Hermione looked out the window and saw snow-covered land that had probably been used for farming during season. She had a lot on her mind. Since the Quidditch match and the party in the Common Room that night, she had. Hermione was constantly thinking about Ron and the way she had acted that night. It was just so unfair. Ron had been her best friend for five years and, then, randomly, in walk Lavender who just sets her pink-lip-glossed lips on whoever she fancied. It was just infuriating! When she finally thinks something can happen between them, the stupid girl comes–

"Hermione! Her-Mi-O-Ne." Ginny says loudly and clearly. Hermione jerked her eyes from the passing scenery and turns her head toward Ginny. "Stop thinking about my dumb ass brother. He's dirt. He's nothing but a bunch of mess and that's all he'll ever be. Stop thinking about him." Ginny sighed. "Anyway, I was telling Luna that I was going to go to the bathroom for just a minute."

"Oh, okay."

Ginny exited out the compartment door. Hermione watched her as she went, still preoccupied with thoughts of Ron.

It took a few seconds after Ginny left, when Hermione spoke up, "Uh, Luna?"

Luna looked up from her copy of the Quibbler, took off her Spectrespecs and replied, "Yes?"

"Well, I was just wondering, well, I know we haven't been the best of friends or even particularly close but I was just wondering if you're worried about the war. I mean to say, you have always surprisingly mellow about this thing with Voldemort. So, are you worried?"

"Oh. No, I don't suppose I am. Since my mum died when I was younger, I've always felt that she was looking over me. And if something does happen to me or Dad, I know that either of us will be with her, wherever she is."

"But what about the killings going on everywhere and bridges collapsing and the Death Eaters wreaking havoc wherever they go?" Hermione questioned, internally curious about what Luna had to say.

"Oh, yes, then. I am scared for all my friends, the school, everything. And as strange as our friendship may be, I consider you a friend, Hermione."

This warmed Hermione's heart. She smiled to herself and mumbled, "Thanks, Luna." Luna smiled and slowly brought the Quibbler back up to her nose again. "One more thing." Hermione said quickly, also curious to what Luna thought on the matter Hermione was about to discuss.

"Well, you know, Ronald, I've been, er, we've been having some, well, problems lately. You see,–"

"Lavender Brown kissed him in the Gryffindor Common Room after the Quidditch match on Saturday when Gryffindor beat Slytherin?" Hermione nodded, with a bewildered look to her face as to how Luna knew all this. "Yes, I know very well. Ginny told me." She said, paying tribute to Hermione's bewilderment.

Hermione looked scandalous . She said under her breath. "Blabbermouth."

Luna nodded her head. "She does have quite a mouth on her doesn't she?"

"Anyway," Hermione stalled, "What do you think? Do you think that

Lavender should've kept her mouth to herself? Or that Ron should've broke it off with her?"

Luna put the magazine on the seat and went to sit beside Hermione. "Listen, Hermione," She said with an Un-Luna-like characteristic that made truthfulness leak with every word. "There are three sides to every story. Your side, their side, and the truth. And I'm going to give you the most honest, truthful advice I can give and if it hurts, I am sorry. But here it goes. Ron was never yours. He was also never Lavender's. Personally, I do not think that Lavender should've kissed him. But that just because I've known that there had always been this sort of tension between you two that was inexcusable. But, though, you had no good reason to send those birds on Ron no matter foolishly he had acted. And if he's happy, then let him be. If you two are meant to be, you will be." Luna's eyes fluttered to Hermione's flustered and dazed expression. Going back to her regular Luna-ness, she questioned in her remarkably dreamy, high voice, "What's wrong? Wrackspurts got you?"

Hermione shook her head. "No but thank you, Luna, thank you a lot! She hopped up out of her seat and dashed out of the compartment.

'Oh, am I going to give him a piece of my mind. Yes, I am! Whether he likes or not!' Hermione's thoughts were racing as she ran down the corridor looking through each and every compartment for him. She finally saw a blur of red hair and a lanky figure that could only belong to Ron. She turned and faced the door, reaching for the handle and seeing something...curious. Someone, obviously Lavender, had drawn a large heart surrounding the initials R.W. and L.B.

This upset Hermione. She looked straight at Ron with the deepest form of loathing she could muster and felt a tear coming down her cheek, beginning to stain the little make-up she wore. Hermione swore and ran away to where the girls bathrooms had always been located.