~Chapter Three~

Ron was thirty minutes late.

Hermione checked her watch again. She hoped that it was wrong, that maybe she'd read her clocks wrong. Maybe she was too early? Or even too late? But she knew the clock didn't lie, and neither did her eyes. Ron hadn't come. And it didn't look like he was coming.

Hermione swung her feet in the full tub. The water had gone cold from sitting stagnant to long. She took out her wand and pointed it at the water. "Incendio," she murmured. Orange flames appeared from the end of her wand and danced on top of the still bathwater. She watched them flicker absentmindedly. She felt exactly the same way she did when Ron and Lavender kissed in front of everyone.

If only she had a huge crowed to watch her. Hermione would be all set: confused, hurt, and humiliated. She stared at the bright fire and swung her feet again. The sound of the trickling water was just the thing that triggered the hot tears from behind her eyes. She didn't let them fall for long.

This would be the last time Ron Weasley made her feel this way. She wasn't going to let him hurt her again. Hermione didn't even understand why she fell for his tricks. All she ever ended up with was heartache. She pointed her wand at the water, engorged the flames, and then stood up. She stripped down all her clothes and plunged into the tub, right into the flames. Hermione's arms were wrapped around her knees, cannonball style. The hot burn only lasted a second and then Hermione hit the bottom of the tub. Bubbles escaped the side of her mouth as she swam upwards and took a deep breath in.

She leaned back on one side of the tub, watching the fire dance for a long time. Finally she pointed her wand a final time and said, "Aguamenti." The flames slowly died down. Hermione let the tub drain out and used a towel to squeeze water out of her ears and dry her slicked back frizzy hair. Hermione wrapped the peach-colored towel around her body and bundled up her clothes. Right now she couldn't care less if she got caught meandering her way back to Gryffindor Tower, barefoot and wet.

Hermione had created a strong barrier around herself. She wasn't going to get hurt anymore. It was a one-woman show now. And Hermione was the star.

"Hermione, what happened?" Harry asked for the third time. He, Ron, and Hermione were walking in Hogsmeade. Hermione's long bushy brown hair was squished in a fuzzy hat, and her arms, snug in a brown velvet jacket, were crossed. Inside the jacket were fluffy feathers that kept her warm. Last night, she had gone to bed at about quarter to one a.m. She spent thirty minutes after that thinking about how she was not going to think about Ron.

"Why do you think anything happened?" Hermione said, keeping her gaze on the sky. She knew that if she looked at Harry her expression would betray her words.

"I'm not stupid, Hermione, something's bothering you," Harry insisted.

"Well maybe you are stupid, because nothing's wrong!" Hermione retorted, her last two words being spit from her mouth. Harry flinched, and Hermione felt a stab of guilt. Harry wasn't responsible for Ron's insensitivity. But as long as Ron was with them she was not telling anyone why she was angry.

This morning Ron had tried in vain to speak to her, to give her what ridiculous excuse he thought she would believe. But Hermione wasn't going to fall for it, not this time. She'd avoided him all morning. Why was she going to speak to him? He was with Lavender! Hermione wasn't going to get in the way of true love.

Ron shoved his hand in his pockets and kicked the snowbank as hard as he could. A spray of snow rose up into his face. He kicked the snow bank again, harder, in frustration. How could he have been so stupid to let down Hermione? He cared about her, more so than any other girl, and he'd ruined his chances with her beyond repair. Ron had no idea what to do. He wanted to prove to Hermione that he really cared about her. But how?

An image appeared in his mind. Lavender. If Ron broke up with Lavender, would Hermione understand what he was willing to go through for her? He tightened his jaw. He certainly was willing to do so, because Lavender really didn't mean much to him. He just didn't know how to do it in a way that Hermione would notice, and he didn't know how to let down Lavender gently. After all, he'd just told her last night that he wasn't cheating on her with Hermione and that he cared about her. What would Lavender do if Ron broke up with her and then began going out with Hermione minutes later?

Ron kicked the snowbank so hard that he hit ice. "Ahh!" He muttered under his breath, trying to shake the pain out of his toes. Harry and Hermione were in Three Broomsticks right now. He had only been in there a second until he left, not able to take the wrath of Hermione's hateful gaze. He'd never felt so embarrassed and ashamed in his life. But now he knew what to do. He turned away from the snowbank and started making his way back to Hogwarts.

Lavender was curled up in a soft armchair in the Gryffindor common room. Ron shrugged off his jacket and gloves and walked up to her. Her curly blonde hair was fanned around her face. She'd fallen asleep doing homework. Ron pushed a strand of hair from Lavender's face, wishing he didn't have to hurt her so much. He decided, being the coward that he knew he was, he'd wait until she woke up. He sat down in an armchair across from her.

