A/N: Hey everybody! I'm Gryffindor Heiress, the author of this story, and
I'm glad you're giving it a chance! First off, let me start with a
disclaimer. You all know the drill, but I'm just putting it up so I don't
find myself getting sued or anything. I don't own Harry Potter, or any of
the characters or places mentioned in the story. They belong to the great
one herself, J.K. Rowling. All of the unfamiliar names most likely belong
to me. They are figments of my imagination. They are not real. If they are,
that is pure coincidence. The storyline is mine. I made it up myself. Once
again, if someone else had the same idea, it is pure coincidence. I am not
writing this story for money, or for all those other promotional purposes.
I'm writing it for my readers' entertainment.
So you know, this story started out as a thing between my friends and I. To put it simply: this story just started out for fun. There are some parts in the story where the characters are out of character. If you don't like that, I apologize, but please still give my story a chance. I worked really hard on it.
Don't worry, this won't take long, I still have a bit more stuff to say. To Bee, Penny, Deb, Elena, and Diana: here it is! FINALLY! I hope you enjoy reading this. Without you, there would be no exchange students (you get what I mean.) I guess I'll see y'all soon.
Okay, this is the last bit, I PROMISE! This first chapter is dedicated to Amanda (my Beta reader) and Nicole (my first faithful reader.) Amanda: thank you sooooooo much for cleaning up all those "thens" and "headeds". This story would've been a mess without you! Nicole: I'm so happy you enjoy my story! I hope you are pleased with the ending. Without the two of you, I probably would've never brought myself to post this story. It means so much to me that the two of you took the time to read (and proofread), send feedback, and all your encouraging words.
Whew! Now, without further ado, here's chapter one of my story!
Chapter 1: Hermione's Problem and Cho Chang
Fifteen-year-old Harry Potter walked by himself down Diagon Alley. It was August thirty-first, and he was going to be meeting up with his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger so they could do some last minute shopping together.
His summer was...great (a big miracle in Harry's eyes.) He spent only two weeks with the Dursleys, and then he was whisked away to the Burrow with the Weasleys on Dumbledore's request. The Dursleys gladly obliged because they didn't want a repeat of any of the other previous summers when he came back from Hogwarts. And since the Dursleys didn't want the Weasleys messing up their house again, they decided to drop Harry off at King's Cross Station, and the Weasleys will pick him up from there.
And so they did, and Harry's awesome summer had begun. Harry looked forward to spending some quality time with Ron. He really felt like talking about the Triwizard Tournament (the happier times, at least), and who better to talk to than Ron? But to Harry's misfortune, Ron had always seemed to be off on some other planet while they were talking. Harry never knew what was wrong with Ron, and didn't have any intentions on asking him. It was Ron's life, and it was up to Ron if he wanted to tell Harry about it.
The rest of the Weasleys, though, were a lot more awake than Ron was. Percy got the honor of taking over Mr. Crouch's job in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. It was a big job, and it made Percy more conceited than ever. ("What do you do in the Department of International Magical Cooperation anyway?" Fred asked Percy one morning. Percy scowled and said, "Geor- I mean Fred, you're too young to understand.") Speaking of Fred, he and George had an absolutely great time with the thousand Galleons Harry had given them at the end of the term. Almost all summer long, they went to Diagon Alley to check out old, deserted shops that were for sale. Unfortunately, they have yet to find their perfect shop. ("We always have the summer after this term." Harry overheard George saying to Fred. "We've got as long as we want after this term. We'd have graduated!" Fred exclaimed. Harry never thought about that.) Ginny had taken up a fast friendship with Neville. She never really talked to him, but after he had taken her to the Yule Ball, she decided that he wasn't that bad. They had been sending owls to each other all during the summer. Well, all the time Ginny wasn't admiring Harry from a distance.
And Harry had believed that Ginny wasn't the only one watching him. Every time he headed out of the Burrow, he had this strange feeling he was being watched. Ron had assured him that there were these "mental, boy-crazy twins" that lived down the road, and were always watching his brothers when they had the chance. But then Ron started wondering why they hadn't been watching him. Harry assured him they were and that he just didn't know it. And then Harry started wondering why Ron cared if girls were watching him...
Harry walked past Quality Quidditch Supplies, but then backtracked and looked in the window. Shining like a unicorn was the Firebolt. Harry looked at it longingly. Of course, Harry already had a Firebolt, but it seemed to be ages since he had last ridden his in a Quidditch match. They didn't have Quidditch during his fourth year. But he did go to the Quidditch World Cup...where all the players were riding on Firebolts. Harry sighed. He remembered how the Firebolt moved so swiftly. It seemed to go by his thoughts, rather than touch. Harry was so caught up in reminiscing that he didn't notice that someone had walked up behind him.
