Hermione dropped the folded piece of pastel blue paper into Harry's lap as she passed behind him to take her seat at the Gryffindor breakfast table.
"From Cho," she explained at Harry's questioning look. She reached for the jug of water and poured herself a glass as he dropped his knife and fork onto his plate of half-eaten bacon, eggs and beans and unfolded the note.
Ron looked across at Hermione with an amused expression. "How long have you been best friends with Cho Chang then?" he mumbled, through a mouthful of porridge.
"I'm not," she replied dryly. "She just accosted me at the door and literally begged me to give that to Harry."
Ron swallowed hard, unfortunately the wrong way and almost choked. He grabbed the water jug from Hermione's hands, spilling half of it on the table.
"Did you read it?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye, after gulping down the remainder of the water.
Hermione gave him her best withering look, while trying to mop the table with a handful of napkins.
"Only joking!" he laughed, holding his hands up in defence. He returned to his porridge.
Hermione cast a sidelong glance at Harry. He had a little smile on his face as he read.
She couldn't stop a smile from forming on her own face. She hadn't read it, of course not.
But she had a pretty good idea what was in the note.
The Winter's Ball, which had been announced at the start of term two weeks ago, was all anyone was talking about at the moment, and yesterday, in the library, she had overheard Cho telling a group of her friends that she was going to ask Harry to be her partner.
Although Hermione didn't like Cho that much, she knew Harry did and was happy for him. He deserved something good to happen for a change.
She pinched a slice of bacon off Harry's plate and sighed inwardly. Opposite her, Ron was throwing furtive glances at a furiously blushing Loony Luna Lovegood, a few seats down on the Ravenclaw table.
With things seemingly looking up for both Harry and Ron in the romance department, Hermione was beginning to feel a little left out.
Don't be silly, she berated herself sternly, for what seemed like the millionth time. I don't have time for things like that now, not with all that studying ahead of me...
The three friends were now in their 6th year, and after the events of the previous year, Hermione had set her heart on becoming an Auror. The remaining two years were going to be difficult, and she certainly wasn't going to have time for boys!
With Hermione deep in thought, Ron winking at Luna, and Harry absorbed in Cho's note, no one noticed a tall figure approach and peer over Harry's shoulder.
Before anyone could react, a smirking Draco Malfoy had snatched the note from Harry's fingers and was waving it over his head.
"Hey look at this...Harry Potter has a girlfriend!"
"Ooooh!" sniggered Crabbe and Goyle who, predictably, were stood just behind Draco. A few people nearby turned to stare.
Harry was on his feet in an instant, his chair toppling over. "Give it back Malfoy," he said through clenched teeth.
Draco's smirk grew. "Let's see..." He skimmed the note quickly. "Listen to this everyone." He adopted a falsely high girly voice and pretended to read. "Harry, oh Harry. I love you so much...please be mine forever and ever..."
"Give it back, or..." Harry reiterated in a threatening tone.
"Or what?" Draco raised an eyebrow. Hermione pulled Harry back before he had time to complete his forward lunge and grab Draco's collar.
"Pack it in Malfoy," she demanded, "Give it back."
Draco glanced at her briefly, his cold grey eyes meeting her flashing brown ones. "Hush Mudblood," he hissed, then turned back to the note.
"And who's the lucky girl?" he continued, ducking behind Crabbe and Goyle as both Harryand Hermione went for him this time.
Cho, who had just taken her seat at the Ravenclaw table, looked around as Draco advanced towards her. Her eyes fell on the little piece of paper he brandished and she turned a deep shade of red that even outdid Luna.
Draco put his hand on Cho's back. She flinched.
"Why, it's none other than Cho Chang!" he announced. "Glad to see you've finally put poor Cedric's death behind you…"
Hermione extricated herself from Goyle's grasp moments before Harry pulled free of Crabbe.
"That was out of order Malfoy," she cried, marching up to him.
By now the whole of the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables were watching, and a few Slytherins had come across to watch too.
Cho flew out of her seat and pushed past Hermione and Harry, who tried in vain to stop her.
Harry glared at Draco, then raced after Cho.
