HERMIONE

This is really frustrating. We're together, but we're not together. We can't be with each other for the fear that people would see and the news would reach Lucius. When we do see each other, it would be during midnight in the Astronomy Tower (who knew that a place filled with Trelawney essence could be so romantic?) where no-one would see us.

This sucks.

And what sucks the most is that I know that Draco will do anything to keep me protected. I can't live with that. I don't want to feel that I owe him something, it just isn't right. The boy already feels that he's got some freaking royal blood and now I'm indebted to him?

Anyway, the winter hols is in just two weeks and Draco said something about having a talk with his father. I don't know what he has in mind, but I don't really have much hope, seeing as how his father hates me.

But what bothers me the most (for now) is the fact that I have a boyfriend (for once in my entire bloody existence) who is a wickedly handsome bloke whom I can't parade around and give Lavender and Parvati an "up-yours" look during the Yule Ball. Now that bites.

Anyway, it's a weekday today and in just a few minutes, Harry and Ron will burst into the girls' dormitory (I don't know how they do it without being screamed at or vexed) to drag me with them. It's Hogsmeade Day today and Professor Dumbledore allowed us a few hours to roam around and shop for new dress robes for the Ball.

Where are those guys anyway? They should be here any second now …

5, 4, 3 …

"Hermione!" says Ron, bursting into my room (breathing heavily and quite reddish in color) with Harry right behind him.

Well, here we are in Hogsmeade, covered in white fluffy snow; perfect for snowball fights, which is exactly what the year three students began to do.

"Hey, ouch! Watch it!" Ron says when a not so fluffy snowball hit him on his cheek.

"Oh, sorry," Goyle sniggers (apparently the snowball holder). Draco is with him and gives me a smirk when he saw me.

How sweet. Some boyfriends would come over and put their hands around their girlfriend's shoulders (which is what Harry is now doing to Cho), mine gives me a smirk. Honestly, the guy has no sense of romance.

Then again, it's a public place with Slytherins everywhere so I guess he wouldn't try to do that but I know that even if our relationship weren't banned or restricted or whatever, he still wouldn't do that; a punch on the shoulder maybe, but not that.

I see that Ron is ready to start a fight but before he could pelt anyone with snow powder, Draco slaps Goyle on his chest and motions for him and Crabbe to go elsewhere. Naturally, Ron is dumbfounded.

He looks at me with his mouth agape. "Did Malfoy just back down from a fight?"

"I don't think that was backing down. It was merely avoiding one," I reply and move on forward to some robes shop. Harry by now is hanging out with Cho and her friends (another thing Draco would never do) so I am alone with Ron.

I think it is better this way; I can't stand seeing Harry and Cho together being so disgustingly sweet. It's just an awful reminder that whether or not Draco and I can be together, I still won't have a romantic boyfriend.

Ron and I step into a posh-looking robes shop. It reminds me a bit of the muggle clothing shop, Terranova. The exterior had large, clear windowpanes with elegant robes for male and female displayed on mannequins. Inside, the room is brightly lighted with white bulbs and the whole place looks homey. There are big, overstuffed purple chairs that could put a Lay-Z Boy to shame on one side, racks and racks of robes are set in the middle with colors varying from shocking pink to periwinkle and the other side has fitting rooms as large as a loo cubicle for the handicapped.

I checked the price tag of a white robe, it isn't really very expensive but Ron looks a bit nervous.

"Uh, Hermione," he says, "I don't think this is where I want to shop for dress robes. I don't think I want to shop at all."

I look at him sharply. "Ron, let me remind you that every dress robe you own looks like it belongs to a museum. Besides, the prices aren't too high, I'm sure you can find a nice dress robe here."

Ron is obviously in doubt with what I said. I pick up a yellow dress robe with red linings on the cuffs. "How about this?" I suggest. "Gryffindor colors."

He snorts. "Gryffindor my ass. If you haven't noticed, it clashes horribly with my hair. Besides, I'm not quite particular with the color yellow, major cheese."

I roll my eyes. I pick a strapping blue robe made of velvet. Ron just gave me an "are-you-kidding-me" look. I put that down and hold up a white and beige nylon robe.