"Well if it isn't Potty." The way too familiar voice drawled. Harry groaned.
"Malfoy." Harry said, not turning around. He hoped that that would make Malfoy get the point and go away.
"Is there something wrong with your face again Potter?" Obviously, he didn't get the point. Nobody ever did. Harry sometimes felt he was so misunderstood that he shouldn't even bother with those too stupid to understand. Harry heard Malfoy, still talking his brains out. "Did the Dark Lord manage to crack your skull open?" Malfoy teased, "Is that why you aren't turning around. I bet it isn't that bad. C'mon, give me a looksie." Harry tried not to cringe when Malfoy had said "Dark Lord", but he didn't succeed. And he didn't succeed in keeping it unnoticeable. "Aw, scared? Scared of what? The Dark Lord? Voldemort? You should be, because Voldemort is back and you're most likely the first one to get it. Well, actually second because Voldemort got Diggory first. I wonder how you're going to tell the tale. You know, the one of you seeing Diggory die. You always like to get attention, Potter. You'll really get fame off of telling people all the details of watching Diggory croak right before your very eyes." Malfoy kept talking to the back of Harry's head. Harry's head hung low. The images of Cedric's dead body never seemed to be forgotten. The sound of Wormtail saying Avada Kedavra always seemed to become louder and louder every time he thought about it. And that's how it was. Every time Harry thought about that day, the third task, and being whisked off to Voldemort himself, the images got greater and greater. Harry's hands were now in fists. His knuckles were turning white. He was shaking as Malfoy kept babbling on and on, "...poor, poor Diggory-"
WHACK!
Harry had had it. He couldn't stand Malfoy. He despised him. He didn't want to have anything to do with him. He annoyed him, and there was no denying how much he loathed him. And after Harry had done it, he felt a rush all through his body. All the animosity he had stored in him for Malfoy all those years he's known him was released when he sent a great and almighty punch to Malfoy's jaw.
Malfoy was shocked.
Harry, too, was shocked. Probably even more shocked than Malfoy. Harry looked down at his fist. His knuckles were still white. Then, he looked at Malfoy again. He had a hand to his jaw, and he seemed to be trying not to whimper. Malfoy was, finally, at a total loss for words.
"B-Be afraid Potter! I will tell my father of this, and make sure he tells Voldemort of the actions you have performed on the son of a Death Eater!" Malfoy screamed. He then took one more, almost forceful, look at Harry and scrambled off.
Harry stood there, still trying to take in all the things that had just happened. He was talking to Malfoy. Well, Malfoy was doing all the talking. But Malfoy was talking about Voldemort, and then Cedric. Harry guessed anger overtook him and made him do what he did. It surprised him. He knew that he would've never socked Malfoy if Crabbe and Goyle were there. They would've surely taken him down. Luckily, Malfoy had been alone. Even if Harry was surprised by his sudden action, he couldn't help but smile at how scared Malfoy had looked after he had hit him. And how Malfoy had to practically force himself to look at Harry. He couldn't wait to tell Ron.
******
"I missed it!" Ron exclaimed. Obviously, Harry had just given Ron all the juicy details of what happened between he and Malfoy. He had found Ron with Hermione and the rest of the Weasleys exiting Madame Malkin's Robe Shop. The Weasleys had picked up Hermione (that's why Harry was in Diagon Alley by himself), and got to Madame Malkin's by Floo powder. Hermione was still in there, looking for another dress robe, just incase Dumbledore had decided on hosting another Yule Ball. Now, Harry and Ron were walking down Diagon Alley, with Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Fred, and George close behind them. "How could I have not been there? Stupid Floo! There's been a lot of traffic lately." Ron then swore a couple of times, to let out his frustration of missing the event, but obediently stopped when his mom had heard him midway through the F-word.
"Shame on you, 'ickle Ronnikins!" Fred mockingly scolded as he and George caught up to Harry and Ron.
"So, you really knocked out Malfoy?" George asked.
"I didn't exactly knock Malfoy out. I just punched him, that's all. Hey! Were you two eavesdropping?" Harry asked suddenly, recalling that he had only told Ron about the event. Fred and George sniggered, and then headed into Quality Quidditch Supplies. For seventh years, Fred and George were still a bit...immature.
