Thanks for all the reviews guys! Here's the next chapter... sorry for leaving you guys on a cliffy... I kind of didn't notice XD

Chapter 9

Ron looked at Hermione, as if to ask 'Are you seeing this?'

Hermione did not meet eye contact, and looked out of the window behind Harry with a certain determination that Harry did not admire.

The entire common room was quiet, as if waiting quietly to see Ron's reaction. Harry desperately wished they wouldn't.

Hermione looked between Ron and Harry worriedly and swallowed.

"Ron, I think that-"

"Well?" Ron asked Harry, completely ignoring Hermione. Harry looked around and then back at him.

"Well... what?" he asked, confused.

Ron looked from side to side.

"Well that," he said, nodding at Harry. Harry looked even more confused.

"Well what?"

"That!"

"What?"

"That!

Harry shook his head.

"I honestly have no idea of what you're talking about."

Ron looked at Hermione, who winced as she fell under his gaze, and then around the common room.

"Did it really happen?" he asked around, a lost look on his face.

"Yes," the common room answered in chorus. They were all smiling, but their smiles faded as soon as they came under Harry's glare. Harry gritted his teeth. He had been so close to making Ron think it was all part of his imagination.

It would have been awesome if it had worked, though.

Right, Harry thought to himself seriously, time for plan B. Which is...?

"Ron, no... don't hit him..." Hermione scolded. Harry woke up to see that Ron had made to charge at him, but Hermione was holding onto his wand.

He panicked and backed away subconsciously, and Hermione nodded in agreement.

Ron looked at Harry. Then he looked at Hermione, and calmed down. She loosened her grip on his wand and he was gone.

"Ah!" Harry yelled as he saw Ron coming towards him, wand at the ready. The first thing that came to his mind was to run - so he did.

Hermione watched in distress and the common room erupted into laughter as Harry and Ron started running around the place, Harry throwing the furniture behind him so that Ron couldn't follow.

"Arg!" Ron exclaimed as a chair fell on his foot.

"Stop... stop it!" she tried, but it didn't work - Ron and Harry were on either side of an armchair, daring the other to move. Then Harry bolted for it and Ron followed.

Harry darted towards the portrait hole, and Hermione saw this as her chance - she grabbed him by his tie, nearly strangling him and he fell ungraciously onto the floor, with her still holding on. Ron had seen none of this coming, so, naturally, he tripped over Harry and landed on his face. Then the both were yanked up from the floor by their ties to be glared at by Hermione. The entire common room was now in silence.

"I'm taking points!" she said.

"You can't take points from fellow prefec- ow!"

Harry watched amused as Hermione tugged on Ron's tie, only to get an equal that nearly choked the life out of him.

"Hermione!" they both said at the same time, and she tugged on both of their ties again.

"Ow!" they both cried out as their heads were bashed together.

"Hermione nothing!" she snapped as they rubbed their heads and shared a look. "Detention for both of you!"

"You can't give us detentio-"

"Go to bed! NOW!"

She let go of their ties and looked at them angrily.

"Bed," she growled.

Ron stumbled over backwards and then backed away. Harry watched Hermione with wide eyes. Hers were filled with angry tears.

"Hermione-"

"Now!"

Harry held his took off his tie for safety reasons and followed after Ron before thinking twice.

When he got into their dorm room Ron was already on his bed.

"She's barking," he said as Harry opened the door. And then he saw that it was Harry and he lowered his head and proceeded to take off his shoes.

Harry scratched the back of his head absently and sat on his own bed, even though everything was telling him not to. And he was kind of scared of Ron's shoe finding it's way to the back of his head.

They were the only ones in there... he could easily be murdered.

It was Ron that finally spoke again.

"Did you actually think that I would be stupid enough to think that it was part of my imagination?" he asked quietly. Harry's head shot up.

"Um... no?"

"Right. Because it looked like you did."

"Oh. Yeah."

"You hurt my foot."

Harry looked around - Ron was massaging his foot.

"Yeah, well, you hurt my everything when you fell on me," Harry snapped back.

"That wasn't my fault!" Ron said, annoyed. Then he paused. "It was Hermione... she's barking," he said again.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "Very."

"I mean, she's totally mental."

"You said that already."

"Yeah, I did."

There was another pause.

"If I wasn't tired, I'd be after you right now."

Harry frowned to see Ron getting into bed.

"Er... thanks?"

"But Hermione nearly killed me. So I'm going to sleep."

"Alright..." Harry said wearily.

"I'll try and kill you again in the morning."

"Oh..."

Ron yawned loudly.

"'Night."

"Sure," Harry said, frowning a bit.