After I close the door I fall backwards against it for what feels like forever, breathing erratically. I can't even move over to my bed- all I can feel is relief coursing through my veins. Ron doesn't hate me! He's not pissed off!

Suddenly my body is hurled forwards. Ginny plunges into the room and falls on her face, dropping her basket and causing clean laundry to skitter across the floor.

"What the hell were you holding the door closed for?" she growls from her place on the floor.

"I wasn't holding it closed, I was leaning against it. Your brother just left."

Ginny gets this stupid look on her face. Oh god, here it comes. I definitely shouldn't have said that. "Oh, I see. So, why was he down here? I thought he was being a prat."

"He apologized," I reply, kicking off my flip-flops and sitting down on my bed. "We're cool now."

"Oh, I bet you're cool," Ginny says, still smirking as she sets about picking her underwear off the floor.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I say.

Ginny glances at me, an amused look on her face. "Nothing, Hermione."

I glare at her. "Good. You missed a thong, it's under the bed."

Ginny's face turns red. "Could you say 'thong' a little bit louder Hermione? I don't think the house elves at Hogwarts quite heard that."

I laugh as she bends down to snatch the offending piece of string. "Don't worry, Harry just left. He stormed out and flew off on his Firebolt."

She rolls her eyes. "Harry isn't the only reason. I've done my own laundry for a few years now so my family doesn't know I wear them yet. I don't fancy mum, dad, or any of my brothers seeing my skimpy knickers thank you very much. Life here is awkward enough as it is now that you're here."

"Wow. Thanks a lot."

"You know what I mean Hermione. It's just that you and Ron are constantly fighting about one thing or another, and it sort of puts the rest of us on edge, if you know what I mean."

That night I barely sleep. All I can do is listen to the ghoul moaning in the attic above and think what happened earlier. Is Ron really glad that I'm here, or was he just saying that to stop the fighting and make it easier on everyone else? I seriously hope that he's done being angry- I honestly can't stand it when we fight. Sometimes I cry myself to sleep at night thinking about it.

Wow. I'm definitely not going to sleep any time tonight. I might as well do something.

Turning on the light, I creep quietly to my trunk and start looking for my journal. Once I find it I jump back onto my bed, open it to a random page, and start to read the first thing I see.

December 30, 1996

I said you could have him

But I didn't mean it

I thought we had something

I guess I just dreamed it

With every glance

Every glimpse of care

With every stolen kiss

I see the two of you share

I can't help but break

And wish it were me

But I care too much

To let either of you see

I wish I could tell you

My best friend of all

About the guy I like

And what made me fall

But I can't

Because he's you

So I'll keep my mouth shut

And try to let it get through

That you never wanted me

You were always after her

So I have to let go

Or wait forever.

I smile slightly. I remember this. I wrote it while Ron was dating Lavender. I was seriously heartbroken. I never did anything about my feelings, but I always figured that he maybe felt the same and that we might get together if I was patient.

Well, that wasn't one of my best predictions. Professor Trelawney was right- I definitely don't have the gift of sight.

I said you could have him

But I didn't mean it…

One night last year I was in our dormitory getting ready to go to bed. I had my journal out and everything. All of a sudden Lavender came in- but instead of ignoring me and starting to talk with Parvati about her hair, she skipped over to my bed and plopped down beside me, smiling at me eerily.

"Hi, Hermione! What's up?"

"Nothing, Lavender," I said cautiously. She wanted something- there was no other reason for her to talk to me.

"That's cool, I guess." She just sat there looking at me with this wide grin on her face.

Great. She was going to beat around the bush and hesitate. I decided I might as well just ask her about it.

"So, Lav, is there something on your mind?"

Her eyes brightened. It was like she was an eagle who'd just spotted a field mouse. Without a moment's hesitation, she swooped in for the kill.

"Well, actually Mione, I wanted to ask you a question. Ron's single, right?"