"Harry, did you have as much of a weird summer as I did?" Ron asked.
"What do you mean by weird? Was it weird that I was there?" Harry asked.
"No.. It's just weird stuff, Harry. I don't think you'll understand. It's kind of complicated." Ron said.
"No really, what's up?" Harry asked.
"It's nothing." Ron said quickly.
"Ron." Harry said.
"Fine. But I still don't think you're going to be interested in hearing this. I.. Well, do you remember Mila that lived down the road? Well...I kind of had a crush on her. I still kind of do. She's pretty. But then... Do you remember when I woke up screaming? It was because I had this weird dream about Parvati Patil. Fred kind of found out, and that's why he was calling me 'Mr. Patil'. But I swear I don't want anything to do with her. But I did think her sister Padma was quite good looking for a while. And then I thought the same about Lavender Brown. I just never realized their beauty. And then I began to develop a great interest in Cho Chang. You know, the Ravenclaw Seeker? She has nice hair. And then this shocked me most. Remember when Percy brought Penelope over to celebrate his promotion? Well, I thought she looked really FINE! I don't know why. I'm just having problems, and things are getting weird. And then, one more thing, I had this REALLY nice dream about Fleur Delacour. That's understandable; she's beautiful. But with all that other stuff happening.. What's wrong with me, Harry?" Ron finally asked. He had spoken so quickly that Harry's head was spinning. It seemed possible to Harry that Ron was through a prepubescent girl phase. But how to give Ron the news, who knew? It seemed that Ron had despised girls for so long. And now it seemed so weird for Ron of all people to have weird infatuations on such different girls at random. Harry wasn't sure of the outcome when he finally decided to tell Ron. Harry then inhaled deeply.
"Ron, I'm pretty sure you're going through a phase." Harry stated. Ron looked lost. "I think you're going through some girl phase, Ron. You're suddenly infatuated with girls. It's a prepubescent thing. Don't worry, it won't kill you." Harry explained. Ron looked like he couldn't take it anymore. Then he blew up, but not in the way Harry had expected.
"A chick phase! This is so cool! Girls, girls, girls: twenty-four seven! YES!" Ron exclaimed.
******
"Harry, could I talk to you for a moment?" Hermione suddenly spoke up. Ron was going on and on about the beautiful Mila, and after finding Hermione in Magical Menagerie, she obviously seemed to have different things on her mind. "Alone." Hermione emphasized just as Harry was about to get Ron's attention. Harry nodded, and then he and Hermione led Ron into Quality Quidditch Supplies with Fred and George, and then closed the door behind him. Ron was still going on, so he probably didn't notice that Harry and Hermione had left him.
Hermione and Harry, on the other hand, started walking off to some place Harry wasn't sure Hermione was leading him to. She then stopped him in front of another alley. But that alley was quite deserted. Harry guessed Hermione really meant it when she wanted to be alone.
"I've had a weird summer, Harry." Hermione stated.
"She's not the only one." Harry thought, "Perhaps she's going through a boy phase?"
"Well, yes, I spent most of it with Viktor Krum, as you know, and obviously that was weird because I was spending a good portion of my summer with a Quidditch star. But that's not it... I've just been feeling these weird feelings." Hermione explained.
"Is it Vol- I mean, You-Know-Who? Hermione, you're not the only one that's been feeling nervous about him. Practically the whole Wizarding World is in hysteria. But you shouldn't worry because as long as we're at Hogwarts, You- Know-Who wouldn't be able to get to us. We've got Dumble-"
"THAT'S NOT IT!" Hermione screamed. Harry's face softened as he pulled Hermione into a hug.
"Hermione, denial isn't going to do you any good." Harry said as he pulled away. His arms were now on her shoulders and he was forcing her to look at him. "Don't listen to that ass, Malfoy. You-Know-Who will never get to you. I swear it over my life. Although, that probably isn't the best thing." Harry said, half smiling. Hermione, though, still didn't smile. She looked irritated. "Pull yourself together, woman! We've got O.W.L.'s this year! Don't stress over You-Know-Who!" Harry said, "To hopefully get your mind off it, I'll go and buy you some ice cream. I'll just go and get Ron." Harry said, and then he was off. Hermione sighed.
"I'll probably never have another chance to tell you, Harry: this isn't about You-Know-Who, it's about Ron." Hermione said quietly as she watched Harry retreat to Quality Quidditch Supplies. She then watched as Harry led Ron out, and Ron still looked like he was jabbing. Fred and George were following behind, probably because they never turn down free ice cream. Hermione then went to catch up with the four guys.
