This is my actual first fanfic. I wrote it in one notebook that was lost by my classmate for about six months. I read it and began laughing at myself. It was such a disaster. I've edited A LOT of parts :D

1. New Year, New Perspective

It was, once again a new year at Hogwarts. Hermione was standing by the barrier at platform nine and three quarters, waiting for Harry and Ron since Harry had spent his vacation at the Burrow. She was freezing

"Hermione!" a voice called. She looked around and saw Harry and Ron beaming at her. She ran towards the two and hugged each one very tightly

"I missed you so much!" she said. "Have you got your OWL results yet?"

"Yeah," Harry replied. "Only failed Divination and History of Magic. Couldn't have passed anyway, after that fiasco. But to make up for that, at least I got an O at DADA."

"Ooh, that's nice," she complimented. Harry blushed a bit. "Ron?"

"Same as Harry," he replied. "No O at DADA, though."

"Didn't get an O at it myself." Hermione frowned.

Suddenly the train whistled.

"Oh, we better hurry," Ron said, pushing his trolley. Harry and Hermione followed.

Once on the train, Harry beckoned them to the other side. He looked puzzled when Hermione said no.

"Prefect duty, remember?" Hermione said. "We'll see you later"

"Oh, yeah," Harry said. How could he have forgotten? He hung his head while Hermione and Ron went to the Prefects' compartment. When they got there, Draco was telling a first year off for being near his seat. But Hermione knew that the boy was Muggle-Born.

"Leave him alone," she said firmly. "He's not doing anything to you." The kid was crying on Hermione's shirt.

"Forgot you were a mudblood yourself, Granger," Draco said with a sneer. "Why don't both of you just get back to London?" Hermione looked at him menacingly. Ron immediately came to her rescue.

"Shut it Malfoy," Ron said "before I dock points off your house."

"I thought you said prefects can't take points off each others' houses?"

"Yeah? I just found out from Bill that prefects do have the power," replied Ron with a sneer challenging Malfoy's. "So unless you want fifty points off Slytherin, watch it."

He looked icily at Ron and Hermione.

"Thanks," Hermione said after Draco left. "You were joking about the point-taking part, right?"

"Of course I was," he said with a crooked smile

***

It was the Opening Feast. The Sorting Ceremony was over and the muggle-born kid Hermione and Ron had helped earlier was sorted into Gryffindor.

"Wonder where Harry is," Hermione wondered, looking around. "Hope he's okay. We didn't get to see him on the train." They didn't see Harry even after the feast.

Hermione was out of her mind when the feast was over and Harry was still not there.

"First years, over here!" Ron began shouting. Hermione, however, was still staring into nothing. "Hermione, you okay?"

"Wha--? Oh!" said Hermione, standing up. "First years! This way please." She walked alongside Ron with the first years trailing behind them. When they reached the common room, Hermione sat on an armchair and began staring at the fire again.

It was only when the door opened that Hermione stood up.

"Harry!" she said, jumping from her chair. "What kept you?"

"Dumbledore," he replied. "It was about Sirius' will." Harry looked so sad that he was pale. Sirius had died the previous year in the Department of Mysteries, fighting alongside Dumbledore's Arm and the other members of the Phoenix.

"So what did it say?" Ron asked.

"He's left me the house, everything in it and Kreacher," he replied. Ron shivered at the sound of the house elf's name. "Oh yeah, he left me his gold, too." Hermione could feel the sadness in his voice so she sat beside him.

"Come off it," she soothed. "I know you're going to miss him, but he wouldn't have liked seeing you like this."

"Uh-oh," Ron said suddenly. "It's midnight. Let's get to bed or we'll be late tomorrow." Harry and Hermione stood up. Instead of going to her own dormitory, though, followed Harry and kissed his cheek, just like Ron on his first Quidditch match.

"G-goodnight," she stammered before going off to her dormitory. Ron looked a bit put off.

***

When they reached the dormitory, Ron spoke up, obviously trying to keep the hurt out of his voice.

"So," he said "what was that all about? The Muggles letting you send mail now?"

"No," Harry replied. "Honestly, I don't know what's gotten to her." Ron didn't seem to believe a word of it. He turned his back to Harry and pretended to sleep.

***

Hermione was still awake. She was there, sitting by the window, thinking about what had happened. What made her do it? She was feeling something for Ron, but the feeling seemed to have faded in thin air. Was it possible that she was falling for Harry?

She had thought over everything that had happened. In the previous year, she was quite happy that Harry went out with Cho. Why did it seem that now, she wished it was her in Cho's place. Could it be possible that it had been there all along? Is it the reason why she arranged their meeting with Rita Skeeter smack in the middle of their date even though Rita offered to do it later? Hermione had also been dreaming about herself and Harry. Was all that part of this?

The sky outside was clear and full of stars. For once, she didn't think about classes the next day. Crookshanks came to her. Hermione stood up, climbed into bed and tried with all her might to keep her eyes shut until the morning.

***

Next day, she couldn't eat. She had once again dreamed of herself and Harry. She was playing with her bacon when someone spotted her.

"Bacon wasn't invented for you to play with," Harry said jokingly. Hermione looked up and smiled at him. He sat beside her so close that their arms touch. Hermione felt the hair at the back of her neck stand up. "Anything the matter?"

"Nah, just . . . thinking," she replied. She turned and saw her eyes boring into Harry's. Both of them stared like they just saw the sun for the first time.

"Hem, hem," came a voice. Harry and Hermione were quickly snapped back to life. They saw Ron sitting on the other side of Hermione.

"Hi," Hermione said feebly.

"Morning," Ron answered back. Hermione tried to convince herself that Ron was only grumpy for having to get up early.

That very moment, Professor McGonagall began handing out their timetables. Ron finished his breakfast hurriedly.

"I forgot something upstairs," he explained. "See you in Potions."

Ron speeded up to their dormitory. He didn't have the chance to weigh the effectiveness of his excuse.

He opened his trunk and saw himself laughing up at him arms around his two best friends. He smiled to himself, forgetting what he had seen earlier. He remembered what they had gone through, the troll, the arguments, Aragog and the Stone. But something was not right now. Before, he always fought with Hermione. Now he's defending her. Well, it was Malfoy, but now he wanted to punch himself for having argued with her. If the time ever comes, should he fight for Hermione and put their friendship on the edge or let Hermione choose and be contented for whatever her decision is?

***

Harry and Hermione were worried about Ron, but it was nearly time for potions. Harry was taking Hermione, for the first time, through their handy shortcuts.

"Harry?"

"Mm?"

"Isn't it a bit . . . weird," she said "for Ron to act that way this morning? I mean, he sounds so upset."

"Dunno," Harry replied. "Maybe he dreamt of Phlegm or something and woke up when he was about to kiss her."

"Don't call her that," Hermione scolded, slapping his arm playfully. An uncomfortable silence stretched between them until they reached the dungeons.

Ron was late for class. Hermione was as agitated as she was when Harry didn't come to the feast.

"So, as you can see, the components of Wolfsbane differ than that of—ah, Mr.?" said Slughorn as the door opened.

"Weasley, Professor," he replied. Ron avoided to look at Hermione and Harry and instead sat beside Parvati and Lavender. Something's not right, said Hermione to herself.

I'm so keeping the hardcopy for myself...