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Stacey stared blankly out of the Prefect compartment window, watching the countryside fly by in a colorful blur. She felt utterly alone, surrounded by the snotty, braniac prefects who were completely excluding her. Harry and Hermione were sitting in the Head Boy and Girl compartment, and Ron had left the Prefect compartment long ago with Lavender. Stacey didn't even want to think about what they might be doing.
Sighing, Stacey made a mental decision to take a walk around the train...maybe she'd find Harry and Hermione...or
even better, Ron by himself. She didn't know if she could bear to see him with Lavender. That
girl was literally a witch.
Shivering slightly, she stood and gingerly weaved around the legs of prefects in the small compartment, occasionally
murmuring "Excuse me", or "Sorry".
Finally out into the open hallway, Stacey cheered up a bit. She had to use the restroom, so she made her way to the
back of the train, walking past compartment after compartment, glancing hopefully into each one for some sign of Ron.
Some chattering first years...nope. An older boy reading a book...don't think so. A group of third year girls
huddled around something that looked like a kitten...no. Then, finally, in the very last compartment, Stacey found what
she had been searching for. Sort of.
Snuggled up in a seat by the window was Ron. The only trouble with this scenario was that he wasn't alone. Lavender
Brown was curled up on his lap, her fingers entangled in his vibrant hair. His arms were wrapped possessively around
her waist, and their faces were centimeters away from each other. Lavender was staring at Ron's face, almost
expectantly, but Ron was gazing out the window, apparently lost in thought.
Stacey just stared longingly through the door, which was cracked open just enough for her to see what was going on
inside. She watched in agony as Lavender's expression turned angry. She disentangled her fingers from his messy
hair and tilted his face viciously towards her own.
He looked at her, somewhat confused.
"You're not paying attention to me. You're not being a very good boyfriend," she whined, those awful
lips twisting themselves into a pout.
He frowned. "I am sitting with you, you know. And you know I wanted to sit with Harry and
Herms."
She pouted even more, her eyes pleading. She pressed two fingers to his lips. "I don't care about
them, baby, I care about you. And me. Together. And all you've done this whole
time is stare out of that window." She ran a finger along his jawline, and he shuddered.
Shaking her hands away from his face, he closed his eyes in exasperation.
"Lav..." he whispered huskily in that exhilarating male voice that sent shivers along Stacey's spine,
"I don't think that we should b-"
"Shhh..." whispered Lavender urgently. "Don't say that. I don't want that.
C'mere...I want this." She covered his lips with her own. He moaned a little, trying to resist, but
she turned the kiss up a level and pressed her lips more firmly to his.
Stacey watched in horror as Lavender parted her lips a little and groaned softly, her hands skimming up Ron's chest
and into his gorgeous hair.
Stacey didn't even notice that she was crying. Heartbroken, tears streaming down her cheeks, she ran the rest of
the way to the bathroom.
For some strange reason, Harry couldn't keep his eyes off of Hermione. They were glued to her face...those hazel eyes, those luscious, kissable lips, that beautiful, silky hair. Wait, what is wrong with me? This is Hermione...and I'm dating Ginny anyways...no, stop it, Harry...Hermione is your friend.
"-don't you think so, Harry?" Hermione was saying, staring at Harry's glazed-over, brilliant green
eyes. God, those eyes are wonderful...I could stare at them all day long...Whoa, Hermione...get a grip!
Harry was jolted back into reality as he heard Hermione speak his name.
"Uh...yeah..." he mumbled, nervously flattening his disheveled, jet-black hair. Did she see me staring at
her?
Hermione snorted. "You don't know what I said, do you?"
Harry grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Mione, I have absolutely no idea..."
He's so cute when he's embarrassed...ahh...Hermione, you've done it again! Hermione shook
herself.
"I was just saying that Ron should dump Lavender. Stacey has the absolute biggest crush ever on Ron, but he is too blinded by Lavender to see it. That girl isn't good for him. It's killing Stacey to see them together, and I do think that Ron likes Stacey, too...he just hasn't realized it yet. Stacey's so nice...I wish he would just quit being such an insensitive moron and see that, you know?"
