Disclaimer: refer to chapter 1.

thanks to all those people who left reviews! i just wanted to say, i dont check my e-mail as often as i should, if u really want me to get a message then write me a note on my free open diary. copy and paste the following: http://freeopendiary.com/entrylist.asp?authorcode=A756030 and check out my OD entries and leave me notes. thisll also give u the oportunity to get to know me better. trust me on this.

Chapter 2: Starting

"I don't see why you can't tell her yourself, do I have to do everything for you?" Ron was tired and cranky from a detention the night before; he'd been unable to resist a kick to Mrs. Norris.

"You aren't doing everything for me, all I'm asking is for you do drop the note off on her bed. I'm too paranoid. I think she suspects that I like her, and I just want to tell her straight out tonight and see what happens. I'm just asking for a little help. Is it too much to ask?" Harry hadn't slept the night before either, he'd just lain awake thinking about his situation, and decided to leave Hermione a note on her bed, but was afraid someone would see him entering the girls dormitory and tell her and that she would get the wrong impression.

"Alright, alright, fine, I'll do it." Almost grimacing at the folded piece of parchment in his hand, Ron carefully walked up the steps to the girl's dormitory, and glancing from side to side to make sure no one was watching, he slipped in. Harry felt his heart slow, he looked around the room to make sure no one had seen. Suddenly the portrait hole flew open, with Fred and George squeezing through, both tied (for whatever reason) to a single Filibuster's No-Heat Wet-Start Firework by their wrists. The firework was going in circles (a sure sign that they came from Zoko's Joke shop) before heading straight for the ceiling(both twins attached and dangling) and bursting into magnificent green and blue beams of light that seemed to be absorbed by the walls. The common room became a place were it hurt to keep your eyes open for more than a minute. The Weasley twins lay on the floor, both nursing various injuries, Fred with a large purple-blueish bruise on his face and a broken arm, and George with a long bloody gash on his forehead and an ignited sleeve. Both however, found the inclination to laugh.

"Ruddy brilliant, we should try that at home, we'd go even higher," went George.

"Don't start, I'm in enough pain as it is, I'm not doing that again, but yes, Brilliant." Fred moaned. Out of the corner of Harry's eye he saw Ron running down the stairs and turned to see he was shaking his head at the twins. He nodded to Harry, who was shielding his eyes from the light. The Griffindor students, after the initial shock of seeing two teenagers lying burnt and pained on the floor, started to go about helping the twins up on their feet, leading them towards the couch to lie down while someone went for Madam Pomfrey.

"We're dead, Mum's Howler will be coming anytime now." Fred wasn't happy about his arm at all.

"A well, its the once in a lifetime thing, you know." George shrugged and Fred agreed;

"Being blown up by a firework doesn't happen everyday."

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Hermione's eyes hurt from the common room, she'd gotten there late trying to catch up next weeks research at the library. She liked being on top of things, but the fluorescent blue green of the common room made up her mind for her, she stopped studying an hour earlier to go to bed. Hermione hadn't seen Harry or Ron since dinner, she wondered were they could be. As she walked up to the dormitory, Hermione wondered if she would ever get the guts up to tell Harry she liked him. Walking through the door, she groaned when she saw that the firework had left its effects here too. The entire dormitory glowed.

"Oh no," she sighed. And raising her wand, pronounced "reclusa" pointing to her bed. The bed shrank back into the glowing stone wall, to the dark layers underneath. Hermione undressed, and was just climbing into bed when she spotted the white piece of folded parchment on her pillow. Opening it she read:

Dear Hermione,

Meet me in the common room at midnight, we've got to talk about something. Its not homework either. Please be there.

-Harry

Staring at the small scrap of parchment, Hermione nervously shook her head. She would meet him there alright, but she wasn't going to let herself get her hopes falsely aroused. Could he possibly, just possibly, like her? The same way she liked him? Did he maybe dream about her, think about her and smile, want to be with her all the time? Like she did with him?