Hermione had been so caught up in her thoughts at the alley that she hadn't realized someone else was there the whole time and had heard not only she and Harry's conversation, but also her last statement.
******
"Then, finally, she noticed me! Remember when I went after that Quaffle while we were playing Quidditch out in the field during, maybe, your second day at the Burrow? Well, that's when I ran in to her and she told me to stop stalking her. But hey, that was a start!" Ron kept going on as his ice cream began to melt without him noticing it.
Hermione was growing bored with Ron's "pointless" talking. She sighed, put her head on her arms, and closed her eyes. Finally, Ron had stopped talking when he noticed Hermione's actions.
"What's wrong, Herm?" Ron asked. Hermione felt herself blush.
"Herm? I like that." Hermione thought. And then she realized Ron was waiting for an answer, so she finally spoke up. "Oh, it's nothing, really." Hermione said quickly, and sitting up as fast as she had spoken. Ron eyed her suspiciously. Ron's eyes scanned her face, and Hermione felt herself shudder.
"You cold, Hermione?" Fred, whom was sitting next to her, asked.
"No, I...I...well, I'm a bit tired. I didn't sleep much last night. I was quite excited about seeing everyone.. And maybe I am a bit cold." Hermione said, discreetly eyeing Ron's jacket. It was a bit flimsy, and didn't look like it could store a lot of warmth, but the thought of her wearing anything that belonged to Ron brought a smile to her face.
"What's wrong with Hermione?" George leaned over and asked Harry. Harry shrugged his shoulders. He had no clue why she was acting so...unusual all of a sudden. "I say, there's something seriously wrong with her." George stated. Fred nodded in agreement. Hermione seemed too far off that Harry could almost swear she didn't hear what George had said.
What was wrong with Hermione? Harry had a gut feeling it was Voldemort. Harry couldn't be so far off.
******
The Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione were all rounded up and were about to leave by Floo powder through the fireplace in Madame Malkin's Robe Shop when Harry spotted her in the dress robes section. He tried not to look nervous. It was Cho.
Harry felt Ron nudge him in his side, and knew what Ron was nudging him about. Cho and some other Ravenclaw girl were heading over to them. Harry looked at Ron, whose eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head. Then Harry remembered that Ron didn't exactly know he has a crush on Cho.
"Harry." Ron said through gritted teeth. Ron seemed to be more nervous than he was. Usually, Harry's hands would get all clammy whenever he saw Cho, but this time was different. His stomach didn't even feel like it was somersaulting. It just sat there. Harry was beginning to think he was coming down with some sort of sickness.
Harry's heart didn't even palpitate when it happened.
"Hi Harry." Cho said, "Ron, right?" Ron turned his head sharply towards Cho at the sound of his name. Ron nodded, and looked like he was trying to keep her, and Harry, from noticing the blush that had crept onto his cheeks. Cho smiled sweetly, but then turned her attention back to Harry. "Look Harry, I know we haven't been talking a lot. We never really talked at all. And I know that ever since the Triwizard Tournament, you seemed to have been avoiding me a lot. I just wanted to clear things up." Cho said. Harry heard Ron gulp loudly. Why hadn't Ron given them some privacy? Didn't Cho have any shame? She was about to say whatever it was she was going to say not only in front of Ron, but also the rest of the Weasleys, which includes the love-struck Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley, and Hermione. "Harry, I heard that Hogwarts is going to have their first trip to Hogsmeade the third week into the term. I was just wondering if you would like to accompany me? We could talk...about things. Get to know each other better. We don't know each other too well. What do you say, Harry?" Cho's eyes sparkled. Her friend was leaning in so much that she looked like she was going to tip over.
"Ron, you first!" Mrs. Weasley announced. They were obviously ready to leave.
"Give me the details at the Burrow." Ron hissed before he went through the flames.
"So?" Cho asked.
"No, sorry." Harry said quietly. Harry then averted his eyes from hers. He didn't want to see her expression.
"Harry, c'mon!" called Mrs. Weasley. Harry went quickly over to the fireplace, not looking back at Cho.
