[A/N:] This is my first Harry Potter story and it's a bit AU and completely non-canon. But it's a topic that I've played around with for a while now. My inspiration was a bit from "It's a Wonderful Life" and a tad from "A Christmas Carol," neither of which I own. In addition, J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and all the wonderful things in his world. I'm simply playing with them for a time.

"Bloody hell!" Ron yelled as slammed the door to his dormitory.

"Oi, mate!" Harry looked up from his essay. "What's got your wand in a twist?"

Ron threw his books on the floor beside his trunk. "That Transfiguration essay is due tomorrow and Hermione refuses to let me look at her's or to help me at all!" He ran his hand roughly through his hair. "Does she want me to fail?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "I'm sure she just wants you to, I don't know, maybe learn something?"

"Pshhhh, when am I going to need to be able to turn a lamp into a pillow?" Ron flopped on his bed and started twirling his wand between his fingers.

"I'm sure it would be important at some point..maybe." Harry shrugged.

"Eh, I'll write it tomorrow," Ron shrugged as he kicked his shoes off.

Harry nodded and returned to his parchment.

"I just don't understand why she wouldn't help me. It's not like it's a big deal or that she doesn't help me all the time."

"Was Lavender with you when you asked?"

Ron froze, "What does that have to do with it?" Harry didn't look up. "She might have been. But that shouldn't matter. She's my girlfriend, why should it matter if she was with me?" He stood up and started getting ready for bed.

Harry rolled up his parchment and climbed under his blankets. "Ever stop to think how your relationship has affected Hermione?"

That had never crossed his mind. He had never thought of how his being around Lavender all the time would impact Harry and Hermione. Harry had been spending more and more time with Dumbledore lately, so Ron guessed that he was fine. But Hermione? Come to think of it he hadn't really seen her in the last couple of days. It had been at least a week, maybe two, since he'd had an actual conversation with her that didn't involve him begging to see her homework.

Lavender had been practically plastered to his face for the entirety of their relationship. At first it had been fun and enjoyable, but now Ron found his mind wandering during their snogging sessions. She called him Won-won, what kind of nutter comes up with a name like that? And bloody hell, she was always around, and always wanted to snog him. His lips were getting chapped! He knew it wasn't any fun to be around a couple while they were snogging. Seamus had snogged enough girls in the common room for Ron to know he didn't want to be anywhere near the couple kissing. Was that how Hermione felt? That she couldn't be around Ron when he was with Lavender? Awkward because they were always snogging? Bloody hell. What kind of friend was he? Especially if she didn't have Harry around.

"From the look on your face I think you're starting to get the picture. Hermione has had it pretty rough lately," Harry sighed. "I know I haven't been making things any better for her either. We're her best friends, Ron. I feel like we've … abandoned her or something."

"Well—we'll fix it. I mean, things can't be too bad can they?" Ron rolled over and pulled his pillow over his head. He had no idea how he was supposed to fix this. He reckoned that Harry would still have meetings with Dumbledore so he probably wouldn't be much help. That left things to him. But what was he supposed to do? Break up with his girlfriend? To be honest the thought had crossed his mind a few times but he didn't think he could actually do it. Lavender would cry and Ron never knew what to do when girls cried. Plus he wasn't going to break up with his girlfriend just for Hermione. Hermione had had her own relationships, first Victor bloody Krum had taken her to the Yule Ball and then she had taken that wanker Cormac McLaggen to Slughorn's Christmas party. He could have a relationship too. What, did she think she could dictate his life? Just cause she was so bloody perfect, and beautiful, and smart and the way she'd laugh at his jokes made him feel like he'd won the house cup, and—all of that didn't mean that she could be mad he found someone else. His life didn't revolve around Hermione Granger. What was she thinking?

Ron kept repeating this to himself even as he dozed off.

What exactly was Hermione thinking?

Ron twitched as something tickled his nose in his sleep. One of the bloody twins was probably pulling a prank on him. He was going to take a swipe at his face and cover his face in marmalade again. Hadn't that joke gotten old yet? They'd been playing it on him since he was six years old. Honestly, you think they would come up with something else by now.

Slowly, Ron opened his eyes and peered between his eye lashes, but instead of the grinning faces of either Fred or George, or both, a grey old man stood staring at him, chuckling to himself. Ron jackknifed on the bed, drawing the bedclothes up to his chin.

"Wh-who are you?"

The old man just grinned and plopped down on the foot of Ron's bed. "Me? Oh I'm just an old man here to help you."

"Help me? Help me with what? And why?"

"Why? Well it seems to me that your life seems, seems to be um, not going as well as it might seem, am I right?"

Talk about an understatement. "Um, you could say that."

"Well I'm here to fulfill your wish."

"My wish? What wish? I didn't wish for anything," Ron scrunched his face up in confusion.

The old man popped up from the bed and began to make circles around the heater in the center of the room. "Oh, but you did, dear boy! Just before you fell asleep weren't you wishing that you could know what Hermione was thinking?"

The familiar burn of a flush overtook Ron's face. "Uh…well maybe but what does that have to do with anything?"

"My dear boy! That has to do with everything! You see," the man stopped and clapped his hands together under his chin. "I'm going to let you see exactly that!"

"Exactly what?" Was this man sane? Ron thought this was all a bit odd. Maybe he was asleep? Dreaming maybe?

"Let you see exactly what Hermione is thinking!" the old man whirled around to face the door, his robed fanning out behind him. "Brilliant if I do say so myself! You will be able to hear all of her thoughts and see all that she sees," he turned back towards Ron's bed, "Of course, it will only be for one day. From the time she wakes up until she falls asleep."

"You're barmy, aren't you?" Ron asked as he tried to look around for his wand. Where had he dropped it last night?

The old man tossed his head back and laughed. "Ho! Ho! Yes, yes I suppose I." He wiped under his eyes. "But then again aren't we all? Well what do you say, Ronald Weasley? Are you ready to see what exactly is going on inside Hermione Granger's head?"

Was he? Could he really invade her privacy like that? He knew he wouldn't want Hermione to see his thoughts. Merlin, if she could see some of the things that he thought about her—well she'd hex him into next week and take ten points from Gryffindor.

What if he had to hear her thoughts about whoever she fancied? He reckoned it was McLaggen. Hadn't she just taken him to Slughorn's Christmas party? Ron hated McLaggen. It would be torture to hear Hermione think all sorts of lovey-dovey rubbish about him.

But then again, what if he discovered a way to fix the problems between them? Wouldn't that be worth all the discomfort? To have the girl he lo-, fan-, his best friend speaking to him again?

"Yes. Yes I am."

The old man nodded gravely, all trace of his previous good humor vanished. "Alright. Before we begin, you must know that there is the possibility that you will not like what you see and hear. In all likelihood, you will dislike it greatly. Are you prepared for that?"

Hadn't he just come to terms with hearing mushy gooeyness about McLaggen? "I reckon so. But how is this supposed to work anyways?"

The old man withdrew his wand from a pocket of his robes. "My dear boy, don't worry about that, I've got it all under control. Now let's begin, shall we?" he drew up close to the side of Ron's bed. "Lay back. And close your eyes. And you will be inside Hermione's head for one day."

Ron doubted that this was really going to do anything. If there had been such a spell like this wouldn't Hermione had told him about it? Seems like it could have been useful the last few years. "Oi! What kind of—"

Well, what do you think so far? I'm working on writing the rest, although I have it planned out. I hope to post fairly regularly but make no promises. Let me know what you think if you want but I won't be offended if you don't.