Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, simple as that.

Hermione walked as quickly as she could to the library without looking like she was in a hurry. She found out some…disturbing... information that Harry had to know. She told him to meet her in the library after dinner.

Walking through the door she gave the place a look around to see how many people where there. She knew only people who where serious about studying where here at this time of the night, sadly it wasn't as many as the professors would like.

She made her way toward the back, and walked in between the shelves that held the history of wizard politics and different types of fungi. She stood there as she bunched the hem of her skirt in her hand several times in nervousness.

What if he didn't believe what she was going to say? What if he laughed her right out of the library?

What if he stopped being her friend?

"Hermione?"

She was torn away from her musing to watch Harry walk toward her. He changed a lot since first year. He was now much taller, bigger and stronger. He no longer looked around the world with pure innocence; instead he looked at everything with a serious eye and never gave anything a second glance unless it wasn't worth his time. He took his work more seriously, opting to study more often then long ago, not as much as her of course but a lot more then that git Ron.

He also went from being cute and adorable to, handsome and suave. And she defiantly took noticed of that.

She felt her heart race at she stood straight. "Harry, I – well, what I'm about to tell you…"

He reached over and gently squeezed her shoulder, he thought that maybe he was giving her a bit of support an 'its okay', type of thing. But it was different; to her at least, what he was doing was bringing out the brave side of her that always came out when he was around. The confident side.

She took a deep breath and let it all out. "Harry, I don't think you'll actually believe me. But earlier I walked pass a what should have been an empty classroom. I found several locking charms, silent charms and a few nearly failed 'notice-me-not' charms on the door. The spell work was poor, like it was done in a hurry. And being a perfect it was my duty to check it out."

She shook a little as she continued, Harry gave her a nod, "I thought that it would be a couple snogging. So I undid all the charms on the door and cracked it open, to see if they where in the middle of doing the deed, if that was the case I would have knocked first.

Instead what I found was Ron and Ginny talking. At first I thought that maybe they wanted to try their hand at pranking because, well, its them and they where never one for tact. I was going to leave when I heard your name come up. Instead I listened, thinking that they would prank you so I wanted to warn you."

Harry grinned at this and Hermione couldn't help the smile on her face that followed. She always smiled whenever he grinned and smiled at her, it was almost automatic now.

"Instead I heard a…well, frankly terrible doesn't begin to cover it. Oh Harry – they're trying to force you into marrying Ginny, stealing your money and have been doping you with love potions! Dumbledore and Molly are behind it as well. I'm so sorry!"

The last part almost came out in a sob when she saw the look on his face, it looked a lot like realization mixed with shock.

Harry blinked a few times, "Oh, jeeze, Hermione –" he exclaimed.

He was going to deny it, she knew it. Say that Ron could never do that. That the Wealsey's wouldn't do that to him. He'll break off their friendship, and go tell Ron. And who knows what would happen to her.

" – I already know."

"WHAT?"

Harry flinched a little and Hermione apologized quickly, "Sorry! What do you mean you already know?"

Harry chuckled and pulled her close to him.

"I found out a while ago, the Goblin's called it perfect timing. I called it lucky. I walked into Gringotts the same day they where going to send me out a letter. Its not known but they have a whole room just for mailing stuff, and the Goblin who was going to ship it off happened to pass me."

"Oh."

"Yeah so I found out. I've had a neutralizing runic work done on me so the potions are null," he pulled the collar of his uniform down showing just below the neckline a row of different tiny runes there was no way no one would have found it unless he was shirtless, "they don't work on me anymore, at all. And I've been tracking the money. In the end I'll get them back. I won't make them pay, the need the money I know that. But I think a little jail time would scare them quite a bit and make them think of what they've done."

"I've known for a while about Ron's fake friendship. Same with Ginny. Dumbldore thinks I'm going to die in the end, but I have news for him. I'm not dying. The Goblin's helped me get past the whole 'tracing magic' thing. I can do some magic outside of school, not to much though. But enough to help me train."

"Oh wow, really?" Hermione asked with a gasp.

"Yep," Harry grinned but then he frowned, "Hermione…I, well they've been trying to do things to you."

Hermione suddenly felt rather scared. Hearing what Ron and Ginny planned to do with Harry scared her. But it also brought out her tough side, the side that would always protect Harry no matter what. However, she wasn't so great at protecting herself to much.

