Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its affiliations. I have slightly manipulated the plot and characters and I own (though not the concepts on which aspects of them are based) any original characters (OCs) that may be in this fanfiction.

I wouldn't dare look him in the eye, not when I'd sent that stupid dwarf to sing him that stupid song. No doubt he'd know it was from me, it was a silly little muggles rhyme.

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Blood isn't everything

You know it is true

I wanted to take it back the second I'd told the dwarf to sing it but he wouldn't listen. He said that a proclamation of love couldn't be cancelled because I wouldn't have submitted it in the first place if I'd had doubts. Stupid thing wouldn't even let me change it.

This is a disaster.

And now that silly cupid dwarf is in this classroom and he is in this classroom. Everyone's going to hear it, I'm going to die.

I'm only thirteen, I can't die now.

Oh dear, I'm panicking, he's sneering at me. I can just hear that snide remark on the tip of his tongue.

He hates me.

And that stupid Gilderoy Lockhart is just sitting there with that gorgeous smile of his, waiting for that crackpot dwarf to sing its stupid little song. My stupid little song.

What have I done? Everyone's going to laugh at me. What's Harry going to think? What's Ron going to think?

He'll hate me.

Everyone will hate me.

Just calm down Hermione. Relax.

I shut my eyes and breathed.

It'll be okay. He won't know it's from me, no one will know. There are tons of muggles in this class. It could have been Dean! I mean, people would know if they were gay or not at this age, right?

No, that's stupid; he'll know it's me. I made that stupid bit about blood, he was nattering about it just the other day.

Oh Hermione Granger, you are so stupid.

"Hey, Hermione," Ron whispered from beside me.

I glanced sideways at him, still keeping an eye on the dwarf. "What?"

"Who do you reckon that dwarf is going to deliver a Valentine to?"

Phew, he has no idea of what I've done yet. Of course he hasn't, the dwarf hasn't sung my song yet. Come on girl, keep your head together and don't start acting stupid now.

Why did I have to pick that rhyme? If I'd just sent a message rather than a song it would have been so much better.

I wish I could take it back.

"Probably Harry, he's been getting tons."

"Yeah," Ron said. He sounded slightly put out, I suppose I would too if I was in his position. Harry's had so many Valentines already, I would feel jealous if my best friend had got loads and I didn't even get one.

I think Gilderoy Lockhart is stupid. I can't believe I swooned over that barmy idiot, he's not even smart. He barely knows the material we're suppose to cover.

I bet he doesn't know much about those dwarfs he hired either.

Why isn't that dwarf saying anything? It's just standing there, leaving us all in anticipation, waiting to see who it will humiliate next.

I really hope it isn't Harry (if mine doesn't get said now); after all he gets enough attention as it, being the boy who lived. Walking into a world where everyone knows more about him than he does. Hell, I know more about him than he does and I learnt that I was a witch at the same time as him.

The dwarf cleared its throat.

Oh god, it's going to sing my rhyme.

What am I going to do?

He's already called me a mudblood once this year; I wouldn't put it past him to start calling me that on a regular basis once he hears this.

I suppose I don't mind though, even though it's insulting. He's acknowledging me.

Better than that rotten Pansy Parkinson. She can't even tell that he's just humouring her, he doesn't like that wretch. No one does. She's awful, all she does is cling to him as if she has no sense of self worth or feminine pride.

"To Draco Malfoy: Roses are red, violets are blue, blood doesn't matter, you know it is true."

I suppose it wasn't really very romantic but the start of it made it sound sort of romantic.

Oh I'm going to die.

I closed my eyes as the class broke into whispers. I snuck a peek at Draco, he looked so shocked but also insulted and disgusted at the same time.

He looked at me, I swear he did.

No one else seemed to figure out it was me. Thankfully Ron and Harry don't catch on very fast. Though I think I saw Parvati glare at me just then, she's not slow; Lavender is though so I suppose that's why she only broke out into a fit of cruel giggles after Parvati informed her of who'd sent it.

Professor Lockhart grinned at the dwarf and sent him away. "Alright class, settle down. Lucky man you are Mr. Malfoy but we can't talk about you all day. Let's get back to our lesson."

xx

I rushed out of class when the lunch bell rang. It was still quite chilly so I pulled on my winter cloak and got out of the castle as quickly as I could.

I was nearly in tears, I was so afraid of what was going to happen next. I didn't know if it would be rumours or if Draco would come and hex me into oblivion. Or maybe Harry, Ron and his family will. I'm a traitor to Gryffindor after all, a crush on a Slytherin, what was my bloody heart thinking?

Falling for Draco Malfoy, a pureblood from such a noble family. I'm just scum to him and everyone like him. It's awful, why can't everyone just get along? It wouldn't hurt.

I stared out at the couples that were skating on the frozen lake, the poor giant squid would be trapped under there, but from what I've read he's not alone.

"I should have bought a book out," I said to myself, shivering from a sudden cold breeze.

"Is that all you do Granger? Read and mope? How pathetic," someone said.

I turned around, it was Draco.

I looked at him, shocked that he would even be here. Then it dawned on me, after a minute or so, he'd called me Granger, not mudblood. That had to mean something.

"Well aren't you going to talk to me Granger? After you sent me that silly Valentine, embarrassed me in front of the whole class with the mud – muggle rhyme of yours," he caught himself just in time, why would he make the effort? "And now you won't even talk to me when I made all that effort to come out here in this bloody cold without my winter cloak."

"I-I..." I couldn't find words.

"I don't see why the teachers think you're so smart. You're so stupid you can't formulate a sentence."

I stayed silent, it was better not to try. I would only make it worse.

I waited for him to hex me or do whatever he'd come out here to do to me. He wouldn't come out for any other reason.

"So that's how it is?" he grinned.

I edged backwards into the tree.

He's going to kill me, I know it.

He stepped forward, so elegantly and planted a kiss right on my lips.

I was stunned.

Why would he do that?

What was his goal?

"That answer your doubts Granger? I like you. Now don't think I'm going to be some barmy fool in love like Lockhart or that Weasley girl. In fact don't mention any of this to that git Weasley-"

"You think you can go around and just kiss people like that? How stupid are you? What if I didn't want to kiss you? And I'll tell Ron whatever I like-" he pressed his lips against mine, they were so warm.

I closed my eyes, willing for this sweet exchange to last just a little longer.

"Shut up Granger. Stop making me kiss you in front of people, it'll make me a blood traitor like Weasley and Longbottom."

I blushed.

"By the way Granger, Happy Valentine's Day and don't you dare do anything stupid like giving a gnome a message to give to me ever again."

"It was a dwarf," I giggled.

He only sent me a dirty look. I smiled; maybe that silly dwarf and that silly little rhyme actually did do me some good.