Harry looked up at Ron as he climbed the ladder up to Divination. On the first day of his fourth year, he was happy to be back. As he grabbed the ladder he heard someone behind him.

"Harry!"

He turned around.

"Harry! How have you been?"

It was Hermione. He hadn't seen her on the train, infact, the last time he saw her had been at the Quidditch match they had gone to with Ron that summer. She looked different somehow. Maybe it was a haircut.
Suddenly, a few girls walked by. Harry's head turned and watched them pass. It had never happened before but now he had noticed every pretty thing that had walked by the whole day.

"-Harry!"

"Oh, sorry! I was just...thinking about something..."

"My mind is buzzing too. What were you thinking about?" she asked.

Something in him almost made him say "I was thinking about how beautiful you were."
That wasn't right. He never noticed her like that before. She was always one of the guys but ever since he met her...

"Are you ok Harry?" she asked.

"Yeah! I was just wondering...you look different than last time I saw you..."

She gave him a funny look. Ron had been acting the same way at the Quidditch game that summer. "Boys," she thought.

"Well, lets see..I'm a year older, I got a haircut, and..."

Harry finally noticed each as she said it. The older thing was the main thing..she looked alot different.

"I rode in the back of the train with Ginny. We were just talking and she had this makeup kit and I put some on," she said.

"Oh..thats what looked different," said Harry.

"Must be...like it?"

Harry certainly didn't know what to say. If he said she looked good would that mean he liked her? What would happen if he said he didn't like it?

"Its-"

Suddenly, Prof.Trelawney poked her head out of the trap door.

"Class is starting you two. Are you coming?"

The looked at each other.

"Yup!"

Harry decided to change the subject.

"You're coming back to this class? I thought after that little thing with Trelawny at the end of the year..."

"I was just...stressed then," she said.

Harry smiled. For the first time he wondered if he should be nice and let Hermione go first or go up himself.
The both waited and looked at each other. Finally, Harry decided to step back. Hermione took the hint and climbed up first. Harry grabbed the ladder right after she began to climb. He looked up at her but quickly looked down again.
Hermione pushed open the trap door and figured Harry was just starting to climb.
Harry pushed his head through the door just as Hermione let go of it and wacked him over the head. It was heavier than he remembered and it knocked him clear off the ladder.

Professor Trelawny put her hands over her mouth and so to Ron, only he did it to keep from laughing. A few other students let out a few snorts as they tried to kepp from laughing. Other students were shocked and looked at Hermione.

She looked over at Ron.

"What happened?"

Ron walked up to her and looked down at the trap door.

"Open it and see," he said.

The rest of the class got up and ran over to Ron and Hermione as she opened the trap door. Hermione quickly put her hand over her mouth and looked down.

Harry was laying at the bottom of the ladder, there was an open cut running straight down his lightning bolt scar. He rubbed his head and looked up at Hermione.
She took her hand off of her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she squeaked.

Harry stood up.

"Thats ok, I should have waited to go up the ladder," said Harry.

At the sound of Harry blaming himself she let out a small, unhappy squeal.
Ron rolled his eyes.

"Oh brother," he said.

Harry grabbed the ladder and quietly whispered "shutup."

Hermione could feel her cheeks turning red with embarassment when she realized the whole class was around her and had seen what she did to Harry.
Harry made his way up the ladder and smiled as Hermione held the trap door open for him.

"Harry, would you like to go to Madam Pomfrey?" asked Prof. Trelawny, "that cut on your head should be bandaged up."

Harry didn't want to make Hermione feel any worse.

"Nah, I'll go after class."

"Alright...Ms.Granger, please be more careful next time."

Hermione's head went down and her body started shaking.
She and Harry walked over and sat down by Ron.

Harry hesitantly brushed some hair out of her face with the back of his hand. She was crying.
Ron stood up.

"Nice going! She felt bad enough already!" he yelled.

"I suppose I was a little..."

"-Mean," finished Ron.

"Yes...Ms. Granger, I'm sorry. Will you be alright?"

Hermione nodded.

Prof.Trelawny began to diguse what they'd be doing that year. Ron turned to Harry.

"What was that brushing her hair away thing all about?" he whispered.

"She felt bad..plus...I.."

"Like her?" asked Ron.

Harry looked at him.

"Me too."

Harry looked at the girl next to him. She had stropped crying. Hitting someone and having the teacher yell at him wouldn't make Harry cry. It wouldn't make any guys he knew cry. Everyone seemed different.



Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked into the Great Hall.

"I'm not hungry, I only want something to drink," said Hermione.

Ron smiled and reached into a deep pocket in his robes.

"Then you're in luck! I saved some butterbeer from last year! This stuff only gets better with age...I think."

He pulled out three glass bottles, each about 5 inches high.

"Its not much but its all I saved!"

Hermione gave him a funny look.

"Do you think thats smooth sneaking those in here? I don't even want that stuff! I'll just go and have water!" said Hermione, "you guys coming?"

Harry and Ron looked at each other.

"Actually..I was going to drink Ron's stuff with him, but-" started Harry.

"Fine! You two go have your little picnic. Enjoy your butterbeer!" said Hermione angrily.

"Oh..k," said Ron,"hey Harry! I heard this year that Dumbeldore is letting students go outside during lunch. Want to go watch the-"

"Squid?" asked Harry.

"Or octopus, whatever?"

"Ok," said Harry as he and Ron turned to go outside. He looked back to see Hermione talking to the other girls. Looked like she was crying again..or else she was really mad. He couldn't tell which.



Harry stared into the lake as Ron finsihed off his butterbeer.

"Do you think Hermione would mind if I drank hers?" he asked.

"Best not drink it. Is it just me or is Hermione acting strange lately?" asked Harry.

"Strange to us, maybe but not to the girls," said Ron.

"What?"

"Ginny has been the same way this summer. She is nice sometimes and really mean other times."

Harry gave Ron a sharp glance.

"Do you want to know what I think it is?" asked Ron.

"Not really-"

"I'll tell you anyway...I think girls just get in a bad mood more that guys do."

Harry sigh.

"I hope Hermione is back to herself soon," said Harry, "she's been acting way too emotional."

"Lets try talking to her again. Maybe the other girls talked some sense into her," said Ron.

Harry looked back at Hogwarts.

"Ok."