"I really think you should be committed to St Mungo's," Draco called after her. He laughed. "You can keep Longbottom's parents company," he added as a sideswipe to the chubby boy seated at the Gryffindor table.
Neville glowered at him and grabbed his belongings, following Harry and Cho from the Great Hall.
Hermione reached to snatch the note from Draco's fingers while he was distracted but he was too quick.
"Ah ah ah. Not so fast Granger. If you want it, you'll have to ask nicely."
Hermione gritted her teeth. "Give it back Malfoy."
Draco frowned. "That's not good enough." His frown melted into a grin. "Try harder…"
"Leave him," Ron said to her. "He isn't worth it."
But Hermione wasn't the type to back down, especially with so many people watching. She narrowed her eyes dangerously.
Draco winked at her. "You're really quite attractive when you get mad," he declared arrogantly. Then he wrinkled his nose. "For a filthy Mudblood that is..."
Hermione had had enough.
Draco held the note higher as she grabbed for it, leaning back so it was out of her reach. But Hermione was determined not to be outdone.
She set her jaw firmly and pressed her body against Draco's, stretching up over his shoulder. Draco chuckled as her fingers closed over his.
She tugged hard at the note but he wouldn't release it.
Her face was inches from his. She glared into his eyes. "Let go, damn you."
He chuckled again, a deep, low rumble that Hermione felt vibrate through her.
"Get in there Malfoy!" someone shouted, to much hilarity.
Draco shifted his weight deliberately, so that his body moved against hers. "All you had to do…" he paused to push her hair back, then whispered in her ear, "…was say please..."
He relinquished his hold on the note and Hermione stumbled away from him.
Her face burning, she scurried from the Great Hall, Draco Malfoy's laughter ringing in her ears...
The hall doors slammed behind her and she leant back against them for a second to recompose herself.
She felt so mortified. She covered her face with her hands.
But more than that, she was furious with him for humiliating her that way.
And how dare he say those things to Neville and Cho.
Harry...where was he?
She stepped away from the doors lest anyone should open them and embarrass her further by causing her to fall on her backside.
Where would Cho have gone? She guessed at the Ravenclaw common room.
Before she could take more than a couple of steps in that direction though, Ron and Luna came hurrying from the hall.
"Hermione!" Ron called.
She turned as they approached.
"Are you...ok?" Ron looked concerned.
Hermione forced a smile. "Of course I am. Why shouldn't I be?"
Ron glanced doubtfully at Luna, who shrugged. "It's just, you know…" he continued, "…that little scene in there, with Malfoy. He went too far."
Hermione brushed it away as nonchalantly as she could manage. "Don't worry about me. It takes more than that nasty little ferret to bother me."
Ron opened his mouth but Hermione didn't want to discuss it any further. "I'm going to find Harry, give him this back." She held the note up. "I'll see you later."
Half an hour later, she finally found him. He was curled up in an armchair in the Gryffindor common room.
Hermione knelt beside him and gave him the note. He took it in silence.
"How's Cho?" she asked gently.
Harry frowned. "How do you think, after what Malfoy said to her?" Then he sighed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you."
"That's ok."
Harry looked down at the note. "Cho asked me to go to the ball with her."
Hermione smiled. "That's great."
"But now she says it was a mistake and that she doesn't want people to think she's forgotten Cedric so easily."
"But that was nearlytwo years ago!" Hermione exclaimed. "No one will think badly of her for wanting to move on after so long."
Harry shrugged. "Malfoy does."
"Yes, but we know he's only saying that because he enjoys hurting people."
"Try telling Cho that…"
There was a long silence.
"Anyway, thanks for getting this back." Harry tucked the note into a pocket.
Hermione shook her head. "Someone needs to do something about Malfoy." Reluctantly, she told Harry what had happened after he left the Great Hall. It would be all over the school by tomorrow anyway.
His face was as dark as a thundercloud by the time she finished. "He needs to be brought down a peg or two, taught a lesson he'll never forget," he fumed.
Hermione nodded thoughtfully.
"Do you have a plan?" Harry asked, recognising that look on her face.
She smiled. Harry knew her too well.
"No, not yet." Her smile spread into a grin.
"But leave it with me. I'm sure I can come up with something…"