A/N: Don't blame me! I've been in school (junior year…) so I couldn't write. I'm excited to get a new chapter up. Hopefully I will be able to get this story rolling again! I really hope you aren't too mad!

OOOOO

Two weeks after the Halloween feast, it was time for a Hogsmeade visit. In the Courtyard, Harry appeared to be comforting Ron, judging on how his arm was around Ron's shoulders, and Ron's head was in his hands. Hermione walked up next to them.

"Oh, Harry, what am I going to do?" Ron asked. "What if she doesn't like me?"

"How could she not like you, Ron?" Harry retorted. "You were matched by an enchanted journal with your perfect girl. Clair will like you."

"Apprehensive, are we?" Hermione asked, sitting down on Ron's other side. Ron nodded.

"I'm just worried about meeting Clair for the first time."

Hermione snorted. "Why should you be? She's all you've been talking about for the past two weeks." She said.

"That's true." Harry said, laughing as well.

"Yes, but I… it's just different writing to her and meeting her." Ron said. Hermione rubbed his back.

"You'll be fine. You'll take her to the Three Broomsticks with Harry and Padma, and you'll all have a wonderful time." Hermione said.

Harry furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you going to do, Hermione? I mean, I'll be with Padma, Ron will be blubbering over Clair," He got a mean look from Ron, but continued. "Ginny will be with Lee, and Luna and Neville will be together."

Hermione shrugged. "I'll probably just go look at some new books, or some quills. I can never have enough."

"Yeah, what do you go through, like three a week?" Ron asked. He earned an evil glare from Hermione, even though she knew it was true.

"I'm sure Neville and Luna wouldn't mind you being with them." Harry offered. Looking to the other end of the courtyard, Neville and Luna were sitting together. Luna was talking to him animatedly, but Neville looked uncomfortable. They also spotted Ginny walking up to their bench from the castle.

"What are we talking about?" She asked with her hands on her hips.

"How Hermione will be looking at books all day while we are with our significant others." Harry said.

"Maybe you should marry Hogwarts, a History." Ron said. The counseling sessions were helping with his anger, but his snide remarks and sarcasm remained.

"Why don't you find out who you're matched with, Hermione?" Ginny asked gently.

"I really just don't want to know." She said. "I mean, actually, not many people actually know who their matches are yet."

"Well, didn't we narrow it down to four or five people a few weeks ago?" Ginny asked her.

"Yes, we did: Harry, Ron, Blaise, Theodore, or Draco." Hermione recited. "So, it's a Slytherin, then."

"Blaise isn't that bad. You and he would be good together." Ginny said.

Hermione nodded her head. "Okay, fine. Now we know it's a Slytherin. Please can we just go now?" She asked in desperation. The group headed to Hogsmeade with the rest of the school.

OOOOO

"Ronald! Eet is so great to see you!" exclaimed a girl as soon as Ron walked into the three broomsticks with Harry and Padma.

"Clair!" She ran up to Ron and threw her arms around his neck. After a moment's hesitation, he put his arms around her waist.

"And ees zees… 'Arry Pottair?" She asked, looking over Ron's shoulder at Harry.

"Yeah, Clair, this is Harry, my best friend, and Padma, his fiancée." He gestured to each of them accordingly. Clair hugged both of them.

"I am 'appy to meet some of Ron's friends!" Clair said.

"Let's get a table." Harry said, leading the group to a booth. A woman walked over to them.

"What can I get for you?" She asked. Harry ordered for Padma and himself.

"What would you like? I usually get butterbeer." Ron said to Clair.

"Buttairbeer?" She inquired. "What ees zat?"

"Don't you have butterbeer in France?" Ron asked.

"Actually, butterbeer is only sold here, at the Hog's Head, and at the Leaky Cauldron." The waitress said.

"Well, you'll love it." Ron said, ordering two.

OOOOO

Hermione walked through Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, looking at different types of parchment that made writing more legible. Perhaps I should buy this for Ron. She thought to herself. She was actually enjoying her time alone today. She hardly ever got a moment to herself anymore, since she had class, Head Girl duties, and spent any amount of free time she had with Ginny. But now that Ginny knew who she was matched with, it was all Ginny ever wanted to talk about.

She chose two quills and a new roll of parchment, paying for them at the front desk. Walking outside, she went to her next destination: Tomes and Scrolls, the local book shop. The bell above the door rang as she entered. The store appeared completely empty, aside from herself and the woman at the counter, who was reading the Daily Prophet. The woman looked up, and her eyes widened upon seeing the female third of the Golden Trio. "Anything I can help you with, Miss Granger?"

"Um, actually I was looking for a book on… wizarding marriages?" Hermione asked shyly.

"Of course." The woman walked over to a far wall, pulling a light blue book from the shelf. "We've been selling a lot of this book in the past few months." Hermione took the book, looking at the title, Marriage in the Wizarding World.

"This sounds perfect. Thank you." Hermione said.

"Feel free to browse." The woman said, walking back over to the counter.

Hermione walked through the store, looking at the many books in the shop. She considered getting a book on magical creatures, but decided to get New Theory of Numerology to study arithmancyand Quintessence: A Quest for charms. She paid at the counter.

