Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Harry Potter or anything from the magical world. However, I own the plot of this story!

Chapter Ten

Harry and Hermione stepped into the castle to find Ron waiting for them.

"Took your time, didn't you?" he asked, sceptically. The Entrance Hall was filled with students returning from Hogwarts.

"We were down at the Shrieking Shack," Harry replied. "What's up, mate?"

"Don't you 'mate' me," Ron hissed, walking up to the two of them.

"What's this about?"

"It's about you. You and her," Ron continued, pointing at Hermione, and just like that, she knew what was coming. "Ginny saw you two down at the Shrieking Shack."

"R-Ron, maybe we should go back to the Head's Dorms a-and talk about this-"

"No, we'll bloody talk about it now!" Ron shouted. All activity in the Hall stopped and everyone turned to look at the trio. Ginny stood in the front of the crowd that was forming, along with Draco Malfoy.

"Look, Ron, I think you're over-reacting a bit-"

"Over reacting? Over, bloody reacting? I'll show you over reacting," Ron roared, punching Harry in the face. Harry staggered back, blood dripping from his nose.

"Look, Ron-"

"Would you just shut up?" Ron yelled. "You two have been lying to me, and to everyone else." Hermione stepped backwards as Ron shot her a hateful look.

"Ron, please don't do this here," Harry begged.

"I'll do it wherever I want!"

"Ron-"

"Shut up, Hermione!" Ron shouted. Hermione stepped backwards and bit her lip. Harry held up his hands.

"Look, Ron, we lied to you. This is why we didn't tell you because we knew this is how you'd react-"

"How could you NOT tell me something like that?"

"Ron-"

"How could you not tell me that you're going out with each other, huh?" A few people around the Hall gasped and everyone started murmuring. Harry fell backwards onto the floor as Ron's fist made contact with his face a second time.

"Look, Ron, I'm not going to fight with you-"

"You don't have to I'll just kill you!" Harry rolled away and then jumped to his feet as Ron bent down to punch him again.

"You knew I liked her, you git!" Ron continued, throwing another punch at Harry, which he dodged. "And you still went out with her! You've been seeing each other behind my back for, how long?"

"Ron-"

"How long?"

"Ron-"

"How bloody long!"

"Since we were at my house, you happy now?" Harry shouted back.

"Almost three months?"

"Yes."

"She was meant to be mine-"

"You don't own her!"

"Neither do you!"

"But she chose me over you, didn't she?" Ron ran at Harry, who grabbed his shoulders and they wrestled each other to the ground. Ron, who was much bigger and stronger, had the upper hand however and ended up on top of Harry, just about ready to punch his lights out.

"This what you want to do, Ron, is it? Beat the hell out of me, you go ahead and see if that gets you any closer to her," Harry hissed, glancing over at Hermione to see the tears streaming down her face.

"I don't care anymore," Ron replied. Before he could punch Harry, he had been pushed off and was now laying on the floor. Harry stood above.

"Just forget it, Ron. I'm not going to hit you, I don't want to hit you. You're my best friend-"

"You think after this I still want to be your best friend?" Ron shouted, jumping up. "Behind my back! You didn't even have the decency to tell me!"

"Because we knew how you'd react and seriously, you didn't work it out? Ginny knew when we were at the Burrow. She worked it out easily!"

"I don't give a toss when Ginny worked it out. She's told me now and I believe her!" Ron punched Harry again in the stomach and he doubled over in pain, falling to the ground.

"Ron, stop it!" Hermione's voice rang out in the Hall. Everyone looked over at her, except Ron, who completely ignored her and pulled out his wand to point it at Harry.

"You had everything and now you have her as well," Ron said.

"Ron, don't!" Hermione shouted and Ron prepared to shout out a spell. When he didn't listen, Hermione ran out in front of Harry and stood there, staring defiantly at Ron. She pointed a finger at him.

"You stop it, right this second," she ordered.

"Get out of the way, Hermione."

"No."

"Hermione, get out of the way, now," Ron said, more firmly.

"No."

"Hermione!"

"No!" Hermione gasped as Ron slapped her across the face and so did the rest of the Great Hall.

"Oh, shit, Hermione, I-I didn't…I didn't mean to-" Harry jumped up and shoved Ron backwards.

"Don't you ever touch her again," Harry ordered. "Ever!" Ron looked at Hermione, who was still looking away from him, at the ground.

"I…I didn't…"

"Didn't mean to? Well, it doesn't matter, you did do it."

"Don't you start again, Harry, because I don't mind punching you, whether or not you're going to punch me back," Ron warned.

"Shut up ordering me around, Ron. You're not my Dad, but I did think you were my friend. Apparently, I was wrong. Hopefully the rest of the Weasley's won't react like this. If they do, then I don't know why I bothered making friends with you all in the first place."

"Don't you speak about my family like that," Ron ordered, his voice rising again. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand, ready to pull her through the crowd.

"Your family. Yeah, I have everything, don't I?" " Harry said, just before they walked off. Ron got it, but was too stubborn to admit that he was wrong and call Harry back. Ginny stood in the front of the crowd of people and Harry stopped in front of her and jabbed a finger at her.

