Just got back from the common room. It's been a long day.

Harry told Adrian Pucey (the Hogwarts Champion from Slytherin) that he didn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire. Pucey didn't believe him. Typical. Prat.

I'm not being entirely fair to Pucey. He can't be thrilled at having to share the spotlight.

Still. It's not Harry's fault!

It's done. S.P.E.W is going to hit the rest of Hogwarts tomorrow morning.

Stop panicking, Hermione!

Met some prefects. Bailey and Pucey, to be exact. Not who I wanted to talk to (Bailey is fine). But I had worked myself up so I went through with it. Bailey seemed sympathetic. Pucey was… suspicious. He's probably laughing at me right now. Prat. Who cares what he thinks anyway?

I guess I should be prepared for all kinds of reactions. Aaah!

Prat. Stop crying, Hermione! He's just a prat.

Ran into Pucey the prat in the library. Might have blown up at him over Rita Skeeter's article. He was so – argh! Bet he's behind those awful Potter stinks badges too.

Prat.

Oh god oh god oh god!

Viktor Krum, yes that one, asked me to be his date for the Yule Ball.

I know! I can't stop grinning.

He said something to the effect of he would like to take me to the Ball, and we should get to know each other first. Library dates! Aaah!

Funny thing. It was Pucey who actually approached me, asking me if I had a date. Like he would ever be interested. Prat. But, it turns out he is capable of being perfectly civil. He and Krum are apparently on friendly terms. International magical cooperation at work?

Going back to Krum. Viktor. Viktor and Hermione. Hermione and Viktor. Oh god.

The Yule Ball is officially over. And by Merlin, what an evening it was.

First. Viktor was amazing. All of my reservations about being his date were unnecessary. He knows how to treat a girl!

Speaking of treating a girl, I won't even waste my breath (ink) on Ronald. Okay, I did waste my tears. I don't know why I let him get to me. But he does and he did. And of course, Harry is as useless as ever when it comes to these things. No more wasting ink!

I went to the lakeside. Yes, to cry, give me a break.

But guess who should happen to find me? Pucey, the prat.

That's not fair. Not true.

He asked me if Viktor made me cry. Demanded to know really. Like he might have exchanged some choice words (or hexes) with Viktor if I said yes. Now that I think about it, Ron could have used a dose of either. Get out, Ron!

Pucey sat with me then. Said nothing, just remained there, perfectly companionable, while I tried not to mourn my ruined night.

I asked him to join S.P.E.W. In my defence, he asked how it was doing. I even managed to ask him to put up a club poster in the Slytherin common room. He said I need one Slytherin in the club before he'll agree to that. Great, let me just go ask Malfoy.

Pucey was… I don't know. He walked me back to the Great Hall (once I was done moping). He didn't look entirely happy at the prospect of returning to the Ball again. And it hit me then that I didn't ask him why he was at the lakeside in the first place.

I was working up the courage to ask him if he wanted to maybe dance with me (we danced once at the beginning, but that was solely to keep tradition). Only so that I could do the polite thing and ask him if something was bothering him, if he wanted to maybe talk about it.

What was I thinking? That sounds terrible! Why would he want to talk to me, of all people? I'm glad Viktor came up to us before I blurted out anything stupid.

Viktor started to drag me away another dance. At that, Pucey bowed rather formally to me, murmuring "Ms Granger", then moved off towards his friends.

Perfectly companionable.

And frankly… my night ended there.

Best not to dwell on it too much, I think.

Is Pucey trying to make his way back to prat territory?

He plainly insulted Hagrid today. I know Hagrid has some trouble teaching, but he needs support and encouragement. Not dismissals and rudeness.

Looked like Pucey was on a date with Bailey. Good luck to her, I say!

Pucey seems to be friendly with Fleur Delacour as well. Ah, so it's only Harry he can't stand. And me, by consequence?

I'm going to hex Rita Skeeter. I can't walk anywhere without people giving me strange looks. Argh!

Considered apologizing to Pucey for the mess. But I think he's doing fine. Dating Bailey. Probably ignoring me and everything to do with me. Good for him.

I can't sleep. So much has happened tonight. I don't know where to begin.

You-Know-Who is back. So there's that. Should I be more scared? Maybe once the shock wears off, I can panic properly.

Mr Pucey, Adrian's father, is dead. Killed in the altercation. And Adrian looked like he might have strangled Harry to death if Professor Snape hadn't literally dragged him off of him. I guess he has plenty more reasons to despise Harry now.

I don't think I can write about Pucey – Adrian crying, threatening, begging to have his father saved, until he passed out from injury and exhaustion. Or his brother, white as a sheet and entirely mute as Professor Sprout lead him away. Or his mother, never letting go of Mr Pucey's hand for an instant.

I feel terrible writing even that.

Now that You-Know-Who is back, there's going to be so much more of that, isn't there?