Leaving the book shop, she walked down the street. She saw many Hogwarts couples holding hands and drinking tea at the gaudy Madam Puddifoot's. It was almost a rite of passage to go on a date there during one's Hogwarts years. Hermione and Ron went there once, and after ten minutes, they left and went to the Three Broomsticks. Hermione wanted to sit somewhere and read, so she quietly slipped into the Three Broomsticks and chose a table in the corner by herself. Opening New Theory of Numerology, she settled into the booth and read.

"What is this?" A voice behind her said several minutes later. A hand reached into her bag and pulled out Marriage in the Wizarding World. She looked up to see Draco holding her book.

"Give that back!" She whispered, reaching for the book. He held it out of her reach.

"Being secretive, are we?" He asked snidely. He flipped through a few pages. "What on earth do you have this for, Granger?"

"For your information, I am muggleborn, and I know nothing about wizarding marriages, unlike you." She retorted. "Now give it back, please." She held out her hand, and he returned the book.

"There's not much you need to know about wizarding marriages, Granger. Besides, weren't you at the one Weasley's wedding last year? Charlie?"

"Bill." She corrected. "But that was one wedding. And I don't know about all the behind-the-scenes stuff, or the traditions."

"It's not that complicated. From what I hear, it's not that different from muggle wedding ceremonies." Draco shrugged. "And you'll be seeing weddings all over the place soon."

"I guess." She said. "Any idea who your match is?"

Draco frowned. "I have my ideas, but I'm not ready to know quite yet. May I sit with you?"

"Please." He sat across from her. "I've been alone all day. It would be nice to have a partner in crime." She looked at him and realized what she said. "Sorry."

He scoffed. "I don't care about that any more, Hermione."

A waitress walked over. "Can I get you two anything?" She asked.

Hermione looked at Draco, then back at the waitress. "I'll just have some tea, please."

"Water, please." Draco said.

"I'll be right back." The waitress said, leaving.

Hermione opened Marriage in the Wizarding World. Flipping to the section about wedding clothing, she gasped in shock. "'Throughout the wedding reception, the newlyweds' attire gradually fades until the point of near-nothingness'?!"

Draco chuckled. "You didn't read the whole thing. Only the spouses themselves can see through the clothing."

Hermione looked again and nodded. "I guess I'm just a bit frazzled thinking about all of this wedding stuff."

The waitress returned with their drinks. "Anything else for you two?" The head students both shook their heads. "Well, have a good night. You two make a nice couple." She walked away.

Hermione softly called after the waitress, "We're not…" but the waitress was already out of earshot. Still looking in the direction of the waitress, Hermione said, "can you imagine… us…?"

Hermione looked back at Draco, who was looking at the table. "What?" She asked. "Do you think…?"

He shrugged, then put his elbows on the table with his hands clasped together. "Hermione, have you thought about who's left?" She just looked at him. "Really?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes, I have." She reached into her bag and pulled out her list. She slid it across the table to Draco.

Boys in our year at Hogwarts

Gryffindor

Neville Longbottom- Luna

Harry Potter- Pamda

Dean Thomas- Mandy

Ron Weasley- Clair

Ravenclaw

Terry Boot- ?

Anthony Goldstein- ?

Slytherin

Draco Malfoy- ?

Theodore Nott- ?

Blaise Zabini- ?

Hufflepuff

Justin Finch-Fletchley- ?

Ernie Macmillan- ?

Girls in our year at Hogwarts

Gryffindor

Hermione Granger- ?

Parvati Patil- ?

Ravenclaw

Mandy Brocklehurst- Dean

Padma Patil- Harry

Slytherin

Millicent Bulstrode- ?

Daphne Greengrass- ?

Pansy Parkinson- ?

Hufflepuff

Hannah Abbott- ?

Susan Bones- ?

What I know about my match:

Eighth year

In my potions class (Gryffindor/Slytherin)

Possible students:

Harry Potter-no (matched with Padma)

Ron Weasley-no (matched with Clair)

Theodore- ?

Blaise- ?

Draco- ?

Draco nodded. "I have my list narrowed down to Pansy, Parvati, and you."

"Do you have any idea about Theodore or Blaise?" Draco nodded.

"Theodore found out this morning he's with Susan Bones. And Blaise told me the girl said she's in Gryffindor. There's only two Gryffindor girls, so it's either you or Parvati." Hermione looked at the table.

"He's with Parvati." She said quietly, yet certainly. "I didn't tell my match what house I'm in." They sat in silence for a moment. "That means…"

"Yeah." He said. After a few more moments of silence, he continued. "I'm not exactly surprised."

"Me neither." She said. "I just… I don't know." She sighed. "Can we just go back to the castle, please?"

"Sure." He stood while she gathered her books. Escorting her from her chair, he paid their bill, and they left in silence. He had his hands in his pockets; she, in her gloves.

OOOOO

I know you all saw this coming. But there still is more to come. I hope you enjoyed! Please review! Again, I'm sorry for the delay in publishing a new chapter.-TWII