Hey, guys. This is my third attempted fan-fiction, my second published one, and I won't hesitate to say I'm extremely nervous about publishing this. I am a huge fan of the Ron/Hermione relationship, and this fan-fiction is a point-of-departure from the chapter Felix Felicis from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince about what would have happened if Harry had talked to Hermione about Ron's sudden mood-switch before the Quidditch match victory which led to the complete breakup between Ron and Hermione for three or so months. I know I'm not the best writer, and this is probably shoddy, but any kind words or constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. I don't envision this having many more chapters. Right now I'm thinking at most three or four, but I could do more if response is positive and I feel I'm up to the task. Really, my heart is pounding right now, but I'm going to publish this. Please tell me what you think.

I do not own the rights to any of these characters. J. K. Rowling does, and I'm no J. K. Rowling.

Chapter One: A Talk With Hermione

Hermione sat alone in the Gryffindor Common Room with a book open in front of her and several others surrounding her, but Harry knew her long enough to see that she wasn't really studying at the moment. She'd always use books as a defense, to make people think she was busy so they wouldn't speak to her. Did she start doing this after starting at Hogwarts, Harry wondered, or does the habit go back to when she attended Muggle schools? Harry didn't know, but it wasn't going to work this time. He knew he had to talk to her, as much as the idea turned his stomach.

"Hey, Hermione," Harry said, determination shoring up his will to get this done and do it right, "mind if we talk for a second?"

Hermione looked up from the book spread out on the table, and Harry could automatically tell that his assessment that she hadn't been studying was correct. She had bags under her eyes, and Harry unhappily remembered her attempt to take every class Hogwarts had to offer by using a Time-Turner in their third year. Taking multiple classes by going back in time, she was often a wreck once the day was over and she had as many as seven assignments to work on at once, and like now, she never looked like she got more than three hours of sleep a night.

"Of course, Harry," Hermione sighed, closing the book which Harry identified as Confronting the Faceless, the book Snape assigned to his sixth-year students in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry noticed that she didn't even mark the page she was on, further confirmation, as if he really needed any, that she wasn't reading something for an assignment. Placing the book down, she then moved a pile of three extremely thick books to her other side so Harry could actually see her face while talking to her.

Harry sat down across from her and tried to figure out how to start off the conversation; something, he realized stupidly, he should have done before coming over here.

"I'm sure you noticed that Ron's a bit...," Harry began, noticing how Hermione's demeanor seemed to change after he mentioned Ron, "tetchy."

Weak ending, he thought, and Hermione seemed to agree, as her eyes flared and she scoffed.

"Yes," she said mockingly, "that's one way of putting it. Personally, I'd describe it as him being an a-"

"I'm guessing you don't know why," Harry said to interrupt whatever, probably unkind, word was going to come out of Hermione's mouth.

He saw her anger seem to almost deflate after he asked her this question.

"No," she replied, sounding defeated. "I don't understand it at all. I told him just a week ago that I wanted to go to Slughorn's Christmas party with him, and he seemed to take the suggestion with good grace. Now he's just all cold and angry to me, and I don't know why!"

Though she whispered this last part, Harry could tell she was frustrated with the situation by the way her eyes started to glisten. She seemed to notice this as well, and made a point of turning away from him while discreetly using the sleeve of her robe to wipe her eyes.

Harry sighed. I knew this was going to be hard, but dammit, I'm not going sit here while the potential relationship between my best friends withers away to dust.

"After our last Quidditch Practice, in which Ron performed poorly, mostly due to his nerves," Harry begun, and Hermione subtly nodded along, subtly enough that Harry wondered if she even knew she was doing it. "We took the second floor shortcut behind the tapestry to get back up here, but, well..."

Harry stopped, not only because this was an uncomfortable subject to talk about regarding the things Ginny said alone, but because the memory of Ginny snogging Dean still made Harry feel extremely agitated, to put it lightly.

I need to put my feelings about Ginny on hold for now, he thought. Hermione needs to know what's going on, and I know Ron would rather face Aragog again than actually talk to her about this.

Hermione looked put-off at Harry's stopping point, but didn't say anything as Harry collected his thoughts, which he was extremely grateful for, as the telling would only get harder with her badgering him to continue.

"In the shortcut, we ran into Ginny and Dean," Harry said, gritting his teeth despite his wanting to ignore his own feelings on this certain issue for now, "Well, um, snogging. Fiercely."

