-1

Hermione lay on her back on her bed, eyes squeezed shut, pondering. She was good at pondering. A hand lazily twirled her curly hair around one finger, and the other hand cradled Hogwarts: A History. She could have been asleep, had it not been for the curling-of-hair and the fact that every now and then she would give a huge sigh. She was day-dreaming, a past time that she knew was not for in lessons, but there was absolutely no harm in day-dreaming while at night, was there? It just meant she missed out on the night-dreaming, which she didn't particularly mind, due to the fact that her dreams were usually nightmares.

"Hey, do you think Hermione's asleep?"

Parvati's voice issued from the bed opposite. Lavender, who was still up and about, tip-toed up to her and poked her, hard. Hermione couldn't help yelping slightly.

"Yes, I'd say there's life in her." Snickered Lavender.

Hermione got up and glared maliciously at them. "Stop it! I was thinking!"

Lavender laughed. "Sorry, did we interrupt your flow of thought?"

Hermione sighed irritably.

"Unless we interrupted your thoughts of someone?" Suggested Parvati, and her and Lavender shared an amused glance. She knew what they were thinking: Hermione? Daydream about someone? I doubt she ever even daydreamed of Krum!

Almost deliberately, Hermione found she couldn't help herself blushing.

Both Parvati and Lavender were like leeches; they didn't miss a thing. Jaws to the ground, both of their gazes were diverted to her, no doubt hoping for more gossip that they'd promise to keep quiet, and then accidentally mutter it into about ten people's ears each.

"Who? Who?" Gasped Lavender excitedly. "Come on, Hermione, you can tell us. We won't tell!"

Hermione's mind raced, much like it did in classes, only this time, it was randomly looping around inside her head and getting her nowhere. She didn't need to know the square root of one hundred and sixty nine right now, she told her brain, but when she thought of him… she just… kind of… stopped thinking.

"Uhm, well, it's no one. Not really. Uh, they're not real." No! Her brain panicked. Now it sounds like your some kind of confused kid with an imaginary friend. "Uh, well they are…" Noo… that's just as bad, you complete idiot. "Look, it's no one. Really. Oh, no! Please don't!"

With a swish of her wand, Lavender had nicked Hermione's teddy out of her grip and was gradually teasing at the stitches with her wand. It was slightly embarrassing to still have Tubby at sixteen, but he'd always been there…

"Hey, Lavender, don't. That's just mean." Parvati leapt to Hermione's rescue.

Lavender floated Tubby through the air, and Hermione snatched her teddy and hugged him protectively. Still, the hell wasn't quite over, because Lavender turned with a glitter in her eye. Parvati was smiling oddly.

"Sorry, Hermione. But, don't worry, we will find out!"

Hermione closed her eyes again and began to think again, blocking out their remarks and unwillingly immersing herself in, well…

…Him.

XXX

A new day brought new lessons. Harry and Ron weren't in many of Hermione's lessons anymore, however, because she was taking so many subjects that she had to fit some lessons in over the weekend. Which she didn't particularly mind, she reasoned, because if the teachers would give up their free time she'd happily give up hers. It was a little, well, very disappointing she wouldn't get to hang around with them, though; they were some of her only friends, and out of those few friends, the best ones she had, so she felt she'd feel a little lonely with only the teacher to keep her company.

It was Saturday, and she was going to Arithmancy.

"Hey, Hermione!"

She turned around to find Ron and Harry running up the corridor.

"It's Saturday!" Beamed Harry. "I thought you were coming to watch Ron and I practice down at the Quidditch pitch."

"Oh!" She squeaked. "I'm sorry, I forgot to mention. I'm taking two extra lessons today, so I'll be a few hours. I'm really, really sorry, Harry!"

Ron turned slightly red. "And what about me? Aren't I worth watching?"

Yes, you are.

Hermione admitted it straight away and ran eagerly down to the Quidditch Pitch with him, not caring about the chatter of broomsticks or the fact that she was missing a lesson. She just, kind of, eloped, you could say. And as they made their way down to the pitch, it was made all the better by Ron putting his arm around her.

No, back to reality, thought Hermione. She shook her head impatiently. "You know I meant you, too, Ron. Stop nit-picking! I'll be down there as soon as I can, and knowing how much you two enjoy that game, you'll still be there."

And with that, she trotted off, cringing all the way. It wasn't made any better by the fact that she also passed Lavender, who was casually chatting with Parvati, who glanced up at her and said:

"Hmm… you got any possible Hermione-crushes yet, Parvati?"

Parvati smiled apologetically at Hermione before turning back to Lavender. "I don't know, but I reckon we can include Harry Potter and Ron Weasley."

Lavender's eyes glittered.

"You two," stressed Hermione angrily. "Can't you see that we're just friends?"

"Hm, just friends." Lavender gave a small cough at the end of the sentence.

They both sauntered off, giggling. Hermione groaned inwardly and made her way to the Arithmancy lesson, nearly bumping straight into her unimpressed teacher.