A/N: Whew! I wanted to get this one out as soon as possible for some reason. Maybe it was just because I had nothing to do this afternoon? Some of you, and I know I say this a lot, may not like it so much. I call this my breather chapter…..things are little less complicated at the moment. Next chapter is one I am kind of excited about! It is going to explain a few things about the prophecy so it should be fun to write! I love you all lots! Here is chapter twelve!

"Are you sure you two are alright?" Hermione asked for the hundredth time that night.

Harry and Tom both answered yes and told her to stop worrying about them. They were big boys after all.

"Alright, alright I know you are not children." Hermione told them. "I just can't help but be concerned. What if Voldemort knows something?" Hermione was biting her lower lip and looking at all of them anxiously.

"I am sure Dumbledore would have told us if he thought Voldemort knew anything." Harry commented.

"Did any of you notice Dumbledore acting strangely?" Tom asked.

"I didn't notice anything." Ron said. That was a given because Ron never noticed anything anyways.

Ginny shook her head no, as well as Harry and Hermione.

"Why, what did you notice?" Harry asked curiously.

"It just seemed like there was something he was not telling us. And for some reason, he kept giving Hermione these curious looks." Tom looked over at Hermione's confused face.

"Me? Why was he looking at me like that?" She wondered.

"That is what I want to know." Tom told her.

"Maybe I can talk to him about it." Harry suggested. "If he does know something more, then maybe I can get him to tell me his suspicions."

Tom gave him a nod but he still was not satisfied by this. Dumbledore always knew more then he ever let on; it was one of the things that infuriated Tom the most about him. He liked being in control of situations, but with Dumbledore around that always seemed impossible.

"Well, we might as well try to get some sleep tonight." Ginny said with a yawn. "Everyone else has gone to bed and it is late as it is."

"We might as well." Ron said while he stood up and stretched.

"Remember the both of you," Hermione told Harry and Tom in a stern voice, "If anything else happens…"

"We will be ok Hermione." Harry reassured her. "But if something happens then Ron will go get help…right Ron?"

"Of course I will." Ron told them.

"Just make sure you scream loud enough to wake Ron up. His snores can drown out even the loudest noises." Ginny told them while giggling.

Ron rolled his eyes and ignored his friends who were trying to stifle their laughter.

"Good night boys." Hermione and Ginny called as they made their way to the girls' dormitories.

"Night," the boys answered back.

Just as Hermione began to walk up the steps, she glanced over her shoulders and looked Tom in the eye. She gave him a quick smile and then turned around and followed Ginny up the flight of stairs.

Tom watched her until she disappeared into the girls' rooms. He could not get the picture out of his head of what she had looked like with those grotesque gashes on her face that were seeping out blood.

"Come on mate, we had better be off to bed." Ron told him.

Tom turned and gave a tired yawn as he followed Harry and Ron up to their room.

He had an unsettling feeling that nightmares would be plaguing his dreams that night…

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

The week passed by quickly without as much as one attack from the Dark Lord. The group was very relieved by this, thinking that what had happened earlier in the week was just one of Voldemort's random temper tantrums.

Saturday dawned bright and clear as a new layer of snow covered the ground from the pervious night's snow storm.

Tom had already left the Common Room by the time Harry, Ron, and Hermione were ready to leave. He had told Harry and Ron that he was picking Bailey up early because she wanted to show him around Hogsmeade. They all thought it was funny that Tom had to be given a tour of a place he had been to many times before, but Tom didn't seem to mind.

Ginny had left only ten minutes before with an eager smile on her face. Hermione thought she looked adorable with the green scarf around her neck that contrasted perfectly with her bright red hair.

Ron and Harry however had both glared at her, telling her that she shouldn't be wearing Slytherin's colors out in public. Ginny just told them to sod off.

The trio made their way down the steps of the schools main entrance. They were discussing which shops they were to visit first and decided that Honeydukes was to be their first stop.

The air was crisp and clean as they entered the village and each of them were in high spirits as they wondered over to all of the stores.

Honeydukes was packed as usual with an overabundant amount of Hogwarts students. Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the shop and pulled off their scarves. The smell in the air was delicious and it made their mouths water as they moved through the throng of students and over to some of the shelves.

Ron, who had been sent a little extra pocket money from his mum, went over to the display of Droobles Bubble Gum and picked up a handful of the sweet candies.

Harry went over to a large stack of sugar quills and picked up a few for him self. He loved to sit in class and suck on the ends of the candy while the teachers thought he was merely chewing on the end of his quill in thought.

Hermione went immediately over to a shelf packed with chocolate confections and she grabbed all of the ones that were her favorite. As she looked around the shelf one last time, she noticed a display of the Chocolate Frogs that everyone liked so much.

