A/N: Heyy I'm back! How are my lovely readers? Anyway I hope you guys like this chapter. Does Hermione break up with Ron? Will he fight for her? All questions like that are answered in this chapter! So read on! ENJOY! Don't forget to review later :3 ;)

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One Unforgettable Year

Chapter 5: Sticking by sides.

Info you need to know: "Talking".
Minor warning: There are some swear words in this, please don't get offended by them. I don't mean to offend any of you; you could always just skip the swearing or make a 'bleep' noise in your head if you're against swearing. Anyway read on my lovelies :D

"Ron, I think we should break up." Hermione's words hit him like a ton of bricks. Sure he was angry at Hermione right now but that didn't mean he had stopped loving her. Unlike Hermione, Ron was certain of his love for her. He knew in every bone in his body that he was in love with Hermione. He could tell she wasn't but he had pretended that he didn't notice. Telling himself to give her time and she would fall in love with him like he had with her. But that never had happened and deep down he always knew he was just kidding himself.

Even though he knew Hermione didn't feel the same he still didn't want to lose her. He had loved her ever since they first became friends and been in love with her since their third year. He wasn't going to be able to let her just walk away that easily. But he didn't know how to fight for her either. He knew Hermione well. He had been her best friend for seven years, so he knew that when her mind was set on something she wouldn't give up until she had seen it through. He knew he couldn't just change her mind and forcing her into a relationship wasn't something he wanted to do. He was torn in two. Half of him not wanting to let go of Hermione the other half not knowing how to do anything else or how to fight for her.

Of course Ron wasn't the wisest of people, especially when it came to his feelings. His hurt emotions twisted into ones of anger and rage. It was just a mask though. Under it he was heartbroken but he didn't like that part of him. So he conjured up a part which – in truth – nobody liked. Ron walked towards Hermione but walked past her and straight to Draco. His eyes filled with hatred which could easily match Voldemort's when he was angered. He stopped inches away from Draco and then punched him hard in the eye. Making a bone crunching sound echo through the room. Which Hermione, Harry and Ginny couldn't help but to wince in sympathy for Draco.

Ron then picked him up by his shirt and just stared angrily into Draco's eyes. He wanted to spit in the blond boy's face but didn't. He wanted to beat the crap out of him so that he would never again be called the pretty boy. He wanted to make him really look like a ferret. But something was holding him back. His love for Hermione. He knew that if he did any one of those things then she would hate it and wouldn't forgive him. Hermione was much more important to him then wanting to kill Draco. To Ron Draco was worthless compared to Hermione. Didn't stop it being tempting though.

"Ron! Let go of him!" Hermione said loudly when her brain had finally registered what had just happened. She was beyond shocked. Ron wasn't the violent type. He tended to try and stay away from fights unless they were fights for survival. He was more of a lover then a fighter. So for him to willingly go up to a guy (even if it was Malfoy) and punch him like that was pretty much unheard of. Hence why everyone was shocked.

At Hermione's voice, Ron let go of Draco harshly. Practically throwing him on the floor. He turned around and looked at Hermione. She froze. She had never seen so much pain and hurt in Ron's eyes. In anyone's eyes. She immediately e felt extremely guilty, knowing she was the one that put that in his eyes. He looked at her for a few more moments. No-one saying anything. Draco groaned quietly, not in the most comfortable position. He was squished between the sofa an armchair. His eye was sore and he wouldn't be surprised if he had a black eye forming.

At the sound of Draco's groan, Hermione looked away from Ron to Draco instead. She walked over to him and helped him up. He smiled and nodded his thanks and she returned the gesture. But as a 'you're welcome' one. She then turned back to Ron and his eyes were filled with hatred once more and his nostrils flared angrily. There was still the pain and hurt in them though, just buried behind the anger. Though Hermione could still see it. Once again another stab of guilt hit her. In the heart.

"Some friends you guys are." Ron muttered. Hermione hung her head down, ashamed. Not being able to help think he was right. Ron then turned to Harry and looked at him intensely.

"I've been there for you for seven years, mate. Been there when you first arrived here, helped you get through that chess game and to help get to Voldemort. Helped you for seven years against that bastard. I've stuck by you; I risked my fucking life for you! Can't you just stick with me for once?" Ron said almost pleadingly but with an edge of bitterness to it. Harry wanted nothing more than to keep his wonderful friendship with Ron but he didn't want to lose Hermione either. Ginny squeezed Harry's hand comfortingly and smiled at him, letting him know she was there for him. He returned the gesture, thankful he had such an amazing girlfriend like Ginny.

