Draco stormed away angrily, leaving Ron standing alone near the stairs. .Draco headed straight to the Gryffindor common room, hoping to comfort Hermione.He quickly reached the Fat Lady, who eyed him suspiciously.

"Password?" she asked.

"Erm.. I don't know it. Could I just knock, perhaps? I'm expected," Draco lied, hoping that Harry or Hermione were in the common room and would hear him.

"Well... I wouldn't normally, but... Just give my frame a tap, there." And Draco did as was told. In a few moments Harry appeared, looking bewildered. Without a word, he moved aside to let Draco in.

Hermione was no longer crying, but she was looking quite angry as she sat in a corner chair.

"I dunno if she'll want to talk. She's fairly... erm... ticked."

"I don't care if she talks to me," Draco said, approaching Hermione slowly.

"I think I very well might hate him," she said, looking up at the boys. Draco knelt down beside her and took her hand.

"Just because he's a prat sometimes... you shouldn't hate him," he said, his voice somewhat unsure, then he quickly smiled.

"Draco's right, Hermione, Ron'll come around eventually," Harry agreed, nodding his head for effect.

"What'll I do until then, though?" she asked wearily.

"I dunno, honestly, but we'll figure something out," Harry answered, as encouragingly as he could.

Ron could scarcely help but wonder, was he really Hermione's enemy? Was that what she honestly thought of him, or was it just another ploy of Malfoy's to make him second guess himself? There was no real way to be sure, other than to ask, and Ron certainly had no intention of talking to Hermione any time soon.

What he could do, however, was corner Harry as soon as he left the common room and ask him. Because, really, that was almost as good as asking Hermione, anyway.

"Hey, mate," Ron said, startling Harry. He'd hidden outside the common room, waiting for Harry to pass by alone before talking to him.

'Jeeze, Ron, watch out next time. I might've hexed you from shock."

"Erm, yeah. Sorry 'bout that. Look... I just had a run in with Malfoy--"

"So I heard. You really upset him, and that's just made Hermione angrier with you," Harry interrupted.

"I upset him!" Ron exclaimed, "He called me a disgrace to wizard-kind. He said that I was your sidekick, like I was unworthy of being known other than being your friend!"

"I know. He went ahead and told Hermione everything he said, and apologized to me for dragging my name in."

"Right gentlemen he is now, isn't he? Well, he's not fooling me, I've seen his true colors. He... " Ron paused, almost unable to think of the words, "... he said I was the enemy now, not him."

"He didn't tell me that," said Harry quietly.

Ron sighed, looking utterly dejected. "I feel like I am, mate. 'Mione just doesn't give a damn about me anymore, and I miss her."

"Then apologize! She'll forgive you eventually," Harry pleaded.

"No. No way, definitely not. I didn't do anything. I didn't ask to be brought into this. She can keep her little Slytherin pet, since she's chosen him instead of me. Clearly my friendship isn't that important." And with that, Ron stormed away.

"What a prat," Harry muttered angrily. He was unsure as to what he should do, so he headed down to the Quidditch pitch. A few good laps should clear everything up.