Harry felt bored and a little out of place in the great hall with his friends. They all seemed content with the same routine over and over every day. First they always sat in the same spot up front at the head of the Gryffindor table. Second they always talk about the same things. He loved sports and girls just as much as any other red blooded male but this was ridiculous. Then they would make rude jokes about any and everyone that passed by. Frankly Harry was starting to outgrow his imature friends.

"Harry!" one of his friends caught his attention away from the pile of peas he had been playing with.

"What?"

"Have you gotten a date to the ball yet?"

"Why would I? Its not for another month."

"True but I hear this year Dumbldore is blocking the entrance to the girl dorms from any guys. I figure a month is just enough time to make a polyjuice."

"why go through the trouble?"

"Dude! This year im taking Lavender Brown. She is a garunteed stress reducer if you know what I mean." his friends laughed at the comment. Harry just shook his head at his poor ignornat buddies and went back to pushing his peas around. For the life of him he couldnt understand how someone would go through all that trouble just to bed Lavender Brown. A first year could do that now if they asked her nicely!

Getting sick of the peas he looked down the table hoping to see someone doing a bit of magic but instead his eyes caught a very irriated looking Hermione Granger. She seemed to be arguing with the same loud mouth Weasley boy they'd seen on the train.

"What are you looking at mate?"

"Nothing."

"Its not nothing. He's looking at that bird he brought back to the cabin on the way here. Hot little number she was." another of his friends answered.

"Her name is Hermione."

"Who cares what her name is, the girl is hot! Too bad she is off limits."

"What do you mean?"

"She's a mudblood."

"So?"

"So she's dirty. I wouldn't be caught dead dating a filthy creature like that! She is nice to look at though."

"OK please tell me you are just joking."

"About what, her being a mudblood? I thought you knew man."

Harry stared at his disrespectful friend in disbelief. Did he not know Harry's own mother was a mudblood and one of the best damn witches ever! More importantly did he not know Harry was a half blood himself. Feeling incredibly disrespected and annoyed, Harry got up from his seat and moved to make his way out of the great hall. He ignored the calls from his friends.

He did not notice Hermione eyeing his departure. She wouldnt admit it but she found herself watching the boy all time since he showed he kindness on the train that day. Unfortunately Ron was becoming increasingly unbearable since that day. He seemed to want to pick a fight over anything and eveything with her and was getting old really fast.

"Hermione are you listening to me!"

"No Ron. Im not."

"You see this is the problem you dont listen. You'd rather keep your nose in those books of your than listen to your boyfriend."

"Whatever you say Ronald."

"Dont 'Whatever you say Ronald' me! Why do you have to be so bloody annoying all the time. All I asked was for you to put the book down!"

"Why Ron? Just because you would rather buy the answers to tests doesnt mean some of us dont actually want to learn at school."

"And some of us dont know why they put up with plain faced bookworms for girlfriends when they could have someone else. Some one who would actually put out!"

Hermione mouth gaped in shock. Did Ron really just say that to her or was she imaginging things? Judging by how quiet everyone around them suddenly appeared she knew she was imagining things. The back of her eyes started to sting with tears but she wouldnt give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Quickly before the tears came down she gathered her things and went to leave the table.

"Hermione!" she heard Ron yell out calling her after she had left the table. No doubt he had realized what he said and was now regretting every word but the damage was done.

She made it all the way to the top floor of the library before breaking down and letting the flood gates open up. Ron knew she was always self concious about her appearance so for him to basically call her ugly and not worth of his time was a crushing blow to her self esteem which she had tried so hard to build up.

She sank down onto the floor letting her back rest against one of the bookselves and dried her eyes with the arm of her sweater.

"You ok?" a masculine voice asked scaring the day lights out of Hermione. She had never seen anyone that deep into the library let alone some who must of just wtnessed her cry. Calming down and looking up she saw somber face of Harry Potter.

"Sorry.I didnt mean to give you a freight."

"Its ok."

"Mind if I sit down?"

"Its a public library." she tried to joke but her voice cracked a bit from the emotion.

"Thanks.

Harry took a seat beside Hermione and just sat there for a while not speaking or making a sound. He just stared ahead at the books infront of him.

"If you stare at them long enough they start to move."

"Do they? Thats odd."

"I dont think anyone knows that but me."

"Why is that?"

"Because im the only person odd enough to send an absurd amount of time in this place reading while everyone else acts like a normal teenage."

"I always though being normal was vastly overrated."

"You think that."

"What do you mean?"

"Im mean you Harry Potter, HP, the most popular boy in school and legend in the wizarding 've never had a problem with fitting in."

"You see now thats were your wrong."

"What problems could you possibly have? Choosing the red or yellow jersey?"

"I always wear red." he said causing her to chuckle,

"But seriously people never really know me. They all just take what they see in history books and baste there own opinions. I dont think I have ever had a real friend in my life."

"Oh come on everyone at this school would kill to be Harry Potter's friend."

"Correction. Every at this school would kill to be friends with the quittach captain or the prom king not Harry. No one know the real Harry. For instance Kenneth Barns, the person im closest to here, thinks I dream of one day playing professional quittach.

"Dont you?"

"No. I like the game enough but just because im good at it doesnt mean its my life. I want to be an Auror."

"An .I would have never geussed."

"Thats because you dont know the real Harry know the idea of him."

Harry explained to her and venting his feelings at the same time. He didnt know why he was telling her this. She could very well twist the story around into a fairytale romance about how they met in the library ad he professed his love for her. It was just something about her that seemed different from the other people he was usually associated with.

"So its not none of my business but umm why were you crying?" he asked mainly wanting to change the subject but also being a bit curious aswell.

"Its nothing."

"People dont cry like that over spilt milk."

"Its just hard facing the truth sometimes."

"And what truth is that?"

Hermione looked over at the boy who was waiting on an answer and she was not ready to embarass herself further in front of him.

"Yah know what, we should be going."

"Ok umm are you at least going to be alright?"

"Fine."

"Good well umm ill see you around then?"

"Probably." Hermione said picking up her stuff and starting to walk away.

"One more thing."

"Yes?"

"Will you go to the ball with me? I want going to go initally but I figure this one could be fun if I had the right date." Harry asked nervously.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, why do you have a bofriend or something better to do?"

Hermione thought over the boyfriend thing for a second. On one side was Harry James Potter the most desirable boy at Hogwarts who had been totally nice to her asking her out. Going with him would certainly make a few heads the other side was Ron who completely ignored her at every dance they'd attended and was just plain mean to her. Not to mention Harry looked like a model while Ron looked like the red gum under the model's shoe.

"Nope no boyfriend."

"So do you wanna go with me?"

" like that."

"Its a date then." Harry smiled feeling proud of his accomplishments. Maybe he would even have fun at this one he thought.