Hermione sat at the kitchen table with her head in her hands, what had just happened with Fred had finally kicked her into touch with reality. What if it was all in her imagination and Ron didn't like her after all? It could happen, look at what had happened with Fred, he had been positive that she liked him and had acted on it. Instead of being accepted, however, he had been rejected by her because she didn't feel the same way. She sighed, she had always been afraid of rejection, losing the one person she truly cared about, at least at the moment she had the illusion that everything could work out between them. As long as she didn't say anything then she could stay in her dream world and avoid the reality that maybe it wasn't meant to be.

Ginny was sitting across the table from her in silence, she had witnessed Ron storming out of the kitchen only minutes before Fred and Hermione had returned. This was the first sign that something wasn't quite right, her suspicions were confirmed when the pair entered the kitchen soaking wet, red in the face and extremely quiet. Dragging Hermione into the corner she had questioned her until she, Hermione, told her what was going on. Now they sat there in silence whilst Ginny waited for Hermione to broach the subject, it wasn't happening and she was getting impatient.

After a long, and frankly quite boring, silence Ginny decided to start the conversation, 'he kissed you?' she asked in confusion.

'Yes,' Hermione groaned through the hands that covered her face.

Another long silence.

'Would it be reasonable for me to ask why?' Ginny continued.

'Mix up, it was an accident. He said he fancied me but I told him I didn't feel the same way. Now I'm really confused and scared of rejection from Ron like the rejection that Fred got from me and it's all so confusing!' After her rant, Hermione took a deep breath and looked up into the face into a bewildered Ginny.

'I…' she tried to process the explanation she had just received, 'Ummm, I…' she laughed, 'I still can't believed you kissed my brother, Fred of all people!'

'I told you Ginny, I didn't kiss him, he kissed me. I didn't even respond to it, I just pushed him away and…' here she faltered, 'Ummm…'

'Yes?' Ginny asked, fully interested in the story by now.

'I slapped him,' a look of glee crossed Ginny's face, Hermione tried to explain herself quickly, 'not on purpose, it was kind of an automatic reaction.'

Her single-person audience simply shook her head in admiration, 'Hermione Granger, you're my inspiration, I could learn so much from you!'

Hermione didn't quite know how to respond to that so Ginny continued, 'does Ron know?'

Hermione's eyes opened wide at this question, 'No! There's no way he could, and he can't know Ginny. He can never know I kissed his brother, he'll hate me!'

'Don't be so melodramatic, he won't hate you.'

'Fine, he won't trust me ever again though. And if he does like me then I'll lose him for good,' she looked practically frantic by now, 'and I couldn't bear that.'

'What happened to Ron not liking you, and your insecurities about rejection?'

'I said "if," Ginny. I'm not giving up on the idea that he might by some stretch of the imagination like me the way I like him.'

'Do you love him, Hermione?' Ginny said simply.

'Love's a strong word,' Hermione admitted.

'Fine, are you "infatuated" with him?' Ginny tried again, with anyone else the term "love" would have been adequate, but with Hermione it had to be exact. She watched as Hermione thought deeply about this question for a moment or two. Brushing her hair out of her eyes and looking back at Ginny she replied.

'Yes, I do believe I am.'

'And he really likes you, Hermione. Trust me on this, ok? Don't tell him about the incident with Fred, but like I said earlier you need to talk to him about the two of you. I hate to see you like this, just ask him and find out for yourself. It will all turn out all right, I know it will,' Ginny took Hermione's right hand in her own and squeezed it in a friendly manner.

Hermione smiled warmly at this gesture, 'I will, the next time we're alone I'll ask him.'

Little did she know that the next time they were alone they would be talking about something quite different from the topic of their relationship and they would receive news that would mean a release for both of them

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Meanwhile, Ron and Harry were up in the boys' bedroom, Ron was lying face down on his bed whilst Harry simply sat there gob smacked. All he had got from Ron as he entered in a jealous rage and threw himself onto the bed were some mumblings about Fred, Hermione, scene stealing git and kissing in the rain. Going from his irritable attitude, Harry deduced that there was a good chance Ron hadn't been the one doing the kissing. He had opened and closed his mouth several times as he tried to find the best reply to something like that.

The best he could get out after a good five minutes or so were the words, 'He kissed her?' just to clarify that he had heard right.

