A/N: Obviously this is completely AU now, but I hope you still enjoy it. I figured that I can't be the only one clamoring for fanfic now. I hope you all enjoyed reading HBP. I know I was ecstatic with the H/G developments. I hadn't been expecting it nearly so soon.

Thanks to all of you that reviewed: eckles...aka Wayne (hope you like it), kitotterkat (I'm so flattered that these are your favorite HP stories ever! Thanks!), J.Rhaye (I'm glad you enjoyed the moment from Harry's point of view and the romance of all the "almost moments"...as for Ginny's flirting, it definitely is easier for her because she thinks that nothing could happen - if only she knew!), hpgirl7777 (thanks!), Aracalien (it's nice to know that my story's addicting, hope you like the update), cho-kaoru88 (glad you love the series and that the other stories helped you get the context, as for H/G getting together-you won't be disappointed!)

The next morning Ginny and I staged a conversation in front of the Potions classroom about how Hermione thinks she's better than Snape and other rubbish like that. I rather think we pulled it off too, though I had a difficult time not laughing.

We walked into the Great Hall and I glanced over at Ron, who was looking exceptionally fidgety. Hermione was sitting next to him and they both flinched as they grabbed the same piece of bacon.

"Do you really think this'll work?" I asked. "They're both acting really weird."

"It'll be fine," Ginny said with a wave of her hand. "Trust me," she whispered as we sat down before smiling at Ron.

Ron's eyes went wide and he frantically checked his clothing before sighing and shooting an angry look at his sister.

Breakfast was a rather quiet affair because, well, Ron was suspicious of Ginny and she kept giving him triumphant looks that made him even more paranoid. I also realized that there were only so many superficial things that Hermione and I could say to each other when we spent almost every waking moment together. She didn't want me asking about Ron and I didn't want her asking about Ginny. I couldn't talk to Ron because I'd ended up on Ginny's side for this whole thing and I couldn't talk to Ginny because then Hermione would stare at us. It was the most tiring breakfast I'd ever had and by the end of it I was actually glad to be going to Potions. I never thought that day would come.

Potions ended up being a bit more distracting than I had anticipated. Snape gave us a really difficult potion to make and Neville and I were having an awful time preparing it. I wished I'd spent a bit more time reading the chapter about Veritaserum last night. I'd done the charm to make sure I wasn't allergic to the ingredients and had skimmed the background information, but I had given up on the rest after my thoughts had kept drifting to Ginny and how close she'd been to me on the stairs last night. I noticed the cauldron bubble ominously as Neville added the lurania and decided that if I failed this or somehow got injured in an accident from making this potion incorrectly, I was going to blame Ginny. She was far too distracting.

I rechecked the directions to make sure that the potion was supposed to be that odd shade of orange and heard a loud crash beside me.

"Ron!" Hermione shouted.

I turned quickly and saw that Ron was on the floor and Hermione was kneeling at his side, whispering something. Neville and I stepped closer and he called for Professor Snape. Ron's face looked so pale. I crouched down beside him and asked Hermione what had happened.

She didn't even notice that I was there as she fearfully touched Ron's face and checked his neck for a pulse. I didn't think I'd ever seen her look so scared.

Neville came over and tried to lift Ron up before Professor Snape stopped him and cast a quick charm that allowed Ron's unconscious body to follow Neville to the hospital wing.

"I'm surprised it took this long for the Weasel to faint dead away," Malfoy said from behind me. "He always was a bit of a wuss."

My hand automatically reached for my wand, but I took one look at Hermione's lost expression and realized that I couldn't fight Malfoy right now when Hermione needed me.

Dean was asking Snape what had happened when I noticed Hermione dart a sharp glance at the blackboard and frown.

"It was the lurania wasn't it?" she whispered. "He had an allergic reaction."

"So Miss Granger has the answer again."

"Why didn't you warn us before we started making the potion?" Hermione asked. I could tell that she was getting close to losing her temper. After all that Ginny and I had indirectly put her through this week, she shouldn't have to deal with Snape's attitude. I shouldn't have agreed to Ginny's plan. How was I supposed to know that Ron was going to end up getting hurt? Hermione wouldn't have been nearly so distraught otherwise.

"It's one of the most highly reactive ingredients used in modern potions," Hermione continued fiercely. "You had to have known that at least one of us would have an allergic reaction."

"And Mr. Weasley should've known to read the chapter I'd assigned," Snape retorted. "Perhaps then he would've been a bit more careful."

Snape really knew how make Hermione angry, I realized as I saw her flushed face and white fisted hands. Snape smirked and I realized that he was enjoying this. This was my fault. All because of some misplaced attempt at matchmaking. I felt horrible.

"Truth be told Miss Granger," Snape continued. "I'm surprised that you didn't warn him yourself. Don't you always do Weasley's homework for him?"

Oh no. I had to stop this. Ginny and I had been going about things all wrong. How could I stop this? What would Hermione do in a situation like this?

I mean, if she weren't about ready to hex a professor.