Adrian is at St Mungo's.

I don't think I'm going to get any rest tonight.

Adrian is back at Hogwarts. Ran into him in the kitchens. Rather, he ran into me.

I think he was about to cry. Maybe if I wasn't there…

We ended up talking about S.P.E.W and some other things. I talked, mostly. I didn't want to leave him alone. I couldn't.

Don't know if he wanted to hex me away. He kept sharing his desserts, so probably not.

I wanted to hug him. He looked like he needed one. Although, he would certainly have hexed me away at that.

He's… different. What am I saying. Of course he's different, Hermione! His father was killed.

Hope he'll be all right. With time. Hopefully.

Adrian is Head Boy. Obviously. And Bailey is Head Girl.

He looks better.

Pucey is back to his old prat self. Dismissed Professor Lupin outright. Prat.

He does, however, have a point about not creating trouble in Defence. I'm drafting a letter to Professor McGonagall.

So much for counting on Professor McGonagall. Headmaster Dumbledore it is.

So much for listening to Pucey on "proper channels to raise your grievances." Going to have to try something else.

Adrian – Pucey – argh! Why does he always have to get on my nerves?

Our patrol was going perfectly well. So I gently brought up problems with the Slytherins. The Slytherin that he is, he took their side. Should have expected it, but it still stung.

Then he made an about-turn and stood up to some students, including a Slytherin, for Luna. Only after they bullied her, however. I guess he does have a point about Luna needing to handle them herself. Not that I admitted he was right.

Oh, and he has suspicions about the D.A. I admitted nothing!

Wondering if he and Luna are related. Aren't all Pure-bloods?

I don't understand him.

The Hufflepuffs brought a girl, Rose, on whom Umbridge had used her quill, to the prefect meeting. It turned into Slytherins vs everybody else. Adrian vs everybody else, really. Nothing came of the meeting itself. As always. Running around in circles.

It's what happened after the meeting that has me unsettled.

Adrian took a look at Rose's arm. Healed her wound, talked to her about her problem. He was gentler, kinder.

And then, with the same soft manner, he checked my arm too. Talk about observant! Even Harry and Ron are oblivious to my wound.

Adrian wants me to shut down the D.A. Nothing really surprising there. I think we're both now resigned to disagreeing on the matter.

He gave me all his healing salves and bandages as I was leaving. Insisted it's not encouragement to cause more trouble. What is it, then?

Now that I think about it, he was gentler and kinder to Rose even during the meeting. It was the rest of the students talking over her that he was firmer with. I shouldn't act surprised. Didn't he sit with me at the lakeside? He's… considerate when he needs to be.

I feel entirely off balance. Relax, Hermione! He would have done the same for anyone.

God! Adrian caught me crying in the Owlery.

I feel like he has been everywhere since that one prefect meeting. But this? Mortifying.

Of course, he asked what was bothering me. Offered the use of his owl (Jellybean, how cute is that) as long as I need. Walked me to Gryffindor tower.

Like I said, considerate. If I were braver, I might have hugged him.

Maybe I'll send him a thank you note with his own owl.

Never mind.

He's the same as every other Slytherin Pure-blooded prat.

Still hurts. Stupid, Hermione. Stupid! Stop crying! Of course you're nothing but a mudblood to him.

Took his brother and his brother's friend into the D.A. He left me no choice.

Going forward, I'm going to pretend he doesn't exist. No doubt he'd prefer to do the same for me.

Adrian cut off Malfoy from calling someone a mudblood. Took points from Slytherin too, if you can believe it.

Is he trying to make a point? A bit late for that, isn't it?

Isn't it?

Stupid.

Tiberius is much more straightforward.

I'm not trying to get to him to talk about Adrian. I am not!

But, we did talk. A little bit. Here and there. I swear he started it.

He, of course, has nothing but good and wonderful things to say about Adrian. And he's surprisingly persuasive for a Hufflepuff.

Whatever happened to too late, Hermione?

Must remain strong.

Turns out Adrian flies in the mornings.

I returned to the castle before he landed.

Strong!

He dove into the lake after the snitch! Who does that?

Anyway, we're talking again. Don't get any ideas. We're only being polite.

Okay, maybe friendly too.

Finally, Rita interviewed Harry and Adrian today. Now, we wait.

I still feel a little bad about asking Adrian to talk about it. He was barely holding it together as he spoke. Looks like he's not as better as he otherwise seems to be.

He walked me back to the castle afterwards (he's always walking me places!) He did ask Luna initially. Turns out their mums were friends. Luna wanted to remain in Hogsmeade, so that left poor old me.

I wanted him to kiss me. He tucked my hair behind my ear, and I wanted him to snog me right there on the street, under the unrelenting rain.

Argh!

It's entirely his fault for pushing my curls back! Why did he do that? Surely, it has to mean something?