"Hate to break it to you, Weasley. But there's only one person who has been with Potter all the way through. That's Granger." Draco said, not being able to stop getting a one-up on the red-head he didn't particularly like. "You left Potter in Fourth Year, during the Tri-wizard Torment. You thought he had entered in it himself, thought he was trying to get the spotlight. So you left him to deal with the pressures of the torment on his own. Except he wasn't alone. Granger stuck by him, she didn't care that his name was in the cup. She only cared about him being able to get through the tasks, alive. She believed him when he said that he didn't have anything to do with it. Unlike you whom dropped him like a ton of bricks. Granger's risked her life for him too, so I think it would make perfect sense if Potter wanted to stick with her like she has done with him for the past seven years." Then Draco smirked as he added.

"Besides Potter owes his life to Granger. You both do. After all she is the Brains of the Golden Trio, if you didn't have her you'd be dead by now. Most likely by Voldemort's hands." Hermione was quite surprised that's how Draco thought of her. But was surprised in a good way. She smiled at him and he just continued to smirk, his eyes on Ron. Draco knew that Ron knew Draco was right. That's why Draco was smirking, because Ron knew he was right and he hated it.

"He's got a point." Whispered a voice, timidly. They turned around to look at Ginny, surprised she had the courage to speak up. She blushed lightly but Harry gave her hand a squeeze, she smiled at him and she was filled with courage once again. "You haven't always been the bestest of friends Ron, that's not really possible. But Hermione has done a bloody good job at it. Think about it, have Harry and Hermione ever really had a proper fight like you and Harry have? No. They haven't. It's because Hermione as well as being the brains in the group is also the person that has the biggest heart and cares the most. She may be your best friend but she's Harry's best friend first. Because she's stuck by his side and he hers. You and Hermione have fought, you and Harry have fought. You can't blame Harry for wanting to stick with the person who has stuck with him for ages and saved his life." Ron's face was now as red as his hair. He knew all of what they were saying was true and he hated it. So he turned it into anger.

"Sure we've fought but I stuck with them in the end! You guys aren't going to change your mind on this fucking stupid idea!" Ron said frustrated then started to leave the prefects' common room.

"Ron! Where are you going?" Hermione called after him, taking a step forward. Ron paused at the door, looked at Hermione and then Harry and then turned to face the exit again.

"To find some true friends." He muttered, but it was still loud enough for them to hear, and then he left. Hermione had frozen at his words and now her knees gave way and she started to fall towards the floor.

Draco caught her before she could do any real damage to herself and he gently pushed her onto the sofa. He sat down on the floor again next to her, ignoring the throbbing pain in his eye. He looked at her worriedly and Harry and Ginny came to sit either side of her on the sofa. Ginny trying to avoid stepping on Draco.

"He hates me." Hermione whispered, feeling horribly guilty. "He really hates me." Hermione was seconds away from tears – again. She hated this. It was the first day back and she had already cried a lot and was about to cry again. How much worse could the first day get? She hoped God wouldn't answer that question. She really didn't think she could handle any more bad stuff.

"If it makes you feel better, 'Mione, Ron's not too fond of Harry right now either." Ginny said, trying to make Hermione feel better. But it didn't. It just made her feel guiltier, she thought that Ron hated Harry because she made Harry stick with her and stay by her side. So instead of getting a smile out of her, they got a bunch of tears. Draco sighed and scowled at Ginny who looked sheepish and apologetic. Draco rolled his eyes at her and indicated her to move over. She did.

Draco sat next to Hermione (in between her and Ginny now) and rubbed her back soothingly. Hermione felt his touch and tensed to begin with but soon she relaxed and began to enjoy the feeling of his hand softly rubbing up and down her back. After a little while Hermione's sob began to slow down and eventually stop all together. Draco stopped rubbing her back but kept his hand there.

"Don't beat yourself up about this, Granger. Weasley's just upset so he's taking his anger out on it. He'll get over it soon." Draco smiled down at her as she looked up at him. "Besides he'll have to come back to you. He's not going to find better friends then you and Potter. Unless he goes to Blaise which I doubt he will." Hermione smiled weakly at that. Happy to have another compliment from Draco. It felt oddly nice to get a compliment from the guy who was your former enemy.