"Yeah...she's...nice..." agreed Harry dreamily, unable to wrench his eyes away from his best
friend's. Harry! Hermione is JUST YOUR FRIEND. What were those feelings he was having for her? He was
dating Ginny, he loved her...Harry, what the hell is going on?
Suddenly, the compartment door flew open, and a short red-headed girl was standing, her petite outline illuminated by
the light from the hallway.
"Harry!" she breathed, leaning over Hermione to greet her boyfriend with a kiss. A long one, too.
Hermione blinked. She had forgotten. Harry was dating Ginny. Hermione suddenly felt very ill.
When they had finally finished their kiss, Ginny made herself comfortable on Harry's lap, her head resting against
his chest, his head buried in her thick, fiery hair.
"Good to see you again, Gin," mumbled Harry, one eye closed, the other eye resting
on...Hermione?
"I think...I think I'll go now," said Hermione awkwardly, biting her lip. "N-nice seeing you,
Ginny."
"Mmm, you too..." breathed Ginny, her eyelids fluttering, tilting her chin at Harry, begging silently for
another kiss
He obliged, but his heart wasn't into it. He heard the compartment door slide shut. He wondered vaguely where
Hermione was going.
In the aftermath of her tears, leaning against the cold tile wall in the restroom, Stacey realized how stupid she had been. If Ron doesn't like me, then so be it. I don't want him to feel forced into a relationship if he doesn't really like me. Besides, he still has Lavender. Good old Lavender.
Rubbing her eyes, she stood and splashed some cold water onto her face. She was in the process of reapplying the little make-up that had been washed away with her tears when she heard a tiny knock on the bathroom door.
"Hang on…I'm almost done," she called out, hurriedly stroking a little mascara onto her eyelashes.
"Stace?" said a faint voice on the other side of the sliding door.
"Hermione?" she replied. "Herms, come in!" She pulled the door open.
Hermione Granger was standing in the doorway, looking slightly abashed.
"Hey Stacey," she said in a small voice as she stepped into the small cubicle. She sat down on the hard bathroom floor and put her head in her hands.
Stacey immediately sensed that something wasn't right. "Mione…what is it? What's wrong?"
Hermione breathed a deep sigh, pushing a long, straight lock of hair behind her ear. "To be completely honest, Stacey…I don't know what's wrong."
Stacey patted on some blush, then turned to Hermione. "I'm kind of having the same feeling."
Hermione gave a small smile. "Let me guess. Lavender."
Stacey never ceased to be surprised at how perceptive Hermione was. She sighed. "How'd you know?"
Hermione shrugged. "It's easy to see that you're completely head-over-heels, absolutely, totally in love with Ron." But I'm not in love with Harry. No. He has Ginny.
Stacey's eyes widened in alarm. "Is it that obvious?"
Hermione grinned. "To everyone but him."
Stacey's head drooped. "He has Lavender…don't blame him…why should he like me?" she said unconvincingly.
"Don't give me any of that crap," retorted Hermione. "You're ten times better than Lavender will ever be."
Stacey grinned weakly. "Thanks, Mione. I'm always really cheerful after I talk to you."
Hermione shrugged. "Just being honest."
Stacey crossed her arms. "Now, tell me, what's wrong with you?"
There was a pause. "I...I really don't know, Stace."
"Don't expect me to believe that...you always know everything that's going on,
Hermione."
Hermione bit her lip. "Okay...I think...I don't know, Stacey, I'm so confused. In the compartment back
there, I was feeling really...different feelings towards Harry. My best
friend."
Stacey cocked her head in thought. "But - I thought he was going out with Gi-"
"He is," interrupted Hermione. "That's the problem. And I don't think it was
really...him...that I was attracted to. I think that I am desperate for a boyfriend, and I just jumped on the
first guy I saw...Harry."
Stacey swallowed down a smile. "That makes sense. So go find a guy to let out those 'feelings'
on." Harry and Hermione are so definitely meant for each other...they just don't want to see
it.
Hermione smiled. "I think I'll do that."
Hermione opened the compartment door, and the two girls strode out into the hallway to find a compartment for themselves.