Her thoughts immediately traveled over to the day she and Tom had spent in the hospital wing eating the candy that they had received as get well presents. The Chocolate Frogs had been Tom's favorite…

She stood there for several minutes just staring at them, and didn't even notice when Harry had approached her.

He stood there for a moment wondering how a stack of Chocolate Frogs could make her look so sad.

"Um Hermione…you ok?" Hermione jumped slightly at the sound of his voice and turned to look at him.

"I'm fine Harry. I was just thinking about someone." She gave him a sad smile.

"Is that someone, I wonder, here in Hogsmeade and on a date with Bailey Thompson?" Harry gave her a knowing smile.

"Is it that obvious?" She asked rather miserably.

"It's obvious that you two like each other. How many times a day do I see you two giving each other that look."

"What look?" Hermione asked amused.

"That 'Oh, how I wish I could snog you' look."

"Harry Potter!" Hermione said astonished. "I can't believe you just said that. I do not want to…"

"Now, now…there is no need to lie to yourself, Hermione." Harry grinned.

Hermione just stared at him for a moment before answering.

"Harry….I really do like him." She admitted honestly. "But I just don't know what to do. How can I like him so much when we can't be together?"

"Who says you can't?" Harry told her seriously.

Hermione felt a little taken aback. "I thought that you of all people would not want me to be with him."

"Hermione, if you like Tom and he likes you, which I believe he does…then you should give it a try. Maybe it will help him change quicker? You never know."

"Ok, so say we do get together. What is going to happen when we have to send him back? We will both just get hurt anyways." Hermione always had to look at the bad side to everything.

"Don't worry about that until we know how to send him back. For now, just focus on the present."

"Maybe," Hermione told him with a smile. She was feeling a little better about the situation and was even considering giving it a try.

"Come on," Harry told her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Lets go find Ron and pay for this stuff. I'll even buy you a Chocolate Frog." Hermione laughed as Harry grabbed one off of the shelf and added it to his other purchases.

They found Ron standing by a display of Ice Mice, looking at them with apprehension.

"I don't know if I should buy them or not." Ron told them when they asked what he was doing.

"How about I buy some and we can all try them?" Harry asked.

"Harry I know what you are trying to do." Ron looked at him sternly. He didn't like it when Harry offered to buy him stuff, like he was some kind of charity case.

"I am not buying them just for you." Harry told him defensively. "I want to try them too."

Ron gave in and they all took their purchases to the front. After they had all paid, they left the crowded candy shop and headed down the street.

The village was full of Christmas cheer and everyone was running around with plenty of packages and presents.

Zonko's joke shop was also packed, which was ideal for Hermione as she wanted to buy some presents for Harry and Ron in there.

As she made her way over to a shelf lined with little gadgets, she spotted Ginny and Dean walking around hand-in-hand.

"Hey you two," Hermione called out happily.

"Hey Hermione," Ginny and Dean replied.

"Looking for presents?" Dean asked.

"How did you know?"

"Well, what could you possibly want from a joke shop?" Dean smiled at her.

"Your right." She smiled. "I am just looking around for Harry and Ron. Ginny, what do you think Ron would like?" She asked.

"I think you should get him some of those laxative candies." She giggled. "Wrap them up in Droobles gum wrappers and he will never know."

"Your horrible Ginny." Hermione laughed. "Maybe I will get him a box of Wizard's Fireworks?"

"Oh that is a good idea. He would love those." Ginny told her.

"Good." Hermione smiled as she plucked a box of them off of a nearby shelf.

"Have either of you seen Tom yet?" Hermione asked curiously.

"We saw him and Bailey a little bit ago." Ginny gave her a nervous smile.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, noticing how uncomfortable Ginny became when she mentioned Tom. "Were they snogging or something?" Hermione asked with a smile, though the thought of Tom kissing Bailey made her want to drown.

"On no, nothing like that." Ginny told her quickly. "They were just laughing and…holding hands and stuff." Ginny felt bad about telling her that and gave Hermione an apologetic smile.

Hermione giggled at her friend. "Well those are some of things one does on a date." She told her.

"And speaking of dates, I believe I have interrupted yours long enough." She told them both. "I had better go pay for these before Ron and Harry see what I have gotten them."

"Ok Hermione." Ginny told her. She felt so bad for her best friend; it wasn't fair that she couldn't be with Tom. Especially since Tom obviously wanted to be with her.

"We are going to the Three Broomsticks in about an hour." Ginny told her. "You guys should join us. Would that be ok Dean?"

"I don't mind." Dean said honestly. "I wanted to talk to Harry about some Quidditch moves anyways."

