Sorting Priorities (a Romione/Dramione Fic)

Chapter 1 • Choices, Choices!

Hermione sat in the Gryffindor common room, writing an essay for Potions in front of the fire. She lifted her head from her work and glanced around the room, surprised to find that she, Harry, and Ron were the only ones left after a long day. Looking over to Ron, she smiled to herself,  loving the way his red hair stuck up around his face. As she looked back down at her essay, she caught a glimpse of Ron watching her, and she smiled again, biting her lip as a blush crept up her cheeks.

Hermione scratched out a misspelled word, letting her feelings for Ron wash over her, her fingers tingling and her head spinning. She liked Ron, and she knew Ron liked her,  too,  and yet she liked... she also liked another boy... Malfoy.  She shook her head gently,  dispelling those thoughts. Her essay was due tomorrow, and she had to work quickly if she wanted enough sleep. She could sort out her feelings later.

The next morning, Hermione woke up to an empty dormitory, sunlight streaming brightly through the window by her bed. Suddenly, the bright midmorning light registering in her mind, she flung aside her hangings, wide-awake. She had overslept! Sure enough, she had slept through the charm she had set to wake her up. The little red charm was blinking slowly, its energy spent after trying to awaken her for nearly an hour. Vanishing the charm, she relaxed as she checked the time; she had overreacted, and it was only seven-forty; she still had plenty of time to get to breakfast and her first lesson. Once she had dressed, she headed down to the Great Hall with her bag and wand.

As she sat down at the table between Harry and Ron, she pulled out a thick book on Transfiguration she had checked out of the library a week before. Flipping to her spot at chapter 12, she spooned out generous helpings of eggs and and sausages onto her plate and began reading.

"What kep' 'oo so long, 'ermione?" asked Ron through a mouthful of food.

Hermione shot a disgusted look at him, her gaze softening as she caught sight of his upside-down Gryffindor badge. "I overslept," she said, delicately brushing off the bits of food he had accidentally spit at her. "And your badge is upside-down," she added, laughing as Ron looked down, his ears turning red. She continued reading.

Hermione was still perusing her book when Harry poked her shoulder. "Hey! Are you listening? I said our Charms lesson has been cancelled this morning!" Harry had an ecstatic look on his face, obviously glad that they wouldn't have to go to their first class of the day.

"Really?" asked Hermione dejectedly. "How come?" She quite liked Charms, and a double period had been scheduled for the day.

Ron shrugged unconcernedly, joining in the conversation. "Who cares? We get a free period!" He pulled over a plate of pancakes and served himself. "And I have all my homework finished, so we can all head over to the lake."

Hermione stifled a smile at the thought of spending a double period in the sun with Ron. Well, Harry would be there too, but she didn't have a crush on him. It was Ron she wanted to talk to.

She put away her book as she waited for Harry and Ron to finish eating, and her eyes strayed over to the Slytherin table, where Malfoy's friends surrounded him as he told a joke. Hermione bit her lip, trying to suppress the swooping sensation in her stomach as she watched his hands move expressively as he told his story. Could she really blame herself for liking him so much? He was very handsome, with his blond hair, grey eyes, and trim, athletic build. Tearing her eyes away, Hermione relaxed, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Telling herself that she would have to choose sometime, she turned back to Ron. "Are you ready to head out?"

After they all had finished eating, they walked down to the lake, sitting down together in the shade of a large beech tree.

"I still can't believe Flitwick set us that essay on famous uses of basic charmwork last week," Ron grumbled. "Isn't it good enough that we know how to do it? We do this sort of rubbish in History of Magic!" Hermione rolled her eyes; she knew Ron was only upset because she hadn't let him copy off of hers and had received dreadful marks as a consequence of his inattention.

"Well, Ron,  it's not like you even know what Professor Binns is saying half the time. You ought to take your own notes for once rather than copying from me; Harry at least remembers some stuff on his own!"

Harry laughed. "Yeah, but not because I actually listen to Binns," he muttered to Ron. "More like Hermione says all of that rubbish enough that I can't help but remember it."

Ron sniggered.

"What's so funny?" Hermione snapped, but not because she had heard Harry. Why did Ron have to laugh so adorably? However, before anybody could reply, Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins walked up.

"What's going on here?" Malfoy sneered. "Potty and the Weasel with their little mudblood friend? What is this, a gathering of the most pathetic Gryffindors in the school? But where's Longbotom?" Malfoy's friends laughed, and he even allowed himself a mean snicker at his joke. "Come on," he said. "We don't want this filth getting on our robes." As they turned to leave, however, Ron and Harry leaped to their feet.

"You take that back!" Ron said heatedly. "Take it back! You've no right to call anyone pathetic when you're such a coward!" He brandished his wand at Malfoy's chest.

"Just you try and curse me, Weasley; I doubt it'll work." He laughed as he remembered the time in second year when Ron's broken wand had backfired, causing him to vomit slugs. "Oh, look!" He said in mock surprise. "Granger's going to help him!"

The watching Slytherins guffawed with glee as Hermione stood up shakily to confront Malfoy. "You--you back off!" She managed out, trying to ignore Malfoy's handsome face. "Leave us alone!" She sounded threatening, though her wand lay at her side in her fist. She pushed Harry and Ron back and sat between them.

Ron looked at Hermione in mingled anger and confusion as Malfoy and his friends left. "What was that for?!" He exclaimed. "You should have let us have a go at him! He shouldn't have called you that!"

"Come on, Hermione," Harry added. "I even had an excuse to hex him!" He twisted his wand around in his hands longingly. "Just let me--"

"No," said Hermione with finality. "You know Snape would take off points and put you in detention, and frankly, neither of you can afford that with Quidditch and homework." She pulled out her Transfigurarion homework to revise it. "Give me your essays so I can fix them for you."

Both Harry and Ron looked mutinous as they handed over their homework, but neither pushed the subject further.

During Transfiguration, Hermione could barely focus on the classwork; she couldn't help but to glance at Ron's messy red hair, his freckled face, and his long nose as Professor McGonagall taught them switching spells, and when she wasn't watching Ron,  she could've sworn she saw him staring at her every now and then, making her heart race.

After class, Harry ran off to the bathroom before Potions, and she and Ron were left alone. Waiting in the silence beside Ron, Hermione found a million thoughts running through her mind. Tell him now; he'll understand. But you don't know about Malfoy yet, do you? But I know I like Ron! But Malfoy... The two parts of her mind battled for the upper hand as she stood by Ron, and she was in half a mind to grab his hand right there, but another half to run away... Luckily, she was saved from further decision by Harry's arrival and Snape's sweeping gesture through the door.