My brain froze. I'm not even kidding- everything on my train of thought came to a screeching halt.

"Why do you want to know that?" I asked. Lavender had never given Ron a second glance in the six and a half years we'd been at Hogwarts. Why did she want to know now?

"Oh you know," she said casually, picking at her nail beds, "I just wanted to know; got to keep on top of the castle gossip, haven't I?"

I paused for a second. "…Well, I guess-"

"Right! So, is he?"

My brain finally jumpstarted again and I was able to jolt back into gear. "Yeah, I guess you could say he's flying solo right now."

"Great!" replied the beauty queen, jumping off my bed and dusting herself off. I swear she must think I leave ugly germs on everything. "Thanks H!"

With that she scurried off, probably to share Ron's confirmed social status with Parvati in the bathroom.

All I could do was stare after her. For a moment I wondered if she asked me because she had feelings for him, but I quickly shoved that thought out of my head. It was absolutely ridiculous- Lavender dated older guys. I don't think she's ever been attracted to anyone in our year, let alone date one of them. Besides, it was Ron- Harry was the one girls fancied.

Imagine my surprise when I walked down to the common room little more than a week later and saw Lavender straddling Ron in an armchair, practically sucking his face off.

When I wake up from my three hour rest the next morning I automatically bury myself deeper into my covers. My eyes are red and puffy from my lack of sleep and my muscles are still aching from the portkey ride yesterday. I lounge around for a while until Mrs. Weasley calls me down for breakfast.

When I get downstairs everyone else is already sitting at the kitchen table, eating the eggs, bacon, and pancakes Mrs. Weasley made for us. Not wanting to miss out on any of the food, I grab a plate and sit down in between Harry and Ginny.

"Hello, Hermione! How's our favourite almost-sister doing this morning?"

I look up to see Fred and George sitting right in front of me.

"Oh, hi guys! I didn't notice you!" I say enthusiastically. I may not always approve of the things Fred and George do, but even I have to admit that there's never a dull moment when they're around.

Fred (or is it George?) puts a hand to his chest dramatically. "Ouch. Way to cut to the core, Hermy?"

I stare at him disbelievingly. He didn't just call me Hermy.

"Hermy? Why must you taunt me?"

"It's what I do," says the one I think is Fred.

I grab my orange juice and start to drink at the same time as Ron.

"So, I hear you and ickle Ronniekins are back together."

All of a sudden this huge tidal wave of orange juice sprays out of my mouth onto the table, hitting the twins right in the face.

"Oh my god Ron, you idiot!"

As I look down the table I see that Ron did the exact same thing to Ginny.

"Sorry, Gin!" he says quickly, grabbing a napkin and starting to wipe her off.

"Don't touch me! God Ron, I just did my laundry yesterday! Next time keep it in your mouth!"

With a very rude hand gesture towards her brother, Ginny storms up to her room to change- again.

I turn back to the mess in front of me to see that Fred and George had already cleaned themselves off.

"Cleaning charm, I assume?" I asked, a little put off. Back together? We were never together in the first place!

"That's right, little sister." George smiles and clears his plate with a wave of his wand.

"I'm not your sister," I protest loudly, "and Ron and I aren't back together because we were never together in the first place."

"Sure, Hermy." Fred jumps up and starts to walk away. "Whatever you say. We'll see you all later, we're going down to the village for a bit to show that cute salesgirl some more 'magic' card tricks."

And with that the two of them are gone. They run out the door so fast that I almost think they've apparated.

Silence comes over the room. None of the remaining three of us is happy to be here.

"So…." says Harry. "The Ebola virus- that's got to suck, right?"

Ron lets out a nervous laugh.

Silence soon suffocates any further conversation.

Oh my god. I've got to get out of here, this is too awkward.

"Well boys, I think I'm going to go take a shower and hang out with Ginny- see you both later."

I jump up and hurry up the stairs before either of them can object, leaving them to their uncomfortable silence.