'Uh-huh,' Ron muttered as he sat up and looked reluctantly at Harry, he had really been hoping to avoid having to go into great detail about his ordeal.

'Hermione, our Hermione?' Harry asked.

'Yes Harry,' Ron snapped impatiently, 'our Hermione, my Hermione,' he spoke the last part quietly to himself through gritted teeth, yet Harry still picked it up. A smile tugged at the sides of his mouth, Ron was finally getting the right idea, though it seemed like it had come too late.

He still couldn't believe the words he had heard, Hermione kissed Fred, Fred kissed Hermione. From everything Ginny had told him about her girl talks with Hermione he had never seen this coming. He had been told many times that Hermione had admitted to being crazy about Ron and it had been evident for years in their actions around one another.

'Maybe it was an accident,' Harry tried to sound positive, how a kiss could be an accident he really had no idea, this was also what Ron thought simultaneously.

'How can a kiss be an accident?' he asked, giving Harry a scrutinising gaze for obviously being completely useless in the situation.

'I don't know, maybe it was one sided, she might not feel the same way. Or she could have lost her balance, he thought she was going to kiss her and ended up initiating it himself,' he knew how mad this sounded as he said this. If only he knew how true his reasoning really was, that he was telling Ron the real explanation without even knowing it.

'That's insane, mate, did you know that? If Hermione gave me that excuse I would find it very difficult to believe her,' Ron raised his eyebrows and used a mocking tone.

'I still stand by the idea that it was a mistake.'

'Believe what you want,' then he stopped, 'Oh Merlin!'

'What?' Harry eyed his best friend warily.

'She doesn't know that I know.' Ron's eyes glinted at the thought of confronting Hermione about it, he didn't know why he felt so passionate about getting his own back but he wanted her to hurt the way she had hurt him. It was as if his jealousy and the sense of betrayal was possessing his thoughts and actions.

Harry's eyes became wide and round as he caught the tone of maliciousness lacing his voice and could hear the cogs whirring in Ron's brain, he really did want to get even with Hermione, never before had he known Ron want to say something that he knew would cause pain, 'you're not thinking of telling her, are you?' he asked cautiously, dreading the answer.

'Why not?' Ron replied.

'You'll hurt her, Ron, do you really want that? Do you hate her that much?' Harry tried to reason with him, he hated a tense atmosphere between Ron and Hermione after a major argument, to have them at each other's throats this intensely could get violent.

'I feel betrayed, Harry. Can't you understand that? She hurt me, to confront her would be a way of getting back onto level ground,' he stood up abruptly and paced the length of the room, running his fingers through his hair in agitation, 'Merlin,' he shouted, spinning back round to face Harry from the other side of the room, 'I can't believe I was going to tell her that I…'

'…like her?' Harry chipped in, attempting to remind him of what he was throwing away.

'"Like" is a bit of an understatement, mate.'

'Fine,' Harry groaned audibly, 'that you're "infatuated" with her?'

Ron thought about this for a moment or so, as if recollecting his previous feeling for Hermione, 'Yeah, I suppose I am infatuated with her,' he said eventually.

'Exactly,' Harry stood up and joined his red-head friend across the room, standing directly in front of him, 'are you going to scupper all chances of getting together with the girl of your dreams just because of what could have been a mistake?'

At these words Ron could feel his chilly exterior thawing, his shoulders slumped, it began to sink in as to how much he was going to throw away by acting on his previous plans. He cursed himself for intentionally wanting to cause Hermione pain, 'I'll talk to her.'

'Good,' Harry smiled, attempting to maintain eye contact with Ron as he regained his full height, 'without an argument and without sarcasm entering into it, do you think you can manage that?' he joked.

Ron laughed, 'Yes Harry, believe it or not I have been known to have initiated a few conversations that were devoid of sarcasm, thank you very much.'

'Great, next time you see her alone, talk to her,' Harry turned towards the door and left the room, 'and whilst you're at it,' he called back to him, 'tell her you like her then kiss her before she can object.'

Ron simply stood there with his mouth hanging open in astonishment at Harry's blatant hints, suddenly Harry's head popped back round the doorframe, 'don't act like that, do the world a favour and get it over and done with.'

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So sorry for the long wait, I have also almost completed the next chapter and have started the chapter after that. All reviews appreciated, thanks.