Hermione nodded her head without surprise, which slightly annoyed Harry, though he figured that Ginny was probably more forthcoming with Hermione about her relationships than she'd ever been to Ron or himself, and for good reasons, it seemed. Harry did notice, however, a small look of understanding come to Hermione's face. Not that she knew exactly how this led to Ron becoming a prat overnight, but she was smart enough to see something there which must not have occurred to her before while pondering the issue.

"Well," Harry continued awkwardly, now wishing Hermione would interrupt at some point, even if it did make this take longer, "Long story short, Dean kind of left quickly. Ron and Ginny got into an argument, and Ginny said, well, some stuff to Ron."

"What kind of 'stuff'," Hermione asked in a curious voice, but Harry could swear there had been a tint of sadness in her voice, and wondered once again how much Ron's sudden change in behavior had affected Hermione. Maybe not just one or two sleepless nights, he considered, but perhaps some tears as well.

Harry sighed heavily before he continued, and started to rub his temple as though he had a headache.

"Basically," he started, using his massaging to block his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at Hermione while saying this and wanting to get it all out, "she mocked him for his lack of relationship experience, mentioning my snogging with Cho. She also brought up the fact that you snogged Krum, and said that the only reason Ron was upset at her for snogging Dean was because he had the snogging experience of a twelve-year-old."

Hermione looked like she'd been Stunned. Whatever she had expected, it certainly hadn't been this, it seemed.

When Hermione didn't say anything, Harry decided he needed to put a better 'story-done' finish on it.

"Uh, Ron didn't take it very well," he said lamely, moving his hand down to the table, where his fingers started tapping nervously.

Hermione remained silent for a few more seconds, then opened her mouth to speak.

"But Ron knew I'd been with Viktor during our fourth year," she said quietly, and Harry wondered if this was a statement to him, or if she was just thinking out loud, which she had been known to do. Either way, Harry though it safe to chime in with his take on the issue at hand.

"I think he never thought about the details of the relationship," Harry replied, slightly annoyed that he was blushing at the moment. "He never considered that you'd actually snogged Krum before Ginny said it, I guess."

Harry was relieved to see that Hermione was blushing as well.

"It's not like we snogged a lot or in public," she said quietly, and Harry figured she'd never expected to discuss this with him. "Ron's angry about something that happened two years ago?"

Again, this had an aura of sounding like Hermione was thinking out loud, and Harry had to wonder what her brain was doing with this new information that she seemed to have no knowledge about until now.

"To be completely honest, Hermione," Harry said, put-off that he even needed to say it, "I'm pretty sure Ron has, well, feelings for you, and he's, I don't know, embarrassed about the fact that he's not really been with anyone while you have."

He'd expected some sort of reaction from Hermione after revealing Ron's feelings about her, but not for her face to turn as red as Ron's hair.

"He-you," Hermione stammered, obviously not sure how to begin, "he's discussed how he feels about me with you?"

Harry really wanted this conversation to end at this point, figuring this was something Ron and Hermione should be discussing together, and more importantly, without Harry around. However, he resignedly answered.

"Well, no, not in so many words, but come on, Hermione, you're the smartest witch I know. You've had to known he was, well, feeling something towards you."

Hermione scoffed again, only this time with disbelief, not anger.

"Of course I suspected that," she started, "but I didn't know for sure if he felt the same way I..."

She stopped suddenly, and Harry would have sworn under the influence of Veritaserum that her face became even redder, which he also would have sworn was impossible just thirty seconds before.

"Do you think he'd...," Hermione started in a small voice, but she looked down at her now closed book and didn't finish.

"Admit to it? I'm not sure," Harry confessed. "It can't get any worse than it is now, though. Look, as your best friend, I couldn't leave you in the dark about why Ron's been different these past few days. I feel very awkward discussing this, and if you don't mind, I'd prefer that you talked to Ron about this and not me."

Hermione looked up at him thoughtfully, and Harry saw she finally had her blushing under control.

"Thanks for telling me," she told him softly. "I've been wondering why he's been acting... cold. I was beginning to wonder if it had been something I did recently, but it's something I did two years ago."

Harry was shocked to see she was almost laughing. However good she is at explaining girls' emotions, I'll never get a bloody hang on it.

"Do you know where Ron is now," she asked seriously, her mirth, or whatever Harry had mistaken for mirth, seemingly subsiding not seconds after it started. "I think we have things to talk about."

"Yeah, he went down to the Quidditch pitch to practice some more before the game tomorrow. We have a practice later this evening, but with the mood he's been in, peeving the rest of the team off, he decided to get some alone time down there before tonight."

Hermione nodded grimly, and then a steely glint appeared in her eye, and it seemed one last question occurred to her.

"Also," she asked bitterly, "do you know where Ginny is?"