Written for the Whodunit Elimination Competition on HPFC. Enjoy.

Love Noun

a great liking or affection for someone

In love

A feeling of strong love for another person

What does that mean, Hermione Granger thought tiredly, rubbing her temples. Maybe it was Harry's blushing cheeks whenever he saw Cho Chang, or catching Terry Boot and another Ravenclaw snogging in a broom cupboard, but Hermione had a sudden interest in love.

Hermione closed the book she was reading and sighed heavily. The Hogwarts Library was filled with hundreds- no- thousands of books- From Phoenix feathers to Quidditch- and none of them contained a scrap of information about love.

Not that Hermione wanted to be seen reading a book about love, but she wanted to research it, know the ins and outs of this feeling. Love was supposed to be this euphoric feeling where not even the most horrible of days couldn't vanish. Love was the thing that saved Harry as well. Yes, love was very powerful, and very intriguing.

Unfortunately, the only information she found on love were small definitions and the Amortentia potion, and even in that book it stated that Amortentia causes an intense infatuation. Not love. Hermione wondered it true love was as rare as perfectly brewed Felix Felicis potion, she couldn't really love...no. She jammed the large book back on the shelf, with a sense of finality, and gathered her stuff up.

Hermione always liked burying herself in the library, immersing herself in books. It was peaceful, away from the loud Gryffindors, (normally Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet,) who would try charming a toad to rap or something.

"Accio book!" Hermione said, pointing her wand at another book, so she could put it back in it's rightful place. Before it even reached her hands, someone's long, pale ones grabbed it out of the air.

"Granger." A boy spoke, with a drawl. Her soft brown eyes met a pair of harsh, grey eyes that stood before her..

"Malfoy." Hermione replied back, automatically changing her position, so that she would look a little bit more confident. "Why are you here?"

"It's a library, Granger. Or do you mudbloods not know what a library is used for?" Draco spat.

"I actually do know what a library is used for, that is why I am surprised you're here." Hermione replied, smiling slightly when she saw a slither of shock on the face of the Slytherin. With a huff, she turned on her heel.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Draco teased loudly, flipping through the pages of a book. "Love, Granger." Draco called to Hermione, successfully stopping her in her tracks.

"What, hoping that Weasley loves you? Ha! Even that Weasel couldn't love such a mudblood like you. Even I see how he oogles at every pretty girl that walks by." He said, enjoying the effect his words must of been having on Hermione. "Every wizarding family wants to keep their line as pure as possible. And any wizard telling you otherwise is lying. No one would even think of touching such a mudblood with a barge pole." He told her. "Just the truth, Granger."

Hermione bit her lip to stop it from trembling and blinked her eyes rapidly.

"Don't be late for transfiguration, mudblood." And Draco pushed passed Hermione, wearing a smirk.

Hermione let out a shaky breath, and let some tears roll down her cheeks. Maybe she wasn't good enough for a wizard, even a Weasley. Even though she knew for a fact that the Weasley's weren't blood obsessed. But she would never be really like them,would she? She saw how they talked about House Elves and Squibs. Yes, they weren't intentionally being mean, but they didn't describe them in a holy light either. Hermione walked back through the bookcases and found a tight spot between them to sit down in. She was sure that no one could look and see her crying into her chest and slowly, but surely, fall asleep.

Her dreams were plagued by the Weasleys. Their eyes giving disapproving looks at both her and Ron's hands interlocked. The worse was Mrs. Weasley. She gave Hermione a forced smile in her dream, like she was trying with all her might to keep her tears at bay. Her youngest son could do much better.

Hermione woke to the loud roars of thunder and rain. She could guess that it was way past curfew. Hermione had slept for so long that the library was now silent and full of shadows. Cautious of making any noise, she slowly lifted herself off the ground. Taking a deep breath to calm her fast beating heart, Hermione started to walk through the moonlit library.

She occasionally bumped into a bookcase, but, luckily, she made it to the library entrance without any major calamities. The corridors of Hogwarts were well lit and deserted. Hermione's heart was beating like a herd of Elephants. She couldn't get caught. Hermione was a prefect, and a good one at that. While walking towards the Gryffindor common room, she wondered if Harry and Ron tried looking for her. They both were probably worried, but Hermione didn't feel guilty. She needed a break from those two. Sometimes they could be so tiring.

"Hermione! there you are!" A familiar voice exclaimed. Hermione turned to see the caller, but she was already engulfed in a tight hug.

"Hermione." Ron breathed out, relaxing his hug slightly.

He smelt like honey and chocolate cookies, mixed together. It calmed Hermione's once fast beating heart. She cleared her throat.

"Um, Ron, do you mind... umm,"

"Oh, sorry." Ron said, freeing Hermione from his hug. His ears were tinged pink. "Where were you, Hermione? Harry and I have been looking all over the bloody castle for ages. I've almost been been caught by Peeves, Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout."

"Well, um you see-"

"Was it Draco? He has been walking around the school with a stupid smirk on his face."

She didn't want to seem weak in front of her friends, especially Ron. If he found out what Draco was taunting her about, he would think she was fragile, that 'the brightest witch' couldn't take a snide comment from a Malfoy, but that wasn't true. She was a Gryffindor, she could be as brave and confident as a lion if she wanted to be.

"No it wasn't about Draco, Ron." she said clearly, looking dead straight into Ron's eyes.

"Are you sure? Because if he did-"

"I am pretty sure of my answer, Ronald. For the last few hours I have been in the library."

"-But the library closed-"

"an hour ago, I know. I was so engrossed a book about the Herbicide potion, I drifted to sleep." Ron looked suspicious.

"and Madam Prince didn't wake you."

"It's Madam Pince, and I casted a camouflage charm over myself. Madam Pince probably didn't see me. " Hermione was amazed by the way the lies rolled out of her mouth.

Ron's eyebrows furrowed, but he said, "Well if that ferret called Draco Malfoy does-"

"Ron, if you even mention Draco again today, I will cast an immobulus charm on you and order the Hogwarts house elves to butcher you with a kitchen knife!" Hermione exclaimed with such ferocity, Ron took a step back, hands up in the air in surrender.

"Sorry. I'm just a little tired Ron." Hermione rubbed her temples.

"Yeah, I kind of guessed that." Ron said, putting a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "You are okay, aren't you Hermione?" Hermione was about dismiss Ron's doubts again, but something caught her off guard. His eyes, a sparkling blue, were filled with something she wasn't quite sure of. But she had a weird longing to run her hands through his vivid, red hair. She was just about to when a voice she recognised called her.

"Hermione!"

"Harry!"

"Yes, it's me and I think you two should get under this invisibility cloak, now, before Snape finds you."

"Snape!" Both of them said, loud enough to cause an echo.

"Quick!" Harry yelled at both of them from a distance. Hermione could hear the echoing sound of footsteps becoming faster. Ron caught her wrist and ran towards Harry, dragging her under the cloak. The feeling of adrenaline seemed to fill her up again, replacing the sense of sorrow she had felt a few hours ago. Maybe being a friend, and just a friend, of Ron's wasn't that bad at all, Hermione thought as the hook nosed professor rushed by, looking for the Hogwarts rebels. It was actually pretty lovely.

All reviews and favourites are appreciated. So if you enjoyed this one-shot don't be scared of leaving a review. Oh, and a massive shoutout to DoctorHolmesWinchester for betaing this one shot! Thanks!