A/N: As always, thank you for sticking with me. Each review you guys gives is much appreciated and I love reading them.

I hope I can continue entertaining you.

Here we go…Oh yes. But first…

DISCLAIMER: I am not JKR. I am a male after all.

/

"Falling in love with someone isn't always going to be easy. Anger. Tears. Laughter. It's when you want to be together despite it all. That's when you truly love another."

Just the feeling in the air that day seemed to be different. Harry was going to his first Quidditch match of the year. After several practices the Gryffindor team was ready. Everyone on the team seemed ready for action. They all were done with practice and were ready to finally face another team. Harry had to admit the excitement in his stomach was the most he had ever felt for a Quidditch game since his first year. It was a chance to get his mind off of everything and just focus on a game he loved.

A game he was also growing late for. The game had not started but he should have been there ready with his team at least fifteen minutes ago. However, after finding a pair of trouble making Slytherins, Harry's Head Boy duties made him deal with them before continuing to the game. A familiar red head was bounding towards him with a frustrated look on her face.

"Harry! Where have you been? The game is about to start!" Ginny exclaimed turning on her heel and following alongside Harry at his same quick pace.

"Sorry Ginny. Just some Head Boy stuff had to be done. Is everyone prepared?" Harry asked in a hurried tone as the Quidditch fields got closer and closer. With each step Harry's excitement continued to build.

"Everyone but you." Ginny said coldly. Harry knew that she was just as anxious for the game as him and knew that she was just concerned about the team so he did not fight back against her.

"Harry!" A light squeaky voice called out from behind him. Harry did not recognize the voice and expected it to just be an admiring fan so he continued with his fast pace. "Harry!" The voice called out again and this time Harry turned his head. He saw a tiny blonde girl bounding down towards him with a worried look on her face. Even though Ginny tried to keep him moving Harry stopped and turned to the girl.

"Yes?" Harry asked hoping desperately that he had not just stopped for a first year that wanted his autograph.

"I know you don't know me. I'm Jessica Ready." The girl said seemingly glad that Harry stopped. Harry's patience with the girl was already spreading thin. "I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute…"

"Harry we seriously do not have time for this!" Ginny barked grabbing him by the shoulder preparing to yank him backwards.

"I'm sorry Jessica, I really need to go. But find me later okay?" Harry said before being pulled violently by Ginny towards the Quidditch fields. As Harry continued to be dragged along he looked back to the small girl seeing her hazel eyes fill with sadness as she slowly wandered away. All Harry hoped was that he could get that vision out of his head for the game.

/

The fatigue from the game came crashing down on Harry as he collapsed on to the couch in Hermione and his common room. They had won the game in a nail biter that almost went to Ravenclaw. Gryffindor pulled it out only beating Ravenclaw by fifty points. Perhaps the Gryffindor team was not as polished as they all thought. In the end it was a victory and Harry was happy to take it. While he knew there were celebrations going on in the Gryffindor common room he chose to stay away from them just wanting a few moments to relax.

Harry was surprised not to see Hermione in their common room. He had known she had come to game but she slipped out quickly just as it finished. Harry highly doubted that she had slipped off to go to the victory party. They had not seen much of each other lately which was just as well for Harry. Harry was becoming increasingly confused when it came to Hermione. Each time he saw her he had this feeling wash over him. This feeling like his gut was on fire. The urge to run over and wrap his arms around her and kiss her.

Every time Harry felt it however he felt foolish and dumb. They only saw each other at meals and on rounds it seemed like anymore. Of course they saw each other in classes but that was different. Once they were in class Hermione was switched in to class mode. Anything beyond the classroom seemed to vanish as she did her work. Once class was let out Hermione turned back to normal. Harry just wished he could turn his feeling for her off throughout class.

After a while of sitting in the common room Harry began to come worried about Hermione. Despite his best efforts to fight his feeling he jumped up and left the common room to hunt for her. There was only one place in mind where he was sure she would be. Just as he left the common room he thought it would be easier to just look her up on the Marauder's Map. If he did not find her in the library he would have to come back for the map.

As he twisted and weaved through the halls several students congratulated him on a great game. Harry always said thank you before continuing to move on. Once he rounded in to the library he looked down the tables to find Hermione sitting at the one she seems to always be at. Her nose was in a book as she scribbled down some notes on a piece of parchment. Slowly he crossed down the table sitting down across from her. "Hello Hermione."

She jumped in surprise as if she had not even noticed him sit down. After letting out a nervous laugh she smiled. "Hello Harry. I'm sorry, I didn't even realize you were here." Suddenly her face jerked back down and she continued reading.

"Yeah I just got here. I was looking for you actually." His words seemed to stop Hermione in her tracks. She stopped writing for a moment looking up slightly before jerking her head and continued to scribble on the parchment. "Just was wondering where you were was all."

