Hello there! Sorry that I've been neglecting my stories recently. I've been busy earning money for school books and all. I did get a new laptop (I think I said that already) so I should be writing a little bit more. I tried to do it the old fashioned way, but I just couldn't be bothered. It was too slow. .

Anyway, not much happens in this chapter. I just needed a bridge to the next one, where things are going to get very complicated after Draco opens his big mouth.

I did want to make one remark though. I portray Ron a little differently in this chapter than most people do. I think he's an under-appreciated character in the series and there are A LOT of Ron-bashers out there. Really, I think he's good guy. And I tried to roll with that in this chapter.

As always, if you leave me a review, I'll leave you a review for something of yours. It may take me a little while to do it but I'll get to it as soon as I have a chance.

Thanks for reading, even though I don't own Harry Potter!

Enjoy!

Tiny Professor Flitwick looked up at Hermione Granger with scrutinizing eyes. Her apology for missing Charms seemed to be sincere but he was very strict on his policies. He suggested detention and Hermione tried to plead her case, seemingly near tears the whole time. Considering her past attendance records, grades, and performance overall, the professor showed her some mercy and let her off with a warning in the end.

While she walked to Transfiguration, she covertly scanned the corridors, looking for Ron and Harry. Part of her felt sorry after a good cry but the other part of her was still very angry and hurt. She wasn't going to apologize to them. They didn't deserve it. Not after everything that Harry said and what Ron accused her of.

In Transfiguration, Ron sat next to Hermione but Harry was nowhere to be seen. They didn't exchange pleasantries before Ron whispered in Hermione's ear. "Harry's locked himself in our dormitory."

She tried to look smug and ignore him but guilt burned in her chest and the corners of her eyes. A deep breath composed her emotions however and she snapped "Talking to me, are you? Even after what you found out?" Her eyes were sharp, searching as they surveyed his face.

Hermione was surprised to see that he looked sorry; truly sorry. "I'll admit that he wouldn't have been my first choice for you but it's just that; your choice." He shrugged and started digging through his bag for his text book. "I'm sorry I accused you like that," he continued, not wanting to talk about her relations with the Potions professor. "But I was really shocked and I went with Harry was on about before I really thought about it for myself. You know. Impulse."

Despite herself, she could feel her anger ebbing away. It wasn't often that he admitted that he often followed Harry like a lost dog. This would be one of the few times he humbled himself like that and it mattered to her immensely. "Yeah. I know." She stopped talking then as Minerva got up from her desk to speak.

"Weasley! Granger!" Her sharp voice made them both jump at being addressed. "Where's Potter?"

Hermione looked back toward the parchment on her desk and let Ron answer that he hadn't seen him for a bit and that he wasn't feeling well earlier. She seemed to accept this for the moment and then added "Fine. But when he's feeling better, he'd better see me about missing my class."

The two agreed to pass on the message.

Throughout the class, she wasn't sure of where they stood as friends. The air between them seemed normal enough but a little strained. After they were dismissed, Ron stayed back to help her gather up her things.

"You're the smartest witch I know, Hermione." His words were quiet and cautious, as though he had thought about them for the whole class. "You know what you're doing, I'll bet. I understand that but I don't think Harry will. Not for a while. He was pretty mad. And I think that you hitting him probably wasn't the best of ideas."

"You're not suggesting I apologize, are you?" She sputtered and blinked, taken aback. "Did you hear what he said? The foul, horrible things-"

"Hey!" He put up his hands in the classic "I surrender" sign, not wanting to ruin the civil speak. "I didn't say that! I was just saying that he's pretty upset. But I wonder if he's more upset with you or with himself."

"Oh." Hermione pondered this on the way to the Great Hall with Ron. Her stomach growled loudly, protesting her skipping of breakfast. She scanned the staff table automatically when she walked in. Severus was there, speaking to Hagrid. Even from the distance she was at, she could see the curl of his lip. He's attempting to be polite by talking to him… I wonder why. She knew that he had never attempted to carry a conversation with the groundskeeper before. It warmed her heart to see that he was trying.

Harry wasn't at lunch either. Ron and Hermione didn't speak much. They were both lost in their own thoughts. However, towards the end of the meal, Ron looked up at her and said "I've got a free block next. I'm going to go check on Harry."

"He might be angry that you're speaking to me," she responded stiffly, carefully avoiding his eyes while she moved crisps around on her plate.

He sniffed "So? He'll get over it. I can't abandon a friend every time you guys get into a tiff."

For the first time since breakfast time, Hermione smiled. It was a small one but Ron felt satisfied.

Hermione didn't see Harry for the rest of the academic day. Ron confirmed what she has suspected; he was still sitting in the dormitory. "He's sulking, I think. He wasn't into talking when I went up there and I didn't press it."

"Oh." Even though Harry had said horrible things to her, the length of time that had passed and the distraction of her classes made her harder for her to stay angry. Though she wasn't going to apologize for anything she said or did, it took too much energy to stay mad at him.

After her last class, she made her way down to the dungeons, changing the colors of the trim of her robes to better blend in. She was able to slip into the Potions classroom that held his office undetected.

When she knocked on the office door, he answered, looking harassed until he saw who it was. He stood aside to let her in. Once the door was closed, they looked at each other, neither of them moving or speaking. Thirty seconds or so went by before Hermione broke the silence.

"Hi."

He stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms without saying anything. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent, feeling suddenly weaker than she had all day. As her emotions threatened to overwhelmed her again, she stepped back, look flustered.

"I saw you with Weasley at lunch. I take it you're on speaking terms with him."

"Yes. He apologized. But I haven't seen Harry since. You missed the big fight after you left."

He smiled grimly and turned to sit behind his desk, transfiguring the hard wooden chair across from it into something large and poofy for his girlfriend. "No, Albus and I overheard. We had suspected what was coming so we stayed around the corner." Then he grimaced. "I didn't like what Potter was saying to you."

"Neither did I, Severus." She took the seat gratefully, fearing that her knees would give out sooner or later from sheer exhaustion if she didn't.

"Would you like tea? Or maybe something stronger?" His eyes gave away no sign of humor, nor did his lips. Hermione assumed he meant alcohol.

She shook her head. "I'm alright."

"No you're not." His voice was soft, almost tender as he regarded her with soft eyes. "Was it what he said?"

She thought for a moment before nodding a little. "Partly."

He leaned back in his chair. "He's arrogant, Hermione, and unlikely to admit that he was wrong. I'm surprised that Weasley came back to apologize so quickly. I thought that he would stick with Potter through this."

"Me too. But he said that he can't abandon his friend every time one of us argues with the other."

He was thoughtful for a moment, still watching her with a soften expression. She wished that the chair was big enough for two. For some reason, she was craving his embrace again.

"Potter will come around in time, love. Don't worry. If he doesn't, you don't need to call him a friend." He made it sound so simple but she knew in her heart that it really wasn't.

To make things easier, she just agreed. "I know, Severus."