Hermione didn't say much at lunch. While Harry and Ron talked with Seamus, Neville and Dean about Hagrid's new creature, (Gigglebites, purple furry little puff balls that giggle constantly and bite if you come near them.) Hermione's mind was elsewhere.

"They remind me of Lavender and Parvati," joked Seamus.

Dean, Neville, and Harry all chuckled lightly. Ron laughed so hard at the comparison that pumpkin juice flew out of his nose.

"Ewwwww," squealed Lavender, inching away from the orange mess. She hadn't heard Seamus' remark, but was still angry at them.

While Ron cleared away the pumpkin juice, Harry leaned over to Hermione.

"Hey, you okay?" He whispered, glancing around the table.

"Yes, fine," answered Hermione off handily.

"You look like you've got a lot on your mind. Have you told him yet?"

Hermione dropped her fork with a large clang. The rest of the table's occupants were too busy making fun of Ron to notice. "Told him? I can't tell him!"

Harry looked taken aback at her sudden outburst. "But he deserves to know, Hermione. He's your friend. You can't keep it from him just because you're afraid how he'll react."

Hermione stared at Harry like he was completely mad. "I can't tell him my feelings because he's a prof---"

"I don't care, Hermione. You've finally built up your relationship...you're finally friends again. You can't keep things like this from him."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. "You're talking about Ron."

"Who else would I be talking about?"

Hermione shrugged. "It's not a big deal, Harry. I had a bad summer. He doesn't need to know everything."

Harry sighed and sat back in his seat. "You don't have to tell him. But he's probably wondering why you're being so standoffish."

"I'm not being---"

"You are. You've built this wall around yourself...and let me tell you Hermione, Ron and I don't have any ladders. We can't get past it until you take it down. So trust him, let him in. Don't block us out. We're your best friends."

Hermione smiled at Harry. "When did you get so smart?"

"I had a good summer. Being in a good mood can sort of open up a lot of doors...so to speak."

Ron was standing behind them suddenly. "It's time for Transfiguration, come on."

Harry and Hermione followed a step behind Ron the whole way. He was trying very hard to persuade her to tell Ron about her summer.

Hermione sighed loudly. "Enough, Harry. I'll tell him when I'm ready." With that, she stalked into the class, choosing a seat near the front, far away from Ron.

That night, Hermione sat alone in the busy common room surrounded by mounds of books. Books were her sanctuary. If she wanted to be alone, all she had to do was pile a bunch of books around the desk, blocking her from view. She wasn't reading tonight, or doing homework. She was thinking. About Ron and about her feelings for Oliver. She needed someone to confide in. But who? She needed to tell Ron about what was going on...but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Yeah, she's hot." Ron agreed, shoving a magazine back at Dean Thomas. They, along with Seamus, Harry and the Creevy brothers were sitting at the next desk, passing a magazine around.

Hermione peeked over her books and saw that they were reading what looked to be a Muggle magazine called 'Teen People'. She'd seen it in the Muggle grocery store with her mother before, but had never purchased it. It was full of beauty secrets and celebrities, things Hermione wasn't into.

"I guess there are some nude pictures of her on the net," said Dean, passing the magazine to Harry.

"Net?" Ron asked him.

"Internet. Muggle thing." Harry answered. He looked down at the picture, shrugged and passed it along to Seamus.

Seamus did a very long and very loud cat call. "Wooo baby! She's almost as hot as Hermione!"

Hermione stood up. She'd had enough.

"Don't you Neanderthals realize that there is more to a person than her LOOKS!? I'm so sick of being judged only by how I look! I'm a perfectly nice person if people would get to know me instead of just assuming I was 'easy' or a slut! Just because someone looks a certain way doesn't mean anything! All that matters is what's inside and that you're happy with yourself!! It just sickens me how you can just----just---like people for their looks!"

When she was finished, the whole common room was looking at her with shocked expressions on their faces. Seamus was gaping at her like she was a mad woman. Harry was grinning, Ron looked very embarrassed and Dean had stuffed the magazine under his chair.

"I completely agree," said a voice from the doorway. Hermione looked up and almost collapsed. Oliver Wood was standing by the entrance to the common room looking very interested in what was going on. "I was walking by and heard shouting. I figured I'd better come in and check to see if everything is okay. Hermione? Are you all right?"

