Author's Note: Now, I happen to like Pansy/Hermione, but I'm not in a position to start another chapter fic, so here's a one-shot while I brainstorm the next chapter of Split Loyalties. Enjoy.

"Insight"

A small crowd was gathered outside the Hogwarts library, which was odd for a Friday afternoon. A red-faced Ron Weasley stood arguing loudly with Hermione Granger while Harry and a few other Gryffindors stood off to one side. The crowd of onlookers included some of Harry, Hermione and the Weasley's least favorite people: Draco Malfoy, his cronies and Pansy Parkinson.

"You are so stubborn, Ron! If I said 'no,' why can't you just respect that I have a good reason?" Hermione shouted, obviously frustrated.

"Why can't you just tell me? I mean, damn, we've been friends for five bloody years. Why won't you tell me?" Ron gestured wildly, keeping some distance from his angry friend, who had just a minute ago thrown a book at his head.

"Maybe I don't want to, Ron? Have you ever stopped to think that maybe I value my privacy and I might not have a pressing need to tell you every little thing that goes on in my head?" Near tears, Hermione felt her voice crack.

Ron stood for a moment, stunned, giving Harry and Ginny time to approach him. "Hey, Ron, come on, mate. Leave Hermione alone. It's not a big deal." Harry said, hands help up to placate the aggravated young wizard.

"If it's not a big deal, why can't she just give me a reason?" Ron insisted.

"Shut up, Ron!" Ginny pushed her brother lightly, trying to get him to walk away.

Hermione walked in silence as Harry and Ginny managed to get Ron to turn towards Gryffindor tower. The crowd, murmuring, began to thin.

"Hermione?" Harry looked back, stopping mid-stride.

"Go. I'll be fine. Just need to take a walk and calm down. I'll meet up with you and Ginny later." Hermione smiled at the boy-who-lived, hoping not to worry him. After all, he had enough to deal with.

"Okay." Harry nodded and jogged to catch up with the two Weasleys.

Hermione stood alone in the hall for a few minutes, forcing her breathing to be even and slow. Picking up the book she'd thrown at Ron, she turned on her heel and walked away from Gryffindor tower with no destination in mind. After twenty minutes of being lost in her head, wondering if she should have just told Ron – Harry and Ginny for that matter – why she didn't want to date him, Hermione looked around and realized she was close to the Slytherin common room. An irregular shadow emerged from the wall to Hermione's right, which she quickly identified as a student leaving said common room.

"Fancy seeing you down here, Granger."

"Parkinson." Hermione nodded curtly, a gesture that Pansy returned. She looked at Hermione thoughtfully for a moment and then smiled.

"What was that row with Weasley about?" Pansy leaned against the wall, hands in her pockets.

"That's no business of yours." Hermione narrowed her eyes, not in the mood to deal with teasing or insults.

Pansy sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Fine. I was trying to be nice, for once, and I thought maybe you'd want someone to talk to who wasn't in the middle of your circle of friends, but fine." The dark-haired girl began to walk past Hermione.

For her part, the young Gryffindor was skeptical. Still, it was a tempting offer.

"By the way, your friends are really dense. If I can tell from across the Great Hall, they should have some idea." Pansy stopped, not looking back at Hermione. "Then again, I guess I do have an advantage."

Hermione turned to face the Slytherin's back, unsure what the other girl was getting at. "What do you mean?"

Pansy chuckled and started walking again, throwing over her shoulder, "It's called 'gaydar,' Granger. Most lesbians have it, even at our age."