Hermione hummed an answer of some sort. For some reason Harry felt like they were now uncomfortable around one another. Like they did not know what to say anymore. The feeling was beginning to frustrate him. "I meant to ask you Hermione, how are you and Ron doing? You haven't really talked about it much."

This made Hermione stop studying. She closed her book letting out a soft sigh bringing her eyes up to meet Harry's. The burning in his gut flooded back. "We are doing…Better I guess. We talk every now and then. He does not seem to be as mad at me as he was before. There is still tension between us but…It is going away." Hermione said now actually having a genuine smile growing on her face. The fact that things were finally going back to normal between them comforted Harry. No more shirts drenched with Hermione's tears.

"That is amazing Hermione. I am glad." The conversation halted there. Neither of them said anything. An uncomfortable silence hung in the library as they shifted awkwardly in their seats. "Is there something wrong?"

The question seemingly caught Hermione off guard. Her mouth opened but she hesitated not knowing what to say. After she cleared her throat she began to speak. "What do you mean Harry?"

"It's just…Things have seemed weird between us lately. I can't really put my finger on it but I know something is wrong. Our dynamic seems to be off or something. Do you feel it?" Harry asked as the burning in his stomach was rising. Harry knew exactly what it was that was weird between them. It was the fact that Harry continually wanted to hold her. His hand yearned to reach over and grab hers. His eyes continually got lost in hers. And with each moment Harry wanted to lean forward and kiss her.

The mixture of emotions in Harry was crazy. Why suddenly were all these urges washing in to him? Harry could blame it on puberty but that time in his life had passed. Or so he hoped. Perhaps just being so close to Hermione these past few weeks has made him want to be intimate with her. The one thing Harry missed about relationships is what he wanted with her. However, there was more to his feelings than just physical. There was something else boiling up inside of Harry that he did not want to admit.

"I…" Hermione stammered before pulling her eyes away from his. Her breathing became shaky before she looked up at him again. "I..I feel it too. I just don't know…What it is. But nothing is wrong…We are fine…" Hermione continued to stumble over her words before jumping up. "I need to go Harry. I forgot I need to do something." Just like that Hermione took off.

Harry bolted up from his seat beginning to take after her before he was cut off by Draco. "Lovers quarrel?" Draco asked in a teasing tone. Although Draco had not caused trouble and had been over all rather nice to Harry and Hermione, he still was Draco Malfoy. Liked to stick his nose where it did not belong. Liked to mock them.

"I am really not in the mood Draco." Harry said brushing past him still trying to catch up to Hermione.

"Yes! Go get her Mr. Potter!" Draco called in an overdramatic tone. Harry turned sharply moving back towards Draco so they were standing nose to nose.

"You may be here to help me Malfoy, but that does not mean I won't hit you if you push me to far." Harry hissed before beginning to turn around again. Perhaps he should not be threatening someone who came to protect him and could easily turn against him if he rubbed him the wrong way.

"Seriously Potter. You two are lovesick for one another. Everyone can see it just by the way you two look at each other. Even Weasley seems to be catching on. The only two who don't understand it are the two dopes involved. Why don't you get over yourself and get her?" This time Draco did not seem mocking. He seemed like he was actually stating a fact. Harry turned to Draco looking at him quizzically. It was odd enough that Draco came back to protect Harry but now he was even giving him relationship advice. Never in his wildest dreams had Harry thought this would happen. Draco waved towards the door at Harry and with that he left the library.

Just as Harry rounded the corner he saw Jessica Ready. The blonde girl lit up at the sight of Harry and hurried over to him. A large sigh was expelled from Harry as he took off in the direction he thought he had seen Hermione go off in.

"Harry! You are here! Great! Wonderful! Splendid!" The girl giggled before her tone became a bit more serious. "Could we talk now by any chance?" She asked again and Harry's patience again was running short.

"You really have the worst timing Jessica. I am sorry, but I have something I need to deal with right now. I am truly sorry. But please, find me later. We will talk." This time Harry did not even look back at her when she stopped following him but he knew what she would be looking like. A large frown would grow on her face as she slowly would turn away.

/

Harry made it in to the common room just in time to hear Hermione's bedroom door slam shut. Harry ran towards the steps bounding up them before knocking on the door. His hand fidgeted with the handle but it was locked. "Hermione!" Harry called out knocking on the door again. That burning in his stomach was becoming more than he could bear. He was just preparing to pull out his wand to unlock the door himself when Hermione opened the door.

"Yes Harry?" She asked shortly wiping away what looked like tears.