"Ron does his own work," Hermione hissed. "And it might do for you to notice how hard he works instead of tearing him down every chance you get."

I whispered Hermione's name and tried to pull her back, as she usually does for me and Ron, but unsurprisingly it didn't work. She wrenched her arm out of my grasp and walked towards Snape.

"You should've warned him," Hermione yelled. "You should've warned all of us. What happened to Ron is your fault! You knew how dangerous it was."

I realized absently while I was witnessing my best friend's mental breakdown that the way she yelled at Snape was really quite impressive. I made a note to tell her that later. If she didn't try to kill me next, that is.

"And you are an interfering know-it-all Granger! Detention! Tonight!"

"Fine," Hermione shouted back. "But I'm leaving. I don't want to be in this infernal class any more."

She grabbed her books, hastily shoved her wand in her bag, and stormed out of the classroom. The last time I'd seen her do that was third year with Trelawney. I hoped that this detention worked to Hermione's advantage just like dropping Divination. Ginny and I were just trying to help her and Ron. They'd been unbearable lately.

"Bugger it all," I muttered as I sat back down and started stirring my potion. I'd done it all for Ginny. Messed with my best friends and possibly ruined their lives. And all because she'd looked at me with that teary-eyed smile. What kind of friend was I?

Resolved, I decided that I had to get this thing with Ginny figured out one way or another. I couldn't keep agreeing to things just because she looked sad or pretty. I'd been friends with Ron and Hermione longer.

Needless to say, I was glad when Potions was over. Neville hadn't gotten back until a few minutes before class ended, so I'd had way too much time alone with my thoughts. I was really glad when I saw Hermione up ahead of me. I needed to see how she was feeling after her outburst in class. Maybe I could cheer her up?

"Hermione!" I yelled. She turned around and sighed heavily as if she didn't want to talk to me right now, but she had stopped, so I ran to catch up.

When I finally did catch up, she was less than pleasant.

"What?" she said shortly.

I decided that perhaps looking at the positive side of things might be a better approach than asking how she was feeling. Maybe if I gave her a compliment.

"I can't believe you did that!" I said finally. "I never would've thought that you'd yell at Snape. It was..." I searched for an appropriate word. "...amazing." I forced a smile and tried to look proud. I'm a horrible actor, but she must not have noticed.

"Yeah, brilliant," she said darkly. "I've got a detention that I shouldn't have and Ron's lying in the hospital wing."

As we entered the common room, I couldn't help but feel that perhaps I would've been better off with trying to comfort Hermione instead of cheer her up.

Hermione was still ranting about the detention when I saw Ginny sitting at a close table. She raised her eyebrows in question and I rolled my eyes and shook my head. How to you explain from across the room that everything is working just as planned, but still ending up as a disaster?

I barely noticed when Hermione nearly slammed her books on Ginny's fingers and only half-listened to their ensuing conversation. When Hermione left, I pulled a chair up next to Ginny.

"I assume it worked then?" she said from my right.

I guess that would depend on what you meant by worked. I suppose that since giving Hermione a detention had been our goal all along...

"Better than expected," I answered. I didn't know how to explain exactly what had been off about everything. If only she could've seen it herself and then I wouldn't have to explain anything.

"You should've been there Ginny. It was fascinatingly...horrible. Snape and Hermione got into a yelling match in the middle of class."

If I hadn't been feeling so guilty and confused about everything lately, I probably would've enjoyed the Potions disaster. As it stood, however...

"Tell me the details. I bet Ron was surprised, seeing as how Hermione is always holding him back from stuff like this."

I hadn't even gone to see Ron yet and make sure he's all right. I am a horrible friend.

"Ron would've been surprised, if he'd been there."

"He wasn't there? Wait, where is he now? What happened?"

Ginny looked shocked. I launched into an explanation of what had happened during Potions today.

"Wow," Ginny said after I'd finished. "So Ron doesn't know that Hermione has detention with him tonight?"

"No. And," I added, "I don't know if she's going to tell him. She's acting really weird about the whole thing. She might try and talk her way out of it."

Maybe if Hermione talked to McGonagall, she could get out of detention and then I wouldn't feel so responsible about the whole thing. Hermione had looked so upset.

"It won't work," Ginny said, dashing my hopes. "Hey, Ron's coming back before tonight right?"

Truthfully, I wasn't sure. I hoped so, or else I'd have one more thing to worry about.

"Yeah," I said anyway, "he should be back after dinner. Their detention isn't until ten."

Ginny smiled at me and looked just so confident and happy that everything would work out. I envied that. Maybe I should try to have her faith that everything was going to work out. Ginny Weasley was an easy person to believe in.

"We should drop a hint about their feelings for each other," I found myself suggesting, "and then they'll have to talk about it later when they're alone."

"Okay, Harry, that could work."

Ginny said she was going to get Hermione in a better mood and I wished her luck. I silently wished that I would have some luck too, or else fancying Ginny Weasley was going to kill me before Voldemort even had a chance.

A/N: I hope you all liked it. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter. Coming up next will be Harry's visit to the hospital wing and the fight at dinner :)