So, it seems I've made a lot of people angry! Just want to say hang in there! I quite enjoy throwing Ron and Hermione into the muck in my stories, and then slowly pulling them out of it. That's the fun part, right?

Also, wanted to make a note that this whole fic was actually inspired by a song. It's not really a song fic, but I wanted to let everyone know about it, because the song sort of shows the arc of emotions this story goes through. It's called "Someone to Fall Back On" by Jason Robert Brown. JRB is one of my favorite musical theater composers and this song has always made me think of Ron. Anyway, the song's first line is "I'll never be a knight in armor." I sort of took that and created this whole story. I encourage anyone who's never heard the song before to give it a listen. The link is youtube dot com/watch?v=_oeX9uvewx4

This video is actually set to images of Ron and Hermione, so I guess I'm not the only one who thinks it suits them.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble! Here's a quick chapter with more to come soon!

Hermione was grabbing blindly at items and throwing them into her trunk. Books, hairbrushes, socks, shoes; anything she could get her hands on. The items were hard to distinguish from one another, the tears in her eyes making everything look blurry. It didn't matter. She continued reaching for things and shoving them in her trunk, anxious to fill the case up and get far away from this place.

"Hermione, that's a pillow."

Hermione looked up from her work, startled. Ginny stood before her, watching the display with worried but amused eyes. Hermione looked at the object in her hand, the one Ginny was talking about, to discover it was indeed one of the bedroom's throw pillows.

"Are you taking the mickey?" Hermione asked angrily. She placed her hands on her hips, one hand still gripping the pillow so that it stuck out from her side.

"No, not at all."

"Good," Hermione replied, shoving the pillow into her trunk. She moved quickly into the bathroom and started snatching up bottles and soaps, throwing each one forcefully into the case, which she pulled behind her as she went.

"Do you want to talk about it, or should we just continue to loot the place?"

"Ginny, I am in no mood for a discussion," Hermione huffed. She began sliding her arm along the bathroom counter, knocking all the items that had been on the surface neatly into her suitcase. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

Ginny nodded.

"Yes, clearly you are doing important work."

Hermione dragged the trunk back into the bedroom, a difficult task as the case was quickly becoming heavier and heavier. She stomped quickly into the parlor room to search for anything else she needed, Ginny trailing a few paces behind her. As Hermione began picking up throw blankets and magazines, Ginny leaned thoughtfully on the door jamb.

"You know, I think this is quite a good idea," Ginny said seriously. "When we leave here, we'll have enough merchandise to set up a shop."

"Ladies, is there a problem?"

Hermione looked up from her scavenging to see that Leopold had entered the parlor room. He was watching the display in front of him, his eyes large in surprise as he took in a quite disheveled Hermione.

"Oh no, we're just doing a thorough ransacking," Ginny replied.

"I'm sorry?"

Hermione let out a huff of indignation before speaking.

"I am leaving," she said defiantly. "This was a huge mistake from the start. I don't belong here, and I certainly don't belong anywhere near that blond dimbo and ginger prat!"

With that, Hermione made to tug her trunk back into the bedroom. Giving a good pull of the handle, she quickly realized the thing wouldn't budge.

"Why won't this move?" Hermione demanded.

"Because you've packed half of Sylvan in there," Ginny replied calmly. Hermione flicked the trunk's top open, surprised to find that she had indeed packed quite a bit inside it. Hermione pushed the blasted thing on its side in desperation and the entire contents came spilling out onto the floor. Looking at the mess, Hermione let out a desperate wail, sinking to the ground and sobbing in earnest.

Ginny rushed over to her friend and sat down on the floor, placing a consoling arm around Hermione's shoulders.

"Have I missed something?" Leopold asked quietly.

"Let me fill you in here Leo," Ginny said, rubbing Hermione's back in soothing circles. "You know my brother Ron? Tall, freckled, dim-witted expression about him?"

Leopold nodded in confirmation that yes, he did know Ron.

"Well, there was a period of time when he liked to go around with his lips permanently glued to your last princess candidate."

"Lavender Brown?" Leopold replied, finally cottoning on. "I did mean to mention the final candidate was a school mate of yours. I thought you might be pleased, Hermione, to see a friendly face here."

Hermione cried harder at Leopold's last words.

"Aren't you supposed to be some sort of Hermione expert?" Ginny asked angrily.

Leopold raised his hands helplessly in front of him, clearly confused as to how to proceed.

"Ladies, you'll have to excuse me, it's been quite some time since I've dabbled in the inner working of the female mind. Please, tell me the problem, and I'll try to rectify it."

Hermione sobbed into Ginny's neck, her shoulders shaking with the effort of it. Ginny continued to whisper soothing things and stroke her hair, trying to get her friend to calm down. Hermione took in great breaths, trying to get her crying under control. This would never do. Standing up finally, Hermione brushed herself off and turned to Leopold.

"I'm sorry, Leopold, I really am," Hermione said, her cheeks and eyes red from the crying. "But I can't stay here. It was ridiculous to even think I could do this."

Ginny stood as well, growing dangerously near the end of her patience.

"Hermione," Ginny said steadily. "I love you, but you are being incredibly thick right now."

Hermione's mouth snapped open in surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"Look around you Hermione! Everyone here knows you can do this!" Ginny said passionately. "We've all come to support you and you're going to let a little thing like Lavender Brown being here make you run away? You're Hermione Granger, for goodness sake, you can do anything! And I'm not going to watch you run away from something you deserve just because of some silly girl!"

Hermione took a few breaths and hiccupped, staring at Ginny evenly. Then, she walked over to the redhead and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you, Ginny."

Ginny nodded, pulling back from the hug and holding Hermione by the shoulders.

"Better now?"

"Yes," Hermione said, wiping at her cheeks. "You know, you're a very good lady in waiting."

Ginny smiled in response, taking the crown that was still on her head and nestling it in Hermione's curls instead.

"And you'd be a very good princess."

Leopold coughed gently then, reminding the girls of his presence in the room.

"Now that we've got that settled, I'll leave you ladies to it."

Leopold exited the room with a deep bow and a swish of his cape. Ginny bent down to begin picking up a lamp shade and bowl of fruit Hermione had shoved in her trunk. Hermione helped and the girls soon had the room back to sorts.

"Ginny?" Hermione asked eventually. "How can I watch Ron escort Lavender to the ball tomorrow night?"

Ginny stood thoughtfully, studying her friend.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it," she replied mysteriously.

"What do you mean?"

Ginny gave a secretive smile.

"Let's just say, I've taken certain precautions. Backup has been called."