"It sure doesn't seem like you had anything important to go do." Harry said which just made Hermione shake her head and abandon the doorway for her bed. Slowly Harry slipped inside and took a seat next to her on the bed. "Listen Hermione…I need to tell you something."

"Harry please…" Hermione began before Harry shook his head and interjected.

"No Hermione! I need to say this. I can't believe it took Malfoy for me to admit this but…I think I have feelings for you. As more than a best friend. I mean…Lately every time I see you I get this burning in my gut. This feeling that just makes me want to hold you and kiss you and tell you this! And I held back because I did not want to admit I liked you. However, I have to. I really do like you Hermione and I want to be with you and I think there is some part of you that wants to be with me too. That is why we have been so tense lately. Is because we have had these feelings bubbling up and we did not know if we should express them. But I do want to. I want to be with you…" Harry could not help but have a grin grow across his face. Just saying the words made him feel ten times better. He looked in to Hermione's eyes which were beginning to water.

They must be tears of joy. Harry waited for her to fling her arms around him and tell him that she felt the same way. He waited for her lips to meet his since she could just not bear them not touching anymore. His hand waited to take hers and interlace their fingers together. Harry waited.

"I can't Harry…" Hermione whispered with tears now escaping. That was the one thing Harry was not expecting. It felt like he had been punched in the stomach. The fire that was brewing in his stomach was seemingly extinguished. The grin that had extended it's way across his face completely faded. All the hopes of her kissing him, hugging him, taking his hand, all of them were completely washed away.

"What?" Harry choked out in a barely audible voice. His head began spinning and he just hoped this was a bad dream. A nightmare that he would soon wake up from.

"I can't Harry…I can't be with you…Not after Ron. I can't…I don't want to hurt you like I did to him…And you are too important as a friend…I can't be what you want me too…I'm sorry. I wish I could explain it better, but I can't…" Hermione said as a few more tears began to roll down her cheeks. "You are my best friend…I can't…" Hermione was about to say more before shaking her head and turning her eyes away form him.

The euphoria that was filling him only a moment ago was all gone. It felt like it was completely sucked out of him leaving him hollow. This was the one outcome Harry had not expected. The one outcome he had not even remotely prepared himself for. Harry turned his eyes away from hers and slowly stood up. His legs felt weak as they took him out of the room. All he could hear behind him were the soft sobs of Hermione growing further and further away.

/

That night Harry ate his dinner quickly and spent the rest of his night in his room. Harry still was dealing with the blow he had just received. It should have not affected him so much. After all he just realized his feelings. It was not like he was head over heels in love with her for a while. Was he? The more he thought about it the more Harry began to hurt. The more hollow he felt. The darker everything else seemed to be.

When it was time to make rounds Harry went down to the common room just in time to see Hermione walking down her stairs as well. He shared a glance with her quickly before hurrying out of the room. This time he was the one running away from her. He had the Marauder's Map in hand and looked it at while he patrolled the school. For the most part Harry just aimlessly walked. When he would look at the map he would see Hermione walking around as well. If her footsteps started to grow closer to him Harry picked up his pace and hurried in the other direction from her.

Even when Harry saw students who should not be out he did not act on it. They did not see him so they were none the wiser that he was not doing his job. Harry's heart was just not in it tonight. He stared at the map again seeing Hermione walking towards their common room again. Harry thought he should let her go up to her bedroom and get situated so there was not another awkward run in. As his eyes traveled across the map again he saw the name Jessica Ready. His eyes narrowed on her location and saw she was not far from him.

Why was Jessica out this late at night? Her footsteps were not moving in a fast manner. She seemed to be swaying a bit not walking in a straight line. Quickly Harry took off in her direction hoping to find her. She continued to slowly stagger away from Harry but he was closing the distance with her. Harry looked up from the map knowing that she should be right around the corner. Suddenly there was a loud crack that echoed through the corridor. It stopped Harry's in his tracks for a moment before he ran around the corner to see the hallway adjacent to his empty. When Harry pulled up the map again he saw that Jessica's name was no longer there. She was no where even close to Harry's area. As his eyes traveled all around the map he could not find her name anywhere. He looked up again as if he thought the map was wrong and she would suddenly appear before him. No one was there.

Harry was completely and utterly baffled. How is it that she could completely disappear? She could not apparate out of Hogwarts. She was not even far enough in school to even know how to yet. Harry's brain continued to cycle through possibilities of where she had gone. How she had seemingly disappeared. Still nothing came to mind. Now Harry wished that he had stopped to see what it was she needed to talk to him about.

/

A/N: I know. Crazy point to leave off on. But believe me, all will be revealed!

I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and as always, reviews are appreciated.

On a side note, I know I have been popping out chapters very quickly but it will not always be like this. Work will be starting again here soon and such so enjoy the speed while it lasts.