A/N: So, how'd ya like that first chapter? I should be posting the next chapter up soon (soon as in two minutes soon!) Okay, while you're reading my story, you should be getting used to one thing, and that's called FEEDBACK! Feedback is your friend. Feedback is not your enemy. Go click that review button, or e-mail me (my address should be up with my profile somewhere) and tell me what you think! Constructive criticism is welcome. Your opinion is definitely welcome. If you have any questions for me, I'll be glad to answer them for you. FLAMES SUCK! Okay, now where was I? Oh yeah. Thank you for giving my story a chance, and I hope you'll stick around for the rest of the story. -Gryffindor Heiress
So you know, this story started out as a thing between my friends and I. To put it simply: this story just started out for fun. There are some parts in the story where the characters are out of character. If you don't like that, I apologize, but please still give my story a chance. I worked really hard on it.
Don't worry, this won't take long, I still have a bit more stuff to say. To Bee, Penny, Deb, Elena, and Diana: here it is! FINALLY! I hope you enjoy reading this. Without you, there would be no exchange students (you get what I mean.) I guess I'll see y'all soon.
Okay, this is the last bit, I PROMISE! This first chapter is dedicated to Amanda (my Beta reader) and Nicole (my first faithful reader.) Amanda: thank you sooooooo much for cleaning up all those "thens" and "headeds". This story would've been a mess without you! Nicole: I'm so happy you enjoy my story! I hope you are pleased with the ending. Without the two of you, I probably would've never brought myself to post this story. It means so much to me that the two of you took the time to read (and proofread), send feedback, and all your encouraging words.
Whew! Now, without further ado, here's chapter one of my story!
Chapter 1: Hermione's Problem and Cho Chang
Fifteen-year-old Harry Potter walked by himself down Diagon Alley. It was August thirty-first, and he was going to be meeting up with his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger so they could do some last minute shopping together.
His summer was...great (a big miracle in Harry's eyes.) He spent only two weeks with the Dursleys, and then he was whisked away to the Burrow with the Weasleys on Dumbledore's request. The Dursleys gladly obliged because they didn't want a repeat of any of the other previous summers when he came back from Hogwarts. And since the Dursleys didn't want the Weasleys messing up their house again, they decided to drop Harry off at King's Cross Station, and the Weasleys will pick him up from there.
And so they did, and Harry's awesome summer had begun. Harry looked forward to spending some quality time with Ron. He really felt like talking about the Triwizard Tournament (the happier times, at least), and who better to talk to than Ron? But to Harry's misfortune, Ron had always seemed to be off on some other planet while they were talking. Harry never knew what was wrong with Ron, and didn't have any intentions on asking him. It was Ron's life, and it was up to Ron if he wanted to tell Harry about it.
The rest of the Weasleys, though, were a lot more awake than Ron was. Percy got the honor of taking over Mr. Crouch's job in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. It was a big job, and it made Percy more conceited than ever. ("What do you do in the Department of International Magical Cooperation anyway?" Fred asked Percy one morning. Percy scowled and said, "Geor- I mean Fred, you're too young to understand.") Speaking of Fred, he and George had an absolutely great time with the thousand Galleons Harry had given them at the end of the term. Almost all summer long, they went to Diagon Alley to check out old, deserted shops that were for sale. Unfortunately, they have yet to find their perfect shop. ("We always have the summer after this term." Harry overheard George saying to Fred. "We've got as long as we want after this term. We'd have graduated!" Fred exclaimed. Harry never thought about that.) Ginny had taken up a fast friendship with Neville. She never really talked to him, but after he had taken her to the Yule Ball, she decided that he wasn't that bad. They had been sending owls to each other all during the summer. Well, all the time Ginny wasn't admiring Harry from a distance.
And Harry had believed that Ginny wasn't the only one watching him. Every time he headed out of the Burrow, he had this strange feeling he was being watched. Ron had assured him that there were these "mental, boy-crazy twins" that lived down the road, and were always watching his brothers when they had the chance. But then Ron started wondering why they hadn't been watching him. Harry assured him they were and that he just didn't know it. And then Harry started wondering why Ron cared if girls were watching him...
Harry walked past Quality Quidditch Supplies, but then backtracked and looked in the window. Shining like a unicorn was the Firebolt. Harry looked at it longingly. Of course, Harry already had a Firebolt, but it seemed to be ages since he had last ridden his in a Quidditch match. They didn't have Quidditch during his fourth year. But he did go to the Quidditch World Cup...where all the players were riding on Firebolts. Harry sighed. He remembered how the Firebolt moved so swiftly. It seemed to go by his thoughts, rather than touch. Harry was so caught up in reminiscing that he didn't notice that someone had walked up behind him.
"Well if it isn't Potty." The way too familiar voice drawled. Harry groaned.