Ginny just rolled her eyes while Hermione giggled. They were both thinking it….boys.

Hermione left them both and ran up to the counter to quickly pay for the gifts. Just as she was handed her bags, Harry and Ron approached her and they got all of their things together as they left the shop.

Hermione was thankful that she had not yet seen Tom and Bailey since they had arrived. She didn't mind hearing about the two, but seeing them together would be something totally different. She gave herself a mental slap and pulled her thoughts away from Tom; she was here to have fun, not to be depressed.

Hermione told Harry and Ron about meeting Ginny and Dean in the Three Broomsticks, and they both agreed happily. Ron gave a nervous look though, hoping that he wouldn't have to see his little sister snogging Dean in public.

The hour flew by fast as they worked their way from store to store, each of them collecting a good amount of Christmas presents along the way.

When they entered the Three Broomsticks, the smell of warm Butterbeer and hot bread filled their nostrils and had them practically drooling. They had been shopping all afternoon and had not yet gotten anything to eat.

"Hermione over here," Ginny shouted out from a table in the middle of the pub.

Hermione smiled and told Harry and Ron to follow her.

Ginny and Dean told them they had been waiting for them to order and as soon as they were all seated, Madam Rosmerta came over to their table and took all of their orders.

As they waited for their food, they all sipped on their Butterbeers while they talked about this and that. Harry, Ron, and Dean all got into a discussion about Quidditch tactics, while Hermione and Ginny showed each other some of the purchases they had made.

All of them were so absorbed in their conversations, that they didn't notice the couple who had just walked into the pub.

Hermione was telling Ginny about a really lovely set of robes she had seen when she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

She looked up to see Tom and Bailey who had just walked into the pub. Hermione noticed that they were headed there way in order to find a seat; she longed for Harry's invisibility cloak so she could just disappear from the situation.

Tom didn't notice his friends however. He and Bailey were too busy talking and laughing to notice much at the moment; they were holding hands as well….

Much to Hermione's horror, Ron also noticed Tom and Bailey and he starting calling to them. Ginny gave her brother a swift kick in the leg to shut him up, but it was too late. Tom looked over to where he had heard his name and he spotted his friends.

Harry, Ginny, and Hermione all glared at Ron who couldn't understand what it was that he had done.

"Hey you guys." Tom told them as he and Bailey walked over to the table. It was easy to see that he was uncomfortable, and even though he still held Bailey's hand, Harry could tell that he wanted to let it go.

"What have you been up to?" Tom asked.

"Nothing much, just shopping." Harry said with a smile. "How about you two," he asked.

"I was just giving Tom the tour of Hogsmeade." Bailey told them with a charming smile.

Hermione wished she could have criticized her in some way, but to her displeasure, she found that there really was nothing wrong with Bailey. She had straight blonde hair that glimmered even in the dark and she had a petite body that went prefect with her pretty face. To make matters worse, she was as pleasant and as sweet as they come.

Hermione let out a soft sigh and looked away from her. She fixed her eyes upon Tom instead who seemed determined to avoid her gaze.

"Do you want to join us?" Ron asked, earning him another kick from Ginny.

"Ow, who keeps kicking me?" Ron asked angrily.

Harry couldn't help but grin. Ron may have been his best mate, but he could be so thick sometimes.

Tom seemed to get the hint and he smiled kindly. "It's ok; we are not staying long anyways. Bailey just wanted me to try a Butterbeer."

"Oh that's too bad." Ginny said politely, yet she felt really relieved. She didn't want Hermione to have to go through the humiliation of sitting with Tom and Bailey while they were on a date.

"I will see you all later in the Common Room." Tom told them.

"It was nice talking to you." Bailey replied pleasantly. They all smiled and said goodbye to the couple.

Just as Tom was about to turn and leave, he stole a glance at Hermione; in that one millisecond when they shared eye contact Tom could see the pain in Hermione's eyes. He wanted to comfort her and tell her that it was she who he wanted, but instead he just looked away and turned to follow Bailey to the bar.

Hermione looked down at the table. She knew she shouldn't be making a big deal out of this, yet all the same she could feel her eyes begin to water.

Dean, who had sat back and watched everything that had just taken place, looked at Hermione with understanding. He could tell before that something was troubling her and now he knew what it was….Tom.

Ron, who was usually as thick as wood, noticed something was wrong with his other best friend. She looked awfully sad and hurt and even had tears forming the corner of her eyes. Ron was not sure why she was feeling this way, but he couldn't stand to see Hermione look so sad.

Determined to cheer her up, Ron started a conversation with her.