"Really? W-what've they done?" She asked quietly.

"Nothing. I've stopped them every time. Ron keeps trying to spike your drink at meals. It used to be every meal but his laziness has gotten the best of him and now it's only at dinner. When he and Ginny don't look I switch our cups since the potion doesn't work on me. I told some of the other's, said that someone was trying to pull a mean prank on that won't work on me so I've been switching our cups. They bought it. Ginny tried to put quite a few spells on you too. But I stopped that."

After those words he fingered the small, gold bracelet around her tiny wrist. It had a small shield as a charm, with a book and broom on it. Hermione thought it was sweet and secretly overjoyed when Harry said he hoped she never took it off. She never did, and now was even more happy about it.

"My bracelet has charms on it?" she asked peering down at it.

"Yep, thought it was better then jumping you and putting runes on you like me." He teased.

Hermione blushed brightly and hid her head on his chest. A pose that they did often actually, so Harry didn't find it weird. If she was honest with herself, Hermione wouldn't mind Harry 'jumping' her.

"But why?" She asked suddenly looking up at him, "I didn't know a thing. Not before today. It was luck really, that I found them in that classroom. It could have been a couple, or a study group or anything but them. Why do this to me?" She asked desperately.

Harry gulped and looked away, a blush on her face, "That would be because of me actually."

"What?"

"Well, I've always knew Ron had a thing for you. Nothing big though. I think he just likes the idea of being your boyfriend and enjoying the perks," Harry made a face her, as well as she, "he never told me though. So I've always played as if I where to stupid to notice. But one day he just annoyed me, that ass, saying stuff about you. This was back in second year, so you weren't around at the time to hear. And, well, I kinda let it slip…" he trailed off.

"Let what slip?" She asked. Her voice was filled with hope and she knew she must have sounded silly.

Harry sighed, "I slipped up and told him I had a crush on you. And that he should let you be. He, of course, blew up and stormed away. After you where unpetrified I was scared to death that he was going to tell you. I thought that he told you and you didn't seem to care then one day, during third year, he told me he asked you to be his girlfriend and you said yes."

"Ugh! What! I would never date him!" She said in horror making Harry chuckle.

"I know that now. Try telling that to my thirteen year old self back then. I was devastated. After a while I noticed things, how you guys would fight and so on. Then it dawned on me he was lying the whole time. Especially when he brought it up whenever he thought I 'one up'ed him', amazingly enough you where never in the room."

"I see." Hermione said slowly, "Why didn't you ask me out?"

"What?"

"I said why didn't –"

"No, I mean, I heard that. I meant what as in you want me to ask you out?"

"Hell yes! I've had a crush on you for years Harry! I've just been too scared and shy to let you know. Plus my mum raised me to believe the guy should always ask the girl. So I also, you know, figured…" she trailed off muttered the last bit.

"But, this year? With Ron and Lavender, you acted mean to her. Ron told me it was because you where jealous. And after that I wondered if maybe you started to like him."

"Oh, no, about that actually. You see, like with I just said before my mother raised me a certain way. She raised me to believe that couples shouldn't do their business like that in public. And that woman should have more tact and more self worth then that." Hermione said hotly, she then blushed and glanced away. "Sorry."

Harry gave her a silly grin before cupping her cheek, "Don't be, I rather like it. It shows what kind of woman you and your mom are. Personally I believe the same thing. The least they could have done was grabbed a room."

It was quiet for a moment before Hermione spoke up again, "So your not bother by this whole thing?"

"Well the whole being betrayed thing stung at first but I got over it. Actually after I found out a lot of things started to make sense actually. After a while I just didn't care because in the end they'll get what's coming to them. Now about the whole us liking each other…well you said that you would like the man to ask you out, right?"

Hermione nodded her head rapidly, face flushed and hair moving fast, "Yes." She said breathlessly.

"Well, Hermione, I was wondering if you would go out with me? Maybe next weekend? We can do a little dining and shopping."

Hermione gave him a huge smile and Harry couldn't help but smile back, "Of course Harry! I would love to."

She seemed to hesitate for a moment before giving him a small peck on the cheek. She blushed cutely afterword.

Harry laughed, "I guess this is going to very a very slow type of courting thing, huh?"

She seemed a bit put off at the statement, "Well, yes."

"Don't worry," he said leaning in so their noses touched, "I like that. It'll be worth it, every step of the way."

Hermione grinned.