A/N: My internet is going down and I thought an update with a few spelling/grammar errors would be better than waiting a week so enjoy!

Hermione's hand grasped the door knob into the Burrow and had turned it a fraction of an inch before letting go of it and returning to her spot in the garden where Hogwarts: A History awaited her. She picked it up and tried to concentrate on the words. She tried to forget what she heard.

Because it couldn't possibly be true, could it?

She wouldn't have done...that with Ron, would she?

Well, maybe not now, she thought. Yeah, at least not at the drop of a pin, said a little voice in her head. It was this teenie tiny little voice that made her so frustrated that she threw down Hogwarts: A History in frustration.

But you know I'm right. You know you probably would, if it weren't for your good head on your shoulders.

That's right, she told the irritating voice, which sounded oddly like Fanny, she did have a good head on her shoulders. She valued herself, and she wouldn't just toss it away...not even to Ron.

But you're forgetting what Ginny said aren't you? If you'll remember, she said that she pranked you. She said that she did it on purpose. She said that she knew what it would do to you, you heard her say it. And if that's true, then maybe your 'good head' just went for a little trip to the guillotine for a few hours last night...

Hermione frowned. This was true, for all she knew, her head could have been completely off her shoulders while she was...under the influence thanks to her friend's simply lovely and thoughtful prank. But of course, she wouldn't know what she was like then, would she, because she didn't remember! She thought bitterly of Ginny and what possibly could have caused her to do such a thing to her 'friend.'

You know she just meant it as a joke.

Yes, well, her joke didn't turn out very well now, did it?

Well, it was Fred and George's product that made you loose your head, not Ginny.

That's right, she thought. How many times had their mother told them how dangerous their products could be if not properly tested.

And then there's Ron. He's the one who's really responsible.

Yes, thought Hermione. If anything had happened, it was completely and utterly that insufferable prat's fault. He was her best friend. She knew Harry would never pull a stunt like that, no matter how many firewhiskeys he had...

But you also know that Ron likes you, and has for a while.

That was also true.

But he should be able to have some self-restraint, honestly...

"Hey Hermione! Want to come play Quidditch?" Hermione looked upwards to find the voice that was calling to her to meet with a pair of eyes she had absolutely no desire to see.

Ron Weasley was hovering above her head on his vibrating Cleansweep.

"No Ron, I do not want to play Quidditch. Merlin, when have I ever wanted to play Quidditch?"

Ron scrunched up his face. "Fine the, be like that, I was just asking is all. No need to get your knickers in a twist."

"Yes, well, you'd know, wouldn't you?"

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh please Ronald, don't be daft. I heard you shouting in the kitchen! You and Fred and George and Ginny!"

Ron paled signifigantly but before he could speak, Hermione raged on, "And you have the nerve to come and ask me if I want to play Quidditch?"

"Well...I just thought-"

"Oh! You just thought did you?" she spat. "That's ironic since obviously none of you were thinking all that much last night from what I heard!"

Ginny cringed as she heard the argument escalating from a few hundred feet away. It had been awhile since the two had had a row, so it was really a little overdue if you thought about it...

"Hey!" Shouted Ron, "It's not as if it's my fault. If you had stayed and listened, you'd realise that this whole thing that probably never even happened is all Ginny's fault!"

Oh, thank you very much Ron, bring me into this, thought Ginny.

Hermione drew her knees up to her chest and sighed, resigned. "Ron, I don't want to hear about it. Just...leave me alone."

"OOHHH so it's all prefectly all right when you want to yell at me, but when Ginny comes into the picture, Merlin help us, you want to be left alone. Fine then sulk all by yourself, see if I care." Ron flew off in a rage and managed to miss nearly every quaffle that flew near his keeper hoops in the game that ensued.

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Hermione trudged back to the Burrow come six 'o clock, dreading the dinner that was sure to be awkward. She didn't want to see anyone right now...well maybe Malfoy, she could use an outlet for her anger right now...where was that murdurous ferret when you needed him?

