A/N: Wait, what's this? Jenn is updating more than once in a month? Amazing... Many thanks to my fabulous and wonderful beta, Jonelle! You're awesome, J! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 7- Confrontations

March 1

Ron crossed to sit beside Hermione at the Gryffindor table early that morning. Bypassing the food, which should have tipped Hermione off that something was up, Ron leaned against the table, propping his chin on his hand, looking at her.

"Hermione, we need to talk," Ron said very calmly.

"Why? So you can humiliate me again? I don't think so," Hermione responded by turning her back to Ron.

"Humiliate you? When have I ever done that? Or rather when have I ever been capable of that?"

"Try 'Kissing Friday'. Or did you forget you kissed me in the midst of all the other kisses you gave that day?"

"How was me kissing you a humiliation?"

"Oh, I can't talk to you!" Hermione stormed out of the Great Hall.

Ron sat at the table, fuming. Humiliate her? How in Merlin's name did he humiliate her by kissing her? He folded his arms across his chest. His thoughts running in circles, Ron decided to go back to the dormitory to think about his approach to how to resolve this with Hermione.

He made his way back upstairs without once glancing at the spread of food in front of him.

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Harry peeked through the curtains of his bed, his eyes racing around the room looking for bodies up and moving. With the delicate nature of his plans, he wanted to be sure that two of his dorm mates didn't see him leave. As he silently slid his body toward his trunk, he noticed that Ron's curtains were ajar, framing an empty bed with tumbled sheets.

Oh Merlin, Harry thought. He's found out about us. The only reason that Ron would be out of bed this early on a Saturday and his birthday no less was if he was extremely upset about something. Wait, if he knew, he wouldn't have gone anywhere without hexing me, so he must not know. Hmm. It's still probably best if I get his birthday present out now. I can just put it on his bed.

Harry started digging through his trunk. He pulled out a heart shaped box of chocolates. Shaking his head, he wondered where this had come from. He tossed it on his bed, knowing that the box of chocolates he had for Ron must be in his trunk somewhere. Seeing the telltale colour that signified something related to the Chudley Cannons, Harry grabbed at it and pulled the box of Honeydukes' chocolates to the surface. He grinned at the reaction he imagined his best mate having when he saw the Chudley Cannon Quidditch cards that came with the chocolates. The sight of the time had him scrambling to put the orange box on Ron's bed before quickly dressing and racing out of Gryffindor Tower. He was off to the prefects' bathroom to see Ginny.

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Hermione ran down the steps of the castle. At the bottom of the stairs with the majority of her energy expended, she slowed her pace. The witch meandered down the path leading to the lake.

Why? Why do I let him get me so worked up? She kicked at a rock viciously.

I couldn't even be gracious enough to wish him a happy birthday. No, instead I had to jump all over him the moment he spoke to me. She sighed before flopping her body down to the ground beside the lake.

But why did he wait so long to want to talk to me? He's been avoiding me at every turn until now. Why did he wait until his birthday—two full weeks after the 'incident'? A tear streaked down her cheek. She pulled her knees to her chest and fisted her hands, hitting the hard, cold ground on either side of her legs.

Why did I ever think he would understand me? I knew he thought I had been kissed before. She thought about what she would have liked her first kiss to be like. Her imagination had painted a picture of her being swept up in Ron's arms after his declaration of love to her. Resting her elbows on her knees, she laid her head on her arms and sobbed for what should have been.

She calmed herself before sitting along the shore of the lake for some time, watching the Giant Squid slowly swim along with its tentacles occasionally breaking the surface allowing her to become mesmerized.

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Ginny paced in front of the mirror in the prefects' bathroom. Harry was supposed to have been there five minutes before, but she was so preoccupied with trying to figure out how to tell him what she wanted that she hadn't even noticed. Facing the mirror once more, she started her speech again.

"Harry, I know that I was the one who suggested the sneaking around and all, but really I just want to tell everyone," she stated earnestly. A giggle from behind her made her spin around. Moaning Myrtle was floating between the pool-sized tub and the toilets.

"Talking to yourself now? Don't you remember what happened last time you were doing that?" Myrtle said in her small little girl voice.

"Myrtle! Like I need a reminder! Now, I'm expecting someone and you better be gone before he arrives," Ginny said tersely.

"Oooh, little miss Quidditch is meeting a boy in a bathroom!" Myrtle said slyly. "Are you going to be doing dirty things?"

"Myrtle, you might be a ghost, but that doesn't mean that I don't know certain" Ginny made sure to emphasise the certain, "spells that can still affect spirits just like they do people. I'm sure my brothers have made you aware of some of these spells, have they not? So scram!"

Myrtle, hearing these words, turned tail and flew down the toilet pipes very quickly.

Ginny, just now noticing the time, was wondering if Harry was going to stand her up when the door to the bathroom was pushed open. She took a deep breath.

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Ron paused at the doorway to his room, his hand hovering over the door handle. He was incredibly tempted to grab Harry's map and find Hermione, but he didn't think she would be very receptive to his overtures at the moment. No, he needed to stop and plan this out. He would treat this like a chess match, but instead of mating the king, he was after the queen.

Determined to think this through, he opened the door, crossing to his bed. He vaguely noticed that Harry was gone, but everyone else seemed to still be asleep, which suited him fine. Yet, when he looked at his bed, he found a box of chocolates. Assuming that it was his present from Harry, he tore it open. After all, chocolates were brain food in his opinion.

Seeing the Quidditch cards inside made him feel like at least his friendship with Harry hadn't been permanently damaged by his relationship with Lavender. Tearing off the wrapper, he sat leaning back against the headboard, thinking and planning.

Some time later, he reached into the box only to come out empty-handed. Not being done planning his strategy, Ron looked around for other sources of food. His eyes brightened when they fell on the heart-shaped box of chocolates on Harry's bed. Going over to grab them, he unwrapped the box and pulled a few out. Ron thought he could finish up his planning after eating a few of these. He didn't want to eat all of Harry's chocolates, but he knew that Harry wouldn't begrudge him a few, especially not on his birthday.

After a few bites, Ron's mind was taken over with visions of dark eyes and long, dark hair. He started wondering why he was planning anything to do with Hermione. It was Romilda that he should be planning for. He loved her, after all!