I quickly wipe away the tears that seem to have taken a liking to being in my eyes. I sighed deeply and picked up my bag before looking in the mirror, trying my best to charm away the puffy red eyes and tear stains running down my cheek. After doing all that I could, I opened the door and bounded down the steps, hurrying through the common room and out into the corridor. I walked with purpose to the Transfiguration Classroom trying not to make eye contact with anyone, for fear of them knowing what I had been up to for the past hour.

I finally reached the heavy oak doors and I opened them, and, keeping my head down walked to my seat next to Harry. I sat down with a huff and he took in my swollen eyes and red nose questioningly, but thankfully didn't say anything about my appearance.

"For a second there I thought one of our Gryffindor prefects was going to skive off of class," he said with a chuckle.

I smiled, "If you truly thought that, you don't know me at all."

He was about to retort when Professor McGonagall cut him off. "Class settle down," she paused waiting for the chatter to subside. "Today we will begin the most difficult link of transfiguration. Does anybody know what that is?"

Dean raised his hand tentatively and she looked at him approvingly, giving him permission to answer the question, "Um, I believe that would be Human Transfiguration."

"You are quite right. Does anybody know why it is the most challenging?" She asked looking straight at me.

I raised my hand and answered the question without waiting for permission, "Human Transfiguration is the most challenging of all Transfigurations, not only because it takes a great deal of focus and concentration, but also because it can be dangerous, even fatal to get it wrong."

"Who knows what body part is the easiest and safest to Transfigure?"

"Probably hair. It's not as if that's something fatal. It's not life or death," piped in Parvarti.

"Speak for yourself," Lavender giggled.

"Settle down Lavender. Class, today you will be changing the color of your eyebrows. I have set up mirrors around the room. I must ask all of you to focus. Please do not act like a bunch of wild animals. You need to concentrate otherwise this could end badly for some. I will be administering detentions. Anyway, once you have successfully changed the color of both of your eyebrows, you must come show me so that I can mark your grade down. You may begin."

With that the class started spreading out in groups, everyone going to different mirrors that were spread out across the room. Harry and I went to one in the far corner, so as not to be distracted. We both got it on our third or fourth try, but kept going, laughing at one another as a new color outlined our eyes.

I looked at us in the mirror; my eyebrows were fuchsia and Harrys were bright yellow. "We should probably go show McGonagall," I said. He nodded in agreement, and I followed him to the professor where she was scolding Dean and Seamus who had given themselves Dumbledore beards.

"Professor?" Harry asked.

She turned around with a clipboard in hand and smiled at us. "First two people in the class to get it right." She scribbled something on her clipboard and waved us off.

When I turned back to the direction of our mirror I stopped at the sight that greeted me. Ron, Parvarti and Lavender had taken our recently vacated spot. Parvarti and Lavender were chatting animatedly while Lavender was looking at her reflection in the mirror. Ron was just leaning against the wall looking very unsure whether he should just give in and leave to come join Harry, or stay faithful to his girlfriend.

I sighed. Harry turned to face me. "Hermione, can't you just forgive him?"

"No," I stomped my foot, and Harry raised one of his yellow eyebrows. "But I will tolerate him, just this once." I started to walk again, but then stopped to face Harry. "And you should know I'm only doing this for you." I said, trying to drive it home.

We reached the mirror and Lavender turned towards us,"I see you've already finished."

"I see you haven't even started," I retorted.

She shook her head, "I don't need to. I'm sure this is just like a beauty charm. I'm really good at those you know."

I turned to the mirror turning my eyebrows back to normal, "Actually it's not at all like a beauty charm. Beauty charms wear off after awhile. If you transfigured yourself, your appearance wouldn't change back until you made it change. And yes, I do know how good you are at beauty charms. Unlike Ronald here, I've seen what you look like when you first wake up."

She narrowed her eyes and turned back to the mirror. Suddenly, Ron piped into our conversation, "I'm sure she looks just as beautiful as ever in the morning." Aw, how chivalrous Ron. You want to stick up for your girlfriend? Please, I thought to myself. "I'm sure I could do it." He started talking again. He got in front of the mirror, and a very strained determined look appeared on his face, right alongside a thick handlebar mustache.

I couldnt help the chuckle that escaped my lips. He looked so grown up, yet he was acting like a child. He was a walking contradiction. Oh the irony.

He started to turn beet red, which I at first thought was due to embarrassment, but soon realized was from anger. "Hermione, your one to laugh. You've obviously never seen yourself when your so desperate to answer a question." He threw his hand in the air and started doing a cruel impression of me when I want to answer one of the professors.

Lavender and Parvati started cracking up and Ron got an arrogant look on his face. I felt even more tears spring to the surface and I willed them to stay down. I would not give them the satisfaction of crying.

Ron looked at me and I saw his face soften. He opened his mouth as if to say something to me, but the bell rang signaling the end of class.

Saved by the bell. Literally.

I grabbed my bag and rushed out of the room to the nearest loo. As soon as I locked myself in the stall my sobs started. It felt like hours, but must've only been minutes until I heard a soft knock on the door.

"Hermione? It's Luna. It's ok you can come out." I tentatively opened he door and peeked out. "It was that Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown, wasn't it? She has always been particularly cruel to me. She's the one that started that horrid nickname Loony. You love him don't you?"

My head shot up and I locked eyes with her. Could I tell her the truth? Yes. I decided she was trustworthy. Luna wouldn't tell anyone if I asked her not to.

"Yes I do love him," I sighed. "But it seems he doesn't feel the same."

"I'm not so sure about that," I turned incredulously towards her. "You can't honesty tell me you don't know." I must've had a bewildered look on my face because she continued. "I see the way he looks at you. And I've seen the way you look at him. You two are in love. He's only going out with that awful girl to make you jealous."

Luna definitely wasn't the first person I would go to for relationship advice. It was definitely Ginny, but as Ginny was preoccupied with her dilemma involving two certain Gryffindors, Luna was the next best option. "What should I do? I mean, I love him, but he broke my heart. I even thought we were getting somewhere this year. I asked him to Slughorns Christmas party, he even agreed. Then he started acting weird around me, and just being flat out mean to me. Then we got into a fight after the Quidditch match and he went off and snogged Lavender." I sighed, my life sounded way more screwed up when I said it out loud, rather than thinking it in my head.

"Well," her dreamy voice broke through my reverie. "Normally I would never suggest this, but maybe you should try and make him jealous, you know, show him what he's missing out on. Who were you planning on going to the party with?"

"Well, McLaggen asked me, but I told him I had to think about it. I've heard too many gross stories about him." I shivered.

"Hermione, I'm not telling you what to do, but you should go, have a good time. Try and get your mind off of Ron."

"Thanks Luna. I might just take that advice. I'm tired of crying over Ron. He doesn't deserve it."

She hands me my bag and I quickly wipe my eyes. She puts a comforting arm around me and gently pats my arm.

As we start to leave the bathroom I can see Harry walking towards us, his arms gorged with my forgotten things. He hands me my stuff and I vaguely register him talking. I'm only half listening though. I'm not really sure what he's going on about. I am sure about one thing though. Ron Weasley is going to pay.