She thought lovingly of the way he would lean against the wall, his tall, thin, wiry frame topped with a playful ruffleage of black hair, his bright green, inquisitive eyes shining behind his glasses, his slow moving, surprising smile lighting up his face. Could Harry really maybe like her?

"Stop that you," Hermione scolded herself, "you're always getting your hopes up about something. Harry is just your friend." She wasn't even aware that she had spoken aloud to the stone ceiling. quietly yes, and no one but herself heard, yet she knew she wouldn't be able to hold back her feelings...

Eventually, they would conquer her.

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Harry quietly drew his dressing gown over his P.J.'s and tip toed out the dormitory to the staircase fifteen minutes before midnight. Sitting down on the couch, Harry thought back on what he'd seen of Hermione this year. He loved her long, flowing, silky large curled hair. Her eyes, those large hazel eyes with dark lashes surrounding them, making them twice as big as they really were. Her body, shy and cautious, new to the large soft shapes that became it so. Altogether, she was wonderful.

"Harry?" He turned to see Hemione standing nervously by the staircase, hair beautifully disheveled, eyes large and wondering. Smiling, Harry patted the seat of the couch next to him. Hermione walked over and both she and Harry realized that both of them were too shy to look each other in the eyes. After a few minutes, Harry couldn't bear it anymore.

"Hermione, it never used to be this way. I don't know if you've seen it too, but look, we can't even meet each other's eyes. This is a complete and hopeful shot in the dark, but I...I like you and I think you like me too." Hermione looked up, and there was surprise and delight in her eyes.

"Harry, you're right, I do like you, but I was too afraid to tell anyone. I was too shy to let anybody know. I think it was at Diagon Alley that I started liking you. I love you as a friend, but as something else....I don't know. I'm very new to all this." She shyly looked at him through her lashes, wondering what his reaction would be. Hermione hoped that it would be a good one. She didn't expect it at all when he simply stood up, and offering he his hand, helped her up. She stood, and Harry saw that she was just tall enough to look over his shoulder. Holding her close to him, he looked down at her face, smiled at her reassuringly, and gathered up all of his courage. Tilting his head to one side slightly, Harry moved closer to Hermione. He saw her eyes widen just a tiny it, and for a split second thought that he had done something wrong, but then she was tilting her head to the other side, and her eyes were closing, and his eyes were closing, and their lips touched, pressed together. Harry's were warm and dry to Hermione. To Harry, Hermione's lips were sweet, soft, so alluring. It lasted no more than two seconds, and it was a simple, loving kiss, but meant so much more than it seemed. After that, they held each other close, Each listening to the beating of the others' heart and the steady rhythm of the other's breathing. It felt new, wonderful, slightly forbidden, and yet so right.

Finally, Hermione drew away, smiling to him said,

"I...I've got to get some sleep Harry, tomorrow isn't Saturday." Harry responded, a grin lighting up his face, the back of his hand gently caressing her cheek, and moved forward to clasp her in his embrace again.

"I know. You should. Thank you Hermione, I'm really glad we talked and..... I'm just glad. I really have liked you for a while." Hermione leaned her head onto his chest, and said,

"So am I. I wouldn't have had it any differently. But remember, were still best friends, no matter what." Grinning and tilting her face up to his, Harry said,

"And we always will be, no matter what."

And before she went up the stairs to her dormitory, he kissed her lightly, once again, on those lips, ecstatic that the encounter had gone by so wonderfully, he kissed Hermione, who was beautiful in her cautious ways and slight of smile, on one of the most wonderful nights of his life.

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Deal with me here....I know it needs work! dont expect sex in this story though, im just beginning, i want to get my bearings first, i might create another story someday, but for now, this is all i got! please review! thanks

-weber

P.S. dont forget, go to: http://freeopendiary.com/entrylist.asp?authorcode=A756030 and you might get any messages to me quicker, or maybe see other stuff that i write in there, just about my daily life. enjoy!