It wasn't long until Harry and Hermione came back in. Ron listened to Hermione chatter about how they had to get their Potions homework done if they wanted to have any fun this weekend. He felt a brief stab of pity for Harry, who had to listen to Hermione's school-jabber. But at this point Ron wished he could listen to it himself.

To his luck, he saw Lavender waking up. Her eyes lit up when she saw him. "Won-Won!" She said, loud enough for Hermione to hear.

Ron looked across quickly at Hermione and saw her jaw tighten and her blink a few times. His heart sunk with guilt. "Hey, Lavender," Ron said quietly to his sleepy girlfriend. "I have to talk to you."

Lavender blinked in confusion. "What is it?" she asked.

"I kind of... well... it's like this... I don't... well, I kind of..." Ron managed to stop himself in his stupid jabbering. How was he going to do this? "I kind of don't want to be your boyfriend anymore." Seeing her expression, he added, "But it's not you, it's me! I mean well, it is you as well, you're really annoying..." Shit. He really wasn't good at this. "But I realize I don't really like you as much as I did... or should." Ron took a deep breath. "And I... I kind of... I.. I.. I like someone else." He closed his eyes briefly. He wanted so desperately to look over at Hermione, but he knew that would give Lavender the wrong idea.

Ron finally opened his eyes. Lavender was staring at him with her mouth slightly open, as though she was trying to figure how to react. Her teeth clenched but her eyes moistened. Her chin quivered but her eyebrows rose. Ron couldn't figure out how if he should prepare for her to yell at him or for her to cry.

"It's Hermione, isn't it?" Lavender's voice shook. Finally her eyes couldn't take it and tears dribbled down her now pale face. Ron didn't deny it.

"What has she got that I haven't?" Lavender demanded, but she couldn't speak anymore. Her chin quivered again until she sobbed. Then she ran to the stairs that led to the girls' dormitories.

Thankfully, not many people had been listening. Both Ron and Lavender were talking quietly. Ron finally sneaked a glance at Hermione. Her eyes were glued to her parchment, but they were twinkling.

Ron couldn't take being trapped in the common room any longer. He strolled down the corridor and down the staircase. He didn't know where he was going, he just needed some time to himself. Ron wondered if he should go into the Room of Requirement. He didn't know what it could do for him, but he just went there anyway.

He walked three times in front of the wall and it finally fashioned a door. Ron had opened the door and was about to open it when someone shoved him inside and came in behind him.

He turned around quickly and was attacked by a pair of lips. Hermione. He'd done it. He'd got her back. Hermione was kissing with so much passion. He held her back and she jumped into his arms with her legs wrapped around his waist.

"I can't believe you did that for me," Hermione whispered into his ear. Ron felt his ears go pink as Hermione giggled into it. She started kissing his neck. Ron took the opportunity to see what the Room of Requirement had made for them. There was mistletoe hanging from the ceiling and a huge hammock on the other side of the room. There was a little pool in the middle of the room. Ron couldn't see anymore when Hermione returned to his mouth.

Ron molded his lips onto hers, and finally their tongues met. He started walking towards the hammock. He sat back down on it with Hermione on his lap.

Nothing could have ruined this moment. Nothing, of course, but a sound on the door. Hermione pulled away from Ron and looked at the door. "What was that?" she whispered.

"Dunno," Ron said. The doorknob started to turn. "Shit."

Hermione grabbed Ron's hand and ran towards the back of the room. There was a huge wardrobe that they could try to hide in until they could escape. Ron helped Hermione in first and then he climbed in. He left the door open a crack.

A shabby cat stepped in the room first. It was Mrs. Norris. Her milky eyes focused on the wardrobe. Ron tensed. She knew they were there. But how had she gotten in without Filch? Where was Filch? And how could Filch get in if he wasn't a wizard?

"What is it?" Hermione asked urgently.

"Mrs. Norris," Ron answered. He watched the door open again. Filch walked with a taller woman on his arm. Ron closed his eyes and groaned. It was Mr. Filch and Madam Pince. He and Hermione had been sharing the same room as this old couple! He opened his eyes again to look at them, and shuddered. Filch and Madam Pince were snogging in the exact same place and way that he and Hermione had been.

Hermione stared at him in confusion, and Ron shifted over so Hermione could see. She jumped back quickly and then their eyes met. They succumbed to a fit of silent giggles. Ron didn't care that he stuffed into a tiny wardrobe with his knees pressed against his face. He was just happy that Hermione had forgiven him.

"Next time," Hermione choked, "just stick with the prefects' bathroom."