"What!?"

He tried to defend himself before any accusation had even been made. Hermione raised one eyebrow, shook her head ever so slightly and turned away to stare at the worn out wooden table. Better than staring at his face, she thought bitterly to herself, tracing over one of the etchings in the table made by some bored pupil long ago. Her fingers traced over a J, a P, a love heart and an L by the time the silence was broken again.

"Ginny said you would probably be here."

She made a mental note to kill the youngest Weasley when she got back to the common room. But on the outside she simply shrugged and continued tracing the carved declaration. He sighed.

"Look, I'm sorry okay?!"

She didn't react. He moved closer, hesitant at first and then with more purpose after a few more steps, until he was standing right in front of her. He then stared openly at her for a few minutes before she had no choice but to look up at him, her gaze hard.

"I'm sorry." He said, a little slower this time, as if she had misunderstood. She raised an eyebrow and he turned a little red. "Really sorry."

Even as she tried to concentrate on all the many reasons she was angry at him she could feel her irritation ebb away. Until..

"Come on. You can't really blame m-"

"Oh yes I can!"

She stood up and felt all her anger seep back into her. How dare he act innocent!? He took a step back, looking fearful. She felt her hand curl up automatically into a fist. He better be fearful, she thought.

"Okay, okay, calm down, please!" He took her by the arm and forced her back onto her stool. Looking worn out he slumped down into the stool next to her, burying his head in his hands and sighing into them. Not knowing what to do, she went back to tracing the etchings, waiting.

"I don't know why okay? It's just whenever his name's mentioned I get angry so quickly and whenever you're the one mentioning it...it's worse you know...? He's such a git Hermione!"

Hermione smiled a little to herself before recomposing her face once again.

"No he's not Ronald. Have you ever thought that...that maybe..."

"Maybe what??"

She looked up at his pleading eyes and realised he honestly had no idea what was going on with his own head. She felt her face warm up and turned back to the table, following the careful smooth cuttings that shaped an L and an E. How could someone be so clueless?! She thought to herself, sighing a little.

"Maybe you're...jealous?"

She said the word like it was cursed, like it would trigger the end of the world or something. Instead Ron simply looked blankly at her and shook his head, dismissing the theory immediately, turning a little redder around the ears.

"Why would I be jealous? He might be famous...but he's a git. With a really annoying accent. I mean he couldn't even say your name!"

Hermione sighed and suddenly felt very very tired. She listened to Ron imitate Viktor a little more, smiling slightly no matter how much she tried not to, before bidding him goodnight. Walking past him she suddenly felt herself getting annoyed with herself. Why didn't she ever go for what she wanted!? Why was everything about her grades or saving other people!? Which was why she leant in a little at that point and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Goodnight."

And with that she was gone.

He sat there, stunned, for a few more minutes, staring blankly ahead before sighing and dropping his head, rubbing his eyes wearily.

"I hate being a teenager," he muttered.

Maybe he was jealous. How was he supposed to know!? Hermione's words had really irked him. Mainly because they weren't new words.

"Awww, ickle Won Won misses Hermione!" teased the twins a week into the summer holidays that year.

He scowled and stalked past them but they followed of course, calling teasingly at him.

"Come on Ron, when are you going to grow a pair and get the courage to do it?" George called as he led them out of the house and into the garden.

"To do what!?" he yelled back, feeling his temper growing more and more. What the hell were they going on about!?"

Fred sighed and leant against a nearby tree, his eyebrows raised at his younger brother.

"Like you don't know. Come on, you better hurry up before another Viktor Krum comes along and makes you jealous again."

He scoffed at that, if half heartedly and shook his head.

"Jealous? Come o="

The look on Fred's face made him stop. He was being serious.

"Ron. Just do it. Otherwise you're going to end up having to watch her walk off with another guy..."

"Says the boy who watched Alicia find her true love in Roger D-"

"How about we keep to Ron's love life!?"

"How about we don't!" Ron yelled before running off again.

Coming out of his daydream he caught sight of the clock hanging on the wall above the many ovens. It was getting late, he should hurry up if he didn't want to get beaten to a pulp by Filch and that damn cat.

But he found all he could do was sit there and trace the etchings on the table, pondering what everyone else seemed to have figured out so much faster than he had.