"Malfoy." Harry said, not turning around. He hoped that that would make Malfoy get the point and go away.
"Is there something wrong with your face again Potter?" Obviously, he didn't get the point. Nobody ever did. Harry sometimes felt he was so misunderstood that he shouldn't even bother with those too stupid to understand. Harry heard Malfoy, still talking his brains out. "Did the Dark Lord manage to crack your skull open?" Malfoy teased, "Is that why you aren't turning around. I bet it isn't that bad. C'mon, give me a looksie." Harry tried not to cringe when Malfoy had said "Dark Lord", but he didn't succeed. And he didn't succeed in keeping it unnoticeable. "Aw, scared? Scared of what? The Dark Lord? Voldemort? You should be, because Voldemort is back and you're most likely the first one to get it. Well, actually second because Voldemort got Diggory first. I wonder how you're going to tell the tale. You know, the one of you seeing Diggory die. You always like to get attention, Potter. You'll really get fame off of telling people all the details of watching Diggory croak right before your very eyes." Malfoy kept talking to the back of Harry's head. Harry's head hung low. The images of Cedric's dead body never seemed to be forgotten. The sound of Wormtail saying Avada Kedavra always seemed to become louder and louder every time he thought about it. And that's how it was. Every time Harry thought about that day, the third task, and being whisked off to Voldemort himself, the images got greater and greater. Harry's hands were now in fists. His knuckles were turning white. He was shaking as Malfoy kept babbling on and on, "...poor, poor Diggory-"
WHACK!
Harry had had it. He couldn't stand Malfoy. He despised him. He didn't want to have anything to do with him. He annoyed him, and there was no denying how much he loathed him. And after Harry had done it, he felt a rush all through his body. All the animosity he had stored in him for Malfoy all those years he's known him was released when he sent a great and almighty punch to Malfoy's jaw.
Malfoy was shocked.
Harry, too, was shocked. Probably even more shocked than Malfoy. Harry looked down at his fist. His knuckles were still white. Then, he looked at Malfoy again. He had a hand to his jaw, and he seemed to be trying not to whimper. Malfoy was, finally, at a total loss for words.
"B-Be afraid Potter! I will tell my father of this, and make sure he tells Voldemort of the actions you have performed on the son of a Death Eater!" Malfoy screamed. He then took one more, almost forceful, look at Harry and scrambled off.
Harry stood there, still trying to take in all the things that had just happened. He was talking to Malfoy. Well, Malfoy was doing all the talking. But Malfoy was talking about Voldemort, and then Cedric. Harry guessed anger overtook him and made him do what he did. It surprised him. He knew that he would've never socked Malfoy if Crabbe and Goyle were there. They would've surely taken him down. Luckily, Malfoy had been alone. Even if Harry was surprised by his sudden action, he couldn't help but smile at how scared Malfoy had looked after he had hit him. And how Malfoy had to practically force himself to look at Harry. He couldn't wait to tell Ron.
******
"I missed it!" Ron exclaimed. Obviously, Harry had just given Ron all the juicy details of what happened between he and Malfoy. He had found Ron with Hermione and the rest of the Weasleys exiting Madame Malkin's Robe Shop. The Weasleys had picked up Hermione (that's why Harry was in Diagon Alley by himself), and got to Madame Malkin's by Floo powder. Hermione was still in there, looking for another dress robe, just incase Dumbledore had decided on hosting another Yule Ball. Now, Harry and Ron were walking down Diagon Alley, with Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Fred, and George close behind them. "How could I have not been there? Stupid Floo! There's been a lot of traffic lately." Ron then swore a couple of times, to let out his frustration of missing the event, but obediently stopped when his mom had heard him midway through the F-word.
"Shame on you, 'ickle Ronnikins!" Fred mockingly scolded as he and George caught up to Harry and Ron.
"So, you really knocked out Malfoy?" George asked.
"I didn't exactly knock Malfoy out. I just punched him, that's all. Hey! Were you two eavesdropping?" Harry asked suddenly, recalling that he had only told Ron about the event. Fred and George sniggered, and then headed into Quality Quidditch Supplies. For seventh years, Fred and George were still a bit...immature.
"Harry, did you have as much of a weird summer as I did?" Ron asked.
"What do you mean by weird? Was it weird that I was there?" Harry asked.
"No.. It's just weird stuff, Harry. I don't think you'll understand. It's kind of complicated." Ron said.
"No really, what's up?" Harry asked.
