Hermione looked up from her book, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. The sunlight

reflected off the glimmering lake. It was going to start snowing any minute now. She sighed and stood

up, brushing snow off of her robes. She should go find Harry and Ron.

But it was Valentines day. Harry would probably be off with his new girlfriend, Ginny. And then

Ron...

Her heart started beating faster. Ron. He was really turning into... something. These days she

had taken to avoiding Ron. When ever she saw him, her stomach went all flippy... She was getting all

dizzy thinking about him.

She shook herself into reality. Simple attraction. She shouldn't pay attention to it.

She could go to the kitchen and get a snack But no doubt Fred and George would be there. She

didn't really feel like talking to them.

She kicked a lump of snow around moodily. She could go to her dorm and talk with the girls

there. But that would mean going through the common room, where Harry and Ginny probably were. And

the only thing the girls in her dorm talked about was love. She always fell asleep one of those talks

thinking one thought.

"No one could love me."

—

Ron walked through row after row of tall book shelves. She had to be in here. Ron

desperately needed to talk to Hermione.

Hermione had told Ginny and Ginny told Harry and Harry told Ron about certain...

feelings Hermione had.

The longer Ron looked for Hermione, the clearer it became to him.

He felt the same way.

—

It had started to snow. Hermione would go to Hagrid's cottage, but she didn't feel like

hiding pounds of his cooking under her robes to keep from hurting his feelings. She was in to

much of a brooding mood for her friendly half giant. She decided that she would take refugee in

her world of books as she trudged up towards the castle steps.

—

He didn't know why he had to find her now. He could just wait til after dinner.

But he wanted to talk to her. He hadn't really talked to Hermione in ages. He missed

talking to her by the fire while waiting for Harry to get back from Quidditch. Either she was really

busy or she was avoiding Ron.

He didn't find her in the library. Maybe she went to Hagrid's house.

He sprinted along the corridor, through the double doors...

And into Hermione.

"Sorry Hermione!" Ron said after helping her pick up the pile of books she had dropped.

"You should be more careful, Ronald Weasley!"

Ron cocked an eyebrow at her. "Since when do you call me Ronald?"

Hermione stuck out her tongue and started to walk toward the double doors again.

"Wait. Hermione..."

"Yes?" She turned around quickly and looked up into Ron's eyes.

Ron's ears started to turn a deep shade of red. Hermione suddenly struck him as the most

beautiful girl in the school. Her curly hair was being more unruly than usual and her face was

flushed from the cold. She had lots of little snowflakes caught in her hair and eye lashes.

"Were you going to say something?"

"Yeah... Um... Will you go to Hogsmead with me next weekend?"

Hermione was still looking up and him. She blinked. "Ron, we always go to Hogsmead together."

"Er... No. Kinda like a..." He paused, his face turning a light maroon. "... Date."

This is the moment Hermione's face started changing colors too.

"Um... well, ok..."

A long, uneasy pause. Their faces were inches apart.

He just asked me out Hermione thought, panicked. I should do something!

I can't just stand here looking like I'm a dummy, Ron mind turned wildly I have to do

something...

They both leaned toward at the same time, bumping their noses together hard. Hermione's

books flew everywhere.

"Ron, if I get a fine from the library for damaging books, you are going to pay for it!"

Hermione seethed.

"Yes ma'am." Ron said blandly, starting to pick up the books for the second time that day.