Complicated Wishes, Confusing Jealousy

- Chapter One -

To Hogwarts with a Wish

A full roll of parchment: It seemed a little bit too much to be writing in a letter to someone you had written merely some two weeks earlier, but Hermione Granger honestly didn't care as she sat in the comfort of The Burrow's lounge. Viktor Krum was really the only person she was confident in expressing her want, her wish, to. She would normally tell her female best friend, Ginny Weasley, things like this, but now ... she just couldn't. She rather envied Ginny Weasley at the present moment.

For nearly six months, Hermione had wanted a boyfriend. The only boyfriend she'd ever had, had been Viktor, back in her fourth year (she was now due to start her sixth) at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and even that hadn't been a true "relationship". If it were, it had been awfully pitiful. The simple fact remained; she was approaching her sixteenth birthday and she had still not been truly kissed. It was this that caused Hermione to feel jealousy towards Ginny. Ginny was a whole year younger, had been in a good, steady relationship, been kissed and now had a caring boyfriend. Hermione wanted that.

Looking over the piece of parchment in front of her, Hermione let out a deep sigh as she noticed Ginny sitting there, deep in conversation with Dean Thomas, her boyfriend, who had come to visit her at the Burrow. Nearby, Hermione's best friends Harry Potter and Ron Weasley sat discussing the vacant Defence Against the Dark Arts post at Hogwarts. At the sight of Harry, Hermione remembered the tiny relationship he had with Cho Chang the previous year. Harry was another one of her friends who had been kissed.

She sighed heavily. For all she knew, Ron had probably been kissed as well. It seemed as though everyone but her knew what it felt like to have someone else's lips on their own; kissing with a passion Hermione could only imagine.

She absently turned her attention to Ron, who was now polishing his broomstick while keeping up his conversation with Harry. Hermione liked Ron a lot, and ever since their fourth year at Hogwarts, she had thought that perhaps Ron liked her as something a little more than just a best friend, but she had never been entirely sure. She remembered how he had acted in their fourth year, when she had turned up at the Yule Ball with Viktor. His jealousy had been quite clear to her (and most of the room), but she often wondered whether he was actually aware of it. She vaguely remembered how he had shown signs of attraction towards Fleur Delacour that year, but she had always inwardly insisted that that had merely been because Fleur had Veela blood in her.

Hermione sighed softly as this thought circled her mind several times, an empty feeling in her chest. She had been jealous of Fleur.

Looking back down at her letter to Viktor, she re-read it carefully. Satisfied with what she'd written, she rolled it up, stood up and approached Harry.

"Harry?" she said, getting both his and Ron's attention immediately. "Can I borrow Hedwig to send this letter to Viktor?"

"Krum?" Ron said quickly, looking up at her in disbelief. "You wrote him a week ago!"

"It was actually two weeks ago, Ron," Hermione corrected him briskly. "And what concern is it of yours if I want to write him again so soon?" Ron hadn't overcome his jealousy.

Ron was about to retort when Harry interjected. "Of course you can use Hedwig, Hermione," he said with a smile.

Hermione smiled back. "Thanks," she said and left to send the letter.

Ron watched her leave with a disgruntled expression on his freckled face. "What the hell has she done in the past two weeks to fill a full roll of parchment with writing to Viktor Krum?" he asked rhetorically to no one in particular. He looked at Harry, who just shrugged. "What does she even see in Krum, anyway?"

Harry, who was getting quite used to Ron asking this question, didn't answer. He knew Ron was jealous, but he was beginning to wonder whether Ron in fact held stronger feelings towards Hermione than he was letting on.

- ~ * ~ -

Hermione examined herself in the mirror as she stood in the bathroom, pinning her prefect badge to the front of her shirt. Tonight she would return home, to Hogwarts, and she could hardly wait. Just the idea of stepping through the grand, oak front doors into the cavernous Entrance Hall of the magnificent castle of Hogwarts caused a thrill of excitement to surge through her body.

She exited the bathroom with a smile on her face and descended the staircase into the noisy kitchen, where everyone was already eating breakfast. The Weasleys and Harry all greeted her cheerfully as she took a seat at the table between Ron and Ginny. Mrs Weasley hurried over and immediately started piling toast, eggs and bacon onto the plate in front of her.

"There you are, Hermione dear," she said, giving her the last piece of bacon. "Eat as much as you can."

Hermione obeyed and began to cut her bacon, ignoring Ron beside her, who was glancing sideways at her every three seconds. "Has Hedwig come back with a reply from Viktor, yet?" she asked the table of people.

"No," Harry replied through a mouthful of toast, while Ron muttered something to himself. Harry swallowed. "She'll know where we are, though."

Hermione nodded. Yes, of course Hedwig would know. She was a very clever owl, but Hermione just wished she would hurry back with a reply.