"It's nothing." Ron said quickly.
"Ron." Harry said.
"Fine. But I still don't think you're going to be interested in hearing this. I.. Well, do you remember Mila that lived down the road? Well...I kind of had a crush on her. I still kind of do. She's pretty. But then... Do you remember when I woke up screaming? It was because I had this weird dream about Parvati Patil. Fred kind of found out, and that's why he was calling me 'Mr. Patil'. But I swear I don't want anything to do with her. But I did think her sister Padma was quite good looking for a while. And then I thought the same about Lavender Brown. I just never realized their beauty. And then I began to develop a great interest in Cho Chang. You know, the Ravenclaw Seeker? She has nice hair. And then this shocked me most. Remember when Percy brought Penelope over to celebrate his promotion? Well, I thought she looked really FINE! I don't know why. I'm just having problems, and things are getting weird. And then, one more thing, I had this REALLY nice dream about Fleur Delacour. That's understandable; she's beautiful. But with all that other stuff happening.. What's wrong with me, Harry?" Ron finally asked. He had spoken so quickly that Harry's head was spinning. It seemed possible to Harry that Ron was through a prepubescent girl phase. But how to give Ron the news, who knew? It seemed that Ron had despised girls for so long. And now it seemed so weird for Ron of all people to have weird infatuations on such different girls at random. Harry wasn't sure of the outcome when he finally decided to tell Ron. Harry then inhaled deeply.
"Ron, I'm pretty sure you're going through a phase." Harry stated. Ron looked lost. "I think you're going through some girl phase, Ron. You're suddenly infatuated with girls. It's a prepubescent thing. Don't worry, it won't kill you." Harry explained. Ron looked like he couldn't take it anymore. Then he blew up, but not in the way Harry had expected.
"A chick phase! This is so cool! Girls, girls, girls: twenty-four seven! YES!" Ron exclaimed.
******
"Harry, could I talk to you for a moment?" Hermione suddenly spoke up. Ron was going on and on about the beautiful Mila, and after finding Hermione in Magical Menagerie, she obviously seemed to have different things on her mind. "Alone." Hermione emphasized just as Harry was about to get Ron's attention. Harry nodded, and then he and Hermione led Ron into Quality Quidditch Supplies with Fred and George, and then closed the door behind him. Ron was still going on, so he probably didn't notice that Harry and Hermione had left him.
Hermione and Harry, on the other hand, started walking off to some place Harry wasn't sure Hermione was leading him to. She then stopped him in front of another alley. But that alley was quite deserted. Harry guessed Hermione really meant it when she wanted to be alone.
"I've had a weird summer, Harry." Hermione stated.
"She's not the only one." Harry thought, "Perhaps she's going through a boy phase?"
"Well, yes, I spent most of it with Viktor Krum, as you know, and obviously that was weird because I was spending a good portion of my summer with a Quidditch star. But that's not it... I've just been feeling these weird feelings." Hermione explained.
"Is it Vol- I mean, You-Know-Who? Hermione, you're not the only one that's been feeling nervous about him. Practically the whole Wizarding World is in hysteria. But you shouldn't worry because as long as we're at Hogwarts, You- Know-Who wouldn't be able to get to us. We've got Dumble-"
"THAT'S NOT IT!" Hermione screamed. Harry's face softened as he pulled Hermione into a hug.
"Hermione, denial isn't going to do you any good." Harry said as he pulled away. His arms were now on her shoulders and he was forcing her to look at him. "Don't listen to that ass, Malfoy. You-Know-Who will never get to you. I swear it over my life. Although, that probably isn't the best thing." Harry said, half smiling. Hermione, though, still didn't smile. She looked irritated. "Pull yourself together, woman! We've got O.W.L.'s this year! Don't stress over You-Know-Who!" Harry said, "To hopefully get your mind off it, I'll go and buy you some ice cream. I'll just go and get Ron." Harry said, and then he was off. Hermione sighed.
"I'll probably never have another chance to tell you, Harry: this isn't about You-Know-Who, it's about Ron." Hermione said quietly as she watched Harry retreat to Quality Quidditch Supplies. She then watched as Harry led Ron out, and Ron still looked like he was jabbing. Fred and George were following behind, probably because they never turn down free ice cream. Hermione then went to catch up with the four guys.
Hermione had been so caught up in her thoughts at the alley that she hadn't realized someone else was there the whole time and had heard not only she and Harry's conversation, but also her last statement.
