A/N: Here it is! Please review with comments/suggestions. Feel free to e-mail me @ lastnite26@yahoo.com.

Disclaimer: I own squat. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Goose-egg.

.:~*~:.

Chapter Two

"In fair Hogwarts School, where we lay our scene"

Act One, Scenes Two and Three

Harry Potter, one of the prominent Gryffindors sighed to himself as he was being beaten by Ron in a game of wizard's chess. All he could think about was Hermione. His Hermione that he had known for many years. That he had yearned for from a far. He watched her flutter from guy to guy, class to class, and she didn't even know. Well, he would fix that. He was 17. He was a man. He was going to tell her…he just needed to figure out how. During the chess match he thought who he could tell to figure out the best way to do it. Not Ron, he screws up with everything that's even remotely related to girls. Plus, maybe he liked Hermione and he would just screw it up and take her for himself. No, he had to ask a girl…one of the prominent Gryffindors, more specifically, for help. Parvati. She would know what to do.

"Hm…looks like we have a check…" Ron said cleverly, egging Harry on, "…and a mate. Well whadduya know Harry? Looks like I've beaten you! How many times have I beat The Boy Who Lived in chess…could it be 734?"

"You've kept track?" Harry asked in utter amazement.

"Yes, Harry," Ron replied sarcastically, "I have a tally scoreboard next to my bed. I kiss it every night before I go to bed."

Seamus chirped in from across the room, "He does too!"

Ron scowled. Harry just laughed, and said, "I gotta go finish up that Charms project with Parvati, I'll see you later."

Ron laughed, "Bye Harry."

Harry got up and walked in a rather brisk pace, envisioning Hermione at the end of the hallway. But she wasn't there. He knew where she was. In the girl's dormitory, probably having fun and laughing about silly boys like him. But he had to meet Parvati for the project anyway. He walked to the library, and sure enough, she was sitting in one of the easy chairs, looking at herself in a compact mirror in between glancing at the charms book. Her makeup was abviously perfect, not a lash out of place, and her hair was neatly tied up into a bun, but very stylish looking. Harry couldn't notice this though, because he was looking around, hoping every person he saw was  Hermione.

"Hi Parvati," Harry said.

"Hello Harry! Let's get started!"

"Yeah sure…but first…I have something to ask you though," Harry said. Get a hold of yourself, he thought. He acted very confident on the surface.

"What Harry?"

"Do you know if Hermione likes me?"

"Well…" Parvati said excitedly, "I don't know. Would you like me to find out if she wants to go out with you?"

"Would you?"

"Don't know though, she's never really been in a relationship before. It'll be different than the one's that you've had in the past with Lavender and Cho…"

"This is the real thing. Trust me. So will you do it?"

"Sure," Parvati said, then bursting, overjoyed, "You two would make such a cute couple…like Gryffindor's royalty! The cutest guy with the cutest girl…who also happens to be the smartest girl…"

Harry cut her off, "I'm the cutest guy?" He smiled devilishly.

"Yeah!" Parvati said. She thought he knew. It was so obvious, the messy black hair, the emerald green eyes, ever since he got rid of his glasses and fixed his eyesight with a seeing charm, he'd been all the girls could talk about.

"All  right…now that we have that settled," Harry said much more confidently, arrogant almost, "Let's get started."

.:~*~:.

"Ginny…what do you think looks better on me, the red or the green?" Hermione said, holding up two of her dress robes. Hermione and Ginny were in the 7th year girl's dormitory room. Ginny was Hermione's good friend and was always welcome. They were preparing for the Ball that night. It was 2 o clock, and classes had ended early that Friday.

