Friend, or not?

Ron swallowed. His girfriend stared at him, waiting for him to tell her. Ron thought about the situation. He could tell her, and Tess would be furious, sad and heartbroken. He could keep quiet, but then he would get the wrath of Hermione Granger over him, and that, was not good. As he saw it, it was a death/death situation. He looked up in Hermiones eyes and met her brown eyes with his blue.

"I promised not to tell anyone, if you want to know, you will have to ask her yourself." Now, he had made his choice.

"I'm your girlfirend!" Hermione said, in a stern and quite cold voice that made him shiver slightly.

"Yea, I know, but Tess is like my sister, I just can't let her down." Ron was suprised of his bravery. This was the first time that he really denied Hermione anything since they got together.

"Sister! Bah! I wonder..!" Hermione went quiet and stood. She took a deep breath and turned to look at him and Ron met her gaize.

"She is more than a sister, isn't she?"

Ron had a hard time hearing what she said, as her voice was nothing more than a wisper.

"NO! She's not Herm, and you know it." He said, trying to reach for her as she stepped further away.

Ron didn't know what to think. Hermione, who always had been a girl who understood that her friends somethims kept secrets, and that was there when you needed comfort, who stood beside you no matter what, was completely gone, and instead he saw a girl that was jealous and angry.

"I don't believe you. I have seen how you hang around her, giving her hugs and kisses on her cheeks, always trying to make her laugh! Don't you dare deny it!"

Ron stood, towering over her. "I don't know what to tell you Hermione, but I love you, and thats the truth. If Tess wants too keep secrets, then there is nothing you can do about it, because it's not my place to tell you. If she want to go out with Malfoy, I don't say I like it, but if she wants to, then I will be there for her anyway, because thats what friends do. As for her being popular, you and I know that she can't do anything about that. She is famous, and you know she dosn't want any of it. She has always treated you with respect, and I know that she sees you like a very good friend."

He saw that she was near to tears, but he continued.

"She is a sister of mine, Herm, deal with it. You will always be the one I love, and thats a promise."

Ron could hear his heart in his chest.

Hermione turned and left.

The last dance for the evening was over, and the students was heading to their dormitories, after saying good bye to their dates. Tess and Malfoy stood in the entrance hall, looking at each other. Tess was first to speak.

"I had a great time Malfoy. No one has ever asked me to a date before."

Malfoys head snapped up, looking at her with a stunned expression. "I had a good time to, Potter" He took her hand and kissed it, then he turned and started to leave.

"Its Tess, Malfoy."

Before he culd reply, she walked up the stairs and dissapeared.

When Tess stepped throught the portrait hole, a brownhaired girl came into veiw.

"How could you?" Hermione screamed and her face was completly blank of emotions. Tess flinched at the tone in her voice.

"What?"

"Going out with bloody MALFOY! You know how he has treaten me for years! How could you do this to me?"

Tess felt something break inside her, something that was weak even from the beginning.

Self-confidence.

"I don't understand..." Her voice faded when she saw the look of pure hatered in her so called best friends face.

"How could you...you just have to...take all the attention, do you? You know what, I'm fed up with it Potter." With those words, she turned to leave, but was stopped by, no less than the whole house of Gryffindor. In the front, stood Ron.

Tess didn't stay to see the rest, she ran.

Snape was on his nightly stroll around the school in search for any stray student that didn't see fit to keep his or her arse in the commonroom. While he walked, he thought about Potter.

There was more to the girl than he previous thought. The girl had secrets, yes she had, and for some reason, he knew it was important, how he did not know, but ge needed to find out what it was.

He stopped when he herd running in the corridor beside him, and when he turned the corner, he saw Potter comming, running like mad, compleatly ignoring her surroundings. She was still in her dess, and her hair was still in a perfect bun.

She wouldn't have noticed him if he had not stepped in her way.

"Ms Potter, care to tell me what you are doing outside the common room at this hour?" he sneered.

She stopped, and when he saw her eyes, he was shocked. There was no emotion in them. Earlier that night, when they had shared the waltz, lots of emotions had played in her eyes, but now, there was none. She looked like she was in some kind of trance, and when she ignored him, and turned to leave, he grabbed her arm.

"Potter, snap out of it!" He barked.

She didn't pull away at first, just stood there without a word. After some seconds however, she pulled her arm out of his grasp and started running.

He was about to follow when he heard someone comming from behind him. He turned and met the eyes of Ronald Weasley.

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