Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, any HP characters, canon plot lines and pairings; only the story line of this fic, dialogue, and other characters I may add. J.K. Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter Series, and owns the rights to this amazing world she has thought up!

I will be updating as quickly as I can; I will try to do so about once or twice a week. I hope you like my story! Thank you SO MUCH for reading!

I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS CHAPTER! I'm really happy with how this one came out - more so than the last. Please review, follow and favorite! Thanks!

Chapter 2: Conversations, Part 1

The evening of the final battle, we all went home to the Burrow. We left Fred to rest in the Great Hall, with George volunteering to stay with him for the night. There was not a dry eye, or light heart in the house. Mrs. Weasley cooked her largest dinner yet. The kitchen was overcrowded and eerily quiet. I was seated in between Ginny and Bill. Molly and Arthur were at the heads of the table, with everyone else in between. The solemnity of the room was palpable. After dinner, everyone spread out to their own part of the house. I was bunking with Ginny in her room while Ron had Harry in his room. Everyone else was making do with the sleeping arrangements. With Fred and George absent, there was a little more space for everyone. Ron wouldn't even spare me a glance.

The next morning I woke up to the smell of pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Ginny was towering over me, shoving me to consciousness. I hadn't spoken to Ron at all since the Great Hall. Not one single blasted word! I had the awful feeling he was avoiding me; as well as the inevitable awkwardness that was building. I was just trying to give him the space he needed to mourn. The last thing I wanted to do was act clingy when he needed space. I jumped up out of bed startling Ginny to the ground. "Well, well, Sleeping Beauty woke up with a spring in her step this morning!" Ginny said with a laugh.

I quickly sprinted downstairs to meet the wonderful breakfast Molly had made for us. I could see stress and sorrow in the lines of her face. George had still not returned from Hogwarts and was probably being fed by Madam Pomfrey alongside his twin. Ron was avoiding eye contact with me at all costs. He was seated in between Molly and Charlie who were at one end of the table. With most other seats taken, I was forced to sit between Percy and Bill. There was a noticeable silence before Mrs. Weasley waved her wand and filled our plates. The chatter then began, but was much more subdued than what I was used to at the Burrow. The weight of what had occurred the day before bore down on all of our hearts and souls.

After breakfast Ron tried to disappear to his room with Harry in tow. I flitted up the stairs to reach them before that happened. "Wait! Ron, Harry, bloody wait!" I exclaimed, exasperated as I attempted the impossible. Reaching the attic in the Burrow when all of its occupants are currently blocking the stairwell, is a feat of its own right. When I finally reached them, I had to tug on Harry's shirt for him to realize I was there. "Oh! Hey Hermione! Ron just said he wanted to talk to me about something… You alright?" Harry said. Ron had already stomped into his room. "Harry, can I talk to you alone?" I whispered. He nodded and followed me down a flight of stairs, around the corner, and into a now abandoned hallway.

"Ron has been avoiding me; acting as if I don't exist! I haven't the slightest idea how to help him if he won't even talk to me! I don't know if he's told you this or not, but we snogged in the Chamber of Secrets when we retrieved the Basilisk fang. Now, everything is so awkward and strange. I know it's only been a day, but I just want my old friends back!" I whisper-yelled at an alarming rate. "Hermione, He did tell me. I'm sorry that we've been leaving you out. It's just been very rough for him; losing Fred. He doesn't want to seem weak in front of you. He hates that you saw him cry, and can't bear to confront you. He practically blabbed my bloody ear off talking all night." Harry said, finishing with a smirk.

"I know Harry; I've been trying to be considerate and helpful. I just can't bear to see him so broken and not be able to do anything about it! I just want us to be a trio again! I don't want you to be a third wheel, or Ron and me not talk to each other; or - ugh I feel so whine-y!" I whispered hoarsely. I was close to tears. I didn't know what had gotten into me. I was so bloody emotional from the moment I looked into Ron's eyes the day before. Harry was, as usual, a fantastic listener. "Hermione, I know it's hard. I know it just kills you to not be able to do anything, but sometimes you have to hold off for a bit – like I did with Ginny." Harry stated.