Hermione had grown into a classic beauty. She would never admit to it though. The trio that fought Voldemort in the first year at Hogwarts had definetly changed…they were almost completely different. Ron had shot up in his 6th year to over 6 feet. His hair matured in the sense that brown was making it's way back into his hair, and his freckles had faded. He was still a stick, though not quite as so as Harry. Harry probably grew as much as Ron, but looked as though he had not gained any weight. He didn't need his glasses anymore; they were always a hassle so finally one day he fixed it with a Seeing Charm. His green eyes had not lost any of their wonder. And his scar had not moved or changed in the least bit since it happened. Hermione was the rose of the trio, however. She was elegantly slim, and had grown to 5'7, though not being able to see eye to eye with the boys as she used to, she could give some of the other boys there a run for his money. Her hair had calmed down to a manageable curly nature, falling a couple inches past her shoulders. Her cinnamon looking hair that often gleamed red in the sunlight was the envy of many girls at Hogwarts. Her eyes still remained the same piercing chocolate color that they always were. 

"I'd say the red," Ginny said, flipping through "Witch Weekly" magazine.

"You sure?" She said, holding it up. She grew impatient with Ginny, "At least look at it!"

Ginny finally tore away from the "Embrace the Red!" article ("how to embrace your natural beauty and how to tame it." Ginny's fiery red hair had not changed a bit since she came to Hogwarts), "Wait…maybe the green."

"HERMIONE!" Parvati screamed coming up the stairs. She had completely lost the cool that she had when she was studying with Harry.

"Geez Parvati, don't have a conniption," Hermione said.

"Do I have NEWS FOR YOU," Parvati said very excitedly. This threw Ginny into an excited frenzy.

"Tell me-I mean her!" Ginny said.

"Guess who wants to go out with you!" Parvati asked, barely able to keep it in.

"Is it Neville? If it is…" Hermione sighed, "I don't feel that way about it him…he can't realize that…"

"Not even. Think hotter. Way hotter," Parvati said, desperately trying to keep her composure.

Ginny squealed, she knew who it was, "It Harry isn't it? I know it is!" she gasped. All Parvati could do was nod.

"Harry?" Hermione simply asked.

"YES!" they both shouted back at her.

"Well…I haven't really though about it…" Hermione said thinking to herself. The fact that she was downplaying this situation was driving the two other girls absolutely mad.

"He's a man of wax!" Ginny cried. Parvati stared at Ginny at her. (A/N: I just COULDN'T resist sneaking in an original line…).

"You read too much Shakespeare Ginny," Parvati said blandly. Ginny just shrugged.

Hermione stared at Parvati and Ginny, and though to herself about Harry. He wanted her love. Wow, she had never thought about it before…he was a good guy, and was drop dead gorgeous now…

"You'll see him at the party! Talk about it then! Now, we have to finish getting ready so you can look absolutely fabulous!" Parvati said. They continued to throw various makeup and hair charms at Hermione, along with a motley assortment of dress robes. Hermione sighed and then laughed. She had to be in a good mood for the party.

.:~*~:.

"Why did you change your mind?" Benjamin asked Draco as he was picking out a dress robe for the party.

Romeo paused as he looked at an emerald green robe, his favorite, "Pansy is going to be there."

"Come on now coz! She's ancient history! You've heard her, she's not interested," Benjamin said. Man, Draco could be so pathetic sometimes.

.:~*~:.

In the very scum pit, the very cesspool of the Wizard World, was a house. Just outside of Hogwarts, actually. Wizard criminals, con artists, and the very bottom of society dwelled in a place called Mantua. In Mantua, there was a house. A place no one knew about, where the most vile villain ever lived. It was so evil, not even daylight chose to dwell there.

"My downfall belongs to two teenagers," a cold and unwelcoming voice said from the center of the house. It wandered through the empty house, being able to hear everything that was said, but not seen.

There was a long pause. There was nothing in the house, nothing but eerily beautifully decorated walls. There was no furniture, except for a massive chair in the rather large living room. The red chair stared at the empty fireplace.

"We'll just have to end that," the voice continued, "Too bad for Draco Malfoy though, he just couldn't give in."

.:~*~:.

A/N: Review please!