"Hey Hermione, you are going to love what I got you for Christmas." Ron told her with a grin. "Even Harry liked it so I think I did a good job this time."

Hermione looked up at him and smiled. "I hope you like what I got you too." She told him.

"Oh he will!" Ginny told him happily. She was relived that Ron had enough sense to try and make Hermione feel better, even if he didn't know why she was upset in the first place.

"I liked what she got you mate." Dean told him. "I hope I get something that fun." Dean knew this conversation was started to brighten Hermione's spirits, so he happily joined in on it.

"Wait till you see what I got you Ron." Harry said with a mischievous smirk. "You should find it very useful."

Their food was soon brought to them and all of them dug in cheerfully. The conversation went on to other things as they ate and everyone was happy to see that Hermione seemed to be feeling a lot better.

Much to Harry and Ginny's relief, Tom had left a bit ago with Bailey on his arm. Hermione however didn't even notice their departure as she was talking happily with Ron and Dean about this new Quidditch shop she had seen in Diagon Alley.

Harry and Ginny smiled at each other and joined in on the conversation. Needless to say it was a much more enjoyable evening.

It was around 5:00 when the students began to trudge back up to the school. When they had finished eating and shopping, Ginny and Dean said goodbye to the trio and made their way up to the castle alone. They wanted to spend the rest of evening together and finish their date. Hermione beamed at them while Ron gave a disgusted snort; he knew that finishing the date meant about an hour of snogging before bed.

Hermione sat in front of the fire in the Common Room with a blanket wrapped around her. By the time they had reached the castle, it had already begun to get dark outside and the temperature had dropped dramatically.

Ron and Harry were playing Wizard's Chess while Hermione sat and tried to warm up.

She was surprised when Lavender approached her and sat down next to her. Since the 'lake incident', Lavender had been very friendly to Hermione and seemed to talk to her more then she had before. Hermione knew that it was probably from guilt but she was glad that she had another girl to talk to when Ginny wasn't around.

"So, are Tom and Bailey going out?" Lavender asked curiously.

"I am not sure. They seemed like they liked each other, but I have not heard if they are dating yet." Hermione tried to sound nonchalant about it but she knew her face would be a dead giveaway of her pain.

"You know," Lavender began quietly. "Just about everyone can tell that Tom likes you, Hermione. Even before that rumor about you two was started, we all could tell that there was a lot of attraction between you two. And maybe….maybe that's why I was acting the way I was that day by the lake. I guess I was a little jealous." Lavender gave her a soft smile and even patted Hermione's arm. "I am very sorry about that Hermione…I really and truly am."

Hermione could tell that she was being sincere and she gave Lavender a grateful smile. "I have already forgiven you Lavender. And about me and Tom….I am not sure it will work out." She said sadly.

"Give him a try Hermione." Lavender said kindly. "What's the worse that could happen?"

Well, Voldemort could find out and capture me as a way to get to Tom. Tom would then go after him and in the process he would stand a chance of losing the good in him and becoming evil again, Hermione thought to herself. She sighed outwardly though.

"Maybe you are right Lavender. But how can I be with him now if he is with Bailey?"

"You said it yourself that they might not he together." Lavender told her with an impish grin. "Until you hear him say that they are dating, then Tom is a free agent."

Just then, Tom entered the room and started to brush off the glistening snow on his shoulders.

"Hey Tom," Harry and Ron called out.

"Where's Bailey?" Ron asked.

"She went back to the Ravenclaw room in order to warm up a bit and to take a shower." Tom said lightly.

"Was that the last of the dates then?" Ron asked. He was being his usual nosey self, Harry noticed.

"Well…um, no actually," Tom said with a blush. "We are going out again sometime soon." Tom glanced at Hermione quickly and looked away just as fast.

"Are you two dating then?" Ron asked with a grin.

"I guess you could say that." Tom's face was steadily growing redder and he quickly excused himself and went to the boys dormitories.

"You were saying Lavender?" Hermione told her with a disappointed smile.

Lavender gave her a gloomy look and then lowered her eyes in embarrassment. "I guess I am just cursed with bad timing, huh?" She told Hermione without meeting her eyes.

"I guess I am too." Hermione commented sadly. She turned around and faced the fire once more while wrapping her blanket around her more tightly.

"I have real bad timing……"

A/N: Don't fret everyone! Tom and Hermione are far from over! Just wait for about two more chapters and you will see what I mean! Squeals!

Like I said before, next chapter should be rather interesting. I hope it will be.

I hope you all liked this chapter…. Please don't throw anything at me for making Tom date another girl! Hermione will soon get her chance! Love you guys so very much! Thank you again for all of the wonderful reviews….they will never cease to make me happy!