"Damn ugly git." Ron muttered while working on the 18-inch essay Snape had assigned them a week ago. The fact that he was working on it that night meant it was due the next day. That was Ron's pattern. Hermione's or course was finished and tucked safely in her bag for next class.

"Snape? Yeah…" Harry moaned, sucking the end of his quill and looking down at his parchment. Looking up from her book and over his shoulder, Hermione could see that he had written what looked like 12 words.

"No…" Ron answered in a low voice Hermione almost didn't hear.

"What, then?" Harry asked, his brows low over his eyes as he looked at Ron in confusion.

Hermione had a good hunch as she closed her book with an audible thud and sighed. "Please tell me you're not still on about Malfoy…"

"What if I am?" He snapped.

Hermione looked at him incredulously. In previous years, comments such as these hadn't bothered her so much. She and Ron had once been very taken with each other, drawn close by the horrific events of the previous year. After everything had ended, they'd grown apart once again, both deciding that their feelings for one another were more along the lines of brother-sister. Lately, Ron had seemed to be fancying other girls again, and every now and then, some part of Hermione would be bothered by it, but mostly because she hadn't found anyone else, not because of any lingering romantic feelings for him. She supposed that one day, she would find the right person, as would he. She just didn't know when that day would be. But as always, boys were the least of her concerns, especially now that she had her last year of studies to focus on, followed closely by finding a job in the Wizarding world outside of Hogwarts.

"Then you're obsessing and it's a bit annoying." Hermione answered, staring him down. "I've been taking care of myself for quite some time now, and-"

"Yeah, yeah, we know…" Ron said, a surly moping look on his face as he looked back down at his blank parchment.

"Wait, we?" Harry said. "You two can leave m out of this. I haven't forgotten that time you hit Malfoy, Hermione." He smiled at her, and she blushed a bit, but smiled back.

Ron cracked a small smile as well even though it was obvious he was trying not to. "Best memory I've got, that one."

Hermione smiled at him as well, then looked back down, opening her book again. "Besides, it isn't as though I've never been shoved before." She added. "And when you get down to it, he's all talk. He's never hurt me." She looked around at them. They were looking at her questioningly, and she backtracked a bit. "If you're thinking of my teeth in fourth year, he meant that for you, Harry, not me."

He looked at her in surprise.

"Not that that's all right!" She added hastily. "But we all know he's always had it in for you, Harry. And you, Ron, mostly because you're on Harry's side. Has he ever done any real harm, though?"

She was pleased (although she wasn't exactly sure why) that they both had looks of deep thought on their faces, their eyes distant. Ron opened his mouth a lot, ready to spout off reasons that Malfoy was evil, but shut it quickly, again and again realizing that a lot of the things they remembered were exaggerated by youth and excitement. Harry seemed resigned. Then again, he'd always been less inclined to argue with Hermione than Ron was. Or maybe he'd decided it didn't matter anymore. His days of worrying about Death Eaters and Dark Arts were over, and Hermione was glad for him.

Finally, after minutes of silence, Ron spoke, looking excited. His eyes even lit up. "He let Death Eaters into the school sixth year! He was the start of everything going wrong here!" He looked at her triumphantly.

She looked back at him from beneath raised brows. "Ron, you know what Harry heard in the bathroom. He was doing it because he had to. Voldemort was going to kill his family! Maybe he wanted to at first, but I think last year he may have realized he didn't want that life. You would have done the same if it had been your family, wouldn't you?"

"Of course!" He answered angrily, mad because she was right.

More silence followed in which more nonactivity persisted. Their potions essays stayed the same lengths: short. Or nonexistent in Ron's case. Hermione suspected he was trying to think of more truly evil things Malfoy had done.

He put his quill down on the table roughly. "Why are you acting like this anyway?" He demanded.

Hermione looked up from the page she'd started reading again in confusion and shrugged. "Like what?"

"Like-like…" He thought a moment, and part of her expected him to start waving his arms around in frustration like a madman. "Like you're trying to get inside his head or something…" He spoke as though disgusted.

Hermione shrugged again.

"Would you stop that?!" Ron pleaded.

She didn't address his request. "Maybe I am." She spoke the worlds aloud and sounded like a stranger to herself for a split second. "Things are different now."

Even Harry looked up at that, and he and Ron shared a glance. "They are?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded, that knowing look in her eyes. "He's still a nasty person of course, and rude and selfish, but we know things now we didn't before."

"…like what?" Ron asked.

But Hermione was already reading her book again and acting as though she hadn't heard them.

Hours later, Hermione went up to bed, the boys still working on their essays and Ron badgering her "What's different, Hermione?!" She didn't answer.

She hadn't decided yet when she would tell them. It was her secret. Well…his. Of course, she would tell them eventually. But for now, she liked being the only one who knew. It was a secret she appreciated, respected.

And, she decided, yes, in a way…it did change things.