"Don't you even look at me or Hermione again, hear me?" Then he walked off, with Hermione still in tow until they were back in the Heads Dorm. He turned to face her. Her cheek was bright red where Ron had slapped her and more tears were streaming down her face than Harry thought humanly possible.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head and Harry pulled her into a hug, stroking her hair and trying to stop her crying.

"It'll be alright," Harry soothed. "We've got each other and that's all that matters." Hermione wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I love you," she whispered.

"And you know I love you."

"I-I think I'm going to have a quick sleep, can you…can you wake me up before dinner?" Hermione asked, looking up at him.

"Will do." Despite the fact that both Harry and Hermione were hurt and the fact that they had just had the biggest argument of their life, Harry still managed to joke around. Sweeping Hermione off her feet and into his arms to cradle her like a baby, he walked towards the Head Girls Dormitory and pushed open the door, pulling back the covers on her bed before laying her in it. He pulled the covers up, but as he turned to go, Hermione grabbed his hand.

"Don't leave me," she whispered. Harry looked from her hand to her face and sat down on the beside her, stoking her hair again.

"Shh. Just go to sleep," he whispered as she closed her eyes.

"Why'd he do it, Harry?" Hermione asked sleepily. "He went to Hogsmeade with Luna."

"I don't know," Harry replied, moving his body to lay down beside her. "I don't know, but he shouldn't have done it." A knock came at the door of their Dorm and Harry looked round.

"I'll be right back," he promised, climbing off the bed and walking out her room. When he opened the door a small blond haired girl threw herself at him, pulling him into a hug.

"Luna? Luna Lovegood?" Harry asked as she pulled away. "What's the matter?"

"It's Ron," she replied, sitting down on the sofa. "I…"

"Don't worry. He was just…just being himself," Harry said, sitting beside her on the sofa. "I'm sure that he had a brilliant time with you at Hogsmeade." Harry wondered why he was still defending Ron after what he had just done. Luna wiped her eyes.

"Well we won't be going again. I broke up with him. I told him that I never wanted to speak to him again. Harry, I swear if I knew he was going to do that, I never would have left him in the Entrance Hall alone-"

"It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself, don't you ever blame yourself. Ron just has a bad temper. I'm not great with this girly stuff, but you should give him another chance, and I-" Harry said, standing up off the sofa. "Should go and see Madam Pomfrey to give me a medicine that stops me protecting the friend that just punched my head in." Luna laughed and wiped the rest of her tears away.

"Thank you, Harry, I-I didn't mean to intrude, I just didn't know who else to go to, I don't really have that many good friends."

"It's alright. If you need anything, me and Hermione are always here, ok?"

"Ok." Harry hugged her one last time before opening the door for her and then closing it as she left. Harry laid back down beside Hermione and stroked her hair again. She moved closer to snuggle up against his chest.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"Luna Lovegood. She was really upset about Ron," Harry replied.

"Oh." Hermione moved her head to look at Harry and pressed her lips to his. Other than at the Dursleys, this was as far as the two of them had got. Neither of them seemed prepared to make the next move, but this time, Hermione dared herself. Harry opened his mouth, welcoming her and let his tongue slide into her mouth. Hermione let her hands run up to Harry's hair, twirling it round in her fingers. Harry hesitantly lifted up her shirt without breaking the kiss and ran his finger in small circles on her stomach. She moaned into his mouth as his hands moved higher and he laid himself gently on top of her. He pulled away from the kiss first, only to move to her neck. Hermione gasped and her grip on his hair tightened. Harry left a small trail line of kissed from her neck to her jaw before kissing her again, more gently this time.

"I love you," he whispered against her mouth.

"I love you, too," Hermione replied. Harry was just about to kiss her again when a knock at the door interrupted them. Harry looked down at her before rolling over on the bed. Hermione, no longer tired, climbed out of the bed to and followed him into the front room. The door opened and Dumbledore stepped in, followed by McGonagall, Ron and Ginny.

"Err…Hello Professor," Harry said.

"My dear, Harry. You look a mess, you should go and see Madam Pomfrey," Professor McGonagall gasped, looking at Harry's bruised face.

"I'm fine, honestly, Professor."

"Very well, now, would any of you care to tell me what this was about, although I have a perfectly good idea?" Dumbledore asked. Harry recounted the events to him from the moment they walked into the Entrance Hall, to the moment they walked off.

"I see," was all he said. "I would prefer it if you didn't fight in my corridors. The only conclusion I can come to here, is that all of you should receive a detention. Professor Snape will be waiting for you in the dungeons at seven thirty on tonight." The four of them left and Hermione sat down on the sofa.

"What are we meant to do, Harry?" she asked, pulling her legs up onto the chair to hug them.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, sitting in the chair opposite her.

"Well, half the school is going to believe Ron and half the school is going to believe us, and I don't even have a doubt about which side Malfoy is going to be on. Mudblood and the Boy-Who-Lived or Weasley? I don't think I'd find that a hard choice if I was him."

"Don't worry, we'll get through it together. We'll always have each other."