When she entered the burrow, she noticed that all the Quidditch players, aka the perpetrators of her misery were all gathered in the sitting room, chatting away as if nothing had happened. Hermione was almost thankful for Fanny forcing conversation upon her.

"You're not a Quiddeetch fan, I 'ope? Seemply dreadful sport."

Hermione smiled. "No, I'm not much of a flyer."

"Yes, you see in France we don't bother with such theengs, it just makes more trouble for us in the long run, muggles are curious theengs they are. Why, in the ceety, we simply use thee public transport like thee muggles themselves. Thee metro it is simply outstanding, for a muggle invention nevertheless."

"Oh yes, I've been to Paris before and you can get anywhere in the entire city quite efficiently without magic. I can only immagine how hard it would be to apparate with all the muggles around everywhere. And there aren't very many places in the countryside that go for long stretches without villages, so flying must be out of the question."

Their terribly interesting conversation on muggle public transport, however, was cut short when Mrs. Weasley called for dinner...

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"For goodness sake, Ron, pass the salt already!"

"Well, I like my food to be particularly salty, if you don't mind."

"Fine, die of a heart attack by thirty for all I care."

"Better dying young than old, shrivelled and alone with only cats and books for company."

"Better alone than with some tart and a bunch of raunchy children."

"Uptight are we?"

"Uptight? Uptight! You know very well that that prank was anything but funny and could have had-well, still might have disastrous concequences."

"Oh yeah, real disastrous, you're just upset because, well you know, I'm not completely stupid, I know how girls make a big deal out of...you know the first time and everything..." Hermione stared at him incredulously, "I mean we all know that despite Victor's intentions you never would have let that blundering idiot anywhere near...I mean, we were only in fourth year...and I can only assume that McLaggen and you never...you know, I kind of pitty the bloke, you're a right piece o' work."

"You think that's why I'm upset? You think that-that...it actually-are you actually, entertaining the idea that what your insane and irresponsible sister can only guess at, actually happened? And furthermore, you dare use that as an excuse as to why I'm upset! And even if it were because of that-that would be a perfectly good reason to be upset, anyone would be!" When Ron rolled his eyes, Hermione raged on, "Just because you were so eager to give it up to that-that absolute twit, Lavender, doesn't mean that I don't have more self-respect! How can you-"

Ron cut her off, "Hermione, come off it-"

"NO, Ron!" people at the dinner table turned to see why she had had such a sudden outburst. She picked at her salad for a few minutes before resuming whispering to Ron in a hushed voice, "And as for what possible concequences, are you so utterly daft that you don't understand what exactly we supposedly did?"

"Come on 'Mione, it's not that bad, I mean, neither of us remember anything, right, so we can just forget about it and move on, like nothing happened, right?"

Hermione's mouth hung open and her shoulders heaved, tears forming in her eyes. "Ron, you can't be saying that...how can you ask me to...forget about something like this?!?! How can you!"

"Hermione...don't cause a scene, really..."

Too late. Mrs. Weasley turned to see Hermione's distraught appearance and immediately inquired, "Hermione, dear, what's the matter? Are you alright dear? Is the casserole too spicy? Ron, fetch some water for her, will you?"

Ron sent her another glare as he rose to get a glass a water and ice from the kitchen. Hermione dabbed her eyes with her napkin, uncomfortable that now a great deal of the Weasley and Delacour relatives were staring at her. Ginny was mouthing some words at her from accross and down the table, but she just shook her head discretely, not wanting to attract more attention. When Ron returned, he set the glass down roughly in front of her, then resumed his seat on her left. Hermione sipped her water, and table conversation gradually resumed.

Mr. Weasley stood up just then, "I propose a toast, to the newly married couple, Mr. and Mrs. William Weasley, who will be leaving on their honeymoon shortly, may you share many happy, prosperous years together among these dark times we face now."