After they'd finished breakfast, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny went through the usual September first rush of making sure they had everything. When all was ready, Mr and Mrs Weasley helped them place the four trunks into a car Mr Weasley had managed to organise with the Ministry of Magic in order to see them safely to Kings Cross Station.

"Hurry along, now," Mrs Weasley said lovingly to Ron, who was trying to keep his tiny owl, Pigwidgeon, from making too much noise. "We'll see you at the platform when you arrive. Your father and I are Apparating. It's so much easier and we can trust that Kingsley will keep close eye on you all until you're safely on the train."

Hermione frowned at this as she climbed into the backseat next to Ginny, but understood Mrs Weasley perfectly as she looked at the driver. Sure enough, it was Kingsley Shacklebolt escorting them to Kings Cross. It would be dangerous to not have at least one member of the Order of the Phoenix at close guard.

The ride to the station was highly enjoyable for the four of them. They spent some time chatting to Kingsley about the Order before devolving into a happy conversation about the year ahead.

When they finally arrived in the crowded street outside the station, they hurried along through crowds of people with their trunks on trolleys in front of them. They had plenty of time to spare when they reached the barrier between platforms nine and ten - the secret entrance to platform nine and three quarters.

Looking around cautiously, they made sure no Muggles were around or paying them any attention before the four of them casually approached the barrier after bidding goodbye to Kingsley. Harry and Ron went through first, followed quickly by Hermione and Ginny, each of whom re-appeared on the other side of the not-so-solid wall.

Each of them suppressed a smile as they looked up at the gleaming scarlet steam engine and around at the crowded platform, filled with people, cats and owls. They slowly wheeled their way through the clutter of people and made their way up the train, looking for an empty compartment. When they had found one, Ron and Hermione were forced to say goodbye as they had to go back up the front to the prefects' carriage, leaving Harry and Ginny alone.

The two of them were silent for several minutes, as they each gazed out the window looking for some sign of Mr and Mrs Weasley, who had yet to appear on the platform.

Harry turned his head slowly to look at Ginny easier as she continued to look out the window, watching as students boarded the train and hung out of the windows to talk to their families.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Harry shifted slightly and said, "You and Dean seem to be going well."

She turned to look at him and sighed. "Yes, we are going well ... I guess," she said, a small smile coming to her lips. "We haven't been going out long, though. I was really surprised when he wrote saying he wanted to visit." Her smile faded slightly before adding anything more, her tone becoming rather spiteful. "Ron doesn't seem to like the idea of Dean and I being together," she said. "I thought he might, as Dean's a friend of his and yours."

"Ron's just being overprotective of you," Harry said, feeling it was the truth. "You're his little sister and he doesn't want you getting hurt."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I get the suspicion that he wants me to still fancy you, or have a relationship stronger than friendship with you." Her face had turned suddenly red, disguising the many freckles that decorated it. She looked away quickly, shuffling uncomfortably in her seat.

Harry, however, merely frowned slightly at what she had said. He had never really thought of the fact that perhaps Ron wanted him to go out with Ginny. He had never really seen any signs or reasons to, but now Ginny had mentioned it...

Harry frowned deeper. It didn't seem much like Ron to want his sister to date his best friend. Then again, Harry wasn't sure as to what Ron wanted for Ginny. He didn't talk about her much unless he was complaining about her being annoying. And what did it matter, anyway? Harry would never even think of going out with Ginny. She was Ron's little sister for heaven's sake!

Harry gazed at Ginny, studying her face as she continued to look out the window. He noticed a tiny scar above her left eye, which was shaped like a crescent moon. He vaguely remembered her telling him that it was a souvenir from falling off her broom in a rough windstorm.

He absently ran a finger over his own, immensely special, lightning-bolt-shaped scar and straightened his round-framed glasses. In the past four years or so, had Ron always wanted him to go out with Ginny? Was that why Ron had reacted so badly to the news about Ginny moving on and going out with Michael Corner? Was that why he didn't like the idea of her dating Dean?

Suddenly, he was brought back to his senses as Ginny gracefully stood up.

"Mum and Dad have arrived to say goodbye," she announced happily, looking down at him with an expression of great delight and enthusiasm.

- ~ * ~ -

The trip to Hogwarts always felt long, but this year, it felt even longer. Harry and Ginny didn't talk much throughout the journey, mainly because at about noon, Dean, along with their fellow Gryffindors, Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnigan, interrupted. Dean left quickly, hand-in-hand with Ginny, leaving Harry with Neville and Seamus, who both seemed deeply interested in discussing the upcoming Quidditch season. Harry only half-listened, as his thoughts were still on Ginny and what was keeping Ron and Hermione.

"Dean was telling me earlier that Ginny might be trying out for a Chaser position," Seamus said, looking from Neville to Harry with great enthusiasm.

Harry looked up and nodded. "I remember her mentioning something like that last year," he said vaguely.

Seamus nodded. "I reckon she's got a good chance in getting in," he said. "She's a good flier."