"No way, I'll soil that one easily," he says.

"Good, then it will help you control yourself and behave more maturely," I say and he sticks out his tongue at me, very immature. "Besides, it's only eleven sickle and two knuts."

He seems to think it over. "I'll even throw in the two knuts for you," I offer.

He agrees. Good thing too coz I really want to look for a dress robe for me now. I look through the racks while Ron is trying on his dress robe in a fitting room.

I feel someone stick something inside my pocket; I turn and see Draco's body (it isn't hard to tell it's him with his platinum blond hair) walking out the door. He stops in front of the window and gives me a mischievous grin before leaving. Nice.

I reach into my pocket. It's a piece of paper folded in a rectangle. I open it and see a light blue ring and on the paper is his messy handwriting in green ink. It says:

H,

Wear the ring at all times. I'm a genius so don't question me, I'll explain later. Next, here are your guidelines as to picking out your dress robe and escort:

Dress robe: first, ABSOLUTELY no BACKLESS, STRAPLESS or anything –LESS, got that? Second, do NOT wear anything too TIGHT or SHORT (maximum of three inches below the knee) or REVEALING. Third, plunging neckline or back line or whatever plunging is strictly FORBIDDEN!

Escort: NO perverts! Once you see him making the tiniest move on you, LEAVE HIM! (Or punch him in the face, whichever you prefer. If you really want it to hurt, going for the balls is best) I'd prefer if you go out with a Hufflepuff on the account that they are meek and I know they can't do anything to hurt you. IF YOU MUST, you can go with your friend Weasley even if I DO NOT trust the guy. Going stag is a good option.

Remember, you have a VERY JEALOUS boyfriend! I WILL BE WATCHING! As a GOOD and LOYAL boyfriend, I'm going alone but expect Pansy to be in a two-yard radius from me anyway.

-DM

That's a lot of capital letters. I don't know what to think, I think I should be mad that he wants to control what I'll be wearing, but the whole thing is … sweet, even if he does seem really conservative (almost like a nun). Of course it would be better if he put in an "I love you" in there, but this is just as good. I reread the last part. He says he's a very jealous boyfriend and I think I like it that way. My innards are melting (I know, disgusting choice of words), I don't care if this is as romantic as he can get, I still like it.

"Hey Hermione?" Ron's voice calls out.

I quickly slide the ring on, which glows a light blue color and wraps itself around my finger and disappeared. Freaky, Draco will have a lot of explaining to do later. But for now …

"Yeah?" I say and walk over to him.

After a few hours, Ron and I head back to Hogwarts (with Harry nowhere in sight). Ron bought the white and beige robe while I picked out a purple and yellow robe that had intricate designs on the purple side of the robe. I think Draco would approve of it completely because even though it did cover me up (it reached up to the ground, has long sleeves and covers my entire chest and back), it's still princess-like.

I go back to the Gryffindor Tower while Ron is out, probably scouring for a Ball date. There aren't any people in the Tower right now so I settle myself in front of the fireplace with a book on Charms with me.

"Hey, Hermione, you there?" Draco asks. Where is he though? I can't see him. "Your ring, it serves as a communication device," Draco continues.

Oh, so that's what it's for.

"Yeah, I'm here," I say. "Thank you."

"Huh? For what?"

"The letter."

"Oh, yeah," he chuckles. "I thought you'd be furious."

"I am, kinda. I like it, but you should know that you have no control over me whatsoever."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he drawls.

"So explain this ring thing, why did it disappear?"

"Ah, yes, the ring. Well, you see, being the boy genius that I am, I made a ring that can enable us to talk. It is invisible to the naked eye, or microscopic eye for that matter once the owner wears it. It turns invisible, but it's still there. You can touch it if you want. And since it's nice and flat, no one would notice it, unless of course, you tell him or her to. Then they'd feel some plastic-like substance. Yes, I know, I'm brilliant."

"Brilliant? Anyone can think of buying this, it's not brilliant at all."

"But that's where your wrong my dear Hermione, I didn't buy it. As I said, I made it."

"Oh."

A/N: If any of you want to receive an e-mail to know if I updated, just say so and leave your e-mail address.

viv - sure, no problem.