"I'm sorry, 'Mione. I don't get why Ron's acting like this. Sure it's understandable to not want to try and be friends with Malfoy and the other Slytherin's because of the past but it is a little silly of him to react this way." Harry said apologetically. Hermione shook her head, telling him non-verbally that he wasn't to blame. Then Harry pulled her into a hug. Harry felt awful about Ron but couldn't help but feel that Ginny was right. Hermione had been there for Harry through it all and he really wouldn't have survived without her brains. Harry owed Hermione his life and their friendship. He wasn't about to not stick by her side like she had done with him. Not even for Ron.

"You mean over-react." Draco muttered. Hermione glared at him for that, when she finally stopped hugging Harry. Draco – seeing that Hermione was feeling slightly better – got up and sat on the armchair by the sofa the others were sitting on. Ginny scooted closer to Hermione again and wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her gently. Hermione gave her a small smile and squeezed her too. Draco noticed that her smile didn't touch her eyes. He sighed quietly, that Weasley boy really was an idiot.

For the next couple of hours the four of them talked. About everything and nothing. They had silently agreed that Ron was an out-of-bounds topic so he wasn't mentioned again. They had found out who the other prefects and Head Girl was. So it was:

Gryffindor – Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger (that was going to be awkward).
Slytherin – Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson.
Ravenclaw – Luna Lovegood and Michael Corner
Hufflepuff – Cedric Diggory and Hannah Abbott (A/N: Cedric is alive in my story (so are pretty much everyone), if Cedric and Hannah aren't in Harry's year in the book or film they are in this story. CONTINUE! )

Head Boy – Harry Potter
Head Girl – Cho Chang

So all in all there wasn't anyone that Harry and Hermione didn't particularly not get along with. Other than Pansy. But they were trying to ignore her. Hermione was trying to ignore the fact that she would be sharing a room with Pansy, along with Luna, Hannah and Cho. While Harry was being civil towards Draco and vice versa neither were too thrilled about having to share a room with each other, along with Ron (that was going to be severely awkward), Michael and Cedric.

By now it was night time and fairly late. It was and they had classes tomorrow. All the other prefects and Cho were in bed besides Ron, Draco, Harry and Hermione of course, Ginny was with them but she wasn't a prefect. She only knew the password because Harry gave it to her, even though he probably shouldn't have.

Hermione was about to announce that she was going to bed when the door to the portrait opened. They all fell silent as Ron entered the room. He was surprised that they were still all there; he had expected them to be in bed now. Especially Hermione. Then again she hadn't exactly been suggesting and doing her normal Hermione things and ideas today. Hermione and Ron looked at each; once again no-one said anything. Then Ron shook his head and went to the left and up some steps where the boy's bedchambers were. Hermione sighed and announced she was going to bed. They all said goodnight and Hermione hugged Ginny and Harry.

Hermione went up to her room (to the right and up some stairs) and looked at it briefly. She couldn't really see anything because it was dark and she wasn't going to put the lights on because the others were all fast asleep. Thankfully none of them were snoring. There were four beds all in a row. Each with curtains around them, though none of them had bothered to pull them down. They were all four posted beds.

Hermione saw an empty one right at the end to the left. She figured it was hers and her suitcase was on top of the trunk at the end of the bed. Which helped her confirm that it was indeed her bed. Next to Hermione's bed was Luna's then Cho's then Pansy's. Hermione sighed quietly at that. At Pansy. Hermione had a feeling Pansy wasn't going to be the friendliest of roommates to her. But then again Hermione was glad that she had Luna with her who was a friend and Cho was a nice and an alright girl. Though Hermione figured Cho would be with Cedric mostly, seeing as they were going out and had been since fourth year. Since the Yule Ball. Hermione didn't really speak to Hannah that much but she seemed like a friendly and nice girl.

Hermione, as quietly as she could opened up her suitcase and pulled out some pyjamas. She took off her school robes and slipped into her pyjamas. Then she climbed into bed and closed her eyes. Though she couldn't stop thinking about Ron and the look of pure pain and hurt he had in his eyes earlier. All because of her. She tossed and turned most of the night until at some point she just gave up. Knowing she would get hardly any sleep that night. If any.

A/N: So that's the end of chapter 5! I kinda feel sorry for Ron and Hermione. Guess they just weren't meant to be hehehe :3 hoped you liked this chapter, remember please review! Thanks

Until next time - Tilda