Harry absently nodded. Ginny was a good flier. His thoughts travelled back to one of the practice matches they had had at The Burrow on one of Fred and George's days off. He had been highly impressed by the way she moved so easily and well.

"Who else do you think will go for the other Chaser position?" Neville asked Harry and Seamus, who both shrugged.

As much as he loved Quidditch, Harry wasn't enjoying this conversation much. Standing up, he made sure that Seamus and Neville were fully engrossed in talk about third-year Lara Sursok's chances on becoming a Chaser for the Gryffindor team before exiting the compartment and sliding the door shut behind him.

He made his way up the train, wanting to find Ron and Hermione. Glancing into every compartment he came across, Harry stopped every now and then to say hello to people. He had a small conversation with Terry Boot, a member of the DA. Terry sat in a rather crowded compartment with fellow members Michael Corner (Ginny's ex-boyfriend), Cho Chang (Michael's new girlfriend and Harry's unmissed ex), and Anthony Goldstein.

After about half an hour of greeting people, Harry made his way further up train, looking for some sign of Ron and Hermione. It wasn't until he neared the very front of the long train that he finally caught a glimpse of Ron's red hair sticking out of an open compartment and headed forwards to see what was going on.

"Apologise to Hermione, Malfoy!" Ron was saying heatedly as Harry reached the compartment. Looking in, he saw one of his worst enemies, Draco Malfoy, sitting there lazily, a sneer on his pale, pointed face as he glared up at Ron through his steel grey eyes. His boulder-sized cronies Crabbe and Goyle were sitting on either side of him, obviously getting ready for a battle on Malfoy's command. Pug-faced Pansy Parkinson also sat in the compartment, an ugly smirk curving her over-glossed lips.

"Ron," Hermione said calmly from the other side of him. "Don't worry about it. He hasn't got a heart to apologise so it's no good getting into trouble trying to make him. Let's just move along and leave him to his evil-doing."

"Evil-doing, is it, Granger?" Malfoy drawled with a sneer, standing up. Hermione ignored him, pulled Ron forcibly from the compartment and slid the door shut in Malfoy's face.

Out in the corridor, Ron exploded. "What'd you do that for? I had him! Hermione, he was being a complete prat and -"

"And he would have had Crabbe and Goyle flatten you if given half the chance!" Hermione cut in. "When are you going to learn?! You're a prefect! You can't just go around picking fights with Malfoy, Ron!"

"I didn't start that!" Ron defended. "He did! You heard him! He called you that - that - that name! He deserved whatever -"

"Ron, listen to Hermione," Harry said. "The only thing you would have accomplished in there would have been letting Malfoy get the rise of you."

Ron looked at him, somewhat surprised to see him. "Harry. I didn't see you there."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Obviously, what with all the righteous indignation you had going on." He tried not to let it get to him that Ron hadn't even noticed that he'd been there. It was quite difficult, though, but with one look at the girl Ron had been causing such a raucous over, Harry had a good idea as to why he was not missed.

Harry looked at Hermione, and she and Harry both grabbed an arm and forced Ron down the narrow hallway, away from Malfoy and his fellow Slytherins.

The windows in the train were beginning to grow dark at about five o'clock. The lanterns within the train had been lit and they were still heading steadily north and closer to their destination. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in the compartment with Neville and Seamus, who had moved on from Quidditch to discussing who may be their new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.

"I feel it's highly ridiculous," Hermione expressed truthfully. "I mean, what's the possibility that this teacher's going to last the whole year?"

"About one in a million," Harry said with a small sigh. "I'm beginning to believe that the job truly is jinxed."

"Yeah, well, let's just hope we don't get a teacher like Umbridge," Ron stated darkly. "She was a complete and utter nightmare!"

"I doubt Dumbledore would allow another teacher like that to teach at Hogwarts while he's Headmaster, Ron," Hermione said.

"Especially now that people are actually willing to believe and listen to him. I agree, though; he won't let another Ministry member take over the school," said Harry, shuddering as he remembered exactly how terrible Professor Dolores Umbridge had been.

"Wish Lupin would come back," Seamus said. Harry smiled at the mention of his werewolf friend as he nodded with the rest.

Thinking about Remus Lupin was bittersweet; he genuinely liked the former professor, but memories of Lupin invariably brought him back to Sirius. Forcibly removing that train of thought from his head, Harry was brought back into the conversation when Hermione spoke again.

"Maybe Snape will finally get his wish," she said thoughtfully as the train began to slow. "He wants the position - Dumbledore knows he does - and it would have to be easier to find a Potions teacher."

The others didn't even want to see this as a possibility and chose not to say anything in response to such a dreadful idea.

The train slowed right to a halt and they heard the familiar sounds of people exiting their compartments, getting ready to step off the train onto the tiny platform of Hogsmeade Station. The five of them met Dean and Ginny in the hallway outside their compartment and together, they got off the Hogwarts Express and began to make their way towards the Thestral-drawn carriages and the magnificent castle of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

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