I hugged Harry so tightly I thought he'd pass out from lack of blood flow. I was crying into his shoulder when Ron approached, obviously in a rage. "I ask you to discuss one bloody thing with me and you go and run off to -" Ron stopped short as he rounded the corner and saw Harry soothing me in a brotherly gesture. That jealous prat of a redhead bounded around the corner and up the stairs once more; slamming his door with a bang. Harry had stopped soothing me as soon as Ron had appeared. I then ran up after him, yelling his name and not caring who heard me. When I reached his door, it was locked.

I leaned into the sturdy wood and calmly called his name. I heard a mumbled, "Go Away", and sank to the floor crestfallen. Harry reached me and sank down to my left. "Should I just unlock it and go talk to him?" I asked carefully. "Well, I'm quite torn. I'm dying for you to just go in there and get it bloody over with, but I don't know how well Ron'd take that." Harry stated. I felt a shred of pity for Harry just then; he had always been sort of caught in between. Whether it was Ron and I bickering, or… snogging.

I decided to concoct an easy plan with Harry. He would knock at the door saying he would talk to him about whatever it was he had planned, and that what he saw in the hallway was a purely brotherly gesture. Turned out – it worked. Ron (who was still looking cross) opened the door to Harry and proceeded to let him in. Once he saw me on Harry's tail, he attempted to shut the door, but I held it open. We shared a long look into each other's eyes that seemed to stretch into eternity. He silently told me he was hurt, and needed space. However, my mum once told me that you sometimes have to push the boundaries in romance so things don't stay at a standstill. I walked into Ron's room, closed and locked his door - with a flick of my wand - and plopped onto his bed.

"What in bloody HELL do you think you're doin 'ere 'Mione?" Ron huffed out, gesturing wildly. "And YOU! You bloody, bastard, traitor! I ask you to have a private CONVERSATION with me, and you go off and practically SNOG blasted HERMIONE!" Harry and I just sat still; simply listening to Ron rant. "So, EXPLAIN yourselves!" Ron shouted with an expectant look upon his irate face. I sat speechless, while Harry took the reins in the situation. "Ron, first of all, I didn't snog Hermione. She was crying, and I was just trying to calm her, I - " Harry was rudely cut off by Ron, "Oh YEAH that sure seemed to be a very funny version of calming.", Ron spat out like acid.

I regained control of my brain and thought of a logical way to handle the situation. I knew that saying, "I love you", or snogging was sure to end in disaster, so, I decided to speak up. "Ron, why haven't you spoken to me, or even looked at me since the Great Hall yesterday? I understand your need to mourn. I've suffered losses too as a result of the war. I have parents who don't know who I am Ron. I know what it means to mourn." I said as my eyes began tearing up. Who was to know how restoring my parent's memories would go? It was as good as a 50/50 chance if they would ever recognize me again. I couldn't take the time to mourn, because we were in the middle of a war. If I had however, I would've let Ron and Harry in. Support always helps ease the mourning process.

"Hermione, your parents aren't dead like Fred is. Even if they don't know who you are, you can still see them and know they're ok. You were the one who made that call. You made that decision. I didn't want Fred to die, I didn't choose. Just leave me alone. It'll be best for everyone. I don't want to hurt either of you. Just Get OUT of my bloody bedroom. I don't need you, your help, or – or anything!" Ron said angrily as tears began rolling down his freckled cheeks. I walked over to him and wiped his tears away. We had all gone through so much, and aged years in months. I wrapped Ron in my own vice-like hug, and kissed his cheeks while muttering words of reassurance. He began to pull away, but I stopped him and looked deep into his celestial blue eyes. So many unspoken things passed between us. Harry sat uncomfortably on the edge of Ron's bed. I called him over to us to join in a group hug.

"As long as Ron doesn't start kissing my cheeks or anything…" Harry said with a laugh as he sauntered over. We all stood that way hugging for what seemed like eternity. I loved my two best friends, in two very different ways.

Thank you so much for reading! I am REALLY pleased with how this one came out. I will be updating with a new chapter VERRRRYYY soon! Please stay tuned, and review! I want to hear from you! I hope that you enjoyed this! I am writing a part two to this chapter of the ACTUAL convo between Ron and Hermione regarding their relationship. There also might be a change in POV!

~HermioneGinnyKatnissPrim