"And have many, many children!" Piped up Mrs. Weasley. Fleur and Bill promtly blushed the deepest of rouge. "I certainly hope you won't be making me wait that long for my first grandchild, we need another young one to spoil!"

Neither Hermione or Ron were paying the least attention to Mrs. Weasley, they were arguing yet again...

"And you act like this is all my fault, Hermione!"

"Well, it is!"

"But Ginny-and Fred and George!"

"Well, yes, I'm not saying that their little games didn't have any pull-"

"Any pull! If its' anyone's fault, it's theirs!"

"Don't you give me that, Ronald Weasley, you know very well that you could have shown a little responsibility, honestly. And now, after the fact, at least take responsibility for your actions!"

"Take responsibility? You're one to talk! Out of all of us, you're the only one who hasn't taken ANY responsibility!"

"Because I'm not responsible for this in any way! You very well know that I never would have done anything of the sort if I hadn't been...hadn't-well..."

"That's just an excuse."

"What, you think that this still would have happened if I-no if both of us had been in a right state of mind?"

Ron's anger on his face flickered momentarily as if he was hurt slightly by her comment. "I've no reason to think that it would, I mean you are Hermione. The one that drags me to the library every sodding spare moment to work on some type of homework or research or-"

"And you're Ron. The most insensitive prat I know and the most dim-witted, second only to Crabbe and Goyle." spat Hermione in return.

That seemed to settle their argument. The two sat in silence for the remainder of the dinner.

It was the most awkward silence that Hermione had ever before endured.

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After dinner, Harry approached Hermione as she settled down in front of the fire in the Weasley's sitting room, clutching a rather heavy textbook.

"Hermione, what was all that about with Ron at dinner time? You two didn't have another of your rows did you? Because if you two are going to be not speaking to eachother and tearing at eachother's throats for the next few months, I think you'd better just go back to Hogwarts because I can't deal with Voldemort, and the Horcruxes and you two all at the same time."

Hermione sighed. "Don't worry about Ron and me Harry, we'll be fine."

"I suppose. You do have rows about every other day. Just as long as it wasn't a big one, right?"

Hermione smiled. "No, no. You've nothing to worry about. From here on out it's us three together. We'll be with you right up until...until..." she trailed off. The future was still a rocky subject seeing as not one of them even dared to voice the hope that they might all make it out of the ordeal alive. "So…when do you think we'll be able to leave? I'm assuming you want as much of a head start as possible."

"Well, Dumbledore…he-he insisted that I had to pay a visit to the Dursleys-for my own protection…I suppose I could leave for Little Whinging tomorrow and be back by the end of the week so we can leave."

Hermione's eyes widened. "So soon?"

"Well, yeah…I mean, as much as I would rather spend the week here than at the Dursley's…"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, well I suppose Mrs. Weasley will take it the hardest. I'm sure she would have fancied spending more than a mere week with her youngest son before he took off again on yet another mission to save the world with Harry Potter."

"Yeah I know-wait-what? But you guys are going to be here ano-"

"Oh Harry, don't be silly, you didn't think we'd make you go visit those awful relatives all by yourself did you?" Hermione said. Selfishly, she was also thinking that despite how much she love Mrs. Weasley, she didn't really desire to be left in the company of the causes of her recent misery, the twins, Ginny, Ron, and of course Fanny and Fleur's other insano relatives.

"Yeah," said Ron, who just entered the room, but had obviously been eavesdropping from the kitchen. "I think it's about time the Dursleys meet your friends. Your of age friends," he said with a smirk. "That cousin of yours is going to think that piggy tail of his was child's play when we're through with him…"

Hermione decided that a warning was not worth actually speaking to Ron, so instead she just shot him a glare, which he returned.

She was also thinking that dealing with the Dursleys would provide a distraction for her and Ron to get over this entire fiasco completely.