Chapter One

What Happened to Him?

It was the third day of August and Hermione Granger was pacing the hallway of her muggle home while thinking, where is he?

"Hermione, are you sure you packed your toothbrush?" called her mother from the kitchen.

"Yes Mum!" she called back, rolling her eyes.

Then she heard the sound that she'd been waiting to hear all summer. She grabbed her trunk and headed to the door. The car horn sounded again.

"Bye Mum! Bye Dad!" she yelled opening the door.

"Bye Hon-."

Hermione shut the door before her parents could finish.

"Ello Hermione!" Ron yelled from the passenger seat of the Ministry of Magic car.

"Hello Ronald!" she answered running to the car. "Where should I sit?"

"How about you sit in the back with Harry," he replied.

"Oh…okay," she answered not realizing that Harry had been there.

"Hi Hermione," said Harry beaming as Hermione got in the car.

"Is your face in a permanent mold Harry?" asked Hermione a few minutes later.

Ron chuckled.

Harry went a deep red. "No… I'm just so happy to see you!"

"I'm happy to see you too," she said. Just not that happy.

"Now, Ron, where did Ginny say Neville lives?" questioned Arthur.

"Neville?" asked Hermione.

"Well, after that whole deal with the Department of Mysteries, we kind of have to keep him informed," replied Ron, struggling with his words.

"But what about Luna?"

"Neville is also Ginny's boyfriend," whispered Harry trying to prevent Ron from getting angry.

Ron crossed his arms.

"What happened to Dean?" inquired Hermione a little too loudly.

"He broke up with her!" yelled Ron, " Just because of some muggle in his neighborhood!"

"Oh…" said Hermione a little frightened of Ron's sudden outburst.

"Ginny locked herself in her room at Grimauld Place until Neville wrote to her," stated Ron hotly.

Hermione shifted in her seat.

"In the second letter that Neville wrote to her, he asked her out," continued Ron, "and of course, being who she is, she said yes and now she's gone completely insane over him." He fluttered his eyelashes, sarcastically imitating his sister, "Oh he isn't as clumsy as he was before. He's so fabulous! Neville's absolutely adorable! Neville said." He let his act die away and flat out yelled, "Neville! Neville! Neville!"

There was an awkward silence.

"By the way, Mr. Weasley, Neville lives down this road, third to the left," assisted Harry.

Hermione walked into the familiar 12 Grimauld Place. "Where's Kreacher?"

"I dunno, hiding?" said Ron as he went up to the guys' room followed by Neville, who began asking where Ginny was.

Hermione looked around at the curtained paintings on the walls.

"Hermione, can I show you something?" asked Harry.

"Sure what is it?" she answered brightly.

"It's a surprise," said Harry, a boyish grin covering his face.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Just close your eyes and I'll lead you," stated Harry grabbing Hermione's hand.

Hermione shivered feeling slightly uncomfortable with Harry's touch.

Just as Hermione felt Harry's warm breath on her face he announced, "You can open your eyes."

Hermione opened her eyes to see nothing but Harry's face. "Where are we? What's the surprise?" she asked feeling very awkward.

Harry looked deep into Hermione's eyes.

Oh no, thought Hermione.

Harry got closer and closer and then it happened. He kissed her.

Hermione pulled away, now crying and not knowing where she was going, she ran to the door of 12 Grimauld Place.

Harry just stared in disbelief until a bird pooped on his head. Ugh!

Hermione ran up and into the girls' room only to find Neville and Ginny snogging. Ugh… didn't need to see that. She ran upstairs to the deserted room that used to belong to Fred and George. She slammed the door and bawled.

Ron heard the sound of a door slamming upstairs. "What the-?"

Harry walked in while Ron was trying to piece things together.

"What happened?" questioned Ron as Harry threw himself onto his bed.

"Nothing."

Ron eyed Harry suspiciously.

"WHAT?"

"Oh… nothing," answered Ron as he went to go see who slammed the door.

As soon as Ron had left, Harry shoved the door close behind him.

Ron walked up to the twins' old room and knocked on the door.

"Go away Harry!" shrieked a voice Ron recognized as Hermione's.

"Do I have to go away if I'm not Harry?"

"Oh… Ron… of course you can come in," she replied, drying her tears.

"What's wrong? Why are you in here?" he asked going to sit next to Hermione on the dusty bed.

"Well, to start off, I'm in here because your sister's down there snogging Neville," she stated as Ron scowled, "and nothing's wrong." Of course something's wrong!

"Are you sure? If something is, maybe I could help."

"Nothing's wrong," she repeated calmly. Why am I lying to him? "Besides, if something is wrong I doubt you could help."

"I very well think I could help. I could talk to Harry for you."

"What use would that be?"

"I was just trying to help," countered Ron as he got up and walked towards the door.

"Wait… Ron… don't go…" she said quietly, wanting nothing more than Ron to be close to her again.

Hearing nothing, Ron continued on his way out of the room.

"Neville, do you hear something?" asked Ginny snuggling with him.

"No."

"But I swea-."

Ron barged through the door. "Didn't Mum teach you not to swear?"

"Ron!" yelled Ginny.

"What? Was I interrupting something?" he said innocently

"Uh… no, of course not. What do you want anyway?"

"Something's up with Hermione, but she won't tell me what."

"And?"

"Just go talk to her."

"Fine. See ya in a bit Nevy."

"Nevy?"

Ginny and Neville turned red.

Ron rolled his eyes as Ginny walked to the door. "By the way," he whispered to Ginny, "I heard about your little kiss."

"Just lay off."

Ron hung his head in shame at Neville before he left.

"Hermione, can I come in?" asked Ginny from outside her brothers' old room.

"Sure, what's up?" came Hermione's voice, quiet from her hands wiping away her tears once again.

Ginny came in, finding Hermione's tear-streaked face. "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, then what do you want to talk about?"

"Nothing."

"Come on, I'm trying here!"

Hermione gave her an ice cold stare

"Okay then… see you later!" called Ginny hurrying back to Neville.

Hermione looked around the room. Why has he changed? He never said he liked me. What happened to him?