Chapter 9

Hermione sank onto her bed and heaved a deep, shaky breath, and then several more. She subsequently reached for a book on the floor by her bed, opened it, leaned back on the headboard and began to read, (if reading means gripping the book until your knuckles are white and blinking 50 blinks per second at the same word).

"What's up with you?" Ginny came into the room and was absent mindedly tying a letter, (undoubtedly to Dean), to Pigwidgeon and carrying the euphoria-filled bird over to the window to release. "You look like you've just been dumped! What's the matter, Ron only gazed at you 50 times today instead of his usual 100?"

Hermione tried to laugh but found her mouth extraordinarily dry. "Ha …. It's nothing…"

Why was she so emotional – was it anger she felt? Sadness, devastation, irritation? But why would she feel any of these? So Fred's gone on a stupid date with a stupid girl called Verity. What's the big deal? He goes on dates all the time, with Angelina mostly. It's what Fred does. Did she think that now they've been talking more he would just stop dating? Why would he do that? It's ridiculous. She knew that. Come on, Fred was her friend, a crazy friend who drove her round the bend at the best of times. Why does she care about a bloody date? Was she jealous? Come off it …

"Ginny?" Hermione shot before she could stop herself.

"Yeah?" Ginny was now flicking through this month's edition of the Quibbler, courtesy of Luna, with an expression on her face mingled with confusion and deep amusement.

"You know … if you're friends with someone? Or you at least know them pretty well?"

"Yeah …"

"Well, err … how long is the transition, normally, between just friends and, well you know …" Hermione's voice had now reached a rather quavering high note, and her cheeks looked slightly flushed. She avoided Ginny's eyes. She didn't even know why she was asking Ginny this. She told herself she was simply enquiring unto Fred's situation with this Vera person …

"Hermione, do you ….?" Then a look of sudden realization lit up her face. "So you do like Ron? I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT!"

Hermione opened her mouth to speak but wasn't noticed as Ginny had proceeded to jump up and down on her bed, clapping her hands together and hooting with glee.

Then, before she could stop her, a typical frightening Weasley-grin stretched across Ginny's ecstatic face and she leapt off the bed and sped out the door while Hermione, knowing full well she could never catch her, simply lay back on the bed and covered her face with her hands.

A/N: Okay okay I know that was short and a bit rubbish, but I'm just writing up Chapter 10 so you won't have to wait long! Pleeeease review so I know what you all think so far!