I can never remember when I started loving him, looking for him and adoring him. I like his lips, his emerald eyes, and his nose. But, above all, I adore the way he smiles. The way his lips curve upwards and the way his eyes twinkle like stars in a dark night.
I started wishing he was mine. I know it sounds silly but I hope it's true. My hidden desire started when we're in the middle of our second year at Hogwarts, my school, my second home. One of my muggle friends told me an interesting fact. She said that when an owl flies by, I would just form a triangle by connecting my two pointing fingers and thumbs together and center the owl in it, and then you start to count. When you reach the 300th owl, that's the time when you can make a wish. Since owls fly once in a blue moon over my muggle world, my friend is still below 50, while I'm running in the early thousand. I'm in my 5th year now. Funny isn't it that even everyday hundreds of owls fly over the great hall I'm still here, counting for my…

Hermione looked above and saw a flying owl. She made a triangle using her fingers, closed her left eye and centered the owl. "1142." Hermione counted. She was sitting under an old oak tree beside the lake. She just love being there alone. But, she just can't imagine how it would look like if she's there with the boy she love, Harry. She started to smile.
Just then, while Hermione was staring at the lake smiling, someone approached her. "Boo!" scared the voice while holding Hermione's shoulder to shock her. He didn't fail.
Because of Hermione's shock, she accidentally threw her quill to the lake and before she knew it, it was gone. Hermione turned to look.
"There you are again, Mr. Potter! Look what you've done! Now how can I finish my 24-inch essay?" Hermione said pointing the parchment on her lap half-filled with words.
Harry laughed a little. "Oops, sorry." He said as he sat next to the acting-like-worried Hermione. "But, Hermione," Harry gave a serious look. "You can't resist talking to the Boy-Who-Lived, can you? I mean, who in the world would resist if the boy in front of them owns a handsome…" But he was interrupted by Hermione's reaction. Hermione is laughing extremely hard.
"Please, Harry, stop that! You're killing me!" Hermione said as she punched cuff his chest lightly. Then the two laughed together.
Soon, the two started walking back to the castle. While walking, Hermione saw a flying owl again. She stopped and made a triangle. Harry saw her as she whispered her count. "Hermione, what are you doing?" Harry asked.
"Well, it's a way of wishing." Then Hermione explained further. "And that owl is my 1143rd."
"So, that means, you already reached 900 and had made three wishes." Hermione nodded as Harry pushed the castle door and let Hermione in before he followed. "Well, did they come true?"
"Not-"
"As I suspected!"
"Well, Harry, you didn't let me finish! I was saying that not YET!" Hermione said emphasizing the word yet.
"Oh, come on Hermione! Wishes never come true! They're just made by muggles' wild imagination and were brought here in the wizarding world.
"Hmp!" Hermione said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and frowned.
Days passed quickly. Hermione was too stressed out because of O.W.L.S. She gets up set easily to everyone, including Ron. He started taking some distances away from Hermione.
One night, after Hermione and Harry had just fining dinner at the great Hall with Ron across them and the two of them next to each other, they decided to go back to the Common Room. But, Harry stopped before Hermione. "I'm sorry, Hermione, I almost forgot, I have to go to the library with Cho. We're doing our assignments at the library. You go with Ron. I'll just catch up with you guys later if you're still awake." Harry said as he run towards the Ravenclaw table. Hermione saw Cho Chang greeted Harry. They both smiled. Hermione couldn't believe how hurt she is. How her heart was ripped, crushed and torn into two. Damn!
She tried hard not to let her tears flow as she walk out of the Great hall with Ron behind him. Ron walked faster to catch Hermione. "Is there something wrong, Hermione?"
"No Ron, nothing." Hermione answered in a calm voice.
"Ow." Ron was surprised that Hermione didn't yell at him.
The two walked to their common room. Hermione went straight to her dormitory while Ron stayed to talk with their co-Gryffindors.
Every after dinner, Harry would do the same thing but with different reasons and excuses. He would say that Snape gave detention for Cho and him that they would have to clean the hospital wing for an hour without any magic. But when Hermione would go to the hospital wing, they're not there, instead, they're in the library giggling and laughing with each other. The other library users would look at them and would hiss to keep them quiet.

Why would he lie to me? Me, his own best friend! He didn't tell me Cho and him are together! Why would he keep such a secret?

One night, when Harry was out because of his excuse that Professor McGonagall asked Cho and him to help her fix her office things, Hermione went straight to her dormitory. She placed her head facing her pillow and started crying silently, afraid that anyone might hear her. She recalled the time she stared eating across Harry and Ron who are next to each other. A couple of days ago, Cho approached her before a DA meeting. Her words just keep on echoing in her mind. "Hermione, you should leave Harry." Cho Chang said. "We're together now." It keeps on echoing and it keeps on tearing her heart into thousands of pieces now. So, she kept herself away from Harry.
After sometime, Hermione heard footsteps approaching the door. She kept still and pretended to be asleep as the footsteps went inside. She heard them bid good nights and blew the candles off. Hermione was sure they were already sleeping when she heard them snoring. She got off her bed and tiptoed, reached the door, opened it and went out. No single noise was heard downstairs so she's sure everybody's sleeping. She went downstairs and sat on a couch in front of the fireplace and stared at it. Tears are forming in her eyes. Just before they fall, the portrait swung open. It shocked Hermione a little bit. She turned and saw Harry entered it. He saw her too. So, to avoid Harry, she stood up and started walking fast to go upstairs. But, before she could step on the staircase, Harry spoke.
"Hermione, wait!" cried Harry as she stopped and he run un to her. "Why are you walking away from me?"
Hermione turned to Harry. Now, they are face-to-face. A tear fell from Hermione's right eye. She didn't answer.
"Hermione, answer me!" Harry was almost yelling. "I don't know wha-"
"You don't know?" tears followed. "You don't know what I feel right now? Well, I'll tell you." They paused for a while. "I am a stupid and a frustrated wisher! I got my 900th owl a couple of months ago. I wished the same wish that I've wished with my last two wishes. That is for my love to kiss me as a sign that he loves me too. But then, a couple of days ago, this guy's girlfriend approached me and told me to get off his The-Boy-Who-Lived boyfriend!" More tears flowed from her eyes. "I know you'll never understand because you don't believe in wishes, and most of all…" Hermione closed her eyes because of pain. "…you don't love me…" Hermione said as she turned her back to Harry and tried to go upstairs. But before she could raise her feet, Harry held her hand to stop her.
"Well, actually, I do." Harry said as Hermione turned her head to Harry looking query. "A muggle friend of mine told me that wishng way of yours last summer. Well, fortunately, I reached my 3000th and made my 10th wish. Believe it or not, those 10 are just the same. I stopped counting when they didn't come true." Harry smiled. "I should tell you, Cho, being my fake girlfriend is a part of the plan."
Harry grabbed Hermione by the waist and pulled her closer to him. They stared at each others eyes for like eternity until Harry put his lips on her and they shared a passionate kiss. When they pulled out, Harry smiled and said, "Wish ganted!"
Hermione giggled. "What were- I mean, was your wish?"
"To be loved by the one I love." Harry said as he pulled Hermione close to him and they kissed passionately again as the fire burns in the fireplace breaks the romantic silence between the two.