A/n: Woo! Look who updated sooner than she expected! I thought I ought to submit it while I could. I have a wild batch of major school projects headed my way so I don't know how soon you'll see me again, though I plan for it to be as soon as possible. This is a relatively short chapter in comparison to many other chapters, but I think this is a fairly important one, especially for all the reviewers who keep crying out, "What about Ron?!" This one's for you guys. ;)

Chapter 23

The week following that glorious and snowy Hogsmeade day went by far too fast for Hermione's liking. She attended classes as usual, which were brighter and more enjoyable now that she had friends to giggle with and someone to partner with.

Charms of course turned into her favorite class as she and Cedric worked hard on the big project for Flitwick (well, mostly). She trained extra hard during Quidditch practice and it paid off when her team scored a narrow win over Hufflepuff in the next match. Though her team praised her and the others for their smart, enthusiastic play, Hermione felt a huge part of their victory came from the fact that Roger was still recovering from his accident.

By Friday, the snow that had been falling over the past wee was five inches deep. After their last class of the day, Hermione and Cedric donned their winter gear and headed out into the white world. They walked hand in hand through the snow all the way to the large tree by the frozen lake before either of them spoke.

"It's so pretty." Hermione exhaled. "Everything is so white and sparkly and still."

Cedric grinned mischievously. "Perfect snowball weather too."

Hermione put her hands on her hips and said in a mock stern tone, "Cedric Diggory, don't you dare."

His smile widened as he took several steps backward before leaning over to grab a handful of snow and into a rounded shape about the size of a tennis ball.

"Cedric…" Hermione said warningly and fought to keep her own smile off her face.

"Yes, Hermione?" Cedric asked innocently as he raised his arm and took aim.

"Don't even thi- "

The snow splattered across her neck and shoulder before she could finish her sentence.

Cedric laughed behind his hand. "It slipped."

Keeping a very solemn look on her face, Hermione brushed the snow off her scarf, face and coat in a stiff and dignified manner. She eyed Cedric with the best "you-disgust-me" glare she could muster at that moment, before abruptly bending down to create her own snowball.

"You asked for it!" she yelled and whipped her snow at Cedric.

He laughed more as he danced out of the way.

They played like that for some time, until it finally ended with Hermione managing to catch Cedric off guard and half-fall, half-tackle him into the snow. They lay there panting and grinning with red faces, shining with the cold, and numb fingers for several moments before Cedric spoke.

"What's it like?" he asked.

"What's what like?" she answered.

"Your world. Where you were before you wished yourself here."

Hermione sighed a little. She had guessed that he would ask her sometime, but that didn't make it any easier for her to talk about it.

"Well… what do you want to know?" she finally said.

"What's different?" he turned on his side and propped his head up on his hand.

"Oh wow," Hermione chuckled. "A million different things." She paused. "For example, the Professor McGonagall I know is not even close to the one you know."

"How so?"

"She's strict, sure, and she likes her rules and regulations and for you to follow them. But she has a real good heart and she's sympathetic in her own way. She's understanding and strong and she really cares." Hermione smiled sadly. "She is also very neat, very clean, and has little square glasses. She keeps her hair up in a tight bun at all times."

Cedric laughed softly. "She sounds cool."

"She's my favorite teacher."

"So… what else? What about the other Professors? Are they different too?"

Hermione couldn't help giggling just at the thought of trying to explain "her" Flitwick or Filch to Cedric. "How about I tell you on the way inside?"

"Good idea." Cedric stood first and then helped Hermione up out of the snow. "I think I've discovered that body heat melts snow which in turn makes one very wet."

Hermione smiled and rolled her eyes and continued talking about her world. She told him about the differences in all the Professors she could think of, then told him about how Cornelius Fudge was the Minister for Magic, and what the Ludo Bagman she knew was like.

By that time they'd reached the fourth floor and Cedric suggested they go to their respective dorms to change out of their wet clothes. Then they would meet in the one corner of the library that had couches, and in which Madame Pince actually allowed students to sit and talk – quietly.

Once warm and dry and seated in the library, Hermione resumed speaking about her world at Cedric's request. She started telling about how Draco Malfoy and the rest of her friends were, then about Voldemort and the Death Eaters. That led her to Harry's story, and on to her first year at Hogwarts with Harry and Ron. She'd just finished summing about her many stays with them at the Weasley's when she caught a funny half-smile on Cedric's face as her regarded her.

"You really like him, don't you?" he said in an undetectable tone.

"Who, Harry?"

Cedric shook his head. "No. Ron."

Hermione felt her stomach unexpectedly clench. She cleared her throat a bit before answering lightly, "Well, sure, I mean, he's my friend after all…"

"More than a friend?" he pressed.

Hermione faltered and looked away. She knew exactly what the answer to that question was, but there was no way she was going to tell it to Cedric – or anyone, for that matter. She loved Cedric now and first loves or old loves were not something you talked about with new loves.

Cedric gently brushed a lock of hair away from Hermione's face and she turned to meet his penetrating gaze. In that moment, she realized what his beautiful silver eyes reminded her of: they were deep and perfectly silver with a hint of blue, just like a Pensieve.

"I can tell, you know." He said. "As soon as you start talking about him, or particular moments between the two of you, your eyes get this crazy, extra sparkle. You smile just a tiny bit wider and you lift your shoulders just a little. And there's something different in your voice, too. I didn't notice at first, but the more you went on, the easier it was to see the difference between the way you talk about Harry and the way you talk about Ron."

Hermione dropped her eyes. "Maybe it seems that way, but… I mean, we fight all the time. All the time. And he never does his homework and he's not very serious about school, or anything, it seems, except maybe Quidditch. He has an awfully short temper and he's so jealous of every little thing! And…"

"And yet you love him anyways." Cedric finished calmly.

Hermione moved her eyes back up to his and tried to swallow the lump of emotion rising in her throat. His face was so open, warm and caring. He wasn't asking because he was angry or jealous in any way. He was curious and completely understanding.

"But we're just friends and always will be because he's too thick to see anything so I have to give up on it. After all, like I said before, he's awfully jealous and we always bicker and argue about every little thing and he… he… I…"

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself, Hermione?" Cedric asked quietly.

Hermione bit her lip. Another question she knew the answer to but couldn't say aloud.

"Does he love you back?" Cedric asked after a moment's pause.

"I just said he was too thick to see anything between us."

"Yes, but do you think he loves you?"

Hermione hesitated this time before replying. "I… I don't know. Sometimes I think maybe he does, or maybe he likes me a bit more than a friend and then other times… Other times I think there's no way he likes more than a friend or sometimes even as a friend… I don't know if he loves me or not."

Cedric nodded slowly and slid his arm around Hermione's shoulders. "Well, he'd be insane and insanely stupid if he didn't."

After another minute or two of silence, it was Cedric who spoke again. "It's ok, you know. This… being in love with Ron and still being here with me."

Hermione glanced at Cedric confusedly to confirm whether he as serious or not. He certainly looked serious. But how could he be? If Ron were with someone else, it definitely wouldn't be ok with her…

"You're only here for a real short time and I plan to make the most of it. It's been the wonderful time of my life." He smiled kindly. "But I know I can't have you forever. As much as I'd like to."

Another small silence settled upon the pair though it was a comfortable one. They sat like that for quite some time, just sitting and thinking and watching different students come in and out of the library. Eventually they started talking again, though it was on topics quite unrelated to love or Hermione's world.

A/n: Alrighty! There you go! Review me! You know I love it. :D