked.

"Not in that order." Ron whispered to him. "And thanks, by the way."