For the third time, this is an HG/MM fic. I feel it is my responsibility to warn you before each chapter, lest you forget.

Hermione and McGonagall having tea won't be until the next chapter. I wanted to update soon but I'm rather sick at the moment and I'm not getting any brilliant ideas concerning their tea time(though I did have tea this afternoon myself).

Disclaimer: I was not J.K. Rowling the last two times I posted. This time, however, to my utter amazement, I am not J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 3

Hermione had seated herself in a rather comfy maroon chair in the Gryffindor common room when Ron and Harry arrived, talking rather quickly about something that clearly amused them.

"What, my I ask, are you two so giddy about?"

Harry grinned as he flung himself into the armchair next to Hermione.

"Snape's hair caught fire in the corridor. Peeves dropped a candlestick on his head."

She tried to look stern, she was Head Girl after all and it was her job to enforce the belief that teachers were to be respected, but failed and after a moment began to laugh.

"Yeah," Ron went on, "I don't think it would have caught if it hadn't been for all that bloody grease in his hair. He looks like he's stuck his head in a vat of it half the time."

When he was done laughing, Harry turned his attention to Hermione.

"What's up with you?" Harry asked, concerned, as Hermione wasn't reading, and she seemed completely oblivious to the fact that three first years were using the illegal Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in the corner of the common room.

Hermione sighed, "It's nothing, really."

Ron rolled his eyes.

"Come on, out with it then. You know you're going to tell us eventually."

She shot him a glare before continuing.

"Well, you see, I'm supposed to have tea with Professor McGonagall in about fifteen minutes…"

Ron began to laugh, but got control of it long enough to mock her.

"That's taking teacher's pet to a whole new level."

Hermione blushed red, though not for the reasons Ron and Harry suspected (that she didn't like being called a teacher's pet).

"Well, fine, if that's how you're going to be, I just won't say another word."

She made to leave but Harry pulled her back down into her seat.

"Sorry, Hermione. Ron'll shut up. Promise."

She rolled her eyes as Ron nodded, still obviously trying to stifle a laugh.

"Yeah, Hermione. So, tell us, what are you and McGonagall doing having tea together all of a sudden?"

"That's Professor McGonagall, Ronald. And…well, you see…"

She trailed off. She had never informed her best friends of her sexuality. In fact, Professor McGonagall was the only one that knew. She didn't know if right now was the right time to tell them or not.

"…I was hoping to get extra help in my transfiguration lessons."

Ron rolled his eyes.

"You don't need extra help. You're practically glued to every word McGonagall says."

Hermione blushed again.

"Hermione, why would you be nervous about getting extra help in transfiguration?" Harry asked, clearly the brighter of the two boys on this subject.

"Well," Hermione began, looking down at her fingernails, "I suppose it's the fact that it will be just me and her. It will be the first time I've been alone with her for more than a couple of minutes."

Ron chortled, "What? Afraid she's going to put the moves on you, Hermione?"

While he clearly meant it as a joke, Hermione did not find it so.

"Professor McGonagall would never do anything of the sort! She would never 'put the moves' on me! Don't you even accuse her of such a thing! That is a terrible thing to say, Ronald!" She screeched, as Ron cowered in his chair.

"I- well, I was just joking, really…"

Hermione shot him a look of pure loathing. While she resented Ron accusing her dear Professor of such a thing, what hurt even more were the words she had said in return.

She won't ever return my feelings, will she?

Harry noticed Hermione's face begin to soften and her eyes well up with tears.

"Hermione…are you sure that's all that's going on?"

"Oh, Harry," Hermione looked at him, nearly crying now, "I don't think I can tell you. I really don't."

Harry moved closer to her, putting his hand gently on her arm.

"You can tell us," he gestured to Ron, "anything. We won't judge, or laugh or anything. Promise."

Hermione glared a Ron again.

"That's what he promised before."

Harry turned to Ron.

"Ron, could you leave the common room for just a minute?"

He did so, grumbling along the way, "…can't take a bloody joke…girls…I'll never understand 'em…"

Harry went back to his seat.

"Alright, he's gone. You can tell me, I promise I won't say anything."

Hermione took a deep breath before responding.

"Harry, there's something about me…well, that I've never told you."

"Yeah?" Harry nodded, trying to look sympathetic.

She bit her lip and continued, "I- well, you see…I'm a lesbian."

Harry's eyes went wide and he choked on his breath.

"Oh, I knew you wouldn't understand!"

"No, no…Hermione!" Harry said, trying to return his breathing to normal, "It's fine. There's nothing wrong with it or anything, I was just a little shocked… I mean, er, you've never done anything to make us think that."

Hermione nodded, "Yes, I know."

"But…" Harry furrowed his brow, "Why would that make you nervous about getting extra help in transfiguration?"

She rolled her eyes, "Really, Harry, you're almost as thick as Ron sometimes. I'm not going to have tea with her to get extra help in transfiguration!"

"Oh, then why are you going to have tea with her?"

"Well," she began, "This morning I told her I was a lesbian. See…she had been concerned about my behavior. She said I wasn't acting like myself. So I told her that the reason I wasn't acting normal was because I was a lesbian and I was worried about telling her and all…Then she told me…well, that she was, too. And she invited me to tea so that we could discuss it. She said she didn't have many people to talk about it to, I think she wanted me to have someone to confide in."

"McGonagall's a lesbian?" Harry was obviously having a hard time digesting this bit of information.

"Yes, Professor McGonagall is a lesbian, Harry."

His eyes were wide, "Blimey," then he shook himself out of his trance.

"But was that really the reason you were acting strange around her?"

She shook her head, "No, it wasn't. Harry…I have feelings for Professor McGonagall."

"Oh. I…oh."

The pure shock of all of Hermione's revelations seemed to have taken a toll on Harry. He sunk down into the arm chair, mouth hanging slightly open, eyes wide.

"Well, what are you going to do about it?"

Hermione and Harry's eyes shot up to the source of the new voice. Ron stood at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the boy's dormitories, not looking in the least bit shocked.

"Have you been here this whole time?" Harry seemed to have broken out of his shock.

"Yeah," Ron gestured to the silver cloak in his hands, "Thought I'd borrow this so I could stay and listen."

Hermione looked slightly confused, "Wait. You don't seem to mind, well, any of this."

Ron shrugged and returned to his previous seat.

"I always figured you had a thing for McGonagall, whether it was the only girl you liked or not. You just keep staring at her all the time in class. And listening to what she says."

"Ron, that's what you're supposed to do in class," Hermione said, eyeing him carefully.

"Oh, I guess I've been doing it wrong."

The three laughed and the tension broke.

"Well, really Hermione," Ron said, breaking their laughter, "What are you going to do about it?"

As Hermione considered this, Harry looked down at his watch.

"Well, whatever you're going to do you better figure it out soon because it looks like you're already late for tea."

Hermione's eyes went wide and she jumped out of her chair and ran towards the portrait hole.

Ron and Harry watched her leave, "Good luck!"