******
"Then, finally, she noticed me! Remember when I went after that Quaffle while we were playing Quidditch out in the field during, maybe, your second day at the Burrow? Well, that's when I ran in to her and she told me to stop stalking her. But hey, that was a start!" Ron kept going on as his ice cream began to melt without him noticing it.
Hermione was growing bored with Ron's "pointless" talking. She sighed, put her head on her arms, and closed her eyes. Finally, Ron had stopped talking when he noticed Hermione's actions.
"What's wrong, Herm?" Ron asked. Hermione felt herself blush.
"Herm? I like that." Hermione thought. And then she realized Ron was waiting for an answer, so she finally spoke up. "Oh, it's nothing, really." Hermione said quickly, and sitting up as fast as she had spoken. Ron eyed her suspiciously. Ron's eyes scanned her face, and Hermione felt herself shudder.
"You cold, Hermione?" Fred, whom was sitting next to her, asked.
"No, I...I...well, I'm a bit tired. I didn't sleep much last night. I was quite excited about seeing everyone.. And maybe I am a bit cold." Hermione said, discreetly eyeing Ron's jacket. It was a bit flimsy, and didn't look like it could store a lot of warmth, but the thought of her wearing anything that belonged to Ron brought a smile to her face.
"What's wrong with Hermione?" George leaned over and asked Harry. Harry shrugged his shoulders. He had no clue why she was acting so...unusual all of a sudden. "I say, there's something seriously wrong with her." George stated. Fred nodded in agreement. Hermione seemed too far off that Harry could almost swear she didn't hear what George had said.
What was wrong with Hermione? Harry had a gut feeling it was Voldemort. Harry couldn't be so far off.
******
The Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione were all rounded up and were about to leave by Floo powder through the fireplace in Madame Malkin's Robe Shop when Harry spotted her in the dress robes section. He tried not to look nervous. It was Cho.
Harry felt Ron nudge him in his side, and knew what Ron was nudging him about. Cho and some other Ravenclaw girl were heading over to them. Harry looked at Ron, whose eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head. Then Harry remembered that Ron didn't exactly know he has a crush on Cho.
"Harry." Ron said through gritted teeth. Ron seemed to be more nervous than he was. Usually, Harry's hands would get all clammy whenever he saw Cho, but this time was different. His stomach didn't even feel like it was somersaulting. It just sat there. Harry was beginning to think he was coming down with some sort of sickness.
Harry's heart didn't even palpitate when it happened.
"Hi Harry." Cho said, "Ron, right?" Ron turned his head sharply towards Cho at the sound of his name. Ron nodded, and looked like he was trying to keep her, and Harry, from noticing the blush that had crept onto his cheeks. Cho smiled sweetly, but then turned her attention back to Harry. "Look Harry, I know we haven't been talking a lot. We never really talked at all. And I know that ever since the Triwizard Tournament, you seemed to have been avoiding me a lot. I just wanted to clear things up." Cho said. Harry heard Ron gulp loudly. Why hadn't Ron given them some privacy? Didn't Cho have any shame? She was about to say whatever it was she was going to say not only in front of Ron, but also the rest of the Weasleys, which includes the love-struck Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley, and Hermione. "Harry, I heard that Hogwarts is going to have their first trip to Hogsmeade the third week into the term. I was just wondering if you would like to accompany me? We could talk...about things. Get to know each other better. We don't know each other too well. What do you say, Harry?" Cho's eyes sparkled. Her friend was leaning in so much that she looked like she was going to tip over.
"Ron, you first!" Mrs. Weasley announced. They were obviously ready to leave.
"Give me the details at the Burrow." Ron hissed before he went through the flames.
"So?" Cho asked.
"No, sorry." Harry said quietly. Harry then averted his eyes from hers. He didn't want to see her expression.
"Harry, c'mon!" called Mrs. Weasley. Harry went quickly over to the fireplace, not looking back at Cho.
A/N: So, how'd ya like that first chapter? I should be posting the next chapter up soon (soon as in two minutes soon!) Okay, while you're reading my story, you should be getting used to one thing, and that's called FEEDBACK! Feedback is your friend. Feedback is not your enemy. Go click that review button, or e-mail me (my address should be up with my profile somewhere) and tell me what you think! Constructive criticism is welcome. Your opinion is definitely welcome. If you have any questions for me, I'll be glad to answer them for you. FLAMES SUCK! Okay, now where was I? Oh yeah. Thank you for giving my story a chance, and I hope you'll stick around for the rest of the story. -Gryffindor Heiress