I hugged him. Yes, I could fly!

Rita's article came out. And it's creating the noise I hoped it would. And Adrian said he has arranged for that issue of the Quibbler to be circulated throughout the country!

We remained in the kitchens long after curfew.

My heart is bursting full.

Today was a good day. Maybe even the best of days.

Considerate. It keeps coming back to me.

I wonder, would he have stepped in to help any other student escape Umbridge? But he was there, facing Parkinson with an air of righteous ire while I hid behind him. He was there, holding me while cried into his robes.

He was there.

I may have found an excuse to sit in on one of Adrian's tutoring sessions for the younger students. And I was right about his Warming Charms! His Charmwork is so incredibly beautiful; and he makes it look effortless.

I was there for him today.

Colin had photos from the evening of the third task.

Adrian isn't as better as he looks to be.

I'm really glad I was able to be there for him, for once. I wish I knew how to help him even more.

He jinxed Parkinson's pigtails into antlers. That's right. Mr I-can't-take-your-side-over-my-Slytherins jinxed Pansy Parkinson. For me!

I concede defeat. I like him. Very much.

Madam Pomfrey just chased Adrian and Crookshanks out of the Hospital Wing. Adrian offered to look after Crooks while I'm here. I actually don't think he knows the first thing about caring for half-kneazles. And yet, I have no doubt that I can trust Crooks into his care. I have no doubt about Adrian at all.

I'm suddenly aware that the year is coming to an end.

I hope we'll still be friends after.

He apologized for being rude to me.

I haven't held it against him for a long time. Words vs actions. If he really thought of me as a lowly mudblood, he's had plenty of chances to show it, hasn't he?

I kissed him. He kissed me!

Dreams do come true, dear diary.

Post-date update.

Mum is a genius. Adrian appreciated the dress very much.

He has no trouble pulling off a Muggle-look himself either. Apparently, their dad insisted he and his brother familiarize themselves with the Muggle world.

His friends were friendly and welcoming. Ida said he warned them against teasing me, which was why they teased him.

To end the night, he dropped me off at the nearby park. And even you don't get the sordid details about the sins we committed there.

He promised to come see me in Devon. I think it's going to be a good summer.

I don't like keeping things from Adrian. But how am I ever going to convince Harry and Ron about him?

This is so frustrating.

He gifted me a necklace. And a bunch of other things – home-made sweets (elf-made, more like), roses from his home garden, even a little cake! But really, the necklace is the big gift. It's beautiful, and feels like entirely too much. Apparently, it's a traditional coming-of-age gift.

I feel spoiled.

I miss him.

I really should read up on Wizarding traditions if I'm going to continue dating Adrian. He bought me a set of robes today. He is definitely spoiling me.

I just might mail-order that lingerie set from Twilfitt and Tatting's.

It's also really sweet how Adrian checks up on Tiberius. It's easy to see why Tiberius has nothing but good and wonderful things to say about him.

I can't tell you anything in detail. But, let's say Slughorn's party was a success!

It almost wasn't, at one point.

Although, I wonder if Adrian's mum doesn't like me. He has never said or implied she doesn't, but she wasn't the most friendly. Maybe that's how people in traditional old families are? Or maybe, it's me specifically…

Had another fight with Ron. This year is a record.

I can't believe he said those things.

Yes, I did my reading and my research. So what if Adrian is related to one of them? It doesn't make him one of them. Besides which, he would hardly be interested in me if he was.

We went ice-skating today. It's so nice to be able to forget everything and just be with him. I wish… well I wish for a lot of things.

I've only been home for less than an hour and I miss him already.

I want to tell him everything. I wish I could tell him everything.

Had a near-encounter with Augustus Rookwood.

I'm only wondering… what else hasn't Adrian told me?

The funeral is over.

I barely got any time with Adrian.

I hate this. I can't do this. I don't want to do this. Damn damn damn.

If only Adrian wasn't who he was. If only Harry wasn't who he was.

He's going to hate me, isn't he?

He's going to hate me, he's going to never forgive me, and I don't know what else to do.

I'm sorry.

o - o - o - o - o

AN: The end of part 3.

Thank you so much for reading and supporting this series! Please leave a nice comment before you leave.

What's next?

The Ministry is falling. Albus Dumbledore is dead. They are coming.

Adrian knows… they are coming.

How far and how long will Octavia Pucey stand by her Death Eater brother? What will Augustus Rookwood demand in return? Will Adrian and Hermione make it out of the war alive? Will they make it out together? And what does fate have in store for poor Tiberius?

Find out next time when everything comes to a head in Part 4: the as-of-yet-untitled Deathly Hallows-era sequel.

I'm hard at work. Going to be a few weeks until it's ready for your reading pleasure. Subscribe. Bookmark. Set a reminder for yourself to check back here after a while.

Take care of yourself. I'll see you soon!