Hermione put a hand to her forehead. Slowly, she lowered herself into the nearest chair which happened to be occupied by Harry. She squealed and stood up again. Harry began to laugh.

Hermione cleared her throat. "I'm fine. Thanks. Yes. Fine." She knew her cheeks were very red, they felt like they were on fire. She quickly tried to fix her hair, but gave up and just tucked it behind her ears.

Oliver grinned, "Good. I'm glad you gave these young boys a good talking to. There is a lot more to a person than how she looks. I agree."

"Er---thanks."

"Well, if everything is alright....I'll see you tomorrow." He smiled at her, then looked at the rest of the room before leaving.

She lowered herself into Harry's chair again. Her stomach felt sick, but she wasn't sure why. Because she was embarrassed that he had heard or because he had agreed? Or was it because he had smiled at her?

"Hermione," said a timid voice to her right. "I'm sorry." Ron was standing over them, looking down. Harry was sitting comfortably under Hermione. He wasn't moving, but watching her to make sure she was okay.

"That's---that's okay, Ron. Thanks." She stood up again, looking very dazed. "I er---I think we need to talk."

Ron nodded, "Me too. Where?" He looked around the room. Everyone was still watching them.

Harry stood up, putting a comforting hand on Hermione's shoulder. He lowered his voice so only Ron and Hermione could hear. "I hear that the girl's bathroom is out of order again. Probably a certain ghost wouldn't mind you using her bathroom." He winked at Hermione before strolling up the stairs to his room.

Ron took Hermione's hand and, together, they went out the portrait hole.

Myrtle was apparently indisposed because they didn't hear her when they got to the out of order girl's bathroom.

Hermione took a deep breath and leaned against the cool wall. Her face was still red from anger and embarrassment, but it was less so now.

"So..." Ron began, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "What's going on?"

Hermione took another deep breath, shrugging. "I had a bad summer, Ron. And it's no excuse. I shouldn't have blown up at you like that earlier. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. You were right to get mad. It's not right to judge someone by how they look."

Hermione shook her head, sighing yet again. "The first day of the holidays, I met someone, Ron."

Ron looked up quickly. "Oh?"

"I didn't want to tell you. I told Harry...but I'm telling you now. You met Grace so I kind of feel like it's okay to, you know, tell you."

"It would have been okay anyway. We're just friends," Ron said gently.

"Yeah, I know. But since our relationship didn't work out last year, I didn't want to rub it in your face that I met someone."

"I understand." And he really did understand. That same reason was why he hadn't told Hermione about Grace sooner.

"Well, this guy was wonderful. We had a brilliant time together. We dated for a couple months before...."

"Before what?" Ron asked, suddenly feeling very choked and in need of air.

"Before he and I----"

"Slept together?" Ron guessed.

"Yes," Hermione nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. "I hadn't meant for it to happen, but it did. He was just so....charasmatic....I couldn't resist him." She stopped, sensing he didn't want to hear more. "Anyway, he didn't call me the morning after. I called him after 2 weeks and he dumped me. Said he only wanted me for...." she swallowed in an attempt to get rid of the painful memory. "...for my body." Tears sprang from her eyes suddenly. "That's why I'm so upset about people liking others for their looks. He assumed that I was a brainless bimbo just because I was good looking. He used me because I was good looking...it took me the rest of the summer to regain even a little bit of my self confidence. He hurt me so much, Ron. It was horrible. I would have told you after it happened, but I couldn't. I just let it slip to Harry. I wasn't planning on telling anyone. Harry helped me a lot though. Helped me to realize that I'm not just a piece of meat and one day someone will think of me as more than just a body." Hermione swallowed again, tears still coming from her eyes.

Ron grabbed her in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. I had no idea."

"I know you didn't," she said, her voice muffled by his shirt.

"I wish I could have been there."

"Well, you're here now."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, I am."

He let her cry into his shoulder for at least an hour before she finally stopped, her tears drying up. She felt empty inside and lost. She'd pushed the painful memory into the way back of her mind, but it had creeped up...just like she knew it would. She couldn't keep it buried forever, and she knew that. But it would take some time to really and truly get over it.

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